Neuropsychopharmacologia Hungarica : a Magyar Pszichofarmakológiai Egyesület lapja = official journal of the Hungarian Association of Psychopharmacology
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Neuropsychopharmacol Hung · Mar 2014
Review[Catatonia and neuroleptic malignant syndrome in view of a psychopathological and pathophysiological overlap: a brief review].
Catatonia was first described in the 19th century as a syndrome with motor, affective and behavioral symptoms. During the 20th century it was rather regarded as a rare motoric manifestation of schizophrenia and that classification has almost resulted in the disappearance of catatonia among patients outside of the schizophrenia spectrum. With the introduction of neuroleptics, the incidence of catatonic schizophrenia also declined which was attributed to effective treatment. ⋯ The similarities and the possible shifts may suggest a neuropathological and pathophysiological overlap in the background of the two syndromes. Electroconvulsive therapy and benzodiazepines seem to be an effective treatment in both syndromes. These two treatment approaches can be highly valuable in clinical practice, especially if one considers the difficulties of differential diagnosis.
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Neuropsychopharmacol Hung · Dec 2013
ReviewDesigner drugs in psychiatric practice - a review of the literature and the recent situation in Hungary.
In recent years service providers experienced a new phenomenon in the drug markets of Hungary: the dramatically increasing sale and use of designer drugs. In psychiatric practice, the first sign of this new trend was the increasing number of hospitalized patients with acute psychosis using a new type of designer drug: MDPV (3,4-Methylenedioxypyrovalerone). ⋯ In fact, the compounds and their biological effects are many times unknown to the consumers and to the physicians as well, while a recently emerging body of data suggests that the somatic and mental consequences of their consumption are frequent, severe, and sometimes even life-threatening. The aims of this paper are to summarize the most important general information about some widely used designer drugs (synthetic cathinones and cannabinoids); to draw attention to present and upcoming trends of substance abuse patterns; and to highlight the importance and consequences of these trends in every day clinical practice, considering the most important and challenging somatic and psychiatric consequences of designer drug abuse.
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Neuropsychopharmacol Hung · Mar 2013
Review[New data for the pathomechanism of neuropathic pain: therapeutic evidences].
The present work is based on literature data from PubMed. Neuropathic pain is caused by a lesion or disease of the somatosensory system. ⋯ The clinical symptoms are mainly characterized by burning and throbbing pain and sensory disturbances like hyperalgesia and allodynia. Therapeutic recommendations are antidepressants, antiepileptics, opioids and neuro-stimulation methods.
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Neuropsychopharmacol Hung · Dec 2012
ReviewThe role of general practitioners in prevention of depression-related suicides.
Suicide is a ubiquitous phenomenon present in every country, and a function of the constellation of multiple risk and protective factors. The relatively low occurrence of attempted and completed suicide in the general community makes its research and consequentially prediction and prevention difficult, however, suicide events are common among psychiatric patients who contact their general practitioners some weeks or months before their suicidal act. ⋯ As over half of all suicide victims contact their general practitioners within four weeks before their death, primary care physicians play a key role in suicide prediction and prevention. Several large-scale community studies show that education of general practitioners and other medical professionals on the recognition and appropriate pharmacotherapy of depression, particularly in combination with psycho-social interventions and public education significantly improves identification and treatment of depression and consequentially reduces the rate of completed and attempted suicide in the areas served by trained doctors.
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Neuropsychopharmacol Hung · Jun 2012
Review[The European Psychiatric Association (EPA) guidance on suicide treatment and prevention].
Suicide is a major public health problem in the WHO European Region accounting for over 150,000 deaths per year. Suicidal crisis: Acute intervention should start immediately in order to keep the patient alive. ⋯ A secure home, public and hospital environment, without access to suicidal means is a necessary strategy in suicide prevention. Each treatment option, prescription of medication and discharge of the patient from hospital should be carefully evaluated against the involved risks. Training of personnel: Training of general practitioners (GPs) is effective in the prevention of suicide. It improves treatment of depression and anxiety, quality of the provided care and attitudes towards suicide. Continuous training including discussions about ethical and legal issues is necessary for psychiatrists and other mental health professionals.