REM density is associated with treatment response in major depression: Antidepressant pharmacotherapy vs. psychotherapy.

Major depression is one of the most common psychiatric illnesses. Interestingly, a few studies have indicated the existence of depression subgroups, which respond differently to the available treatment options. Previously, sleep abnormalities have been suggested to indicate amenability to different treatment regimens.

[On the Situation of Inpatient Forensic Psychotherapy in Germany - Results of a Survey in Forensic Psychiatric Institutions].

The Federal Constitutional Court has emphasized the necessity of psychotherapy for offenders. Little is known about the actual situation of this field of work. Thus, an online survey was initiated.

Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing Versus Treatment as Usual in the Treatment of Depression: A Randomized-Controlled Trial.

Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) is a well-established treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder. Recent research suggested that it may be effective in treating depressive disorders as well. The present study is part of a multicenter randomized-controlled trial, the EDEN study, in which a homogenous group of 30 patients was treated to test whether EMDR plus treatment as usual (TAU) would achieve superior results compared to TAU only in a psychosomatic-psychotherapeutic inpatient treatment setting.

[Does the Youth Psychopathic Traits Inventory (YPI) identify a clinically relevant subgroup among young offenders?].

Objective: Does the Youth Psychopathic Traits Inventory identify one or more high-risk subgroups among young offenders? Which recommendations for possible courses of action can be derived for individual clinical or forensic cases? Method: Model-based cluster analysis (Raftery, 1995) was conducted on a sample of young offenders (N = 445, age 14–22 years, M = 18.5, SD = 1.65).

Assessing paedophilia based on the haemodynamic brain response to face images.

Objectives: Objective assessment of sexual preferences may be of relevance in the treatment and prognosis of child sexual offenders. Previous research has indicated that this can be achieved by pattern classification of brain responses to sexual child and adult images. Our recent research showed that human face processing is tuned to sexual age preferences.

A young woman who killed 5 of her own babies: A case of multiple neonaticide.

Neonaticide is a rare form of homicide. It is generally classed as manslaughter but differs from other forms of homicide in many respects. The factors favouring its occurrence and the legal position of neonaticide in Germany are discussed.

The (in)consistency of changes in brain macrostructure in male paedophiles: A combined T1-weighted and diffusion tensor imaging study.

Thus far, four studies have used magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to test for differences in brain structure between paedophilic (i.e. sexually attracted to pre-pubescent children) and teleiophilic (i.

Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) therapy in the treatment of depression: a matched pairs study in an inpatient setting.

Background: Depression is a severe mental disorder that challenges mental health systems worldwide as the success rates of all established treatments are limited. Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) therapy is a scientifically acknowledged psychotherapeutic treatment for PTSD. Given the recent research indicating that trauma and other adverse life experiences can be the basis of depression, the aim of this study was to determine the effectiveness of EMDR therapy with this disorder.

Psychopathy, intelligence and conviction history.

The current study examined the relationship between psychopathy, intelligence and two variables describing the conviction history (length of conviction and number of prior convictions). It was hypothesized that psychopathy factors (interpersonal and antisocial factors assuming a 2-factor model or interpersonal, affective, lifestyle and antisocial factors assuming a 4-factor model) would be related in different ways to IQ scores, length of conviction and number of prior convictions. Psychopathy and IQ were assessed using the PCL:SV and the CFT 20-R respectively.

Sleep and cognition at baseline and the effects of REM sleep diminution after 1 week of antidepressive treatment in patients with depression.

It has been hypothesized that non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep facilitates declarative memory consolidation, and rapid eye movement (REM) sleep is particularly important in promoting procedural learning. The aim of this study was to examine the effects of pharmacological REM sleep suppression on performance in different neuropsychological tasks. For our baseline, we chose 41 moderately depressed patients (age range 19-44 years), who were not taking antidepressants.

Changes in CREB phosphorylation and BDNF plasma levels during psychotherapy of depression.

Background: The cyclic adenosine monophosphate response element-binding proteins (CREB) and their interaction with brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) are essential elements in signal transduction pathways important for cellular resilience and neuroplasticity. They play a decisive role in the concept of altered neuroplasticity in major depression. We have previously demonstrated that the increase in phosphorylated CREB (pCREB) in T lymphocytes is significantly associated with clinical improvement in patients treated with antidepressants.

