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Journal Article 2005; 26(5): 555-560 PubMed PMID: 16264401 Citation  Keywords:  Animals, Cognition:physiology, Female, Male, Maternal Deprivation, Maze Learning:physiology, Melatonin:biosynthesis, Memory:physiology, Psychomotor Performance:physiology, Rats, Rats, Wistar,.   

OBJECTIVES: It is known that maternal deprivation (MD) may alter cognitive functions such as learning and memory in adult life by effecting normal growth and development. However, the mechanisms of these cognitive alterations are unknown. The aim of this study is to investigate the effects of maternal deprivation on cognition and melatonin production in adolescent male and female rats.

METHODS: The litters were separated daily from their mothers for 6 hours on postnatal days 2 to 20. The spatial memory performance was evaluated using a Morris water maze between the postnatal 26th and 32nd days. Plasma melatonin levels were determined on postnatal days 42.

RESULTS: MD-rats had longer escape latencies at the second, third and fifth days of training days and spend significantly less time in probe trial, compared to control animals.

MAIN FINDINGS: The repeated maternal deprivation caused low blood melatonin levels and there was a significant negative correlation between blood melatonin levels and spatial memory performance in both of male and female adolescent rats.

CONCLUSION: These results suggest an association between melatonin production and neurodevelopment. Further studies are needed to determine the interaction between maternal deprivation and pineal gland maturation/function....

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Journal Article 2005; 26(4): 327-335 PubMed PMID: 16136016 Citation  Keywords:  Acute Disease, Antipsychotic Agents:therapeutic use, Humans, Psychomotor Agitation:drug therapy, Psychotic Disorders:complications,.   

: Several psychotic disorders, including schizophrenia, may be associated with symptoms of acute agitation and aggression. While drug treatment of agitation is often essential, non-pharmacological interventions, both environmental and behavioral, also play important roles in the complex management of agitated patients. The most extensively used psychotropic drugs are parenteral formulas of conventional antipsychotics and benzodiazepines. Recently, injection forms of two second generation antipsychotics, olanzapine and ziprasidone, have become available. Both drugs have shown adequate efficacy and tolerability in several double-blind trials of intramuscular administration in acutely agitated psychotic patients. Compared to conventional medication, injection forms of the new antipsychotics may have a faster onset of action and more favorable profile of adverse events. Alternative approaches to injection administration include liquid drug formula, orally disintegrating tablets and wafers, treatment initiation with high doses, or rapid dose escalation. Evidence suggests that second-generation antipsychotics should be among the first-line choices in the treatment of agitation in acute psychosis....

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Journal Article 2018; 39(3): 205-208 PubMed PMID: 30431739 Citation  Keywords:  Adult, Aged, Bipolar Disorder:complications, Female, Humans, Injections, Intramuscular, Injections, Intravenous, Logistic Models, Male, Middle Aged, Multivariate Analysis, Psychomotor Agitation:drug therapy, Retrospective Studies, Serotonin Uptake Inhibit.   

OBJECTIVES: Trazodone is a multifunctional triazolopyridine drug with antidepressant, anxiolytic, sedative, and hypnotic properties. The current retrospective study was designed to investigate the effectiveness of trazodone for reducing acute psychomotor activation (PA) in patients with bipolar disorder (BD). We specifically reasoned that a parenteral route of administration could offer potential advantages in this clinical setting. METHODS: We assessed the effectiveness and safety of parenteral trazodone in a retrospective study conducted in 64 inpatients with BD and acute PA. The effectiveness assessment was the Clinical Global Impression Scale - Severity Of Illness (CGI-S) rated before the administration of parenteral trazodone (baseline) and at the end of treatment. A post-treatment reduction in CGI-S score ≥ 20% compared with baseline was considered as the primary outcome measure. RESULTS: Administration of parenteral trazodone was associated with significant improvements in CGI-S scores from baseline (5.4 ± 0.9) to the end of the study (4.2 ± 1.0; p < 0.001, Wilcoxon matched-pairs signed-ranks test). A total of 34 patients (53.1%) showed a post-treatment reduction in CGI-S score ≥ 20% compared to baseline. Multivariable binary logistic regression analysis using a forward selection procedure identified treatment duration (in days) as the only independent predictor of post-treatment reduction in CGI-S score ≥ 20% (odds ratio: 1.28; 95% confidence interval: 1.02-1.60, p <0.05). Adverse effects occurred in 13 (20.3%) patients. CONCLUSIONS: Parenteral trazodone is well-tolerated and effective in 53.1% of patients with BP and acute PA. Treatment duration was identified as an independent predictor of response in our sample....

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