From the category archives:

Psychiatry

Reducing dietary sodium: the case for caution.

by Romeo Mariano, MD (February 21, 2010)

Reducing dietary sodium: the case for caution.

JAMA. 2010 Feb 3;303(5):448-9
Authors: Alderman MH
QUOTE:
Multiple randomized clinical trials (RCTs) have established that reduction of sodium intake sufficient to lower blood pressure also increases sympathetic nerve activity, decreases insulin sensitivity, activates the renin angiotensin system, and stimulates aldosterone secretion.
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Low salt diets lead to:
Increased sympathetic nervous system activity - [...]

Low Serum Folate Levels as a Risk Factor for Depression

by Romeo Mariano, MD (February 21, 2010)

Low Serum Folate Levels as a Risk Factor for Depressive Mood in Patients With Chronic Epilepsy
J Neuropsychiatry Clin Neurosci 15:64-66, February 2003
Johannes Rösche, Dr.med., M.A., Carmen Uhlmann, Dr.hum.biol., Dipl.Psych. and Walter Fröscher, Prof.Dr.med.
This study takes into consideration whether low serum folate levels may contribute to depressive mood in patients with chronic epilepsy.
The serum folate [...]

Hydrocortisone treatment restores brain metabolism and working memory in PTSD

by Romeo Mariano, MD (February 20, 2010)

Changes in Relative Glucose Metabolic Rate Following Cortisol Administration in Aging Veterans with Posttraumatic Stress Disorder: An FDG-PET Neuroimaging Study
J Neuropsychiatry Clin Neurosci.2009; 21: 132-143
Rachel Yehuda, Ph.D., Philip D. Harvey, Ph.D., Julia A. Golier, M.D., Randall E. Newmark, B.A., Christopher R. Bowie, Ph.D., Janelle J. Wohltmann, B.A., Robert A. Grossman, M.D., James Schmeidler, Ph.D., [...]

Gut microbes enhance the immune system

by Romeo Mariano, MD (February 7, 2010)

Gut microbes extend reach to systemic innate immunity
Nature Medicine 16, 160 (2010).
Authors: Dana J Philpott & Stephen E Girardin
Microbes in the gut can influence distant events, affecting the function of neutrophils in the circulation of mice (pages 228-231). The findings should lead to new studies examining how intestinal microbes affect immunity.
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Recognition of peptidoglycan from the [...]

Selenium slows memory decline - Reducing acetylcholinesterase activity

by Romeo Mariano, MD (February 7, 2010)

Organoselenium improves memory decline in mice: Involvement of acetylcholinesterase activity.
Neurosci Lett. 2010 Jan 29;
Authors: Pinton S, Rocha JT, Zeni G, Nogueira CW
The present study was designed to investigate the possible neuroprotective effect of p,p’-methoxyl-diphenyl diselenide [(MeOPhSe)(2)] in a model of sporadic dementia of Alzheimer’s type (SDAT) induced by intracerebroventricular (i.c.v.) injection of streptozotocin (STZ) [...]

Selenium prevents cognitive decline and oxidative damage

by Romeo Mariano, MD (February 7, 2010)

Selenium prevents cognitive decline and oxidative damage in rat model of streptozotocin-induced experimental dementia of Alzheimer’s type.
Brain Res. 2009 Jul 24;1281:117-27. Epub 2009 Apr 15.
Ishrat T, Parveen K, Khan MM, Khuwaja G, Khan MB, Yousuf S, Ahmad A, Shrivastav P, Islam F.
Department of Medical Elementology and Toxicology, Neurotoxicology Laboratory, Jamia Hamdard (Hamdard University), New Delhi, [...]

Pergolide Reduces Cognitive Deficits Associated with Schizotypal Personality Disorder

by Romeo Mariano, MD (February 6, 2010)

Pergolide Treatment of Cognitive Deficits Associated with Schizotypal Personality Disorder: Continued Evidence of the Importance of the Dopamine System in the Schizophrenia Spectrum.
Neuropsychopharmacology. 2010 Feb 3;
Authors: McClure MM, Harvey PD, Goodman M, Triebwasser J, New A, Koenigsberg HW, Sprung LJ, Flory JD, Siever LJ
Cognitive deficits observed in schizophrenia are also frequently found in individuals [...]

Supressing HPA Axis Activity via Exogenous Cortisol Enhances Aggressive Behavior in Females, but not in Males.

by Romeo Mariano, MD (February 6, 2010)

Exogenous cortisol enhances aggressive behavior in females, but not in males.
Psychoneuroendocrinology. 2010 Feb 1;
Böhnke R, Bertsch K, Kruk MR, Richter S, Naumann E
The hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis plays a major role in the development, elicitation, and enhancement of aggressive behavior in animals.
Increasing evidence suggests that this is also true for humans.
Here, we report on [...]

Omega-3 Fatty Acids for Prevention of Psychotic Disorders

by Romeo Mariano, MD (February 6, 2010)

Long-Chain {omega}-3 Fatty Acids for Indicated Prevention of Psychotic Disorders: A Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Trial.
Arch Gen Psychiatry. 2010 Feb;67(2):146-54
Amminger GP, Schäfer MR, Papageorgiou K, Klier CM, Cotton SM, Harrigan SM, Mackinnon A, McGorry PD, Berger GE
CONTEXT: The use of antipsychotic medication for the prevention of psychotic disorders is controversial.
Long-chain omega-3 (omega-3) polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) [...]

Stress Leads to Long-Term Reduction in Corticosteroid Sensitivity in the Hippocampus

by Romeo Mariano, MD (February 6, 2010)

Primate Early Life Stress Leads to Long-Term Mild Hippocampal Decreases in Corticosteroid Receptor Expression.
Biol Psychiatry. 2010 Feb 2;
Arabadzisz D, Diaz-Heitjz R, Knuesel I, Weber E, Pilloud S, Dettling AC, Feldon J, Law AJ, Harrison PJ, Pryce CR
BACKGROUND: Expression of mineralocorticoid receptor (MR) and glucocorticoid receptor (GR) genes are moderately reduced in several brain regions in [...]

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