Source:http://ijnp.oxfordjournals.org/content/early/2015/01/09/ijnp.pyu037
It has long been known that inflammtory processes play some part in psychosis, be it schizophrenia, depression, or mania.
The results of the above mentioned study again corroborate this finding.
Future therapeutic intervention may very well be aimed at controlling the inflammatory process associated with psychosis (although the usual caveat of „further studies are needed certainly apply).
Quelle:http://ijnp.oxfordjournals.org/content/early/2015/01/09/ijnp.pyu037
Es ist schon lange bekannt, daß entzündliche Prozesse im Körper, die auch einen Einfluß auf das Gehirn haben, bei Psychosen (Depression, Schizophrenie, Manie) eine große Rolle spielen.
Die o.a. Untersuchung zeigt recht deutlich, daß derartige entzündliche Prozesse im ganzen Körper, auch im Gehirn, tatsächlich eine große Rolle spielen.
Zukünftige Therapie-Optionen könnten auch diesen Aspekt vermehrt in Betracht ziehen!
Source:
Curcumin, a yellow-pigment compound found in the popular Indian spice turmeric (Curcuma longa), has been extensively investigated for its anti-inflammatory, chemopreventative, and antidepressant properties. Here, we examined the efficacy of dietary curcumin at impairing the consolidation and reconsolidation of a Pavlovian fear memory, a widely studied animal model of traumatic memory formation in posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). We show that a diet enriched with 1.5% curcumin prevents the training-related elevation in the expression of the immediate early genes (IEGs) Arc/Arg3.1 and Egr-1 in the lateral amygdala (LA) and impairs the ‘consolidation’ of an auditory Pavlovian fear memory; short-term memory (STM) is intact, whereas long-term memory (LTM) is significantly impaired. Next, we show that dietary curcumin impairs the ‘reconsolidation’ of a recently formed auditory Pavlovian fear memory; fear memory retrieval (reactivation) and postreactivation (PR)-STM are intact, whereas PR-LTM is significantly impaired. Additional experiments revealed that dietary curcumin is also effective at impairing the reconsolidation of an older, well-consolidated fear memory. Furthermore, we observed that fear memories that fail to reconsolidate under the influence of dietary curcumin are impaired in an enduring manner; unlike extinguished fear memories, they are not subject to reinstatement or renewal. Collectively, our findings indicate that a diet enriched with curcumin is capable of impairing fear memory consolidation and reconsolidation processes, findings that may have important clinical implications for the treatment of disorders such as PTSD that are characterized by unusually strong and persistently reactivated fear memories.
Quelle:http://www.nature.com/npp/journal/vaop/ncurrent/abs/npp2014315a.html
In einer Untersuchung am Tiermodell zeigte sich, daß das orientalische Gewürz gegen Angst und die Entwicklng von PTSD hilfreich sein könnte. Weiterlesen
Quelle:
Reference: Cognitive Enhancement or Cognitive Cost: Trait-Specific Outcomes of Brain Stimulation in the Case of Mathematics Anxiety. Amar Sarkar, Ann Dowker, and Roi Cohen Kadosh. (2014). Journal of Neuroscience 34(50): 16605-16610 und hier (in Englisch)
In dieser Untersuchung wurden ProbandInnen mathematische Aufgaben gestellt, die vorher transkranielle Megnetstimulation einer einer speziellen Hirnregion (dlPFC) erhielten.
Solche, die schon im Vorhinein viel Angst vor Mathe-Tests hatten, schnitten danach besser ab.
Interessanterweise war das aber nicht der Fall bei jenen, die prinzipiell nicht so große „Angst“ vor Mathe-Tests hatten. Die schnitten nach der Stimulation sogar schlechter ab.
In Salzburg wird transkranielle Magnetstimulation manchmal an der Christian Doppler Klinik durchgeführt – die Infrastruktur dafür gäbe es also.
Source:
Current neurocircuitry models of anxiety disorders posit a lack of inhibitory tone in the amygdala during acquisition of Pavlovian fear responses and deficient encoding of extinction responses in amygdala–medial prefrontal cortex circuits. Competition between these two responses often results in a return of fear, limiting control over anxiety. However, one hypothesis holds that a pharmacologic strategy aimed at reducing amygdala activity while simultaneously augmenting medial prefrontal cortex function could facilitate the extinction of conditioned fear.
Key among the endogenous inhibitors of amygdala activity in response to social fear signals is the hypothalamic peptide oxytocin. To address the question whether oxytocin can strengthen Pavlovian extinction beyond its role in controlling social fear, we conducted a functional magnetic resonance imaging experiment with 62 healthy male participants in a randomized, double-blind, parallel-group, placebo-controlled design. Specifically, subjects were exposed to a Pavlovian fear conditioning paradigm before receiving an intranasal dose (24 IU) of synthetic oxytocin or placebo.
Oxytocin, when administered intranasally after Pavlovian fear conditioning, was found to increase electrodermal responses and prefrontal cortex signals to conditioned fear in the early phase of extinction and to enhance the decline of skin conductance responses in the late phase of extinction. Oxytocin also evoked an unspecific inhibition of amygdalar responses in both phases.
Collectively, our findings identify oxytocin as a differentially acting modulator of neural hubs involved in Pavlovian extinction. This specific profile of oxytocin action may open up new avenues for enhancing extinction-based therapies for anxiety disorders.
Quelle:cal Psychiatry 10/2014; DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2014.10.015
Diese Studie hat Extrakt von Goldregen – einer ziemlich gewöhnlichen Garten/Heckenpflanze – zur Raucherentwöhnung untersucht.
Nicht nur waren die Ergebnisse wie es scheint besser als beim „Nikotinpflaster“, sondern es scheint auch kostengünstiger zu sein.
Bleibt abzuwarten, ob diese ermutigenden Ergebnisse replizierbar (wiederholbar) sind……..
Source:http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn26717-plant-extract-trumps-nicotine-patches-to-quit-smoking.html#.VJRe78AAs
https://twitter.com/DrMMuehlbacher/status/547734673002987521
Extract of golden rain tree proved to be better than nicotine patches for help to quit smoking.
This might be a totally new approach….and it’s apparentyl also cheaper. (see link)
Can your smartphone replace your therapist?
There are quite a number of apps for both iPhone and Android that claim to be helpful for certain conditions, includind psychiatric symptoms….
The evidence, however, is lacking in many cases and some apps may actually be harmful.
Read the article here:
http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/10-mobile-apps-that-deliver-advice-and-therapy/?page=8