losartan-potassium and Bipolar-Disorder

The purpose of this study is to systematically review the efficacy and safety of adjunctive erythropoietin (EPO) in treating cognitive deficits associated with schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and major depression based on randomized controlled trials (RCTs).. Two evaluators independently and systematically searched and selected studies, extracted data, and conducted quality assessment.. Four RCTs with 144 patients (71 in the EPO group and 73 in the placebo group) met the study entry criteria. Adjunctive EPO could improve schizophrenia-related cognitive performance. In patients with bipolar disorder, EPO could also enhance sustained attention, recognition of happy faces, and speed of complex information processing across learning, attention, and executive function when compared with placebo. In addition, EPO could enhance verbal recall, recognition, and memory in patients with major depression.. This preliminary study found that adjunctive EPO appears to be effective in treating cognitive deficits associated with schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and major depression without major adverse effects observed. Further higher quality RCTs with larger samples are needed to confirm the findings.. CRD42017058094.

Topics: Bipolar Disorder; Cognition Disorders; Depressive Disorder, Major; Erythropoietin; Humans; Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; Schizophrenia

Cognitive dysfunction is a core feature in a range of neuropsychiatric disorders which reduces patients' workforce capacity - the largest socio-economic cost of these disorders. Nevertheless, there is no clinically available medical treatment with robust and enduring efficacy on cognitive deficits in most neuropsychiatric conditions. Recent research has shown that erythropoietin may have beneficial effects on cognitive dysfunction across neuropsychiatric disorders, including bipolar and unipolar disorders, schizophrenia, Parkinson's disease and multiple sclerosis.

Topics: Bipolar Disorder; Cognition; Cognitive Dysfunction; Erythropoietin; Humans; Mood Disorders; Multiple Sclerosis; Parkinson Disease; Schizophrenia

Neuropsychiatric side effects are common with interferon-based therapy for chronic hepatitis C, and their prompt recognition and management is essential to effective patient care. Depression induced by interferon has been a significant cause of early treatment discontinuation in clinical trials. The need to monitor for and treat interferon-induced depression is well established, but whether to use antidepressants prophylactically remains controversial. Nonetheless, clinicians should maintain a low threshold for antidepressant therapy. Other significant neuropsychiatric side effects include anxiety, hypomania or mania, fatigue, and cognitive dysfunction. These can be additional sources of patient distress during interferon therapy and require appropriate intervention through patient education, psychotropic medications, support, and behavioral techniques.

Topics: Antidepressive Agents; Antimanic Agents; Antipsychotic Agents; Antiviral Agents; Anxiety; Bipolar Disorder; Clinical Trials as Topic; Cognition Disorders; Comorbidity; Depression; Erythropoietin; Fatigue; Hepatitis C, Chronic; Humans; Interferons; Mental Disorders; Psychotropic Drugs; Recombinant Proteins; Risk Factors; Substance-Related Disorders

Treatment development that targets cognitive impairment is hampered by a lack of biomarkers that can predict treatment efficacy. Erythropoietin (EPO) improves verbal learning and memory in mood disorders, and this scales with an increase in left hippocampal volume. This study investigated whether pretreatment left hippocampal volume, interhemisphere hippocampal asymmetry or both influenced EPO treatment response with respect to verbal learning.. Data were available for 76 of 83 patients with mood disorders from our previous EPO trials (EPO = 37 patients; placebo = 39 patients). We performed cortical reconstruction and volumetric segmentation using FreeSurfer. We conducted multiple linear regression and logistic regression to assess the influence of left hippocampal volume and hippocampal asymmetry on EPO-related memory improvement, as reflected by change in Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test total recall from baseline to post-treatment. We set up a corresponding exploratory general linear model in FreeSurfer to assess the influence of prefrontal cortex volume on verbal learning improvement, controlling for age, sex and total intracranial volume.. At baseline, more rightward (left < right) hippocampal asymmetry — but not left hippocampal volume per se — was associated with greater effects of EPO versus placebo on verbal learning (p ≤ 0.05). Exploratory analysis indicated that a larger left precentral gyrus surface area was also associated with improvement of verbal learning in the EPO group compared to the placebo group (p = 0.002).. This was a secondary analysis of our original EPO trials.. Rightward hippocampal asymmetry may convey a positive effect of EPO treatment efficacy on verbal learning.. Clinicaltrials.gov NCT00916552

