Brexpiprazole is a novel antipsychotic drug. It exerts antagonistic activity at the serotonin 5HT2A, 5HT2B, 5HT7 and noradrenaline alpha 1b/2c receptors; it also acts as partial agonist of serotonin 5HT1 and dopamine D2, D3 receptors. Brexpiprazole is approved for the treatment of schizophrenia and as an add-on therapy for major depression.

This pilot study aims at exploring efficacy and tolerability of Brexpiprazole in a small sample of patients diagnosed with either a psychotic or a mood disorder.

This observational study was conducted at our Acute Psychiatric Inpatient Unit. We included 7 patients (5 males, 2 females) hospitalized between 2020 and 2021, diagnosed with schizophrenia spectrum disorders or mood disorders with psychotic symptoms confirmed by Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview. Patients who participated signed an informed consent. Information concerning diagnosis, demographic characteristics (age, sex, education, marital status) and pharmacological therapy were collected examining clinical records. The average lenght of hospitalization was 13.4 days. Psychopathology was assessed by means of the PANSS and the severity of the illness was evaluated with CGI severity scale (CGI-S), both on admission and discharge. We also administered the UKU scale to evaluate the tolerability profile.

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Results can be seen in figures 1, 2, 3

Our study found a significant improvement in both positive and negative symptoms, with good tolerability. Limitations of our study are: small sample size and limited period of observation. These premises suggest that further research is needed in order to elucidate the exact mechanisms underlying Brexpiprazole’s action and the possible implication in mood disorders.

No significant relationships.

Important role of sociocultural mediation of human health is reflected in the regional specificity of subjective evaluation of factors determining human health.

The research is focused on the opinion of respondents from different regions of Russia about the importance of various factors that determine health and subjective well-being.

210 men and 403 women aged 14 to 76 years (M=26.9; SD=13.7) from six regions of the Russia (Moscow, St. Petersburg, Udmurtia, Sakha, Sverdlovsk and Kemerovo) participated in the study. Respondents were asked to rank six factors (genetics, healthy lifestyle, good ecology, regular medical examination, absence of stress, financial well-being) in terms of their impact on health (1 is the most important, 6 is the least important).

It was revealed significant differences among respondents from different regions of the Russia in evaluation of importance of health factors such as “genetics” (F=3.317; p=0.003) and “good ecology” (F=5.008; p<0.001). Respondents from the Sverdlovsk consider “genetics” significantly more important than participants from the Sakha (MD=-0.706; p=0.019) and Kemerovo (MD=-0.859; p=0.015). Respondents from St. Petersburg consider the ‘good ecology’ significantly less important than participants from Moscow (MD=0.791; p=0.046), Udmurtia (MD=0.867; p=0.035), Sakha (MD=1.168; p<0.001), and Kemerovo (MD=1.286; p<0.001).

Regional specificity was found in the subjective evaluation of the importance of factors that determine health and subjective well-being. The reported study was funded by the RFBR, project number 17-29-02506.

No significant relationships.

Healthcare services are primarily focusing on medical and physical treatment of COVID-19 while psychosocial and mental health needs are not considered a priority.

The purpose of this study was to explore how recovered individuals with COVID-19 adapted to their psychological and social stressors during infection period.

A descriptive phenomenological approach conducted using a purposeful sample of 13 individuals recovered from COVID-19 in Jordan. Data collected using unstructured interviews.

Perception of being diagnosed with COVID-19 revealed to three major themes; positive learning (acceptance, avoiding social pressure, and normalizing), tolerating ambiguity (denial and seeking information and guidance), and resilience (caring family, professionals’ support, self-grieving, optimism, positive thinking, and spirituality).

The study indicates that there is a need to integrate psychosocial and mental health care services into healthcare plans provided to individuals with COVID-19.

No significant relationships.

Subjects with eating disorders (ED) show a high prevalence of childhood trauma.

Aim of the study is to evaluate the emotional, biological and behavioral responses to an experimental acute psychosocial stress in subjects with ED with or without childhood maltreatment. Secondary aim is to evaluate the effects of different traumatic experiences (physical and emotional).

48 women with ED completed the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ). 29 participants (14 with Anorexia Nervosa [AN] and 15 with Bulimia Nervosa [BN]) reported an history of childhood maltreatment, while 19 (11 with AN and 8 with BN) did not. Cortisol levels, anxiety and hunger perceptions have been assessed in all participants throughout the Trier Social Stress Test (TSST) as well as body dissatisfaction after stress exposure.

