Current Issue : April-June Volume : 2024 Issue Number : 2 Articles : 5 Articles
Background The purpose of the present review was to summarize the main literature contribution on the relationship between borderline personality disorder (BPD) and early psychosis. While retracing the historical path of the term “borderline”, specific attention was paid to psychotic and psychotic-like symptoms in BPD. Its relationship with At Risk Mental State was evaluated, as well. Methods This search was conducted on PUBMED/MEDLINE and PsycInfo, looking for “Borderline personality disorder, First Episode Psychosis, Early Psychosis, Ultra-High Risk AND/OR Clinical High Risk” for psychosis. Results Eight pertinent papers were identified on this topic. Their main findings were then discussed. The term “borderline” has undergone different changes in meaning and use, despite always referring to states considered on the fence between neurosis and psychosis. However, considering the history of psychopathology and its relationship with diagnostic manuals, little attention has been given to its psychotic features. Being those symptoms highly burdensome, this neglect has often led to misdiagnosis and under-treatment. Conclusions Psychotic symptoms in BPD can be severe and distressing. Nonetheless they can be easily neglected, and when found they challenge clinicians in defining a differential diagnosis to distinguish between BPD and Psychosis Spectrum Disorders. Given specific needs and interventions for these different conditions, a dimensional, rather than categorical, approach should be considered, as well as specific care pathways and monitoring should be advised....
Objective. Eating disorders (EDs) are often associated with prior histories of trauma, subsequent PTSD and related psychiatric comorbidities. There is a paucity of information about their relationship to somatic symptom disorders, specifically psychogenic nonepileptic seizures (PNES), a type of functional neurological symptom disorder or conversion disorder. Methods. We report a case of a 39-year-old bisexual female with bulimia nervosa (BN), PTSD, recurrent major depressive disorder (MDD), cannabis use disorder, and PNES who responded to integrated trauma-focused treatment during residential ED treatment using cognitive processing therapy (CPT). Symptoms of ED, PTSD, major depression, and state-trait anxiety were measured using validated assessment instruments. Results. During the course of CPT treatment, the patient’s total scores on the PTSD Symptom Checklist for DSM-5 (PCL-5) went from 59 to 26, which is below the diagnostic threshold for PTSD. In addition, she demonstrated improvements in the Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire (EDE-Q) Global Severity score, the Eating Disorder Inventory (EDI-2) total score, the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) total score, the Spielberger State and Trait Anxiety Inventory scores, and the Eating Disorder Quality of Life (EDQOL) total score. Furthermore, her PNES also abated, and she remained seizure free for ∼1 year following discharge with the exception of one short seizure, per report of the patient. Conclusion. The use of CPT as part of an integrated trauma-informed treatment approach during residential ED treatment was successful in a woman with PNES, BN, PTSD, MDD, and cannabis use disorder....
Background There is a critical need for effective treatment of the core symptoms of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The purinergic antagonist suramin may improve core symptoms through restoration of normal mitochondrial function and reduction of neuro-inflammation via its known antagonism of P2X and P2Y receptors. Nonclinical studies in fragile X knockout mice and the maternal immune activation model support these hypotheses. Methods We conducted a 14 week, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled proof -of-concept study (N = 52) to test the efficacy and safety of suramin intravenous infusions in boys aged 4–15 years with moderate to severe ASD. The study had 3 treatment arms: 10 mg/kg suramin, 20 mg/kg suramin, and placebo given at baseline, week 4, and week 8. The Aberrant Behavior Checklist of Core Symptoms (ABC-Core) (subscales 2, 3, and 5) was the primary endpoint and the Clinical Global Impressions—Improvement (CGI-I) was a secondary endpoint. Results Forty-four subjects completed the study. The 10 mg/kg suramin group showed a greater, but statistically non-significant, numeric improvement (− 12.5 ± 3.18 [mean ± SE]) vs. placebo (− 8.9 ± 2.86) in ABC-Core at Week 14. The 20 mg/kg suramin group did not show improvement over placebo. In exploratory analyses, the 10 mg/kg arm showed greater ABC Core differences from placebo in younger subjects and among those with less severe symptoms. In CGI-I, the 10 mg/kg arm showed a statistically significant improvement from baseline (2.8 ± 0.30 [mean ± SE]) compared to placebo (1.7 ± 0.27) (p = 0.016). The 20 mg/kg arm had a 2.0 ± 0.28 improvement in CGI-I, which was not statistically significant compared to placebo (p = 0.65). Conclusion Suramin was generally safe and well tolerated over 14 weeks; most adverse events were mild to moderate in severity....
To investigate whether glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), neurofilament light chain (NFL), and 12 cytokines can serve as serum biomarkers of olfactory identification dysfunction in patients with Parkinson’s disease (PD). GFAP and NFL levels were measured in 75 patients with PD and 36 healthy controls (HCs). The levels of 12 cytokines were assayed in 41 patients with PD. The 16-item Sniffin’ Sticks test and the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) were used to assess olfactory identification ability and cognitive function, respectively. Linear regression models were applied to control for confounding effects. Receiver operating characteristic curves were used to examine the diagnostic accuracy of serum NFL, GFAP, and interleukin-6 (IL-6) levels. The cut-off value for the SS-16 test in diagnosing dysosmia was equal to 9.5 points. Serum GFAP levels were higher in patients with PD with olfactory identification dysfunction than in those without. GFAP, NFL, and IL-6 levels were correlated with SS-16 scores. Moreover, combining these three biomarkers yielded the best-fitting model for distinguishing patients with PD with or without dysosmia. We found a prominent indirect effect of GFAP on MMSE scores through its contribution to SS-16 scores. GFAP, NFL, and IL-6 can serve as serum biomarkers for olfactory identification dysfunctions in PD. We inferred that astrogliosis might promote the occurrence of dysosmia by releasing proinflammatory factors and causing neuronal damage and may indirectly impair cognition through its effect on olfactory function....
Vascular dementia (VaD), characterized by cognitive decline attributable to cerebrovascular disease, is the second most common type of dementia after Alzheimer’s disease. This review aims to explore the prevalent risk factors, pharmacological interventions, and non-pharmacotherapeutic strategies associated with the condition. Recognized risk factors include advanced age, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, obesity, and hyperlipidemia with emerging evidence implicating additional lifestyle and genetic factors. Pharmacotherapy for VaD mainly focuses on managing these underlying risk factors, coupled with symptomatic treatments. Therapeutic agents commonly used include antihypertensives, statins, antiplatelet drugs, antidiabetic agents, and specific cognitive enhancers like cholinesterase inhibitors. However, the effectiveness of these treatments remains under continuous study, underscoring the need for comprehensive, individualized treatment plans. Non-pharmacotherapeutic strategies, encompassing lifestyle modifications such as diet and exercise have gained considerable attention. They have shown promise in improving cognitive function and enhancing the quality of life in patients with VaD. The application of a multi-domain intervention approach may provide a more holistic management strategy for VaD. Further research is needed to define the best practices in both pharmacotherapy and non-pharmacotherapy treatments, considering the multifactorial and heterogeneous nature of this condition....
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