Increased EEG gamma power under exposure to drug-related cues: a translational index for cue-elicited craving in METH-dependent individuals.

BACKGROUND: This study explored the feasibility of using EEG gamma-band (30-49 Hz) power as an index of cue-elicited craving in METH-dependent individuals. METHODS: Twenty-nine participants dependent on methamphetamine (METH) and 30 healthy participants were instructed to experience a METH-related virtual reality (VR) social environment. RESULTS: Individuals with METH dependence showed significantly stronger self-reported craving and higher gamma power in a VR environment than healthy individuals. In the METH group, the VR environment elicited a significant increase in gamma power compared with the resting state. The METH group then received a VR counterconditioning procedure (VRCP), which was deemed useful in suppressing cue-induced reactivity. After VRCP, participants showed significantly lower self-reported craving scores and gamma power when exposed to drug-related cues than the first time. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that the EEG gamma-band power may be a marker of cue-induced reactivity in patients with METH dependence.

Selective impairments of alerting and executive control in HIV-infected patients: evidence from attention network test.

BACKGROUND: Attention ability can be subdivided into three functionally independent networks, i.e., alerting network, orienting network, and executive network. Previous literature has documented that deficits in attention are a common consequence of HIV infection. However, the precise nature of deficits of attention in HIV-infected patients is poorly understood. Accordingly, the aim of the study was to identify whether the HIV-infected patients showed a specific attention network deficit or a general attentional impairment. METHODS: We investigated 27 HIV-infected patients and 31 normal controls with the Attention Network Test (ANT). RESULTS: The patients exhibited less efficient alerting network and executive network than controls. No significant difference was found in orienting network effect between groups. Our results also indicate a tendency for poorer efficiency on alerting attention and executive attention in patients with CD4 ≤ 200. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that HIV-infected patients exhibited selective impairments of attention network of alerting and executive control. The link between lower CD4 T cell count and poorer attention network function imply the importance of starting antiretroviral therapy earlier to avoid irreversible neurocognitive impairment.

Dissociation of understanding from applying others' false beliefs in remitted schizophrenia: evidence from a computerized referential communication task.

BACKGROUND: In research on theory of mind (ToM), false belief paradigms are commonly used. Previous studies have reported that there is heterogeneity in the magnitude of impairment on false belief tasks. Moreover, intact ability to attribute others' false beliefs has been widely reported in patients with remitted schizophrenia. Increasingly, evidence suggests that there may be different cognitive mechanisms underlying the understanding others' false beliefs versus applying one's knowledge of others' false beliefs. Since the role of psychotic symptoms in ToM impairments is an important issue in the study of ToM deficits in schizophrenia, we examined both remitted schizophrenia and non-remitted schizophrenia, with the aim to investigate whether psychotic symptoms in schizophrenia are associated with deficits in understanding others' mental states or difficulties in applying this understanding. METHODS: The present study investigated 29 patients with non-remitted schizophrenia, 19 patients with remitted schizophrenia, and 22 healthy controls with a revised computerized referential communication task. The ability to understand others' false beliefs and the ability to apply others' false beliefs were measured separately. RESULTS: Patients with non-remitted schizophrenia performed significantly worse than patients with remitted schizophrenia and healthy controls on a task of understanding others' false beliefs, whereas no significant difference was found between the patients with remitted schizophrenia and healthy controls. Both the patients with non-remitted schizophrenia and patients with remitted schizophrenia performed significantly worse than healthy controls on a task of applying others' false beliefs. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggested a dissociation of understanding others' false beliefs from applying others' false beliefs in remitted schizophrenia. We preliminarily conclude that deficits in the ToM ability of applying knowledge of others' mental states might be state-dependent.

Virtual-reality-based social cognition and interaction training for patients with schizophrenia: A preliminary efficacy study.

