bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Common EEG spectral power characteristics during meditation in five meditation traditions
Authors: Milz P. , Theodoropoulou A. , Tei S. , Faber P.L. , Kochi K. , Lehmann D.
Published: May 2011

Introduction

Different meditation practices reportedly affect brain electric activity.

Objectives

To assess common characteristics in brain electric activity during the state of meditation across different meditation traditions.

Aims

Do meditation traditions share commonalities in EEG spectral power changes from task-free resting to meditation?

Methods

Data from 71 experienced meditators of five meditation traditions were analyzed (13 Tibetan Buddhists, 15 Qigong, 14 Shaja Yoga, 14 Ananda Marga Yoga, and 15 Zen). Power spectral results of multichannel EEG recordings (average reference) during meditation were compared with those during pre- and post-meditation task-free resting. Spectra were averaged across channels (19–58), and subject-wise normalized. Integrated power was computed for the eight independent frequency bands (delta through gamma).

Results

During meditation compared to the average of pre- and post-meditation resting, across the five traditions, there was a significant decrease of power in the alpha-2 band (10.5–12 Hz), and significant increases of power in the beta-3 (21.5–30 Hz) and gamma (35–44 Hz) bands; theta (6.5–8 Hz) band power showed an increase at p = 0.14.

Conclusions

The results indicate that EEG spectral power differences between task-free resting state EEG versus meditation state EEG show communalities that are shared by all five meditation traditions in spite of important differences in meditation techniques.
Dimensionality of multichannel EEG (Omega Complexity) during meditation in five traditions
Authors: Faber P.L. , Lehmann D. , Milz P. , Tei S. , Kochi K.
Published: May 2011

Introduction

The measure of complex dimensionality assesses the number of independent processes that generate an observed time series.

Objectives

To investigate whether meditation exercises are associated with fewer or more independently active brain processes, and whether different meditation traditions show different results.

Aims

Does brain electric complex dimensionality differ between the state of meditation and of task free resting in different meditation traditions?

Methods

Multichannel EEG recordings (19 to 25 channels) from experienced meditators of five meditation traditions (13 Tibetan Buddhists, 15 Qigong, 14 Shaja Yoga, 14 Ananda Marga Yoga, and 15 Zen) were analyzed (bandpass 1.5–30 Hz) using ‘Omega Complexity’ that obtains a single value for a set of simultaneously recorded EEG time series from a given person (J. Wackermann, Acta Neurobiol Exp (Wars) 1996;56:197–208). Omega Complexity during meditation was compared to the mean of Omega Complexity during pre- and post-meditation resting.

Results

During meditation relative to resting (paired t tests), Omega Complexity was higher in all five traditions, significant for Tibetan Buddhists (p = 0.01), Ananda Marga Yoga (p = 0.007) and Zen (p = 0.0003).

Conclusion

The subjectively experienced agreeable feelings during meditation apparently occur, across meditation traditions, during a brain functional state that is characterized by an increase of independent brain processes compared to task free resting.
EEG frequency band sloreta sources during mental arithmetic compared to resting
Authors: Theodoropoulou A. , Tei S. , Lehmann D. , Faber P.L. , Schlegel F. , Milz P.
Published: May 2011

Introduction

Arithmetic reportedly involves left parietal areas.

Objectives

To test this in independent groups of healthy persons.

Aims

Which brain regions are activated / inhibited during mental arithmetic compared to task-free resting?

Methods

We examined four independent groups of healthy adults (N = 15, 14, 14, 23, respectively) during simple arithmetic (continuous subtraction of 7) and task-free resting before and after arithmetic, all with closed eyes. Multichannel head surface EEG (19–58 channels) was continually recorded, then recomputed (using sLORETA functional tomography) into current density for 6239 cortical voxels, for each of the eight EEG frequency bands (delta through gamma, 1.5–44 Hz). Pre- and post-arithmetic resting was averaged. Using paired t-tests, frequency band-wise normalized and log-transformed current density was compared between arithmetic and resting for each group. The resulting p-values were combined across groups using Fisher’s combination procedure. For each frequency band, sLORETA voxels differing between conditions at Fisher’s (across groups) p < 0.05 were computed into centers of gravity separately for increased and decreased activation.

Results

Activity that was stronger during arithmetic compared to resting had gravity centers in midline anterior regions for slow frequency bands (delta, theta, alpha-1) and in right posterior regions for fast frequency bands (alpha-2 through gamma). Activity that was weaker during arithmetic compared to resting was centered around left parietal areas for all eight frequency bands.

Conclusions

The results suggest that arithmetic compared to resting involves frontal inhibition coupled with increased right parietal activation, and left parietal reduced facilitatory and reduced inhibitory activity.
Structural Neuroimaging in First-Episode Psychosis: a review of neuroimaging practice in an early intervention service
Authors: Otero S. , Mehrotra R.
Published: May 2011

Introduction

The UK NICE technology guidance “Structural Neuroimaging in First-Episode Psychosis” concludes that CT/MRI is not routinely recommended as an initial investigation for first-episode psychosis.

Objectives

To evaluate the use of CT/MRI in a group of Early Intervention Service (EIS) patients with a first-episode psychosis aged 18–35 years at presentation.

