Prediction of Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor Response Using Diffusion-Weighted MRI.

Prediction of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor response using diffusion-weighted MRI.

Front Psychiatry. 2013; 4: 5
Delorenzo C, Delaparte L, Thapa-Chhetry B, Miller JM, Mann JJ, Parsey RV

Pre-treatment differences in serotonergic binding between those who remit to antidepressant treatment and those who do not have been found using Positron Emission Tomography (PET). To investigate these differences, an exploratory study was performed using a second imaging modality, diffusion-weighted MRI (DW-MRI). Eighteen antidepressant-free subjects with Major Depressive Disorder received a 25-direction DW-MRI scan prior to 8?weeks of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor treatment. Probabilistic tractography was performed between the midbrain/raphe and two target regions implicated in depression pathophysiology (amygdala and hippocampus). Average fractional anisotropy (FA) within the derived tracts was compared between SSRI remitters and non-remitters, and correlation between pre-treatment FA values and SSRI treatment outcome was assessed. Results indicate that average FA in DW-MRI-derived tracts to the right amygdala was significantly lower in non-remitters (0.55?±?0.04) than remitters (0.61?±?0.04, p?HubMed – depression

 

Mild cognitive impairment in Parkinson’s disease.

J Neural Transm. 2013 Mar 19;
Korczyn AD

Parkinson’s disease (PD) has initially been described as a clinical syndrome, although its exact definition has changed over the past centuries. The identification of the pathological changes added another level of complexity, with Lewy bodies, synuclein deposits and neuronal loss in the substantia nigra being used alternatively as criteria. A third level of complexity was added with the recognition of genetic mutations resulting in Parkinsonism, sometimes with and sometimes without Lewy bodies or synuclein deposition. Lastly, frequent additional important pre-motor manifestations, particularly depression, anosmia and sleep-associated phenomena have been described. These different points of view on the definition of PD have important implications on the study of the etiology and even the therapy of PD. Cognitive impairment is also an important feature of PD, while the spectrum of deficits ranges from none to severe dementia. The no-man land in-between normal cognition and dementia has been termed mild cognitive impairment in PD. At present, this term lacks heuristic value or clinical utility, and remains a target for scientific research. HubMed – depression

 

Which Symptoms Come First? Exploration of Temporal Relationships Between Cancer-Related Symptoms over an 18-Month Period.

Ann Behav Med. 2013 Mar 19;
Trudel-Fitzgerald C, Savard J, Ivers H

BACKGROUND: Anxiety, depression, insomnia, fatigue, and pain are frequently reported by cancer patients. These symptoms are highly interrelated. However, few prospective studies have documented the sequence with which symptoms occur during cancer care. PURPOSE: This longitudinal study explored the temporal relationships between anxiety, depression, insomnia, fatigue, and pain over an 18-month period in a large population-based sample of nonmetastatic cancer patients (N?=?828), using structural equation modeling. METHODS: The patients completed a battery of self-report scales at baseline and 2, 6, 10, 14, and 18 months later. RESULTS: The relationships between the same symptom at two consecutive assessments showed the highest coefficients (??=?0.29 to 0.78; all ps???0.05). Cross-loading parameters (??=?0.06 to 0.19; ps???0.05) revealed that fatigue frequently predicted subsequent depression, insomnia, and pain, whereas anxiety predicted insomnia. CONCLUSIONS: Fatigue and anxiety appear to constitute important risk factors of other cancer-related symptoms and should be managed appropriately early during the cancer care trajectory. HubMed – depression

 

Multidimensional health locus of control and depressive symptoms in the multi-ethnic population of the Netherlands.

Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol. 2013 Mar 19;
van Dijk TK, Dijkshoorn H, van Dijk A, Cremer S, Agyemang C

PURPOSE: Ethnic inequalities in health in Western societies are well-documented but poorly understood. We examined associations between health locus of control (HLC) and depressive symptoms among native and non-native Dutch people in the Netherlands. METHODS: We used hierarchical multiple linear regression analyses on a representative sample of the multi-ethnic population of Amsterdam and The Hague (n = 10,302). HLC was measured with the multidimensional health locus of control scale. Depressive symptoms were measured with the Kessler Psychological Distress scale. RESULTS: Multivariate analyses showed that HLC contributes to ethnic differences in the prevalence of depressive symptoms. Respondents who scored high on external locus of control (PHLC) were more likely to have depressive symptoms than those with a low score on PHLC (? = 0.133, p < 0.001). Conversely, respondents scoring high on internal locus of control (IHLC) were less likely to have depressive symptoms compared to those scoring low on IHLC (? = -0.134, p < 0.001). The associations were most pronounced among Turkish-Dutch and Moroccan-Dutch respondents. CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest that HLC contributes to ethnic inequalities in depressive symptoms, especially among Turkish and Moroccan ethnic groups. Professionals (e.g. clinicians and policy makers) need to take HLC into account when assessing and treating depression among ethnic minority groups, particularly in Turkish and Moroccan populations. Future research should look further into the associations within these groups. HubMed – depression