Predictive validity of the psychopathy checklist: screening version for intramural behaviour in violent offenders-a prospective study at a secure psychiatric hospital in Germany.

Objective: To consider the extent to which the presence of psychopathy, as indicated by the psychopathy checklist: screening version (PCL:SV), can predict intramural behaviour in offenders with mental disorders serving compulsory treatment at a German forensic psychiatric hospital.

Method: The PCL:SV was used with 48 offenders detained at a forensic psychiatric hospital in Germany. In a prospective design, objective and subjective measures of behaviour were compared for those identified as high and low scorers on the PCL:SV.

Are there age-related effects in antisocial personality disorders and psychopathy?

We investigated possible age differences in the frequency of antisocial personality disorder (ASPD), and of psychopathy according to Hare's criteria and its constituent features: In a cross-sectional study 226 male violent offenders, detained in adult or youth custody, were investigated using the Psychopathy Checklist Screening Version (PCL:SV) and the SCID II Interview. Their ages ranged from 18 to 59 years. Total PCL:SV score was negatively correlated with age.

The prevalence of mental disorders in a German sample of male incarcerated juvenile offenders.

The current study investigated the prevalence of mental disorders among incarcerated juvenile offenders in Germany and sought to identify clinically relevant subgroups. In sum, 149 newly incarcerated male juvenile delinquents (M age = 19 years) were included. Diagnostic tools included the German version of the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV and the Psychopathy Checklist-Screening Version.

Sleep in major depression: relation to memory performance and outcome after interpersonal psychotherapy.

Background: Earlier findings suggest both a link between sleep and memory consolidation and a relationship between abnormal sleep at baseline and poor treatment outcome in major depression after interpersonal psychotherapy (IPT).

Methods: Pre-treatment polysomnography was examined in 32 patients with a major depressive episode (mean age = 39.5 years, 20 women).

The relationship between DSM-IV cluster B personality disorders and psychopathy according to Hare's criteria: clarification and resolution of previous contradictions.

This study examines the relationship between DSM-cluster B personality disorders (PDs) and psychopaths according to Hare's criteria as detected by the Psychopathy Checklist (PCL:SV) in 299 violent offenders. To clarify some contradictions among several previous studies on this issue, individual cluster B PDs were looked at alone, excluding any cases of comorbidity with other PDs of this cluster. We found highly significant relationships between antisocial and borderline PD and Factor II of the PCL and a highly significant correlation between narcissistic PD and Factor I of the PCL.

Psychopathy checklist score predicts negative events during the sentences of prisoners with Hare psychopathy: a prospective study at a German prison.

Objective: This study examined the predictive validity of the German translation of the Psychopathy Checklist-Screening Version (PCL-SV) for negative events during the course of the prison sentence of German prisoners.

Method: Using the PCL-SV, we investigated 145 offenders in a German prison at the start of their sentences. We then compared the extreme groups identified by the PCL-SV--the high and low scorers--using a prospective design with respect to negative events and factors during the course of the sentences.

Kiel psychotherapy project for violent offenders Towards empirically based forensic psychotherapy -- disturbance profiles and risk of recidivism among incarcerated offenders in a German prison.

This study reports on a psychotherapy project for violent offenders. The project was established at a German prison by the Psychiatric and Psychotherapeutic Department at the University of Kiel. The overall aim of this project is to develop a scientifically based psychotherapy programme for violent offenders.

[Signals for the initiation of structured diagnostic procedures for depression in primary health care. A practice-relevant evaluation of international guidelines].

Background And Objectives: Almost every tenth patient of a general practitioner (GP) suffers from depression. However, only 20-25% of these patients are correctly diagnosed during a GP consultation. How do international guidelines for depression in primary care initiate structured diagnostic procedures for depression?

Methods: We performed a systematic literature search on guidelines for the diagnosis of depression with focus on primary care.

[Interpersonal psychotherapy (IPT) in depressions].

Evidence-based medicine gains more importance within psychotherapy as well, although some problems occur in trying to follow the principles of evidence-based-medicine in the field of psychotherapy very strictly. The Interpersonal Psychotherapy (IPT) for depression, which has been developed more than 30 years ago may be taken as an example for evidence-based-psychotherapy: the concept was built on empirical observations and manualised. Further on it was evaluated in many clinical trails that showed the good efficacy and later effectiveness.