Risk factors for coercion length at psychiatric hospitals in Israel: Relationship with staff.

Background: Coercive interventions continue to be applied frequently in psychiatric care when patients are at imminent risk of harming themselves and/or others.

Aim: The purpose of this study was to demonstrate the relationship between the length of coercion and a variety of factors, including the sociodemographic background of patients, their diagnoses and the characteristics of hospital staff.

Methods: This is a one-year cross-sectional retrospective study, including records of 298 patients who underwent restraint and/or seclusion interventions in male acute, closed wards in two psychiatric hospitals in Israel.

Treatment of Clozapine-Associated Sialorrhea: The Role of Benzamide Derivatives.

Purpose: Hypersalivation is one of the most prevalent and distressing adverse effects associated with clozapine treatment. Currently, there is no standard therapeutic approach toward how to overcome it. Clinicians use various medications for managing this adverse effect.

Curcumin as Add-On to Antipsychotic Treatment in Patients With Chronic Schizophrenia: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Study.

Background: Introduction of old and new generations of antipsychotics leads to significant improvements in the positive symptoms of schizophrenia. However, negative symptoms remain refractory to conventional trials of antipsychotic therapy. Recently, there were several open clinical human trials with curcumin.

Clinical and demographic characteristics of secluded and mechanically restrained mentally ill patients: a retrospective study.

Background: Restraint or seclusion measures in acute psychiatric care are used as a last resort when all other methods for removal of physical threat have failed. The purpose of this study is to find a correlation between coercive measures, demographic characteristics within this patient group, and factors associated with shortened periods of restriction.

Methods: This is a one-year retrospective study conducted in a male acute closed ward of a psychiatric hospital in Israel.

Successful Use of Escitalopram for the Treatment of Visual Hallucinations in Patients With Parkinson Disease.

Introduction: Patients with Parkinson disease (PD) frequently experience visual hallucinations (VH). Visual hallucinations are most often viewed as an adverse effect of antiparkinsonian treatment. Possible treatments for this disturbance include a reduction of antiparkinsonian medications, adding atypical antipsychotics, or cholinesterase inhibitors.

Donepezil as Add-on Treatment for Resistant Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder: Retrospective Case Series.

Unlabelled: Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is one of the most common and disabling psychiatric disorders. Treatment with serotonin selective reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) shows significant improvement; however, residual symptoms remain in most patients despite continued adequate OCD treatment. For patients exhibiting partial or no response to multiple SSRIs, augmentation strategies are usually recommended.

Double-Blind, Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Trial of Metoclopramide for Hypersalivation Associated With Clozapine.

Hypersalivation is a frequent, disturbing, and uncomfortable adverse effect of clozapine therapy that frequently leads to noncompliance. The aim of this study was to examine the efficacy of metoclopramide (dopamine D2 antagonist, antiemetic medication) as an option for management of hypersalivation associated with clozapine (HAC). A 3-week, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial was conducted in university-based research clinics from January 2012 to May 2014, on 58 inpatients treated with clozapine who were experiencing hypersalivation.

Targeting Retinoid Receptors to Treat Schizophrenia: Rationale and Progress to Date.

This review provides the rationale and reports on the progress to date regarding the targeting of retinoid receptors for the treatment of schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorder and the role of retinoic acid in functions of the normal brain, and in psychotic states. After a brief introduction, we describe the normal function of retinoic acid in the brain. We then examine the evidence regarding retinoid dysregulation in schizophrenia.

Pavel Ivanovich Karpov (1873-1932?)--the Russian Prinzhorn: art of the insane in Russia.

The complicated relationship between the discipline of mental health and the arts has barely been studied systematically. Mental hospitals, shelters and prisons--institutions that accommodate the mentally ill--sometimes promote but often discourage and disrupt the patients' artistic creativity and the images created. In psychiatric circles, the recognition of patient art was a long, slow and frustrating process.

Creativity and mood disorders: The enigmatic case of Isaak Il'ich Levitan (1860-1900).

Isaak Levitan (1860-1900) was one of Russia's most influential landscape artists. He lived a very short life, only 40 years, but left more than 1000 paintings. He suffered from mood fluctuations, and died as a result of serious heart disease.

