Autism as a disorder of biological and behavioral rhythms: toward new therapeutic perspectives.

There is a growing interest in the role of biological and behavioral rhythms in typical and atypical development. Recent studies in cognitive and developmental psychology have highlighted the importance of rhythmicity and synchrony of motor, emotional, and interpersonal rhythms in early development of social communication. The synchronization of rhythms allows tuning and adaptation to the external environment.

Understanding the Antidepressant Debate in the Treatment of Major Depressive Disorder.

There is a long-standing polemic concerning the usefulness of antidepressants in the treatment of major depressive disorder. In this paper, we propose to highlight some aspects of this controversy by exploring the mutual influence of psychopharmacology and trial methodologies. Indeed, antidepressant efficacy, if not proved, was accepted before antidepressant randomised controlled trials (RCTs) were run.

Excessive checking behavior during an image comparison task in schizophrenia.

Background: Patients with schizophrenia display significant working memory and executive deficits. In patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), several studies suggest that working memory dysfunction may be one of the causes of compulsive checking behaviors. Hence, this study aimed at assessing whether patients with schizophrenia were impaired on an image comparison task used to measure checking behaviors, and whether the origin and profile of impairment on this task was different between schizophrenia and OCD.

Perceptually or conceptually driven recognition: on the specificities of the memory deficit in schizophrenia.

This study explored the effects of exemplar changes on visual object recognition in patients with schizophrenia and paired control subjects. The experimental design was derived from the process-dissociation procedure (PDP: Jacoby, 1991). The objects presented at test could be the same exemplar as at study (physically identical picture), a different exemplar of the same object category, or a new, non-studied object.

[Negative hallucination, self-consciousness and ageing].

Background: Negative hallucinations are characterized by a defect in perception of an object or a person, or a denial of the existence of their perception. Negative hallucinations create blank spaces, due to both an impossible representation and an incapability of investment in reality. They have a close relationship with Cotard's syndrome, delusional theme of organ denial observed in melancholic syndromes in the elderly.

[Depression in the elderly: prodroma or risk factor for dementia? A critical review of the literature].

A strong link between depression and dementia is now well documented in the literature. However, the nature of this relationship is much discussed. Are depression and dementia linked by comorbidity due to the frequency of both disorders in the aged? Can depression be a prodrome of dementia? Are recurrent depressive episodes a risk factor for dementia? Despite many methodological difficulties, strong arguments are developed in the litterature to support these various assumptions.

Altered circadian patterns of salivary cortisol in low-functioning children and adolescents with autism.

Background: Reports of higher stress responsivity, altered sleep-wake cycle and a melatonin deficit in autism have stimulated interest in the cortisol circadian rhythm in individuals with autism.

Methods: The study was conducted on 55 low-functioning children and adolescents with autism (11.3 ± 4.

Relation between facial affect recognition and configural face processing in antipsychotic-free schizophrenia.

Objective: Deficit in facial affect recognition is a well-documented impairment in schizophrenia, closely connected to social outcome. This deficit could be related to psychopathology, but also to a broader dysfunction in processing facial information. In addition, patients with schizophrenia inadequately use configural information-a type of processing that relies on spatial relationships between facial features.

Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation over the orbitofrontal cortex for obsessive-compulsive disorder: a double-blind, crossover study.

This pilot study was designed to assess the efficacy of low-frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) over the right orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) by means of a double-cone coil in patients suffering from obsessive-compulsive disorder. We hypothesized that low-frequency stimulation of the OFC would lead to a reduction in clinical symptoms, as measured on the Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale (Y-BOCS). A randomized, double-blind, crossover design was implemented with two 1-week treatment periods (active stimulation versus sham stimulation) separated by a 1-month washout period.

Dissociating Bottom-Up and Top-Down Mechanisms in the Cortico-Limbic System during Emotion Processing.

The cortico-limbic system is critically involved in emotional responses and resulting adaptive behaviors. Within this circuit, complementary regions are believed to be involved in either the appraisal or the regulation of affective state. However, the respective contribution of these bottom-up and top-down mechanisms during emotion processing remains to be clarified.

