CoordenaÃÃo de AperfeiÃoamento de Pessoal de NÃvel Superior / O Transtorno Afetivo Bipolar (TAB) à uma doenÃa crÃnica, altamente incapacitante e associada a custo excessivo aos sistemas de saÃde. Atualmente, reconhece-se o papel importante da Angiotensina II em transtornos de ansiedade e humor. A desregulaÃÃo do Sistema renina-angiotensina (SRA) cerebral pela ativaÃÃo de receptores da angiotensina II subtipo 1 (AT1Rs) està associada à formaÃÃo de espÃcies reativas de oxigÃnio, ativaÃÃo de vias prÃ-inflamatÃrias, reduÃÃo da neuroplasticidade e disfunÃÃo mitocondrial, estando esses eventos relacionados com a fisiopatologia do TAB. Assim, objetivou-se avaliar a aÃÃo da candesartana (CDS) em um modelo animal de mania induzido por d-anfetamina (AMPH). Utilizou-se camundongos Swiss machos (peso: 20-25g) submetidos a dois protocolos de tratamento. No protocolo de prevenÃÃo (PP), os animais receberam CDS (0,1; 0,3; 1 ou 3 mg/Kg/dia), lÃtio (47,5 mg/Kg/dia) ou veÃculo por 14 dias e entre o 8 e o 14 dia receberam AMPH (2 mg/Kg/dia i.p) ou salina. No protocolo de reversÃo (PR), administrou-se AMPH ou salina por 14 dias e entre o 8 e o 14 dia os animais foram tratados com CDS, lÃtio ou veÃculo. No 14 dia, os animais foram submetidos aos testes comportamentais, campo aberto e Y Maze. Foram realizadas anÃlises neuroquÃmicos para avaliar o estresse oxidativo (TBARS e GSH) no vÃrmis cerebelar (VC), cÃrtex prÃ-frontal (PF), hipocampo (HPC) e corpo estriado (CE). AlÃm disso, foram avaliados os nÃveis de BDNF, TNF-α e fosfo-Ser9-GSK-3β para as doses de 0,3 e 1 mg/Kg de CDS. Os nÃveis de fosfo-Ser9-GSK-3β e BDNF foram avaliados apenas no HPC e os nÃveis de TNF-α no HPC e VC. Em ambos os protocolos de tratamento, observou-se aumento da atividade locomotora nos grupos que receberam apenas AMPH, que foi prevenida e revertida pela CDS. Os resultados obtidos nos animais tratados com CDS + AMPH foram semelhantes aos do grupo controle e dos animais que receberam LÃtio + AMPH. No teste de Y maze, a CDS conseguiu prevenir e reverter o prejuÃzo cognitivo causado pela AMPH e apenas as doses de CDS 0,1 no PP e 0,3 no PR nÃo tiveram efeito, assim como o tratamento com lÃtio em ambos os protocolos. A CDS aumentou os nÃveis de GSH no HPC e VC no PP e no PF, HPC e CE no PR. Os nÃveis de TBARS foram reduzidos pela CDS no PF, HPC e VC no PP e no PF, HPC e CE no PR. Em ambos os protocolos de tratamento, a AMPH reduziu os nÃveis hipocampais de BDNF e o lÃtio e ambas as doses de CDS avaliadas restauraram os nÃveis dessa neurotrofina. No PP, a AMPH e ambas as doses de CDS reduziram o nÃvel de fosfo-Ser9-GSK-3β que foi expressivamente aumentado pelo lÃtio. Os nÃveis de TNF-α foram aumentados pela AMPH e reduzidos pelo lÃtio no HPC e VC. Ambas as doses de CDS avaliadas tiveram efeito na prevenÃÃo do aumento de TNF-α no HPC e preveniram e reverteram esse aumento no VC. Juntos, os dados mostraram que a CDS, semelhante ao Li, à efetiva na prevenÃÃo e reversÃo de alteraÃÃes comportamentais e neuroquÃmicas induzidas pela AMPH, com exceÃÃo da fosfo-Ser9-GSK-3β, sugerindo que estudos sejam desenvolvidos para avaliaÃÃo da atividade antimanÃaca desse fÃrmaco em pacientes bipolares, porÃm mais estudos prÃ-clÃnicos sÃo necessÃrios. / The Bipolar Disorder (BD) is a highly prevalent and chronic psychiatric disorder, associated with functional