Background: Social cognition and interaction training (SCIT) is a psychosocial intervention program for patients with psychosis, designed to improve their social functioning by improving social cognition. Although the feasibility and efficacy of SCIT have been verified, patients with schizophrenia tend to suffer from motivational deficits and low treatment adherence. It has been suggested that using virtual reality (VR) technology might be effective in addressing these issues. In this study, we aimed to develop a VR-based SCIT and compare its efficacy with that of traditional SCIT. Materials and methods: We developed a novel VR-based social cognition and interaction training (VR-SCIT) that combines traditional SCIT (TR-SCIT) intervention with VR technology. Participants were randomly assigned in a 1:1:1 ratio to the VR-SCIT (n = 28), TR-SCIT (n = 30), or waiting-list groups (n = 29). All treatments were combined with treatment-as-usual. Assessments of social cognition (i.e., Chinese version of Face-Affective Identification Task, Chinese version of Social Cognition Screening Questionnaire) and social functioning (i.e., Chinese version of Personal and Social Performance Scale) were administered from baseline to post-intervention. Results: Patients receiving VR-SCIT and TR-SCIT showed a significantly greater improvement on the assessments of emotion perception (Cohen's d was 1.66, 0.55, and 0.10 for VR-SCIT, TR-SCIT, and Waiting-list, respectively), hostile attributional bias (Cohen's d was 0.48, 0.44, and 0.05 for VR-SCIT, TR-SCIT, and Waiting-list, respectively), metacognition (Cohen's d was 1.66, 0.76, and 0.06 for VR-SCIT, TR-SCIT, and waiting-list, respectively), and social functioning (Cohen's d was 1.09, 0.90, and 0.20 for VR-SCIT, TR-SCIT, and waiting-list, respectively) from baseline to post-intervention, compared to those in waiting-list group. Additionally, VR-SCIT showed an advantage over TR-SCIT in improving emotion perception and metacognition with higher treatment compliance. Conclusion: These preliminary findings indicate that VR-SCIT is a feasible and promising method for improving social cognition and social functioning in patients with schizophrenia.

[Differences of wound contraction and apoptosis in full-thickness burn wounds repaired with different artificial dermal stent in pigs].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the roles and differences of angiogenesis of different dermal scaffolds on wound contraction and apoptosis during full-thickness burn wound repair. METHODS: Wounds were observed at different time after the collagen-sulfonated carboxymethyl chitosan porous scaffold or collagen-chitosan porous scaffold or acellular dermal matrix were respectively transplanted on wounds of full thickness burn with debridement in Bama miniature pigs. At the same time, vessels and myo-fibroblasts expressing α-smooth muscle action(α-SMA) and apoptosis in wounds of different time were detected in situ by immunohistochemical staining, terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated deoxyuridine triphosphate-biotin nick end labeling. The burn wounds without any scaffold transplantation were studied as the control. RESULTS: Wounds with different scaffolds transplantation were different from granulation wounds. Vessels expressing α-SMA had been increasing continuously in the wounds from 1 to 3 weeks after different scaffolds transplantation and decreased in wounds after epidermis had been grafted for 2 weeks on surface of the scaffolds transplanted on wounds for 2 weeks. Vessels expressing α-SMA were the most in the wounds with collagen-sulfonated carboxymethyl chitosan porous scaffold transplantation and the least in the control wounds without dermal scaffold at different time. Myo-fibroblasts expressing α-SMA was the least in the wounds with collagen-sulfonated carboxymethyl chitosan porous scaffold transplantation and the peak of expressions was on the 2nd week, however, the peak in the wounds with the other two scaffolds transplantation and in the control wound without dermal scaffold was on the 3rd week. Myo-fibroblasts expressing α-SMA was the most in the control wounds. Apoptosis had been increasing continuously in the transplantation wounds from 2 to 4 weeks after different scaffolds transplantation, however, apoptosis had begun to increase continuously from 3 to 4 weeks in the control wounds. Apoptosis was the most in the wounds with collagen-sulfonated carboxymethyl chitosan porous scaffold transplantation and the least in the control wounds without dermal scaffold from 3 to 4 weeks. CONCLUSION: Sulfonated carboxymethyl chitosan can promote migration of reparative cells and angiogenesis, and it can repair full-thickness burn wound fast and well.

