Association between behavioral parameters of men in psychiatric emergency department video recording and subsequent violence in the psychiatric ward.

Violence risk is a major challenge among acute psychiatric inpatients. The study aimed to predict violent behavior risk in an acute psychiatric ward using video recordings from the emergency department. 69 videos of the emergency department recording the first ten minutes following patients' arrivals were included.

Short-term chloral hydrate as an add-on treatment may improve sleep and alleviate agitation in inpatients with treatment resistant schizophrenia: a retrospective case series study.

Introduction: Chloral hydrate (CH), a medication dating back to 1832, is tranquilizer and sleep promoter still used today. It remains an option for short-term insomnia therapy and sedation before medical procedures, despite its controversial safety profile.

Methods: This study investigated the potential benefits of chloral hydrate addition for increasing sleep duration and reducing agitation and violence in inpatients with treatment-resistant schizophrenia (TRS).

Inflammation Markers Among Schizophrenia Patients Who Use Cannabis.

Objectives: The mechanism of inflammation of the immune system, for example, such circulatory markers as the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and mean platelet volume (MPV), has been shown in many studies to be associated with schizophrenia. In addition, it has been shown that the cannabidiol component reduces the activation of the acquired immune system. This study examined the differences in the levels of NLR and MPV among schizophrenia patients with cannabis use versus those without.

Olanzapine intramuscular shows better efficacy than zuclopenthixol acetate intramuscular in reducing the need for restraint, but not in comparison to haloperidol intramuscular.

Many psychotic patients are treated with antipsychotic medications during acute agitation and aggressive behavior episodes in an attempt to achieve a rapid calming effect. Those medications include olanzapine, zuclopenthixol acetate, and haloperidol intramuscular administration. This study compared the effectiveness of these injections in reducing the need for restraint during agitated-psychotic episodes that include aggression.

A Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial of Bupropion Add-on to Olanzapine or Risperidone in Overweight Individuals With Schizophrenia.

Background: Weight gain due to antipsychotics is a challenging clinical problem because, to date, no effective pharmacological strategies have been found. Bupropion is often used in people with schizophrenia for smoking cessation and is well tolerated. However, studies on its use as weight loss treatment are scarce.

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.

The effectiveness of high-dose escitalopram in the treatment of patients suffering from schizophrenia with comorbid obsessive-compulsive disorder: an open-label study.

Obsessive-compulsive disorder frequently co-occur with schizophrenia causing a significant impairment. There is a paucity of published data on the treatment of such complicated patients. It has been suggested that the combination of antipsychotics and antiobsessive agents is the best treatment for schizophrenia with obsessive-compulsive disorder; however, there is no published data regarding the use of high dose (up to 40 mg/day) escitalopram.

Equine Assisted Therapy for Patients with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder: A Case Series Study.

Introduction: Equine assisted therapy (EAT) which includes therapeutic horseback riding (THR), grooming, horsemanship and ground level work with horses, has been studied as treatment for children with special needs and/or autistic spectrum disorder. Preliminary evidence indicates that EAT is also effective for improving self-efficacy and self-esteem in adults with psychiatric disorders. Empowerment, bonding and building trust with the horses, may promote functioning of patients struggling with post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

[NEUROPSYCHIATRIC MANIFESTATIONS OF SYSTEMIC LUPUS ERYTHEMATOSUS].

This review deals with the neuropsychiatric disorders resulting from systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). SLE is a chronic autoimmune disease that impacts all systems in the human body, including the central nervous system. Neuropsychiatric symptoms in SLE are a common complication of the disease.

Magnetic resonance brain imaging in patients with visual vertigo.

Introduction: Patients with visual vertigo (VV) report dizziness provoked by moving visual surroundings. It has been suggested that these subjects develop a compensation strategy for a vestibulo-proprioceptive deficit and rely excessively on visual input. We have postulated that patients with VV might have brain abnormalities that interfere with appropriate processing of visual stimulation and performed a brain MRI study to verify this hypothesis.

Social Anxiety Disorder Comorbid with Schizophrenia: The Importance of Screening for This Under recognized and Under treated Condition.

Background: While the presence of comorbid anxiety disorders such as obsessive-compulsive disorder and panic disorder have been well described in schizophrenia, comorbid social anxiety disorder (SAD) has been less emphasized. The goal of this study was to examine the prevalence of SAD in our ambulatory population of patients with schizophrenia.

Methods: A group of 50 outpatients with schizophrenia randomly selected from our public mental health outpatient population was evaluated with the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV (SCID)-schizophrenia section, the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS), the Schizophrenia Quality of Life Scale (SQLS), the Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale (LSAS) and the Global Assessment of Functioning Scale (GAF).

Amantadine augmentation therapy for obsessive compulsive patients resistant to SSRIs-an open-label study.

Background: It has been hypothesized that glutamatergic dysfunction may play a role in the development of obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) and that glutamatergic modulation may ameliorate some of the OC symptoms. We evaluated the effectiveness of amantadine (AMN)- a weak, noncompetitive, antagonist of the N-methyl-D-aspartic acid (NMDA) receptor-as an adjunctive therapy to selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), and its role in improving OC symptoms in cases refractory to SSRI pharmacotherapy alone.

