A paper that is published in the current issue of Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics analyzes the role of exercise treatment in mood swings.
Outcomes are frequently suboptimal for patients with bipolar disorder who are treated with pharmacotherapy alone. Adjunct exercise has the potential to substantially improve acute and long-term outcomes, although how exercise would improve the course of bipolar disorder needs to be elucidated. The Authors of this study propose that exercise may improve mood and functioning by increasing neurogenesis and reducing allostatic load. In this paper, they review data suggesting that exercise increases levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor, which in turn increases neurogenesis and decreases allostatic load. Exercise as a psychosocial adjunct for bipolar disorder should be assessed with rigorous randomized clinical trials.
Source: Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics
пятница, 20 мая 2011 г.
четверг, 19 мая 2011 г.
New Seroquel data support benefits in bipolar disorder
New data presented today at the American Psychiatry Association (APA) meeting in Atlanta, USA, demonstrate that the
atypical antipsychotic SEROQUEL (Quetiapine) is effective in reducing suicidal thinking in patients suffering from bipolar
depression, and also improves quality of life and adherence to treatment in patients with bipolar disorder.
"Unfortunately bipolar depression is associated with high suicide rates, with 25% to 50% of people with the illness
attempting suicide " commented Professor Joseph Calabrese, Co-Director of the Bipolar Research Center at University Hospitals
of Cleveland and Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine. "These data suggest a brighter future for patients with
bipolar disorder as they illustrate that those treated with SEROQUEL benefit from a strong efficacy profile, combined with
improved compliance and quality of life - three factors in antipsychotic treatment that are intrinsically linked. The fact
that this strong efficacy profile includes an ability to reduce suicidal thinking is a significant benefit and is encouraging
news for clinicians who are striving to deliver meaningful results for their patients."
Reducing suicidal thinking key to reducing high suicide rates: These data, from the BOLDER (BipOLar DEpRession) trial1, an
eight week, multi-centre, randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled study involving 542 patients with a diagnosis of
bipolar I or II disorder, showed that SEROQUEL (600 and 300 mg/day) is approximately twice as effective in reducing suicidal
ideation by week eight as placebo. The results were analysed using standard clinical scales to assess improvements in
depressive and anxiety symptoms. Additional results from the BOLDER study showed:
-- SEROQUEL (600 and 300 mg/day) significantly improved the core symptoms of depression as early as week one onwards
(symptoms include apparent sadness, reported sadness, inability to feel, suicidal thoughts, and pessimistic thoughts)
-- A significant improvement in anxiety symptoms occurred as early as week one and was maintained to study end (P
Improving quality of life and treatment adherence:
Bipolar depression is also associated with a significant impairment on patients' quality of life. Further new data from the
BOLDER trial2 presented at the APA meeting demonstrate a significant improvement in quality of life for patients with bipolar
depression who are treated with SEROQUEL (600 and 300 mg/day). Results were analysed using a 16-item questionnaire that
measures differences in the degree of enjoyment and satisfaction among groups of patients, as well as changes over time in a
single patient. Results showed:
-- SEROQUEL is effective in improving quality of life as demonstrated by the improvement in Q-LES-Q SF score which was
significantly greater in both SEROQUEL treatment groups (11.7 in the 600 mg/day group and 10.8 in the 300 mg/day group at
final assessment) than in the placebo group (6.4, p
atypical antipsychotic SEROQUEL (Quetiapine) is effective in reducing suicidal thinking in patients suffering from bipolar
depression, and also improves quality of life and adherence to treatment in patients with bipolar disorder.
"Unfortunately bipolar depression is associated with high suicide rates, with 25% to 50% of people with the illness
attempting suicide " commented Professor Joseph Calabrese, Co-Director of the Bipolar Research Center at University Hospitals
of Cleveland and Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine. "These data suggest a brighter future for patients with
bipolar disorder as they illustrate that those treated with SEROQUEL benefit from a strong efficacy profile, combined with
improved compliance and quality of life - three factors in antipsychotic treatment that are intrinsically linked. The fact
that this strong efficacy profile includes an ability to reduce suicidal thinking is a significant benefit and is encouraging
news for clinicians who are striving to deliver meaningful results for their patients."
