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1.
Omega-3 Use in Psychiatry: Evidence-Based or Elegance-Based?
Naguy, A
Journal of dietary supplements. 2018;(1):124-128
Abstract
Use of omega-3 in psychiatric practice is on the rise. It has been used in diverse indications, notably mood disorders, schizophrenia, dementia, borderline personality, and neurodevelopmental disorders, with varying levels of evidence base. Here, the author sheds some light on the therapeutic potential of omega-3 as an appealing addition to psychopharmacological armamentarium.
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2.
Effectiveness of Interventions for Weight Loss for People With Serious Mental Illness: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.
Brown, C, Geiszler, LC, Lewis, KJ, Arbesman, M
The American journal of occupational therapy : official publication of the American Occupational Therapy Association. 2018;(5):7205190030p1-7205190030p9
Abstract
OBJECTIVE We examined the effectiveness of weight loss interventions in community-based settings for people with serious mental illness (SMI). METHOD Four databases were searched for randomized controlled trials published in 2008 or later that met the criteria for the research question and used weight loss as an outcome measure. Data were extracted, and weight loss was analyzed using a meta-analysis. Similarities and differences in interventions were analyzed qualitatively. RESULTS Seventeen studies and a total of 1,874 participants with various diagnoses of SMI were included in the meta-analysis. The various lifestyle-focused interventions had a significant effect on weight loss with an overall effect size of -0.308 (p < .001). CONCLUSION Community-based interventions for people with SMI are effective for weight loss. Occupational therapists can be involved in the provision of weight loss interventions and in the development and study of intervention components that are most effective.
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3.
Comparative effects of meditation and exercise on physical and psychosocial health outcomes: a review of randomized controlled trials.
Edwards, MK, Loprinzi, PD
Postgraduate medicine. 2018;(2):222-228
Abstract
No review papers have examined studies that have directly compared non-active forms of meditation with exercise to evaluate effects on physical or psychosocial outcomes, which was the purpose of this paper. Studies were included if they had a randomized controlled trial (RCT) design, included a non-active form of meditation and exercise as intervention arms, and evaluated physical or psychosocial outcomes. The quality of included RCTs was rated using the Cochrane Collaboration's tool for assessing risk of bias in randomized trials. Five RCTs met the inclusion criteria. The total sample size across all studies was N = 325. Of the main outcomes assessed across the five studies, meditation was shown to be more effective than the exercise comparison arm when evaluating the psychosocial outcomes of anxiety, altruism, and life changes. Additionally, meditation was more effective at reducing chronic neck pain at rest and pain-related bothersomeness. Exercise, however, was more effective in improving physical health-related quality of life, HDL and LDL cholesterol, and fasting blood glucose levels. The interventions were found to be comparable when evaluating the outcomes of well-being, ethanol consumption, and perceived stress levels. Four of the evaluated studies were determined to have an overall 'unclear' risk of bias and one study was found to have a 'high' risk of bias. Exercise and non-active meditation may uniquely influence various health-related outcomes. A continued exploration of the effects of exercise and non-active meditation in controlled trials may yield a better understanding of their benefits.
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4.
[Surgical treatment of obesity from the nutritional point - opportunities and dangers].
Komorniak, N, Stachowska, E
Polski merkuriusz lekarski : organ Polskiego Towarzystwa Lekarskiego. 2018;(269):179-184
Abstract
Obesity is a civilization disease, which occurrence in the world population is gradually increasing. The basic causes of obesity include a sedentary lifestyle and energy-rich diet contributing to a positive energy balance. Methods of curing obesity contain the lifestyle modification, the pharmacological treatment and the surgical treatment. The bariatric surgery is a therapy that can be used among patients with BMI ≥40 or BMI ≥35 kg/m2 with comorbidities, e.g. hypertension, for whom previous treatment has been ineffective. The surgical treatment includes restrictive, limiting absorption and hybrid methods among them the most frequently performed sleeve gastrectomy (SG) and Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB). Surgical treatment affects the clinical course of many chronic diseases, e.g. diabetes mellitus type 2. Unfortunately, this method of treatment is related to complications and is associated with increased risk of many complications, nutritional deficiencies, as well as deterioration of mental health. The potential causes of psychiatric disorders following bariatric surgery include dysbiosis and brain - gut axis dysfunction. After surgery, a dysbiosis is noticed (a reduction of Bifidobacterium spp.) that may increase the risk of depressive disorders occurrence. For this reason, to effective obesity treatment, patients undergoing bariatric surgery should be covered by the longterm care of an interdisciplinary team.
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5.
N-Acetylcysteine for the Treatment of Psychiatric Disorders: A Review of Current Evidence.
