1.  

Cohen JA, Mannarino AP, Knudsen K. Treating childhood traumatic grief: a pilot study. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry. 2004 Oct;43(10):1225-33.

Drexel University College of Medicine, Allegheny General Hospital, Pittsburgh 15212, USA. jcohen@wpahs.org

OBJECTIVE: To examine the potential efficacy and specific timing of treatment response of individual child and parent trauma-focused cognitive-behavioral therapy for childhood traumatic grief (CTG), a condition in which trauma symptoms impinge on the child's ability to successfully address the normal tasks of grieving. METHOD: Twenty-two children and their primary caretakers received a manual-based 16-week treatment with sequential trauma- and grief-focused interventions. RESULTS: Children experienced significant improvements in CTG, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depressive, anxiety, and behavioral problems, with PTSD symptoms improving only during the trauma-focused treatment components and CTG improving during both trauma- and grief-focused components. Participating parents also experienced significant improvement in PTSD and depressive symptoms. CONCLUSIONS: The timing of improvements in CTG and PTSD symptoms lends support to providing sequential trauma- and grief-focused interventions and to the concept that CTG is related to but distinct from PTSD. The results also suggest the benefit of individual treatment for CTG and for including parents in the treatment of CTG. Randomized, controlled trials are needed to further test the efficacy of this treatment model.

2.  

Highet NJ, McNair BG, Davenport TA, Hickie IB. How much more can we lose?": carer and family perspectives on living with a person with depression. Med J Aust. 2004 Oct 4;181(7 Suppl):S6-9.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the experiences of carers and families of people with depression. DESIGN AND SETTING: Structured focus groups conducted in six Australian capital cities between February 2002 and July 2002. Thematic analyses were conducted using the QSR NUD*IST software package for qualitative data. PARTICIPANTS: Thirty-seven carers or family members. RESULTS: Thematic analyses highlighted five key themes. Most notably, the carer's role is made more difficult by the lack of community awareness about depression, and, in some instances, an unwillingness of other family and friends to provide ongoing support. Carers experience a resulting sense of isolation, often exacerbated by adverse experiences with healthcare providers. Carers and family members are frequently excluded when key decisions are made, and report that emergency services are relatively unresponsive to their concerns. By contrast, community support organisations usually provided a sense of inclusion and common purpose. CONCLUSIONS: The experiences of carers and families of people with depression highlight the urgent need for more extensive community education about the illness and more productive collaboration within the healthcare system.

3.  

Myers MF. Medical marriages and other intimate relationships. Med J Aust. 2004 Oct 4;181(7):392-4.         

Department of Psychiatry, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada. myers@telus.net

Marital challenges are ubiquitous in the relationships of doctors. Common issues include overwork, a need for control, self-neglect, perceived and felt stigma, being a "wounded healer", trouble with boundaries, chemical dependency, depression, and more. Knowing the hallmarks of a healthy relationship, recognising warning signals of trouble, and taking action through suggested strategies can be salutary.

4.

Verma S, Szmitko PE, Anderson TJ. Endothelial function: ready for prime time? Can J Cardiol. 2004 Nov;20(13):1335-9.

Division of Cardiac Surgery, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada. Subodh.Verma@Sympatico.ca

The strategic location of the endothelium allows it to detect changes in hemodynamic forces and blood-borne signals, and to respond by releasing a number of autocrine and paracrine substances. The balanced release of these bioactive factors facilitates vascular homeostasis. If disrupted, endothelial cell dysfunction ensues. This predisposes the vessel wall to vasoconstriction, leukocyte adherence, platelet activation, thrombosis, vascular inflammation and atherosclerosis. Given the central role of the endothelium in the development and progression of atherosclerosis, endothelial function testing may serve as a useful biomarker of atherosclerotic disease. The present review highlights the current modalities used in assessing endothelial function, explores how endothelial function may serve as a biomarker for atherosclerosis, comments on the prognostic relevance of endothelial function and describes its use in the clinical setting.

5.  

Verma S, Szmitko PE, Anderson TJ. Endothelial function: ready for prime time? Can J Cardiol. 2004 Nov;20(13):1335-9.

Division of Cardiac Surgery, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada. Subodh.Verma@Sympatico.ca

The strategic location of the endothelium allows it to detect changes in hemodynamic forces and blood-borne signals, and to respond by releasing a number of autocrine and paracrine substances. The balanced release of these bioactive factors facilitates vascular homeostasis. If disrupted, endothelial cell dysfunction ensues. This predisposes the vessel wall to vasoconstriction, leukocyte adherence, platelet activation, thrombosis, vascular inflammation and atherosclerosis. Given the central role of the endothelium in the development and progression of atherosclerosis, endothelial function testing may serve as a useful biomarker of atherosclerotic disease. The present review highlights the current modalities used in assessing endothelial function, explores how endothelial function may serve as a biomarker for atherosclerosis, comments on the prognostic relevance of endothelial function and describes its use in the clinical setting.

