J Neuropsychiatry Clin Neurosci current issue

[WINDOWS TO THE BRAIN] Astroglia: Not Just Glue

Taber, K. H., Hurley, R. A. — 2008-05-01

[SPECIAL ARTICLES] An Evidence-Based Review of the Psychopathology of Frontotemporal Dementia: A Report of the ANPA Committee on Research

Mendez, M. F., Lauterbach, E. C., Sampson, S. M., ANPA Committee on Research — 2008-05-01

The Committee on Research of the American Neuropsychiatric Association conducted a review of the noncognitive neuropsychiatric manifestations of frontotemporal dementia. The Committee on Research searched reviews and several online databases for all pertinent publications. Single case reports without pathology were excluded, except for psychosis, where single cases made up much of the literature. The strongest evidence supports an association of frontotemporal dementia with the following behaviors: apathy-abulia; disinhibition-impulsivity; loss of insight and self-referential behavior; decreased emotion and empathy; violation of social and moral norms; changes in dietary or eating behavior; and repetitive behaviors. Frontotemporal dementia is less frequently associated with anxiety and mood disorders, which may be a prodrome or risk factor, and rarely presents with delusions or hallucinations. The results of this review highlight the distinct neuropsychiatric manifestations of frontotemporal dementia and the need to reconsider the current diagnostic criteria for this disorder.

[SPECIAL ARTICLES] Comparability of the Clinical Diagnostic Criteria for Vascular Dementia: A Critical Review. Part I

Wiederkehr, S., Simard, M., Fortin, C., van Reekum, R. — 2008-05-01

This review is the first of a two-part series focusing on the comparability of eight clinical criteria used for the diagnosis of vascular dementia: the Hachinski Ischemic Scale; the Ischemic Scale of Rosen; the criteria proposed by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorder–Third Edition (DSM-III), DSM-III-R, DSM-IV; International Classification of Diseases, 10th Revision (ICD-10); State of California Alzheimer’s Disease Diagnostic and Treatment Centers (ADDTC); and the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke-Association Internationale pour la Recherche et l’Enseignement en Neurosciences (NINDS-AIREN). The authors discuss the critical issues related to the definition of the cognitive syndromes as well as the vascular causes and associated heterogeneity of symptomatology across these criteria.

[SPECIAL ARTICLES] Validity of the Clinical Diagnostic Criteria for Vascular Dementia: A Critical Review. Part II

Wiederkehr, S., Simard, M., Fortin, C., van Reekum, R. — 2008-05-01

This review is the second of a two-part series focusing on the validity of eight clinical criteria for vascular dementia. Sixteen studies were selected according to their purposes and quality of experimental design. The analysis revealed that criteria for vascular dementia are not interchangeable; the eight criteria sets yielded different sensitivity and specificity results, as well as marked variability in incidence, prevalence, and frequency rates. Although the State of California Alzheimer’s Disease Diagnostic and Treatment Centers (ADDTC) were the most sensitive and useful criteria in clinical settings and the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke-Association Internationale pour la Recherche et l’Enseignement en Neurosciences (NINDS-AIREN) were the most specific and useful criteria in research, all criteria shared similar flaws. A definition of the cognitive syndrome, associated vascular causes or lesions, and methods of assessment should be clearly specified in the future. Suggestions for improvement are made.

[REGULAR ARTICLES] Double-Blind Randomized Treatment of Poststroke Depression Using Nefiracetam

Robinson, R. G., Jorge, R. E., Clarence-Smith, K. — 2008-05-01

In preliminary trials, nefiracetam, a gamma aminobutyric compound, enhanced blood flow and improved mood following stroke. Within 3 months following stroke with major depression, 159 patients were enrolled in a double-blind trial of nefiracetam or placebo. Repeated measures analysis of covariance failed to show a significant time-by-treatment interaction. Response rates were greater than 70% and remission rates were greater than 40% for nefiracetam and placebo. The top quintile of Hamilton Depression Rating Scale scores showed significant effect after 900 mg of nefiracetam versus 600 mg or placebo. Nefiracetam was not an effective treatment for poststroke depression but produced significant improvement in the most severely depressed patients.