Aims

To develop practice guidelines for use of neuroimaging in first-episode psychosis.

Methods

All 107 patients registered with the EIS in Hounslow, London, UK, were eligible for inclusion in this review. Data was collected from the medical records and the Picture Archiving and Communications System. Data was analysed using a microsoft excel data analysis tool. Additionally, comparisons were made between the group of patients with normal scans and that with abnormal scans. Statistical significance was determined using the chi-squared method with a significance of P < 0.05.

Results

17 patients had documented neuroimaging results. 4 scans were abnormal. There was no significant difference between the group with normal and abnormal scans in terms of gender, abnormalities of physical/neurological health, blood tests and whether the patient had any additional medical conditions. Abnormal scan results did not influence treatment or outcome for any patient.

Conclusions

The abnormal scans were not correlated to clinical indices of history, examination and laboratory tests. Abnormal scans appear to have a low yield in terms of clinical effectiveness. The findings support selective use of neuroimaging in this cohort of patients. The indications for it usage would appear to rely on clinical judgement as well clinical findings.
Remitted major depression is related to increased functional coupling between ventral striatum and cortical regions in resting state fMRI
Authors: Pail G. , Scharinger C. , Kalcher K. , Huf W. , Boubela R. , Hartinger B. , Windischberger C. , Filzmoser P. , Moser E. , Kasper S. , Pezawas L.
Published: May 2011

Introduction

Dysfunction in the basal ganglia has been related to impaired reward processing and anhedonia, a core symptom of Major Depressive Disorder (MDD). In particular, the ventral striatum including the nucleus accumbens is increasingly implicated in the pathophysiology of MDD, but evidence for a specific role during episodes of full remission is lacking so far.

Objectives

To investigate functional connectivity patterns of resting-state activity in patients in the remitted phase of MDD (rMDD).

Aims

To determine whether rMDD is related to disruptions of functional coupling between the ventral striatum and cortical regions.

Methods

Forty-three remitted depressed patients and thirty-five healthy controls were recruited at Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria, and performed a six minute resting-state fMRI scan. Seed time series were extracted from the preprocessed data using individual masks for ventral striatum and correlated with all nodes in a surface based analysis using FreeSurfer, AFNI and SUMA. The resulting correlation coefficients were then Fishertransformed, group results were determined by comparing group mean smoothed z-scores with a two-sample ttest.

Results

Increased resting-state functional connectivity was revealed between ventral striatum (seed region) and anterior cingulate cortex as well as orbitofrontal cortex in the rMDD group compared to healthy controls.

Conclusions

Our preliminary data is in accordance with the idea that increased functional coupling between the ventral striatum and two major emotion processing regions, the anterior cingulate cortex and the orbitofrontal cortex, may represent a neural mechanism contributing to the maintenance of full remission of MDD.
Tardive dyskinesia induced by quetiapine and confirmed by a Dat-scan
Authors: Rizos E.N. , Chatziioannou S. , Kallergi M. , Douzenis A. , Apostolopoulos A. , Bacalis S. , Kontaxakis V. , Lykouras L.
Published: May 2011

Background

Tardive dyskinesia is a serious side effect of antipsychotics’ activity. Imaging of the dopamine transporter could demonstrate the possible involvement of dopaminergic pathway in the appearance of tardive dyskinesia.

Methods/results

We report a case with paranoid schizophrenia and tardive dyskinesia symptoms. A first trial with quetiapine improved TD symptoms while an increase of its dose after a relapse of the underlying disease deteriorated the TD symptoms. Following that, sertindole was initiated which led to improvement of both psychotic and TD symptoms. A DAT scan showed physiologic distribution in the basal ganglia. Six months later after a serious cardiac syncope, sertindole was discontinued. Quetiapine was then started which led again to TD symptoms. A second DAT scan showed decreased dopamine transporter uptake in the area of basal ganglia.

Conclusion

We conclude that decreased dopamine transporter uptake seemed to associate with the deterioration of TD.
The relationship between gray matter changes in schizophrenia patients and the number of psychotic episodes
Authors: Rubeša G. , Antulov R. , Ružić Baršic A. , Lerga J. , Miletić D.
Published: May 2011

Introduction

A significant amount of evidence from structural brain imaging studies provide new insights into the neuroanatomical basis of schizophrenia.

Objectives

To investigate whole brain gray matter (GM) differences between schizophrenia patients grouped according to the number of psychotic episodes and normal controls (NC).

Aim

To determine regions of GM differences in schizophrenia patients grouped according to the number of psychotic episodes.

Methods

A group of 53 schizophrenia patients (23 with up to 3 psychotic episodes, 15 with 4 to 6 and 15 with 7 or more psychotic episodes) and 35 age and gender matched NC were included. Voxel-based morphometry (VBM) is an adaptation of the statistical parametric mapping technique that allows investigators to quantitatively examine brain structural changes. VBM data of schizophrenia patients divided into 3 groups: up to 3, 4 to 6 and 7 or more episodes were compared with NC.

