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Journal Article 2010; 31(6): 775-781 PubMed PMID: 21196911 Citation  Keywords:  Adult, Aged, Depression:psychology, Female, Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice, Humans, Hyperthyroidism:psychology, Informed Consent:statistics & numerical data, Iodine Radioisotopes:therapeutic use, Male, Middle Aged, Patients:psychology, Poland, Surv.   

OBJECTIVES: Many patients with a chronic disease are dissatisfied with the information they are given. A brief questionnaire completed by patients would assist health professionals to identify areas of information needed to be provided, tailored to the patient's mental condition.

AIM: The aim of our study was to assess how often thyroid patients report being adequately informed about iodine treatment in connection with their real need thereof, emotional state and acceptance of the disease.

METHODS: One hundred outpatients who had presented subclinical hyperthyroidism "[19 men (19%), 81 women (81%); mean (SD±) age 53±14,range 18-77 yr ] treated with radioiodine (RAI) responded to an Experimental Questionnaire, 54 of them answered to AIS, HADS-M and Beck Inventory measuring their acceptance of the illness and depressive symptoms, 37 of them answered the Patient Request Form (PRF).

RESULTS: The obtained results indicated that about 50% of patients treated with 131I therapy did not receive suitable information about their treatment. Neither written information prepared by the specialist, nor verbal information given by physicians were adequate for specific problems of study group. The examined patients presented with a comparable intensity of three distinct types of requests: for explanation and reassurance, for emotional support, and for investigation and treatment. The acceptance of their disease was mediocre for most of the study group.

CONCLUSION: We conclude that the reported lack of satisfaction with medical information in study group was associated with depressive symptoms influencing cognitive efficiency, patients' great need of emotional and cognitive support, influencing the acceptance of their disease, and social prejudice to radioiodine (as a method of treatment), worrying them additionally. All thyroid patients even these with subclinical symptoms of hyperthyroidism should be treated with specific attention by physicians, especially during information process....

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Journal Article 2010; 31(6): 807-813 PubMed PMID: 21196910 Citation  Keywords:  Absorptiometry, Photon:methods, Animals, Bone Density, Bone Remodeling, Bone Resorption, Calcium:blood, Disease Models, Animal, Electric Stimulation:methods, Foot, Injections, Intraperitoneal, Male, Neuropsychological Tests, Norepinephrine:blood, Osteocla.   

OBJECTIVES: Bone remodeling has recently been revealed to be under sympathetic nerve control. The role of the sympathetic nerve system is not clearly understood. The present study aim to explore the effect of chemical sympathectomy and stress on bone remodeling in adult rats.

METHODS: 24 twelve-month-old Wistar rats were divided into three group (sympathectomy, stress and control). The sympathectomy and stress group rats were administered 6-hydroxydopamine (150 mg/kg each day) and saline (1 ml/kg each day) intraperitoneal respectively for one week and exposed to stress procedure for another three weeks. The stress procedure was mild, unpredictable footshock, administered for one hour once daily. Analysis of serum chemistry, microcomputed tomography, dual energy X-ray absorptiometry, biomechanical testing and bone histomorphometry were employed.

RESULTS: The stress group rats showed increased bone resorption in contrast to the sympathectomy and control group rats. The serum level of calcium and phosphorus cations and norepinephrine were enhanced, the cancellous bone volume and bone mineral density were reduced, bone mechanical property such as strength, ductility and toughness were weakened, the osteoclast counts and osteoclast surfaces were increased and the bone formatin rate were decreased significantly in the stress group rats in contrast to the other two groups rats. There was no significant difference of bone remodeling between the sympathectomy group and control group rats.

CONCLUSION: Our study showed stress-increased sympathetic nerve system activity enhanced bone resorption while chemical sympathectomy inhibited bone resorption under stress. We postulate sympathetic neurotransmitter and neuropepitide may play a role in regulating bone remodeling....

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Clinical Trial 2010; 31(5): 663-666 PubMed PMID: 21178946 Citation  Keywords:  5-Hydroxytryptophan:administration & dosage, Adaptation, Psychological:drug effects, Adult, Antidepressive Agents, Second-Generation:administration & dosage, Austria, Blood Platelets:chemistry, Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor:blood, Courtship:psychology.   

