Brief behavioural activation for adolescent depression: working with complexity and risk

Given the long-term negative outcomes associated with depression in adolescence, there is a pressing need to develop brief, evidence based treatments that are accessible to more young people experiencing low mood. Behavioural Activation (BA) is an effective treatment for adult depression, however little research has focused on the use of BA with depressed adolescents, particularly with briefer forms of BA. In this article we outline an adaptation of brief Behavioral Activation Treatment of Depression (BATD) designed for adolescents and delivered in eight sessions (Brief BA). This case example illustrates how a structured, brief intervention was useful for a depressed young person with a number of complicating and risk factors.

In the mood: the dynamics of collective sentiments on Twitter

We study the relationship between the sentiment levels of Twitter users and the evolving network structure that the users created by @-mentioning each other. We use a large dataset of tweets to which we apply three sentiment scoring algorithms, including the open source SentiStrength program. Specifically we make three contributions. Firstly we find that people who have potentially the largest communication reach (according to a dynamic centrality measure) use sentiment differently than the average user: for example they use positive sentiment more often and negative sentiment less often. Secondly we find that when we follow structurally stable Twitter communities over a period of months, their sentiment levels are also stable, and sudden changes in community sentiment from one day to the next can in most cases be traced to external events affecting the community. Thirdly, based on our findings, we create and calibrate a simple agent-based model that is capable of reproducing measures of emotive response comparable to those obtained from our empirical dataset.

Urinary 6-Sulphatoxymelatonin Levels Are Depressed in Chronic Migraine and Several Comorbidities

Objective.- To assess urinary 6-sulphatoxymelatonin levels in a large consecutive series of patients with migraine and several comorbidities (chronic fatigue, fibromyalgia, insomnia, anxiety, and depression) as compared with controls. Background.- Urine analysis is widely used as a measure of melatonin secretion, as it is correlated with the nocturnal profile of plasma melatonin secretion. Melatonin has critical functions in human physiology and substantial evidence points to its importance in the regulation of circadian rhythms, sleep, and headache disorders. Methods.- Urine samples were collected into a single plastic container over a 12-hour period from 8:00 pm to 8:00 am of the next day, and 6-sulphatoxymelatonin was measured by quantitative ELISA. All of the patients were given a detailed questionnaire about headaches and additionally answered the following questionnaires: Chalder fatigue questionnaire, Epworth somnolence questionnaire, State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, and the Beck Depression Inventory. Results.- A total of 220 subjects were evaluated - 73 (33%) had episodic migraine, 73 (33%) had chronic migraine, and 74 (34%) were enrolled as control subjects. There was a strong correlation between the concentration of 6-sulphatoxymelatonin detected and chronic migraine. Regarding the comorbidities, this study objectively demonstrates an inverse relationship between 6-sulphatoxymelatonin levels and depression, anxiety, and fatigue. Conclusions.- To our knowledge, this is the first study to evaluate the relationship between the urinary concentration of melatonin and migraine comorbidities. These results support hypothalamic involvement in migraine pathophysiology.

Effect of antidepressants on melatonin metabolite in depressed patients

Antidepressants increase melatonin levels, but it is still unclear whether this effect is related to the improvement of depressive symptoms or to unrelated pharmacological action of antidepressants. To answer this question, the effect of antidepressants on 6-sulphatoxymelatonin (aMT6s), the main melatonin urinary metabolite, was examined in drug-free depressed patients - most of them antidepressant-naive. aMT6s was evaluated in 34 depressed patients, before and after 8 weeks of placebo (n = 12) or antidepressant (n = 22; fluoxetine, duloxetine or Hypericum perforatum). Both groups showed an improvement of depressive symptoms after treatment compared to baseline (Hamilton Depression scores): 17.0 +/- 1.4 vs. 9.0 +/- 2.8, P = 0.007 for placebo, and 18.6 +/- 1.1 vs. 11.8 +/- 1.6, P < 0.001 for antidepressants). After treatment, aMT6s levels increased after antidepressants (P < 0.01), but not after placebo (P > 0.05). As depressive symptoms improved both in patients taking antidepressant and in those taking placebo, but an effect of antidepressants could only be seen in those taking antidepressants, we suggest that melatonin changes after antidepressants are more likely due to a pharmacological action of these drugs on melatonin secretion.

The effects of mood states on the AIDS-related judgements of gay men

In two studies, the effects of induced mood on the AIDS-related judgements of gay men were investigated. Participants were induced into a positive, neutral, or negative mood by recall of affect-laden autobiographical memories; they then made AIDS-related judgements. In Study 1 (n=30), the men indicated their level of agreement with statements expressing optimism about the efficacy of antiretroviral treatments for HIV/AIDS. Those induced into a positive mood indicated stronger agreement than did those induced into a neutral or negative mood. In Study 2 (n=83), participants read brief descriptions of men they did not know and estimated the likelihood that they were HIV-infected. Each sketch highlighted one characteristic of the man described. There were two versions of each sketch (e.g., the versions of the sketch highlighting intelligence described the man either as very intelligent or as very unintelligent), given to different participants. Stereotype use was inferred if significantly different estimates were given for the two versions of a sketch. Reliance on stereotypes was found most often in the positive mood condition and least often in the negative mood condition. The findings are consistent with, and suggest explanations for, earlier correlational evidence that, in gay men of the age group studied, sexual risk-taking is associated with a positive mood. Suggestions are made for how AIDS educators might address the contributions of mood states to sexual risk-taking.

