Regulation of 5-HT Receptors and the Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal Axis

Disturbances in the serotonin (5-HT) system is the neurobiological abnormality most consistently associated with suicide. Hyperactivity of the hypothalmic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis is also described in suicide victims. The HPA axis is the classical neuroendocrine system that responds to stress and whose final product, corticosteroids, targets components of the limbic system, particularly the hippocampus. We will review resulsts from animal studies that point to the possibility that many of the 5-HT receptor changes observed in suicide brains may be a result of, or may be worsened by, the HPA overactivity that may be present in some suicide victims. The results of these studies can be summarized as follows: (1) chronic unpredictable stress produces high corticosteroid levels in rats; (2) chronic stress also results in changes in specific 5-HT receptors (increases in cortical 5-HT2A and decreases in hipocampal 5-HT1A and 5-HT1B); (3) chronic antidepressant administration prevents many of the 5-HT receptor changes observed after stress; and (4) chronic antidepressant administration reverses the overactivity of the HPA axis. If indeed 5-HT receptors have a partial role in controlling affective states, then their modulation by corticosteroids provides a potential mechanism by which these hormones may regulate mood. These data may also provide a biological understanding of how stressful events may increase the risk for suicide in vulnerable individuals and may help us elucidate the neurobiological underpinnings of treatment resistance.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/73437/1/j.1749-6632.1997.tb52357.x.pd

Power Handling of Electrostatic MEMS Evanescent-Mode (EVA) Tunable Bandpass Filters

This paper presents the first theoretical and experimental study on the power handling capabilities of electrostatically tunable MEMS cavity filters. The theoretical analysis indicates that the frequency-dependent RF voltage inside a narrow-band filter may play an important role in the generation of electromechanical nonlinearities such as frequency response distortion, frequency shift, and bifurcation instability. This analysis also reveals that the filter\u27s power handling capability is dependent on several critical factors, including the capacitive gap, stiffness of the diaphragm actuator, and the overall quality factor (Q) of the evanescent-mode (EVA) resonators. A nonlinear computer-aided design (CAD) model is proposed as a practical tool for capturing the important tradeoffs in high-power design. An EVA tunable resonator and a two-pole 2% filter are fabricated and measured as vehicles to validate the theory and the CAD model. Specifically, a medium-power filter with a tuning range of 2.35-3.21 GHz (1.37: 1) and an extracted unloaded quality factor (Q(u)) of 356-405 shows measured power levels of 23.4 dBm (0.22W) before bifurcation instability occurs. The measured IIP3 of this filter are 52.1 dBm. The theory and modeling, backed up by the measurements, provide significant insights into the high-power design of electrostatic tunable cavity filters

System-level characterization of bias noise effects on electrostatic RF MEMS tunable filters

This paper presents the first system-level characterization of the effects of bias noise on the performance of high-Q electrostatic RF MEMS tunable filters. By looking at the system-level performance of such a tunable filter, this paper shows that bias noise, if not well controlled, can degrade the RF performance of the tunable filter. Quantified by error vector magnitude measurement, such system level degradation due to bias noise is found to be dependent on the frequency and amplitude of the noise signals

Treatment strategies for tics in Tourette syndrome

Tourette syndrome (TS) is a chronic neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by tics: repetitive, involuntary movements and vocalizations. These symptoms can have a significant impact on patients’ daily functioning across many domains. Tics tend to be most severe in child and adolescent sufferers, so their presence has the potential to impact a period of life that is both critical for learning and is often associated with the experience of greater social tension and self-consciousness than adulthood. Furthermore, control over tics that lead to physical impairment or self-injurious behaviour is of vital importance in maintaining health and quality of life. There are numerous complicating factors in the prescription of treatment for tics, due to both the side effects associated with alleviating agents and patient characteristics, such as age and comorbid conditions. This review summarizes literature pertaining to the efficacy and safety of both traditionally prescribed and more modern medications. We also discuss the merits of behavioural and surgical techniques and highlight newer emerging treatments. Although treatment response is to some extent variable, there are a number of agents that are clearly useful as first-line treatments for TS. Other interventions may be of most benefit to patients exhibiting refractory tics or more specific symptom profiles