Exercise Improves Sexual Function In Women Taking Antidepressants
Depression and Anxiety Journal
Background
In laboratory studies, exercise immediately before sexual stimuli improved sexual arousal of women taking antidepressants. We evaluated if exercise improves sexual desire, orgasm, and global sexual functioning in women experiencing antidepressant-induced sexual side effects.
Methods
Fifty-two women who were reporting antidepressant sexual side effects were followed for 3 weeks of sexual activity only. They were randomized to complete either three weeks of exercise immediately before sexual activity (3×/week) or 3 weeks of exercise separate from sexual activity (3×/week). At the end of the first exercise arm, participants crossed to the other. We measured sexual functioning, sexual satisfaction, depression, and physical health.
Results
Exercise immediately prior to sexual activity significantly improved sexual desire and, for women with sexual dysfunction at baseline, global sexual function. Scheduling regular sexual activity significantly improved orgasm function; exercise did not increase this benefit. Neither regular sexual activity nor exercise significantly changed sexual satisfaction.
Conclusions
Scheduling regular sexual activity and exercise may be an effective tool for the behavioral management of sexual side effects of antidepressants.
Link: http://goo.gl/ud4z4Z
FDA MedWatch - Onfi (clobazam): Drug Safety Communication - Risk of Serious Skin Reactions
FDA is warning the public that the anti-seizure drug Onfi (clobazam) can cause rare but serious skin reactions that can result in permanent harm and death. FDA approved changes to the Onfi drug label and the patient Medication Guide to describe the risk of these serious skin reactions.
These skin reactions, called Stevens-Johnson syndrome (SJS) and toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN), can occur at any time during Onfi treatment. However, the likelihood of skin reactions is greater during the first 8 weeks of treatment or when Onfi is stopped and then re-started. All cases of SJS and TEN in the FDA case series have resulted in hospitalization, one case resulted in blindness, and one case resulted in death.
Link: http://goo.gl/RMVQ9X
Study Finds CBT More Effective Than Psychoanalysis in Treating Bulimia
The American Journal of Psychiatry
Objective The authors compared psychoanalytic psychotherapy and cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) in the treatment of bulimia nervosa.
Method
A randomized controlled trial was conducted in which 70 patients with bulimia nervosa received either 2 years of weekly psychoanalytic psychotherapy or 20 sessions of CBT over 5 months. The main outcome measure was the Eating Disorder Examination interview, which was administered blind to treatment condition at baseline, after 5 months, and after 2 years. The primary outcome analyses were conducted using logistic regression analysis.
Results
Both treatments resulted in improvement, but a marked difference was observed between CBT and psychoanalytic psychotherapy. After 5 months, 42% of patients in CBT (N=36) and 6% of patients in psychoanalytic psychotherapy (N=34) had stopped binge eating and purging (odds ratio=13.40, 95% confidence interval [CI]=2.45–73.42; p<0.01). At 2 years, 44% in the CBT group and 15% in the psychoanalytic psychotherapy group had stopped binge eating and purging (odds ratio=4.34, 95% CI=1.33–14.21; p=0.02). By the end of both treatments, substantial improvements in eating disorder features and general psychopathology were observed, but in general these changes took place more rapidly in CBT.
Conclusions
Despite the marked disparity in the number of treatment sessions and the duration of treatment, CBT was more effective in relieving binging and purging than psychoanalytic psychotherapy and was generally faster in alleviating eating disorder features and general psychopathology. The findings indicate the need to develop and test a more structured and symptom-focused version of psychoanalytic psychotherapy for bulimia nervosa.
Link: http://goo.gl/2TLkQ0
Exercise Improves Sexual Function In Women Taking Antidepressants
Depression and Anxiety JournalBackground
In laboratory studies, exercise immediately before sexual stimuli improved sexual arousal of women taking antidepressants. We evaluated if exercise improves sexual desire, orgasm, and global sexual functioning in women experiencing antidepressant-induced sexual side effects.