Reducing suicidal thinking key to reducing high suicide rates: These data, from the BOLDER (BipOLar DEpRession) trial1, an
eight week, multi-centre, randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled study involving 542 patients with a diagnosis of
bipolar I or II disorder, showed that SEROQUEL (600 and 300 mg/day) is approximately twice as effective in reducing suicidal
ideation by week eight as placebo. The results were analysed using standard clinical scales to assess improvements in
depressive and anxiety symptoms. Additional results from the BOLDER study showed:
-- SEROQUEL (600 and 300 mg/day) significantly improved the core symptoms of depression as early as week one onwards
(symptoms include apparent sadness, reported sadness, inability to feel, suicidal thoughts, and pessimistic thoughts)
-- A significant improvement in anxiety symptoms occurred as early as week one and was maintained to study end (P
Improving quality of life and treatment adherence:
Bipolar depression is also associated with a significant impairment on patients' quality of life. Further new data from the
BOLDER trial2 presented at the APA meeting demonstrate a significant improvement in quality of life for patients with bipolar
depression who are treated with SEROQUEL (600 and 300 mg/day). Results were analysed using a 16-item questionnaire that
measures differences in the degree of enjoyment and satisfaction among groups of patients, as well as changes over time in a
single patient. Results showed:
-- SEROQUEL is effective in improving quality of life as demonstrated by the improvement in Q-LES-Q SF score which was
significantly greater in both SEROQUEL treatment groups (11.7 in the 600 mg/day group and 10.8 in the 300 mg/day group at
final assessment) than in the placebo group (6.4, p
среда, 18 мая 2011 г.
Mental Health Foundation Welcomes New Health Guidance But Calls For A Holistic Approach For All, UK
In response to the 'Choosing Health: Supporting the physical health needs of people with severe mental illness' guidance published by the Department of Health, Andrew McCulloch, Chief Executive of the Mental Health Foundation, said;
"This is a welcome step in the right direction. We know that exercise and a balanced diet can maintain mental well-being. Good physical health is also important for people with severe mental health problems as they are more likely to develop serious physical ailments such as diabetes or heart disease.
"However, with mental ill-health costing the UK almost Ј100 billion a year*, it is imperative that the Government view this as a step on the way to improvement. They must continue to develop this holistic approach and include those with more moderate mental health problems. We know that, not only can these conditions present themselves as physical symptoms, but exercise is an effective treatment for mild to moderate depression."
* In the UK, the economic and social cost of mental health problems in 2003/2004 was Ј98 billion (Ј17billion on health and social care, Ј28.3 billion in costs to the economy and Ј53.1 billion in human costs). Fundamental Facts (unpublished). London: Mental Health Foundation 2006.
The Mental Health Foundation uses research and practical projects to help people survive, recover from and prevent mental health problems. We work to influence policy, including government at the highest levels. And we use our knowledge to raise awareness and to help tackle the stigma attached to mental illness. We reach millions of people every year through our media work, information booklets and online services.
mhf.uk
"This is a welcome step in the right direction. We know that exercise and a balanced diet can maintain mental well-being. Good physical health is also important for people with severe mental health problems as they are more likely to develop serious physical ailments such as diabetes or heart disease.
"However, with mental ill-health costing the UK almost Ј100 billion a year*, it is imperative that the Government view this as a step on the way to improvement. They must continue to develop this holistic approach and include those with more moderate mental health problems. We know that, not only can these conditions present themselves as physical symptoms, but exercise is an effective treatment for mild to moderate depression."