A virtual reality counterconditioning procedure to reduce methamphetamine cue-induced craving.

The present work developed a virtual reality (VR) counterconditioning procedure (VRCP), and investigated its efficacy in treatment of cue-induced craving in individuals with methamphetamine (METH) dependence. In study 1, thirty-one patients diagnosed with METH dependence received VRCP, while twenty-nine METH-dependent patients in waiting-list group did not. In study 2, the VRCP was computerized as a VR treatment system. Six-hundred and twelve abstinent individuals with a history of METH dependence received the computerized VRCP, while two-hundred seventy-six abstinent individuals with a history of METH dependence in waiting-list group did not. Patients with METH dependence who received VRCP showed a significantly larger decrease on the score of METH-craving and METH-liking from baseline to follow-up assessments, compared to those who did not received VRCP. Participants received VRCP showed a significantly larger decrease in HRV indexes on time domain and non-linear domain from baseline to follow-up assessments during exposure to VR cues, compared to those in waiting-list group. These findings indicate that the counterconditioning procedure under VR environment may be a useful strategy in suppressing cue-induced reactivity for patients with METH dependence.

Theory of mind disability in major depression with or without psychotic symptoms: a componential view.

Previous reports have conceptualized theory of mind (ToM) as comprising two components and questioned whether ToM deficits are associated with psychotic symptoms. We investigated 33 nonpsychotic depressed inpatients, 23 psychotic depressed inpatients, and 53 normal controls with the following measures: Eyes Task, Faux pas Task, Verbal Fluency Test (VFT), Digit Span Test (DST) and WAIS-IQ. The depressed patients were also evaluated with the Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II) and the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS). The nonpsychotic depressed patients and the psychotic depressed individuals were significantly impaired on tasks involving ToM social-perceptual and social-cognitive components, as well as the VFT. The psychotic depressed patients performed significantly worse than nonpsychotic depressed patients on ToM tasks. An association was found between ToM performances and both BPRS total and hostile-suspiciousness scores in the depressed group. Both of the ToM components were impaired in depressed patients. Similar mechanisms and neurobiological substrate may contribute to schizophrenia and major depression.

Pharmacodynamics of rocuronium in cholestatic patients with or without hepatocellular injury: normal onset time of initial dose and prolonged duration time after repeated doses.

PURPOSE: A prospective controlled study was designed to observe the pharmacodynamics of rocuronium in cholestatic patients with or without hepatocellular injury. METHODS: Sixty patients undergoing abdominal surgery were allocated into three groups: group I had 20 cholestatic patients with hepatocellular injury; group II had 20 cholestatic patients without hepatocellular injury, and group III (control group) had 20 patients without hepatic disease. Anesthetized with propofol and fentanyl, all patients received rocuronium 0.6 mg/kg for initial dose followed by intermittent repeated administration of rocuronium 0.15 mg/kg. The twitch high of adductor pollicis muscle was monitored by acceleromyography. The onset time of the initial dose, the duration time of the initial and the repeated doses, and the recovery index were observed. RESULTS: The onset and the duration time of the initial dose had no significant difference among the three groups (P<0.05). After administration of the 5th dose, the duration time of the repeated doses was significantly prolonged than that of the 2nd dose in group I (31+/-8 versus 22+/-4 min) and group II (28+/-5 versus 21+/-4 min) (P<0.05), but not in group III (P>0.05). The recovery index of rocuronium was longer in group I (48+/-13 min) and group II (46+/-9 min) than that in group III (24+/-5 min) (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: Cholestatic patients experience prolonged duration time and longer recovery index after repeated use of rocuronium, despite normal onset time after the initial dose.

