Cariprazine in Three Special Different Areas: A Real-World Experience.

Cariprazine is an antipsychotic medication which received approval from the US Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of schizophrenia in September 2015. Cariprazine is a dopamine D and D receptor partial agonist, with a preference for the D receptor. Furthermore, although to a more limited extent, cariprazine also exhibits partial agonism at the level of 5-HT receptors, thus exerting an antidepressant effect in addition to the antipsychotic effect.

Regulation of gene transcription in bipolar disorders: Role of DNA methylation in the relationship between prodynorphin and brain derived neurotrophic factor.

Bipolar Disorder (BD) is a prevalent and disabling condition, determined by gene-environment interactions, possibly mediated by epigenetic mechanisms. The present study aimed at investigating the transcriptional regulation of BD selected target genes by DNA methylation in peripheral blood mononuclear cells of patients with a DSM-5 diagnosis of type I (BD-I) and type II (BD-II) Bipolar Disorders (n=99), as well as of healthy controls (CT, n=42). The analysis of gene expression revealed prodynorphin (PDYN) mRNA levels significantly reduced in subjects with BD-II but not in those with BD-I, when compared to CT.

Italian patients with more recent onset of Major Depressive Disorder have a shorter duration of untreated illness.

Background: Previous investigation on the duration of untreated illness (DUI) in patients with Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) revealed a different latency to first antidepressant treatment, with adverse consequences in terms of outcome for individuals with a longer DUI. Recent reports, moreover, documented a reduced DUI, as observed with the passage of time, in patients with different psychiatric disorders. Hence, the present study was aimed to assess DUI and related variables in a sample of Italian patients with MDD as well as to investigate potential differences in subjects with onset before and after 2000.

Access and latency to first antipsychotic treatment in Italian patients with schizophrenia and other schizophrenic spectrum disorders across different epochs.

Background: The duration of untreated illness (DUI) is a measure to express the latency to first psychopharmacological treatment: it differs among psychiatric disorders, being influenced by several illness-intrinsic and environmental factors. The present study aimed to assess differences in DUI and related variables in patients with schizophrenia (SKZ) versus other schizophrenic spectrum disorders (SSDs) across different epochs.

Methods: 101 SKZ or SSD patients were assessed with respect to DUI and related variables through clinical interview and questionnaire.

Use of asenapine as add-on therapy in the treatment of bipolar disorder: a comprehensive review and case series.

Introduction: Several randomized controlled trials (RCTs), conducted in schizophrenic and bipolar patients, have documented the efficacy and tolerability of asenapine as monotherapy both for short- and long-term treatment. However, evidence on its augmentative use is more limited and related to the manic/mixed phase of bipolar disorder (BD).

Areas Covered: The present article reviews augmentative asenapine efficacy and safety/tolerability in the treatment of BD.

Epigenetic modulation of BDNF gene: differences in DNA methylation between unipolar and bipolar patients.

Background: The brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) gene and its epigenetic regulation have been repeatedly implicated in the pathophysiology of mood disorders. Following previous investigation in the field, we further investigated differences in BDNF promoter gene methylation in patients with mood disorders, comparing unipolar and bipolar subjects, on the basis of illness phase, gender, age and psychotropic prescription.

Methods: 154 patients (43 MDD; 61 BD I; 50 BD II), on stable pharmacological treatment, and 44 age-matched, healthy controls were recruited.

Selective DNA methylation of BDNF promoter in bipolar disorder: differences among patients with BDI and BDII.

The etiology of bipolar disorder (BD) is still poorly understood, involving genetic and epigenetic mechanisms as well as environmental contributions. This study aimed to investigate the degree of DNA methylation at the promoter region of the brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) gene, as one of the candidate genes associated with major psychoses, in peripheral blood mononuclear cells isolated from 94 patients with BD (BD I=49, BD II=45) and 52 healthy controls. A significant BDNF gene expression downregulation was observed in BD II 0.