[Ketamine in acute and severe major depressive disorder].

Context: Depression is a frequent, severe and expensive illness. Approximately 20% of depressive episodes are resistant to classic antidepressants. Glutamatergic antagonists, in particular ketamine, established a new, rapid and robust therapeutic approach in resistant depression.

Paradoxical severe agitation induced by add-on high-doses quetiapine in schizo-affective disorder.

We report the case of a 35-year-old patient suffering from schizo-affective disorder since the age of 19 years, treated by a combination of first-generation antipsychotics, zuclopenthixol (100 mg/day) and lithium (1200 mg/day) (serum lithium=0.85 mEq/l). This patient had no associated personality disorder (particularly no antisocial disorder) and no substance abuse disorder.

Cognitive insight as an indicator of competence to consent to treatment in schizophrenia.

The processes underlying the ability to make decisions about recommended treatments remain poorly understood in schizophrenia. The aim of this study was to explore the relationships between capacity to consent to medication and cognitive biases in 60 schizophrenia patients. Main measures included the MacArthur Competence Assessment tool for Treatment (MacCAT-T) and the Beck Cognitive Insight Scale (BCIS).

Treating patients with schizophrenia deficit with erythropoietin?

This systematic review summarizes and critically appraises the literature on the effect of erythropoietin (EPO) in schizophrenia patients and the pathophysiological mechanisms that may explain the potential of its use in this disease. EPO is mainly known for its regulatory activity in the synthesis of erythrocytes and is frequently used in treatment of chronic anemia. This cytokine, however, has many other properties, some of which may improve the symptoms of psychiatric illness.