Subjects with childhood trauma showed higher emotional reactivity and body dissatisfaction and lower hunger throughout the TSST than those without childhood trauma. Higher cortisol levels were observed in patients with AN, regardless of the presence of childhood trauma, and in those with BN and history of emotional trauma. Emotional trauma was the childhood trauma explaining most of the observed differences.

Childhood trauma, especially emotional one, can lead to vulnerability to interpersonal stress in individuals with ED. The present study is the first that supports the “maltreated ecophenotype” hypothesis in subjects with ED through an experimental task and the evaluation of multiple levels of response. These data may provide new prospectives on the pathogenetic mechanisms of ED and novel therapeutic implications.

No significant relationships.

The etiology of substance-induced psychotic disorder (SIPD) is an important research area to study.

It is aimed to investigate clinical risk status for psychosis, schizotypal features and neurocognitive functions in siblings of the patients who have been diagnosed as SIPD and who have no family history of psychotic spectrum disorder.

This study included 41 healthy siblings of patients who have been diagnosed as SIPD according to DSM-V and 41 healthy controls without family history of psychiatric disorders (matched on age, gender, and years of education). The data collected with sociodemographic and clinical data form, Digid Span Test, Trail Making Test A, Trail Making Test B, Verbal Fluency Test and Stroop Test, Comprehensive Assesment of At-Risk Mental States (CAARMS) and Structured Interview for Schizotypy-Revised.

It is determined that %41.5 of siblings and %7.3 of healthy controls are in one of the clinical high risk groups for psychosis according to CAARMS. There is significant difference in Trail Making Test A error and Trail Making Test B error and correction, verbal fluency test- lexical fluency-perseveration mean scores between siblings of patients and healthy controls.

Siblings of patients with SIPD have more schizotypal features than healthy control group and they take part more frequent in one of high risk group for psychosis. Schizotypal features are known as trait factor and show genetic predisposition. Siblings who are in high risk groups have more schizotypal features and it may point that predisposition to psychosis is more related to underlying genetic predisposition than environmental factors and social stressors.

No significant relationships.

The COVID-19 pandemic can be seen as mental trauma. The concept of baseline beliefs helps to explain the extent to which mental trauma affects individuals.

The study aimed to investigate baseline beliefs in humanities students in Russian universities and analyse the relationship between baseline beliefs and emotional reactions.

Data collection was carried out between May and July 2020 using a Google form that we developed. A total of 92 humanities students participated in the study. The WAS-37 was used to examine baseline beliefs, and the DASS-21 was used to determine depression, anxiety, and stress levels.

We found that the mean values of the scales “Benevolence in the World” (M = 34.8±6.5), “Self-image” (M = 27.2±4.4), “Luck” (M = 32.7±5.7) and “Controlling beliefs” (M = 27.9±4.0) were above the normative mean values for the Russian population and only the values of the scale “Justice” (M = 20.8±3.8) were below these. All components of baseline beliefs had negative associations with depression, anxiety, and stress; only “Benevolence in the World” was associated exclusively with anxiety (rs = -0.223, p < 0.05), and “Justice” with depression (rs = -0.223, p < 0.05).

In a pandemic, the world around them is perceived by humanities students as less fair. Trust in the world, beliefs about the fairness of the world and a positive self-image are correlated with a more favourable emotional state. By this, we support the view that individuals’ implicit beliefs (baseline beliefs) are related to the severity of the traumatic event.

No significant relationships.

The term “neuroprogression” imply that bipolar disorder (BD) progressively worsens for some patients and accompanying neuroanatomical changes. BD has indeed been associated with cortical and subcortical brain abnormalities. But cross-sectional studies cannot determine whether the observed brain alterations reflect static premorbid traits or whether they result from progressive changes during the course of illness.

The aims of this series of studies were to determine if progressive brain changes occur in bipolar disorder, and if so, what the drivers of these changes are.

We addressed these questions in the St. Göran cohort – a longitudinal study where patients and controls undergo structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans at baseline and after 7 years. We have also conducted a longitudinal multicenter study within the ENIGMA consortium including 307 patients and 925 healthy controls scanned at two time points.

We addressed these questions in the St. Göran cohort – a longitudinal study where patients and controls undergo structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans at baseline and after 7 years. We have also conducted a longitudinal multicenter study within the ENIGMA consortium including 307 patients and 925 healthy controls scanned at two time points.

BD is associated with some (accelerated ventricular enlargement) but not global progressive brain changes (change in cortical structures do not differ from controls). Occurrence of manic episodes is, however, associated with accelerated cortical thinning over time. These results highlight the importance of preventing the potentially toxic effects of manic episodes and might explain why some patients experience worsening cognitive function.

