Humor appreciation of captionless cartoons in obsessive-compulsive disorder

Background: It seems that the core neural regions and cognitive processes implicated in obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) pathophysiology may overlap with those involved in humor appreciation. However, to date, there have been no studies that have explored humor appreciation in OCD. The purpose of the present work was to investigate humor appreciation in a group of patients with OCD.Methods: We examined 25 patients with OCD and 25 healthy controls, matched by age, education, and gender. We administered Penn's Humor Appreciation Test (PHAT), a computerized test comprising captionless cartoons by Mordillo. Each set of stimuli consisted of two almost identical drawings, one of which was funny due to the alteration of a detail in the cartoon, whereas the other was not funny. Severity of psychopathology was evaluated with the Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale (Y-BOCS).Results: No significant effect for group, gender or group × gender interaction was found on the PHAT scores. In OCD patients, humor appreciation was not significantly associated with age of onset, duration of illness, and obsessions, but correlated significantly with compulsions.Conclusions: Humor appreciation, based on captionless cartoons in OCD, does not seem to be deficient compared to healthy subjects but may be related to illness characteristics. © 2011 Bozikas et al; licensee BioMed Central Ltd

TRAF3 can interact with GMEB1 and modulate its anti-apoptotic function

peer reviewedBackground: Members of Tumor Necrosis Factor (TNF) Receptor-Associated Factors (TRAFs) family interact with the cytoplasmic tails of TNF receptor family members to mediate signal transduction processes. TRAF3 has a major immunomodulatory function and TRAF3 deficiency has been linked to malignancies, such as multiple myeloma and lymphoid defects. In order to characterize the molecular mechanisms of TRAF3 signaling, the yeast two-hybrid system was used to identify proteins that interact with TRAF3. Results: The yeast two-hybrid screen of a human B cell cDNA library with TRAF3 as bait, identified Glucocorticoid Modulatory Element-Binding Protein 1 (GMEB1) as a TRAF3-interacting protein. Previous studies indicated that GMEB1 functions as a potent inhibitor of caspase activation and apoptosis. The interaction of TRAF3 and GMEB1 proteins was confirmed in mammalian cells lines, using immunoprecipitation assays. The RING and TRAF-C domains of TRAF3 were not essential for this interaction. The overexpression of TRAF3 protein enhanced the anti-apoptotic function of GMEB1 in HeLa cells. On the other hand, downregulation of TRAF3 by RNA interference decreased significantly the ability of GMEB1 to inhibit apoptosis. In addition, LMP1(1-231), a truncated form of the EBV oncoprotein LMP1, that can interact and oligomerize with TRAF3, was also able to cooperate with GMEB1, in order to inhibit apoptosis. Conclusions: Our protein-interaction experiments demonstrated that TRAF3 can interact with GMEB1, which is an inhibitor of apoptosis. In addition, cell viability assays showed that overexpression of TRAF3 enhanced the anti-apoptotic activity of GMEB1, supporting a regulatory role of TRAF3 in GMEB1-mediated inhibition of apoptosis. Better understanding of the molecular mechanism of TRAF3 function will improve diagnostics and targeted therapeutic approaches for TRAF3-associated disorders. © 2020 The Author(s)

Studying the association between musculoskeletal disorders, quality of life and mental health. A primary care pilot study in rural Crete, Greece

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The burden of musculoskeletal disorders (MSD) on the general health and well-being of the population has been documented in various studies. The objective of this study was to explore the association between MSD and the quality of life and mental health of patients and to discuss issues concerning care seeking patterns in rural Greece.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Patients registered at one rural Primary Care Centre (PCC) in Crete were invited to complete the Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire (NMQ) for the analysis of musculoskeletal symptoms, together with validated instruments for measuring health related quality of life (SF-36) and mental distress (GHQ-28).</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The prevalence rate of MSD was found to be 71.2%, with low back and knee pain being the most common symptoms. Most conditions significantly impaired the quality of life, especially the physical dimensions of SF-36. Depression was strongly correlated to most MSD (<it>p </it>< 0.001). Multiple logistic analyses revealed that patients who consulted the PCC due to MSD were likely to have more mental distress or impaired physical functioning compared to those who did not.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Musculoskeletal disorders were common in patients attending the rural PCC of this study and were associated with a poor quality of life and mental distress that affected their consultation behaviour.</p

General hospital staff worries, perceived sufficiency of information and associated psychological distress during the A/H1N1 influenza pandemic

