Predictors of Response to Web-Based Cognitive Behavioral Therapy With High-Intensity Face-to-Face Therapist Guidance for Depression: A Bayesian Analysis

Background

Several studies have demonstrated the effect of guided Internet-based cognitive behavioral therapy (ICBT) for depression. However, ICBT is not suitable for all depressed patients and there is a considerable level of nonresponse. Research on predictors and moderators of outcome in ICBT is inconclusive.

Objective

This paper explored predictors of response to an intervention combining the Web-based program MoodGYM and face-to-face therapist guidance in a sample of primary care patients with mild to moderate depressive symptoms.

Methods

Participants (N=106) aged between 18 and 65 years were recruited from primary care and randomly allocated to a treatment condition or to a delayed treatment condition. The intervention included the Norwegian version of the MoodGYM program, face-to-face guidance from a psychologist, and reminder emails. In this paper, data from the treatment phase of the 2 groups was merged to increase the sample size (n=82). Outcome was improvement in depressive symptoms during treatment as assessed with the Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II). Predictors included demographic variables, severity variables (eg, number of depressive episodes and pretreatment depression and anxiety severity), cognitive variables (eg, dysfunctional thinking), module completion, and treatment expectancy and motivation. Using Bayesian analysis, predictors of response were explored with a latent-class approach and by analyzing whether predictors affected the slope of response.

Results

A 2-class model distinguished well between responders (74%, 61/82) and nonresponders (26%, 21/82). Our results indicate that having had more depressive episodes, being married or cohabiting, and scoring higher on a measure of life satisfaction had high odds for positively affecting the probability of response. Higher levels of dysfunctional thinking had high odds for a negative effect on the probability of responding. Prediction of the slope of response yielded largely similar results. Bayes factors indicated substantial evidence that being married or cohabiting predicted a more positive treatment response. The effects of life satisfaction and number of depressive episodes were more uncertain. There was substantial evidence that several variables were unrelated to treatment response, including gender, age, and pretreatment symptoms of depression and anxiety.

Conclusions

Treatment response to ICBT with face-to-face guidance may be comparable across varying levels of depressive severity and irrespective of the presence and severity of comorbid anxiety. Being married or cohabiting, reporting higher life satisfaction, and having had more depressive episodes may predict a more favorable response, whereas higher levels of dysfunctional thinking may be a predictor of poorer response. More studies exploring predictors and moderators of Internet-based treatments are needed to inform for whom this treatment is most effective.

Trial Registration

Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry number: ACTRN12610000257066; https://www.anzctr.org.au/trial_view.aspx?id=335255 (Archived by WebCite at http://www.webcitation.org/6GR48iZH4).     

Effect of combination of transcranial direct current stimulation and feedback training on visuospatial neglect in patients with subacute stroke: a pilot randomized controlled trial

[Purpose] To investigate the effects of a combination of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) and feedback training (FT) on subacute stroke patients with unilateral visuospatial neglect. [Subjects] The subjects were randomly assigned to a tDCS + FT group (n=6) and a FT group (n=6). [Methods] Patients in the tDCS + FT group received tDCS for 20 minutes and then received FT for 30 minutes a day, 5 days a week for 3 weeks. The control group received FT for 30 minutes a day, 5 days a week for 3 weeks. [Results] After the intervention, both groups showed significant improvements in the Motor-Free Visual Perception Test (MVPT), line bisection test (LBT), and modified Barthel index (MBI) over the baseline results. The comparison of the two groups after the intervention revealed that the rDCS + FT group showed more significant improvements in MVPT, LBT, and MBI. [Conclusion] The results of this study suggest that tDCS combined with FT has a positive effect on unilateral visuospatial neglect in patients with subacute stroke.Key words: TDCS, Feedback training, Neglect     

