Section - Quick Takes

03. Bridging Knowledge Gaps in the Diagnosis and Management of Neuropsychiatric Sequelae of COVID-19

Published on February 1, 2023 Certification expiration date: February 1, 2029

James Phelps, M.D.

Research Editor - Psychopharmacology Institute

Key Points

This article presents 5 mechanisms by which acute COVID-19 infection might lead to long-term neuropsychiatric sequelae, such as cognitive impairment, sleep difficulties, and depression.
A large-scale epidemiologic study is being launched to clarify these mechanisms, which will inform treatment and prevention efforts.

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Text version

What percentage of patients hospitalized with COVID-19 have neuropsychiatric symptoms, such as depression, sleep problems, and cognitive difficulties, 6 months later? Would you believe 90%? That seems really high to me. Perhaps that’s because the rate in patients who were infected but not hospitalized is more like 25%, which is still high, of course. What’s going on here? What are the mechanisms behind these long-lasting effects on mental health?

Hi! Jim Phelps here for the Psychopharmacology Institute. A new JAMA Psychiatry article introduces a huge epidemiologic investigation intending to enroll 15,000 patients looking at postacute sequelae of COVID. In this Quick Take, we’ll focus on the main goal of this investigation elucidating the mechanisms behind long COVID’s neuropsychiatric effects. The acute mechanisms of COVID-19 are now pretty clear. They’re the 3 horsemen, so to speak, which are hypoxia, hyperinflammation, and hypercoagulability. For the symptom etiology 6 months later, though, there

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04. Sublingual Dexmedetomidine for the Treatment of Acute Agitation in Adults With Schizophrenia or Schizoaffective Disorder: A Randomized Placebo-Controlled Trial

Learning Objectives:

Examine evidence in favor of and against the use of N-acetylcysteine in treatment-resistant schizophrenia.
Compare outcomes of ketamine and ECT in the short-term treatment of major depressive disorder.
Examine 5 mechanisms by which acute COVID-19 infection might lead to long-term neuropsychiatric sequelae.
Examine the results of a randomized trial for sublingual dexmedetomidine for the treatment of acute agitation in patients with a diagnosis of schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder.
Compare the efficacy of a basic behavioral therapy and naltrexone–bupropion combination for the treatment of binge-eating disorder.

Original Release Date: February 1, 2023

Review and Re-release Date: February 1, 2026

Expiration Date: February 1, 2029

Expert: James Phelps, M.D.

Medical Editor: Melissa Mariano, M.D.

Relevant Financial Disclosures:

James R Phelps declares the following interests:

– McGraw-Hill: Royalties

– W.W. Norton & Co.: Royalties

All of the relevant financial relationships listed above have been mitigated by Medical Academy and the Psychopharmacology Institute.

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This activity has been planned and implemented in accordance with the accreditation requirements and policies of the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education through the joint providership of Medical Academy LLC and the Psychopharmacology Institute. Medical Academy is accredited by the ACCME to provide continuing medical education for physicians.

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Medical Academy designates this enduring activity for a maximum of 0.5 AMA PRA Category 1 credit(s)™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.