* In the UK, the economic and social cost of mental health problems in 2003/2004 was Ј98 billion (Ј17billion on health and social care, Ј28.3 billion in costs to the economy and Ј53.1 billion in human costs). Fundamental Facts (unpublished). London: Mental Health Foundation 2006.
The Mental Health Foundation uses research and practical projects to help people survive, recover from and prevent mental health problems. We work to influence policy, including government at the highest levels. And we use our knowledge to raise awareness and to help tackle the stigma attached to mental illness. We reach millions of people every year through our media work, information booklets and online services.
mhf.uk
вторник, 17 мая 2011 г.
For Bipolar Depression, Surveyed Experts Indicate That Current And Emerging Therapies Have No Advantage Over Seroquel In Decreasing The Syptoms
Decision Resources, one of the world's leading research and advisory firms for pharmaceutical and healthcare issues, finds that surveyed psychiatrists identify a therapy's effect on decrease in severity of depressive symptoms as the attribute that most influences their prescribing decisions in bipolar depression. Clinical data and the opinions of interviewed thought leaders indicate that current and emerging therapies have no advantage in this attribute over AstraZeneca's Seroquel, the sales-leading agent in the market.
The new report entitled Bipolar Depression: Despite Negative Results, Physicians Still Hopeful About Aripiprazole also finds that an oral therapy that carries a lower risk of weight gain than Seroquel would earn a 21 percent patient share in bipolar depression in the United States and a 30 percent patient share in Europe, according to surveyed U.S. and European psychiatrists. The report also finds that, despite the failure of Bristol-Myers Squibb/Otsuka Pharmaceutical's Abilify (aripiprazole) in bipolar depression clinical trials, most interviewed thought leaders believe that Abilify is still an efficacious therapy for bipolar depression.
In 2008, Decision Resources' proprietary clinical gold standard for bipolar depression was lamotrigine (GlaxoSmithKline's Lamictal, generics). Based on available data and expert opinion, lamotrigine will retain gold standard status through 2017. While some therapies in development for bipolar depression hold promise, most have efficacy, safety and tolerability, and/or delivery features that are inferior when compared with lamotrigine.
"Owing to its efficacy and tolerability advantages, lamotrigine edged out Seroquel, its closest competitor, to become the clinical gold standard," said Decision Resources Analyst Sandra Chow, M.Sc. "Despite its slow onset of action, interviewed thought leaders were particularly impressed with lamotrigine's side-effect profile and better evidence of efficacy as a long term mood stabilizer."
About the Report
Bipolar Depression: Despite Negative Results, Physicians Still Hopeful About Aripiprazole is a DecisionBase 2009 report. DecisionBase 2009 is a decision-support tool that provides in-depth analysis of unmet need, physician expectations of new therapies and commercial dynamics to help pharmaceutical companies optimize their investments in drug development.
The report can be purchased by contacting Decision Resources. Members of the media may request an interview with an analyst.
Source: Decision Resources
View drug information on Abilify; Lamictal; Seroquel.
The new report entitled Bipolar Depression: Despite Negative Results, Physicians Still Hopeful About Aripiprazole also finds that an oral therapy that carries a lower risk of weight gain than Seroquel would earn a 21 percent patient share in bipolar depression in the United States and a 30 percent patient share in Europe, according to surveyed U.S. and European psychiatrists. The report also finds that, despite the failure of Bristol-Myers Squibb/Otsuka Pharmaceutical's Abilify (aripiprazole) in bipolar depression clinical trials, most interviewed thought leaders believe that Abilify is still an efficacious therapy for bipolar depression.
In 2008, Decision Resources' proprietary clinical gold standard for bipolar depression was lamotrigine (GlaxoSmithKline's Lamictal, generics). Based on available data and expert opinion, lamotrigine will retain gold standard status through 2017. While some therapies in development for bipolar depression hold promise, most have efficacy, safety and tolerability, and/or delivery features that are inferior when compared with lamotrigine.
