Biological Psychiatry via MedWorm.com

Manuscript Submission Form

Biological Psychiatry — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 14:12:03 +0100

This form should be completed by every author and accompany every new manuscript submission. It must be fully complete and accurate, with signatures from ALL authors, before a manuscript can be finalized. Please scan the completed form(s) and attach them electronically during the submission process. If you are unable to do so, fax the completed form(s) to the Editorial Office at (214) 645-9208. (Source: Biological Psychiatry)

Guide for Authors

Biological Psychiatry — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 14:12:03 +0100

Biological Psychiatry is the official journal of the Society of Biological Psychiatry. The Journal rapidly publishes reports of novel results on a broad range of topics related to the pathophysiology and treatment of major neuropsychiatric disorders. Both basic and clinical neuroscience contributions are encouraged, particularly those addressing genetic and environmental risk factors, neural circuitry and neurochemistry, and important new therapeutic approaches. Except where explicitly stated otherwise, Biological Psychiatry conforms to the guidelines set forth by the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE) (see Uniform Requirements for Manuscripts Submitted to Biomedical Journals: Writing and Editing for Biomedical Publication (April 2010): Available from http://www.ICM...

Biological Psychiatry — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 14:12:03 +0100

(Source: Biological Psychiatry)

Subscribers Page

Biological Psychiatry — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 14:12:03 +0100

Biological Psychiatry (ISSN 0006-3223) is published semimonthly by Elsevier Inc., 360 Park Avenue South, New York, NY 10010-1710. Periodicals postage paid at New York, NY and additional mailing offices. (Source: Biological Psychiatry)

Editorial Board

Biological Psychiatry — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 14:12:03 +0100

(Source: Biological Psychiatry)

Genomic Tics in Tourette Syndrome

Biological Psychiatry — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 14:12:03 +0100

It is a striking observation that studies of copy number variation (CNV) in neurodevelopmental phenotypes continue to report an excess of rare variants in case populations. This astonishing result has been observed and replicated in studies of intellectual disability (), autism (), schizophrenia (), and epilepsy (). In a study published this month in Biological Psychiatry, Tourette syndrome (TS) is now added to this growing list (). (Source: Biological Psychiatry)

A brief summary of the articles appearing in this issue of Biological Psychiatry

Biological Psychiatry — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 14:12:03 +0100

Studies of copy number variation (CNV) have pointed to areas of the genome and biological pathways involved in several neuropsychiatric disorders. In a CNV study of Tourette syndrome (TS) subjects and controls, Fernandez et al. (pages 392–402) report evidence supporting recent findings implicating histaminergic and gamma-aminobutyric acidergic mechanisms in the etiology of TS, as well as an overlap of rare CNVs in TS and autism spectrum disorders (ASDs). (Source: Biological Psychiatry)

Manuscript Submission Form

Biological Psychiatry — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 15:33:26 +0100

Guide for Authors

Biological Psychiatry — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 15:33:26 +0100

(Source: Biological Psychiatry)

Subscribers Page

Biological Psychiatry — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 15:33:26 +0100

Editorial Board

Biological Psychiatry — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 15:33:26 +0100

(Source: Biological Psychiatry)

Erratum to: Catechol-O-Methyltransferase Val158Met Polymorphism Moderates Anterior Cingulate Volume in Posttraumatic Stress Disorder

Biological Psychiatry — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 15:33:25 +0100

Errors have been discovered in “Catechol-O-Methyltransferase Val158Met Polymorphism Moderates Anterior Cingulate Volume in Posttraumatic Stress Disorder” by Schulz-Heik et al., published in Biological Psychiatry (2011;70:1091-1096). (Source: Biological Psychiatry)

Erratum to: The Prevention of Recurrent Episodes of Depression with Venlafaxine for Two Years (PREVENT) Study: Outcomes from the Acute and Continuation Phases

Biological Psychiatry — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 15:33:25 +0100

It has been discovered that the patient flowchart was not included in Supplement 2 for “The Prevention of Recurrent Episodes of Depression with Venlafaxine for Two Years (PREVENT) Study: Outcomes from the Acute and Continuation Phases” by Keller et al., published in Biological Psychiatry (2007;62:1371–1379). The flowchart is referenced in the first sentence of the Results section, and is now printed here. (Source: Biological Psychiatry)

Memory Reconsolidation Processes and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder: Promises and Challenges of Translational Research

Biological Psychiatry — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 15:33:21 +0100

During the past decade, there was a vigorous renewal of interest in postretrieval memory processes. Numerous studies using a variety of species and learning paradigms, and targeting various brain circuitries and molecular mechanisms provided compelling evidence that established memories may be experimentally altered following their recall. Thirty years of prior research suggested the possibility of attenuating previously acquired memories following their retrieval (). This observed postretrieval plasticity was referred to as memory reconsolidation, in contrast to memory consolidation, which occurs following learning and which subserves the establishment of lasting memories. Until the publication by Nader et al. in 2000 (), amnestic agents or procedures used in reconsolidation studies were ...

Low Cortisol and Risk and Resilience to Stress-Related Psychiatric Disorders

Biological Psychiatry — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 15:33:21 +0100

A number of both preclinical and clinical studies have investigated the long-term effects of exposure to stressful or traumatic life events on the regulation of the stress hormone system. In this issue of Biological Psychiatry, Lovallo et al. () present data from the Trier Social Stress Test (TSST), a standardized psychological stressor, performed in more than 350 healthy young adults. The authors observed that exposure to adverse life events was associated with a blunted cortisol and heart rate response to the stress task. Specifically, lower endocrine and cardiac responses were associated with separation or loss of a parent before age 15 years but not with life time exposure to physical or sexual abuse or violence. In this commentary, we will focus on the endocrine results of this study ...

Child Abuse and Psychiatric Illness

Biological Psychiatry — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 15:33:21 +0100

Child abuse is a nonspecific risk factor associated with an increased risk for a range of psychiatric and substance use disorders. The paper in this issue by Dannlowski et al. () adds to a growing body of literature on the mechanisms by which adverse early experiences confer vulnerability to psychiatric illness. The paper by Nikulina et al. () delineate further genetic and other factors that account for individual differences in the outcomes of adults who were abused as children. (Source: Biological Psychiatry)

A brief summary of the articles appearing in this issue of Biological Psychiatry

Biological Psychiatry — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 15:33:20 +0100

Telomere length has been used as a marker of cellular aging. Wikgren et al. (pages 294–300) investigated leukocyte telomere length and hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis measurements in patients with major depressive disorder and healthy controls. They found that telomere length was shorter in patients compared with controls, and that telomere length was shorter among both patients and controls who exhibited a hypocortisolemic HPA axis profile. These findings support the concept of telomere length as a measure of stress and the idea that stress contributes to the aging process. (Source: Biological Psychiatry)

Manuscript Submission Form

Biological Psychiatry — Sat, 07 Jan 2012 21:59:11 +0100

Guide for Authors

Biological Psychiatry — Sat, 07 Jan 2012 21:59:11 +0100

(Source: Biological Psychiatry)

Subscribers Page

Biological Psychiatry — Sat, 07 Jan 2012 21:59:11 +0100

Editorial Board

Biological Psychiatry — Sat, 07 Jan 2012 21:59:11 +0100

(Source: Biological Psychiatry)

GR-owing Up Stressed: Implications for Anxiety and Addiction

Biological Psychiatry — Sat, 07 Jan 2012 21:59:08 +0100

Early life adversity is known to have profound effects on the development and function of neural circuits that control emotional behaviors (). The result in humans is a greatly enhanced predisposition to develop depression and anxiety disorders or addiction throughout the individual's lifetime. Rodent models of chronic stress have begun to identify the critical periods of early life adversity along with the brain circuits and molecules that control pathologic behaviors relevant to these psychiatric disorders. In this issue, Wei et al. () provides new evidence for a critical window before weaning, whereby increased levels of glucocorticoid receptors (GRs) in the forebrain lead to lifelong increases in exploratory-based anxiety behavior and cocaine-induced locomotor sensitization. Associated...

