Circulating Glial-derived neurotrophic factor is reduced in late-life depression

Background: The Glial Cell-line derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) is part of the TGF-beta superfamily and is abundantly expressed in the central nervous system. Changes in GDNF homeostasis have been reported in affective disorders. Aim: To assess serum GDNF concentration in elderly subjects with late-life depression, before antidepressant treatment, as compared to healthy elderly controls. Methods: Thirty-four elderly subjects with major depression and 37 age and gender-matched healthy elderly controls were included in this study. Diagnosis of major depression was ascertained by the SCID interview for DSM-IV and the severity of depressive symptoms was assessed by the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS-21). Serum GDNF concentration were determined by sandwich ELISA. Results: Patients with major depression showed a significant reduction in GDNF levels as compared to healthy elderly controls (p < 0.001). Also, GDNF level was negatively correlated with HDRS-21 scores (r = -0.343, p = 0.003). Discussion: Our data provide evidence that GDNF may be a state marker of depressive episode in older adults. Changes in the homeostatic control of GDNF production may be a target to development of new antidepressant strategies. (C) 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Abnormal resting state corticolimbic blood flow in depressed unmedicated patients with major depression: A 15O-H2O PET study

We investigated the differences in the resting state corticolimbic blood flow between 20 unmedicated depressed patients and 21 healthy comparisons. Resting state cerebral blood flow (CBF) was measured with H215O PET. Anatomical MRI scans were performed on an Elscint 1.9 T Prestige system for PET-MRI coregistration. Significant changes in cerebral blood flow indicating neural activity were detected using an ROI-free image subtraction strategy. In addition, the resting blood flow in patients was correlated with the severity of depression as measured by HAM-D scores. Depressed patients showed decreases in blood flow in right anterior cingulate (Brodmann areas 24 and 32) and increased blood flow in left and right posterior cingulate (Brodmann areas 23, 29, 30), left parahippocampal gyrus (Brodmann area 36), and right caudate compared with healthy volunteers. The severity of depression was inversely correlated with the left middle and inferior frontal gyri (Brodmann areas 9 and 47) and right medial frontal gyrus (Brodmann area 10) and right anterior cingulate (Brodmann areas 24, 32) blood flow, and directly correlated with the right thalamus blood flow. These findings support previous reports of abnormalities in the resting state blood flow in the limbic-frontal structures in depressed patients compared to healthy volunteers. Hum Brain Mapp, 2012. (C) 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Depression, fatigue, and health-related quality of life in head and neck cancer patients: a prospective pilot study

To assess the prevalence of depression and fatigue symptoms in head and neck cancer patients during radiotherapy treatment and relate them symptoms with these patients' quality of life. This is a prospective study. The Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), Piper Fatigue Scale-revised and Functional Assessment Cancer Therapy Head and Neck (FACT-H&N) were applied to 41 head and neck cancer patients at three times: at the start of treatment (T1), approximately 15 days after the start of treatment (T2) and at the end of treatment (T3), approximately 30 days after the start of the radiotherapy. The mean BDI and PIPER increased during the radiotherapy treatment. BDI scores did not demonstrate the presence of depression, although the number of symptoms increased, and the presence of fatigue rose as treatment advanced. The mean FACT H&N decreased in the middle and at the end of treatment, indicating worsening in these patients' Quality of Life. Depression and fatigue symptoms increased during radiotherapy treatment, while QoL levels decreased. This demonstrates that these symptoms are strongly correlated and that their presence negatively influenced QoL. At the start of treatment, nurses need to advise patients and plan care, offering interventions to decrease these symptoms and improve QoL.

