{"title":"A single-blind, randomized controlled trial of transcranial direct current stimulation in adults with obsessive-compulsive disorder as early augmentation.","authors":"Lokesh Kumar, Bandna Gupta, Adarsh Tripathi, Mohita Joshi, Sujita Kumar Kar","doi":"10.1017/S1092852925000173","DOIUrl":"10.1017/S1092852925000173","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) has emerged as a promising neuromodulation technique for managing obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Early intervention with tDCS may lead to improved treatment outcomes for individuals with OCD, offering hope for more effective and timely intervention strategies. This study aimed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of tDCS as an early augmentation strategy in adults with OCD.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Drug-free adult patients with OCD were randomized into active and sham groups and received fluoxetine 20 mg (up to 60 mg). The protocol involved placing the cathode over the left supplementary motor area and the anode over the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, using a 2-mA current for 20 minutes, with a ramp time of 10 seconds. A total of 10 sessions were given over 2 weeks. Following the baseline assessment, both illness severity and side effects were measured periodically at 2, 4, and 6 weeks.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>A total of 40 patients completed this study (20 in each group). The active group demonstrated a significant reduction in Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale scores at 2, 4, and 6 weeks compared with the sham group, with a number needed to treat of 2.5. Additionally, the effect size of the intervention at 2 weeks was calculated to be 0.58, indicating a moderate effect according to Cohen's <i>d.</i> Side effects were milder, tolerable, and uncommon.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Early augmentation with tDCS is a safe and effective method for rapidly reducing symptom severity in adult patients with OCD.</p>","PeriodicalId":10505,"journal":{"name":"CNS Spectrums","volume":" ","pages":"e50"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2025-06-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144526661","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
CNS SpectrumsPub Date : 2025-06-30DOI: 10.1017/S1092852925100333
Jose Manuel Quintero, Rosa Helena Bustos, Sharon Lechtig-Wassermann, Stephania Beltran, Carlos A Zarate
{"title":"Ketamine in clinical practice: transitioning from anesthetic agent to psychiatric therapeutic.","authors":"Jose Manuel Quintero, Rosa Helena Bustos, Sharon Lechtig-Wassermann, Stephania Beltran, Carlos A Zarate","doi":"10.1017/S1092852925100333","DOIUrl":"10.1017/S1092852925100333","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Ketamine, originally synthesized in 1962, has gained increasing attention due to its rapid and sustained antidepressant effects in treatment-resistant depression (TRD). Unlike traditional antidepressants, ketamine acts on multiple neurotransmitter systems, including NMDA receptor antagonism and AMPA receptor potentiation, offering a novel mechanism for mood regulation. Beyond psychiatry, ketamine remains a valuable anesthetic and analgesic agent with applications in acute and chronic pain management. Its anti-inflammatory, neuroprotective, and potential antitumor properties further underscore its versatility in clinical medicine. Despite its therapeutic promise, ketamine poses challenges due to its dissociative and hallucinogenic effects, contributing to widespread recreational use. Chronic misuse is associated with adverse health outcomes, including bladder dysfunction and hepatobiliary complications. As a result, ketamine has been subject to increasing regulatory scrutiny, balancing its medical utility with concerns about abuse potential. The rediscovery of ketamine's antidepressant effects in the early 2000s has revolutionized psychiatric treatment, particularly in TRD and suicidality. Recent studies have also explored its efficacy in bipolar depression, posttraumatic stress disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and substance use disorders, expanding its therapeutic applications. Additionally, ongoing research aims to elucidate its long-term effects and optimize dosing regimens to maximize clinical benefits while minimizing risks. This review highlights ketamine's multifaceted pharmacological properties, its evolution from an anesthetic to a novel psychiatric treatment, and its broader medical applications. As research advances, a comprehensive understanding of ketamine's mechanisms and clinical implications will be crucial for optimizing its therapeutic potential while mitigating its risks.</p>","PeriodicalId":10505,"journal":{"name":"CNS Spectrums","volume":" ","pages":"e51"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2025-06-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144526662","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
CNS SpectrumsPub Date : 2025-06-27DOI: 10.1017/S1092852925100308
Karling Luciani, Laura Schmid, Bazyl Carroll, Alexandra Sebastian, Fidel Vila-Rodriguez, Christian G Schütz
{"title":"Neuromodulation of the right inferior frontal gyrus in bipolar disorder to target response inhibition: a proof-of-concept study.","authors":"Karling Luciani, Laura Schmid, Bazyl Carroll, Alexandra Sebastian, Fidel Vila-Rodriguez, Christian G Schütz","doi":"10.1017/S1092852925100308","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1017/S1092852925100308","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objective: </strong>Bipolar disorder (BD) affects over 1% of the population and is characterized by deficits in response inhibition. Response inhibition, a crucial component of executive functions, involves the ability to suppress or withhold a planned or ongoing response that is no longer required or appropriate in a given context. Response inhibition may be dissociated into three subcomponents: interference inhibition, action withholding, and action cancellation. These subcomponents are assessed using the hybrid response inhibition (HRI) task. Previous research has shown that inhibitory control is strongly lateralized to the right hemisphere. Specifically, the right inferior frontal gyrus (rIFG) is a key node underpinning response inhibition and might be amenable to neuromodulation using repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS). This proof-of-concept study aimed to investigate the effects of rTMS targeting the rIFG on response inhibition in individuals with BD and controls.