N-Methylimidazolidin-4-one organocatalysts: gas-phase fragmentations of radical cations by experiment and theory

Electron ionisation mass spectra of N-methylimidazolidin-4-one organocatalysts were studied by experimental and theoretical means. The molecular ions mostly undergo alpha cleavages of exocyclic substituents that leave the five-membered ring intact. The type of substituent strongly dominates the appearance of the spectra. Fragmentation cascades are corroborated by metastable ion mass spectra. Quantum Chemistry Electron Ionisation Mass Spectra calculations correlate reasonably well with the experimental electron ionisation spectra and reveal mechanistic details of fragmentation pathways. The drawbacks and benefits of such calculations are discussed. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

How much will we pay to increase steps per day? Examining the cost-effectiveness of a pedometer-based lifestyle program in primary care

We previously demonstrated the Healthy Eating and Active Living for Diabetes (HEALD) intervention was effective for increasing daily steps. Here, we consider the cost-effectiveness of the HEALD intervention implemented in primary care.

HEALD was a pedometer-based program for adults with type-2 diabetes in Alberta, Canada completed between January 2010 and September 2012. The main outcome was the change in pedometer-determined steps/day compared to usual care. We estimated total costs per participant for HEALD, and total costs of health care utilization through linkage with administrative health databases. An incremental cost–effectiveness ratio (ICER) was estimated with regression models for differences in costs and effects between study groups.

The HEALD intervention cost $340 per participant over the 6-month follow-up. The difference in total costs (intervention plus health care utilization) was $102 greater per HEALD participant compared to usual care. The intervention group increased their physical activity by 918 steps/day [95% CI 116, 1666] compared to usual care. The resulting ICER was $111 per 1000 steps/day, less than an estimated cost–effectiveness threshold.

Increasing daily steps through an Exercise Specialist-led group program in primary care may be a cost-effective approach towards improving daily physical activity among adults with type-2 diabetes. Alternative delivery strategies may be considered to improve the affordability of this model for primary care.

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We examined the cost-effectiveness of a diabetes walking program in primary care.

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HEALD was effective in increasing daily steps, costing $340 per participant.

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Physician services, in- and out-patient admissions and intervention costs were used.

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The ICER was $111/1000 steps/day; below our estimated threshold of $176.

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Policymakers must determine the societal value of an additional 1000 steps/day.

[Evidence-based therapy of depression: S3 guidelines on unipolar depression]

Unipolar depressive disorders are among the most frequent reasons for utilizing the health care system. Although efficacious treatments are available and further advances have recently been made there is still a need for improving diagnostic and therapeutic procedures. Alignment of treatment on evidence-based treatment guidelines establishes an essential mainstay. The new S3 and National Health Care guidelines on unipolar depression, the compilation of which was coordinated by the German Society of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Neurology (DGPPN) and which were approved by 29 scientific and professional associations, is the ambitious effort to present state of the art evidence and clinical consensus for the treatment of depression. For pharmacotherapy of depression differentiated recommendations can be given, also separate from and in addition to psychotherapy.

Prevalence, onset and comorbidity of postpartum anxiety and depressive disorders

OBJECTIVE

The study presents data on the 3-month prevalences of postpartum anxiety disorders (PAD) and postpartum depressive disorders (PDD) and their comorbidity in a German community sample. Associations with sociodemographic variables and previous history of psychopathology were analysed.

METHOD

Data were gathered in a longitudinal study over the first 3 months postpartum. In a two-stage screening procedure, a population-based representative sample of 1024 postpartum women was assessed for symptoms of anxiety and depression using DSM-IV-based screening instruments.

RESULTS

The estimated rates of DSM-IV disorders were 11.1% for PAD and 6.1% for PDD. Comorbidity was found in 2.1%. The rate for PAD with postpartum onset was 2.2% and for PDD 4.6%. Young mothers and mothers with a low education level had a heightened risk of developing depression following delivery.

CONCLUSION

Because of the clinical relevance of PAD, controlled studies and specialized programmes for prevention and treatment are urgently required.

High bone turnover but normal bone mineral density in women suffering from schizophrenia

BACKGROUND

A potential association between schizophrenia and osteoporosis or osteopenia has recently been reported. Various factors affect bone mineral density (BMD) such as polydipsia, nicotine, alcohol abuse, lack of physical activity, an unbalanced diet, a lack of ultraviolet exposure and/or vitamin D. In addition, decreased BMD in women with schizophrenia has been attributed to drug-induced hyperprolactinaemia and/or secondary hypogonadism. This study was undertaken because empirical evidence from larger patient cohorts is limited and the data are still controversial.

METHOD

Seventy-two premenopausal, regularly menstruating women suffering from schizophrenia and 71 age- and sex-matched healthy controls were included in the study. Biochemical markers of bone turnover (serum osteocalcin, urinary pyridinium crosslinks), parathyroid hormone and 25-hydroxyvitamin D were measured. BMD at the femoral neck and lumbar spine was determined by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry in a subgroup of 59 patients. In addition, 17beta-oestradiol, prolactin, testosterone, gonadotrophins and dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate were measured.

RESULTS

Compared with healthy controls, both markers of formation and resorption were increased in women with schizophrenia. However, in the subgroup of 59 patients, BMD was within the normal range. In women suffering from schizophrenia, testosterone levels were higher than in controls, and serum oestradiol levels were lower compared with the normal range.

CONCLUSION

Despite significantly increased bone turnover, we conclude that premenopausal and regularly menstruating women suffering from schizophrenia have normal spine and hip BMD. This may be due to the opposite effects of the various parameters influencing bone metabolism, especially of the gonadal hormones, and due to an intact coupling mechanism.

