Psychopharmacology Bulletin

Though research in juvenile depression is advancing, evidence examining effective treatments for Treatment-resistant juvenile depression remains at large limited. There is a dire need for more studies to help guide clinicians navigating these challenging cases.

UNLABELLED: Haloperidol is currently used in addictology for the treatment of acute psychotic disorders, including acute alcoholic hallucinosis. The use of haloperidol is often accompanied by the occurrence of adverse drug reactions (ADRs). There is evidence that CYP2D6 isoenzyme is involved in the biotransformation of haloperidol. AIM: The study aimed to evaluate the relationship of 1846G > A polymorphism of the CYP2D6 gene to the equilibrium concentration levels of haloperidol in patients with acute alcoholic hallucinosis...

Pseudotumor cerebri or idiopathic intracranial hypertension (IIH) secondary to psychotropic drugs is a very rare occurrence. Lithium is typically the culprit agent. Here, authors report on an interesting case of an adolescent with early-onset schizophrenia that develops a reversible IIH putatively related to olanzapine-induced weight gain. This is followed by discussion of purported pharmacodynamic mechanisms and brief review of literature. Clinicians should be cognizant to this serious complication given the propensity of the majority of atypical antipsychotics to induce significant weight gain especially in younger population...

OBJECTIVES: A growing body of evidence has recently suggested that taking venlafaxine during pregnancy may be linked to increased risk of certain congenital defects. The study aimed to address the effects of venlafaxine use during pregnancy on the development of the brain in mice. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN: Fourteen female BALB/c mice were randomly divided into two equally-sized groups: venlafaxine-treated and control. After mating, pregnant mice of venlafaxine-treated group were orally received the venlafaxine 35 mg/kg/day throughout pregnancy, while pregnant control mice did not receive any treatment...

OBJECTIVE: While medication non-adherence is common in bipolar disorder (BD), few studies have specifically assessed non-adherent BD adolescents and young adults (AYAs). This analysis, using screening and baseline data from an ongoing randomized controlled trial, examined the relationship between BD symptoms and adherence in poorly adherent AYAs. METHODS: AYAs ages 13-21 had sub-optimal adherence defined as missing ⩾ 20% of prescribed BD medication. Mean sample (N = 36) age was 19...

Cannabis is a widely used illicit substance that is historically consumed via smoking, but alternative methods of cannabis consumption have been growing in popularity over the past several decades. One such modality is vaporization, which can appeal specifically to adolescent consumers given these pen devices' ease of concealment, lack of characteristic odor, and marketability. Cannabis products designed for vaping often have higher concentrations of the psychoactive component of cannabis, tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), when compared with traditional cannabis leaf smoking...

BACKGROUND: Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) is effective in the management of treatment resistant major depressive disorder (MDD) and has recently become widely available. Our aim was to explore the literature for evidence of the mechanism of action. METHOD: We examined our own accumulating TMS library, the reference lists of all available papers and used a search engine to collect information. We collated and examined this information under relevant heading...

The first monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs) used for the treatment of depression in the 1950-60s were credited with treating severe melancholic depression (MeD) successfully and greatly reducing the need for electroconvulsive therapy (ECT). Following the hiatus caused by the then ill-understood cheese reaction, MAOI use was relegated to atypical and treatment-resistant depressions only, based on data from insufficiently probing research studies suggesting their comparatively lesser effectiveness in MeD. The siren attraction of new 'better' drugs with different mechanisms amplified this trend...

Authors report on an interesting case of a teenager with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and comorbid generalized anxiety disorder, who developed takotsubo cardiomyopathy subsequent to pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic interactions between atomoxetine, a selective norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor, and the antidepressant duloxetine. Clinicians should be mindful of the potential for cardiovascular adverse effects when prescribing agents that target noradrenergic receptors.

Introduction The purpose of this guide is to provide convenient and useful information on about Alzheimer's disease and dementias of late life. The information includes selected facts, diagnostic criteria tables, descriptions of selected tests and screens, guidelines, clinical pharmacological data and references. This guide is divided into several sections: Background factsDiagnostic aids and criteria for dementia diagnosesMedications used for Alzheimer's disease and dementia Basic information on marketed treatments is provided although the treatment may not be FDA approved for this use...

