Psychopharmacology Bulletin

BACKGROUND: Given the importance of medication adherence among individuals with bipolar disorder (BD), this analysis from an ongoing randomized controlled trial (RCT) examined the relationship between BD symptoms, functioning and adherence in 69 poorly adherent adults with BD. METHOD: Study inclusion criteria included being ≥ 18 years old with BD Type 1 or 2, difficulties with medication adherence and actively symptomatic as measured by Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS) score ≥ 36, Young Mania Rating Scale (YMRS) > 8 or Montgomery Asberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS) > 8...

Here, authors report on an interesting case of an adolescent with a diagnosis of schizo-affective disorder, maintained on LAI paliperidone palmitate that developed an unusual dystonic reaction in form of anismus that masquerade as constipation and faecal impaction. To our knowledge, this is one of the earliest reports of antipsychotic-induced anismus notably in adolescent population. Clinicians should be mindful of unusual forms of dyskinesias that might be associated with high-potency antipsychotic use.

BACKGROUND: Chronic pain remains a serious health problem with significant impact on morbidity and well-being. Available treatments have only resulted in relatively modest efficacy. Thus, novel therapeutic treatments with different mechanisms have recently generated empirical interest. Lidocaine is postulated to provide anti-inflammatory and anti-nociceptive effect through its action at the N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) and voltage gated calcium receptors. Emerging research indicates that lidocaine could be a reasonable alternative for treating chronic pain...

NTX is FDA-approved for opiate and alcohol use disorders as anti-craving agent. It has been used successfully off-label in other psychiatric indications. Here, we shed some light on these while examining the extant evidence.

No abstract text is available yet for this article.

Introduction Since the last edition of the Black Book, several innovative agents have been approved or are poised to be approved in the coming year. These include novel antidepressants, the first muscarine agonist for the treatment of schizophrenia, the first psychedelic which may be approved for the treatment of PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder), and the first disease modifying drug for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease. Three new antidepressants have come to the market in the past 18 months. The first of those, Auvelity, the combination of bupropion and dextromethorphan, takes advantage of a pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic synergism between the two drugs...

As global aging becomes more prominent, neurocognitive disorders (NCD) incidence has increased. Patients with NCD usually have an impairment in one or more cognitive domains, such as attention, planning, inhibition, learning, memory, language, visual perception, and spatial or social skills. Studies indicate that 50-80% of these adults will develop neuropsychiatric symptoms (NPS), such as apathy, depression, anxiety, disinhibition, delusions, hallucinations, and aberrant motor behavior. The progression of NCD and subsequent NPS requires tremendous care from trained medical professionals and family members...

Clozapine, amongst antipsychotics, has a unique composite mode of action that might translate into an expanded therapeutic potential on clinical grounds. Sorely, clozapine remains underutilized.

The study aimed to assess Rivastigmine augmentation on positive and negative symptoms (PNSs), general psychopathology, and quality of life in patients with chronic Schizophrenia. A double-blind, parallel-design, randomized, placebo-controlled trial of 60 schizophrenia patients was conducted. Intervention group received rivastigmine 3 mg/day + Treatment as Usual (TAU) and the control group: TAU + placebo. Negative and positive symptoms, general psychopathology; and quality of life were measured using Positive and Negative Symptom Scale (PANSS) and Manchester Short Assessment of Quality of Life (MANSA)...

This is a case of a 35-year-old woman who presented with an 18-month history of post (long)-COVID depression and exhaustion along with recurrent fevers and treatment-resistant skin boils, all of which abated with lithium treatment at a serum level of 1.14 mmol/L, and all of which worsened when the lithium serum level was lowered to 0.8. This paper illustrates Lithium's effectiveness in the treatment of post (long)-COVID syndrome, though a higher serum concentration may be required.

Zolpidem is a widely used hypnotic. Dependence on zolpidem due to the induction of euphoria is a rare condition, while intranasal misuse of zolpidem is a rather new phenomenon. We present the first case of a patient who developed zolpidem dependence, which was associated with the prompt onset of euphoria exclusively following intranasal use. Mr. A was a 51-year-old polydrug abuser with antisocial personality disorder and a physical dependence on zolpidem. Over several years, he consumed 500 mg of the drug daily, usually divided into 30 mg doses, exclusively via the nasal route because unlike the oral administration of the same dose of the drug, intranasal administration induced euphoria...

No abstract text is available yet for this article.

BACKGROUND: Preclinical studies show that clavulanic acid (CLAV) inhibits cocaine self-administration. This study investigates the effect of CLAV on regions of brain activation in response to cocaine cues during functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) in participants with cocaine use disorder (CUD). METHODS: A double-masked, placebo-controlled clinical trial with thirteen individuals with severe CUD who were randomized to treatment with CLAV (N = 10, 9 completers) 500 mg/day or matched placebo (PBO) (N = 3) for 3 days...

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Here, authors report on an interesting case of early-onset of schizophrenia where adjunctive pregabalin alleviated risperidone-induced pseudoparkinsonism, helped with insomnia and agitation and boosted antipsychotic response with great tolerability. We wager that gabapentenoids can be a viable option in the niche of psychopharmacotherapy of schizophrenia in CAP population.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: This is a comprehensive review of the literature regarding Lemborexant for the treatment of insomnia. It covers the background and management of insomnia and then reviews the body of existing evidence evaluating the use of Lemborexant for this purpose. RECENT FINDINGS: Insomnia leads to significant decreased in quality of life and economic burden due to decreased workplace performance and increased health care costs. Insomnia manifests as a single common pathway of hyperarousal due to a highly complex network of interactions between activation of the sympathetic system and the endocrine system...

Synthetic cannabinoids (SCs), a class of new psychoactive substances (NPS) commonly known as "spice," has rapidly gained popularity and become the most ubiquitous NPS on the illegitimate drug market. SCs, unlike natural cannabis (NC), are not controlled by international drug conventions, posing a significant risk to public health. These substances are easily accessible, relatively inexpensive, and challenging to detect in routine drug screenings. The existing literature provides strong evidence of an association between NC use and psychosis, but there is significantly less data on SC psychosis...

INTRODUCTION: The period before effective treatment is administered, is known as the duration of untreated illness (DUI). It has been found to relate to prognoses and sensitivity to treatment. The DUI is yet to be fully investigated in relation to obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). METHOD: The present study examined a sample of 89 patients who presented with OCD over a span of two years and who were treated at a clinic in Khartoum, the capital city of Sudan. We examined the mean DUI before the patients received an effective psychiatric intervention...

BACKGROUND: Despite the prevalence of Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) and the propensity of affected individuals to eventually die by suicide, there is no therapeutic approved specifically for suicidal ideation and behavior (SI/B) in MDD. The NMDA receptor antagonist ketamine has been investigated for the treatment of depression and shown to have a rapid effect on symptoms. Spravato® (esketamine) is approved by the FDA for use in treatment-resistant depression and Major Depressive Episodes with Suicidal Ideation based on studies conducted in adults also taking standard antidepressants...

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: This is a comprehensive review of the literature regarding the use of Solriamfetol for excessive daytime sleepiness. It covers the background and current therapeutic approaches to treating excessive daytime sleepiness, the management of common comorbidities, and the existing evidence investigating the use of Solriamfetol for this purpose. RECENT FINDINGS: Excessive daytime sleepiness leads to worse quality of life, a medical sequela and significant economic cost...