disability and excessive cost to the health system. The pharmacological therapy of BD displays low efficacy due the complex and poorly understood etiology, which makes it imperative to find new therapeutic targets for this disorder. The renin-angiotensin system (RAS) has been studied concerning neurological diseases, and is currently recognized important role of angiotensin II in anxiety and mood disorders. The deregulation of SRA brain is associated with the formation of reactive oxygen species, activation of proinflammatory pathways, reduced neuroplasticity and mitochondrial dysfunction. It is noteworthy that all these events are related to the pathophysiology of BD. Thus, this study aimed to evaluate the effect of candesartan (CDS) in an animal model of mania induced by d-amphetamine (AMPH). The animals were submitted to two treatment protocols. In prevention protocol, animals received CDS (0.1; 0.3; 1 or 3 mg/kg/day), lithium (47.5 mg/kg/day) or vehicle for 14 days and between the 8th and 14th day received AMPH (2 mg/kg/day ip) or saline. In reversal protocol, was administered AMPH or saline for 14 days and between the 8th and 14th day the animals were treated with CDS, lithium or vehicle. The effect of CDS was evaluated on 14th day by exploratory behavior of animals in the open field test used for pre-clinical study of antimanic drugs. The working memory was also evaluated by Y Maze test. Neurochemical analisis of oxidative stress (TBARS and GSH), was assessed in cerebellar vÃrmix (CV), prefrontal cortex (PF), hippocampus (HPC) and striatum (ST). For evaluate the levels of BDNF, TNF-α e fosfo-Ser9-GSK-3β,we used CDS 0,3 and CDS 1. BDNF and fosfo-Ser9-GSK-3β was assessed only in HPC and TNF-α in HPC and CV. In both treatment protocols, there was an increase in locomotor activity in the animals that received only AMPH, which was prevented and reversed by CDS, whose results were similar to the control group and the animals that received AMPH and lithium. In the memory test, the CDS prevented and reversed the cognitive impairment caused by AMPH and only the CDS doses of 0.1 in prevention protocol and 0.3 in reversal protocol were not successful. Lithium treatment neither prevented nor reversed the cognitive impairment. The CDS increased GSH levels in HPC and CV in the prevention protocol and in PF, HPC and ST in the reversal protocol. The TBARS levels were reduced by CDS in PF, HPC and CV in the prevention protocol and in PF, HPC and ST in the reversal protocol. However, MDA level was increased by higher dose of CDS in ST in prevention protocol and by the two lower doses of CDS in CV in reversal protocol. In both treatment protocols, AMPH reduced BDNF and lithium and both doses of CDS restored the levels of this neurotrophin. In the prevention protocol, AMPH and both doses of CDS reduced the level of phospho-Ser9-GSK-3β that was significantly increased by lithium. The levels of TNF-α were increased by AMPH and reduced by lithium in HPC and VC. CDS prevented the increase of TNF-α in HPC and prevented and reversed this increase in CV. Our findings showed that CDS, similarly to Li, is effective in reversing and preventing AMPH-induced behavioral and neurochemical alterations, providing a rationale for evaluating CDS as a novel antimanic agent, however new pre-clinical studies are necessary.

