[An integrative and transdiagnostic relaxation protocol for anxious patients. Results of a pilot study]. / Protocole de relaxation intégrative et transdiagnostique pour patients anxieux. Résultats d'une étude pilote.

INTRODUCTION: The literature data show that relaxation practice is effective in reducing anxiety symptoms. Different techniques such as progressive muscular relaxation, autogenic training, applied relaxation and meditation have been evaluated independently for anxiety disorders. The question is to know whether the combination of various techniques may be of interest in the transdiagnostic treatment of anxiety disorders. AIM OF THE STUDY: The present study assessed the short-term efficacy of a 10-week integrative and transdiagnostic relaxation program for anxiety disorders in outpatients of an anxiety disorders unit. METHODS: The diagnoses were made according to the Mini-International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI; Sheehan et al., 1998) and completed with an assessment of anxiety and depressive symptoms using: the State Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI-Y, -S and -T), the Penn State Worry Questionnaire (PSWQ) and the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI-II). Four techniques were integrated into the structured 10-week protocol: breathing control, muscular relaxation, meditation and mental visualization. RESULTS: Twenty-eight patients (12 men and 16 women), mean age (S.D.)=38.82 years (11.57), were included in the study. All the included patients fulfilled the DSM-IV criteria for a current diagnosis of Generalized Anxiety Disorder (n=13) or Panic Disorder (n=15) with or without agoraphobia. At the end of the 10 sessions, we found a significant reduction in mean scores (S.D.) on the STAI-T from 53.179 (6.037) to 49.821 (8.028) (P<0.02), the BDI-II 20.964 (13.167) to 15.429 (11.341) (d=0.6543) and the QIPS 55.071 (10.677) to 49.679 (11.7) (d=0.5938). The observed reduction in the STAI-S (d=0.2776) was not significant. DISCUSSION: The results of this open study showed that this program significantly decreases the level of trait anxiety, depression and worry. The integrative and transdiagnostic relaxation program could represent an accessible and effective treatment to reduce anxious and depressive symptoms in various anxiety disorders. Future research should address the development of controlled trials assessing the impact of the different dimensions of anxiety and the long-term effects of this protocol.

[Mechanisms of spinal block formation in Paget disease of bone. Radiographic study based on 14 cases]. / Mécanismes de formation des blocs vertébraux pagétiques. Etude radiographique à partir de 14 blocs.

Vertebral bridging occurs in approximately 10% of patients with spinal pagetic lesions. Diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis has been reported in patients with pagetic block vertebras and may facilitate vertebral fusion and extension of pagetic lesions. High prevalences of diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis have been found in patients with Paget's disease. To determine how pagetic block vertebras develop and to investigate relationships between Paget's disease and diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis, 244 patients with Paget's disease were studied retrospectively. Diagnostic criteria for diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis were the presence of flowing ossification along the anterolateral aspect of at least three contiguous vertebral bodies or presence of at least two anterolateral intervertebral bony bridges in the same spinal segment. Eight (33%) of the 244 patients had diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis. Two-thirds of patients with both conditions were male. There was no statistically significant association between presence of diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis and spinal involvement by Paget's disease. Fourteen pagetic block vertebras were identified in 11 male patients. Eight of these 11 patients had involvement of the fused vertebras or adjacent vertebras with diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis. Our findings confirm that diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis is common in patients with Paget's disease. The statistically significant association between diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis and pagetic vertebral fusion in the same site suggests that the former condition may be a risk factor for pagetic vertebral bridging.

Mean cytoplasmic protein concentration of host erythrocytes and the reticulocyte response in Plasmodium berghei infected mice.

The decreasing mean cytoplasmic protein concentration (MPC) of P. berghei host cells is paralled by an increasing parasitemia and percent reticulocyte response. The reticulocyte response parallels the percent parasitemia except during a period of accelerated reticulocytosis noted during the midpoint of the infection at which time the percent reticulocytes increases at a rate more than double the rate of increase of percent parasitemia. Although the reticulocyte population and the host cell population are usually equivalent, the disparity noted suggests the existence of unique characteristics in the reticulocyte response of P. berghei infected mice.