Topics: Adult; Bipolar Disorder; Cognitive Dysfunction; Depressive Disorder, Treatment-Resistant; Erythropoietin; Female; Hippocampus; Humans; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Male; Memory; Middle Aged; Organ Size; Prognosis; Treatment Outcome; Verbal Learning

Erythropoietin (EPO) has been suggested to improve metabolism and also cognition, but human studies are scarce. This randomised controlled trial aimed to investigate whether EPO treatment influences body composition and fat and glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c) and fasting glucose, and whether these changes would be associated with previous observed cognitive benefits of EPO.. In total, 84 non-obese patients with treatment-resistant unipolar depression or bipolar disorder in remission were randomised to 8 weekly EPO (40,000 IU) or saline (NaCl 0.9%) infusions in a double-blind, parallel-group design. Patients underwent dual X-ray absorptiometry scans at baseline and week 14 (6 weeks after treatment completion). Cognitive measures were assessed and fasting levels of cholesterol, lipoprotein fractions, triacylglycerides, glucose and HbA1c were obtained at baseline, week 9 and follow-up week 14.. In total, 79 patients had complete pre- and post-treatment data (EPO: N=40, saline: N=39). EPO had no cumulative effect on body composition and markers of fat metabolism. The EPO-treated group exhibited significantly lower HbA1c levels after 8 weeks treatment [F(1, 80)=8.51, p=0.005], however, 6 weeks after treatment termination a significantly higher fasting glucose levels [F(1, 79)=5.85, p=0.02] and HbA1c levels [F(1, 79)=5.85, p=0.02] were seen. The latter increase in HbA1c was further significantly correlated with a better cognitive outcome on verbal memory (r=0.25, p=0.03).. Repeated EPO infusions had no cumulative effect on body composition in this cohort of patients with affective disorders, however, EPO modulated HbA1c and fasting glucose and this was associated with patients' improvement of verbal memory.

Topics: Adipose Tissue; Adult; Bipolar Disorder; Body Composition; Depressive Disorder; Double-Blind Method; Erythropoietin; Female; Glucose; Glycated Hemoglobin; Humans; Male; Treatment Outcome

Bipolar disorder is associated with impairments in social cognition including the recognition of happy faces. This is accompanied by imbalanced cortico-limbic response to emotional faces. We found that EPO improved the recognition of happy faces in patients with bipolar disorder. This randomized, controlled, longitudinal fMRI study explores the neuronal underpinnings of this effect.. Forty-four patients with bipolar disorder in full or partial remission were randomized to eight weekly erythropoietin (EPO; 40 000 IU) or saline (NaCl 0.9%) infusions in a double-blind, parallel-group design. Participants underwent whole-brain fMRI at 3T, mood ratings and blood tests at baseline and week 14. During fMRI, participants viewed happy and fearful faces and performed a gender discrimination task.. Thirty-four patients had complete pre- and post-treatment fMRI data (EPO: N = 18, saline: N = 16). Erythropoietin vs. saline increased right superior frontal response to happy vs. fearful faces. This correlated with improved happiness recognition in the EPO group. Erythropoietin also enhanced gender discrimination accuracy for happy faces. These effects were not influenced by medication, mood, red blood cells or blood pressure.. Together with previous findings, the present observation suggests that increased dorsal prefrontal attention control is a common mechanism of EPO-associated improvements across several cognitive domains.

Topics: Adult; Bipolar Disorder; Cognitive Dysfunction; Double-Blind Method; Erythropoietin; Facial Expression; Facial Recognition; Female; Happiness; Humans; Longitudinal Studies; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Male; Middle Aged; Prefrontal Cortex; Social Perception; Treatment Outcome

