The Flinders Sensitive Line Rat Model of Depression–25 Years and Still Producing.

The flinders sensitive line rat model of depression–25 years and still producing.

Filed under: Depression Treatment

Pharmacol Rev. 2013; 65(1): 143-55
Overstreet DH, Wegener G

Approximately 25 years have passed since the first publication suggesting the Flinders sensitive line (FSL) rat as an animal model of depression. At least 6 years of research on these rats was completed before that seminal paper, and there has been a steady stream of publications (130+) over the years. The present review will focus on several issues not previously covered in earlier reviews, summarize the several lines of ongoing investigations, and propose a novel mechanism that accounts for a number of previously unexplained observations. A key observation in the FSL rat relates to the antidepressant (AD)-like effects of known and putative antidepressants. The FSL rat typically exhibits an AD-like effect in behavioral tests for AD-like activity following chronic (14 days) treatment, although some studies have found AD-like effects after fewer days of treatment. In other observations, exaggerated swim test immobility in the FSL rat has been found to have a maternal influence, as shown by cross-fostering studies and observations of maternal behavior; the implications of this finding are still to be determined. Ongoing or recently completed studies have been performed in the laboratories of Marko Diksic of Canada, Aleksander Mathé of Sweden, Gregers Wegener of Denmark, Brian Harvey of South Africa, Paul Pilowsky and Rod Irvine of Australia, and Gal Yadid of Israel. Jennifer Loftis of Portland, Oregon, and Lynette Daws of San Antonio, Texas, have been working with the FSL rats in the United States. A puzzling feature of the FSL rat is its sensitivity to multiple chemicals, and its greater sensitivity to a variety of drugs with different mechanisms of action. It has been recently shown that each of these drugs feeds through G protein-coupled receptors to potassium-gated channels. Thus, an abnormality in the potassium channel could underlie the depressed-like behavior of the FSL rats.
HubMed – depression

The spectrum of nonmotor symptoms in early Parkinson disease.

Filed under: Depression Treatment

Neurology. 2013 Jan 15; 80(3): 276-81
Khoo TK, Yarnall AJ, Duncan GW, Coleman S, O’Brien JT, Brooks DJ, Barker RA, Burn DJ

Nonmotor symptoms (NMS) are common in patients with established Parkinson disease (PD) but their frequency in early PD has not been extensively studied. Our aim was to determine the frequency of NMS in a cohort of patients with newly diagnosed PD.A total of 159 patients with early PD and 99 healthy controls participated in this study. NMS were screened for using the Nonmotor Symptom Questionnaire. Other assessments included measures of motor disability (Movement Disorders Society-revised Unified Parkinson’s Disease Rating Scale [MDS-UPDRS]), disease severity (Hoehn & Yahr staging), depression (Geriatric Depression Scale), and global cognitive function (Mini-Mental State Examination and Montreal Cognitive Assessment).The PD group reported a significantly greater number of NMS compared with controls (8.4 [4.3] vs 2.8 [2.6]). In the PD group, the most commonly experienced NMS were excessive saliva, forgetfulness, urinary urgency, hyposmia, and constipation. Patients with higher MDS-UPDRS III scores and those with the postural instability gait subtype experienced a greater number of NMS.NMS are common in early PD and reflect the multisystem nature of the disorder. Even in the earliest stages of PD, NMS may be detrimental to patients’ functional status and sense of well-being.
HubMed – depression

A PILOT RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL OF COGNITIVE BEHAVIORAL THERAPY FOR PERINATAL DEPRESSION ADAPTED FOR WOMEN WITH LOW INCOMES.

Filed under: Depression Treatment

Depress Anxiety. 2013 Jan 14;
O’Mahen H, Himle JA, Fedock G, Henshaw E, Flynn H

BACKGROUND: Perinatal women with identified depression in prenatal care settings have low rates of engagement and adherence with depression-specific psychotherapy. We report the feasibility and symptom outcomes of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) modified (mCBT) to address the needs of perinatal, low-income women with Major Depressive Disorder (MDD). METHODS: Pregnant women (n = 1421) were screened for depressive symptoms in obstetrics clinics in conjunction with prenatal care visits. A total of 59 women met diagnostic criteria for MDD; 55 women were randomly assigned to mCBT or Treatment as Usual (TAU). The mCBT intervention included an initial engagement session, outreach, specific perinatal content and interpersonal components. Measures were gathered at pre-treatment, 16 week post-randomization, and 3-month follow-up. RESULTS: Most participants attended at least one CBT session and met study criteria for treatment adherence. Active research staff outreach promoted engagement and retention in the trial. Treatment satisfaction was rated as very good. In both observed and multiple imputation results, women who received mCBT demonstrated greater improvement in depressed mood than those in TAU at 16-week post-randomization and 3-month follow-up, Cohen’s d = -0.71 (95% CI -4.93, -5.70). CONCLUSIONS: Modified CBT offers promise as a feasible and acceptable treatment for perinatal women with low-incomes in prenatal care settings. Targeted delivery and content modifications are needed to engage populations tailored to setting and psychosocial challenges specific to the perinatal period.
HubMed – depression

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