Mood Disorders

PLoS ONE: an inclusive, peer-reviewed, open-access resource from the PUBLIC LIBRARY OF SCIENCE. Reports of well-performed scientific studies from all disciplines freely available to the whole world.

AbstractObjective To examine the effectiveness of post-diagnosis dementia treatment and coordination of care by memory clinics compared with general practitioners.Design Multicentre randomised controlled trial.Setting Nine memory clinics and 159 general practitioners in the Netherlands.Participants 175 patients with a new diagnosis of mild to moderate dementia living in the community and their informal caregivers.Interventions Usual care provided by memory clinic or general practitioner.Main outcome measu

PLoS ONE: an inclusive, peer-reviewed, open-access resource from the PUBLIC LIBRARY OF SCIENCE. Reports of well-performed scientific studies from all disciplines freely available to the whole world.

PLoS ONE: an inclusive, peer-reviewed, open-access resource from the PUBLIC LIBRARY OF SCIENCE. Reports of well-performed scientific studies from all disciplines freely available to the whole world.

PLoS ONE: an inclusive, peer-reviewed, open-access resource from the PUBLIC LIBRARY OF SCIENCE. Reports of well-performed scientific studies from all disciplines freely available to the whole world.

Assess quetiapine plus lamotrigine (QTP+LTG) combination maintenance therapy effectiveness in challenging bipolar disorder (BD).|Outpatients assessed with the Systematic Treatment Enhancement Program for Bipolar Disorder (STEP-BD) Affective Disorders Evaluation and followed with the STEP-BD Clinical Monitoring Form were naturalistically prescribed QTP+LTG.|Fifty-four outpatients with challenging BD, taking in addition to QTP+LTG, a meanSD of 2.11.6 (in 63.0% at least 2) other psychotropic and 2.31.9 non-psychotropic prescription medications, had QTP+LTG maintenance trials. Median(meanSD) QTP+LTG duration was 401(730756) days. Final QTP and LTG doses were 87.5(188211) and 300(287108) mg/day, respectively. Half (27/54) of patients discontinued QTP (in 19), LTG (in 6), or QTP+LTG (in 2), after 294(415414) days - due to side-effects in 10, inefficacy in seven, non-adherence in five, and other reasons in five. 42.6%(23/54) had additional pharmacotherapy intervention for

Morbidly obese patients frequently present with mood and anxiety disorders, which are often treated with serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SRIs). Having observed that patients treated with SRIs frequently relapse after Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery, the authors sought to assess whether SRI bioavailability is reduced postoperatively.|Twelve gastric bypass candidates treated with an SRI for primary mood or anxiety disorders were studied prospectively. Timed blood samples for SRI plasma levels were drawn for pharmacokinetic studies before surgery and 1, 6, and 12 months afterward. Maximum concentration, time to maximum concentration, and area under the concentration/time curve (AUC) were determined.|In eight of the 12 patients, AUC values 1 month after surgery dropped to an average of 54% (SD=18) of preoperative levels (range=36%-80%); in six of these patients, AUC values returned to baseline levels (or greater) by 6 months. Four patients had an exacerbation of depressive symptoms, which

The dynorphin/-opioid receptor system has been implicated in the pathogenesis and pathophysiology of several psychiatric disorders. In the present review, we present evidence indicating a key role for this system in modulating neurotransmission in brain circuits that subserve mood, motivation, and cognitive function. We overview the pharmacology, signaling, post-translational, post-transcriptional, transcriptional, epigenetic and cis regulation of the dynorphin/-opioid receptor system, and critically review functional neuroanatomical, neurochemical, and pharmacological evidence, suggesting that alterations in this system may contribute to affective disorders, drug addiction, and schizophrenia. We also overview the dynorphin/-opioid receptor system in the genetics of psychiatric disorders and discuss implications of the reviewed material for therapeutics development.

It has been held that if bipolar disorder is categorically distinct, it should differentiate from unipolar depressive disorders by showing bimodality or a 'zone of rarity' in bipolar symptom scores. Two previous studies have failed to demonstrate bimodality. We undertook a third study.|A total of 1106 patients attending the Black Dog Institute Depression Clinic completed the Mood Disorders Questionnaire (MDQ), in addition to undergoing clinical assessment by an Institute psychiatrist.|The distributions of scores for the total number of hypomanic symptoms endorsed by unipolar and bipolar patients were both skewed, with the bipolar group endorsing a high number of hypomanic symptoms and the unipolar group endorsing few symptoms--and so giving the impression of an 'even' distribution generated by two quite distinctly differing sub-groups. However, formal statistical analyses involving mixed modelling provided no clear evidence that a bimodal distribution provided a better fit to the data

There is substantial information that premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) is a clinically significant disorder with biological underpinnings that differ from other psychiatric disorders. However, data regarding the symptoms noted in DSM-IV and timing of their expression in the menstrual cycle have had little empirical support.|To provide evidence informing the definitional criteria for PMDD.|Prospective surveys.|General community and clinical settings.|Two cohorts that included a representative sample and a self-identified treatment-seeking cohort. Main Outcome Measure Daily ratings of perimenstrual symptoms and functioning.|Mood and physical symptoms were most severe and were accompanied by impairment in the 4 days before through the first 2 days of menses for the self-identified group and in the 3 days before through the first 3 days of menses in the community sample. The most problematic symptoms endorsed were those listed in DSM-IV, but depressed mood was less frequent than

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NGC is the National Guideline Clearinghouse.

NGC is the National Guideline Clearinghouse.