Body, Mind & Spirit Articles and Latest News

Divine images of hysteria in Emile Zola’s Lourdes.

Ninet Century Fr Stud. 2002;30(3-4):329-45

Authors: Comfort KA

PMID: 21038730 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

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Neuropsychological function in unmedicated recurrent brief depression.

J Affect Disord. 2010 Sep;125(1-3):155-64

Authors: Andersson S, Lövdahl H, Malt UF

Recurrent brief depression (RBD) is a mood disorder characterized by mild to severe depressive episodes lasting less than 2 weeks and occurring approximately once a month with complete recovery between episodes. The aim of this study was to describe neuropsychological impairments associated with RBD, relating cognitive performance to clinical features and comorbidity.

PMID: 20085849 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

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Regulatory effects of Y4 receptor agonist (BVD-74D) on food intake.

Peptides. 2010 Sep;31(9):1706-10

Authors: Li JB, Asakawa A, Terashi M, Cheng K, Chaolu H, Zoshiki T, Ushikai M, Sheriff S, Balasubramaniam A, Inui A

The objective of this study was to clarify the role of a novel agonist with high selectivity and affinity for Y4 receptors in the regulation of food intake. The Y4 receptor agonist BVD-74D was administered to C57BL/6J mice that were fed with a normal or high-fat diet, and to fatty liver Shionogi (FLS)-ob/ob mice; the food intake, water intake, and body weight gain were measured in these mice. In the mice fed with a normal diet, the cumulative food intake significantly decreased at 20 min and 1 h after the administration of 1 mg/kg of BVD-74D and at 1, 2, 4, 8, and 24 h after the administration of 10 mg/kg of BVD-74D. Moreover, the cumulative water intake and body weight gain significantly decreased in these mice. Among the mice that were fed with a high-fat diet, the cumulative food intake and water intake significantly decreased 1, 2, and 4 h after BVD-74D (10 mg/kg) administration. Furthermore, the cumulative food intake significantly decreased 2 and 4 h after BVD-74D (10 mg/kg) administration in the FLS-ob/ob mice. Thus, we propose that the novel Y4 receptor agonist BVD-74D has suppressive effects on food intake, water intake, and weight gain in normal mice fed with normal diets and on food intake in normal mice fed with high-fat diets and in FLS-ob/ob mice. These findings indicate that the Y4 receptor and its agonist would be promising targets for obesity.

PMID: 20600429 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

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Induction of PDK4 in the heart muscle of JVS mice, an animal model of systemic carnitine deficiency, does not appear to reduce glucose utilization by the heart.

Mol Genet Metab. 2010 Dec 9;

Authors: Ushikai M, Horiuchi M, Kobayashi K, Matuda S, Inui A, Takeuchi T, Saheki T

Pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase 4 (PDK4) mRNA has been reported as an up-regulated gene in the heart and skeletal muscle of carnitine-deficient juvenile visceral steatosis (JVS) mice under fed conditions. PDK4 plays an important role in the inhibition of glucose oxidation via the phosphorylation of pyruvate dehydrogenase complex (PDC). This study evaluated the meaning of increased PDK4 mRNA in glucose metabolism by investigating PDK4 protein levels, PDC activity and glucose uptake by the heart and skeletal muscle of JVS mice. PDK4 protein levels in the heart and skeletal muscle of fed JVS mice were increased in accordance with mRNA levels, and protein was enriched in the mitochondria. PDK4 protein was co-fractionated with PDC in sucrose density gradient centrifugation, like PDK2 protein; however, the activities of the pyruvate dehydrogenase complex (PDC) active form in the heart and skeletal muscle of fed JVS mice were similar to those in fed control mice. Fed JVS mice showed significantly higher glucose uptake in the heart and similar uptake in the skeletal muscle compared with fed control mice. Thus, in carnitine deficiency under fed conditions, glucose was preferentially utilized in the heart as an energy source despite increased PDK4 protein levels in the mitochondria. The preferred glucose utilization may be involved in developing cardiac hypertrophy from carnitine deficiency in fatty acid oxidation abnormality.

PMID: 21190881 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

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A comparison of Rasch item-fit and Cronbach’s alpha item reduction analysis for the development of a Quality of Life scale for children and adolescents.

Child Care Health Dev. 2010 Jul;36(4):473-84

Authors: Erhart M, Hagquist C, Auquier P, Rajmil L, Power M, Ravens-Sieberer U,

This study compares item reduction analysis based on classical test theory (maximizing Cronbach’s alpha - approach A), with analysis based on the Rasch Partial Credit Model item-fit (approach B), as applied to children and adolescents’ health-related quality of life (HRQoL) items. The reliability and structural, cross-cultural and known-group validity of the measures were examined.

PMID: 19702637 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

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Functional amygdala-hippocampus connectivity during anticipation of aversive events is associated with Gray’s trait “sensitivity to punishment”.