Validation of the Brazilian Portuguese version of the Beck Depression Inventory-II in a community sample

Background: The Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) is used worldwide for detecting depressive symptoms. This questionnaire has been revised (1996) to match the DSM-IV criteria for a major depressive episode. We assessed the reliability and the validity of the Brazilian Portuguese version of the BDI-II for non-clinical adults. Methods: The questionnaire was applied to 60 college students on two occasions. Afterwards, 182 community-dwelling adults completed the BDI-II, the Self-Report Questionnaire, and the K10 Scale. Trained psychiatrists performed face-to-face interviews with the respondents using the Structured Clinical Interview (SCID-I), the Montgomery-angstrom sberg Depression Scale, and the Hamilton Anxiety Scale. Descriptive analysis, signal detection analysis (Receiver Operating Characteristics), correlation analysis, and discriminant function analysis were performed to investigate the psychometric properties of the BDI-II. Results: The intraclass correlation coefficient of the BDI-II was 0.89, and the Cronbach's alpha coefficient of internal consistency was 0.93. Taking the SCID as the gold standard, the cut-off point of 10/11 was the best threshold for detecting depression, yielding a sensitivity of 70% and a specificity of 87%. The concurrent validity (a correlation of 0.63-0.93 with scales applied simultaneously) and the predictive ability of the severity level (over 65% correct classification) were acceptable. Conclusion: The BDI-II is reliable and valid for measuring depressive symptomatology among Portuguese-speaking Brazilian non-clinical populations.

Temporomandibular disorders, otologic symptoms and depression levels in tinnitus patients

The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of signs and symptoms of temporomandibular disorders (TMD) and otologic symptoms in patients with and without tinnitus. The influence of the level of depression was also addressed. The tinnitus group was comprised of 100 patients with tinnitus, and control group was comprised of 100 individuals without tinnitus. All subjects were evaluated using the research diagnostic criteria for temporomandibular disorders (RDC/TMD) to determine the presence of TMD and depression level. Chi-square, Spearman Correlation and Mann-Whitney tests were used in statistical analysis, with a 5% significance level. TMD signs and symptoms were detected in 85% of patients with tinnitus and in 55% of controls (P = 0.001). The severity of pain and higher depression levels were positively associated with tinnitus (P = 0.001). It was concluded that tinnitus is associated with TMD and with otalgia, dizziness/vertigo, stuffy sensations, hypoacusis sensation and hyperacusis, as well as with higher depression levels.

Inbreeding depression in castor bean (Ricinus communis L.) progenies

The purpose of this study was to investigate inbreeding depression (DE) in castor bean. From a population derived from the Guarani cultivar, 60 mother plants were sampled. Three types of progenies were obtained from each one: from self-pollination (AU), from crosses (CR) and from open pollination (PL). Grain yield of the progenies was evaluated in two locations. There was a strong interaction of progenies x locations, which led to obtaining estimates within each location. Broad variation was observed in inbreeding depression, with mean values of 6.7% and 13.4%, comparing AU progenies with PL progenies. It was observed that the population has high potential for selecting promising inbred lines. The frequency of mother plants generating progenies with simultaneous high general combination capacity and low inbreeding depression was low. Recurrent selection will increase the occurrence of parent plants associating these two properties, which is necessary for obtaining superior synthetic varieties.

Chronic Pain and Depression in the Quality of Life of Women With Migraine - A Controlled Study

Background. Migraine is comorbid to depression and widespread chronic pain (WCP), but the influence of these conditions on the health-related quality of life (HRQoL) of individuals with episodic (EM) and chronic migraine (CM) is poorly understood. Objective.-To assess the prevalence of depressive symptoms and WCP in individuals with EM and CM, as well as to estimate the joint impact of these conditions on the HRQoL of these individuals. Methods.-All women aged 18 to 65 years with a first diagnosis of EM or CM from September of 2006 to September of 2008 seen in an outpatient headache service were invited to participate. They were asked to attend a separate appointment in the service, and to bring another woman of similar age that also agreed to participate. Depressive symptoms were assessed using the Beck Depression Inventory. Questions about WCP followed the protocol of the American College of Rheumatology. HRQoL was assessed using the Short-Form 36 (SF-36). Multivariate analysis modeled HRQoL as a function of headache status, depressive symptoms, and pain, using quantile regression. Results.-Sample consisted of 179 women, 53 in the EM group, 37 in the CM group and 89 in control group. Groups did not differ by demographics. Mean scores of SF-36 were 53.6 (standard deviation [SD] = 23.5) for EM, 44.2 (SD = 18.5) for CM and 61.8 (SD = 21.5) for controls. In multivariate analysis, SF-36 scores were predicted by a CM status (P =.02; -10.05 [95% CI -18.52; -1.58]) and by a Beck Depression Inventory score (P <.01; -1.27 [95% CI -1.55; -0.99]). The influence of WCP in the SF-36 scores approached significance (P =.08; -0.78 [95% CI -1.64; 0.88]). Age did not contribute to the model. Conclusion.-Women with migraine are at an increased chance of WCP, and the chance increases as a function of headache frequency. Both depressive symptoms and CM independently predict HRQoL status.

