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C Spadone

Publications and source records attributed to C Spadone.

16 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1999

[Depression and manic-depressive disorders].

The two major subtypes of manic-depressive illness are bipolar disorder and recurrent major depressive disorder. Biological data strongly indicate that a significant genetic factor is involved in the development of manic-depressive illness. But, stressful life events, environmental stress and premorbid personality factors may also be involved in other important etiologic factors. Some research data indicate that cyclothymic disorder and temperamental disorders may be considered as mild forms of bipolar disorders so called "subaffective disorders". The identification of clinical or biological features reflecting the severity of the major depressive episode is very important in regard of the high potential for suicide of the illness.

Bipolar Disorder↗
PubMed1996

Treatment of depressive syndromes in detoxified drug addicts: use of methadone.

Depressive syndromes are very frequent in drug-addicted patients. Their study is particularly difficult on account of the toxic intake which disturbs the clinical analysis. Methadone has improved our understanding of these pathologies. In fact, methadone permits treatment of some depressive disorders typically linked to addiction, such as a motivational symptoms and depressive mood following intoxication. It brings to the fore the other mood disorders which are often associated with drug intake.

Affective Disorders, Psychotic↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Management strategies for major depressive episodes as a function of initial response to an SSRI or SNRI antidepressant: results of the ORACLE survey].

OBJECTIVE: The main aim of the major depressive episode treatment is to obtain a complete remission. However, partial remission (persistence of residual symptoms) is a frequent outcome of major depressive episodes, concerning approximately half of the patients who were responders to the treatment. An inadequate treatment response after three weeks of treatment is considered by the ANAES recommendations as a potential reason to modify the treatment regimen. The primary objectives of this survey were to describe the therapeutic strategies implemented in subjects treated as outpatients for a major depressive episode following evaluation of the initial response to an SSRI or an SNRI antidepressant and to assess by a naturalistic way the impact of these strategies on the extent of remission at three months. The secondary objective was to determine, by multivariate analysis, others factors able to influence the remission. METHODS: This prospective observational survey concerned 2 138 patients treated by community psychiatrists (n=582) and presenting a major depressive episode in the context of a recurrent depressive disorder. Patients were assessed at inclusion and at Weeks 3, at Week 6 and at Week 12. Changes in score on the Hamilton Depression Scale (Ham-D) and CGI severity between inclusion and Week 3 and improvement scores were evaluated. The therapeutic strategies after evaluation were described. Remission was defined as a score of 1 or 2 on the CGI-improvement scale; a treatment response at Week 3 was defined as a decrease of at least 50% in the Ham-D score. The physician also provided an overall rating of satisfaction with the treatment at Week 3. RESULTS: Data from 1 974 patients were analysed. The mean age at inclusion was 42.7 years, 70% of the patients were women; the mean age at first episode was 32.2 years, the average time since the last episode was 3.6 years. The mean Ham-D score at inclusion was 23.6 +/- 5.8. At Week 3, 29.1% of patients were considered treatment responders. The antidepressant dose was subsequently increased in 10.2% of responders compared to 36.3% of non-responders. When the physician rated the treatment response as unsatisfactory, the dose was increased in 56% of cases. At week 12, 83.7% of patients were in remission as defined by the CGI; according to physician judgement, 45.7% were in complete remission and 43.3% in partial remission. According to the literature, the existence of an early response to the treatment predicted a total remission at Week 12 (69.1% of the treatments responders at Week 3 were in complete remission at Week 12, vs 35.7% of the treatments not-responders). CONCLUSION: These results underline the professional practices in private community psychiatric practice in France. At Week 3, posology increased for only 36.3% of the patients, whereas it is one of the therapeutic strategies recommended by the ANAES. Participating physicians relied on their subjective judgement about initial treatment response when making decisions about treatment strategies rather than by psychometric scores. At Week 3, 29.1% of patients were considered treatment responders according to the change in Ham-D score, compared to 57.3% whose treatment response was considered satisfactory by the physician. The decision to increase the dose was more closely associated with subjective perceptions of satisfaction than with psychometric rating scale scores, despite psychometric evaluation was systematic in the ORACLE survey, what is not the case in usual practice in France, except for clinical research. In addition, this study confirms an important data for the clinician: there is a correlation between early response to the treatment (Week 3) and complete remission at the end of the acute phase of treatment (Week 12).

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Treatment adherence in the recurrent depressive disorders].

