Behavioral health

BACKGROUND: Natural language processing is a form of artificial intelligence that allows human users to interface with a machine without using complex codes. The ability of natural language processing systems, such as ChatGPT, to successfully engage with healthcare systems requiring fluid reasoning, specialist data interpretation, and empathetic communication in an unfamiliar and evolving environment is poorly studied. This study investigated whether the ChatGPT interface could engage with and complete a mock objective structured clinical examination simulating assessment for membership of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists...

Catecholaminergic systems are involved in a range of psychiatric disorders and are central mediators of the effects of stimulants on the brain and behavior. Advances in analytical detection methods paired with creative application of these approaches allow for recording noradrenergic and dopaminergic systems in the brain in isolation with subsecond resolution. Pauly et al. ( ACS Chem. Neurosci. 2023, 10.1021/acschemneuro.2c00689) define the distinct and differential mechanisms of methamphetamine enantiomers on dopamine and norepinephrine release, giving critical insights into the pharmacodynamic properties of a stimulant that is both abused and used clinically...

Mitochondria are highly dynamic organelles with coordinated cycles of fission and fusion occurring continuously to satisfy the energy demands in the complex architecture of neurons. How mitochondria contribute to addicted drug-induced adaptable mitochondrial networks and neuroplasticity remains largely unknown. Through liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry-based lipidomics, we first analyzed the alteration of the mitochondrial lipidome of three mouse brain areas in methamphetamine (METH)-induced locomotor activity and conditioned place preference...

Donepezil hydrochloride is an acetylcholine esterase inhibitor studied and approved to treat Alzheimer's disease (AD). However, this drug can have positive therapeutic potential in treating different conditions, including various neurodegenerative disorders such as other types of dementia, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's disease, psychiatric and mood disorders, and even infectious diseases. Hence, this study reviewed the therapeutic potential of this drug in treating Alzheimer's and other diseases by reviewing the articles from databases including Web of Science, Scopus, PubMed, Cochrane, and Science Direct...

No abstract text is available yet for this article.

OBJECTIVES: Patients with opioid use disorder (OUD) are increasingly being hospitalized for acute medical illnesses. Despite initiation of medications for OUD (MOUDs), many discontinue treatment after discharge. To evaluate whether a psychosocial intervention can improve MOUD retention after hospitalization, we conducted a pilot randomized controlled trial of a peer recovery coach intervention. METHODS: An existing peer recovery coach intervention was adapted for this trial...

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES: The opioid overdose epidemic is exacerbated by the emergence of Xylazine as an illicit drug adulterant. Xylazine, a veterinary sedative, can potentiate opioid effects while also causing toxic and potentially fatal side effects. This systematic review aims to assess the impact of Xylazine use and overdoses within the opioid epidemic context. METHOD: A systematic search was conducted following PRISMA guidelines to identify relevant case reports, and case series related to Xylazine use...

Addiction, the continuous misuse of addictive material, causes long-term dysfunction in the neurological system. It substantially affects the control strength of reward, memory, and motivation. Addictive substances (alcohol, marijuana, caffeine, heroin, methamphetamine (METH), and nicotine) are highly active central nervous stimulants. Addiction leads to severe health issues, including cardiovascular diseases, serious infections, and pulmonary/dental diseases. Drug dependence may result in unfavorable cognitive impairments that can continue during abstinence and negatively influence recovery performance...

INTRODUCTION: Methamphetamine (MA) use disorder is an important public health concern. MA withdrawal is often the first step in ceasing or reducing use. There are no evidence-based withdrawal treatments, and no medication is approved for the treatment of MA withdrawal. Lisdexamfetamine (LDX) dimesilate, used in the treatment of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and binge eating disorder has the potential as an agonist therapy to ameliorate withdrawal symptoms, and improve outcomes for patients...

This study underlines the importance of cinnamon, a commonly used natural spice and flavoring material, and its metabolite sodium benzoate (NaB) in attenuating oxidative stress and protecting memory and learning in an animal model of Alzheimer's disease (AD). NaB, but not sodium formate, was found to inhibit LPS-induced production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in mouse microglial cells. Similarly, NaB also inhibited fibrillar amyloid beta (Aβ)- and 1-methyl-4-phenylpyridinium(+)-induced microglial production of ROS...

