PDFs can be downloaded and printed from the e-Editions. Click on the above issue issue, find the article, then click on the print command. For archived e-editions, click on the image above, then click on the folder icon at the top of the window.

Welcome to the April issue of Innovations in Clinical Neuroscience. This month, we lead with a topic we are covering for the first time in the journal and one we think you will find quite interesting: language development. In their review article, “Poverty and Language Development: Roles of Parenting and Stress,” Perkins, Finegood, and Swain focus on two theoretical models that link poverty with the brain systems affected in language problems: the family stress model and the parental investment model. The authors discuss the mechanisms through which poverty affects the brain, and specifically how parenting behaviors, particularly when influenced by stress, can impact language development in children. Through understanding these connections, the authors believe early identification and treatment of individuals with language development problems and better social policy may be possible.

Next, Naddafi et al examined the potential role of nicotine in the treatment of multiple sclerosis through their original study, “Novel Therapeutic Approach by Nicotine in Experimental Model of Multiple Sclerosis.” Using an animal model, the authors examined the use of nicotine, as both pre- and post-therapy, in mice immunized with experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis. The authors found that treatment with nicotine caused a significant reduction in the severity and onset of the experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis, indicating that nicotine has protective effects in an experimental model of multiple sclerosis.

Following this, Osiezagha et al review the psychiatric effects and treatment of thiamine deficiency in their article, “Thiamine Deficiency and Delirium.” The authors review and discuss the physiology, pathophysiology, predisposing factors, clinical manifestations (e.g., Wernicke’s encephalopathy, Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome, structural and functional brain injuries), and diagnosis of thiamine deficiency and delirium, as well as the current treatment practices.

Next, Hanes et al describe the successful treatment of clozapine-induced incontinence in their case report, “Pseudoephedrine for the Treatment of Clozapine-Induced Incontinence.” A brief discussion is provided.

We wrap up the issue with two of our regular columns. First, Sansone and Sansone examine the relationship between borderline personality and obesity in this month’s The Interface. Through their literature search, they find an association between impulsive personality pathology and impulsive eating pathology, which underscores that a significant minority of individuals with obesity may suffer from borderline personality disorder, an important consideration when treating patients with obesity. And finally, in this month’s Research to Practice column, Dr. Steve Targum interviews Drs. Oleh Chaban and Serhiy Mykhnyak, practicing psychiatrists in the Ukraine. Through their enlightening discussion, Chaban and Mykhnyak provide us with a first-hand account of how the field of psychiatry has dramatically and positively changed in the Ukraine since the demise of the Soviet Union and its communist agenda.

We hope you enjoy the issue. As always, we welcome your submissions and feedback.

Sincerely,
Amir Kalali, MD
Editor, Innovations in Clinical Neuroscience

by Suzanne C. Perkins, Eric D. Finegood, and James E. Swain

Innov Clin Neurosci. 2013;10(4):10–19

by Fatemeh Naddafi, MSc; Mohsen Reza Haidari, PhD; Gholamreza Azizi, MSc; Reza Sedaghat, PhD; and Abbas Mirshafiey, PhD

Innov Clin Neurosci. 2013;10(4):20–25

by Kenneth Osiezagha, MD; Shahid Ali, MD; C. Freeman, MD; Narviar C. Barker, PhD; Shagufta Jabeen, MD; Sarbani Maitra, MD; Yetunde Olagbemiro, MD;

Innov Clin Neurosci. 2013;10(4):26–32

by Alicia Hanes, Tammie Lee Demler, Claudia Lee, and Alexander Campos

Innov Clin Neurosci. 2013;10(4):33–35

by Randy A. Sansone, MD, and Lori A. Sansone, MD

Innov Clin Neurosci. 2013;10(4):36–40

Welcome to the March 2013 issue of Innovations in Clinical Neuroscience. We start this issue with a study by Vilhauer et al titled, “Improving Quality of Life for Patients with Major Depressive Disorder by Increasing Hope and Positive Expectations with Future Directed Therapy (FDT).” Here the authors examined a new therapy, FDT, for the treatment for depression that focuses on reducing hopelessness and increasing positive future anticipation, which are factors posited to contribute to quality of life. The new treatment was compared to depressed patients in the same setting treated with group cognitive behavioral therapy. The authors found that patients treated with FDT demonstrated significant improvements in quality of life, while those treated in the cognitive behavioral therapy group did not.

For those with an interest in pharmacology, we next present a study by Wakamatsu et al titled, “Predicting Pharmacokinetic Stability by Multiple Oral Administration of Atypical Antipsychotics.” According to the authors, reduction of peak concentration of antipsychotic medication in patients with schizophrenia can decrease the risk of dose-dependent side effects, while an increase in trough concentration of the medication can decrease the incidence of lack of efficacy due to subtherapeutic drug concentration. In their study, the authors calculated the fluctuation index of peak-to-trough plasma-concentration of several first-line second generation antipsychotic medications. The authors found that aripiprazole followed by paliperidone extended release had the lowest fluctuation indices, while perospirone followed by quetiapine had the greatest fluctuation.

Next, as all clinicians know, effectively managing the treatment of a dying child poses many ethical and psychological challenges for the healthcare professionals. In their review article titled, “Helping the Angels: A Review of Understanding and Helping Dying Children,” Sarwar, Mangewala, and Baron discuss some of these ethical and psychological challenges, including disclosure of the diagnosis and grief counseling to the child and family, and offer strategies on effectively handling these difficult matters.

Aggression and violence in the medical setting is a serious potential occurrence for which all healthcare professionals, including psychiatrists, should be well prepared. We wrap up the issue covering this topic through two of our regular columns this month. In this month’s “The Interface,” Sansone and Sansone examine aggressive and disruptive office behaviors from the perspective of the perpetrators—the patients. The authors found through a series of studies that disruptive office behaviors by patients appear to be related to borderline personality symptomatology, alcohol/drug misuse, prescription medication abuse, and higher rates of past mental healthcare utilization. This information suggests a rudimentary psychological profile clinicians can use in their practice for identifying and effectively managing potentially aggressive patients in the primary care setting. Then, in this month’s “Risk Management” column, Taylor discusses strategies, from a legal perspective, for managing the risk of patient violence against clinicians.

We hope you enjoy the issue. As always, we welcome your submissions and feedback.

Sincerely,
Amir Kalali, MD
Editor, Innovations in Clinical Neuroscience

by Jennice S. Vilhauer, PhD; Julissa Cortes; Nazanin Moali; Sally Chung; James Mirocha, MS; Waguih William IsHak, MD

Innov Clin Neurosci. 2013;10(3):12–22