It is difficult to achieve treatment compliance in recurrent depressive disorders. This disease involves a combination of psychiatric and depressive disorders and is a chronic condition: all of the characteristic features of the disease constitute an obstacle to compliance. Compliance in depressive patients may be improved through various approaches. Information provided to patients, which is widely encouraged today both by doctors and by the regulatory authorities, must be as complete as possible; it must include discussion of factors of that favor depression, as well as the logical basis of the management approach proposed. Furthermore, the best guarantee of compliance is probably maintenance of euthymia by means of suitable treatment. Long-term therapy with antidepressants and the institution of a mood regulator (valproate in particular) have both been shown to be efficacious and significantly superior to placebo. Published studies show that continued treatment with an antidepressant can reduce the risk of depressive relapse noted during long-term follow-up (between 18 months and 5 years) by at least 50%. This has been demonstrated for both tricyclic antidepressants and specific serotonin reuptake inhibitors. The need for continued long-term administration of the dosages with proven efficacy during the acute episode has been demonstrated for imipramine but also appears to have been verified for SSRIs. Even when depressive relapse occurs, it is often less severe if the antidepressant treatment has been continued. Although first-line preventive therapy generally comprises long-term continued administration of the antidepressant, use of mood regulators may occasionally be proposed: valproic acid is generally preferred over lithium assaults on the ground of safety. However, there are few studies demonstrating the preventive efficacy of structured psychotherapy against recurrence of depression. Good treatment compliance entails major benefits: the prescribed treatment is able to reduce the risk of recurrence of depression, and in all probability also reduces subsequent vulnerability to depression, even after treatment discontinuation, as emphasized by the kindling theory of R. Post.

Antidepressive Agents↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Antidepressants consumption in the global population in France].

The consumption of antidepressant seems to be in France higher than in comparable countries, as well as the overall consumption of healthcare and medications. In Western countries, in recent years, the use of antidepressants has regularly increased, mainly due to the use of serotoninergic antidepressants. In France, in a week, the prevalence of antidepressant use in the overall population increased from 1.7% in 1992 to 3% in 1995. This survey addressed the overall population in the form of a representative sample focusing on subjects who indicated, at the time they were consulted, that they were taking an antidepressant. The study aimed to determine the circumstances of prescription: prescriber file, reason for prescription, type of medication prescribed, match between the prescription and the product indications stated in the marketing authorization, prescription duration and reason for discontinuing treatment. Methodology - The first stage consisted in forwarding a letter to a panel of 44 000 subjects aged 15 years or more and representative of the French population. The aim was to achieve a cross-sectional description of the population taking antidepressants. The response rate was 82% (36 036 subjects). The subjects who stated that they were taking an antidepressant were re-contacted by telephone by an interviewer trained in the use of the Composite International Diagnostic Interview - lifetime (CIDI), exploring depression and anxiety diseases with a view to potential diagnosis as per DSM criteria. Longitudinal follow-up over 8 months from the initial screening was evaluated using a monthly questionnaire on the time course of antidepressant consumption. Results - Out of 20 000 households, comprising 44 000 people aged over 15 years, 1 333 people were taking an antidepressant or had taken one in the previous 4 weeks. The sex ratio of the antidepressant consumers was 3 women to 1 man, amplifying the known sex ratio with respect to depressive disorders. The mean age of the subjects taking an antidepressant at time t was 51 years. Lifestyle and socioprofessional category did not seem to influence antidepressant consumption. Somatic comorbidity was present in 60% of antidepressant consumers. Among the consumers of antidepressants at time t, 45% were taking a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI). The two products most widely prescribed in that class were fluoxetine (30% of the subjects taking an antidepressant at time t) and paroxetine (10% of the subjects taking an antidepressant at time t). The other SSRIs accounted for the remaining 5%. Thirty-nine percent of the consumers were taking a tricyclic antidepressant: clomipramine in 16% of cases, amitriptyline in 14%, and other tricyclic antidepressants in 9%. Lastly, 20% of the consumers were taking an antidepressant that was neither an SSRI nor a tricyclic antidepressant. Only 4% of the patients were concomitantly taking 2 antidepressants: single-agent therapy is in line with the recommendations of the various expert groups. In the survey, 9 antidepressant prescriptions out of 10 were written by an open-care practitioner, and 1 out of 10 by a hospital physician. For 60% of the subjects, the antidepressant treatment was prescribed by a general practitioner. General practitioners prescribe less tricyclic antidepressants and more SSRIs than specialists. The main reason for prescription reported by the patient was depression (57% of cases); followed by a state of anxiety or stress (15% of cases). In 10% of cases, the consumer stated that the reason for treatment was not psychological. Sixty-two percent of subjects presented with, or had presented with, a mood disorder as per M-CIDI (major depression, mood disorder, or a combination of the two) and 14% an isolated anxiety disorder. Twenty-five percent of the subjects on antidepressants did not fulfill all the M-CIDI criteria for any diagnosis. Among the people receiving antidepressants, 54% had a CIDI diagnosis in strict compliance with the marketing authorization indications for the product considered. One quarter (25%) presented with a diagnosis of a characterized psychiatric disease, outside of the marketing authorization indications for the product taken. This finding reflects misuse or use on the basis of published data not incorporated in the marketing authorization. The dosages were in line with those stated in the marketing authorization for the disease considered in almost 99% of cases for the subjects on paroxetine and fluoxetine, but for only 22% of cases for the subjects on tricyclic antidepressants. Tricyclic antidepressants would therefore appear to be frequently inappropriately in terms of proportions that would be ineffective: half of the subjects on clomipramine were taking a dose less than or equal to one third of the minimum recommended dose. Conclusion - This survey shows that the point-prevalence of antidepressants in the global population in France is about 3.5%. Women consume more antidepressants than men. SSRIs are the most widely prescribed antidepressants. The survey findings point out the discrepancies between official indications, such as the ones issued by the regulatory authorities, and the physicians' prescribing practices.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Effects of escitalopram on anxiety symptoms in depression].

Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, the antidepressants most widely prescribed today, exert specific action against various anxiety disorders and have an excellent acceptability profile. In addition, anxiety problems are commonly seen in depression, in the form of either characterised anxiety disorders or associated anxious symptoms. Such symptoms of anxiety result in increased risk of suicide and appear to be associated with development of more severe and chronic depressive disorders. Because of the adverse effects associated with anxiolytics, in particular benzodiazepines, their indications have been restricted. Consequently, first-line drug therapy for anxiety symptoms associated with depression involves selection of an antidepressant having anxiolytic properties. Specific serotonin reuptake inhibitors are commonly favoured at present since they have a less pronounced sedative effect than the tricyclic antidepressants (e.g. amitriptyline, maprotiline). Escitalopram, the active enantiomer of citalopram, has demonstrated efficacy and rapidity of action upon depressive symptoms seen in major depressive episodes. Global analysis of three studies comparing citalopram and escitalopram with a placebo in depressive disorders allowed specific investigation of the activity of these molecules upon the anxiety component of depressive disorders. Anxiety was quantitatively evaluated using item 6 (inner tension) of the MADRS, and for two of the three studies, using the anxiety sub-score of the HAM-D as well as the HAM-A total score. The results for the two active molecules demonstrate significant superiority in comparison with the placebo. Furthermore, in the case of escitalopram, this improvement appeared significant as of the first week of treatment (p<0.05); by the end of the second week of treatment, the degree of significance was even more pronounced (p<0.001). The tolerability profile of these two active substances was very good. These studies thus demonstrate the efficacy of escitalopram against anxiety symptoms associated with depression, together with particularly interesting rapidity of action. Use of an antidepressant with proven activity against anxiety accompanying depression avoids the need for co-prescription of tranquillizers, which themselves are not devoid of adverse effects.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Neurophysiology of cannabis].

Various neurophysiological properties of cannabis are described in a review of the literature. The properties of the principal active cannabinoid, delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (delta-9-THC) are described, followed by a review of psychological and neuropsychiatric effects. Cannabis disturbs EEG, decreasing in particular REM sleep time. Cerebral atrophy is not evident, assuming no concurrent drug abuse, but cerebral perfusion is noted to decrease after THC absorption. Endocrine effects have been described in animal studies: inhibiting effects on sex hormone production and thyroid function, and a stimulating action on corticosteroid activity have been observed. These actions are thought to exert themselves at the hypothalamic level. There is also evidence of an effect on prostaglandin metabolism. At the cellular and subcellular level THC acts on membranes of neurones and synaptic vesicles, possibly affecting membrane transport systems. The morphology of the synapse is also altered. THC acts on neurone conduction, stimulating polysynaptic transmission. Various mechanisms of THC activity are considered: via specific lipoprotein receptors, via central benzodiazepine receptors and via opioid receptors. THC also exerts an effect on neurotransmitters: an increase in central cholinergic activity, a mode-rate increase in catecholaminergic activity and effects on the GABA and serotonin systems are postulated.

