Intranasal Oxytocin Combined With Social Skills Training for Schizophrenia: An Add-on Randomized Controlled Trial.

Some but not other studies on oxytocin for schizophrenia, particularly those using a higher dose, indicate that oxytocin improves negative symptoms of schizophrenia. We performed an add-on randomized controlled trial to examine the effect of high-dose oxytocin, social skills training, and their combination in the treatment of negative symptoms and social dysfunction in schizophrenia. Fifty-one subjects with schizophrenia were randomized, employing a two-by-two design: intranasal oxytocin (24 IU X3/day) or placebo, and social skills training or supportive psychotherapy, for 3 weeks.

The bodily self from psychosis to psychedelics.

The sense of self is a foundational element of neurotypical human consciousness. We normally experience the world as embodied agents, with the unified sensation of our selfhood being nested in our body. Critically, the sense of self can be altered in psychiatric conditions such as psychosis and altered states of consciousness induced by psychedelic compounds.

A trial of prolonged exposure therapy for outpatients with comorbid bipolar disorder and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Background: Bipolar disorder and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) commonly co-occur, but no treatment guidelines exist for this population. Prolonged exposure (PE) is a well-established and efficacious treatment for PTSD, untested in patients with comorbid bipolar disorder. The current study evaluates the feasibility and preliminary efficacy of PE for patients with bipolar disorder and PTSD.

MDMA-Assisted Therapy for Severe PTSD: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Phase 3 Study.

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) presents a major public health problem for which currently available treatments are modestly effective. We report the findings of a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, multi-site phase 3 clinical trial (NCT03537014) to test the efficacy and safety of 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA)-assisted therapy for the treatment of patients with severe PTSD, including those with common comorbidities such as dissociation, depression, a history of alcohol and substance use disorders, and childhood trauma. After psychiatric medication washout, participants ( = 90) were randomized 1:1 to receive manualized therapy with MDMA or with placebo, combined with three preparatory and nine integrative therapy sessions.

Competence for physician-assisted death of patients with mental disorders: theoretical and practical considerations.

Physician-assisted death (PAD) of patients whose suffering does not stem from terminal conditions has become more prevalent during the last few decades. This paper is focused on decision-making competence for PAD, specifically in situations in which PAD is related solely to psychiatric illness. First, a theoretical analysis presents the premises for the argument that competence for physician-assisted death for psychiatric patients (PADPP) should be determined based on a higher threshold in comparison to the required competence for conventional medical interventions.

Sense of Belonging, Meaningful Daily Life Participation, and Well-Being: Integrated Investigation.

The association between well-being, sense of belonging, connectedness to community, and meaningful participation in daily life occupations was theoretically proved and demonstrated in several health conditions or specific age groups. This study aimed to investigate an interplay between well-being, sense of belonging, and connectedness, and meaningful participation in a range of daily life occupations among healthy adults of working age in Israel. Participants (N = 121; age: M = 30.

Child and Adolescent Mental Health during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Challenges of Psychiatric Outpatient Clinics.

Background: Worldwide national surveys show a rising mental health burden among children and adolescents (C&A) during COVID-19. The objective of the current study is to verify the expected rise in visits to psychiatric outpatient clinics of C&A, especially of new patients.

Methods: a cross-sectional study focusing on visits as recorded in electronic medical records of eight heterogeneous C&A psychiatric outpatient clinics.

Development and validation of a machine learning-based vocal predictive model for major depressive disorder.

Background: Variations in speech intonation are known to be associated with changes in mental state over time. Behavioral vocal analysis is an algorithmic method of determining individuals' behavioral and emotional characteristics from their vocal patterns. It can provide biomarkers for use in psychiatric assessment and monitoring, especially when remote assessment is needed, such as in the COVID-19 pandemic.

Impaired sense of agency and associated confidence in psychosis.

The Sense of Agency (SoA), our sensation of control over our actions, is a fundamental mechanism for delineating the Self from the environment and others. SoA arises from implicit processing of sensorimotor signals as well as explicit higher-level judgments. Psychosis patients suffer from difficulties in the sense of control over their actions and accurate demarcation of the Self.

Over-Reporting of Somatic and Psychiatric PTSD Symptoms Among People Who Experienced Motor Vehicle Accidents and Did Not Seek Psychiatric Help in a Primary Care Setting.

Background: Over-reporting of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms has been observed in some cases, following a motor vehicle accident (MVA). It has been suggested, however, that these are cases of underdiagnoses in primary care settings. The current study focused on people with PTSD in primary care settings who experienced an MVA and do not seek psychiatric help.

MDMA-assisted therapy for severe PTSD: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled phase 3 study.

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) presents a major public health problem for which currently available treatments are modestly effective. We report the findings of a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, multi-site phase 3 clinical trial (NCT03537014) to test the efficacy and safety of 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA)-assisted therapy for the treatment of patients with severe PTSD, including those with common comorbidities such as dissociation, depression, a history of alcohol and substance use disorders, and childhood trauma. After psychiatric medication washout, participants (n = 90) were randomized 1:1 to receive manualized therapy with MDMA or with placebo, combined with three preparatory and nine integrative therapy sessions.