Risky Dopamine

Biological Psychiatry — Sat, 07 Jan 2012 21:59:08 +0100

The study by Sugam et al. () is remarkable in several respects. It is one of the very few neurophysiological studies dealing with risky rewards. It assessed the changes in dopamine concentration in the core of nucleus accumbens, one of the main components of the brain's reward system. Whereas several brain lesion and inactivation studies have described behavioral alterations of decision making under risk, this study is aiming toward a mechanistic neuronal account of the influence of risk on reward choices. The data demonstrate risk sensitivity of dopamine concentration changes in parallel with behavioral risk preferences, suggesting that dopamine reward value coding is subjective rather than objective. (Source: Biological Psychiatry)

A brief summary of the articles appearing in this issue of Biological Psychiatry

Biological Psychiatry — Sat, 07 Jan 2012 21:59:08 +0100

Relapse among smokers is high during the withdrawal period from long-term cigarette use. Altered dopamine transmission following withdrawal may contribute to changes that promote relapse. Zhang et al. (pages 184–191) found that withdrawal from nicotine produces a hypodopaminergic state in which the basal dopamine concentration and tonic dopamine signals are disproportionately lower than the phasic dopamine signals. These changes may contribute to the increased vulnerability to relapse during the withdrawal period. (Source: Biological Psychiatry)

The Effects of Stimulant Medication on Working Memory Functional Connectivity in Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder

Biological Psychiatry — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 05:00:00 +0100

Conclusions: Stimulant medication has widespread effects on the functional connectivity of frontoparietal brain networks, which might be a mechanism that underlies their beneficial effects on working memory performance. (Source: Biological Psychiatry)

Pre- and Perinatal Risk Factors in Adults with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder

Biological Psychiatry — Mon, 26 Dec 2011 05:00:00 +0100

Background: Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a prevalent and disabling lifespan disorder, but little is yet known about risk factors for ADHD persisting beyond adolescence. The present study investigates the association between pregnancy and birth complications and ADHD in adulthood. Methods: We used data from the Medical Birth Registry of Norway to compare pre-and perinatal risk factors among 2323 adults approved for medical treatment for ADHD, with the remaining population born during the same years, 1967–1987, and surviving into adulthood (n = 1,170,073). Relative risks (RR) adjusted for potential confounders were calculated. Results: Preterm (< 37 weeks of gestation) and extremely preterm birth (< 28 weeks of gestation) were associated with 1.3- and 5-fold incr...

Clinical and Cerebral Volumetric Effects of Sodium Benzoate, a d-Amino Acid Oxidase Inhibitor, in a Drug-Naïve Patient with Major Depression

Biological Psychiatry — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 05:00:00 +0100

Sodium benzoate, an inhibitor of d-amino acid oxidase (DAO), can prevent degradation of d-amino acid (DAA) and might be helpful for the relief of anxiety or depression symptoms (). Its therapeutic role in major depressive disorder (MDD) is still unclear. Here we present a MDD case with gray matter (GM) increases and relief of symptoms after sodium benzoate monotherapy for 6 weeks. (Source: Biological Psychiatry)

Rare Copy Number Variants in Tourette Syndrome Disrupt Genes in Histaminergic Pathways and Overlap with Autism

Biological Psychiatry — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 05:00:00 +0100

Conclusions: We identify further evidence supporting recent findings regarding the involvement of histaminergic and gamma-aminobutyric acidergic mechanisms in the etiology of TS and show an overlap of rare CNVs in TS and autism spectrum disorders. (Source: Biological Psychiatry)

Manuscript Submission Form

Biological Psychiatry — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 04:31:25 +0100

Guide for Authors

Biological Psychiatry — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 04:31:25 +0100

(Source: Biological Psychiatry)

Subscribers Page

Biological Psychiatry — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 04:31:25 +0100

Editorial Board

Biological Psychiatry — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 04:31:25 +0100

(Source: Biological Psychiatry)

Neural Bases of Emotional Experience Versus Perception in Schizophrenia

Biological Psychiatry — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 04:31:25 +0100

It used to be called cold versus hot cognition, two terms that referred to tasks that either intentionally used stimuli devoid of social or emotional content to reduce unexpected confounds (cold) versus tasks that intentionally addressed social and emotional processing (hot). Now following impressive advances in basic behavioral neuroscience, this latter area is sometimes called social cognitive and affective neuroscience (SCAN), or simply social cognition. There is clearly an increased focus in the social cognition of schizophrenia as evidenced by published papers and conference presentations. The emergent research focus over the past decade has been driven by several factors, including the following: 1) increased support for social cognition's role in functional outcome in schizophrenia;...

In Search of Psychosis Biomarkers in High-risk Populations: Is the Mismatch Negativity the One We've Been Waiting for?

Biological Psychiatry — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 04:31:25 +0100

In this issue of Biological Psychiatry, Atkinson et al. () describe alterations in early preattentive brain electrical activity in individuals meeting criteria for ultrahigh risk (UHR) for the development of psychosis. Identifying biological markers in high-risk populations is a critical step toward informing about the pathophysiology of the disorder, predicting onset of psychosis, and potentially devising early interventions to change the course of the illness. The auditory mismatch negativity (MMN) described by Atkinson et al. is an electrical brain response that is elicited by any discriminable change in the regularity of the acoustical auditory environment. It is hypothesized to represent the initial processing step in a biologically important series of cognitive and brain events invol...

A brief summary of the articles appearing in this issue of Biological Psychiatry

Biological Psychiatry — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 04:31:25 +0100

In order to develop more effective interventions and reduce the disability of schizophrenia, it is essential to have better measures of the prodromal phase of the disorder. Atkinson et al. (pages 98–104) examined the use of two neurophysiological markers of auditory deviance detection to sound durations in first-episode psychosis, ultra-high risk of schizophrenia, and healthy individuals. Results suggest auditory deviance detection is deficient early in the disease process and may provide a possible marker of the prodromal phase of schizophrenia. (Source: Biological Psychiatry)

Concussive Brain Injury Enhances Fear Learning and Excitatory Processes in the Amygdala

Biological Psychiatry — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 05:00:00 +0100

Conclusions: These results suggest that mild traumatic brain injury predisposes the brain toward heightened fear learning during stressful postinjury events and provides a potential molecular mechanism by which this occurs. Furthermore, these data represent a novel rodent model that can help advance the neurobiological and therapeutic understanding of the comorbidity of posttraumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injury. (Source: Biological Psychiatry)

Abnormal Functional Connectivity in Children with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder

Biological Psychiatry — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 05:00:00 +0100

Conclusions: The enhanced connectivity within reward-motivation regions and their decreased connectivity with regions from the default-mode and dorsal attention networks suggest impaired interactions between control and reward pathways in ADHD that might underlie attention and motivation deficits in ADHD. (Source: Biological Psychiatry)

Variations in the Promoter Region of the Serotonin Transporter Gene and Biased Attention for Emotional Information: A Meta-Analysis

Biological Psychiatry — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 05:00:00 +0100