Prolonged activation EEG differentiates dementia with and without delirium in frail elderly patients

OBJECTIVE

Delirium in the elderly results in increased morbidity, mortality and functional decline. Delirium is underdiagnosed, particularly in dementia. To increase diagnostic accuracy, we investigated whether maintenance of activation assessed by EEG discriminates delirium in association with dementia (D+D) from dementia without delirium (DP) and cognitively unimpaired elderly subjects (CU).

METHOD

Routine and quantitative EEG (rEEG/qEEG) with additional prolonged activation (3 min eyes open period) were evaluated in hospitalised elderly patients with acute geriatric disease. Patients were assigned post hoc to three comparable groups (D+D/DP/CU) by expert consensus based on DSM-IV criteria. Dementia diagnosis was confirmed using cognitive and functional tests and caregiver rating (IQCODE, Informed Questionnaire of Cognitive Decline in the Elderly).

RESULTS

While rEEG at rest showed low accuracy for a diagnosis of delirium, qEEG in DP and CU revealed a specific activation pattern of high significance found to be absent in the D+D group. Stepwise logistic regression confirmed that differentiation of D+D from DP was best resolved using activated upper alpha and delta power density which, compared with rEEG, enabled an 11% increase in diagnostic correctness to 83%, resulting in 67% sensitivity and 91% specificity. Among frail CU and D+D subjects, almost 90% were correctly classified.

CONCLUSION

Dementia associated with delirium can be discriminated reliably from dementia alone in a meaningful clinical setting. Thus EEG evaluation in chronic encephalopathy should be optimised by a simple activation task and spectral analysis, particularly in the elderly with dementia.

Lifeguard--a personal physiological monitor for extreme environments

Monitoring vital signs in applications that require the subject to be mobile requires small, lightweight, and robust sensors and electronics. A body-worn system should be unobtrusive, noninvasive, and easy-to-use. It must be able to log vital signs data for several hours as well as transmit it on demand in real-time using secure wireless technologies. The NASA Ames Research Center (Astrobionics) and Stanford University (National Center for Space Biological Technologies) are currently developing a wearable physiological monitoring system for astronauts, called LifeGuard, that meets all of the above requirements and is also applicable to clinical, home-health monitoring, first responder and military applications.

Influence of Applied Quantity of Sunscreen Products on the Sun Protection Factor – A Multicenter Study Organized by the DGK Task Force Sun Protection

It is often debated that the protection against solar-induced erythema under real conditions is dependent upon the amount of sunscreen applied. It is believed that when too little is applied a lower sun protection than indicated on the label will result. The aim of this study was to quantify this effect. In this multicenter study, the influence of three different amounts (0.5, 1.0, 2.0 mg/cm(2)) of three commercial sunscreen products in three reliable test centers was investigated according to the test protocol of The International Sun Protection Factor Test Method. The main result was a linear dependence of the SPF on the quantity applied. Taking into consideration the volunteer-specific variations, an exponential dependence of confidence interval of the in vivo SPF and amount applied was found. The highest amount applied (2.0 mg/cm(2)) was linked to the lowest confidence intervals. Thus, from the point of view of producing reliable and reproducible in vivo results under laboratory conditions, the recommendation of this multicenter study is an application quantity of 2.0 mg/cm(2).

Change in lean body mass is a major determinant of change in areal bone mineral density of the proximal femur: a 12-year observational study

Our objective was to assess the contribution of lean body mass (LBM) and fat body mass (FBM) to areal bone mineral density (aBMD) in women during the years surrounding menopause. We used a 12-year observational design. Participants included 75 Caucasian women who were premenopausal, 53 of whom were available for follow-up. There were two measurement periods: baseline and 12-year follow-up. At both measurement periods, bone mineral content and aBMD of the proximal femur, posterior-anterior lumbar spine, and total body was assessed using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA). LBM and FBM were derived from the total-body scans. General health, including current menopausal status, hormone replace therapy use, medication use, and physical activity, was assessed by questionnaires. At the end of the study, 44% of the women were postmenopausal. After controlling for baseline aBMD, current menopausal status, and current hormone replacement therapy, we found that change in LBM was independently associated with change in aBMD of the proximal femur (P = 0.001). The cross-sectional analyses also indicated that LBM was a significant determinant of aBMD of all three DXA-scanned sites at both baseline and follow-up. These novel longitudinal data highlight the important contribution of LBM to the maintenance of proximal femur bone mass at a key time in women's life span, the years surrounding menopause.

Persönlichkeit, Persönlichkeitsstörungen und Depression

Personality is one of most frequently investigated fields in depression research and, despite changes in research paradigms, has not lost its relevance. Numerous results concerning the conceptualization of conspicuous personality traits, their aetiopathogenetic significance, and their effect on treatment and course have contributed to a better understanding of depression. Genetics and neurobiology provide new incentives for research in this field. We present an overview of aspects relevant to personality research in depression including personality types, personality traits, temperament factors, and personality disorders. Especially results on personality factors' effect on treatment and course of depression, integrating these results with different personality models in depression, and their consequences to treatment and further research of personality traits in depression are discussed.

