The right time for a new leadership in Revista Brasileira de Psiquiatria

Universidade de São Paulo Faculdade de Medicina Departamento de PsiquiatriaUniversidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP) Departamento de PsiquiatriaUNIFESP, Depto. de PsiquiatriaSciEL

Sequential Allocation and Balancing Prognostic Factors in a Psychiatric Clinical Trial

In controlled clinical trials, each of several prognostic factors should be balanced across the trial arms. Traditional restricted randomization may be proved inadequate especially with small sample sizes. In psychiatric disorders such as obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), small trials prevail. Therefore, procedures to minimize the chance of imbalance between treatment arms are advisable. This paper describes a minimization procedure specifically designed for a clinical trial that evaluates treatment efficacy for OCD patients. Aitchison's compositional distance was used to calculate vectors for each possibility of allocation in a covariate adaptive method. Two different procedures were designed to allocate patients in small blocks or sequentially one-by-one. Partial results of this allocation procedure as well as simulated ones are shown. In the clinical trial for which this procedure was developed, the balancing between treatment arms was achieved successfully. Simulations of results considering different arrival order of patients showed that most of the patients are allocated in a different treatment arm if arrival order is modified. Results show that a random factor is maintained with the random arrival order of patients. This specific procedure allows the use of a large number of prognostic factors for the allocation decision and was proved adequate for a psychiatric trial design

Is there any relationship between Neuroscience and Psychiatry

Psychiatry has always been considered a separate field of medicine among other medical specialties. Unlike Cardiology or Oncology, diagnoses of psychiatric disorders are made entirely based on patients’ presenting signs and symptoms. There are no sources of external validity (e.g. laboratory exam, imaging findings) that can be employed reliably to identify individuals with psychiatric disorders. [...

Theoretical models of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD): a perspective on future approaches

Obsessive-Compulsive disorder (OCD) is a common psychiatric condition that leads to significant impairment in everyday life. Advancements in neurobiological investigations contributed to a better understanding of pathophysiological mechanisms behind OCD, leading to the understanding that current models employed to conceptualize OCD are not adequate and might be a significant factor in precluding further advancements in how OCD is treated. In this paper, we will use OCD as a model to discuss the limitations of the current diagnostic systems in Psychiatry and to present the novel perspectives based on neurobiological findings that might lead to considerable advancements in treatments for OCD

The National Science and Technology Institute in Child and Adolescence Developmental Psychiatry: a new paradigm for Brazilian Psychiatry focused on our children and their future

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)Universidade de São Paulo Faculdade de Medicina Departamento de PsiquiatriaUniversidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP) Departamento de PsiquiatriaUniversidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul Departamento de PsiquiatriaUNIFESP, Depto. de PsiquiatriaSciEL

Obsessive-compulsive disorder and its related disorders: a reappraisal of obsessive-compulsive spectrum concepts

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a clinical syndrome whose hallmarks are excessive, anxiety-evoking thoughts and compulsive behaviors that are generally recognized as unreasonable, but which cause significant distress and impairment. When these are the exclusive symptoms, they constitute uncomplicated OCD. OCD may also occur in the context of other neuropsychiatric disorders, most commonly other anxiety and mood disorders. The question remains as to whether these combinations of disorders should be regarded as independent, cooccurring disorders or as different manifestations of an incompletely understood constellation of OCD spectrum disorders with a common etiology. Additional considerations are given here to two potential etiology-based subgroups: (i) an environmentally based group in which OCD occurs following apparent causal events such as streptococcal infections, brain injury, or atypical neuroleptic treatment; and (ii) a genomically based group in which OCD is related to chromosomal anomalies or specific genes. Considering the status of current research, the concept of OCD and OCD-related spectrum conditions seems fluid in 2010, and in need of ongoing reappraisal

