scholarly journals Eradicating Suicide at Its Roots: Preclinical Bases and Clinical Evidence of the Efficacy of Ketamine in the Treatment of Suicidal Behaviors

2018 ◽  
Vol 19 (10) ◽  
pp. 2888 ◽  
Author(s):  
Domenico De Berardis ◽  
Michele Fornaro ◽  
Alessandro Valchera ◽  
Marilde Cavuto ◽  
Giampaolo Perna ◽  
...  

Despite the continuous advancement in neurosciences as well as in the knowledge of human behaviors pathophysiology, currently suicide represents a puzzling challenge. The World Health Organization (WHO) has established that one million people die by suicide every year, with the impressive daily rate of a suicide every 40 s. The weightiest concern about suicidal behavior is how difficult it is for healthcare professionals to predict. However, recent evidence in genomic studies has pointed out the essential role that genetics could play in influencing person’s suicide risk. Combining genomic and clinical risk assessment approaches, some studies have identified a number of biomarkers for suicidal ideation, which are involved in neural connectivity, neural activity, mood, as well as in immune and inflammatory response, such as the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling. This interesting discovery provides the neurobiological bases for the use of drugs that impact these specific signaling pathways in the treatment of suicidality, such as ketamine. Ketamine, an N-methyl-d-aspartate glutamate (NMDA) antagonist agent, has recently hit the headlines because of its rapid antidepressant and concurrent anti-suicidal action. Here we review the preclinical and clinical evidence that lay the foundations of the efficacy of ketamine in the treatment of suicidal ideation in mood disorders, thereby also approaching the essential question of the understanding of neurobiological processes of suicide and the potential therapeutics.

2008 ◽  
Vol 22 (2) ◽  
pp. 169-175 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gregor Reid ◽  
Kingsley Anukam ◽  
Tara Koyama

Probiotics, defined as ‘live microorganisms, which when administered in adequate amounts, confer a health benefit on the host’, are finally becoming an option for gastroenterologists in Canada, after being available for many years in Japan, Europe and the United States of America. Unfortunately, Health Canada and the US Food and Drug Administration have not controlled the use of the term ‘probiotic’ or put into place United Nations and World Health Organization guidelines. The net result is that a host of products called ‘probiotics’ are available but are not truly probiotic. The aim of the present review was to discuss the rationale for probiotics in gastroenterology, and specifically examine which products are options for physicians in Canada, and which ones patients might be using. It is hoped that by clarifying what probiotics are, and the strengths and limitations of their use, specialists will be better placed to make recommendations on the role of these products in patient care. In due course, more clinically documented probiotics will emerge, some with therapeutic effects based on a better understanding of disease processes.


2020 ◽  
Vol 101 (10) ◽  
pp. 1021-1024
Author(s):  
Severino Jefferson Ribeiro da Silva ◽  
Renata Pessôa Germano Mendes ◽  
Caroline Targino Alves da Silva ◽  
Alessio Lorusso ◽  
Alain Kohl ◽  
...  

The emergence and rapid worldwide spread of a novel pandemic of acute respiratory disease – eventually named coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) by the World Health Organization (WHO) – across the human population has raised great concerns. It prompted a mobilization around the globe to study the underlying pathogen, a close relative of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV) called severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Numerous genome sequences of SARS-CoV-2 are now available and in-depth analyses are advancing. These will allow detailed characterization of sequence and protein functions, including comparative studies. Care should be taken when inferring function from sequence information alone, and reverse genetics systems can be used to unequivocally identify key features. For example, the molecular markers of virulence, host range and transmissibility of SARS-CoV-2 can be compared to those of related viruses in order to shed light on the biology of this emerging pathogen. Here, we summarize some recent insights from genomic studies and strategies for reverse genetics systems to generate recombinant viruses, which will be useful to investigate viral genome properties and evolution.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adrian M. Shields ◽  
Sian E. Faustini ◽  
Caroline A. Kristunas ◽  
Alex M. Cook ◽  
Claire Backhouse ◽  
...  