Inanspruchnahme eines psychoedukativen Gruppenangebotes für Angehörige von Patienten mit affektiven Störungen

The relevance of family interactions in the course of affective disorders has been well described. In contrast to the situation regarding schizophrenic disorders, there are few systematic concepts for involvement of the relatives of patients with affective disorders in treatment. The goal of this study was the development and evaluation of a standardised psychoeducational treatment programme. We determined the number and characteristics of relatives accepting the offer of such a group. Relatives of almost half of 55 patients with major depression and a bipolar disorder participated in the group. Relatives of male patients were more likely to take part than relatives of female patients. Relatives of patients with a bipolar disorder were more likely to take part than relatives of patients with unipolar depression. The patients whose relatives attended the group showed a more favourable understanding of the illness and more knowledge about affective disorders, but on the other hand, felt themselves to be more strongly criticised by their relatives and had less social support than the other patients. These results emphasise the importance of differential family-focused treatment modalities in affective disorders.

[Consequences of nosographic and trans-nosological concepts of schizophrenia]

This essay starts with a brief remark about the -- necessary -- de-tours of the historical pathway to the concept of schizophrenia. The first part on nosographic approaches then describes the results of cross-sectional and longitudinal psychopathological symptom-assembling, subgrouping by factorial analyses, and the cross-cultural stability of the emerging disease concept: The human idiopathic syndrome of structural mental decline in its clinical variegation. The second part about de-nosological approaches provides an account of the clinical concepts of basic symptoms, spectrum disorders, neuropsychological deficits and their genetic family loading. Genetics of neuropsychological deficits demonstrate in detail that risk and protective factors to schizophrenia are genetically closely enmeshed. Higher familial loading of some neuropsychological deficits compared to the actual disease itself points at the dilemma that functional psychopathology deepens causal understanding and yet looses specificity for the disease syndrome. The concluding part of this essay emphasizes some sequelae of de-nosological approaches: Better tools for earlier recognition treatment and prevention; ego-distal concepts of basic dysfunctions rather than the previous ego-proximal concepts, hence better self-esteem, insight, and de-stigmatization for patients.

[Executive control functions and neuropsychiatric disorders -- perspectives for research und clinical practice]

Executive control functions are higher cognitive functions for complex goal-oriented behavior in situations where routine mechanisms are not available or inappropriate. In clinical practice executive dysfunction presents with deficits in cognitive function as well as social behavior and drive. Executive control functions rely on intact networks involving prefrontal cortex and subcortical structures, which can be modulated by monoaminergic neurotransmitters. Deficits of executive control have been described in a variety of neuropsychiatric disorders. We present a review of the findings with a focus on movement disorders, schizophrenia and affective disorders. We emphasize similarities between these disorders regarding the pathophysiology of fronto-subcortical networks. Based on these similarities, principles of pharmacological and rehabilitative strategies can be applied to the treatment of executive deficits in a variety of neuropsychiatric disorders without being specific for one disease. Since executive dysfunction is highly relevant to prognosis, controlled trials of these treatments are urgently needed.

Psychotherapie der postpartalen Depression

In the treatment of mothers with postpartum depression, mother-infant interaction plays a central role. It is well known that babies are very sensitive to their mothers' emotional state. This sensitivity during the first months of life is fundamental to understanding the influence of maternal psychiatric disorders and especially of postpartum depression, as the most frequent, on children's development. The specific situation of young mothers requires adaptation of psychotherapeutic approaches to their needs. In connection with an overview of these issues, models of mother-infant treatment as well as evaluation studies are discussed. Finally, an integrated treatment approach for postpartum depression including mother-infant-centered interventions is presented.

Complex formation of sericoside with hydrophilic cyclodextrins: improvement of solubility and skin penetration in topical emulsion based formulations

The main objective of this study was to devise novel methods for improving the solubility of the anti-inflammatory triterpenoid sericoside, the main component of Terminalia sericea extract, thus enabling its incorporation into topical formulations. Sericoside was stabilized by complex formation with hydrophilic derivatives of beta- and gamma-cyclodextrins in a molar ratio of 1.0:1.1. The complex of extract and cyclodextrin was equilibrated in water at 25 degrees C for approximately 24 h. The dehydrated complexes of T. sericea extract and cyclodextrin were characterized by differential scanning calorimetry, thermogravimetry analysis and X-ray diffraction. Complex formation with beta-cyclodextrin as well as gamma-cyclodextrin derivatives was detectable using these three analytical tools; however, only complexes with gamma-cyclodextrin derivatives showed stability upon storage after incorporation into topical o/w or w/o formulations. Furthermore, a T. sericea extract/gamma-cyclodextrin complex incorporated in an o/w formulation resulted in a 2.6-fold higher percutaneous penetration of sericoside in in vitro excised pig skin as compared to pure T. sericea extract. For the first time, the virtually insoluble anti-inflammatory active sericoside was incorporated into a topical emulsion based formulation in a stable manner, resulting in efficient skin penetration.

[Victims of Nazi euthanasia, the so-called T4 action. First results of a project at the German Federal Archives to disclose records of killed patients]

In 1990, previously unknown documents dated from the Nazi era were found in Berlin. They had been preserved in the central archives of the Ministry for State Security (MfS), the secret service of the now former German Democratic Republic (GDR). Nearly 30,000 psychiatric patient files turned out to comprise the smaller part of the records of patients who had been murdered in the 1940/41 "T4 action". More than 70,000 patients of psychiatric asylums were killed by gas in this first campaign of extermination during Nazism, and their files were believed to have been lost. Based on a project to be funded by the German Research Association, this paper offers a brief survey of the developments in historical research about Nazi "euthanasia" and the theories interpreting historical information. The paper will also present a research project dedicated to the memory of the victims of the "T4 action" and to the rediscovered files now conserved in the German Federal Archives in Berlin. The aim is to offer a systematic analysis of 3,000 records in an effort to contribute to the perception of the victims as individuals. The analysis will also include an examination of the selection criteria stipulated by the Nazi psychiatrists (hereditary illness, incurability, and incapacity to work productively) to select patients for extermination. In this way, the decision-making process, criteria, and motives that led to the killing should become more clear. This empirical analysis will help to answer questions concerning the proportion of eugenic and economic motivations and the Nazi rationale behind the extermination campaigns. The project will build upon an earlier preliminary study of a nonrepresentative sample of 185 files. As a preliminary result, it can be said that most of the victims had been hospitalised over long terms and classified as schizophrenic or feeble-minded. A third of the patients killed were considered invalid and not working, and almost 50% were described as working "mechanically". Five per cent of the victims were working "productively".

