Search Our Scientific Publications & Authors

Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 2019 Feb 15. Epub 2019 Feb 15.

Dept. of Pharmacology and Systems Physiology, University of Cincinnati, United States; Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of Cincinnati, United States; VA Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, 45221, United States. Electronic address:

Individuals with fear-associated conditions such as panic disorder (PD) and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) display increased emotional responses to interoceptive triggers, such as CO inhalation, that signal a threat to physiological homeostasis. Currently, effector systems and mechanisms underlying homeostatic modulation of fear memory are not well understood. In this regard, the renin angiotensin system (RAS), particularly the angiotensin receptor type 1 (AT1R), a primary homeostatic regulatory target, has gained attention. Read More

Psychol Med 2019 Feb 18:1-7. Epub 2019 Feb 18.

Columbia University College of Physicians & Surgeons,New York, NY,USA.

Background: The hippocampus plays an important role in psychopathology and treatment outcome. While posterior hippocampus (PH) may be crucial for the learning process that exposure-based treatments require, affect-focused treatments might preferentially engage anterior hippocampus (AH). Previous studies have distinguished the different functions of these hippocampal sub-regions in memory, learning, and emotional processes, but not in treatment outcome. Read More

J Affect Disord 2019 Feb 6;249:121-126. Epub 2019 Feb 6.

School of Life Sciences, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China. Electronic address:

Background: The majority of the studies in this area focus on the psychological impact of having diabetic children or adolescents on parents, while a limited number of studies have investigated the effect of diabetes on the mental health status of family members in the general population. Thus, the aim of the current study is to explore the possible association between mental health disorders (depression, anxiety and panic) and diabetes status of family members among a national sample of adults in the United States.

Methods: Our analysis included 1,787 and 25,574 participants in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 1999-2004 and 2005-2016, respectively. Read More

Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2019 Feb 12. Epub 2019 Feb 12.

Department of Medical Psychology, Nanjing Medical University, Affiliated Nanjing Brain Hospital, Nanjing, 210029, China. Electronic address:

Panic disorder (PD) is a multifactorial neuropsychiatric disorder. Our previous study has demonstrated that the nitric oxide (NO) pathway and the acid-sensing ion channel 1a (ASIC1a) level in the dorsal midbrain periaqueductal gray (dPAG) are involved in the modulation of panic-like responses. In addition, the prefrontal cortex (PFC) and the hippocampus also play a role in panic-like responses. Read More

Behav Brain Res 2019 Feb 12;364:99-105. Epub 2019 Feb 12.

Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine of Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo, 14049-900, Ribeirão Preto, Sao Paulo, Brazil. Electronic address:

Although the etiology of panic disorder (PD) remains elusive, accumulating evidence suggests a key role for the dorsal periaqueductal gray matter (dPAG). There is also evidence that this midbrain area is critically involved in mediation of the panicolytic effect of antidepressants, which with high potency benzodiazepines (e.g. Read More

J Neurosci Rural Pract 2019 Jan-Mar;10(1):65-70

Department of Psychiatry, Government Medical College, Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir, India.

Introduction: Psychiatric morbidity has an increased prevalence in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Patients overall psychosocial status plays an important role in the development of depression which, when major, is said to occur in 19%-42% of cases of COPD. We aimed to study patterns of psychosocial issues in patients with COPD. Read More

Am J Geriatr Psychiatry 2018 Dec 17. Epub 2018 Dec 17.

Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences (CEG, KS, SAB), Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA; Mental Illness Research Education and Clinical Center (SAB), VA Palo Alto Health Care System, Palo Alto, CA.

Objective: The study's aim was to demonstrate the feasibility and preliminary efficacy of a 4-week video-delivered relaxation program called Breathing, Relaxation, and Education for Anxiety Treatment in the Home Environment (BREATHE) for reducing anxiety and increasing activity engagement in older adults with anxiety disorders.

Methods: This was an 8-week pilot randomized controlled trial performed as outpatient and self-directed learning at home among 40 community-dwelling adults aged 60 years or older who met criteria for an anxiety disorder (generalized anxiety disorder, social anxiety disorder, panic disorder, agoraphobia, or anxiety disorder unspecified). The study looked at the BREATHE intervention compared with a wait list control condition. Read More

Ir J Psychol Med 2019 Feb 14:1-4. Epub 2019 Feb 14.

