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Chinese investigators from Hefei and Dutch researchers in Amsterdam have collaborated using for the first time a combination of new elegant methodology in Depression research. They used postmortem human brain tissue that was donated to the Netherlands Brain Bank for research purposes and investigated a region in the basal part of the brain, the hypothalamus, that is known to be of crucial importance for the development of symptoms of depression. This region is 6 mm3 large and is called the Paraventricular Nucleus (PVN) since it is situated along the third ventricle of the brain. This brain area is central in the regulations of our normal stress response, while a too high activity of the PVN is a pivotal characteristic of depression. The hypothalamus consists of a large number of very small specialized cell groups that all have different functions and should thus be studied separately, hence the necessity of the application of the methodology used.
Corticotrophin-releasing factor (CRF) cells in the PVN of human hypothalamus are the central driving force of the stress response and are hyperactive in depression. The investigators sampled the PVN using new technology in psychiatry to study its molecular changes related to CRF. Frozen hypothalami of 7 depressed patients and 7 controls of the same age, the same sex and obtained the same time after death. The frozen brain structures were serially sectioned and the PVN was dissected using a microscope with a laser beam. Buy generic acomplia The micro-laser-dissected material was subsequently studied with a very sensitive and specific quantitative molecular technique for the analysis of gene expression (qPCR). From the 16 gene products that were studied, because they were presumed to be involved in CRF activation in depression, 5 were found to show significant changes. The molecular changes found may not only explain the hyperactivity of the CRF cells but may also be potential targets for new therapeutic strategies.
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Article adapted by Medical News Today from original press release.
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Citation source:
Gene Expression Analysis in the Human Hypothalamus in Depression by Laser Micro-Dissection and Real Time PCR: the presence of multiple receptor imbalances.
Shan-Shan Wang 1
Willem Kamphuis 2
Inge Huitinga 2
Jiang-Ning Zhou 1 and
Dick F. Swaab 2
1 Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at Microscale and Department of Neurobiology and Biophysics, Life Science School, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui, P.R.China
2 Netherlands Institute of Neuroscience, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Molecular Psychiatry
Molecular Psychiatry advance online publication 22 APRIL 2008.
Molecular Psychiatry is a peer-reviewed independent journal that publishes groundbreaking research in psychiatry and related fields. The journal’s Impact Factor is 11.804, 2nd of 95 in Psychiatry
Website:
Editor: Julio Licinio, M.D.
University of Miami Miller School of Medicine
Source: Prof. Dick. F. Swaab
Molecular Psychiatry
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Treatment of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) with continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) may also lower blood pressure among hypertensive adults, according to researchers in Spain, who presented his findings at the American Thoracic Society’s 2008 International Conference in Toronto.
The study included 394 consecutive patients with high blood pressure and non-sleepy OSA - those with mild enough OSA that their daytime alertness was unaffected. They were randomized to receive either CPAP or no treatment.
Blood pressure was measured at three-, six- and 12-month follow-ups after their baseline evaluation. The researchers found that, on average, patients who used the CPAP machine experienced an average 2mmHg drop in both systolic and diastolic blood pressure at the end of the year when compared to patients who did not use the CPAP machine.
"This is the largest study trial in the field and it shows hat CPAP has an effect on cardiovascular outcomes regardless of symptoms," said Ferran E. Barb?©, M.D., who headed the research. "This suggests that CPAP can not only be used to treat the symptoms of sleep apnea (daytime sleepiness), but also to reduce cardiovascular risk in apneic patients."
The patients for whom the effect was most produced used the CPAP machine for more than five hours a night. "The mechanism by which CPAP is able to effect a drop in blood pressure is complex and it is mainly related to a reduction in sympathetic tone, oxidative stress," explained Dr. Barb?©.
Although researchers do not yet know whether CPAP should be recommended for all OSA patients with high blood pressure and without daytime sleepiness, barring contraindications, the results point to the need for further study of the cardiovascular benefits of CPAP in OSA patients.
"In the future, we would like to know the effects of CPAP treatment on other cardiovascular outcomes such as stroke, myocardial infarction or heart failure," said Dr. Barb?©.
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Generic cipro pills no prescription Article adapted by Medical News Today from original press release.
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Source: Keely Savoie
American Thoracic Society
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Spreading rumors and gossiping may not cause bruises or black eyes, but the psychological consequences of this social type of bullying could linger into early adulthood, a new University of Florida study shows.
