Sociodemographic and clinical correlates of the frequently hospitalized African American patients with severe and persistent mental illness.

Background: Many researchers and clinicians are becoming increasingly concerned about the phenomenon of frequent psychiatric inpatient hospitalization in those with severe and persistent mental illness. This study aims to shed light on this occurrence in the African American psychiatric inpatient population by examining their sociodemographic and clinical correlates.

Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the medical charts of 39 African American patients who have had ≥3 inpatient psychiatric admissions in a year at Howard University Hospital, an urban, academically-affiliated hospital serving a predominantly African American population in Washington, DC.

An Assessment of Five (PANSS, SAPS, SANS, NSA-16, CGI-SCH) commonly used Symptoms Rating Scales in Schizophrenia and Comparison to Newer Scales (CAINS, BNSS).

Scales measuring positive and negative symptoms in schizophrenia remain the primary mo Scales measuring positive and negative symptoms in schizophrenia remain the primary mode of assessing and diagnosing schizophrenia by clinicians and researchers. The scales are mainly used to monitor the severity of positive and negative symptoms and track treatment response in schizophrenics. Although these scales are widely used, quality as well as general utility of each scale varies.

Illustrating and analyzing the processes of multi-institutional collaboration: Lessons learnt at Howard University Hospital.

Multi-institutional collaboration offers a promising approach to the dissemination of resources for capacity building and the improvement of the training of new investigators and residents, especially in areas of novel curricular content. Physicians should keep pace with the rapid growth of curricular content in an era of restricted resources. Such collaborations, in which educational entities work together and share resources and infrastructure, have been employed in health care to improve quality of care, capacity building, disparity reduction, and resident training.

Prediction of outcome of bright light treatment in patients with seasonal affective disorder: Discarding the early response, confirming a higher atypical balance, and uncovering a higher body mass index at baseline as predictors of endpoint outcome.

Background: We tested the hypothesis that the early improvement in mood after the first hour of bright light treatment compared to control dim-red light would predict the outcome at six weeks of bright light treatment for depressed mood in patients with Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). We also analyzed the value of Body Mass Index (BMI) and atypical symptoms of depression at baseline in predicting treatment outcome.

Methods: Seventy-eight adult participants were enrolled.

Factors associated with non-adherence to Buprenorphine-naloxone among opioid dependent African-Americans: A retrospective chart review.

Background And Objectives: Opioid use disorders are common, chronic relapsing disorders. Buprenorphine (BUP) is an FDA approved medication in the treatment of opioid use disorders, but patient adherence to this medication remains a challenge. To identify risk factors for non-adherence, this chart review study examined the association between DSM-IV Axis I psychiatric disorders, substance use, demographics, and adherence to BUP-naloxone in African-American patients.

Rapid improvement of depressive symptoms and cognition in an elderly patient with a single session of piano playing: a clinical treatment report.

Background And Aims: Music has been used as a non-pharmacological modality in the treatment of different conditions since ancient times. It has received attention in modern medicine in recent decades, particularly in geriatric population. The effects of music on mood and cognition are well documented.

Pollen-specific immunoglobulin E positivity is associated with worsening of depression scores in bipolar disorder patients during high pollen season.

Objective: An association between allergic disease and depression has been consistently reported, but whether the key mediating ingredients are predominantly biological, psychological, or mere artifacts remains unknown. In the current study, we examined a hypothesized relationship between allergen-specific immunoglobulin E (IgE) status and changes in allergy symptoms with worsening in depression scores.

Methods: In patients with recurrent mood disorders, we individually coupled sensitization to specific seasonal aeroallergens (as assessed by allergen-specific IgE) with temporal windows of exposure to aeroallergens (low versus high tree or ragweed pollen counts, measured according to the National Allergy Bureau guidelines).

Improvement in depression scores after 1 hour of light therapy treatment in patients with seasonal affective disorder.

The purpose of this study was to investigate possible rapid effects of light therapy on depressed mood in patients with seasonal affective disorder. Participants received 1 hour of bright light therapy and 1 hour of placebo dim red light in a randomized order crossover design. Depressed mood was measured at baseline and after each hour of light treatment using two self-report depression scales (Profile of Mood States-Depression-Dejection [POMS-D] subscale and the Beck Depression Inventory II [BDI-II]).

Coma falsely attributed to Lyme disease.

Neuroborreliosis has very low prevalence in Kentucky and coma due to Lyme disease is uncommon in North America. A patient diagnosed with Lyme disease in Kentucky, based on coma, typical inflammatory changes on brain imaging, and a positive ELISA resulted in an erroneous clinical impression. Diagnosis should have been confirmed by a positive result on Western Blot, polymerase chain reaction (PCR), or real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) testing.