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Aim: Our objective was to systematically assess the prevalence and clinical features of adverse events related to interactions between cannabinoids and psychotropic drugs through a retrospective chart review. Methodology: 1586 adverse event reports were assessed. Cases included in the analysis showed a high probability of a causal relationships between cannabinoid-psychotropic drug interactions and adverse events. Data extracted included age, sex, psychotropic drug, cannabinoid products, other medications, and the clinical outcomes and mechanisms of these interactions. Results: Cannabinoids were involved in 8% of adverse events associated with the concomitant use of psychotropic drugs and other preparations. We identified 20 reports in which side effects presented a causal relationship with the use of psychotropic drugs and cannabinoids. Preparations containing 18% or more tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), presented significant side effects with the following antidepressants: mianserine (restless legs syndrome, urogenital pain, ventricular tachycardia), mirtazapine (pancreatitis, hyperhidrosis, arthralgia), quetiapine (myocarditis, renal failure, bradycardia, sialorrhea), haloperidol (ventricular arrhythmia, prolonged QTc), aripiprazole (prolonged QTc), ventricular tachycardia) and cariprazine (stomach pain, hepatotoxicity), sertraline (ataxia, hyperactivity, coma, hallucinations, anxiety, agitation, tachycardia, panic attacks, disorientation, headache, dizziness, blurry vision, severe emesis, xerostomia, dry eyes), trazodone (disorientation, memory impairment, sedation), fluvoxamine (tachycardia, tachypnoea, dysarthria, auditory hallucinations). Two out of 20 reports (10%) analyzed in our study was related with the simultaneous use of cannabidiol (CBD) oil and sertraline. Concomitant use of those substances was associated with the adverse events in form of diarrhea, emesis, fever and severe fatigue. Conclusion: Clinicians need to closely monitor adverse events resulting from the combined use of cannabinoids and psychotropic medications. The accumulation of side effects and pharmacokinetic interactions (including CYP and p-glycoprotein inhibition) between these drugs can lead to clinically significant adverse outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Schizophrenia (SZ) and bipolar disorder (BD) share common clinical features, symptoms, and neurocognitive deficits, which results in common misdiagnosis. Recently, it has been suggested that alterations within brain networks associated with perceptual organization yield potential to distinguish SZ and BD individuals. The aim of our study was to evaluate whether functional connectivity (FC) of the dorsal attention network (DAN) may differentiate both conditions Methods: The study involved 90 participants: 30 remitted SZ patients, 30 euthymic BD patients, and 30 healthy controls (HC). Resting state functional magnetic resonance imaging was used to compare the groups in terms of the FC within the core nodes of the DAN involving frontal eye fields (FEF) and intraparietal sulcus (IPS) Results: BD patients presented weaker inter-hemispheric FC between right and left FEF than HC. While SZ did not differ from HC in terms of inter-FEF connectivity, they presented increased inter- and intra-hemispheric FC between FEF and IPS. When compared with BD, SZ patients showed increased FC between right FEF and other nodes of the network (bilateral IPS and left FEF) Conclusion: We have shown that altered resting state FC within DAN differentiates BD, SZ, and HC groups. Divergent pattern of FC within DAN, consisting of hypoconnectivity in BD and hyperconnectivity in SZ, might yield a candidate biomarker for differential diagnosis between both conditions. More highly powered studies are needed to confirm these possibilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Anhedonia constitutes a core symptom of major depressive disorder (MDD) mediating the ultimate goal of MDD treatment: functional remission. Anhedonia is also present in other clinical populations, including patients with chronic pain. Recent data links anhedonia to insulin resistance (IR). Some researchers have underlined a different dimension of anhedonia as a temperament/personality trait. The objective of this post-hoc analysis was to explore the links between anhedonia (main outcome) and (1) IR, (2) temperamental, personality, and schizotypy traits (exposures). The study population included patients with MDD, fibromyalgia, and healthy controls. Participants were split into groups: (1) insulin resistant (IR[+] n = 69, HOMA-IR ≥ 2.1) and (2) insulin sensitive (IR[−] n = 69, HOMA-IR < 2.1). Anhedonia was significantly higher in the IR[+] group than the IR[−] group. IR was a predictor of higher anhedonia levels. IR[+] vs. IR[−] participants showed higher levels of anxiety and lower levels of hyperthymic affective temperaments, as well as conscientiousness and emotional stability personality traits. Depressive, irritable, and anxious temperaments, cognitive disorganization, and introvertive anhedonia positively predicted anhedonia, while hyperthymic temperament, conscientiousness, extraversion, and