In a study of 210 college students, UF researchers discovered a link between what psychologists call relational victimization in adolescence and depression and anxiety in early adulthood, according to findings published online this month in the journal Psychology in the Schools. Rather than threatening a child with physical violence, these bullies target a child’s social status and relationships by shunning them, excluding them from social activities or spreading rumors, said Allison Dempsey, a doctoral student in the UF College of Education and the study’s lead author.
"Even though people are outside of high school, the memories of these experiences continue to be associated with depression and social anxiety," said Dempsey, who graduated from Columbine High School in Colorado one year before the 1999 school shooting there and now studies school prevention programs. "It was interesting to see these relationships still continue to exist even though they are in early adulthood now and in a completely different setting.
"I’m hoping this study will help shed light on the fact that this is a real problem and continues to be a real problem after students leave school."
To uncover the relationships between social bullying and loneliness, depression and anxiety, researchers surveyed college undergraduates between the ages of 18 and 25 and asked them to recall their experiences from high school. They were also looking to see if having friends mitigated some of the effects of bullying and if there was any relationship between gender and the severity of psychological symptoms, said Eric Storch, Ph.D., an assistant professor of psychiatry in the UF College of Medicine and a co-author of the study.
"About 20 years ago people thought of bullying as very physical," Storch said. "As a result people thought guys did the bullying, and that it wasn’t really a big experience for girls. The problem is that isn’t actually true. There are different types of aggression.
"Boys do tend to be more physical, but both sexes engage in relational victimization. We wanted to see if gender affected strength of the relationship between depressive symptoms and victimization."
Buy generic clomid But researchers found no gender difference in the link between this type of bullying and depression. They also discovered that having friends or other positive social relationships didn’t lessen rates of depression and anxiety in adulthood, a finding that surprised them, Dempsey said.
For some children, having friends and positive support can help make them more resilient to the slings and arrows from bullies, Storch said. But other children take the words and abuse more to heart and begin to believe what’s being said about them.
"Those types of negative thoughts are actually believed to be at the core of things like depression and anxiety," Storch said. "Behaviorally what starts happening is you avoid interactions and situations that could be quite positive for you."
Currently, there are few prevention or intervention programs that focus specifically on relational victimization, in part because it’s tougher to pinpoint and stop, Dempsey said.
"If a child tries to punch someone or kick someone, there’s evidence of that happening," Dempsey said. "There’s a definite aggressor and a definite victim. When it comes to spreading rumors and gossiping, that’s a lot more difficult to prove who’s doing it. And it’s harder to provide consequences."
Dempsey said she hopes this study and others will help other researchers and psychologists design programs that can help stop this form of bullying in schools.
"I think many people have the belief that victimization is a normal rite of passage in childhood," Storch said. "While it certainly does happen to most kids, it’s not acceptable. And while I think it would be difficult to completely curtail it, by reducing it you’re going to help someone a tremendous amount to not have to go to school and be plagued by this environment of being tortured day in and day out.
"This isn’t a normative experience and we need to do something about it and recognize that not doing something could affect children who are really rising stars."
Wendy Troop-Gordon, Ph.D., an assistant professor of psychology at North Dakota State University, said understanding how past relational bullying affects people in adulthood is an important step forward for research in this field.
"Turning 18 is not a magical age when you leave all of these experiences behind," said Troop-Gordon, who is not affiliated with the study. "People do seem to carry these experiences with them."
The University of Florida Health Science Center - the most comprehensive academic health center in the Southeast - is dedicated to high-quality programs of education, research, patient care and public service. The Health Science Center encompasses the colleges of Dentistry, Public Health and Health Professions, Medicine, Nursing, Pharmacy and Veterinary Medicine, as well as the Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital and an academic campus in Jacksonville offering graduate education programs in dentistry, medicine, nursing and pharmacy. Patient care activities, under the banner UF&Shands, are provided through teaching hospitals and a network of clinics in Gainesville and Jacksonville. The Health Science Center also has a statewide presence through satellite medical, dental and nursing clinics staffed by UF health professionals; and affiliations with community-based health-care facilities stretching from Hialeah and Miami to the Florida Panhandle.
University of Florida Health Science Center
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Indoor and outdoor allergies affect about 50
million people in the United States.(1)(2) Yet, according to "Attitudes
About Allergies," a national telephone survey, allergies are often
disregarded as a nuisance: in today’s society allergies get little respect.
As a result, allergy sufferers continue to cope needlessly with not only
the physical impact of allergies, but the emotional effects as well. The
survey was commissioned by Schering-Plough/MERCK Pharmaceuticals and
conducted by Harris Interactive(R). Three separate surveys were conducted:
a survey of more than 1,000 consumers, which included allergy sufferers and
non-allergy sufferers; a survey of more than 1,000 allergy sufferers only;
and a survey of 300 physicians.