Phase II study of cisplatin combined with weekly gemcitabine in the treatment of patients with metastatic pancreatic carcinoma.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Combination therapy of gemcitabine and cisplatin has been reported as an effective regimen for advanced pancreatic cancer. However, the toxicity and synergism are known to depend on the schedule of cisplatin. A phase II study was undertaken to determine the efficacy of a single dose of cisplatin in combination with weekly gemcitabine in patients with metastatic pancreatic carcinoma. METHODS: Patients with measurable, metastatic pancreatic carcinoma, not locally advanced diseases, were included. The patients were treated with a combination of gemcitabine 1,000 mg/m(2) i.v. over 30 min administered on days 1, 8, and 15 of each cycle and cisplatin 75 mg/m(2) i.v. administered 6 h after gemcitabine infusion on day 1 with adequate prehydration. Response and toxicity were assessed according to World Health Organization criteria. RESULTS: A total of 52 patients, 5 with recurrent disease after curative operation, were enrolled from January 2000 to March 2004. The objective response rate was 16 of 52 patients (1 complete response and 15 partial response). Disease stabilization was seen in 10 patients (20.8%). The median survival was 11.8 months (95% CI, 10.7-13.0 months), with 76.1% of patients alive at 6 months and 50% alive at 12 months. The median time to progression was 6.1 months (95% CI, 4.16-7.98 months). Major toxicity profiles were thrombocytopenia and neutropenia. CONCLUSIONS: The modified regimen of a single dose of cisplatin per cycle in combination with weekly gemcitabine appeared to have a more favorable therapeutic index and comparable toxicity profiles.     

血清和胸水中肿瘤标志物检测对老年人胸腔积液的诊断价值

目的　评价老年良、恶性胸腔积液患者血清和胸液中 5种肿瘤标志物单项和联合检测的诊断价值。　方法　采用酶联免疫吸附法同时检测 32例老年肺癌并胸腔积液 (恶性胸腔积液组 )和 30例老年良性胸腔积液患者血清和胸水中细胞角化素蛋白片段 19(CYFRA2 1 1)、神经元特异性烯醇化酶 (NSE)、糖链抗原 15 3(CA15 3)、糖链抗原 19 9(CA19 9)、糖链抗原 12 5 (CA12 5 )水平。　结果　恶性胸腔积液患者血清中上述 5项指标的水平分别为 ( 12 84± 6 4 8) μg/L、( 2 2 0 7± 11 2 5 )μg/L、( 6 5 74± 30 2 6 )kU/L、( 5 6 32± 2 5 6 7)kU/L和 ( 71 86± 31 4 5 )kU/L ,均高于良性胸腔积液患者血清中的水平 (P <0 0 1) ;恶性胸腔积液患者胸水中除NSE外 ,其他 4项指标的水平分别为 ( 18 6 4± 8 15 ) μg/L、( 5 9 31± 2 7 35 )kU/L、( 4 8 2 4± 2 1 5 6 )kU/L和 ( 6 2 16± 2 7 79)kU/L ,均高于良性胸腔积液患者胸水中的水平 (P <0 0 1) ;血清 5种肿瘤标志物平行联合检测可提高诊断的敏感性至90 6 % ,系列联合检测可使特异性提高至 93 3% ;胸液中 4项指标对恶性胸水诊断的敏感性和特异性分别是 :CYFRA2 1 184 4 %和 90 0 % ;CA15 36 2 5 %和 73 3% ;CA19 937 5 %和 6 6 7% ;CA12 55 6 3%和     

Low mannose-binding lectin and increased complement activation correlate to allograft vasculopathy, ischaemia, and rejection after human heart transplantation.