[Prevalence and predictors of acute stress disorder after earthquake: findings from Wenchuan earthquake in China].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the prevalence and predictors of acute stress disorder (ASD) in the victims affected by Wenchuan earthquake in China. METHODS: A random clustered sampling method was used. Of 891 victims enrolled in the study, 874 were completely assessed with the ASD constructive questionnaire and diagnosed with DSM-IV criteria. Sociodemographic variables were obtained. Also, the major symptoms of ASD (i.e., general symptoms to a traumatic event; dissociative symptoms; re-experiencing symptoms; hyper-arousal symptoms; avoidance symptoms) were recorded. RESULTS: The incidence rate of ASD was 12.59% (110/874). The incidence rates of ASD for female and male were 15.16% (72/475) and 9.52% (38/399) respectively. There was a significant difference between female and male on the incidence rate of ASD (chi(2) = 6.26, P = 0.01). Logistic regression indicated that the ASD diagnosis was predicted by gender (beta = 0.58, P = 0.01, OR = 1.79), the condition of casualties of family members (beta = 0.60, P = 0.01, OR = 1.82), and the condition of sharp properties loss (beta = 1.02, P = 0.01, OR = 2.76). CONCLUSION: The major earthquake should have great influence on mental health of victims. The efforts to reduce casualties and property loss might help to prevent ASD. Further research is needed on gender difference among traumatic events.

Detection of patients with methamphetamine dependence with cue-elicited heart rate variability in a virtual social environment.

In the present study, we developed a methamphetamine (METH)-related virtual social environment to elicit subjective craving and physiological reactivity. Sixty-one male patients who were abstinent from METH use and 45 age-matched healthy males (i.e., normal controls) were recruited. The physiological electrocardiogram (ECG) signals were recorded before (resting-state condition) and during viewing of a METH-cue video in the virtual environment (cue-induced condition). The cue-induced subjective craving was measured with a visual analogue scale (VAS) for patients with METH dependence. The results indicated that the cue-induced condition elicited significant differences in heart rate variability (HRV) between patients with METH dependence and normal controls. The changes of HRV indexes on time domain and non-linear domain from the resting-state condition to the cue-induced condition were positively correlated with the score on VAS of METH craving. Using a supervised machine learning algorithm with the features extracted from HRV changes, our results showed that the discriminant model provided a high predictive power for distinguishing patients with METH dependence from normal controls. Our findings support that immersing subjects with METH dependence in a METH-related virtual social environment can successfully induce physiological reactivity, and cue-induced physiological signal changes may have a potential implication in clinical practice.

Hyperthyroidism patients have shorter onset and duration time of rocuronium than euthyroidism patients.

PURPOSE: The possibility of altered response to nondepolarizing muscle relaxants in hyperthyroidism patients has not been documented. The present study was conducted to observe the onset and duration of rocuronium induced neuromuscular blockade in hyperthyroidism patients. METHODS: Eighteen hyperthyroidism patients undergoing subtotal thyroidectomy (H group) and eighteen euthyroidism patients undergoing operation on neck (E group) were studied. Anesthetized with propofol and fentanyl, all patients received rocuronium 0.6 mg/kg. The twitch high of adductor pollicis muscle was monitored by acceleromyography. The onset, the duration of the initial dose, the durations of the repeated maintenance doses, the repeated times, and the total doses of rocuronium were observed. RESULTS: The onset time of rocuronium in H group was significantly shorter than that in E group (P<0.05). The duration of the initial dose as well as the durations of the repeated maintenance doses in H group was significantly shorter than that in E group (P<0.05). The repeated times and the total dosage of rocuronium in H group were significantly more than that in E group (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Hyperthyroidism patients experience a shorter onset time, a shorter duration, and require larger doses of rocuronium than euthyroidism patients.

Family history of suicide and high motor impulsivity distinguish suicide attempters from suicide ideators among college students.