: This open-label trial assessed the clinical efficacy of L-5-hydroxytryptophan (5-HTP), a natural serotonin precursor, in nondepressed young subjects with high levels of romantic stress. Since both neurotrophins and serotonin have been linked to human romantic attachment, we sought to investigate the changes in serum brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) levels and platelet serotonin content in relation to the changes in romantic stress throughout the study. A total of 15 healthy subjects (11 females and 4 males, mean age: 23.3 ± 2.1 years) who experienced a recent romantic break-up or reported recent romantic problems took part in the study. The participants were treated openly for 6 weeks with L-5-hydroxytryptophan (60 mg Griffonia simplicifolia extract containing 12.8 mg 5-HTP b.i.d., Amorex, Coropharm, Villach, Austria). The subjects were evaluated at baseline, at 3 weeks and at the end of the 6-week trial using an adapted version of the Seiffge-Krenke's Problem Questionnaire. BDNF and platelet serotonin content were determined at baseline, at 3 weeks, and after the completion of the 6-week trial. We observed significant improvements in romantic stress scores from weeks 0 through 3 (p=0.007) but no further significant improvement was evident from weeks 3 through 6 (p=0.19). At 6 weeks, subjects had a significant increase from baseline in both BDNF and platelet serotonin values. Our data suggest that direct modulation of the serotonergic system may have use for the treatment of psychological suffering associated with unreciprocated romantic love....

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Comparative Study 2010; 31(5): 616-621 PubMed PMID: 21178944 Citation  Keywords:  Adult, Aged, Choice Behavior, Corticosterone:secretion, Female, Follow-Up Studies, Humans, Hydrocortisone:secretion, Impulsive Behavior:metabolism, Individuality, Male, Mass Spectrometry, Middle Aged, Models, Psychological, Reward, Saliva:metabolism, Sex .   

OBJECTIVES: Stress hormones have been associated with temporal discounting. Although time-discount rate is shown to be stable over a long term, no study to date examines whether individual differences in stress hormones could predict individuals' time-discount rates in the relatively distant future (e.g., six month later), which is of interest in neuroeconomics of stress-addiction association.

METHODS: We assessed 87 participants' salivary stress hormone (cortisol, cortisone, and alpha-amylase) levels and hyperbolic discounting of delayed rewards consisting of three magnitudes, at the time-interval of six months. For salivary steroid assays, we employed a liquid chromatography/ mass spectroscopy (LC/MS) method. The correlations between the stress hormone levels and time-discount rates were examined.

RESULTS: We observed that salivary alpha-amylase (sAA) levels were negatively associated with time-discount rates in never-smokers. Notably, salivary levels of stress steroids (i.e., cortisol and cortisone) negatively and positively related to time-discount rates in men and women, respectively, in never-smokers. Ever-smokers' discount rates were not predicted from these stress hormone levels.

CONCLUSIONS: Individual differences in stress hormone levels predict impulsivity in temporal discounting in the future. There are sex differences in the effect of stress steroids on temporal discounting; while there was no sex defference in the relationship between sAA and temporal discounting....

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Journal Article 2010; 31(4): 538-548 PubMed PMID: 20802458 Citation  Keywords:  Analysis of Variance, Animals, Body Weight, Male, Maze Learning:physiology, Noise, Rats, Rats, Wistar, Reversal Learning:physiology, Spatial Behavior:physiology, Stress, Physiological:physiology, Stress, Psychological:physiopathology,.   

OBJECTIVE: This study investigated the cognitive effect of chronic exposure to environmental noise on RAWM performance of juvenile rats, and the ability of adult rats exposed to a novel acute stress to perform in the RAWM as a function of whether or not they were exposed to environmental noise as juveniles.

METHODS: We examined the consequences of exposure to noise during the juvenile-early periadolescent period on adulthood stress response by assessing cognitive performance in the RAWM. Male rats were exposed to environmental noise during the childhood-prepubescent period (21-35 PND), and their RAWM performance was tested at the end of the exposure to noise, and then again two months later when they had to cope with a new stressful event. RAWM execution included a 3-day training phase and a reversal learning phase on day 4. Escape latency, reference memory errors and working memory errors were compared between experimental and control groups. In addition, body weight gain and serum corticosterone levels were evaluated.

RESULTS: Stressed rats demonstrated spatial impairment, as evidenced by poor execution on day 4. This effect was significantly noticeable in the doubly stressed group. Noise annoyance was evidenced by reduced body weight gain and increased serum corticosterone levels.

CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that environmental noise may produce potent stress-like effects in developing subjects that can persist into adulthood, affecting spatial learning abilities. This cognitive impairment may restrict the subject's ability to learn under a new spatial configuration....

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Comparative Study 2010; 31(3): 336-342 PubMed PMID: 20588251 Citation  Keywords:  Animals, Antidepressive Agents:pharmacology, Antipsychotic Agents:pharmacology, Benzodiazepines:pharmacology, Cerebral Cortex:drug effects, Citrate (si)-Synthase:metabolism, Electron Transport:drug effects, Electron Transport Complex I:metabolism, Electro.   

OBJECTIVE: Mitochondrial dysfunctions, impaired bioenergetics and dysfunction of neurotrophins are included in many neurodegenerative and psychiatric diseases. We investigated in vitro effects of pharmacologically different antidepressants and mood stabilizers on mitochondrial enzymes to discover, which mitochondrial functions could be involved in pathophysiology of mood disorders.

