Felbamate produces antidepressant‐like actions in the chronic unpredictable mild stress and chronic social defeat stress models of depression

Felbamate is an anticonvulsant used in the treatment of epilepsy. In this study, we investigated the antidepressant‐like actions of felbamate in mice. The effects of felbamate were first assessed using the forced swimming test (FST) and tail suspension test (TST), and then investigated in the chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS) and chronic social defeat stress (CSDS) models of depression. The changes in the hippocampal brain‐derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) signaling cascade after chronic stress and felbamate treatment were also examined. It was found that felbamate exhibited antidepressant‐like activities in the FST and TST without affecting the locomotor activity of mice. Felbamate was also effective in both the CUMS and CSDS models of depression. Moreover, felbamate administration fully restored the decreased hippocampal BDNF signaling pathway in both the CUMS‐stressed and CSDS‐stressed mice. Collectively, felbamate has antidepressant‐like actions in mice involving the hippocampal BDNF system.     

A case-control study of paternal and maternal age as risk factors in mood disorders

Objective: Advanced parental age might constitute a risk factor for various disorders. We tested whether this concerns also mood disorder patients.

Methods: The study included 314 subjects (42 bipolar-BD patients; 21 manics and 21 depressives, 68 unipolar-UD, and 204 normal controls-NC). Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA) and the calculation of the Relative Risk (RR) and the Odds Ratio (OR) were used for the analysis.

Results: Paternal age differed between NC and UD patients (29.42?±?6.07 vs. 32.12?±?5.54; p?=?.01) and manics (29.42?±?6.07 vs. 35.00?±?5.75; p?=?.001) and maternal age between NC and manics (25.46?±?4.52 vs. 31.43?±?4.75; p?<?.001) and manic and UD (31.43?±?4.75 vs. 26.75?±?6.03; p?=?.002). The RR and OR values suggested that advanced parental age constitutes a risk factor for the development of mood disorders.

Conclusions: In a non-dose dependent and gender-independent, advanced parental age constitutes a risk factor for the development of BD with index episode of mania (probably manic predominant polarity); only advanced paternal age constitutes a risk factor for the development of UD and BD with index episode of depression (probably depressive predominant polarity). This is the first study suggesting differential effect of advanced parental age depending on predominant polarity of BD.     

舌三针为主治疗脑卒中后吞咽功能障碍的临床研究

目的观察舌三针为主治疗脑卒中后吞咽功能障碍的临床疗效及其对脑神经机制的影响。方法将130例脑卒中后吞咽功能障碍患者随机分为治疗组和对照组,每组65例。对照组采用康复训练配合低频脉冲电刺激治疗,治疗组在对照组基础上采用舌三针治疗。观察两组治疗前后吞咽功能(洼田饮水试验评分)、精神状态[汉密尔顿焦虑量表(HAMA)评分、汉密尔顿抑郁量表(HAMD)评分]及表面肌电图各项指标[平均振幅值(AEMG)、持续时间(t)]的变化情况。结果两组治疗后洼田饮水试验评分、HAMA评分及HAMD评分与同组治疗前比较,差异均具有统计学意义(P<0.05)。治疗组治疗后洼田饮水试验评分、HAMA评分及HAMD评分与对照组比较,差异均具有统计学意义(P<0.05)。两组治疗后空吞咽时及吞咽5 mL水时sEMG各项指标(颏下肌群及舌骨下肌群的AEMG和t)与同组治疗前比较,差异均具有统计学意义(P<0.05)。治疗组治疗后空吞咽时及吞咽5 mL水时sEMG各项指标与对照组比较,差异均具有统计学意义(P<0.05)。治疗组治疗后误吸及肺部感染的发生率分别为16.1%和17.7%,对照组分别为36.2%和32.8%,两组比较差异均具有统计学意义(P<0.05)。结论舌三针配合康复训练及低频脉冲电刺激能有效改善脑卒中患者的吞咽功能。     

Suckling in litters with different sizes,and early and late swimming exercise differentially modulates anxiety-like behavior,memory and electrocorticogram potentiation after spreading depression in rats

Objective: Analyze the hypothesis that swimming exercise, in rats suckled under distinct litter sizes, alters behavioral parameters suggestive of anxiety and recognition memory, and the electrocorticogram potentiation that occurs after the excitability-related phenomenon that is known as cortical spreading depression (CSD).

Methods: Male Wistar rats were suckled in litters with six or 12 pups (L₆ and L₁₂ groups). Animals swam at postnatal days (P) 8–23, or P60–P75 (early-exercised or late-exercised groups, respectively), or remained no-exercised. Behavioral tests (open field – OF and object recognition – OR) were conducted between P77 and P80. Between P90 and P120, ECoG was recorded for 2 hours. After this ‘baseline’ recording, CSD was elicited every 30 minutes over the course of 2 hours.

