INTRODUCTION
Major depressive disorder is a leading cause of disability, with a significant rate of patients responding inadequately to antidepressants, and residual symptoms, including insomnia, worsening overall outcomes. Current adjunctive options display partial efficacy and tolerability, motivating the search for different strategies. Beyond regulating the sleep-wake cycle, orexin systems are implicated in reward and cognition, and have emerged as new targets for depressive disorders.
AREAS COVERED
This Drug Profile summarizes the published peer-reviewed evidence on seltorexant (JNJ-42847922; MIN-202), a selective orexin-2 receptor antagonist, for adjunctive treatment of MDD, covering its pharmacological, preclinical, and clinical profile, efficacy, safety and tolerability, head-to-head comparisons with current adjunctive treatments, regulatory status, and competitive landscape. Relevant literature was identified through structured searches of PubMed/MEDLINE and ClinicalTrials.gov (from database inception to April 2026), complemented by Google Scholar employed solely to identify conference proceedings, using combinations of terms related to seltorexant and depression.
EXPERT OPINION
Seltorexant 20 mg has shown a promising antidepressant effect, particularly in patients with clinically significant insomnia, and a favorable tolerability profile. The mixed phase-3 results, the modest effect sizes, and gaps on core symptoms of depression, including anhedonia and suicidality, and on long-term safety warrant a measured positive view, pending confirmatory data.
M. Di Nicola, M. Pepe, I. Marcelli et al.· Expert Review of Neurotherap...· 0 citations
Background: The widespread use of appearance-focused social media platforms has transformed how body-related attitudes are constructed, internalized, and evaluated, particularly among adolescent girls and young women, yet the existing literature remains heterogeneous in conceptual frameworks, populations, and outcome measures. Objective: This scoping review maps the extent, nature, and characteristics of the available evidence on the relationship between appearance-focused social media use, body image, self-esteem, and psychological wellbeing in adolescent girls and young women. Methods: Following PRISMA-ScR, PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science were searched for quantitative, qualitative, and mixed-methods studies on female samples aged 10–30; data were charted and synthesized descriptively. Results: Fifty-eight studies (2014–2026) met the inclusion criteria. Evidence was concentrated in Australia and the United States and skewed toward emerging adults, with adolescent girls aged 10–17 examined in only nine studies. Appearance-focused engagement was consistently linked to body dissatisfaction, body surveillance, drive for thinness, and negative affect, with appearance comparison, internalization of appearance ideals, and self-objectification emerging as recurrent explanatory mechanisms. Body positive and body neutrality content emerged as the most promising protective categories. Conclusions: The review clarifies current evidence and identifies critical gaps for future research, informing clinical, educational, and preventive interventions.
G. Marano, Senad Hasaj, Oksana Di Giacomi et al.· European Journal of Investig...· 0 citations
Highlights What are the main findings? Children with ADHD showed the highest overall emotional–behavioral burden, whereas ASD and SLD were characterized by greater internalizing difficulties and DMD by a distinct emotional–behavioral profile. Using the same standardized CBCL/6–18 assessment enabled direct comparison of emotional and behavioral functioning across neurodevelopmental and neuromuscular conditions. What is the implication of the main finding? A transdiagnostic assessment framework may facilitate the identification of both shared and disorder-specific emotional–behavioral patterns across heterogeneous pediatric populations. Integrating standardized behavioral screening with individualized clinical assessment may support more targeted psychosocial care and multidisciplinary decision-making. Abstract Background: Neurodevelopmental disorders, including Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), and Specific Learning Disorder (SLD), as well as neuromuscular conditions such as Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD), are frequently associated with emotional and behavioral difficulties that may affect children’s functioning and family well-being. However, direct comparisons across these heterogeneous clinical populations remain limited. This study aimed to compare emotional and behavioral profiles across children and adolescents with ASD, ADHD, SLD, and DMD using the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL/6–18). Methods: This cross-sectional comparative study included 197 children and adolescents (ASD: 47; SLD: 50; ADHD: 50; DMD: 50) assessed at the Clinical Psychology Unit of the Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli IRCCS (Rome, Italy) between 2017 and 2024. Emotional and behavioral functioning was evaluated using the parent-report CBCL/6–18. Group differences were examined using one-way ANOVA or Welch’s ANOVA, as appropriate, followed by Tukey’s HSD or Games–Howell post hoc comparisons. Results: Significant group differences emerged for Internalizing Problems, Externalizing Problems, and Total Problems (all p < 0.001). ADHD showed the highest overall emotional and behavioral burden, with 76% of participants scoring in the clinical range for both Internalizing and Total Problems and 60% for Externalizing Problems. Elevated internalizing difficulties characterized ASD and SLD, whereas children with DMD showed generally lower CBCL scores, although 26% fell within the clinical range for Internalizing Problems. Effect sizes were moderate to large (η2 = 0.168–0.273), supporting the presence of both shared and disorder-specific emotional and behavioral patterns across heterogeneous developmental conditions. Conclusions: The findings highlight the heterogeneity of emotional–behavioral profiles across neurodevelopmental and neuromuscular conditions. The use of a common standardized assessment framework enabled the identification of both shared and disorder-specific patterns, supporting the potential value of a transdiagnostic approach to individualized assessment. Future longitudinal and multi-informant studies are warranted to clarify developmental trajectories and improve the identification of clinically meaningful emotional and behavioral needs across heterogeneous pediatric populations.
D. P. Chieffo, Federica Moriconi, Valentina Delle Donne et al.· Children· 0 citations
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