Im Rahmen der vorliegenden Studie sollte der Einfluss des Weichteilschadens auf das klinische Ergebnis nach offener Ellenbogenluxation untersucht werden.. Von Oktober 2008 bis August 2015 wurden insgesamt 230 Patienten mit Ellenbogenluxation behandelt. Diese retrospektive Studie umfasst 21 Fälle von offenen Ellenbogenluxationen. Das Durchschnittsalter der Patienten betrug 49 Jahre alt (20–83 Jahre), 6 Patienten waren weiblich (29%), 15 männlich (71%). Das Bewegungsausmaß des verletzten und unverletzten Ellenbogens wurde erhoben und das funktionelle Ergebnis u. a. mittels Mayo Elbow Performance Score (MEPS), Mayo Wrist Score (MWS) und dem Disability of Arm, Shoulder and Hand (DASH) Score erfasst. Zusätzlich wurden Komplikationen und Revisionsoperationen aufgezeichnet. Der Einfluss des Weichteilschadens (I°/II° offen vs. III° offen) und des Luxationstyps (einfach vs. komplex) auf das klinische Ergebnis wurde analysiert.. Offene Ellenbogenluxationen können mit einem zufriedenstellenden klinischen Ergebnis einhergehen. Insbesondere komplexe offene Ellenbogenluxationen sind jedoch sehr komplikationsbehaftet, wobei neurovaskuläre Komplikationen am häufigsten auftreten.. The current high rate of multidrug-resistant gram-negative bacteria infections among hospitalised patients with cUTIs in the studied area is alarming. Our predictive model could be useful to avoid inappropriate antibiotic treatment and implement antibiotic stewardship policies that enhance the use of carbapenem-sparing regimens in patients at low risk of multidrug-resistance.. The results indicated differential patterns of Inhibition of Return between the High and Low shape/weight based self-worth groups. The High group displayed increased inhibition of return for the shape/weight stimuli relative to control stimuli, while the Low group displayed reduced inhibition of return for the shape/weight stimuli compared to control stimuli. The ED group displayed a similar pattern of results to the High group, but this did not reach significance.. The current findings indicate that young women without an eating disorder who base their self-worth on shape/weight display a pattern of avoidance of shape/weight stimuli that is in direct contrast to those at low risk of developing eating disorders. The possible implications of these specific patterns of inhibition of return across those at varying levels of risk for an eating disorder are discussed along with their implications for intervention approaches.. These results indicated that Sr. An unusually high HbA

