Healthcare Provider Engagement with a Novel Dashboard for Tracking Medication Ingestion: Impact on Treatment Decisions and Clinical Assessments for Adults with Schizophrenia.

Purpose: Schizophrenia is a severe, chronic condition accounting for disproportionate healthcare utilization. Antipsychotics can reduce relapse rates, but the characteristics of schizophrenia may hinder medication adherence. A phase 3b open-label clinical trial used aripiprazole tablets with sensor (AS; includes pills with ingestible event-marker, wearable sensor patches and smartphone application) in adults with schizophrenia.

Pharmacokinetics and safety of deltoid or gluteal injection of aripiprazole lauroxil NanoCrystal Dispersion used for initiation of the long-acting antipsychotic aripiprazole lauroxil.

Background: Aripiprazole lauroxil (AL), a long-acting injectable antipsychotic for the treatment of schizophrenia in adults, can be started with either 21 days of daily oral aripiprazole supplementation or a 1-day initiation regimen consisting of a single injection of a NanoCrystal Dispersion formulation of AL (AL) and a single dose of 30 mg oral aripiprazole. This phase I study assessed the pharmacokinetics and safety of deltoid gluteal AL injections.

Methods: Patients with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder ( = 47) were randomized 1:1 to receive a single intramuscular dose of AL in the deltoid or gluteal muscle.

Evaluation of functionally meaningful measures for clinical trials of cognition enhancement in schizophrenia.

Objective: Because reduction of psychotic symptoms in schizophrenia does not result in adequate community functioning, efforts have shifted to other areas, such as cognitive impairment. The U.S.

Oxcarbazepine versus Divalproex Sodium for the Continuing Treatment of Mania.

Background And Objective: Oxcarbazepine, an antiepileptic and a derivative of carbamazepine, has been shown to have clinical utility as an antimanic agent. This study sought to assess the efficacy and tolerability of oxcarbazepine compared with divalproex sodium in the treatment of patients with mania.

Patients And Methods: 57 patients from a large clinical practice who had recently begun treatment with divalproex sodium were randomly assigned to one of two treatment groups.

A novel, point-of-care test for lithium levels: description and reliability.

Background: Lithium is a highly effective agent for numerous psychiatric disorders but requires therapeutic monitoring because of its narrow therapeutic index. This article describes a novel instant blood test that will facilitate the routine monitoring process.

Method: This instant blood test allows the clinician to take a finger-stick sample of whole blood and determine the plasma lithium level in a 2-minute period.