Therapeutic role of psilocybin and 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine in trauma: A literature review

With the Food and Drug Administration designation in 2017 of 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) as a breakthrough therapy in post-traumatic stress disorder and psilocybin in treatment-resistant depression, psychedelic drugs have continued to garner the attention of researchers and clinicians for their promise of unmatched, rapid improvement in a multitude of psychiatric conditions. Classic psychedelic drugs including psilocybin, lysergic acid diethylamide, and ayahuasca, as well as non-classic drugs such as MDMA and ketamine, are currently being investigated for a potential therapeutic role in trauma, depressive disorders, and other psychopathologies. However, psilocybin and MDMA each have a functional profile well-suited for integration with psychotherapy. The present review focuses on psilocybin and MDMA in psychedelic-assisted therapy (PAT), as these studies compose most of the literature pool. In this review, we discuss the current and future uses of psychedelic drugs, with an emphasis on the role of MDMA and psilocybin in PAT in the setting of trauma and related comorbidities on the efficacy of psychedelic drugs across multiple psychiatric disorders. The article concludes with thoughts for future research, such as incorporating wearables and standardization of symptom scales, therapy styles, and assessment of adverse drug reactions.

Social media and schizophrenia: An update on clinical applications

Social media has redesigned the landscape of human interaction, and data obtained through these platforms are promising for schizophrenia diagnosis and management. Recent research shows mounting evidence that machine learning analysis of social media content is capable of not only differentiating schizophrenia patients from healthy controls, but also predicting conversion to psychosis and symptom exacerbations. Novel platforms such as Horyzons show promise for improving social functioning and providing timely access to therapeutic resources. Social media is also a considerable means to assess and lessen the stigma surrounding schizophrenia. Herein, the relevant literature pertaining to social media and its clinical applications in schizophrenia over the past five years are summarized, followed by a discussion centered on user feedback to highlight future directions. Social media provides valuable contributions to a multifaceted digital phenotype that may improve schizophrenia care in the near future.

Wearables in Schizophrenia: Update on Current and Future Clinical Applications

Schizophrenia affects 1% of the world population and is associated with a reduction in life expectancy of 20 years. The increasing prevalence of both consumer technology and clinical-grade wearable technology offers new metrics to guide clinical decision-making remotely and in real time. Herein, recent literature is reviewed to determine the potential utility of wearables in schizophrenia, including their utility in diagnosis, first-episode psychosis, and relapse prevention and their acceptability to patients. Several studies have further confirmed the validity of various devices in their ability to track sleep—an especially useful metric in schizophrenia, as sleep disturbances may be predictive of disease onset or the acute worsening of psychotic symptoms. Through machine learning, wearable-obtained heart rate and motor activity were used to differentiate between controls and patients with schizophrenia. Wearables can capture the autonomic dysregulation that has been detected when patients are actively experiencing paranoia, hallucinations, or delusions. Multiple platforms are currently being researched, such as Health Outcomes Through Positive Engagement and Self-Empowerment, Mobile Therapeutic Attention for Treatment-Resistant Schizophrenia, and Sleepsight, that may ultimately link patient data to clinicians. The future is bright for wearables in schizophrenia, as the recent literature exemplifies their potential to offer real-time insights to guide diagnosis and management.

Consumer Wearables and the Integration of New Objective Measures in Oncology: Patient and Provider Perspectives

With one in five adults in the United States owning a smartwatch or fitness tracker, these devices are poised to impact all aspects of medicine by offering a more objective approach to replace self-reported data. Oncology has proved to be a prototypical example, and wearables offer immediate benefits to patients and oncologists with the ability to track symptoms and health metrics in real time. We aimed to review the recent literature on consumer-grade wearables and its current applications in cancer from the perspective of both the patient and the provider. The relevant studies suggested that these devices offer benefits, such as improved medication adherence and accuracy of symptom tracking over self-reported data, as well as insights that increase patient empowerment. Physical activity is consistently correlated with stronger patient outcomes, and a patient's real-time metrics were found to be capable of tracking medication side effects and toxicity. Studies have made associations between wearable data and telomere shortening, cardiovascular disease, alcohol consumption, sleep apnea, and other conditions. The objective data obtained by the wearable presents a more complete picture of an individual's health than the snapshot of a 15-minute office visit and a single set of vital signs. Real-time metrics can be translated into a digital phenotype that identifies risk factors specific to each patient, and shared risk factors across one's social network may uncover common environmental exposures detrimental to one's health. Wearable data and its upcoming integration with social media will be the foundation for the next generation of personalized medicine.

Telomerase in Acute Myeloid Leukemia: A Molecular Update on Diagnosis, Prognosis, and Treatment

It is expected that 10,460 patients will die from acute myeloid leukemia (AML) in the United States in 2016. Despite progress in clinical management, AML patients still have a 25.9% survival rate in the U.S. Researchers have sought to further understand this hematological malignancy and a number of studies have focused on unveiling the role of telomerase in disease initiation, progression, and maintenance. Though the role of telomerase in diagnosis has remained relatively static, its role in prognosis and treatment has become much clearer. While variants in TERT and TERC have been associated with worse clinical outcomes, telomerase and survivin co-expression can predict improved clinical outcomes. In regards to treatment, novel therapies such as mesoindigo and sodium metaarsenite provide new insights in clinical management. The use of leukemic stem cells in mouse models has shown promising results as well. Herein, we provide an update on the role of telomerase in AML through a survey of recent literature, focusing on the diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment of AML.

JAK2 in the Diagnosis and Treatment of Lymphoid Malignancies: A Review of the Literature

In 2016, there will be an estimated 6,590 new cases of acute lymphocytic leukemia and 18,960 new cases of chronic lymphocytic leukemia in the United States. These and other lymphoid malignancies have a key player in common, JAK2, an enzyme from the Janus kinase (JAK) family. Deviations from the normal functioning of JAK2, particularly in the JAK-signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT) pathway, can disrupt homeostasis and drive the accumulation of intermediate progenitors, contributing to the development of myeloid and lymphoid malignancies. In this review, the recent literature on JAK2 mutations in lymphoid malignancies is summarized, concluding with a discussion of the treatment of lymphoid malignancies. New directions for future research have been underlined to advance the clinical management of lymphoid malignancies.

C-MYC Involvement in Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL): A Molecular and Cytogenetic Update

Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) is a disorder entailing the slow proliferation of B-cell lymphocytes in the bone marrow and blood. In 2015, it is estimated that 14,620 patients will be diagnosed with CLL, and approximately 4,650 patients will die due to disease progression. CLL typically presents in patients about 71 years of age. Initially, the patients exhibit leukocytosis; however, as the disease progresses, they experience splenomegaly, lymphadenopathy, hepatomegaly, anemia, and infections. Although about 84% of CLL patients will survive for five years or more, CLL cases that report MYC (8q24) translocations with IGH, IGK, IGL, and TCR genes have poor prognoses and low survival rates. Recent studies have shown data supporting both a positive correlation and no correlation between disease progression and MYC expression. Nonetheless, other studies have revealed new information on multiple MYC-dependent pathways responsible for leukemogenesis and tumorigenesis. Herein, we summarize the current molecular nd cytogenetic findings in MYC-associated CLL, with focus on the underlying MYC-dependent mechanisms of leukemogenesis and MYC-associated CLL progression and treatment regimen.