Frontiers in psychiatry
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Frontiers in psychiatry · Jan 2019
Effects of Open- and Closed-Label Nocebo and Placebo Suggestions on Itch and Itch Expectations.
Placebo and nocebo effects have been shown to influence subjective symptoms such as itch. These effects can be induced by influencing outcome expectations through, for example, combining the application of an inert substance (e.g., a cream) with verbal suggestions on the anticipated effects of this substance. Interestingly, placebo effects also occur when it is known that a treatment is inert (i.e., open-label placebo). ⋯ In addition, a smaller increase in skin temperature was found in the positive compared with negative suggestion groups. The findings illustrate a potential role of (open- and closed-label) placebo for optimizing expectations and treatment effects for itch in clinical practice. Clinical Trial Registration: Netherlands Trial Register, trial number: NTR6530.
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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
Persisting Reductions in Cannabis, Opioid, and Stimulant Misuse After Naturalistic Psychedelic Use: An Online Survey.
Observational data and preliminary studies suggest serotonin 2A agonist psychedelics may hold potential in treating a variety of substance use disorders (SUDs), including opioid use disorder (OUD). ⋯ While these cross-sectional and self-report methods cannot determine whether psychedelics caused changes in drug use, results suggest the potential that psychedelics cause reductions in problematic substance use, and support additional clinical research on psychedelic-assisted treatment for SUD.
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Frontiers in psychiatry · Jan 2019
DNA Methylation in Healthy Older Adults With a History of Childhood Adversity-Findings From the Women 40+ Healthy Aging Study.
Background: Adversity in early development seems to increase the risk of stress-related somatic disorders later in life. Physiologically, functioning of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal and hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axes is often discussed as long-term mediators of risk. In particular, DNA methylation in the glucocorticoid receptor gene promoter (NR3C1) has been associated with type and strength of early life adversity and subsequent effects on HPA axis signaling in humans. ⋯ Conclusion: In healthy women, early life adversity does not seem to result in NR3C1 promoter hypermethylation in midlife and older age. This is the first study in humans to suggest that childhood adversity might, however, epigenetically modify the ERα shore. Further studies are needed to gain a better understanding of why some individuals remain healthy and others develop psychopathologies in the face of childhood adversity.
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Frontiers in psychiatry · Jan 2019
Significant PTSD and Other Mental Health Effects Present 18 Months After the Fort Mcmurray Wildfire: Findings From 3,070 Grades 7-12 Students.
Background: The May 2016 wildfire in Fort McMurray, Alberta, Canada forced evacuation of the population of 88,000 individuals and destroyed 10% of the homes. Youth are particularly impacted by disaster. Methods: Eighteen months after the wildfire, Fort McMurray Public and Catholic Schools surveyed 3,252 of the 4,407 students in Grades 7-12 to determine possible long-term psychological impacts. ⋯ Students with lower resilience scores exhibited a similar pattern. Conclusions: These findings highlight first the negative impact of disasters on youth mental health, particularly for those who directly experience wildfire, and second the role of resilience on youth mental health, with lower resilience associated with substantially lower mental health outcomes. These results emphasize the need for long-term mental health supports for youth post-disaster, with specific focus on increasing youth resilience, which may serve as a protective factor against effects of disaster on mental health.