M. Tech.

M.Tech.

M.Tech.

M.A. (Psychology)

No description available.

This qualitative study explores client experiences to further understand psychotherapy for the treatment of eating disorders in community practice settings. Eight participants shared their experiences of individual psychotherapy, where eating disorders were the primary focus, during minimally-structured and open-ended interviews. Data were analyzed using interpretive phenomenological analysis. Analysis resulted in 20 themes representing what participants described as meaningful in their experience of therapy. These themes are organized in five broader thematic categories: Goals and Expectations of Therapy, Therapist Way of Being, Session Process, Eating Disorder Specific Interventions, and Non-Eating Disorder Specific Interventions. Each thematic category and theme is described in detail, including verbatim quotes from participant accounts, and depicting points of agreement or divergence among participant experiences. The constructivist orientation, principles of hermeneutic phenomenology, and helpful factors design forefront participant perspectives and allow for elucidation of nuances in which therapy and therapeutic interventions unfold. The findings reinforce and expand upon scholarly literature, including ways that participants find it helpful when therapists consider the client’s context, but also value direction provided by therapists who have eating disorder expertise. Implications of the study for research, practice, and training are discussed.

Background: The National Confidential Inquiry into Suicide and Homicide by People with Mental Illness has been collecting detailed clinical data since 1996 on a national sample of people who commit homicide, including psychiatric reports prepared for court. From 1996-2006, the Inquiry was notified of 5808 homicides in England and Wales. A diagnosis of personality disorder was made in 16% (406) of cases in psychiatric reports prepared for court. Given prevalence figures of 50-90% for personality disorder in the offender population in general, it seems likely that this is an underestimation in this population. Aims: Estimate the prevalence of personality disorder in a national case series of homicide perpetrators with court reports. Investigate any variables associated with the diagnosis of personality disorder in court reports, and with specific dimensions of personality disorder. Explore potential reasons for the lack of attribution of a personality disorder diagnosis in reports. Method 600 court reports were analysed using the PAS-DOC, a document derived version of the Personality Assessment Schedule. Those with a diagnosis of personality disorder in reports were compared with those without on a number of sociodemographic, clinical, and criminological variables Focus groups and semi structured interviews were conducted with Forensic Psychiatrists with a range of experience to explore attitudes towards personality disorder. Results: The prevalence of personality disorder in this sample was 56.3% (95% CI 52.3% - 60.3%). Perpetrators with previous violent offences and substance misuse were more likely to be diagnosed with personality disorder by report writers. Severe personality disorder was significantly associated with prior convictions for any violent offences and with a stranger as a victim. Complex personality disorder was associated with a family or spouse as a victim, and negatively associated with a stranger as a victim. A number of themes emerged in the focus groups and semi-structured interviews to explain the discrepancy between the identified prevalence of personality disorder and its diagnosis made by report writers. These included issues surrounding classification, comorbid mental illness, ethical issues regarding court, recommendations for verdict and disposal, treatability, service provision, training and stigma. Conclusions: Personality disorder is underdiagnosed in psychiatric reports prepared for court. Reasons for this and the implications from both a clinical and ethical perspective are discussed.

The purpose of this investigation was to test the hypothesis that perceived responsibility is a major determinant of compulsive checking. Thirty participants recruited from the community through the local media, who met criteria for Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, received four conditions. In the low responsibility condition, perceived responsibility for an anticipated negative eventt was transferred to the experimenter. In contrast, in the high responsibility condition, perceived responsibility for an anticipated negative event was given to the participant. The remaining two conditions served as control conditions. Subjects were assessed before and after each experimental manipulation. Results suggest a causal connection between decreases in perceived responsibility and compulsive checking. Decreases in perceived responsibility produced decreases in several measures critical to compulsive checking. Results from increases in perceived responsibility were less clear. However, increases in perceived responsibility lead to increases in panic and likelihood of anticipated criticism. There were trends for increases in perceived responsibility to lead to increases in perceptions of discomfort experienced, urge to check, and severity of anticipated criticism. There was no relationship between variations in perceived responsibility and perceived extent of controllability over an anticipated negative event. Theoretical implications of the results and, in particular, the value of a cognitive analysis of compulsive checking, are discussed. / Arts, Faculty of / Psychology, Department of / Graduate

The present study examined stimulus control in autistic children. A matching-to-sample procedure was employed in all experiments. In the first part of Experiment I, autistic and control subjects were trained to discriminate between a vertical line and a line tilted at an angle of 33 degrees from vertical. Following training, subjects were given a generalization test to determine the degree of dimensional control by line tilt. In the second part of Experiment I, subjects were trained to discriminate between a vertical line and lines tilted progressively closer to vertical. Experiment II was also a test for the degree of dimensional control by the line tilt. In Experiment I, the autistic subjects took a greater number of trials than the controls to reach the criterion of 24 consecutive correct trials. However, the difference in the number of trials taken by the two groups was not large. There was also little difference between the autistic and control subjects in part two of Experiment I. All of the autistic subjects successfully discriminated between a vertical line and a 2 degree line tilt to a criterion of eight consecutive correct trials. In the generalization tests in Experiments I and II, there was little difference between the autistic and control subjects in dimensional stimulus control. In Experiment III, the autistic subjects were examined for acquisition of a multidimensional discrimination. Both autistic and control subjects were trained to match a standard stimulus with one of four comparison stimuli that were varied in shape and in the presence and absence of a star within the shape. The autistic subjects took a greater number of trials than the controls to reach the criterion of eight consecutive correct trials. However, the difference between the autistic and control subjects in the number of trials taken to reach criterion was not large. In summary, the study found little difference between autistic and control subjects in the acquisition of simple or multidimensional discrimination. As well, there was little difference between the autistics and the controls in dimensional stimulus control. The results of the study suggest that the autistic child's problem is not one of stimulus selectivity. / Arts, Faculty of / Psychology, Department of / Graduate