Asthma:  

11733.     Bender BG, Annett RD, Strunk RC. Retrospective and prospective parental reports of sleep in children with asthma. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2004 Oct;114(4):985-8.

Depression:

11734.     Ben-Ezra M, Essar N. Depression and anxiety in developing countries. Lancet. 2004 Oct 23;364(9444):1488.

11735.    Cohen JA, Mannarino AP, Knudsen K. Treating childhood traumatic grief: a pilot study. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry. 2004 Oct;43(10):1225-33.

11736.    Girod JP, Brotman DJ. Does altered glucocorticoid homeostasis increase cardiovascular risk? Cardiovasc Res. 2004 Nov 1;64(2):217-26. Review.

11737.    Gross D, Fogg L, Garvey C, Julion W. Behavior problems in young children: an analysis of cross-informant agreements and disagreements. Res Nurs Health. 2004 Dec;27(6):413-25.

11738.    Highet NJ, McNair BG, Davenport TA, Hickie IB. How much more can we lose?": carer and family perspectives on living with a person with depression. Med J Aust. 2004 Oct 4;181(7 Suppl):S6-9.

11739.    Luby JL, Mrakotsky C, Heffelfinger A, Brown K, Spitznagel E. Characteristics of depressed preschoolers with and without anhedonia: evidence for a melancholic depressive subtype in young children. Am J Psychiatry. 2004 Nov;161(11):1998-2004.

11740.    Myers MF. Medical marriages and other intimate relationships. Med J Aust. 2004 Oct 4;181(7):392-4.

11741.    Sala M, Perez J, Soloff P, Ucelli di Nemi S, Caverzasi E, Soares JC, Brambilla P. Stress and hippocampal abnormalities in psychiatric disorders. Eur Neuropsychopharmacol. 2004 Oct;14(5):393-405. Review.

11742.     Sjostrom H, Langius-Eklof A, Hjertberg R. Well-being and sense of coherence during pregnancy. Acta Obstet Gynecol Scand. 2004 Dec;83(12):1112-8.

11743.     Visser A, Huizinga GA, van der Graaf WT, Hoekstra HJ, Hoekstra-Weebers JE. The impact of parental cancer on children and the family: a review of the literature. Cancer Treat Rev. 2004 Dec;30(8):683-94. Review.

11744.      Zimmerman M, Chelminski I, Young D. On the threshold of disorder: a study of the impact of the DSM-IV clinical significance criterion on diagnosing depressive and anxiety disorders in clinical practice. J Clin Psychiatry. 2004 Oct;65(10):1400-5.

Heart Disease:

11745.    Chesebro JH. Acute coronary syndromes: pathogenesis, acute diagnosis with risk stratification, and treatment. Am Heart Hosp J. 2004 Fall;2(4 Suppl 1):21-30. Review.

11746.    Ellestad MH. Stress testing: Problems and appropriate use in acute coronary syndromes. Am J Cardiol. 2004 Dec 15;94(12):1534-6.

11747.     Kojda G. Direct vasoprotection by aspirin: a significant bonus to antiplatelet activity? Cardiovasc Res. 2004 Nov 1;64(2):192-4.

11748.     Macleod J, Smith GD. Re: "does job strain increase the risk for coronary heart disease or death in men and women? The Framingham offspring study". Am J Epidemiol. 2004 Nov 15;160(10):1031-2; author reply 1032.

11749.    Scarabelli T, Knight R. Urocortins: take them to heart. Curr Med Chem Cardiovasc Hematol Agents. 2004 Oct;2(4):335-342. Review.

11750.    Verma S, Szmitko PE, Anderson TJ. Endothelial function: ready for prime time? Can J Cardiol. 2004 Nov;20(13):1335-9. Review.

11751.     Wang G, Mao JM, Wang X, Zhang FC. Effect of homocysteine on plaque formation and oxidative stress in patients with acute coronary syndromes. Chin Med J (Engl). 2004 Nov;117(11):1650-4.

Hypertension:

11752.     Seckl JR. Prenatal glucocorticoids and long-term programming. Eur J Endocrinol. 2004 Nov;151 Suppl 3:U49-62. Review.

11753.    Vanderheyden M, Goethals M, Verstreken S, De Bruyne B, Muller K, Van Schuerbeeck E, Bartunek J. Wall stress modulates brain natriuretic peptide production in pressure overload cardiomyopathy. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2004 Dec 21;44(12):2349-54.

1.  

Jammes Y, Steinberg JG, Mambrini O, Bregeon F, Delliaux S. Chronic fatigue syndrome: assessment of increased oxidative stress and altered muscle excitability in response to incremental exercise. J Intern Med. 2005 Mar;257(3):299-310.