"Owing to its efficacy and tolerability advantages, lamotrigine edged out Seroquel, its closest competitor, to become the clinical gold standard," said Decision Resources Analyst Sandra Chow, M.Sc. "Despite its slow onset of action, interviewed thought leaders were particularly impressed with lamotrigine's side-effect profile and better evidence of efficacy as a long term mood stabilizer."
About the Report
Bipolar Depression: Despite Negative Results, Physicians Still Hopeful About Aripiprazole is a DecisionBase 2009 report. DecisionBase 2009 is a decision-support tool that provides in-depth analysis of unmet need, physician expectations of new therapies and commercial dynamics to help pharmaceutical companies optimize their investments in drug development.
The report can be purchased by contacting Decision Resources. Members of the media may request an interview with an analyst.
Source: Decision Resources
View drug information on Abilify; Lamictal; Seroquel.
понедельник, 16 мая 2011 г.
Tamoxifen Treats Manic Phase Of Bipolar Disorder
The medication tamoxifen, best known as a treatment for breast cancer, dramatically reduces symptoms of the manic phase of bipolar disorder more quickly than many standard medications for the mental illness, a new study shows. Researchers at the National Institutes of Health's National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) who conducted the study also explained how: Tamoxifen blocks an enzyme called protein kinase C (PKC) that regulates activities in brain cells. The enzyme is thought to be over-active during the manic phase of bipolar disorder.
By pointing to PKC as a target for new medications, the study raises the possibility of developing faster-acting treatments for the manic phase of the illness. Current medications for the manic phase generally take more than a week to begin working, and not everyone responds to them. Tamoxifen itself might not become a treatment of choice, though, because it also blocks estrogen -- the property that makes it useful as a treatment for breast cancer -- and because it may cause endometrial cancer if taken over long periods of time. Currently, tamoxifen is approved by the Food and Drug Administration for treatment of some kinds of cancer and infertility, for example. It was used experimentally in this study because it both blocks PKC and is able to enter the brain.
Results of the study were published online in the September issue of Bipolar Disorders by Husseini K. Manji, MD, Carlos A. Zarate Jr., MD, and colleagues.
Almost 6 million American adults have bipolar disorder, whose symptoms can be disabling. They include profound mood swings, from depression to vastly overblown excitement, energy, and elation, often accompanied by severe irritability. Children also can develop the illness.
During the manic phase of bipolar disorder, patients are in "overdrive" and may throw themselves intensely into harmful behaviors they might not otherwise engage in. They might indulge in risky pleasure-seeking behaviors with potentially serious health consequences, for example, or lavish spending sprees they can't afford. The symptoms sometimes are severe enough to require hospitalization.
"People think of the depressive phase of this brain disorder as the time of risk, but the manic phase has its own dangers," said NIMH Director Thomas R. Insel, MD. "Being able to treat the manic phase more quickly would be a great asset to patients, not just for restoring balance in mood, but also because it could help stop harmful behaviors before they start or get out of control."
The three-week study included eight patients who were given tamoxifen and eight who were given a placebo (a sugar pill); all were adults and all were having a manic episode at the time of the study. Neither the patients nor the researchers knew which of the substances the patients were getting.
By the end of the study, 63 percent of the patients taking tamoxifen had reduced manic symptoms, compared with only 13 percent of those taking a placebo. Patients taking tamoxifen responded by the fifth day -- which corresponds with the amount of time needed to build up enough tamoxifen in the brain to dampen PKC activity.
The researchers decided to test tamoxifen's effects on the manic phase of bipolar disorder because standard medications used to treat this phase, specifically, are known to lower PKC activity -- but they do it through a roundabout biochemical route that takes time. Tamoxifen is known instead to block PKC directly. As the researchers suspected would happen, tamoxifen's direct actions on PKC resulted in much faster relief of manic symptoms, compared with some of the standard medications available today.
"We now have proof of principle. Our results show that targeting PKC directly, rather than through the trickle-down mechanisms of current medications, is a feasible strategy for developing faster-acting medications for mania," said Manji. "This is a major step toward developing new kinds of medications."
