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Current Pharmacological Treatments (current + pharmacological_treatment)
Selected AbstractsSPECT and Alzheimer's DiseasePSYCHOGERIATRICS, Issue 2 2002Siobhan Ni Bhriain Abstract: This article is review of the role of single photon emission tomography (SPECT) in the diagnosis and management of Alzheimer's disease (AD). It begins by describing AD in terms of diagnosis, pathology and current pharmacological treatment. The relevance of the pathological changes in relation to SPECT is outlined. This is discussed in terms of receptor abnormalities and atrophic changes which in turn effect cerebral blood flow. A detailed description of SPECT methodology describes how the quality of the image is effected by SPECT instrumentation, image reconstruction techniques and a number of subject factors. The article goes on to discuss the role SPECT in the diagnosis of AD and its potential for facilitating early diagnosis. The main focus here is on the changes which occur in cerebral blood flow in AD and the sensitivity and specificity of regional changes in cerebral blood flow is described. Image analysis is an area in which there has been many developments in the last number of years and the authors describe the differences between qualitative and quantitative image analysis, with a particular focus on statistical parametric mapping (SPM). There is a brief discussion concerning receptor ligands and their potential use in the diagnosis and management of AD, although this remains an undeveloped area in SPECT imaging as yet. Finally, the authors discuss the future possibilities for SPECT and AD, and conclude that there is considerable potential for SPECT in the diagnosis and management of AD with further refinement of image analysis techniques and the development of cholinergic receptor ligands. [source] Pharmacological treatment of negative symptoms of schizophrenia: therapeutic opportunity or Cul-de-sac?ACTA PSYCHIATRICA SCANDINAVICA, Issue 2 2007P. F. Buckley Objective:, Negative symptoms of schizophrenia are debilitating and they contribute to poor outcome in schizophrenia. Initial enthusiasm that second-generation antipsychotics would prove to be powerful agents to improve negative symptoms has given way to relative pessimism that the effects of current pharmacological treatments are at best modest. Method:, A review of the current ,state-of-play' of pharmacological treatments for negative symptoms in schizophrenia. Results:, Treatment results to date have been largely disappointing. The evidence for efficacy of second-generation antipsychotics is reviewed. Conclusion:, The measurement and treatment trials methodology for the evaluation of negative symptoms need additional refinement before therapeutic optimism that better treatments for negative symptoms can be realized. [source] On the role of cortical glutamate inobsessive-compulsive disorder and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, two phenomenologically antithetical conditionsACTA PSYCHIATRICA SCANDINAVICA, Issue 6 2000Maria L. CarlssonArticle first published online: 24 DEC 200 Objective: The objective of the present study was to compare the phenomenology and pathophysiology of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder/deficits in attention, motor control and perception (ADHD/DAMP). Method: Through detailed studies of the literature on OCD and ADHD/DAMP the phenomenology of these two conditions is compared, and possible underlying pathophysiological mechanisms involving interactions between glutamate, dopamine, serotonin and acetylcholine are discussed, with emphasis on OCD. The present paper also discusses possible mechanisms of action for current pharmacological treatments of OCD and ADHD, as well as possible future treatment strategies for these disorders. Results: OCD and ADHD/DAMP are common neuropsychiatric conditions which in many regards appear to be each other's antipodes with respect to clinical manifestations, associated personality traits and brain biochemistry, notably prefrontal cortical glutamate activity. Future pharmacological treatments of these disorders may involve manipulations with glutamate, dopamine D1, serotonin 2A and nicotine receptors. Conclusion: It appears that OCD is a hyperglutamatergic and ADHD a hypoglutamatergic condition, with prefrontal brain regions being especially affected. [source] Anticipatory Pleasure Skills Training: A New Intervention to Reduce Anhedonia in SchizophreniaPERSPECTIVES IN PSYCHIATRIC CARE, Issue 3 2010Jérôme Favrod RN PURPOSE., Anhedonia is a challenging symptom of schizophrenia and remains largely recalcitrant to current pharmacological treatments. The goal of this exploratory pilot study was to assess if a cognitive,sensory intervention could improve anticipatory pleasure. DESIGN AND METHODS., Five participants meeting the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (4th edition, Text Revision) criteria for schizophrenia, presenting severe anhedonia and stabilized on atypical antipsychotic medication, received between 10 hours and 25 hours of training. FINDINGS., Results show that the patients improved on the anticipatory scale of the Temporal Experience of Pleasure Scale. Daily activities of the patients were also increased. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS., These preliminary data need to be interpreted with caution given the small sample of the study, but they offer promising paths to develop new interventions to alleviate anhedonia in schizophrenia. [source] | ||||||||||