scholarly journals Methylene blue treatment for residual symptoms of bipolar disorder: Randomised crossover study

2017 ◽  
Vol 210 (1) ◽  
pp. 54-60 ◽  
Author(s):  
Martin Alda ◽  
Margaret McKinnon ◽  
Ryan Blagdon ◽  
Julie Garnham ◽  
Susan MacLellan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Bipolar Disorder ◽  
Methylene Blue ◽  
Crossover Study ◽  
Rating Scale ◽  
Neuroprotective Effects ◽  
Double Blind ◽  
Residual Symptoms ◽  
Symptoms Of Depression ◽  
Hamilton Rating Scale ◽  
Active Dose

BackgroundResidual symptoms and cognitive impairment are among important sources of disability in patients with bipolar disorder. Methylene blue could improve such symptoms because of its potential neuroprotective effects.AimsWe conducted a double-blind crossover study of a low dose (15 mg, ‘placebo’) and an active dose (195 mg) of methylene blue in patients with bipolar disorder treated with lamotrigine.MethodThirty-seven participants were enrolled in a 6-month trial (trial registration: NCT00214877). The outcome measures included severity of depression, mania and anxiety, and cognitive functioning.ResultsThe active dose of methylene blue significantly improved symptoms of depression both on the Montgomery–Åsberg Depression Rating Scale and Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (P = 0.02 and 0.05 in last-observation-carried-forward analysis). It also reduced the symptoms of anxiety measured by the Hamilton Rating Scale for Anxiety (P = 0.02). The symptoms of mania remained low and stable throughout the study. The effects of methylene blue on cognitive symptoms were not significant. The medication was well tolerated with transient and mild side-effects.ConclusionsMethylene blue used as an adjunctive medication improved residual symptoms of depression and anxiety in patients with bipolar disorder.

scholarly journals Treatment of bipolar depression with supraphysiologic doses of levothyroxine: a randomized, placebo-controlled study of comorbid anxiety symptoms

2019 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Maximilian Pilhatsch ◽  
Thomas J Stamm ◽  
Petra Stahl ◽  
Ute Lewitzka ◽  
Anne Berghöfer ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Bipolar Disorder ◽  
Rating Scale ◽  
Bipolar Depression ◽  
Phenotypic Expression ◽  
Anxiety Symptoms ◽  
Controlled Study ◽  
Double Blind ◽  
Comorbid Anxiety ◽  
Depressed Patients ◽  
Depressive Episodes

Abstract Background Symptoms of anxiety co-occur in a variety of disorders including in depressive episodes of bipolar disorder and in patients with thyrotoxicosis. Treatment of refractory bipolar disorder with supraphysiologic doses of levothyroxine (L-T4) has been shown to improve the phenotypic expression of the disorder and is associated with an increase of circulating thyroid hormones. However, it might be associated with somatic and mental adverse effects. Here we report the investigation of the influence of treatment with supraphysiologic doses of L-T4 on symptoms of anxiety in patients with refractory bipolar depression. Methods Post-hoc analysis from a 6-week, multi-center, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study of the effects of supraphysiologic L-T4 treatment on anxiety symptoms in bipolar depression. Anxiety symptoms were measured weekly with the Hamilton anxiety/somatization factor (HASF) score of the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAMD) and the State- and Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI). Results Treatment of both groups was associated with a significant reduction in anxiety symptoms (p < 0.001) with no statistical difference between groups (LT-4: from 5.9 (SD = 2.0) at baseline to 3.7 (SD = 2.4) at study end; placebo: from 6.1 (SD = 2.4) at baseline to 4.4 (SD = 2.8) at study end; p = 0.717). Severity of anxiety at baseline did not show a statistically significant correlation to the antidepressive effect of treatment with supraphysiologic doses of L-T4 (p = 0.811). Gender did not show an influence on the reduction of anxiety symptoms (females: from 5.6 (SD = 1.7) at baseline to 3.5 (SD = 2.4) at study end; males: from 6.1 (SD = 2.3) at baseline to 4.0 (SD = 2.4) at study end; p = 0.877). Conclusions This study failed to detect a difference in change of anxiety between bipolar depressed patients treated with supraphysiologic doses of L-T4 or placebo. Comorbid anxiety symptoms should not be considered a limitation for the administration of supraphysiologic doses of L-T4 refractory bipolar depressed patients. Trial registration ClinicalTrials, ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT01528839. Registered 2 June 2012—Retrospectively registered, https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/study/NCT01528839

scholarly journals Double-blind clonazepam vs placebo in panic disorder treatment