Results

Patients with up to 3 episodes had reduced gray matter volume (GMV) in the right claustrum, right Brodmann areas 6 and 13 and left Brodmann area 10, patients with 4 to 6 episodes in left Brodmann areas 25, 35 and 37 and in right Brodmann area 13, and those with 7 or more episodes showed decreased GMV in left substantia nigra and left Brodmann area 10 compared with NC.

Conclusion

GMV reduction in schizophrenia varies depending on the number of psychotic episodes. The affection of different brain areas indicates separated neurobiological mechanisms underlying the stage and the progression of illness.
In vivo molecular imaging reveals distinct distributions of the serotonin transporter, the major inhibitory and excitatory serotonin receptors
Authors: Savli M. , Bauer A. , Häusler D. , Kroll T. , Hahn A. , Rattay F. , Mitterhauser M. , Wadsak W. , Kasper S. , Lanzenberger R.
Published: May 2011

Introduction

Based on evidences in molecular neuroimaging, postmortem and genetic studies, impaired serotonergic neurotransmission has been implicated with affective disorders. Moreover, a growing number of evidences showed strong interrelations within the serotonergic system suggesting a common mechanism in the modulation of receptor and transporter densities.

Objective

Here we directly investigated the regional expression of the 5-HT1A, 5-HT2A and 5-HTT using PET and the three highly selective and specific radioligands [carbonyl-11C]WAY-100635, [18F]Altanserin and [11C]DASB in healthy subjects.

Methods

A total of 55 healthy subjects (5-HT1A: 36 subjects, 18 males, age = 26.0 ± 4.9; 5-HT2A: 19 subjects, 11 males, age = 28.2 ± 5.9; 5-HTT: 8 males, age = 28.12 ± 3.6) were included in this study. Binding potential (BPND) values were quantified according to the AAL parcellation scheme.

Results

BPND values averaged over both hemispheres ranged from 0.40–6.35 for the 5-HT1A receptor; 0.01–2.01 for the 5-HT2A receptor and 0.09–2.05 for the 5-HTT, respectively. There was a specific topological pattern according to the ratio between the 5-HT1A, 5-HT2A receptors and 5-HTT (“fingerprints”).

Conclusions

Such information can be essential for detecting potential local alterations in the ratio between different binding proteins on a network level in pathological conditions.

Moreover, these data might provide further insight in area-specific effects of frequently prescribed selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors (SSRI):

1)

due to the distinct local receptor and transporter availability;

2)

SSRI application alters the postsynaptic receptor expression and thus;

3)

leads to a modified interaction of inhibitory and exhibitory receptors.
Prediction error signal correlates with fluid intelligenceand dopamine synthesis across the lifespan
Authors: Schlagenhauf F. , Rapp M. , Huys Q. , Deserno L. , Beck A. , Kalbitzer J. , Kumakura Y. , Buchholz H.-G. , Plotkin M. , Heinz A.
Published: May 2011

Introduction

Fluid intelligence expresses the capacity for interpretation of novel stimuli and flexible behavioral adaptation to such cues. Phasic dopamine firing closely matches a temporal difference prediction error (PE) signal important for learning and rapid behavioral adaptation. Both fluid intelligence and dopaminergic neurotransmission decline with age. So far, no study investigated the relationship between fluid IQ, PE signal and direct measures of dopaminergic neurotransmission. Here we used a multimodal imaging approach that combines positron emission tomography and functional magnetic resonance imaging.

Methods

A group of healthy controls was investigated with both 6-[18F]FluoroDOPA PET and functional MRI with a probabilistic reversal task. The task required a constant behavioral adaptation to changes in reward contingencies, while choosing between two abstract stimuli. A reinforcement learning algorithm was used to compute a trial-by-trial prediction error, which was the used as a regressor in the fMRI data analysis with SPM8.

Results

The prediction error signal was associated with functional activation in the basal ganglia including the ventral striatum and putamen. Fluid intelligence was associated with the PE signal in the ventral striatum, which correlated with age-related changes in dopamine synthesis capacity in the prefrontal cortex.

Conclusion

These findings provide insight into the role of age-related changes in dopaminergic neurotransmission on behavioral adaptation. The multimodal imaging approach allows the characterization of interactions between dopamine metabolism and learning-related neuronal activation and may thus be a useful tool to clarify mechanisms underlying learning and plasticity in old age, which are crucial to our understanding of successful aging.
Incidence rate and morphyology of cavum septum pellucidum in patients with treatment-resistant schizophrenia, major depression: A structural MRI study
Authors: Sun J. , Maller J.J. , Guo L. , Daskalakis Z.J. , Fitzgerald P.B.
Published: May 2011

Introduction

Several studies have independently suggested that schizophrenia patients are more likely to have an enlarged cavum septum pellucidum (CSP). However, neither finding has been consistently replicated.

Objectives

We recruited the relatively homogeneity population: treatment resistant schizophrenia (TRS) and treatment resistant depression (TRD).To investigate whether CSP was present more frequently in TRS or TRD patients than controls and the difference of CSP morphological characteristic between groups.

