Risdiplam for the Use of Spinal Muscular Atrophy

Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is one of the leading causes of death in infants related to the degeneration of neurons. Currently, there are no curative treatment options for SMA, and many options available may not be feasible. This review presents the background, clinical studies, and indications for the use of Risdiplam in treating SMA. SMA causes a decrease in the production of survival motor neuron proteins (SMN) and current treatments target to increase the expression of SMN. Risdiplam is the first and only oral medication to be approved to treat SMA. As an SMN2 splicing modifier, it has provided stronger systemic therapies than previous intrathecal and gene replacement therapies. There have been many efforts to treat SMA with multidisciplinary approaches. These include intrathecal injections to gene replacement therapies. However, these have been faced with limitations such as reaching a good therapeutic dose in systemic tissues, route of administration, and price. Risdiplam is currently the only orally administered drug approved by the FDA for the treatment of SMA. It not only provides a good therapeutic window to systemic tissues but allows for a non-invasive approach in infants. Further investigation and comparison on the safety profile of Risdiplam due to its broader systemic effect should be considered with other available therapies

MMPI Response Patterns and Alcohol Consumption in DUI Offenders

Self-reported alcohol use in 500 men (mean age 36 yrs) arrested for driving under the influence (DUI) of intoxicants was examined in relation to MMPI profile patterns identified by multivariate procedures. Although DUI offenders were found to share mild antisocial tendencies, it was possible to isolate profile patterns associated with comparatively higher levels of self-reported drinking. Most pronounced was the relationship between higher levels of estimated average alcohol consumption and patterns in which indices of depression and social deviance were elevated, or the 2-4 2-point code type pattern. Comparisons of prototypic profile patterns derived from samples of DUI offenders, alcoholics, and psychiatric patients revealed limited profile replicability. However, the 2-4 code type pattern was consistently found in samples of DUI offenders and alcoholics, and a single profile pattern indicative of moderate social deviance and impulsivity was common to each sample. (13 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2006 APA, all rights reserved)

Comprehensive handbook of psychopathology, 3rd ed./ Edit.: Patricia B. Sutker

xviii, p. 970 .; 25 cm

Comprehensive handbook of psychopathology, 3rd ed./ Edit.: Patricia B. Sutker

xviii, 970 hal.; 25 cm