The Relevance of Sex in the Association of Synthetic Cannabinoid Use With Psychosis and Agitation in an Inpatient Population.

Background: Current evidence suggests that women are more sensitive to the effects of cannabinoids. The aim of this study was to investigate the relevance of sex in the association of synthetic cannabinoid (SC) use with psychosis and agitation.

Methods: A retrospective chart review was conducted for patients admitted to a psychiatric unit (2014-2016) to extract information on demographic factors, use of substances, clinical symptoms, and pharmacologic treatments.

Qualitative Analysis of Attitudes Toward Adult-Child Sexual Activity Among Minor-Attracted Persons.

This study uses qualitative methodology to explore narrative responses to a question regarding the harmful versus beneficial effects of adult-child sex on children. Data were gathered from a survey of self-identified minor-attracted persons (MAPs). Two hundred and sixty-seven survey participants provided narrative responses.

Increased sleep duration precedes the improvement of other symptom domains during the treatment of acute mania: a retrospective chart review.

Background: Understanding trajectories of symptom changes may help gauge treatment response and better identify therapeutic targets in treatment of acute mania. We examined how symptoms of sleep disturbance, mania, and psychosis resolved in a naturalistic treatment setting, hypothesizing that improvement in sleep would precede improvement in manic and psychotic symptoms.

Methods: Charts of 100 patients with admitting diagnoses of bipolar mixed or manic episode were retrospectively reviewed.

Comparison of Brain Activity Correlating with Self-Report versus Narrative Attachment Measures during Conscious Appraisal of an Attachment Figure.

Objectives: The Adult Attachment Interview (AAI) has been the gold standard of attachment assessment, but requires special training. The Relationship Scales Questionnaire (RSQ) is a widely used self-report measure. We investigate how each correlates with brain activity during appraisal of subjects' mothers.

Hypersexuality and couple relationships in bipolar disorder: A review.

Background: Although change in sexual behavior is recognized as an integral part of bipolar disorder, most of the relevant literature on sexual issues in patients with this illness concerns medication side effects and does not differentiate bipolar disorder from other serious mental disorders. Surprisingly, little has been published on mania-induced hypersexuality and the effects of mood cycling on couple relationships. In this review, we examine the extant literature on both of these subjects and propose a framework for future research.

A Pilot Study of Safety and Efficacy of Cranial Electrotherapy Stimulation in Treatment of Bipolar II Depression.

This double-blind, sham-controlled study sought to investigate the effectiveness of cranial electrotherapy stimulation (CES) for the treatment of bipolar II depression (BD II). After randomization, the active group participants (n = 7) received 2 mA CES treatment for 20 minutes five days a week for 2 weeks, whereas the sham group (n = 9) had the CES device turned on and off. Symptom non-remitters from both groups received an additional 2 weeks of open-label active treatment.

Can depression be diagnosed by response to mother's face? A personalized attachment-based paradigm for diagnostic fMRI.

Objective: Objective measurement of depression remains elusive. Depression has been associated with insecure attachment, and both have been associated with changes in brain reactivity in response to viewing standard emotional and neutral faces. In this study, we developed a method to calculate predicted scores for the Beck Depression Inventory II (BDI-II) using personalized stimuli: fMRI imaging of subjects viewing pictures of their own mothers.

Distinct but overlapping neural networks subserve depression and insecure attachment.

Insecure attachment has been linked to depression and to outcome in psychotherapy. The neural mechanisms subserving the relationship between attachment security and depression are not well understood. We have developed a method to examine attachment-related brain activity in depression.

The effect of pain on stroop performance in patients with opiate dependence in sustained remission.

Objectives: We have demonstrated previously that former opiate-dependent subjects treated and detoxified from methadone maintenance therapy suffer deficits in neuropsychological performance and have abnormal pain thresholds. This study examined the impact of pain on the performance of the Stroop test, a well-known test of neuropsychological performance.

Methods: Twenty-three former opiate-dependent subjects treated and detoxified from methadone maintenance therapy and 24 comparison (COM) subjects without a history of opiate dependence were tested using the Stroop test under 2 conditions: Stroop under usual conditions and Stroop under painful conditions.

Predictors of patient and caregiver distress in an adult sample with bipolar disorder seeking family treatment.

Little is known about the potentially unique sources of distress in populations seeking family-oriented treatment for bipolar disorder. The present study aimed to characterize this new treatment population by measuring depression, anxiety, quality of life, knowledge of bipolar disorder, therapeutic alliance, and mental illness stigma in 43 bipolar patients and 41 caregivers at family treatment intake. In all, 50% of patients and 27.