Ritonavir boosting dose reduction from 100 to 50 mg does not change the atazanavir steady-state exposure in healthy volunteers.

Objectives: To evaluate the pharmacokinetics, tolerability and safety of 300 mg of atazanavir boosted with 100 or 50 mg of ritonavir, both once daily, at steady state.

Methods: This was a single-blind, multiple-dose, crossover, sequence-randomized trial. Thirteen healthy HIV-1-negative men received witnessed once-daily doses of atazanavir (300 mg) and 100 or 50 mg of ritonavir for 10 days (15 day washout).

Characterization of the cerebral activity by time-frequency representation of evoked EEG potentials.

Event-related brain potentials (ERPs) are the electrical response of the brain while performing a particular task. Methods traditionally used to study ERPs measure the amplitude and duration of the waveform in order to quantify the changes, being signal morphology dependent. However, the frequency characteristics of those events remain uncovered.

Herb-drug interaction between Echinacea purpurea and darunavir-ritonavir in HIV-infected patients.

The aim of this open-label, fixed-sequence study was to investigate the potential of Echinacea purpurea, a commonly used botanical supplement, to interact with the boosted protease inhibitor darunavir-ritonavir. Fifteen HIV-infected patients receiving antiretroviral therapy including darunavir-ritonavir (600/100 mg twice daily) for at least 4 weeks were included. E.

Plasma and intracellular (peripheral blood mononuclear cells) pharmacokinetics of once-daily raltegravir (800 milligrams) in HIV-infected patients.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the plasma and intracellular pharmacokinetics of raltegravir in HIV-infected patients receiving once-daily raltegravir. Five HIV-infected patients on stable therapy with lopinavir-ritonavir monotherapy whose HIV-1 RNA load was <50 copies/ml were included in this open-label, pilot study. Raltegravir was added to the antiretroviral regimen at a dose of 800 mg once daily from days 0 to 10.

No cardiac effects of therapeutic and supratherapeutic doses of rupatadine: results from a 'thorough QT/QTc study' performed according to ICH guidelines.

Aims: To evaluate the effects of therapeutic and supratherapeutic doses of rupatadine on cardiac repolarization in line with a 'thorough QT/QTc study' protocol performed according to International Conference on Harmonization guidelines.

Methods: This was a randomized (gender-balanced), parallel-group study involving 160 healthy volunteers. Rupatadine, 10 and 100 mg day(-1), and placebo were administered single-blind for 5 days, whilst moxifloxacin 400 mg day(-1) was given on days 1 and 5 in open-label fashion.

Treatment simplification to once daily darunavir/ritonavir guided by the darunavir inhibitory quotient in heavily pretreated HIV-infected patients.

Background: We explored a treatment simplification strategy to darunavir/ritonavir 900/100 mg once daily guided by the darunavir virtual inhibitory quotient (vIQ) in patients receiving salvage therapy with darunavir/ritonavir 600/100 mg twice daily.

Methods: Open-label, randomized pilot study in HIV-infected patients on darunavir/ritonavir 600/100 mg twice daily (viral load <50 copies/ml; darunavir vIQ >2). Thirty patients were randomized to darunavir/ritonavir 900/100 mg once daily (once-daily group, n=15) or 600/100 mg twice daily (twice-daily group, n=15).

Simultaneous population pharmacokinetic model for lopinavir and ritonavir in HIV-infected adults.

Background: Lopinavir is a protease inhibitor indicated for the treatment of HIV infection. It is coformulated with low doses of ritonavir in order to enhance its pharmacokinetic profile. After oral administration, plasma concentrations of lopinavir can vary widely between different HIV-infected patients.

Study of the EEG changes during the combined ingestion of alcohol and H1-antihistamines by using the wavelet transform.

H(1)-antihistamines affect the central nervous system (CNS) and, therefore, electroencephalographic (EEG) changes should be expected to occur. The principal aim of this work was to assess the effects on the EEG when hydroxyzine 10 mg (HY) and cetirizine 25 mg (CE) were administered with and without alcohol 0.8 g/kg (AL).

Quantitative evaluation of automatic ocular removal from simulated EEG signals: regression vs. second order statistics methods.

Analysis of the EEG by means of spectral parameters permit to evaluate the influence of a drug and to diagnose dysfunctional states in neurology, psychiatry and psychopharmacology. Eye movement artifacts contaminate EEG signals and can produce errors in this analysis. Regression based technique is considered the 'gold standard' artifact removal procedure and other techniques have been developed the last years, but few works have shown an objectively evaluation of the efficiency of these methods because it is impossible to record pure EEG and EOG signals.

Comparison of inhibition of cutaneous histamine reaction of ebastine fast-dissolving tablet (20 mg) versus desloratadine capsule (5 mg): a randomized, double-blind, double-dummy, placebo-controlled, three-period crossover study in healthy, nonatopic adults.

Background: Ebastine is a long-acting, second-generation, selective histamine H1-receptor antagonist. A fast-dissolving tablet formulation of ebastine has been developed at 10- and 20-mg doses, with the intention of facilitating administration to patients experiencing problems with swallowing, including those confined to bed and elderly people, as well as those who may need to use ebastine when they do not have easy access to water to aid swallowing a tablet.