2College Health Centre,Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland.

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is frequently identified in children but is often unrecognised in adults. ASD is characterised by difficulties in social interaction, communication and restricted interests, but other presentations are common, especially in adults. This report describes a 34-year-old man with a history of multiple psychiatric diagnoses including generalised anxiety disorder, major depressive disorder and panic disorder. Read More

BMC Psychiatry 2019 Feb 13;19(1):69. Epub 2019 Feb 13.

Department of Experimental Psychology and Helmholtz Institute, Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands.

Background: Phobic anxiety disorders are among the most prevalent psychiatric disorders and are burdensome in terms of loss of quality of life and work productivity. Evidence-based treatments are relatively successful in the majority of patients, especially exposure therapy. However, a substantial subset of patients fails to achieve or stay in remission. Read More

Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 2019 Feb 10;92:321-327. Epub 2019 Feb 10.

Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine of Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo, Brazil. Electronic address:

Exposure of rats to an environment with low O levels evokes a panic-like escape behavior and recruits the dorsal periaqueductal gray (dPAG), which is considered to be a key region in the pathophysiology of panic disorder. The neurochemical basis of this response is, however, currently unknown. We here investigated the role played by nitric oxide (NO) within the dPAG in mediation of the escape reaction induced by hypoxia exposure. Read More

J Clin Psychopharmacol 2019 Feb 7. Epub 2019 Feb 7.

Anding Hospital, Tianjin, China.

Purpose/background: The purpose of this study was to examine the relationships between ytochrome P450 family 2 subfamily C member 19 (CYP2C19) polymorphisms, brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) plasma levels, and treatment responses to escitalopram in Chinese patients with panic disorder (PD).

Methods/procedures: Ninety patients with PD were administered the Panic Disorder Severity Scale-Chinese Version (PDSS-CV) and Hamilton Anxiety Scale (HAMA-14) from baseline to 8 weeks. Escitalopram treatment (10 mg/d) was administered for 8 consecutive weeks. Read More

J Psychiatr Res 2019 Jan 31;111:134-139. Epub 2019 Jan 31.

MacAnxiety Research Centre, McMaster University, L02-1057 Main St W, Hamilton, ON, L8S 1B7, Canada; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Neurosciences, McMaster University, 1280 Main St W, Hamilton, ON, L8S 4L8, Canada; Michael G. DeGroote Centre for Medicinal Cannabis Research, McMaster University, 1280 Main St W, Hamilton, ON, L8S 4L8, Canada. Electronic address:

Cannabis is commonly used recreationally for its euphoric and relaxing effects, while its medical use is permitted in several jurisdictions. With only low-quality evidence suggesting anxiolytic effects of cannabis and strong public sentiment surrounding such purported effects, the purpose of this study was to examine the prevalence of cannabis for medicinal purposes (CMP) use for anxiety symptoms. An online survey was disseminated to CMP users registered with a Canadian licensed producer. Read More

Prev Med Rep 2019 Mar 25;13:281-288. Epub 2019 Jan 25.

Department of Preventive Medicine, Keck School of Medicine of University of Southern California, United States of America.

Screen-based sedentary behaviors and emotional disorders are associated with one another in youth. Yet, the direction of the association is unclear, as is whether specific types of screen-based sedentary behaviors and emotional disorder symptoms are more closely linked. This study estimated the bi-directional associations between two types of screen-based sedentary behaviors and four types of self-reported emotional disorder symptoms, and tested whether physical activity buffered these associations in a Los Angeles high school student cohort ( = 2525, baseline age = 14. Read More

Eur J Psychotraumatol 2019 29;10(1):1562841. Epub 2019 Jan 29.

The Foundation Trust, Melrose, MA, USA.

: Developmental trauma disorder (DTD) has been proposed to describe the biopsychosocial sequelae of exposure to interpersonal victimization in childhood that extend beyond the symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). : To characterize the psychopathology comorbid with DTD and to determine whether this comorbidity is distinct from, and extends beyond, comorbidities of PTSD. : DTD was assessed by structured interview, and probable Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th Edition (DSM-IV) psychiatric disorders were identified with screening modules on the Kiddie Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia, Present/Lifetime version (K-SADS-PL), in a multi-site sample of 236 children (7-18 years old; 50% female) referred by paediatric or mental health providers. Read More

Depress Anxiety 2019 Feb 6. Epub 2019 Feb 6.

