Arch Gen Psychiat
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Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter Study Clinical Trial
Quetiapine in patients with schizophrenia. A high- and low-dose double-blind comparison with placebo. Seroquel Study Group.
Quetiapine fumarate (Seroquel [ICI 204,636]) is an atypical dibenzothiazepine antipsychotic with a greater affinity for 5-hydroxytryptamine2 (5-HT2) receptors than for D2 dopamine receptors; its efficacy in patients with schizophrenia was shown in early phase 2 trials (maximum dose, 750 mg/d). ⋯ Quetiapine is an effective antipsychotic with a favorable safety profile. The optimum dose is probably greater than 250 mg/d.
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This prospective longitudinal study investigated which selected person-oriented, social environment, demographic, and pregnancy-related risk factors could best predict women's grief intensity following pregnancy loss. ⋯ A relatively long preloss pregnancy, a more neurotic personality, more preloss psychiatric symptoms, and the absence of living children appear to be important risk factors for stronger grief responses in women following a pregnancy loss.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter Study Comparative Study Clinical Trial
A placebo-controlled, randomized clinical trial comparing sertraline and imipramine for the treatment of dysthymia.
Despite the high prevalence of dysthymia and its associated morbidity, few controlled trials have evaluated the efficacy of antidepressant medication for this disorder. A 12-week, double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized, multicenter trial was performed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of sertraline hydrochloride and imipramine hydrochloride in treating dysthymia. ⋯ Pharmacotherapy provides considerable relief from the symptoms of dysthymia in patients suffering from this chronic affective disorder, with both sertraline and imipramine being more effective than placebo. The greater tolerability of sertraline is an important consideration because of the chronicity of dysthymia, which may require prolonged treatment with antidepressant medication.
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It remains unclear whether depression increases the risk for dementia in the elderly. We evaluated the relationship between depressed mood at baseline and the incidence of dementia, particularly Alzheimer's disease, in the elderly living in the community. ⋯ Depressed mood moderately increased the risk of developing dementia, primarily Alzheimer's disease. Whether depressed mood is a very early manifestation of Alzheimer's disease, or increases susceptibility through another mechanism, remains to be determined.
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Comparative Study
The prevalence of dementia and depression in the elderly community in a southern European population. The Zaragoza study.
Provocative international disparities reported in the prevalence rates of dementia and depression require further investigation. This is the first psychiatric study, to the best of our knowledge, about the prevalence of DSM-III-R dementing and depressive disorders and their relationships in a representative, stratified community sample of the elderly in both a Spanish-speaking country and southern Europe. ⋯ Among the elderly, the prevalence of Alzheimer's disease and multi-infarct dementia, as opposed to depression, increases steeply with age. The overlap found between dementia and depression may have nosological implications. There could be an effect of lower education levels on psychiatric morbidity, particularly on depression.