Findings from another recent NIMH study strengthen the results. This previous study showed that the risk of developing bipolar disorder is influenced by a variation in a gene called DGKH. The gene makes a PKC-regulating protein known to be active in the biochemical pathway through which standard medications for bipolar disorder exert their effects -- another sign that PKC is a promising direct target at which to aim new medications for the illness.
"Mania isn't just your average mood swing, where any of us might feel upbeat in response to something that happens. It's part of a brain disorder whose behavioral manifestations can severely undermine people's jobs, relationships, and health," said Zarate. "The sooner we can help patients get back on an even keel, the more we can help them avoid major disruptions to their lives and the lives of people around them."
For more information about bipolar disorder, visit the NIMH website at nimh.nih/healthinformation/bipolarmenu.cfm.
The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) mission is to reduce the burden of mental and behavioral disorders through research on mind, brain, and behavior. More information is available at the NIMH website: nimh.nih/.
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) -- The Nation's Medical Research Agency -- includes 27 Institutes and Centers and is a component of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. It is the primary federal agency for conducting and supporting basic, clinical and translational medical research, and it investigates the causes, treatments, and cures for both common and rare diseases. For more information about NIH and its programs, visit nih/.
Reference: Zarate Jr. CA, Singh JB, Carlson PJ, Quiroz J, Jolkovsky L, Luckenbaugh DA, Manji HK. Efficiency of a Protein Kinase C Inhibitor (Tamoxifen) in the Treatment of Acute Mania: A Pilot Study. Bipolar Disorders, online ahead of print, September 2007.
Source: Susan Cahill
NIH/National Institute of Mental Health
By pointing to PKC as a target for new medications, the study raises the possibility of developing faster-acting treatments for the manic phase of the illness. Current medications for the manic phase generally take more than a week to begin working, and not everyone responds to them. Tamoxifen itself might not become a treatment of choice, though, because it also blocks estrogen -- the property that makes it useful as a treatment for breast cancer -- and because it may cause endometrial cancer if taken over long periods of time. Currently, tamoxifen is approved by the Food and Drug Administration for treatment of some kinds of cancer and infertility, for example. It was used experimentally in this study because it both blocks PKC and is able to enter the brain.
Results of the study were published online in the September issue of Bipolar Disorders by Husseini K. Manji, MD, Carlos A. Zarate Jr., MD, and colleagues.
Almost 6 million American adults have bipolar disorder, whose symptoms can be disabling. They include profound mood swings, from depression to vastly overblown excitement, energy, and elation, often accompanied by severe irritability. Children also can develop the illness.
During the manic phase of bipolar disorder, patients are in "overdrive" and may throw themselves intensely into harmful behaviors they might not otherwise engage in. They might indulge in risky pleasure-seeking behaviors with potentially serious health consequences, for example, or lavish spending sprees they can't afford. The symptoms sometimes are severe enough to require hospitalization.
"People think of the depressive phase of this brain disorder as the time of risk, but the manic phase has its own dangers," said NIMH Director Thomas R. Insel, MD. "Being able to treat the manic phase more quickly would be a great asset to patients, not just for restoring balance in mood, but also because it could help stop harmful behaviors before they start or get out of control."
The three-week study included eight patients who were given tamoxifen and eight who were given a placebo (a sugar pill); all were adults and all were having a manic episode at the time of the study. Neither the patients nor the researchers knew which of the substances the patients were getting.
By the end of the study, 63 percent of the patients taking tamoxifen had reduced manic symptoms, compared with only 13 percent of those taking a placebo. Patients taking tamoxifen responded by the fifth day -- which corresponds with the amount of time needed to build up enough tamoxifen in the brain to dampen PKC activity.
