Event-related brain potentials in depressed patients treated with electroconvulsive therapy

1. As impairment of attention has long been recognized as a clinical feature of depression, we undertook to evaluate in depressed subjects and controls a feature of the event-related brain potentials (ERP) the N100 wave which has been linked to attentional processes. 2. This study involved collection of EEG data in an "auditory oddball" ERP paradigm in 9 depressed subjects prior to and following a course of 6 electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) treatments, as well as 11 controls. Concurrent Hamilton depression rating scales provided a measure of symptomatic severity. 3. Pretreatment N100 amplitude was significantly lower in the depressed group while N100 latency was greater than among controls, with treatment differences from control values disappeared. Further a robust correlation (r = 0.85 p less than or equal to .0038) emerged between N100 amplitude (increased amplitude being lower) and severity of depression. 4. Those results provide evidence for a physiological attentional disturbance in depression and suggest that certain features of this disturbance relate directly to symptom severity.     

The impact of transportation infrastructure on bicycling injuries and crashes: a review of the literature

Background  

Bicycling has the potential to improve fitness, diminish obesity, and reduce noise, air pollution, and greenhouse gases associated with travel. However, bicyclists incur a higher risk of injuries requiring hospitalization than motor vehicle occupants. Therefore, understanding ways of making bicycling safer and increasing rates of bicycling are important to improving population health. There is a growing body of research examining transportation infrastructure and the risk of injury to bicyclists.     

Melasma: Successful treatment with pidobenzone 4% (K5®lipogel)

ABSTRACT:  Melasma (a term derived from the Greek word "melas" meaning black) is an acquired blotchy, irregularly patterned, brown or sometimes gray brown hypermelanosis of the face and occasionally the neck. Its etiology is poorly understood but mainly related to sunlight and genetic predisposition. Melasma seems to be more frequent in darker skinned people, especially women. Its treatment is always difficult and the condition usually relapses. The treatment with pidobenzone 4% (K5^® lipogel), twice per day for 16 weeks has proved to be safe and effective. Pidobenzone 4% lipogel, according to the present study, seems also to represent a useful, reliable, and safe treatment of the different types of melasma.     

Psychosomatic factors in dermatology

Psychosomatics describes any aspect of dermatology with psychologic or psychiatric elements. Dermatologists know that a significant proportion of their practice involves patients for whom psychologic elements either partially or sometimes entirely dominate their presenting chief complaints. This article explores the role of psychosomatic factors in dermatologic disorders. The authors discuss the clinical interface between psychiatry, psychology and dermatology and the interpretation of possible relationships between cutaneous diseases, the role of the mind, and psychotherapeutic interventions.     

HPLC法测定5-单硝酸异山梨酯缓释胶囊含量

建立了高效液相色谱法测定5-单硝酸异山梨酯缓释胶囊中5-单硝酸异山梨酯的含量方法.采用十八烷基键合硅胶填充柱(250×4.6mm,10μm),以咖啡因为内标,甲醇-水(2476)为流动相,流速为1.0ml/min,检测波长为210nm,柱温为室温.线性范围为80～600μg/ml,平均回收率为99.93%(RSD=0.61%),辅料和内标物对测定无干扰.