Grounding Patients With Hypertension Improves Blood Pressure: A Case History Series Study.

Background: Research conducted during the last 15 y has demonstrated that grounding (Earthing) the human body to Earth's surface charge generates multiple beneficial physiological effects. Anecdotal reports include lowering of high blood pressure (BP).

Objective: To test such reports, a pilot case history series was undertaken with hypertensive patients in a single physician cardiology practice.

Evaluation of the 'Jumping to conclusions' bias in different subgroups of the at-risk mental state: from cognitive basic symptoms to UHR criteria.

Background: Patients with psychosis display the so-called 'Jumping to Conclusions' bias (JTC) - a tendency for hasty decision-making in probabilistic reasoning tasks. So far, only a few studies have evaluated the JTC bias in 'at-risk mental state' (ARMS) patients, specifically in ARMS samples fulfilling 'ultra-high risk' (UHR) criteria, thus not allowing for comparisons between different ARMS subgroups.

Method: In the framework of the PREVENT (secondary prevention of schizophrenia) study, a JTC task was applied to 188 patients either fulfilling UHR criteria or presenting with cognitive basic symptoms (BS).

Inducible forebrain-specific ablation of the transcription factor Creb during adulthood induces anxiety but no spatial/contextual learning deficits.

The cyclic AMP (cAMP)-response element binding protein (CREB) is an activity-dependent transcription factor playing a role in synaptic plasticity, learning and memory, and emotional behavior. However, the impact of Creb ablation on rodent behavior is vague as e.g.

Impact of adolescent GluA1 AMPA receptor ablation in forebrain excitatory neurons on behavioural correlates of mood disorders.

Glutamatergic dysfunctions have recently been postulated to play a considerable role in mood disorders. However, molecular mechanisms underlying these effects have been poorly deciphered. Previous work demonstrated the contribution of GluA1-containing AMPA receptors (AMPAR) to a depression-like and anxiety-like phenotype.

Obsessive-compulsive symptoms in at-risk mental states for psychosis: associations with clinical impairment and cognitive function.

Objective: Obsessive-compulsive symptoms (OCS) constitute a major comorbidity in schizophrenia. Prevalence estimations of OCS for patients with at-risk mental states (ARMS) for psychosis vary largely. It is unclear how ARMS patients with or without comorbid OCS differ regarding general psychosocial functioning, psychotic and affective symptoms and neurocognitive abilities.