The researchers decided to test tamoxifen's effects on the manic phase of bipolar disorder because standard medications used to treat this phase, specifically, are known to lower PKC activity -- but they do it through a roundabout biochemical route that takes time. Tamoxifen is known instead to block PKC directly. As the researchers suspected would happen, tamoxifen's direct actions on PKC resulted in much faster relief of manic symptoms, compared with some of the standard medications available today.
"We now have proof of principle. Our results show that targeting PKC directly, rather than through the trickle-down mechanisms of current medications, is a feasible strategy for developing faster-acting medications for mania," said Manji. "This is a major step toward developing new kinds of medications."
Findings from another recent NIMH study strengthen the results. This previous study showed that the risk of developing bipolar disorder is influenced by a variation in a gene called DGKH. The gene makes a PKC-regulating protein known to be active in the biochemical pathway through which standard medications for bipolar disorder exert their effects -- another sign that PKC is a promising direct target at which to aim new medications for the illness.
"Mania isn't just your average mood swing, where any of us might feel upbeat in response to something that happens. It's part of a brain disorder whose behavioral manifestations can severely undermine people's jobs, relationships, and health," said Zarate. "The sooner we can help patients get back on an even keel, the more we can help them avoid major disruptions to their lives and the lives of people around them."
For more information about bipolar disorder, visit the NIMH website at nimh.nih/healthinformation/bipolarmenu.cfm.
The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) mission is to reduce the burden of mental and behavioral disorders through research on mind, brain, and behavior. More information is available at the NIMH website: nimh.nih/.
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) -- The Nation's Medical Research Agency -- includes 27 Institutes and Centers and is a component of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. It is the primary federal agency for conducting and supporting basic, clinical and translational medical research, and it investigates the causes, treatments, and cures for both common and rare diseases. For more information about NIH and its programs, visit nih/.
Reference: Zarate Jr. CA, Singh JB, Carlson PJ, Quiroz J, Jolkovsky L, Luckenbaugh DA, Manji HK. Efficiency of a Protein Kinase C Inhibitor (Tamoxifen) in the Treatment of Acute Mania: A Pilot Study. Bipolar Disorders, online ahead of print, September 2007.
Source: Susan Cahill
NIH/National Institute of Mental Health
воскресенье, 15 мая 2011 г.
Common Causes Of Schizophrenia And Bipolar Disorder
Schizophrenia and bipolar disorder have the same genetic causes, according to a study from Karolinska Institutet published today in the highly respected journal The Lancet. The results throw the current separate classification of the diseases into question.
Schizophrenia and bipolar disorder (also known as manic-depressive illness) are the two most common psychotic disorders. For over a century, the two diseases have been treated as distinct by clinical practitioners and researchers as regards definitions and risk factors. However, such strict classification has met increasing scepticism over the years, partly owing to the results of modern genetic science, which has shown that certain genes seem to affect both disorders.
To study whether schizophrenia and bipolar disorder have the same genetic causes, Swedish scientists analysed the records of two million families, including 35,985 patients with schizophrenia, 40,487 patients with bipolar disorder, and the blood relatives of both.
Their results show that members of families in which someone has either schizophrenia or bipolar disorder run an increased risk of developing the same condition. The results also show that this is chiefly the result of genetic factors, and only slightly due to shared environmental factors. The scientists also found that patients with schizophrenia are also more prone to bipolar disorder, and that relatives of patients with one of the diseases are more likely to have relatives with the other.
According to the researchers, the results, taken as a whole, provide convincing proof that schizophrenia and bipolar disorder are very much hereditary diseases, and that they share, in part, a common genetic cause. They also argue that it is important for clinicians and researchers to take this common genetic background into account when studying and treating schizophrenia and bipolar disorder.
The study was funded by the Swedish Council for Working Life and Social Research and the Swedish Research Council.
