Mood Disorders (mood + disorders)

Distribution by Scientific Domains
Distribution within Medical Sciences


Selected Abstracts


Antiepileptic Drugs in Migraine, Cluster Headache, and Mood Disorders

HEADACHE, Issue 2001
F. Michael Cutrer MD
No abstract is available for this article. [source]


Antiepileptic Drugs in Migraine, Cluster Headache, and Mood Disorders

HEADACHE, Issue 2001
Article first published online: 31 MAR 200
No abstract is available for this article. [source]


Encouraging People With Mood Disorders to Attend a Self-Help Group,

JOURNAL OF APPLIED SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY, Issue 11 2000
Thomas J. Powell
Using an intervention based on referent power, self-help sponsors sought to encourage attendance at self-help meetings. They encouraged patients with major depression or bipolar disorder to attend self-help meetings following their hospitalizations. The intervention successfully increased the attendance of the experimental group compared to those in the control group. Implications for practice are discussed. [source]


Do mood disorders alter crying? a pilot investigation

DEPRESSION AND ANXIETY, Issue 5 2008
Jonathan Rottenberg Ph.D.
Abstract Clinical commentators widely interpret crying as a sign of depressed mood. However, there is virtually no empirical data on this topic, and the evidence that mood disorders alter crying is surprisingly weak. This study compared mood disordered patients to a nonpsychiatric reference group on the frequency, antecedents, and consequences of crying behavior using a well-validated questionnaire measure of crying. Forty-four outpatients diagnosed with three forms of mood pathology were age and gender matched to a reference group of 132 participants sampled to be representative of the Dutch population. Both groups completed the Adult Crying Inventory, which provides estimates of the self-reported frequency, antecedents, and consequences of crying behavior. Depression severity and psychiatric symptom severity data were also collected from patients. Compared with the reference group, patients with mood pathology reported increased cry proneness to negative antecedents. By contrast, patients and controls did not differ in reported cry proneness to positive antecedents. Patients reported less mood improvement after crying than did controls. Among male patients, but not female patients, depression severity was associated with increased crying proneness and increased crying frequency. This pilot investigation suggests that mood disorders increase the frequency of negative emotional crying, and may also alter the functions of this behavior. Mood disorders may influence male crying to a greater extent than female crying. Future directions designed to clarify the causal pathways between mood disorders and alterations in crying behavior are discussed. Depression and Anxiety 0:1,7, 2007. © 2007 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source]


Treatment of insomnia in patients with mood disorders

DEPRESSION AND ANXIETY, Issue 1 2001
Peter D. Nowell M.D.
Abstract Mood disorders and chronic insomnia share complex theoretical and clinical relationships. This article reviews the subjective symptoms and polysomnographic findings of subjects with mood and insomnia syndromes. The polysomnographic findings reviewed include macro-architectural and micro-architectural data. Various treatments of patients with insomnia and mood disorders will be presented, including both behavioral and pharmacological interventions. Depression and Anxiety 14:7,18, 2001. © 2001 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source]


The course of neuropsychiatric symptoms in dementia.

INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF GERIATRIC PSYCHIATRY, Issue 6 2005
Part I: findings from the two-year longitudinal Maasbed study
Abstract Background Although neuropsychiatric symptoms in dementia are common, there have been few large long-term prospective studies assessing the course of a broad range of neuropsychiatric symptoms in dementia. Objectives To investigate the course of neuropsychiatric symptoms in patients with dementia, including data about prevalence, incidence and persistence. Methods One hundred and ninety-nine patients with dementia were assessed every six months for two-years, using the Neuropsychiatric Inventory (NPI) to evaluate neuropsychiatric symptoms. Results Nearly all patients (95%) developed one or more neuropsychiatric symptoms in the two-year study period. Mood disorders were the most common problem. The severity of depression decreased, whereas the severity of apathy and aberrant motor behaviour increased during follow-up. The cumulative incidence was highest for hyperactive behaviours and apathy. Overall behavioral problems were relatively persistent, but most symptoms were intermittent, with apathy and aberrant motor behaviour being persistent for longer consecutive periods. Conclusions Neuropsychiatric symptoms in dementia are a common and major problem. Different symptoms have their own specific course, most of the time show a intermittent course, but behavioural problems overall are chronically present. The data have implications for developing treatment strategies. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source]