METHODS: In vitro effects of eight pharmacologically different antidepressants (desipramine, amitriptyline, imipramine, citalopram, venlafaxine, mirtazapine, tianeptine, and moclobemide) and three mood stabilizers (lithium, valproate, and olanzapine) on the activities of mitochondrial enzymes (citrate synthase and enzymes in electron transport chain, i.e. complexes I, II, IV) were measured in crude mitochondrial fraction isolated from pig brain.

RESULTS: Most of the antidepressants and mood stabilizers inhibited the activities of respiratory electron transport chain complexes, complexes I and IV were the most affected. Statistically significant decrease of the complex I activity was caused by desipramine, amitriptyline, imipramine, citalopram, mirtazapine, valproate and olanzapine. Complex II was significantly inhibited only by amitriptyline, imipramine, citalopram and venlafaxine. Complex IV was significantly inhibited by all tested drugs except for citalopram and moclobemide. Unchanged or slightly increased citrate synthase activity was observed; significant activation of the enzyme was observed after citalopram, tianeptine and olanzapine.

CONCLUSIONS: Our results indicate that antidepressants may act generally as inhibitors of complex I and complex IV of the electron transport chain. These mitochondrial enzymes are suggested as proper candidates in searching of new biological markers of mood disorders, targets of new antidepressants or predictors of response to pharmacotherapy....

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Journal Article 2010; 31(3): 399-405 PubMed PMID: 20588250 Citation  Keywords:  Adult, Cognition Disorders:complications, Depression:complications, Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2:complications, Female, Hemoglobin A, Glycosylated:metabolism, Humans, Male, Middle Aged, Psychomotor Performance,.   

OBJECTIVES: The most important factors in the pathogenesis of cognitive disorders in diabetes mellitus (DM) are metabolic changes directly caused by hyperglycemia. Impairment of cognitive function is accompanied by a decrease in cerebral insulin. Insulin improves cognitive processes, including somatosensoric cognitive functions. Cognitive disorders are especially pronounced if diabetic patients suffer also from depression.

MATERIAL AND METHODS: The evaluation of cognitive functions, especially sensomotoric skills were obtained from three study groups (aged 37-52 years): 30 healthy subjects, 40 diabetic patients with clinically documented depression and 30 depressive patients without DM. The sensomotoric skills were carried out using a SPS-2001E apparatus - a computer working stress simulator. The examination with Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) were also performed in all the investigated persons.

RESULTS: Sensomotoric skills investigation revealed slight cognitive disorders in the early stages DM (subgroup IA) and its intensification according to increasing BDI scores and HbA1c blood concentration (from subgroup IA to IC). Intensification of sensomotoric cognitive disorders was significantly higher (p<0.001) in the depressive patients with DM (group I), than in these without DM (group III).

CONCLUSIONS: The obtained results suggest that coincidence of aggravating factors, such as depression and metabolic disorders in DM, may cause mutual interactions leading to premature and more intense cognitive impairment. The method proposed by the authors may serve as a screening examination in early diagnosis of CNS disorders reflected by somatosensoric cognitive disorders. The presented work indicates importance of sensomotoric skills investigation for the early diagnosis of the nervous system damage related to DM....

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Clinical Trial 2010; 31(2): 203-207 PubMed PMID: 20424588 Citation  Keywords:  Adult, Anticonvulsants:administration & dosage, Antipsychotic Agents:administration & dosage, Carbamazepine:administration & dosage, Dibenzothiazepines:administration & dosage, Drug Interactions, Drug Monitoring:methods, Drug Therapy, Combination:methods,.   

OBJECTIVE: Quetiapine is one of the most frequent prescribed antipsychotics. Based on the consensus guidelines of therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) in clinical practice, TDM of Quetiapine is "useful". In this pilot study, using a natural sample, we investigated the influence of co-medication, age and gender on the serum concentrations and clearance of Quetiapine. Also we compared the individual clearance in our sample with the expected clearance for healthy subjects, obtained in controlled studies.

METHODS: 150 blood samples were collected anonymously under clinical conditions, Quetiapine trough serum levels were determined using HPLC. Additional information about gender, age, co-medication and dosage was obtained.

RESULTS: There was a significant, positive, but weak correlation between daily dose and serum levels of Quetiapine (r=0.44; p=0.01). When Carbamazepine was co-administered, the clearance was significantly higher (p=0.01). 83% of the serum levels were outside the therapeutic range, only 28% were within the expected clearance.

CONCLUSIONS: In addition to the therapeutic range the individual clearance related to the expected clearance may help to optimize individual pharmacotherapy, especially for combination therapy or in case of incompliance or abnormal metabolism....

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