H(2)-histamine antagonist (famotidine) induced adverse CNS reactions with long-standing secondary mania and epileptic seizures

We report on the case of a 65-year-old female who was treated for one week with famotidine, a reversible H(2)-histamine antagonist, due to gastric pain. Shortly after treatment began, she presented manic symptoms and developed two generalized seizures, after which famotidine was discontinued. Manic symptoms were present for three months; intermittent treatment with both carbamazepine and antipsychotic medication was necessary before her mental status was completely restored. While cimetidine and ranitidine are known to cause secondary mania, this symptom has not been described for famotidine. CNS side effects are usually short-lived and respond to discontinuation of the drug, which was not the case in our patient. During a follow-up period that has so far lasted four years, the patient has been stable without any psychiatric medication. Adjusting the maintenance dosage of H(2)-histamine antagonists has been recommended in elderly patients since age-related reduction in renal plasma flow, glomerular filtration rate and renal tubular function may be present, which can in turn elevate histamine levels in plasma and cerebrospinal fluid. Our patient, however, had normal renal function and was free of organic or psychiatric diseases, so what pathogenetic mechanism led to the remarkably long standing manic syndrome after a relatively short course of famotidine remained unknown; famotidine seems to cause the same spectrum of adverse central nervous system (CNS) reactions as other H(2)-histamine antagonists.

[Psychodynamic therapy approaches in depressive disorders. Pathogenesis models and empirical principles]

Targets for psychodynamic psychotherapy are the core conflictual relational mode and its consequences for mood, social behaviour, and self image. Libido- and conflict-based concepts of the relational mode are increasingly being replaced by the concept of intersubjectivity, which includes also nonconflictual, healthy modes of relations as a basic human mental task. According to recent mother-infant interaction research, the psychotherapeutic effect on the relational mode can be interpreted in terms of procedural learning rather than insight-oriented discourse. The mother-infant paradigm is a particularly suitable research paradigm to elucidate unconscious procedural acquisition of mental representations of dyadic interactional styles. Procedural learning requires a more active corrective style of interacting on the therapist's side, beyond abstinence and control of countertransference. Evaluative studies show that psychodynamic psychotherapy of depression is nearly as effective as cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT) and interpersonal therapy (IPT).

Zur empirischen Unterscheidung von Scham und Schuld

Zusammenfassung: Aus unterschiedlichen theoretischen Perspektiven ist die Bedeutung der Emotionen Scham und Schuld für die Entstehung psychischer Störungen kontrovers diskutiert worden. Bislang wurden die unterstellten Zusammenhänge empirisch noch nicht zufrieden stellend untersucht, da derzeit wenige gut evaluierte Erhebungsinstrumente zur Erfassung und Differenzierung von Scham und Schuld vorliegen. Aufgrund dieses Mangels soll in der vorliegenden Arbeit die deutsche Version des “Test of Self-Conscious Affects” (TOSCA) vorgestellt und hinsichtlich der Gütekriterien evaluiert werden. Der TOSCA erfasst typische affektive, kognitive und verhaltensbezogene Aspekte, die mit einer Neigung, mit Schuld bzw. Scham zu reagieren, assoziiert sind. Darüber hinaus werden Stolz sowie emotionsrelevante Attributionsmuster erfasst. Ergebnisse aus Studien mit einer klinischen Stichprobe stationärer psychiatrischer Patienten (N = 127) und einer nicht-klinischen studentischen Stichprobe (N = 194) weisen auf hohe interne Konsistenzen und Retest-Reliabilitäten der Subskalen hin. Die empirische Differenzierbarkeit beider Emotionen bestätigt sich durch das Muster der Skaleninterkorrelation; Hinweise auf die klinische Bedeutung von Scham gegenüber Schuld ergeben sich aus den Zusammenhängen mit störungsrelevanten Persönlichkeitseigenschaften.

[Effect of personality factors and structure on the course of major depression]

The extent to which personality characteristics predict the course of severe depression has been controversially discussed. In a sample of 50 depressed inpatients, the significance of personality characteristics for the prediction of relapse was studied prospectively over 2 years. More than half of the patients studied suffered relapses within this period. Well-known predictors such as the number of previous episodes were confirmed. The personality characteristics studied showed different predictive effects at 1- and 2-year follow-up. Neurosis proved predictive of the 1-year course and outcome but not the 2-year course. In the 2nd year of follow-up, a melancholic personality structure was associated with favourable outcome. This personality type therefore seems to be more appropriate as a predictor of long-term outcome. Comparison with predictive factors described earlier showed that in this study, personality traits influence outcome independently and were not confused by other predictors. Implications for relapse prevention and psychotherapeutic management are discussed.

