Bipolar depression is often difficult to treat and needs a specific therapeutic approach. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the efficacy of lumateperone to be inclusive of more recently published studies with this agent in depressive episodes of bipolar disorder. Three meta-analyses were conducted to determine whether the mean Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS) values in the placebo groups differ significantly from the mean MADRS scale values in the group ...

Attention deficit-/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) medications are commonly prescribed to children and adolescents, but therapeutic reference ranges have not been systematically evaluated yet. This study aimed to establish preliminary therapeutic reference ranges for methylphenidate (MPH),d-amphetamine (d-AMP), atomoxetine (ATX), and guanfacine (GFC), based on a systematic review of the existing relevant literature.

Therapeutic reference ranges were calculated based on blood concentrations measured...

Schizophrenia spectrum disorders (SSD) are debilitating psychiatric illnesses that require extensive pharmacologic, cognitive, and functional management. SSD patients are often prescribed different medications, most commonly antipsychotics, which bear numerous side effects. Recently, accumulating evidence has shown epigenetic aging changes in SSD. However, the effects of antipsychotic medications on this phenomenon remain unexplored.

We investigated whether antipsychotic medications are associate...

Acute stress, potentially mediated by the stress-induced release of cortisol, affects decision-making processes. In the brain, cortisol activates two different types of receptors: the glucocorticoid receptor (GR) and the mineralocorticoid receptor (MR), each with different functional profiles. While previous studies suggest specific effects for MR and GR, the role of both receptor types in decision-making is insufficiently investigated.

In this study, stress-induced effects of cortisol on decisio...