Antidepressants get to work immediately to lift mood, contrary to current belief, UK researchers say.
Although patients may not notice the effects until months into the therapy, the team say they work subconsciously.
The action is rapid, beginning within hours of taking the drugs, and changes negative thoughts, according to the Oxford University researchers.
These subtle, positive cues may add up over time to lift the depression, the American Journal of Psychiatry reports.
It may also explain why talking therapies designed to break negative thought cycles can also help.
Psychiatrist Dr Catherine Harmer and her team at Oxford University closely studied the reactions of 33 depressed patients and 31 healthy controls given either an antidepressant or a dummy drug.
The depressed patients who took the active drug showed positive improvements in three specific measures within three hours of taking them.
These patients were more likely to think about themselves in a positive light, rather than dwelling on their bad points, the researchers said.
They were also more likely to see the positive in others. For example, if they saw a grumpy person they no longer internalised this to think that they must have done something wrong to upset the person.
READ MORE @ BBC NEWS
Showing posts with label negative symptoms. Show all posts
Showing posts with label negative symptoms. Show all posts
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
Treatment-Resistant Schizophrenia Strategies for Recognizing Schizophrenia and Treating to Remission
Since the introduction of chlorpromazine, the first antipsychotic drug, it has been evident that a large number of patients have schizophrenia that is treatment resistant. It is estimated that between 20% and 60% of patients have schizophrenia that is resistant to treatment.1,2
The relationship between treatment-resistant and treatment-responsive schizophrenia is not strictly black and white. No particular psychopathology of schizophrenia specifically suggests treatment-resistant disease. Brenner and Merlo3 proposed that treatment-resistant schizophrenia be considered at one end of a spectrum of antipsychotic drug response rather than being clearly differentiated from treatment-responsive schizophrenia. However, patients with treatment-resistant schizophrenia do tend to have prominent negative and cognitive symptoms and more severe psychopathology than patients whose condition responds to antipsychotic drugs.
Chronicity has often been confused with treatment-resistant schizophrenia. Schizophrenia is a chronic disorder that progresses to various levels of clinical deterioration without sustained remission or full recovery. In contrast with treatment-resistant schizophrenia, chronicity is associated with a favorable response to drug treatment, in which schizophrenic features are largely under control for 6 months or longer or there is partial recovery to the premorbid level of functioning.4,5
READ MORE @ PSYCHIATRIC TIMES
The relationship between treatment-resistant and treatment-responsive schizophrenia is not strictly black and white. No particular psychopathology of schizophrenia specifically suggests treatment-resistant disease. Brenner and Merlo3 proposed that treatment-resistant schizophrenia be considered at one end of a spectrum of antipsychotic drug response rather than being clearly differentiated from treatment-responsive schizophrenia. However, patients with treatment-resistant schizophrenia do tend to have prominent negative and cognitive symptoms and more severe psychopathology than patients whose condition responds to antipsychotic drugs.
Chronicity has often been confused with treatment-resistant schizophrenia. Schizophrenia is a chronic disorder that progresses to various levels of clinical deterioration without sustained remission or full recovery. In contrast with treatment-resistant schizophrenia, chronicity is associated with a favorable response to drug treatment, in which schizophrenic features are largely under control for 6 months or longer or there is partial recovery to the premorbid level of functioning.4,5
READ MORE @ PSYCHIATRIC TIMES
Sunday, May 24, 2009
APA: Novel Antipsychotic Promising for Schizophrenia
The experimental psychotropic agent lurasidone appeared effective in acute schizophrenia, according to the first phase III data on the drug.
The intermediate 80-mg dose of the novel compound significantly improved total scores on the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) by about eight points more than placebo over six weeks of treatment in the randomized controlled trial.
However, the 40- and 120-mg per day doses did not appear better than placebo for either the primary or secondary endpoints in the trial, Antony Loebel, Ph.D., of Dainippon Sumitomo Pharma America in Fort Lee, N.J., and colleagues found.
All doses appeared to be well tolerated with little impact on weight and lipids, they reported here at the American Psychiatric Association meeting.
Lurasidone is part of the pipeline of psychotropics that have been called the "me-too" medications. It has high affinity for dopamine (D2) and serotonin 5-HT2A receptors.