Adolescents coping with mood disorder: a grounded theory study

JOURNAL OF PSYCHIATRIC & MENTAL HEALTH NURSING, Issue 2 2007
R. J. MEADUS phd rn
A grounded theory methodology was used to explore the phenomenon of coping as experienced by adolescents with a mood disorder. Mood disorders among children and adolescents are more persistent than previously thought and have numerous negative associated features, including further episodes of depression, impaired social, academic and vocational relationships, use of alcohol and other drugs, and an increased risk of suicide. Current literature offered little awareness of how adolescents cope with a mood disorder, as well as their perspective of how such an illness impacts their lives. A substantive theory regarding the process of coping for adolescents with a mood disorder was generated from the data collected from one male and eight female adolescents. Using grounded theory coding procedures, a four-phase coping theory identified by the categories feeling different, cutting off connections, facing the challenge/reconnecting, and learning from the experience was developed. The core category identified in this research was An Unplanned Journey: Coping Through Connections. Implications identified for nursing practice, research and education included greater attention on the prevention of adolescent mood disorder, and the education of adolescents about the development and enhancement of healthy coping skills. [source]


What General Psychiatrists Ask Addiction Psychiatrists: A Review of 381 Substance Abuse Consultations in a Psychiatric Hospital

THE AMERICAN JOURNAL ON ADDICTIONS, Issue 1 2003
Shelly F. Greenfield M.D.
We reviewed the records of 381 consecutive substance abuse consultations completed by the Substance Abuse Consultation Service (SACS) of McLean Hospital to ascertain 1) the most frequent reasons why general psychiatrists consulted the SACS, and 2) the clinical characteristics of these patients. The most frequent reasons for consultation were to make aftercare recommendations (66.1%) or to make (19.7%) or clarify (6.3%) a substance use disorder (SUD) diagnosis. Mood disorders were the most prevalent co-occurring psychiatric disorder; alcohol use disorders were the most prevalent SUDs. The findings indicate the potential utility of a substance abuse consultation service in a psychiatric hospital. [source]


Homicidal ideation with intent during a manic episode triggered by antidepressant medication in a man with brain injury

BIPOLAR DISORDERS, Issue 1 2008
Marie-José Dealberto
Background:, Mood disorders are more frequent after brain injury and both depressive and manic episodes are associated in these patients with an increased risk of aggression. Antidepressant medications are associated with a risk of manic induction. Case report:, We describe a case of homicidal ideation with intent during the onset of a manic episode in a patient with prior brain injury on antidepressant medication at low dosage. The manic episode could have been secondary to brain injury and/or triggered by antidepressant medications. This case raises the possibility of the sensitizing role of brain injury for antidepressant-induced mania. Conclusions:, Further studies are needed to assess the role of brain injury as a risk factor for antidepressant-induced mania. Physicians should be cautious when prescribing antidepressants to patients with prior brain injury and inform them and their relatives of the possibility of a switch into mania. [source]


Mood disorders: mechanisms and pathophysiology

ACTA NEUROPSYCHIATRICA, Issue 6 2003
M. Berk
No abstract is available for this article. [source]


Conceptual background, development, and preliminary data from the unified protocol for transdiagnostic treatment of emotional disorders,

DEPRESSION AND ANXIETY, Issue 10 2010
Zofia A. Wilamowska M.A.
Abstract Anxiety and mood disorders are common, chronic, costly, and characterized by high comorbidity. The development of cognitive behavioral approaches to treating anxiety and mood disorders has left us with highly efficacious treatments that are increasingly widely accepted. The proliferation of treatment manuals targeting single disorders, sometimes with trivial differences among them, leaves the mental health professional with no clear way to choose one manual over another and little chance of ever becoming familiar with most of them, let alone trained to competence in their delivery. Deepening understanding of the nature of emotional disorders reveals that commonalities in etiology and latent structures among these disorders supersedes differences. Based on empirical evidence from the domains of learning, emotional development and regulation, and cognitive science, we have distilled a set of psychological procedures that comprise a unified intervention for emotional disorders. The Unified Protocol (UP) is a transdiagnostic, emotion-focused cognitive behavioral treatment, which emphasizes the adaptive, functional nature of emotions, and seeks to identify and correct maladaptive attempts to regulate emotional experiences, thereby facilitating appropriate processing and extinction of excessive emotional responding to both internal (somatic) and external cues. The treatment components of the UP are briefly outlined. Theory and rationale supporting this new approach are described along with some preliminary evidence supporting its efficacy. Implications for the treatment of emotional disorders using the UP are discussed. Depression and Anxiety, 2010. © 2010 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source]


