Munir Khani

Effects of chronic dizocilpine on acute pain and on mRNA expression of neuropeptides and the dopamine and glutamate receptors.

The mesocorticolimbic circuitry has been implicated in the pathophysiology of several neuropsychiatric syndromes like chronic pain and addiction. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of dizocilpine (MK-801), a non-competitive N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor antagonist, on sensorimotor behaviors and the consequent changes in the dopamine, glutamate, and opiate systems in rats. Five groups of rats were subjected to acute tests for nociception (hot plate and paw pressure) before and after MK-801 (0.05, 0.1, 0.2 and 0.4 mg/kg, i.p.) or saline. Another two groups received daily i.p. saline or MK-801 (0.4 mg/kg) for 15 days. The nociceptive tests were performed on days 1, 7, and 14. On day 15 the rats received the last injection and were immediately sacrificed. We measured the mRNA expression, by in situ hybridization (ISH), of various dopamine and glutamate receptors, and enkephalin (Enk), dynorphin (Dyn), and substance P (SP) in the striatum, nucleus accumbens (NAC), piriform and cingulate cortex. Acute MK-801, dose-dependently, resulted in hyperalgesia. The chronic effects of 0.4 mg/kg MK-801 showed an extinction of the acute hyperalgesic effects especially with the hot plate test. The ISH studies revealed a decrease in mRNA expression of Enk and SP in the striatum and NAC. Our results indicate that the reversal of acute MK-801-induced hyperalgesia, with repeated exposure to systemic MK-801, is not directly related to changes in dopamine and glutamate receptors and might involve alteration of the striatal neuropeptide system.

Reliability and validity of the Arabic Screen for Child Anxiety Related Emotional Disorders (SCARED) in a clinical sample

This study aimed at investigating the reliability and validity of the Arabic Screen for Child Anxiety Related Emotional Disorders (SCARED) as a first child and adolescent anxiety screening tool in the Arab World. The English parent (SCARED-P) and child (SCARED-C) versions were translated into Arabic and administered along with the Arabic Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) to 77 parents and 67 children attending a Psychiatry clinic. DSM-IV-TR diagnoses were made by a psychiatrist without knowledge of the scale scores. Internal consistency was confirmed by Cronbachs α=0.92 for SCARED-P and 0.91 for SCARED-C. Their subscales had internal consistencies between 0.65 and 0.89. Parent-child agreement was r=0.67, p<0.001. SCARED-P demonstrated good discriminant validity between participants with anxiety disorders and those with other psychiatric disorders (t(72)=3.13, p=0.003). For SCARED-C, this difference was significant when participants with depressive disorders were excluded (t(43)=2.58, p=0.01). Convergent validity was evident through a significant correlation between SCARED-P and the parent SDQ emotional subscale (r=0.70, p<0.001), and SCARED-C and the child SDQ emotional subscale (r=0.70, p<0.001). Divergent validity with the SDQ hyperactivity subscale was observed as no significant correlation was found. Overall, the Arabic SCARED demonstrated satisfactory psychometric properties in a clinical sample in Lebanon.

The relationship between clinical insight and cognitive and affective empathy in schizophrenia

Background Schizophrenia is often associated with poor clinical insight (unawareness of mental illness and its symptoms) and deficits in empathy, which are important for social functioning. Cognitive empathy has been linked to clinical insight while affective empathy and its role in insight and pathology have received mixed evidence. Methods Instruments assessing symptomatology (Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale; PANSS), clinical insight (Scales to assess awareness of mental disorders; SUMD), and cognitive and affective empathy were administered to 22 participants with first episode and chronic schizophrenia and 21 healthy controls. Self-report, parent-report, and performance based measures were used to assess cognitive and affective empathy (The interpersonal reactivity index; IRI/Reading the Mind in the Eyes Test/Faux Pas) to reduce bias and parse shared variance. Results Age of onset, gender, and symptomatology emerged as significant predictors of poor clinical insight. Additionally, the fantasy subscale of the IRI as reported by parents emerged as a positive predictor while the personal distress (parent report) subscale emerged as a negative predictor of awareness into mental illness. There were significant differences on performance-based measures of empathy between the control and schizophrenia groups. Conclusion Findings suggest that affective empathy is relatively intact across phases of illness whereas cognitive empathy abilities are compromised and could be targets for psychotherapy intervention.

Intravenous Clomipramine for Treatment-Resistant Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder.

Background: This open trial was conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of intravenous clomipramine (CMI) in refractory obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Methods: Thirty OCD poor responders to previous multiple trials of anti-obsessive medications were selected and admitted to the hospital. Severity of the illness and response to treatment were primarily assessed by the Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale (Y-BOCS). CMI was gradually administered intravenously for one week. All patients were thereafter switched to oral CMI with a maximum dose of 225mg/day. Results: The Y-BOCS total score mean at admission was in the severe range (24–31), and dropped on discharge and follow-ups to the moderate range (16–23). At discharge, 23 patients (76.7%) had a decrease in Y-BOCS ≥25% and were considered responders, while only 18 (60%) were still responders at 24 weeks. No relevant persistent side effects were reported. Conclusion: Intravenous clomipramine could be of benefit for severe OCD cases that have not adequately responded to several therapies, including oral clomipramine.

The Arabic Mood and Feelings Questionnaire: Psychometrics and Validity in a Clinical Sample

The purpose of this study was to provide clinicians in the Arab World with a child and adolescent depression screening tool. Child and parent versions of the Mood and Feelings Questionnaire (CMFQ and PMFQ respectively) were translated to Arabic and administered along with the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) to 30 children and adolescents and with mood disorders and 76 children and adolescents with other psychiatric disorders seeking treatment at a child and adolescent psychiatry clinic. DSM-IV diagnoses were generated through clinical interviews by a psychiatrist blinded to self-reports. Internal consistency for both versions was excellent with moderate inter-informant agreement and good convergent validity with the SDQ emotional symptoms subscales on the child and parent forms. The CMFQ and PMFQ significantly differentiated between currently depressed participants and those with other psychiatric disorders. CMFQ scores were a stronger predictor of categorization into depressed and non-depressed groups than the PMFQ. Two modes of cutoffs were calculated with one favoring sensitivity (a score of 26 for the CMFQ and 22 for the PMFQ) and another favoring specificity (a score of 31 for the CMFQ and 28 for the PMFQ).