Laboratoire de Physiopathologie Respiratoire (UPRES EA 2201), Faculte de Medecine, Institut Federatif de Recherche Jean Roche, Marseille, France. jammes.y@jean-roche.univ-mrs.fr

OBJECTIVES: Because the muscle response to incremental exercise is not well documented in patients suffering from chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), we combined electrophysiological (compound-evoked muscle action potential, M wave), and biochemical (lactic acid production, oxidative stress) measurements to assess any muscle dysfunction in response to a routine cycling exercise. DESIGN: This case-control study compared 15 CFS patients to a gender-, age- and weight-matched control group (n=11) of healthy subjects. INTERVENTIONS: All subjects performed an incremental cycling exercise continued until exhaustion. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: We measured the oxygen uptake (VO2), heart rate (HR), systemic blood pressure, percutaneous O2 saturation (SpO2), M-wave recording from vastus lateralis, and venous blood sampling allowing measurements of pH (pHv), PO2 (PvO2), lactic acid (LA), and three markers of the oxidative stress (thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances, TBARS, reduced glutathione, GSH, and ascorbic acid, RAA). RESULTS: Compared with control, in CFS patients (i) the slope of VO2 versus work load relationship did not differ from control subjects and there was a tendency for an accentuated PvO2 fall at the same exercise intensity, indicating an increased oxygen uptake by the exercising muscles; (ii) the HR and blood pressure responses to exercise did not vary; (iii) the anaerobic pathways were not accentuated; (iv) the exercise-induced oxidative stress was enhanced with early changes in TBARS and RAA and enhanced maximal RAA consumption; and (v) the M-wave duration markedly increased during the recovery period. CONCLUSIONS: The response of CFS patients to incremental exercise associates a lengthened and accentuated oxidative stress together with marked alterations of the muscle membrane excitability. These two objective signs of muscle dysfunction are sufficient to explain muscle pain and postexertional malaise reported by our patients.

2.  

Jammes Y, Steinberg JG, Mambrini O, Bregeon F, Delliaux S. Chronic fatigue syndrome: assessment of increased oxidative stress and altered muscle excitability in response to incremental exercise. J Intern Med. 2005 Mar;257(3):299-310.

Laboratoire de Physiopathologie Respiratoire (UPRES EA 2201), Faculte de Medecine, Institut Federatif de Recherche Jean Roche, Marseille, France. jammes.y@jean-roche.univ-mrs.fr

OBJECTIVES: Because the muscle response to incremental exercise is not well documented in patients suffering from chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), we combined electrophysiological (compound-evoked muscle action potential, M wave), and biochemical (lactic acid production, oxidative stress) measurements to assess any muscle dysfunction in response to a routine cycling exercise. DESIGN: This case-control study compared 15 CFS patients to a gender-, age- and weight-matched control group (n=11) of healthy subjects. INTERVENTIONS: All subjects performed an incremental cycling exercise continued until exhaustion. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: We measured the oxygen uptake (VO2), heart rate (HR), systemic blood pressure, percutaneous O2 saturation (SpO2), M-wave recording from vastus lateralis, and venous blood sampling allowing measurements of pH (pHv), PO2 (PvO2), lactic acid (LA), and three markers of the oxidative stress (thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances, TBARS, reduced glutathione, GSH, and ascorbic acid, RAA). RESULTS: Compared with control, in CFS patients (i) the slope of VO2 versus work load relationship did not differ from control subjects and there was a tendency for an accentuated PvO2 fall at the same exercise intensity, indicating an increased oxygen uptake by the exercising muscles; (ii) the HR and blood pressure responses to exercise did not vary; (iii) the anaerobic pathways were not accentuated; (iv) the exercise-induced oxidative stress was enhanced with early changes in TBARS and RAA and enhanced maximal RAA consumption; and (v) the M-wave duration markedly increased during the recovery period. CONCLUSIONS: The response of CFS patients to incremental exercise associates a lengthened and accentuated oxidative stress together with marked alterations of the muscle membrane excitability. These two objective signs of muscle dysfunction are sufficient to explain muscle pain and postexertional malaise reported by our patients.

3.  

Nutt DJ. Overview of diagnosis and drug treatments of anxiety disorders. CNS Spectr. 2005  Jan;10(1):49-56.

Psychopharmacology Unit, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK. david.j.nutt@bristol.ac.uk

Anxiety disorders are common and often disabling. They fall into five main categories: panic disorder, social anxiety disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder and posttraumatic stress disorder, each of which have characteristic symptoms and cognitions. All anxiety disorders respond to drugs and psychological treatments. This review will focus on drug treatments. Recent research has emphasized the value of antidepressants especially the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, benzodiazepines, and related sedative-like compounds. The common co-existence of depression with all of the anxiety disorders means that the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors are now generally considered to be the first-line treatments but the benzodiazepines have some utility especially in promoting sleep and working acutely to reduce extreme distress.

Asthma:  

12241.     Bloomberg GR, Chen E. The relationship of psychologic stress with childhood asthma. Immunol Allergy Clin North Am. 2005 Feb;25(1):83-105. Review.

