Rationale and Challenges for a New Instrument for Remote Measurement of Negative Symptoms.

There is a broad consensus that the commonly used clinician-administered rating scales for assessment of negative symptoms share significant limitations, including (1) reliance upon accurate self-report and recall from the patient and caregiver; (2) potential for sampling bias and thus being unrepresentative of daily-life experiences; (3) subjectivity of the symptom scoring process and limited sensitivity to change. These limitations led a work group from the International Society of CNS Clinical Trials and Methodology (ISCTM) to initiate the development of a multimodal negative symptom instrument. Experts from academia and industry reviewed the current methods of assessing the domains of negative symptoms including diminished (1) affect; (2) sociality; (3) verbal communication; (4) goal-directed behavior; and (5) Hedonic drives.

Relationship between social determinants of health and hospitalizations and costs in patients with major depressive disorder.

Background: The relationship of patient characteristics and social determinants of health (SDOH) with hospitalizations and costs in patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) has not been assessed using real-world data.

Objective: To identify factors associated with higher hospitalizations and costs in patients with MDD.

Methods: A retrospective observational study identified patients aged 18 years and older newly diagnosed with MDD between July 1, 2016, and December 31, 2018.

Measuring Cognitive Impairments Associated With Schizophrenia in Clinical Practice: Overview of Current Challenges and Future Opportunities.

Background: Cognitive impairment associated with schizophrenia (CIAS) negatively impacts daily functioning, quality of life, and recovery, yet effective pharmacotherapies and practical assessments for clinical practice are lacking. Despite the pivotal progress made with establishment of the Measurement and Treatment Research to Improve Cognition in Schizophrenia (MATRICS) Consensus Cognitive Battery (MCCB) for clinical research, implementation of the full MCCB is too time-consuming and cost-ineffective for most clinicians in clinical practice.

Study Design: Here we discuss current assessments in relation to delivery format (interview-based and performance-based), validity, ease of use for clinicians and patients, reliability/reproducibility, cost-effectiveness, and suitability for clinical implementation.

Current and Emerging Technologies to Address the Placebo Response Challenge in CNS Clinical Trials: Promise, Pitfalls, and Pathways Forward.

Excessive placebo response rates have long been a major challenge for central nervous system (CNS) drug discovery. As CNS trials progressively shift toward digitalization, decentralization, and novel remote assessment approaches, questions are emerging about whether innovative technologies can help mitigate the placebo response. This article begins with a conceptual framework for understanding placebo response.