Objectives: This study was conducted to assess the pharmacodynamic effects (ie, inhibition of wheal response to cutaneous histamine challenge, and subjective assessments of itching, flare, and pain) and tolerability of the fast-dissolving 20-mg ebastine tablet formulation compared with desloratadine 5-mg capsule and placebo.

A comparison of ebastine 10 mg fast-dissolving tablet with oral desloratadine and placebo in inhibiting the cutaneous reaction to histamine in healthy adults.

Background And Objective: Ebastine is a long-acting, second-generation selective histamine H(1) receptor antagonist. The pharmacodynamics of a new 10mg fast-dissolving tablet (FDT) oral lyophilisate tablet formulation of ebastine were compared with those of desloratadine and placebo following histamine skin intradermal test challenge. The acceptability of the FDT was also assessed.

Variability in non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase and protease inhibitors concentrations among HIV-infected adults in routine clinical practice.

Aims: The objective of this study was to assess interindividual variability in plasma trough concentrations of non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NNRTI) and protease inhibitors (PI) among HIV-infected adults in an outpatient routine clinical practice setting.

Methods: The study included 117 patients who attended our clinic for routine outpatient blood tests and who were receiving antiretroviral therapy which included NNRTI or PI. Patients were not informed that drug concentrations were going to be assessed until blood sampling.

Effects of olanzapine, risperidone and haloperidol on sleep after a single oral morning dose in healthy volunteers.

Objectives: To compare the effects of typical and atypical antipsychotic drugs on sleep activity and subjective sleep quality.

Design: Randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, four-period cross-over, clinical trial was used to evaluate the effects of active treatments on objective and subjective sleep variables.

Setting: Sleep laboratory evaluation.

Lopinavir/ritonavir pharmacokinetics in HIV and hepatitis C virus co-infected patients without liver function impairment: influence of liver fibrosis.

Background And Objective: To assess the influence of hepatitis C virus (HCV) co-infection and the extent of liver fibrosis on lopinavir/ritonavir pharmacokinetics in HIV-infected patients without liver function impairment.

Methods: Cross-sectional, comparative study enrolling HIV-infected adults receiving lopinavir/ritonavir (400 mg/100 mg twice daily). HIV/HCV co-infected patients were grouped as having advanced fibrosis (HCV+/FIB+, n=7) or not (HCV+/FIB-, n=8) based on the FIB-4 index.

Variability in non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase and protease inhibitor concentrations among HIV-infected adults in routine clinical practice.

Aims: The objective of this study was to assess interindividual variability in trough concentrations of plasma of non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NNRTI) and protease inhibitors (PI) among HIV-infected adults in a routine outpatient setting.

Methods: One hundred and seventeen patients who attended our clinic for routine blood tests, and who were receiving antiretroviral therapy which included NNRTI or PI were studied. Patients were not informed that drug concentrations were going to be measured until blood sampling.

Evaluation of the cognitive, psychomotor and pharmacokinetic profiles of rupatadine, hydroxyzine and cetirizine, in combination with alcohol, in healthy volunteers.

Introduction: The Central Nervous System (CNS) impairment induced by moderate alcohol (ALC) ingestion may be enhanced if other drugs are taken simultaneously. Rupatadine (RUP) is a new H(1)-antihistamine which also inhibits platelet activating factor (PAF) release in inflammatory reactions.

Objective: The main aim of the study was to assess the effects of ALC 0.

Sleep laboratory study on single and repeated dose effects of paroxetine, alprazolam and their combination in healthy young volunteers.

Aims: To evaluate the potential interaction of 20 mg paroxetine and 1 mg alprazolam (early morning once-daily administration) on polysomnographic (PSG) sleep and subjective sleep and awakening quality, both after a single intake and after reaching a steady-state concentration.

Methods: Twenty-two (11 for the PSG) healthy young volunteers of both sexes with no history of sleep disturbances (Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index <5) participated in a double-blind, double-dummy, placebo-controlled, repeated-dose, 4-period, cross-over study. All volunteers received all 4 treatment sequences: paroxetine-alprazolam placebo (PAP); paroxetine placebo-alprazolam (PPA); paroxetine-alprazolam (PA), and paroxetine placebo-alprazolam placebo (PLA), in a randomized order.

An E-health solution for automatic sleep classification according to Rechtschaffen and Kales: validation study of the Somnolyzer 24 x 7 utilizing the Siesta database.

To date, the only standard for the classification of sleep-EEG recordings that has found worldwide acceptance are the rules published in 1968 by Rechtschaffen and Kales. Even though several attempts have been made to automate the classification process, so far no method has been published that has proven its validity in a study including a sufficiently large number of controls and patients of all adult age ranges. The present paper describes the development and optimization of an automatic classification system that is based on one central EEG channel, two EOG channels and one chin EMG channel.

Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation for the treatment of depression. Systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) may be useful in the treatment of depression but results from trials have been inconclusive to date.

Aims: To assess the efficacy of rTMS in treating depression.

Method: We conducted a systematic review of randomised controlled trials that compared rTMS with sham in patients with depression.