Out of the Darkness: The Impact of a Mood Disorder Over Time.

Out of the darkness: the impact of a mood disorder over time.

Filed under: Depression Treatment

Australas Psychiatry. 2012 Nov 2;
Parker G, Paterson A, Fletcher K, Hyett M, Blanch B

OBJECTIVE: Being diagnosed with depression or bipolar disorder has a significant impact on an individual’s life. This paper reports data examining how patients view having had such a condition. METHOD: Patients attending the Black Dog Institute Depression Clinic were asked to complete questionnaires examining the impact of being diagnosed with a mood disorder and dealing with that condition over time. RESULTS: Patient responses were analysed qualitatively (in terms of positive, negative and neutral responses) and their quantitative distribution was examined. Themes were relatively consistent across unipolar and bipolar patients. Negative themes included family and work consequences, social impairment and a loss of self-confidence. Positive themes included the development of stronger familial bonds, the provision of relief and hope, positive treatment outcomes and the explanatory benefits of receiving a diagnosis. CONCLUSIONS: Findings indicate quite contrasting courses reported by patients with mood disorders (irrespective of polarity), ranging from negative to very positive evaluations.
HubMed – depression

 

Social status-dependent modulation of LG-flip habituation in the crayfish.

Filed under: Depression Treatment

J Exp Biol. 2012 Nov 1;
Araki M, Hasegawa T, Komatsuda S, Nagayama T

Strong stimuli applied to tailfan of the crayfish Procambarus clarkii (Girard) evoked lateral giant (LG) mediated tailflips. When the sensory stimulus was applied repeatedly, the response of LG habituated until it failed to give rise to a spike. We found that this LG-flip habituation was dependent on social-status. With a short interstimulus interval of 5 s, the rate of habituation of the LG in both socially dominant and subordinate crayfish was less than in socially isolated animals. By contrast, with a long interstimulus interval of 60 s, the rate of habituation of subordinate animals was less than both socially isolated and dominant animals. The excitability of the LGs following habituation was also dependent on social status. Following habituation the spike response of LGs recovered within several minutes, however they showed significant depression with a decrease in excitability. With a 5 s or 60 s interstimulus interval, subordinate animals showed longer delays of depression compared to dominant animals. A decrease in the rate of habituation and a delay of depression in subordinate crayfish would be advantageous to maintain an active escape response to evade repeated attacks of dominant animals and a reduced learning ability to adapt to social status.
HubMed – depression

 

Forelimb kinematics during swimming in the pig-nosed turtle, Carettochelys insculpta, compared with other turtle taxa: rowing versus flapping, convergence versus intermediacy.

Filed under: Depression Treatment

J Exp Biol. 2012 Nov 1;
Rivera AR, Rivera G, Blob RW

Animals that swim using appendages do so by way of rowing and/or flapping motions. Often considered discrete categories, rowing and flapping are more appropriately regarded as points along a continuum. The pig-nosed turtle, Carettochelys insculpta, is unusual in that it is the only freshwater turtle to have limbs modified into flippers and swim via synchronous forelimb motions that resemble dorsoventral flapping, traits that evolved independently from their presence in sea turtles. We used high-speed videography to quantify forelimb kinematics in C. insculpta and a closely related, highly aquatic rower (Apalone ferox). Comparisons of our new data to those previously collected for a generalized freshwater rower (Trachemys scripta) and a flapping sea turtle (Caretta caretta) allow us to (1) more precisely quantify and characterize the range of limb motions used by flappers versus rowers, and (2) assess whether the synchronous forelimb motions of Carettochelys insculpta can be classified as flapping (i.e. whether they exhibit forelimb kinematics and angles of attack more similar to closely related rowing species, or more distantly related flapping sea turtles). We found that the forelimb kinematics of previously recognized rowers (T. scripta and A. ferox) were most similar to each other, but that those of Carettochelys were more similar to rowers than to flapping Caretta. Nevertheless, of the three freshwater species, Carettochelys was most similar to flapping Caretta. “Flapping” in Carettochelys is achieved through very different humeral kinematics than in Caretta, with Carettochelys exhibiting significantly more anteroposterior humeral motion and protraction, and significantly less dorsoventral humeral motion and depression. Based on several intermediate kinematic parameters and angle of attack data, Carettochelys may in fact represent a synchronous rower or hybrid rower-flapper, suggesting that traditional views of Carettochelys as a flapper should be revised.
HubMed – depression

 

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