Biochemical Indicators:

12242. Jammes Y, Steinberg JG, Mambrini O, Bregeon F, Delliaux S.Chronic fatigue syndrome: assessment of increased oxidative stress and altered muscle excitability in response to incremental exercise. J Intern Med. 2005 Mar;257(3):299-310.

Depression:

12243. Balon R. Reflections on relevance: Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics in 2004. Psychother Psychosom. 2005;74(1):3-9.

12244. Cuijpers P, Van Straten A, Smit F. Preventing the incidence of new cases of mental disorders: a meta-analytic review. J Nerv Ment Dis. 2005 Feb;193(2):119-25.

12245. d'Ardenne P, Capuzzo N, Fakhoury WK, Jankovic-Gavrilovic J, Priebe S. Subjective quality of life and posttraumatic stress disorder. J Nerv Ment Dis. 2005 Jan;193(1):62-5.

12246. de Leeuw R, Studts JL, Carlson CR. Fatigue and fatigue-related symptoms in an orofacial pain population. Oral Surg Oral Med Oral Pathol Oral Radiol Endod. 2005 Feb;99(2):168-74.

12247. Faragher EB, Cass M, Cooper CL. The relationship between job satisfaction and health: a meta-analysis. Occup Environ Med. 2005 Feb;62(2):105-12. Review.

12248. Hammond DC. Neurofeedback with anxiety and affective disorders. Child Adolesc Psychiatr Clin N Am. 2005 Jan;14(1):105-23, vii. Review.

12249. Hedstrom M, Ljungman G, von Essen L. Perceptions of distress among adolescents recently diagnosed with cancer. J Pediatr Hematol Oncol. 2005 Jan;27(1):15-22.

12250. Heesen C, Koehler G, Gross R, Tessmer W, Schulz KH, Gold SM. Altered cytokine responses to cognitive stress in multiple sclerosis patients with fatigue. Mult Scler. 2005 Feb;11(1):51-7.

12251. Kern DE, Branch WT Jr, Jackson JL, Brady DW, Feldman MD, Levinson W, Lipkin M Jr; General Internal Medicine Generalist Educational Leadership Group.  Teaching the psychosocial aspects of care in the clinical setting: practical recommendations. Acad Med. 2005 Jan;80(1):8-20. Review.

12252. Leung SS, Martinson IM, Arthur D. Postpartum depression and related psychosocial variables in Hong Kong Chinese women: findings from a prospective study. Res Nurs Health. 2005 Feb;28(1):27-38.

12253. Mezey G, Bacchus L, Bewley S, White S. Domestic violence, lifetime trauma and psychological health of childbearing women. BJOG. 2005 Feb;112(2):197-204.

12254. Nutt DJ. Overview of diagnosis and drug treatments of anxiety disorders. CNS Spectr. 2005 Jan;10(1):49-56. Review.

12255. Pinquart M, Sorensen S. Ethnic differences in stressors, resources, and psychological outcomes of family caregiving: a meta-analysis. Gerontologist. 2005 Feb;45(1):90-106.

12256. Posternak MA, Zimmerman M. Elevated rates of psychosis among treatment-seeking Hispanic patients with major depression. J Nerv Ment Dis. 2005 Jan;193(1):66-9.

12257. Taylor R, Lovibond PF, Nicholas MK, Cayley C, Wilson PH. The utility of somatic items in the assessment of depression in patients with chronic pain: a comparison of the Zung Self-Rating Depression Scale and the Depression Anxiety Stress Scales in chronic pain and clinical and community samples. Clin J Pain. 2005 Jan-Feb;21(1):91-100.

Heart Disease:

12258. Amsterdam EA, Lewis WR.  Stress imaging in chest pain units: is less more? Mayo Clin Proc. 2005 Mar;80(3):317-9.

12259. Critchley HD, Taggart P, Sutton PM, Holdright DR, Batchvarov V, Hnatkova K, Malik M, Dolan RJ.  Mental stress and sudden cardiac death: asymmetric midbrain activity as a linking mechanism. Brain. 2005 Jan;128(Pt 1):75-85.

12260. Dorbala S, Brozena S, Zeb S, Galatro K, Homel P, Ren JF, Chaudhry FA. Risk stratification of women with peripartum cardiomyopathy at initial presentation: a dobutamine stress echocardiography study. J Am Soc Echocardiogr. 2005 Jan;18(1):45-8.

12261. Lavie CJ, Milani RV. Prevalence of hostility in young coronary artery disease patients and effects of cardiac rehabilitation and exercise training. Mayo Clin Proc. 2005 Mar;80(3):335-42.

12262. Modesti A, Bertolozzi I, Gamberi T, Marchetta M, Lumachi C, Coppo M, Moroni F, Toscano T, Lucchese G, Gensini GF, Modesti PA. Hyperglycemia activates JAK2 signaling pathway in human failing myocytes via angiotensin II-mediated oxidative stress. Diabetes. 2005 Feb;54(2):394-401.