A review of empirically supported psychological therapies for mood disorders in adults

DEPRESSION AND ANXIETY, Issue 10 2010
Steven D. Hollon Ph.D.
Abstract Background: The mood disorders are prevalent and problematic. We review randomized controlled psychotherapy trials to find those that are empirically supported with respect to acute symptom reduction and the prevention of subsequent relapse and recurrence. Methods: We searched the PsycINFO and PubMed databases and the reference sections of chapters and journal articles to identify appropriate articles. Results: One hundred twenty-five studies were found evaluating treatment efficacy for the various mood disorders. With respect to the treatment of major depressive disorder (MDD), interpersonal psychotherapy (IPT), cognitive behavior therapy (CBT), and behavior therapy (BT) are efficacious and specific and brief dynamic therapy (BDT) and emotion-focused therapy (EFT) are possibly efficacious. CBT is efficacious and specific, mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) efficacious, and BDT and EFT possibly efficacious in the prevention of relapse/recurrence following treatment termination and IPT and CBT are each possibly efficacious in the prevention of relapse/recurrence if continued or maintained. IPT is possibly efficacious in the treatment of dysthymic disorder. With respect to bipolar disorder (BD), CBT and family-focused therapy (FFT) are efficacious and interpersonal social rhythm therapy (IPSRT) possibly efficacious as adjuncts to medication in the treatment of depression. Psychoeducation (PE) is efficacious in the prevention of mania/hypomania (and possibly depression) and FFT is efficacious and IPSRT and CBT possibly efficacious in preventing bipolar episodes. Conclusions: The newer psychological interventions are as efficacious as and more enduring than medications in the treatment of MDD and may enhance the efficacy of medications in the treatment of BD. Depression and Anxiety, 2010. © 2010 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source]


Risk factors predicting onset and persistence of subthreshold expression of bipolar psychopathology among youth from the community

ACTA PSYCHIATRICA SCANDINAVICA, Issue 3 2010
M. J. A. Tijssen
Tijssen MJA, Van Os J, Wittchen HU, Lieb R, Beesdo K, Wichers M. Risk factors predicting onset and persistence of subthreshold expression of bipolar psychopathology among youth from the community Objective:, To examine factors increasing the risk for onset and persistence of subthreshold mania and depression. Method:, In a prospective cohort community study, the association between risk factors [a family history of mood disorders, trauma, substance use, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and temperamental/personality traits] and onset of manic/depressive symptoms was determined in 705 adolescents. The interaction between baseline risk factors and baseline symptoms in predicting 8-year follow-up symptoms was used to model the impact of risk factors on persistence. Results:, Onset of manic symptoms was associated with cannabis use and novelty seeking (NS), but NS predicted a transitory course. Onset of depressive symptoms was associated with a family history of depression. ADHD and harm avoidance (HA) were associated with persistence of depressive symptoms, while trauma and a family history of depression predicted a transitory course. Conclusion:, Different risk factors may operate during onset and persistence of subthreshold mania and depression. The differential associations found for mania and depression dimensions suggest partly different underlying mechanisms. [source]


