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Introduction A certain degree of depressive symptoms is common in schizophrenic patients. The assessment and treatment of depressive symptoms in schizophrenia is clinically challenging. Objectives We conducted a cross-sectional study to investigate the depressive dimension of schizophrenic patients. Aims The aim was to evaluate the effect of pharmacotherapy on depressive symptomatology. Methods Thirty-four outpatients (18-65 years old) with stable schizophrenia in monotherapy with FGAs or SGAs. We evaluated: depressive symptoms with Calgary Depression Scale for Schizophrenia; positive and negative symptoms (with Positive and Negative Symptom Scale); neurocognition (with Matrics Cognitive Consensus Battery); social cognition (with Facial Emotional Identification Test); social functioning (with Personal and Social Performance Scale and with UCSD Performance-based Skills Assessment). Collected data underwent statistical analyses. Results A SGAs therapy was associated with: lower depressive symptoms (mean SGAs group = 4.0; mean FGAs group = 7.86, P < 0.05); lower mean positive symptoms (mean SGAs group = 12.65; mean FGAs group = 17.43, P < 0.05); lower negative symptoms (mean SGAs group = 21.35; mean FGAs group = 29.07, P < 0.05); lower scores on the PANSS-total (mean SGAs group = 71.05; mean FGAs group = 91.86, P < 0.01). After correction for multiple variables, the SGAs group still had significantly lower values towards the FGAs group ( P < 0.05). Conclusions Our study support the notion that switch from a FGA to a SGA could be a relatively simple first-step for the treatment of this condition. Atypical antipsychotics might exercise antidepressant effects with different potential mechanism including: remission of a FGA-induced depression and action on of 5-hydroxytryptamine, dopamine [other than postsynaptic D2], and α1-noradrenergic receptor sites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report a clinical case of a patient with a manic episode after taking methylphenidate (up to 120mgr per day) and cannabis in order to improve performance during exam period. He was hospitalized for disorganized behaviour, increased aggresion, delusions, grandiosity. He was affected by attention deficit and hyperactivity during childhood and recent episods of subthreshold depression. The therapy consisted of benzodiazepine and hydratation. In conclusion clinicians shuould ha ve caution in prescribing neurostimulant in vulnerable subjects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction Polydrug use is mostly common among adolescents and young adults, often with the intention of enhancing or counteracting the effects of another drug. It significantly increases the risks, due to drug synergy and increased side effects. Objectives We investigated the prevalence of polydrug users in a population of Italian young adults using a specifically designed questionnaire. Aims We aimed to assess the prevalence of polydrug abusers in a large sample of general population, and also to identify possible associations between alcohol misuse (e.g., binge drinking behaviours) and polydrug use. Methods We administered the questionnaire to a sample of 3000 subjects, aged 18 to 26, investigating socio-economic characteristics, alcohol abuse (with a specific focus on binge drinking) and use of psychoactive substances (cannabis, cocaine and Novel Psychoactive Substances-NPS). Collected data underwent statistical analyses. Results 80.5% of the sample habitually consumed alcoholic beverages. Among alcohol consumers, 34.2% used cannabis, 5.4% cocaine, 3.7% NPS, and 79,2% had binge drinking behaviours. Among those who did not consume alcohol, 4% used cannabis, 0.4% used cocaine, and 0% used NPS. Polydrug use was more common among binge drinkers. 35.6% of cocaine abusers also used NPS, in comparison to 1.4% of non-abusers. Conclusions According to scientific literature, alcohol and cocaine are the substances most commonly involved in risky polydrug use. Binge drinking and NPS appear to ben involved in polydrug use too. The combined effects of the different drugs need to be considered in identifying an appropriate and timely intervention strategy [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]