Treatment of Depression in Older Adults

Depression is the most frequent mental disorder in older people, often causing emotional distress and reduced quality of life. Despite its clinical significance, depression remains underdiagnosed and inadequately treated in older patients. Regarding prognosis, data suggest that almost 70% of patients, treated long enough and with appropriate doses, recover from an index episode of depression. Antidepressants are efficient for treating depressed outpatients with several comorbid physical diseases as well as hospitalized patients, with selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors being the antidepressants of choice for older patients. Available data can guide pharmacological treatment in both the acute and maintenance stages, but further research is required to guide clinical strategies when remission is not achieved. Approaches for the management of resistance to treatment are summarized, including optimization strategies, drug changes, algorithms, and combined and augmentation pharmacological treatments. Finally, additional therapeutic choices such as electroconvulsive therapy, transcranial magnetic stimulation, and integrated psychotherapy are presented.

Antenatal depression strongly predicts postnatal depression in primary health care

Objective: To estimate the association between antenatal and postnatal depression and to examine the role of socioeconomic conditions in the risk of postnatal depression. Methods: A prospective cohort study, conducted between May 2005 and January 2006, with 831 pregnant women recruited from primary care clinics in the public sector in the city of Sao Paulo, Brazil. The presence of antenatal and postnatal depression was measured with the Self Report Questionnaire (SRQ-20). Sociodemographic and socioeconomic characteristics and obstetric information were obtained through a questionnaire. Crude and adjusted risk ratios (RR), with 95% CI, were calculated using a Poisson regression. Results: The prevalence of postnatal depressive symptoms was 31.2% (95% CI: 27.8-34.8%). Among the 219 mothers who had depressive symptoms, nearly 50% had already shown depressive symptoms during pregnancy. Women who had antenatal depression were 2.4 times more likely to present with postnatal depression than were women who did not have such symptoms during pregnancy. In the multivariate analysis, higher scores for assets (RR: 0.76, 95% CI 0.61-0.96), higher education (RR: 0.75 95% CI 0.59-0.96), daily contact with neighbors (RR: 0.68, 95% CI 0.51-0.90) and antenatal depression (RR: 2.44, 95% CI 1.93-3.08) remained independently associated with postnatal depression. Conclusions: Antenatal and postnatal depression are highly prevalent in the primary care setting.

17 beta-Estradiol replacement in young, adult and middle-aged female ovariectomized rats promotes improvement of spatial reference memory and an antidepressant effect and alters monoamines and BDNF levels in memory- and depression-related brain areas