12263. Perez de Isla L, Zamorano J, Almeria C, Rodrigo JL, Villagomez D, Florit J, Aubele A, Macaya C.  Long-term prognostic importance of transient left ventricular dilation during pharmacologic stress echocardiography. J Am Soc Echocardiogr. 2005 Jan;18(1):57-62.

12264. Rajagopalan N, Miller TD, Hodge DO, Frye RL, Gibbons RJ. Identifying high-risk asymptomatic diabetic patients who are candidates for screening stress single-photon emission computed tomography imaging. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2005 Jan 4;45(1):43-9.

12265. Ramakrishna G, Milavetz JJ, Zinsmeister AR, Farkouh ME, Evans RW, Allison TG, Smars PA, Gibbons RJ. Effect of exercise treadmill testing and stress imaging on the triage of patients with chest pain: CHEER substudy. Mayo Clin Proc. 2005 Mar;80(3):322-9.

12266. Rizzello V, Poldermans D, Biagini E, Schinkel AF, van Domburg R, Elhendy A, Vourvouri EC, Bountioukos M, Lombardo A, Krenning B, Roelandt JR, Bax JJ.  Improvement of stress LVEF rather than rest LVEF after coronary revascularisation in patients with ischaemic cardiomyopathy and viable myocardium. Heart. 2005 Mar;91(3):319-23.

12267. Rozanski A, Blumenthal JA, Davidson KW, Saab PG, Kubzansky L. The epidemiology, pathophysiology, and management of psychosocial risk factors in cardiac practice: the emerging field of behavioral cardiology. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2005 Mar 1;45(5):637-51. Review.

12268. Tsang C, Higgins S, Duthie GG, Duthie SJ, Howie M, Mullen W, Lean ME, Crozier A.   The influence of moderate red wine consumption on antioxidant status and indices of oxidative stress associated with CHD in healthy volunteers. Br J Nutr. 2005 Feb;93(2):233-40.

12269. Wittstein IS, Thiemann DR, Lima JA, Baughman KL, Schulman SP, Gerstenblith G, Wu KC, Rade JJ, Bivalacqua TJ, Champion HC. Neurohumoral features of myocardial stunning due to sudden emotional stress. N Engl J Med. 2005 Feb 10;352(6):539-48.

12270. Young IS. Oxidative stress and vascular disease: insights from isoprostane measurement. Clin Chem. 2005 Jan;51(1):14-5.

12271. Calo LA, Semplicini A, Davis PA. Antioxidant and antiinflammatory effect of carvedilol in mononuclear cells of hypertensive patients. Am J Med. 2005 Feb;118(2):201-2.

12272. Rosmond R. Role of stress in the pathogenesis of the metabolic syndrome. Psychoneuroendocrinology. 2005 Jan;30(1):1-10. Review.

12273. Yetman AT, Taylor AL, Doran A, Ivy DD. Utility of cardiopulmonary stress testing in assessing disease severity in children with pulmonary arterial hypertension. Am J Cardiol. 2005 Mar 1;95(5):697-9.

1.  

Karasz A Cultural differences in conceptual models of depression. Soc Sci Med. 2005 Apr;60(7):1625-35.

Department of Family Medicine and Community Health, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, 3544 Jerome Avenue, Bronx, NY 10467, USA. akkarasz@montefiore.org

Members of ethnic minority groups are less likely than white middle class people to seek professional treatment for depression and other mental health problems. One explanation is that the former conceptualize depressive symptoms as social problems or emotional reactions to situations, while the latter are more apt to view depression as a disease requiring professional treatment. Though considerable evidence supports this hypothesis, it is rarely explored directly through cross-cultural comparisons. The present study compares conceptual models of depressive symptoms in two diverse cultural groups in New York City (USA): 36 South Asian (SA) immigrants and 37 European Americans (EA) were presented with a vignette describing depressive symptoms and participated in a semi-structured interview designed to elicit representational models of the symptoms. Results indicate pervasive differences in representational models across the two groups. SA participants identified the "problem" in the vignette in largely social and moral terms. Suggestions for management and health seeking in this group emphasized self-management and lay referral strategies. EAs, by contrast, often proposed alternate, sometimes contradictory, explanatory models for the depressive symptoms. One model emphasized biological explanations ranging from "hormonal imbalance" to "neurological problem." The second model resembled the "situational stress" or "life problem" model described by SAs. The implications of these findings, and directions for future research, are discussed.

2.  

Kash KM, Mago R, Kunkel EJ. Psychosocial oncology: supportive care for the cancer patient. Semin Oncol. 2005 Apr;32(2):211-8.

Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA 19107, USA. kathryn.kash@jefferson.edu

Increasing attention is being paid to the emotional and psychosocial needs of cancer patients. As a result of huge advances in early detection and in treatment modalities, there now are millions of cancer survivors in the United States. There has been a realization that cancer survivors have distinct psychosocial needs. As cancer survivors live longer, reduction of psychological distress has been recognized as being an important part of having an improved quality of life. There have been numerous changes in the field of psychosocial oncology since it first began 25 years ago. Guidelines now exist for the definition of distress and decision trees are available for making the appropriate referrals. Advances in pharmacologic treatment for depression and anxiety have made it possible to decrease distress and increase coping in cancer patients undergoing treatment as well as in cancer survivors. Numerous individual and group therapies have demonstrated effectiveness in improving mood and quality of life in cancer patients and those at high risk for developing cancer. Due to the forthright efforts of cancer patients, there are now many organizations and list serves (e-mailing lists) that cancer survivors can turn to for help before, during, and after cancer treatment. Finally, with the rapid expansion of the internet not only are there websites available as resources, but also the creation of interactive online support is becoming a reality. One of the most important issues in providing supportive care to cancer patients in the future is to meet the individual needs of patients and provide the type of psychological therapy that will work best for them.

3.  

Laifenfeld D, Karry R, Klein E, Ben-Shachar D Alterations in cell adhesion molecule L1 and functionally related genes in major depression: a postmortem study. Biol Psychiatry. 2005 Apr 1;57(7):716-25.

Laboratory of Psychobiology, The Department of Psychiatry, Rambam Medical Center, and B. Rappaport Faculty of Medicine, Technion IIT, Haifa, Israel.

BACKGROUND: Current research in depression aims to delineate genes involved in neuronal plasticity that are altered in the disease or its treatment. We have shown antidepressant induced increases in three interrelated genes, cell adhesion molecule L1 (CAM-L1), laminin, and cAMP response element binding protein (CREB), and a reciprocal decrease in these genes consequent to stress. Presently we hypothesized that CAM-L1, CREB, and laminin may be altered in post mortem brains of depressed subjects. METHODS: Studies were performed in the prefrontal and in the ventral parieto-occipital cortices, of 59 brains from depressed, bipolar, and schizophrenic subjects, and normal controls, obtained from the Stanley Foundation Brain Collection. mRNA and protein levels were determined by RT-PCR and Western blot analysis, respectively. RESULTS: Levels of CAM-L1 and of phosphorylated CREB (pCREB) were increased in the prefrontal cortex of the depressed group, while CAM-L1, laminin and pCREB were decreased in the parieto-occipital cortex. Depressed subjects receiving antidepressants differed from subjects not receiving antidepressants in the expression of CAM-L1 and laminin in the parieto-occipital cortex, and in the expression of pCREB in the prefrontal cortex. CONCLUSIONS: The present findings of specific alterations in depression and antidepressant treatment particularly in CAM-L1 suggest that this gene may play an important role in the pathophysiology and treatment of depression.

4.

Plante GE Depression and cardiovascular disease: a reciprocal relationship. Metabolism. 2005 May;54(5 Suppl 1):45-8.

Department of Medicine (Nephrology), Institute of Geriatrics, University of Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada. gerard.e.plante@usherbrooke.ca.

Until relatively recently, depression has been considered a purely "mental" disorder and therefore in the natural domain of psychologists and psychiatrists. However, recent epidemiological studies have revealed that aging, physical and psychological stress, chronic pain, several metabolic disorders such as insulin resistance and established diabetes, alcoholism, inflammatory conditions, and vascular disorders such as arterial hypertension all may be associated with depression. The present review examines some of these depression-associated factors and the mechanisms by which they might give rise to vascular disorders such as atherosclerosis, microcirculation endothelial dysfunction, and interstitial disturbances leading to organ damage. A number of disorders involving the circulation can lead progressively and insidiously to large artery rigidity, remodeling of peripheral arteries, and alterations of the microcirculation of large blood vessels. Perturbations in vasa vasorum blood flow may contribute to atherogenesis, in addition to the influence of numerous cellular events involved in inflammation (tumor necrosis factor alpha, interleukin 1 beta, etc). Since Hans Selye first described the neuroendocrine cascade generated by experimentally induced stress half a century ago, phenomena such as the axonal release of neurotransmitters (including serotonin), accumulation of metabolites such as homocysteine, platelet-activating factor, and nitric oxide also have been implicated in the pathogenesis of depression. Moreover, vascular consequences of depression such as heart rate and pulse pressure variations may lead to endothelial dysfunction in critical microcirculation networks (cerebral, myocardial, and renal) and initiate physicochemical alterations in interstitial compartments adjacent to vital organs. The appropriate use of ambulatory monitoring of vascular parameters, such as heart rate and pulse pressure, and eventually, early identification of genetic and metabolic markers may prove helpful in the early detection of events preceding and predicting the clinical manifestations of depression.

5.  

