Psychological medicine
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Psychological medicine · Feb 2016
Randomized Controlled TrialSingle i.v. ketamine augmentation of newly initiated escitalopram for major depression: results from a randomized, placebo-controlled 4-week study.
While oral antidepressants reach efficacy after weeks, single-dose intravenous (i.v.) ketamine has rapid, yet time-limited antidepressant effects. We aimed to determine the efficacy and safety of single-dose i.v. ketamine augmentation of escitalopram in major depressive disorder (MDD). ⋯ Single-dose i.v. ketamine augmentation of escitalopram was safe and effective in severe MDD, holding promise for speeding up early oral antidepressant efficacy.
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Psychological medicine · Feb 2016
Brain substrates of perceived spatial separation between speech sources under simulated reverberant listening conditions in schizophrenia.
People with schizophrenia recognize speech poorly under multiple-people-talking (informational masking) conditions. In reverberant environments, direct-wave signals from a speech source are perceptually integrated with the source reflections (the precedence effect), forming perceived spatial separation (PSS) between different sources and consequently improving target-speech recognition against informational masking. However, the brain substrates underlying the schizophrenia-related vulnerability to informational masking and whether schizophrenia affects the unmasking effect of PSS are largely unknown. ⋯ Introducing the PSS listening condition efficiently reveals both the brain substrates underlying schizophrenia-related speech-recognition deficits against informational masking and the schizophrenia-related neural compensatory strategy for impaired SPL functions.
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Psychological medicine · Jan 2016
Randomized Controlled TrialAcceptance and commitment group therapy (ACT-G) for health anxiety: a randomized controlled trial.
Severe health anxiety is frequent and costly, yet rarely diagnosed or treated. Earlier treatment studies show problems with recruitment, dropout and recovery. In the current study, the authors aimed to test the effect of acceptance and commitment group therapy (ACT-G) compared to waitlist in patients with severe health anxiety. ⋯ ACT-G seems feasible, acceptable and effective in treating severe health anxiety.
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Psychological medicine · Jan 2016
Synergistic effect between back pain and common mental disorders and the risk of future disability pension: a nationwide study from Sweden.
The aim of this study was to analyse a possible synergistic effect between back pain and common mental disorders (CMDs) in relation to future disability pension (DP). ⋯ Co-morbidity of back pain and CMD is associated with a higher risk of DP than either individual condition, when added up, which has possible clinical implications to prevent further disability and exclusion from the labour market.
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Psychological medicine · Dec 2015
Randomized Controlled TrialKetamine for rapid reduction of suicidal ideation: a randomized controlled trial.
Suicide is a devastating public health problem and very few biological treatments have been found to be effective for quickly reducing the intensity of suicidal ideation (SI). We have previously shown that a single dose of ketamine, a glutamate N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) receptor antagonist, is associated with a rapid reduction in depressive symptom severity and SI in patients with treatment-resistant depression. ⋯ The current findings provide initial support for the safety and tolerability of ketamine as an intervention for SI in patients who are at elevated risk for suicidal behavior. Larger, well-powered studies are warranted.