Rocco De Filippis

• M.D. Ph.D.
• Psychiatry at Institute of Psychopatology - Roma

Background At least 50% of patients with treatment-resistant depression (TRD) fail to respond to antidepressant augmentation with aripiprazole (AA), currently the augmentation strategy with the best evidence of efficacy. The present observational study investigated whether pramipexole augmentation (PA) might be useful for patients who failed AA. M...

The increasing levels of stress among students worldwide pose a significant challenge to educational institutions. This study aims to systematically identify and analyse the factors contributing to student stress using advanced machine learning techniques. To explore the primary stressors affecting students and to evaluate the interrelations among...

Background: This study compares the short- and long-term effectiveness and safety of pramipexole augmentation (PA) and aripiprazole augmentation (AA) for unipolar treatment-resistant depression (TRD). Methods: Patients were recruited in a private out-patients clinic specializing in mood disorders. At intake and at each visit, depressive and (hypo)m...

Background Neuroleptics or antipsychotic medications are widely used in the treatment of various psychiatric disorders. However, they have been associated with the secondary development of obsessive-compulsive symptoms (OCS) in some patients. This case report examines two patients who developed obsessive-compulsive aspects secondary to neuroleptic...

Background Neuroleptics, or antipsychotic medications, are widely used in the treatment of various psychiatric disorders. However, they have been associated with the secondary development of obsessive-compulsive symptoms (OCS) in some patients. This case report examines two patients who developed obsessive-compulsive aspects secondary to neurolepti...

Background Neuroleptics or antipsychotic medications are widely used in the treatment of various psychiatric disorders. However, they have been associated with the secondary development of obsessive-compulsive symptoms (OCS) in some patients. This case report examines two patients who developed obsessive-compulsive aspects secondary to neuroleptic...

Background Neuroleptics are often utilized in the management of behavioural symptoms in dementia. Despite their efficacy, they pose a risk for side effects which can complicate treatment outcomes. Objective: To present clinical outcomes of two patients with dementia who were treated with neuroleptics, focusing on behavioural symptom reduction and m...

Background Neuroleptics, or antipsychotic medications, are widely used in the treatment of various psychiatric disorders. However, they have been associated with the secondary development of obsessive-compulsive symptoms (OCS) in some patients. This case report examines two patients who developed obsessive-compulsive aspects secondary to neurolepti...

Background Treatment-resistant depression (TRD) presents a significant clinical challenge, often requiring augmentation strategies. Pramipexole and aripiprazole are two such agents used to augment antidepressant therapy. However, their comparative efficacy remains under-researched. Objective This case report aims to evaluate the efficacy of pramipe...

Background Bipolar disorder (BD) is characterized by recurrent episodes of mania and depression, requiring long-term mood stabilization. While lithium is a well-established treatment for BD, its efficacy can vary among individuals. Combination therapy with valproate has been explored to enhance treatment outcomes. Objective This case series aims to...

Background Bipolar disorder (BD) necessitates effective management of both manic and depressive episodes. Quetiapine and olanzapine are antipsychotic medications commonly used in the treatment of BD, but their relative efficacy as antidepressants is a topic of ongoing research. Objective This case series aims to evaluate the greater efficacy of que...

Background Bipolar disorder (BD) is characterized by recurrent episodes of mania and depression, requiring long-term mood stabilization. While mood stabilizers such as lithium and valproate are the cornerstone of BD treatment, the use of antidepressants in combination with mood stabilizers has been explored to enhance therapeutic outcomes, particul...

Background Bipolar disorder (BD) requires long-term management to prevent relapse of depressive episodes. The use of pramipexole, a dopamine agonist, in combination with mood stabilizers has been explored for its potential to prevent antidepressant relapse. Objective This case series aims to evaluate the efficacy and safety of pramipexole in combin...

Background. This study compares the short- and long-term effectiveness and safety of pramipexole augmentation (PA) and aripiprazole augmentation (AA) for unipolar treatment-resistant depression (TRD). Methods. Patients were recruited in a private out-patients clinic specialized in mood disorders. At intake and at each visit depressive and (hypo)man...

Background Diagnostic criteria are not always useful to discriminate major depression with anxious distress (ADS-D; Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for Mental Disorders, version-5 [DSM-5] criteria) from mixed depression (Koukopoulos’ criteria; KMX-D). So, clinicians need alternative tools to improve their diagnostic ability and to choose the most...

Background: Pramipexole is a dopamine full agonist approved for the treatment of Parkinson’s disease and restless legs syndrome. Its high affinity for the D3 receptor and neuroprotective, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory activity provides a rationale for the treatment of depression. In this paper, we review studies on the effectiveness and safety...

Pharmacological treatments for Alcohol Use Disorders (AUDs) are effective, especially in combination with other behavioral or psychosocial interventions. Acamprosate is useful to maintain abstinence in patient with late-onset alcoholism and relief craving, patients suffering from cognitive dysfunction and patients with comorbid somatic pathology. N...

Background To identify demographic and clinical characteristics of bipolar depressed patients who require antidepressant (AD) augmentation, and to evaluate the short- and long-term effectiveness and safety of this therapeutic strategy. Methods One hundred twenty-two bipolar depressed patients were consecutively recruited, 71.7% of them received mo...

