Resting State Functional Connectivity Biomarkers of Treatment Response in Mood Disorders: A Review.

There are currently no validated treatment biomarkers in psychiatry. Resting State Functional Connectivity (RSFC) is a popular method for investigating the neural correlates of mood disorders, but the breadth of the field makes it difficult to assess progress toward treatment response biomarkers. In this review, we followed general PRISMA guidelines to evaluate the evidence base for mood disorder treatment biomarkers across diagnoses, brain network models, and treatment modalities. We hypothesized that no treatment biomarker would be validated across these domains or with independent datasets. Results are organized, interpreted, and discussed in the context of four popular analytic techniques: (1) reference region (seed-based) analysis, (2) independent component analysis, (3) graph theory analysis, and (4) other methods. Cortico-limbic connectivity is implicated across studies, but there is no single biomarker that spans analyses or that has been replicated in multiple independent datasets. We discuss RSFC limitations and future directions in biomarker development.

Is major depression associated with serum levels of tumor necrosis factor-alpha in patients with rheumatoid arthritis?

OBJECTIVE: This study presents the serum tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) levels in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients with major depression and without any psychiatric disorder. METHODS: The study sample included 61 patients with a diagnosis of RA. Major depression and other psychiatric disorders were screened with the Structured Clinical Interview for the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition. Blood sample for the determination of serum TNF-α level was obtained before the psychiatric interview. RESULTS: The prevalence rates of any depressive disorder and any anxiety disorder were 40.3% (n=25) and 22.6% (n=14), respectively. Fifteen (24.2%) patients had major depression alone, whereas 27 (43.5%) patients were not diagnosed with any psychiatric disorder. We could not determine any significant differences between the patients with major depression alone and patients without any psychiatric diagnosis with regard to the serum levels of TNF-α. CONCLUSIONS: The existence of major depression in RA patients does not seem to be associated with serum levels of TNF-α.

Antidepressant-Induced Sleep Bruxism: Prevalence, Incidence, and Related Factors.

OBJECTIVE: The relationship between sleep bruxism and antidepressant drugs in patients remains unclear. In this study, we aimed to investigate the incidence rate of antidepressant-related bruxism and to examine whether antidepressant use is associated with this adverse effect in the patients. METHODS: The study sample was gathered from 2 hospitals. A total of 807 patients who met the inclusion criteria were included in the study. The sample was divided into 2 groups: the antidepressant group (n = 506) and the control group (n = 301). Sleep bruxism was established with reports from the study participants on the basis of the International Classification of Sleep Disorders: Diagnosis and Coding Manual Second Edition. RESULTS: The prevalence of bruxism was significantly higher in the antidepressant group (24.3%) than in the control group (15.3%). The incidence of antidepressant-induced bruxism was 14.0%. The antidepressants most associated with bruxism were paroxetine, venlafaxine, and duloxetine. The patients experiencing antidepressant-induced bruxism had higher age compared with those who did not experience this adverse effect. CONCLUSIONS: The results of the present study suggest that bruxism is frequently observed in women taking antidepressants and that it seems to be associated with antidepressant use at least in some patients.