2000 ◽  
Vol 58 (4) ◽  
pp. 1025-1029 ◽  
Author(s):  
ALEXANDRE MARTINS VALENÇA ◽  
ANTONIO EGIDIO NARDI ◽  
ISABELLA NASCIMENTO ◽  
MARCO A. MEZZASALMA ◽  
FABIANA L. LOPES ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Panic Disorder ◽  
Rating Scale ◽  
Panic Attacks ◽  
Fixed Dose ◽  
Fisher Exact Test ◽  
Double Blind ◽  
Exact Test ◽  
Dsm Iv ◽  
Disorder Treatment ◽  
Hamilton Rating Scale

OBJECTIVE: To assess the effectiveness of clonazepam, in a fixed dose (2 mg/day), compared with placebo in the treatment of panic disorder patients. METHOD: 24 panic disorder patients with agoraphobia were randomly selected. The diagnosis was obtained using the structured clinical interview for DSM-IV . All twenty-four subjects were randomly assigned to either treatment with clonazepam (2 mg/day) or placebo, during 6 weeks. Efficacy assessments included: change from baseline in the number of panic attacks; CGI scores for panic disorder; Hamilton rating scale for anxiety; and panic associated symptoms scale. RESULTS: At the therapeutic endpoint, only one of 9 placebo patients (11.1%) were free of panic attacks, compared with 8 of 13 (61.5%) clonazepam patients (Fisher exact test; p=0,031). CONCLUSION: the results provide evidence for the efficacy of clonazepam in panic disorder patients.

scholarly journals Living With Bipolar Disorder in the Time of Covid-19: Biorhythms During the Severe Lockdown in Cagliari, Italy, and the Moderate Lockdown in Tunis, Tunisia

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mauro Giovanni Carta ◽  
Uta Ouali ◽  
Alessandra Perra ◽  
Azza Ben Cheikh Ahmed ◽  
Laura Boe ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Bipolar Disorder ◽  
Depressive Symptoms ◽  
Rating Scale ◽  
Biological Rhythms ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Female Age ◽  
Future Studies ◽  
Restrictive Measures ◽  
Depressive Episodes ◽  
Hamilton Rating Scale

Background: Restrictions during Covid-19 pandemic lockdown, in which rhythms of life have been compromised, can influence the course of bipolar disorder (BD). This study follows patients with bipolar disorder living in two geographically close cities (Cagliari and Tunis), but with different lockdown conditions: less severe in Tunis.Methods: Two cohorts were evaluated during lockdown (April 2020, t0) and 2 months later with lockdown lifted for a month (t1). Individuals were: over 18 years old without gender exclusion, BD I or II, in care for at least 1 year, received a clinical interview in the month before the start of the lockdown, stable clinically before the lockdown. The assessment was conducted by telephone by a psychiatrist or psychologist with good knowledge of patients. Diagnoses were made according to DSM-5 criteria. Depressive symptoms were collected through the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression; cut-off 14 indicative of depressive episode. Circadian rhythms were measured using the BRIAN scale.Results: Forty individuals in Cagliari (70%female, age 48.57 ± 11.64) and 30 in Tunis (53.3% Female, age 41.8 ± 13.22) were recruited. In Cagliari at t0 45% had depressive episodes against none in Tunis, a similar difference appeared at t1. At t0 and t1 the Cagliari sample had more dysfunctional scores in the overall BRIAN scale and in the areas of sleep, activities and social rhythms; no differences were found in nutrition, both samples had predominantly nocturnal rhythm. In Cagliari at t0 and t1, the depressive sub-group showed more dysfunctional scores in the BRIAN areas sleep, activity, and nutrition. However, the differences in biological rhythms resulted, through ANCOVA analysis, independent of the co-presence of depressive symptoms.Discussion: A rigid lockdown could expose people with BD to depressive relapse through dysregulation of biological rhythms. The return to more functional rhythms did not appear 1 month after lockdown. The rekindling of the pandemic and the restoration of new restrictive measures will prevent, at least in the short term, the beneficial effect of a return to normality of the two cohorts.This was a limited exploratory study; future studies with larger samples and longer observational time are needed to verify the hypothesis.

