Actions taken to cope with depressed mood: The role of personality traits

It is still largely unknown which actions people take to improve their mood when they feel they are getting depressed. Using the five-factor model of personality, we explore coping actions in a population of older adults in residential homes in relation to personality traits. A total of 350 non-cognitively impaired inhabitants of residential homes in the Netherlands participated in this study (mean age 85 years). They indicated which of 22 actions to cope with depression they had used in the past three months, and which of these they considered to be helpful in reducing depression. Other measures included the NEO-FFI, CES-D and MINI. Almost 60% of all subjects had used one or more actions to reduce depression in the past three months, and almost 90% considered one or more actions to be helpful in reducing depression. People scoring high on neuroticism had used more coping actions, including relaxing, eating chocolate, praying, seeking professional help, engaging in more pleasant activities, and talking to friends and relatives. People scoring high on openness considered many of the actions to be helpful. We conclude that actions taken to cope with depression and their helpfulness differ considerably for subjects with differing personality traits. © 2007 Taylor & Francis

Extending basic principles of measurement models to the design and validation of Patient Reported Outcomes

A recently published article by the Scientific Advisory Committee of the Medical Outcomes Trust presents guidelines for selecting and evaluating health status and health-related quality of life measures used in health outcomes research. In their article, they propose a number of validation and performance criteria with which to evaluate such self-report measures. We provide an alternate, yet complementary, perspective by extending the types of measurement models which are available to the instrument designer. During psychometric development or selection of a Patient Reported Outcome measure it is necessary to determine which, of the five types of measurement models, the measure is based on; 1) a Multiple Effect Indicator model, 2) a Multiple Cause Indicator model, 3) a Single Item Effect Indicator model, 4) a Single Item Cause Indicator model, or 5) a Mixed Multiple Indicator model. Specification of the measurement model has a major influence on decisions about item and scale design, the appropriate application of statistical validation methods, and the suitability of the resulting measure for a particular use in clinical and population-based outcomes research activities

The Outer Chloroplast Envelope Protein OEP16-1 for Plastid Import of NADPH:Protochlorophyllide Oxidoreductase A in Arabidopsis thaliana

The outer plastid envelope protein OEP16-1 was previously identified as an amino acid-selective channel protein and translocation pore for NADPH:protochlorophyllide oxidoreductase A (PORA). Reverse genetic approaches used to dissect these mutually not exclusive functions of OEP16-1 in planta have led to descriptions of different phenotypes resulting from the presence of several mutant lines in the SALK_024018 seed stock. In addition to the T-DNA insertion in the AtOEP16-1 gene, lines were purified that contain two additional T-DNA insertions and as yet unidentified point mutations. In a first attempt to resolve the genetic basis of four different lines in the SALK_024018 seed stock, we used genetic transformation with the OEP16-1 cDNA and segregation analyses after crossing out presumed point mutations. We show that AtOEP16-1 is involved in PORA precursor import and by virtue of this activity confers photoprotection onto etiolated seedlings during greenin

Association of ATP6V1B2 rs1106634 with lifetime risk of depression and hippocampal neurocognitive deficits: possible novel mechanisms in the etiopathology of depression

Current understanding and treatment of depression is limited to the monoaminergic theory with little knowledge of the involvement of other cellular processes. Genome-wide association studies, however, implicate several novel single-nucleotide polymorphisms with weak but replicable effects and unclarified mechanisms. We investigated the effect of rs1106634 of the ATPV1B2 gene encoding the vacuolar H+ATPase on lifetime and current depression and the possible mediating role of neuroticism by logistic and linear regression in a white European general sample of 2226 subjects. Association of rs1106634 with performance on frontal (Stockings of Cambridge (SOC)) and hippocampal-dependent (paired associates learning (PAL)) cognitive tasks was investigated in multivariate general linear models in a smaller subsample. The ATP6V1B2 rs1106634 A allele had a significant effect on lifetime but not on current depression. The effect of the A allele on lifetime depression was not mediated by neuroticism. The A allele influenced performance on the PAL but not on the SOC test. We conclude that the effects of variation in the vacuolar ATPase may point to a new molecular mechanism that influences the long-term development of depression. This mechanism may involve dysfunction specifically in hippocampal circuitry and cognitive impairment that characterizes recurrent and chronic depression