Do mood disorders alter crying? a pilot investigation

DEPRESSION AND ANXIETY, Issue 5 2008
Jonathan Rottenberg Ph.D.
Abstract Clinical commentators widely interpret crying as a sign of depressed mood. However, there is virtually no empirical data on this topic, and the evidence that mood disorders alter crying is surprisingly weak. This study compared mood disordered patients to a nonpsychiatric reference group on the frequency, antecedents, and consequences of crying behavior using a well-validated questionnaire measure of crying. Forty-four outpatients diagnosed with three forms of mood pathology were age and gender matched to a reference group of 132 participants sampled to be representative of the Dutch population. Both groups completed the Adult Crying Inventory, which provides estimates of the self-reported frequency, antecedents, and consequences of crying behavior. Depression severity and psychiatric symptom severity data were also collected from patients. Compared with the reference group, patients with mood pathology reported increased cry proneness to negative antecedents. By contrast, patients and controls did not differ in reported cry proneness to positive antecedents. Patients reported less mood improvement after crying than did controls. Among male patients, but not female patients, depression severity was associated with increased crying proneness and increased crying frequency. This pilot investigation suggests that mood disorders increase the frequency of negative emotional crying, and may also alter the functions of this behavior. Mood disorders may influence male crying to a greater extent than female crying. Future directions designed to clarify the causal pathways between mood disorders and alterations in crying behavior are discussed. Depression and Anxiety 0:1,7, 2007. © 2007 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source]


Hierarchical structures of affect and psychopathology and their implications for the classification of emotional disorders,

DEPRESSION AND ANXIETY, Issue 4 2008
David Watson
Abstract The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders,IV groups disorders into diagnostic classes on the basis of the subjective criterion of "shared phenomenological features." The current mood and anxiety disorders reflect the logic of older models emphasizing the existence of discrete emotions and, consequently, are based on a fundamental distinction between depressed mood (central to the mood disorders) and anxious mood (a core feature of the anxiety disorders). This distinction, however, ignores subsequent work that has established the existence of a general negative affect dimension that (a) produces strong correlations between anxious and depressed mood and (b) is largely responsible for the substantial comorbidity between the mood and anxiety disorders. More generally, there are now sufficient data to eliminate the current rational system and replace it with an empirically based taxonomy that reflects the actual,not the assumed,similarities among disorders. The existing structural evidence establishes that the mood and anxiety disorders should be collapsed together into an overarching superclass of emotional disorders, which can be decomposed into three subclasses: the distress disorders (major depression, dysthymic disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, posttraumatic stress disorder), the fear disorders (panic disorder, agoraphobia, social phobia, specific phobia), and the bipolar disorders (bipolar I, bipolar II, cyclothymia). An empirically based system of this type will facilitate differential diagnosis and encourage the ultimate development of an etiologically based taxonomy. Depression and Anxiety 25:282,288, 2008. Published 2008 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source]


A taxometric investigation of the latent structure of social anxiety disorder in outpatients with anxiety and mood disorders

DEPRESSION AND ANXIETY, Issue 4 2006
Dylan M. Kollman M.A.
Abstract The latent structure of social phobia was examined in a sample of 2,035 outpatients with anxiety and mood disorders to determine whether the disorder operates in a categorical or dimensional fashion. We performed three mathematically distinct taxometric procedures,MAMBAC, MAXEIG, and L-Mode,using five indicators constructed from clinical interview ratings and questionnaire measures of social anxiety symptoms. Results from screening analyses and simulated comparison data consistently indicated that the data were suitable for taxometric analysis. The collective results across procedures, consistency tests, and analysis of simulated comparison data produced converging evidence in support of the conclusion that the latent structure of social phobia is dimensional. Depression and Anxiety 23:190,199, 2006. © 2006 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source]


Posttraumatic stress disorder and the structure of common mental disorders

DEPRESSION AND ANXIETY, Issue 4 2002
Brian J. Cox Ph.D.
Abstract Krueger [1999: Arch Gen Psychiatry 56:921,926] identified a three-factor structure of psychopathology that explained the covariation or grouping of common mental disorders found in the U.S. National Comorbidity Survey (NCS) [Kessler et al., 1994: Arch Gen Psychiatry 51:8,19]. These three fundamental groupings included an externalizing disorders factor and two internalizing disorders factors (anxious-misery and fear). We extended this research through the examination of additional data from a large subsample of the NCS (n=5,877) that contained diagnostic information on posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Factor analytic findings revealed that PTSD showed no affinity with the fear factor defined by panic and phobic disorders, and instead loaded on the anxious-misery factor defined primarily by mood disorders. An identical pattern of results emerged for both lifetime PTSD and 12-month PTSD prevalence figures. Implications of these findings for the classification of PTSD and research on its etiology are briefly discussed. © 2002 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source]


