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Focus (American Psychiatric Publishing) Apr 2022Anxiety and depressive disorders are the most common psychiatric illnesses among children and adolescents. These disorders are associated with impairments in social,... (Review)
Review
Anxiety and depressive disorders are the most common psychiatric illnesses among children and adolescents. These disorders are associated with impairments in social, family, and educational functioning. This article summarizes the evidence base for psychopharmacologic interventions; the developmental pharmacology of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and serotonin norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs); and pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic differences between youths and adults that call for differences in dosage and affect response and tolerability. The authors also review the efficacy and tolerability of SSRIs and SNRIs in children and adolescents with depressive and anxiety disorder diagnoses, as well as data related to duration of therapy and SSRI/SNRI discontinuation in this population. Taken together, the current evidence suggests that SSRIs are the first-line psychopharmacologic intervention for youths with depressive and anxiety disorders, with SNRIs having a more limited role. These medications are safe and well tolerated, although emerging data and developmental pharmacologic concepts may help clinicians to choose from available SSRIs and to improve the efficacy and tolerability of these medications in children and adolescents.
PubMed: 37153132
DOI: 10.1176/appi.focus.20210036 -
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 -
Journal of Xenobiotics Jul 2023The psychedelic renaissance has reignited interest in the therapeutic potential of psychedelics for mental health and well-being. An emerging area of interest is the... (Review)
Review
The psychedelic renaissance has reignited interest in the therapeutic potential of psychedelics for mental health and well-being. An emerging area of interest is the potential modulation of psychedelic effects by the gut microbiome-the ecosystem of microorganisms in our digestive tract. This review explores the intersection of the gut microbiome and psychedelic therapy, underlining potential implications for personalized medicine and mental health. We delve into the current understanding of the gut-brain axis, its influence on mood, cognition, and behavior, and how the microbiome may affect the metabolism and bioavailability of psychedelic substances. We also discuss the role of microbiome variations in shaping individual responses to psychedelics, along with potential risks and benefits. Moreover, we consider the prospect of microbiome-targeted interventions as a fresh approach to boost or modulate psychedelic therapy's effectiveness. By integrating insights from the fields of psychopharmacology, microbiology, and neuroscience, our objective is to advance knowledge about the intricate relationship between the microbiome and psychedelic substances, thereby paving the way for novel strategies to optimize mental health outcomes amid the ongoing psychedelic renaissance.
PubMed: 37606422
DOI: 10.3390/jox13030025 -
Focus (American Psychiatric Publishing) Jan 2021
PubMed: 34483760
DOI: 10.1176/appi.focus.20200044 -
Indian Journal of Psychiatry Mar 2022
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Frontiers in Psychiatry 2022
PubMed: 35599779
DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2022.905084 -
Progress in Neuro-psychopharmacology &... Jan 2024The application of MDMA in conjunction with psychotherapy has in recent years seen a resurgence of clinical, scientific, and public interest in the treatment of... (Review)
Review
The application of MDMA in conjunction with psychotherapy has in recent years seen a resurgence of clinical, scientific, and public interest in the treatment of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Clinical trials have shown promising safety and efficacy, but the mechanisms underlying this treatment form remain largely unestablished. This article explores recent preclinical and clinical evidence suggesting that the treatment's efficacy may be influenced by the mnemonic effects of MDMA. We review data on the effects of MDMA on fear extinction and fear reconsolidation and the utility of these processes for PTSD treatment. We corroborate our findings by incorporating research from cognitive psychology and psychopharmacology and offer recommendations for future research.
PubMed: 37611653
DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2023.110843 -
Focus (American Psychiatric Publishing) Jul 2019Bipolar disorder is a chronic illness that affects 2%-4% of U.S. adults during their lifetime. The course of bipolar disorder is commonly characterized by prolonged... (Review)
Review
Bipolar disorder is a chronic illness that affects 2%-4% of U.S. adults during their lifetime. The course of bipolar disorder is commonly characterized by prolonged periods of depression interspersed with manic-hypomanic episodes. Management of depression among patients with bipolar disorder is challenging because of the limited number of medications currently approved by the Food and Drug Administration, the high proportion of patients who do not respond to these medications, and the metabolic and other side effects associated with long-term use of these medications. In addition to reviewing the clinical options available to patients with bipolar depression and their treatment providers, this article presents an evidence-based management approach and discusses the off-label uses of currently available treatments and experimental therapeutics under development.
PubMed: 32047368
DOI: 10.1176/appi.focus.20190009 -
Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews Jun 2023We aimed to identify promising novel medications for child and adolescent mental health problems. We systematically searched https://clinicaltrials.gov/ and... (Review)
Review
The future of child and adolescent clinical psychopharmacology: A systematic review of phase 2, 3, or 4 randomized controlled trials of pharmacologic agents without regulatory approval or for unapproved indications.
We aimed to identify promising novel medications for child and adolescent mental health problems. We systematically searched https://clinicaltrials.gov/ and https://www.clinicaltrialsregister.eu/ (from 01/01/2010-08/23/2022) for phase 2 or 3 randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of medications without regulatory approval in the US, Europe or Asia, including also RCTs of dietary interventions/probiotics. Additionally, we searched phase 4 RCTs of agents targeting unlicensed indications for children/adolescents with mental health disorders. We retrieved 234 ongoing or completed RCTs, including 26 (11%) with positive findings on ≥ 1 primary outcome, 43 (18%) with negative/unavailable results on every primary outcome, and 165 (70%) without publicly available statistical results. The only two compounds with evidence of significant effects that were replicated in ≥ 1 additional RCT without any negative RCTs were dasotraline for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, and carbetocin for hyperphagia in Prader-Willi syndrome. Among other strategies, targeting specific symptom dimensions in samples stratified based on clinical characteristics or established biomarkers may increase chances of success in future development programmes.
Topics: Humans; Child; Adolescent; Psychopharmacology; Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity; Prader-Willi Syndrome; Clinical Trials, Phase II as Topic
PubMed: 37001575
DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2023.105149