Reduced plasma Fetuin-A is a promising biomarker of depression in the elderly.

Depression affects 7% of the elderly population, and it often remains misdiagnosed or untreated. Peripheral biomarkers might aid clinicians by allowing more accurate and well-timed recognition of the disease. We sought to determine if plasma protein levels predict the severity of depressive symptomatology or distinguish patients from healthy individuals.

Reduced CXCL1/GRO chemokine plasma levels are a possible biomarker of elderly depression.

Background: Depression is the single largest contributor to non-fatal health loss worldwide. A role of inflammation in major depressive disorder (MDD) was suggested, and we sought to determine if cytokine levels predict the severity of depressive symptomatology or distinguish MDD patients from healthy controls (HCs).

Methods: The severity of depressive symptoms and cognitive impairment were assessed by the Korean version of the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS-K) and Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE-KC) in 152 elderly subjects (76 with MDD).

Erratum: Correction of Acknowledgements Second Generation Antipsychotics in the Treatment of Major Depressive Disorder: An Update.

[This corrects the article on p. 159 in vol. 52, PMID: 27689026.

Neuroplasticity, Neurotransmission and Brain-Related Genes in Major Depression and Bipolar Disorder: Focus on Treatment Outcomes in an Asiatic Sample.

Introduction: Mood disorders are common and disabling disorders. Despite the availability of over 100 psychotropic compounds, only one-third of patients benefit from first-line treatments. Over the past 20 years, many studies have focused on the biological factors modulating disease risk and response to treatments, but with still inconclusive data.

Hot Genes in Schizophrenia: How Clinical Datasets Could Help to Refine their Role.

We investigated the effect of a set of SNPs within 5 genes identified by GWASs as possible risk genes for schizophrenia (SCZ) in two independent samples, comprising 176 SCZ patients and 326 controls of Korean origin and 83 SCZ patients and 194 controls of Italian origin. The PANSS was used to assess psychopathology severity and antipsychotic response (AR). Several clinical features were assessed at recruitment.

Paroxetine versus Venlafaxine and Escitalopram in Korean Patients with Major Depressive Disorder: A Randomized, Rater-blinded, Six-week Study.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to compare the efficacy and safety of escitalopram, paroxetine and venlafaxine in Korean patients with major depressive disorder (MDD).

Methods: A total of 449 Korean MDD patients were recruited in a six-week, randomized, rater-blinded, active-controlled trial and were evenly randomized to paroxetine, venlafaxine, or escitalopram treatment.

Results: When comparing the mean difference for the Montgomery-Åsberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS) and the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS) total scores during six weeks, paroxetine (-6.

Clinical Validation of the Psychotic Depression Assessment Scale, Hamilton Depression Rating Scale-6, and Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale-5: Results from the Clinical Research Center for Depression Study.

Objective: The aim of this study was to validate the psychotic depression assessment scale (PDAS), which includes the six-item melancholia subscale from the Hamilton depression rating scale (HAMD-6) and the five-item psychosis subscale from the brief psychiatric rating scale (BPRS-5). Data from the Clinical Research Center for Depression (CRESCEND) study, which is a 52-week naturalistic trial, were analyzed.

Methods: Fifty-two patients with psychotic depression from the CRESCEND study met our inclusion criteria.

Efficacy of antidepressants: bias in randomized clinical trials and related issues.

Countless antidepressant randomized trials were conducted and showed statistically significant benefits of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs) over placebo. Meanwhile, critics are increasing regarding the efficacy of antidepressants in the treatment of MDD because at least a proportion of clinical trials could be hampered by various biases. In contrast, number of failed trials is increasing in the recent years which have made developing psychiatric medications progressively more time-consuming and expensive.

Genetic Variants Within Key Nodes of the Cascade of Antipsychotic Mechanisms: Effects on Antipsychotic Response and Schizophrenia Psychopathology in a Naturalistic Treatment Setting in Two Independent Korean and Italian Samples.

Introduction: Schizophrenia (SCZ) is one of the most disabling psychiatric disorders. Genetic factors play an important role in both SCZ liability and its treatment outcome. In the present paper, we investigated the effects of several single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) within ten strong candidate genes involved with antipsychotics (APs) mechanisms of action.