Conclusions: The meta-analysis supports the notion that allele variants of the 5-HTTLPR are associated with selective attention to negative stimuli. More studies are needed to fully establish the consistency of this effect. Future studies applying systematic attention bias modification may shed further light on the role of 5-HTTLPR in the development of anxiety disorders and in the prediction of clinical response to attention bias modification treatments. (Source: Biological Psychiatry)

Manuscript Submission Form

Biological Psychiatry — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 03:39:27 +0100

Guide for Authors

Biological Psychiatry — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 03:39:27 +0100

(Source: Biological Psychiatry)

Subscribers Page

Biological Psychiatry — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 03:39:27 +0100

Editorial Board

Biological Psychiatry — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 03:39:27 +0100

(Source: Biological Psychiatry)

Depression and Inflammation: An Intricate Relationship

Biological Psychiatry — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 03:39:27 +0100

The mere possibility of a relationship between major depressive disorders and inflammation would have been seen as heretical two decades ago. Depression was considered as a disease of the mind. Depressed mood could obviously have an impact on body functioning, but the reverse was not possible. The mind was deemed to be immune to bodily ailments. And what ultimately took place in the body could reflect only what was going on in the mind. As mentioned by Franz Kafka in one of his earliest letters to Milena when describing the experience of tuberculosis for which he was being attended in a sanatorium near the Austrian border, “It is all my mind that is ill; the affection of my lungs is nothing else than the spillover of my ill mind…” () Mycobacterium tuberculosis had not yet been identi...

Bringing Genetics Back to Psychiatric Endophenotypes

Biological Psychiatry — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 03:39:27 +0100

The concept of endophenotypes, introduced almost 4 decades ago, has become increasingly important in the study of complex neuropsychiatric diseases. Endophenotypes are measurable, but not overtly observable, constructs in the pathway from genetic variation to psychiatric disorder. As originally conceptualized, endophenotypes must: 1) be associated with illness in the population; 2) be heritable; 3) be state independent, although they may need to be elicited by a challenge; 4) cosegregate with illness within families; and 5) be found in unaffected relatives of probands at a higher rate than in the general population (). Initially, scientists had hoped that investigating endophenotypes would hasten the identification of the genetic origins of various disorders, but this has not proven to be ...

A brief summary of the articles appearing in this issue of Biological Psychiatry

Biological Psychiatry — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 03:39:27 +0100

Glahn et al. (pages 6–14) describe a novel method for objectively indexing the genetic utility of endophenotypes for a complex illness. They then applied this method to high-dimensional behavioral/neurocognitive, neuroanatomic, and transcriptomic endophenotypic data collected from randomly selected pedigrees in search of optimal endophenotypes for recurrent major depression. Using a bivariate linkage analysis, they present evidence for a novel quantitative trait locus on chromosome 4 exhibiting pleiotropic effects on both endophenotype and disease risk. (Source: Biological Psychiatry)

PER2 rs2304672 Polymorphism Moderates Circadian-Relevant Reward Circuitry Activity in Adolescents

Biological Psychiatry — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 05:00:00 +0100

Conclusions: Our findings are the first to indicate that circadian genes have a significant impact upon circadian-relevant reward circuitry in humans. These findings have the potential to elucidate gene-brain-behavior relationships underlying reward processing and psychopathology. (Source: Biological Psychiatry)

Glucocorticoid Receptor Pathway Components Predict Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Symptom Development: A Prospective Study

Biological Psychiatry — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 05:00:00 +0100

Conclusions: Collectively, our results indicate that predeployment GR pathway components are vulnerability factors for subsequent development of a high level of PTSD symptoms. (Source: Biological Psychiatry)

Reorganization of Synaptic Inputs to the Hypothalamic Paraventricular Nucleus During Chronic Psychogenic Stress in Rats

Biological Psychiatry — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 05:00:00 +0100

Conclusions: Significant remodeling of synaptic contacts was found on CRH neurons in response to chronic stress. This morphologic plasticity might be related to the hyperactivity of the HPA axis and to development of stress-related psychopathologies such as depression. (Source: Biological Psychiatry)

Synchrony of Corticostriatal-Midbrain Activation Enables Normal Inhibitory Control and Conflict Processing in Recovering Alcoholic Men

Biological Psychiatry — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 05:00:00 +0100

Conclusions: Thus, even subtle compromise of microstructural connectivity in alcoholism can influence modulation of functional connectivity and underlie alcohol-related cognitive impairment. (Source: Biological Psychiatry)

In Vivo Evidence of Deep Brain Stimulation-Induced Dopaminergic Modulation in Tourette's Syndrome

Biological Psychiatry — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 05:00:00 +0100

Due to its large effect size, deep brain stimulation (DBS) is progressively considered in the treatment of medication-resistant Tourette's syndrome (TS) (). Nevertheless, the underlying beneficial mechanisms of DBS in TS are still a matter of debate (). Treatment strategies (D2-receptor antagonists) as well as previous research results point to a dysfunction of basal ganglia-related circuits and hyperactive dopaminergic innervations (). It might thus be hypothesized that DBS acts via modulation of dopamine transmission; however, corresponding in vivo evidence is lacking, except for one positive single-patient [18F]fallypride-positron emission tomography (FP) investigation (). In fact, FP allows for quantification of D2/3-receptor availability in striatal and extrastriatal regions within a ...

Neural Signature of Reconsolidation Impairments by Propranolol in Humans

Biological Psychiatry — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 05:00:00 +0100

Conclusions: Our results demonstrate how the consequences of memory reconsolidation processes are represented in the human brain, suggesting that the brain areas that are recruited during reactivation undergo changes in activity that are associated with subsequent memory recall. (Source: Biological Psychiatry)

Lifetime Adversity Leads to Blunted Stress Axis Reactivity: Studies from the Oklahoma Family Health Patterns Project

Biological Psychiatry — Thu, 24 Nov 2011 05:00:00 +0100

Conclusions: The results indicate a long-term impact of stressful life experience on the reactivity of the human stress axis. (Source: Biological Psychiatry)

Catecholamines in the Bed Nucleus of the Stria Terminalis Reciprocally Respond to Reward and Aversion

Biological Psychiatry — Thu, 24 Nov 2011 05:00:00 +0100

Conclusions: This reciprocal relationship, coupled with their different time courses, can provide integration of opposing hedonic states to influence response outputs appropriate for survival. (Source: Biological Psychiatry)

Limbic Scars: Long-Term Consequences of Childhood Maltreatment Revealed by Functional and Structural Magnetic Resonance Imaging

Biological Psychiatry — Thu, 24 Nov 2011 05:00:00 +0100

Conclusions: Childhood maltreatment is associated with remarkable functional and structural changes even decades later in adulthood. These changes strongly resemble findings described in depression and PTSD. Therefore, the present results might suggest that limbic hyperresponsiveness and reduced hippocampal volumes could be mediators between the experiences of adversities during childhood and the development of emotional disorders. (Source: Biological Psychiatry)

Manuscript Submission Form

Biological Psychiatry — Thu, 24 Nov 2011 02:33:46 +0100

Guide for Authors

Biological Psychiatry — Thu, 24 Nov 2011 02:33:46 +0100

(Source: Biological Psychiatry)

Subscribers Page

Biological Psychiatry — Thu, 24 Nov 2011 02:33:46 +0100

Editorial Board

Biological Psychiatry — Thu, 24 Nov 2011 02:33:46 +0100

(Source: Biological Psychiatry)

Subject Index to Volume 70

Biological Psychiatry — Thu, 24 Nov 2011 02:33:46 +0100

(Source: Biological Psychiatry)

