Can integrating the Memory Support Intervention into cognitive therapy improve depression outcome? Study protocol for a randomized controlled trial.

Background: The Memory Support Intervention was developed in response to evidence showing that: (1) patient memory for treatment is poor, (2) poor memory for treatment is associated with poorer adherence and poorer outcome, (3) the impact of memory impairment can be minimized by the use of memory support strategies and (4) improved memory for treatment improves outcome. The aim of this study protocol is to conduct a confirmatory efficacy trial to test whether the Memory Support Intervention improves illness course and functional outcomes. As a "platform" for the next step in investigating this approach, we focus on major depressive disorder (MDD) and cognitive therapy (CT).

Improving outcome for mental disorders by enhancing memory for treatment.

Patients exhibit poor memory for treatment. A novel Memory Support Intervention, derived from basic science in cognitive psychology and education, is tested with the goal of improving patient memory for treatment and treatment outcome. Adults with major depressive disorder (MDD) were randomized to 14 sessions of cognitive therapy (CT)+Memory Support (n = 25) or CT-as-usual (n = 23).

Association Between Affective-Cognitive Symptoms of Depression and Exacerbation of Crohn's Disease.

Objectives: The prevalence of depression is high in patients with Crohn's disease (CD). We examined the influence of affective-cognitive symptoms of depression on the risk of exacerbation of CD.

Methods: We studied 2,144 adult volunteers with a self-reported diagnosis of CD who completed a baseline survey that included demographics, CD status, and an affective-cognitive index of depression.

Validation of the NetSCID: an automated web-based adaptive version of the SCID.

The present study developed and validated a configurable, adaptive, web-based version of the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM, the NetSCID. The validation included 24 clinicians who administered the SCID and 230 participants who completed the paper SCID and/or the NetSCID. Data-entry errors, branching errors, and clinician satisfaction were quantified.

Cognitive dysfunction in postural tachycardia syndrome.

Mental clouding is an almost universal complaint among patients with postural tachycardia syndrome (POTS) but remains poorly understood. Thus, we have determined whether POTS patients exhibit deficits during neuropsychological testing relative to healthy subjects. A comprehensive battery of validated neuropsychological tests was administered to 28 female POTS patients and 24 healthy subjects in a semi-recumbent position.

Objectively measured sedentary time is related to quality of life among cancer survivors.

Purpose: While exercise has been shown to be beneficial in improving health-related quality of life (HRQOL) among cancer survivors, evidence is limited on the independent role of sedentary behavior. We examined how objectively measured sedentary time was associated with HRQOL among long-term cancer survivors.

Methods: This cross-sectional study included 54 cancer survivors, on average 3.

Functional abdominal pain in childhood and long-term vulnerability to anxiety disorders.

Background: Cross-sectional studies link functional abdominal pain (FAP) to anxiety and depression in childhood, but no prospective study has evaluated psychiatric status in adulthood or its relation to pain persistence.

Methods: Pediatric patients with FAP (n = 332) and control subjects (n = 147) were tracked prospectively and evaluated for psychiatric disorders and functional gastrointestinal disorders (FGIDs) at follow-up in adolescence and young adulthood (mean age = 20.01 years).

Depression in patients with head and neck cancer and a functional genetic polymorphism of the serotonin transporter gene.

Background: Polymorphism of the serotonin transporter gene, 5-HTTLPR (short allele) has been associated with depression. The purpose of this study was to show the evaluated depression in patients with head and neck cancer and a possible association with the 5-HTTLPR.

Methods: The Structured Clinical Interview for Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (SCID for DSM-IV) was administered to 94 patients with head and neck cancer, of which 33 patients were genotyped for 5-HTTLPR.

ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS FOR COGNITIVE-BEHAVIORAL THERAPISTS IN PSYCHOTHERAPY RESEARCH TRIALS.

Psychotherapy research studies can place particular demands on clinicians, patients, and research staff due to the need to balance the pursuit of knowledge with the offer of treatment. However, the literature with regard to ethical considerations in psychotherapy trials is minimal. The current paper aims to depict CBT community standards of practice in the context of two NIMH-funded treatment trials of major depression, both involving CBT and medication.

Enhancement of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-specific CD8+ T cells in cerebrospinal fluid compared to those in blood among antiretroviral therapy-naive HIV-positive subjects.

During untreated human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) infection, virus-specific CD8(+) T cells partially control HIV replication in peripheral lymphoid tissues, but host mechanisms of HIV control in the central nervous system (CNS) are incompletely understood. We characterized HIV-specific CD8(+) T cells in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and peripheral blood among seven HIV-positive antiretroviral therapy-naïve subjects. All had grossly normal brain magnetic resonance imaging and spectroscopy and normal neuropsychometric testing.

Psychologic distress and head and neck cancer: part 1--review of the literature.

Patients with head and neck cancer (HNC) experience a variety of psychiatric symptoms and disorders, possibly at rates greater than those seen in patients with other types of cancer. This paper reviews the literature on psychologic distress in HNC patients and will also focus on symptoms and diagnoses of depression, anxiety, and substance abuse--conditions requiring the involvement of healthcare professionals. An awareness of the type of issues experienced by HNC patients is vital for accurate assessment and effective intervention.

A randomized, double-blind, crossover trial of modafinil on mood.

Modafinil, a medication for the excessive sleepiness associated with narcolepsy, has been hypothesized to improve not just alertness but mood as well. The purpose of this study was to determine how treatment with modafinil affects mood in healthy volunteers. Normal healthy volunteers (n = 12, 10 men and 2 women; 30-44 years) underwent a 3-day, counterbalanced, randomized, crossover, inpatient trial of modafinil (400 mg daily) versus placebo with 4-day washout period between 2 treatments.

A randomized, double-blind, active-control study of sertraline versus venlafaxine XR in major depressive disorder.

Objective: Sertraline may produce dual neurotransmitter effects similar to the serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs); however, it has been tested against an SNRI in only 1 previous study, and never at an optimal dose. The objective of the current multisite study was to compare relatively higher doses of sertraline (i.e.

Prevention of relapse following cognitive therapy vs medications in moderate to severe depression.

Background: Antidepressant medication prevents the return of depressive symptoms, but only as long as treatment is continued.

Objectives: To determine whether cognitive therapy (CT) has an enduring effect and to compare this effect against the effect produced by continued antidepressant medication.

Design: Patients who responded to CT in a randomized controlled trial were withdrawn from treatment and compared during a 12-month period with medication responders who had been randomly assigned to either continuation medication or placebo withdrawal.