[REGULAR ARTICLES] A New Data-Based Motor Subtype Schema for Delirium

2008-05-01

The authors sought to validate a new approach to motor subtyping in delirium based on data from a controlled comparison of items from three existing psychomotor schema combined into the Delirium Motoric Checklist. Principal components analysis of the Delirium Motoric Checklist identified two factors that correlated significantly with independently assessed motor agitation and retardation. Symptoms loading at >0.65 were extracted to form subtype criteria composed of four hyperactive items and seven hypoactive items which, when applied to the delirious population, suggested a cutoff of two items for subtypes. This new scale is derived from existing approaches but is more concise, focused on motor disturbances, and validated against nondelirious comparison subjects and independently rated motor disturbance.

[REGULAR ARTICLES] Prediction of Clinical Outcomes From rTMS in Depressed Patients With Lateral Visual Field Stimulation: A Replication

Schiffer, F., Glass, I., Lord, J., Teicher, M. H. — 2008-05-01

The authors sought to replicate an earlier finding that baseline lateral visual field stimulation, a procedure shown to activate the contralateral hemisphere and induce affective changes, predicted the clinical outcomes of a 10-day course of left-sided rapid transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS). For 23 patients there was a significant 1-tailed Pearson correlation between the percent improvement in response to rTMS and their lateralized affective responses to lateral visual field stimulation. These correlations, across the whole group and within genders, were almost identical to those previously reported from 37 patients studied at a different site.

[REGULAR ARTICLES] A Clinical Electrophysiological Study of Emotional Lability in Patients With Systemic Lupus Erythematosus

2008-05-01

Neuropsychiatric symptoms are well recognized in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), with depression and anxiety often reported. The authors’ clinical observations suggested emotional lability might also be a noteworthy symptom. In a consecutive series of systemic lupus erythematosus clinic attendees the authors therefore measured depression, anxiety, and emotional lability. Additionally, based on reports linking emotional reactivity and transient mood changes to alterations in early attentional processes, the authors investigated event-related potential indices of preattentive and early orienting responses to auditory stimuli (N1, MMN, P3a and P3b). The authors observed that 15 of 32 participants with systemic lupus erythematosus had high lability scores and, comparing event-related potential measures between the high and low lability subgroups, noted that those with greater emotional lability demonstrated reduced response latencies in N1 and MMN paradigms.

[REGULAR ARTICLES] Reversal Learning as a Neuropsychological Indicator for the Neuropathology of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder? A Behavioral Study

Valerius, G., Lumpp, A., Kuelz, A.-K., Freyer, T., Voderholzer, U. — 2008-05-01

A dysfunction of the fronto-striatal loop has been associated with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Functional imaging studies suggest that reversal learning is affected by deficits in fronto-striatal brain areas and thus should be impaired in patients with OCD. The authors compared patients with OCD and healthy comparison subjects on a reversal learning task. Correlation analyses and group comparisons showing prolonged reaction times of different response parameters are associated with increasing severity of compulsions. The reversal learning task has been shown to be associated with ventral fronto-striatal brain activation by functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) in healthy comparison subjects. The purpose of this article is to suggest that the reversal learning task can be used as a neuropsychiatric measurement of the ventral fronto-striatal dysfunction in OCD.

[CLINICAL AND RESEARCH REPORTS] "Denkfaulheit" in Frontotemporal Dementia: A Preliminary Analysis

Mendez, M. F., Shapira, J. S., Licht, E. A. — 2008-05-01

The initial recognition of frontotemporal dementia is often difficult. Frontotemporal dementia presents with subtle personality changes in the absence of a definitive biomarker. The authors report an analysis of cognitive shallowness, or "Denkfaulheit," in patients with frontotemporal dementia early in its course.