A randomized, placebo-controlled trial of paroxetine in nursing home residents with non-major depression

DEPRESSION AND ANXIETY, Issue 3 2002
Adam B. Burrows M.D.
Abstract Depression is common across a broad spectrum of severity among nursing home residents. Previous research has demonstrated the effectiveness of antidepressants in nursing home residents with major depression, but it is not known whether antidepressants are helpful in residents with less severe forms of depression. We conducted a randomized double-blind placebo-controlled 8-week trial comparing paroxetine and placebo in very old nursing home residents with non-major depression. The main outcome measure was the primary nurse's Clinical Impression of Change (CGI-C). Additional outcome measures were improvement on the interview-derived Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS) and Cornell Scale for Depression (CS) scores. Twenty-four subjects with a mean age of 87.9 were enrolled and twenty subjects completed the trial. Placebo response was high, and when all subjects were considered, there were no differences in improvement between the paroxetine and placebo groups. Two subjects that received paroxetine developed delirium, and subjects that received paroxetine were more likely to experience a decrease in Mini Mental State Exam scores (P = .03). There were no differences in serum anticholinergic activity between groups. In a subgroup analysis of 15 subjects with higher baseline HDRS and CS scores, there was a trend toward greater improvement in the paroxetine group in an outcome measure that combined the CGI-C and interview-based measures (P = .06). Paroxetine is not clearly superior to placebo in this small study of very old nursing home residents with non-major depression, and there is a risk of adverse cognitive effects. Because of the high placebo response and the trend towards improvement in the more severely ill patients, it is possible that a larger study would have demonstrated a significant therapeutic effect for paroxetine as compared with placebo. The study also illustrates the discordance between patient and caregiver ratings, and the difficulties in studying very elderly patients with mood disorders. Depression and Anxiety 15:102,110, 2002. © 2002 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source]


Treatment of insomnia in patients with mood disorders

DEPRESSION AND ANXIETY, Issue 1 2001
Peter D. Nowell M.D.
Abstract Mood disorders and chronic insomnia share complex theoretical and clinical relationships. This article reviews the subjective symptoms and polysomnographic findings of subjects with mood and insomnia syndromes. The polysomnographic findings reviewed include macro-architectural and micro-architectural data. Various treatments of patients with insomnia and mood disorders will be presented, including both behavioral and pharmacological interventions. Depression and Anxiety 14:7,18, 2001. © 2001 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source]


Frequency and clinical correlates of adult separation anxiety in a sample of 508 outpatients with mood and anxiety disorders

ACTA PSYCHIATRICA SCANDINAVICA, Issue 1 2010
S. Pini
Pini S, Abelli M, Shear KM, Cardini A, Lari L, Gesi C, Muti M, Calugi S, Galderisi S, Troisi A, Bertolino A, Cassano GB. Frequency and clinical correlates of adult separation anxiety in a sample of 508 outpatients with mood and anxiety disorders. Objective:, To evaluate the frequency and clinical correlates of adult separation anxiety disorder in a large cohort of patients with mood and anxiety disorders. Method:, Overall, 508 outpatients with anxiety and mood disorders were assessed by the structured clinical interview for diagnostic and statistical manual (IV edition) axis I disorders for principal diagnosis and comorbidity and by other appropriate instruments for separation anxiety into adulthood or childhood. Results:, Overall, 105 subjects (20.7%) were assessed as having adult separation anxiety disorder without a history of childhood separation anxiety and 110 (21.7%) had adult separation anxiety disorder with a history of childhood separation anxiety. Adult separation anxiety was associated with severe role impairment in work and social relationships after controlling for potential confounding effect of anxiety comorbidity. Conclusion:, Adult separation anxiety disorder is likely to be much more common in adults than previously recognized. Research is needed to better understand the relationships of this condition with other co-occurring affective disorders. [source]


