Search

Introduction: An effective treatment of mental disorders and it's development require seeking for their neurobiological markers. Transcranial ultrasonography (TCS) is a brain imaging method, which is able to depict certain brain structures with a high accuracy. In depressive and selected anxiety disorders, it revealed a reduced echogenicity of the brainstem raphe, a part of which the raphe nuclei are. As this finding is not related to the disease severity, it is usually interpreted as a dispositional factor or a trait marker for these disorders. Objective: Our objective was to determine, whether the reduced brainstem raphe echogenicity is related to the dispositional factor for depressive and anxiety disorders. Material and method: One hundred students with no history of mental or neurological disease were examined using TCS and, at the same time, the five-dimension revised NEO Personality Inventory, Beck's scales of anxiety and depression, the Social Re-adjustment Rating Scale, and genetic testing in order to determine polymorphisms in the promoter of the serotonin transporter gene. Results: Anechogenic brainstem raphe was found in 11% of the participants, hypoechogenic one in 29%, and normoechogenic one in 60%. Only an increased score of the Social Re-adjustment Rating Scale, an increased agreeableness z-score, and an increased total percentage of the long allele of the promoter of the serotonin transporter gene were found in the anechogenic brainstem raphe group as compared to the normoechogenic one. Conclusion: Ascertained personal characteristics and genetic outcomes do not support the link between rapheal hypoechogenicity and known dispositional factors for depressive and anxiety disorders. Only an increased occurrence of stressful life events in anechogenic subjects during the 6 months preceding the examination is in accordance with known etiopathogenetic findings in these mental disorders. Our findings failed to prove that the reduced brainstem echogenicity is a trait marker of depressive and anxiety disorders, however, it is possible to consider a role of this condition as a state marker. Therefore, a further research in this sense is suitable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ptáček R, Raboch J, Vňuková M, Hlinka J, Anders M. Beck Depression inventory BDI-II - standardization and its use in practice Objective: Depression is among the best known and most serious mental problems and the World Health Organization ranks it among one of the most common causes invalidity. Beck depression inventory for adults (BDI-II) is a highly reliable tool for determining the intensity of depression. The aim of this study was to verify the reliability and validity of the Czech translation of the BDI-II as a psychometric instrument. Materials and Method: The research was conducted on a representative sample of the working population. Results were obtained from 1,027 respondents. To verify the validity and reliability we used Cronbach’s alpha and Factor analysis. Data were analyzed using Stata software, version 12 (StataCorp, 2012). Results: T-test showed a significant difference in the results of BDI-II between the sexes. Cronbach’s alpha and factor analysis showed high internal consistency and reliability of Czech version of the BDI-II. Czech version of the BDIII thus could be seen as good psychometric instrument. Conclusion: This study aimed to verify the validity and reliability of BDI-II Czech version Czech version. Original authors Preiss and Vacíř (1999) have done so only on a sample of 60 men. We achieved 1027 respondents. The sample contained both sexes and is a representative sample of the Czech economically active population. This study confirms the results of other standardization studies of BDI-II and points to the fact that the Czech version of the BDI-II has a high internal reliability and validity. Our results are comparable and that the other available samples and confirm that the Czech version of the BDI-II is a reliable psychometric tool. These results can also be used to set standards for the Czech population and for comparison with clinical populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]