Author Index to Volume 70

Biological Psychiatry — Thu, 24 Nov 2011 02:33:46 +0100

(Source: Biological Psychiatry)

Acknowledgments

Biological Psychiatry — Thu, 24 Nov 2011 02:33:46 +0100

The editors gratefully acknowledge the assistance of the following: Ted Abel (Source: Biological Psychiatry)

Abnormal Brain Wiring as a Pathogenetic Mechanism in Schizophrenia

Biological Psychiatry — Thu, 24 Nov 2011 02:33:46 +0100

Our brain is a network. On a macroscopic level, hundreds of brain regions, each having their own task or function, interact through thousands of structural connections, continuously processing, sharing, and integrating information. (Source: Biological Psychiatry)

Hurry Up and Wait: Action, Distraction, and Inhibition in Schizophrenia

Biological Psychiatry — Thu, 24 Nov 2011 02:33:46 +0100

Fruit Ninja is a popular iPhone game. The player must slice fruits by running a finger over them as they arc across the screen, gaining points and deriving a great deal of satisfaction as they fall away in juicy segments. An obvious tactic would be to slice as rapidly as possible, abandoning all restraint. This would ensure that not a single fruit is missed. But militating against this strategy are the nasty-looking bombs that appear without warning and must not be touched or they will explode. Sometimes the player learns that no bombs will be appearing in the near future and a frenzy of joyful slicing will go unpunished. (Source: Biological Psychiatry)

Rare Variants and Risk for Schizophrenia: More Support

Biological Psychiatry — Thu, 24 Nov 2011 02:33:46 +0100

Copy number variants (CNVs) have a fundamental role in human disease and population diversity (). Exploration of rare CNVs with genomic microarrays has allowed rapid assessment of structural variation at high resolution and low cost. Studies have implicated various schizophrenia associated CNVs, including deletions on 22q11, 15q13, 1q21.1, 2p16.3, and 15q11.2 and the duplications of 16p11.2. CNVs vary in frequency and with larger sample sizes and greater power. CNVs that are more rare and with less effect are continually being updated. Although individual CNVs are rare within any given sample, they are collectively important in understanding the complexity of schizophrenia inheritance as well as in indicating the brain pathways relevant to the underlying pathophysiology of this disorder (o...

A brief summary of the articles appearing in this issue of Biological Psychiatry

Biological Psychiatry — Thu, 24 Nov 2011 02:33:46 +0100

Large rare DNA copy number variants (CNVs) have been identified as risk factors for schizophrenia, autism and mental retardation. As these conditions are associated with reduced fecundity, these pathogenic CNVs are likely to be depleted from the population by selection, and must be replenished by new de novo events. Rees et al. (pages 1109–1114) show that the 10 most robustly implicated loci for these disorders undergo strong selection and have high mutation rates. The rarest CNVs had the highest selection coefficients and odds ratios to develop schizophrenia. (Source: Biological Psychiatry)

Cognitive-Behavioral Stress Management Reverses Anxiety-Related Leukocyte Transcriptional Dynamics

Biological Psychiatry — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 05:00:00 +0100

Conclusions: In early-stage breast cancer patients, a 10-week CBSM intervention can reverse anxiety-related upregulation of pro-inflammatory gene expression in circulating leukocytes. These findings clarify the molecular signaling pathways by which behavioral interventions can influence physical health and alter peripheral inflammatory processes that may reciprocally affect brain affective and cognitive processes. (Source: Biological Psychiatry)

Association Study of Nonsynonymous Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms in Schizophrenia

Biological Psychiatry — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 05:00:00 +0100

Conclusions: Taking into account that another metal ions transporter gene, SLC39A3, is associated to bipolar disorder, our findings reveal a role for brain metal homeostasis in psychosis. (Source: Biological Psychiatry)

Altered Cell Cycle Dynamics in Schizophrenia

Biological Psychiatry — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 05:00:00 +0100

Conclusions: Our observations indicate that schizophrenia is associated with subtle alterations in cell cycle dynamics, shortening of the cell cycle period, and increased expression of G1/S phase cyclins. We speculate that this underlying diathesis could alter the temporal and spatial cascade of brain development and contribute to an altered neurodevelopmental trajectory in schizophrenia. (Source: Biological Psychiatry)

Ifenprodil for the Treatment of Flashbacks in Female Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Patients with a History of Childhood Sexual Abuse

Biological Psychiatry — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 05:00:00 +0100

A recent meta-analysis showed that a history of sexual abuse is associated with increased risk for a lifetime diagnosis of multiple psychiatric disorders, such as posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety disorders, depression, eating disorders, sleep disorders, and suicide attempts (). In particular, PTSD is highly prevalent among women who have experienced childhood sexual abuse. Reexperiencing the event as a flashback is a hallmark symptom of PTSD, but the precise mechanisms for flashbacks are currently unknown (). Several lines of evidence suggest that the glutamatergic system plays a role in certain behavioral manifestations common to PTSD, including dissociation and perceptual alterations (). The N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor antagonist, ketamine can produce dissociative s...

Short Telomeres in Depression and the General Population Are Associated with a Hypocortisolemic State

Biological Psychiatry — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 05:00:00 +0100

Conclusions: Short TL is associated with depression and hypocortisolism. Because hypocortisolism has been shown to develop from chronic stress exposure, our findings corroborate the concept of TL as a cumulative measure of stress and provide novel insights into the detrimental role of stress in depressive illness and the general population. (Source: Biological Psychiatry)

Phasic Nucleus Accumbens Dopamine Encodes Risk-Based Decision-Making Behavior

Biological Psychiatry — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 05:00:00 +0100

Conclusions: These results suggest that the dopaminergic projections to the NAc core encode the subjective value of future rewards that may function to influence future decisions to take risks. (Source: Biological Psychiatry)

Intact Relational Memory and Normal Hippocampal Structure in the Early Stage of Psychosis

Biological Psychiatry — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 05:00:00 +0100

Conclusions: Our results provide evidence that relational memory impairment and hippocampal abnormalities, well established in chronic schizophrenia, are not fully present in early psychosis patients. This provides a rationale for early intervention, targeting the possible delay, reduction, or prevention of these deficits. (Source: Biological Psychiatry)

Manuscript Submission Form

Biological Psychiatry — Sat, 05 Nov 2011 23:13:37 +0100

Guide for Authors

Biological Psychiatry — Sat, 05 Nov 2011 23:13:37 +0100

(Source: Biological Psychiatry)

Subscribers Page

Biological Psychiatry — Sat, 05 Nov 2011 23:13:37 +0100

Editorial Board

Biological Psychiatry — Sat, 05 Nov 2011 23:13:37 +0100

(Source: Biological Psychiatry)

Erratum

Biological Psychiatry — Sat, 05 Nov 2011 23:13:37 +0100

The rows of data in in “Glutamatergic Gene Expression Is Specifically Reduced in Thalamocortical Projecting Relay Neurons in Schizophrenia” by Sodhi et al., published in Biological Psychiatry (2011: 70:646–654), were formatted and printed out of alignment. The corrected version of is printed here. (Source: Biological Psychiatry)

Stress and the Baby Brain

Biological Psychiatry — Sat, 05 Nov 2011 23:13:36 +0100

Increasingly, we are coming to understand that vulnerability to neuropsychiatric morbidities such as schizophrenia, autism, depression, and anxiety disorders are likely encoded in early events of brain development. For the last few decades, we have been successful in identifying what some of these brain-based vulnerabilities look like in adults: altered brain morphology, differences in circuit function and connectivity, and changes in gene expression and function, to name only a few. These insights have been enormously helpful in our quest to better understand how brain function can go awry, but relatively less emphasis has been placed on understanding when in the trajectory of brain development these vulnerabilities are laid down. With recent advances in research, it is becoming clearer t...

