Depression and Anxiety Following Myocardial Infarction and Their Inverse Associations With Future Health Behaviors and Quality of Life.

Depression and Anxiety Following Myocardial Infarction and Their Inverse Associations with Future Health Behaviors and Quality of Life.

Ann Behav Med. 2013 May 4;
Benyamini Y, Roziner I, Goldbourt U, Drory Y, Gerber Y,

BACKGROUND: Post-myocardial infarction (MI) depression and anxiety were found to predict prognosis and quality of life. PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to test a behavioral pathway from post-MI depression/anxiety to future quality of life. METHODS: This is a longitudinal cohort study. Five hundred forty patients (?65 years old) filled out questionnaires after a first MI, including socio-demographics, pre-MI health status and behaviors, MI severity, social support, sense of coherence, depression, and anxiety. Reports of health behaviors were obtained 5 years and of quality of life 10 years later. RESULTS: A structural equations model confirmed that depression and anxiety were directly related to poorer quality of life 10 years later. These relationships were partly mediated by a positive association between anxiety and health behaviors at 5 years and a negative one between depression and health behaviors. CONCLUSIONS: The opposite effects of anxiety and depression underscore the need to attend to both emotional reactions to MI while encouraging preventive health behaviors. HubMed – depression

What are demographic and EEG differences between responding and non-responding panic disorder patients.

Neuro Endocrinol Lett. 2013 Apr 5; 34(2): 162-171
Kamaradova D, Prasko J, Brunovsky M, Grambal A, Diveky T, Latalova K

BACKGROUND: Standardized low-resolution electromagnetic tomography (sLORETA) is a new quantitative EEG method for determining distribution of neuronal electrical activity in the form of three-dimensional images of current density of the cerebral cortex. Unlike standard quantitative EEG, it allows noninvasive and detailed localization of neuronal generators responsible for surface EEG with zero localization error. The study aimed at finding electrotomographic differences between patients with panic disorder who respond well to cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and those with an inadequate response and to determine factors predicting a response to treatment. METHODS: The study comprised 24 patients diagnosed with panic disorder with or without agoraphobia (ICD-10 F41.0). The severity of symptoms was measured with the Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI), Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), Sheehan Anxiety Scale, subjective and objective Clinical Global Impression (CGI) and Dissociative Experiences Scale (DES). Additionally, quality of life was evaluated using the Q-LES-Q questionnaire. Based on final BAI score decreases by 25%, the patients were classified into two groups – responders and non-responders. 21-channel EEGs were recorded at baseline and after completion of therapy. Power spectra and intracortical tomography were computed by sLORETA in seven frequency bands and compared between (responders vs. non-responders) and within (pre- vs. post-treatment) groups. RESULTS: There were no differences between responders and non-responders with respect to age, gender and baseline disorder symptomatology. Statistical analysis of sLORETA values demonstrated no significant inter-group differences in the pretreatment current density distribution. After treatment, only responders showed a significant decrease of alpha-2 sources (p<0.05) in the occipital lobes and cuneus and a statistical trend for increased beta-3 sources (p<0.10) in the posterior cingulate. In non-responders, there were no statistically significant changes in sLORETA findings following therapy. CONCLUSIONS: The study failed to use pretreatment sLORETA in the prediction of therapeutic response in patients with panic disorder. However, we clearly demonstrated that only treatment response was associated with significant changes of electric neuronal activity. An analysis of demographic data suggested that duration of the disease, age, level of dissociation and employment may be considered as factors influencing the response. HubMed – depression

“Mesodiencephalic” modulation in the treatment of diabetic neuropathy.

Neuro Endocrinol Lett. 2013 Apr 5; 34(2): 135-142
Lacigova S, Tomesova J, Gruberova J, Rusavy Z, Rokyta R

OBJECTIVE: Aim of the study was to verify the efficacy of “mesodiencephalic” modulation (MDM), as named by the commercial promoters, in reducing symptoms accompanying painful diabetic neuropathy and in improving mental health. METHODS: 32 patients with type 1 and 2 diabetes mellitus, with painful neuropathy, were enrolled in the prospective, double-blind, placebo-controlled, cross-over study. The modulation was performed using MDM electrotherapeutic device (ZAT a.s), sham modulation was used as a placebo. Pain relief (visual analogue scale-VAS; total symptom score-TSS) and changes in mental state (Beck Depression Inventory-BDI-II; OSWESTRY and SF-36 questionnaires) were evaluated. RESULTS: The study was completed by 30 patients. Pain evaluation: VAS: pain relief was statistically insignificantly higher after real (R) compared to sham (S) modulation (-0.7 vs. -0.3; p=0.06), effect of both modulations was equal after 1 month (-0.4 vs. 0.0; p=0.46). TSS: the effect of R and S modulation did not differ immediately after the procedure (-1.3 vs. -1.0; p=0.27), nor after 1 month (-1.5 vs. -0.34; p=0.9). Psychological tests: according to SF-36, the physical health improved considerably after R compared to S (2.5 vs. -2.0; p<0.01), however, changes in the mental health were equal (-1.5 vs. 0.0; p=0.78). Oswestry (0 vs. 0; p=0.95) and BDI-II (-0.5 vs. -1.0; p=0.42) were comparable after R and S modulation. Order of the procedures (R vs. S) did not affect results. CONCLUSION: The study did not demonstrate any positive effect of MDM on painful diabetic neuropathy compared to placebo, relative to pain or mental state evaluations. The study emphasizes the need of using placebo-controlled studies, especially when testing a new analgesic drug or a method for pain modulation. HubMed – depression