scholarly journals Delusional Infestation

2009 ◽  
Vol 22 (4) ◽  
pp. 690-732 ◽  
Author(s):  
Roland W. Freudenmann ◽  
Peter Lepping

SUMMARY This papers aims at familiarizing psychiatric and nonpsychiatric readers with delusional infestation (DI), also known as delusional parasitosis. It is characterized by the fixed belief of being infested with pathogens against all medical evidence. DI is no single disorder but can occur as a delusional disorder of the somatic type (primary DI) or secondary to numerous other conditions. A set of minimal diagnostic criteria and a classification are provided. Patients with DI pose a truly interdisciplinary problem to the medical system. They avoid psychiatrists and consult dermatologists, microbiologists, or general practitioners but often lose faith in professional medicine. Epidemiology and history suggest that the imaginary pathogens change constantly, while the delusional theme “infestation” is stable and ubiquitous. Patients with self-diagnosed “Morgellons disease” can be seen as a variation of this delusional theme. For clinicians, clinical pathways for efficient diagnostics and etiology-specific treatment are provided. Specialized outpatient clinics in dermatology with a liaison psychiatrist are theoretically best placed to provide care. The most intricate problem is to engage patients in psychiatric therapy. In primary DI, antipsychotics are the treatment of choice, according to limited but sufficient evidence. Pimozide is no longer the treatment of choice for reasons of drug safety. Future research should focus on pathophysiology and the neural basis of DI, as well as on conclusive clinical trials, which are widely lacking. Innovative approaches will be needed, since otherwise patients are unlikely to adhere to any study protocol.

Trials ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Larissa Niemeyer ◽  
Konstantin Mechler ◽  
Jan Buitelaar ◽  
Sarah Durston ◽  
Bram Gooskens ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Low recruitment in clinical trials is a common and costly problem which undermines medical research. This study aimed to investigate the challenges faced in recruiting children and adolescents with obsessive-compulsive disorder and autism spectrum disorder for a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial and to analyze reasons for non-participation. The trial was part of the EU FP7 project TACTICS (Translational Adolescent and Childhood Therapeutic Interventions in Compulsive Syndromes). Methods Demographic data on pre-screening patients were collected systematically, including documented reasons for non-participation. Findings were grouped according to content, and descriptive statistical analyses of the data were performed. Results In total, n = 173 patients were pre-screened for potential participation in the clinical trial. Of these, only five (2.9%) were eventually enrolled. The main reasons for non-inclusion were as follows: failure to meet all inclusion criteria/meeting one or more of the exclusion criteria (n = 73; 42.2%), no interest in the trial or trials in general (n = 40; 23.1%), and not wanting changes to current therapy/medication (n = 14; 8.1%). Conclusions The findings from this study add valuable information to the existing knowledge on reasons for low clinical trial recruitment rates in pediatric psychiatric populations. Low enrollment and high exclusion rates raise the question of whether such selective study populations are representative of clinical patient cohorts. Consequently, the generalizability of the results of such trials may be limited. The present findings will be useful in the development of improved recruitment strategies and may guide future research in establishing the measurement of representativeness to ensure enhanced external validity in psychopharmacological clinical trials in pediatric populations. Trial registration EudraCT 2014-003080-38. Registered on 14 July 2014.


2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Tanzeel Rehman Charan ◽  
Muhammad Aqeel Bhutto ◽  
Mihr Ali Bhutto ◽  
Azhar Ali Tunio ◽  
Ghulam Murtaza Khuhro ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Nanomaterials of curcumin with hyaluronic acid have gained a lot of attention for potential therapeutic applications of curcumin and hyaluronic acid with or without other additional drugs. Overall studies of curcumin and hyaluronic acid show that nanomaterials of curcumin with hyaluronic acid accelerate the efficacy of curcumin in the treatment of various disorders like arthritis, cancer, hepatic fibrosis, neural disorders, wound healing, and skin regeneration, it is largely due to the combined effect of hyaluronic acid and curcumin. However, due to limited clinical trials and experiments on humans and animals, there is a substantial gap in research for the safety and efficacy of nanomaterials of curcumin-hyaluronic acid in the treatment of curcumin and hyaluronic acid targeted diseases and disorders. Main body of the abstract In this current review, we have first described various reported synthetic nanomaterials of curcumin-hyaluronic acid, then in the next section, we have described various fields, disorders, and diseases where these are being applied and in the final section of this review, we discussed the research gap, and future research directions needed to propose the fabricated nanocurcumin-hyaluronic acid biomaterials. Short conclusion There are substantial gaps in research for the safety and efficacy of nanomaterials of curcumin with hyaluronic acid due to limited available data of clinical trials and experiments of nanocurcumin-hyaluronic acid biomaterials on humans and animals. So, it entirely requires serious and committed efforts through the well-organized system of practical and clinical trials which provide results, data, and detections that lead to the formulation of the best drug from curcumin with hyaluronic acid for the treatment of curcumin and hyaluronic acid targeted diseases and disorders.


Agronomy ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 25 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tapan Pathak ◽  
Mahesh Maskey ◽  
Jeffery Dahlberg ◽  
Faith Kearns ◽  
Khaled Bali ◽  
...  

