[Quality of life and depression in hearing-impairment : A German survey]. / Lebensqualität und Depression bei Hörminderung : Eine deutsche Bedarfsanalyse.

BACKGROUND: Hearing-impairment can lead to a reduced quality of life and thus represents a vulnerability factor for mental disorders. OBJECTIVE: This study represents the first psychiatric analysis of subjective quality of life and depression in people with hearing-impairment in Germany. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The patient group included 30 hearing-impaired participants (27 women, 3 men) with a current or previous mental disorder and/or psychiatric/psychotherapeutic treatment (age: mean, M = 49.67 years; standard deviation, SD = 13.54 years). The control group consisted of 22 hearing-impaired participants (16 women, 6 men) without mental disorders or treatment (age: M = 52.41 years, SD = 17.30 years). Besides sociodemographic variables, we registered onset/extent of the various hearing-impairments and hearing aid provision. Both groups underwent extensive diagnostic assessment comprising subjective functional impairment (Sheehan Disability Scale, SDS), health-related quality of life (SF-36 Health Survey), and depressive symptoms (Beck Depression Inventory, BDI-II). RESULTS: Groups did not differ significantly in terms of sociodemographic variables such as age, gender, or intelligence. Participants of the patient group had a significantly greater subjective impairment, a lower quality of life, and more pronounced symptoms of depression. The invasiveness of the hearing aid (i. e., cochlear implant) as well as the timepoint of hearing-impairment onset (postlingually) appear to serve as vulnerability factors for mental health problems in this group. CONCLUSION: Our results indicate that besides delivering high-quality acoustic care, practitioners should continuously check patients' requirements for psychosocial treatment due to a loss of quality of life. The development of a specific psychotherapeutic treatment for hearing-impaired clients requires additional research focused on protective and vulnerability factors which may influence the emergence of mental disorders in these patients.

Perception of emotional prosody in adults with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

OBJECTIVE: Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is associated with social conflicts. The purpose of this study was to explore domains of social cognition in adult patients with ADHD. METHODS: The assessment of social cognition was based on established neuropsychological tests: the Tübinger Affect Battery (TAB) for prosody and the Cambridge Behaviour Scale (CBS) for empathy. The performance of adults with ADHD (N = 28) was compared with the performance of a control group (N = 29) matched according to basic demographic variables. RESULTS: Treatment-naïve adults with ADHD showed deficits in emotional prosody (P = 0.02) and in the ability to empathize (P < 0.02) independent of executive functioning. In particular, their ability to perceive angry feelings was found to be compromised (P = 0.04). When emotional prosody was considered in relation to facial expressions, patients and controls showed no impairments (P > 0.2). No gender differences concerning social cognitive skills were detected. CONCLUSIONS: ADHD is associated with social cognition impairments involving both emotional prosody and empathy.

Retrospective analysis of technical success rate and procedure-related complications of 867 percutaneous CT-guided needle biopsies of lung lesions.

AIM: To investigate the technical success rate and procedure-related complications of computed tomography (CT)-guided needle biopsy of lung lesions and to identify the factors that are correlated with the occurrence of procedure-related complications. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This was a single- institution retrospective study of 867 consecutive CT-guided needle biopsies of lung lesions performed on 772 patients in a tertiary cancer centre. The technical success rate and complications were correlated with patient, lung lesion, and procedure-related variables. RESULTS: The technical success rate was 87.2% and the mortality rate was 0.12%. Of the 867 total biopsies 25.7% were associated with pneumothorax, and 6.5% required chest tube drainage. The haemothorax rate was 1.8%. There was positive correlation between the development of pneumothorax and smaller lesion diameter (p<0.001), longer transparenchymal distance (p<0.001), and prone position (p=0.027). There was positive correlation between the need for chest tube placement and longer transparenchymal distance (p=0.007) and smaller lesion diameter (p=0.018). Lesions in the left lower lobe had the lowest rates of pneumothorax (p=0.008) and chest tube drainage (p=0.018). Patients whose pneumothoraces were diagnosed on the follow-up chest X-ray, but not on the immediate post-procedural CT scan had significantly higher requirement for chest tube drainage (p=0.039). CONCLUSION: CT-guided lung biopsy has a high rate of technical success and a low rate of major complications. The present study has revealed several variables that can be used to identify high-risk procedures. A post-procedural chest X-ray within hours after the procedure is highly recommended to identify high-risk patients who require chest tube placement.