Department of Developmental Psychology, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands.

Background: The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, version 5 (DSM-5) definition of agoraphobia (AG) as an independent diagnostic entity makes it timely to re-examine the epidemiology of AG. Study objective was to present representative data on the characteristics of individuals who meet DSM-IV criteria for AG (AG without a history of panic disorder [PD] and PD with AG) but not DSM-5 criteria, DSM-5 but not DSM-IV criteria, or both sets of criteria.

Methods: Population-based surveys from the World Mental Health Survey Initiative including adult respondents (n = 136,357) from 27 countries across the world. Read More

J Nerv Ment Dis 2019 Feb 4. Epub 2019 Feb 4.

Department of Psychology, Faculty of Life Sciences, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany.

High-intensity interval training (HIIT) may produce strong physiological but also psychological effects within a short period. However, it is questionable if this type of training is applicable and effective in patients with panic disorder (PD) because they are more vulnerable to the adverse effects of exercise. Twelve PD patients performed a 12-day HIIT trial. Read More

SAGE Open Med Case Rep 2019 17;7:2050313X18823827. Epub 2019 Jan 17.

Division of Dermatology, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada.

Minocycline is a medication commonly used for the treatment of acne vulgaris. The central nervous system-induced side effects of minocycline include headaches, pseudotumor cerebri, ataxia, and vestibular dysfunction. Many minocycline-related side effects have been presented in the literature, however, reports of depersonalization symptoms induced by the medication are rare. Read More

Transl Psychiatry 2019 Feb 4;9(1):75. Epub 2019 Feb 4.

Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical Center - University of Freiburg, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany.

Preclinical studies point to a pivotal role of the orexin 1 (OX) receptor in arousal and fear learning and therefore suggest the HCRTR1 gene as a prime candidate in panic disorder (PD) with/without agoraphobia (AG), PD/AG treatment response, and PD/AG-related intermediate phenotypes. Here, a multilevel approach was applied to test the non-synonymous HCRTR1 C/T Ile408Val gene variant (rs2271933) for association with PD/AG in two independent case-control samples (total n = 613 cases, 1839 healthy subjects), as an outcome predictor of a six-weeks exposure-based cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) in PD/AG patients (n = 189), as well as with respect to agoraphobic cognitions (ACQ) (n = 483 patients, n = 2382 healthy subjects), fMRI alerting network activation in healthy subjects (n = 94), and a behavioral avoidance task in PD/AG pre- and post-CBT (n = 271). The HCRTR1 rs2271933 T allele was associated with PD/AG in both samples independently, and in their meta-analysis (p = 4. Read More

Nervenarzt 2019 Feb 4. Epub 2019 Feb 4.

kbo-Inn-Salzach-Klinikum, Gabersee 7, 83512, Wasserburg am Inn, Deutschland.

Background: Virtual reality (VR) has been investigated as a medium for exposure therapy of anxiety disorders for 20 years. Various meta-analyses have provided convincing evidence of the therapeutic efficacy of exposure therapy in VR.

Objective: In recent years VR technology and its applications have considerably improved. Read More

Schizophr Bull 2019 Feb;45(Supplement_1):S43-S55

Department of Education, Psychology, Philosophy, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy.

Hallucination-like experiences (HLEs) are typically defined as sensory perceptions in the absence of external stimuli. Multidimensional tools, able to assess different facets of HLEs, are helpful for a better characterization of hallucination proneness and to investigate the cross-national variation in the frequencies of HLEs. The current study set out to establish the validity, factor structure, and measurement invariance of the Launay-Slade Hallucinations Scale-Extended (LSHS-E), a tool to assess HLEs. Read More

Ann Ig 2019 Mar-Apr;31(2):93-108

Specialization School in Hygiene and Preventive Medicine, University of Verona, Italy.

Background: Panic Attacks (PAs) and Panic Disorder (PD) represent a heavy burden not only because of the difficulty in distinguishing them from other pathologies and in treating them appropriately but also because of their impact on public health worldwide. In Europe, PD constitutes one of the five most common mental disorders adversely affecting quality of life.