California is a global leader in the agricultural sector and produces more than 400 types of commodities. The state produces over a third of the country’s vegetables and two-thirds of its fruits and nuts. Despite being highly productive, current and future climate change poses many challenges to the agricultural sector. This paper provides a summary of the current state of knowledge on historical and future trends in climate and their impacts on California agriculture. We present a synthesis of climate change impacts on California agriculture in the context of: (1) historic trends and projected changes in temperature, precipitation, snowpack, heat waves, drought, and flood events; and (2) consequent impacts on crop yields, chill hours, pests and diseases, and agricultural vulnerability to climate risks. Finally, we highlight important findings and directions for future research and implementation. The detailed review presented in this paper provides sufficient evidence that the climate in California has changed significantly and is expected to continue changing in the future, and justifies the urgency and importance of enhancing the adaptive capacity of agriculture and reducing vulnerability to climate change. Since agriculture in California is very diverse and each crop responds to climate differently, climate adaptation research should be locally focused along with effective stakeholder engagement and systematic outreach efforts for effective adoption and implementation. The expected readership of this paper includes local stakeholders, researchers, state and national agencies, and international communities interested in learning about climate change and California’s agriculture.


1986 ◽  
Vol 7 (S2) ◽  
pp. 113-117 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dennis G. Maki

Whereas infections of the skin per se comprise only a fraction of all institutionally-acquired infections, the skin has become one of the most important reservoirs of nosocomial pathogens in the hospital. Professor Noble has provided a scholarly review of the increasing importance of the major constituents of the cutaneous microflora as nosocomial pathogens and what we know of their epidemiology. Unfortunately, the empiricism and limited scientific data which underlie essential infection control measures in this area, particularly in regard to cutaneous antisepsis and handwashing, is almost incongruous in an era in which controlled clinical trials have dominated most other areas of medicine. The numerous outbreaks traced to contaminated antiseptics and disinfectants over the past two decades, stand as mute testimony to the inadequate investigative attention this area has received.


2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Natalie S. Joe ◽  
Christine Hodgdon ◽  
Lianne Kraemer ◽  
Kristin J. Redmond ◽  
Vered Stearns ◽  
...  

AbstractBreast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in women worldwide. Approximately one-tenth of all patients with advanced breast cancer develop brain metastases resulting in an overall survival rate of fewer than 2 years. The challenges lie in developing new approaches to treat, monitor, and prevent breast cancer brain metastasis (BCBM). This review will provide an overview of BCBM from the integrated perspective of clinicians, researchers, and patient advocates. We will summarize the current management of BCBM, including diagnosis, treatment, and monitoring. We will highlight ongoing translational research for BCBM, including clinical trials and improved detection methods that can become the mainstay for BCBM treatment if they demonstrate efficacy. We will discuss preclinical BCBM research that focuses on the intrinsic properties of breast cancer cells and the influence of the brain microenvironment. Finally, we will spotlight emerging studies and future research needs to improve survival outcomes and preserve the quality of life for patients with BCBM.


10.2196/20158 ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 22 (12) ◽  
pp. e20158
Author(s):  
Dylan Gilbey ◽  
Helen Morgan ◽  
Ashleigh Lin ◽  
Yael Perry

Background Young people (aged 12-25 years) with diverse sexuality, gender, or bodily characteristics, such as those who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex, or queer (LGBTIQ+), are at substantially greater risk of a range of mental, physical, and sexual health difficulties compared with their peers. Digital health interventions have been identified as a potential way to reduce these health disparities. Objective This review aims to summarize the characteristics of existing evidence-based digital health interventions for LGBTIQ+ young people and to describe the evidence for their effectiveness, acceptability, and feasibility. Methods A systematic literature search was conducted using internet databases and gray literature sources, and the results were screened for inclusion. The included studies were synthesized qualitatively. Results The search identified 38 studies of 24 unique interventions seeking to address mental, physical, or sexual health–related concerns in LGBTIQ+ young people. Substantially more evidence-based interventions existed for gay and bisexual men than for any other population group, and there were more interventions related to risk reduction of sexually transmitted infections than to any other health concern. There was some evidence for the effectiveness, feasibility, and acceptability of these interventions overall; however, the quality of evidence is often lacking. Conclusions There is sufficient evidence to suggest that targeted digital health interventions are an important focus for future research aimed at addressing health difficulties in LGBTIQ+ young people. Additional digital health interventions are needed for a wider range of health difficulties, particularly in terms of mental and physical health concerns, as well as more targeted interventions for same gender–attracted women, trans and gender-diverse people, and people with intersex variations. Trial Registration PROSPERO International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews CRD42020128164; https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?RecordID=128164


2021 ◽  
Vol 42 ◽  
pp. e67649
Author(s):  
Marta Sánchez ◽  
Elena González-Burgos ◽  
Irene Iglesias ◽  
M. Pilar Gómez-Serranillos Cuadrado

Valeriana officinalis L. (Caprifoliaceae family) has been traditionally used to treat mild nervous tension and sleep problems. The basis of these activities are mainly attributed to valerenic acid through the modulation of the GABA receptor. Moreover, V. officinalis is claimed to have other biological activities such as cardiovascular benefits, anticancer, antimicrobial and spasmolytic.  The current review aims to update the biological and pharmacological studies (in vitro, in vivo and clinical trials) of V. officinalis and its major secondary metabolites in order to guide future research. Databases PubMed, Science Direct and Scopus were used for literature search including original papers written in English and published between 2014 and 2020. There have been identified 33 articles which met inclusion criteria. Most of these works were performed with V. officinalis extracts and only a few papers (in vitro and in vivo studies) evaluated the activity of isolated compounds (valerenic acid and volvalerenal acid K). In vitro studies focused on studying antioxidant and neuroprotective activity. In vivo studies and clinical trials mainly investigated activities on the nervous system (anticonvulsant activity, antidepressant, cognitive problems, anxiety and sleep disorders). Just few studies were focused on other different activities, highlight effects on symptoms of premenstrual and postmenopausal syndromes. Valeriana officinalis continues to be one of the medicinal plants most used by today's society for its therapeutic properties and whose biological and pharmacological activities continue to arouse great scientific interest as evidenced in recent publications. This review shows scientific evidence on traditional uses of V. officinalis on nervous system.


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