[Psychiatric interventions for the unemployed]. / Psychiatrische Interventionen für Arbeitslose.

Unemployment is related to a higher risk for psychological distress and mental disorders, which cause individual suffering and socioeconomic costs for society in general. This selective review surveys the relationship between unemployment and psychological well-being and mental disorders. The most important programs for the improvement of the mental health of the unemployed are summarized: 1. Interventions for the unemployed with the aim of improving coping strategies reduce the risk of developing depressive symptoms. 2. The SUPPORT liaison outpatient unit collaborates closely with the unemployment agency and offers a low-threshold screening for mental disorders for unemployed subjects as well as counseling for those in need of treatment. 3. A group training based on cognitive behavioral therapy improves the psychological well-being of unemployed participants. 4. Supported employment is an effective means of placing severely mentally ill patients in a work-place accompanied by an extensive professional support.

Fast neutron generation with few-cycle, relativistic laser pulses at 1 Hz repetition rate.

Laser-driven deuterons generate neutrons with a mean energy of 2.5 MeV, through the 2H(d,n) fusion reaction in a deuterated polyethylene (dPE) tablet. The deuterium ions are accelerated by 12 fs, 21 mJ laser pulses interacting with a 0.2 µm thin dPE foil at a peak intensity of 1018 W/cm2. The laser was operated at 1 Hz repetition rate in bursts of 75 shots. The interaction was characterized and recorded for each laser shot. The ion spectra were measured in the forward and backward directions by Thomson ion spectrometers. Neutron events were detected by a time-of-flight (ToF) system consisting of four plastic scintillators positioned at various angles around the experimental chamber. The maximum cut-off energy of the forward accelerated protons and deuterons was close to 1.4 MeV and 1 MeV, while the mean values are 428 ± 63 keV and 433 ± 80 keV, respectively. Analysis of ToF distributions from 3128 shots resulted in an average yield of 1142 ± 59 neutrons per shot in the energy range of 1.5-4 MeV. The energy distribution of forward-directed neutrons peaks between 3 and 3.5 MeV. Angular dependence analysis showed a perpendicular minimum and a maximum along the deuteron beam, consistent with the expected distribution from the literature and our simulation results.

No clear effects of acute tryptophan depletion on processing affective prosody in male adults with ADHD.

OBJECTIVE: Adults with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) have difficulties processing affective prosody, and research evidence demonstrates the importance of brain serotonin (5-HT) in the neurobiology of ADHD. This study aimed to investigate whether diminished brain 5-HT synthesis, as achieved by acute tryptophan depletion (ATD), can impair the processing of affective prosody in adults with ADHD. METHOD: Twenty male patients with ADHD and twenty male healthy controls received ATD and a tryptophan-balanced control condition on separate days in a double-blind within-subject repeated measures crossover design. In both conditions, the Tübingen Affect Battery was administered in which subjects had to name the affective prosody of sentences with neutral, congruent, or incongruent semantic content. RESULTS: Participants in the group of patients with ADHD perceived affective prosody less accurately than controls. Participants with ADHD showed compromised processing of sentences, committing more errors than healthy controls when identifying affect in instances of incongruent semantic content (P = 0.031). ATD did not contribute to this effect (all P > 0.5). CONCLUSION: The difficulties male adults with ADHD have in accurately processing affective prosody may result from impairments in their ability to inhibit unwanted stimuli and impulses. No clear evidence implicates 5-HT as a cause of these impairments.

The impact of acute tryptophan depletion on attentional performance in adult patients with ADHD.