[Temperament and affective disorders. The TEMPS-A Scale as a convergence of European and US-American concepts]

In temperament research, three traditions can be found: (1) in psychiatry or psychopathology, (2) in neurobiology, and (3) in developmental psychology. After giving an overview, we present results and theories concerning the relation between temperament and affective disorders. Based on Kraepelin's concept of the fundamental states ("Grundszustände"), we describe four types of temperament: hyperthymic (manic), depressive, irritable, and cyclothymic. A fifth anxious temperament is added. Clinical description and scientific implications are described in the light of recent work by Akiskal and the German version of the TEMPS-A scale, a self-report questionnaire for assessing temperament.

Investigations on the carbohydrate moieties of glycoprotein allergens

Many allergens are glycoproteins and their carbohydrate structure can contribute to the IgE reactivity. Therefore it is of great interest to study the carbohydrate structures of these particular antigens. Here, we present an overview of methods combining basic procedures in glycochemistry with various applications of electrophoresis that allow investigating single allergens in crude extracts. Various allergen extracts, e.g. from tomato, grass pollen and bacteria were analysed and the suitability of the tests are discussed.

[Prospects in psychotherapy research]

The point of departure for this discussion is a critical review of the philosophy of randomized controlled trials (RCT) and their specific errors when applied to psychotherapeutic methods. There is a gap between the highly artificial settings of psychotherapy RCT and naturalistic psychotherapy procedures, which are grounded more in personality than in technique, less regulated, and mostly eclectic. Although RCT are necessary for general assessments of efficacy, they should be complemented by efficiency studies and evaluation of whole health care systems which include psychotherapy. We argue against overstretching the analogy of good clinical practice (GCP) research for the purpose of admitting new psychotropic drugs to psychotherapy research. A rational approach to psychotherapy for indication, quality ascertainment, and allocation of resources needs research which is methodologically explicable, replicable, and relevant to practice. The Cochrane Collaboration is a means of distributing such knowledge and making it work for practitioners. However, Cochrane also sheds light on psychological and practical obstacles which must be overcome before public health care systems can utilize new scientific results. The discussion of disorder-specific psychotherapy versus general psychotherapy ends by emphasizing the importance of more detailed psychopathology and pathopsychology of dysfunctions that cannot be sufficiently explained in manuals. Such dysfunctions--not necessarily specific for diagnoses or abnormality at all--can then be matched to specific psychotherapy tools. Further innovations can be expected from neurosciences, and some of the most promising paradigms are discussed. Finally, the lasting importance of hermeneutics is stressed not only with regard to the generation of new hypotheses but also to guiding the psychotherapeutic process.

Reconfirming the role of life events for the timing of depressive episodes. A two-year prospective follow-up study

BACKGROUND

Since the 1960s the association of stressful life events and depression seemed to be firmly established. However, a few recent studies did not confirm those earlier findings. One of the reasons discussed for the inconsistencies was the sampling of milder depressed neurotic out-patients in the earlier studies vs. more severely ill endogenous type in-patients in recent studies.

METHODS

This investigation was carried out with 50 consecutively admitted in-patients with endogenous depression according to ICD 9 and unipolar major depression according to DSM-III-R as ascertained by SCID. The control sample consisted of 26 healthy volunteers. Life events and chronic distressing life conditions were recorded with the Munich Interview for the Assessment of Life Events and Conditions (MEL) every 3 months over a period of 2 years along with psychopathological symptoms and recurrencies. Hence the design was prospective in the sense that life events were recorded for one 3-month cross-section, the depressive reaction for the subsequent one. BDI scores taken at the respective cross section were used to control for depressive bias of the subjective part of the patient's life event evaluation.

RESULTS

Three months prior to the index hospitalization patients were more often affected by life events and conditions than controls. The number of stressful conditions prior to the index hospitalization indicated the time to relapse after discharge. Controls showed more desirable positive conditions than patients. Relapse patients suffered more often stressful life events and conditions than non-relapsers 3 months prior to their relapse. Multivariate analysis indicates that the cumulative number of life events within the 2-year course is the best predictor of the BDI score at the end of the follow-up period.

LIMITATIONS

Since the subjective component of life event assessment by MEL displayed a higher impact on the course of depression than the objective part of the assessment, confounding of subjective ratings, attributional styles, and depressive symptoms may be a problem although controlled for in this study.

CONCLUSION

The results support the importance of stressful life events and chronic distressing conditions for the 2-year course and outcome of major depression in an in-patient sample. Since the overall consistency of significant results was more pronounced in the subjective than in the objective part of the MEL the results fit best a circular pathogenetic model of interactions between life events, their individual evaluation by the patient, and depressive symptoms.

High sensitivity detection of JC-virus DNA in postmortem brain tissue by in situ PCR

Opportunistic infection of the central nervous system by human polyomavirus JC can cause a devastating disease, progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML). To gain new neuropathological insights into JC-virus (JCV) infection patterns in PML at the light microscopic level, the highly sensitive indirect in situ polymerase chain reaction (in situ PCR) was employed in up to 15-year old formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded postmortem brain tissue derived from nine AIDS patients with PML. In situ PCR, in which target DNA is amplified intracellularly and detected by a specific labelled probe in morphologically intact tissue, was compared with conventional in situ hybridization (ISH). Validity was ensured by the inclusion of 13 controls. JCV detection with in situ PCR proved to be highly sensitive since in all nine brain samples the number of positive cells exceeded the ISH results by 2-3-fold. Whereas by routine staining the brain tissue of each individual patient showed regions with severe, mild or no involvement by PML, improved detection of JCV DNA by in situ PCR allowed a regrading into five different degrees of JCV infection. Significant myelin staining was observed, suggesting that cell-to-cell contact may not be the only means of virus spread but that new cells could also be infected by virus released after cell lysis. Furthermore, using in situ PCR hitherto unreported intracellular distribution patterns of JCV DNA in oligodendro- and astrocytes were observed by light microscopy.

