Suppression of antipsychotic-induced tardive dyskinesia with aripiprazole in an elderly patient with bipolar I disorder.

Introduction: Aripiprazole has a low risk for causing extrapyramidal syndrome and can remit neuroleptic-induced tardive dyskinesia (TD). Here, we presented a case in which TD was suppressed, but not cured, by long-term aripiprazole treatment.

Case: This 74-year-old male patient had bipolar I disorder and had developed TD many times after several antipsychotic treatments.

Prevalence of psychiatric disorders among heroin users who received methadone maintenance therapy in Taiwan.

Background: Many patients under methadone maintenance treatment are present with comorbid psychiatric symptoms.

Objective: We wish to examine the prevalence of psychiatric disorders among heroin users who received methadone maintenance therapy (MMT) in Taiwan.

Methods: By combining the National Health Insurance Research database and Center for Disease Control database, 18,271 heroin users who received MMT were defined as the subject group and after matching age and sex, 73,084 patients were randomly selected as the control group.

Variant GADL1 and response to lithium therapy in bipolar I disorder.

Background: Lithium has been a first-line choice for maintenance treatment of bipolar disorders to prevent relapse of mania and depression, but many patients do not have a response to lithium treatment.

Methods: We selected subgroups from a sample of 1761 patients of Han Chinese descent with bipolar I disorder who were recruited by the Taiwan Bipolar Consortium. We assessed their response to lithium treatment using the Alda scale and performed a genomewide association study on samples from one subgroup of 294 patients with bipolar I disorder who were receiving lithium treatment.

Screening and confirmation of 62 drugs of abuse and metabolites in urine by ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry.

An ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography--quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UHPLC-QTOF-MS) method for the screening and confirmation of 62 drugs of abuse and their metabolites in urine was developed in this study. The most commonly abused drugs, including amphetamines, opioids, cocaine, benzodiazepines (BZDs) and barbiturates, and many other new and emerging abused drugs, were selected as the analytes for this study. Urine samples were diluted 5-fold with deionized water before analysis.

Functional genetic polymorphisms in CYP2C19 gene in relation to cardiac side effects and treatment dose in a methadone maintenance cohort.

Abstract Methadone maintenance therapy is an established treatment for heroin dependence. This study tested the influence of functional genetic polymorphisms in CYP2C19 gene encoding a CYP450 enzyme that contributes to methadone metabolism on treatment dose, plasma concentration, and side effects of methadone. Two single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), rs4986893 (exon 4) and rs4244285 (exon 5), were selected and genotyped in 366 patients receiving methadone maintenance therapy in Taiwan.

Trends, correlates, and disease patterns of antipsychotic use among children and adolescents in Taiwan.

Purpose: We used Taiwan's population-based National Health Insurance database to investigate the trends, correlates, and disease patterns of antipsychotic use among children and adolescents.

Methods: The National Health Research Institutes provided a database of 1,000,000 random subjects for study. We chose subjects who were aged 18 years or younger during 1997-2005.

Serum lipid profile could predict the inception and impacts of violent behaviors among acute psychiatric inpatients.

Background: The prediction of violence among psychiatric inpatients using biophysiological indicators is warranted for re-examinations longitudinally. This study aims to explore factors associated with the occurrence of violence and subsequent medical impacts in psychiatric inpatients.

Methods: Inpatients diagnosed with either schizoaffective disorder or bipolar mania were admitted to acute wards in a professional psychiatric care setting.

Trends, correlates, and disease patterns of antidepressant use among children and adolescents in Taiwan.

The authors used a population-based database to investigate antidepressant use among children and adolescents in Taiwan. The National Health Research Institutes provided a database of 1 000 000 random subjects for study. The authors adopted this sample of subjects who were younger than 18 years during 1997 to 2005.

UGT2B7 genetic polymorphisms are associated with the withdrawal symptoms in methadone maintenance patients.