Animals↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Role of familial therapies in the treatment of schizophrenia].

A number of factors restrict the use of family therapies when dealing with a schizophrenic patient. These therapies may be of psychoanalytic or systemic inspiration. Bateson and the team of Palo Alto were the first to formalize the rules of functioning of the familial systems, in stressing particularly the circularity and the alternance between the homeostatic and the transformation phases. The distinction between the two communication levels--digital and analogic--allowed Bateson to describe the double bond. The double bind is however a theoretical concept, which use should be carefully weighed. In a schizophrenic family, these rules are often utilized as a shield against change. This is also the case concerning the familial myth. The schizophrenic family presents various characteristics: it is usually rigid, presents chaotic transactions, has a fusional functioning with an insufficient separation between the various generations. There often is a triangulation of a child in the aim for the parents to resolve their marital conflicts. The time for consultation in a schizophrenic family is more often at a key moment of the familial vital cycle than at the time of a family crisis. The therapeutic modalities are numerous, from a simple interview with the relatives of the schizophrenic child to the structured family therapies. The aims of the therapy may also seem diversified: disappearance of symptoms, restructuration of the relationships inside the couple or the family.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Family↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Mortality and cause of death in schizophrenia. Review of the literature].

Through a review of the literature, the average mortality in schizophrenia is twice higher than among the population. This over mortality is highest among the 20-40 years range of age and added risk tends to disappear after 60 years. All studies stress the unnatural causes of death, suicide or accidental deaths. However several studies found an over mortality caused by natural death. The pathologies most often involved are: infections, lung, gastrointestinal, urogenital and cardiovascular diseases. Cancer mortality in schizophrenic patients is still debated. Some studies point out a reduced mortality compared to the general population whereas other studies find similar or over mortality. Nevertheless mortality ratio is found to be near 1 in the majority of studies. So it can be admitted that schizophrenic patient do really not differ from the general population in regard to cancer mortality. Premature death is highly linked to suicide. The epidemiological indicators that enable us to estimate the importance of suicide mortality are: the rate of suicide per 105 patients per year varies between 150 and 500, the percentage of death by suicide range between 10 and 15 percent. Suicide risk factors are numerous. Some of them are accepted as valid and others are still discussed. The former are: male gender, young and medium age ten first years of the illness course, associated depressive symptoms, past history of suicide attempts, iterative relapses and post hospital discharge period. The latter are: social isolation, celibacy, unemployment, high level of instruction, delusional and hallucinatory activity and familiar rejection.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Calcium antagonists and lithium in preventive treatment of manic-depressive disorder].

Recent advances in knowledge about calcium's role as an intracellular regulator allow to broaden understanding of possible pathophysiologic mechanisms in affective disorders. An hypothesis emerge that bipolar illness arise from disorders in calcium-regulated functions. Given this hypothesis, some authors propose to describe the common profiles of action of the different mood-stabilizers: all the neural mechanisms that are hypothesized to explain various psychopharmacological treatments of bipolar illness involve functions that are critically controlled by calcium. Moreover, in every instance, a known action of lithium on calcium-dependent processes could account for lithium's prophylactic results. Similarities exist between the action of lithium and calcium antagonists like verapamil and nimodipine. From these considerations the hypothesis emerge that calcium antagonists could be an alternative pharmacological agent in the maintenance treatment of bipolar illness. Calcium antagonists have been found useful in this indication by a number of investigators. Given the safety and relative lack of side effects of calcium channel blocking agents, their potential efficacy in mood disorders, it is concluded that calcium antagonists may be an alternative choice in prophylactic treatment for bipolar illness, especially in patients who cannot be treated with lithium or carbamazepine. There is evidence for using verapamil at 240 to 320 mg a day, in 2 to 4 times. Some studies suggest that the association of lithium with calcium antagonist resulted more effective than lithium alone or calcium antagonist alone in the reduction of episodes of affective disorders. However, concomitant administration of a calcium channel antagonist and lithium present adverse interactions (lithium toxicity, cardiovascular accidents), probably because of synergistic toxic effects. Therefore, authors advise care in monitoring patients receiving the combination of these medications.

Antimanic Agents↗