Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Neurological Soft Signs In Persons With Amnestic Mild Cognitive Impairment And The Relationships To Neuropsychological Functions, Hui-Jie Li, Peng-Yun Wang, Yang Jiang, Raymond C.K. Chan, Hua-Li Wang, Juan Li

Behavioral Science Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND: Neurological abnormalities have been reported in people with amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI). The current study aimed to examine the prevalence of neurological soft signs (NSS) in this clinical group and to examine the relationship of NSS to other neuropsychological performances.

METHODS: Twenty-nine people with aMCI and 28 cognitively healthy elderly people were recruited for the present study. The NSS subscales (motor coordination, sensory integration, and disinhibition) of the Cambridge Neurological Inventory and a set of neuropsychological tests were administered to all the participants.

RESULTS: People with aMCI exhibited significantly more motor coordination signs, disinhibition signs, and total NSS …

Genetics Of Schizophrenia And Smoking: An Approach To Studying Their Comorbidity Based On Epidemiological Findings, Jose De Leon, Francisco J. Diaz

Psychiatry Faculty Publications

The association between schizophrenia and tobacco smoking has been described in more than 1,000 articles, many with inadequate methodology. The studies on this association can focus on: (1) current smoking, ever smoking or smoking cessation; (2) non-psychiatric controls or controls with severe mental illness (e.g., bipolar disorder); and (3) higher smoking frequency or greater usage in smokers. The association with the most potential for genetic studies is that between ever daily smoking and schizophrenia; it may reflect a shared genetic vulnerability. To reduce the number of false-positive genes, we propose a three-stage approach derived from epidemiological knowledge. In the first …

Evidence-Based Medicine Versus Personalized Medicine: Are They Enemies?, Jose De Leon

Psychiatry Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Does Emotional Memory Enhancement Assist The Memory-Impaired?, Lucas S. Broster, Lee X. Blonder, Yang Jiang

Behavioral Science Faculty Publications

We review recent work on emotional memory enhancement in older adults and patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) or Alzheimer dementia (AD) and evaluate the viability of incorporating emotional components into cognitive rehabilitation for these groups. First, we identify converging evidence regarding the effects of emotional valence on working memory in healthy aging. Second, we introduce work that suggests a more complex role for emotional memory enhancement in aging and identify a model capable of unifying disparate research findings. Third, we survey the neuroimaging literature for evidence of a special role for the amygdala in MCI and early AD in …

Drug Dosage Individualization Based On A Random-Effects Linear Model, Francisco J. Diaz, Myladis R. Cogollo, Edoardo Spina, Vincenza Santoro, Diego M. Rendon, Jose De Leon

Psychiatry Faculty Publications

This article investigates drug dosage individualization when the patient population can be described with a random-effects linear model of a continuous pharmacokinetic or pharmacodynamic response. Specifically, we show through both decision-theoretic arguments and simulations that a published clinical algorithm may produce better individualized dosages than some traditional methods of therapeutic drug monitoring. Since empirical evidence suggests that the linear model may adequately describe drugs and patient populations, and linear models are easier to handle than the nonlinear models traditionally used in population pharmacokinetics, our results highlight the potential applicability of linear mixed models to dosage computations and personalized medicine.

Lower Gastrointestinal Bleeding And Paroxetine Use: Two Case Reports, Hilario Blasco-Fontecilla, Jose De Leon

Psychiatry Faculty Publications

Paroxetine is a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI), and an effective long-term treatment for social anxiety and major depression. SSRIs in general, and paroxetine in particular, were described as associated with depletion of serotonin in platelets. Serotonin is involved in platelet aggregation, and the association of bleeding and SSRI use was suggested two decades ago. In the last few years, some reviews have confirmed that initial fear. In contrast with aspirin, SSRIs seem to be related to non-ulcer, non-variceal gastrointestinal bleeds. SSRIs are usually associated with upper gastrointestinal bleeding but there is surprisingly little literature on lower gastrointestinal bleeding (LGIB) …