Publication:
"Common genetic determinants of schizophrenia and bipolar disorder in Swedish families: a population-based study"
Paul Lichtenstein, Benjamin H Yip, Camilla Björk, Yudi Pawitan, Tyrone D Cannon, Patrick F Sullivan, Christina M Hultman
The Lancet, 16 January 2009
Download images: ki.se/pressimages
Karolinska Institutet is one of the leading medical universities in Europe. Through research, education and information, Karolinska Institutet contributes to improving human health. Each year, the Nobel Assembly at Karolinska Institutet awards the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine.
Karolinska Institutet
Schizophrenia and bipolar disorder (also known as manic-depressive illness) are the two most common psychotic disorders. For over a century, the two diseases have been treated as distinct by clinical practitioners and researchers as regards definitions and risk factors. However, such strict classification has met increasing scepticism over the years, partly owing to the results of modern genetic science, which has shown that certain genes seem to affect both disorders.
To study whether schizophrenia and bipolar disorder have the same genetic causes, Swedish scientists analysed the records of two million families, including 35,985 patients with schizophrenia, 40,487 patients with bipolar disorder, and the blood relatives of both.
Their results show that members of families in which someone has either schizophrenia or bipolar disorder run an increased risk of developing the same condition. The results also show that this is chiefly the result of genetic factors, and only slightly due to shared environmental factors. The scientists also found that patients with schizophrenia are also more prone to bipolar disorder, and that relatives of patients with one of the diseases are more likely to have relatives with the other.
According to the researchers, the results, taken as a whole, provide convincing proof that schizophrenia and bipolar disorder are very much hereditary diseases, and that they share, in part, a common genetic cause. They also argue that it is important for clinicians and researchers to take this common genetic background into account when studying and treating schizophrenia and bipolar disorder.
The study was funded by the Swedish Council for Working Life and Social Research and the Swedish Research Council.
Publication:
"Common genetic determinants of schizophrenia and bipolar disorder in Swedish families: a population-based study"
Paul Lichtenstein, Benjamin H Yip, Camilla Björk, Yudi Pawitan, Tyrone D Cannon, Patrick F Sullivan, Christina M Hultman
The Lancet, 16 January 2009
Download images: ki.se/pressimages
Karolinska Institutet is one of the leading medical universities in Europe. Through research, education and information, Karolinska Institutet contributes to improving human health. Each year, the Nobel Assembly at Karolinska Institutet awards the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine.
Karolinska Institutet
суббота, 14 мая 2011 г.
Neurological soft signs found in bipolar I patients
Study findings reveal that patients with bipolar I disorder have neurological soft signs (NSS), which reflect stable neurological abnormalities that are established at, or before, disease onset.
NSS, which refer to impairments in sensory integration, motor co-ordination, and the sequencing of complex motor acts, have already been found to be more prevalent in schizophrenic individuals than in their mentally healthy peers.
However, relatively few studies have looked for NSS in patients with bipolar I disorder, observe A Negash (Addis Ababa University, Ethiopia) and colleagues.
"Studying prevalence and patterns of NSS in bipolar I disorder might increase knowledge of the causal mechanisms, neuroanatomy, and pathogenesis of this specific disorder," they say.
Using the Neurological Evaluation Scale (NES), the researchers looked for NSS in 224, predominantly treatment naпve, bipolar I disorder patients, and in 78 mentally healthy control individuals.
To continue reading this article please go to the following web page of psychiatrysource
NSS, which refer to impairments in sensory integration, motor co-ordination, and the sequencing of complex motor acts, have already been found to be more prevalent in schizophrenic individuals than in their mentally healthy peers.
However, relatively few studies have looked for NSS in patients with bipolar I disorder, observe A Negash (Addis Ababa University, Ethiopia) and colleagues.
"Studying prevalence and patterns of NSS in bipolar I disorder might increase knowledge of the causal mechanisms, neuroanatomy, and pathogenesis of this specific disorder," they say.
Using the Neurological Evaluation Scale (NES), the researchers looked for NSS in 224, predominantly treatment naпve, bipolar I disorder patients, and in 78 mentally healthy control individuals.
To continue reading this article please go to the following web page of psychiatrysource
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