The survey of consumers found that they view diabetes (81 percent),
hypertension or high blood pressure (76 percent) and arthritis (57 percent)
as more serious than indoor and outdoor allergies. Twenty-nine percent of
consumers said they view insomnia as more serious than indoor and outdoor
allergies. In addition, while the survey of consumers found that
seventy-eight percent feel sorry for allergy sufferers, more than a third
(36 percent) believe that allergy sufferers overstate the severity of their
symptoms and thirty percent say allergy sufferers use allergies as an
excuse to get out of something.
"Allergies are often disregarded in our society, making it acceptable
to tell allergy sufferers to ‘get on with it’ and not complain," said
Belinda Borrelli, PhD, associate professor, department of psychiatry and
human behavior, Brown Medical School and The Miriam Hospital. "But
allergies take an emotional toll on the sufferer. And despite that,
sufferers persevere, going to work, school and social engagements as if
nothing is wrong. Many don’t feel like it would be acceptable to call in
sick or change plans because of their allergies."
The survey of allergy sufferers found that about half (48 percent) feel
their spouse or significant other does not view their allergies to be a
serious health condition. Sufferers also perceive others as not taking
their allergies that seriously, saying their relatives (81 percent),
friends (86 percent) and co-workers (78 percent) view their allergies as a
somewhat serious or not serious health condition. Even their physicians,
they say, are ambivalent. The survey of allergy sufferers found that nearly
three quarters (74 percent) believe that their doctor views their allergies
as a somewhat serious or not serious health condition.
But clearly, that’s not the case. According to the survey of physicians
who treat allergies, a majority of physicians (84 percent) said in general,
patients do not overstate allergy symptoms. In addition, most physicians
view insomnia (83 percent) and osteoarthritis (69 percent) as being less
serious or equally as serious as allergies. Physicians report they view
diabetes (90 percent) and hypertension (84 percent) as being more serious
than allergies.
"Societal ambivalence toward allergies has impacted the management of
the disease," said David Lang, M.D., Section Head Allergy/Immunology
Buy viagra without prescription Respiratory Institute at Cleveland Clinic. "It’s true that allergies aren’t
life threatening, but they are quality of life-threatening on both physical
and emotional levels."
According to the survey of allergy sufferers, only about a third (34
percent) go to see a doctor for treatment when their symptoms are bothering
them.
"It’s absolutely crucial for allergy sufferers to begin a dialogue with
their physicians so that, together, they can address and overcome the
barriers keeping them from finding effective relief," said Jennifer
Derebery, M.D., clinical professor of otolaryngology at the Keck School of
Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles.
The survey of allergy sufferers also shed new light on the often hidden
emotional impact of allergy symptoms. According to the survey, six in 10
sufferers (62 percent) report that their symptoms impact their mood. The
sufferer survey also found that when experiencing symptoms about half (51
percent) say they feel annoyed; forty-eight percent say they feel irritable
(48 percent); forty-two percent say they feel frustrated. And, two in 10
(22 percent) report that their allergy symptoms make them feel less
attractive; nineteen percent feel self-conscious (19 percent).
"We need to empower people with allergies to speak up and treat their
allergies as what they are — a medical condition that can have difficult
and sometimes debilitating effects," said Mike Tringale, director of
external affairs, Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA). "Allergy
sufferers should feel comfortable talking about their symptoms with their
family, friends and healthcare providers."
For complete survey results, please visit

About Allergic Rhinitis
Allergic rhinitis affects more than 50 million people in the United
States(1)(2) and accounts for more than 14 million physician office visits
each year.(3) It is one of the most costly chronic illnesses in the United
States(4) and is estimated to cause 100 million days of lost work per
year.(5)
There are two forms of allergic rhinitis: seasonal and perennial.
Seasonal allergic rhinitis (often referred to as "hay-fever") occurs only
during certain times of the year and is commonly caused by allergies to
tree, grass and weed pollen. Perennial allergic rhinitis can occur
throughout the year and is caused by frequent exposure to allergens such as
animal dander, indoor mold spores or house dust mites.(6)
Allergic rhinitis results when the immune system comes in contact with
an allergen, such as dust mites, animal dander or pollen, and mistakenly
identifies it as an intruder.(7) An allergic reaction results, involving
the body’s release of various inflammatory mediators, such as histamine and
leukotrienes, as a defense against the allergens, causing allergy symptoms
such as sneezing, nasal congestion, runny nose, and itching of the palate,
eyes and nose.(8)
About the Attitudes About Allergies Steering Committee
Guidance to the development of the survey was provided by the Attitudes
About Allergies Steering Committee including Belinda Borelli, PhD,
associate professor, department of psychiatry and human behavior, Brown
Medical School and The Miriam Hospital; Jennifer Derebery, M.D., clinical
professor of otolaryngology at the Keck School of Medicine, University of
Southern California, Los Angeles; David Lang, M.D., Section Head
Allergy/Immunology Respiratory Institute at Cleveland Clinic; and Mike
Tringale, director of external affairs, Allergy & Asthma Foundation of
America.