Methods

1.5-Tesla MRI was used to evaluate the prevalence of CSP and morphology changes in 42 TRS, 45 TRD patients and 30 healthy controls. The CSP length, width and volume were measured using MRIcro and Analyze™ 8.1 software. A CSP equal to or greater than 6 mm in length was defined as big CSP.

Results

TRS Patients had a significantly higher prevalence (6%) of the big CSP than TRD patients (0%) or controls (3.3%) while no significant difference on the prevalence of all CSP (TRS: 64.3%, TRD: 48.9%, controls: 50.0%) or small CSP between groups. Compared with controls or TRD patients, the values of CSP maximum width in patients with TRS were significant lower and CSP length were higher. There was no significant difference in the CSP volume between groups.

Conclusions

The incidence in Big CSP in TRS patients was higher than that of TRS patients or controls. The small CSP may be a kind of normal variant. There were different CSP developmental characteristics between TRS and TRD patients based on the MRI study.
P02 - 360 Magnetic resonance imaging study of basal ganglia in the first-episode tic disorders onset during child and adolescent
Authors: Sun J. , Guo L. , Huang M. , Huang X. , Gong Q.
Published: May 2011

Introduction

Despite strong evidence that the pathophysiology of tic disorders (TD) involves structural and functional disturbances of the basal ganglia, inconsistent findings from several TD imaging studies have supported contradictory conclusions.

Objective

To find brain structural differences between children with of TD and the health children and verify the pathogenesis hypothesis of that basal ganglia play an important role in this disorder.

Method

The right handedness, first-episode TD children were chosen. Yale global tic severity scale (YGTSS) was used to assess the tic severity. MRI scan was performed on TD children and the controls. The volumes of caudate nucleus, putamen, globus pallidus and total intracranial volume were measured on high resolution MR images. We compared the volumes, relative volumes and asymmetry index, AI between groups.

Results

Totally 11 patients finished this study with two excluded for the unclear image caused by tic and 18 subjects (9 TD patients and 9 controls) were finally analyzed. The right globus pallidus is significantly larger in TD patients. The volumes of left caudate increased significantly in both TD patients and controls. There was no significant difference in asymmetry index between two groups, relative volumes did not correlate significantly with the severity of tic and the course of disease.

Conclusion

The right globus pallidus may be the primary pathological change of TD. Asymmetry indexes between the two groups are not significantly different. The relative volume of any structure of basal ganglia has no significant correlation with the severity of tic and the course of disease.
P02 - 362 - Schizencephaly and psychosis
Authors: Tibrewal P. , English L. , Foo E. , Dhillon R.S.
Published: May 2011

Schizencephaly is an uncommon congenital disorder of cerebral cortical development, defined as a gray matter-lined cleft extending from the pial surface to the ventricle. It is a neuronal migration anomaly, caused by insults to migrating neuroblasts during 3rd to 5th gestational months.

Ischemia, germline mutations, intrauterine infections and exposure to drugs have been implicated in its etiology. The outcome relates with the severity of pathology. Unilateral closed lip schizencephaly has the mildest clinical picture and bilateral open lip the most severe. The most prominent manifestations are motor deficits and seizures.

Schizencephaly has been related with psychosis. However, there is paucity of literature exploring this relation. Pubmed search with “Schizencephaly AND Psychotic disorders OR Bipolar Disorders” as Mesh terms resulted in 9 results. Of these four discussed Schizencephaly. Rest five reports were related to other disorders of cortical malformation. We present an interesting case of schizencephaly associated with psychosis and congenital hemiparesis. We also present a review of literature available for this rare association.

This case points towards the role of neurodevelopmental abnormalities in the manifestation of psychosis and bipolar affective disorder. It indicates that presence of neurodevelopmental anomalies may have pathoplastic effects on the presentation of psychosis and may also influence treatment response adversely. A possible mechanism explaining the development of psychosis in schizencephaly is the disruption in intracortical connections. There is also a possibility of underlying ictal phenomenon leading to psychosis. The above case provides support to the neurodevelopmental theory of Schizophrenia.
Exploration of irony comprehension in schizophrenia with fMRI
Authors: Varga E. , Schell Z. , Simon M. , Hajnal A. , Tényi T. , Fekete S. , Herold R.
Published: May 2011

Introduction

Irony is a form of speech used to convey feelings in an indirect way. Schizophrenic patients usually demonstrate impaired irony processing, associated with poor theory of mind.

Aims

We used fMRI to examine neural circuitry underlying deficits in understanding irony in schizophrenia.

Methods

21 schizophrenic patients and 24 healthy subjects were studied. Short scenarios and three conditions were used: irony condition (IC), irony with linguistic help condition (IHC), and control condition (CC). We used event-related design. Scenarios started with a contextual part, followed by a 2–4s ISI. The ironic sentence appeared next, and a question followed. Between trials an ITI of 5–7s were used.

Results

Patients performed significantly worse in the conditions (IC:p = 0.0003;IHC:p = 0.0034;CC:p = 0.0036). In the IC: patients activated the left insula, left anterior cingulum, right and left superior frontal gyrus (SFG), right middle frontal gyrus (MFG) during the contextual part, and activated the left inferior frontal gyrus (IFG), left middle temporal gyrus (MTG) and right superior temporal gyrus during the statement. In the IHC: patients activated the left precuneus, left IFG, left SFG, left and right MFG, right cuneus and left MTG during the context, and activated right SFG and left posterior cingulum during the statement.