Results: Early swimming enhanced the number of entries and the percentage of time in the OF-center (P?<?0.05). In animals that swam later, this effect occurred in the L6 group only. Compared to the corresponding sedentary groups, OR-test showed a better memory in the L6 early exercised rats, and a worse memory in all other groups (P?<?0.05). In comparison to baseline values, ECoG amplitudes after CSD increased 14–43% for all groups (P?<?0.05). In the L₆ condition, early swimming and late swimming, respectively, reduced and enhanced the magnitude of the post-CSD ECoG potentiation in comparison with the corresponding L₆ no-exercised groups (P?<?0.05).

Discussion: Our data suggest a differential effect of early- and late-exercise on the behavioral and electrophysiological parameters, suggesting an interaction between the age of exercise and the nutritional status during lactation.     

Depression and Anxiety Subgroups Across Alcohol Use Disorder and Substance Use in a National Epidemiologic Study

Abstract

Objective: The high prevalence of alcohol/substance use among individuals with psychiatric disorders elucidates the import of investigations into associations between types and severity of psychiatric symptoms and alcohol/substance use. This study examined the likelihood of alcohol use disorder and substance use among individuals with varying depression and anxiety symptoms and severity thereof. Differences across sex were also examined.

Methods: Using data from the National Epidemiological Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions, a nationally representative sample from the United States (N?=?43,093), separate logistic regressions estimated the odds of lifetime alcohol use disorder, depressant, stimulant, hallucinogen, and comorbid substance use across psychiatric symptom clusters controlling for age, sex, and ethnicity.

Results: Symptom severity was a more important correlate of alcohol use disorder and substance use than symptom type. In particular, the odds ratio of lifetime use of depressants, stimulants, hallucinogens, or any combination of these types of substances were higher for individuals with either severe depression or severe depression and anxiety relative to a healthy control. Moreover, the odds of having a diagnosis of lifetime alcohol use disorder were higher for individuals with severe symptoms of depression, anxiety, and both depression and anxiety, relative to healthy individuals. Those with mild depression were more likely to engage in substance use than individuals with anxiety alone. Patterns of association among males and females were highly consistent.

Conclusions: The findings highlight an enhanced risk of alcohol and substance use among individuals with severe depression and/or anxiety symptoms above what is seen among individuals with less severe symptomatology. In addition, this study shows a unique risk posed by the presence of depression on substance use. This study offers a framework for future studies to examine the causal mechanisms explaining the connection between psychiatric symptoms and alcohol/substance use.     

穴位埋线治疗卒中后肩关节半脱位疗效及对血清TNF-α、IL-6的影响

目的观察穴位埋线治疗卒中后肩关节半脱位临床疗效及对血清肿瘤坏死因子-α(TNF-α)、白细胞介素-6(IL-6)因子水平的影响,探讨抑制炎症反应的相关机制。方法将92例卒中后肩关节半脱位患者按1:1:1随机分3组,共剔除2例,最终每组30例。埋康组采用康复训练加穴位埋线;针康组采用康复训练加针刺治疗;康复组采用单纯康复治疗。分别于治疗前后采用Fugl-Meyer(FMA)上肢运动能力、视觉模拟评分(VAS)及血清TNF-α、IL-6炎性因子水平进行评价。结果治疗后3组患者Fugl-Meyer及VAS评分比较差异有统计学意义(P<0.05);血清TNF-α、IL-6炎性因子水平降低(P<0.05);3组中埋康组疗效最优;且3组治疗前后组内比较差异均有统计学意义(P<0.05)。结论穴位埋线能改善卒中肩关节半脱位患者上肢肩痛及运动功能,降低机体炎症性应激反应。     

肝郁脾虚型溃疡性结肠炎大鼠实验模型研究进展

溃疡性结肠炎(UC)目前病因尚不十分清楚,病程漫长,反复发作。情志因素在溃疡性结肠炎的发生、发展过程中起着重要作用,建立正确合理的肝郁脾虚型溃疡性结肠炎动物模型对研究溃疡性结肠炎具有非常重要的意义。文章总结了近年来中医传统病因法、西医病因病理法、中西医病证结合法等建立肝郁脾虚型溃疡性结肠炎大鼠模型的原理、方法(包括具体剂量范围、时间)及其优缺点,探讨了当前存在的问题,以期为建造最正确合理的肝郁脾虚型溃疡性结肠炎提供可能。