Study Design: The aim of this study is to evaluate the period prevalence of visits to the Emergency Departments of the University Hospital of Verona (North East of Italy) over the period between 2012-2016 because of symptoms of PAs or PD in order to quantify the burden of the disorder. Read More

Epidemiol Psychiatr Sci 2019 Feb 4:1-7. Epub 2019 Feb 4.

School of Epidemiology and Public Health, University of Ottawa,Ottawa, ON,Canada.

AimsTo examine the impact of multiple psychiatric disorders over the lifetime on risk of mortality in the general population.

Methods: Data came from a random community-based sample of 1397 adults in Atlantic Canada, recruited in 1992. Major depression, dysthymia, panic disorder, generalised anxiety disorder and alcohol use disorders were assessed using the Diagnostic Interview Schedule (DIS). Read More

Twin Res Hum Genet 2019 Jan 30:1-8. Epub 2019 Jan 30.

Virginia Institute for Psychiatric and Behavioral Genetics,Virginia Commonwealth University,Richmond, VA,USA.

This study uses novel approaches to examine genetic and environmental influences shared between childhood behavioral inhibition (BI) and symptoms of preadolescent anxiety disorders. Three hundred and fifty-two twin pairs aged 9-13 and their mothers completed questionnaires about BI and anxiety symptoms. Biometrical twin modeling, including a direction-of-causation design, investigated genetic and environmental risk factors shared between BI and social, generalized, panic and separation anxiety. Read More

J Med Case Rep 2019 Jan 30;13(1):27. Epub 2019 Jan 30.

Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, SE-112 81, Stockholm, Sweden.

Background: Neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorders are severe autoimmune inflammatory diseases of the central nervous system associated with the presence of immunoglobulin G antibodies against the water channel protein aquaporin-4. During exacerbation, specific aquaporin-4 immunoglobulin G may be produced intrathecally. We measured extracellular aquaporin-4 microparticles in the cerebrospinal fluid of a patient who later developed the typical symptoms and signs of a neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder. Read More

Psychiatry Investig 2019 Jan 25;16(1):50-58. Epub 2019 Jan 25.

Laboratory of Panic and Respiration, Institute of Psychiatry, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Objective: Treatment for panic disorder (PD) have evolved, although there is still a strong unmet need for more effective and tolerable options. The present study summarizes and discusses recent evidence regarding the pharmacological and neuromodulatory treatment of PD.

Methods: MEDLINE, Cochrane Library, PsycINFO and Thomson Reuters's Web of Science were searched for clinical trials published between 2010 and 2018. Read More

Psychiatry Investig 2019 Jan 25;16(1):1-3. Epub 2019 Jan 25.

Department of Psychiatry, College of Medicine, Korea University, Seoul, Republic of Korea.

Front Hum Neurosci 2018 9;12:521. Epub 2019 Jan 9.

Sapien Labs, Arlington, VA, United States.

A significant proportion of the electroencephalography (EEG) literature focuses on differences in historically pre-defined frequency bands in the power spectrum that are typically referred to as alpha, beta, gamma, theta and delta waves. Here, we review 184 EEG studies that report differences in frequency bands in the resting state condition (eyes open and closed) across a spectrum of psychiatric disorders including depression, attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), autism, addiction, bipolar disorder, anxiety, panic disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) and schizophrenia to determine patterns across disorders. Aggregating across all reported results we demonstrate that characteristic patterns of power change within specific frequency bands are not necessarily unique to any one disorder but show substantial overlap across disorders as well as variability within disorders. Read More

Indian J Community Med 2018 Dec;43(Suppl 1):S28-S32

Department of Psychiatry, Kasturba Medical College, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Mangaluru, Karnataka, India.

Context: Adolescence is a period of turmoil, leading to several mental health challenges including anxiety and/or depression.

Aims: To study the prevalence of depression and anxiety among higher school going adolescents and their sociodemographic correlates.

Settings And Design: This cross-sectional study included 201 schoolgoing adolescents. Read More

Neuropharmacology 2019 Jan 21;148:284-290. Epub 2019 Jan 21.

