European psychiatry : the journal of the Association of European Psychiatrists
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Gene variants of the serotonin transporter have been associated with vulnerability to affective disorders. In particular, the presence of one or two copies of the short (s) allele of the 5-HTTLPR polymorphism has been associated with reduced serotonin transporter expression and function, and vulnerability to affective disorders. To test for an association between variants of the serotonin transporter gene polymorphism (5-HTTLPR) and relevant clinical features of borderline personality disorder (BPD), a psychiatric disorder with symptoms characteristic for serotonin dysfunction, 77 women with BPD were genotyped in the 5-HTTLPR polymorphism. ⋯ Carriers of two s alleles of the 5-HTTLPR reported more symptoms of borderline, depression, anxiety and obsessive-compulsive behaviours, but not of suicidal and self-injury behaviour, compared to carriers of a long (l) allele. This indicates that the 5-HTTLPR ss homozygous genotype might influence serotonin function affecting susceptibility to both borderline-specific, depressive, anxious and obsessive-compulsive symptoms in BPD, and leading to a more severe symptomatology related to these clinical features. Further, this suggests that 5-HTT gene variants may not be as influential on suicidal and self-injury behaviour in BPD.
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Clinical Trial
Study on the efficacy and tolerability of amisulpride in medical/surgical inpatients with delirium admitted to a general hospital.
To evaluate the efficacy and safety of amisulpride in medical inpatients who present with delirium. ⋯ These results suggest a good response to amisulpride in the acute phase of delirium, although further randomized controlled studies must be performed.
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Most violence risk assessment scales were originally developed for use in forensic settings at the time of discharge or release of patients into the community after long-term treatment. However, there is a considerable need for specialized, brief and structured risk assessment tools to inform risk decisions in short-term psychiatric treatment. The present study reports on research findings from the development and implementation of the violence risk screening-10 (V-RISK-10) in two acute psychiatric settings in Norway. ⋯ V-RISK-10 scoring was accomplished by two raters for each patient. The interrater reliability value for total scores was acceptable. Variations pertaining to the individual V-RISK-10 item, patient characteristics and rater characteristics are discussed.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study
Comparative efficacy and safety of oxcarbazepine versus divalproex sodium in the treatment of acute mania: a pilot study.
This study compared the efficacy and safety of oxcarbazepine and divalproex sodium in acute mania patients. ⋯ Oxcarbazepine demonstrated comparable efficacy to divalproex sodium in the management of acute mania. Also the overall adverse event profile was found to be superior for oxcarbazepine.
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Comparative Study
Obsessive-compulsive personality disorder traits and personality dimensions in parents of children with obsessive-compulsive disorder.
To compare patterns of temperament and character and the prevalence of Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Disorder (OCPD) and OCPD traits in parents of children with OCD and parents of healthy controls. ⋯ The existence of the dimensional personality profile associated with OCD in parents of children with OCD and the higher number of OCPD criteria in these parents in comparison to parents of healthy children highlight the importance of the role of personality factors in familial OCD.