Other drug use does not impact cognitive impairments in chronic ketamine users.

Background: Ketamine abuse causes cognitive impairments, which negatively impact on users' abstinence, prognosis, and quality of life.

Results: of cognitive impairments in chronic ketamine users have been inconsistent across studies, possibly due to the small sample sizes and the confounding effects of concomitant use of other illicit drugs. This study investigated the cognitive impairment and its related factors in chronic ketamine users with a large sample size and explored the impact of another drug use on cognitive functions.

Ketamine users have high rates of psychosis and/or depression.

Ketamine has been linked to psychosis and used in the treatment of depression. However, no study has examined the prevalence of psychotic and depressive disorders in dependent ketamine users. This study aimed to examine the frequency of various psychopathologies among a series of patients seeking treatment for ketamine use in Hong Kong, China.

Cerebral microbleeds as a predictor of 1-year outcome of poststroke depression.

Background And Purpose: Cerebral microbleeds (CMBs) are common in stroke survivors and community-dwelling elderly. The clinical significance of CMBs in the outcome of poststroke depression (PSD) is unknown. This study examined the association between the 1-year outcome of PSD and CMBs.

Are sexes affected differently by ketamine? An exploratory study in ketamine users.

One hundred primary ketamine users and 100 controls were recruited in Hong Kong between December 2009 and December 2011. Cognitive assessment included general intelligence, working, verbal, and visual memory, and executive functions. A Univariate General Linear Model was used to compare cognitive performance between the male and female ketamine users and controls.

Frontal infarcts and anxiety in stroke.

Background And Purpose: This study examined the association between poststroke anxiety symptoms (PSA) and frontal lobe infarcts.

Methods: A cohort of 693 patients was recruited. PSA was defined as an anxiety subscale of the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale score of 8 or above.

Survey of referrals to electroconvulsive therapy in Hungary.

Background: The diagnostic distribution of patients treated with electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) in Hungary is significantly different from that in Western Europe or the USA. In Hungary most of the treated patients are diagnosed with schizophrenia.

Aim: To analyze the practice of referring patients for ECT in Hungary.

Impact of the priority follow-up system on quality of life in Chinese schizophrenia patients.

Objective: Priority follow up (PFU) is a particular aspect of mental health care in Hong Kong whereby psychiatric patients with a history of violence or suspected proclivity to violence are identified and their management is closely monitored. The aim of the present study was to determine the impact of a PFU system on quality of life (QOL) in schizophrenia patients.

Methods: Two hundred and sixty-seven clinically stable outpatients with schizophrenia were randomly selected and interviewed in Hong Kong using standardized assessment instruments that covered their clinical condition and QOL.

Clinical and social determinants of psychotropic drug prescription for schizophrenia outpatients in China.

To date, few studies have investigated prescription patterns of psychotropic drugs in Chinese patients with schizophrenia in general and outpatients in particular. This study examined the role that socio-demographic and clinical factors play in determining psychotropic drug prescriptions for schizophrenia outpatients in China. Two hundred and fifty-five and 250 clinically stable outpatients with schizophrenia were randomly selected and interviewed in Hong Kong (HK) and Beijing (BJ) respectively, using standardized assessment instruments.

Efficacy of the Community Re-Entry Module for patients with schizophrenia in Beijing, China: outcome at 2-year follow-up.

Background: Few psychosocial interventions have been developed in China that are suitable for use in the community.

Aims: To evaluate the effectiveness of the Chinese version of the Community Re-Entry Module (CRM; a module of a standardised, structured social skills training programme devised at the University of California, Los Angeles) for patients with schizophrenia compared with standard group psychoeducation.

Method: Patients with schizophrenia (n=103) were randomly allocated to CRM or psychoeducation groups and followed up for 24 months.

Clinical correlates of clozapine prescription for schizophrenia in China.

Aims: Few studies have investigated the prescription patterns of clozapine in outpatients with schizophrenia in China. It is an important issue due to clozapine's high efficacy and potentially fatal side effect profile. This study examined the use of clozapine and its correlates in China.