Clinical and experimental evidence suggest that estrogens have a major impact on cognition, presenting neurotrophic and neuroprotective actions in regions involved in such function. In opposite, some studies indicate that certain hormone therapy regimens may provoke detrimental effects over female cognitive and neurological function. Therefore, we decided to investigate how estrogen treatment would influence cognition and depression in different ages. For that matter, this study assessed the effects of chronic 17 beta-estradiol treatment over cognition and depressive-like behaviors of young (3 months old), adult (7 months old) and middle-aged (12 months old) reproductive female Wistar rats. These functions were also correlated with alterations in the serotonergic system, as well as hippocampal BDNF. 17 beta-Estradiol treatment did not influence animals' locomotor activity and exploratory behavior, but it was able to improve the performance of adult and middle-aged rats in the Morris water maze, the latter being more responsive to the treatment. Young and adult rats displayed decreased immobility time in the forced swimming test, suggesting an effect of 17 beta-estradiol also over such depressive-like behavior. This same test revealed increased swimming behavior, triggered by serotonergic pathway, in adult rats. Neurochemical evaluations indicated that 17 beta-estradiol treatment was able to increase serotonin turnover rate in the hippocampus of adult rats. Interestingly, estrogen treatment increased BDNF levels from animals of all ages. These findings support the notion that the beneficial effects of 17 beta-estradiol over spatial reference memory and depressive-like behavior are evident only when hormone therapy occurs at early ages and early stages of hormonal decline. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Pedigree analysis and inbreeding depression on growth traits in Brazilian Marchigiana and Bonsmara breeds

The study of population structure by pedigree analysis is useful to identify important circumstances that affect the genetic history of populations. The intensive use of a small number of superior individuals may reduce the genetic diversity of populations. This situation is very common for the beef cattle breeds. Therefore, the objectives of the present study were to analyze the pedigree and possible inbreeding depression on traits of economic interest in the Marchigiana and Bonsmara breeds and to test the inclusion of the individual inbreeding coefficient (F-i) or individual increases in inbreeding coefficient (Delta F-i) in the genetic evaluation model for the quantification of inbreeding depression. The complete pedigree file of the Marchigiana breed included 29,411 animals born between 1950 and 2003. For the Bonsmara breed, the pedigree file included 18,695 animals born between 1988 and 2006. Only animals with at least 2 equivalent generations of known pedigree were kept in the analyses of inbreeding effect on birth weight, weaning weight measured at about 205 d, and BW at 14 mo in the Marchigiana breed, and on birth weight, weaning weight, and scro-tal circumference measured at 12 mo in the Bonsmara breed. The degree of pedigree knowledge was greater for Marchigiana than for Bonsmara animals. The average generation interval was 7.02 and 3.19 for the Marchigiana and Bonsmara breed, respectively. The average inbreeding coefficient was 1.33% for Marchigiana and 0.26% for Bonsmara. The number of ancestors explaining 50% of the gene pool and effective population size computed via individual increase in coancestry were 13 and 97.79 for Marchigiana and 41 and 54.57 for Bonsmara, respectively. These estimates indicate reduction in genetic variability in both breeds. Inbreeding depression was observed for most of the growth traits. The model including Delta F-i can be considered more adequate to quantify inbreeding depression. The inclusion of F-i or Delta F-i in the genetic evaluation model may not result in better fit to the data. A genetic evaluation with simultaneous estimation of inbreeding depression can be performed in Marchigiana and Bonsmara breeds, providing additional information to producers and breeders.

Depression in children and adolescents: family narratives in Brazilian primary attention

Background: The incidence of depression in children and adolescents still increasing and this disorder is now a major public health challenge worldwide. The Psychiatric Reform suggested an end to the fragmented and inefficient service by proposing integrated and quality care. In this context, family narratives are a way to recognize vulnerabilities and provide psychopathology prevention in primary care. Methods: Two medical databases (LILACS and SciELO) were surveyed and 14 texts published between 2004 and 2011 were selected and reviewed. Results and discussion: Children and adolescents are nowadays exposed to several stressing factors, in addition to natural vulnerabilities of this age group. Prevention is associated with a qualified hearing of family narratives in primary care and healthcare professionals should be able to perceive said and unsaid elements across the speech. Conclusion: In spite of the advances about children and adolescents mental health, some procedures must be adapted to achieve an efficient mental health policy though analyzing family discourse.

Are mental health problems and depression associated with bruxism in children?

