Subjective experience of thought overactivation in mood disorders: beyond racing and crowded thoughts.

Background: Racing thoughts, crowded thoughts and flight of ideas are frequent symptoms in mood disorders, but the underlying subjective experience of overactivation of thought processes remains poorly documented.

Methods: Qualitative analysis of audiotaped interviews explored subjective experience of thought overactivation in patients with mood disorders (sample 1, n = 45). Quantitative analysis considered the properties of a newly developed rating scale in sample 1, in an additional sample of patients with mood disorders (sample 2, n = 37) and in healthy subjects (sample 3, n = 38).

Pharmacogenetic study on risperidone long-acting injection: influence of cytochrome P450 2D6 and pregnane X receptor on risperidone exposure and drug-induced side-effects.

Risperidone is metabolized by polymorphic enzymes, and a large variability in plasma concentration and therapeutic response is observed. Risperidone long-acting injection (RLAI) avoids the first-pass effect, and little is known about the influence of gene polymorphisms involved in its pharmacokinetics. The influence on plasma concentrations of risperidone (RIS), its metabolite 9-hydroxy-risperidone, and on adverse effects were investigated for polymorphisms of cytochrome P450 2D6 (CYP2D6) (*3, *4, *5, *6), CYP3A (CYP3A4*1B, CYP3A4 rs4646437, CYP3A5*3, CYP3A7*1C), ABCB1 (1236C>T, 2677G>T, 3435C>T), NR1/2 coding for pregnane X receptor (rs1523130, rs2472677, rs7643645), and for CYP3A activity measured by a phenotyping test.

The cortisol awakening response in patients remitted from depression.

An impressive number of data has been accumulated on dysfunctions of the hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and cortisol hypersecretion in depression. To assess the dynamic HPA functioning, the cortisol awakening response (CAR) is an easily accessible and reliable approach. Some data suggest that elevated CAR in depressed patients has trait-like characteristics.

Early telephone intervention for psychiatric outpatients starting antidepressant treatment.

Background: The article addresses the hypothesis that early telephone intervention for psychiatric outpatients starting antidepressant treatment would increase compliance with pharmacological treatment and retention time in the study, and thus allow for a more favourable clinical outcome.

Methods: The study focuses on 131 depressed outpatients who participated in a study aiming to obtain full remission. Patients who benefited from three early structured telephone interventions (n=81) were compared with participants who benefited from the usual care (n=50) with no clinical contact before the first clinical assessment at 2 weeks.

Self-rated residual symptoms do not predict 1-year recurrence of depression.

Background: Residual depressive symptoms are generally documented as a risk factor for recurrence. In the absence of a specific instrument for the assessment of residual symptoms, a new 25-item Depression Residual Symptom Scale (DRSS) was elaborated and tested for recurrence prediction over a 1-year follow-up.

Sampling And Methods: Fifty-nine patients in remission after a major depressive episode (MDE) were recruited in two centres.