EMDR versus waiting list in individuals at clinical high risk for psychosis with post-traumatic stress symptoms: A randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is highly prevalent in the individuals at clinical-high risk for psychosis (CHR). The aim of this study was to examine the efficacy and safety of Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) in individuals at CHR with comorbid PTSD or subthreshold PTSD in a randomized controlled trial. METHODS: Fifty-seven individuals at CHR with PTSD or subthreshold PTSD formed the study sample. The eligible participants were randomly assigned to a 12 weeks EMDR treatment (N = 28) or a waiting list condition (WL, N = 29). The structured interview for psychosis risk syndrome (SIPS), the clinician administered post-traumatic stress disorder scale (CAPS) and a battery of self-rating inventories covering depressive, anxiety and suicidal symptoms were administered. RESULTS: Twenty-six participants in the EMDR group and all the participants in the WL group completed the study. The analyses of covariance revealed greater reduction of the mean scores on CAPS (F = 23.2, Partial η2 = 0.3, P < 0.001), SIPS positive scales (F = 17.8, Partial η2 = 0.25, P < 0.001) and all the self-rating inventories in the EMDR group than in the WL group. Participants in the EMDR group were more likely to achieve remission of CHR compared to those in the WL group at endpoint (60.7 % vs. 31 %, P = 0.025). CONCLUSIONS: EMDR treatment not only effectively improved traumatic symptoms, but also significantly reduced the attenuated psychotic symptoms and resulted in a higher remission rate of CHR. This study highlighted the necessity of adding a trauma-focused component to the present approach of early intervention in psychosis.

Research on the Determination of 10 Industrial Dyes in Foodstuffs.

An efficient method was developed for the simultaneous determination of 10 industrial dyes (basic orange 2, basic orange 21, basic orange 22, acid orange II, auramine, basic rhodamine B and Sudan I-IV) in the foodstuffs using high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with diode array detector. Samples were extracted with acetonitrile and cleaned up on a solid phase extraction cartridge using HLB. The chromatographic separation was achieved on a C18 column using a mobile phase consisting of methanol and 10 mmol/L ammonium acetate with 0.1% formic acid by gradient elution. Good linearity (r ≥ 0.9993) was observed between 0.050 and 5.0 µg/mL. The limits of detection were in the range of 0.007-0.01 mg/kg, high recoveries (80.6-104%) and good reproducibility (1.1-5.7%) were obtained. Such method is simple, feasible and accurate, which can be applied to the quantification of 10 dyes in food samples.