No single neurotransmitter aberration could explain the heterogeneity of schizophrenia syndrome and thus, treatment strategies capitalizing solely on a single neurotransmitter system (e.g., DA blockade) is less likely to be fully successful on clinical grounds. Hence, there is a pressing need to develop newer antipsychotics above and beyond DA antagonism. In this regard, authors brief on five agents that sound pretty promising and might usher in a new sparkle in the psychopharmacotherapy of schizophrenia. This paper is a sequel for authors' previous article on future of schizophrenia psychopharmacotherapy...

OBJECTIVE: There is an increased risk for depression in the offspring of depressed parents. This is in part mediated by maladaptive parenting. Females are more vulnerable to parenting behavior and were found to be at increased risk of depression compared to male offspring of depressed parents. Previous work suggested a reduced risk for depression in the offspring of parents with remitted depression. Offspring gender differences in this association were rarely considered. Here, we are examining the hypothesis that female offspring are more likely to benefit from treating parental depression using data from the U...

INTRODUCTION: Cognitive deficits within the first years of Parkinson's disease (PD) diagnosis are commonly reported, and progression to dementia greatly impacts independence. Identifying measures sensitive to early changes is critical for trials of symptomatic therapies and neuroprotection. METHODS: A sample of 253 newly diagnosed PD patients and 134 Health Controls (HC) completed a brief cognitive battery annually over a 5-year period through the Parkinson's Progression Markers Initiative (PPMI)...

OBJECTIVES: Literature on ADHD has taken long strides recently as heaps of new data are pouring in through countless papers. Here, authors try to outline changing paradigms in ADHD practice. DSM-5 changes regarding the typology and diagnostic criteria are highlighted. Overview of co-morbidities, associations, developmental trajectories, and syndromic continuity across lifespan is outlined. Recent insights into aetiology and diagnostic tools are briefly discussed. New medications in the pipeline are also described...

This study aimed to explore the relationship between Captagon usage and the development of delusions of infidelity. The study sample; 101 male patients, was recruited from patients admitted to Eradah Complex for Mental Health and addiction, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, with the diagnosis of amphetamine (Captagon) induced psychosis during the period from September 2021 to March 2022. All patients underwent an extensive psychiatric interview; including interview with patients' families; a demographic sheet, a drug use questionnaire, the structured clinical interview for DSM-IV (SCID 1), routine medical investigation, and urine screening for drugs...

BACKGROUND: Memenatine is USFDA approved for dementia of Alzheimer's disease. Apart from this indication, trend of its use in psychiatry is on the rise addressing a multitude of disorders. STUDY QUESTION: Memantine remains one of only few psychotropic drugs with antiglutamate activity. This might impart it a therapeutic potential in treatment-resistant major psychiatric disorders characterized by neuroprogression. We reviewed memantine basic pharmacology and its diversifying clinical indications while examining the extant evidence...

INTRODUCTION: Depression is a common disease worldwide but still, the role of combined treatment (pharmacological and psychological interventions) needs to be clarified. The study aims to compare the effectiveness of integrated treatment versus exclusive pharmacological intervention of depression. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The observational prospective study provided the collection of data relating to outpatients evaluated through the administration of the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS), the Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale (HARS), and the Clinical Global Impression Scale (CGI) both at T0 and at a 3-month follow up visit (T1)...

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Psychotropic-induced pancreatitis is rare and even rarer in pediatric population. Here, authors report on an interesting case of risperidone-induced pancreatitis in a child with ADHD comorbid with conduct disorder. Clinicians should be mindful of this remote, yet serious, side effect.

Objective: Major depressive disorder (MDD) which comes to transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) is prone to relapse. Cluster maintenance (CM) TMS is courses of 5 treatments delivered over 2.5-5 days, separated by monthly or greater non-treatment periods. Our aim was to characterize the outcomes of 100 courses of CM TMS. Method: This was a Quality Assurance/Clinical Audit study. We studied consecutive CM TMS courses provided to private hospital inpatients. Mood was rated (on admission and discharge) using the six-item Hamilton depression rating (HAMD6) and the Clinical Global Impression - Severity (CGI-S) scales...