Use of Gabapentin in the Treatment of Substance Use and Psychiatric Disorders: A Systematic Review

BACKGROUND Cognitive dysfunction is an impairing and difficult to treat feature of psychiatric illnesses. Virtual Reality (VR) has shown promise in improving cognition in neurologic disorders, but its role in improving cognitive outcomes in adults with major psychiatric disorders is unclear. OBJECTIVE To conduct a review of the efficacy and usability of VR interventions to improve cognitive functioning in psychiatric disorders. METHODS Following PRISMA guidelines, a systematic review of controlled and uncontrolled English-language studies that assessed changes in cognition following an immersive or non-immersive VR intervention, in adults with a mood, psychotic, anxiety, or substance use disorder was conducted. Studies were searched on MEDLINE, EMBASE, PsychINFO, and Web of Science until May 2021. RESULTS Thirteen studies were included [primary psychotic disorder (n=10), substance use disorder (n=2) and major depressive disorder (n=1)]. Intervention strategies included cognitive remediation (i.e. repeated practice of targeted skills, n=2), social cognitive/skills training (n=5), real world simulations (n=3) and vocational training (n=3). VR social cognitive/skills training resulted in improvements in social cognition, while the other remediation strategies resulted in generalized improvements across multiple cognitive domains. Both immersive and non-immersive VR appeared to be effective. In studies with an active control group (n=5), VR treatment resulted in equivalent or greater cognitive improvements versus therapist led training. Changes in real-world functioning were inconsistently reported. CONCLUSIONS Preliminary evidence suggests VR interventions can improve cognitive outcomes in psychiatric disorders; however, significant variability in study design and outcome measures, small sample sizes and a focus on primary psychotic disorders limit the literature. More rigorous assessment of long-term cognitive and functional outcomes, and the comparative utility of immersive versus non-immersive modalities and different remediation strategies, is required.

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Effects of non-invasive brain stimulation in children and young people with psychiatric disorders: a protocol for a systematic review

Systematic Reviews ◽

10.1186/s13643-021-01627-3 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 10 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Yael D. Lewis ◽

Lucy Gallop ◽

Iain C. Campbell ◽

Ulrike Schmidt

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

Young People ◽

Psychiatric Disorders ◽

Brain Stimulation ◽

Grey Literature ◽

Significant Proportion ◽

Clinical Effects ◽

Children And Young People ◽

Non Invasive ◽

Specific Symptoms

Abstract Background Most psychiatric disorders have their onset in childhood or adolescence, and if not fully treated have the potential for causing life-long psycho-social and physical sequelae. Effective psychotherapeutic and medication treatments exist, but a significant proportion of children and young people do not make a full recovery. Thus, novel, safe, brain-based alternatives or adjuncts to conventional treatments are needed. Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) and transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) are non-invasive brain stimulation (NIBS) techniques which have shown clinical benefits in adult psychiatric conditions. However, in children and young people their efficacy is not well established. The objective of this study will be to systematically evaluate the evidence on clinical effects of NIBS in children and young people with psychiatric disorders, assessing disorder-specific symptoms, mood and neurocognitive functions. Methods We designed and registered a study protocol for a systematic review. We will include randomised and non-randomised controlled trials and observational studies (e.g. cohort, case-control, case series) assessing the effects of NIBS in children and young people (aged ≤ 24 years old) for psychiatric disorders. The primary outcome will be reduction of disorder-specific symptoms. Secondary outcomes will include effects on mood and cognition. A comprehensive search from database inception onwards will be conducted in MEDLINE, EMBASE and PsycINFO. Grey literature will be identified through searching multiple clinical trial registries. Two reviewers will independently screen all citations, full-text articles and abstract data. The methodological quality of the studies will be appraised using appropriate tools. We will provide a narrative synthesis of the evidence and according to heterogeneity will conduct an appropriate meta-analysis. Additional analyses will be conducted to explore the potential sources of heterogeneity. Discussion This systematic review will provide a broad and comprehensive evaluation of the evidence on clinical effects of NIBS in children and young people with psychiatric disorders. Our findings will be reported according to the PRISMA guidelines and will be of interest to multiple audiences (including patients, researchers, healthcare professionals and policy-makers). Results will be published in a peer-reviewed journal. Systematic review registration PROSPERO CRD42019158957

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Neural correlates of inhibitory control in relation to the degree of substance use and substance-related problems – A systematic review and perspective

Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews ◽

10.1016/j.neubiorev.2021.06.011 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Malin K. Hildebrandt ◽

Raoul Dieterich ◽

Tanja Endrass

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

Substance Use ◽

Inhibitory Control ◽

Neural Correlates

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Emotion Recognition Deficits in Psychiatric Disorders as a Target of Non-invasive Neuromodulation: A Systematic Review

Clinical EEG and Neuroscience ◽

10.1177/1550059421991688 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 155005942199168

Author(s):

Yuji Yamada ◽

Takuma Inagawa ◽

Naotsugu Hirabayashi ◽

Tomiki Sumiyoshi

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

Social Cognition ◽

Emotion Recognition ◽

Psychiatric Disorders ◽

Parietal Lobe ◽

Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation ◽

Inclusion Criteria ◽

Cognitive Benefits ◽

The Right ◽

English Articles

Background. Social cognition deficits are a core feature of psychiatric disorders, such as schizophrenia and mood disorder, and deteriorate the functionality of patients. However, no definite strategy has been established to treat social cognition (eg, emotion recognition) impairments in these illnesses. Here, we provide a systematic review of the literature regarding transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) and repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) for the treatment of social cognition deficits in individuals with psychiatric disorders. Methods. A literature search was conducted on English articles identified by PubMed, PsycINFO, and Web of Science databases, according to the guidelines of the PRISMA statement. We defined the inclusion criteria as follows: (1) randomized controlled trials (RCTs), (2) targeting patients with psychiatric disorders (included in F20-F39 of the 10th revision of the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems [ICD-10]), (3) evaluating the effect of tDCS or rTMS, (4) reporting at least one standardized social cognition test. Results. Five papers (3 articles on tDCS and 2 articles on rTMS) met the inclusion criteria which deal with schizophrenia or depression. The significant effects of tDCS or rTMS targeting the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex on the emotion recognition domain were reported in patients with schizophrenia or depression. In addition, rTMS on the right inferior parietal lobe was shown to ameliorate social perception impairments of schizophrenia. Conclusions. tDCS and rTMS may enhance some domains of social cognition in patients with psychiatric disorders. Further research is warranted to identify optimal parameters to maximize the cognitive benefits of these neuromodulation methods.

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