Functional connectivity abnormalities during processing of predictive stimuli in patients with major depressive disorder.

The study investigated the underlying mechanisms associated with the ability of patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) to utilize predictive contextual information in order to facilitate detection of predictable versus random targets. To this end we evaluated EEG event-related functional connectivity during the processing of predictive stimuli in MDD and control subjects. A target detection task was used where targets were either preceded by randomized sequences of standards, or by sequences that included a predictive sequence.

Participation of the left inferior frontal gyrus in human originality.

Human creative cognition is commonly described as a twofold cyclic process that involves an idea generation phase and an idea evaluation phase. Although the evaluation phase makes a crucial contribution to originality, its underlying mechanisms have not received sufficient research attention. Here, we suggest that the left inferior frontal gyrus (lIFG) plays a major role in the interplay between the evaluation and generation networks and that inhibiting this region's activity may have an effect on "releasing" the generation neural network, resulting in greater originality.

Secondary Prevention of Chronic PTSD by Early and Short-Term Administration of Escitalopram: A Prospective Randomized, Placebo-Controlled, Double-Blind Trial.

Objective: Prospective studies have not identified a viable pharmacologic strategy for secondary prevention of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The authors examined whether preventive intervention via early and short-term administration of a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI), within 1 month of exposure to a traumatic event (before diagnosis of PTSD could be made), may reduce the severity of PTSD symptoms according to DSM-IV at 13 months' follow-up.

Methods: Over 25,000 screening calls to patients referred to an emergency department for a traumatic event performed between June 2006 and December 2008 yielded 353 participants who were recruited within the month following a traumatic event .

The role of oxytocin in empathy in PTSD.

Objective: Although impairments in social skills are common in posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), only a handful of studies have investigated the empathic abilities of patients with PTSD. The first aim of this study was to characterize emotional and cognitive empathy deficits among patients with PTSD. Furthermore, intranasal oxytocin (OT) has been reported as possibly improving emotional empathy, and it has recently been suggested that patients with PTSD may suffer from abnormal functioning of the oxytocinergic system.

Oxytocin improves compassion toward women among patients with PTSD.

Although impairments in social skills, including empathic abilities, are common in post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), the ability to feel compassion-a pro-social behavior that is based on empathy and drives us to help others-has never been assessed among these patients. The first aim of this study was to examine whether patients with PTSD suffer from deficits in compassion and to examine the association between the clusters of PTSD symptoms and these deficits. Furthermore, given that intranasal oxytocin (OT) has been suggested to possibly modulate social behaviors, the second aim of this study was to investigate whether intranasal OT may enhance compassion in these patients.

The role of branched chain amino acid and tryptophan metabolism in rat's behavioral diversity: Intertwined peripheral and brain effects.

Previously, we showed that a transient early-in-life interference with the expression of multiple genes by mithramycin (MTR) followed by later-in-life exposure to chronic stress, leads to a "daring" and novelty seeking behavior in rats. In this study we searched for molecular changes that contribute to this behavioral alteration. We applied a non-hypothesis driven strategy using whole genome cDNA array analysis (WGA) followed by Genome Scale Metabolic modeling analysis (GSMM).

A prospective, randomized, three arm, open label study comparing the safety and efficacy of PP110, a novel treatment for hemorrhoids to preparation-H® maximum strength cream in the treatment of grade 2-3 hemorrhoids.

Background: Hemorrhoids are a common disorder that affects the quality of life of millions of people worldwide. The effectiveness of OTC medication is limited and they mainly provide symptomatic relief. In order to treat this ailment, we formulated PP110 Gel and Wipes, as a novel treatment for hemorrhoids.

Cultural Perspectives on the Aftereffects of Combat Trauma: Review of a Community Study of Bedouin IDF Servicemen and Their Families.