Studies have demonstrated the beneficial therapeutic effects of sarcosine, benzoate, and ketamine (including esketamine and arketamine) on depression. These drugs mainly act by modulating N-methyl-d-aspartate glutamate receptors (NMDARs) and reducing inflammation in the brain. Although ketamine, benzoate, and sarcosine act differently as the antagonists or coagonists of NMDARs, they all have demonstrated efficacy in animal models or human trials. In vitro and in vivo studies have indicated that sarcosine, benzoate, and ketamine exert their anti-inflammatory effects by inhibiting microglial activity...

Advancing age is recognized as the primary risk factor for Alzheimer's disease (AD); however approximately one third of dementia cases are attributable to modifiable risk factors such as hypertension, diabetes, smoking, and obesity. Recent research also implicates oral health and the oral microbiome in AD risk and pathophysiology. The oral microbiome contributes to the cerebrovascular and neurodegenerative pathology of AD via the inflammatory, vascular, neurotoxic, and oxidative stress pathways of known modifiable risk factors...

OBJECTIVES: This study investigated the therapeutic effect of red hot pepper ( Capsicum annuum) methanolic extract in induced Alzheimer's disease using AlCl3 in male rats. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Rats were injected with AlCl3 intraperitoneally (IP) daily for two months. Starting from the 2nd month of AlCl3 , rats received, in addition, IP treatments with Capsicum extract (25 and 50 mg/kg) or saline. Other groups received only saline or Capsicum extract at 50 mg/kg for two months...

Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) belongs to the family of neurotrophins, which are growth factors with trophic effects on neurons. BDNF is the most widely distributed neurotrophin in the central nervous system (CNS) and is highly expressed in the prefrontal cortex (PFC) and hippocampus. Its distribution outside the CNS has also been demonstrated, but most studies have focused on its effects in neuropsychiatric disorders. Despite the advances in medicine in recent decades, neurological and psychiatric diseases are still characterized by high drug resistance...

The psychosomatic interview is a patient-focused dialogue between physician and patient. It differs from the traditional disease-focused encounter in that the psychosomatic approach includes the biological, psychological, and sociocultural domains irrespective of the patients initial complaint, whether somatic or psychological. The process of dyadic interaction and the techniques of open questions are reviewed. Specific issues such as the alexithymic patient and breaking bad news are challenges in such communications...

The notion that personality variables can affect vulnerability to specific diseases has been widely promoted in psychosomatic medicine. Over the time, some personality patterns have been extensively studied. Among them, alexithymia, type A, and type D personality are the most relevant. However, also temperament and character has increasingly been object of studies. Alexithymia is currently recognized as a risk factor for medical, psychiatric, or behavioral problems; type A personality is recognized to increase the risk for coronary artery disease, and type D personality has been related to adverse cardiac events and cardiovascular outcomes...

Psychodermatology is an underappreciated field that studies psychocutaneous disorders, which are conditions that have both dermatologic and psychiatric characteristics. Underlying psychiatric comorbidity is estimated to occur in up to one-third of dermatologic patients, and psychiatric illness may either be the cause or the consequence of dermatologic disease. Psychodermatologic patients lack insight and often do not recognize a psychiatric etiology for their symptoms and therefore comprise some of the most challenging cases to treat...

Orexin A and B, also known as hypocretin 1 and 2, are excitory neuropeptides synthesized in the perifornical and lateral hypothalamic areas. Following their discovery in 1998, orexins are now known to be involved in feeding, sleep, stress response, and reward processing. Most importantly, orexin deficiency has been linked to narcolepsy, a neurological sleep-wake disorder. Patients with narcolepsy also present overlapping symptoms with psychiatric disorders, such as anxiety and depressed mood, and even hallucinations, which often lead to misdiagnosis in the initial assessment...

Traditional clinical toxicology involves the analysis of patient urine samples by immunoassays designed to detect opiates/opioids, amphetamine/methamphetamine, benzodiazepines, barbiturates, cocaine metabolite and tetrahydrocannabinol. Expanded drug screens may also include assays for oxycodone, buprenorphine, methadone, 6-monoacetylmorphine, phencyclidine and fentanyl. Patient samples that are positive are commonly reflexed to be run on a liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry confirmatory assay, as are samples that are negative for drugs that are prescribed to the patient...

BACKGROUND: Item specification is foundational to measurement development but rarely reported in depth. We address this gap by explicating our use of qualitative methods to ground and develop items for a new recovery capital measure, the Multidimensional Inventory of Recovery Capital. METHOD: We recruited a diverse sample of service providers ( n = 9) and people in recovery from alcohol problems ( n = 23) to provide feedback on an item pool assessing social, human, physical, community, and cultural capital...