Attention Bias Modification and the Serotonin Transporter: Personalized Treatment Implications of Gene Interactions with Learning

Biological Psychiatry — Sat, 05 Nov 2011 23:13:36 +0100

Threat-related attention biases play a role in the etiology and maintenance of anxiety (). Initial evidence from a recent meta-analysis suggests that attention bias modification (ABM) procedures reduce anxiety by targeting threat biases (). However, questions regarding the clinical applications of ABM procedures still exist. In particular, it remains unclear when attention retraining procedures are effective and translate into therapeutic benefit. (Source: Biological Psychiatry)

Pathophysiological Modeling of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder: Challenges, and Progress

Biological Psychiatry — Sat, 05 Nov 2011 23:13:35 +0100

Animal models of disease can enormously advance our understanding of pathophysiology and the development of new treatments. Insight into Parkinson's disease, for example, has been greatly advanced by the demonstration that recapitulating pathologic degeneration of substantia nigra dopaminergic neurons produces behavioral changes reminiscent of the disorder and by subsequent pathophysiologic and therapeutic investigations in this model (). Genetic models of Alzheimer's and Huntington's diseases have likewise been enormously fruitful in shining light on the pathophysiology of these conditions and identifying new therapeutic targets (). Modeling of most psychiatric conditions has proven much more difficult, which has retarded the development of novel, pathophysiologically informed therapeutic...

A brief summary of the articles appearing in this issue of Biological Psychiatry

Biological Psychiatry — Sat, 05 Nov 2011 23:13:35 +0100

McLaughlin et al. (pages 1008–1015) report that children raised in deprived rearing environments display a developmental trajectory of frontal electroencephalographic asymmetry characterized by a prolonged period of greater activation in the right hemisphere as compared to the left. This developmental pattern predicted the onset of internalizing psychopathology in childhood. Exposure to adverse early-life environments can alter the trajectory of brain development in children, culminating in heightened risk for psychopathology, highlighting the importance of early interventions to mitigate the effects of these adverse environments. (Source: Biological Psychiatry)

Frontal White Matter Integrity Predictors of Adult Alcohol Treatment Outcome

Biological Psychiatry — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 04:00:00 +0100

Conclusions: It is possible that the lower FA and higher RD in the RHU group reflect microstructural injury to frontal circuitries, and these may underlie the reduced cognitive control amid heightened reward sensitivity associated with resumption of heavy drinking. (Source: Biological Psychiatry)

Cumulative Depression Episodes Predict Later C-Reactive Protein Levels: A Prospective Analysis

Biological Psychiatry — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 04:00:00 +0100

Conclusions: The occurrence of multiple depressive episodes exerted the greatest effect on later CRP levels. This suggests that risk for the diseases of middle and old age—cardiovascular and metabolic disease—may begin in childhood and depend, in part, on long-term emotional functioning. (Source: Biological Psychiatry)

Attention and Masking in Schizophrenia

Biological Psychiatry — Mon, 31 Oct 2011 04:00:00 +0100

Conclusions: From the results, it is unlikely that redundancy can account for the whole pattern of results, which suggest instead that attention deficits play a role in backward masking impairments in patients. (Source: Biological Psychiatry)

Cortical Glutamic Acid Decarboxylase 67 Deficiency Results in Lower Cannabinoid 1 Receptor Messenger RNA Expression: Implications for Schizophrenia

Biological Psychiatry — Mon, 31 Oct 2011 04:00:00 +0100

Conclusions: The findings that reduced GAD67 mRNA expression can induce lower CB1R mRNA expression support the hypothesis that lower cortical levels of CB1Rs in schizophrenia may partially compensate for deficient GAD67-mediated GABA synthesis by reducing endogenous cannabinoid suppression of GABA release. (Source: Biological Psychiatry)

Fibroblast Growth Factor Receptor 1– 5-Hydroxytryptamine 1A Heteroreceptor Complexes and Their Enhancement of Hippocampal Plasticity

Biological Psychiatry — Mon, 31 Oct 2011 04:00:00 +0100

Conclusions: The findings indicate that neurotrophic and antidepressant effects of 5-HT in brain may, in part, be mediated by activation of the 5-HT1A receptor protomer in the hippocampal FGFR1–5-HT1A receptor complex enhancing the FGFR1 signaling. (Source: Biological Psychiatry)

Evidence for Impaired Neocortical Synaptic Plasticity in Bipolar II Disorder

Biological Psychiatry — Mon, 31 Oct 2011 04:00:00 +0100

Conclusions: Visual evoked potential plasticity might represent a reliable and robust assay for studies of synaptic plasticity in vivo in humans. In addition, our findings support the hypothesis of impaired synaptic plasticity in BD-II. Longitudinal studies are needed to fully clarify the effects of medication and mood state on VEP plasticity. (Source: Biological Psychiatry)

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Biological Psychiatry — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 21:52:27 +0100

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Regulation of Emotion in Major Depressive Disorder

Biological Psychiatry — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 21:52:27 +0100

The ability to regulate emotion is central to everyday functioning and has been studied extensively in healthy adults in the last two decades. One conclusion supported by this research is that various cognitive strategies can be used to effectively regulate both positive and negative emotion (which is consistent with a wealth of clinical work on the efficacy of cognitive therapy). More recently, basic neuroimaging work using now-well-established experimental paradigms has increased our understanding of the neural systems involved in the cognitive regulation of emotion. The majority of this research has focused on a specific cognitive regulation strategy known as reappraisal, which involves reinterpreting the meaning of stimuli in ways that alter one's affective responses to them. Taken tog...

Complex Roles of Estrogen in Emotion: Sex Matters

Biological Psychiatry — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 21:52:27 +0100

Women are more than twice as likely to suffer from fear and anxiety disorders, including generalized anxiety disorder, panic attacks, and posttraumatic stress disorder. One reason for this difference may be that fluctuating ovarian hormone levels in women during their reproductive life span alters emotional processing. For example, the incidence of anxiety symptoms is higher when ovarian hormone levels are low, including during premenstrual, postpartum, and perimenopausal periods. These women can benefit from estrogen treatment, suggesting an anxiolytic effect. Despite these striking sex differences and decades of research investigating the processes involved in controlling emotion, we know surprisingly little regarding the neurobiological mechanisms underlying this disproportionate incide...