OBJECTIVE: To date, the impact of the neurotransmitter serotonin (5-HT) on different neuropsychological functions in adults with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is underinvestigated. We aimed to examine the effects of acute tryptophan depletion (ATD) and the resulting reduction in central nervous 5-HT synthesis on target/non-target discrimination ability and sustained attention in adults with ADHD using an AX-Continuous Performance Test (AX-CPT). METHOD: Twenty male patients with ADHD (age: M = 30.25 SD = 9.37) and twenty male healthy controls (age: M = 27.90 SD = 6.01) received ATD on one day and a tryptophan-balanced control condition (BAL) on another day in a double-blind within-subject crossover design. A continuous performance test (AX-CPT) with three conditions (AX, AY, and BX) was administered on both days under depleted and sham-depleted conditions. RESULTS: In patients omissions increased after ATD when compared with BAL. Patient's reaction time decreased after ATD when compared with BAL, which was contrasted by opposite effects in controls. Patients showed fewer correct responses (AX condition) and showed a higher rate of errors (condition AXE ) independent of ATD or BAL intake. CONCLUSION: The present preliminary results are indicative of the contribution of serotonergic neurotransmission to attentional processes in adults with ADHD.

[TANDEM (TAsk force oN long Duration unemployment of Elderly People and Mental health) implementation of a cross-institutional pilot project for elderly long-term unemployed persons - presentation of the project procedure and the utilisation]. / TANDEM (TAsk force oN long Duration unemployment of Elderly People and Mental health) Implementierung eines institutionsübergreifenden Modellprojektes für ältere Langzeitarbeitslose - Darstellung der Projektprozesse & der Inanspruchnahme.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study is to implement and examine the feasibility of a cross-institutional mental health intervention to comprehend and advance mental health of elderly long-term unemployed persons. METHODS: Report on the procedure and on the observational study utilisation in a 14-month period. RESULTS: The structure and processes chosen could be implemented into practice successfully. Utilisation was high but 30% dropped out during the procedure. Of the unemployed persons surveyed, 96% received a psychiatric diagnosis. 85% were not having psychiatric treatment. CONCLUSION: The method chosen is feasible and was accepted by the target group. Project structure and processes proved to be applicable for the implementation of the project aims. The method chosen reaches an up to now "psychiatry-inexperienced" target group characterised by frequent incidence of mental disorders and low utilisation of psychiatric care. Thus, vocational reintegration programmes should be supported by psychiatric services.

Endovascular treatment of intracranial arteriovenous malformations with onyx: technical aspects.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: We report our experiences in the treatment of intracranial arteriovenous malformations (AVMs) with Onyx embolization before neuro- or radiosurgery, focusing on the embolization technique with Onyx. METHODS: Ninety-three patients (40 women and 53 men, mean age 38 years) with 94 intracranial AVMs with a mean volume of 9.2 mL were embolized with Onyx. The following features of all AVMs were evaluated before the treatment: type of nidus and shunt, draining veins, and feeding arteries. RESULTS: Complete obliteration rates were 20% at the end of all embolization steps and 53% after embolization and surgery. In 21% of patients the final control angiography is not yet available (after surgery 9%, after radiosurgery 12%). In 4% of patients, radiosurgery was planned due to a persistent arteriovenous shunt. The injection of Onyx resulted in high occlusion rates (volume reduction >90%) when the AVM was in a supratentorial and cortical location, the nidus was compact and plexiform, and when there was a small number of supplying (direct) feeders and one superficial draining vein. Access device-related complications (stuck catheter, vessel perforation) occurred during the embolization of 220 feeding arteries in 6% of patients, with all such instances having had no clinical consequences. CONCLUSION: With knowledge of the morphologic characteristics of AVMs that are suitable for a treatment with Onyx, high occlusion rates and low complication rates in treating a small number of feeders are feasible. Superselective intranidal or perinidal catheter positions and slow, controlled injections that protect the draining veins make the therapy safe even in complex AVMs and critical locations.

Cyclooxygenase-2 mediates the development of cortical spreading depression-induced tolerance to transient focal cerebral ischemia in rats.