Combat trauma may affect servicemen from indigenous, traditional communities in ways that warrant special attention. The Bedouins, who enlist in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) voluntarily, represent a unique, closed, collectivist cultural minority, potentially in a predicament in light of ongoing sociopolitical events. This paper summarizes findings and lessons learned from a community study of Bedouin IDF servicemen and their families residing in Israel's Western Galilee.

Preliminary assessment of the therapeutic efficacy of continuous theta-burst magnetic stimulation (cTBS) in major depression: a double-blind sham-controlled study.

Background: Theta-burst transcranial magnetic stimulation (TBS) has been shown to induce potent and long lasting effects on cortical excitability. In a previous open study, we demonstrated safety, tolerability and antidepressant properties of continuous TBS (cTBS) in major depression (MD). The present study was aimed to evaluate the therapeutic efficacy of cTBS in depressed patients using a double-blind, sham-controlled design.

Oxytocin increases empathy to pain when adopting the other- but not the self-perspective.

There is growing evidence that the neuropeptide oxytocin (OT) facilitates various forms of sensitivity to others, but the mechanism by which OT enhances empathy in humans is unclear. In this study, we examined whether OT increases empathy by the way of blurring the distinction between self and other, or by enhancing the difference between self and other. In this double-blind, placebo-controlled, within-subject crossover design, empathic responses of healthy participants were compared when imagining oneself (i.

Intranasal administration of oxytocin increases compassion toward women.

It has been suggested that the degree of compassion-the feeling of warmth, understanding and kindness that motivates the desire to help others, is modulated by observers' views regarding the target's vulnerability and suffering. This study tested the hypothesis that as compassion developed to protect vulnerable kinships, hormones such as oxytocin, which have been suggested as playing a key role in 'tend-and-befriend' behaviors among women, will enhance compassion toward women but not toward men. Thirty subjects participated in a double-blind, placebo-controlled, within-subject study.

Entacapone augmentation of antipsychotic treatment in schizophrenic patients with negative symptoms; a double-blind placebo-controlled study.

Negative symptoms in schizophrenia are associated with decreased dopaminergic activity in the prefrontal cortex (PFC). It is hypothesized that increasing dopamine levels would alleviate negative symptoms. Termination of dopamine activity in the PFC is mainly via catechol-O-methyl tranferase (COMT) activity.

Dexamethasone in the presence of desipramine enhances MAPK/ERK1/2 signaling possibly via its interference with β-arrestin.

Antidepressant medication is the standard treatment for major depression disorder (MDD). However, the response to these treatments is often incomplete and many patients remain refractory. In the present study, we show that the glucocorticoid receptor (GR) agonist dexamethasone (DEX) increased MAPK/ERK1/2 signaling in the presence of the noradrenergic antidepressant, desipramine (DMI), while no such effect was induced by DEX or DMI alone in human neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y cells.

Local contextual processing in major depressive disorder.

Objective: The study investigated local contextual processing in patients with major depressive disorder (MDD). This was defined as the ability to utilize predictive contextual information to facilitate detection of predictable versus random targets.

Method: We recorded EEG in 15 MDD patients and 14 age-matched controls.

Face or body? Oxytocin improves perception of emotions from facial expressions in incongruent emotional body context.

The neuropeptide oxytocin (OT) has been repeatedly reported to play an essential role in the regulation of social cognition in humans in general, and specifically in enhancing the recognition of emotions from facial expressions. The later was assessed in different paradigms that rely primarily on isolated and decontextualized emotional faces. However, recent evidence has indicated that the perception of basic facial expressions is not context invariant and can be categorically altered by context, especially body context, at early perceptual levels.

Possible association of Toll-like receptor 9 polymorphisms with cytokine levels and posttraumatic symptoms in individuals with various types of orthopaedic trauma: early findings.

Background: Although TLR9 polymorphisms may be associated with cytokine dysregulation, its role in regulation of cytokines due to bodily trauma or in relation to acute stress symptoms or posttraumatic stress symptoms (ASS/PTS) has not been evaluated.