Conclusions

Patients probably have an abnormal contextual processing and a missing activation of the theory of mind network during the interpretation of ironic statements. The given linguistic help proved to be efficient help for many patients in processing the context correctly, and in understanding ironic situations more successfully.
Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) findings in schizophrenia: A review
Authors: Villegas Martínez J.L. , Blanco Garrote J.A. , Uribe Ladrón de Cegama F. , Arribas Simón B. , Cabús Piñol G.
Published: May 2011

Introduction

Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) is a magnetic resonance imaging technique that have increasingly being used for the non-invasive evaluation of brain white matter (WM) abnormalities. Several studies suggest that the normal integration of cerebral function may be compromised in schizophrenia. Abnormalities in WM tracts may be directly relevant for the neuropathology of schizophrenia.

Objetives

The purpose of this review was to discuss recent DTI findings in schizophrenia and a methodologic analysis.

Methods

The literature search was performed with the search engine PubMed of the U.S. National Library of Medicine. Search strategy used was based on the Cochrane review technique, limited to the period between 1998 (first report on DTI and schizophrenia) and May 2010. And limited to ‘Title/Abstract’. The reference lists of these studies were used to identify additional studies.

Results

There is a striking amount of heterogeneity in findings, probably by methodologic problems. Brain regions such as the cingulate bundle, corpus callosum, and regions within frontal and temporal WM have a proportionally larger number of positive findings across the studies. In addition, WM tracts as The superior longitudinal fasciculus, fronto-occipital longitudinal fasciculi, uncinate fasciculi, frontal longitudinal fasciculus and the arcuate fasciculus have also positive findings in patients with schizophrenia. Other brain structures as the cerebellar peduncles, the fornix, the hippocampus and parahippocampal gyrus, the thalamic and optic radiations have been evaluated and shown positive findings. However, these findings are not present in all studies. DTI abnormalities in first-episode patients are less robust than in chronic patients.

Conclusions

Recent DTI findings further support the hypothesis of structural dysconnectivity in schizophrenia.
Religious cognitive behavioral therapy in religiousoriented obsessive compulsive disorder
Authors: Akouchekian S. , Jamshidian Z. , Maracy M.R. , Almasi A. , Davarpanah Jazi A.H. ,   Behavioral Siences Research Center Group
Published: May 2011

Objective

Obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) with religious contents is more prevalent among religious populations. The aim of this study was to evaluate efficacy of religious cognitive-behavioral therapy (RCBT) on OCD with religious content and co-morbidities.

Design & method

This is a randomized controlled clinical trial. Our intervention consists of 10 weekly RCBT 90 minutes sessions supervised by both clergyman and psychiatrist.

Randomly 50 patients with 17 and more Yale Brown scores and religious content obsessive symptoms were selected and divided into two intervention and control groups. Yale Brown, SCL-90, and Hamilton depression questionnaires were used in this study. Data were analyzed by ANOVA/ANCOVA repeated measure tests using SPSS ver. 13.

Results

Mean age of patients was 32.9 ± 8.86 years. 94% (n = 47) were female. Yale Brown scores in three stages (before intervention, after fifth and tenth session) in both groups decreased specially in intervention group but showed no significant difference (p = 0.294). However there were significant difference between mean scores of two groups (p = 0.047). Comparison of obsession subscale and compulsion subscale of Yale Brown scale showed decrease in three stages of the study. Decreasing trend in obsession subscale is not statistically significant (f (2, 42) = 0.94, p-value = 0.398), but decreasing trend in compulsive subscale is statistically significant (f(2,43) = 36.008, p value < 0.001).

Conclusion

In obsessive compulsive disorder with religious contents, religious CBT not only could significantly increase clinical responses, especially in compulsive behavior but also improve co-morbid symptoms such as depression as well as global severity index and decrease symptoms.
P02 - 367 - Qui non zelat, non amat — compulsive jealousy in young women
Authors: Buda B.L. , Tóth G.A.
Published: May 2011

Qui non zelat, non amat. One who does not burn, does not love - as Saint Augustine states. Jealousy is a troublesome emotion dominating mankind for time beyond all memory.

However, it seems to be unclear, what constitutes normal jealousy and where the boundaries of pathological jealousy should be drawn. From the phenomenological point of view, psychiatrists' attention has always been focused on delusional jealousy, as a psychotic symptom. Obsessional jealousy, where the thought has the quality of obsessional ideation, is the topic of much fewer publications. The first clearly defined cases of obsessional jealousy were published by Mooney in 1965. In 1979, Cobb defined jealous ruminations as obsessive thoughts with the resultant compulsive rituals of checking on spouse. In 2007, Agarwal conducted a Medline search and retrieved no more than 20 relevant publications on this topic.