We examined the role of cyclooxygenase-2 in the development of ischemic tolerance induced by cortical spreading depression against transient, focal brain ischemia. Cortical spreading depression was continuously induced for 2 h with topical KCl (13+/-1 depolarizations/2 h) in male Wistar rats. At 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 days following recovery, the middle cerebral artery was transiently occluded for 120 min. Four days later, the animals were killed and infarct volume was determined. Additionally, cyclooxygenase-2 levels in the cerebral cortex and 15 deoxy-Delta(12, 14) PGJ2 levels in cerebrospinal fluid were determined at these times with Western blotting and immunoassay, respectively. Infarct volume was reduced compared with non-cortical spreading depression control animals (274.3+/-15.3 mm3) when cortical spreading depression was performed 3 and 4 days before middle cerebral artery occlusion (163.9+/-14.2 mm3, 154.9+/-14.2 mm3) but not at 1, 2 and 5 days (280.4+/-17.3 mm3, 276.3+/-16.9 mm3 and 268.5+/-17.3 mm3). Cyclooxygenase-2 levels increased most dramatically starting at 2 days, peaked at 3 days, and started to return toward baseline at 4 days after cortical spreading depression. 15 Deoxy-Delta(12, 14) PGJ2 levels increased from 134.7+/-83 pg/ml at baseline to 718+/-98 pg/ml at 3 days. Administration of N-[2-cyclohexyloxy-4-nitrophenyl] methanesulphonamide (10 mg/kg, i.v.), a selective cyclooxygenase-2 inhibitor, at 1 h prior to middle cerebral artery occlusion in cortical spreading depression preconditioned animals did not affect infarct volume (162.6+/-62.1 mm3). However, administration of N-[2-cyclohexyloxy-4-nitrophenyl] methanesulphonamide given three times prior to middle cerebral artery occlusion prevented the reduced infarct volume induced by cortical spreading depression preconditioning (272.9+/-63.2 mm3). Administration of L-nitro-arginine methyl ester (4 mg/kg, i.v.) prior to cortical spreading depression blocked increases in cyclooxygenase-2 normally seen at 3 and 4 days. We conclude that NO-mediated cyclooxygenase-2 upregulation by cortical spreading depression protects the brain against ischemic damage.

Efficacy of stent angioplasty for symptomatic stenoses of the proximal vertebral artery.

BACKGROUND: To evaluate the safety and efficacy of stent angioplasty in the treatment of symptomatic arteriosclerotic stenoses of the proximal vertebral artery (VA). METHODS: Thirty-eight symptomatic stenoses of the vertebral origin were treated with flexible balloon-expandable coronary stents. Angiographic and clinical follow-up examinations were obtained in 26 patients at a mean of 11 months. RESULTS: The immediate post-procedural angiographic results showed no residual stenosis in 33 vessels and mild residual stenoses in five vessels. Periprocedurally, there were two asymptomatic technical complications and one TIA. During follow-up re-stenosis could be detected in 10 cases (36%), and vessel occlusions in two patients. Two stents were broken. One of the restenosis caused a TIA within the follow-up period. CONCLUSIONS: Flexible balloon-expandable coronary stents proved to be save and effective in preventing vertebrobasilar stroke but were incapable to preserve the proximal vertebral artery lumen. For the VA origine an adequate stent, self-expanding, bioresorbable, or drug-eluting has to be found.

Novel three-stage ascertainment method: prevalence of PD and parkinsonism in South Tyrol, Italy.