Potential health risks of complementary alternative medicines in cancer patients

Many cancer patients use complementary alternative medicines (CAMs) but may not be aware of the potential risks. There are no studies quantifying such risks, but there is some evidence of patient risk from case reports in the literature. A cross-sectional survey of patients attending the outpatient department at a specialist cancer centre was carried out to establish a pattern of herbal remedy or supplement use and to identify potential adverse side effects or drug interactions with conventional medicines. If potential risks were identified, a health warning was issued by a pharmacist. A total of 318 patients participated in the study. Of these, 164 (51.6%) took CAMs, and 133 different combinations were recorded. Of these, 10.4% only took herbal remedies, 42.1% only supplements and 47.6% a combination of both. In all, 18 (11.0%) reported supplements in higher than recommended doses. Health warnings were issued to 20 (12.2%) patients. Most warnings concerned echinacea in patients with lymphoma. Further warnings were issued for cod liver/fish oil, evening primrose oil, gingko, garlic, ginseng, kava kava and beta-carotene. In conclusion, medical practitioners need to be able to identify the potential risks of CAMs. Equally, patients should be encouraged to disclose their use. Also, more research is needed to quantify the actual health risks

Violence and post-traumatic stress disorder in Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil: the protocol for an epidemiological and genetic survey

Background: violence is a public health major concern, and it is associated with post-traumatic stress disorder and other psychiatric outcomes. Brazil is one of the most violent countries in the world, and has an extreme social inequality. Research on the association between violence and mental health may support public health policy and thus reduce the burden of disease attributable to violence. the main objectives of this project were: to study the association between violence and mental disorders in the Brazilian population; to estimate the prevalence rates of exposure to violence, post-traumatic stress disorder, common metal disorder, and alcohol hazardous use and dependence: and to identify contextual and individual factors, including genetic factors, associated with the outcomes.Methods/design: one phase cross-sectional survey carried out in São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. A multistage probability to size sampling scheme was performed in order to select the participants (3000 and 1500 respectively). the cities were stratified according to homicide rates, and in São Paulo the three most violent strata were oversampled. the measurements included exposure to traumatic events, psychiatric diagnoses (CIDI 2.1), contextual (homicide rates and social indicators), and individual factors, such as demographics, social capital, resilience, help seeking behaviours. the interviews were carried between June/2007 February/2008, by a team of lay interviewers. the statistical analyses will be weight-adjusted in order to take account of the design effects. Standardization will be used in order to compare the results between the two centres. Whole genome association analysis will be performed on the 1 million SNP (single nucleotide polymorphism) arrays, and additional association analysis will be performed on additional phenotypes. the Ethical Committee of the Federal University of São Paulo approved the study, and participants who matched diagnostic criteria have been offered a referral to outpatient clinics at the Federal University of São Paulo and Federal University of Rio de Janeiro

Cigarette smoking, nicotine dependence and anxiety disorders : a systematic review of population-based, epidemiological studies

Background Multiple studies have demonstrated that rates of smoking and nicotine dependence are increased in individuals with anxiety disorders. However, significant variability exists in the epidemiological literature exploring this relationship, including study design (cross-sectional versus prospective), the population assessed (random sample versus clinical population) and diagnostic instrument utilized.Methods We undertook a systematic review of population-based observational studies that utilized recognized structured clinical diagnostic criteria (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) or International Classification of Diseases (ICD)) for anxiety disorder diagnosis to investigate the relationship between cigarette smoking, nicotine dependence and anxiety disorders.Results In total, 47 studies met the predefined inclusion criteria, with 12 studies providing prospective information and 5 studies providing quasiprospective information. The available evidence suggests that some baseline anxiety disorders are a risk factor for initiation of smoking and nicotine dependence, although the evidence is heterogeneous and many studies did not control for the effect of comorbid substance use disorders. The identified evidence however appeared to more consistently support cigarette smoking and nicotine dependence as being a risk factor for development of some anxiety disorders (for example, panic disorder, generalized anxiety disorder), although these findings were not replicated in all studies. A number of inconsistencies in the literature were identified.Conclusions Although many studies have demonstrated increased rates of smoking and nicotine dependence in individuals with anxiety disorders, there is a limited and heterogeneous literature that has prospectively examined this relationship in population studies using validated diagnostic criteria. The most consistent evidence supports smoking and nicotine dependence as increasing the risk of panic disorder and generalized anxiety disorder. The literature assessing anxiety disorders increasing smoking and nicotine dependence is inconsistent. Potential issues with the current literature are discussed and directions for future research are suggested