Methods
Fifty-two women who were reporting antidepressant sexual side effects were followed for 3 weeks of sexual activity only. They were randomized to complete either three weeks of exercise immediately before sexual activity (3×/week) or 3 weeks of exercise separate from sexual activity (3×/week). At the end of the first exercise arm, participants crossed to the other. We measured sexual functioning, sexual satisfaction, depression, and physical health.
Results
Exercise immediately prior to sexual activity significantly improved sexual desire and, for women with sexual dysfunction at baseline, global sexual function. Scheduling regular sexual activity significantly improved orgasm function; exercise did not increase this benefit. Neither regular sexual activity nor exercise significantly changed sexual satisfaction.
Conclusions
Scheduling regular sexual activity and exercise may be an effective tool for the behavioral management of sexual side effects of antidepressants.
Link: http://goo.gl/ud4z4Z
FDA MedWatch - Onfi (clobazam): Drug Safety Communication - Risk of Serious Skin Reactions
FDA is warning the public that the anti-seizure drug Onfi (clobazam) can cause rare but serious skin reactions that can result in permanent harm and death. FDA approved changes to the Onfi drug label and the patient Medication Guide to describe the risk of these serious skin reactions. These skin reactions, called Stevens-Johnson syndrome (SJS) and toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN), can occur at any time during Onfi treatment. However, the likelihood of skin reactions is greater during the first 8 weeks of treatment or when Onfi is stopped and then re-started. All cases of SJS and TEN in the FDA case series have resulted in hospitalization, one case resulted in blindness, and one case resulted in death.Link: http://goo.gl/RMVQ9X
Study Finds CBT More Effective Than Psychoanalysis in Treating Bulimia
The American Journal of PsychiatryObjective The authors compared psychoanalytic psychotherapy and cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) in the treatment of bulimia nervosa.
Method
A randomized controlled trial was conducted in which 70 patients with bulimia nervosa received either 2 years of weekly psychoanalytic psychotherapy or 20 sessions of CBT over 5 months. The main outcome measure was the Eating Disorder Examination interview, which was administered blind to treatment condition at baseline, after 5 months, and after 2 years. The primary outcome analyses were conducted using logistic regression analysis.
Results
Both treatments resulted in improvement, but a marked difference was observed between CBT and psychoanalytic psychotherapy. After 5 months, 42% of patients in CBT (N=36) and 6% of patients in psychoanalytic psychotherapy (N=34) had stopped binge eating and purging (odds ratio=13.40, 95% confidence interval [CI]=2.45–73.42; p<0.01). At 2 years, 44% in the CBT group and 15% in the psychoanalytic psychotherapy group had stopped binge eating and purging (odds ratio=4.34, 95% CI=1.33–14.21; p=0.02). By the end of both treatments, substantial improvements in eating disorder features and general psychopathology were observed, but in general these changes took place more rapidly in CBT.
Conclusions
Despite the marked disparity in the number of treatment sessions and the duration of treatment, CBT was more effective in relieving binging and purging than psychoanalytic psychotherapy and was generally faster in alleviating eating disorder features and general psychopathology. The findings indicate the need to develop and test a more structured and symptom-focused version of psychoanalytic psychotherapy for bulimia nervosa.
Link: http://goo.gl/2TLkQ0
Study Finds Low Zinc Levels Associated With Depression
Biological Psychiatry Journal
Background
Zinc is an essential micronutrient with diverse biological roles in cell growth, apoptosis and metabolism, and in the regulation of endocrine, immune, and neuronal functions implicated in the pathophysiology of depression. This study sought to quantitatively summarize the clinical data comparing peripheral blood zinc concentrations between depressed and nondepressed subjects.
Methods
PubMed, Cumulated Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, and PsycINFO were searched for original peer-reviewed studies (to June 2012) measuring zinc concentrations in serum or plasma from depressed subjects (identified by either screening or clinical criteria) and nondepressed control subjects. Mean (±SD) zinc concentrations were extracted, combined quantitatively in random-effects meta-analysis, and summarized as a weighted mean difference (WMD).