ML has received lecture honoraria (unrelated to this topic) from Lundbeck pharmaceuticals.

Atomoxetine, a first-line treatment option for ADHD, is affected by pharmacogenetic (PGx) variation of the drug-metabolizing enzyme CYP2D6. Despite the recommendation of CYP2D6 testing, the use of PGx-guided dosing remains low in Denmark.

We investigated wide-ranging clinical outcomes in atomoxetine users in association with PGx variability.

We analyzed 6,798 individuals (55% children) with a first prescription for atomoxetine identified from the Danish population-based iPSYCH case-cohort study linking biobank information with Danish registers. Individuals were categorized based on their single-nucleotide-polymorphism-based CYP2D6 genotype into normal (NM), intermediate (IM), and poor metabolizer (PM). Clinical outcomes included treatment switching, discontinuation, psychiatric inpatient-, outpatient-, and emergency contact, suicide attempt/self-harm, sleep problem, and depression. Individuals’ CYP2D6-status could change due to drug-drug-interactions of weak, intermediate, or strong-CYP2D6 inhibitors (phenoconversion), which we accounted for by time-varying phenotype assessment. Incidence rate ratios (IRR) were estimated using Poisson regression analyses and adjusted for a wide range of potential confounders and covariates.

Over two-thirds of the individuals had a hospital diagnosis of ADHD at the first atomoxetine prescription. The distribution of CYP2D6 phenotypes was similar in children and adults. IM/PM children had a significantly higher risk of a sleeping problem compared with NM children (IRR 1.25, 95% CI 1.01-1.54). Compared with NM adults, those with IM/PM had a higher risk of switching (1.15, 95% CI 0.98-1.35).

This is the first study showing the potential impact of PGx variability on clinical outcomes of atomoxetine users in a population-based setting, highlighting the utility of PGx testing.

No significant relationships.

Psychological health problems, especially emotional disorders, have become an important topic of considerations for many scientists, because the epidemiology of these disorders is strongly influenced by stressful events, such as the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus pandemic.

The aim of this study was to evaluate selected parameters of psychosocial functioning as well as socio-demographic correlates of depression, anxiety, sleep disorders and perceived stress among the residents of the West Pomeranian Voivodeship.

An online questionnaire was completed by 323 participants, in whom the parameters of psychosocial functioning were assessed: symptoms of depression (PHQ-9), anxiety (GAD-7), severity of sleep disorders (AIS) and perceived stress (Perceived Stress Scale).

The majority of the respondents (75.2%) scored high on the Perceived Stress Scale, almost half of the respondents (47.1%) had sleep disorders and 26% of the participants had no depressive symptoms. Age statistically significantly correlated with the severity of depressive symptoms and sleep disorders. Parental status statistically significantly correlated with the severity of depressive symptoms. There was a strong correlation between the severity of depression and anxiety and a strong correlation between depression and sleep disorders.

Age and parental status contributed to the severity of depressive symptoms and the occurrence of sleep disorders among the residents of the West Pomeranian Voivodeship during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. Some of the residents of the West Pomeranian Voivodeship showed high levels of stress or insomnia. The severity of depressive symptoms significantly influenced the levels of anxiety and perceived stress, as well as the occurrence of sleep disorders.

No significant relationships.

Obsessive-Compulsive Symptoms (OCS) are common in patients with schizophrenia, with a prevalence of 3.5% to 25%.

The aim of our study was to assess the frequency of OCS in patients with schizophrenia, and to study the clinical and evolutionary characteristics of schizophrenia and OCS comorbidity.

We conducted a cross-sectional, descriptive, and analytical study. Thirty schizophrenic patients were recruited in the department of psychiatry B of Hedi Chaker university hospital of Sfax. We used the Yale-Brown Obsession-Compulsion Scale (Y-BOCS) to assess obsessive and compulsive symptoms, at the end of hospitalization, after clinical remission of schizophrenic symptoms.

The mean age of patients was 41.2, that of disease onset was 27.3. Most of patients were male (86.7%) and unemployed (81.3%). A personal history of suicide attempts was found in 16.6% of patients. The average number of hospitalizations was 8.83. OCS were noted in 36% of patients with a Y-BOCS mean score of 5.5. Patients with OCS had significantly more frequent alcohol use (p = 0,008), a higher number (p = 0.03) and longer duration of hospitalizations (P = 0,034) and are more frequently treated with atypical antipsychotics (p = 0.001).

Our results show that patients with schizophrenia frequently present OCS. This comorbidity has a negative impact on the evolution and the prognosis of the disease, as well as the functioning of patients. Therefore, it should be investigated in order to ensure better care and promote the socio-professional reintegration of these patients.