AIMS: Transplant-associated coronary artery disease (TxCAD) is a major cause of post-transplant graft failure. The aim of this study was to investigate a possible role of mannose-binding lectin (MBL) deficiency and complement activation in TxCAD. METHODS AND RESULTS: In a prospective study of heart transplant recipients (n=38) with a follow-up of 5.3+/-1.3 years (range: 0.9-6.6), angiographically verified TxCAD (n=6) was correlated to plasma MBL, complement activation, and endothelial activation (soluble E-selectin). MBL deficiency (<100 ng/mL) was detected in 3/6 patients with TxCAD and in 3/32 with non-TxCAD (Kaplan-Meier, P=0.020). Furthermore, one or more acute rejection episodes were observed in 6/6 of the MBL-deficient patients and in 15/32 of the MBL-sufficient patients (chi(2); P=0.016). Complement activation (C4bc) correlated with soluble E-selectin (r=0.36; P=0.027), both being significantly higher in patients with ischaemia detected in the first biopsy (C4bc: 13.4+/-6.1 AU/mL; E-selectin: 96+/-13 ng/mL) than in those without ischaemia (C4bc: 6.3+/-0.5; E-selectin: 51+/-6; P=0.037 and 0.002). Finally, terminal complement complex correlated closely with mortality (P=0.002). CONCLUSION: Low MBL was related to the development of TxCAD and acute rejection and increased complement activation correlated to histopathologic ischaemia and mortality after heart transplantation.     

In multivessel coronary artery disease,a “state‐of‐the‐art” randomized clinical trial of revascularization is needed

• Based on this meta‐analysis of primarily observational data, complete revascularization (CR) is associated with a reduced risk of death, MI, and repeat revascularization in patients with multivessel coronary artery disease (MVCAD) as compared with incomplete revascularization (IR).
• Given the current state of evidence, the likelihood of achieving complete revascularization should influence whether PCI or CABG is the best strategy in patients with MVCAD.
• Given the lack of randomized trials in this area, more robust trial data will address the validity of these findings.

     

埃索美拉唑能有效控制内镜阴性胃食管反流症状——6个月"按需治疗"对照试验

对于大多数胃食管反流病 (ＧＥＲＤ)病人而言 ,治疗的主要目的在于控制症状和防止复发。而伴有糜烂性食管炎者 ,其主要目标则为愈合糜烂和 /或防止并发症。目前发现 ,大多数ＧＥＲＤ病人 ,不论其内镜表现如何 ,短时间内使用抑酸药后 ,症状在 6个月内复发。要维持原来的疗效 ,确保糜烂愈合 ,用最小剂量质子泵抑制剂 (ＰＰＩ)作维持治疗已是公认的较理想方法。当然长期维持治疗的选择也应顾及病人意愿。如果症状发作不频繁 ,那么按需治疗是一个合理的处理方案。事实上 ,病人也仅在症状复发时才会正规、持续地服药。对这类病人 ,以ＰＰＩ作为按…     

White coat hypertension is a cardiovascular risk factor: a 10-year follow-up study

The objective of this paper was to evaluate the cardiovascular risk in white coat hypertension (WCH). WCH is a well-known clinical entity defined by persistently elevated blood pressure (BP) in the doctor's office, whereas BP in other conditions is normal. The prognosis of WCH is unsettled, although two prospective studies that include normal control groups imply that the condition is benign. This study is a 10-year follow-up study on 420 patients with grade I-II hypertension newly diagnosed by their general practitioner and 146 normal controls (NTs). Ambulatory blood pressure (ABP) monitoring was performed at baseline. With our protocollated cutoff value of daytime-ABP <135/90 mmHg, 76 (18.1%) of the 420 hypertensives were white coat hypertensives (WCHs) and 344 were established hypertensives (EHs). With a lower cutoff of 135/85 mmHg, 40 (9.5%) were WCHs. Complete follow-up data were obtained for all 566 subjects. The mean duration of follow-up was 10.2 years (range 9.0-12.5). In the WCH group, 14 first events were recorded (18.4%) consisting of two cardiovascular deaths and 12 nonfatal cardiovascular events. In the EH group, the corresponding number of events were 56 first events (16.3%), 12 cardiovascular deaths and 44 nonfatal cardiovascular events, and in the NT group 10 first events (6.8%), two cardiovascular deaths and eight nonfatal cardiovascular events. The event rate was similar in the WCH group and the EH group and significantly lower in the NT group (P<0.05). When corrected for daytime-ABP, age and other confounders, the difference remained statistically significant. When using the lower cutoff of 135/85 mmHg, WCH was still associated with a significantly higher cardiovascular event rate. In conclusion, the main finding of this 10-year follow-up study is an increased cardiovascular risk in WCH compared to normotensive controls.