No abstract

Background Molecular biomarkers are promising tools to be routinely used in clinical psychiatry. Among psychiatric diseases, major depression disorder (MDD) has gotten attention due to its growing prevalence and morbidity. Methods We tested some peripheral molecular parameters such as serum mature Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor (mBDNF), plasma C-Reactive Protein (CRP), serum cortisol (SC), and the salivary Cortisol Awakening Response (CAR), as well as the Pittsburgh sleep quality inventory (PSQI), as part of a multibiomarker panel for potential use in MDD diagnosis and evaluation of disease’s chronicity using regression models, and ROC curve. Results For diagnosis model, two groups were analyzed: patients in the first episode of major depression (MD: n = 30) and a healthy control (CG: n = 32). None of those diagnosis models tested had greater power than Hamilton Depression Rating Scale-6. For MDD chronicity, a group of patients with treatment-resistant major depression (TRD: n = 28) was tested across the MD group. The best chronicity model (p < 0.05) that discriminated between MD and TRD included four parameters, namely PSQI, CAR, SC, and mBDNF (AUC ROC = 0.99), with 96% of sensitivity and 93% of specificity. Conclusion These results indicate that changes in specific biomarkers (CAR, SC, mBDNF and PSQI) have potential on the evaluation of MDD chronicity, but not for its diagnosis. Therefore, these findings can contribute for further studies aiming the development of a stronger model to be commercially available and used in psychiatry clinical practice.

Interoception is a collection of different representations of signals originating within the body. The way of perceiving these signals seems to be related to both emotion regulation and dysregulation, and its dysfunction is implicated across a variety of affective disorders. There is a growing body of research investigating the relationship between mindfulness meditation practices and interoception showing an increase in interoceptive processes with regular training. In this study, we assessed the effects of a three-day mindfulness training on interoceptive accuracy and sensibility in a young healthy adult sample. Moreover, we also performed a mediation analysis on interoceptive sensibility and anxiety. Healthy participants (n = 40) naive to mindfulness practices were randomized to a brief mindfulness training (MT) (n = 20, females = 10) or to an active control group (n = 20, females = 10). Participants were assessed before and after the 3-days intervention for both groups on measures of interoception and anxiety in a modified intention-to-treat approach. The brief mindfulness training group increased interoceptive sensibility while active control had no effects on this variable. Five out of eight subdomains of interoceptive sensibility were significantly improved after mindfulness training. There was no significant difference in interoceptive accuracy after training. The effect of a brief mindfulness training on interoceptive sensibility mediated changes in the anxiety state. To date, this is the first study showing a plausible mechanism of a brief mindfulness training to explain the anxiolytic effects of meditation practices. Trial registration: RBR-7b8yh8, March 28th 2017 http://www.ensaiosclinicos.gov.br/rg/RBR-7b8yh8/.

BackgroundCognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT) has a significant adjunctive effect in the treatment of Major Depressive Disorder (MDD), however its uses as monotherapy is less explored, mainly the group-based approaches.MethodsWe assessed the responses of distinct psychophysiological domains after a intervention using group-based CBT (gCBT, 16 weeks) in drug-free patients with mild-moderate MDD (n = 20; women = 11) and to compare with a healthy control group (n = 25, women = 13).ResultsTreatment resulted in 65% of response and 55% of remission rates. Reductions in depressive and anxiety symptoms and increase in self-esteem and sleep quality were observed as responses of gCBT. After treatment patients regulated their previous deregulated salivary cortisol awakening response (CAR) and sleep quality to healthy parameters. These improvements were correlated among themselves and dependent of remission condition. Remitted patients showed large progresses than non-remitted patients, who significantly changed only serum cortisol and self-perceived depressive symptoms. Further, better baseline sleep quality was predictor of remission.ConclusionThese psychophysiological changes in response of gCBT support its use as tool with low cost and no side effects for treatment of mild-moderate major depression, as well as suggests a stronger exploration of these psychological domains in psychotherapies and stimulates furthers studies of neurobiology of MDD and alternatives treatments.Trial registrationU1111-1215-4472. Registered 21 August 2018, http://www.ensaiosclinicos.gov.br/rg/RBR-3npbf8/

No abstract