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The article presents a research paper on the effect of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) which is considered as a significant therapeutic option in contemporary psychiatric practice. Among ECT's main diagnostic indications are bipolar disorder, major depressive disorder, and schizophrenia. However, it can be accompanied by medical complications such as prolonged apnea, prolonged seizures, or cardiac or pulmonary complications.

Background: About 1 in 5 youth have a mental illness, with 75 percent of all mental illnesses having their onset in childhood or adolescence (Kim- Cohen et al., 2003). In Ontario, 157,900 youth rated their mental health as fair or poor, a significant increase from 2007 (Boak et al., 2014). Not only do mental health concerns cause difficulties at onset, they can also disrupt important life transitions and developmental milestones, as well as being burdensome throughout the individual’s lifespan (Ratnasingham et al., 2012). Consequently, new care approaches are needed. The TELEPROM-Y project will evaluate outpatient health care delivery using InputHealth’s electronic Collaborative Health Record (CHR) at London Health Sciences Centre, St. Joseph’s Health Care London, Woodstock General Hospital, and community agencies including Youth Opportunities Unlimited, WAYS Mental Health Support, and Leads Employment Services. Methods: 120 youth (ages 14–25) will be recruited from the caseloads of 46 mental healthcare providers. Participants will use a smartphone application (app) to connect to the Collaborative Health Record. Semi-structured interviews will be conducted at baseline, 6, and 12 months. This is a participatory action research project utilizing a pre-post, mixed-methods design. A standardized evaluation framework will be instituted to facilitate systematic effectiveness, economic, ethical, and policy analyses. Some of the functions of the app, available for Apple and Android phones, include: making/changing/cancelling appointments; text messaging; emailing, and filling out questionnaires/surveys. If the youth are unable to attend a scheduled appointment in person, the care-provider and youth can have a virtual visit, similar to FaceTime or Skype. Virtual visits should reduce missed appointments. Results: Descriptive information thus far of 104 participants: Psychotic Disorder (e.g. schizophrenia) (13, 12.6%), Developmental handicap (e.g. Autism) (7, 6.8%), Anxiety Disorder (e.g. PTSD) (73, 70.9%), Disorder of childhood/adolescence (e.g. ADHD) (37, 35.9%), Substance-related disorder (13, 12.6%), Personality Disorder (17, 16.5%), Mood Disorder (e.g. depression, bipolar mood disorder) (70, 68.0%), Unknown (4, 3.9%), Other (19, 18.4%). Discussion: We anticipate that through the usage of the TELEPROM-Y app the participant and care-provider experience will be enhanced, leading to 1) improved healthcare outcomes and patient quality of life, and 2) reduced healthcare costs by preventing hospitalization and reducing the need for face-to-face outpatient visits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Long-acting injectable risperidone represents the first clinically available depot atypical antipsychotic. The present study used positron emission tomography (PET) to evaluate its dopamine D2 binding profile at doses of 25, 50, or 75 mg administered every 2 weeks. Method: After achieving stabilization with one of the doses, nine patients with a diagnosis of schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder underwent [11C]raclopride PET to measure D2 occupancy. Participants were scanned twice during the 2-week injection interval: within 3 days after injection (postinjection) and within 5 days before the next injection (preinjection). At the same time, plasma was collected for measurements of risperidone plus 9-hydroxyrisperidone. Results: Mean post- and preinjection D2 occupancy levels for the 25-, 50-, and 75-mg doses were 71.0% and 54.0%, 74.4% and 65.4%, and 81.5% and 75.0%, respectively. There was a significant correlation between dose and plasma concentrations of risperidone plus 9-hydroxyrisperidone, and the estimated plasma concentration associated with 50% D2 occupancy (ED50) was 11.06 ng/ml. Prolactin levels were not correlated with drug levels or D2 occupancy. Conclusions: All three doses of injectable risperidone showed peak D2 occupancy levels above the 65% threshold associated with optimal clinical response; the 75-mg dose approximated the 80% threshold linked to increased risk of extrapyramidal symptoms. Doses of 25 or 50 mg should provide therapeutic efficacy while minimizing the risk of extrapyramidal symptoms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Serum prolactin levels were measured in 48 consecutive sexually dysfunctional women who presented to a sexuality clinic. The prevalence of hyperprolactinemia and mean prolactin level of this group were compared to a control group (blood donor volunteers) of 93 women. One woman in the study group (2.1%) was hyperprolactinemic (serum prolactin > 15 μ/L). However, the differences in both prevalence of hyperprolactinemia and mean prolactin levels, between groups, were not statistically significant. Neither were differences found in mean prolactin levels among subgroups of women in different diagnostic categories and in those with single vs. multiple diagnoses. Nonetheless, because hyperprolactinemia is readily treatable, we would recommend prolactin determinations in sexually dysfunctional women, particularly in those with associated reproductive irregularity or in whom organic etiology is clinically suspect. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]