Protein-C Reactive as Biomarker Predictor of Schizophrenia Phases of Illness? A Systematic Review.

Background: Schizophrenia is a complex illness in which genetic, environmental, and epigenetic components have been implicated. However, recently, psychiatric disorders appear to be related to a chronic inflammatory state, at the level of specific cerebral areas which have been found as well impaired and responsible for schizophrenia symptomatology. Hence, a role of inflammatory mediators and cytokines has been as well defined.

A matter of life and death: substance-caused and substance-related fatalities in Ibiza in 2015.

Objectives And Methods: In the framework of the EU-funded project "EU-Madness," we collected and analysed all the reports of fatalities directly or indirectly related to substances of abuse registered in Ibiza from January to September 2015, in order to analyse the characteristics of the sample, the identified substances, and the nature of deaths associated with their consumption.

Results: A significant increase of substance-caused deaths with respect to the previous 4 years has been highlighted. Most of the subjects were young males, more than half were not Spanish.

Bupropion Augmentation in a Case of Compulsive Buying Disorder.

Background: Compulsive buying disorder (CBD) is a condition characterized by excessive preoccupations, impulses, and behaviors regarding buying, resulting in serious psychological, social, and financial problems. Even though it has not been included in Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition, "behavioral addictions" section, CBD is a hot topic in current clinical psychiatry, because of its relevant prevalence (at least 5% in adult populations) and severe effect on quality of life.The CBD shares some clinical features with substance-related and behavioral addictions, impulse control disorders, and obsessive compulsive disorder, and it is often comorbid with other psychiatric illnesses (especially depressive and anxiety disorders).

Substance-related psychopathology and aggressiveness in a nightlife holiday resort: Results from a pilot study in a psychiatric inpatient unit in Ibiza.

Objectives: We aimed to describe a sample of subjects admitted to a psychiatric unit after the intake of psychoactive substances for recreational purposes.

Methods: Between June and September 2015, 49 subjects were included. Sociodemographic characteristics and psychopathological aspects were investigated, and urine samples for further analysis were collected.

Resilience and cross-network connectivity: A neural model for post-trauma survival.

Literature on the neurobiological bases of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) considers medial Prefrontal cortex (mPFC), a core region of the Default Mode Network (DMN), as a region involved in response regulation to stressors. Disrupted functioning of the DMN has been recognized at the basis of the pathophysiology of a number of mental disorders. Furthermore, in the evaluation of the protective factors to trauma consequence, an important role has been assigned to resilience.

A Case of Resistant Schizophrenia Successfully Treated With Clozapine/Long-acting Injectable Aripiprazole Combination.

Background: Treatment-resistant schizophrenia (TRS) is a condition characterized by intense symptom severity and poor response to different antipsychotic agents. The first therapeutic option in TRS is clozapine, but often high/medium doses are not tolerated. Adding an oral antipsychotic to low doses of clozapine is a promising strategy in the management of TRS.

Alcohol drinking patterns in young people: A survey-based study.

Binge drinking represents a major clinical and public health concern. Here, we investigated the prevalence of binge drinking and its related consequences, in a population of young adults. A questionnaire was administered to a sample of 4275 healthy subjects.

Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder Without Comorbid Psychiatric Conditions: A Systematic Review of Therapeutic Options.

Objectives: Premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) is a disabling condition affecting approximately 2% to 8% of women during reproductive age. It has been recently included in the mood disorder section of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition, but its treatment as a primary psychiatric illness is still debated, because of the high prevalence of other mental disturbances in PMDD patients. On the other hand, clear clinical guidelines for PMDD patients not suffering from comorbid mental conditions are not yet available.

The endocannabinoid system: a putative role in neurodegenerative diseases.

Background: Following the characterization of the chemical structure of D9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the main psychoactive constituent of marijuana, researchers have moved on with scientific valuable explorations.

Objectives: The aim of this review is to highlight the role of endocannabinoid system in neurodegenerative diseases.

Materials And Methods: The article is a critical analysis of the most recent data currently present in scientific literature on the subject; a qualitative synthesis of only the most significant articles has been performed.

Bupropion as an add-on therapy in depressed bipolar disorder type I patients with comorbid cocaine dependence.

Objectives: The treatment of bipolar disorder type I (BD-I) with a comorbid cocaine dependence disorder (CDD) is a challenge in current psychiatric practice. Drugs with proven efficacy in manic/mixed episodes, such as atypical antipsychotics and mood stabilizers, sometimes do not prevent depressive relapses; on the other hand, the use of antidepressants during acute depressive episodes may increase the risk of a manic switch. The aim of the present study was to investigate the short-term efficacy of bupropion augmentation in acutely depressed BD-I patients with co-occurring CDD.

The potential of pregabalin in neurology, psychiatry and addiction: a qualitative overview.

Pregabalin is an anticonvulsant drug that binds to the α₂δ (alpha2delta) subunit of the voltage-dependent calcium channel in central nervous system (CNS). Pregabalin decreases the release of neurotransmitters, including glutamate, norepinephrine, substance P and calcitonin gene-related peptide. Purpose of this paper is to offer a qualitative overview of the studies currently available in literature about this drug, examining the effectiveness of pregabalin in its various fields of application.