AbstractBackgroundThe threshold of protection for anti-SARS-CoV-2 spike glycoprotein antibodies and their longevity are not known. Interpretation of serological results in with respect to international reference material can inform this essential question.Methods1,507 West Midlands dental care professionals were recruited into this study in June 2020. Baseline seroprevalence of antibodies directed against the SARS-CoV-2 spike glycoprotein was determined and the cohort was followed longitudinally for 6 months until January/February 2021 through the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom, and commencement of vaccination.ResultsBaseline seroprevalence was 16.3% in this cohort, compared to estimates in the general population of between 6-7%. Seropositivity was retained in over 70% of participants at 3 and 6-month follow up and conferred a 74% reduced risk of infection. During follow-up, no PCR-proven infections occurred in individuals with a baseline anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG level greater than 147.6 IU/ml with respect to the World Health Organization international standard 20-136. Post-vaccination, antibody responses were more rapid and of higher magnitude in individuals with who were seropositive at baseline.ConclusionNatural infection leads to a serological response that remains detectable in over 70% of individuals 6 months after initial sampling and 9 months from the peak of the first wave of the pandemic. This response is associated with protection from future infection. Even if serological responses wane, a single dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine is associated with an antibody response indicative of immunological memory.FundingThe Association of Clinical Biochemistry and Laboratory Medicine and The Institute for Global Innovation (IGI) of the University of Birmingham.


2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Roberto Acuña

BACKGROUND According to the World Health Organization (WHO) close to 800,000 people worldwide death by suicidal each year. Many more attempt to do it. In consequence, the WHO recognizes suicide as a global public health priority, which affects not only rich countries, but poor and middle income countries as well. OBJECTIVE The aim of this study is to evaluate several supervised classifiers for detecting messages with suicidal ideation in order to know if these systems can be used in automatic suicide prevention systems. METHODS We used machine learning techniques to make a systematic analysis of 28 supervised classifier algorithms with parameters by defect. The Life Corpus, used in this research, is a bilingual corpus (English and Spanish) oriented to suicide. The corpus was constructed by two annotation experts, retrieving texts from several social networks. The corpus quality was measured using mutual annotation agreement. RESULTS The different experiments determined that the classifier with the best performance was KStar, with the corpus version POS-SYNSETS-NUM; and the cycle with 2 classes Urgent and No Risk was the one that achieved the best results with the PRC-Area metrics of 0,81036 and F-measure of 0,7148. CONCLUSIONS The present research fulfilled the objective of discovering which characteristics are the most suitable for the automatic classification of messages with suicidal ideation, using the Life Corpus. The results of this evaluation demonstrate that the Life Corpus and machine learning techniques could be suitable for detecting suicide ideation messages.


1998 ◽  
Vol 32 (1) ◽  
pp. 33-38 ◽  
Author(s):  
David M Gardner ◽  
Larry D Lynd