A Controlled Comparison of Simulated and Real ECT

1978 ◽  
Vol 133 (6) ◽  
pp. 514-519 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Lambourn ◽  
D. Gill
Keyword(s):  
Rating Scale ◽  
Muscle Relaxation ◽  
Control Treatment ◽  
Treatment Procedure ◽  
Double Blind ◽  
Convulsive Therapy ◽  
Pre Treatment ◽  
Controlled Evaluation ◽  
Electro Convulsive Therapy ◽  
Hamilton Rating Scale

SummaryTwo groups of 16 patients with depressive psychosis took part in a controlled evaluation of electro-convulsive therapy (ECT). One group received six brief pulse unilateral shocks under conventional anaesthesia and muscle relaxation; the second group underwent the same procedure without receiving shocks. Outcome was assessed by a separate investigator using the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression under double-blind conditions. The results showed that this form of ECT was only superior to the control treatment for one item in the scale, a finding which could have occurred by chance. The results suggest that the ECT pre-treatment procedure has an important therapeutic effect. This casts some doubt on current views of the effectiveness of electro-convulsive therapy in general, and of brief pulse unilateral ECT in particular.

scholarly journals An assessment of the anti-fatigue effects of ketamine from a double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover study in bipolar disorder

2016 ◽  
Vol 194 ◽  
pp. 115-119 ◽  
Author(s):  
Leorey N. Saligan ◽  
David A. Luckenbaugh ◽  
Elizabeth E. Slonena ◽  
Rodrigo Machado-Vieira ◽  
Carlos A. Zarate
Keyword(s):  
Bipolar Disorder ◽  
Crossover Study ◽  
Double Blind ◽  
Double Blind Placebo

Pharmacological Treatment of Depression in Cancer Patients

1996 ◽  
Vol 169 (4) ◽  
pp. 440-443 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kees Van Heeringen ◽  
Milana Zivkov
Keyword(s):  
Cancer Patients ◽  
Rating Scale ◽  
Controlled Study ◽  
Systematic Research ◽  
Cancer Stage ◽  
Efficacy And Safety ◽  
Double Blind ◽  
Patients With Cancer ◽  
Treatment Of Depression ◽  
Hamilton Rating Scale

BackgroundDepression has a reported mean prevalence of 24% in patients diagnosed with cancer. However, little systematic research on the efficacy of antidepressants in patients with cancer has been performed.MethodThe efficacy and safety of mianserin were studied in 55 depressed women with breast cancer (stage I or II and without known metastases), in a randomised, double-blind, six-week, placebo-controlled study.ResultsStatistically significant differences in the decrease in score from baseline on the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression and the number of responders, favouring mianserin, were present after 28 and 42 days of treatment Significantly more placebo-treated patients prematurely terminated the study due to lack of efficacy while the safety profile of mianserin was similar to that of placebo.ConclusionsTreatment with mianserin resulted in a significant improvement in depressive symptoms in cancer patients, and was well tolerated.

A Controlled Comparative Trial of Mianserin and Diazepam in the Treatment of Anxiety States in Psychiatric Out-Patients

1979 ◽  
Vol 7 (4) ◽  
pp. 285-289 ◽  
Author(s):  
L Conti ◽  
R M Pinder
Keyword(s):  
Rating Scale ◽  
Severity Of Illness ◽  
Comparative Trial ◽  
Placebo Treatment ◽  
Global Rating ◽  
Blurred Vision ◽  
Double Blind ◽  
Baseline Values ◽  
Single Blind ◽  
Hamilton Rating Scale

Forty psychiatric out-patients with primary anxiety entered a double-blind trial comparing 2 weeks of treatment with mianserin 30–60 mg daily or diazepam 15–30 mg daily, followed by 2 weeks of single-blind placebo administration. Both drugs were effective anti-anxiety agents, but mianserin was significantly superior in efficacy as measured by the Physician's Global Rating of Severity of Illness. No differences between treatments were apparent using the Hamilton Rating Scale for Anxiety. There were no significant differences in terms of side-effects, and both drugs increased anticholinergic effects such as dry mouth, blurred vision and constipation over baseline values. With one exception in the mianserin group, all patients who entered placebo treatment became worse.