Results
Seventeen studies, measuring peripheral blood zinc concentrations in 1643 depressed and 804 control subjects, were included. Zinc concentrations were approximately −1.85 µmol/L lower in depressed subjects than control subjects (95% confidence interval: [CI]: −2.51 to −1.19 µmol/L, Z17 = 5.45, p < .00001). Heterogeneity was detected (χ217 = 142.81, p < .00001, I2 = 88%) and explored; in studies that quantified depressive symptoms, greater depression severity was associated with greater relative zinc deficiency (B = −1.503, t9 = −2.82, p = .026). Effect sizes were numerically larger in studies of inpatients (WMD −2.543, 95% CI: −3.522 to −1.564, Z9 = 5.09, p < .0001) versus community samples (WMD −.943, 95% CI: −1.563 to −.323, Z7 = 2.98, p = .003) and in studies of higher methodological quality (WMD −2.354, 95% CI: −2.901 to −1.807, Z7 = 8.43, p < .0001).
Conclusions
Depression is associated with a lower concentration of zinc in peripheral blood. The pathophysiological relationships between zinc status and depression, and the potential benefits of zinc supplementation in depressed patients, warrant further investigation.
Link: http://goo.gl/URe0Gt
Study Finds Low Zinc Levels Associated With Depression
Biological Psychiatry JournalBackground
Zinc is an essential micronutrient with diverse biological roles in cell growth, apoptosis and metabolism, and in the regulation of endocrine, immune, and neuronal functions implicated in the pathophysiology of depression. This study sought to quantitatively summarize the clinical data comparing peripheral blood zinc concentrations between depressed and nondepressed subjects.
Methods
PubMed, Cumulated Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, and PsycINFO were searched for original peer-reviewed studies (to June 2012) measuring zinc concentrations in serum or plasma from depressed subjects (identified by either screening or clinical criteria) and nondepressed control subjects. Mean (±SD) zinc concentrations were extracted, combined quantitatively in random-effects meta-analysis, and summarized as a weighted mean difference (WMD).
Results
Seventeen studies, measuring peripheral blood zinc concentrations in 1643 depressed and 804 control subjects, were included. Zinc concentrations were approximately −1.85 µmol/L lower in depressed subjects than control subjects (95% confidence interval: [CI]: −2.51 to −1.19 µmol/L, Z17 = 5.45, p < .00001). Heterogeneity was detected (χ217 = 142.81, p < .00001, I2 = 88%) and explored; in studies that quantified depressive symptoms, greater depression severity was associated with greater relative zinc deficiency (B = −1.503, t9 = −2.82, p = .026). Effect sizes were numerically larger in studies of inpatients (WMD −2.543, 95% CI: −3.522 to −1.564, Z9 = 5.09, p < .0001) versus community samples (WMD −.943, 95% CI: −1.563 to −.323, Z7 = 2.98, p = .003) and in studies of higher methodological quality (WMD −2.354, 95% CI: −2.901 to −1.807, Z7 = 8.43, p < .0001).
Conclusions
Depression is associated with a lower concentration of zinc in peripheral blood. The pathophysiological relationships between zinc status and depression, and the potential benefits of zinc supplementation in depressed patients, warrant further investigation.
Link: http://goo.gl/URe0Gt
Study Finds Gabapentin May Be Effective in Treating Alcohol Dependence
JAMA INternal MedicineImportance
Approved medications for alcohol dependence are prescribed for less than 9% of US alcoholics.
Objective
To determine if gabapentin, a widely prescribed generic calcium channel/γ-aminobutyric acid–modulating medication, increases rates of sustained abstinence and no heavy drinking and decreases alcohol-related insomnia, dysphoria, and craving, in a dose-dependent manner.
Design, Participants and Setting
A 12-week, double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized dose-ranging trial of 150 men and women older than 18 years with current alcohol dependence, conducted from 2004 through 2010 at a single-site, outpatient clinical research facility adjoining a general medical hospital.
Interventions
Oral gabapentin (dosages of 0 [placebo], 900 mg, or 1800 mg/d) and concomitant manual-guided counseling.
