Latest Articles
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Meta Analysis
Weaning From Tobacco with Nicotine or Varenicline in Severe and Mild Tobacco Dependence—Findings of a Meta-Analysis.
Systematic reviews have documented the beneficial effects of bupropion, cytisine, nicotine, and varenicline as aids to permanent smoking cessation. We investigated the question whether the effect of treatment depends on the severity of tobacco dependence. ⋯ The benefit of varenicline and nicotine as aids to smoking cessation is independent of the severity of tobacco dependence.
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Approximately 1.4 % of the German population aged 35 to 74 suffers from glaucoma, which is one of the more common causes of blindness. The only evidence-based treatment option at present is lowering the intraocular pressure. Modern minimally invasive surgical procedures hold out the prospect of lowering the intraocular pressure without the risk of serious complications. ⋯ There are robust data documenting the effect of iStent and Hydrus Microshunt in lowering the intraocular pressure and lessening the need for eyedrops. High-quality controlled trials are still needed to test the efficacy of other procedures.
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Randomized Controlled Trial
App-Based Psychotherapy of Panic Disorder with Self-Guided Exposure in Virtual Reality—a Randomized, Controlled Trial.
Patients with panic disorder often suffer from temporary unavailability of care. The smartphone app Invirto (IVT) provides a digital treatment for panic disorder involving self-guided exposure in virtual reality. In this trial, we studied the efficacy of Invirto. ⋯ A digital treatment with virtual exposure can lessen anxiety, panic, and depressive symptoms and improve mental flexibility. In further studies, IVT should be compared with an active control group.
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There are various forms of stress including; physical, psychological and social stress. Exposure to physical stress can lead to physical sensations (e.g. hyperalgesia) and negative emotions including anxiety and depression in animals and humans. Recently, our studies in mice have shown that acute physical stress induced by the elevated open platform (EOP) can provoke long-lasting mechanical hypersensitivity. ⋯ Furthermore, we investigated projection-selective responses of the mediodorsal thalamus to the layer V ACC neurons. EOP exposure produced short-term depression in excitatory synaptic transmission on thalamo-ACC projections. These results suggest that the EOP stress provokes abnormal excitatory synaptic transmission in layer V pyramidal neurons of the ACC.
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Epilepsy is a pathophysiological condition displaying a highly diverse phenotype. Consequently, comprehending the mechanisms underlying seizures necessitates moving beyond a simplistic model focused on the imbalance between the classical excitatory and inhibitory neurotransmitter systems. Nitric oxide (NO), a nonclassical and multifunctional gaseous neurotransmitter, has the potential to exert a profound influence on epileptic reactivity. ⋯ Notably, our research suggests that the level of NO synthesis does not interfere with the severity of the epileptic seizures that occur. In light of this, we propose that the nitrergic system is quickly activated in the epileptic brain as a compensatory mechanism of the central nervous system. However, under usual conditions, this activation is insufficient to effectively attenuate seizures.