[Critical life events during the course of 2 years of 'major depression.' A prospective study with inpatients]

A number of studies has shown a significant relationship between life events/life conditions and depression. However, there is only a small number of studies investigating the effect of life events/life conditions in patients with severe depression from the endogenous subtype. The results are inconsistent. The present study examines the significance of the patients' life events/life conditions for the two year outcome of the illness in a prospective study with assessments every three months. Patients are compared to healthy controls with regard to the period three months prior to the admission to the hospital at the index episode. The results confirm the importance of life events and life conditions for the long term outcome of depressed patients with endogenous subtype respectively severe major depression in-patients. Relapsers show considerably more undesirable life conditions than non-relapsers three to six months prior to their relapse. Depressed patients indicate significantly more undesirable life events and life conditions and fewer desirable life conditions in comparison to the control group for the time span three months prior to their hospitalization. Clinical implications are discussed.

[Modulation of oxidative stresses in human aging skin]

Oxidative stress (UV irradiation, free radicals) plays a significant role in aging. Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) and exogenously applied antioxidants can significantly reduce the formation of oxidative stress with increasing age. In our in vitro and in vivo experiments concerning the parameters of ultraweak photon emission (UPE), intracellular thiol status, mitochondrial membrane potential and cell vitality, we demonstrated a diminished resistance in keratinocytes of old donors against UV irradiation. This reduced epidermal resistance against oxidative stressors, i.e. UV irradiation, can be improved by topical application of CoQ10 and antioxidants like alpha-glucosylrutin (15). Furthermore, our in vivo investigations show that wrinkles around the region of the eyes ("crow feet") could be reduced by long-term application of CoQ10.

[The evaluation of research performance in psychiatry. Potential and pitfalls of bibliometric analysis]

Recent scientific and economic developments have emphasized the need for objective and operationalized criteria for the evaluation of collective and individual research performance. In this context the present article discusses the possibilities and limitations of bibliometric analysis in the evaluation of psychiatric research. Taking into account recent scientometric knowledge, the potentials and pitfalls of the so called impact factor are critically discussed with respect to its usefulness in the evaluation of psychiatric research performance in Germany. A major criticism arises from the observation that the unreflecting use of the impact factor may overemphasize quantitative aspects to the disadvantage of qualitative aspects of research. This may however lead to unwanted distortions and misjudgements. The critical analysis of the current use of scientometric indices in the evaluation process emphasizes the need for alternative criteria, which should take into account disciplinary as well as national idiosyncrasis. Accordingly, the authors aim to induce and contribute to a discussion process within the scientific community, which may lead to a more appropriate evaluation of psychiatric research performance.

Asymptomatic pancreatitis associated with clozapine

Besides the well-known adverse effects of clozapine, such as granulocytopenia, tiredness and hypersalivation, acute pancreatitis is known to be a very rare complication of the drug. In the literature a total of five case reports have been published so far. We report a case of asymptomatic pancreatitis subsequent to clozapine treatment at therapeutic doses in a 38-year-old male patient with chronic paranoid-hallucinatory schizophrenia. The patient was rehospitalized after an acute exacerbation of the psychosis subsequent to an attempt to change medication on an outpatient basis. Treatment with clozapine was initiated again. During phases of progressively increasing the clozapine dose, serum levels of amylase and lipase were increased; after maintaining daily doses of clozapine of 300 mg and/or 600 mg the pancreatic enzymes normalized quickly within a few days. The patient did not report any pancreas-related complaints, nor did specific diagnostic studies produce any indicative result, only a minor thickening of the head and body of the pancreas in the ultrasound. It is assumed that the phenomenon of subclinical, asymptomatic pancreatitis during increasing dosage of clozapine occurs more often than previously supposed. The monitoring of serum amylase levels during slow increase in clozapine is recommended; if leukocytosis or eosinophilia is present, the possibility of even a subclinical and asymptomatic pancreatitis should be considered.

The cycloid type and its differentiation from core schizophrenia: a phenomenological approach

The heterogeneity within schizophrenia or the group of schizophrenias remains a vexing and limiting problem. An alternative to the "classic" explanatory construct of a schizophrenic unitary psychosis is the current concept of a positive/negative dichotomy with or without mixed type. However, the validation by findings from brain imaging, specificity, and prognostic validity of these multiple-entity approaches are still uncertain. Psychopathology is challenged to identify discrete types as homogenous as possible, providing closer relationship to distinct disease processes. Such types are to be defined by one or more axial syndromes, syndromes in an essential, not correlative, sense. One of these types is embraced by the term cycloid psychosis, implying a good prognosis. Using an integrative phenomenological methodology, the present study is able to show the specific quality of phenomena occurring in this type to pinpoint their "inner" relationships and to demonstrate cycloid syndromes as axial syndromes in the phenomenological sense. Thus, it is shown that positive symptoms in the cycloid type are different from those in core schizophrenia. In addition to the quality and inner coherence of the constituent elements, the absence of structural deformations of (1) emotional expression and affect, (2) thought, and (3) movement impulses and sequences is the decisive specificity feature that allows differentiation of the cycloid type from poor-prognosis core schizophrenia. These syndromes of structural deformations are the axial syndromes of core schizophrenia, occurring with or without "productive" (positive) phenomena. Its conceptualization makes a contribution to the actual negative-symptom discussion shifting the perspective from a low specific level (e.g., abulia) to phenomena of higher specificity. On the basis of a precise definition of cycloid axial syndromes, previous operationalization suggestions are reviewed and evaluated, and an alternative approach is outlined. Finally, it is hypothesized that the cycloid type may be a primary neurotransmitter disease, while core schizophrenia seems closer to the pathophysiological mechanisms described in Stevens' theory.

