Research news

Leo Sher, M.D. A seminal research work, “Amisulpride and olanzapine followed by open-label treatment with clozapine in first-episode schizophrenia and schizophreniform disorder (OPTiMiSE): a three-phase switching study” has recently been published in Lancet Psychiatry (1). A large international research group led by Professor René S. Kahn examined whether switching antipsychotic medications or early use of […]

Leo Sher, M.D. A research report, “Is suicidal behavior in mood disorders altered by comorbid PTSD?” has been published in Crisis: The Journal of Crisis Intervention and Suicide Prevention online ahead of print (1). The authors compared suicidal behavior among veterans who have comorbid mood disorder and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) with suicidal behavior in […]

Leo Sher, M.D. A research report, “Clinically significant anxiety as a risk factor for dementia in the elderly community” has been published in Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica online ahead of print (1). The authors examined whether clinically significant anxiety is an independent risk factor for dementia. They used data from a 5‐wave, longitudinal community study performed […]

Leo Sher, M.D. A research report, “Risk factors for suicide in bipolar disorder: a cohort study of 12 850 patients” has been published in Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica online ahead of print (1). The authors examined risk factors for suicide in a large cohort of patients with bipolar disorder. The data from the Swedish National Quality […]

Leo Sher, M.D. A research report, “Increased efficiency of brain connectivity networks in veterans with suicide attempts” has recently been published in NeuroImage: Clinical (1). The authors examined the neural connectivity in white matter in veterans with suicide behavior. Twenty-eight veterans without a history of suicide behavior, 29 veterans with a history of suicidal ideation […]

Leo Sher, M.D. A research reports, “Religiousness as a predictor of suicide: An analysis of 162 European Regions” has been published in Suicide and Life-Threatening Behavior online ahead of print (1). The authors examined a relation between religiousness and suicide rates in 162 regions within 22 European nations (Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Cyprus, Estonia, […]

Leo Sher, M.D. A research report, “Effects of psilocybin therapy on personality structure” has been published in Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica online ahead of print (1). The authors state that the goal of their study was to investigate whether psilocybin with psychological support modulates personality parameters in patients with treatment-resistant depression,  to examine whether these alterations […]

Leo Sher, M.D. A research report, “Attempted suicide and oxytocin-related gene polymorphisms” has recently been published in the Journal of Affective Disorders (1). Oxytocin, a neuropeptide that plays a role in childbirth, lactation and attachment, has been a focus of studies related to suicidal ideation and behavior. It has been reported previously that a single-nucleotide […]

Leo Sher, M.D. Three days ago, a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report, “Vital Signs: Trends in State Suicide Rates – United States, 1999-2016 and Circumstances Contributing to Suicide – 27 States, 2015” was published (1). Suicide rates in the United States have risen nearly 30% since 1999. In this study, suicide rates […]

Leo Sher, M.D. Our research article, “Dehydroepiandrosterone and dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate levels in combat veterans with or without a history of suicide attempt” has been published in Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica online ahead of print (1). The objective of our investigation was to test the hypothesis that combat veterans who have made a suicide attempt postdeployment can […]