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>We investigated HRI performance scores in individuals with BD (<i>n</i> = 12) and sex-/age-matched controls (<i>n</i> = 12) immediately before and after intermittent theta-burst stimulation (iTBS) and continuous TBS to modulate cortical excitability of the rIFG.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The response inhibition subcomponent \"action withholding\" was significantly improved in the HRI task following iTBS in the BD group. No other significant effects were observed in the results.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Our study is the first to show that iTBS to the rIFG neuromodulated a specific subcomponent of response inhibition in BD. Further research investigating the potential therapeutic effect of neuromodulation of the rIFG in BD is warranted.</p>","PeriodicalId":10505,"journal":{"name":"CNS Spectrums","volume":"30 1","pages":"e48"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2025-06-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144504984","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
CNS SpectrumsPub Date : 2025-06-19DOI: 10.1017/S1092852925100345
Francesco Bartoli, Daniele Cavaleri, Carlo Bassetti, Marco Broccia, Cristina Crocamo, Gin S Malhi, Giuseppe Carrà
{"title":"Adolescent cannabis use and onset of bipolar disorder: gaining causal clarity by viewing the evidence through the Bradford Hill lens.","authors":"Francesco Bartoli, Daniele Cavaleri, Carlo Bassetti, Marco Broccia, Cristina Crocamo, Gin S Malhi, Giuseppe Carrà","doi":"10.1017/S1092852925100345","DOIUrl":"10.1017/S1092852925100345","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>In recent times, several longitudinal studies aimed at clarifying whether cannabis use during adolescence might play a causal role in the subsequent risk of developing bipolar disorder have been published. Although their methodological heterogeneity precludes any meta-analytic approaches, evidence from these studies can be systematically evaluated using the Bradford Hill criteria. A biological gradient is supported by evidence on the dose-response relationship between exposure severity and outcome. As such, the effect of cannabis use on bipolar disorder onset is likely to be strong, coherent, plausible, and based on a clear temporality. In addition, some analogies can be hypothesized between studies testing the possible causal role of cannabis in the development of bipolar disorder and those is schizophrenia. Cannabis may represent a precipitating agent inducing bipolar disorder in a multicausal model of individual vulnerability. However, this relationship seems to be only partially consistent and nonspecific, and the experimental evidence is strongly suggestive but, as yet, inconclusive. Nevertheless, in summary, it seems there is sufficient support for the hypothesis that cannabis use during adolescence may play a causal role in bipolar disorder, although further studies are needed to consolidate the evidence.</p>","PeriodicalId":10505,"journal":{"name":"CNS Spectrums","volume":" ","pages":"e49"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2025-06-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144324678","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
CNS SpectrumsPub Date : 2025-06-09DOI: 10.1017/S109285292510031X
Serene Lee, Liyang Yin, Naomi Xiao, Taeho Greg Rhee, Heidi K Y Lo, Sabrina Wong, Susan Fox, Kayla Teopiz, Bess Yin-Hung Lam, Yang Jing Zheng, Gia Han Le, Rodrigo B Mansur, Joshua D Rosenblat, Roger S McIntyre
{"title":"Glucagon-like Peptide-1 receptor agonists for the prevention and treatment of Parkinson's disease.","authors":"Serene Lee, Liyang Yin, Naomi Xiao, Taeho Greg Rhee, Heidi K Y Lo, Sabrina Wong, Susan Fox, Kayla Teopiz, Bess Yin-Hung Lam, Yang Jing Zheng, Gia Han Le, Rodrigo B Mansur, Joshua D Rosenblat, Roger S McIntyre","doi":"10.1017/S109285292510031X","DOIUrl":"10.1017/S109285292510031X","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Parkinson's disease (PD) is a severe neurodegenerative disorder characterized by prominent motor and non-motor (e.g., cognitive) abnormalities. Notwithstanding Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved treatments (e.g., L-dopa), most persons with PD do not adequately benefit from the FDA-approved treatments and treatment emergent adverse events are often reasons for discontinuation. To date, no current therapy for PD is disease modifying or curative. Glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1RAs) are central nervous system (CNS) penetrant and have shown to be neuroprotective against oxidative stress, neuroinflammation, and insulin resistance, as well as promoting neuroplasticity. Preclinical evidence suggests that GLP-1RAs also attenuate the accumulation of α-synuclein. The cellular and molecular effects of GLP-1RAs provide a basis to hypothesize putative therapeutic benefit in individuals with PD. Extant preclinical and clinical trial evidence in PD provide preliminary evidence of clinically meaningful benefit in the cardinal features of PD. Herein, we synthesize extant preclinical and early-phase clinical evidence, suggesting that GLP-1RAs may be beneficial as a treatment and/or illness progression modification therapeutic in PD.</p>","PeriodicalId":10505,"journal":{"name":"CNS Spectrums","volume":" ","pages":"e44"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2025-06-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144246798","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
CNS SpectrumsPub Date : 2025-06-02DOI: 10.1017/S109285292500029X
Roger S McIntyre
{"title":"Response to letter \"transgenerational adverse effects of valproate can't be by-passed\".","authors":"Roger S McIntyre","doi":"10.1017/S109285292500029X","DOIUrl":"10.1017/S109285292500029X","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":10505,"journal":{"name":"CNS Spectrums","volume":" ","pages":"e46"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2025-06-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144198444","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}