Pushpal Desarkar

Centre for Addiction and Mental Health

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Co-Authors

Stephanie H. Ameis

Centre for Addiction and Mental Health

Meng‐Chuan Lai

Centre for Addiction and Mental Health

Yona Lunsky

Centre for Addiction and Mental Health

Tarek K. Rajji

Centre for Addiction and Mental Health

Vinod Kumar Sinha

Central Institute of Psychiatry

Daniel M. Blumberger

University of Toronto

Zafiris J. Daskalakis

University of California, San Diego

Péter Szatmári

Centre for Addiction and Mental Health

Daniel M. Blumberger

University of Toronto

Reza Zomorrodi

Centre for Addiction and Mental Health

Cooperative Institutions

University of Toronto

132

Centre for Addiction and Mental Health

117

McGill University

105

Douglas Mental Health University Institute

Allen Institute for Brain Science

Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai

Douglas College

Mental Health Research Institute

Concordia University

University of Calgary

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Papers

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P155. The Metabolic Adverse Effects of Antipsychotic Use in Individuals With Intellectual and/or Developmental Disability (IDD): A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Biological Psychiatry (2022)

Emily R. Smith Nicolette Stogios Emily Au Kateryna Maksyutynska Riddhita De

10.1016/j.biopsych.2022.02.389

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The Contingent Negative Variation in Remitted Paediatric Bipolar Patients: No Evidence of Abnormality

Psychiatry Investigation (2013)

Nandini Banerjee Vinod Kumar Sinha Meera Jayaswal Pushpal Desarkar

Although the Contingent Negative Variation (CNV) paradigm has been useful in schizophrenia, limited research involving such paradigm in subjects with Bipolar Disorder (BD) has produced contradictory findings. To the best of our knowledge, no study has investigated CNV in Paediatric Bipolar Disorder (PBD) subjects. Thirty remitted PBD patients and thirty matched healthy control group subjects participated in the study. No significant between group main effect could be found for either CNV latency or amplitude. We propose that CNV is unlikely to be a true endophenotype of BD. However, absence of CNV finding during euthymic phase in BD may help us in advancing our understanding of BD and such finding may, in fact, have some specificity with regard to differentiating BD from schizophrenia. Keywords: Child, Adolescent, Bipolar disorder, Contingent negative variation

Endophenotype

Contingent negative variation

Abnormality

Bipolar I disorder

10.4306/pi.2013.10.2.196

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Citations (3)

Inter-Professional Collaborative Care: A Way to Enhance Services for Adults with Intellectual Disability and/or Autism Spectrum Disorder and Mental Health Problems

Journal of Intellectual Disability - Diagnosis and Treatment (2016)

J Summers Christina Bartha Pushpal Desarkar Lisa Duggan Julia Fineczko

This article describes our inter-professional mental health service for adults with intellectual disability and/or autism spectrum disorder. The service consists of an inpatient unit and outpatient program that are closely aligned and operate within a mental health and addictions teaching hospital. We provide information about recent changes to our model of care and the structures and activities that are used to support inter-professional team development and team functioning. Roles and functions of different mental health professionals on the team are outlined and case examples of adults with intellectual disability and complex mental health needs are provided to illustrate how the inter-professional team members work together.

10.6000/2292-2598.2016.04.01.2

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Citations (7)

Efficacy of Adjuvant High Frequency Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation on Negative and Positive Symptoms of Schizophrenia: Preliminary Results of a Double-Blind Sham-Controlled Study

Journal of Neuropsychiatry (2007)

Nishant Goyal S. Haque Nizamie Pushpal Desarkar

The potential effect of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) on core positive and negative symptoms in schizophrenia has not yet been clearly established. The aim of this study was to examine the efficacy of adjuvant 10 Hz, suprathreshold left prefrontal rTMS in negative symptoms of schizophrenia in a double-blind sham-controlled design. Additionally, our study also investigated the suitability of applying the same stimulus condition on positive symptoms. Ten right-handed schizophrenia patients received sham or active 10 Hz suprathreshold rTMS to the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex with psychopathology, depression and global improvement ratings before and after rTMS sessions. Compared to sham, active rTMS significantly improved negative symptoms, irrespective of change in depressive symptoms.

Stimulus (psychology)

Depression

10.1176/jnp.2007.19.4.464

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Citations (59)

Duloxetine-Induced Ultrarapid Cycling in an Adolescent With Bipolar Depression

Journal of Clinical Psychopharmacology (2007)

Pushpal Desarkar Ajay Kumar Bakhla Vinod Kumar Sinha

Desarkar, Pushpal MD, DPM; Bakhla, Ajay DPM; Sinha, Vinod Kumar MD, DPM Author Information

Rapid cycling

Depression

Cycling

10.1097/jcp.0b013e31802e7573

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Citations (5)

Resting state electroencephalography microstates in autism spectrum disorder: A mini-review

Frontiers in Psychiatry (2022)

Sushmit Das Reza Zomorrodi Peter G. Enticott Melissa Kirkovski Daniel M. Blumberger

