Predicting Response Trajectories during Cognitive-Behavioural Therapy for Panic Disorder: No Association with the BDNF Gene or Childhood Maltreatment

Breaking the Fear Barrier: Aberrant Activity of Fear Networks as a Prognostic Biomarker in Patients with Panic Disorder Normalized by Pharmacotherapy

Panic disorder (PD) is a prevalent type of anxiety disorder. Previous studies have reported abnormal brain activity in the fear network of patients with PD. Nonetheless, it remains uncertain whether pharmacotherapy can effectively normalize these abnormalities. This longitudinal resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging study aimed to investigate the spontaneous neural activity in patients with PD and its changes after pharmacotherapy, with a focus on determining whether it could predict treatment response. The study included 54 drug-naive patients with PD and 54 healthy controls (HCs). Spontaneous neural activity was measured using regional homogeneity (ReHo). Additionally, support vector regression (SVR) was employed to predict treatment response from ReHo. At baseline, PD patients had aberrant ReHo in the fear network compared to HCs. After 4 weeks of paroxetine treatment (20 mg/day), a significant increase in ReHo was observed in the left fusiform gyrus, which had shown reduced ReHo before treatment. The SVR analysis showed significantly positive correlations (p < 0.0001) between the predicted and actual reduction rates of the severity of anxiety and depressive symptoms. Here, we show patients with PD had abnormal spontaneous neural activities in the fear networks. Furthermore, these abnormal spontaneous neural activities can be partially normalized by pharmacotherapy and serve as candidate predictors of treatment response. Gaining insight into the trajectories of brain activity normalization following treatment holds the potential to provide vital insights for managing PD.

Exploring trajectories in transdiagnostic behavior therapy

Transdiagnostic treatments have been designed to target common processes for clusters of disorders. One such treatment, transdiagnostic behavior therapy (TBT), targets avoidance across emotional disorders, including posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depressive disorders, and anxiety disorders, and has demonstrated efficacy in randomized controlled trials. The current study was designed to examine whether distinct treatment trajectories would emerge in a sample of 112 veterans receiving TBT and whether diagnostic comorbidity, baseline levels of several transdiagnostic risk factors, or treatment engagement influence trajectory membership. Growth mixture modeling revealed three distinct trajectories across depression, ds = 0.55-1.09; PTSD ds = -0.07-1.43; and panic disorder symptoms, ds = -0.13-1.09. Notably, for PTSD and panic disorder symptoms, separate classes for responders and nonresponders emerged among participants with high baseline symptom levels. Findings for the risk factors suggested that PTSD and panic nonresponders evidenced significantly higher behavioral avoidance at baseline and reduced engagement in treatment procedures and homework completion compared to responders. Together, the findings provide additional support for the use of TBT in the treatment of emotional disorders, including PTSD. Potential adaptations are discussed for patients with significantly elevated behavioral avoidance to improve treatment engagement and related outcomes.

Application and Mechanisms of Internet-Based Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (iCBT) in Improving Psychological State in Cancer Patients

This review article is an overview of the effectiveness of internet-based cognitive behavioral therapy (iCBT) in Improving Psychological State in Cancer Patients. iCBT's effectiveness has been investigated in treating and managing conditions like depression, psychiatric disorders, generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), panic disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), adjustment disorder, bipolar disorder, chronic pain, and phobias. iCBT's role in the treatment of medical conditions such as diabetes mellitus with comorbid psychiatric illnesses was also explored. We conducted a thorough literature search using PubMed, Embase, Google Scholar, and Wanfang with no restrictions on the date. iCBT's role in treating and controlling psychiatric illnesses in cancer patients has been established in the literature. Development and popularization of iCBT, treament forms of iCBT, platforms for iCBT, application of iCBT, strategies and efficacy of iCBT for insomnia in cancer patients, current status of iCBT application, and genetic researches on iCBT for anxiety disorders were all reviewed and discussed in this review. From the data compiled, we conclude that iCBT is useful in treating or improving psychological state in cancer patients.