About the Attitudes About Allergies: Omnibus Survey
This survey was conducted by Harris Interactive on behalf of Schering-
Plough/MERCK Pharmaceuticals and is based on telephone interviews conducted
January 10 - 20, 2008 with 1,007 adults 18 years or older throughout the
United States including 551 with indoor or outdoor allergies and 454
without indoor or outdoor allergies. Two adults reported they did not know
if they had either indoor or outdoor allergies and were excluded from the
results. All telephone interviewing was conducted using random digit
dialing (RDD) methodology. The data are weighted to be representative of
U.S. adults 18 years of age or older. The sampling error for this survey is
plus or minus 3.2 percentage points at the 95 percent confidence level.
About the Attitudes About Allergies: Allergy Sufferer Survey
This survey was conducted by Harris Interactive on behalf of Schering-
Plough/MERCK Pharmaceuticals and is based on telephone interviews conducted
January 8 - 23, 2008, with 1,006 adults 18 years or older throughout the
United States who suffer from indoor or outdoor allergies. All telephone
interviewing was conducted using random digit dialing (RDD) methodology.
The data are weighted to be representative of U.S. adults 18 years of age
or older who have indoor or outdoor allergies. The sampling error for this
survey is plus or minus 3.2 percentage points at the 95 percent confidence
level.
About the Attitudes About Allergies: Physician Survey
This survey was conducted by Harris Interactive on behalf of Schering-
Plough/MERCK Pharmaceuticals and is based on telephone interviews conducted
January 8 - February 1, 2008, with 302 physicians who treat patients with
allergic rhinitis. The physician sample included 102 primary care
physicians, 100 allergists, and 100 otolaryngologists (ear, nose, and
throat specialists). The total sample of physicians was weighted to be
representative of the population of physicians in the U.S. who treat
patients with allergic rhinitis. The sampling error for this survey is plus
or minus 5.8 percentage points at the 95 percent confidence level.
About Harris Interactive(R)
Harris Interactive is one of the largest and fastest-growing market
research firms in the world. The company provides innovative research,
insights and strategic advice to help its clients make more confident
decisions which lead to measurable and enduring improvements in
performance. Harris Interactive is widely known for The Harris Poll(R), one
of the longest running, independent opinion polls, and for pioneering
online market research methods. The company has built what it believes to
be the world’s largest panel of survey respondents, the Harris Poll Online.
Harris Interactive serves clients worldwide through its North American,
European and Asian offices, and through a global network of independent
market research firms. More information about Harris Interactive may be
obtained at
References:
1 American Academy of Allergy Asthma & Immunology Topic of the Month:
March 2007: Spring & Allergic Rhinitis. Available at
Accessed August 1,
2007.
2 American Academy of Allergy Asthma & Immunology Tips to Remember:
Rhinitis. Available at
Accessed
August 1, 2007.
3 CDC. National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey: 2004 Emergency
Department Summary.
4 Goetzel R, et al. Health, absence, disability, and presenteeism cost
estimates of certain physical and mental health conditions affecting
U.S. employers. Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine.
2004;46:398-412.
5 Bellanti JA, Wallerstedt DB. Allergic rhinitis update: epidemiology and
natural history. Allergy Asthma Proc 2000;21:367-370.
6 American Academy of Allergy Asthma & Immunology Tips to Remember:
Rhinitis. Available at
Accessed
July 25, 2007
7 American Academy of Allergy Asthma & Immunology Tips to Remember:
Rhinitis. Available at
Accessed
July 25, 2007
Schering-Plough

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Pfizer’s Lyrica reduced pain of fibromyalgia in patients regardless of whether they experienced symptoms of anxiety or depression at the beginning of the study, according to a pooled analysis presented today at the American Academy of Neurology annual meeting. The analysis, which looked at data pooled from previous clinical trials, also showed that patients’ self-reported improvements were more closely associated with improvements in pain and sleep than with improvements in fatigue or symptoms of anxiety or depression.
