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Despite the advances of modern psychiatry, schizophrenia remains a challenge for the clinician and the society. The variety of symptoms with the associated cognitive deficiency make this pathology, a continuous field of research, the psychiatrists being focused in maintaining the long-term functionality and social reinsertion of the affected people. Therefore, the main objective of this paper is to bring to attention the therapies applied over time, explaining their effectiveness and introducing the new strategies proposed nowadays. It represents a review of the literature, but also the clinical experience, and is intended to be a tool to be used in the recovery of our patients. Given the four hypotheses of different classes of neurotransmitters involved in the onset of schizophrenia, the researchers followed the development of drugs that act effectively on them. The most well-known theory remains the implications of the dopaminergic system, which is why most of the typical antipsychotics have targeted the positive symptoms. Learning about the importance of the noradrenergic, serotoninergic and GABAergic effects, a new generation of antipsychotics have been conceived, the first being clozapine. These aimed at addressing the negative symptomatology in particular, which is often underestimated. Nowadays, the attention of scientists is focused on molecules with a better cognitive effect and better management of the aggressive symptoms. ECT had a special role over the years, nowadays remaining a heroic approach, psychotherapies, especially the cognitive-behavioural one, gaining more and more ground. The combination of medication and psychotherapy have the best long-term results. New approaches such as transcranial stimulation of the frontal lobe in particular, are under the scope. Given the wide range of therapeutic schemes, it is important to individualize the treatment according to the patient's profile, looking forward to easing the pain of our patients and their families. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the last few years cognitive impairment caused by the consumption of drugs has been intensively studied, especially because new methods of neuroimaging are available. The number of illicit substance users had been increased worldwide, worrying the physicians due to the early age and the general degradation of our patients. The objective of this paper is to present the clinical aspects correlated with the results of neuroscientific approaches of the cognitive deterioration caused by psychoactive products, highlighting the new legal implications of drug abuse. This paper represents a literature review of substance use disorders, based on the observations made on a few clinical cases. The most altered cognitive functions were the executive domains. Impaired attention with the inability to stay focused, working memory with difficulty in step by step activities, as well as poor decision-making were noticed. Neurocognitive impairment can be assessed with different screening tools, with psychometric scales that are appropriated to the neurodevelopment of young adults, addressing the subtle changes of the psychiatric brain functions when using drugs. Taking into consideration the fact most of the substances that are used for recreational purpose are illegal, patients address the medical help only when they or their families feel out of control, most of them presenting signs of psychosis when in the emergency room. Therefore the treatment of this patients remains focused on remitting these symptoms. Very few scales are designed or applied in Romanian population, but measuring the level of deterioration could help developing more effective social programs. In conclusion, substance use disorders remain a challenge for the clinicians, therapeutic target should address the cognitive impairment in order to obtain a good familial and social reinsertion of drug users. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Traumatic event is defined as being life threatening, something that exceeds the victim's normal resources. Some people who have experienced traumatic events, will recover with the right support, but most of them develop Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Objective: exposing the best methods of psychosocial rehabilitation in post-traumatic stress syndrome. Methods: Meta-analysis of some reviews that expose the best treatments for posttraumatic stress disorder. Results: The most effective methods of psychosocial rehabilitation in PTSD are cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), prolonged exposure therapy (PE) and mindfulness based therapy can provide many benefits. Also cognitive therapy seems to be useful. Conclusions: Many clinical studies show that the most effective methods of psychotherapy in PTSD are cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT), prolonged exposure therapy (PE) and mindfulness based therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Alcohol addiction is a serious health problem, affecting about 1.3% of the population in Romania. Excessive alcohol consumption has a negative impact on the individual's well being and social life of him and those around him. It is frequently associated with multiple somatic and psychiatric disorders and in order to prevent the long term negative effects, treatment should be started as soon as possible. Objective: The purpose of our