In this presentation the authors discuss the cases of 3 young (21–27-year-old) women. In all cases, pathological jealousy with clearly obsessive characteristics was the leading or only psychiatric symptom. Two women were successfully treated with low doses of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (sertralin and fluvoxamine, respectively), while in one case, because of adverse SSRI effects, reversible inhibitor of monoamine oxidase A was administered. Obsessive jealousy, in contrast to delusive one, often affects young people, causing severe difficulties in gender socialisation, lowering the chances of finding an appropriate conjugal partner, hereby markedly worsening the quality of life. Proper differential diagnosis is, however, essential for choosing an adequate and successful treatment option.
P02 - 368 - Interactions between obsessive - compulsive symptoms and interpersonal profiles during short - term psychodynamic therapy
Authors: Desmet M. , Inslegers R. , Vanheule S. , Meganck R.
Published: May 2011

Introduction

An increasing amount of outcome research supports the efficacy of Short Term Psychodynamic Psychotherapy (STPP) for a wide range of psychological disorders, reporting effect sizes in meta-analyses between 0.50 and 1.40 (for review see Shedler, 2010). Mapping mechanisms of change in the STPP process can be considered the major challenge of STPP for the decades to come.

Objectives/aims

This study focuses on STPP with Obsessive-Compulsive (OC) patients and tests the hypothesis that the progressive elimination of OC symptoms throughout an STPP process is correlated to a parallel process of change at the level of interpersonal characteristics.

Method

Mixed quantitative-qualitative analyses of data of Short Term Psychodynamic Therapies with four OC patients are presented. Repeated Measures analyses are performed to study intra-subject associations between intensity of OC symptoms (measured by General Health Questionnaire, GHQ-12, and Obsessive-Compulsive Inventory, OCI-R) and interpersonal characteristics (measured by Inventory of Interpersonal Problems, IIP-32).

Results

Observed associations between evolutions in general interpersonal characteristics and general complaints were significant yet inconsistent across the patients. Qualitative analyses, however, revealed similarities on the level of specific interpersonal characteristics, in this respect that all patients struggled to escape the suffocating impact of parental figures and/or romantic partners.

Conclusions

Rather than elaborating a general interpersonal style (cfr. Desmet et al., 2008), the results suggest that a progressive elaboration of parent-child and partner relationships is a crucial characteristic of the STPP process with OC patients. Limitations of the study are the small sample size and the absence of contrast- and control groups.
P02 - 369 - Neuroimaging of the various symptom dimensions in obsessive - compulsive disorder - a systematic review
Authors: Dold M. , Lanzenberger R. , Aigner M.
Published: May 2011

Introduction

Several neuroimaging studies in obsessive-compulsive disorders (OCD) have shown a dysfunction in the orbito-fronto-striato-thalamamic neural circuitry as the fundamental neuropathological correlate, consistent across all symptom subtypes.

Therefore, the neurobiological differentiation of the various obsessive-compulsive symptoms is attracting increasing interest in neuroimaging as this clinical picture becomes increasingly subclassified.

Method

A systematic literature survey was used to search for original papers that studied the neurobiological correlates of the various symptom dimensions of OCD (symmetry, forbidden thoughts, washing, hoarding).

Results

It was possible to include a total of 15 original papers in the assessment. The “forbidden thoughts” factor, which also includes compulsion to control, is associated mainly with activations in brain structures of the cognitive control system, i.e. the basal ganglia and parts of the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC). Therefore, the neural representation pattern of “forbidden thoughts” differs clearly from that of “washing”, in which cerebral regions of emotional control seem to be particularly involved, i.e. the orbito-frontal cortex (OFC), ACC, the amygdala and insula. On the other hand, the “hoarding and collecting” dimension is primarily associated with brain areas involved in decision-making, i.e. the ventro-medial OFC, the dorsal ACC and the dorso-lateral prefrontal cortex (DLPC).

Discussion

The results confirm the hypothesis that all dimensions of OCD are based on different neuronal networks, which underlines the neurobiological heterogeneity of the clinical picture of OCD, thus pointing the way for future research strategies.
The study of cerebral lateralization of global-local visual processing inobsessive-compulsive patients
Authors: Fath N. , Goodarzi M.A.
Published: May 2011

Introduction

Obsessive-compulsive patients have many problems in their processing.

Objectives

They have a local processing than global processing. They focoused on the local aspect of world.

Aims

The purpose of this study was to examine cerebral lateralization of global-local visual processing in obsessive-compulsive patients.

Methods

All participants were right handed. Participants completed Edinburgh, the padua, Beck Depression and the Anxiety Inventories and computer task. The repeated measure design of 2(2×3×2) was used to analyze the reaction time data, and the repeated measure design of 2(2×2) was used to analyze the interference data.

Results

Results indicated that OC patients were generally faster in local stimuli processing than global stimuli processing. Also in patient’s group, global stimuli (incongruent) processing contrary to local stimuli (incongruent) processing in the right hemisphere was faster than that of the left hemisphere, a result consistent with previous literature for normal people. In patient’s group, global-to-local interference contrary to local-to-global interference in the right hemisphere was greater than that of the left hemisphere, but in normal’s group, interference pattern in two hemispheres showed no significant differences. In addition, local to global interference in the left hemisphere of normal’s group was greater than that of the patient’s group, but these differences was not significant. Also results showed similar global-to-local interference in normal and patient’s group.

