Hydrocortisone Affects Fatigue and Physical Functioning Through Metabolism of Tryptophan: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

Context: Hydrocortisone (HC) treatment influences health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in secondary adrenal insufficiency (AI). Glucocorticoids regulate tryptophan metabolism through the kynurenine pathway, which modulates mood and energy homeostasis.

Objective: This study investigated whether tryptophan metabolism mediated the effect of HC dose on HRQOL in patients with secondary AI.

Heart Rate Variability Biofeedback Stress Relief Program for Depression*. A Replicated Single-Subject Design.

Background: Depressive disorders often have a chronic course and the efficacy of evidence-based treatments may be overestimated.

Objective: To examine the effectiveness of the Heart Rate Variability Stress Reduction Program (SRP) as a supplement to standard treatment in patients with depressive disorders.

Methods: The SRP was individually administered in eight weekly sessions.

Efficacy and cost of micronutrient treatment of childhood psychosis.

Psychosis is difficult to treat effectively with conventional pharmaceuticals, many of which have adverse long-term health consequences. In contrast, there are promising reports from several research groups of micronutrient treatment (vitamins, minerals, amino acids and essential fatty acids) of mood, anxiety and psychosis symptoms using a complex formula that appears to be safe and tolerable. We review previous studies using this formula to treat mental symptoms, and present an 11-year-old boy with a 3-year history of mental illness whose parents chose to transition him from medication to micronutrients.

Low-intensity blue-enriched white light (750 lux) and standard bright light (10,000 lux) are equally effective in treating SAD. A randomized controlled study.

Background: Photoreceptor cells containing melanopsin play a role in the phase-shifting effects of short-wavelength light. In a previous study, we compared the standard light treatment (SLT) of SAD with treatment using short-wavelength blue-enriched white light (BLT). Both treatments used the same illuminance (10,000 lux) and were equally highly effective.