Background
Obsessive‐compulsive disorder (OCD) is a common disabling disorder. Crocin, the active component of the saffron plant (Crocus Sativus L.) has various pharmacological activities. The present study compared the efficacy and safety of crocin and fluoxetine in treatment of mild to moderate OCD.
Methods & Materials
Fifty patients with OCD, aged 18 to 60 years, were randomized to receive either crocin (15 mg) or fluoxetine (20 mg) capsules for 8 weeks. Eligible participants received one capsule/day in the first month, which followed by two capsules daily in the second month. The patients were evaluated using Yale‐Brown Obsessive‐compulsive scale (Y‐BOCS) and Hamilton Anxiety Rating scale (HARS).
Results
The mean Y‐BOCS score in both groups decreased significantly during 2 months (p‐value = 0.0001). Also, HARS score in the crocin group was changed from 17.16 to 13.04 whereas, in the fluoxetine group was decreased from 18.28 to 12.34. The results indicated no difference between the two groups in Y‐BOCS and HARS score changes after 2‐month trial (p‐value >0.5). Also, fewer adverse effects were reported in the crocin group compared to the fluoxetine group.
Conclusion
According to our study, it seems that crocin is effective in treatment of patients with mild to moderate OCD with possibly fewer adverse effects compared to fluoxetine.
Background: Individuals with moderate to severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) often have prolonged cognitive impairments, resulting in long-term problems with their real-life activities. Given the urgent need for evidence-based recommendations for neuropsychological management of Iranian TBI patients, the current work aimed to adapt eligible international guidelines for cognitive assessment and rehabilitation of the TBI patients in Iran. Methods: The project was led by an executive committee, under the supervision of the Iranian Ministry of Health and Medical Education (MOHME). Following a systematic literature search and selection process, four guidelines were included for adaptation. Clinical recommendations of the source guidelines were tabulated as possible clinical scenarios for 90 PICO clinical questions covering all relevant phases of care. After summing up the scenarios, our initial list of recommendations was drafted according to the Iranian patients’ conditions. The final decision-making, with the contribution of a national interdisciplinary panel of 37 experts from across the country, was conducted in two rounds using online and offline survey forms (Round 1), and face-to-face and telephone meetings (Round 2). Results: A total of 63 recommendations in six sections were included in the final list of recommendations, among which 24 were considered as key recommendations. In addition, some of the recommendations were identified as fundamental, meaning that proper implementation of the other recommendations is largely dependent on their implementation. Conclusion: Iranian health policy makers and rehabilitation program managers are recommended to address some fundamental issues to provide the necessary infrastructure to set up an efficient cognitive rehabilitation service system.
Postpartum depression (PPD) is one of the most common conditions among women. This study aimed to investigate the effect of crocin compared to sertraline in women with mild to moderate PPD. This trial study was performed on women with PPD. Patients in two groups received crocin (15 mg) and sertraline (50 mg) daily for 3 months, respectively. Patients have assessed by Beck's Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II) and Beck's Anxiety Inventory (BAI) at 0-12 weeks. A total of 64 patients were examined. The mean of the BDI-II score in the crocin group decreased after 3 months from 20.75 to 4.93 (P = 0.0001). In the sertraline group, the mean score of BDI-II decreased after 3 months from 21.06 to 2.37 (P = 0.0001). The mean of the BAI score in the crocin group decreased significantly after 3 months from 13.75 to 4.06 (P = 0.0001) and in the sertraline group from 12.9 to 2.71 (P = 0.0001). No significant difference was observed between crocin and sertraline after the clinical trial (P = 0.5). No severe side effects were observed during the study in the two groups. The results of this study showed that crocin (15 mg daily) could be useful in treating PPD. Furthermore, this study showed that crocin, with far fewer side effects than chemical drugs, can be widely used in PPD, but due to the small sample size further studies are necessary to confirm such efficiency.
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