A Prospective Open-Label Trial of Buspirone for the Treatment of Anxiety in Williams Syndrome.

Prospective open-label trial. The objective of this study was to determine whether buspirone showed preliminary evidence of effectiveness, safety, and tolerability in individuals with Williams syndrome (WS). This is a 16-week, prospective, flexibly dosed, open-label trial of buspirone in 20 individuals with WS aged 5-65 years.

Transdiagnostic modeling of clinician-rated symptoms in affective and nonaffective psychotic disorders.

Prevailing factor models of psychosis are centered on schizophrenia-related disorders defined by the and , restricting generalizability to other clinical presentations featuring psychosis, even though affective psychoses are more common. This study aims to bridge this gap by conducting exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses, utilizing clinical ratings collected from patients with either affective or nonaffective psychoses ( = 1,042). Drawing from established clinical instruments, such as the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale, Young Mania Rating Scale, and Montgomery-Åsberg Depression Rating Scale, a broad spectrum of core psychotic symptoms was considered for the model development.

Using Restricted Interests in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder: Results From a Preliminary Randomized Controlled Trial.

Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) exhibit significant deficits in social communication and emotion regulation skills. While cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) applications appear promising, trials to date have largely excluded social communication skill development and have not been designed to include a wider range of emotional challenges. To our knowledge, the present study is the first to pilot a uniquely modified CBT program targeting emotion regulation, including social communication training, and explicitly focusing on the child's areas of circumscribed interest in order to teach skills and promote generalization.

Can Patients With Narcissistic Personality Disorder Change? A Case Series.

The study was set out to establish the potential for psychotherapy to effect improvements in patients with narcissistic personality disorder (NPD). Eight patients with NPD who improved in treatment were identified. Consensus clinician/investigator diagnostic scores from before and after the psychotherapies were retroactively established on the Diagnostic Interview for Narcissism (DIN) and the Diagnostic Statistic Manual for Psychiatric Disorders, 5th Edition (DSM-5) Personality Disorder Section II criteria.

Trauma-informed systems change training has transcultural, transcontinental transformative healing power: An analysis of leaders in the United States and Angola, Africa.

The Institute for Trauma-Informed Systems Change (ITISC) facilitated a 2-day, 12-hr trauma-informed workshop, delivered virtually, using the Training for Change curriculum. The workshop took place in Portuguese in September 2021 with a group of Angolan leaders (N = 51) and in May 2022, in English, with neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) workers from the United States (N = 73). Surveys were administered before (Time [T] 0) and after the workshop (T1) and consisted of demographic questions and the Survey for Trauma-Informed Systems Change (STISC), which assesses system-wide knowledge and attitudes about trauma-informed systems change and the intersection of culture, safety, and acceptance in the workplace.

Circulating PACAP levels are associated with altered imaging measures of entorhinal cortex neurite density in posttraumatic stress disorder.

Pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide (PACAP) regulates plasticity in brain systems underlying arousal and memory and is associated with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Research in animal models suggests that PACAP modulates entorhinal cortex (EC) input to the hippocampus, contributing to impaired contextual fear conditioning. In PTSD, PACAP is associated with higher activity of the amygdala to threat stimuli and lower functional connectivity of the amygdala and hippocampus.

Guanfacine for the Treatment of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder in Children and Adolescents with Down Syndrome: A Retrospective Chart Review.

Retrospective case series. The objective of this study was to provide naturalistic data on the use of guanfacine for the treatment of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in a clinically referred sample of youth with Down syndrome (DS). The medical records of children and adolescents with DS who received guanfacine for the treatment of ADHD from a multidisciplinary neurodevelopmental disorder clinic between September 1, 2011, and September 10, 2021, were reviewed.

Buspirone for the treatment of anxiety in Williams syndrome: a retrospective chart review study.

Background: Williams syndrome (WS) is a rare genetic disorder associated with a high prevalence of anxiety disorders. Evidence-based pharmacologic treatments for anxiety in WS are lacking. The purpose of this study is to provide naturalistic data on the use of buspirone for the treatment of anxiety in WS.

Gonadal hormones impart male-biased behavioral vulnerabilities to immune activation via microglial mitochondrial function.

There is a strong male bias in the prevalence of many neurodevelopmental disorders such as autism spectrum disorder. However, the mechanisms underlying this sex bias remain elusive. Infection during the perinatal period is associated with an increased risk of neurodevelopmental disorder development.

Training for Lasting Change: Trauma-Informed Training Results in Improved and Sustained Individual and Organizational Knowledge, Attitudes, and Policies.

Trauma-informed care (TIC) trainings seek to improve individual and organizational recognition and care to individuals who have experienced trauma. However, whether TIC trainings result in long-term changes to an organization's policies and practices remains unclear. This article describes the effectiveness of a workshop designed to train professionals across disciplines in understanding and implementing TIC in their work and workplace.

Circulating PACAP levels are associated with altered imaging measures of entorhinal cortex neurite density in posttraumatic stress disorder.

Background: Pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide (PACAP) regulates plasticity in brain systems underlying arousal and memory and is associated with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Research in animal models suggests that PACAP modulates entorhinal cortex (EC) input to the hippocampus, contributing to impaired contextual fear conditioning. In PTSD, PACAP is associated with higher activity of the amygdala to threat stimuli and lower functional connectivity of the amygdala and hippocampus.