Main Outcomes and Measures
Rates of complete abstinence and no heavy drinking (coprimary) and changes in mood, sleep, and craving (secondary) over the 12-week study.
Results
Gabapentin significantly improved the rates of abstinence and no heavy drinking. The abstinence rate was 4.1% (95% CI, 1.1%-13.7%) in the placebo group, 11.1% (95% CI, 5.2%-22.2%) in the 900-mg group, and 17.0% (95% CI, 8.9%-30.1%) in the 1800-mg group (P = .04 for linear dose effect; number needed to treat [NNT] = 8 for 1800 mg). The no heavy drinking rate was 22.5% (95% CI, 13.6%-37.2%) in the placebo group, 29.6% (95% CI, 19.1%-42.8%) in the 900-mg group, and 44.7% (95% CI, 31.4%-58.8%) in the 1800-mg group (P = .02 for linear dose effect; NNT = 5 for 1800 mg). Similar linear dose effects were obtained with measures of mood (F2 = 7.37; P = .001), sleep (F2 = 136; P < .001), and craving (F2 = 3.56; P = .03). There were no serious drug-related adverse events, and terminations owing to adverse events (9 of 150 participants), time in the study (mean [SD], 9.1 [3.8] weeks), and rate of study completion (85 of 150 participants) did not differ among groups.
Conclusions and Relevance
Gabapentin (particularly the 1800-mg dosage) was effective in treating alcohol dependence and relapse-related symptoms of insomnia, dysphoria, and craving, with a favorable safety profile. Increased implementation of pharmacological treatment of alcohol dependence in primary care may be a major benefit of gabapentin as a treatment option for alcohol dependence.
Link: http://goo.gl/hGJrdj
Brain Stress Systems May Be Key Piece of the Addiction Puzzle
The brain’s stress systems appear to play a key role in the transition to addiction and maintaining addiction once it is initiated. People addicted to drugs take those substances not to feel good, but to avoid the anxiety, stress, irritability, or dysphoria of drug withdrawal, said George Koob, Ph.D., of the Scripps Research Institute in La Jolla, Calif., in a talk at the Society of Neuroscience meeting in San Diego.Link: http://goo.gl/AmGUUl
CBT Boosts Expression of Critical Gene in PTSD Patients, Study Finds
Biological Psychiatry Journal
Background Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is characterized by a reduced expression of FKBP5, a key modulator of the glucocorticoid receptor. Smaller hippocampal volume has also been documented in PTSD. We explored possible changes in FKBP5 gene expression and brain structure in patients with PTSD after cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT).
Methods
We measured peripheral FKBP5 RNA and volumes of the hippocampus, amygdala, and medial orbitofrontal cortex in 39 patients with PTSD before and after CBT. The control subjects were 31 trauma-exposed individuals without PTSD who were also assessed twice. Gene expression changes were screened with a microarray toolkit, which was followed by quantitative polymerase chain reaction for FKBP5 RNA. Brain volumes were measured using FreeSurfer.
Results
At baseline, patients with PTSD showed lower FKBP5 gene expression and smaller hippocampal and medial orbitofrontal cortex, but not amygdala, volumes relative to control subjects. At follow-up, we found significantly increased FKBP5 expression and increased hippocampal volume in patients with PTSD. At follow-up, patients did not differ from control subjects in hippocampal volume. Improvement in PTSD symptoms was predicted by increased FKBP5 expression and increased hippocampal volume, but the primary predictor was FKBP5 expression. The most significantly altered gene expression in patients with PTSD relative to control subjects was found for ribosomal protein S6 kinase, which did not change after CBT and did not correlate with hippocampal volume.
Conclusions
Clinical improvement in individuals with PTSD was associated with increased expression of FKBP5 and increased hippocampal volume, which were positively correlated.
Link: http://goo.gl/VW9EJq
Mice appear to pass certain fears onto their offspring, according to a new study
Mice trained to fear the smell of a cherry-and-almond-scented chemical called acetophenone passed their anxieties onto their pups, according to a study published this week (December 1) in Nature Neuroscience.Link: http://goo.gl/APGYRS