Atypical spatial organization and temporal characteristics, found via resting state electroencephalography (EEG) microstate analysis, have been associated with psychiatric disorders but these temporal and spatial parameters are less known in autism spectrum disorder (ASD). EEG microstates reflect a short time period of stable scalp potential topography. These canonical microstates (i.e., A, B, C, and D) and more are identified by their unique topographic map, mean duration, fraction of time covered, frequency of occurrence and global explained variance percentage; a measure of how well topographical maps represent EEG data. We reviewed the current literature for resting state microstate analysis in ASD and identified eight publications. This current review indicates there is significant alterations in microstate parameters in ASD populations as compared to typically developing (TD) populations. Microstate parameters were also found to change in relation to specific cognitive processes. However, as microstate parameters are found to be changed by cognitive states, the differently acquired data (e.g., eyes closed or open) resting state EEG are likely to produce disparate results. We also review the current understanding of EEG sources of microstates and the underlying brain networks.

Ministate

10.3389/fpsyt.2022.988939

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Citations (8)

Assessing and Stabilizing Aberrant Neuroplasticity in Autism Spectrum Disorder Using Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation: Results From a Proof-Of-Principle Study

Biological Psychiatry (2020)

Pushpal Desarkar Tarek K. Rajji Stephanie H. Ameis Daniel M. Blumberger Meng‐Chuan Lai

Brain stimulation

10.1016/j.biopsych.2020.02.653

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Editorial on common mental health disorders and cognitive decline in a longitudinal Down syndrome cohort

BJPsych Open (2024)

Samuel Tromans Pushpal Desarkar

This editorial discusses a study by Idris and colleagues, where the authors investigated the impact of common mental disorders (CMDs) among patients with Down syndrome, with respect to development of clinical features of Alzheimer's disease.

Cognitive Decline

10.1192/bjo.2024.16

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Roadblocks and detours on pathways to a clinical diagnosis of autism for girls and women: A qualitative secondary analysis

Women s Health (2023)

Yani Hamdani Caroline Kassee Meaghan Walker Yona Lunsky Brenda Gladstone

Autism is not always considered for girls and women until later along their clinical diagnostic pathways. Misdiagnosis or late diagnosis can pose significant disadvantages with respect to accessing timely health and autism-related services and supports. Understanding what contributes to roadblocks and detours along clinical pathways to an autism diagnosis can shed light on missed opportunities for earlier recognition.Our objective was to examine what contributed to roadblocks, detours, and missed opportunities for earlier recognition and clinical diagnosis of autism for girls and women.We conducted a qualitative secondary analysis using data from a Canadian primary study that examined the health and healthcare experiences of autistic girls and women through interviews and focus groups.Transcript data of 22 girls and women clinically diagnosed with autism and 15 parents were analysed, drawing on reflexive thematic analysis procedures. Techniques included coding data both inductively based on descriptions of roadblocks and detours and deductively based on conceptualizations of sex and gender. Patterns of ideas were categorized into themes and the 'story' of each theme was refined through writing and discussing analytic memos, reflecting on sex and gender assumptions, and creating a visual map of clinical pathways.Contributing factors to roadblocks, detours, and missed opportunities for earlier recognition and diagnosis were categorized as follows: (1) age of pre-diagnosis 'red flags' and 'signals'; (2) 'non-autism' mental health diagnoses first; (3) narrow understandings of autism based on male stereotypes; and (4) unavailable and unaffordable diagnostic services.Professionals providing developmental, mental health, educational, and/or employment supports can be more attuned to nuanced autism presentations. Research in collaboration with autistic girls and women and their childhood caregivers can help to identify examples of nuanced autistic features and how context plays a role in how these are experienced and navigated.

Thematic Analysis

10.1177/17455057231163761

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Citations (8)

Neuroplasticity-based novel brain stimulation support intervention options for autistic population

Frontiers in Human Neuroscience (2025)

Pushpal Desarkar

Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), introduced in 1985, has become a vital tool for investigating brain-behaviour relationships and therapeutic interventions. Repetitive TMS (rTMS) as a therapeutic tool has shown promise for various neuropsychiatric conditions, including autism, which affects approximately 1% of the global population. Evidence suggests that atypical neuroplasticity characterizes the neurobiology of autism. Recent studies using TMS paradigms like theta-burst stimulation (TBS) indicate an excessive neuroplasticity or hyper-plasticity in the form of an excessive long-term potentiation (LTP) in the motor cortex of autistic adults compared to neurotypical controls. Hyper-plasticity may negatively impact cognitive and behavioural outcomes. Our proposed neuroplasticity-based rTMS intervention protocols aim to address motor function, sensory sensitivities, and executive function difficulties in autistic adults. We present a testable framework to evaluate neuroplasticity in the motor, sensory, and dorsolateral prefrontal cortices, hypothesizing the presence of hyper-plasticity in autistic adults. We anticipate that this hyper-plasticity underpins motor, sensory, and executive function difficulties in autistic adults. Additionally, we propose investigating the efficacy of bilateral rTMS to reduce hyper-plasticity and improve these functions in autistic adults. This approach not only seeks to enhance therapeutic options but also provides biological insights into the brain mechanisms underlying some of the common autism-associated difficulties.

Brain stimulation

10.3389/fnhum.2025.1522718

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