Strategies for reducing test anxiety and optimizing exam preparation in German university students: a prevention-oriented pilot project of the University of Würzburg.

Test anxiety is a significant problem among university students which is frequently accompanied by a decline in performance and severe psychological problems. Studies of treatment methods of test anxiety were identified using literature searches of the Cochrane Library database of randomized controlled trials. A variety of intervention techniques for the treatment of test anxiety was detected, from which cognitive behavioral methods were found to be most effective for the treatment of test anxiety.

Co-morbidity of adult attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder with focus on personality traits and related disorders in a tertiary referral center.

Objective: The prevalence and consequences of co-morbid axis-I and axis-II disorders as well as personality traits were examined in a large cohort of adult attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (AADHD) at a tertiary referral center.

Methods: In- and outpatients referred for diagnostic assessment of AADHD were screened. 372 affected probands were examined by means of the Structured Clinical Interview of DSM-IV axis-I/II disorders, the Revised NEO Personality Inventory (NEO-PI-R), and the Tridimensional Personality Questionnaire (TPQ).

Carbohydrate-deficient transferrin parallels disease severity in anorexia nervosa.

Carbohydrate-deficient transferrin (CDT) is a commonly used biomarker for alcohol abuse; however, recent findings questioned its diagnostic value in catabolic subjects. We have thus investigated possible changes of CDT in patients suffering from eating disorders. Retrospectively, CDT values of patients with eating disorders were identified.

Cluster B personality disorders are associated with allelic variation of monoamine oxidase A activity.

Genetic variants of the monoamine oxidase A (MAOA) have been associated with aggression-, anxiety-, and addiction-related behavior in several nonclinical and clinical populations. Here, we investigated the influence of allelic variation of MAOA activity on aggression-related personality traits and disease risk in patients with personality disorders. Personality disorders were diagnosed with the Structured Clinical Interview of DSM-IV and were allocated to cluster A, B, and C.