Proxy consultations for severe mental illnesses: An exploratory cross-sectional study from a tertiary care hospital.

Background: Non-adherence to medication leading to a break in continuity of care poses significant challenges in severe mental illness (SMI), leading to poor outcomes. In India, proxy consultation, wherein caregivers consult on behalf of patients, is a commonly adopted but insufficiently researched area to address these challenges.

Aims: To explore the extent of proxy consultation in outpatient care of persons with SMI and investigate its sociodemographic and clinical correlates.

Predictors of long-stay in a tertiary care psychiatry hospital in India.

Background: Many psychiatric patients continue to stay for longer duration in psychiatric institutions. Community reintegration and rehabilitation of such patients needs to be explored to ensure appropriate bed occupancy rates and access to in-patient care for newer patients in need of the same.

Objectives: The aim is to identify the risk and protective factors leading to long-term admission of mentally ill patients in tertiary care hospital.

Epidural volume extension technique in high risk obstetric patients - Case series.

Epidural volume extension involves injection of normal saline into the epidural space soon after an intrathecal injection, with the aim of augmenting the sensory block height. It has significant dose-sparing effect, providing adequate level of anaesthesia and analgesia with minimal haemodynamic disturbances. We present this case series that shows the successful use of this technique in high risk cardiac patients coming for elective lower segment caesarean section.

Intimate Partner Violence, Lifetime Victimization, and Sociodemographic and Clinical Profile of Women with Psychiatric Illness at a Tertiary Care Psychiatric Hospital in India.

Background: Intimate partner violence (IPV) is one of the major public health problems. Little is known about the extent of violence experienced, its severity, or history of childhood abuse or exposure to intergenerational family violence in women with mental illness.

Methods: One hundred women seeking in-patients (IP) or out-patients (OP) services at a tertiary care psychiatric setting were recruited using consecutive sampling.

Study on covert administration of medications practices among persons with severe mental illness: A cross-sectional study.

Background: Covert administration of medication (CoAdM) by caregivers to persons with severe mental illness (SMI) is a commonly observed medication delivery practice in India.

Aims: This study aims to examine different medication delivery practices adopted by caregivers to provide care to SMI at times of medication refusal.

Method: This study was conducted at the outpatient department between April 2019 and November 2019.

Eventful past, stagnant present, and hopeful future: A time order analysis of experiences of homeless women with chronic mental illness residing in shelter care homes.

Background: In developing countries like India, many women with mental illness are residing in shelter care homes (SCHs) without their wish. SCHs are residential facilities provided to the socially and economically backward women for free of cost. These facilities are funded by government or voluntary organizations.

Neuropsychiatric aspects of COVID-19 pandemic: A selective review.

Corona virus disease (COVID-19) has been declared as a controllable pandemic by the World Health Organization (WHO). COVID-19 though is a predominantly respiratory illness; it can also affect brain and other organs like kidneys, heart and liver. Neuropsychiatric manifestations are common during viral pandemics but are not effectively addressed.

Impact of community-based rehabilitation for mental illness on 'out of pocket' expenditure in rural South India.

Unlabelled: In India, expenditure incurred to access mental health services often drives families to economic crisis. Families of Persons with mental illness (PMI) incur 'out-of-pocket' (OOP) expenditure for medicines, psychiatrist fee and travel in addition to losing wages on the day of visiting psychiatrist.

Aim: To describe impact of Community Based Rehabilitation (CBR) on OOP expenditure incurred by families of persons with severe mental illness (PSMI).

Diminished modulation of motor cortical reactivity during context-based action observation in schizophrenia.

Background: Deficient mirror neuron system (MNS)-activity is associated with social cognition deficits in schizophrenia. However, it is not known how socio-emotional contexts modulate the MNS-response. In a Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS)-experiment, we aimed to compare putative MNS-responses to action observation stimuli with and without a context, in patients with schizophrenia and healthy subjects.

Cerebral Oxygen Saturation During Electroconvulsive Therapy: A Secondary Analysis of a Randomized Crossover Trial.

Background: Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) causes acute changes in cerebral perfusion and oxygenation. Near-infrared spectroscopy is a novel, noninvasive technique to assess cerebral oxygen saturation (cSO2). We hypothesized that cSO2 increases during ECT and more so with atropine premedication and decreases when systemic desaturation (peripheral oxygen saturation <90%) occurs during ECT.

Effect of Atropine Premedication on Cardiac Autonomic Function During Electroconvulsive Therapy: A Randomized Crossover Study.

Objectives: Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) results in significant cardiovascular changes. The acute cardiac autonomic changes during ECT remain unexplored. The primary objective of this study was to compare autonomic dysfunction with and without atropine premedication during ECT and secondarily to evaluate dysautonomia across psychiatric diagnoses before and after ECT.

A Comparative Study of Short Term Efficacy of Aripiprazole and Risperidone in Schizophrenia.

Objective: To compare the short term anti-schizophrenic efficacy and side effect profile of aripiprazole with risperidone.