BACKGROUND: A number of community-based studies on the prevalence of PD have been conducted worldwide, but they are often extremely costly and time consuming. OBJECTIVE: To assess the prevalence of PD and parkinsonism for the population aged between 60 and 85 years in South Tyrol, Northern Italy, using a novel population-based three-stage ascertainment method. METHODS: Seven hundred fifty persons aged 60 to 85 years from South Tyrol received a validated screening mail questionnaire for parkinsonism. In the second stage of the ascertainment method, trained primary care physicians (PCP) identified all persons with possible parkinsonism among those screened positive. In the third stage, movement disorders specialists excluded or confirmed the diagnosis in all identified people. RESULTS: The response rate was 87.6%. The prevalence rate per 100 population over 65 years of age was 1.5 (95% CI 0.6 to 2.3) for PD and 2.2 (95% CI 1.2 to 3.3) for parkinsonism after having been adjusted to the 1991 European standard population. Overall, 78% (95% CI 59 to 96%) of patients with parkinsonism were newly detected through the survey. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of PD and parkinsonism in people aged over 65 in South Tyrol was similar to that observed in door-to-door surveys in other European countries. The novel three-stage case ascertainment method employed proved a useful tool to substitute for expensive door-to-door surveys for prevalence studies of parkinsonism, detecting a high number of undiagnosed cases, particularly in geographically remote areas.

Antibody pattern analysis in the Guillain-Barré syndrome and pathologic controls.

The Guillain-Barré Syndrome (GBS) is an acute inflammatory polyneuroradiculopathy, which is considered to be caused by autoimmune processes. A number of single antigenic structures has been suggested to be targeted by the immune system, but a conclusive etiological concept has not been evolved yet. We compared reactions of sera from GBS patients (N=28) and from both two pathological control groups, 25 Multiple sclerosis (MS) patients and 32 patients with other non-inflammatory peripheral polyneuropathies (ONP) and from sex- and age-matched healthy controls (N=30). Porcine peripheral nerve proteins were used as antigens in a Western blot procedure. The blots were analysed by densitometry, and a multivariate statistical comparison of the antibody repertoires was carried out. Antibody patterns of GBS patients differed significantly (p<0.001) from each of the control groups. Discriminant analysis indicated that the discrimination resulted from pattern differences of specific regions of the blots containing proteins with estimated molecular weights of 58-64 and 28-29 kDa. We conclude that statistical analysis of antibody patterns may be helpful both in clinical diagnosis and in further research concerning the pathogenesis of GBS.

Cerebral endothelial cells are a major source of adrenomedullin.

Adrenomedullin is a peptide hormone with multifunctional biological properties. Its most characteristic effects are the regulation of circulation and the control of fluid and electrolyte homeostasis through peripheral and central nervous system actions. Although adrenomedullin is a vasodilator of cerebral vasculature, and it may be implicated in the pathomechanism of cerebrovascular diseases, the source of adrenomedullin in the cerebral circulation has not been investigated thus far. We measured the secretion of adrenomedullin by radioimmunoassay and detected adrenomedullin mRNA expression by Northern blot analysis in primary cultures of rat cerebral endothelial cells (RCECs), pericytes and astrocytes. We also investigated the expression of specific adrenomedullin receptor components by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction and intracellular cAMP concentrations in RCECs and pericytes. RCECs had approximately one magnitude higher adrenomedullin production (135 +/- 13 fmol/10(5) cells per 12 h; mean +/- SD, n = 10) compared to that previously reported for other cell types. RCECs secreted adrenomedullin mostly at their luminal cell membrane. Adrenomedullin production was not increased by thrombin, lipopolysaccharide or cytokines, which are known inducers of adrenomedullin release in peripheral endothelial cells, although it was stimulated by astrocyte-derived factors. Pericytes had moderate, while astrocytes had very low basal adrenomedullin secretion. In vivo experiments showed that adrenomedullin plasma concentration in the jugular vein of rats was approximately 50% higher than that in the carotid artery or in the vena cava. Both RCECs and pericytes, which are potential targets of adrenomedullin in cerebral microcirculation, expressed adrenomedullin receptor components, and exhibited a dose-dependent increase in intracellular cAMP concentrations after exogenous adrenomedullin administration. Antisense oligonucleotide treatment significantly reduced adrenomedullin production by RCECs and tended to decrease intraendothelial cAMP concentrations. These findings may suggest an important autocrine and paracrine role for adrenomedullin in the regulation of cerebral circulation and blood-brain barrier functions. Cerebral endothelial cells are a potential source of adrenomedullin in the central nervous system, where adrenomedullin can also be involved in the regulation of neuroendocrine functions.