Topics: Activities of Daily Living; Acute Disease; Adalimumab; Adaptation, Physiological; Adenosine Triphosphate; Adipose Tissue; Administration, Intravaginal; Adolescent; Adsorption; Adult; Adverse Childhood Experiences; Age Distribution; Age Factors; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Air Pollution, Indoor; Aldehyde Oxidase; Alginates; Alloys; alpha-Globins; Aluminum Hydroxide; Alveolar Bone Loss; Anaerobiosis; Anesthesia, General; Anesthetics; Animals; Anovulation; Anti-Bacterial Agents; Anti-Infective Agents; Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal; Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized; Antineoplastic Agents; Apoptosis; Bacillus cereus; Bacterial Typing Techniques; Bacteroidetes; Base Composition; Biocompatible Materials; Biofilms; Biological Availability; Biological Transport; Biosensing Techniques; Bipolar Disorder; Blood Glucose; Body Mass Index; Bone Regeneration; Boranes; Brachial Artery; Butyric Acid; Candida albicans; Carbon; Carcinoembryonic Antigen; Cell Differentiation; Cell Line, Tumor; Cell Respiration; Cell Survival; Cells, Cultured; Cerebrovascular Circulation; Charcoal; Child; Child Health; China; Chloride Channels; Chlorides; CHO Cells; Chromatography, Liquid; Chromatography, Micellar Electrokinetic Capillary; Chromium; Chronic Disease; Chronic Periodontitis; Circular Dichroism; Cities; Cohort Studies; Comamonadaceae; Comorbidity; Coronary Artery Disease; Corrosion; Cricetinae; Cricetulus; Cross Infection; Cross-Sectional Studies; Crowding; Culture Media; Cytokines; Diabetes Mellitus; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2; Diabetes, Gestational; Diarylheptanoids; Diclofenac; Disability Evaluation; Diterpene Alkaloids; DNA; DNA Mutational Analysis; DNA, Bacterial; Drug Liberation; Drug Resistance, Multiple, Bacterial; Electrochemical Techniques; Electrodes; Electrolytes; Endothelium, Vascular; Enterococcus faecalis; Epithelial Cell Adhesion Molecule; Epithelial Cells; Erbium; Erythropoietin; Ethanol; Ethylenediamines; Fast Foods; Fatty Acids; Female; Fermentation; Ferric Compounds; Fibroblasts; Flavobacteriaceae; Fluorides; Fluorodeoxyglucose F18; Food Microbiology; Formaldehyde; Furaldehyde; Gamma Cameras; Gene Expression; Geologic Sediments; Glucose Tolerance Test; Glycated Hemoglobin; Glycolipids; Glycosylation; Gracilaria; Gram-Negative Bacteria; Gram-Negative Bacterial Infections; Guanine; Health Surveys; HeLa Cells; Hemoglobins, Abnormal; Hexosamines; High Fructose Corn Syrup; High-Intensity Interval Training; Hip Fractures; Hippocampus; HLA-B27 Antigen; Hospitalization; Housing; Humans; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; Hydrolysis; Hydroxides; Hypercapnia; Hypertension; Hypocreales; Hypromellose Derivatives; Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; Incidence; Indole Alkaloids; Indonesia; Inflammation Mediators; Infrared Rays; Insulin Resistance; Intercalating Agents; Ion Transport; Ionophores; Japan; Kinetics; Kluyveromyces; Letrozole; Linear Models; Lipopolysaccharides; Liposomes; Liver; Lung Diseases; Magnesium Hydroxide; Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy; Male; Membrane Glycoproteins; Membrane Transport Proteins; Mice, Inbred BALB C; Microbial Sensitivity Tests; Microbial Viability; Microscopy, Electron, Transmission; Middle Aged; Mitochondria; Mitochondria, Muscle; Molecular Docking Simulation; Molecular Structure; Muscle, Skeletal; Mutant Proteins; Mutation; Mutation, Missense; Nanocomposites; Nanoparticles; Neoplasm Recurrence, Local; Neoplastic Cells, Circulating; Nucleic Acid Hybridization; Obesity; Occupational Exposure; Oceans and Seas; Odds Ratio; Organometallic Compounds; Osteogenesis; Ovulation Induction; Oxidation-Reduction; Particle Size; Periodontal Ligament; Permeability; Phaseolus; Phenotype; Philippines; Phosphatidylethanolamines; Phospholipids; Photochemical Processes; Phylogeny; Pichia; Pigmentation; Plant Extracts; Polycystic Ovary Syndrome; Polysaccharides; Postprandial Period; Pregnancy; Pregnancy Rate; Prevalence; Product Surveillance, Postmarketing; Progesterone; Progestins; Protein Engineering; Pseudomonas aeruginosa; Psoriasis; Public Facilities; Rats; Rats, Wistar; Receptors, Thyrotropin; Recombinant Proteins; Reproducibility of Results; Republic of Korea; Retrospective Studies; Rhodobacteraceae; Risk; Risk Assessment; Risk Factors; RNA, Ribosomal, 16S; ROC Curve; Saccharomyces cerevisiae; Salinity; Saliva; Seawater; Seaweed; Sensitivity and Specificity; Sequence Analysis, DNA; Sex Factors; Silver Compounds; Smokers; Social Class; Socioeconomic Factors; Soil Microbiology; Solubility; Soy Foods; Spectrometry, Mass, Electrospray Ionization; Spondylitis, Ankylosing; Staphylococcus aureus; Static Electricity; Steroids; Strontium; Sucrose; Surface Properties; Survival Rate; Sweden; Swine; Synapses; Synchrotrons; Tandem Mass Spectrometry; Tannins; Tea; Temperature; Terpenes; Thalidomide; Thermodynamics; Thiadiazoles; Thyroid Cancer, Papillary; Thyroid Neoplasms; Thyroidectomy; Time Factors; Tissue Distribution; Titanium; Toilet Facilities; Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon; Treatment Outcome; Ubiquinone; Urinary Tract Infections; Vaginal Creams, Foams, and Jellies; Venezuela; Vitamin K 2; Waist Circumference; Waste Disposal, Fluid; Wastewater; Water Microbiology; Water Pollutants, Chemical; Whole Body Imaging; X-Ray Diffraction; Young Adult; Ytterbium; Yttrium; Yttrium Radioisotopes; Zinc Compounds