Diversity of Participants in Williams Syndrome Intervention Studies.

Purpose: This study describes participant diversity in Williams syndrome (WS) intervention studies.

Methods: A literature search was conducted to identify prospective treatment studies including participants with WS. Data was extracted on the reporting of and information provided on age, sex, cognitive ability, socioeconomic status, race, and ethnicity.

Clozapine for treatment refractory catatonia in individuals with autism spectrum disorder: a retrospective chart review study.

Background: Catatonia is increasingly recognized in individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Empirical data on treating catatonia in this population are limited. The purpose of this study is to provide naturalistic data on the use of clozapine for the treatment of catatonia in patients with ASD.

Differential effects of the stress peptides PACAP and CRF on sleep architecture in mice.

Stress produces profound effects on behavior, including persistent alterations in sleep patterns. Here we examined the effects of two prototypical stress peptides, pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide (PACAP) and corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF), on sleep architecture and other translationally-relevant endpoints. Male and female mice were implanted with subcutaneous transmitters enabling continuous measurement of electroencephalography (EEG) and electromyography (EMG), as well as body temperature and locomotor activity, without tethering that restricts free movement, body posture, or head orientation during sleep.

Survey of quality and clarity of methods and results reporting in 1 year of intervention studies published in high-impact medical and psychiatric journals.

Objective: We assessed how well articles in major medical and psychiatric journals followed best reporting practices in presenting results of intervention studies.

Method: Standardised data collection was used to review studies in high-impact and widely read medical (, and ) and psychiatric (, , and ) journals, published between 1 September 2018 and 31 August 2019. Two team members independently reviewed each article.

Prevalence and factors associated with overweight, obesity, and hypertension in a large clinical sample of adults with autism spectrum disorder.

Adults with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are at risk for excess bodyweight and hypertension, yet the prevalence of and clinical predictors for these health conditions remain unknown. The objective of this study was to assess the prevalence of overweight, obesity, and hypertension in a large clinical sample of adults with a confirmed diagnosis of ASD and to examine potential clinical predictors. This retrospective chart review study included adult subjects (≥ 20 years) with ASD who had been seen within the past 5 years at a multidisciplinary developmental disorders clinic.

A randomized double-blind, placebo-controlled pilot trial of mirtazapine for anxiety in children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorder.

This study was a 10-week double-blind, placebo-controlled pilot trial of mirtazapine for anxiety in youth with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Participants were ages 5 to 17 years with ASD and clinically significant anxiety (Pediatric Anxiety Rating Scale [PARS] score ≥10). Thirty participants were randomized to mirtazapine (7.

Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors for the Treatment of Depression in Adults with Down Syndrome: A Preliminary Retrospective Chart Review Study.

Background: Depression is a common psychiatric comorbidity in individuals with Down syndrome (DS), particularly adults, with an estimated lifetime prevalence of at least 10%. The current literature on the treatment of depression in adults with DS is limited to case series published more than two decades ago, prior to the widespread use of modern antidepressant medications such as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). The purpose of this retrospective chart review study was to examine the effectiveness, tolerability, and safety of SSRIs for depression in adults with DS.

Parent Description of Anxiety in Angelman Syndrome.

Anxiety is being increasingly identified in Angelman syndrome (AS). Qualitative questions and quantitative assessments were used to evaluate for anxiety in 50 subjects with AS. In-person evaluations assessed behaviors concerning for anxiety and circumstances wherein they occurred.

Repetitive Thoughts and Repetitive Behaviors in Williams Syndrome.

The purpose of the study was to characterize repetitive phenomena in Williams syndrome (WS). The parents of 60 subjects with WS completed the Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale (Y-BOCS) or Children's Y-BOCS, the Yale Global Tic Severity Scale, the Stereotyped Behavior Scale, and the Spence Children's Anxiety Scale-Parent Version. Nineteen males and 41 females participated in the study.

Clinical Features of Psychotic Disorders: Comparing Categorical and Dimensional Models.

Objective: Despite research demonstrating the value of dimensional approaches, standard systems for classifying psychotic disorders rely primarily on categorization of patients into distinct diagnoses. We present the first study comparing analyses of dimensional features, categories, and standard diagnoses, all derived from the same sample.

Methods: Using symptom ratings from 934 patients hospitalized for psychosis, we examined dimensional models, fit using factor analysis, categorical models, fit to factor-based scores from the dimensional model, and their correspondence with DSM-defined diagnoses.

Characterization of sleep habits and medication outcomes for sleep disturbance in children and adults with Angelman syndrome.

The objectives of this study were to characterize the sleep habits of 50 clinically referred individuals with Angelman syndrome (AS) and to retrospectively compare the effectiveness/tolerability of the three most commonly prescribed sleep medications in the sample. An experienced physician assigned a Clinical Global Impressions-Severity scale (CGI-S) score for each subject's AS-specific symptoms. Caregivers completed the Child Sleep Habits Questionnaire (CSHQ; screen for sleep problems in school-aged [4-10 years] children), a screening assessment for sleep problems.