scholarly journals Patterns of pharmacological maintenance treatment in a community mental health services bipolar disorder cohort study (SIN-DEPRES)

2013 ◽  
Vol 16 (3) ◽  
pp. 513-523 ◽  
Author(s):  
Iria Grande ◽  
Rosario de Arce ◽  
Miguel Ángel Jiménez-Arriero ◽  
Federico Guillermo Iglesias Lorenzo ◽  
Juan Ignacio Franch Valverde ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Bipolar Disorder ◽  
Clinical Features ◽  
Maintenance Treatment ◽  
Rating Scale ◽  
Community Mental Health Services ◽  
Residual Symptoms ◽  
Logistic Regression Models ◽  
Co Morbidity ◽  
Antidepressant Combination ◽  
Clinical Stability

Abstract Maintenance therapy in bipolar disorder (BD) is usually required to prevent relapses and improve residual symptoms. Therefore, in this study, we describe patterns of pharmacological maintenance treatment and identify associated clinical features. This prospective multicentre epidemiological study recruited a cohort of 739 consecutive out-patients with clinically stable BD. Clinical stability was assessed at baseline with the Clinical Global Impression scale for BD and depressive symptoms with the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale. Psychotropic medications were classified and analysed according to their mechanism as well as use. Logistic regression models were used to examine the associations between pharmacological strategies and clinical features. Longer time since last episode [odds ratio (OR) 1.002, p < 0.0001] and family history of psychiatric disorders (OR 1.911, p = 0.028) were associated with lithium in monotherapy; manic polarity of the most recent episode (OR 3.300, p = 0.006) and longer duration of clinical stability (OR 1.009, p = 0.034) with antipsychotic in monotherapy; depressive polarity of the most recent episode (OR 2.567, p = 0.003) and bipolar II disorder diagnosis (OR 2.278, p = 0.008) with antidepressant combination; no ongoing psychiatric co-morbidity (OR 0.230, p = 0.004) with lithium and anticonvulsant; manic polarity of the most recent episode (OR 3.774, p < 0.0001) with lithium and antipsychotic; manic polarity of the most recent episode (OR 2.907, p = 0.028) with lithium, anticonvulsant and antipsychotic. The pharmacological patterns followed published recommendations, except for the excessive use of antidepressants. This study reveals clinical factors closely related to prescription patterns.

An Open-Label Trial of Aripiprazole Monotherapy in Children and Adolescents with Bipolar Disorder

CNS Spectrums ◽  
2007 ◽  
Vol 12 (9) ◽  
pp. 683-689 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joseph Biederman ◽  
Eric Mick ◽  
Thomas Spencer ◽  
Robert Doyle ◽  
Gagan Joshi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Bipolar Disorder ◽  
Rating Scale ◽  
Vital Signs ◽  
Pediatric Bipolar Disorder ◽  
Open Label ◽  
Young Mania ◽  
Double Blind ◽  
Scale Scores ◽  
Psychiatric Rating ◽  
Psychiatric Rating Scale

ABSTRACTIntroduction: Aripiprazole is a novel second-generation antipsychotic approved for the treatment of bipolar disorder in adults but there is no systematic data available in pediatric bipolar disorder.Methods: This was an 8-week, open-label, prospective study of aripiprazole 9.4±4.2 mg/day monotherapy to assess the efficacy and tolerability of this compound in treating pediatric bipolar disorder. Assessments included the Young Mania Rating Scale, Clinical Global Impressions-Improvement scale, and Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale. Adverse events were assessed through spontaneous self-reports, vital signs weight monitoring, and laboratory analysis.Results: Fifteen of the 19 bipolar youth (79%) completed the study. Aripiprazole treatment was associated with clinically and statistically significant improvement in mean Young Mania Rating Scale scores (−18.0±6.9, P<.0001). With the important exception of two cases of extrapyramidal symptoms that precipitated dropout, aripiprazole was well tolerated with no statistically significant increase in body weight (1.8±1.7 kg, P=.2).Conclusion: Open-label aripiprazole treatment was beneficial in the treatment of mania in youth with bipolar disorder. Future placebo-controlled, double blind studies are warranted.

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