Surgical Versus Low-Dose Progestin Treatment for Endometriosis-Associated Severe Deep Dyspareunia II: Effect on Sexual Functioning, Psychological Status and Health-Related Quality of Life.

Surgical versus low-dose progestin treatment for endometriosis-associated severe deep dyspareunia II: Effect on sexual functioning, psychological status and health-related quality of life.

Hum Reprod. 2013 Feb 26;
Vercellini P, Frattaruolo MP, Somigliana E, Jones GL, Consonni D, Alberico D, Fedele L

STUDY QUESTION: Does surgical and low-dose progestin treatment differentially affect endometriosis-associated severe deep dyspareunia in terms of sexual functioning, psychological status and health-related quality of life? SUMMARY ANSWER: Surgery and progestin treatment achieved essentially similar benefits at 12-month follow-up, but with different temporal trends. WHAT IS ALREADY KNOWN: Conservative surgery and hormonal therapies have been used independently for endometriosis-associated deep dyspareunia with inconsistent results. STUDY DESIGN, SIZE, DURATION: Patient preference, parallel cohort study with 12-month follow-up. The effect of conservative surgery at laparoscopy versus treatment with a low dose of norethisterone acetate per os (2.5 mg/day) in women with persistent/recurrent severe deep dyspareunia after first-line surgery was compared. PARTICIPANTS/MATERIALS AND SETTING, METHODS: A total of 51 patients chose repeat surgery and 103 progestin treatment. Variations in sexual function, psychological well-being and quality of life were measured by means of the Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI), the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) and the Endometriosis Health Profile-30 (EHP-30). MAIN RESULTS AND THE ROLE OF CHANCE: Four women in the surgery group and 21 women in the progestin group withdrew from the study for various reasons. Total FSFI scores, anxiety and depression scores and EHP-30 scores improved immediately after surgery, but worsened with time, whereas the effect during progestin use increased more gradually, but progressively, without overall significant between-group differences at 12-month follow-up. A tendency was observed towards a slightly better total FSFI score after surgery at the end of the study period. LIMITATIONS, REASONS FOR CAUTION: Treatments were not randomly allocated, and distribution of participants as well as of dropouts between study arms was unbalanced. However, the possibility of choosing the treatment allowed assessment of the maximum potential effect size of the interventions. WIDER IMPLICATIONS OF THE FINDINGS: Both surgery and medical treatment with progestins are valuable options for improving the detrimental impact of endometriosis-associated dyspareunia on sexual functioning and quality of life. Women should be aware of the pros and cons of both options to decide which one best suits their needs. STUDY FUNDING/COMPETING INTEREST(S): This study was supported by a research grant from the University of Milan School of Medicine (PUR number 2009-ATE-0570). None of the authors have a conflict of interest. HubMed – depression

Psychomotor depressive symptoms may differentially respond to venlafaxine.

Int Clin Psychopharmacol. 2013 Feb 25;
Singh AB, Bousman CA, Ng CH, Byron K, Berk M

Predicting differential antidepressant efficacy remains an elusive goal in major depressive disorder (MDD). The aims of this study were three-fold. Firstly, to examine if psychomotor retardation symptoms (item 8 on the 17-item Hamilton Depression Rating Scale) improve preferentially to venlafaxine (VEN) over escitalopram (ESC) treatment. Secondly, whether the 18 item CORE psychomotor signs scale predicted antidepressant remission. Finally, to investigate the role of two norepinephrine transporter gene (NET) polymorphisms (rs2242446 and rs5569) on antidepressant efficacy. Adults with Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th ed. MDD (n=113) were treated with ESC or VEN prospectively for 8 weeks and rated serially with the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale. In a subsample (n=51) of patients from one of the three recruitment sites, the CORE psychomotor signs scale was also administered at baseline. Participants treated with VEN had significantly greater reduction in psychomotor retardation symptoms than those treated with ESC. The CORE scale did not predict antidepressant response or remission. Neither NET polymorphism moderated antidepressant efficacy. Findings suggest possible preferential utility of a selective serotonin and noradrenaline reuptake inhibitor in cases of MDD presenting with greater psychomotor retardation. The moderate to small sample size makes a type II error risk possible, and the negative findings need to be interpreted with caution. The positive finding of preferential efficacy of VEN for psychomotor retardation symptoms has potential translational utility. HubMed – depression

Effects of chronic social defeat stress on behaviour, endoplasmic reticulum proteins and choline acetyltransferase in adolescent mice.

Int J Neuropsychopharmacol. 2013 Feb 27; 1-13
Huang GB, Zhao T, Muna SS, Bagalkot TR, Jin HM, Chae HJ, Chung YC

The present study investigated the effects of social defeat stress on the behaviours and expressions of 78-kDa glucose-regulated protein (Grp78), CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein (C/EBP) homologous protein (CHOP) and choline acetyltransferase (Chat) in the brains of adolescent mice. Adolescent male C57BL/6J mice were divided into two groups (susceptible and unsusceptible) after 10 d social defeat stress. In expt 1, behavioural tests were conducted and brains were processed for Western blotting on day 21 after stress. In expt 2, social avoidance tests were conducted and brains were subsequently processed for Western blotting on day 12 after stress. Chronic social defeat stress produced more pronounced depression-like behaviours such as decreased locomotion and social interaction, increased anxiety-like behaviours and immobility, and impaired memory performance in susceptible mice. Moreover, susceptible mice showed greater expression of Grp78 and CHOP in the amygdala (Amyg) on days 12 and 21 compared with the other groups. Susceptible and unsusceptible groups showed significant increases in Grp78 and CHOP expression in the prefrontal cortex (PFC) and hippocampus (Hipp) on day 12 compared with the control group; this persisted until day 21. The levels of Chat measured on days 12 and 21 were significantly lower in the PFC, Amyg and Hipp of all defeated mice compared with controls. The findings of the behavioural tests indicate that chronic social defeat in adolescents produces anxiety-like behaviours, social withdrawal, despair-like behaviours and cognitive impairment. The Grp78, CHOP and Chat results suggest that the selective response of endoplasmic reticulum stress proteins in the Amyg plays an important role in the vulnerability-stress model of depression. HubMed – depression