Current Psychiatry Reviews - Volume 8, Issue 2, 2012

Bipolar disorder (BD) with co-occurring substance or alcohol use disorders (SUD/AUD) is associated with a more severe course of illness, lower psychosocial functioning and unfavorable response to treatment. BD patients with a dual-diagnosis were largely excluded from previous clinical outcome studies due to methodological considerations; however, in recent years, a growing interest in dually-diagnosed BD patients has Read More

Event-related potentials (ERPs) provide an objective index of neurocognitive abnormality or dysfunction in neuropsychiatric disorders. Auditory mismatch negativity (aMMN), which was discovered in the 1980s, is one unique type of ERP. Several lines of evidence suggest that it reflects auditory preattentive (automatic) information processing and the function of glutamatergic N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors. Many studi Read More

Introduction: Only a minority of schizophrenia patients shows criminal behavior, but in comparison with the general population, they are at increased risk of incurring in criminal acts. The objectives of this study are, by reviewing the literature, to conclude about the relationship between crime and schizophrenia and explain the mediators of this association. A second aim is to discuss the prevention of criminality in schizop Read More

Scientific models of schizophrenia (SZ) lack specificity with regard to progression and etiology of the disease. The aim of this review is to demonstrate that cognitive aberrations associated with impairments of the visual system are disease progression markers from the early SZ prodrome to the chronic, stabilized syndrome. We argue that disrupted oculomotor and visuo-spatial capacities influence higher order c Read More

Cognitive impairment in patients with schizophrenia occurs in the prodromal phase and usually persists, even when psychotic symptoms have been successfully treated. There is a direct relationship between the level of cognitive impairment and functional outcome in schizophrenia, making these symptoms a new, potential therapeutic target. Although atypical antipsychotic drugs improve several domains of cognitive functio Read More

Neuroactive steroids (NASs) are rapid acting steroids that produce nongenomic effects through interactions with neurotransmitter receptors, Although research on NASs has focused on their actions as negative or positive allosteric modulators at GABAA receptors, there can also be interactions with other receptors, including glutamate receptors, 5-HT3 receptors, nicotinic receptors, σ1 receptors and voltage- or non- Read More

The septal region, including the cavum septi pellucidi (CSP), and the fornix are part of the limbic system. The majority of MRI- and postmortem studies indicate that enlarged CSP are implicated in the pathology of schizophrenia, but the majority of MRI-studies show that enlarged CSP are not involved in the pathology of bipolar and major depressive disorders. The MRI and post-mortem studies on the role of the fornix in schizo Read More

Background: Delirium is a complex multifactorial neuropsychiatric disease, associated with negative outcomes: increased length of hospital stay, functional and cognitive decline, institutionalization and mortality. It is often poorly recognized due to its fluctuating nature, its overlap with dementia and the lack of valid and specific rating scales in clinical routine. Aim: This study review describes the characteristics and psyc Read More