Ooi, SL, Green, R, Pak, SC
BioMed research international. 2018;:2469486
Abstract
N-acetylcysteine, a sulphur-containing amino acid for the treatment of paracetamol overdose and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, is a widely available off-the-shelf oral antioxidant supplement in many countries. With the potential to modulate several neurological pathways, including glutamate dysregulation, oxidative stress, and inflammation that can be beneficial to the brain functions, N-acetylcysteine is being explored as an adjunctive therapy for many psychiatric conditions. This narrative review synthesises and presents the current evidence from systematic reviews, meta-analyses, and latest clinical trials on N-acetylcysteine for addiction and substance abuse, schizophrenia, obsessive-compulsive and related disorders, and mood disorders. Good evidence exists to support the use of N-acetylcysteine as an adjunct treatment to reduce the total and negative symptoms of schizophrenia. N-acetylcysteine also appears to be effective in reducing craving in substance use disorders, especially for the treatment of cocaine and cannabis use among young people, in addition to preventing relapse in already abstinent individuals. Effects of N-acetylcysteine on obsessive-compulsive and related disorders, as well as on mood disorders, remain unclear with mixed reviews, even though promising evidence does exist. Larger and better-designed studies are required to further investigate the clinical effectiveness of N-acetylcysteine in these areas. Oral N-acetylcysteine is safe and well tolerated without any considerable adverse effects. Current evidence supports its use as an adjunctive therapy clinically for psychiatric conditions, administered concomitantly with existing medications, with a recommended dosage between 2000 and 2400 mg/day.
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6.
Is it possible for people with severe mental illness to sit less and move more? A systematic review of interventions to increase physical activity or reduce sedentary behaviour.
Ashdown-Franks, G, Williams, J, Vancampfort, D, Firth, J, Schuch, F, Hubbard, K, Craig, T, Gaughran, F, Stubbs, B
Schizophrenia research. 2018;:3-16
Abstract
Individuals with severe mental illness (SMI) (schizophrenia-spectrum, bipolar disorder and major depressive disorder) die 10-20 years prematurely due to physical disorders such as cardiovascular disease. Physical activity (PA) is effective in preventing and managing these conditions in the general population, however individuals with SMI engage in substantially less PA and more sedentary behaviour (SB) compared to healthy counterparts. Furthermore, the effectiveness of intervening to increase PA or reduce SB in SMI populations is unknown. Therefore, we systematically reviewed studies measuring changes in PA or SB following behavioural interventions in people with SMI. A systematic search of major databases was conducted from inception until 1/3/2018 for behavioural interventions reporting changes in PA or SB in people with SMI. From 3018 initial hits, 32 articles were eligible, including 16 controlled trials (CT's; Treatment n = 1025, Control n = 1162) and 16 uncontrolled trials (n = 655). Of 16 CTs, seven (47%) reported significant improvements in PA, although only one found changes with an objective measure. Of 16 uncontrolled trials, 3 (20%) found improvements in PA (one with objective measurement). No intervention study had a primary aim of changing SB, nor did any note changes in SB using an objective measure. In conclusion, there is inconsistent and low quality evidence to show that interventions can be effective in changing PA or SB in this population. Future robust randomized controlled trials, using objectively-measured PA/SB as the primary outcome, are required to determine which behavioural interventions are effective in improving the sedentary lifestyles associated with SMI. Systematic review registration- PROSPERO registration number CRD42017069399.
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7.
Impact of lifestyle modification on some components of metabolic syndrome in persons with severe mental disorders: A meta-analysis.
Singh, VK, Karmani, S, Malo, PK, Virupaksha, HG, Muralidhar, D, Venkatasubramanian, G, Muralidharan, K
Schizophrenia research. 2018;:17-25
Abstract
BACKGROUND Metabolic syndrome (MS) is reportedly associated with high mortality from mostly cardiovascular causes in patients with severe mental disorders (SMD). Lifestyle interventions augment effective management of MS in patients with SMD. The present meta-analysis aims at updating the recent evidence on the effectiveness of lifestyle intervention for MS in patients with SMD. METHOD A literature search for English Language publications of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) from 2001 to 2016 comparing lifestyle modification (LM) with treatment as usual (TAU) in the management of MS were identified. Using PRISMA guidelines, 19 RCTs reporting data on 1688 SMD and MS patients and providing data on change in Body Weight, Body Mass Index (BMI) and waist circumference (WC) were included. Using random effects model, standardized mean difference between LM and TAU for the mean baseline-to-endpoint change in body weight, BMI and WC was calculated with a 95% confidence limit, on RevMan 5.3. The study was registered with PROSPERO (CRD42016046847). RESULTS LM had significantly superior efficacy in the reducing weight (-0.64, 95% CI -0.89, -0.39, Z = 5.03, overall effect p < 0.00001), BMI (-0.68, 95% CI -1.01, -0.35, Z = 4.05, overall effect p < 0.0001), and WC (-0.60, 95% CI -1.17, -0.03, Z = 2.06; overall effect p = 0.04), compared to TAU. LM was significantly more effective than TAU even in short duration (p = 0.0001) and irrespective of the treatment setting. CONCLUSION Interventions targeting LM in persons with SMD and MS are effective in reducing body weight, BMI and WC. It must be routinely recommended to all patients with SMD, ideally during commencement stage of second generation antipsychotic treatment.
