Adjunctive Raloxifene and Isradipine Improve Cognitive Functioning in Patients With Schizophrenia: A Pilot Study.

BACKGROUND: Cognitive impairment is the most important feature of schizophrenia leading to severe functional disability. To identify pathways that improve pathophysiological neurocognition in schizophrenia is a current challenge for the development of goal-directed clinical interventions. In the present study, we investigated the effects of raloxifene (a selective estrogen modulator) and isradipine (a voltage-gated L-type calcium channel blocker) on cognitive deficits in patients with schizophrenia. METHOD: We designed a double-blind, randomized, parallel, placebo-controlled trial. We randomized 60 patients with schizophrenia into 3 groups including isradipine 5 mg, raloxifine 60 mg, and placebo for 6 consequent weeks, all in the same shape capsules, 2 times a day, along with treatment as usual. The initial and final results of blood tests, electrocardiograms, and cognitive tests in specific domains, such as attention, processing speed, executive function, and verbal memory were evaluated. RESULTS: Our findings revealed a remarkable association between adjunctive raloxifene treatment and the alleviation of verbal memory deficits. Isradipine treatment significantly improved the verbal memory and attention dysfunction in some variables of the Stroop test, compared with the placebo. However, no effect was observed in processing speed and executive function deficits. CONCLUSIONS: To the best of our knowledge, this study provides the first evidence that isradipine is a novel therapy option improving verbal memory and attention, both related to its activity in the hippocampus and the cerebellum. Further investigations are necessary to elucidate the mechanisms of action for both drugs in schizophrenia.

Prevalence, correlates and comorbidities of feeding and eating disorders in a nationally representative sample of Iranian children and adolescents.

OBJECTIVE: This study investigated the prevalence of feeding and eating disorders, and identified their correlates and comorbidities among children and adolescents. METHOD: We used the nationally representative sample of the Iranian Children and Adolescents' Psychiatric disorders (IRCAP) survey, with 30,532 participants randomly selected by a multistage cluster sampling method. We employed the kiddie schedule for affective disorders and schizophrenia-present and lifetime version (K-SADS-PL) semi-structured face-to-face interview to screen for any psychiatric disorders, including feeding and eating disorders, and associated factors. We used multivariate binary logistic regression to analyze the data. RESULTS: Valid data from 27,111 participants were analyzed. The total prevalence of feeding and eating disorders among children and adolescents was 0.89 (0.81-1.10). In all types of feeding and eating disorders, the adjusted odds ratio was higher among girls (except binge-eating disorder) and older adolescents but was lower among rural residents. The most common psychiatric comorbidities observed in children and adolescents with feeding and eating disorders were obsessive-compulsive disorder (20.2%), agoraphobia (20.2%), depressive disorder (16.4%), social phobia (10.1%), oppositional defiant disorder (10.1%), generalized anxiety disorder (9.4%), attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (7.5%), and conduct disorder (5.7%), which were significantly more common compared to their peers without feeding and eating disorders. DISCUSSION: Older age, female gender and living in an urban area are predisposing factors in feeding and eating disorders (in binge-eating disorder, the male gender is a positive correlate). We suggest that future works pay attention to the role of gender, comorbidities and predisposing factors.

Emotion regulation as the mediator of reductions in anxiety and depression in the Unified Protocol (UP) for transdiagnostic treatment of emotional disorders: double-blind randomized clinical trial.

OBJECTIVE: An important subject in evaluation of the efficacy of treatments is to examine how the intervention is effective and to identify the consequences of that treatment. In this regard, the current study investigates the role of emotion regulation as the mediator of the treatment outcomes of therapy using the Unified Protocol (UP) for transdiagnostic treatment of emotional disorders. METHOD: This article describes a double-blind randomized clinical trial. A sample of 26 individuals was selected based on cut-off scores for the Beck Depression Inventory and Beck Anxiety Inventory and their final diagnoses were confirmed with the Anxiety Disorders Interview Schedule for DSM-IV (ADIS-IV). The sample was randomly divided into two groups: control and treatment (13 patients each). The treatment group received 20 one-hour UP sessions. The Beck Depression Inventory, the Beck Anxiety Inventory, and the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale were administered at two stages, pre-treatment and post-treatment. RESULTS: The UP reduced anxiety and depression in patients through improvement in emotion regulation. Furthermore, the results showed that the difficulty engaging in goal-directed behavior and non-acceptance of emotional response subscales were capable of predicting 62% of variance in anxiety scores. In turn, two subscales, difficulty engaging in goal-directed behavior and lack of emotional clarity, predicted 72% of variance in depression scores. CONCLUSION: Emotion regulation can be considered as a potential mediating factor and as predictive of outcomes of transdiagnostic treatment based on the UP. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION: Iranian Registry of Clinical Trials, IRCT2017072335245N1.

