In search of the sweet spot: the links between dysglycaemia and first episode psychosis

lump-sugar-549096_1280

Ben Perry publishes his debut blog on a recent systematic review of impaired glucose homeostasis in first-episode schizophrenia.

[read the full story...]

Outcomes in first episode manic psychosis

photo-1423420634464-89006b3454a8

Matthew Broome writes his debut Mental Elf blog on a three-year clinical and functional outcome comparison between first episode manic psychosis and first-episode schizophrenia.

[read the full story...]

Integrated treatment for first episode psychosis: media hype versus reality

7163227255_dafb74ab94_b

Alex Langford reflects on the media hype surrounding a new RCT of the NAVIGATE intervention; a comprehensive, multidisciplinary, team-based treatment approach for first episode psychosis.

[read the full story...]

Early intervention in psychosis: how long is long enough?

6999667955_ec45d235b7_k

Rachel Brand looks at a recent RCT which investigates the optimal duration of an early intervention in psychosis programme for young people in Hong Kong.

[read the full story...]

Can fMRI measuring striatal connectivity help predict response to antipsychotics?

shutterstock_223840864

Samei Huda steps into George Clooney’s shoes to discuss baseline striatal functional connectivity as a predictor of response to antipsychotic drug treatment.

[read the full story...]

Childhood adversity and psychotic symptoms: how much can a growing evidence-base tell us?

shutterstock_86306155

Stephen Wood ponders the reliability of a recent systematic review and meta-analysis, which suggests that childhood adversity is significantly linked to an elevated risk of psychotic symptom persistence.

[read the full story...]

Caring for people with severe mental illness: poor research means that carers get a raw deal

Mother and teenage son

Caroline Struthers is frustrated by the lack of high quality research identified by this recent review, which looks at interventions to improve the experience and well-being of those caring for people with severe mental illness.

[read the full story...]

Switching antipsychotics in schizophrenia: the OPTiMiSE RCT

shutterstock_93305014

Tracey Roberts summarises a recent paper that reviews the existing literature concerned with switching antipsychotics in patients with schizophrenia, and goes on to present the ongoing OPTiMiSE RCT in this field, which is due to be published in 2016.

[read the full story...]

Biological markers for treatment response in first episode psychosis

shutterstock_96270467

Stephen Wood summarises a systematic review of biological markers for treatment response in first episode psychosis, which discusses a number of hot topics in this field including inflammation, infectious disease and oxidative stress.

[read the full story...]