Suicide in college students has become an important public health issue in China. The aim of this study was to identify the differences between suicide attempters and suicide ideators based on a cross-sectional survey. Our results indicate that although female gender, positive screening for psychiatric illness, positive family history of suicide, elevated overall impulsivity, and elevated motor impulsivity were correlated with suicidal ideation, only positive family history of suicide and high motor impulsivity could differentiate suicide attempters from suicidal ideators. Future research with a longitudinal and prospective study design should be conducted to confirm these findings.

Percutaneous transgastric endoscopic tube ileostomy in a porcine survival model.

AIM: To introduce natural orifice transgastric endoscopic surgery (NOTES) tube ileostomy using pelvis-directed submucosal tunneling endoscopic gastrostomy and endoscopic tube ileostomy. METHODS: Six live pigs (three each in the non-survival and survival groups) were used. A double-channeled therapeutic endoscope was introduced perorally into the stomach. A gastrostomy was made using a 2-cm transversal mucosal incision following the creation of a 5-cm longitudinal pelvis-directed submucosal tunnel. The pneumoperitoneum was established via the endoscope. In the initial three operations of the series, a laparoscope was transumbilically inserted for guiding the tunnel direction, intraperitoneal spatial orientation and distal ileum identification. Endoscopic tube ileostomy was conducted by adopting an introducer method and using a Percutaneous Endoscopic Gastrostomy Catheter Kit equipped with the Loop Fixture. The distal tip of the 15 Fr catheter was placed toward the proximal limb of the ileum to optimize intestinal content drainage. Finally, the tunnel entrance of the gastrostomy was closed using nylon endoloops with the aid of a twin grasper. The gross and histopathological integrity of gastrostomy closure and the abdominal wall-ileum stoma tract formation were assessed 1 wk after the operation. RESULTS: Transgastric endoscopic tube ileostomy was successful in all six pigs, without major bleeding. The mean operating time was 71 min (range: 60-110 min). There were no intraoperative complications or hemodynamic instability. The post-mortem, which was conducted 1-wk postoperatively, showed complete healing of the gastrostomy and adequate stoma tract formation of ileostomy. CONCLUSION: Transgastric endoscopic tube ileostomy is technically feasible and reproducible in an animal model, and this technique is worthy of further improvement.

Theory-of-mind understanding and theory-of-mind use in unaffected first-degree relatives of schizophrenia and bipolar disorder.

We assessed theory of mind (ToM) in unaffected first-degree relatives (FDR) of patients with schizophrenia (SC) and bipolar disorder (BD) compared to healthy controls with a revised computerized referential communication task. Results showed that FDR of SC performed worse than FDR of BD and controls on a task requiring ToM-use, but not on a task requiring ToM-understanding. This indicates that deficient ToM-use, rather than ToM-understanding impairments, may represent a potential candidate endophenotype for schizophrenia.

Transgastric endoscopic gastrojejunostomy using holing followed by interrupted suture technique in a porcine model.

AIM: To demonstrate the feasibility and reproducibility of a pure natural orifice transluminal endoscopic surgery (NOTES) gastrojejunostomy using holing followed by interrupted suture technique using a single endoloop matched with a pair of clips in a non-survival porcine model. METHODS: NOTES gastrojejunostomy was performed on three female domestic pigs as follows: Gastrostomy, selection and retrieval of a free-floating loop of the small bowel into the stomach pouch, hold and exposure of the loop in the gastric cavity using a submucosal inflation technique, execution of a gastro-jejunal mucosal-seromuscular layer approximation using holing followed by interrupted suture technique with endoloop/clips, and full-thickness incision of the loop with a Dual knife. RESULTS: Pure NOTES side-to-side gastrojejunostomy was successfully performed in all three animals. No leakage was identified via methylene blue evaluation following surgery. CONCLUSION: This novel technique for preforming a gastrointestinal anastomosis exclusively by NOTES is technically feasible and reproducible in an animal model but warrants further improvement.

Theory-of-mind use in remitted schizophrenia patients: The role of inhibition and perspective-switching.