Pramipexole is a dopamine agonist with potential antidepressant, neuroprotective, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity. In the present study we investigated the 24 weeks effect and safety of traditional AD augmentation with pramipexole for treatment-resistant depression. The study includes 116 patients, 37 (32%) with bipolar disorders and 79...

Pharmacological treatments for Alcohol Use Disorders (AUDs) are effective, especially in combination with other behavioral or psychosocial interventions. Acamprosate is useful to maintain abstinence in patient with late-onset alcoholism and relief craving, patients suffering from cognitive dysfunction and patients with comorbid somatic pathology. N...

Objectives To investigate the short‐term effectiveness and the short‐term and long‐term safety of acute antidepressant (AD) treatment of bipolar depression in a naturalistic setting. Methods Patients with bipolar (n = 86) or unipolar (n = 111) depression were consecutively recruited and treated with AD (combined with mood stabilizer [MS] and/or se...

Introduction Epidemiological, clinical, and treatment response characteristics of major depression with anxious distress (ADS) are quite similar to those of mixed depression, but no study investigated the symptom interplay of these conditions. Objective To analyze the correlations among symptom criteria for major depression with ADS and for mixed...

Objective Several depressed patients do not respond to traditional antidepressants. Our aim was to systematically review the effectiveness and safety of pramipexole in unipolar and bipolar depression. Methods We conducted a systematic review of randomised clinical trials (RCTs) and observational studies on pramipexole for patients with major depre...

Background: To estimate the prevalence of DSM-5 anxious distress specifier (ADS) in depressed patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) or bipolar I or II disorder (BD), and to compare socio-demographic and clinical characteristics, and response to naturalistic short-term treatment between ADS and non-ADS group. Methods: 241 outpatients with a...

Hypochondriasis (HYPO), an obsessive-compulsive spectrum disorder, is frequent in patients with schizophrenia (SCH) (20%), especially among those treated with clozapine (36.7%). Treatment options for OCS/OCD in patients under clozapine (CLZ) include combining clozapine with amisulpride/aripiprazole or a mood stabilizer, augmenting clozapine with a...

Aim: To review evidence supporting pharmacological treatments for treatment-resistant depression (TRD) and to discuss them according to personal clinical experience. Methods: Original studies, clinical trials, systematic reviews, and meta-analyses addressing pharmacological treatment for TRD in adult patients published from 1990 to 2013 were ide...

The study aimed to compare effectiveness and safety of short-term antidepressant treatment between patients with continuous (CCC) and non-continuous (N-CCC) cycling bipolar disorders. The study sample included 101 patients with bipolar disorder, 22 (21.8%) CCC and 79 (78.2%) N-CCC. Response was defined as a HDRS21 total score <7 at 12 weeks of trea...

Objectives: The study aimed to test the effectiveness of the ISBD Guidelines for short-term AD treatment of BP depression. Methods: The study sample included 255 patients with mood disorders (154 UP, 49 BP-I, 52 BP-II). Response was defined as a HDRS21 total score<7 at 12 weeks of treatment and remission as a ≥50% reduction of baseline HDRS21 to...

Objective: This prospective study aims to determine if patients with bipolar disorder with a continuous circular course (CCC) are significantly different on clinical characteristics and response to long-term treatment from those with a non-continuous circular course (N-CCC). CCC was defined as the alternation of depression and (hypo)mania without...

Introduction Topiramate (up to 300 mg per day) is more efficacious than placebo as an adjunct to standardised medication compliance management in treatment of alcohol dependence. However, adverse events can limit its use in different clinical situation. In this randomised, double-blind, placebo controlled trial we aimed to investigate the efficacy...

The aim of this trial was to compare lorazepam with non-benzodiazepine medications such as pregabalin and tiapride in the treatment of alcohol withdrawal syndrome (AWS). These drugs were chosen for their inhibitorial effects on the hypersecretion of neurotransmitters usually observed in AWS. Craving reduction and improvement of psychiatric symptoms...

Introduction In this multicenter, randomised, single-blind, parellel group, comparison trial we aimed to investigate the efficacy of lorazepam, tiapride and pregabalin in alcohol withdrawal. Craving and psychiatric symptoms improvements were the secondary endpoints. Methods One-hundred-nine alcohol dependent subjects (DSM-IV) were detoxified and s...

Pregabalin (PRE) acts as a presynaptic inhibitor of the release of excessive levels of excitatory neurotransmitters by selectively binding to the alpha(2)-delta subunit of voltage-gated calcium channels. In this randomised, double-blind comparison trial with naltrexone (NAL), we aimed to investigate the efficacy of PRE on alcohol drinking indices....

Partindo de autores e teóricos tradicionais, como Paulo Rónai, Brenno Silveira e Georges Mounin, passando pela teoria pós-moderna da tradução de Else R. P. Vieira e chegando até o filósofo contemporâneo Jacques Derrida, este artigo traça os rumos da recorrente metáfora que veste o tradutor ora de anjo, ora de demônio. Na visão tradicional, o tradut...