Relating the Effects of Prenatal Stress in Rodents to the Pathogenesis of Schizophrenia

Biological Psychiatry — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 21:52:27 +0100

The study by Escobar et al. () in this issue shows that exposure of the pregnant rat dam at day 19 of gestation to a bacterial endotoxin, a manipulation used to model maternal immune activation (MIA), leads to abnormal postnatal development of synaptic long-term depression (LTD) in the CA3-CA1 hippocampal circuit in the offspring. The form of LTD they examined is induced by low-frequency stimulation of the glutamatergic efferents from CA3, which synapse extensively onto the dendrites of the CA1 projection neurons. (Source: Biological Psychiatry)

A brief summary of the articles appearing in this issue of Biological Psychiatry

Biological Psychiatry — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 21:52:27 +0100

Pillai et al. (pages 912–919) performed a meta-analysis in an effort to identify electroencephalographic-based biomarkers of major depressive disorder. They concluded that individuals with depression, non-depressed individuals with a history of depression, and never-depressed family members of depressed individuals exhibit similar sleep abnormalities, including increased rapid eye movement density and shortened short-wave sleep. This suggests that various types of sleep disturbances may represent genetically transmitted vulnerabilities to depression. (Source: Biological Psychiatry)

Elevated Transcription Factor Specificity Protein 1 in Autistic Brains Alters the Expression of Autism Candidate Genes

Biological Psychiatry — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 04:00:00 +0100

Conclusions: Transcription factor Sp1 is dysfunctional in the ACG of autistic brain. Consequently, the expression of potential autism candidate genes regulated by Sp1, especially OXTR and PTEN, could be affected. The diverse downstream pathways mediated by the Sp1-regulated genes, along with the environmental and intracellular signal-related regulation of Sp1, could explain the complex phenotypes associated with autism. (Source: Biological Psychiatry)

Child Abuse and Neglect, MAOA, and Mental Health Outcomes: A Prospective Examination

Biological Psychiatry — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 04:00:00 +0100

Conclusions: This prospective study provides evidence that MAOA interacts with child maltreatment to predict mental health outcomes. Reasons for sex differences and race findings are discussed. (Source: Biological Psychiatry)

Chronic Exposure to Nicotine Is Associated with Reduced Reward-Related Activity in the Striatum but not the Midbrain

Biological Psychiatry — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 04:00:00 +0100

Conclusions: These data suggest a differential effect of smoking status on the neural substrates of reward in distinct dopaminergic pathway regions, which may be partially attributable to chronic nicotine exposure. The failure of transdermal nicotine to alter reward-related functional processes, either within smokers or between smokers and control subjects, implies that acute nicotine patch administration is insufficient to modify reward processing, which has been linked to abstinence-induced anhedonia in smokers and may play a critical role in smoking relapse. (Source: Biological Psychiatry)

Nicotinic α5 Subunits Drive Developmental Changes in the Activation and Morphology of Prefrontal Cortex Layer VI Neurons

Biological Psychiatry — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 04:00:00 +0100

Conclusions: Normal developmental changes in nicotinic signaling and dendritic morphology in prefrontal cortex depend on α5-comprising nicotinic acetylcholine receptors. It appears that these receptors mediate a specific developmental retraction of apical dendrites in layer VI neurons. This finding provides novel insight into the cellular mechanisms underlying the known attention deficits in α5−/− mice and potentially also into the pathophysiology of developmental neuropsychiatric disorders such as attention-deficit disorder and autism. (Source: Biological Psychiatry)

Variation in the Oxytocin Receptor Gene Is Associated with Pair-Bonding and Social Behavior

Biological Psychiatry — Thu, 20 Oct 2011 04:00:00 +0100

Conclusion: These results suggest an association between variation in OXTR and human pair-bonding and other social behaviors, possibly indicating that the well-described influence of oxytocin on affiliative behavior in voles could also be of importance for humans. (Source: Biological Psychiatry)

Deficits in Dopamine D2 Receptors and Presynaptic Dopamine in Heroin Dependence: Commonalities and Differences with Other Types of Addiction

Biological Psychiatry — Thu, 20 Oct 2011 04:00:00 +0100

Conclusions: These findings show that heroin addiction, like addiction to other drugs of abuse, is associated with low D2/3 receptor binding and low presynaptic dopamine. However, neither of these outcome measures was associated with the choice to self-administer heroin. (Source: Biological Psychiatry)

Fronto-Striato-Cerebellar Dysregulation in Adolescents with Depression During Motivated Attention

Biological Psychiatry — Thu, 20 Oct 2011 04:00:00 +0100

Conclusions: Medication-naïve MDD adolescents show abnormalities in the regulation in fronto-striato-cerebellar brain regions involved in attention and reward during motivated but not unmotivated attention. This suggests a dysfunctional interplay between motivation and cognition in pediatric MDD, where motivation appears less capable of upregulating attention networks relative to healthy youths. (Source: Biological Psychiatry)

Duration Mismatch Negativity and P3a in First-Episode Psychosis and Individuals at Ultra-High Risk of Psychosis

Biological Psychiatry — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 04:00:00 +0100

Conclusions: These results suggest that MMN, as well as P3a, to duration deviants are reduced in very early stages of a psychotic illness including those in an at-risk mental state. Both should be considered as potential markers of the prodrome. (Source: Biological Psychiatry)

Deep Brain Stimulation Reverses Anhedonic-Like Behavior in a Chronic Model of Depression: Role of Serotonin and Brain Derived Neurotrophic Factor

Biological Psychiatry — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 04:00:00 +0100

Conclusions: vmPFC stimulation was effective in a chronic model of depression. Our results suggest that the integrity of the serotonergic system is important for the anti-anhedonic-like effects of DBS but question a direct role of hippocampal BDNF. (Source: Biological Psychiatry)

Meta-Analysis of Functional Neuroimaging Studies of Emotion Perception and Experience in Schizophrenia

Biological Psychiatry — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 04:00:00 +0100

Conclusions: Processing emotional stimuli, schizophrenia patients show reduced activation in areas engaged by emotional stimuli, although in some conditions, schizophrenia patients exhibit increased activation in areas outside those traditionally associated with emotion, possibly representing compensatory processing. (Source: Biological Psychiatry)

Bimodal Distribution of Fatty Acids in Recurrent Major Depressive Disorder

Biological Psychiatry — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 04:00:00 +0100

Bentsen et al. () recently tested the hypothesis that red blood cell (RBC) polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) are bimodally distributed in schizophrenia and related psychoses. In their study, sums of total, ω3, and ω6 PUFA concentrations were indeed bimodally distributed, as opposed to one normal distribution for sums of saturated fatty acids (SFAs) and monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs). Because of 1) the similarities in fatty acid (FA) metabolism in schizophrenia and depression () and 2) the absence of studies, to our knowledge, investigating bimodality of the distribution of (PU)FA concentrations in depression, we conducted similar analyses as Bentsen et al. () on FA data of patients with recurrent major depressive disorder. (Source: Biological Psychiatry)

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Biological Psychiatry — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 03:05:22 +0100

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Parenthood, Stress, and the Brain

Biological Psychiatry — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 03:05:22 +0100

Motherhood holds a unique place in mammalian behavior and knowledge of its neurobiology may serve as a prototype for other forms of sociality. In mammals, maternity is at the heart of both reproduction and individual survival. Seeking to highlight the importance of breast-feeding, Linneaus defined Mammalia taxonomically according to the unique capacity of female mammals to lactate. Although hatchlings produced by their reptilian ancestors as well as by some contemporary reptiles sometimes benefit from maternal defense, newborn mammals cannot survive without their mother's milk. Hence, in mammals the attachment relationship between a mother and child also is the most accepted form of enduring social bond, with potential benefits for both (). Even though social bonds with fathers and other g...

