Mourning and melancholia revisited: correspondences between principles of Freudian metapsychology and empirical findings in neuropsychiatry

Freud began his career as a neurologist studying the anatomy and physiology of the nervous system, but it was his later work in psychology that would secure his place in history. This paper draws attention to consistencies between physiological processes identified by modern clinical research and psychological processes described by Freud, with a special emphasis on his famous paper on depression entitled 'Mourning and melancholia'. Inspired by neuroimaging findings in depression and deep brain stimulation for treatment resistant depression, some preliminary physiological correlates are proposed for a number of key psychoanalytic processes. Specifically, activation of the subgenual cingulate is discussed in relation to repression and the default mode network is discussed in relation to the ego. If these correlates are found to be reliable, this may have implications for the manner in which psychoanalysis is viewed by the wider psychological and psychiatric communities

Haemodynamics and Oxygenation of the Tumor Microcirculation

Abnormalities of the tumor vasculature and their consequences on the microenvironment of tumor cells impact on tumor progression and response to both blood-borne anti-cancer agents and radio-therapy, as well as making tumor blood vessels a target for therapy in their own right. Intravital microscopy of experimental tumors, most commonly grown in ‘window’ chambers, such as the dorsal skin fold chamber in mice and rats, enables investigations of tumor microcirculatory function. This is needed both to understand the molecular control of tumor vascular function and to measure the response of the vasculature to treatment. In particular, intravital microscopy enables parameters associated with blood supply, vascular permeability and oxygenation to be estimated, at high spatial and temporal resolution. In this chapter, methods used for measuring a range of these parameters, specific examples of their applications, the significance of findings and some of the limitations of the techniques are described

Consensus guidelines for the use and interpretation of angiogenesis assays

The formation of new blood vessels, or angiogenesis, is a complex process that plays important roles in growth and development, tissue and organ regeneration, as well as numerous pathological conditions. Angiogenesis undergoes multiple discrete steps that can be individually evaluated and quantified by a large number of bioassays. These independent assessments hold advantages but also have limitations. This article describes in vivo, ex vivo, and in vitro bioassays that are available for the evaluation of angiogenesis and highlights critical aspects that are relevant for their execution and proper interpretation. As such, this collaborative work is the first edition of consensus guidelines on angiogenesis bioassays to serve for current and future reference

Cutaneous findings in mummies from the British Museum

This paper describes pathological abnormalities visible on the skin of mummies in the British Museum, London, and the photographic methods used to record their appearances. Although the mummification process limits the clinical information available, features compatible with eczema were identified for only the second time in mummified remains