A pilot open study of long term high dose creatine augmentation in patients with treatment resistant negative symptoms schizophrenia.

Background: The effects of creatine on brain metabolism and the potential cognitive enhancing properties of this compound raise the possibility of developing a new augmentation therapeutic strategy in schizophrenia especially in patients demonstrating negative and cognitive symptomatology.

Methods: Seven inpatients with chronic schizophrenia presenting with treatment resistant negative symptoms were enrolled into exploratory treatment study with creatine monohydrate augmentation at a daily high-dose of 10 grams, administered for 6 months. Several clinical rating scales and a computerized cognitive assessment battery were applied.

Amisulpride as add-on treatment for resistant obsessive-compulsive disorder: retrospective case series.

Unlabelled: Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is one of the most common and disabling psychiatric disorders. Treatment with selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) shows significant improvement; however, residual symptoms remain in most patients despite continued treatment. For partial or nonresponding patients to multiple SSRIs, augmentation strategies are usually recommended.

Tardive dyskinesia (syndrome): Current concept and modern approaches to its management.

Tardive dyskinesia is a serious, disabling and potentially permanent, neurological hyperkinetic movement disorder that occurs after months or years of taking psychotropic drugs. The pathophysiology of tardive dyskinesia is complex, multifactorial and still not fully understood. A number of drugs were tried for the management of this motor disturbance, yet until now no effective and standard treatment has been found.

Alexander Nikolaevich Scriabin (1872-1915): Enlightenment or illness?

The similarity between psychotic symptoms and aspects of mystical experiences is well known. It has long been recognized that there are similarities between mystical and spiritual and psychotic experiences. The content of an experience alone usually does not determine whether an individual is psychotic.

Poet and profligate: the secrets of Aleksandr Sergeyevich Pushkin's (1799-1837) personality and maladies.

Aleksandr Sergeyevich Pushkin (1799-1837) was one of the great figures of Russian poetry and literature. There are numerous publications about his life, adventures and creative work. However, little has been written about his character, mental state and the condition of his wound during his fatal duel.

The retinoid X receptor agonist bexarotene relieves positive symptoms of schizophrenia: a 6-week, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled multicenter trial.

Objective: The limitations of antipsychotic therapy in schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorder led to the investigation of the putative utility of pharmacologic augmentation strategies. The antitumor agent bexarotene via nuclear retinoid X receptor (RXR) activation might modulate numerous metabolic pathways involved in the pathogenesis of schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorder. This trial aimed to investigate efficacy and safety of add-on bexarotene to ongoing antipsychotic treatment of patients with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder.

Curcumin as an add-on to antidepressive treatment: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, pilot clinical study.

Objectives: Depression is a widespread mental disorder in which nearly half of the affected people have recurrent symptoms. Drug combinations may produce cumulative adverse effects, especially in elderly and physically ill patients. It was demonstrated that curcumin possesses antidepressive activity in various animal models of depression, and a combination of curcumin with some antidepressants potentiates the antidepressive effect of these agents.

Victor Kandinsky (1849-89): pioneer of modern Russian forensic psychiatry.

The paper describes Victor Kandinsky's professional achievements within nineteenth-century Russian forensic psychiatry. A thorough review of nineteenth-century Russian psychiatry is presented, followed by a short biographical account of Kandinsky's personal life. Within the backdrop of Russian forensic psychiatry toward the end of nineteenth century, Kandinsky's pioneer innovations in psychopathology and classification as well as his contributions to Russian forensic psychiatry are reviewed.

Pisa syndrome and laryngeal dystonia induced by novel antipsychotics.

Objectives: Psychopharmacotherapy with antipsychotics frequently leads to different undesirable extrapyramidal side effects. Tardive dystonia is one of them and some of its forms can be dangerous. Usually tardive dystonia occurs during treatment with typical antipsychotics.

Perverse political correctness and personality traits.

Political correctness (PC) commonly refers to a mutual respect for the views and beliefs of others, including enemies, and while differing in opinions, the willfulness to overcome the existing disagreements, and to prevent animosity. To date however, the term PC is sometimes used in a perverted sense aimed for disintegration of solidarity in a society, thus giving birth to a new powerful conceptual tool, the perverse political correctness (PPC). PPC ideology resides in people with certain psychological types.