Can sleep disturbance be a cue of mood spectrum comorbidity? A preliminary study in panic disorder.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate if sleep disturbances may affect treatment outcomes of patients with panic disorder (PD). METHODS: Eighty-five PD outpatients with no Axis I comorbidity for mood disorders completed a baseline assessment (T1) and were evaluated after 3 (T2), 6 (T3) and 12 months (T4), with the Panic Disorder Severity Scale (PDSS) total score as outcome measure during a 12-month naturalistic follow-up. Patients were assessed with the Mood Spectrum Self-Report (MOODS-SR, Lifetime Version), and the PDSS. RESULTS: Forty-three patients (50.5%) met criteria for remission (PDSS<5) and 42 (49.5%) for no remission. In a logistic regression model with remission as the dependent variable, MOODS-SR sleep disturbances was the only determinant for a lower likelihood of PD remission. The items accounting for this result were the following: Repeated difficulty falling asleep (chi-square = 4.4; df = 1; p = 0.036), and Repeatedly waking up in the middle of the night (chi-square = 5.2; df = 1; p = 0.022). CONCLUSION: Lifetime sleep disturbances would represent a cue of mood spectrum (in absence of overt affective comorbidity) that may impair remission in PD.

Mood spectrum comorbidity in patients with anorexia and bulimia nervosa.

PURPOSE: To investigate the presence of mood spectrum signs and symptoms in patients with anorexia nervosa, restricting subtype (AN-R) or bulimia nervosa (BN). METHOD: 55 consecutive female patients meeting DSM-IV criteria for eating disorders (EDs) not satisfying DSM-IV criteria for Axis I mood disorders were evaluated with the Lifetime Mood Spectrum Self-Report (MOODS-SR) and the Mini-International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI). The MOODS-SR explored the subthreshold comorbidity for mood spectrum symptoms in patients not reaching the threshold for a mood disorder Axis I diagnosis. MOODS-SR included 161 items. Separate factor analyses of MOODS-SR identified 6 'depressive factors' and 9 'manic-hypomanic factors'. RESULTS: The mean total score of MOODS-SR was significantly higher in BN than in AN-R patients (97.5 ± 25.4 vs 61.1 ± 38.5, respectively; p = 0.0001). 63.6 % of the sample (n = 35) endorsed the threshold of ≥61 items, with a statistically significant difference between AN-R and BN (39.3 % vs 88.9 %; χ 2 = 14.6; df = 1; p = 0.0001). Patients with BN scored significantly higher than AN-R patients on several MOODS-SR factors: (a) MOODS-SR depressive component: 'depressive mood' (11.2 ± 7.4 vs 16.0 ± 5.8; p < 0.05), 'psychomotor retardation' (5.4 ± 5.6 vs 8.9 ± 3.8; p = 0.003), 'psychotic features' (2.0 ± 1.8 vs 4.1 ± 1.6; p = 0.001), 'neurovegetative symptoms' (5.0 ± 2.6 vs 7.7 ± 1.7; p = 0.001); (b) MOODS-SR manic/hypomanic component: 'psychomotor activation' (4.3 ± 3.6 vs 7.4 ± 3.1; p = 0.002), 'mixed instability' (1.0 ± 1.5 vs 2.0 ± 1.6; p < 0.05), 'mixed irritability' (2.5 ± 1.8 vs 3.7 ± 1.6; p < 0.05), 'inflated self-esteem' (1.1 ± 1.4 vs 2.1 ± 1.6; p < 0.05), and 'wastefulness/recklessness' (1.0 ± 1.4 vs 2.0 ± 1.2; p = 0.009). CONCLUSIONS: MOODS-SR identifies subthreshold mood signs/symptoms among patients with AN-R, and BN and with no Axis I comorbidity for mood disorders, and provides a better definition of clinical phenotypes.

Variation of Circulating Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF) in Depression: Relationships with Inflammatory Indices, Metabolic Status and Patients' Clinical Features.

