The normal 14-18 gestational weeks "parasagittal complex" view of the fetal brain. A 3D transvaginal neurosonographic study.

Objective: To study the early second trimester development of brain hemispheres, lateral ventricles, choroid plexus, and ganglionic eminence/basal ganglia complex (GEBG).

Methods: A retrospective analysis of TVUS 3D volumes of 14-18 gestational weeks (GW) fetuses. Hemispheres were analyzed for wall thickness, choroid plexus extension, GEBG height and length, lamination pattern (intermediate zone and the subplate border, IZ-SP), ventricle height, width, and angle.

A trial of prolonged exposure therapy for outpatients with comorbid bipolar disorder and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Background: Bipolar disorder and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) commonly co-occur, but no treatment guidelines exist for this population. Prolonged exposure (PE) is a well-established and efficacious treatment for PTSD, untested in patients with comorbid bipolar disorder. The current study evaluates the feasibility and preliminary efficacy of PE for patients with bipolar disorder and PTSD.

Decreased Psychological Well-Being in Patients With Bipolar Disorder in Remission.

Background: The goals of this study were to introduce psychological well-being as an important subject of inquiry in bipolar disorder, to compare well-being in a cohort of patients with bipolar disorder with that of a normative sample, and to assess whether common measures of well-being and mood measure empirically distinct phenomena.

Methods: Participants were outpatients with bipolar I disorder in remission (N=37) from the Enhancing Emotion Regulation in Bipolar Disorder (EERBD) study and a matched community normative sample from the Midlife in the United States (MIDUS) survey (N=6297). The Psychological Well-Being Scale (PWBS) was used to measure psychological well-being.

Cardiometabolic risk markers during mood-stabilizing treatment: Correlation with drug-specific effects, depressive symptoms and treatment response.

Background: Patients with bipolar disorder have higher rates of cardiometabolic comorbidities and mortality. Although guidelines emphasize the importance of cardiovascular monitoring, few studies characterized the cardiometabolic risk profile during treatment and their relation to symptomatology and treatment response.

Methods: We analyzed data from two similar 24-weeks comparative effectiveness trials, with a combined sample of 770 participants randomized to two different lithium doses, quetiapine (300 mg/day), or standard treatment without lithium.

The Influence of Substance Abuse on Inhibition Capacities and Risky Decision in a Group of Outpatient Schizophrenia Patients.

Substance abuse is common among patients with schizophrenia, is related to worse course and outcome of illness. Unfortunately, little is known about how substance abuse affects the cognitive function of schizophrenia patients, whose cognitive function is often already comprised. Neurocognitive functioning includes inhibition control and decision-making, and both schizophrenia and substance use disorder are related to impairments of inhibition control.

Targeting Mitochondrial Dysfunction for Bipolar Disorder.

People with bipolar disorder (BD) all too often have suboptimal long-term outcomes with existing treatment options. They experience relapsing episodes of depression and mania and also have interepisodic mood and anxiety symptoms. We need to have a better understanding of the pathophysiology of BD if we are to make progress in improving these outcomes.

Familial severe psychiatric history in bipolar disorder and correlation with disease severity and treatment response.

Background: Bipolar disorder is a heritable disorder, and we aimed to assess the impact of family history of mental disorders in first-degree relatives on the severity and course of bipolar disorder.

Methods: The Bipolar CHOICE (lithium versus quetiapine) and LiTMUS (optimized treatment with versus without lithium) comparative effectiveness studies were similar trials among bipolar disorder outpatients studying four different randomized treatment arms for 24 weeks. Patients self-reported on six severe mental disorders among first-degree relatives.

Cognitive enhancement drug use among resident physicians: Prevalence and motivations for use - results from a survey.

Non-medical use of prescription drugs for the enhancement of cognitive functioning has gained popularity in recent years, especially among young educated adults. To our knowledge, no previous study investigated this phenomenon among resident physicians. To analyze cognitive enhancement drugs use motivations and patterns among resident physicians.

Utility of Whole Exome Sequencing for Genetic Diagnosis of Previously Undiagnosed Pediatric Neurology Patients.

Whole exome sequencing enables scanning a large number of genes for relatively low costs. The authors investigate its use for previously undiagnosed pediatric neurological patients. This retrospective cohort study performed whole exome sequencing on 57 patients of "Magen" neurogenetic clinics, with unknown diagnoses despite previous workup.