[CALENDAR] CME Calendar

2008-05-01

[CLINICAL AND RESEARCH REPORTS] Phenomenology of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder in Patients with Temporal Lobe Epilepsy or Tourette Syndrome

Mula, M., Cavanna, A. E., Critchley, H., Robertson, M. M., Monaco, F. — 2008-05-01

Phenomenology of comorbid obsessive-compulsive disorder was compared in nine patients with temporal lobe epilepsy and 15 with Tourette syndrome. Content of obsessive-compulsive themes focuses on sexuality and impulsiveness in Tourette syndrome and existential thoughts in temporal lobe epilepsy.

[CLINICAL AND RESEARCH REPORTS] Sex-Dependent Hippocampal Volume Reductions in Schizophrenia Relate to Episodic Memory Deficits

Exner, C., Nehrkorn, B., Martin, V., Huber, M., Shiratori, K., Rief, W. — 2008-05-01

Morphological abnormalities of the hippocampus might form the neurobiological basis of memory dysfunction in schizophrenia. Hippocampal volume was found to be bilaterally reduced in male, but not in female, subjects with schizophrenia. Right hippocampal volume was significantly related to impaired visual learning.

[PROCEEDINGS]

2008-05-01

[LETTERS TO THE EDITOR] A Case of Temporary Finger Tremors Due to Amantadine Withdrawal

Shinohara, Y., Hayakawa, N. — 2008-05-01

[LETTERS TO THE EDITOR] Multiple Embolic Phenomenon in the Brain Associated With Parenteral Buprenorphine Abuse

Lee, T.-S., Ng, B. Y. — 2008-05-01

[LETTERS TO THE EDITOR] Paroxysmal Kinesigenic Dyskinesia and Cervical Disc Prolapse With Cord Compression: More Than a Coincidence?

Yulug, B., Bakar, M., Ozer H, H., Yilmaz, M., Unlu, B. — 2008-05-01

[LETTERS TO THE EDITOR] Clozapine-Induced Delirium

Shankar, B. R. — 2008-05-01

[LETTERS TO THE EDITOR] A Diffuse Brain Injury Leading to a Complex Neurobehavioral Syndrome

Arauco, A. R., Grados, M. A., Vizcarra, D. — 2008-05-01

[LETTERS TO THE EDITOR] Neuroleptic Induced Laryngo-Pharyngeal Dystonia

Alappan, N., Shyam Sundar, A., Varghese, S. T. — 2008-05-01

[LETTERS TO THE EDITOR] Electroconvulsive Therapy of a Depressed Patient with Septo-Optic Dysplasia

Ni, H.-C., Liu, H.-M., Tseng, M. M. — 2008-05-01

[LETTERS TO THE EDITOR] Frontal Lobe Syndrome in a Patient without Structural Brain Abnormalities

Hennings, J. M.H., Wetter, T. C., Zihl, J. — 2008-05-01

[LETTERS TO THE EDITOR] Neuroimaging Correlates of Chronic Delusional Jealousy after Right Cerebral Infarction

Luaute, J-P, Saladini, O, Luaute, J — 2008-05-01

[LETTERS TO THE EDITOR] Risperidone and Valproate for Mania Following Stroke

Dervaux, A., Levasseur, M. — 2008-05-01

[LETTERS TO THE EDITOR] Depression Preceding the Onset of Progressive Supranuclear Paralysis: A Case Report

Quante, A., Jakob, F., Wolf, J. — 2008-05-01

[LETTERS TO THE EDITOR] Marked Hyperphagia Associated With Total Loss of Satiety in Alzheimer's Disease

Bhagavati, S. — 2008-05-01

[LETTERS TO THE EDITOR] Topiramate-Induced Palinopsia

Fontenelle, L. F. — 2008-05-01