This study seeks to offer a contribution to the method of subtyping major depressed patients by exploring the possible relationships between circulating brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), different peripheral inflammatory/metabolic markers in the blood and clinical characteristics. Thirty-nine patients, thoroughly diagnosed according to the DSM-5 criteria, underwent a comprehensive set of evaluations encompassing structured interviews, rating scales and a panel of blood tests. Correlation and comparison analyses were carried out by means of non-parametric statistical tests. Concurrently, a principal component analysis was performed to explain biochemical variance. The findings of our research unveiled that leukocyte counts, their ratios and other inflammatory parameters are positively correlated with depression scores. Moreover, we found variations within the BDNF pools of depressed patients. Specifically, higher levels of platelet-poor plasma BDNF (PPP-BDNF) were correlated with augmented inflammatory markers in patients showing specific episode characteristics, whereas reduced platelet BDNF (PLT-BDNF) provided a better indication of the changes that were linked to a diagnosis of long-term depression. Our findings suggest that PPP-BDNF and PLT-BDNF might differentiate depression conditions. They also imply usefulness in appraising peripheral biomarker profiles in patients for a deeper characterization of major depressive episodes. At the same time, it is plausible that they might constitute novel avenues for developing more tailored therapeutic strategies for patients with MDs.

The Emerging Role of Atrial Natriuretic Peptide in Psychiatry.

INTRODUCTION: Atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP), composed by 28 amino-acids, is well known to modulate fluid and electrolyte homeostasis, the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis activity and the immune system. Since ANP is produced in both heart and in the central nervous system (CNS), in the last years, increasing attention has been devoted to its possible role in neuropsychiatric disorders. Indeed, scattered data would indicate its possible role in anxiety, major depression, addictive behaviors, post-traumatic stress disorder and other stress-related disorders. Further, ANP has been hypothesized to represent one of the factors linking depression to cardiovascular health and the immune system. AIMS: Given the paucity of available information, the aim of this paper was to review the current literature on the role of ANP in the CNS and in the pathophysiology of different neuropsychiatric and stress-related conditions. DISCUSSION: Supporting data on ANP in psychiatric disorders are still limited to animal studies, or to a few "real" findings in patients gathered some decades ago that should be replicated in larger clinical samples. CONCLUSION: Further studies are necessary to understand the possible implications of ANP in neuropsychiatry, because potentially it might represent a new way for innovative psychopharmacological treatments in different conditions, all underlaid by hyperactive HPA axis.

Tele-Psychiatry Assessment of Post-traumatic Stress Symptoms in 100 Patients With Bipolar Disorder During the COVID-19 Pandemic Social-Distancing Measures in Italy.

The acute phase of the COrona VIrus Disease-19 (COVID-19) emergency determined relevant stressful burdens in psychiatric patients, particularly those with chronic mental disorders such as bipolar disorder (BD), not only for the threat of being infected but also for the strict lock-down and social-distancing measures adopted, the economic uncertainty, and the limited possibilities to access psychiatric services. In this regard, telepsychiatry services represented a new important instrument that clinicians could adopt to monitor and support their patients. The aim of the present study was to investigate acute post-traumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) reported by patients with BD followed in the framework of a telepsychiatry service, set up in the acute phase of the COVID-19 outbreak at the psychiatric clinic of the University of Pisa (Italy). A sample of 100 patients were consecutively enrolled and assessed by the IES-r, GAD-7, HAM-D, and YMRS. Patients reported a mean (±SD) IES-r total score of 18.15 ± 13.67. Further, 17% of the sample reported PTSS (IES-r > 32), 17% depressive symptoms (HAM-D > 17), and 26% anxiety symptoms (GAD-7 > 10). Work and financial difficulties related to the COVID-19 pandemic and anxiety symptoms appeared to be positively associated with the development of acute PTSS. Acute manic symptoms appeared to be protective. The data of the present study suggest the relevance of monitoring patients with BD exposed to the burden related to the COVID-19 outbreak for prompt assessment and treatment of PTSS.

Decision-Making, Impulsiveness and Temperamental Traits in Eating Disorders.