Bipolar disorder (BD) and unipolar disorder (UD) are associated with cognitive deficits and abnormal neural activity in a "cognitive control network." There is an increased prevalence of cognitive dysfunction in psychiatric patients' first-degree relatives, which constitutes a risk factor for psychiatric illness onset. However, there is no treatment with enduring pro-cognitive efficacy. We found preliminary evidence for beneficial effects of eight weekly doses of recombinant human erythropoietin (EPO) on cognition in BD in a recent randomized controlled trial (RCT). The present RCT consists of two sub-studies that extend our previous work by investigating important novel aspects: (1) the effects of 12 weekly doses of EPO on cognition in first-degree relatives of patients with BD, UD, or schizophrenia; and (2) the effects of extending the treatment schedule from 8 to 12 weeks in remitted patients with BD or UD; and (3) assessment of early treatment-associated neural activity changes that may predict cognitive improvement.. The trial comprises two parallel sub-studies with randomized, controlled, double-blinded, parallel group designs. First-degree relatives (sub-study 1; n = 52) and partially or fully remitted patients with BD or UD (sub-study 2; n = 52) with objectively verified cognitive dysfunction are randomized to receive weekly high-dose EPO (40,000 IU/mL) or placebo (saline) infusions for 12 weeks. Assessments of cognition and mood are conducted at baseline, after two weeks of treatment, after treatment completion, and at six-month follow-up. Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) is conducted at baseline and after two weeks of treatment. Psychosocial function is assessed at baseline, after treatment completion and six-month follow-up. The primary outcome is change in a cognitive composite score of attention, verbal memory, and executive functions. Statistical power of ≥ 80% is reached to detect a clinically relevant between-group difference by including 52 first-degree relatives and 52 patients with BD or UD, respectively. Behavioral data are analyzed with an intention-to-treat approach using mixed models. fMRI data are analyzed with the FMRIB Software Library.. If this trial reveals pro-cognitive effects of EPO, this may influence future treatment of mood disorders and/or preventive strategies in at-risk populations. The fMRI analyses may unravel key neurobiological targets for pro-cognitive treatment.. ClinicalTrials.gov , NCT03315897. Registered on 20 October 2017.

Topics: Adolescent; Adult; Aged; Bipolar Disorder; Cognition; Depressive Disorder; Double-Blind Method; Erythropoietin; Executive Function; Family; Humans; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Middle Aged; Mood Disorders; Outcome Assessment, Health Care; Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; Recombinant Proteins; Research Design; Sample Size; Young Adult

Cognitive dysfunction in depression and bipolar disorder (BD) is insufficiently targeted by available treatments. Erythropoietin (EPO) increases neuroplasticity and may improve cognition in mood disorders, but the neuronal mechanisms of these effects are unknown. This functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) study investigated the effects of EPO on neural circuitry activity during working memory (WM) performance.. Patients with treatment-resistant major depression, who were moderately depressed, or with BD in partial remission, were randomized to eight weekly infusions of EPO (40 000 IU) (N = 30) or saline (N = 26) in a double-blind, parallel-group design. Patients underwent fMRI, mood ratings and blood tests at baseline and week 14. During fMRI patients performed an n-back WM task.. EPO improved WM accuracy compared with saline (p = 0.045). Whole-brain analyses revealed that EPO increased WM load-related activity in the right superior frontal gyrus (SFG) compared with saline (p = 0.01). There was also enhanced WM load-related deactivation of the left hippocampus in EPO-treated compared to saline-treated patients (p = 0.03). Across the entire sample, baseline to follow-up changes in WM performance correlated positively with changes in WM-related SFG activity and negatively with hippocampal response (r = 0.28-0.30, p < 0.05). The effects of EPO were not associated with changes in mood or red blood cells (p ⩾0.08).. The present findings associate changes in WM-load related activity in the right SFG and left hippocampus with improved executive function in EPO-treated patients.. clinicaltrials.gov: NCT00916552.