Aim: To test whether the genetic polymorphisms within the gene encoding the UGT2B7 gene may have an impact on methadone treatment.

Materials & Methods: Twelve SNPs in UGT2B7 were selected. 366 methadone maintenance treatment patients in Taiwan were recruited and genotyped.

A multilevel analysis of regional and individual effects on methadone maintenance treatment in Taiwan.

Objective: This study evaluated the direct and interactive effects of regional-level and individual-level characteristics on methadone maintenance treatment (MMT), after considering the individual characteristics in Taiwan.

Methods: This study utilized a survey research method. Opioid-dependent patients who participated in the outpatient MMT program in 2009 and met the eligibility criteria were recruited from five hospitals.

Silica-shell cross-linked micelles encapsulating fluorescent conjugated polymers for targeted cellular imaging.

A bioinspired silification approach was successfully used to encapsulate fluorescent conjugated polymers inside silica-shell cross-linked polymeric micelles (CP-SSCL) in the highly benign synthesis environment of room temperature and near-neutral aqueous environment. Four different conjugated polymers were employed to demonstrate the versatility of the bioinspired silification, resulting in the formation of CP-SSCL with different emission wavelengths across the visible spectrum. The CP-SSCL are characterized by a large absorption coefficient and high quantum yield, indicating that they exhibit the required high fluorescence brightness for cellular imaging application.

Intrinsically fluorescent carbon dots with tunable emission derived from hydrothermal treatment of glucose in the presence of monopotassium phosphate.

A facile method is developed to synthesize intrinsically fluorescent carbon dots by hydrothermal treatment of glucose in the presence of monopotassium phosphate. The fluorescence emission of the carbon dots thus produced is tunable by simply adjusting the concentration of monopotassium phosphate.

CYP2B6 polymorphisms influence the plasma concentration and clearance of the methadone S-enantiomer.

Methadone is a racemic compound composed of the R-form and S-form enantiomers. The drug is usually used in maintenance therapy for the heroin-addicted patients. In our previous study, we found that the cytochrome P-450 (CYP) isozyme 2B6 preferentially metabolizes the S-methadone enantiomer.

Silica nanocapsules of fluorescent conjugated polymers and superparamagnetic nanocrystals for dual-mode cellular imaging.

We describe here a facile and benign synthetic strategy to integrate the fluorescent behavior of conjugated polymers and superparamagnetic properties of iron oxide nanocrystals into silica nanocapsules, forming a new type of bifunctional magnetic fluorescent silica nanocapsule (BMFSN). The resultant BMFSNs are uniform, colloidally stable in aqueous medium, and exhibit the desired dual functionality of fluorescence and superparamagnetism in a single entity. Four conjugated polymers with different emissions were used to demonstrate the versatility of employing this class of fluorescent materials for the preparation of BMFSNs.

Alcohol use problem among patients in methadone maintenance treatment in Taiwan.

Aims: To examine the prevalence rate and predictors of alcohol use problems among patients undergoing methadone maintenance treatment (MMT).

Design: This was a prospective follow-up study.

Participants: Study population included 438 patients who underwent more than 6 months of MMT.

Facile synthesis of hybrid silica nanocapsules by interfacial templating condensation and their application in fluorescence imaging.

A stable aqueous dispersion of hybrid silica nanocapsules encapsulating fluorescent conjugated polymers have been successfully synthesized via a facile and highly benign approach of templated condensation of silica precursors at the core-corona interface of PEO-based block copolymer micelles.

Long-term psychological outcome of 1999 Taiwan earthquake survivors: a survey of a high-risk sample with property damage.

Objective: Severe natural disasters can cause long-term psychological impact on the survivors. This study aimed to examine the prevalence and risk factors of posttraumatic stress symptoms and psychiatric morbidity among survivors of the severe earthquake that occurred in Chi-Chi, Taiwan, in September 21, 1999.

Methods: A total of 6412 earthquake survivors whose houses were destroyed by earthquake were recruited about 2 years after the disaster.