Background: While several studies have noted smell impairment in schizophrenia, it is unclear whether this impairment extends to acute psychosis and whether it is associated with more severe illness as expressed in extended hospitalization.
Objectives: To evaluate the olfactory function of patients in an acute psychotic state and correlate it with clinical symptomatology and length of hospitalization.
Methods: Olfactory function was assessed in 20 patients with schizophrenia in their first week of hospital admission for acute psychosis compared with matched controls. Olfaction was evaluated via three stages: threshold, discrimination, and identification of different odors utilizing the Sniffin' Sticks test battery.
Results: Schizophrenia patients scored significantly lower on total smell score, discrimination, and identification abilities. A significant association was observed between hospitalization duration and total smell score and smell discrimination. No significant associations between smell and clinical symptomatology were observed.
Conclusions: Study observations confirm impaired sense of smell in schizophrenia patients and suggest that smell impairment may be a potential marker of more serious illness as expressed in longer hospital stay.
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HCA Healthc J Med
December 2024
St George's University, Grenada, West Indies.
Background: The United States Food and Drug Administration approved 6 atypical antipsychotics for pediatric treatment of schizophrenia. However, little has been published on the effectiveness of these medications in the acute treatment setting of adolescents with psychosis. Since the clinical uncertainty and poor prognosis proceeding the early onset of schizophrenia has a significant impact on a child's development, there is a critical need for evidence-based data on this population.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFHCA Healthc J Med
December 2024
HCA Florida Orange Park Hospital, Orange Park, FL.
Introduction: As illicit drug manufacturers find new ways to market their products and increase their profit margins, multiple contaminants have found their way into the illicit drug supply. The newest addition, xylazine, also known as "tranq," has spread through the city of Philadelphia and has recently been gaining ground across the United States, including in the state of Florida.
Case Presentation: This case describes a 37-year-old male with a significant past psychiatric history of severe polysubstance intravenous (IV) use, including fentanyl and methamphetamine.
Cureus
December 2024
Psychiatry, Psychiatrisch Ziekenhuis Asster, Sint-Truiden, BEL.
Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is widely recognized as a safe and effective intervention for treating severe affective episodes in patients with bipolar disorder. However, it can sometimes precipitate unexpected manic phases in patients treated for a depressive episode, a phenomenon known as ECT-induced mania. While this occurrence is recognized, it remains poorly understood and minimally addressed in the literature.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe endogenous dynorphin/kappa opioid receptor (KOR) system in the brain mediates the dysphoric effects of stress, and KOR antagonists may have therapeutic potential for the treatment of drug addiction, depression, and psychosis. One class of KOR antagonists, the long-acting norBNI-like antagonists, have been suggested to act by causing KOR inactivation through a cJun-kinase mechanism rather than by competitive inhibition. In this study, we screened for other opioid ligands that might produce norBNI-like KOR inactivation and found that nalfurafine (a G-biased KOR agonist) and nalmefene (a KOR partial agonist) also produce long-lasting KOR inactivation.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFCureus
December 2024
Department of Psychiatry, MGM Medical College, Indore, Indore, IND.
Meditation is an approach to self-regulate the emotions. Meditation has a beneficial effect on both physical and mental health. Various forms of meditation practices prevail in many religions and cultures for human well-being.
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