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Nutrients Dec 2018A diet rich in B-group vitamins is essential for optimal body and brain function, and insufficient amounts of such vitamins have been associated with higher levels of... (Randomized Controlled Trial)
Randomized Controlled Trial
The Effect of a High-Dose Vitamin B Multivitamin Supplement on the Relationship between Brain Metabolism and Blood Biomarkers of Oxidative Stress: A Randomized Control Trial.
A diet rich in B-group vitamins is essential for optimal body and brain function, and insufficient amounts of such vitamins have been associated with higher levels of neural inflammation and oxidative stress, as marked by increased blood plasma homocysteine. Neural biomarkers of oxidative stress quantified through proton magnetic spectroscopy (1H-MRS) are not well understood, and the relationship between such neural and blood biomarkers is seldom studied. The current study addresses this gap by investigating the direct effect of 6-month high-dose B-group vitamin supplementation on neural and blood biomarkers of metabolism. Using a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled design, 32 healthy adults (20 female, 12 male) aged 30⁻65 years underwent blood tests (vitamin B6, vitamin B12, folate, and homocysteine levels) and 1H-MRS of the posterior cingulate cortex (PCC) and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) before and after supplementation. Results confirmed the supplement was effective in increasing vitamin B6 and vitamin B12 levels and reducing homocysteine, whereas there was no change in folate levels. There were significant relationships between vitamin B6 and -acetylaspartate (NAA), choline, and creatine, as well as between vitamin B12 and creatine (s < 0.05), whereas NAA in the PCC increased, albeit not significantly ( > 0.05). Together these data provide preliminary evidence for the efficacy of high-dose B-group supplementation in reducing oxidative stress and inflammation through increasing oxidative metabolism. It may also promote myelination, cellular metabolism, and energy storage.
Topics: Adult; Aged; Antioxidants; Aspartic Acid; Biomarkers; Brain; Cognition; Cognition Disorders; Creatine; Dietary Supplements; Double-Blind Method; Female; Homocysteine; Humans; Inflammation; Male; Middle Aged; Oxidative Stress; Vitamin B Complex
PubMed: 30513795
DOI: 10.3390/nu10121860 -
Psychopharmacology Aug 2019
PubMed: 31289883
DOI: 10.1007/s00213-019-05320-1 -
Journal of Psychopharmacology (Oxford,... Jun 2016The British Association for Psychopharmacology guidelines specify the scope and targets of treatment for bipolar disorder. The third version is based explicitly on the...
The British Association for Psychopharmacology guidelines specify the scope and targets of treatment for bipolar disorder. The third version is based explicitly on the available evidence and presented, like previous Clinical Practice Guidelines, as recommendations to aid clinical decision making for practitioners: it may also serve as a source of information for patients and carers, and assist audit. The recommendations are presented together with a more detailed review of the corresponding evidence. A consensus meeting, involving experts in bipolar disorder and its treatment, reviewed key areas and considered the strength of evidence and clinical implications. The guidelines were drawn up after extensive feedback from these participants. The best evidence from randomized controlled trials and, where available, observational studies employing quasi-experimental designs was used to evaluate treatment options. The strength of recommendations has been described using the GRADE approach. The guidelines cover the diagnosis of bipolar disorder, clinical management, and strategies for the use of medicines in short-term treatment of episodes, relapse prevention and stopping treatment. The use of medication is integrated with a coherent approach to psychoeducation and behaviour change.
Topics: Antidepressive Agents; Bipolar Disorder; Combined Modality Therapy; Consensus; Diagnosis, Differential; Evidence-Based Medicine; Humans; Medication Adherence; Patient Education as Topic; Practice Guidelines as Topic; Psychopharmacology; Secondary Prevention
PubMed: 26979387
DOI: 10.1177/0269881116636545 -
Frontiers in Neuroscience 2021Visual attention is the cognitive process that mediates the selection of important information from the environment. This selection is usually controlled by bottom-up... (Review)
Review
Visual attention is the cognitive process that mediates the selection of important information from the environment. This selection is usually controlled by bottom-up and top-down attentional biasing. Since for most humans vision is the dominant sense, visual attention is critically important for higher-order cognitive functions and related deficits are a core symptom of many neuropsychiatric and neurological disorders. Here, we summarize the importance and relative contributions of different neuromodulators and neurotransmitters to the neural mechanisms of top-down and bottom-up attentional control. We will not only review the roles of widely accepted neuromodulators, such as acetylcholine, dopamine and noradrenaline, but also the contributions of other modulatory substances. In doing so, we hope to shed some light on the current understanding of the role of neurochemistry in shaping neuron properties contributing to the allocation of attention in the visual field.
PubMed: 34025339
DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2021.643597 -
Journal of Psychopharmacology (Oxford,... May 2017Decisions about the use of psychotropic medication in pregnancy are an ongoing challenge for clinicians and women with mental health problems, owing to the uncertainties...