Schneider RH, Alexander CN, Staggers F, Rainforth M, Salerno JW, Hartz A, Arndt S, Barnes VA, Nidich SI. Long-term effects of stress reduction on mortality in persons > or = 55 years of age with systemic hypertension. Am J Cardiol. 2005 May 1;95(9):1060-4

Institute for Natural Medicine and Prevention, Maharishi University of Management, Fairfield, Iowa, USA. rschneider@mum.edu

Psychosocial stress contributes to high blood pressure and subsequent cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Previous controlled studies have associated decreasing stress with the Transcendental Meditation (TM) program with lower blood pressure. The objective of the present study was to evaluate, over the long term, all-cause and cause-specific mortality in older subjects who had high blood pressure and who participated in randomized controlled trials that included the TM program and other behavioral stress-decreasing interventions. Patient data were pooled from 2 published randomized controlled trials that compared TM, other behavioral interventions, and usual therapy for high blood pressure. There were 202 subjects, including 77 whites (mean age 81 years) and 125 African-American (mean age 66 years) men and women. In these studies, average baseline blood pressure was in the prehypertensive or stage I hypertension range. Follow-up of vital status and cause of death over a maximum of 18.8 years was determined from the National Death Index. Survival analysis was used to compare intervention groups on mortality rates after adjusting for study location. Mean follow-up was 7.6 +/- 3.5 years. Compared with combined controls, the TM group showed a 23% decrease in the primary outcome of all-cause mortality after maximum follow-up (relative risk 0.77, p = 0.039). Secondary analyses showed a 30% decrease in the rate of cardiovascular mortality (relative risk 0.70, p = 0.045) and a 49% decrease in the rate of mortality due to cancer (relative risk 0.49, p = 0.16) in the TM group compared with combined controls. These results suggest that a specific stress-decreasing approach used in the prevention and control of high blood pressure, such as the TM program, may contribute to decreased mortality from all causes and cardiovascular disease in older subjects who have systemic hypertension.

Asthma:  

12925.  Fedorov IA, Wilson SJ, Davies DE, Holgate ST. Epithelial stress and structural remodelling in childhood asthma. Thorax. 2005 May;60(5):389-94.

12926.  Nel A. Atmosphere. Air pollution-related illness: effects of particles. Science. 2005. May 6;308(5723):804-6.

Depression:

12927. Adewuya AO, Ola BA. Prevalence of and risk factors for anxiety and depressive disorders in Nigerian adolescents with epilepsy. Epilepsy Behav. 2005 May;6(3):342-7.

12928.   Azoulay E, Pochard F, Kentish-Barnes N, Chevret S, Aboab J, Adrie C, Annane D, Bleichner G, Bollaert PE, Darmon M, Fassier T, Galliot R, Garrouste-Orgeas M, Goulenok C, Goldgran-Toledano D, Hayon J, Jourdain M, Kaidomar M, Laplace C, Larche J, Liotier J, Papazian L, Poisson C, Reignier J, Saidi F, Schlemmer B; FAMIREA Study Group.  Risk of post-traumatic stress symptoms in family members of intensive care unit patients. Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 2005 May 1;171(9):987-94.

12929.  Birkeland R, Thompson JK, Phares V. Adolescent motherhood and postpartum depression. J Clin Child Adolesc Psychol. 2005 Jun;34(2):292-300.

12930.  Blumenthal JA, Sherwood A, Babyak MA, Watkins LL, Waugh R, Georgiades A, Bacon SL, Hayano J, Coleman RE, Hinderliter A.  Effects of exercise and stress management training on markers of cardiovascular risk in patients with ischemic heart disease: a randomized controlled trial. JAMA. 2005 Apr 6;293(13):1626-34.

12931.  Chandra PS, Desai G, Ranjan S. HIV & psychiatric disorders. Indian J Med Res. 2005 Apr;121(4):451-67. Review.

12932.  Dahlin M, Joneborg N, Runeson B. Stress and depression among medical students: a cross-sectional study. Med Educ. 2005 Jun;39(6):594-604.

12933.  Davies V, Gledhill J, McFadyen A, Whitlow B, Economides D. Psychological outcome in women undergoing termination of pregnancy for ultrasound-detected fetal anomaly in the first and second trimesters: a pilot study. Ultrasound Obstet Gynecol. 2005 Apr;25(4):389-92.

12934. de Kloet ER, Sibug RM, Helmerhorst FM, Schmidt M. Stress, genes and the mechanism of programming the brain for later life. Neurosci Biobehav Rev. 2005 Apr;29(2):271-81.

12935.  Furlan PM, Ten Have T, Cary M, Zemel B, Wehrli F, Katz IR, Gettes DR, Evans DL. The role of stress-induced cortisol in the relationship between depression and decreased bone mineral density. Biol Psychiatry. 2005 Apr 15;57(8):911-7.

12936.  Hamet P, Tremblay J. Genetics and genomics of depression. Metabolism. 2005 May;54(5 Suppl 1):10-5. Review.

12937.  Holtzheimer PE 3rd, Russo J, Zatzick D, Bundy C, Roy-Byrne PP. The impact of comorbid posttraumatic stress disorder on short-term clinical outcome in hospitalized patients with depression. Am J Psychiatry. 2005 May;162(5):970-6.

