Foliations by spacelike hypersurfaces on Lorentz manifolds

In this work we study the geometric properties of spacelike foliations by hypersurfaces on a Lorentz manifold. We find an equation that relates the foliation with the ambient manifold and apply it to investigate conditions for the leaves being totally umbilical or geodesic. Using the Maximum principle with the mentioned equation we obtain an obstruction for the existence of totally geodesic spacelike foliations in a spacetime with positive Ricci curvature on the direction N

Neuropsychological predictors of response to randomized treatment in obsessive-compulsive disorder

Objective: To identify neuropsychological predictors of treatment response to cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) and fluoxetine in treatment-naive adults with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Method: Thirty-eight adult outpatients with OCD underwent neuropsychological assessment, including tasks of intellectual function, executive functioning and visual and verbal memory, before randomization to a 12-week clinical trial of either CBT or fluoxetine. Neuropsychological measures were used to identify predictors of treatment response in OCD. Results: Neuropsychological measures that predicted a better treatment response to either CBT or fluoxetine were higher verbal IQ (Wechsler Abbreviated Scale of Intelligence) (p = 0.008); higher verbal memory on the California Verbal Learning Test (p = 0.710); shorter time to complete part D (Dots) (p<0.001), longer time to complete part W (Words) (p = 0.025) and less errors on part C (Colors) (p<0.001) in the Victoria Stroop Test (VST). Fewer perseverations on the California Verbal Learning Test, a measure of mental flexibility, predicted better response to CBT, but worse response to fluoxetine (p = 0.002). Conclusion: In general, OCD patients with better cognitive and executive abilities at baseline were more prone to respond to either CBT or fluoxetine. Our finding that neuropsychological measures of mental flexibility predicted response to treatment in opposite directions for CBT and fluoxetine suggests that OCD patients with different neuropsychological profiles may respond preferentially to one type of treatment versus the other. Further studies with larger samples of OCD patients are necessary to investigate the heuristic value of such findings in a clinical context. (C) 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq: Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Cientifico e Tecnologico) [521369/96-7, 475919/2006-8, 481791/2004-3]Foundation for the Support of Research in the State of Sao Paulo (FAPESP: Fundacao de Amparo a Pesquisa do Estado de Sao Paulo) [05/55628-08, 05/04206-6, 06/61459-7, 06/50273-0, 06/58286-3

Perfectionism and sensory phenomena: phenotypic components of obsessive-compulsive disorder

Background: The aim of the study was to investigate how perfectionism and sensory phenomena (SP) interact as possible phenotypic components of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Methods: Forty-seven adult outpatients, meeting Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition, criteria for OCD, and a control group of 41 community subjects were assessed using the Frost Multidimensional Perfectionism Scale (FM PS), the University of Sao Paulo-Sensory Phenomena Scale, and other standard measures of OCD severity. Results: Three of the FMPS subscales (""concern over mistakes,"" ""doubts about action,"" and ""parental criticism"") were significantly different between OCD patients and control subjects. All subtypes of SP were significantly more frequent and more severe in OCD than in control subjects. The ""incompleteness"" subtype of SP was associated with high scores on all dimensions of the FMPS, whereas the ""just-right"" subtype of SP was only associated with ""doubts about action,"" ""personal standards,"" and ""organization"" subscales of the FMPS. Conclusions: Presence and severity of SP and specific elements of perfectionism clearly distinguish OCD patients from healthy control subjects. Some SP subtypes are associated with specific FPMS subscale scores, whereas others are not. These results emphasize the relevance of assessing different subtypes of perfectionism and SP in OCD patients as important subcomponents of the OCD phenotype. (C) 2009 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.Downs International Health Student Travel Fellowship, Yale University (JCL)FAPESP Foundation for the Support of Research in the State of Sao Paulo[1999/08560-6]FAPESP Foundation for the Support of Research in the State of Sao Paulo[1998/15013-9]FAPESP Foundation for the Support of Research in the State of Sao Paulo[2003/07451-6]FAPESP Foundation for the Support of Research in the State of Sao Paulo[2005/55628-8]CNPq Brazilian Council for Scientific and Technological Development[521369/96-7]CNPq Brazilian Council for Scientific and Technological Development[133339/2004-1]National Institute of Mental Health (NIH)[K05MH076273

Frequency of copy number variants of different sizes in patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and controls.

<p><i>P</i>-values were calculated using Pearson's Chi-square test; Bonferroni-adjusted significance of 0.025.</p><p>Frequency of copy number variants of different sizes in patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and controls.</p

Chromosome 15q 13.3 after CNV and qPCR procedures.

<p><b>A</b>. The microdeletion identified in the <i>FMN1</i> region of chromosome 15q13.3 using Genomic Workbench software (Agilent Technologies, Santa Clara, CA, USA). <b>B</b>. Genome browser image of the region containing the <i>FMN1</i> gene. One rare deletion was identified in the male proband (64 kb loss in OCD case 222_3). <b>C</b>. Rare CNVs were validated by SYBR Green-based real time PCR, and it was found that the father and son had only one copy of the exon while the gender-matched control had two copies.</p