Peripheral Biomarkers in DSM-5 Anxiety Disorders: An Updated Overview

Anxiety disorders are prevalent and highly disabling mental disorders. In recent years, intensive efforts focused on the search for potential neuroimaging, genetic, and peripheral biomarkers in order to better understand the pathophysiology of these disorders, support their diagnosis, and characterize the treatment response. Of note, peripheral blood biomarkers, as surrogates for the central nervous system, represent a promising instrument to characterize psychiatric disorders, although their role has not been extensively applied to clinical practice. In this report, the state of the art on peripheral biomarkers of DSM-5 (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th edition) Anxiety Disorders is presented, in order to examine their role in the pathogenesis of these conditions and their potential application for diagnosis and treatment. Available data on the cerebrospinal fluid and blood-based biomarkers related to neurotransmitters, neuropeptides, the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, neurotrophic factors, and the inflammation and immune system are reviewed. Despite the wide scientific literature and the promising results in the field, only a few of the proposed peripheral biomarkers have been defined as a specific diagnostic instrument or have been identified as a guide in the treatment response to DSM-5 Anxiety Disorders. Therefore, further investigations are needed to provide new biological insights into the pathogenesis of anxiety disorders, to help in their diagnosis, and to tailor a treatment.

Trajectories of changes in distress in counseling center clients: a replication study

Objective: Latent growth mixture modeling (LGMM) and latent class growth analysis (LCGA) are methods of identifying subgroups of individuals with similar trajectories during the course of psychotherapy. Due to inconsistent methodology, previous LGMM/LCGA psychotherapy research has led to inconsistent findings. The purpose of this study was to contribute to our understanding of individual differences in change trajectories during psychotherapy using LGMM/LCGA by attempting to replicate a previous study by Owen et al. (2015. Trajectories of change in psychotherapy. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 71(9), 817-827). Method: This study used LGMM/LCGA to model trajectories of change in a sample of 2538 psychotherapy clients at a university student counseling center. This was a secondary analysis of naturalistically-collected outcome data using The Behavioral Health Measure. Results: LGMM models did not converge. A 2-class LCGA model was selected based on fit statistics and parsimony. One class was labeled as Slow and Steady Change Before Plateau, whereas the other was labeled as Early Rapid Change Before Plateau. We also extended these findings by considering variables associated with class membership. Conclusions: These classes followed similar trajectories to two of the classes identified by Owen et al. These results indicate that latent trajectory modeling may lead to replicable findings. Furthermore, these results have implications for managing expectations about change in psychotherapy.

The Relationship Between Childhood Trauma and the Response to Group Cognitive-Behavioural Therapy for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

OBJECTIVE

To examine the relationship between childhood trauma and the response to group cognitive-behavioural therapy (GCBT) for chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS).

METHODS

A single cohort study conducted in an outpatient university referral center for CFS including a well-documented sample of adult patients meeting the CDC criteria for CFS and having received 9 to 12 months of GCBT. A mixed effect model was adopted to examine the impact of childhood trauma on the treatment response in general and over time. The main outcome measures were changes in fatigue, as assessed with the Checklist Individual Strength (total score), and physical functioning, as gauged with the Short Form 36 Health Survey subscale, with the scales being completed at baseline, immediately after treatment completion and after 1 year.

RESULTS

We included 105 patients with CFS. Childhood trauma was not significantly associated with the response to GCBT over time on level of fatigue or physical functioning.

CONCLUSION

Childhood trauma does not seem to have an effect on the treatment response to dedicated GCBT for CFS sufferers over time. Therefore, in the allocation of patients to this kind of treatment, a history of childhood trauma should not be seen as prohibitive.

Correction: Predicting Response Trajectories during Cognitive-Behavioural Therapy for Panic Disorder: No Association with the BDNF Gene or Childhood Maltreatment

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0158224.].