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Health care workers (HCWs) presented frequent concerns regarding their health and their families' health and high levels of psychological distress during previous disease outbreaks, such as the SARS outbreak, which was associated with social isolation and intentional absenteeism. We aimed to assess HCWs concerns and anxiety, perceived sufficiency of information, and intended behavior during the recent A/H1N1 influenza pandemic and their associations with psychological distress.</p> <p>Method</p> <p>Between September 1^stand 30^th, 2009, 469 health-care workers (HCWs) of a tertiary teaching hospital completed a 20-item questionnaire regarding concerns and worries about the new A/H1N1 influenza pandemic, along with Cassileth's Information Styles Questionnaire (part-I) and the GHQ-28.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>More than half of the present study's HCWs (56.7%) reported they were worried about the A/H1N1 influenza pandemic, their degree of anxiety being moderately high (median 6/9). The most frequent concern was infection of family and friends and the health consequences of the disease (54.9%). The perceived risk of being infected was considered moderately high (median 6/9). Few HCWs (6.6%) had restricted their social contacts and fewer (3.8%) felt isolated by their family members and friends because of their hospital work, while a low percentage (4.3%) indented to take a leave to avoid infection. However, worry and degree of worry were significantly associated with intended absenteeism (p < 0.0005), restriction of social contacts (p < 0.0005), and psychological distress (p = 0.036). Perceived sufficiency of information about several aspects of the A/H1N1 influenza was moderately high, and the overall information about the A/H1N1 influenza was considered clear (median 7.4/9). Also, perceived sufficiency of information for the prognosis of the infection was significantly independently associated with the degree of worry about the pandemic (p = 0.008).</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>A significant proportion of HCWs experienced moderately high anxiety about the pandemic, and their degree of worry was an independent correlate of psychological distress. Since perceived sufficiency of information about the A/H1N1 influenza prognosis was associated with reduced degree of worry, hospital managers and consultation-liaison psychiatry services should try to provide for HCWs' need for information, in order to offer favourable working conditions in times of extreme distress, such as the current and future pandemics.</p

Quality of life after stroke: Evaluation of the Greek SAQOL-39g

Background/Aims: Stroke and aphasia rehabilitation aims to improve people’s quality of life. Yet, scales for measuring health-related quality of life in stroke typically exclude people with aphasia. They are also primarily available in English. An exception is the Stroke and Aphasia Quality of Life scale (SAQOL-39g). This scale has been tested with people with aphasia; it has been adapted for use in many countries including Greece. The aim of this study was to examine the psychometric properties of the Greek SAQOL-39g. Methods: An interview-based psychometric study was carried out. Participants completed: receptive sub-tests of Frenchay Aphasia Screening Test, Greek SAQOL-39g, General Health Questionnaire-12, Frenchay Activities Index, Montreal Cognitive Assessment and Barthel Index. Results: 86 people took part; 26 provided test-retest reliability data. The Greek SAQOL-39g demonstrated excellent acceptability (minimal missing data; no floor/ceiling effects), test-retest reliability (ICC= 0.96 scale, 0.83-0.99 domains) and internal consistency (Cronbach’s alpha 0.96 scale, 0.92-0.96 domains). There was strong evidence for convergent (r=0.53-0.80 scale; 0.54-0.89 domains) and discriminant validity (r=0.52 scale; 0.04-0.48 domains). Conclusion: The Greek SAQOL-39g is a valid and reliable scale. It is a promising measure for use in stroke and aphasia treatment prioritization, outcome measurement and service evaluation

Acute weight gain, gender, and therapeutic response to antipsychotics in the treatment of patients with schizophrenia

BACKGROUND: Previous research indicated that women are more vulnerable than men to adverse psychological consequences of weight gain. Other research has suggested that weight gain experienced during antipsychotic therapy may also psychologically impact women more negatively. This study assessed the impact of acute treatment-emergent weight gain on clinical and functional outcomes of patients with schizophrenia by patient gender and antipsychotic treatment (olanzapine or haloperidol). METHODS: Data were drawn from the acute phase (first 6-weeks) of a double-blind randomized clinical trial of olanzapine versus haloperidol in the treatment of 1296 men and 700 women with schizophrenia-spectrum disorders. The associations between weight change and change in core schizophrenia symptoms, depressive symptoms, and functional status were examined post-hoc for men and women and for each medication group. Core schizophrenia symptoms (positive and negative) were measured with the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS), depressive symptoms with the BPRS Anxiety/Depression Scale and the Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale, and functional status with the mental and physical component scores on the Medical Outcome Survey-Short Form 36. Statistical analysis included methods that controlled for treatment duration. RESULTS: Weight gain during 6-week treatment with olanzapine and haloperidol was significantly associated with improvements in core schizophrenia symptoms, depressive symptoms, mental functioning, and physical functioning for men and women alike. The conditional probability of clinical response (20% reduction in core schizophrenia symptom), given a clinically significant weight gain (at least 7% of baseline weight), showed that about half of the patients who lost weight responded to treatment, whereas three-quarters of the patients who had a clinically significant weight gain responded to treatment. The positive associations between therapeutic response and weight gain were similar for the olanzapine and haloperidol treatment groups. Improved outcomes were, however, more pronounced for the olanzapine-treated patients, and more olanzapine-treated patients gained weight. CONCLUSIONS: The findings of significant relationships between treatment-emergent weight gain and improvements in clinical and functional status at 6-weeks suggest that patients who have greater treatment-emergent weight gain are more likely to benefit from treatment with olanzapine or haloperidol regardless of gender