OBJECTIVE To determine the risk for serotonin syndrome associated with the concomitant use of sumatriptan and the currently contraindicated therapies, that is, the monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs), serotonin selective-reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), and lithium. METHODOLOGY: A comprehensive search for reports of serotonin syndrome associated with sumatriptan use was conducted by using tertiary drug interaction literature, MEDLINE, EmBASE, Biological Abstracts, Current Contents, Reactions, ClinAlert, and the International Pharmaceutical Abstracts. In addition, related reports from the proprietary manufacturers, the Health Protection Branch of Health Canada, and the World Health Organization Collaborative Centre for International Drug Monitoring were also solicited. RESULTS The concurrent use of sumatriptan with an SSRI or lithium has been reported to cause symptoms suggestive of serotonin syndrome in 16 and 2 cases, respectively. There were no reports involving MAOIs. In general, the reports indicated a mild-to-moderate, self-limited course with some features consistent with the serotonin syndrome. We found published reports of sumatriptan use without adverse events involving 148 patients receiving SSRIs, 31 patients taking MAOIs, and a small number using lithium. CONCLUSIONS Clinical evidence supporting the strict contraindication of MAOIs, SSRIs, and lithium was not identified. The balance of documented clinical experience pertaining to the use of sumatriptan concurrently with SSRIs or lithium suggests that most patients tolerate this combination without incident. Because there is little reliable experience with sumatriptan in combination with MAOIs, we suggest that sumatriptan should continue to be avoided in patients taking these agents until further data demonstrating safety become available. OBJETIVO Determinar el riego de desarrollar el síndrome de la serotonina asociado al uso concomitante del sumatriptan con agentes inhibidores selectivos de la captura de la serotonina, inhibidores de la monoamina oxidasa (IMAO), y el litio. MÉTODOS Las fuentes de información incluyeron la literatura de interacciones medicamentosas, MEDLINE, EmBASE, Biological Abstracts, Current Contents, Reactions, ClinAlert, y International Pharmaceutical Abstracts. También reportes emanados por los fabricantes de estos medicamentos, la Rama de Protección de la Salud de Salud Canada, y el Centro Colaborativo de Monitoreo Internacional de Medicamentos de la Organización Mundial de la Salud. RESULTADOS Los resultados de la investigación sugieren la presencia del síndrome de la serotonina en 16 casos de pacientes que recibieron el sumatriptan con los inhibidores selectivos de la captura de la serotonina y en 2 casos de pacientes que recibieron el sumatriptan con el litio. No hubo reportes que involucrasen a los IMAO. Las manifestaciones clínicas de este síndrome están descritas en este artículo. En general, los reportes indican que el curso de este evento es de leve a moderado y auto limitante. Los autores consiguieron un número considerable de reportes de estas combinaciones que no condujeron a reacciones adversas. Estos incluyeron 148 reportes del uso del sumatriptan con inhibidores selectivos de la captura de la serotonina, 31 del uso del sumatriptan con IMAO, y un número pequeño del uso del sumatriptan con el litio. CONCLUSIONES No existe suficiente evidencia clínica de que los IMAO, los inhibidores selectivos de la captura de la serotonina o que el litio estén totalmente contraindicados en pacientes recibiendo el sumatriptan. La experiencia clínica documentada hasta el presente sugiere que la mayoría de los pacientes toleran esta combinación sin incidentes. Debido a que existe poca experiencia acerca del uso del sumatriptan con los IMAO, los autores sugieren que esta combinación sea evitada hasta que haya mayor información sobre su seguridad. OBJECTIF Préciser le risque d'apparition d'un syndrome sérotoninergique lié à l'emploi concomitant de sumatriptan et des inhibiteurs de la monoamine oxydase (IMAO), des inhibiteurs sélectifs de la recapture de la sérotonine (ISRS), ou du lithium. MÉTHODES Une recherche des rapports publiés sur le syndrome sérotoninergique lié à l'emploi du sumatriptan a été menée dans les sources d'informations spécialisées en interactions médicamenteuses, dans les banques informatisées MEDLINE et EmBASE, dans les revues Biological Abstracts, Current Contents, Reactions, ClinAlert, et International Pharmaceutical Abstracts. De plus, les données des fabricants, de la Direction Générale de la Protection de la Santé de Santé Canada, et du Centre de Collaboration pour la Surveillance Internationale des Médicaments de l'Organisation Mondiale de la Santé ont été révisées. RÉSULTATS L'emploi concomitant de sumatriptan et des ISRS ou du lithium a été associé à des symptômes s'apparentant au syndrome sérotoninergique dans 16 et 2 cas, respectivement. Il n'y a pas eu de cas rapporté avec les IMAO. En général, les symptômes rapportés étaient de légers à modérés, et quelques présentations concordaient avec un syndrome sérotoninergique. Les auteurs ont répertorié 148 patients ayant utilisé le sumatriptan et les ISRS qui n'ont eu aucun problème, 31 patients ayant eu des IMAO et quelquesuns ayant eu du lithium. CONCLUSIONS L'évidence clinique supportant une contre-indication absolue de l'emploi des IMAO, des ISRS, ou du lithium concomitamment à celle du sumatriptan n'a pu être démontrée. La plupart des patients tolèrent les associations sumatriptan et ISRS ou lithium sans incident. Comme il y a peu d'informations entourant l'utilisation concomitante du sumatriptan et des IMAO, les auteurs suggèrent qu'il serait prudent d'éviter cette association jusqu'à ce que des données supplémentaires montrent son inocuité.


2018 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 663-672
Author(s):  
Miguel Ángel Rissetto ◽  
Miguel Prat

According to the World Health Organization, the number of traffic accidents worldwide reaches 1.25 million people involved in them. This is one of the main causes of death of people between 15 and 29 years old. Most of these deaths are in emergent countries where the rapid economic development has occurred together with an increased use of vehicles. Apart from being a public health issue, the injuries caused by these accidents are an economic-like problem especially in low and medium income countries where their GDP shows about a 3% economical decrease. Argentine has one of the highest mortality index in the world. In 2017 there were 7.213 deaths (provisional figure obtained up to January 11, 2018). This shows a daily rate of 20 deaths and a month rate of 600 deaths. These indexes raise the need of solving this problem including about 120.000 injured people which occurred annually and the significant material losses. This project comes out with the design of a device to place in old and new cars in order to prevent frontal collisions in Argentine roads, especially in roads with only two lines. This system will first join different types of cameras and sensors operated with a software that will alert the driver in advance in various ways, for example, when a vehicle is coming frontally and the overtake is not possible. The devise could use other technologies such as chips (RID types or similar ones), GPS, laser lights and others considered appropriate to make the device more complete, effective and economically accessible.