Conclusions

In general, the results of this study show that OC patients are faster in processing of local stimuli than global stimuli. However, this can not be attributed to a dysfunctional hemisphere.
Muscle dysmorphic disorder - a new nosologic entity arises?
Authors: Freire Lucas R.M.
Published: May 2011

Morbid concern over body image was considered, until recently, a female issue. Nowadays, it has been viewed as a common male disorder. Muscle dysmorphia, a subtype of a body dysmorphic disorder, affects men who, despite having clear muscular hypertrophy, see themselves as frail and small. Besides being associated to major social, leisure and occupational dysfunction, muscle dysmorphia is also a risk factor for the abuse of steroids and other substances. This work describes epidemiological, etiological and clinical characteristics of muscle dysmorphia and comments on its treatment strategy.

We searched for scientific articles about this topic on the databases MEDLINE, LILACS and PsycINFO, using the search words “muscle dysmorphic disorder”. We chose to preferentially include original articles and recent reviews.
Addiction obsession
Authors: Ghaffarinejad A. , Ghasemi M.
Published: May 2011

Obsessions include intrusive thoughts, phobias, images and impulses. In this presentation we are going to present an obsessive patient who was obsessed regarding using addictive substances.

Represented case is a 27 year's old married man with no previous history of cigarette and any substance abuse or dependence. He referred to our OPD clinic in Kerman psychiatric hospital / Iran. He had recurrent and intrusive thoughts which made him anxious and reported social function problems due to his thoughts. His obsessive thoughts began when he was eighteen at that time he continuously obsessed about smoking cigarette, but when was offered one by one of his friends, he scared and destroyed it. A few years later he had recurrent obsessive thoughts a bout using and marijuana and opium and the pleasure which could be occurred then after. Since a year before his referral he had the same thought about heroin. Other than this obsessive thought, he believed in magic and referred to faith healers several times. He also thought, he should sell his properties and spend the income for buying opium and heroin. This thought decreased obviously after taking 200 mg fluvoxamine during four weeks. He never used any substance even for one time. He was not smoking at all. We concluded that addiction obsession could bea separate type of obsession. It could be a variant of obsessive impulses. Availability of substances may play a role in forming his symptom.
BAS, BIS and FFS in obsessive-compulsive patients
Authors: Ghooshchianchoobmasjedi S. , Hassani J.
Published: May 2011

Introduction

Recent research on the obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) has emphasis on the moderating effects of the brain behavioral mechanisms.

Objectives

The main purpose of this research was to examine the Gray's brain behavioral systems (1994) among the obsessive-compulsive disordered patients.

Aims

My aim of this research was to examine the Gray's brain behavioral systems (1994) among the obsessive-compulsive disordered patients.

Methods

Participants were included 20 obsessive-compulsive patients and 20 normal individuals who were selected respectively by available sampling and counter balance sampling methods on the basis of the age, sex and education variables. The average of participant's ages was 29/85 (SD = 7/37). All subjects were completed the Gray-Wilson Questionnaire and data were extracted for the three systems of BAS, BIS and FFS and also for its six measures of approach, active avoidance, passive avoidance, extinction, fight and flight separately.

Results

A multivariate analysis of variance, for comparing six measures of the Gray-Wilson questionnaire were shown significantly differences for Behavioral Activation System (BAS) and also for Behavioral Inhibition System (BIS). Pairwise comparisons were shown a higher Behavioral- Inhibition system (BIS) and a lower Behavioral- Activation system (BAS) in obsessive -compulsive patients than normal individuals. No significant difference was found for Fight- Flight system (FFS).

Conclusions

These results were suggested higher BIS and lower BAS activity as moderator of OCD. This results supported the reinforcement sensitivity theory (RST) conveying a higher tendency to the punishment and elimination of the reward in anxious person as a consequence of Behavioral-Inhibition System (BIS).
Paliperidone augmentation for refractory obsessive-compulsive disorder: A case report
Authors: Grammatikopoulos I. , Nikolaidis N. , Giouzepas I.
Published: May 2011

Introduction

Despite the substantial clinical improvements provided by the pharmacologic and cognitive-behavior therapies of OCD, it has been estimated that 40%–60% of patients still remains refractory to conventional treatment.

Objectives

Medication augmentation can be an effective and well-tolerated short-term treatment strategy for non-responders to first-line pharmacotherapy of obsessive-compulsive disorders.

Aims

To investigate the efficacy of paliperidone as augmenting agent in the treatment of resistant OCD patient.

Methods

In the present case, we present a 6 months follow-up of an obsessive-compulsive patient treated with paliperidone ER and fluvoxamine. Paliperidone ER was started at 6 mg/day and increased up to a maximum of 12 mg/day. The clinical symptoms were measured by Y-BOCS and efficacy measures with CGI and PSP scale scores.

Results

We found that obsessive-compulsive symptoms improved after 4weeks. Patient showed a significant improvement over the 6 months follow-up for Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale total score at week 24 as compared with baseline (from a score of 34 to a score of 12). A significant improvement in the mean PSP scale score was also seen and “much improved” on the CGI score from baseline to end point. A mean bodyweight change of ≤2 kg over the 24-week study period observed, but there were no clinically meaningful changes in glucose, insulin and blood lipid levels. There was no adverse event reported after the augmentation with paliperidone.