Interactions Between Antiepileptics And Second-Generation Antipsychotics, Jose De Leon, Vincenza Santoro, Concetta D'Arrigo, Edoardo Spina

Psychiatry Faculty Publications

INTRODUCTION: Pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic drug interactions (DIs) can occur between antiepileptics (AEDs) and second-generation antipsychotics (SGAPs). Some AED and SGAP pharmacodynamic mechanisms are poorly understood. AED-SGAP combinations are used for treating comorbid illnesses or increasing efficacy, particularly in bipolar disorder.

AREAS COVERED: This article provides a comprehensive review of the interactions between antiepileptics and second-generation antipsychotics. The authors cover pharmacokinetic AED-SGAP DI studies, the newest drug pharmacokinetics in addition to the limited pharmacodynamic DI studies.

EXPERT OPINION: Dosing correction factors and measuring SGAP levels can help to compensate for the inductive properties of carbamazepine, phenytoin, phenobarbital and primidone. Further studies …

Psychosis And Smoking Cessation: Difficulties In Quitting Associated With Sex And Substance Abuse, Ana González-Pinto, Susana Alberich, Sonia Ruiz De Azúa, Mónica Martínez-Cengotitabengoa, Miryan Fernández, Miguel Gutiérrez, Margarita Saenz, Ariadna Besga, Paloma Galdós, Jose De Leon

Psychiatry Faculty Publications

No prospective studies of first psychotic episodes have explored sex differences in smoking cessation. The aim of this study was to determine the influence of sex and substance abuse on smoking cessation during an 8-year follow-up of patients after a first psychotic episode. Logistic regression modeling was used to identify factors associated with smoking cessation by sex. To examine for sex variable interactions, the following two methods were used: 1) for other clinical variables, mixed analyses were calculated; and 2) for use of other substances, logistic regression models were performed only in the substance users. At baseline, 79% of men …

Can The Holmes-Rahe Social Readjustment Rating Scale (Srrs) Be Used As A Suicide Risk Scale? An Exploratory Study, Hilario Blasco-Fontecilla, David Delgado-Gomez, Teresa Legido-Gil, Jose De Leon, M. Mercedes Perez-Rodriguez, Enrique Baca-Garcia

Psychiatry Faculty Publications

The objective of this research was to examine whether the Holmes-Rahe Social Readjustment Rating Scale, a life event scale, can be used to identify suicide attempters. The Holmes-Rahe Social Readjustment Rating Scale's ability to identify suicide attempters was tested in 1183 subjects (478 suicide attempters, 197 psychiatric inpatients, and 508 healthy controls) using the Fisher Linear Discriminant Analysis and traditional psychometric methods. The Fisher Linear Discriminant Analysis outperformed traditional psychometric approaches (area under the curve: 0.85 vs. 0.78; p < 0.05) and indicated that this scale may be used to identify suicide attempters. The life events that better characterized suicide attempters were change in frequency of arguments, marital separation, and personal injury. The Holmes-Rahe Social Readjustment Rating Scale may help identify suicide attempters.

Using The Scrambled Sentences Test To Examine Relationships Between Cognitive Bias, Thought Suppression And Borderline Personality Features, Paul Jefferson Geiger

Theses and Dissertations--Psychology

Cognitive bias and thought suppression are two maladaptive patterns of thinking that have been associated with borderline personality disorder (BPD). Negative cognitive biases related to BPD include thoughts that they are bad, powerless, or vulnerable and that the world is dangerous. Thought suppression is a maladaptive emotion regulation strategy where unwanted thoughts are intentionally pushed out of one’s consciousness. However, previous research has connected thought suppression and cognitive biases to BPD only via self-report measures. The present study examined whether a laboratory task meant to measure cognitive bias and thought suppression (Scrambled Sentences Test) would predict BPD features over and …