Topics: Adult; Bipolar Disorder; Brain; Cognitive Dysfunction; Depressive Disorder, Major; Depressive Disorder, Treatment-Resistant; Double-Blind Method; Erythropoietin; Executive Function; Female; Functional Neuroimaging; Humans; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Male; Memory, Short-Term; Middle Aged; Spatial Memory; Treatment Outcome

This study investigated the effect of repeated infusions of recombinant human erythropoietin (EPO) on markers of inflammation in patients with affective disorders and whether any changes in inflammatory markers were associated with improvements on verbal memory.. In total, 83 patients were recruited: 40 currently depressed patients with treatment-resistant depression (TRD) (Hamilton Depression Rating Scale-17 items (HDRS-17) score >17) (sub-study 1) and 43 patients with bipolar disorder (BD) in partial remission (HDRS-17 and Young Mania Rating Scale (YMRS)⩽14) (sub-study 2). In both sub-studies, patients were randomised in a double-blind, parallel-group design to receive eight weekly intravenous infusions of EPO (Eprex; 40,000IU/ml) or saline (0.9% NaCl). Plasma concentrations of interleukin 6 (IL-6), interleukin 18 (IL-18) and high sensitive c-reactive protein (hsCRP) were measured at week 1 (baseline) and weeks 5, 9 and 14. HDRS-17 and neuropsychological function was assessed at weeks 1, 9 and 14 using a test battery including the RAVLT Auditory Verbal Learning Test (primary depression and primary cognition outcomes in the original trial).. EPO had no cumulative effect on plasma levels of IL-6 or IL-18 but increased hsCRP levels in patients with TRD (mean±SD change in ng/L: EPO: 0.43±1.64; Saline: -0.90±2.43; F(1,39)=4.78, p=0.04). EPO had no effects on inflammatory markers in BD. There was no correlation between change in inflammatory markers and change in verbal memory.. Repeated EPO infusions had no effect on IL-6 and IL-18 levels but produced a modest increase in hsCRP levels in patients with TRD. Changes over time in inflammatory markers were not correlated with changes in cognition suggesting that modulation of the inflammatory pathway is not a putative mechanism of the EPO-associated improvement of cognition in affective disorders.

Topics: Adult; Bipolar Disorder; C-Reactive Protein; Depressive Disorder, Treatment-Resistant; Double-Blind Method; Erythropoietin; Female; Humans; Inflammation; Interleukin-18; Interleukin-6; Male; Middle Aged; Outcome Assessment, Health Care; Recombinant Proteins

There is no established efficacious treatment for cognitive dysfunction in unipolar and bipolar disorder. This may be partially due to lack of consensus regarding the need to screen for cognitive impairment in cognition trials or which screening criteria to use. We have demonstrated in 2 randomized placebo-controlled trials that 8 weeks of erythropoietin (EPO) treatment has beneficial effects on verbal memory across unipolar and bipolar disorder, with 58% of EPO-treated patients displaying a clinically relevant memory improvement as compared to 15% of those treated with placebo.. We reassessed the data from our 2 EPO trials conducted between September 2009 and October 2012 to determine whether objective performance-based memory impairment or subjective self-rated cognitive impairment at baseline was related to the effect of EPO on cognitive function as assessed by Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test (RAVLT) total recall with multiple logistic regression adjusted for diagnosis, age, gender, symptom severity, and education levels.. We included 79 patients with an ICD-10 diagnosis of unipolar or bipolar disorder, of whom 39 received EPO and 40 received placebo (saline). For EPO-treated patients with objective memory dysfunction at baseline (n = 16) (defined as RAVLT total recall ≤ 43), the odds of a clinically relevant memory improvement were increased by a factor of 290.6 (95% CI, 2.7-31,316.4; P = .02) compared to patients with no baseline impairment (n = 23). Subjective cognitive complaints (measured with the Cognitive and Physical Functioning Questionnaire) and longer illness duration were associated with small increases in patients' chances of treatment efficacy on memory (53% and 16% increase, respectively; P ≤ .04). Diagnosis, gender, age, baseline depression severity, and number of mood episodes did not significantly change the chances of EPO treatment success (P ≥ .06). In the placebo-treated group, the odds of memory improvement were not significantly different for patients with or without objectively defined memory dysfunction (P ≥ .59) or subjective complaints at baseline (P ≥ .06).. Baseline objectively assessed memory impairments and-to a lesser degree-subjective cognitive complaints increased the chances of treatment efficacy on cognition in unipolar and bipolar disorder.. ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT00916552.

