A Special Issue in Memorial of John R. Z. Abela: : Etiology and Intervention in Youth Depression.

A special issue in memorial of John R. Z. Abela: : Etiology and Intervention in Youth Depression.

J Clin Child Adolesc Psychol. 2012 Sep; 41(5): 535-718

HubMed – depression

Corticospinal Reorganization after Locomotor Training in a Person with Motor Incomplete Paraplegia.

Biomed Res Int. 2013; 2013: 516427
Hajela N, Mummidisetty CK, Smith AC, Knikou M

Activity-dependent plasticity as a result of reorganization of neural circuits is a fundamental characteristic of the central nervous system that occurs simultaneously in multiple sites. In this study, we established the effects of subthreshold transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) over the primary motor cortex region on the tibialis anterior (TA) long-latency flexion reflex. Neurophysiological tests were conducted before and after robotic gait training in one person with a motor incomplete spinal cord injury (SCI) while at rest and during robotic-assisted stepping. The TA flexion reflex was evoked following nonnociceptive sural nerve stimulation and was conditioned by TMS at 0.9?TA motor evoked potential resting threshold at conditioning-test intervals that ranged from 70 to 130?ms. Subthreshold TMS induced a significant facilitation on the TA flexion reflex before training, which was reversed to depression after training with the subject seated at rest. During stepping, corticospinal facilitation of the flexion reflex at early and midstance phases before training was replaced with depression at early and midswing followed by facilitation at late swing after training. These results constitute the first neurophysiologic evidence that locomotor training reorganizes the cortical control of spinal interneuronal circuits that generate patterned motor activity, modifying spinal reflex function, in the chronic lesioned human spinal cord. HubMed – depression

Prediction of Depression in Individuals at High Familial Risk of Mood Disorders Using Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging.

PLoS One. 2013; 8(3): e57357
Whalley HC, Sussmann JE, Romaniuk L, Stewart T, Papmeyer M, Sprooten E, Hackett S, Hall J, Lawrie SM, McIntosh AM

Bipolar disorder is a highly heritable condition. First-degree relatives of affected individuals have a more than a ten-fold increased risk of developing bipolar disorder (BD), and a three-fold risk of developing major depressive disorder (MDD) than the general population. It is unclear however whether differences in brain activation reported in BD and MDD are present before the onset of illness.We studied 98 young unaffected individuals at high familial risk of BD and 58 healthy controls using functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) scans and a task involving executive and language processing. Twenty of the high-risk subjects subsequently developed MDD after the baseline fMRI scan.At baseline the high-risk subjects who later developed MDD demonstrated relatively increased activation in the insula cortex, compared to controls and high risk subjects who remained well. In the healthy controls and high-risk group who remained well, this region demonstrated reduced engagement with increasing task difficulty. The high risk subjects who subsequently developed MDD did not demonstrate this normal disengagement. Activation in this region correlated positively with measures of cyclothymia and neuroticism at baseline, but not with measures of depression.These results suggest that increased activation of the insula can differentiate individuals at high-risk of bipolar disorder who later develop MDD from healthy controls and those at familial risk who remain well. These findings offer the potential of future risk stratification in individuals at risk of mood disorder for familial reasons. HubMed – depression

Chronic Physical Illness: A Psychophysiological Approach for Chronic Physical Illness.

Yale J Biol Med. 2013 Mar; 86(1): 15-28
Purdy J

Growing evidence demonstrates that psychological risk variables can contribute to physical disease. In an effort to thoroughly investigate potential etiological origins and optimal interventions, this broad review is divided into five sections: the stress response, chronic diseases, mind-body theoretical models, psychophysiological interventions, and integrated health care solutions. The stress response and its correlation to chronic disorders such as cardiovascular, gastrointestinal, autoimmune, metabolic syndrome, and chronic pain are comprehensively explored. Current mind-body theoretical models, including peripheral nerve pathway, neurophysiological, and integrative theories, are reviewed to elucidate the biological mechanisms behind psychophysiological interventions. Specific interventions included are psychotherapy, mindfulness meditation, yoga, and psychopharmacology. Finally, the author advocates for an integrated care approach as a means by which to blur the sharp distinction between physical and psychological health. Integrated care approaches can utilize psychiatric nurse practitioners for behavioral assessment, intervention, research, advocacy, consultation, and education to optimize health outcomes. HubMed – depression

Predictors of depression, anxiety and quality of life in patients with prostate cancer receiving androgen deprivation therapy.

Psychooncology. 2013 Mar 11;
Chipperfield K, Fletcher J, Millar J, Brooker J, Smith R, Frydenberg M, Burney S

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the effects of androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) on depression, anxiety and quality of life (QoL) in patients with prostate cancer (PCa) and to examine the relationship between meeting the National Physical Activity Guidelines of Australia (NPAGA) and the presence and severity of both psychological sequelae and physical side effects associated with ADT. A secondary purpose was to examine the predictors of depression, anxiety and QoL in patients with PCa. METHODS: A questionnaire was mailed to English-speaking patients aged 40 to 80?years, who had received radiotherapy for PCa during 2010 and 2011, between 9 and 30?months prior to study initiation. Measures included the following: the International Physical Activity Questionnaire; the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale; the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Prostate; and sociodemographic items. RESULTS: Long-term use of ADT was associated with poorer QoL and psychosocial well-being. Those meeting NPAGA had significantly lower levels of depression and anxiety and improved QoL compared with those not meeting NPAGA. Logistic regression analyses showed the odds of clinically significant depression and anxiety scores, increased with younger age and comorbid conditions. Not meeting NPAGA increased the likelihood of caseness for depression. Multiple regression analyses revealed that comorbid conditions and treatment category predicted poorer QoL, whereas meeting NPAGA positively predicted QoL. CONCLUSIONS: The use of ADT in the management of patients with PCa has a measurable effect on QoL. These findings support the utility of physical activity as an intervention for men undergoing ADT. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. HubMed – depression