5 Minutes With... Psychopharmacology Update 2026 Chair Dr. Henry Nasrallah & Faculty Dr. Eric Hollander

Welcome back to the MedscapeLIVE! psychiatry newsletter! As we move into fall, we are approaching the upcoming dynamic, in-person conference that is Psychopharmacology Update 2026. This year’s conference, with a theme of “Problem-Solving Psychopharmacology for Treatment-Resistant Psychiatric Spectra,” is October 23 and 24 in Cincinnati, Ohio at the Hyatt Regency.

One of the best sources of education in the realm of pharmacotherapy, Psychopharm Update is a critical opportunity to learn about the latest advancements in the field while also networking with your colleagues. From breakthroughs in new therapeutics to pressing psychiatric challenges, this year's program promises to be our most dynamic yet. Register here!

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This month, Dr. Hollander gives us a sneak peek on pearls he will present on the latest or most effective therapeutics of difficult to treat autism, difficult to treat OCD, and difficult to treat impulse control disorders. He and Dr. Nasrallah also gamely sit down for a quick drill Q&A and give us their very candid responses to both personal and professional hot topics! Read on for more!

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Keep up to date as well on current research with this month’s Psych Resource section, featuring articles from MDEdge Psychiatry, New England Journal of Medicine, and JAMA Psychiatry—check them out below!

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Thank you to Dr. Hollander and Dr. Nasrallah for their time and expertise! Please contact me at colleen@cmhadvisors.com with any comments. –Colleen Hutchinson

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Dr. Hollander, to round out Day 1, you will present An Update on Managing Difficult-to-Treat Autism, OCD and Impulse Control Disorders. What are some of the latest or most effective therapeutics for patients?

Dr. Hollander: For difficult to treat autism, we have seen in our clinical practice that dextromethorphan (an NMDA antagonist and sigma-1 agonist) combined with compounds that block liver metabolism (ie, quinidine or bupropion) help reduce severe rigidity, discomfort and temper tantrums. We are also studying the use of R-MDMA (a 5-HT/NE reuptake inhibitor, 5-HT2A and 1A agonist, and oxytocin releaser) to enhance social reward and reciprocity and to improve cognitive flexibility.

For difficult to treat OCD, we have found that intranasal esketamine (an NMDA antagonist) reduces ruminations and compulsions in resistant OCD comorbid with resistant depression. Others have found that a single dose of psilocybin (a 5-HT2A agonist) transiently improves cognitive flexibility, and transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) to the orbitofrontal cortex transiently improves OCD symptoms.

For difficult to treat impulse control disorders such as gambling disorder, we have found in clinical practice that GLP-1 medications strengthen impulse control and improve behavioral addictions.

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The 2026 Keynote from Dr Petros Levounis is Technological Addictions: From Internet Gaming and Cybersex to Social Media and Digital Hyperconnectivity. Given the scope of your presentation and this Keynote, do you foresee parallels and treatment approach commonality between the two?

Dr. Hollander: Problematic use of the internet (PUI) includes digital addictions and compulsions. Children with OCD, autism, ADHD and impulse control disorders are at increased risk for PUI. Further, treatment of these underlying conditions can reduce PUI. Also, identifying individuals at risk for PUI and early intervention strategies can improve long-term outcomes.

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Hot List with Dr. Hollander!

Favorite new advance in treatment: Psychedelics for depression, anxiety and autism hold promise for enhancing neuroplasticity and cognitive flexibility, but require further long-term follow-up testing, and it is unclear whether the psychedelic experience itself or concomitant psychotherapy is necessary for efficacy.

Favorite mentor: Mentor - Donald F. Klein, MD

Favorite source of med ed: Medscape

Favorite book: London's Falling

Favorite tool in your medical arsenal: Claude AI

Favorite aspect of your job: Overlap of clinical and research interests

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Gut Reaction with Henry Nasrallah!

Psychopharmacology Update in a nutshell: Faculty will update the audience about difficult-to-treat patients across ALL psychiatric disorders, as the comprehensive agenda shows, educating attendees broadly but also deeply. In a few days, you will acquire the absolute latest evidence-based guidance for managing very complicated and treatment-resistant patients across psychotic, mood, and anxiety disorders by the most qualified experts. Attending the 25th Annual Psychopharmacology Update will enable psychiatric clinicians to better serve the most challenging and difficult-to-treat patients in their clinics.

My mentors: At different stages of my career—John Romano during residency; Chris Gillin during my NIH fellowship; and George Winokur during my academic psychiatry career.

Most rewarding accomplishment: Giving back… Philanthropic donations to establish 5 Endowed Lectureships and a Neuroscience Center at several universities.

Publication I am most proud of: For clinicians: Current Psychiatry, where I have served as Editor-in-Chief for 15 years. Current Psychiatry is the most useful and practical journal for busy practitioners, with the latest advances about the phenomenology and multi-modal treatments of psychiatric disorders. For researchers: 2 journals I founded: Schizophrenia Research and Biomarkers in Neuropsychiatry.

Faculty or presentations I’m particularly looking forward to: All of them! I invited each of them because of their expertise in their topics.

It’s the 25th Annual Psychopharmacology Update. What this meeting has been for 25 years: Annual cutting-edge updates about evidence-based psychopharmacology and changes in the standards of care.

Proud of this as meeting Chair: The loyalty of hundreds of HCPs who attend the conference year after year and their laudatory comments afterward.

Psychopharmacology Update | October 23-24, 2026 | Cincinnati, Ohio | Celebrate 25 Years of Learning Together

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Join us October 23-24, 2026 at the Hyatt Regency Cincinnati for the 25th Annual Psychopharmacology Update. This special anniversary conference is focused on psychopharmacology for treatment‑resistant psychiatric spectra. Learn from world-renowned faculty as they share practical strategies across difficult‑to‑treat disorders—from substance use, eating and personality disorders to autism, anxiety, mood, psychosis, and ADHD. With a timely keynote on technological addictions, this conference is designed for clinicians seeking immediately applicable guidance. Register Now with code PSYCHCONF for a special 30% OFF discount!

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Learn More About This Milestone Year!

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Psychiatry Resource Section

JAMA Psychiatry Original Investigation— Connectivity versus Scalp-Based Targeting of Accelerated Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation for Depression: A Randomized Clinical Trial

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Medscape Medical News Commentary: AI in Psychiatry: What's Ready and What's Not

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JAMA Psychiatry Viewpoint— A New CMS Payment Model for AI-Delivered Behavioral Health Care

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Medscape Medical News MedBrief: Psilocybin May Boost Abstinence in Cocaine Use Disorder

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