No significant relationships.

Paliperidone Palmitate 3-month formulation (PP3M) has shown a significantly longer time to relapse compared to placebo, with similar efficacy and safety to Paliperidone Palmitate 1-month (PP1M). However, studies of longer duration are required.

The main objective of this study is to determine the effectiveness of PP3M in the prevention of hospitalizations in patients with non-acute schizophrenia in a naturalistic outpatient psychiatric setting.

Sample: 30 patients diagnosed with schizophrenia (DSM 5) that started treatment with PP3M after being stabilized with PP1M (the treatment dose was not changed in the four months before study inclusion) The mean dose of PP3M was 401. 55 mg Quarterly basis, the following evaluations were performed during a follow-up period of 60 months: The Clinical Global Impression-Schizophrenia scale (CGI-SCH) Treatment adherence, concomitant medication, and the number of hospitalizations. Efficacy values: Percentage of patients who remained free of admissions at the end of 60 months of follow-up. Other evaluation criteria: Average change from baseline visit to the final evaluation as assessed by score obtained on the following scale: GSI-SCH; percentage of patients on antipsychotic monotherapy, and treatment adherence rate.

The percentage of patients who remained free of admissions at the end of the 60 months was 83.25%. Mean variations from baseline scores at 60 months were: (-0.36 ±0-37) on the GCI-SCH. The rate of adherence to treatment with PP3M after 60 months was 86.58%.

In our study, we found that paliperidone palmitate 3-month formulation effectively prevents admissions under daily clinical practice conditions.

No significant relationships.

The use of cannabis is likely to increase as regulations on its consumption are diminishing throughout the world.

to identify the prevalence of anxiety and depression symptoms in a group of cannabis users in Tunisia.

this a transversal descriptive study about 137 participants in the University Hospital Of Mahdia during 2 months.

In our study population , the consumers were young adults aged between 18 and 35 years old ,of whom 40.8% were professionally active, 23.2% had psychiatric history. Moreover, the use of other substances was regular among users as follows: tobacco among 74.6% of users, alcohol among 72.5% of users, ecstasy among 41.3% of users, cocaine among 25.4% of users. The use of cannabis was considered as a means of exultation for 66.7%, as an anxiolytic for 26.8% and as a sedative for 23.9%. Overall, the effect of cannabis use on anxiety and depression on the HAD scale showed the following results: probable anxiety in 53% of cases, probable state of depression in 72% of time.

The correlation between cannabis use, anxiety and depression remains unclear. Equally concluded, the assumption of self-medication by cannabis stills a topic of discussion.

No significant relationships.

No significant relationships.

No significant relationships.

No significant relationships.

The hippocampus is an important, complex limbic structure anatomically embedded in the medial temporal lobe of each cerebral cortex, which has been implicated in the pathogenesis of neuro-inflammatory disease conditions. Few studies have focused on the characterization of the MRI neuroimaging signatures of highly physio- pathologically relevant subfields of the hippocampus (CA1, CA4-DG, CA2/CA3, SLRM).

Using self-guided manually segmented, Diffusion weighted and NODDI maps created from data obtained from the Human Connectome Project (HCP) we intend to test whether Diffusion MRI-based quantitative imaging parameters (MD, FA, ODI, ISOVF, ICVF), indicative of microstructural characteristics of major hippocampal subfields (CA1, CA2/CA3, CA4-DG and SLRM), correspond to predictions for animal literature and imaging-histology correlations. We will also explore the correlations between these parameters and age.

We used images from the Public connectome data (updated April 2018), exploring subjects with the 3T MRI sessions obtainable from the WU-Minn HCP Data section. For the purpose of this study, we selected and downloaded 10 preliminary imaging data (6 females and 4 males) based on age variability in the following ranges (26-30, 31-35 and 36+). We manually segmented, and computed quantitative parameters.

Converging and consistent literature allude to decreasing volumes with increasing age. Analyzing the volumes from the diffusion maps (pilot data), this was also the case, with volumes computed from CA1 and DG-CA4 sub regions. IQT also allowed for better appreciation of neuroanatomical boundaries and land marks, hence allowing more regions to be easily manually segmented (addition of CA2/CA3).

Application to Neuroinflammatory imaging data.

No significant relationships.

Chronic pain syndrome is still one of the leading complaints of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA).

Study the relationship between chronic pain syndrome of different duration and the level of anxiety disorders.