The current status of urban-rural differences in psychiatric disorders

ACTA PSYCHIATRICA SCANDINAVICA, Issue 2 2010
J. Peen
Peen J, Schoevers RA, Beekman AT, Dekker J. The current status of urban,rural differences in psychiatric disorders. Objective:, Reviews of urban,rural differences in psychiatric disorders conclude that urban rates may be marginally higher and, specifically, somewhat higher for depression. However, pooled results are not available. Method:, A meta-analysis of urban,rural differences in prevalence was conducted on data taken from 20 population survey studies published since 1985. Pooled urban,rural odds ratios (OR) were calculated for the total prevalence of psychiatric disorders, and specifically for mood, anxiety and substance use disorders. Results:, Significant pooled urban,rural OR were found for the total prevalence of psychiatric disorders, and for mood disorders and anxiety disorders. No significant association with urbanization was found for substance use disorders. Adjustment for various confounders had a limited impact on the urban,rural OR. Conclusion:, Urbanization may be taken into account in the allocation of mental health services. [source]


Clinical practice recommendations for depression

ACTA PSYCHIATRICA SCANDINAVICA, Issue 2009
G. S. Malhi
Objective:, To provide clinically relevant evidence-based recommendations for the management of depression in adults that are informative, easy to assimilate and facilitate clinical decision making. Method:, A comprehensive literature review of over 500 articles was undertaken using electronic database search engines (e.g. MEDLINE, PsychINFO and Cochrane reviews). In addition articles, book chapters and other literature known to the authors were reviewed. The findings were then formulated into a set of recommendations that were developed by a multidisciplinary team of clinicians who routinely deal with mood disorders. The recommendations then underwent consultative review by a broader advisory panel that included experts in the field, clinical staff and patient representatives. Results:, The clinical practice recommendations for depression (Depression CPR) summarize evidence-based treatments and provide a synopsis of recommendations relating to each phase of the illness. They are designed for clinical use and have therefore been presented succinctly in an innovative and engaging manner that is clear and informative. Conclusion:, These up-to-date recommendations provide an evidence-based framework that incorporates clinical wisdom and consideration of individual factors in the management of depression. Further, the novel style and practical approach should promote uptake and implementation. [source]


Clinical practice recommendations for bipolar disorder

ACTA PSYCHIATRICA SCANDINAVICA, Issue 2009
G. S. Malhi
Objective:, To provide clinically relevant evidence-based recommendations for the management of bipolar disorder in adults that are informative, easy to assimilate and facilitate clinical decision-making. Method:, A comprehensive literature review of over 500 articles was undertaken using electronic database search engines (e.g. MEDLINE, PsychINFO and Cochrane reviews). In addition articles, book chapters and other literature known to the authors were reviewed. The findings were then formulated into a set of recommendations that were developed by a multidisciplinary team of clinicians who routinely deal with mood disorders. These preliminary recommendations underwent extensive consultative review by a broader advisory panel that included experts in the field, clinical staff and patient representatives. Results:, The clinical practice recommendations for bipolar disorder (bipolar CPR) summarise evidence-based treatments and provide a synopsis of recommendations relating to each phase of the illness. They are designed for clinical use and have therefore been presented succinctly in an innovative and engaging manner that is clear and informative. Conclusion:, These up-to-date recommendations provide an evidence-based framework that incorporates clinical wisdom and consideration of individual factors in the management of bipolar disorder. Further, the novel style and practical approach should promote their uptake and implementation. [source]


The role of BDNF and its receptors in depression and antidepressant drug action: Reactivation of developmental plasticity