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8.
Harms of Antipsychotics in Children and Young Adults: A Systematic Review Update.
Pillay, J, Boylan, K, Newton, A, Hartling, L, Vandermeer, B, Nuspl, M, MacGregor, T, Featherstone, R, Carrey, N
Canadian journal of psychiatry. Revue canadienne de psychiatrie. 2018;(10):661-678
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Abstract
OBJECTIVE To update and extend our previous systematic review on first- (FGAs) and second-generation antipsychotics (SGAs) for treatment of psychiatric and behavioral conditions in children, adolescents, and young adults (aged ≤24 years). This article focuses on the evidence for harms. METHOD We searched (to April 2016) 8 databases, gray literature, trial registries, Food and Drug Administration reports, and reference lists. Two reviewers conducted study screening and selection independently, with consensus for selection. One reviewer extracted and another verified all data; 2 reviewers independently assessed risk of bias. We conducted meta-analyses when appropriate and network meta-analysis across conditions for changes in body composition. Two reviewers reached consensus for ratings on the strength of evidence for prespecified outcomes. RESULTS A total of 135 studies (95 trials and 40 observational) were included, and 126 reported on harms. FGAs caused slightly less weight gain and more extrapyramidal symptoms than SGAs. SGAs as a class caused adverse effects, including weight gain, high triglyceride levels, extrapyramidal symptoms, sedation, and somnolence. They appeared to increase the risk for high cholesterol levels and type 2 diabetes. Many outcomes for individual drug comparisons were of low or insufficient strength of evidence. Olanzapine caused more short-term gains in weight and body mass index than several other SGAs. The dose of SGAs may not make a difference over the short term for some outcomes. CONCLUSIONS Clinicians need to weigh carefully the benefit-to-harm ratio when using antipsychotics, especially when treatment alternatives exist. More evidence is needed on the comparative harms between antipsychotics over the longer term.
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9.
Antipsychotics and cardiovascular risk: A case/non-case study.
Arias, LHM, Fadrique, RS, García, SP, Gil, MS, Lobato, CT, Ortega, PG
Psychiatry research. 2018;:341-347
Abstract
Severe mental disorders have been reported to be associated with an increased cardiovascular risk. To measure the potential risk excess as compared, not with the baseline cardiovascular risk for the general population, but with the cardiovascular risk associated with drug iatrogenia. 197 reported cases of cardiovascular adverse reaction to antipsychotic drugs as compared to the reported cases of this type of adverse reactions to drugs other than antipsychotics entered in the Spanish Pharmacovigilance System database (FEDRA) (1995-2018) in an observational case/non-case study. Risk estimates of association were reporting odds ratio (ROR), and, chi-square test (χ2). Overall disproportionality for the whole drug class was found [ROR 2.3 (95% CI 2.0-2.7)], χ2 = 127.07]. When the two types of antipsychotics (typical and atypical) were analysed separately, we also found statistically significant disproportionality, and this disproportionality is similar between both groups, with disproportionality measures around 2.30, with the confidence intervals not including the 1. The disproportionality observed suggests a risk excess that might be greater than expected, which holds particularly true for torsade de pointes, sudden death and cardiac arrhythmias in patients treated with any of the two types of antipsychotics. There was no significant risk for ischaemic heart disease.
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10.
Annual Research Review: DNA methylation as a mediator in the association between risk exposure and child and adolescent psychopathology.
Barker, ED, Walton, E, Cecil, CAM
Journal of child psychology and psychiatry, and allied disciplines. 2018;(4):303-322
Abstract
BACKGROUND DNA methylation (DNAm) is a potential mechanism for propagating the effects of environmental exposures on child and adolescent mental health. In recent years, this field has experienced steady growth. METHODS We provide a strategic review of the current child and adolescent literature to evaluate evidence for a mediating role of DNAm in the link between environmental risks and psychopathological outcomes, with a focus on internalising and externalising difficulties. RESULTS Based on the studies presented, we conclude that there is preliminary evidence to support that (a) environmental factors, such as diet, neurotoxic exposures and stress, influence offspring DNAm, and that (b) variability in DNAm, in turn, is associated with child and adolescent psychopathology. Overall, very few studies have examined DNAm in relation to both exposures and outcomes, and almost all analyses have been correlational in nature. CONCLUSIONS DNAm holds potential as a biomarker indexing both environmental risk exposure and vulnerability for child psychopathology. However, the extent to which it may represent a causal mediator is not clear. In future, collection of prospective risk exposure, DNAm and outcomes - as well as functional characterisation of epigenetic findings - will assist in determining the role of DNAm in the link between risk exposure and psychopathology.