Aims: To assess serum cytokine levels and levels of ASS and PTS in relation to four common TLR9 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in individuals with various types of orthopaedic trauma.

Methods: Forty-eight accident-injured individuals, aged 20-60 years were studied.

Early postnatal interference with the expression of multiple Sp1 regulated genes leads to disparate behavioral response to sub-chronic and chronic stress in rats.

Background: It is currently accepted that complex behavior and mental disorder results from a combination of biological susceptibility and exposure to environmental stimuli. Most of the gene-environment interaction models focus on the interaction between the stimuli and a single candidate gene. We suggest that an alternative approach is interference with the expression of multiple genes followed by exposure to environmental insults.

The neurocognitive basis of insight into illness in anorexia nervosa: a pilot metacognitive study.

The primary goal of the present study was to explore the neuropsychological basis of insight into illness in anorexia nervosa by evaluating its differential and joint links with cognitive vs. metacognitive performance. Participants in the study were 25 women with anorexia nervosa (AN) and 25 healthy comparisons (HC).

β-endorphin degradation and the individual reactivity to traumatic stress.

Reactivity to traumatic stress varies between individuals and only a minority of those exposed to trauma develops stress-induced psychopathologies. Currently extensive effort is made to unravel the specific mechanisms predisposing to vulnerability vs. resilience to stress.

In the aftermath of trauma: a community study of Bedouin IDF servicemen and their families.

Background: Data are scarce on the effects of trauma and post-traumatic stress disorder (PtSD) on minority servicemen from non-western communities and the indirect impact on their spouses and other family members.

Method: Interviews were completed with Bedouin servicemen in the Israel Defense Forces (N=317) and co-resident wives (N=129) and mothers (N=67).

Results: Servicemen had high levels of trauma exposure and PtSD.

Dehydroepiandrosterone treatment effects on weight, bone density, bone metabolism and mood in women suffering from anorexia nervosa-a pilot study.

We investigated the effects of the administration of dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) on weight, bone metabolism, bone density and clinical mood symptoms in outpatient Anorexia Nervosa (AN) patients. AN patients (n=26) were double-blindly randomized to receive DHEA (100mg) or placebo for 6 months. Outcome measures were bone mineral density (BMD) and bone mineral content (BMC) measured by dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) and metabolism indexes, steroid hormones, and mood and eating disorder symptoms measured at baseline and at the 3 and 6 months follow-up visits.

Hypercoagulation in chronic post-traumatic stress disorder.

Background: Whereas procoagulation abnormalities in acute stress are well established, little is known about the mechanism of hypercoagulation in chronic stress, such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). This is crucial, given the fact that chronic coagulation disturbances have been associated with increased morbidity and premature mortality due to thromboembolism and cardiovascular disorders, complications recently described in PTSD patients.

Objectives: To explore the mechanisms of hypercoagulation in chronic PTSD.

Resource loss and posttraumatic responses in Bedouin members of the Israeli Defense Forces.

This study examined the impact of exposure to traumatizing events in an ethnic minority group of Bedouin members of the Israel Defense Forces (N = 317). Guided by the conservation of resources (COR) theory (Hobfoll, 1988), the authors hypothesized that loss of resources would mediate the relationship between trauma and posttraumatic responses. We found that loss of personal resources (e.

Cytokine levels as potential biomarkers for predicting the development of posttraumatic stress symptoms in casualties of accidents.

Background: Traumatic injuries are usually associated with increased secretion of pro-inflammatory cytokines, and are sometimes followed by the development of acute stress symptoms (ASS) and posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS).

Aims: To measure serum pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines in accident casualties and to associate it with ASS at hospitalization, and with PTSS 1 month later.

Methods: Participants were 48 patients, aged 20-60, hospitalized following various orthopedic injuries including bone fractures, and 13 healthy volunteers matched for gender.