Publications by authors named "J G Avari"

Background: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has resulted in significant upheaval in psychiatric care. Despite survey data collected from psychiatric patients and broad samples of individuals in single countries, there is little quantitative or qualitative data on changes to psychiatric care from the perspective of mental health providers themselves across developing countries.

Methods: To address this gap, we surveyed 27 practicing psychiatrists from Central and Eastern Europe, as well as Africa, the Middle East, and Latin America.

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Importance: Apathy is prevalent among individuals with late-life depression and is associated with poor response to pharmacotherapy, including chronicity and disability. Elucidating brain networks associated with apathy and poor treatment outcomes can inform intervention development.

Objectives: To assess the brain network features of apathy among individuals with late-life depression and identify brain network abnormalities associated with poor antidepressant response.

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Tamoxifen is a synthetic, nonsteroidal antiestrogen widely used in the treatment of hormone-sensitive breast cancer that has also been shown to inhibit the enzyme protein kinase C (PKC). Upregulation of PKC is associated with disruption of prefrontal cortical regulation of thinking and behavior, which can lead to mania-like symptoms in animal models. Lithium and valproate, 2 mood stabilizers that are widely used in the treatment of bipolar disorder, have also been shown to inhibit PKC.

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Less than 40% of depressed older adults treated with an antidepressant achieve remission. Incomplete response to treatment is common. Current augmentation strategies have limited efficacy, and many have side effects that restrict their utilization in older adults.

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Objective: Poststroke depression (PSD) has a heterogeneous presentation and is often accompanied by cognitive impairment. This study aimed to identify distinct dimensions of depressive symptoms in older adults with PSD and to evaluate their relationship to cognitive functioning.

Design: Cross-sectional factor and correlational analyses of patients with poststroke depression.

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