Levetiracetam for the treatment of alcohol withdrawal syndrome: a multicenter, prospective, randomized, placebo-controlled trial.

Background: Treatment of alcohol withdrawal syndrome (AWS) with benzodiazepines is limited by risk of abuse, intoxication, respiratory problems, and liver toxicity. Alternatives such as carbamazepine and valproate may also have safety problems, such as hepatotoxicity or central nervous adverse effects. We therefore investigated the safety and efficacy of levetiracetam (LV), a newer antiepileptic with a potentially favorable adverse-effect profile, for the treatment of AWS.

Depressive mood changes and psychiatric symptoms during 12-month low-dose interferon-alpha treatment in patients with malignant melanoma: results from the multicenter DeCOG trial.

The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the incidence, spectrum and extent of psychiatric symptoms in patients with malignant melanoma (MM) before and during adjuvant treatment with interferon-alpha (IFN-alpha). 850 patients with cutaneous MM of > or =1.5 mm tumor thickness received standard low-dose IFN-alpha 2a in this prospective multicenter trial of the Dermatologic Cooperative Oncology Group (DeCOG).

Hepatitis C treatment in "difficult-to-treat" psychiatric patients with pegylated interferon-alpha and ribavirin: response and psychiatric side effects.

Unlabelled: We investigated and compared the results of treating the chronic hepatitis C (HCV) infection of different groups of psychiatric-risk patients and controls with pegylated interferon alpha (pegIFN-alpha) plus ribavirin. Seventy patients were prospectively screened for psychiatric disorders. Seventeen patients without psychiatric diseases or drug addiction (controls), 22 patients with psychiatric disorders, 18 patients who had received methadone substitution treatment and 13 patients who were former drug users were treated with pegIFN-alpha plus ribavirin.

Current schizophrenia drugs: efficacy and side effects.

Over the course of the past decade, the acceptance of several second-generation antipsychotics (SGAs) as effective medication for the treatment of schizophrenia has led to some changes. SGAs have a lower risk of inducing extrapyramidal side effects and tardive dyskinesia compared with first-generation antipsychotics, and have been said to be more successful in long-term treatment and tolerability. They also significantly improve the quality of life of schizophrenic patients.

Neuroprotective agents in schizophrenia and affective disorders.

With the exception of dementia, the use of neuroprotective agents in psychiatric disorders is not yet well established. However, recent data from brain imaging studies and clinical trials support the view that neurodegenerative mechanisms may play a role in the pathophysiology of schizophrenia and affective disorders. Further evidence for the use of neuroprotective agents can be drawn from the findings that second-generation antipsychotics, mood stabilizers and antidepressants have been shown to have neuroprotective effects in vitro and in vivo.

Prevention of interferon-alpha associated depression in psychiatric risk patients with chronic hepatitis C.

Background/aims: Interferon-alpha (IFN-alpha) induced depression is a major limitation for the treatment of chronic hepatitis C, especially for patients with psychiatric disorders. We prospectively studied the efficacy of a pre-emptive treatment with the antidepressant citalopram to prevent depression during hepatitis C treatment with pegylated IFN-alpha-2b plus ribavirin.

Methods: 14 HCV infected patients with psychiatric disorders received a prophylactic medication with citalopram (20mg/day) before and during therapy with IFN-alpha.