Biol Psychiatry. 2010 Sep 1;68(5):459-64

Authors: Hahn T, Dresler T, Plichta MM, Ehlis AC, Ernst LH, Markulin F, Polak T, Blaimer M, Deckert J, Lesch KP, Jakob PM, Fallgatter AJ

The reinforcement sensitivity theory postulates a behavioral inhibition system that modulates reaction to stimuli indicating aversive events. Gray’s dimension of anxiety, reflecting human trait sensitivity to aversive events, determines the extent to which stimuli activate the behavioral inhibition system. Although structural brain imaging has previously identified the amygdala and the hippocampus as two major components related to the behavioral inhibition system, the functional dynamics of the responses in these structures remain unclear.

PMID: 20542494 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

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Olfactory deficits in patients with anorexia nervosa.

Eur Eat Disord Rev. 2010 Sep-Oct;18(5):385-9

Authors: Rapps N, Giel KE, Söhngen E, Salini A, Enck P, Bischoff SC, Zipfel S

Patients with anorexia nervosa (AN) often show gastrointestinal symptoms and have altered gastrointestinal functions. Olfaction is part of the predigestive function and plays an important role in the selection of food and the control of food intake. The question arises if patients with eating disorders have changes in olfactory functions as well. The aim of this study was to compare olfactory functions in patients with AN and controls using the Sniffin’ sticks.

PMID: 20821739 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

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Brain-specific conditional and time-specific inducible Tph2 knockout mice possess normal serotonergic gene expression in the absence of serotonin during adult life.

Neurochem Int. 2010 Nov;57(5):512-7

Authors: Kriegebaum C, Song NN, Gutknecht L, Huang Y, Schmitt A, Reif A, Ding YQ, Lesch KP

Several lines of evidence implicate a dysregulation of tryptophan hydroxylase (TPH)-dependent serotonin (5-HT) synthesis in emotional behaviour and stress, and point to its relevance for the etiology and pathogenesis of various neuropsychiatric disorders. We therefore studied different animal models featuring reduced Tph2 expression to investigate the consequences of impaired brain 5-HT synthesis on neuronal development. Specifically, brain-specific conditional and time-specific inducible Tph2 knockout (KO) models were generated and investigated for altered serotonergic neuron-specific gene expression. Raphe neurons of a brain-specific constitutive Tph2 KO were completely devoid of Tph2-positive neurons and, consequently, 5-HT in the brain, and also displayed no compensatory up-regulation of Tph1 expression. In contrast, an inducible Tph2 KO mouse facilitates the generation of a brain-specific 5-HT-reduction model selectively during adult life. This resulted in a highly reduced number of Tph2-positive cells and thus 5-HT in the brain. Intriguingly, expression studies detected no alteration in the expression of genes relevant to the 5-HT system in the brain-specific Tph2 KO and the 5-HT-reduction models. These findings confirm the specificity of Tph2 in brain 5-HT synthesis across the lifespan, yet also suggest that neither developmental nor adult 5-HT synthesis is required for the expression of genes specific for serotonergic signalling. The formation of the serotonergic system thus seems to be a preserved expressional pattern due to intrinsic cellular programs which occurs also in the absence of its key molecule, namely 5-HT.

PMID: 20599453 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

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[Operating theatre and medical ward nurses: two different ways of perceiving one’s organizational health].

Med Lav. 2010 Nov-Dec;101(6):458-70

Authors: Sili A, Vellone E, Fida R, Alvaro R, Avallone F

It is widely recognized that the working environment is crucial in the genesis of stress and other disorders that may affect nurses’ health. The specific job context and the tasks performed by nurses in different clinical settings can be positive or negative predictors of organizational health.

PMID: 21141457 [PubMed - in process]

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Common laboratory measures of global health may not be suited to assess, discriminate or predict chronic stress effects on biological systems.

Nord J Psychiatry. 2010 Dec 9;

Authors: Bruenahl CA, Linden M

Background: There is a longstanding discussion that prolonged psychological stress can have negative somatic effects, especially in respect to endocrinological and immunological changes. Yet, the clinical significance of these findings is still unclear. Patients with prolonged stress should show more signs and symptoms of related illnesses. Aim: The question we like to answer in this study is: are laboratory measures of global health suited to assess, discriminate or predict chronic psychological stress effects on biological systems? Methods: Included were 50 inpatients who were suffering from post-traumatic embitterment disorder (PTED), a condition that causes persistent and intense psychological distress. They were compared with a group of 50 matched control patients with unselected psychosomatic disorders but no immediate stress and strain. Gender distribution and age were the same in both samples because of the matching (60% women; mean age: 49 years). PTED patients had an average duration of illness of 31.7 (±35.5) months. In the SCL-90 they showed an average GSI score of 1.13 (±0.55) compared with 0.74 (±0.50) in the controls, as indicator of their increased psychological strain. Between groups, we compared the results of 24 laboratory tests, which can be seen as indicators of functioning of all important body systems. Results: There was no significant difference in the results of laboratory tests between groups and especially no indicators for different rates of immunological or inflammatory illnesses. Conclusion: Laboratory measures of global health may not be suited to assess, discriminate or predict psychological chronic stress effects on important biological systems.

PMID: 21142646 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

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