NeuroBreak: Subbing N2O for Opioids; No Cognition Label for Antidepressant

— News and commentary from the world of neurology and neuroscience

MedpageToday

An emergency department at a New Jersey hospital is the first in the nation to scrap opioids for pain. Don't laugh; here's what they're subbing in. (NJ.com & NPR)

Two pharmacology experts call for limitations on the duration of opioid therapy, praising Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker for signing into law a bill that limits first-time opioid prescriptions, with some exceptions, to 7 days. (JAMA Internal Medicine)

Autism detection rates in the U.S. may finally be plateauing. (Spectrum News)

Alzheimer's caregivers each shell out some $5,000 every year in out-of-pocket costs to take care of their loved ones. (CBS News)

Going against the advice of its advisory committee, the FDA denied the antidepressant vortioxetine (Brintellix) an indication for cognitive benefits. (FiercePharma)

Redhill Biopharma reported good results for a phase IIa proof-of-concept study for its multiple sclerosis candidate RHB-104. (Reuters)

Does mastinib work for ALS? It's hard to tell from a vague press release issued by drugmaker AB Science, according to Adam Feuerstein at TheStreet.com.

Remember the study that suggested schizophrenia may be a problem of synaptic over-pruning? MIT Technology Review goes inside the lab of the researcher focused on microglia and their role in mental illness.