DEVELOPMENTAL NEUROBIOLOGY, Issue 5 2010
Eero Castrén
Abstract Recent evidence suggests that neuronal plasticity plays an important role in the recovery from depression. Antidepressant drugs and electroconvulsive shock treatment increase the expression of several molecules, which are associated with neuronal plasticity, in particular the neurotrophin BDNF and its receptor TrkB. Furthermore, these treatments increase neurogenesis and synaptic numbers in several brain areas. Conversely, depression, at least in its severe form, is associated with reduced volumes of the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex and in at least some cases these neurodegenerative signs can be attenuated by successful treatment. Such observations suggest a central role for neuronal plasticity in depression and the antidepressant effect, and also implicate BDNF signaling as a mediator of this plasticity. The antidepressant fluoxetine can reactivate developmental-like neuronal plasticity in the adult visual cortex, which, under appropriate environmental guidance, leads to the rewiring of a developmentally dysfunctional neural network. These observations suggest that the simple form of the neurotrophic hypothesis of depression, namely, that deficient levels of neurotrophic support underlies mood disorders and increases in these neurotrophic factors to normal levels brings about mood recovery, may not sufficiently explain the complex process of recovery from depression. This review discusses recent data on the role of BDNF and its receptors in depression and the antidepressant response and suggests a model whereby the effects of antidepressant treatments could be explained by a reactivation of activity-dependent and BDNF-mediated cortical plasticity, which in turn leads to the adjustment of neuronal networks to better adapt to environmental challenges. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Develop Neurobiol 2010 [source]


Prospective studies of suicidal behavior in major depressive and bipolar disorders: what is the evidence for predictive risk factors?

ACTA PSYCHIATRICA SCANDINAVICA, Issue 3 2006
M. A. Oquendo
Objective:, Prospective studies over the past 30 years have identified an array of predictive indicators for suicidal acts in mood disorders. However, prediction of suicidal behavior remains an elusive goal. This paper reviewed evidence from prospective studies for clinical factors that elevate risk of suicidal acts in that group. Method:, English language prospective studies of suicidal behavior in major depressive and bipolar disorders were examined. Results:, The predictors with the best support were a past history of suicidal behavior and the presence of refractory or recurrent depressions. For other risk factors, there was either not enough data to consider them robust or findings were contradictory. Conclusion:, Future studies must not only be comprehensive in their inclusion of potentially contributing factors, but must also address their relative importance towards the goal of developing predictive models and enhance suicide prevention efforts. [source]


Sertraline-induced hypomania: a genuine side-effect

ACTA PSYCHIATRICA SCANDINAVICA, Issue 1 2003
D. N. Mendhekar
Objective: Antidepressants including selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI)-associated mania or hypomania has been well documented in the literature but these patients with switch have either mood disorders or various risk factors for bipolar disorder. This case report examines SSRI-induced hypomania in a patient with dissociative disorder and highlights hypomania as a genuine side-effect of sertraline rather than a switch. Method: A 23-year-old female patient with dissociative disorder has been described. Results: Hypomanic symptoms emerged during treatment with sertraline at the dose of 50 mg/day after 3,4 days of initiation of therapy and had complete recovery within 7 days after stopping sertraline. Conclusion: In the absence of risk factors for manic switch, sertraline-induced hypomania may be a true side-effect of drug. [source]


Adult versus adolescent onset of smoking: how are mood disorders and other risk factors involved?

ADDICTION, Issue 8 2009
Vladeta Ajdacic-Gross
ABSTRACT Aims To examine the strength of association between smoking and mood disorders and the association between smoking and its traditional risk factors, comparing those who started smoking in adolescence with those who started smoking in early adulthood. Design and participants The analyses relied on prospective data from the Zurich Study. This longitudinal community study started in 1979 with a stratified sample of 591 participants aged 20/21 years, weighted towards those with mental disorders. Follow-up interviews were conducted at ages 23, 28, 30, 35 and 41. Measurements In this analysis the adult versus adolescent onset of smoking was regressed on the cumulative prevalence of mood disorders, personality characteristics measured by the Freiburg Personality Inventory, common risk factors such as parental smoking, conduct and school problems, troubles with the family and basic socio-demographic variables (sex, education). Findings In the Zurich Study cohort we found that 61.6% were former or current smokers, of whom 87% started smoking before the age of 20 and 13% after the age of 20. Adolescent onset of smoking was associated strongly with later major depression, dysthymia or bipolar disorders and, furthermore, with parental smoking, extroverted personality and discipline problems and rebelliousness in youth. However, only depression and dysthymia were associated with adult onset smoking and other risk factors associated with smoking were not so associated in this group. Conclusions Correlates of smoking onset in adolescence are mainly not applicable to the onset of smoking in young adulthood. Smoking onset beyond adolescence is an open research issue. [source]


Does cannabis use predict the first incidence of mood and anxiety disorders in the adult population?