In social interaction, Theory of Mind (ToM) enables us to construct representations of others' mental states, and to use those representations flexibly to explain or predict others' behavior. Although previous literature has documented that schizophrenia is associated with poor ToM ability, little is known about the cognitive mechanisms underlying their difficulty in ToM use. This study developed a new methodology to test whether the difficulty in false-belief-use might be related to deficits in perspective-switching or impaired inhibitory control among 23 remitted schizophrenia patients and 18 normal controls. Patients showed a significantly greater error rate in a perspective-switching condition than a perspective-repeating position in a false-belief-use task, whereas normal controls did not show a difference between the two conditions. In addition, a larger main effect of inhibition was found in remitted schizophrenia patients than normal controls in both a false-belief-use task and control task. Thus, remitted schizophrenia patients' impairment in ToM use might be accounted for, at least partially, by deficits in perspective-switching and impaired inhibitory control.

Endoscopic dilation of esophageal stricture without fluoroscopy is safe and effective.

AIM: Endoscopic dilation of esophageal strictures is a commonly performed procedure in the management of dysphagia. The procedure is usually done with fluoroscopic guidance. The aim of this study was to assess the use of Tracer guide wire in conjunction with Savary-Gilliard dilators in the dilation of tight esophageal strictures without fluoroscopy. METHODS: Fifty-five patients with significant dysphagia from strictures due to a variety of causes were dilated endoscopically. The procedure consisted of two parts. First, a guidewire was passed using endoscopic guidance, and then, dilation was performed without fluoroscopy. A modified Tracer wire was employed and was particularly effective in negotiating very tight esophageal strictures, in which the lumen is less than 6 mm. In general, the "Rule of Three" and "2-3 sessions in 10 days, maximum dilation up to 42 French" rules were followed. 401 dilations in a total of 55 patients(malignant strictures 30, benign 25) in 177 sessions were carried out. RESULTS: The guide wire placement and Savary-Gilliard dilation were successfully performed without fluoroscopy, and improvement of dysphagia was achieved in all patients. Esophageal plastic stent (out diameter 40 French) was placed in five patients with malignant stricture-three of them with tracheo-esophageal fistula. CONCLUSION: Dilation using Tracer guide wire without fluoroscopy is safe and effective in treatment of even very tight esophageal strictures.

Trans-umbilical endoscopic cholecystectomy with a water-jet hybrid-knife: a pilot animal study.

AIM: To investigate the feasibility and safety of Natural orifice trans-umbilical endoscopic cholecystectomy with a water-jet hybrid-knife in a non-survival porcine model. METHODS: Pure natural orifice transluminal endoscopic surgery (NOTES) cholecystectomy was performed on three non-survival pigs, by transumbilical approach, using a water-jet hybrid-knife. Under general anesthesia, the following steps detailed the procedure: (1) incision of the umbilicus followed by the passage of a double-channel flexible endoscope through an overtube into the peritoneal cavity; (2) establishment of pneumoperitoneum; (3) abdominal exploration; (4) endoscopic cholecystectomy: dissection of the gallbladder performed using water jet equipment, ligation of the cystic artery and duct conducted using nylon loops; and (5) necropsy with macroscopic evaluation. RESULTS: Transumbilical endoscopic cholecystectomy was successfully completed in the first and third pig, with minor bleedings. The dissection times were 137 and 42 min, respectively. The total operation times were 167 and 69 min, respectively. And the lengths of resected specimen were 6.5 and 6.1 cm, respectively. Instillation of the fluid into the gallbladder bed produced edematous, distended tissue making separation safe and easy. Reliable ligation using double nylon loops insured the safety of cutting between the loops. There were no intraoperative complications or hemodynamic instability. Uncontrolled introperative bleeding occurred in the second case, leading to the operation failure. CONCLUSION: Pure NOTES trans-umbilical cholecystectomy with a water-jet hybrid-knife appears to be feasible and safe. Further investigation of this technique with long-term follow-up in animals is needed to confirm the preliminary observation.