Effect of sport-tinted contact lenses for contrast enhancement on retinal straylight measurements

PURPOSE: To investigate the effect of two tinted contact lenses (CL) designed for outdoor sports activity on the psychometric determination of retinal straylight using the compensation comparison method. METHODS: Thirteen emmetropic subjects were randomly fitted with two different tinted Nike Maxsight (Bausch & Lomb, Rochester, NY, USA) CL in one eye, while the contralateral eye was fitted with a clear lens made of the same material (Optima 38, Bausch & Lomb). Three valid straylight measurements were taken on each eye before and a few minutes after lens insertion, when lens stabilization had occurred. RESULTS: The subjects' mean straylight values were 0.90 +/- 0.09 at baseline and 0.95 +/- 0.10 with the clear Optima 38 CL. Straylight values were 0.97 +/- 0.10 and 1.0 +/- 0.10 log units with the amber and grey-green tinted CL, respectively. Differences in straylight between baseline (without CL) and with the clear CL in place were neither statistically significant (p = 0.066) nor was there a significant difference between baseline and the amber CL (p = 0.052). However, the grey-green CL showed a statistically significant difference from baseline (p = 0.006). Differences in straylight with the clear CL compared with the grey-green CL were also statistically different from zero (p = 0.002) showing an increased straylight value for the tinted CL. These differences were variable, but consistent for each subject, thus those showing higher or lower changes with one tinted lens tended to show the same trend with the second lens (r(2) = 0.736). CONCLUSIONS: Despite increases having been found in straylight values with tinted contact lenses, those changes are not likely to induce clinically significant changes in visual function under photopic conditions, even for the grey-green CL, which seems to increase straylight values more significantly than the amber CL. This difference between the tinted CL could suggest a wavelength dependence of straylight values, although this should be investigated further by controlling for pupil size and subjects' pigmentation, as well as by using neutral density filters

Psychedelics for the treatment of depression, anxiety, and existential distress in patients with a terminal illness:a systematic review

Background Terminally ill patients may experience existential distress, depression, or anxiety, limiting quality of life in the final stage. Existing psychotherapeutic or pharmacological interventions have (time) limited efficacy. Psychedelic treatment may be a safe and effective alternative treatment option. Aim Systematically review studies on psychedelic treatment with and without psychotherapy for existential distress, depression, and anxiety in terminally ill patients. Methods Medline, PsycINFO, and Embase were searched for original-data studies on the treatment of depression, anxiety, and existential distress with classical or a-typical psychedelics in patients with a terminal illness, using Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. Results A total of 1850 records were screened, and 33 articles were included in this review: 14 studies on classical psychedelics (DPT, LSD, and psilocybin) and 19 studies on atypical psychedelics (MDMA and ketamine). Results of early pre-post studies are promising but have serious methodological flaws. Recent (controlled) trials with LSD, psilocybin, ketamine, and MDMA are of higher methodological quality and indicate positive effects on existential and spiritual well-being, quality of life, acceptance, and reduction of anxiety and depression with few adverse and no serious adverse effects. Conclusions Both classical and a-typical psychedelics are promising treatment options in patients with terminal illness. To draw final conclusions on effectiveness and safety of psychedelics, we need larger high-quality studies for classical psychedelics and MDMA. Ketamine studies should pay more attention to existential dimensions of well-being and the psychotherapeutic context of the treatment

Pharmacodynamic Interactions Between Ketamine and Psychiatric Medications Used in the Treatment of Depression:A Systematic Review

Background The use of ketamine for depression has increased rapidly in the past decades. Ketamine is often prescribed as an add-on to other drugs used in psychiatric patients, but clear information on drug-drug interactions is lacking. With this review, we aim to provide an overview of the pharmacodynamic interactions between ketamine and mood stabilizers, benzodiazepines, monoamine oxidase-inhibitors, antipsychotics, and psychostimulants. Methods MEDLINE and Web of Science were searched. Results Twenty-four studies were included. For lithium, no significant interactions with ketamine were reported. Two out of 5 studies on lamotrigine indicated that the effects of ketamine were attenuated. Benzodiazepines were repeatedly shown to reduce the duration of ketamine's antidepressant effect. For the monoamine oxidase-inhibitor tranylcypromine, case reports showed no relevant changes in vital signs during concurrent S-ketamine use. One paper indicated an interaction between ketamine and haloperidol, 2 other studies did not. Four papers investigated risperidone, including 3 neuroimaging studies showing an attenuating effect of risperidone on ketamine-induced brain perfusion changes. Clozapine significantly blunted ketamine-induced positive symptoms in patients with schizophrenia but not in healthy participants. One paper reported no effect of olanzapine on ketamine's acute psychotomimetic effects. Conclusion Current literature shows that benzodiazepines and probably lamotrigine reduce ketamine's treatment outcome, which should be taken into account when considering ketamine treatment. There is evidence for an interaction between ketamine and clozapine, haloperidol, and risperidone. Due to small sample sizes, different subject groups and various outcome parameters, the evidence is of low quality. More studies are needed to provide insight into pharmacodynamic interactions with ketamine

Midterm Self Evaluation Report November 2004 - June 2007 : Dutch National Research Programme Climate changes Spatial Planning (CcSP)

This self evaluation report is a product of the Climatic Change Spatial Planning consortium. It describes the progress on a programme level and within each theme of the CcSP-programme over the period November 2004 until May 200

Psychedelics for existential distress in terminally ill patients

BACKGROUND: Existential distress in patients with a terminal illness is often associated with (symptoms of) anxiety and depression. Psychotherapeutic interventions seem effective but effects are short-lived. There are no proven effective pharmacological interventions.&lt;br/&gt; AIM: To present an overview of literature on psychedelic treatment of existential distress in patients with terminal illness.&lt;br/&gt; METHOD: Literature research in PubMed/Medline databases, supplemented with cross-references.&lt;br/&gt; RESULTS: 14 clinical studies have been conducted: 6 with classic psychedelics between 1960 and 1980, and 8 with classic psychedelics and ketamine after 2000. Results of early pre-post studies are promising but have serious methodological limitations. Recent clinical research with LSD, psilocybin and ketamine are also promising although limited in terms of research design and generalizability. Overall, studies show a positive effect on existential and spiritual well-being, quality of life, acceptance and (symptoms of) anxiety and depression. Mystical experiences are correlated with positive outcomes. Few adverse effects are reported.&lt;br/&gt; CONCLUSION: Treatment of existential distress using classical psychedelics or ketamine in patients with terminal illness seems auspicious. Larger clinical studies in a more diverse patient population with fewer methodological limitations are needed to draw conclusions about efficacy and generalizability.</p

Diffusion tensor driven image registration: a deep learning approach

Tracking microsctructural changes in the developing brain relies on accurate inter-subject image registration. However, most methods rely on either structural or diffusion data to learn the spatial correspondences between two or more images, without taking into account the complementary information provided by using both. Here we propose a deep learning registration framework which combines the structural information provided by T2-weighted (T2w) images with the rich microstructural information offered by diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) scans. We perform a leave-one-out cross-validation study where we compare the performance of our multi-modality registration model with a baseline model trained on structural data only, in terms of Dice scores and differences in fractional anisotropy (FA) maps. Our results show that in terms of average Dice scores our model performs better in subcortical regions when compared to using structural data only. Moreover, average sum-of-squared differences between warped and fixed FA maps show that our proposed model performs better at aligning the diffusion data

Correction to:Oral esketamine for treatment-resistant depression: rationale and design of a randomized controlled trial

After publication of our article [1] we were notified that Figure 1 was wrongly presented