The Fragile X-associated Disorders: Time to Order Fragile X DNA Testing

Biological Psychiatry — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 03:05:22 +0100

The fragile X mental retardation 1 protein (FMRP) is a master protein regulating the transport and subsequent translation of hundreds of messenger ribonucleic acids (mRNAs) into proteins important for synaptic plasticity that impacts intelligence and emotion (). FMRP is missing in males with fragile X syndrome (FXS) and sometimes deficient in carriers and females with FXS. Through evolution the CGG repeat at the 5' end of FMR1 at Xq27.3 has expanded, leading to increased production of FMRP, which has enhanced intelligence and emotional functioning in the evolution of humans. (Source: Biological Psychiatry)

A brief summary of the articles appearing in this issue of Biological Psychiatry

Biological Psychiatry — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 03:05:22 +0100

Although atypical visuospatial perception is a characteristic of autism, its underlying neural substrate is unknown. Kéïta et al. (pages 806–811) demonstrate that the ability to detect a simple visuospatial target when presented with stimuli located lateral to the target is differentially affected in autism. These results suggest that atypical spatial perception in autism may originate from altered lateral connectivity within primary visual areas. (Source: Biological Psychiatry)

High Dimensional Endophenotype Ranking in the Search for Major Depression Risk Genes

Biological Psychiatry — Mon, 10 Oct 2011 04:00:00 +0100

Conclusions: The wider use of quantitative endophenotypes, combined with unbiased methods for selecting among these measures, should spur new insights into the biological mechanisms that influence mental illnesses like major depression. (Source: Biological Psychiatry)

Copy Number Variants for Schizophrenia and Related Psychotic Disorders in Oceanic Palau: Risk and Transmission in Extended Pedigrees

Biological Psychiatry — Mon, 10 Oct 2011 04:00:00 +0100

Conclusions: This study reveals CNVs that confer risk to schizophrenia and related psychotic disorders in Palau, most of which have been previously observed in samples of European ancestry. Only a few of these CNVs show evidence that they have existed for many generations, consistent with risk variants diminishing reproductive success. (Source: Biological Psychiatry)

Roles of p75NTR, Long-Term Depression, and Cholinergic Transmission in Anxiety and Acute Stress Coping

Biological Psychiatry — Fri, 07 Oct 2011 04:00:00 +0100

Conclusions: Our results suggest that loss of p75NTR leads to changes in hippocampal cholinergic signaling, which may be involved in regulation of stress-enabled hippocampal LTD and in modulating behaviors related to stress and anxiety. (Source: Biological Psychiatry)

Dimensional Brain-Behavior Relationships in Children with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder

Biological Psychiatry — Wed, 05 Oct 2011 04:00:00 +0100

Conclusions: Our findings suggest that while categorical diagnostic boundaries provide an inadequate basis for understanding the pathophysiology of psychiatric disorders, psychiatric illness cannot be viewed simply as an extreme of typical neural or behavioral function. Efforts to understand the neural underpinnings of psychiatric illness should incorporate both categorical and dimensional clinical assessments. (Source: Biological Psychiatry)

Mirror Neuron Activity Associated with Social Impairments but not Age in Autism Spectrum Disorder

Biological Psychiatry — Wed, 05 Oct 2011 04:00:00 +0100

Conclusions: These data provide general support for the mirror neuron hypothesis of autism; researchers now must clarify the precise functional significance of mirror neurons to truly understand their role in the neuropathophysiology of ASD and to determine whether they should be used as targets for the treatment of ASD. (Source: Biological Psychiatry)

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Biological Psychiatry — Wed, 05 Oct 2011 03:44:42 +0100

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Response Perseveration in Stimulant Dependence Is Associated with Striatal Dysfunction and Can Be Ameliorated by a D2/3 Receptor Agonist

Biological Psychiatry — Wed, 05 Oct 2011 03:44:42 +0100

Conclusions: Perseveration during reversal learning was associated specifically with stimulant dependence rather than with compulsive behaviors more generally. The beneficial effects of a dopamine agonist drug challenge on both behavior and associated brain activation in SDIs may indicate new avenues for pharmacologic treatment in stimulant dependence. (Source: Biological Psychiatry)

Understanding the Neural Circuitry of Appetitive Regulation in Eating Disorders

Biological Psychiatry — Wed, 05 Oct 2011 03:44:42 +0100

There has been much confusion and speculation about the reasons for abnormal eating behaviors and other symptoms in anorexia nervosa (AN) and bulimia nervosa (BN) (). For example, individuals with AN dramatically restrict their caloric consumption and achieve severe emaciation yet are often preoccupied with food or cook for others. Moreover, food, or even the anticipation of eating, tends to be anxiogenic, whereas avoiding eating often reduces these uncomfortable feelings. Individuals with BN tend to alternate between restrictive eating and overeating with loss of self-control, followed by purging behaviors. They may use bingeing and purging behaviors to suppress negative mood states. In this issue of Biological Psychiatry, Gérard et al. () contribute new insights to an emerging literatur...

Manipulation of Cigarette Craving with Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation

Biological Psychiatry — Wed, 05 Oct 2011 03:44:42 +0100

The health risks and societal costs of cigarette smoking are well documented, but the prevalence of smoking among American adults remains high at approximately 20%. Most smokers endorse a desire to quit, but very few (only about 4–7%) will actually do so in a given year without treatment. Current commonly used treatments for tobacco dependence include nicotine replacement therapy (e.g., patch, gum, and lozenge), varenicline HCl (Chantix), bupropion HCl (Zyban), and group and/or individual psychotherapy. These treatments result in roughly 20–25% abstinence rates in smokers at 6 months or more after treatment initiation and are therefore considerably better than attempting abstinence without treatment. However, there continues to be a vital need to improve treatments for cigarette smoker...

Is Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor a Selective Biomarker that Predicts Cocaine Relapse Outcomes?

Biological Psychiatry — Wed, 05 Oct 2011 03:44:42 +0100

In this issue, D'Sa et al. () report that elevated plasma brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) levels are associated with relapse in recently abstinent cocaine addicts. Despite some shortcomings, the report is a notable and an important milestone in associating a clinically relevant biomarker with relapse to cocaine-seeking and taking. Relapse, the return to uncontrolled drug use, is a cardinal feature of addictive disorders, but the mechanisms of relapse are not as well understood as those underlying drug-associated rewards. Addicts who want to remain drug free resist relapse, but for reasons that are not well understood, most fail. Thus, a biomarker that predicts relapse is desperately needed. The findings by D'Sa et al. suggest that BDNF is a candidate biomarker that predicts relaps...

A brief summary of the articles appearing in this issue of Biological Psychiatry

Biological Psychiatry — Wed, 05 Oct 2011 03:44:42 +0100

Extending preclinical research implicating brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) as a mediator in cocaine seeking, D'Sa et al. (pages 706–711) demonstrate that cocaine-dependent individuals have significantly higher serum BDNF levels compared to healthy volunteers, and that the likelihood of relapse to subsequent cocaine use increased with higher serum BDNF levels. These data suggest that serum BDNF could serve as a clinically relevant measure of addiction relapse risk in cocaine dependence. (Source: Biological Psychiatry)

Reduced Sleep Spindles and Spindle Coherence in Schizophrenia: Mechanisms of Impaired Memory Consolidation?

