Psychosocial and psychopathological dimensions of patients with Takotsubo Syndrome.

Background: Takotsubo syndrome (TTS) is an acute reversible heart dysfunction affecting mostly post-menopausal women, frequently precipitated by a significant stressful event, presenting as an acute coronary syndrome (ACS) in the absence of obstructive coronary artery disease. The pathogenesis is not fully understood, but a close relationship between individual's mind, brain, neuroendocrine system and the heart may be involved in a mind-heart axis. The purpose of this study was to compare the prevalence of psychopathological findings in TTS patients as compared to healthy subjects, patients affected by psychiatric diseases and patients affected by ACS.

Inverse correlation between plasma 2-arachidonoylglycerol levels and subjective severity of depression.

Objective: Endocannabinoids have been implicated in the pathophysiology of Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) and might represent potential targets for therapeutic intervention. Objectives of the study were: (1) to measure plasma levels of endocannabinoids in a group of antidepressant-free depressed outpatients; (2) to explore their relationship with the severity of depressive symptoms as subjectively perceived by the patients; and (3) to investigate the effect of the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor escitalopram on endocannabinoid levels.

Methods: We measured plasma levels of the two major endocannabinoids, 2-arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG) and N-arachidonoylethanolamine (anadamide), in 12 drug-free outpatients diagnosed with MDD and in 12 matched healthy controls.

[The endocannabinoid system and its possible role in neurobiology of psychiatric disorders].

In the last years, numerous researches led to identify endocannabinoid system, a sophisticated short-range signaling system which is located both in Central Nervous System (CNS) and in whole organism. Because of its flexibility of expression, it plays a modulatory role in controlling the answers to stimuli which disturb homeostasis. On one hand it lets them occur whilst on the other it limits them in order to protect organism from consequences due to excessive reaction.