OBJECTIVE: To explore decision-making, impulsiveness and temperamental traits in patients suffering from eating disorders (EDs), as compared with healthy controls (HC). METHOD: Fifty-one patients affected by ED (fourteen with anorexia restricting subtype, AN-R; fourteen with bulimia, BN; thirteen with anorexia bingeing/purging subtype, AN-BP; ten with binge-eating disorder, BED) and twenty-eight HC. The patients, recruited at the Section of Psychiatry of the University of Pisa (Italy, were evaluated with a battery of neuropsychological questionnaires, including the IOWA Gambling Task (IGT), the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale (BIS-11), the Temperament and Character Inventory (TCI), the Frontal Assessment Battery (FAB) and the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAM-D). RESULTS: The results indicated that AN-R, AN-BP and BN patients showed poorer IGT performances than HC (p < .05), while BED performances were similar to those of HC. IGT scores suggested the existence of similarities in decision-making performances of AN-BP and BN patients, as they performed differently from HC starting from block 3 (F(16.2)=1.7). In addition, differences between AN-BP/BN and AN-R patients were detected, given that they performed differently starting from block 4. As far as BIS-11 is concerned, AN-BP and BN patients reached the highest BIS total scores, when compared with the other groups. Further, they shared similar temperamental and impulsiveness profiles, as demonstrated by their BIS-11 'motor impulsiveness' scores, and by their TCI 'novelty seeking', 'reward dependence' and 'persistence' dimensions. The post-hoc analyses revealed that both AN groups (namely, AN-R and AN-BP) scored significantly lower than HC on the FAB. No patients fulfilled the criteria for the diagnosis of a current major depression. CONCLUSIONS: Decision-making deficits are common in EDs. In AN-R these seem related to cognitive styles, while in AN-BP and BN patients with temperament features and impulsiveness traits.

Interpersonal psychotherapy for eating disorders: current perspectives.

BACKGROUND: Interpersonal psychotherapy (IPT) is a time-limited and affect-, life-event-, and present-focused psychotherapy originally conceptualized for unipolar depression, and then adapted to the treatment of other disorders, including eating disorders (EDs). The purpose of this paper is to conduct a systematic review of studies on IPT for EDs. METHODS: The authors performed literature searches, study selection, method, and quality evaluation independently. Data were summarized using a narrative approach. RESULTS: Of the 534 papers retrieved, 37 studies met the inclusion criteria, and 15 were considered for the systematic review (randomized controlled trials and long-term follow-up studies derived from the randomized controlled trials). Their analysis revealed six main findings: 1) no significant differences between IPT and cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) were found when administered as monotherapy to patients with anorexia nervosa; 2) when administered as monotherapy to patients with bulimia nervosa (BN), IPT had lower outcomes than CBT and its enhanced version; 3) patients with BN who remitted with IPT showed a prolonged time spent in clinical remission, when followed up on the long term; 4) IPT and CBT, with different timings and methods, have both shown efficacy in the mid-term/long-term period in patients with BN; 5) CBT and its enhanced version produced rapid changes in the acute phase. IPT led to improvements occurring later, with slower changes that tended to maintain efficacy in the long term; 6) abstinence from binge eating with group IPT for binge eating disorder is stable and maintained (or further improved) in the long term. CONCLUSION: IPT is a reasonable, cost-effective alternative to CBT for the overall ED spectrum.

Quality of Life, Depression, and Anxiety in Patients with Uveal Melanoma: A Review.

The aim is to summarize current knowledge on both QoL and depressive/anxious symptoms in patients with UM, including studies on the effect on QoL and psychological status of genetic testing related to the risk of metastatic disease. A review from the last 25 years by using the databases "PsycInfo," "Medline," and "Science Direct" was performed. As a total result, eighteen papers were retrieved. Eight studies (44.4%) used a prospective design methodology: two were retrospective observations (11.1%), three were cross-sectional observational studies (16.6%), and three (16.6%) were naturalistic follow-up studies. One trial was conducted with a case-control design (5.5%), and one was a methodological paper (5.5%). The number of subjects included in the studies ranged widely, between 7 and 842 (mean: 152.1 ± 201.3), for a total of 2587 patients, 1306 males (50.5%) and 1281 females (49.5%). The mean age of subject enrolled was 61.3 ± 4.1 years. Twenty-six different scales, questionnaires, or interviews were utilized. No significant differences in QoL between radiotherapy and enucleation emerged. Genetic testing did not significantly affect QoL or psychological status.