Topics: Adult; Aged; Bipolar Disorder; Cognitive Dysfunction; Erythropoietin; Female; Humans; Male; Memory Disorders; Middle Aged; Mood Disorders; Outcome Assessment, Health Care; Young Adult

Persistent cognitive dysfunction in depression and bipolar disorder (BD) impedes patients' functional recovery. Erythropoietin (EPO) increases neuroplasticity and reduces cognitive difficulties in treatment-resistant depression (TRD) and remitted BD. This magnetic resonance imaging study assessed the neuroanatomical basis for these effects.. Patients with TRD who were moderately depressed or BD in partial remission were randomized to 8 weekly EPO (40,000 IU) or saline infusions in a double-blind, parallel-group design. Patients underwent magnetic resonance imaging, memory assessment with the Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test, and mood ratings with the Beck Depression Inventory, Hamilton Depression Rating Scale, and Young Mania Rating Scale at baseline and week 14. Hippocampus segmentation and analysis of hippocampal volume, shape, and gray matter density were conducted with FMRIB Software Library tools. Memory change was analyzed with repeated-measures analysis of covariance adjusted for depression symptoms, diagnosis, age, and gender.. Eighty-four patients were randomized; 1 patient withdrew and data collection was incomplete for 14 patients; data were thus analyzed for 69 patients (EPO: n = 35, saline: n = 34). Compared with saline, EPO was associated with mood-independent memory improvement and reversal of brain matter loss in the left hippocampal cornu ammonis 1 to cornu ammonis 3 and subiculum. Using the entire sample, memory improvement was associated with subfield hippocampal volume increase independent of mood change.. EPO-associated memory improvement in TRD and BD may be mediated by reversal of brain matter loss in a subfield of the left hippocampus. EPO may provide a therapeutic option for patients with mood disorders who have impaired neuroplasticity and cognition.

Topics: Adult; Bipolar Disorder; Depressive Disorder; Depressive Disorder, Treatment-Resistant; Erythropoietin; Female; Hippocampus; Humans; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Male; Memory; Middle Aged; Mood Disorders; Psychiatric Status Rating Scales

Available drug treatments for bipolar disorder fail to reverse patients' cognitive deficits. Erythropoietin has neurotrophic actions and aids neurocognitive function. The aim of the study was to investigate the potential of erythropoietin to treat cognitive dysfunction in bipolar disorder.. Patients with an ICD-10 diagnosis of bipolar disorder in remission were randomized, with stratification by age and gender, to receive 8 weekly erythropoietin (40,000 IU) or saline (sodium chloride [NaCl], 0.9%) infusions in a double-blind, parallel-group design. The first patient was randomized in September 2009 and last assessment was completed in October 2012. Patients were assessed at baseline and at weeks 9 and 14. The primary outcome was change in verbal memory indexed by the total words recalled across Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test learning trials (I-V) from baseline to week 9; secondary outcomes were sustained attention and facial expression recognition; and tertiary outcomes were attention, executive function, subjective cognitive function, and mood. Analysis was by intention to treat, using repeated-measures analysis of covariance adjusted for stratification variables and mood. The statistical threshold for which results were considered significant was P ≤ .05 (2-tailed).. 44 patients were randomized; given 1 dropout after baseline, results were analyzed for 43 patients (erythropoietin: n = 23; saline: n = 20). There was no significant improvement of verbal memory in erythropoietin versus saline groups (P = .10). However, erythropoietin enhanced sustained attention (P = .001), recognition of happy faces (P = .03), and speed of complex information processing across learning, attention, and executive function (P = .01). These effects occurred in absence of changes in simple reaction times or mood (P values ≥ .16) and were maintained after red blood cell normalization.. This is the first trial investigating erythropoietin to treat cognitive dysfunction in bipolar disorder. The findings highlight erythropoietin as a candidate treatment for deficits in attention and executive function in bipolar disorder.. ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT00916552.