Emotion regulation as the mediator of reductions in anxiety and depression in the Unified Protocol (UP) for transdiagnostic treatment of emotional disorders: double-blind randomized clinical trial / Regulação emocional como mediadora de reduções em ansiedade e depressão no Protocolo Unificado para o tratamento transdiagnóstico de transtornos psicológicos: ensaio clínico randomizado duplo-cego

Abstract Objective: An important subject in evaluation of the efficacy of treatments is to examine how the intervention is effective and to identify the consequences of that treatment. In this regard, the current study investigates the role of emotion regulation as the mediator of the treatment outcomes of therapy using the Unified Protocol (UP) for transdiagnostic treatment of emotional disorders. Method: This article describes a double-blind randomized clinical trial. A sample of 26 individuals was selected based on cut-off scores for the Beck Depression Inventory and Beck Anxiety Inventory and their final diagnoses were confirmed with the Anxiety Disorders Interview Schedule for DSM-IV (ADIS-IV). The sample was randomly divided into two groups: control and treatment (13 patients each). The treatment group received 20 one-hour UP sessions. The Beck Depression Inventory, the Beck Anxiety Inventory, and the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale were administered at two stages, pre-treatment and post-treatment. Results: The UP reduced anxiety and depression in patients through improvement in emotion regulation. Furthermore, the results showed that the difficulty engaging in goal-directed behavior and non-acceptance of emotional response subscales were capable of predicting 62% of variance in anxiety scores. In turn, two subscales, difficulty engaging in goal-directed behavior and lack of emotional clarity, predicted 72% of variance in depression scores. Conclusion: Emotion regulation can be considered as a potential mediating factor and as predictive of outcomes of transdiagnostic treatment based on the UP. Clinical trial registration: Iranian Registry of Clinical Trials, IRCT2017072335245N1.

Resumo Objetivo: É importante, na avaliação da eficácia de tratamentos, examinar como a intervenção tem efeito e identificar suas consequências. O presente estudo investiga o papel da regulação emocional enquanto mediadora de desfechos do tratamento que emprega o Protocolo Unificado (PU) para o tratamento transdiagnóstico de transtornos psicológicos. Método: Este artigo descreve um ensaio clínico randomizado duplo-cego. Uma amostra de 26 indivíduos foi selecionada com base em escores pré-estabelecidos para o Inventário de Depressão de Beck e o Inventário de Ansiedade de Beck, e seus diagnósticos finais foram confirmados utilizando o instrumento Anxiety Disorders Interview Schedule for DSM-IV (ADIS-IV). A amostra foi dividida aleatoriamente em dois grupos: controle e tratamento (13 pacientes em cada). O grupo tratamento recebeu 20 sessões de PU de 1 hora cada. O Inventário de Depressão de Beck, Inventário de Ansiedade de Beck Beck e Escala de Dificuldades de Regulação Emocional foram administrados em duas etapas, antes e depois do tratamento. Resultados: O PU reduziu a ansiedade e a depressão em pacientes, ao melhorar a regulação emocional. Além disso, os resultados mostraram que as subescalas dificuldade de se engajar em comportamentos orientados por objetivos e não aceitação de resposta emocional responderam por 62% da variância nos escores de ansiedade. Nos escores de depressão, duas subescalas, dificuldade de se engajar em comportamentos orientados por objetivos e falta de claridade emocional, explicaram 72% da variância. Conclusão: A regulação emocional pode ser considerada o principal fator mediador e também preditora de desfechos do tratamento transdiagnóstico baseado no PU. Registro do ensaio clínico: Iranian Registry of Clinical Trials, IRCT2017072335245N1.

A Survey on Mental Health Status of Adult Population Aged 15 and above in the Province of Zanjan, Iran.

INTRODUCTION: This research aims to determine the mental health status of population aged 15 and over in the province of Zanjan in 2015. METHOD: This cross-sectional field study was conducted on the residents of both urban and rural areas of the Zanjan province. Through systematic random cluster sampling, 1200 individuals were selected from the residents of urban and rural areas of of Zanjan, Abhar and Qeydar. The 28-item version of the General Health Questionnaire was applied as the screening tool. The data were analyzed using SPSS, version 18.0 for windows. RESULTS: This study showed that using the traditional scoring method, 28.5% of the subjects (32.9% of females and 24.2% of males) were suspected of having mental disorders. The prevalence of suspected psychiatric disorders in urban areas (30%) was higher than the prevalence of these disorders in rural areas (24.8%). The prevalence of suspected anxiety and the somatization of symptoms was higher than the prevalence of social dysfunction and depression, and the prevalence of these components was higher in women than men. The findings of this study also showed that the prevalence of suspected mental disorders increased significantly with age. The prevalence of suspected cases of these disorders was higher among women, the age group of 65 and older, people living in urban areas, divorced and widowed, illiterate, and retired individuals compared to the other groups. CONCLUSION: The results of this study show that more than one quarter of the sample (28.5%) were suspected of mental disorders, and the prevalence of these disorders has increased from 21.3% in 1999 to 28.5% in 2015. Therefore, it is up to the authorities and health managers of the province to take the basic steps to supply, maintain, and preserve the mental health of those in need and promote the mental health of the community.