New possibilities and limitations in remote psychotherapy

Today, at a time of many restrictions in direct human contact, teleconsultations and remote audio-video sessions have become an essential part of health care services. In psychiatry and psychotherapy, a detailed investigation of the phenomena occurring in the relation between the therapist and the patient (or between patients in group psychotherapy) is a necessity. The fairly widespread access to online data transfer technology affords the possibility of conducting a session without the actual need to travel and meet one another in person in a mutually experienced space. Some significant benefits of real-time remote communication are worth mentioning (e.g. the possibility of maintaining the therapeutic alliance without the need of direct contact). However, the limitations and considerable flaws of remote therapy need to be taken into consideration and carefully addressed to guarantee basic safety for the patient and high professional standards of the treatment. Thorough attention should be given to patient confidentiality and intimacy of the sessions. Only limited evidence is available from research addressing the effectiveness of remote psychotherapeutic treatments. Moderate levels of patient satisfaction and gains from remote treatment in the domain of symptomatic improvement are among the more commonly reported observations. Nevertheless, the lack of well-designed long-term follow-up studies is limiting the possibilities for ascertaining whether the effectiveness of long-term psychotherapy conducted remotely is comparable to face-to-face treatment in domains of personality functioning. Considering both clinical expertise and available research results, remote sessions in psychotherapy are worth recommending when direct contact with the patient is impossible due to external circumstances (e.g. pandemic). This form of temporary reinforcement of the therapeutic relationship and alliance is generally well-received by patients. It is mainly beneficial when implemented under extraordinary circumstances and conducted as an adjunct to direct face-to-face sessions within the bounds of therapeutic contract

Design, Synthesis, and Anti-Cancer Evaluation of Novel Water-Soluble Copper(I) Complexes Bearing Terpyridine and PTA Ligands

This study presents a simple and energy-efficient self-assembly LAG synthetic method for novel water-soluble copper(I) complexes [Cu(terpy)(PTA)][PF6] (1) and [Cu(terpy)(PTA)2][PF6] (2). They were characterized by FT-IR, 1H, and 31P{1H} NMR spectroscopy, elemental analysis, and single-crystal/powder X-ray diffraction (for 2). The X-ray analysis of compound 2 indicates a bidentate coordination mode of terpyridine to the metal center. Variable-temperature NMR tests indicate dynamic properties for terpyridine in the case of both compounds, as well as for the PTA ligands in the case of 2. Additionally, compounds 1 and 2 exhibit interesting cytotoxic activity, which was tested on normal human dermal fibroblasts (NHDFs), human lung carcinoma (A549), human breast adenocarcinoma (MCF-7), and human cervix carcinoma (HeLa) established cell lines. In comparison to the other tested compounds, complexes 1 and 2 seem to have significantly lower IC50 values against cancer cells (A549, HeLa, MCF-7), indicating their potential as prospective anticancer agents. Moreover, both compounds show no significant toxicity towards normal skin cells (NHDFs), suggesting a certain selectivity in their action on cancer cells. Cisplatin as a reference compound also exhibited considerable cytotoxicity against cancer cells but with a low level of selectivity, which could lead to unwanted effects on normal cells. Remarkably, compounds 1 and 2 exhibit up to 30 times the cytotoxic activity of cisplatin, with a six-fold lower toxicity to normal cells. They also interact strongly with human serum albumin, suggesting potential therapeutic applications. Overall, these compounds hold significant promise as potential chemotherapeutic agents