Department of Pharmacology, Institute of Biological Sciences, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Brazil. Electronic address:

Recurrent panic attacks, comprising emotional and cardiovascular aversive responses, are common features in panic disorder, a subtype of anxiety disorder. The underlying brain circuitry includes nuclei of the hypothalamus, such as the dorsomedial hypothalamus (DMH). The endocannabinoid system has been proposed to modulate several biological processes in the hypothalamus. Read More

Transl Psychiatry 2019 Jan 22;9(1):33. Epub 2019 Jan 22.

Stark Neurosciences Research Institute, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA.

Genetic variation in serotonin transporter (SERT) that reduces transcriptional efficiency is associated with higher anxiety and fear traits and a greater incidence of post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Although previous studies have shown that rats with no expression of SERT (SERT) have increased baseline anxiety behaviors, SERT rats with low SERT expression (and more relevant to the clinical condition with low SERT expression) do not. Yet, no systematic studies of fear acquisition/extinction or their underlying neural mechanisms have been conducted in this preclinical genetic SERT model. Read More

Neuropsychiatr Dis Treat 2019 7;15:199-204. Epub 2019 Jan 7.

Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen, Thailand.

Purpose: The study evaluated the prevalence of comorbid anxiety disorders in late-life depression (LLD) and identified their associated factors.

Patients And Methods: This study involved 190 elderly Thais with depressive disorders diagnosed according to the Mini-International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI). Anxiety disorders were also diagnosed by the MINI. Read More

J Clin Neurosci 2019 Jan 16. Epub 2019 Jan 16.

Department of Physiotherapy, Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia.

Intensifying fear and fear of pain may lead to some diseases such as panic disorder, phobias, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety disorders, depression, etc. A number of studies indicated positive effect of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) on controlling fear and some studies did not observe any effect or even negative effect on decreasing fear. Due to lack of consensus in the findings of research, we aimed to systematically review studies, which investigated the effect of tDCS on fear. Read More

Epidemiol Psychiatr Sci 2019 Jan 17:1-10. Epub 2019 Jan 17.

Department of Psychiatry,Amsterdam UMC/GGZ inGeest,P.O. Box 7057, 1007 MB Amsterdam,The Netherlands.

AimsPsychiatric patients are at increased risk to become victim of violence. It remains unknown whether subjects of the general population with mental disorders are at risk of victimisation as well. In addition, it remains unclear whether the risk of victimisation differs across specific disorders. Read More

Psychiatry Res 2019 Jan 7;273:82-88. Epub 2019 Jan 7.

Department of Psychology, University of Southern Mississippi, 118 College Drive #5025, Hattiesburg, MS 39406, USA.

Nocturnal panic involves waking suddenly from sleep in a state of panic, with no apparent cause, and affects more than half of patients with panic disorder. The Fear of Loss of Vigilance theory is the only proposed model for nocturnal panic, suggesting nocturnal panickers fear states in which they are unable to react to danger or protect themselves from threats. Prior work using a self-report questionnaire designed to test the theory (i. Read More

Indian J Pediatr 2019 Jan 12. Epub 2019 Jan 12.

Faculty of Medical Sciences, Department of Pediatrics, University of Kragujevac, Kragujevac, Serbia.

Objectives: To evaluate the level of health-related quality of life (QoL) and presence of anxiety and depressive symptoms in Serbian children with celiac disease from the perspective of patients and their parents.

Methods: This cross-sectional study investigated the group of children and adolescents with celiac disease aged 5-18 y, and at least one parent of each patient with celiac disease. The patients and their parents were recruited at the Institute of Mother and Child Health of Serbia and the University Children's Hospital in Belgrade. Read More

Neuropsychiatr Dis Treat 2019 24;15:115-125. Epub 2018 Dec 24.

Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy,

Background: Frequent attenders (FAs), defined as patients reporting a disproportionate number of visits to general practitioners (GPs), may represent up to one-third of GP patients responsible for a high burden of care not always justified by the severity of the medical condition. The aim of this study was to explore sociodemographic and clinical characteristics of FAs of GP in Italy with particular attention to functional impairment.