Methodology: The study was a non-randomized, naturalistic, rater blinded, prospective, 8-12 weeks, comparative trial between the risperidone and aripiprazole in patients with schizophrenia. Patients already getting treatment with aripiprazole (10 to 30 mg/day) or risperidone (3 to 8mg/day) were recruited.

Discovery of Imidazo[1,2-a]pyridine Ethers and Squaramides as Selective and Potent Inhibitors of Mycobacterial Adenosine Triphosphate (ATP) Synthesis.

The approval of bedaquiline to treat tuberculosis has validated adenosine triphosphate (ATP) synthase as an attractive target to kill Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb). Herein, we report the discovery of two diverse lead series imidazo[1,2-a]pyridine ethers (IPE) and squaramides (SQA) as inhibitors of mycobacterial ATP synthesis. Through medicinal chemistry exploration, we established a robust structure-activity relationship of these two scaffolds, resulting in nanomolar potencies in an ATP synthesis inhibition assay.

Thiazolopyridone ureas as DNA gyrase B inhibitors: optimization of antitubercular activity and efficacy.

Scaffold hopping from the thiazolopyridine ureas led to thiazolopyridone ureas with potent antitubercular activity acting through inhibition of DNA GyrB ATPase activity. Structural diversity was introduced, by extension of substituents from the thiazolopyridone N-4 position, to access hydrophobic interactions in the ribose pocket of the ATP binding region of GyrB. Further optimization of hydrogen bond interactions with arginines in site-2 of GyrB active site pocket led to potent inhibition of the enzyme (IC50 2 nM) along with potent cellular activity (MIC=0.

Multimodal Sensory Distortions in Postpartum Exacerbation of Schizophrenia.

Background: Sensory distortions of body image commonly occur during migraine, seizures, nondominant cortical infarcts and hallucinogen abuse.

Methods: We report the case of a 30-year-old woman with paranoid schizophrenia presenting with postpartum onset multimodal sensory distortions in the absence of any neurological disorders or substance use.

Results: Her symptoms involved persistent facial/body metamorphopsia (distorted images) and vocal paracousis (distorted voices), in the absence of visual hallucinations, illusions or agnosia.

Schizophrenia patients experience substantial social cognition deficits across multiple domains in remission.

Knowledge about SC (social cognition) during remission would inform us whether such deficits are trait- or state-markers of the disorder, as well as highlight its relevance for rehabilitation. We aimed to compare SC deficits and their relative independence from NC (neuro-cognition) deficits in remitted schizophrenia patients and matched health controls using comprehensive, culturally sensitive standardized tools. 60 schizophrenia patients meeting modified standardized criteria for remission and 60 age, gender and education matched healthy controls were compared on culturally validated tests of SC-Social Cognition Rating Tool in Indian Setting (SOCRATIS) & Tool for Recognition of Emotions in Neuropsychiatric Disorders (TRENDS) to assess theory of mind, attributional bias, social perception and emotion recognition and NC-(attention/vigilance, speed of processing, visual and verbal learning, working memory and executive functions).

Validation of Social Cognition Rating Tools in Indian Setting (SOCRATIS): A new test-battery to assess social cognition.

Social cognition is a cognitive domain that is under substantial cultural influence. There are no culturally appropriate standardized tools in India to comprehensively test social cognition. This study describes validation of tools for three social cognition constructs: theory of mind, social perception and attributional bias.

Double-blind randomized controlled study showing symptomatic and cognitive superiority of bifrontal over bitemporal electrode placement during electroconvulsive therapy for schizophrenia.

Background: Several studies show that bifrontal electrode placement produces relatively fewer cognitive adverse effects than bitemporal placement during electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) in depression. There are no reports comparing these electrode placements in schizophrenia.

Objectives: This study compared the clinical and cognitive effects of bifrontal and bitemporal electrode placements in schizophrenia patients referred for electroconvulsive therapy (ECT).

4'-bromo-5,6,7-trimethoxyflavone represses lipopolysaccharide-induced iNOS and COX-2 expressions by suppressing the NF-κB signaling pathway in RAW 264.7 macrophages.

The regulations of the NO and PGE(2) productions are research topics of interest in the field of anti-inflammatory drug development. In the present study, 5,6,7-trimethoxy- and 5,6,7-trihydroxyflavones 3a-3g were synthesized from cinnamic acid derivatives. In particular, 4'-bromo-5,6,7-trimethoxyflavone (3b) most potently inhibited the productions of NO and PGE(2) in LPS-treated RAW 264.

Service utilization in a tertiary psychiatric care setting in South India.

Objective: To carry out an audit reviewing the utilization of psychiatric services and types of disorders presenting to a tertiary care psychiatry hospital in a developing Asian country.

Method: Consecutive adult patients who came for detailed consultation in 1 year were included in this study. A senior consultant psychiatrist reconfirmed the diagnosis in each patient who underwent detailed psychiatric evaluation.