Cariprazine: Patients with Treatment-Resistant Schizophrenia.

Schizophrenia is a chronic relapsing and remitting disorder associated with significant impairments in social and vocational functioning and a shortened lifespan, and it is a disabling psychiatric brain syndrome whose phenotype is characterized by three core symptom domains: positive symptoms, such as delusions and hallucinations, negative symptoms, which include lack of motivation and social withdrawal, and cognitive impairment. Moreover, patients with schizophrenia have severe problems with personal and social relations which affect their quality of life. Antipsychotic medications in conjunction with psychosocial interventions can help patients achieve recovery.

Treating schizophrenia with cariprazine: from clinical research to clinical practice. Real world experiences and recommendations from an International Panel.

Background: Management of schizophrenia is sub-optimal in many patients. Targeting negative symptoms, among the most debilitating aspects of schizophrenia, together with positive symptoms, can result in significant functional benefits and dramatically improve quality of life for patients and their carers. Cariprazine, a partial agonist of the dopamine receptors D2/D3 has demonstrated effectiveness across symptom domains in clinical trials, particularly on negative symptoms.

Trauma exposure and post-traumatic stress disorder in bipolar disorder.

Introduction: There is a lack of data about post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in European bipolar patients compared to the US-population. This study was conducted to ascertain the rates and types of traumatic events and PTSD in bipolar-I disorder.

Methods: Euthymic bipolar patients were screened for lifetime diagnosis of PTSD using the Post-Traumatic Stress Diagnostic Scale and the Clinician Administered Post-traumatic Stress Disorder Scale.