Distressing visual mental images in depressed patients and healthy controls - Are they one and the same?

Negative mental images are common in a range of mental disorders. So far, only inconclusive evidence has been obtained for depression specificity. We assessed the disparities and similarities of a variety of imagery characteristics in 17 patients suffering from depressive disorders and 17 healthy matched controls who all reported negative mental images.

Visual mental imagery and symptoms of depression - results from a large-scale web-based study.

Background: Mental imagery may influence the onset and maintenance of depression, but specific mechanisms have not yet been determined.

Methods: Nine hundred twelve participants completed questionnaires on positive and negative mental images, as well as images of injury and death that lead to positive emotions ("ID-images"), and depressive symptomatology. The assessment was carried out online to reduce effects of social desirability.

Visual mental imagery in psychopathology--implications for the maintenance and treatment of depression.

Negative mental images are a common feature in a range of mental disorders as well as in healthy subjects. Intrusive negative mental images have only recently become a focus of attention in clinical research on depression. Research so far indicates that they can be an important factor regarding the onset and chronicity of affective disorders.

Causes and prognostic value of pre-transplant elevated kynurenine level in kidney allograft recipients.

Background: The activation of the tryptophane catabolizing enzyme Indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase leads to the formation of kynurenine and other metabolites that counter-regulate immune activation resulting in restoration of immune homeostasis. But in chronic immune activation, as in hemodialysed patients, the immunosuppressive feedback mechanisms continue as indicated by elevated kynurenine concentrations. However, its relevance is still a matter of debate.

High graft protection and low incidences of infections, malignancies and other adverse effects with intra-operative high dose ATG-induction: a single centre cohort study of 760 cases.

Background: In 1990 we introduced the intra-operative single high-dose induction (HDI) with ATG-Fresenius as a novel renal sparing concept. The aim of this analysis was to compare both the long-term patient and graft survival and the incidences of adverse effects in recipients treated with standard triple-drug therapy (TDT) alone or with an additional HDI with ATG-F.

Material And Methods: A total of 760 renal transplant recipients receiving either TDT, consisting of steroids, azathioprine and cyclosporine (n=238) or TDT + 9mg/kg ATG-F intra-operatively (n=522) were included in this retrospective analysis.