When Thoughts Are in a Race: Area 10 and Bipolar Disorders

Racing thought, when patients incessantly shift from one word or sentence to another while pending previous ones unfinished, is a symptom of (hypo)mania in bipolar disorders received less attention hitherto. Here, based on few evidence, we aim to unfold our hypothetical viewpoint that the frontopolar cortex that is believed to play a part in multitasking and management of competing goals might be dysfunctional in bipolar patients and may contribute in induction of flight of ideas. We then address new avenues for future research and try to encourage researchers to design more comprehensive studies to either accept or decline this proposed conjecture.

Patterns of psychotropic medication prescriptions by psychiatrists for private clinic outpatients in Kerman province, Iran

The aim of this study was to assess the pattern and utilisation of psychotropic drug prescriptions by psychiatrists in Kerman Province, Iran. The prescriptions of 27 psychiatrists were randomly selected from two Iranian public insurance organisations and were analysed for the mean number of drugs/prescriptions, drug category and the most frequently prescribed drug in each category as well as overall. A total of 6,414 prescriptions were analysed. The mean number of drugs per prescription was 2.9. Antidepressants [61.0%] were the most frequently prescribed category of psychotropic medications, followed by antipsychotics [29.5%], sedative/hypnotics or anti-anxiety drugs [27.5%] and mood stabilisers [18.5%]. The combination of antidepressants with antipsychotics was the most commonly prescribed combination [18.8%]. Fluoxetine [16.5%] and trifluoperazine [13.5%] were among the most frequently prescribed antidepressants and antipsychotics, respectively. Clonazepam [10.5%] was the most commonly prescribed benzodiazepine agent, followed by alprazolam [8.5%]. In terms of total drug utilisation, sertraline [12.4%] was the most commonly used psychotropic medication followed by fluoxetine [9.7%], trifluoperazine [6.6%], propranolol [4.5%] and clonazepam [3.7%]. A high proportion of psychotropic prescriptions in Kerman Province were for antidepressants, followed by antipsychotics and the benzodiazepines. Further research is needed to determine the underlying correlation between prescription practice and the diagnosis and patient characteristics, as well as to investigate the use of different psychotropic medications