Background: Trials of cholinergic and glutamatergic agents have improved cognition and memory for the geriatric schizophrenic population. Donepezil is an acetylcholinesterase inhibitor that improves cognition by preventing postsynaptic degradation of hippocampal acetylcholine in patients with mild-to-moderate dementia. Donepezil has been attributed to some adverse effects, especially gastrointestinal symptoms.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPaliperidone is an atypical antipsychotic medication commonly used to treat schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, and bipolar disorder. It is a metabolite of risperidone and has a similar mechanism of action, primarily blocking dopamine 2 receptors (D2 receptors) in the brain. Paliperidone has various adverse effects, including extrapyramidal symptoms, weight gain, and metabolic disturbances.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPseudobulbar affect (PBA) manifests as a disconnect between emotional feelings and emotional expressions. The impact of pseudobulbar affect on social, occupational, and interpersonal functioning is substantial. It results in poor quality of social interactions and poor overall quality of life.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFLithium is a mood stabilizer frequently used in psychiatry to treat bipolar disorder. Because lithium has a narrow therapeutic index, it requires frequent monitoring for its toxicity. Lithium toxicity requires monitoring of serum lithium and clinical assessment by clinicians.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFFahr's syndrome is a rare neurodegenerative disorder characterized by symmetric bilateral calcifications in the basal ganglia. While this is largely a hereditary disease with autosomal dominant inheritance, a small percentage is sporadic in nature with no metabolic or other underlying causes identified. Fahr's syndrome has both neurological and psychiatric manifestations that include movement abnormalities, seizures, psychosis, and depression.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFTraumatic brain injury (TBI) is an intricate process in which the chemical balance and physical structure of the brain are altered. This medical condition's effects range from altered mental status to an irreversible comatose state, and in severe cases even death. TBI affects millions of individuals worldwide on an annual basis.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPurpose: The study examined the associations of multiple psychiatric and chronic conditions with the self-reported history of major depressive disorder (MDD) among patients with opioid use disorder (OUD) and tested whether the associations differed by gender.
Methods: We conducted a secondary data analysis of baseline data from a clinical trial including 1,646 participants with OUD, of which 465 had MDD. A variable cluster analysis was used to classify chronic medical and psychiatric conditions.
This study examined the associations of polysubstance use, mood disorders, and chronic conditions with the history of anxiety disorder among patients with opioid use disorder (OUD). We performed a secondary analysis of the baseline data from a clinical trial including 1,645 individuals with OUD, of which 513 had anxiety disorder. Substance use disorders (SUDs) included alcohol, amphetamines, cannabis, cocaine, and sedative use disorders.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThis was a retrospective study that aimed to determine the treatment outcome of patients seen in the trauma unit of the Johnson City Medical Center (JCMC). The study included 2844 patients in the trauma registry and evaluated age, sex, injury severity score (ISS), length of stay (LOS) in the intensive care unit (ICU), overall hospital lengths of stay (LOS), ventilator days, discharge disposition, and complications between one group managed by extenders only and the second managed by both residents and extenders. The sample size of the two groups was similar (group one = 1446 and group two = 1398) and the proportions of males and females in the two groups were identical (males = 65%, females = 35%).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjective: Adult women are disproportionately affected by overweight and obesity in Sub-Saharan African (SSA) countries. Existing evidence on the sociocultural context remains unconsolidated. In this qualitative research synthesis, we aggregate research literature on contextual factors that potentially predispose adult women and adolescent girls to overweight and obesity to inform research, policies and programs over the life course.
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