Neuropattern: a new translational tool to detect and treat stress pathology. II. The Teltow study.

The present study was designed to test the clinical utility of Neuropattern (NP), a newly developed translational diagnostic tool. NP consists of biological and psychological measures that facilitate the identification of functional changes (called "neuropatterns") in patients with stress-related health problems. In this prospective, randomized control trial, we expected NP to improve therapeutic efficacy, as compared with the usual treatment. NP was applied to 101 in-patients suffering from various mental disorders (mainly depression, anxiety disorders, and adjustment disorders), and scoring high on the Symptom Checklist-90-R (SCL-90-R) somatization scale. The patients (73% females, mean ± standard deviation age 46 ± 9.03 years) were randomly assigned to two groups: in the experimental group (n = 51), physicians received results from NP diagnostics, while in the control group (n = 50), this information was not available until discharge from the hospital. Improvements of symptoms in consequence of treatment were monitored by two self-rating scales, the SCL-90-R and Short Form-12 health survey, and a physician's clinical global rating (Beeinträchtigungs-Schwere Score). There was a significantly greater improvement in the experimental group in the self-rating assessments on symptom severity (p = 0.03) and quality of life (p = 0.05), but not in the observer rating of emotional, physical, and social-communicative functioning (p = 0.13). Treatment efficacy in patients can be improved by providing the attendant physician and the patient with diagnostic information and treatment recommendations by NP. The role of concrete mediators of treatment efficacy awaits further research.

Omega-3 fatty acids administered in phosphatidylserine improved certain aspects of high chronic stress in men.

Nutrients such as omega-3 oils and phosphatidylserine have been considered to exert stress-buffering effects. In this randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, we investigated effects of omega-3 phosphatidylserine (PS) on perceived chronic stress, assessed by the Trier Inventory for Chronic Stress (Schulz P, Schlotz W, Becker P. TICS: Trierer Inventar zum chronischen Stress. Göttingen, Germany: Hogrefe, 2004.), and on psychobiological stress responses to an acute laboratory stress protocol, the Trier Social Stress Test (Neuropsychobiology.1993;28:76-81), at baseline and after the treatment period. We hypothesized that omega-3 PS supplementation lowers chronic and acute stress. Sixty healthy nonsmoking men aged 30 to 60 years either received omega-3 PS or a matching placebo for 12 weeks. Results revealed no significant main effect of omega-3 PS supplementation on stress measures. However, by accounting for chronic stress level of study participants, stress-reducing effects of omega-3 PS were found exclusively for high chronically stressed subjects. As expected, these individuals also showed a blunted cortisol response to the Trier Social Stress Test. Treatment with omega-3 PS seemed to restore the cortisol response in this particular subgroup of low responders. These results are in line with previous findings. We conclude that subgroups characterized by high chronic stress and/or a dysfunctional response of the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis may profit from omega-3 PS supplementation.

Effects of powdered fertilized eggs on the stress response.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Effects of nutritional supplements on psychological wellbeing receive increasing attention. This double-blind placebo-controlled study investigated effects of a four week intake of powder of fertilized eggs (Young Tissue Extract; YTE) in a laboratory protocol (Trier Social Stress Test; TSST). METHODS: Aside the laboratory stress test, we examined differential effects on subjects with high and low levels of chronic stress. Thus, subjects were further divided into two subgroups with scores for chronic stress scores below and above average, respectively. RESULTS: Compared to placebo, a four week intake of YTE did not result in superior effects on general wellbeing. However, beneficial effects of YTE were observed in subjects with enhanced levels of chronic stress. When compared to placebo these subjects showed an improvement of both the psychological and endocrine stress response. CONCLUSIONS: Group differences suggest that YTE selectively improves adaptation to acute stress by normalizing the endocrine and the subjective stress response. Subjects with less chronic stress also reported less subjective stress but did not show beneficial effects on the endocrine stress response.