Clinical and psychophysiological examination of 76 patients with RA was carried out, the average age was 42.4 ± 7.2 years. The severity of pain syndrome was determined on the VAS scale, the level of anxiety by the Spielberger-Hanin technique

Analysis of pain syndrome according to YOUR revealed higher rates (p < 0, () 1) in patients with shorter periods of disease: up to 12 months and more than 12 months: 66.0 ± 1.5 mm and 61.9 ± 1.5 mm, respectively, than in patients with a longer period of war - more than 3 years (53.7 ± 1.0 mm). Psychophysiological examination of RA patients revealed anxiety spectrum disorders in 53 (69.7%) patients. The severity of anxiety disorders was different depending on the duration of the chronic pain syndrome: the highest indicators of reactive anxiety were detected in patients with a length of pain syndrome of up to 12 months: 45.7 ± 0.6 points, in patients with a disease period of more than 12 months - 42.4 ± 0.5 points, and in patients with a disease period of more than 3 years 37.6 + 0.5 points.

Thus, a direct correlation between the degree of pain severity and the level of anxiety disorders is revealed, which is desirable to consider when selecting pathogenetic therapy

No significant relationships.

Multiple tissue and organ damage induced by ethanol toxic effects requires prescription of a wide range of drugs that have a positive symptomatic effect, while simultaneously increasing the toxic load on the body, which necessitates the search for new approaches to the therapy of alcoholism, possibly with the use of parapharmaceuticals.

The anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and neuroprotective properties of curcuminoids, as well as their ability to influence the epigenetic mechanisms of gene expression regulation, can provide a positive therapeutic effect in alcoholism by influencing the pathogenetic mechanisms of this pathology, which determines the relevance and prospects of studying their effects during chronic ethanol intoxication.

(CBAxC57Bl/6) F1 male mice with 6-month 10% ethanol exposure were undergoing administration of original composition of flavonoids based on Curcumin for 40 days. Animal’s alcohol consumption, behavior and immune parameters were estimated.

As a result of flavonoids original composition administration, correction of the changes in the nervous system functional activity, caused by the chronic toxic effect of ethanol has been achieved (decrease in alcoholic motivation, exploratory behavior stimulation, modulation of the cytokines level in brain, indicating a neuroinflammation decrease). We also registered the immune system functional activity modulation (stimulation of immune response and lymphocytes proliferative activity) in mice with alcohol dependence.

The original composition of flavonoids against the background of long-term alcohol consumption has a positive psychoneuroimmunomodulatory effect, which serves as an experimental substantiation of the prospects of using the composition as an adjuvant in the treatment of chronic alcoholism.

No significant relationships.

Polypharmacy can be the cause of deliberate discontinuation of medication and consequent relapse of schizophrenia.

To establish the one-year rate of relapse in the patients with schizophrenia with regard to monotherapy or polypharmacy.

The sample of all hospitalized patients with schizophrenia in a five-year period was analyzed. Descriptive statistics were used.

Total of 87 participants (57 women), the median age was 43 years. Antipsychotic monotherapy was used in 31 (35.6%) of the participants. In one year period, 32 (36.8%) of all participants had a relapse. Prior to relapse, significantly more participants were treated with polypharmacy (p<0,05).

Antipsychotic polypharmacy is related to a higher rate of relapse in patients with schizophrenia.

No significant relationships.

The knowledge aboutthe integration of letter motor programs during learning to write support the idea of an interdependence of visual and kinesthetic controls to direct the strokes.

The objective of our study is to analyze the effect of the vision suppression both on the postural-gestural organization and on the spatial/temporal/kinematic parameters in a prescriptural task.

35 school aged children with handwriting disorders (HD group) aged 6-11 years and 35 matched typical children were included in the study. They performed a prescriptural task of copying a cycloid line of loops, carried out under two conditions, with open eyes versus closed eyes. Postural-gestural measures were recorded with two video cameras allowing 2D reconstruction of the gesture. Spatial/temporal/kinematic measures were recorded with a digital pen.

The HD group showed a significantly poorer postural control and an improvement in the spatial/temporal/kinematic parameters of the loops when they closed their eyes compared to eyes open. In typical group, the postural-gestural organization became significantly more mature but with no significant influence on the spatial/temporal/kinematic parameters of the loops.

HDs could be partly explained by a deficit in the processing of proprioceptive/kinesthetic feedback and a disruptive effect of the visual control on the quality of the prescriptural drawings. The ability to direct the strokes would remain dependent on sensory feedbacks, themselves insufficiently efficient, which would lead to difficulties in reaching a proactive control of handwriting. These results should be able to enhance clinical practices and to contribute to clinical decision making processes for handwriting disorders remediation.

No significant relationships.