[THE LEVEL OF VIOLENCE IN CLOSED PSYCHIATRIC WARDS IN RELATION TO THE LEGAL STATUS OF THE INPATIENTS.].

Background: One of the most serious problems in closed psychiatric wards is the issue of violence. Many studies have tried to characterize the violent patients hospitalized in a closed ward. Some research has shown that the strongest predictor of violence is past violence.

Targeting Mitochondrial Dysfunction for Bipolar Disorder.

People with bipolar disorder (BD) all too often have suboptimal long-term outcomes with existing treatment options. They experience relapsing episodes of depression and mania and also have interepisodic mood and anxiety symptoms. We need to have a better understanding of the pathophysiology of BD if we are to make progress in improving these outcomes.

When do caregivers ignore the veil of ignorance? An empirical study on medical triage decision-making.

In principle, all patients deserve to receive optimal medical treatment equally. However, in situations in which there is scarcity of time or resources, medical treatment must be prioritized based on a triage. The conventional guidelines of medical triage mandate that treatment should be provided based solely on medical necessity regardless of any non-medical value-oriented considerations ("worst-first").

Non-invasive brain stimulation targets and approaches to modulate gambling-related decisions: A systematic review.

Introduction: Despite intense neuroscience research on the neurobiological underpinnings of Gambling Disorder (GD) and gambling-related decision-making, effective treatments targeting these dysfunctions are still lacking. Non Invasive Brain Stimulation (NIBS) techniques, such as transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) and Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS), selectively modulate activity of brain circuits and have the potential to reverse alterations sustaining GD symptoms. Therefore, the aim of this systematic review was to determine the impact of different NIBS interventions on gambling-related decision processes.

Cognitive enhancement drug use among resident physicians: Prevalence and motivations for use - results from a survey.

Non-medical use of prescription drugs for the enhancement of cognitive functioning has gained popularity in recent years, especially among young educated adults. To our knowledge, no previous study investigated this phenomenon among resident physicians. To analyze cognitive enhancement drugs use motivations and patterns among resident physicians.

Occupation-focused intervention for in-patient mental health settings: Pilot study of effectiveness.

Purpose: Participation in meaningful occupation is associated with recovery in serious mental illnesses, however, few evidence-based, occupation-focused interventions for hospital settings exist. This study investigated the effectiveness of "Occupational Connections" (OC), a manualized, short-term, group intervention, addressing issues in daily-life occupations' participation and functioning of people with serious mental illness as early as during hospitalization.

Methods: Thirty-three inpatients with schizophrenia completed single-blind, pre-post study procedures (up to 10 weeks) in two groups: OC group intervention and open leisure activity group (control condition), in addition to treatment as usual.

The role of inhibition capacities in the Iowa gambling test performance in young tattooed women.

Background: Using the Iowa Gambling Test (IGT), we demonstrated previously impaired decision- making process in young tattooed women. The purpose of the present study was to explore the associations among the three facets of impaired inhibition (response inhibition, reflection inhibition and interference inhibition) and decision-making processes in this population.

Methods: To this end, the participants of the previous study (60 tattooed women and 60 non-tattooed women) were assessed in the Go/NoGo task, a measure of response inhibition, the Matched Familiar Figure Test (MFFT), a measure of reflection inhibition and the Stroop task a measure of interference inhibition.

[ASSOCIATION OF OBESITY, SMOKING AND SOCIOECONOMIC STRATA WITH THE FIBROMYALGIA SYNDROME].

Aims: This study aimed to examine a possible association between BMI levels, smoking and socio-economic status and the existence of fibromyalgia.

Background: Obesity is a worldwide epidemic with devastating impacts on the public's health. There are several indications that obesity might also be involved in the pathogenesis of chronic pain syndromes such as fibromyalgia.

Time to diagnosis of fibromyalgia and factors associated with delayed diagnosis in primary care.

Fibromyalgia is a complex disorder, and its diagnosis often comprises a challenge for physicians. We aimed to assess the time from the appearance of early symptoms to the definite diagnosis of fibromyalgia and to delineate patient and physician factors associated with this delay. The database of a large healthcare services provider was searched for all fibromyalgia patients (age 21 years or more) diagnosed during 2008-2011.

Effects of methylphenidate on the ERP amplitude in youth with ADHD: A double-blind placebo-controlled cross-over EEG study.

Methylphenidate (MPH) is a first line drug for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), yet the neuronal mechanisms underlying the condition and the treatment are still not fully understood. Previous EEG studies on the effect of MPH in ADHD found changes in evoked response potential (ERP) components that were inconsistent between studies. These inconsistencies highlight the need for a well-designed study which includes multiple baseline sessions and controls for possible fatigue, learning effects and between-days variability.

The effectiveness of high-dose escitalopram in the treatment of patients suffering from schizophrenia with comorbid obsessive-compulsive disorder: an open-label study.

Obsessive-compulsive disorder frequently co-occur with schizophrenia causing a significant impairment. There is a paucity of published data on the treatment of such complicated patients. It has been suggested that the combination of antipsychotics and antiobsessive agents is the best treatment for schizophrenia with obsessive-compulsive disorder; however, there is no published data regarding the use of high dose (up to 40 mg/day) escitalopram.