Update on neurosurgical treatment for obsessive compulsive disorder

Responses to pharmacotherapy and psychotherapy in obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) range from 60 to 80% of cases. However, a subset of OCD patients do not respond to adequately conducted treatment trials, leading to severe psychosocial impairment. Stereotactic surgery can be indicated then as the last resource. Five surgical techniques are available, with the following rates of global post-operative improvement: anterior capsulotomy (38-100%); anterior cingulotomy (27-57%); subcaudate tractotomy (33-67%); limbic leucotomy (61-69%), and central lateral thalamotomy/anterior medial pallidotomy (62.5%). The first technique can be conducted as a standard neurosurgery, as radiosurgery or as deep brain stimulation. In the standard neurosurgery neural circuits are interrupted by radiofrequency. In radiosurgery, an actinic lesion is provoked without opening the brain. Deep brain stimulation consists on implanting electrodes which are activated by stimulators. Literature reports a relatively low prevalence of adverse events and complications. Neuropsychological and personality changes are rarely reported. However, there is a lack of randomized controlled trials to prove efficacy and adverse events/complication issues among these surgical procedures. Concluding, there is a recent development in the neurosurgeries for severe psychiatric disorders in the direction of making them more efficacious and safer. These surgeries, when correctly indicated, can profoundly alleviate the suffering of severe OCD patients.O transtorno obsessivo-compulsivo (TOC) responde aos tratamentos habituais (fármacos e psicoterapia) em cerca de 60 a 80% dos casos. Existe, assim, uma parcela de pacientes resistente aos tratamentos usuais, mesmo que adequadamente conduzidos, com grave prejuízo psicossocial. Nestas situações, a neurocirurgia pode ser indicada. Existem cinco técnicas cirúrgicas disponíveis, com as seguintes taxas de melhora global pós-operatória: capsulotomia anterior (38 a 100%); cingulotomia anterior (27 a 57%); tractotomia subcaudado (33 a 67%); leucotomia límbica (61 a 69%) e talamotomia central lateral com palidotomia anteromedial (62,5%). A capsulotomia anterior pode ser realizada através de diferentes técnicas: neurocirurgia padrão, radiocirurgia ou estimulação cerebral profunda. Na neurocirurgia padrão, circuitos neurais são interrompidos por radiofreqüência via trepanação no crânio. Na radiocirurgia, uma lesão actínica é induzida sem a necessidade de abertura do crânio. A estimulação cerebral profunda consiste na implantação de eletrodos ativados a partir de estimuladores. A literatura indica taxas relativamente baixas de eventos adversos e complicações, sendo raramente descritas alterações neuropsicológicas e de personalidade. Cumpre ressaltar, no entanto, a falta de ensaios clínicos randomizados que comprovem a eficácia e investiguem os eventos adversos ou complicações dos procedimentos cirúrgicos acima mencionados. Concluindo, há um recente aprimoramento das neurocirurgias dos transtornos psiquiátricos graves no sentido de torná-las cada vez mais eficazes e seguras. Estas cirurgias, quando adequadamente indicadas, podem trazer alívio substancial ao sofrimento de pacientes com TOC grave.Universidade de São Paulo Faculdade de Medicina Departamento de PsiquiatriaInstituto de Radiocirurgia NeurológicaUniversidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP) Departamento de PsiquiatriaUNIFESP, Depto. de PsiquiatriaSciEL

Traços de personalidade e resposta terapêutica no transtorno obsessivo-compulsivo

OBJECTIVE: Comorbidity with personality disorders in obsessive-compulsive patients has been widely reported. About 40% of obsessive-compulsive patients do not respond to first line treatments. Nevertheless, there are no direct comparisons of personality traits between treatment-responsive and non-responsive patients. This study investigates differences in personality traits based on Cloninger's Temperament and Character Inventory scores between two groups of obsessive-compulsive patients classified according to treatment outcome: responders and non-responders. METHOD: Forty-four responsive and forty-five non-responsive obsessive-compulsive patients were selected. Subjects were considered treatment-responsive (responder group) if, after having received treatment with any conventional therapy, they had presented at least a 40% decrease in the initial Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale score, had rated "better" or "much better" on the Clinical Global Impressions scale; and had maintained improvement for at least one year. Non-responders were patients who did not achieve at least a 25% reduction in Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale scores and had less than minimal improvement on the Clinical Global Impressions scale after having received treatment with at least three selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (including clomipramine), and at least 20 hours of cognitive behavioral therapy. Personality traits were assessed using Temperament and Character Inventory. RESULTS: Non-responders scored lower in self-directedness and showed a trend to score higher in persistence than responders did. CONCLUSION: This study suggests that personality traits, especially self-directedness, are associated with poor treatment response in obsessive-compulsive patients.OBJETIVO: Comorbidade com transtornos de personalidade tem sido extensamente descrita no transtorno obsessivo-compulsivo. Aproximadamente 40% dos pacientes com transtorno obsessivo-compulsivo não respondem a tratamentos de primeira linha. Não obstante, não existem estudos comparando diretamente traços de personalidade entre pacientes responsivos e refratários ao tratamento do transtorno obsessivo-compulsivo. Este estudo investiga diferenças nos traços da personalidade baseados no Inventário de Temperamento e Caráter de Cloninger (TCI) entre dois grupos de pacientes com transtorno obsessivo-compulsivo classificados segundo desfecho terapêutico: responsivos e refratários. MÉTODO: Quarenta e cinco pacientes refratários e 44 responsivos foram selecionados. Os indivíduos foram considerados responsivos se, após tratamento com terapêutica convencional, apresentaram diminuição de ao menos 40% no escore inicial da Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale, foram classificados como "melhor" ou "muito melhor" na Clinical Global Impressions; e mantiveram melhora por pelo menos um ano. Os refratários eram os pacientes que não atingiram redução de ao menos 25% na Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale e tiveram a melhoria menor que "mínima" na Clinical Global Impressions após o tratamento com ao menos três inibidores seletivos da recaptura de serotonina, incluindo clomipramina, e ao menos 20 horas da terapia cognitiva-comportamental. Os traços da personalidade foram avaliados através do Temperament and Character Inventory. RESULTADOS: Refratários pontuaram menos em autodirecionamento e tenderam a pontuar mais em persistência. CONCLUSÃO: Este estudo sugere que os traços de personalidade, especialmente autodirecionamento, estão associados com a resposta pobre do tratamento em pacientes com transtorno obsessivo-compulsivo.Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP, The State of São Paulo Research Foundation)Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPQ), Brazilian Council for Scientific and Technological Developmen