Gene × Environment interactions in autism spectrum disorders: role of epigenetic mechanisms.

Several studies support currently the hypothesis that autism etiology is based on a polygenic and epistatic model. However, despite advances in epidemiological, molecular and clinical genetics, the genetic risk factors remain difficult to identify, with the exception of a few chromosomal disorders and several single gene disorders associated with an increased risk for autism. Furthermore, several studies suggest a role of environmental factors in autism spectrum disorders (ASD).

[Ketamine in acute and severe major depressive disorder].

Context: Depression is a frequent, severe and expensive illness. Approximately 20% of depressive episodes are resistant to classic antidepressants. Glutamatergic antagonists, in particular ketamine, established a new, rapid and robust therapeutic approach in resistant depression.

[Partnership around difficult teenagers in Brest].

The issues surrounding difficult teenagers results in professionals formalising a partnership. Certain areas of focus are identified such as getting to know each other better in order to understand each other better, working in a "common language", understanding professional identities, or embracing long term partnership. Pressure to assess and rationalise spending, as well as political challenges, must be taken into consideration.

[Difficult teenagers: the challenges of interdisciplinarity].

The adolescents in great distress, because of ruptures in the course of their lives and of their chaotic family environment, need educational and social actions. The consensual point of view is that responding to the needs of the so called "difficult adolescents" implies the involvement of educational, therapeutic and judicial services. Nevertheless, the usual tendency to categorize the users with the idea it will permit to guide them to the appropriate skill field and the transgressive characteristic of these adolescents' behaviours lead all these services to reject them and send them to the two other services.

[The treatment of drug-addicted parents and their children].

The specificities of the parent-child relationship in cases of addiction, as well as the role of opiate substitution treatments in the support of parenthood, can be analysed by studying the place of drugs within the psychological processes. The objective is to enable drug-addicted parents to situate themselves in transfer and affiliation approaches.

Prevalence and smoking behavior characteristics of nonselected smokers with childhood and/or adult self-reported ADHD symptoms in a smoking-cessation program: a cross-sectional study.

Background: ADHD involves impairing core symptoms of inattention and hyperactivity/impulsivity in children (childhood ADHD = CH) that may persist in adulthood (adult ADHD = AD). Conflicting findings have been found regarding AD prevalences among adult smokers, and it is unclear whether AD is associated with a more severe smoking behavior in adulthood.

Objective: The aim of this article is (a) to determine CH and AD prevalences in a nonselected sample of adult smokers, (b) to describe the characteristics of smokers with ADHD symptoms versus those without, and (c) to determine whether CH and/or AD symptoms are risk factors for more severe smoking in adulthood.

[Early detection and early intervention in first episode psychosis].

The onset of schizophrenic disorders generally occurs in late adolescence/early adulthood. However, in 75% of the cases, the onset is preceded by a prodromal stage. Subjects concerned by these prodromal symptoms are defined at "high risk" for psychosis (30% of conversion to psychosis in the next year).

[The psychiatrist and the Tako Tsubo].

Introduction: Stress cardiopathy, also called "Tako Tsubo" is a cardiac pathology linked to an acute coronary syndrome with electrocardiographic signs and an increase in the level of cardiac enzymes, without any abnormality on coronarography. This syndrome is secondary to great physical or mental stress. Mortality and the risk of recurrence are low.

[Harassment in the workplace: clinic and psychopathological factors].

Harassment may be either moral, physical or sexual. It is defined as a phenomenon that happens repeatedly. It is underestimated in professional environments and probably even more so in private life.

[Early stages of schizophrenia, challenges and prospects].

Despite a relatively extensive treatment armamentarium, the evolution of schizophrenic patients overall remains unfavourable. Early treatment is essential and influences the prognosis. Facilitating access to care through the creation of specialised assessment centres to complement the current system of care is one of the possible avenues for improvement.