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Objective: To compare the effectiveness of two topical medications to reduce the pain and size of recurrent minor aphthous ulcers. Setting: Ten Colombian Dental Faculties’ clinics. Design: A double-blind randomized multi-centre clinical study. Subjects: Ninety-six patients complaining of at least five acute aphthous ulcers were randomized to two intervention groups. Sample size was calculated using an alpha error of 0.05 and beta of 0.20 Materials and methods: Participants were randomly assigned to receive 5% amlexanox or a 0.05% clobetasol propionate magistral preparation. Observers at the participating institutions were previously trained to standardize clinical diagnosis and data recollection. Ulcer size and pain were measured on treatment days 0, 2 and 5. Results: No significant differences were found between the two groups studied in any of the studied variables at baseline. Both treatment medications significantly reduced pain magnitude and the index ulcer's size on days 2 and 5 compared with day 0 without adverse reactions (within groups differences). No statistical differences between groups of the study medications were found. Conclusion: The two treatments applied had similar effectiveness as they both relieved pain and reduced the size of recurrent aphthous ulcers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Extended abstract of a paper presented at Microscopy and Microanalysis 2012 in Phoenix, Arizona, USA, July 29 – August 2, 2012. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The article reports on the study on the effectiveness of aripiprazole in reducing acute mania compared with haloperidol in treating bipolar I disorder. Aripiprazole in capable of increasing response and in reducing adverse events compared to haloperidol at 12 weeks. 347 people aged 18-45 years with non-rapid cycling bipolar 1 disorder participated in the trial.

Abstract: Objectives: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of aripiprazole as acute and maintenance of effect monotherapy for acute bipolar mania. Methods: Patients with acute bipolar I mania (DSM-IV-TR: YMRS ≥20), manic or mixed (with or without psychotic features) were randomized to double-blind aripiprazole (15–30 mg/day; n =155), placebo (n =165) or lithium (900–1500 mg/day; n =160) (1:1:1) for 3 weeks. Aripiprazole- and lithium-treated patients remained on blinded treatment for 9 additional weeks. The primary outcome was the mean change from baseline in YMRS Total score (LOCF) to Week 3. Secondary outcomes included the mean change from baseline in YMRS Total score (LOCF) at all other timepoints up to Week 12. Results: Aripiprazole demonstrated significantly greater improvement than placebo in mean YMRS Total score from baseline to Day 2 (−4.3 vs.−2.8; p =0.003), and up to Week 3 (−12.6 vs. −9.0; p <0.001). Significant improvement in YMRS Total score was also seen with lithium versus placebo at Week 3 (−12.0 vs. −9.0; p =0.005). Improvements in YMRS Total score were maintained to Week 12 for aripiprazole (−14.5) and lithium (−12.7). Response rates at Week 3 were significantly higher with aripiprazole (46.8%) and lithium (45.8%) than placebo (34.4%; both p <0.05, LOCF); increasing to Week 12 with aripiprazole (56.5%) and lithium (49.0%). Most common adverse events with aripiprazole were headache, nausea, akathisia, sedation, and constipation; with lithium were nausea, headache, constipation, and tremor. Conclusions: Aripiprazole provided statistically significant improvement of acute mania within 2 days, continuing over 3 weeks and sustained over 12 weeks. The magnitude of improvement to Week 12 was similar with aripiprazole and lithium. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Introduction Behavioural, psychological and cognitive disturbance have been associated with hypothyroidism, even it has been suggested that this symptoms may remain despite adequate replacement therapy with thyroxine. Objective To describe prevalence, sociodemographics and clinical features of patients with hypothyroidism in an acute psychiatric unit. Aims To know about the relation between hypothyroidism and psychiatric symptoms. Methods Data base collection of all patients admitted between 2010 and 2014 in the acute unit of our psychiatric hospital in Barcelona, was analyzed using SPSS program. Results In all 3.1% of the 4536 total patients had hypothyroidism. Among them, 46% were duplicate cases. Mean age was 53 ± 14.27 years. A total of 82.7% were woman. Patients having a TSH lower than 0.30 were 12%, TSH normal were 60.2%, TSH higher than 5 were 27.8%. Most frequent Levothyroxine dosage was: 75 μg (22.1%), 100 μg (19%), 25 μg (12.5%) and 125 μg (12.5%). Diagnosis more frequently associated with hypothyroidism was: Bipolar (26.5%), Schizophrenia (20%), Depression (15.1%), Unspecified psychosis (10%), Personality disorder (10%), Schizoaffective disorder (7.2%), Paranoia 4.3%. Conclusion Most of patients were stable of thyroid condition when had been admitted to our hospital. Hypothyroidism could be a relapse factor, even when treatment is adequate. Affective disorders are more frequently related with hypothyroidism (lithium has to be consider a confounding factor). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To evaluate the long-term safety and efficacy of adjunctive aripiprazole (ARI) to lithium (LI) or valproate (VAL) in delaying time to relapse in bipolar I disorder. Methods: Bipolar I disorder subjects with a current manic or mixed episode received LI or VAL for at least 2weeks; inadequate responders (YMRS score ≥16 and ≤35% decrease from baseline at 2 weeks) received adjunctive ARI. Subjects maintaining mood stability (YMRS and MADRS ≤12 for 12 consecutive weeks) were randomised 1:1 to double-blind ARI (10 to 30mg/day) or placebo (PBO) plus LI or VAL. Relapse was monitored up to 52 weeks. Results: 337 subjects were randomised to continuation of mood stabiliser plus adjunctive ARI or PBO; 61.3% and 52.7%, respectively, completed the study. Adjunctive ARI significantly delayed the time to any relapse, hazard ratio=0.544 (95% CI: 0.33, 0.89, log-rank p=0.014). Overall relapse rates at 52weeks were 14.9% and 25.4% in ARI vs PBO subjects. A superior reduction in CGI-BP Mania Severity of Illness from baseline at 52 weeks was also observed (0.3 vs. 0.0, respectively, p=0.01). Adverse events generally were as expected per known drug and illness profiles with no significant difference in mean change in body weight between adjunctive PBO (0.60kg) and adjunctive ARI (1.07kg) (p=0.49Week 52, LOCF). Conclusion: Continuation of aripiprazole treatment increased time to relapse to any mood episode compared with placebo plus LI/VAL over 1 year, indicating a long-term benefit in continuing adjunctive aripiprazole to a mood stabiliser after sustained remission is achieved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]