Methods: A total sample of 75 FAs (defined as individuals who had consulted GPs 15 times or more during 2015) of GPs of three primary care centers (Pisa, Livorno, and Lucca) in Italy were enrolled and assessed by sociodemographic scale, Structured Clinical Interview for (SCID-5), global functioning (Global Assessment of Functioning [GAF]), illness behavior and perceived health (Illness Behavior Inventory), and somatic comorbidity (Cumulative Illness Rating Scale). Read More

Nord J Psychiatry 2019 Jan 14:1-6. Epub 2019 Jan 14.

a Department of Psychology , Lund University , Lund , SE , Sweden.

Background: Panic disorder, with or without agoraphobia (PDA or PD, respectively), is a major public health problem. After having established a PD diagnosis based on the DSM or the ICD systems, the Panic Disorder Severity Scale (PDSS) is the most widely used interview-based instrument for assessing disorder severity. There is also a self-report version of the instrument (PDSS-SR); both exist in a Swedish translation but their psychometric properties remain untested. Read More

Eur J Pediatr 2019 Jan 11. Epub 2019 Jan 11.

Department of Physical Therapy, Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia, 212 - 2177 Wesbrook Mall, Vancouver, British Columbia, V6T 1Z3, Canada.

This short communication provides an update on childhood psychogenic movement disorders (PMD), focusing on descriptive studies and case reports from 2008 to 2018. Known also as functional movement/motor disorders, PMD diagnoses are relatively common in adults but less so in children. In group studies over the past decade, sample prevalence of childhood PMD ranged from 2. Read More

Front Psychiatry 2018 12;9:691. Epub 2018 Dec 12.

Department of Psychiatry and Neurosciences, Institute of Biomedical and Health Sciences, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan.

The neurophysiological mechanisms of cognitive reactivity, the primary vulnerability factor of major depressive disorder (MDD) recurrence, remain unclear in individuals with recovered MDD (rMDD). Because gamma-band responses (GBRs) can be used to measure cognitive processing, they may also be useful for elucidating the mechanisms underlying cognitive reactivity. Identifying these mechanisms may permit the development of an index for predicting and preempting MDD recurrence. Read More

Noro Psikiyatr Ars 2018 Dec 20;55(4):376-379. Epub 2018 Nov 20.

Department of Psychiatry, Eskişehir Osmangazi University Faculty of Medicine, Eskişehir, Turkey.

Introduction: It is known that dysfunctional beliefs are important in the onset and maintenance of symptoms of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) according to the cognitive model of OCD. OCD patients with higher obsessive beliefs would be expected to have greater deficits in cognitive flexibility. In this study, we aimed to examine the relationship between obsessive belief levels and cognitive flexibility in OCD patients. Read More

Noro Psikiyatr Ars 2018 Dec 20;55(4):364-369. Epub 2018 Nov 20.

Department of Biostatistics, Ege University Faculty of Medicine, İzmir, Turkey.

Introduction: It is well-known that autonomic function is impaired in panic disorder (PD). Heart rate variability (HRV) is a reliable and noninvasive method to evaluate autonomic functions. The aim of this study is to evaluate 24-hour heart rate variability (HRV) parameters in drug-free panic disorder patients. Read More

Noro Psikiyatr Ars 2018 Dec 6;55(4):325-329. Epub 2018 Jul 6.

Department of Psychiatry, University of Messina, Messina, Italy.

Introduction: Symptomatic heterogeneity in the clinical presentation of Panic Disorder (PD) has lead to several attempts to identify PD subtypes; however, no studies investigated the association between temperament and character dimensions and PD subtypes. The study was aimed to verify whether personality traits were differentially related to distinct symptom dimensions.

Methods: Seventy-four patients with PD were assessed by the Mini-International Neuropsychiatric Interview (M. Read More

Int J Law Psychiatry 2019 Jan - Feb;62:1-6. Epub 2018 Nov 10.

Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, Mbarara University of Science and Technology, P. O. Box 1410, Mbarara, Uganda.

Introduction: Mental disorders among prisoners have been linked to the type of crime and recidivism. Identification of the mental disorders associated with the different types of crimes and recidivism is essential in the planning and eventual service provision to the prisoners. This study aimed to determine the association between mental disorders, type of crime and recidivism among prisoners in Mbarara municipality in Uganda. Read More

Cult Med Psychiatry 2019 Jan 5. Epub 2019 Jan 5.