Sampling biases in a marital study on severe major depression

A comparison was carried out between participants and refusers to participate in a 2-year prospective follow-up study of major depression. 88 consecutively admitted patients of the Psychiatric University Hospital Heidelberg had been addressed. All of them fulfilled both the ICD-9 criteria for Endogenous Depression and the DSM-III-R criteria for Major Depression according to SCID. 38 patients declined participation. Participants and refusers were compared with regard to 56 items of psychopathological symptomatology, socio-demographic data, quality of marital relationship, and personality features. The information about these items was taken systematically from the medical records both of participants and refusers. For some items methods of content analysis were applied to the case histories. Only few differences between participants and refusers were found. Women and more severely ill patients were less willing to accept participation. The degree of marital problems did not differentiate between consenters and refusers.

The hysterical personality disorder: a phenomenological approach

The background of the present study is a general uncertainty as to what comprises the essence of hysterical (histrionic) personality disorder. Using phenomenological methodology, phenomena observable in the 'classic' hysterical personality are analysed, described, named, and classified according to the basic functions of human experience and behaviour. The resulting psychopathological picture of the hysterical personality facilitates a differential diagnosis that is often decidedly difficult. The phenomenon of dissociation of the mental processes is demonstrated for the various basic functions. A specific feature of the disorder is shown which generates a dissociation of contents of the personality along a conscious-preconscious-unconscious continuum. It is concluded that dissocation is, in the final analysis, the prerequisite for a compromised and partial acting out of prohibited non-integrated elements, e.g. aggression, as a coping strategy.

[Psychotherapy aspects of inpatient treatment of adolescents with acute psychiatric illnesses]

In the inpatient treatment of acute psychiatric episodes in children and adolescents, the psychiatrist must set up an initial treatment plan incorporating one or more psychotherapeutic modalities and adapt this plan to the patient's clinical course. This article summarises the clinical experience of a model unit at the University of Heidelberg, the result of a collaboration between the Department of General Psychiatry and the Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at the Clinic of Psychiatry. A series of 116 adolescent admissions was reviewed for clinical diagnosis, the nature and frequency of psychotherapeutic modalities, and the role of family involvement in patient care. Differential and adaptative approaches to the selection of treatment modalities in the context of an acute care setting are emphasised.

Severe akathisia during olanzapine treatment of acute schizophrenia

Olanzapine is a newly developed atypical neuroleptic with a marked affinity to the 5-HT2, D2 and D4 dopamine receptors. Like other atypical neuroleptics olanzapine is considered to show a reduced prevalence of extrapyramidal side effects when compared to classical neuroleptic drugs. We report on three patients with acute schizophrenia, who developed severe akathisia during treatment with olanzapine (20-25 mg/d). In two of these cases akathisia resolved after withdrawal of olanzapine and substitution by a classical or an atypical neuroleptic agent, respectively. In one of these patients olanzapine was well tolerated when reintroduced in combination with lorazepam after complete remission of akathisia. In the third patient akathisia was sufficiently controlled by dose reduction. Akathisia is generally considered to result from D2 dopamine receptor antagonism. In the case of atypical neuroleptics such as olanzapine a low but still considerable D2 dopamine receptor occupancy may be compensated by the 5-HT2 antagonism. However, this mechanism may fail under certain circumstances, in particular if D2 dopamine antagonism exceeds a certain threshold. One should therefore be aware of possible extrapyramidal side effects with olanzapine that are reduced compared to classical neuroleptic drugs but not completely eliminated.

["Expressed emotion", marital quality and risk of recurrence in depressed patients]

Long-term course of depression appears to be clearly correlated to marital quality and quality of the relationship with spouses. Aim of the present study is the replication of results, indicating that expressed emotion (EE) is an important factor in prediction of relapse in depression. Additionally, the correlation between EE shown by spouses and the severeness of depressive symptomatology as well as the importance of martial quality as seen by patients for relapse are investigated. Results of our study indicate that spouses EE does not predict relapse, and status of EE does not correlate with the extent of depressive symptoms. However, patient self ratings of satisfaction with marital relationship and of perceived criticism are related to relapse frequency. Additionally, discrepant ratings of marital satisfaction given by spouses predict relapse to some extent. Implications for research in affective disorders and clinical practice are discussed.

[Schizophrenia concepts in Soviet and Russian psychiatry]

Concepts of schizophrenia of the Soviet Russian school are presented. They are historically based upon the broad concepts of schizophrenia by Kraepelin and Bleuler. The relationships to the German concept of "Einheitspsychose" (unitary psychosis) is emphasized. Along with the discussion of correspondence to and differences with Western diagnostic systems (DSM, ICD) it is pointed out that the old Soviet system of classification extends to psychotic and also non-psychotic forms which in ICD-10 are not attributed to schizophrenia, but to other categories. Differential-diagnostic criteria of sluggish schizophrenia and neurosis, such as positive psychopathological symptoms, thought disturbances and changes in personality, will be delineated. Furthermore, recent developments in Russian psychiatry and modifications in Russian schizophrenia concepts will be exemplified by the concept of "psychic diathesis."

