Delphi survey of maintenance lithium treatment in older adults with bipolar disorder: An ISBD task force report.

Objectives: Despite the growing numbers and proportion of older adults with bipolar disorder (OABD), there are very limited guidelines for the use of lithium with its double-edged potential for effectiveness and toxicity in this population. The primary aims of this Delphi survey were: (a) To determine the place of lithium among the preferred choices for maintenance treatment of OABD. (b) To provide detailed clinical guidelines for the safe and effective use of lithium in OABD.

The Times They Are a-Changin': Clock Drawing and Prediction of Dementia.

Identification of individuals who will eventually develop dementia is critical for early intervention, treatment, and care planning. The clock drawing test (CDT) is a widely used cognitive screening tool that has been well accepted among clinicians and patients for its ease of use and short administration time. This review explores the value of the CDT for predicting the later development of dementia in cognitively intact older adults and patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI).

Multiple clock drawing scoring systems: simpler is better.

Objective: The clock drawing test (CDT) is a widely used cognitive screening tool that has been well accepted among clinicians and patients for its ease of use and short administration time. Although there is ample interest in the CDT as a screening instrument, there remains a range of CDT administration and scoring systems with no consensus on which system produces the most valid results while remaining user friendly. The aims of this review are to synthesize the available evidence on CDT scoring systems' effectiveness and to recommend which system is best suited for use at the clinical frontlines.

Effects of the serotonergic agonist mCPP on male rats in the quinpirole sensitization model of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).

Rationale: The serotonergic agonist, meta-chlorophenylpiperazine (mCPP), produces inconsistent effects on obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) symptoms, perhaps because clinical studies have not utilized a homogenous OCD subgroup of patients.

Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate mCPP effects on functional components of compulsive checking, using the quinpirole sensitization rat model of OCD.

Methods: In study 1, the effects of mCPP were evaluated in quinpirole rats with compulsive checking.