Effectiveness of adjuvant occupational therapy in employees with depression: design of a randomized controlled trial.

Background: Major depressive disorder is among the medical conditions with the highest negative impact on work outcome. However, little is known regarding evidence-based interventions targeting the improvement of work outcomes in depressed employees. In this paper, the design of a randomized controlled trial is presented in order to evaluate the effectiveness of adjuvant occupational therapy in employees with depression.

Predicting the effect of naltrexone and acamprosate in alcohol-dependent patients using genetic indicators.

Acamprosate and naltrexone are effective medications in the treatment of alcoholism. However, effect sizes are modest. Pharmacogenomics may improve patient-treatment-matching and effect sizes.

Serotonin transporter gene promoter polymorphisms modify the association between paroxetine serotonin transporter occupancy and clinical response in major depressive disorder.

Background: In major depressive disorder, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors target the serotonin transporter (SERT). Their response rates (30-50%) are modified by SERT promotor polymorphisms (5-HTTLPR).

Objectives: To quantify the relationship between SERT occupancy and response, and whether 5-HTTLPR is a modifier.

The effect of naltrexone and acamprosate on cue-induced craving, autonomic nervous system and neuroendocrine reactions to alcohol-related cues in alcoholics.

Introduction: Acamprosate and naltrexone have been shown to be effective in relapse prevention of alcoholism. It is hypothesized that naltrexone exerts its effects primarily on cue-induced craving and neuroendocrine cue reactivity, whereas acamprosate exerts its effect primarily on autonomic nervous system reactions to alcohol-related cues.

Experimental Procedures: In a randomized double-blind experiment, 131 abstinent alcoholics received either acamprosate (n=56), naltrexone (n=52) or placebo (n=23) for three weeks and participated in two cue-exposure sessions: the first the day before and the second at the last day of medication.

Development and validation of the Amsterdam Motives for Drinking Scale (AMDS): an attempt to distinguish relief and reward drinkers.

Unlabelled: Determination of alcoholic subtypes is a promising strategy for patient treatment matching with anti-craving interventions. The aim of this study is to develop and validate a questionnaire on drinking motives that can distinguish relief and reward drinkers.

Methods: A 103-item self-report questionnaire was developed: the Amsterdam Motives for Drinking Scale (AMDS).

Measuring craving: an attempt to connect subjective craving with cue reactivity.

Background: Better insight into craving may contribute to the development of more efficient relapse prevention strategies. Inconsistent findings on the relation between craving and relapse may be due to difficulties in the measurement of craving. These difficulties are accounted for by 3 interrelated problems: lack of consensus regarding the definition of craving, the use of different time frames (craving now vs craving in the past), and lack of concordance between self-reported craving and psychophysiological measures of cue reactivity.