VOL 37 No. 2

BRAIN IMAGING

Functional Neuroanatomical Correlates of Traumatic Stress Revisited 7 Years Later, This Time with Data

J. Douglas Bremner, MD

Seven years ago, we wrote a paper about the functional neuroanatomical correlates of the effects of stress on memory; however, at that time, there were no data on the effects of stress on the brain...

Pages 6-25 Read Article

BRAIN IMAGING

Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy for Studies of Neurotransmission in Vivo

Graeme F. Mason, PhD

Magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) of hydrogen and carbon allows the study of neurochemical alterations in neuropsychiatric disorders. This paper discusses the basic theory of MRS to provide an understanding of this complex technical area. A...

Pages 26-40 Read Article

DRUG DISPOSITION & PHARMACOKINETICS

Alzheimer’s Disease and the Glutamate NMDA Receptor

P. Murali Doraiswamy, MD

Current treatment of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) has focused on the use of cholinesterase inhibitors. This review emphasizes emerging therapies for the treatment and/or prevention of AD, with a focus on glutamatergic excitotoxicity in dementia and...

Pages 41-47 Read Article

DRUG DISPOSITION & PHARMACOKINETICS

What Is a Significant Response in Drug Studies of Attention- Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder: Statistical Significance Is Necessary, But Is It Sufficient?

R. Bart Sangal, MD, and JoAnne M. Sangal, PhD

The methods used to report data from clinical treatment trials can influence the interpretation of the results. Reporting that a study drug achieves a statistically significant result does not provide the absolute likelihood or magnitude...

Pages 50-58 Read Article

EVIDENCE-BASED MEDICINE

Evidence-Based Mental Health Use of Anticonvulsants During Pregnancy

Jane P. Gagliardi, MD, and K. Ranga Rama Krishnan, MB, ChB

There are many pertinent issues surrounding the treatment of bipolar disorder during pregnancy. Unfortunately, while there are numerous observational reports in the literature, there is limited information concerning the safety and efficacy of particular treatments...

Pages 59-66 Read Article

EVIDENCE-BASED MEDICINE

Effect of Bupropion SR on Specific Symptom Clusters of Depression: Analysis of the 31-Item Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression

Brenda D. Jamerson, PharmD, K. Ranga Rama Krishnan, MB, ChB, Jeremy Roberts, MS, Alok Krishen, MSc, MS, and Jack G. Modell, MD

Principal component (PC) analysis is a statistical technique that has been used to identify core depression symptoms on the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HAM-D). PC analysis is also a useful method to identify unidimensional...

Pages 67-78 Read Article

TRANSLATIONAL NEUROSCIENCE

Incipient Neurovulnerability and Neuroprotection in Early Psychosis

Gregor E. Berger, MD, FMH Psych (CH), Stephen Wood, MA (Cantab), PhD, and Patrick D. McGorry, MBBS, MD, PhD, FRCP, FRANZCP

The objective of this study was to review the implications of altered regulatory mechanisms of progenitor cell generation and death for neurodevelopment and adult brain functioning in early intervention in schizophrenia and related disorders. MEDLINE...

Pages 79-101 Read Article

GENERAL PSYCHOPHARMACOLOGY

Can Serotonin and Fluoxetine Levels in Plasma and Platelets Predict Clinical Response in Depression?

Paolo Castrogiovanni, MD, Patrizia Blardi, MD, Sonia Iapichino, MD, Arianna de Lalla, MD, Alice Dell’Erba, MD, and Alberto Auteri, MD

We describe the clinical response and the area under the concentration-time curve (AUC) of fluoxetine and serotonin levels in plasma and platelets in 10 depressive patients treated with 20 mg/day of fluoxetine for 30 days....

Pages 102-108 Read Article

GENERAL PSYCHOPHARMACOLOGY

5-HT2A Receptor Promoter Polymorphism, -1438G/A and Negative Symptom Response to Olanzapine in Schizophrenia

Vicki L. Ellingrod, PharmD, BCPP, Brian C. Lund, PharmD, MS, BCPP, Paul J. Perry, PhD, BCPP, Kristy Bever-Stille, PharmD, BCPP, Frank Fleming, BSN, Timothy L. Holman, MA, and Del Miller, PharmD, MD

The 5-HT2A receptor promoter -1438G/A polymorphism, which is in complete linkage disequilibrium with the 5-HT2A 102T/C polymorphism, may be related to antipsychotic response. The aim of this paper is to determine relationships between the -1438G/A...

Pages 109-112 Read Article

GENERAL PSYCHOPHARMACOLOGY

DDTC, a Metabolite of Disulfiram, Reduces the Stimulating Effect on Ethanol’s Locomotor Activity in Mice

Maria Dolores Escarabajal, PhD, and Carlos M.G. Aragon, PhD

To investigate how diethyldithiocarbamate (DDTC) affects the stimulating effect of ethanol on open-field locomotion, mice were pretreated with different doses of DDTC 8 hours prior to ethanol. The effect of DDTC and saline on different...

Pages 113-117 Read Article

GENERAL PSYCHOPHARMACOLOGY

Therapeutic Implications of HPA Axis Abnormalities in Alzheimer’s Disease: Review and Update

Nunzio Pomara, MD, William M. Greenberg, MD, Michael D. Branford, and P. Murali Doraiswamy, MD

The adaptive and maladaptive roles of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis in stressful conditions and in disorders such as major depression, posttraumatic stress disorder, and Cushing’s syndrome have been the subject of substantial ongoing study. In...

Pages 120-134 Read Article