Methods: Eight patients (5 males and 3 females, aged 42.

Fatigue during an episode of benign paroxysmal positional vertigo.

Fatigue is characterized by weariness unrelated to exertion levels. It has been reported in chronic neurological diseases such as multiple sclerosis, Parkinson disease and stroke. Patients with benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) often complain about fatigue during a vertigo attack.

Escitalopram in the treatment of patients with schizophrenia and obsessive-compulsive disorder: an open-label, prospective study.

The current data suggest that up to 50% of patients with schizophrenia have obsessive-compulsive (OC) symptoms coexisting with psychosis and between 7.8 and 46% of schizophrenia patients also have full-blown obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). The aim of this study was to examine the efficacy of the most selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor escitalopram in the management of OCD in schizophrenia patients.

Rivastigmine treatment for the prevention of electroconvulsive therapy-induced memory deficits in patients with schizophrenia.

Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is an effective strategy in some treatment-resistant patients with schizophrenia. However, ECT is associated with cognitive adverse effects, most notably, memory loss. This study examined the effects of rivastigmine, a selective central nervous system acetylcholinesterase inhibitor, with benefits on cognition in Alzheimer disease, on memory performance in patients with schizophrenia treated with ECT.

Beliefs and emotional reactions in patients with benign paroxysmal positional vertigo: a longitudinal study.

Objective: Psychologic studies in patients with benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) are scarce, considering the high frequency of the disorder. We performed a repeated-measures design questionnaire study in a cohort of patients with BPPV before and after treatment to investigate the dynamics of the psychologic findings and possible treatment consequences.

Methods: Thirty-seven consecutive patients with idiopathic BPPV participated in the study.

Response to deep TMS in depressive patients with previous electroconvulsive treatment.

Background: The efficacy of transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) in the treatment of major depression has already been shown. Novel TMS coils allowing stimulation of deeper brain regions have recently been developed and studied.

Objective: Our study is aimed at exploring the possible efficacy of deep TMS in patients with resistant depression, who previously underwent electroconvalsive therapy (ECT).

Trazodone for the treatment of neuroleptic-induced acute akathisia: a placebo-controlled, double-blind, crossover study.

Introduction: Neuroleptic-induced acute akathisia (NIA) is a common and distressing extrapyramidal symptom usually resulting from the use of antipsychotic medication.Despite its high incidence (20%-45%), the underlying mechanism of NIA has not yet been adequately explained. Although treatment strategies for NIA have traditionally included anticholinergic agents, γ-aminobutyric acid agents, dopamine enhancers, and the β-adrenergic antagonists, many patients fail to respond.

Altered thermoregulation in ambulatory schizophrenia patients: a naturalistic study.

Background: Schizophrenia patients may exhibit alterations in core/body temperature. Hence, we intended to examine the potential existence of thermoregulatory abnormalities in ambulatory schizophrenia patients.

Methods: Anonymous electronic patient record data of the Leumit Health Fund (Israel) were screened for all schizophrenia patients who have no other apparent chronic co-morbidity (mental or non-mental) and had their oral temperature assessed during routine follow-ups (Schiz-rFUs) or for various transitory infectious/inflammatory processes (Schiz-Infect) during the years 1999-2005 (n = 535).

Association between corneal temperature and mental status of treatment-resistant schizophrenia inpatients.

Introduction: Preliminary point-prevalent data suggest that drug-free schizophrenia patients may exhibit increased body/corneal temperature, that antipsychotic drugs (APDs) may decrease body/core temperature and that patients' mental status might be associated with their body/corneal temperature. Hence, we hypothesized that treatment-resistant psychotic APD-treated schizophrenia patients' mental status may correlate with their corneal temperature during a continuous 6-week period.

Methods: Corneal temperature of 12 treatment-resistant schizophrenia inpatients and 16 healthy volunteers was evaluated 2-3 times a week during 6 consecutive weeks using a flir thermal imaging camera.

Zolmitriptan compared to propranolol in the treatment of acute neuroleptic-induced akathisia: a comparative double-blind study.

Neuroleptic-induced akathisia (NIA) is a common, sometimes incapacitating adverse effect of anti-psychotic medication. Zolmitriptan is a selective 5-HT(1D) agonist. We aimed to determine its anti-NIA efficacy in comparison to propranolol.

Trazodone for the treatment of sexual dysfunction induced by serotonin reuptake inhibitors: a preliminary open-label study.

Introduction: Treatment with selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) may lead to sexual dysfunction in up to 70% of patients. Because the SSRIs are widely used antidepressants, their propensity to cause sexual dysfunction may affect compliance with therapy and ultimately treatment success. To date, the pathophysiological mechanism of sexual dysfunction caused by SSRIs remains incompletely understood, and the management of SSRIs-induced sexual dysfunction remains unsatisfactory.