article is to summarize and review the possible therapies for alcohol dependence, to evaluate the most effective methods to manage this problem, respectively to estimate the rate and causes of it's recurrence. Material and method: Our work consists in analyzing multiple research papers studying the treatment options for alcohol addiction. Result: Multiple treatment strategies are available for managing alcohol dependence. Many studies have shown that patients who benefited from drug treatment with either acamprosate, naltrexone or disulfiram showed a decreasing tendency to restart drinking. Patients who received psychosocial treatment in addition to pharmacological treatment showed improved results. The most effective psychosocial treatments used were cognitive behavioural therapy, motivational interviewing, behavioural marital therapy and prize-based contingency management. Recurrence is common and occurs most often in the first three months of abstinence. Specific situations and risk factors associated with relapses were: abandonment, low impulse control, social pressure, interpersonal conflicts and lack of familial support. Supportive organizations, such as Alcoholics Anonymous, using many effective group therapy techniques, help patients cope with alcohol addiction and provide peer support to resist craving, playing a vital role in maintaining abstinence. Conclusions: Due to scientific advancements, professionals can now choose from a wide range of treatment options. The first step in treating the dependence is understanding the disease and accepting it. It should be emphasized that no treatment is possible without the patient's motivation to give up drinking. The recovery process is not linear, and the results are highly dependent on the patient's psychological and social characteristics as well as their drinking habits. The treatment of alcohol dependence must be individualized and adapted to the needs of the individual. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Bipolar disorder is a lifelong episodic psychiatric disorder that affects approximately 1% of the global population. The disorder is associated with impaired psychosocial functioning, increased rates of disability and mortality. Proper management of the disorder involve pharmacotherapy combined with multiple psychological treatment options. Objectives: We aimed to evaluate and compare the possible pharmacological and psychosocial treatment options in bipolar disorder, focusing particularly on their efficacy in improving patients' quality of life and in reducing the rate of relapse. Material and method: Our work consists in the data analysis of multiple research papers conducted on the different treatment options for bipolar disorder. Results: The main treatment option for the acute phases of bipolar disorder remains pharmacotherapy. For the treatment of acute manic episodes antipsychotic medication, particularly olanzapine and risperidone, appears to be more effective than lithium or anticonvulsants. In acute depressive episodes quetiapine proves to be the most beneficial treatment option. For the long-term maintenance of the disorder and in preventing relapse lithium remains the first line of choice. Adjunctive psychotherapy such as cognitive behavioral therapy and psychoeducation increases adherence to the pharmacological treatment and reduces the rate of relapse. Conclusions: Successful management of bipolar disorder requires individualized pharmacotherapy and psychotherapy. Due to the recurring nature of the mood disturbances the pharmacological treatment options needs to be optimized and configured for both short- and long-term. Psychosocial interventions can improve social functioning and help in the early detection and reduction of relapse. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of the study was to evaluate if bioresonance therapy can offer quantifiable results in patients with recurrent major depressive disorder and with mild, moderate, or severe depressive episodes by decreasing the level of depression due to the application of bioresonance therapy as independently or complementary treatment. The study included 140 patients suffering from depression, divided into three groups. The first group (40 patients) received solely bioresonance therapy, the second group (40 patients) received pharmacological treatment with antidepressants combined with bioresonance therapy, and the third group (60 patients) received solely pharmacological treatment with antidepressants. The assessment of depression was made using the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale, with 17 items, at the beginning of the bioresonance treatment and the end of the five weeks of treatment, aiming to decrease the level of depression. The study identified the existence of a statistically significant difference for the treatment methods applied to the analyzed groups (p=0.0001), and we found that the therapy accelerates the healing process in patients with depressive disorders. Improvement was observed for the analyzed groups, with a decrease of the mean values between the initial and final phase of the level of depression, of delta for Hamilton score of 3.1, 3.8 and 2.3, respectively. We concluded that the bioresonance therapy could be useful in the treatment of recurrent major depressive disorder with moderate depressive episodes independently or as a complementary therapy to antidepressants., (©2021 JOURNAL of MEDICINE and LIFE.)