Deep Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation for the Treatment of Negative Symptoms in Schizophrenia: Beyond an Antidepressant Effect.

Background: Negative symptoms of schizophrenia show limited response to both typical and atypical antipsychotics. Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation applied over the prefrontal cortex (PFC) has been proposed as an adjuvant to pharmacological treatment of negative symptoms in schizophrenia, but whether the improvements obtained are specific to negative symptoms or attributable to antidepressant effects is still unclear.

Objective: The aim of the present study is to determine to which extent the improvements in negative symptoms of schizophrenia obtained after high-frequency stimulation of the bilateral PFC using deep TMS (dTMS) are attributable to antidepressant effects.

Is electroconvulsive therapy during pregnancy safe?

Therapeutic options for psychiatric conditions are limited during pregnancy because many drugs are restricted or contraindicated. Electroconvulsive therapy constitutes an alternative, however there is controversy over its safety. Using the Epistemonikos database, which is maintained by searching multiple databases, we found five systematic reviews, including 81 studies overall describing case series or individual cases.

Impact of delirium on short-term mortality in elderly inpatients: a prospective cohort study.

Background: Delirium is an important problem especially in older medical inpatients.

Objective: The authors asked whether delirium and its duration are associated with higher mortality in a 3-month follow-up period.

Method: In this prospective cohort study, inpatients age 65 and older were assessed every 48 hours with the Confusion Assessment Method.