Frontiers in psychiatry
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Frontiers in psychiatry · Jan 2019
Self-Rated Effectiveness of Microdosing With Psychedelics for Mental and Physical Health Problems Among Microdosers.
Background: There is a growing interest in the use of psychedelic substances for health related purposes, including symptom relief for disorders like anxiety, depression, and pain. Although the focus of recent clinical trials has been on high doses of these substances, anecdotal evidence suggests that low (micro) doses are also effective, and may be more suitable for certain conditions. Nonetheless, empirical evidence regarding the efficacy of microdosing with psychedelics for symptomatic relief is lacking. ⋯ In contrast, SRE of MDP was lower compared to that of higher, regular psychedelic doses for mental disorders such as anxiety and depression, while for physiological disorders no difference was shown. Conclusion: This study demonstrates that SRE of MDP to alleviate symptoms of a range of mental or physiological diagnoses is higher compared to conventionally offered treatment options, and lower than regular ('full') psychedelic doses. Future RCTs in patient populations should objectively assess the effectivity claims of psychedelics, and whether these are dose related, disorder specific, and superior to conventional treatments.
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Frontiers in psychiatry · Jan 2019
Surgery Under General Anesthesia Alleviated the Hyperactivity but Had No Effect on the Susceptibility to PND in ADHD Rats.
Background: Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a typical neuropsychiatric disorder characterized by inattention, impulsivity, and hyperactivity, particularly in children. Recent studies demonstrated a close relationship between the development of ADHD and surgery under general anesthesia. However, few studies illustrated if ADHD symptoms changed after surgery. ⋯ Conclusion: ADHD rats were not sensitive to PND. Surgery with general anesthesia could partly improve the hyperactivity symptom of ADHD rats. This mechanism was related to the suppression of neural activity in the cerebral NAc of ADHD rats induced by general anesthetics.
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Frontiers in psychiatry · Jan 2019
Classical Conditioning as a Distinct Mechanism of Placebo Effects.
Classical conditioning was suggested as a mechanism of placebo effects in the 1950s. It was then challenged by response expectancy theory, which proposed that classical conditioning is just one of the means by which expectancies are acquired and changed. According to that account, placebo effects induced by classical conditioning are mediated by expectancies. ⋯ The results of both lines of studies suggest that expectancy may not always be involved in placebo effects induced by classical conditioning and that conditioning may be a distinct mechanism of placebo effects. Thus, these results support the idea that placebo effects can be learned by classical conditioning either consciously or unconsciously. However, the existing body of evidence is limited to classically conditioned placebo effects in pain, that is, placebo analgesia and nocebo hyperalgesia.
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Frontiers in psychiatry · Jan 2019
ReviewImpacts of Psychological Stress on Osteoporosis: Clinical Implications and Treatment Interactions.
The significant biochemical and physiological effects of psychological stress are beginning to be recognized as exacerbating common diseases, including osteoporosis. This review discusses the current evidence for psychological stress-associated mental health disorders as risk factors for osteoporosis, the mechanisms that may link these conditions, and potential implications for treatment. Traditional, alternative, and adjunctive therapies are discussed. ⋯ Review of the current literature identifies several potentially overlapping mechanistic pathways that may be of interest (e.g., glucocorticoid signaling, insulin-like growth factor signaling, serotonin signaling) for further basic and clinical research. Current literature also supports the potential for cross-effects of therapeutics for osteoporosis and mental health disorders. While studies examining a direct link between osteoporosis and chronic psychological stress are limited, the studies reviewed herein suggest that a multi-factorial, personalized approach should be considered for improved patient outcomes in populations experiencing psychological stress, particularly those at high-risk for development of osteoporosis.
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Frontiers in psychiatry · Jan 2019
Psychometric Properties and Factor Structure of the Chinese Version of the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale in People Living With HIV.
The population of people living with HIV (PLWH) is growing in number and usually results in mental health problems that impact their quality of life. Therefore, valid instruments and screening methods for psychological disorders are of great significance. The Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) reveals good psychometric properties, but shows ambiguous results in factor structure. ⋯ The C-HADS has good psychometric properties in terms of internal reliability and structure validity of a bifactor model. The C-HADS is recommended to be used as a total scale that measures general psychological distress, instead of anxiety and depression separately, when applied to PLWH. Further studies are needed to evaluate criterion validity, the cutoff score, and the effect of wording and scoring of the HADS.