Investigational dopamine antagonists for the treatment of schizophrenia.

Schizophrenia is a debilitating illness with a chronic impact on social function and daily living. Although various antipsychotics are available, there are still many challenges and unmet needs. Thus, many compounds with diverse mechanisms have been investigated, but all approved antipsychotics still require interactions with dopamine D receptors.

How many different symptom combinations fulfil the diagnostic criteria for major depressive disorder? Results from the CRESCEND study.

Background: The polythetic nature of major depressive disorder (MDD) in DSM- IV and DSM-5 inevitably leads to diagnostic heterogeneity.

Aims: This study aimed to identify the number of depressive symptom combinations actually fulfilling the DSM-IV diagnostic criteria that can be found in Korean MDD patients and the relative frequencies of each combination.

Methods: Using the data from the Clinical Research Center for Depression (CRESCEND) study in South Korea, we enrolled 853 MDD patients diagnosed using DSM-IV and scored as 8 or more on the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAMD).

Modafinil for the treatment of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder: A meta-analysis.

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is one of the most common and a debilitating neuro-behavior disorder in the pediatric population. Although numerous effective psychostimulants are available, more than 30% of patients still do not show adequate treatment response rendering diverse pharmacological options. We aimed at assessing the efficacy and safety of modafinil in the treatment of children and adolescents with ADHD by conducting a meta-analysis.

Second Generation Antipsychotics in the Treatment of Major Depressive Disorder: An Update.

Less than one third of patients who suffer from major depressive disorder (MDD) report remission following antidepressant treatments requiring more diverse treatment approaches. Augmentation of second generation antipsychotics (SGAs) has been increasingly recognized as an important treatment option. The authors have previously provided a comprehensive review of SGAs for the treatment of MDD in 2013.

Association of treatment response with obesity and other metabolic risk factors in adults with depressive disorders: Results from a National Depression Cohort study in Korea (the CRESCEND study).

Background: Available studies indicate that obesity may exert a moderational effect on antidepressant treatment response. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between treatment response and metabolic abnormalities amongst patients with depressive disorders in a large naturalistic clinical setting.

Methods: A nationwide prospective study was conducted in 18 hospitals in South Korea; 541 depressive patients meeting DSM-IV criteria were recruited.

Clinical Significance of the Number of Depressive Symptoms in Major Depressive Disorder: Results from the CRESCEND Study.

Our study aimed to establish the relationship between the number of depressive symptoms and the clinical characteristics of major depressive disorder (MDD). This would enable us to predict the clinical significance of the number of depressive symptoms in MDD patients. Using data from the Clinical Research Center for Depression (CRESCEND) study in Korea, 853 patients with DSM-IV MDD were recruited.

Gender Differences in the Clinical Characteristics of Psychotic Depression: Results from the CRESCEND Study.

Objective: To test whether there are gender differences in the clinical characteristics of patients with psychotic depression (PD).

Methods: Using data from the Clinical Research Center for Depression (CRESCEND) study in South Korea, we tested for potential gender differences in clinical characteristics among 53 patients with PD. The Psychotic Depression Assessment Scale (PDAS) and other psychometric scales were used to evaluate various clinical features of the study subjects.

Prevalence of Depressive Disorder of Outpatients Visiting Two Primary Care Settings.

Objectives: Although the prevalence of depressive disorders in South Korea's general population is known, no reports on the prevalence of depression among patients who visit primary care facilities have been published. This preliminary study was conducted to identify the prevalence of depressive disorder in patients that visit two primary care facilities.

Methods: Among 231 consecutive eligible patients who visited two primary care settings, 184 patients consented to a diagnostic interview for depression by psychiatrists following the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-IV criteria.

Optimizing the Use of Aripiprazole Augmentation in the Treatment of Major Depressive Disorder: From Clinical Trials to Clinical Practice.

Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a recurrent, chronic, and devastating disorder leading to serious impairment in functional capacity as well as increasing public health care costs. In the previous decade, switching therapy and dose adjustment of ongoing antidepressants was the most frequently chosen subsequent treatment option for MDD. However, such recommendations were not based on firmly proven efficacy data from well-designed, placebo-controlled, randomized clinical trials (RCTs) but on practical grounds and clinical reasoning.