Renner AC, da Silva AAM, Rodriguez JDM, Simoes VMF, Barbieri MA, Bettiol H, Thomaz EBAF, Saraiva MC. Are mental health problems and depression associated with bruxism in children? Community Dent Oral Epidemiol 2011. (C) 2011 John Wiley & Sons A/S Abstract Objectives: Previous studies have found an association between bruxism and emotional and behavioral problems in children, but reported data are inconsistent. The objective of this study was to estimate the prevalence of bruxism, and of its components clenching and grinding, and its associations with mental problems and depression. Methods: Data from two Brazilian birth cohorts were analyzed: one from 869 children in Ribeirao Preto RP (Sao Paulo), a more developed city, and the other from 805 children in Sao Luis SL (Maranhao). Current bruxism evaluated by means of a questionnaire applied to the parents/persons responsible for the children was defined when the habit of tooth clenching during daytime and/or tooth grinding at night still persisted until the time of the assessment. Additionally, the lifetime prevalence of clenching during daytime only and grinding at night only was also evaluated. Mental health problems were investigated using the Strength and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) and depression using the Childrens Depression Inventory (CDI). Analyses were carried out for each city: with the SDQ subscales (emotional symptoms, conduct problems, peer problems, attention/hyperactivity disorder), with the total score (sum of the subscales), and with the CDI. These analyses were performed considering different response variables: bruxism, clenching only, and grinding only. The risks were estimated using a Poisson regression model. Statistical inferences were based on 95% confidence intervals (95% CI). Results: There was a high prevalence of current bruxism: 28.7% in RP and 30.0% in SL. The prevalence of clenching was 20.3% in RP and 18.8% in SL, and grinding was found in 35.7% of the children in RP and 39.1% in SL. Multivariable analysis showed a significant association of bruxism with emotional symptoms and total SDQ score in both cities. When analyzed separately, teeth clenching was associated with emotional symptoms, peer problems, and total SDQ score; grinding was significantly associated with emotional symptoms and total SDQ score in RP and SL. Female sex appeared as a protective factor for bruxism, and for clenching and grinding in RP. Furthermore, maternal employment outside the home and white skin color of children were associated with increased prevalence of teeth clenching in SL. Conclusions: Mental health problems were associated with bruxism, with teeth clenching only and grinding at night only. No association was detected between depression and bruxism, neither clenching nor grinding. But it is necessary to be cautious regarding the inferences from some of our results.

DTI voxelwise analysis did not differentiate older depressed patients from older subjects without depression

Introduction: Neuroimaging has been widely used in studies to investigate depression in the elderly because it is a noninvasive technique, and it allows the detection of structural and functional brain alterations. Fractional anisotropy (FA) and mean diffusivity (MD) are neuroimaging indexes of the microstructural integrity of white matter, which are measured using diffusion tensor imaging (DTI). The aim of this study was to investigate differences in FA or MD in the entire brain without a previously determined region of interest (ROI) between depressed and non-depressed elderly patients. Method: Brain magnetic resonance imaging scans were obtained from 47 depressed elderly patients, diagnosed according to DSM-IV criteria, and 36 healthy elderly patients as controls. Voxelwise statistical analysis of FA data was performed using tract-based spatial statistics (TBSS). Results: After controlling for age, no significant differences among FA and MD parameters were observed in the depressed elderly patients. No significant correlations were found between cognitive performance and FA or MD parameters. Conclusion: There were no significant differences among FA or MD values between mildly or moderately depressed and non-depressed elderly patients when the brain was analyzed without a previously determined ROI. (C) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Antidepressants prevent hierarchy destabilization induced by lipopolysaccharide administration in mice: a neurobiological approach to depression

In spite of the high prevalence and negative impact of depression, little is known about its pathophysiology. Basic research on depression needs new animal models in order to increase knowledge of the disease and search for new therapies. The work presented here aims to provide a neurobiologically validated model for investigating the relationships among sickness behavior, antidepressants treatment, and social dominance behavior. For this purpose, dominant individuals from dyads of male Swiss mice were treated with the bacterial endotoxin lipopolysaccharide (LPS) to induce social hierarchy destabilization. Two groups were treated with the antidepressants imipramine and fluoxetine prior to LPS administration. In these groups, antidepressant treatment prevented the occurrence of social destabilization. These results indicate that this model could be useful in providing new insights into the understanding of the brain systems involved in depression.