Journal of clinical psychopharmacology
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J Clin Psychopharmacol · Dec 2014
Comparative Study Clinical TrialComparison of physician-rating and self-rating scales for patients with major depressive disorder.
Physician-rating scales remain the standard in antidepressant clinical trials. The current study aimed to examine the discrepancies between physician-rating scales and self-rating scales for symptoms and functioning, before and after treatment, in newly hospitalized patients. A total of 131 acutely ill inpatients with major depressive disorder were enrolled to receive 20 mg of fluoxetine daily for 6 weeks. ⋯ Correlations between baseline physician-rating scale scores and self-rating scale scores improved after 6 weeks of treatment. Physician-rating scales had larger effect sizes than self-rating scales. Physician-rating scales were more sensitive in detecting symptom or functional changes than self-rating scales.
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J Clin Psychopharmacol · Dec 2014
Levetiracetam as adjunctive therapy for acute alcohol withdrawal syndrome in hospitalized patients.
Benzodiazepines are often considered the standard of care for managing symptoms of acute alcohol withdrawal syndrome. Because of potential adverse effects, other agents have been evaluated in this patient population. Previous studies have produced mixed results on the efficacy of levetiracetam in alcohol withdrawal. ⋯ The adjunctive use of levetiracetam does not significantly reduce the benzodiazepine requirements of patients experiencing symptoms of alcohol withdrawal in the inpatient setting.
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J Clin Psychopharmacol · Jun 2014
Randomized Controlled TrialThe effects of armodafinil on objective sleepiness and performance in a shift work disorder sample unselected for objective sleepiness.
Armodafinil is a medication used to treat excessive sleepiness in individuals with shift work disorder (SWD). In the present study, we investigate whether armodafinil can normalize nocturnal sleepiness in a group of typical SWD patients. ⋯ Armodafinil 150 mg administered at the beginning of a night shift normalizes nocturnal sleepiness in individuals with SWD unselected for objective sleepiness. Subjective measures of sleepiness and cognitive performance are also improved. This suggests that armodafinil can improve levels of nocturnal alertness to within normal daytime levels in the majority of patients with SWD.