ADDICTION, Issue 8 2007
Margriet Van Laar
ABSTRACT Aims To investigate whether cannabis use predicted the first incidence of mood and anxiety disorders in adults during a 3-year follow-up period. Design and participants Data were derived from the Netherlands Mental Health Survey and Incidence Study (NEMESIS), a prospective study in the adult population of 18,64 years. The analysis was carried out on 3881 people who had no life-time mood disorders and on 3854 people who had no life-time anxiety disorders at baseline. Measurements Life-time cannabis use and DSM-III-R mood and anxiety disorders, assessed with the Composite International Diagnostic Interview (CIDI). Findings After adjustment for strong confounders, any use of cannabis at baseline predicted a modest increase in the risk of a first major depression (odds ratio 1.62; 95% confidence interval 1.06,2.48) and a stronger increase in the risk of a first bipolar disorder (odds ratio 4.98; 95% confidence interval 1.80,13.81). The risk of ,any mood disorder' was elevated for weekly and almost daily users but not for less frequent use patterns. However, dose,response relationships were less clear for major depression and bipolar disorder separately. None of the associations between cannabis use and anxiety disorders remained significant after adjustment for confounders. Conclusions The associations between cannabis use and the first incidence of depression and bipolar disorder, which remained significant after adjustment for strong confounders, warrant research into the underlying mechanisms. [source]


Psychoses of epilepsy in Babylon: The oldest account of the disorder

EPILEPSIA, Issue 9 2008
Edward H. Reynolds
Summary We have previously published translations of Babylonian texts on epilepsy and stroke, which we believe to be the oldest detailed accounts of these neurological disorders from the second millennium BC. We now present a short Babylonian text, which clearly describes what are today known as interictal or schizophrenia-like psychoses of epilepsy. The text includes many of the classical symptoms of the syndrome, for example, paranoid delusions, hallucinations and mood disorders, as well as religiosity and hyposexuality, which have only been crystallized in the twentieth century. The Babylonians were remarkably good observers of human disease and behavior but had little or no understanding of pathology or brain function. Although they recognized many natural causes of disease, epilepsy and behavior disorders were attributed to supernatural, usually evil forces, the forerunner of the Greek concept of the Sacred Disease. [source]


GENETIC STUDY: 5-HTTLPR polymorphism, mood disorders and MDMA use in a 3-year follow-up study

ADDICTION BIOLOGY, Issue 1 2010
Rocío Martín-Santos
ABSTRACT A 3-year longitudinal prospective study was conducted to compare the incidence of substance use disorders (SUD) and non-substance use disorders (NSUD) among ecstasy users and two control groups: one of cannabis users and the other of non-drug users. The 5-HTTLPR polymorphism related to NSUD was also studied. A total of 94 subjects were included: 37 ecstasy users, 23 cannabis users and 34 non-drug users. SUD and NSUD disorders were diagnosed according to the fourth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Health Disorders criteria using the Psychiatric Research Interview for Substance and Mental Disorders. Incidence Rates (IR) are presented. The 5-HTTLPR polymorphism was analyzed. Hardy,Weinberg equilibrium was studied. The results of the study showed that the highest IR of SUD was cannabis abuse/dependence in both the ecstasy (IR: 48.6/100 person,year) and cannabis (IR: 2.5/100 person,year) groups. There were no new cases of SUD in non-drug users at follow-up. The highest IR of NSUD was primary mood disorder in both the ecstasy (IR: 4.2/100 person,year) and in the non-drug (IR: 1.3/100 person,year) groups (P < 0.282). There were no new cases of NSUD in the cannabis group at follow-up. 5-HTTLPR polymorphism was associated with lifetime of primary mood disorders in ecstasy group (P = 0.018). Ecstasy use was associated with a higher rate of cannabis abuse/dependence disorders and mood disorders than cannabis use. In the ecstasy users, 5-HTTLPR polymorphism may result in a high vulnerability to primary mood disorders. [source]