Biological Psychiatry — Tue, 04 Oct 2011 04:00:00 +0100

Conclusions: The observed sleep spindle abnormalities implicate thalamocortical network dysfunction in schizophrenia. In addition, the findings suggest that abnormal spindle generation impairs sleep-dependent memory consolidation in schizophrenia, contributes to positive symptoms, and is a promising novel target for the treatment of cognitive deficits in schizophrenia. (Source: Biological Psychiatry)

Reduced Anterior Cingulate Cognitive Activation Is Associated with Prefrontal–Temporal Cortical Thinning in Schizophrenia

Biological Psychiatry — Tue, 04 Oct 2011 04:00:00 +0100

Conclusions: To our best knowledge, this is the first study indicating that prefrontotemporal cortical thinning constitutes a relevant cortical pathomechanism for altered cognitive activation in schizophrenia. Our data additionally reveal a profound disruption of structural and functional integration in the prefrontotemporal system in schizophrenia. (Source: Biological Psychiatry)

Days-Out-of-Role Associated With Insomnia and Comorbid Conditions in the America Insomnia Survey

Biological Psychiatry — Mon, 03 Oct 2011 04:00:00 +0100

Conclusions: Insomnia has a strong net association with days-out-of-role that does not vary as a function of comorbidity. (Source: Biological Psychiatry)

ΔFosB Enhances the Rewarding Effects of Cocaine While Reducing the Pro-Depressive Effects of the Kappa-Opioid Receptor Agonist U50488

Biological Psychiatry — Fri, 30 Sep 2011 04:00:00 +0100

Conclusions: These data suggest that induction of ΔFosB in striatal regions has two important behavioral consequences—increased sensitivity to drug reward, and reduced sensitivity to aversion—producing a complex phenotype that shows signs of vulnerability to addiction as well as resilience to stress. (Source: Biological Psychiatry)

Postnatal Serotonin Type 2 Receptor Blockade Prevents the Emergence of Anxiety Behavior, Dysregulated Stress-Induced Immediate Early Gene Responses, and Specific Transcriptional Changes that Arise Following Early Life Stress

Biological Psychiatry — Fri, 30 Sep 2011 04:00:00 +0100

Conclusions: Postnatal treatment with the 5-HT2 receptor antagonist, ketanserin, blocked specific consequences of maternal separation, including anxiety behavior and dysregulated gene expression in the prefrontal cortex. Our results suggest that enhanced 5-HT2 receptor function may contribute to the emergence of anxiety behavior and perturbed stress responses following early life stress. (Source: Biological Psychiatry)

Adverse Rearing Environments and Neural Development in Children: The Development of Frontal Electroencephalogram Asymmetry

Biological Psychiatry — Fri, 30 Sep 2011 04:00:00 +0100

Conclusions: Exposure to adverse rearing environments can alter brain development, culminating in heightened risk for psychopathology. Interventions delivered early in life have the greatest potential to mitigate the long-term effects of these environments. (Source: Biological Psychiatry)

Neurobiological Elements of Cognitive Dysfunction in Down Syndrome: Exploring the Role of APP

Biological Psychiatry — Tue, 27 Sep 2011 04:00:00 +0100

We examined the underlying mechanisms of degeneration of multiple systems with extensive projections to the hippocampus in DS and its mouse models and the role of App overexpression in neurodegeneration. Understanding mechanisms behind hippocampal dysfunction has helped us to test several therapeutic strategies successfully in mouse models of DS. Here we review these strategies and mechanisms and discuss ways to translate our findings into possible interventions in humans. (Source: Biological Psychiatry)

Analysis of Target Genes Regulated by Chronic Electroconvulsive Therapy Reveals Role for Fzd6 in Depression

Biological Psychiatry — Wed, 21 Sep 2011 04:00:00 +0100

Conclusions: The results identify multiple gene targets differentially regulated by CREB binding in the hippocampus after chr-ECS and demonstrate the role of Fzd6, a Wnt receptor in behavioral models of depression. (Source: Biological Psychiatry)

A Meta-Analysis of Electroencephalographic Sleep in Depression: Evidence for Genetic Biomarkers

Biological Psychiatry — Wed, 21 Sep 2011 04:00:00 +0100

Conclusions: Individuals experiencing MDD and those in remission exhibit increased REM density and shortened SWS, as do HRPs with no history of MDD. Thus, this combination of EEG features may represent a genetic biomarker of MDD. Further, SWS appears to be shorter during remission than depression, suggesting its role as both a genetic marker as well as a biological scar of the disorder. (Source: Biological Psychiatry)

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Genomic Tics in Tourette Syndrome

A brief summary of the articles appearing in this issue of Biological Psychiatry

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Erratum to: Catechol-O-Methyltransferase Val158Met Polymorphism Moderates Anterior Cingulate Volume in Posttraumatic Stress Disorder

Erratum to: The Prevention of Recurrent Episodes of Depression with Venlafaxine for Two Years (PREVENT) Study: Outcomes from the Acute and Continuation Phases

Memory Reconsolidation Processes and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder: Promises and Challenges of Translational Research

Low Cortisol and Risk and Resilience to Stress-Related Psychiatric Disorders

Child Abuse and Psychiatric Illness

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GR-owing Up Stressed: Implications for Anxiety and Addiction

Risky Dopamine

A brief summary of the articles appearing in this issue of Biological Psychiatry

The Effects of Stimulant Medication on Working Memory Functional Connectivity in Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder

Pre- and Perinatal Risk Factors in Adults with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder

Clinical and Cerebral Volumetric Effects of Sodium Benzoate, a d-Amino Acid Oxidase Inhibitor, in a Drug-Naïve Patient with Major Depression

Rare Copy Number Variants in Tourette Syndrome Disrupt Genes in Histaminergic Pathways and Overlap with Autism

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Neural Bases of Emotional Experience Versus Perception in Schizophrenia

In Search of Psychosis Biomarkers in High-risk Populations: Is the Mismatch Negativity the One We've Been Waiting for?

A brief summary of the articles appearing in this issue of Biological Psychiatry

Concussive Brain Injury Enhances Fear Learning and Excitatory Processes in the Amygdala

Abnormal Functional Connectivity in Children with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder

Variations in the Promoter Region of the Serotonin Transporter Gene and Biased Attention for Emotional Information: A Meta-Analysis

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Depression and Inflammation: An Intricate Relationship

Bringing Genetics Back to Psychiatric Endophenotypes

A brief summary of the articles appearing in this issue of Biological Psychiatry

PER2 rs2304672 Polymorphism Moderates Circadian-Relevant Reward Circuitry Activity in Adolescents

Glucocorticoid Receptor Pathway Components Predict Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Symptom Development: A Prospective Study

Reorganization of Synaptic Inputs to the Hypothalamic Paraventricular Nucleus During Chronic Psychogenic Stress in Rats

Synchrony of Corticostriatal-Midbrain Activation Enables Normal Inhibitory Control and Conflict Processing in Recovering Alcoholic Men

In Vivo Evidence of Deep Brain Stimulation-Induced Dopaminergic Modulation in Tourette's Syndrome

Neural Signature of Reconsolidation Impairments by Propranolol in Humans

Lifetime Adversity Leads to Blunted Stress Axis Reactivity: Studies from the Oklahoma Family Health Patterns Project

Catecholamines in the Bed Nucleus of the Stria Terminalis Reciprocally Respond to Reward and Aversion

Limbic Scars: Long-Term Consequences of Childhood Maltreatment Revealed by Functional and Structural Magnetic Resonance Imaging

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Acknowledgments

Abnormal Brain Wiring as a Pathogenetic Mechanism in Schizophrenia

Hurry Up and Wait: Action, Distraction, and Inhibition in Schizophrenia

Rare Variants and Risk for Schizophrenia: More Support

A brief summary of the articles appearing in this issue of Biological Psychiatry

Cognitive-Behavioral Stress Management Reverses Anxiety-Related Leukocyte Transcriptional Dynamics

Association Study of Nonsynonymous Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms in Schizophrenia

Altered Cell Cycle Dynamics in Schizophrenia

Ifenprodil for the Treatment of Flashbacks in Female Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Patients with a History of Childhood Sexual Abuse

Short Telomeres in Depression and the General Population Are Associated with a Hypocortisolemic State

Phasic Nucleus Accumbens Dopamine Encodes Risk-Based Decision-Making Behavior

Intact Relational Memory and Normal Hippocampal Structure in the Early Stage of Psychosis

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