Anatomical Association Between Schizophrenia and Cerebellum.

The pathogenesis of schizophrenia is rarely attributed to dysfunction of the cerebellum. However, coordination of mental processes might involve the cerebellum and a cortico-cerebellar-thalamic-cortical circuit (CCTCC) that can mediate that process has been proposed. We present the case of a 31-year-old male patient with a family history of psychosis who developed schizophrenia in association with a slow-growing glioblastoma at the left posterior cerebellar pontine angle.

Inhaled loxapine for acute agitation in a psychiatric emergency service.

Background: Rapid control of agitation in medical settings is necessary for safety and provision of care. Inhaled loxapine achieves peak plasma levels within 2 minutes of administration and is FDA-approved for managing acute agitation.

Methods: We examined the use of inhaled loxapine vs non-parenteral treatment as usual (TAU) in a psychiatric emergency service for consecutive patients with acute agitation or aggression.

Asenapine in the Treatment of Bipolar Depression.

Objectives: Asenapine, a potent serotonin 7 (5-HT) receptor antagonist, was examined for efficacy as an antidepressant in depressed bipolar subjects. It was predicted that subjects with the genetic variant of the short form of the serotonin transporter (5HTTR) would be more likely to respond.

Experimental Design: A subset of patients participating in a randomized, placebo-controlled study of the efficacy of asenapine in bipolar I depression also underwent genetic testing for the 5HTTR.

Antidepressant discontinuation in treatment resistant depression.

Treatment-resistant depression (TRD) is a growing problem in psychiatric practice with some 15-20% of depressed patients becoming chronically depressed and perhaps as many as 40% in tertiary settings. Several groups have championed the idea that TRD may be attributed to the long-term treatment with antidepressant drugs (AD). Subjects with the short form of the serotonin transporter gene (both heterozygotes and homozygotes) have an increased risk for depression in the setting of adversity compared to people with the long form.

Resource Utilization with the Use of Seclusion and Restraint in a Dedicated Emergency Psychiatric Service.

Objectives: There is a dearth of data regarding the use of emergency interventions in dedicated emergency psychiatric service settings, and reliable data are needed. This article describes the frequency and duration of the use of seclusion and restraint for imminent or existing agitation, aggression, or violence in a dedicated emergency psychiatric service located within an academic university hospital and staffed by sufficient numbers of trained personnel.

Methods: We performed a retrospective chart review of 6 months' visits to a dedicated emergency psychiatric service.

Acute antidepressant response and plasma levels of bupropion and metabolites in a pediatric-aged sample: an exploratory study.

Studies examining associations between antidepressant response and plasma levels of bupropion and its metabolites have yielded contradictory findings. There have been no such studies in youth. This study explored such associations in 8 boys and 8 girls, age 11 to 17 years, all prescribed bupropion sustained release (SR) for major depression (n = 6) or depressive disorder not otherwise specified (n = 10) as part of a pharmacokinetic (PK) study.

Platelet serotonin reuptake inhibition and response to SSRIs in depressed adolescents.

Objective: The authors examined platelet serotonin reuptake inhibition and response to selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) treatment in depressed adolescents.

Method: Twenty-three depressed adolescents participating in pharmacokinetic studies of SSRIs had platelet serotonin reuptake measured before and after 14-28 days of treatment. The Clinical Global Impression (CGI) improvement rating was determined on the basis of all clinical information and was performed blind to the platelet data.

Steady-state pharmacokinetics of bupropion SR in juvenile patients.

Objective: To examine the steady-state pharmacokinetic properties of bupropion sustained release (SR) and their potential developmental differences in youths.

Method: Eleven boys and eight girls aged 11 to 17 years old were prescribed bupropion SR monotherapy for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (n = 16) and/or depressive disorders (n = 16). Bupropion SR was given in morning doses of 100 mg/day (n = 11) or 200 mg/day (n = 8) for 14 days or less, with five subjects studied on both doses.

Sertraline pharmacokinetics and dynamics in adolescents.

Objective: To determine the pharmacokinetics of sertraline in adolescents and assess its effect on a surrogate marker of serotonin transport.

Method: Pharmacokinetic parameters of a single 50-mg dose of sertraline were determined in 10 adolescents. Steady-state withdrawal kinetics were determined in 12 adolescents taking 50 mg/day and in 6 adolescents taking 100 to 150 mg/day.