Adrenomedullin regulates blood-brain barrier functions in vitro.

Adrenomedullin (AM) is an important vasodilator in cerebral circulation, and cerebral endothelial cells are a major source of AM. This in vitro study aimed to determine the AM-induced changes in blood-brain barrier (BBB) functions. AM administration increased, whereas AM antisense oligonucleotide treatment decreased transendothelial electrical resistance. AM incubation decreased BBB permeability for sodium fluorescein (mol. wt 376 Da) but not for Evan's blue albumin (mol. wt 67 kDa), and it also attenuated fluid-phase endocytosis. AM treatment resulted in functional activation of P-glycoprotein efflux pump in vitro. Our results indicate that AM as an autocrine mediator plays an important role in the regulation of BBB properties of the cerebral endothelial cells.

Adrenomedullin in the cerebral circulation.

The central nervous system requires an effective autoregulation of cerebral circulation in order to meet the critical and unusual demands of the brain. In addition, cerebral microvessels has a unique feature, the formation of the blood-brain barrier, which contributes to the stability of the brain parenchymal microenvironment. Many factors are known to be involved in the regulation of cerebral circulation and blood-brain barrier functions. In the last few years a new potential candidate, adrenomedullin, a hypotensive peptide was added to this list. Adrenomedullin has a potent vasodilator effect on the cerebral vasculature, and it may be implicated in the pathologic mechanism of cerebrovascular diseases. In this review, we describe current knowledge about the origin and possible role of adrenomedullin in the regulation of cerebral circulation and blood-brain barrier functions.

The effects of valproate on the arachidonic acid metabolism of rat brain microvessels and of platelets.

Long-term administration of the antiepileptic drug valproate can induce hematologic, hepatic and endocrine abnormalities and morphologic alterations in the brain capillaries and glial cells. Valproate elicits bone marrow suppression, reducing the number of red blood cells and platelets, and causes platelet functional abnormalities. Various data suggest that more than one mechanism of valproate-associated toxicity may exist, but the pathomechanism of cell function alterations elicited by valproate has not yet been elucidated. The reported ex vivo experiments were designed to investigate the effects of valproate on the arachidonic acid cascade of rat brain capillaries and platelets. Valproate was administered (300 mg/kg body weight/day) in the drinking water to male Wistar rats for 2 weeks. Isolated platelets and brain microvessels were labelled with [14C]arachidonic acid and the released [14C]eicosanoids were separated by overpressure thin-layer chromatography and determined quantitatively by liquid scintillation counting. Valproate treatment reduced the synthesis of cyclooxygenase and lipoxygenase products in rat platelets. In brain microvessels valproate stimulated the synthesis of lipoxygenase metabolites and attenuated the cyclooxygenase pathway. Modifications of the arachidonate cascade in platelets and brain microvessels may contribute to the cell function alterations caused by valproate.

Platelet eicosanoids and the effect of captopril in blood pressure regulation.

We investigated the eicosanoid synthesis of platelets of Wistar and of Okamoto spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR), and the effect of captopril in vitro, using [14C]arachidonic acid as a tracer substrate and chromatographic determination. Lipoxygenase activity was elevated, while the formation of cyclooxygenase products was reduced in SHR platelets, compared to those of Wistar rats. This difference might play a role in the pathomechanism of hypertension in SHR. In SHR with lower blood pressure, captopril reduced thromboxane synthesis, while in SHR with higher blood pressure thromboxane synthesis was unchanged, but the synthesis of prostaglandin D2, a potent vasodilator, and of 12-L-hydroxy-5,8,10-heptadecatrienoic acid, a stimulator of endothelial prostacyclin formation, was increased. We may conclude that, in spite of the missing angiotensin converting enzyme in platelets, a direct effect on platelet eicosanoid synthesis could contribute to the blood pressure decreasing effect of captopril.