Conclusions

Adding paliperidone to SSRIs could be a valid strategy for treatment-resistant OCD patients and additional efficacy studies and randomized, double-blind studies are needed.
Family therapy in iran: An OCD case study
Authors: Khodayarifard M. , McClenon J. , Khodayarifard S.
Published: May 2011

Iranian clinical psychologists have devised family therapy methods, based on cognitive behavioral models, fitting their collectivist, Islamic culture. We review Islamic-based strategies and describe family therapy in a culturally-specific childhood OCD case. In %80 of adults diagnosed with OCD, obsession is observed to have started in childhood and adolescence. Studies showed that cognitive-behaviour therapy, although efficient in treatment of OCD, fails in the case of children, due to their limited cognitive ability and their lower level of development. On the other hand, since children's response to medication cannot be anticipated, and because of the side-effects and the probability of recurrence after termination of medication, parents do not agree to medical treatment for their children. The purpose the present research was therefore designed to investigate the efficiency of family therapy based on cognitive behavioral approach in treatment of OCD case. The family therapy techniques used in this study are encounter, self-reporting, relaxation, modeling, and positive thinking. The OCD client was studied and exposed to the method. The results showed that the family therapy method using integrated, religious-based cognitive behavioral therapy, seems more appropriate for clients from collectivist, religious cultures. The final part of the research discusses the findings in relation to those of the previous studies.
Patients profile with obsessive-compulsive disorder attending to psychiatric emergency department
Authors: Mota Rodríguez M.J. , Pampin Alfonso A. , Portillo Díez J. , De Usabel Guzmán P. , Pérez García M.
Published: May 2011

Introduction

Prevalence of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) in general population is 2–3%. This high prevalence is not often reflected in number of assitances to Emergency Department. There are few studies that analyze the characteristics of OCD patients assisting to psychiatric emergency services.

Objective

To establish the profile of these patients, determining aswell their type of emergency assistance, time distribution and why they relapse. We used the SPSS 17 package.

Methods

A retrospective and descriptive study of attendances at the Psychiatry Emergency Department of Hospital Clínico Universitario de Santiago de Compostela in a sample of patients fitting the ICD-10 criteria for OCD diagnosis (n = 45). Time period: from 9TH July 2007 to 26TH September 2010.

Results

From 5091 attendances at the Psychiatry Emergency Department, 45 patients had an OCD diagnosis (57.8% women), with a mean age of 33.31 ± 11.58 years. 68.9% came from rural areas. 44.4% had comorbid psychiatric disorders.68.9% came by own initiative. In 28.9% the consultation was anxiety, 15.6% obsessive symptoms and 11% affective symptoms. 13.3% were admitted to a psychiatric ward.There was lower attendance between 0:00–08:00 AM and on Fridays. The months with more attendance were August and September.12% had more than one assitance, 85.7% were women with anxiety symptoms (38%) and with personality disorder as the most frequent comorbid diagnosis.

Conclusions

Patient's profile: “33 years old female from countryside, presenting anxiety symptoms, who comes only once and by own initiative. Doesn’t have comorbid psychiatric disorders. After the psychiatric evaluation she is discharged to outpatient's psychiatric follow-up”.
EEG-source estimates and vigilance regulation in obsessive compulsive disorder in comparison to healthy controls
Authors: Olbrich H. , Olbrich S. , Jahn I. , Hegerl U. , Stengler K.
Published: May 2011

Neurophysiological hyperactivation of cortical and subcortical brain areas has been reported in obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) using functional imaging techniques and electroencephalography (EEG). Also sleep disturbances and delayed sleep phases have been associated with OCD symptomatology. However, vigilance regulation in OCD during the transition phase from wakefulness to sleep onset remains unclear. Therefore the aim of this study was to analyze EEG-source estimates and EEG vigilance regulation in OCD patients in comparison to healthy controls.

A 15 minute resting EEG was recorded in 30 unmedicated OCD patients and 30 healthy, age and gender matched controls. EEG power source estimates of the whole time series were computed by exact Low Resolution Brain Electromagnetic Tomography (eLORETA). Each consecutive one second EEG-segment was classified into one out of seven EEG-vigilance stages (0, A1, A2, A3, B1, B2/3, C) using Vigilance Algorithm Leipzig (VIGALL). The eLORETA analysis (log of F-ratios, p < 0.05, corrected for multiple comparison) revealed significantly increased delta power in the right superior frontal gyrus for OCD patients in comparison to healthy controls. Vigilance analysis yielded significantly increased amounts of high vigilance stage A2 (Mann-Whitney test, p < 0.001, corrected for multiple comparison) for OCD patients.

This study repeated findings of altered EEG-power in frontal areas in OCD patients. Alterations of EEG-vigilance regulation were found with increased amounts of high vigilance stage A2. This is in line with a hypothesis of cortical hyperactivation in OCD. The value of EEG-vigilance as a possible biological marker for e.g. treatment response should be focus of further studies.