Current Psychiatry Reviews - Volume 4, Issue 3, 2008

Evidence is reviewed here which suggests that antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) may be effective for the treatment of impulsivity across a range of psychiatric disorders and for impulse control and cluster B personality disorders in particular. AEDs may be effective for the treatment of the brain circuitry related to impulsivity, by modulating GABA, glutamate, serotonin, and norepinephrine. It is suggested that interventions should Read More

Psychiatric Advance Directives (PADs) are legal documents designed to allow individuals with serious mental illnesses (SMI) to continue to exercise choice in care during crises. PADs allow individuals with SMI to express their wishes for mental health care and to communicate relevant information regarding their condition at a future time when, because of SMI relapse, they may lack capacity and no longer be able to do Read More

Objectives: Depressive episodes and symptoms are common in bipolar disorder and are often treated with medication. The aim of this literature review is to critically examine the empirical evidence supporting the pharmacological treatment options in bipolar depression. Methods: Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) with parallel-group design of medications for bipolar depression were identified using PubMed. Refer Read More

The autosomal dominant spinocerebellar ataxias (SCA) are a heterogeneous group of disorders associated with progressive degeneration of the cerebellum and other brain regions to varying degrees. Neuropsychiatric and cognitive symptoms are now considered to be well established clinical features of the SCA's, and one central area of research is to examine clinical differences in neuropsychiatric and cognitive symptoms be Read More

Parents who have a child with anorexia nervosa often experience difficulties and distress as a result of their child's illness. Recent work has hypothesized carers' illness models based on qualitative and quantitative analyses of caregiving experiences. One relevant area that has received little attention in this modeling is grief and loss theory. We propose a revised theoretical model that incorporates this theory through a p Read More

Suicide remains a significant public issue. Several concordant information exists suggesting that patients diagnosed with severe and persistent psychiatric disorder (SPPD) show relatively higher rates of deaths by suicide compared with patients suffering from other mental illness. In particular, recent researches have demonstrated that, in pregnant women with history of SPPD, a percentage ranging from 13.1% to 33 Read More