Topics: Adolescent; Adult; Aged; Attention; Bipolar Disorder; Cognition Disorders; Double-Blind Method; Erythropoietin; Executive Function; Female; Humans; Learning; Male; Mental Recall; Middle Aged; Reaction Time; Recognition, Psychology; Recombinant Proteins; Young Adult

Depression and bipolar disorder are associated with reduced neural plasticity and deficits in memory, attention and executive function. Drug treatments for these affective disorders have insufficient clinical effects in a large group and fail to reverse cognitive deficits. There is thus a need for more effective treatments which aid cognitive function. Erythropoietin (Epo) is involved in neuroplasticity and is a candidate for future treatment of affective disorders. The investigators have demonstrated that a single dose of Epo improves cognitive function and reduces neurocognitive processing of negative emotional information in healthy and depressed individuals similar to effects seen with conventional antidepressants. The current study adds to the previous findings by investigating whether repeated Epo administration has antidepressant effects in patients with treatment resistant depression and reverses cognitive impairments in these patients and in patients with bipolar disorder in remission.. The trial has a double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group design. 40 patients with treatment-resistant major depression and 40 patients with bipolar disorder in remission are recruited and randomised to receive weekly infusions of Epo (Eprex; 40,000 IU) or saline (NaCl 0.9%) for 8 weeks. Randomisation is stratified for age and gender. The primary outcome parameters for the two studies are: depression severity measured with the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale 17 items (HDRS-17) 1 in study 1 and, in study 2, verbal memory measured with the Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test (RAVLT) 23. With inclusion of 40 patients in each study we obtain 86% power to detect clinically relevant differences between intervention and placebo groups on these primary outcomes.. The trial is approved by the Local Ethics Committee: H-C-2008-092, Danish Medicines Agency: 2612-4020, EudraCT: 2008-04857-14, Danish Data Agency: 2008-41-2711 and ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT 00916552.

Topics: Affect; Antidepressive Agents; Attention; Bipolar Disorder; Clinical Protocols; Cognition; Denmark; Depressive Disorder, Major; Double-Blind Method; Erythropoietin; Executive Function; Humans; Memory; Neuronal Plasticity; Neuropsychological Tests; Placebo Effect; Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; Research Design; Surveys and Questionnaires; Time Factors; Treatment Outcome

Persistent cognitive impairments occur in a large proportion of patients with bipolar disorder (BD) but their underlying pathological cellular processes are unclear. The aims of this longitudinal study of BD and healthy control (HC) participants were to investigate (i) the association of brain erythropoietin (EPO) and oxidative stress with cognitive functions and (ii) the changes in brain EPO during and after affective episodes. Participants underwent neurocognitive testing, lumbar punctures for cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) sampling and provided urine spot tests at baseline (all), after an affective episode (patients) and after one year (all). EPO was assayed in the CSF and oxidative stress metabolites related to RNA and DNA damage (8-dihydroguanosine [8-oxo-Guo], 8-hydroxy-2-deoxyguanosine [8-oxo-dG]) were assayed in the CSF and spot urine. Data was available for analyses for 60 BD and 37 HC participants. In unadjusted primary analyses, verbal memory decreased with increasing concentrations of CSF EPO and oxidative stress. In unadjusted explorative analyses, poorer verbal memory and psychomotor speed were associated with higher levels of oxidative stress. However, no associations between cognitive functions and CSF levels of EPO or oxidative stress were observed after adjustment for multiple testing. CSF EPO concentrations were unchanged during and after affective episodes. While CSF EPO correlated negatively with CSF DNA damage marker 8-oxo-dG, this association rendered non-significant after adjusting for multiple testing. In conclusion, EPO and oxidative stress do not seem to be robustly related to cognitive status in BD. Further insight into the cellular processes involved in cognitive impairments in BD is necessary to pave the way for novel therapeutic strategies to improve patients' cognitive outcomes.

Topics: 8-Hydroxy-2'-Deoxyguanosine; Bipolar Disorder; Case-Control Studies; Cognition; Erythropoietin; Humans; Longitudinal Studies; Memory Disorders; Oxidative Stress

Topics: Bipolar Disorder; Erythropoietin; Humans; Mood Disorders; Recombinant Proteins

Topics: Bipolar Disorder; Cognition Disorders; Erythropoietin; Female; Humans; Male

Topics: Bipolar Disorder; Cognition Disorders; Erythropoietin; Female; Humans; Male

Topics: Bipolar Disorder; Erythropoietin; Female; Hippocampus; Humans; Male; Memory; Mood Disorders

Topics: Bipolar Disorder; Epoetin Alfa; Erythropoietin; Female; Hematologic Neoplasms; Humans; Kidney Transplantation; Lithium; Medical Oncology; Physician-Patient Relations; Recombinant Proteins; Renal Insufficiency, Chronic; Spouses