Fibromyalgia is the most common, chronic widespread pain condition in the United States and is thought to result from neurological changes in how patients perceive pain. Fibromyalgia is usually accompanied by poor sleep, stiffness and fatigue.
"The data showed that Lyrica reduced fibromyalgia pain, and alleviating that pain was associated with patients’ overall feeling of well-being," said Dr. Lesley Arnold, one of the study’s authors and associate professor in the department of psychiatry at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center. "Understandably, many patients with a chronic pain condition such as fibromyalgia also experience depression and anxiety, and importantly we found that Lyrica helped reduce pain in patients regardless of the presence of symptoms of these co-morbid conditions."
About the Analysis
Buy levitra without prescription The results are from a retrospective, pooled analysis of data from three placebo-controlled clinical trials (8 weeks, 13 weeks and 14 weeks long) of Lyrica in over 2,000 fibromyalgia patients. These studies randomized patients to receive Lyrica 150 mg, 300 mg, 450 mg or 600 mg or placebo. Patients were asked to measure their pain on a scale of zero to 10; the baseline score for study participants was 6.9 (150 mg, 450 mg, 600 mg) or 7.0 (300 mg). A score of 4.0 to 6.9 is considered moderate pain and a score of greater than 7.0 is considered moderate to severe pain on this 10-point scale.
In the studies, 38 percent of fibromyalgia patients had moderate to severe anxiety symptoms, while 27 percent had moderate to severe depressive symptoms, as assessed using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scales (HADS-A or HADS-D). Patients with severe depression or unstable psychiatric conditions were excluded from the studies.
The new analysis confirmed that Lyrica was significantly more effective than placebo in reducing pain in patients with fibromyalgia. Patients receiving 600 mg a day of Lyrica had a pain reduction of 2.08 on the pain scale; 450 mg a day had a reduction of 2.01; 300 mg a day had a reduction of 1.76; 150 mg a day had a reduction of 1.37, and placebo had a reduction of 1.25. Additionally, Lyrica was found to reduce pain in patients regardless of whether they had symptoms of anxiety or depression.
The analysis also examined the relationship between improvements in pain, sleep, fatigue, anxiety and depressive symptoms with patients reporting feeling "much improved" or "very much improved" as measured by the Patient Global Impression of Change (PGIC). The PGIC is a standardized, self-reported tool that measures the change in a patient’s overall status ranging from "very much improved" to "very much worse."
Pain reduction was found to have the greatest association on patients reporting improvement as measured by PGIC. The relationships between feeling much or very much improved were strongest for pain and sleep, and less pronounced for fatigue and symptoms of anxiety or depression, but statistically significant for all variables.
The most common side effects in the pooled analysis versus placebo of these three studies were dizziness and somnolence, followed by weight gain, blurred vision and dry mouth.
About Lyrica
In the United States, Lyrica® (pregabalin) capsules, CV, is approved for the management of fibromyalgia. Lyrica is also indicated for the management of neuropathic pain associated with diabetic peripheral neuropathy, postherpetic neuralgia (pain after shingles), and as adjunctive therapy for adults with partial onset seizures. The 600 mg/day is not an approved dosage for Lyrica in the management of fibromyalgia.
Important Safety Information
Lyrica is not for everyone. Lyrica may cause serious allergic reactions. Patients should tell their doctors right away about any serious allergic reaction such as swelling of the face, mouth, lips, gums, tongue or neck or if they have any trouble breathing. Other allergic reactions may include rash, hives and blisters. Patients should tell their doctors about any changes in eyesight, including blurry vision, muscle pain along with a fever or tired feeling, or skin sores due to diabetes.
Some of the most common side effects of Lyrica are dizziness, sleepiness, weight gain, blurred vision, dry mouth, feeling "high", swelling of hands and feet, and trouble concentrating. Patients may have a higher chance for swelling and hives if they are also taking angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors so they should let their doctors know if they are taking these medications. They may have a higher chance of swelling or gaining weight if they are also taking certain diabetes medicines.
Patients should not drive a car or operate machinery until they know how Lyrica affects them. Patients should not drink alcohol while on Lyrica. Patients should be especially careful about medicines that make them sleepy and should also tell their doctors if they are planning to father a child. Patients should tell their doctor if they are pregnant, plan to become pregnant, or are breast-feeding. If they have had a drug or alcohol problem, they may be more likely to misuse Lyrica. Patients should talk with their doctor before they stop taking Lyrica, or any other prescription medication. Lyrica is one of several treatment options for doctors to consider.

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