Amygdala Abnormalities in Adults With ADHD.

OBJECTIVE: The suggested neurobiological bases of ADHD focus on the amygdala as a center of emotions processing. Therefore, we hypothesize that patients with ADHD will show an irregular pattern of emotional-related activity of the amygdala region as well as some structural abnormalities. METHOD: Nine adult patients with ADHD and nine group-matched healthy volunteers were studied using a 1.5-T magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanner. Morphometric measurements were obtained manually, and they were later processed and compared. Absolute volumes of several structures and nuclei were calculated with FSL-FIRST. For the functional magnetic resonance examination, a set of two paradigms was prepared, using a block design, incorporating images of the International Affective Picture System (IAPS). The patients were unmedicated at the time of the MRI scan. RESULTS: Negative correlation was found between the right amygdala volume and Barrat's impulsivity scores ( r = -.756, p = .018). The age of patients did not turn out to be a significant factor. No significantly higher activation areas were found in patients with unpleasant content images. For the left amygdala, an Region Of Interest (ROI)-based analysis showed moderately higher level of activation in the patients than in the controls with pleasant content images. CONCLUSION: Patients with ADHD tend to have smaller amygdala volumes. ADHD patients presented less activation in the area of the left frontal pole than the controls. There was no amygdala activation stated when presenting the pleasant images. Whereas bigger activation of the left amygdala was found in patients while presenting them unpleasant images. These results might suggest that lower emotional processing and less control of impulsivity is associated with dysfunctional amygdala in ADHD patients.

Understanding the direct and indirect costs of patients with schizophrenia.

BACKGROUND: Schizophrenia is a disabling mental disorder with high prevalence and that usually  requires long-term follow-up and expensive lifelong treatment. The cost of schizophrenia treatment consumes a significant amount of the health services' budget in western countries. OBJECTIVE: The aim of the study was to find out about the costs related to schizophrenia across different european countries and compare them. RESULTS: Schizophrenia treatment costs an estimated 18 billion euros annually worldwide. The direct costs associated with medical help are only part of the total expenditure. The indirect costs are an equally (or even more)important part of the total cost. These expenses are related to the lack of productivity of schizophrenic patients and the cost that relatives have to bear as a result of taking care of their affected relatives. CONCLUSIONS: Although data on the cost of schizophrenia may vary slightly between different european countries, the general conclusion that can be drawn is that schizophrenia is a very costly disorder. Not only because of direct costs related to medical procedures, but also due to the non-medical (indirect) costs. Together this suggests the need to investigate cost-efficient strategies that could provide a better outcome for schizophrenic patients, as well as the people who care for them.