emotional stability traits negatively predicted anhedonia. IR partially mediated the relationship between depressive temperament and anhedonia. In sum, IR, affective temperaments, and personality traits are predictors of anhedonia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim. The aim of the pilot study was to compare the level of empathy among adolescents treated in a psychiatric day unit in groups with varied age, gender and type of disorder (conduct and emotional disorders and depressive-anxiety disorders). Method. The study was carried out in a group of 117 adolescents (69 girls and 48 boys) aged 13-20, treated in the Clinical Day Unit of the Department of Adult, Child and Adolescent Psychiatry of the University Hospital in Kraków between 2016-2021. The Davis Empathy Scale and the Cohen Empathy Scale were used for the study. Results. Girls scored significantly higher compared to boys on the Cohen and Davis Empathy scales and on the Davis subscale: Personal Distress. Statistically significant interactions were observed for the factors of gender and age, as well as age and disorder type. Older boys had statistically significantly higher scores on the Davis Empathy Scale compared to younger boys, while the reverse pattern was observed for girls (non-significant). Older patients with conduct disorders had significantly lower Cohen's Empathy Scale scores compared to younger patients; the opposite pattern was observed in the group of patients with anxiety-depressive disorders (non-significant). Conclusions. Girls exhibit higher levels of affective and cognitive empathy than boys. The intensity of empathy increases with age in the group of boys, while for girls the obtained differences are not statistically significant. The intensity of empathy is significantly lower in the group of older adolescents (versus younger) with conduct and emotional disorders. Among depressive-anxiety disorders, the opposite pattern was noted (non-significant). The unique results obtained indicate a different trajectory of empathy development in the group of patients with conduct disorders and with depressive-anxiety disorders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim. Virtual reality (VR) is growing in popularity in treating various psychiatric disorders, including psychotic ones. However, no studies have been published on mindfulness interventions aided by virtual reality in psychotic patients to date. Method. 25 patients with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder were assessed at three time points with 4-week intervals using the six-item Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS-6), Quick Inventory of Depressive Symptomatology (QIDS), Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI), State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI), Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10), and the Addenbrooke's Cognitive Examination III (ACE-III). Additionally, the intensity of seven emotions was rated using the Visual Analog Scale (VAS) before and after each training session. Results. The subjects achieved a significant reduction in symptom severity after completing mindfulness training. This was reflected by the PANSS-6 total score, as well as by the subscales for negative and positive symptoms. A significant increase in cognitive functioning (ACE-III scores) was also found. No significant changes in these measures were observed when only the standard intervention was used. Conclusions. Our study indicates good feasibility of the developed mindfulness intervention in VR in schizophrenic patients. The results indicate potential benefits in terms of lessening of the symptoms and improvement in cognition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mood disorders are highly prevalent and heterogenous mental illnesses with devastating rates of mortality and treatment resistance. The molecular basis of those conditions involves complex interplay between genetic and environmental factors. Currently, there are no objective procedures for diagnosis, prognosis and personalization of patients' treatment. There is an urgent need to search for novel molecular targets for biomarkers in mood disorders. Cellular prion protein (PrPc) is infamous for its potential to convert its insoluble form, leading to neurodegeneration in Creutzfeldt-Jacob disease. Meanwhile, in its physiological state, PrPc presents neuroprotective features and regulates neurotransmission and synaptic plasticity. The aim of this study is to integrate the available knowledge about molecular mechanisms underlying the impact of PrPc on the pathophysiology of mood disorders. Our review indicates an important role of this protein in regulation of cognitive functions, emotions, sleep and biological rhythms, and its deficiency results in depressive-like behavior and cognitive impairment. PrPc plays a neuroprotective role against excitotoxicity, oxidative stress and inflammation, the main pathophysiological events in the course of mood disorders. Research indicates that PrPc may be a promising biomarker of cognitive decline. There is an urgent need of human studies to elucidate its potential utility in clinical practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]