Prediction of lithium treatment response in bipolar depression using 5-HTT and 5-HT PET.

Background: Lithium, one of the few effective treatments for bipolar depression (BPD), has been hypothesized to work by enhancing serotonergic transmission. Despite preclinical evidence, it is unknown whether lithium acts via the serotonergic system. Here we examined the potential of serotonin transporter (5-HTT) or serotonin 1A receptor (5-HT) pre-treatment binding to predict lithium treatment response and remission.

Increased medial temporal lobe activation during the passive viewing of emotional and neutral facial expressions in schizophrenia.

Introduction: Patients with schizophrenia show deficits in facial affect and facial identity recognition and exhibit structural and neurophysiological abnormalities in brain regions known to mediate these processes. Functional neuroimaging studies of neural responses to emotional facial expressions in schizophrenia have reported both increases and decreases in medial temporal lobe (MTL) activity in schizophrenia. Some of this variability may be related to the tasks performed and the baseline conditions used.

Clozapine and hypertension: a chart review of 82 patients.

Objective: Clozapine has been linked to significant weight gain and increase in serum lipids and appears to negatively impact glucose metabolism. In this retrospective chart review study, we examine changes in systolic and diastolic blood pressure and treatment for hypertension in clozapine-treated patients.

Method: Data on demographics and systolic and diastolic blood pressure were examined for up to 5 years (September 1987 to September 1992) in 82 patients treated with clozapine.

Impaired hippocampal function during the detection of novel words in schizophrenia.

Background: Patients with schizophrenia have smaller hippocampal volumes and perform abnormally on most declarative memory tasks. Although these findings are likely related, the impact of hippocampal pathology on cognitive performance in schizophrenia remains unclear. This study examined this relationship by measuring the volume of the hippocampus and its activation during memory task performance.