The 20kD protein of human [U4/U6.U5] tri-snRNPs is a novel cyclophilin that forms a complex with the U4/U6-specific 60kD and 90kD proteins

Cyclophilins (Cyps) catalyze the cis/trans isomerization of peptidyl-prolyl bonds, a rate-limiting step in protein folding. In some cases, cyclophilins have also been shown to form stable complexes with specific proteins in vivo and may thus also act as chaperone-like molecules. We have characterized the 20kD protein of the spliceosomal 25S [U4/U6.U5] tri-snRNP complex from HeLa cells and show that it is a novel human cyclophilin (denoted SnuCyp-20). Purified [U4/U6.U5] tri-snRNPs, but not U1, U2, or U5 snRNPs, exhibit peptidyl-prolyl cis/trans isomerase activity in vitro, which is cyclosporin A-sensitive, suggesting that SnuCyp-20 is an active isomerase. Consistent with its specific association with tri-snRNPs in vitro, immunofluorescence microscopy studies showed that SnuCyp-20 is predominantly located in the nucleus, where it colocalizes in situ with typical snRNP-containing structures referred to as nuclear speckles. As a first step toward the identification of possible targets of SnuCyp-20, we have investigated the interaction of SnuCyp-20 with other proteins of the tri-snRNP. Fractionation of RNA-free protein complexes dissociated from isolated tri-snRNPs by treatment with high salt revealed that SnuCyp-20 is part of a biochemically stable heteromer containing additionally the U4/U6-specific 60kD and 90kD proteins. By coimmunoprecipitation experiments performed with in vitro-translated proteins, we could further demonstrate a direct interaction between SnuCyp-20 and the 60kD protein, but failed to detect a protein complex containing the 90kD protein. The formation of a stable SnuCyp-20/60kD/90kD heteromer may thus require additional factors not present in our in vitro reconstitution system. We discuss possible roles of SnuCyp-20 in the assembly of [U4/U6.U5] tri-snRNPs and/or in conformational changes occurring during the splicing process.

[Time perception and time estimation in depressive patients]

Subjective time-experience and objective time-estimation were examined in 20 endogenous, 20 neurotic depressives, and 15 healthy volunteers. Subjective experience of past and anticipated future time was more extended in both depressive groups than in healthy controls. Objective time estimation differed between depressives and controls concerning relatively long time spans whereas very short time spans were correctly estimated also by depressives. There were no significant differences between endogenous and neurotic depressives. The perception of extended time normalized during treatment. The depressives' time perception, differences correlated with the extent of depressive psychopathological symptoms and--to a lesser degree--with retardation. The findings support the hypotheses of anthropological phenomenology concerning disturbed time perception and estimation in depressives. Amelioration of experienced time-extension in intentionally structured time spans compared to empty time spans suggests psychotherapeutic consequences in the sense of Lewinsohn.

The influence of psychopathology, personality, and marital interaction on the short-term course of major depression

By means of an aggregated variables design the domains of 'psychopathology', 'personality', and 'social interaction' were weighted according to their impact on the 2-year course of 50 patients with unipolar major depression. Preindex course ranked highest, asthenic personality second. Variables of social interaction disappeared in the second-order logistic regression. These findings fit in well with the recent literature. They are interpreted in terms of habituation processes and residual personality changes which lower the vulnerability threshold for relapse and unfavorable course. As a consequence of this conclusion early relapse prevention would be most important.

The human U5 snRNP-specific 100-kD protein is an RS domain-containing, putative RNA helicase with significant homology to the yeast splicing factor Prp28p

Through UV-crosslinking experiments, we previously provided evidence suggesting that a U5 snRNP protein with a molecular weight in the 100-kDa range is an ATP-binding protein (Laggerbauer B, Lauber J, Lührmann R, 1996, Nucleic Acid Res 24:868-875). Separation of HeLa U5 snRNP proteins on 2D gels revealed multiple variants with apparent molecular masses of 100 kDa. Subsequent microsequencing of these variants led to the isolation of a cDNA encoding a protein with an N-terminal RS domain and a C-terminal domain that contains all of the conserved motifs characteristic of members of the DEAD-box family of RNA-stimulated ATPases and RNA helicases. Antibodies raised against cDNA-encoded 100-kDa protein specifically recognized native U5-100kD both on immunoblots and in purified HeLa U5 snRNPs or [U4/U6.U5] tri-snRNP complexes, confirming that the bona fide 100-kDa cDNA had been isolated. In vitro phosphorylation studies demonstrated that U5-100kD can serve as a substrate for both Clk/Sty and the U1 snRNP-associated kinase, and further suggested that the multiple U5-100kD variants observed on 2D gels represent differentially phosphorylated forms of the protein. A database homology search revealed a significant degree of homology (60% similarity, 37% identity) between the Saccharomyces cerevisiae splicing factor, Prp28p, which lacks an N-terminal RS domain, and the C-terminal domain of U5-100kD. Consistent with their designation as structural homologues, anti-Prp28 antibodies recognized specifically the human U5-100kD protein on immunoblots. Together with the DEXH-box U5-200kD protein (Lauber J et al., 1996, EMBO J 15:4001-4015), U5-100kD is the second example of a putative RNA helicase that is tightly associated with the U5 snRNP. Given the recent identification of the U5-116kD protein as a homologue of the ribosomal translocase EF-2 (Fabrizio P, Laggerbauer B, Lauber J, Lane WS, Lührmann R, 1997, EMBO J 16:4092-4106), at least three integral U5 snRNP proteins thus potentially facilitate conformational changes in the spliceosome during nuclear pre-mRNA splicing.