Decisions about the use of psychotropic medication in pregnancy are an ongoing challenge for clinicians and women with mental health problems, owing to the uncertainties around risks of the illness itself to mother and fetus/infant, effectiveness of medications in pregnancy and risks to the fetus/infant from in utero exposure or via breast milk. These consensus guidelines aim to provide pragmatic advice regarding these issues. They are divided into sections on risks of untreated illness in pregnancy; general principles of using drugs in the perinatal period; benefits and harms associated with individual drugs; and recommendations for the management of specific disorders.
Topics: Female; Humans; Mental Disorders; Postpartum Period; Pregnancy; Psychopharmacology; Psychotropic Drugs
PubMed: 28440103
DOI: 10.1177/0269881117699361 -
Acta Medica (Hradec Kralove) 2019The aim of this article is to review the interface between psychiatry and ophthalmology at several levels, such as the influence of psychopharmacology on eye disorders,... (Review)
Review
OBJECTIVE
The aim of this article is to review the interface between psychiatry and ophthalmology at several levels, such as the influence of psychopharmacology on eye disorders, the occurrence of psychiatric symptoms in eye diseases, and the neuroophthalmological examination methods supporting the validity of psychiatric diagnoses.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
We searched the PubMed computer database for the key words "Psychiatry" and "Ophthalmology" on the 28th of August, 2018 to obtain relevant articles which were consequently summarized.
RESULTS
The results showed that most patients with ocular disease simultaneously have one or more psychiatric symptoms. We also found a prevalence of eye-related side effects in patients who use psychiatric drugs. At the same time, we observed that some ophthalmology methods of diagnostics can be used as diagnostic tools in psychiatry.
CONCLUSIONS
Most studies showed a significant relation between psychiatry and ophthalmology, such as eye symptoms and diseases following long-term use of psychotropics as well as psychiatric symptoms and syndromes in patients with eye disorders. Our review may be beneficial to psychiatrists, ophthalmologists, and, last but not least, the patients themselves.
Topics: Eye Diseases; Humans; Neurologic Examination; Neuropsychological Tests; Ophthalmology; Psychiatry; Psychopharmacology; Psychotic Disorders
PubMed: 31362812
DOI: 10.14712/18059694.2019.104 -
JAMA Psychiatry Aug 2019
Topics: Consciousness; Humans; Ketamine; Mental Disorders; N-Methyl-3,4-methylenedioxyamphetamine; Psilocybin; Psychopharmacology; Psychotropic Drugs
PubMed: 31241740
DOI: 10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2019.1145 -
Zeitschrift Fur Kinder- Und... Nov 2019
Topics: Adolescent; Adolescent Psychiatry; Child; Child Psychiatry; Humans; Psychopharmacology
PubMed: 31702457
DOI: 10.1024/1422-4917/a000690 -
Psychopharmacology Jul 2021Ayahuasca is a plant concoction containing N,N-dimethyltryptamine (DMT) and certain β-carboline alkaloids from South America. Previous research in naturalistic settings... (Observational Study)
Observational Study
Ayahuasca is a plant concoction containing N,N-dimethyltryptamine (DMT) and certain β-carboline alkaloids from South America. Previous research in naturalistic settings has suggested that ingestion of ayahuasca can improve mental health and well-being; however, these studies were not placebo controlled and did not control for the possibility of expectation bias. This naturalistic observational study was designed to assess whether mental health changes were produced by ayahuasca or by set and setting. Assessments were made pre- and post-ayahuasca sessions in 30 experienced participants of ayahuasca retreats hosted in the Netherlands, Spain, and Germany. Participants consumed ayahuasca (N = 14) or placebo (N = 16). Analysis revealed a main effect of time on symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress. Compared to baseline, symptoms reduced in both groups after the ceremony, independent of treatment. There was a main treatment × time interaction on implicit emotional empathy, indicating that ayahuasca increased emotional empathy to negative stimuli. The current findings suggest that improvements in mental health of participants of ayahuasca ceremonies can be driven by non-pharmacological factors that constitute a placebo response but also by pharmacological factors that are related to the use of ayahuasca. These findings stress the importance of placebo-controlled designs in psychedelic research and the need to further explore the contribution of non-pharmacological factors to the psychedelic experience.
Topics: Adult; Alkaloids; Banisteriopsis; Ceremonial Behavior; Double-Blind Method; Female; Germany; Hallucinogens; Humans; Male; Mental Disorders; Mental Health; Middle Aged; Netherlands; Plant Extracts; Spain
PubMed: 33694031
DOI: 10.1007/s00213-021-05817-8 -
The Mental Health Clinician Nov 2019Multiple sclerosis is a chronic, unpredictable, and disabling disease. Significant advances have been made in recent years supporting an earlier, more accurate,...
Multiple sclerosis is a chronic, unpredictable, and disabling disease. Significant advances have been made in recent years supporting an earlier, more accurate, diagnosis and have led to more than 15 disease-modifying therapies approved by the Food and Drug Administration for relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis. Disease-modifying therapies are now being classified into categories based on level of efficacy. Strategies to use disease-modifying therapies earlier and in a more customizable manner are also emerging. A clinical case study will be used throughout this pearl to review the disease-modifying therapies and use patient-specific factors to develop and provide recommendations on therapeutic strategies for individuals with relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis.
PubMed: 31857931
DOI: 10.9740/mhc.2019.11.349