2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (01) ◽  
pp. 1-6
Author(s):  
Kania Febrya Putri ◽  
Duma Lumban Tobing

Pendahuluan: World Health Organization (WHO) menetapkan bunuh diri sebagai fenomena global di seluruh wilayah di dunia penyebab kematian terbanyak kedua di tahun 2016 dengan rentang usia 15-26 tahun. Banyaknya perubahan yang terjadi pada masa remaja, seperti fisik, hormonal, sosial, dan psikososial, sering kali memicu ketidakstabilan emosi pada remaja yang berujung pada timbulnya ide bunuh diri. Oleh karena itu, dibutuhkan suatu kemampuan agar remaja dapat beradaptasi dengan baik, salah satunya dengan meningkatkan resiliensi Tujuan: Tujuan penelitian, yaitu untuk mengetahui hubungan tingkat resiliensi dengan ide bunuh diri pada remaja. Desain: Penelitian ini melibatkan 231 responden berusia 15 sampai 17 tahun yang akan diminta untuk mengisi data demografi, Connor Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC), dan Suicidal Ideation Questionnaire (SIQ). Hasil: Hasil penelitian menemukan adanya hubungan antara tingkat resiliensi dengan ide bunuh diri. Terdapat temuan menarik, ide bunuh diri juga ditemukan pada remaja dengan orang tua tidak bercerai dan tingkat resiliensi sedang. Kesimpulan: Meningkatkan resiliensi dapat menjadi salah satu upaya penting untuk mencegah dan mengurangi ide bunuh diri pada remaja.


Author(s):  
Emmanuel Nii-Boye Quarshie ◽  
Prince Atorkey ◽  
Karla Patricia Valdés García ◽  
Samuel Afotey Lomotey ◽  
Pascal Landindome Navelle

AbstractThe burgeoning body of evidence suggests that the aggregated 12-month prevalence estimates of suicidal behaviors (ideation, planning, and attempt) are relatively higher among in-school adolescents in Africa, although country-specific data on the phenomena are still inadequate from the continent. We sought to estimate the 12-month prevalence and identify some of the correlates of suicide behaviors among school-going adolescents in Eswatini. We analyzed the nationally representative data from the 2013 Eswatini World Health Organization Global School-based Student Health Survey, using univariate, bivariate, and multivariate statistical approaches. Of the 2,513 analytical samples, 17.0% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 15.4–18.4%) reported suicidal ideation, 21.0% (95% CI: 19.3–22.6%) made a suicide plan, and 15.5% (95% CI: 14.1–16.9%) attempted suicide during the previous 12 months. The final adjusted logistic models indicated health risk behavior (i.e., marijuana use), adverse interpersonal factors within the family (e.g., intrusion of privacy by parents), and school contextual factors (e.g., bullying victimization, physical fights) to be associated with increased odds of suicidal behaviors among females. However, predominantly, school-related interpersonal factors (e.g., bullying victimization, physical fights) showed strong associations with increased odds of suicidal behaviors among males. Generally, parental monitoring, parental understanding, and social support at school were associated with reduced odds of suicidal behaviors. The multi-level nature of our findings underscores the need for multi-contextual and multi-sectoral intervention and prevention programs and policy approaches targeted at mitigating the onset of suicidal ideation and possible transition to suicidal planning, attempt, and potential death by suicide in this young population.


2021 ◽  
Vol 24 ◽  
pp. 329-335
Author(s):  
Boni Singu ◽  
Roger K Verbeeck

Codeine continues to be widely used as an analgesic, antidiarrhoeal and antitussive agent. Its analgesic effect depends on its biotransformation to morphine, a strong opioid. The highly variable biotransformation of codeine to morphine, catalysed by CYP2D6, underlies the pronounced interindividual variability of its analgesic response. Randomized controlled trials have demonstrated that codeine administered alone has the poorest analgesic effect among all commonly used analgesics in acute postoperative pain. Moreover, it is highly unlikely that the low dose of codeine contributes to the pain-relieving effect of the non-opioid component in combination analgesic products. In addition, there is a lack of reliable clinical evidence to support the use of codeine as an antitussive in acute or chronic cough. Codeine use, through its active metabolite morphine, has the potential to lead to abuse and dependence. The World Health Organization (WHO) removed codeine from the essential medicines list for children in 2011. Based on the available information in the scientific literature on the efficacy and safety of codeine, the WHO should seriously consider removing it also from the list of essential medicines for adults, which would be a strong signal for all health professionals to prescribe and dispense codeine with the utmost caution.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document