Mood and self-esteem of persons with multiple sclerosis following an exacerbation

ObjectiveThis study was designed to determine the impact of an exacerbation in the symptoms of multiple sclerosis (MS) on the mood and self-esteem of persons with MS over an 18-month period.MethodsParticipants were 243 (80 males and 163 females) persons with MS and 184 (56 males and 128 female) persons from the general population. Information was obtained about coping styles, mood, and self-esteem among all respondents at Time 1, Time 2 (6 months later), and Time 3 (18 months later).ResultsThe results demonstrated that both groups of persons with MS experienced poorer mood levels than the general population, with the exacerbation group showing the highest levels of anxiety and confusion. Coping strategies did not predict mood in either of the MS groups.ConclusionThe findings of this study demonstrate that persons with MS experience significant problems with their mood states. However, respondents need to be tracked over a longer period to further explore the role of coping strategies in the adjustment of persons with MS

The effect of mood on opposite-sex judgments of males' commitment and females sexual intent

Gender differences in perceptions of sexual intent and commitment have been the subject of formal and informal inquiry for considerable time. One evolutionary theory, Error Management Theory (EMT), predicts that opposite-sex perceptions of female sexual intent and male commitment intent reflect intrinsic biases that minimize gender-specific evolutionary costs. The results supporting these hypotheses were obtained from subjects regardless of mood. We hypothesized that mood would influence ratings of sexual and commitment intent. Sixty participants (30 males, 30 females) were recruited and exposed to a positive and negative mood condition in counterbalanced groups using video stimuli. Preliminary analyses found an unexpected effect of order of mood induction, necessitating separate analyses of the Positive-Negative (PN) and Negative-Positive (NP) groups. Contrary to the original study, there were no gender effects. Positive moods led to increased ratings of both sexual and commitment intent across genders. Further, negative to positive mood-change was associated with significantly increased ratings. Both males and females attributed significantly higher sexual intent to same-sex rivals than themselves, but only males assessed themselves as having significantly higher commitment intent than same-sex rivals. The EMT model may require adaptation to acknowledge effects of variables such as mood on its predictions of gender-specific biases.

Depressed Na+-K+-ATPase activity in skeletal muscle at fatigue is correlated with increased Na+-K+-ATPase mRNA expression following intense exercise

We investigated whether depressed muscle Na⁺-K⁺-ATPase activity with exercise reflected a loss of Na⁺-K⁺-ATPase units, the time course of its recovery postexercise, and whether this depressed activity was related to increased Na⁺-K⁺-ATPase isoform gene expression. Fifteen subjects performed fatiguing, knee extensor exercise at ~40% maximal work output per contraction. A vastus lateralis muscle biopsy was taken at rest, fatigue, 3 h, and 24 h postexercise and analyzed for maximal Na⁺-K⁺-ATPase activity via 3-O-methylfluorescein phosphatase (3-O-MFPase) activity, Na⁺-K⁺-ATPase content via [3H]ouabain binding sites, and Na⁺-K⁺-ATPase α1-, α2-, α3-, ß1-, ß2- and ß3-isoform mRNA expression by real-time RT-PCR. Exercise [352 (SD 267) s] did not affect [³H]ouabain binding sites but decreased 3-O-MFPase activity by 10.7 (SD 8)% (P < 0.05), which had recovered by 3 h postexercise, without further change at 24 h. Exercise elevated α1-isoform mRNA by 1.5-fold at fatigue (P < 0.05). This increase was inversely correlated with the percent change in 3-O-MFPase activity from rest to fatigue (%Δ3-O-MFPaserest-fatigue) (r = –0.60, P < 0.05). The average postexercise (fatigue, 3 h, 24 h) {alpha}1-isoform mRNA was increased 1.4-fold (P < 0.05) and approached a significant inverse correlation with %Δ3-O-MFPaserest-fatigue (r = –0.56, P = 0.08). Exercise elevated α2-isoform mRNA at fatigue 2.5-fold (P < 0.05), which was inversely correlated with %Δ3-O-MFPaserest-fatigue (r = –0.60, P = 0.05). The average postexercise α2-isoform mRNA was increased 2.2-fold (P < 0.05) and was inversely correlated with the %Δ3-O-MFPaserest-fatigue (r = –0.68, P < 0.05). Nonsignificant correlations were found between %Δ3-O-MFPaserest-fatigue and other isoforms. Thus acute exercise transiently decreased Na^+-K⁺-ATPase activity, which was correlated with increased Na⁺-K⁺-ATPase gene expression. This suggests a possible signal-transduction role for depressed muscle Na⁺-K⁺-ATPase activity with exercise.

A Meeting of East and West: Can Eastern-Influenced Therapies be Effective in the Treatment of Stress and Mood Disorders?

Given that the human brain is plastic and that structural alterations have been seen in monks who meditate on a regular basis, the question arises of whether these two facts are actually related. Furthermore, if this is in fact the case, would it be possible to apply these findings to the public? In this paper I will present the different conditions that induce neuroplasticity as well as give an overview of meditation and the ways that it is practiced nowadays. To this end I will argue that if monks are able to alter the structure of their brains and the brain is naturally inclined to heal itself then incorporating eastern practices, such as mindfulness and imagery, into western therapies could benefit patients suffering from mood disorders and, in particular, stress.