Psychiatry and clinical neurosciences
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Psychiatry Clin. Neurosci. · Feb 2010
Relationship of psychopathological symptoms and cognitive function to subjective quality of life in patients with chronic schizophrenia.
The purpose of the present study was to examine the extent of the effects of psychopathological symptoms and cognitive function on quality of life (QOL) in patients with chronic schizophrenia. ⋯ Psychopathological symptoms and cognitive function affect subjective QOL in patients with schizophrenia. If the final goal is treatment that improves QOL in a manner that patients themselves are aware of, clinicians probably need to consider a treatment strategy that improves depression/anxiety symptom.
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Psychiatry Clin. Neurosci. · Feb 2010
Open wards versus locked wards of general hospitals in the treatment of psychiatric patients with medical comorbidities: a cross-sectional study in Tokyo.
Treatment of medical comorbidities among psychiatric patients is an expected role of general hospital psychiatric wards. The purpose of this study was to clarify whether locked wards of general hospitals are necessary in the treatment of psychiatric patients with severe medical comorbidities. ⋯ Locked wards may be necessary to treat severe psychiatric patients with severe medical comorbidities.
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Psychiatry Clin. Neurosci. · Dec 2009
Resting state default-mode network connectivity in early depression using a seed region-of-interest analysis: decreased connectivity with caudate nucleus.
Reports on resting brain activity in healthy controls have described a default-mode network (DMN) and important differences in DMN connectivity have emerged for several psychiatric conditions. No study to date, however, has investigated resting-state DMN in relatively early depression before years of medication treatment. The objective of the present study was, therefore, to investigate the DMN in patients seeking help from specialized mental health services for the first time for symptoms of depression. ⋯ The present study is the first to investigate resting-state DMN in the early stages of treatment-seeking for depression. Depressed subjects had decreased connectivity between the P/PCC and the bilateral caudate, regions known to be involved in motivation and reward processing. Deficits in DMN connectivity with the caudate may be an early manifestation of major depressive disorder.
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Psychiatry Clin. Neurosci. · Dec 2009
Zarit Caregiver Burden Interview: development, reliability and validity of the Chinese version.
To develop a specific scale used in measuring caregiver burden in China, and to evaluate its reliability and validity. ⋯ The Chinese version of the Zarit Caregiver Burden Interview is reliable and valid for use. This study has important implications for burden measurement in Chinese caregivers.
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Delirium is common in all medical settings. Atypical antipsychotics are increasingly used for the management of delirium symptomatology but their effectiveness has not been systematically studied. The aim of the present study was therefore to provide an up-to-date review on the use of atypical antipsychotics in the treatment of delirium. ⋯ Atypical antipsychotics appear to be effective and safe in symptomatic treatment of delirium but the evidence is limited and inconclusive. There are no double-blind, placebo-controlled studies assessing the efficacy and safety of these agents in delirium. Further research is needed with well-designed studies.