But Dr. Loebel highlighted its uniqueness among psychotropics in affinity for serotonin receptors implicated in the enhancement of cognition, mood, and negative symptoms (5-HT7, 5-HT1A and alpha-2c).
READ MORE @ MEDPAGE TODAY
The intermediate 80-mg dose of the novel compound significantly improved total scores on the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) by about eight points more than placebo over six weeks of treatment in the randomized controlled trial.
However, the 40- and 120-mg per day doses did not appear better than placebo for either the primary or secondary endpoints in the trial, Antony Loebel, Ph.D., of Dainippon Sumitomo Pharma America in Fort Lee, N.J., and colleagues found.
All doses appeared to be well tolerated with little impact on weight and lipids, they reported here at the American Psychiatric Association meeting.
Lurasidone is part of the pipeline of psychotropics that have been called the "me-too" medications. It has high affinity for dopamine (D2) and serotonin 5-HT2A receptors.
But Dr. Loebel highlighted its uniqueness among psychotropics in affinity for serotonin receptors implicated in the enhancement of cognition, mood, and negative symptoms (5-HT7, 5-HT1A and alpha-2c).
READ MORE @ MEDPAGE TODAY
Thursday, April 2, 2009
Schizophrenia - Novel Treatment May Provide Relief
A compound that naturally occurs in the brain and other areas of the body may be a promising new treatment for the most severe and disruptive symptoms of schizophrenia, according to researchers from Durham Veterans Affairs Medical Center and Duke University Medical Center.
Researchers conducted a pilot study that suggests the neurosteroid pregnenolone targets symptoms of schizophrenia for which no treatment options are available. The findings are published online in journal Neuropsychopharmacology.
While antipsychotic medications can help reduce hallucinations and delusions associated with schizophrenia for some patients, the other two categories of symptoms often continue to significantly disable patients -- negative symptoms, such as apathy, lack of emotion and poor social functioning, and cognitive symptoms, which include memory impairment and difficulty concentrating and completing tasks.
READ MORE @ HEALTH NEWS DIGEST
Researchers conducted a pilot study that suggests the neurosteroid pregnenolone targets symptoms of schizophrenia for which no treatment options are available. The findings are published online in journal Neuropsychopharmacology.
While antipsychotic medications can help reduce hallucinations and delusions associated with schizophrenia for some patients, the other two categories of symptoms often continue to significantly disable patients -- negative symptoms, such as apathy, lack of emotion and poor social functioning, and cognitive symptoms, which include memory impairment and difficulty concentrating and completing tasks.
READ MORE @ HEALTH NEWS DIGEST
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Most Second-Generation Antipsychotics Effective for Treatment of Negative Schizophrenia Symptoms: Presented at EPA
Amisulpride and ziprasidone show better overall effects in comparison with other second-generation antipsychotics in the of negative symptoms of schizophrenia, according to results of 2 meta-analyses of randomised controlled trials.
Principal investigator Javier Rejas, MD, PhD, Medical Unit, Health Outcomes Research, Pfizer España, Madrid, Spain, presented these results on January 27 here at the 17th European Congress of Psychiatry, organised by the European Psychiatric Association (EPA).
While research has demonstrated the efficacy of numerous first-generation antipsychotics, such as haloperidol, for treatment of positive symptoms of schizophrenia, negative symptoms are difficult to treat and can result in severe impairment and poor quality of life, said Dr. Rejas.
His research team therefore conducted 2 meta-analyses to compare the efficacy of second-generation antipsychotics versus haloperidol and versus placebo in the treatment of negative schizophrenia symptoms.
READ MORE @ DOCTOR'S GUIDE
Principal investigator Javier Rejas, MD, PhD, Medical Unit, Health Outcomes Research, Pfizer España, Madrid, Spain, presented these results on January 27 here at the 17th European Congress of Psychiatry, organised by the European Psychiatric Association (EPA).
While research has demonstrated the efficacy of numerous first-generation antipsychotics, such as haloperidol, for treatment of positive symptoms of schizophrenia, negative symptoms are difficult to treat and can result in severe impairment and poor quality of life, said Dr. Rejas.
His research team therefore conducted 2 meta-analyses to compare the efficacy of second-generation antipsychotics versus haloperidol and versus placebo in the treatment of negative schizophrenia symptoms.
READ MORE @ DOCTOR'S GUIDE
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