Dear Colleagues:
Welcome to the July-August issue of Innovations in Clinical Neuroscience. We hope everyone enjoyed a relaxing summer spent with family and friends.
We start this issue of the journal with an installment from our “Psychiatry and Neurology” department titled, “Extrapyramidal Examinations in Psychiatry,” by Sanders and Gillig. Here the authors review extrapyramidal signs and their related disorders. The authors also discuss some of the neuroscience behind extrapyramidal disorders, the relevance of extrapyramidal signs in the major psychiatric disorders, the major extrapyramidal movement disorders, and how to elicit extrapyramidal signs in your psychiatry and/or neurology patients.
Next, we present a retrospective analysis titled, “Comparison of the Peak-to-trough Fluctuation in Plasma Concentration of Long-acting Injectable Antipsychotics and Their Oral Equivalents,” by Sheehan et al. In this study, the authors review and evaluate data from several studies on steady-state, peak-to-trough, plasma-concentration fluctuation of long-acting injectable antipsychotics and equivalent oral formulations. The authors find that peak-to-trough fluctuations in plasma concentrations vary widely and may be affected by differences in dosing, pharmacokinetic sampling, subjects’ phenotypes, concomitant medications, comorbid diseases, and formulation, all of which can affect clinical response and tolerability and should be considered carefully.
Following this is an original study titled, “A Urinalysis-based Comparative Study of Treatment Adherence on Buprenorphine and Buprenorphine/Naloxone Combination Used as Opioid Substitution Therapy,” by Balhara et al. In this article, the authors explore the differences in treatment adherence between directly supervised buprenorphine and take-home buprenorphine/naloxone combination for opioid substitution therapy by using urinalysis to measure levels of the treatment drugs in the subjects. The authors find that buprenorphine/naloxone combination has a higher adherence rate as compared to buprenorphine alone when used for opioid substitution therapy.
Next, we present another original study titled, “Prediction and Prevention of Aggression and Seclusion by Early Screening and Comprehensive Seclusion Documentation,” by Jayaram et al. Here, the authors examine aggression reduction and the use of seclusion and restraints on their inpatient unit through the use of aggression management tools. The authors find that their facility’s screening tool appropriately identifies potentially aggressive patients upon admission to the hospital and their seclusion documentation form appropriately guides aggression management with less restrictive alternatives to seclusion.
Following this, Chan et al share a unique case of an elderly gentleman with a history of Meige syndrome for more than 10 years who developed dementia with Lewy bodies in their article titled, “Dementia with Lewy bodies in Meige Syndrome.” In addition to the case report, the authors review updated clinical and pathological evidence of linkages between Meige syndrome and dementia.
Next, we present this month’s “The Interface” column. Here Drs. Sansone and Sansone examine the relationship between selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and bone mineral density issues and fracture risk. While the magnitude of this relationship is difficult to determine due to the myriad of potential confounds in available studies, the authors do find an associative risk between use of SSRIs and bone loss.
Finally, we wrap up the issue with our “Research to Practice” column. This month, Dr. Steve Targum interviews Dr. Ronald Ebert, a forensic psychologist practicing in Boston, Massachusetts, regarding his work in the courtroom and his efforts to educate the public about the realities of mental illness in the article, “Educating the Public through the Courtroom: Efforts of a Forensic Psychologist.”
We hope you enjoy the issue and your summer. As always, please feel free to send your comments and submissions to us. We’d love to hear from you.
Sincerely,
Amir Kalali, MD
Editor, Innovations in Clinical Neuroscience
