Comparative Short- and Long-Term Effectiveness and Safety of Pramipexole and Aripiprazole Augmentation in Treatment-Resistant Unipolar Depression: An Observational Study.

Background: This study compares the short- and long-term effectiveness and safety of pramipexole augmentation (PA) and aripiprazole augmentation (AA) for unipolar treatment-resistant depression (TRD).

Methods: Patients were recruited in a private out-patients clinic specializing in mood disorders. At intake and at each visit, depressive and (hypo)manic symptoms, clinical status, and level of functioning were evaluated with appropriate scales.

Are anxious and mixed depression two sides of the same coin? Similarities and differences in patients with bipolar I, II and unipolar disorders.

Background: Diagnostic criteria are not always useful to discriminate major depression with anxious distress (ADS-D; Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for Mental Disorders, version-5 [DSM-5] criteria) from mixed depression (Koukopoulos' criteria; KMX-D). So, clinicians need alternative tools to improve their diagnostic ability and to choose the most appropriate treatment. The aim of the present study is to identify socio-demographic and clinical features that discriminate patients with ADS-D from those with KMX-D.

Pramipexole Augmentation for Treatment-Resistant Unipolar and Bipolar Depression in the Real World: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Background: Pramipexole is a dopamine full agonist approved for the treatment of Parkinson's disease and restless legs syndrome. Its high affinity for the D3 receptor and neuroprotective, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory activity provides a rationale for the treatment of depression. In this paper, we review studies on the effectiveness and safety of antidepressant pramipexole augmentation in treatment-resistant depression.

Which patients with bipolar depression receive antidepressant augmentation? Results from an observational multicenter study.

Background: To identify demographic and clinical characteristics of bipolar depressed patients who require antidepressant (AD) augmentation, and to evaluate the short- and long-term effectiveness and safety of this therapeutic strategy.

Methods: One hundred twenty-two bipolar depressed patients were consecutively recruited, 71.7% of them received mood stabilizers (MS)/second-generation antipsychotics (SGA) with AD-augmentation and 28.

Efficacy and safety of 24-week pramipexole augmentation in patients with treatment resistant depression. A retrospective cohort study.

Pramipexole is a dopamine agonist with potential antidepressant, neuroprotective, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity. In the present study we investigated the 24 weeks effect and safety of traditional AD augmentation with pramipexole for treatment-resistant depression. The study includes 116 patients, 37 (32%) with bipolar disorders and 79 (68%) with major depressive disorder, who failed to respond to at least 2 ADs trials of different classes and that were treated with AD augmented with pramipexole.

Is short-term antidepressant treatment effective and safe in bipolar depression? Results from an observational multicenter study.

Objectives: To investigate the short-term effectiveness and the short-term and long-term safety of acute antidepressant (AD) treatment of bipolar depression in a naturalistic setting.

Methods: Patients with bipolar (n = 86) or unipolar (n = 111) depression were consecutively recruited and treated with AD (combined with mood stabilizer [MS] and/or second-generation antipsychotics in bipolar depression). Exclusion criteria were mixed depression, high mood instability, previous predominantly mixed depression (both bipolar and unipolar depression), rapid cycling course and previous switch AD-emerging (bipolar depression).

The relationship between depression with anxious distress DSM-5 specifier and mixed depression: a network analysis.

Introduction: Epidemiological, clinical, and treatment response characteristics of major depression with anxious distress (ADS) are quite similar to those of mixed depression, but no study investigated the symptom interplay of these conditions.

Objective: To analyze the correlations among symptom criteria for major depression with ADS and for mixed depression using a network analysis.

Methods: Two hundred and forty-one outpatients with major depression were consecutively recruited.

Is there a relationship between depression with anxious distress DSM-5 specifier and bipolarity? A multicenter cohort study on patients with unipolar, bipolar I and II disorders.

Background: To estimate the prevalence of DSM-5 anxious distress specifier (ADS) in depressed patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) or bipolar I or II disorder (BD), and to compare socio-demographic and clinical characteristics, and response to naturalistic short-term treatment between ADS and non-ADS group.

Methods: 241 outpatients with a major depressive episode (MDE) were consecutively recruited. Outcome were remission (HDRS total score < 7), response (≥50% reduction of baseline HDRS) and improvement (CGI-i score ≤ 2) after 12 weeks of treatment sustained for 4 weeks.

Treatment of Hypochondriasis in Two Schizophrenia Patients Using Clozapine.

Hypochondriasis (HYPO), an obsessive-compulsive spectrum disorder, is frequent in patients with schizophrenia (SCH) (20%), especially among those treated with clozapine (36.7%). Treatment options for OCS/OCD in patients under clozapine (CLZ) include combining clozapine with amisulpride/aripiprazole or a mood stabilizer, augmenting clozapine with a serotoninergic reuptake inhibitor, adding cognitive behavioural therapy, and gradually reducing dosage.

Pharmacologic approaches to treatment resistant depression: Evidences and personal experience.

Aim: To review evidence supporting pharmacological treatments for treatment-resistant depression (TRD) and to discuss them according to personal clinical experience.

Methods: Original studies, clinical trials, systematic reviews, and meta-analyses addressing pharmacological treatment for TRD in adult patients published from 1990 to 2013 were identified by data base queries (PubMed, Google Scholar e Quertle Searches) using terms: "treatment resistant depression", "treatment refractory depression", "partial response depression", "non responder depression", "optimization strategy", "switching strategy", "combination strategy", "augmentation strategy", selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors antidepressants (SSRI), tricyclic antidepressants (TCA), serotonin norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors antidepressants, mirtazapine, mianserine, bupropione, monoamine oxidase inhibitor antidepressant (MAOI), lithium, thyroid hormones, second generation antipsychotics (SGA), dopamine agonists, lamotrigine, psychostimulants, dextromethorphan, dextrorphan, ketamine, omega-3 fatty acids, S-adenosil-L-metionine, methylfolat, pindolol, sex steroids, glucocorticoid agents. Other citations of interest were further identified from references reported in the accessed articles.

Short-term antidepressant treatment of bipolar depression: are ISBD recommendations useful in clinical practice?

Objectives: The study aimed to test the effectiveness of the ISBD Guidelines for short-term AD treatment of BP depression.

Methods: The study sample included 255 patients with mood disorders (154 UP, 49 BP-I, 52 BP-II). Response was defined as a HDRS21 total score<7 at 12 weeks of treatment and remission as a ≥50% reduction of baseline HDRS21 total score sustained for 8 weeks.

Continuous circular cycling in bipolar disorder as a predictor of poor outcome.

Objective: This prospective study aims to determine if patients with bipolar disorder with a continuous circular course (CCC) are significantly different on clinical characteristics and response to long-term treatment from those with a non-continuous circular course (N-CCC). CCC was defined as the alternation of depression and (hypo)mania without a completely free interval, and N-CCC as the presence of free intervals after the sequence mania-depression or depression-mania.

Method: The study sample includes 140 consecutive patients with bipolar I or II disorder according to DSM-IV criteria, aged 18-65 years and receiving prophylactic treatment for.

Pregabalin, tiapride and lorazepam in alcohol withdrawal syndrome: a multi-centre, randomized, single-blind comparison trial.

Introduction: The aim of this trial was to compare lorazepam with non-benzodiazepine medications such as pregabalin and tiapride in the treatment of alcohol withdrawal syndrome (AWS). These drugs were chosen for their inhibitorial effects on the hypersecretion of neurotransmitters usually observed in AWS. Craving reduction and improvement of psychiatric symptoms were the secondary end-points.