12938.  Horowitz JA, Damato EG, Duffy ME, Solon L. The relationship of maternal attributes, resources, and perceptions of postpartum experiences to depression. Res Nurs Health. 2005 Apr;28(2):159-71.

12939.  Jacobsen PB, Donovan KA, Trask PC, Fleishman SB, Zabora J, Baker F, Holland JC.   Screening for psychologic distress in ambulatory cancer patients. Cancer. 2005 Apr 1;103(7):1494-502.

12940.  Karasz A. Cultural differences in conceptual models of depression. Soc Sci Med. 2005 Apr;60(7):1625-35.

12941.  Kash KM, Mago R, Kunkel EJ. Psychosocial oncology: supportive care for the cancer patient. Semin Oncol. 2005 Apr;32(2):211-8. Review.

12942.  Katerndahl D, Burge S, Kellogg N. Predictors of development of adult psychopathology in female victims of childhood sexual abuse. J Nerv Ment Dis. 2005 Apr;193(4):258-64.

12943.  Laifenfeld D, Karry R, Klein E, Ben-Shachar D. Alterations in cell adhesion molecule L1 and functionally related genes in major depression: a postmortem study. Biol Psychiatry. 2005 Apr 1;57(7):716-25.

12944.  McEwen BS. Glucocorticoids, depression, and mood disorders: structural remodeling in the brain. Metabolism. 2005 May;54(5 Suppl 1):20-3. Review.

12945.  Miyaoka T, Yasukawa R, Yasuda H, Shimizu M, Mizuno S, Sukegawa T, Inagaki T, Horiguchi J. Urinary excretion of biopyrrins, oxidative metabolites of bilirubin, increases in patients with psychiatric disorders. Eur Neuropsychopharmacol. 2005 May;15(3):249-52.

12946.  Monroe SM, Harkness KL. Life stress, the "kindling" hypothesis, and the recurrence of depression: considerations from a life stress perspective. Psychol Rev. 2005 Apr;112(2):417-45. Review.

12947.  Noble RE. Depression in women. Metabolism. 2005 May;54(5 Suppl 1):49-52. Review.

12948.  Plante GE. Depression and cardiovascular disease: a reciprocal relationship. Metabolism. 2005 May;54(5 Suppl 1):45-8. Review.

12949.  Steptoe A, Whitehead DL. Depression, stress, and coronary heart disease: the need for more complex models. Heart. 2005 Apr;91(4):419-20.

12950.  Wurtman RJ. Genes, stress, and depression. Metabolism. 2005 May;54(5 Suppl 1):16-9. Review.

Heart Disease:

12951. Armstrong WF, Zoghbi WA. Stress echocardiography: current methodology and clinical applications. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2005 Jun 7;45(11):1739-47. Review.

12952.  Biagini E, Schinkel AF, Bax JJ, Rizzello V, van Domburg RT, Krenning BJ, Bountioukos M, Pedone C, Vourvouri EC, Rapezzi C, Branzi A, Roelandt JR, Poldermans D. Long term outcome in patients with silent versus symptomatic ischaemia during dobutamine stress echocardiography. Heart. 2005 Jun;91(6):737-42.

12953.  French D, Maissi E, Marteau TM.  The purpose of attributing cause: beliefs about the causes of myocardial infarction. Soc Sci Med. 2005 Apr;60(7):1411-21.

12954.  Friedman E. Neurobiology of managing perceived stress. J Natl Med Assoc. 2005 Apr;97(4):583-4.

12955.  Maseri A. Myocardial stunning due to sudden emotional stress. N Engl J Med. 2005 May 5;352(18):1923-5; author reply 1923-5.

12956. Petix NR, Sestini S, Coppola A, Marcucci G, Nassi F, Taiti A, Guarnaccia V, Mennuti A, Mazzoni V, Zipoli A.  Prognostic value of combined perfusion and function by stress technetium-99m sestamibi gated SPECT myocardial perfusion imaging in patients with suspected or known coronary artery disease. Am J Cardiol. 2005 Jun 1;95(11):1351-7.

12957.  Sanfilippo AJ, Abdollah H, Knott TC, Link C, Hopman W. Stress echocardiography in the evaluation of women presenting with chest pain syndrome: a randomized, prospective comparison with electrocardiographic stress testing. Can J Cardiol. 2005 Apr;21(5):405-12.

Hypertension:

12958.  Hogue CJ, Bremner JD. Stress model for research into preterm delivery among black women. Am J Obstet Gynecol. 2005 May;192(5 Suppl):S47-55. Review.

12959.  Schneider RH, Alexander CN, Staggers F, Rainforth M, Salerno JW, Hartz A, Arndt S, Barnes VA, Nidich SI.  Long-term effects of stress reduction on mortality in persons > or = 55 years of age with systemic hypertension. Am J Cardiol. 2005 May 1;95(9):1060-4.