Department of Anthropology, University of Alabama, Box 870120, Tuscaloosa, AL, 35487-0210, USA.

With the aim of advancing the cross-cultural investigation of the folk illness nervios, I conducted a dual-sited comparative study of symptom descriptions among two diverse research settings in Honduras. Baer et al. (Cult Med Psychiatry 27(3):315-337, 2003) used cultural consensus modeling (CCM) to confirm a core description of nervios among four Latino groups in the US, Mexico, and Guatemala, but observed that overall agreement and average competence in a shared illness model decreased along a gradient from presumably more-to-less economically developed sites. Read More

Vertex 2018 Jan;29(137):51-54

Servicio de Psiquiatría de Adultos, Hospital Pitié Salpêtrière, París, Francia.

Virtual reality involves the creation of an interactive three-dimensional virtual world which the user can navigate. This technology is proposed for anxiety disorders as an alternative to the in vivo and imaginative exposure provided in cognitive behavioral therapy, the gold standard psychoterapeutic treatment for this pathology. According to a signifcant number of publications including meta-analysis, virtual reality therapy exposure is at least equivalent to in vivo exposure in specifc phobias, panic disorder with agoraphobia, post-traumatic stress disorder and social phobia. Read More

Psychiatry Res 2018 Dec 25;272:349-358. Epub 2018 Dec 25.

Faculty of Human Sciences, Department of Psychology, Division of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Osnabrück University, Knollstr. 15, 49069 Osnabrück, Germany.

Checking behavior (CB) occurs in a variety of disorders such as obsessive-compulsive (OCD), body dysmorphic (BDD), illness anxiety (IA), and panic disorder (PD), as well as anorexia (AN) and bulimia nervosa (BN). Etiological models of these disorders - with the exception of those for PD - postulate that CB mainly occurs in situations characterized by negative affect and serves to regulate it. We aimed to test these assumptions: N = 386 individuals with a self-reported diagnosis of one of the disorders rated their affect at baseline, directly before a remembered CB episode, during, immediately afterwards, and 15 and 60 minutes afterwards, and rated their endorsement of different functions of CB. Read More

Int J Eat Disord 2018 Dec 31. Epub 2018 Dec 31.

Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina.

Objective: Individuals with Avoidant Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID) experience impairing health consequences from insufficient nutritional variety and/or quantity. Early medical conditions and/or somatic symptoms such as abdominal pain may lead some with ARFID to experience somatic sensations as aversive. As such, food avoidance may be part of a broader behavioral repertoire aimed at suppressing bodily sensations. Read More

J Clin Psychol 2018 Dec 31. Epub 2018 Dec 31.

Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, University of Potsdam, Potsdam, Germany.

Objective: There is a very limited amount of research on the relationship between therapist and patient in-session behavior and treatment outcome in cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) for panic disorder with agoraphobia (PD/AG). Additionally, the findings tend to be inconclusive. This study investigates the association between therapist competence, adherence, patient interpersonal behavior, and therapeutic alliance and outcome in a low-control CBT setting by using comprehensive measures. Read More

Psychiatry Res 2018 Dec 25;272:316-318. Epub 2018 Dec 25.

Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Necmettin Erbakan, Meram Faculty of Medicine, Konya, Turkey.

This study aimed to compare pregnant and non-pregnant women in terms of the current prevalence of mood and anxiety. The study sample included 1154 women evaluated on the first day postpartum and 328 control subjects. Mood and anxiety disorders were determined by structured psychiatric interview. Read More

J Affect Disord 2019 03 18;246:189-194. Epub 2018 Dec 18.

School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, 553 St Kilda Road, Victoria 3004, Australia.

Background: This study aimed to culturally verify and examine the empirical psychometric properties of the Indonesian versions of the Centre for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale - Revised (CESD-R), the Kessler Psychological Distress Scale - 10 items (K10) and a subset of 6 items of the K10, the K6 to detect depressive and anxiety disorders among older adolescents in Indonesia.

Methods: The empirical psychometric properties were examined formally among students aged 16-18 years attending high schools in Jakarta. The scales were validated against the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview for Children and Adolescents (MINI-Kid) modules for major depressive episode, dysthymia, panic disorder, separation anxiety disorder, and generalized anxiety disorder. Read More