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Aims: Alterations of plasma amyloid-β (Aβ) peptides have been related to a high risk for cognitive impairment and dementia. The present study aimed to measure plasma Aβ peptides (Aβ40, Aβ42) and the Aβ40/Aβ42 ratio in a sample of drug-resistant bipolar depressed patients, as well as to explore the possible correlation between biological parameters and clinical changes along an electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) course., Methods: Aβ40 and Aβ42 were measured by means of an ELISA assay in 25 drug-resistant bipolar depressed patients before (T0) and 1 week after (T1) the end of ECT. The patients were clinically evaluated by means of the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression, 21-item (HRSD-21), the Mini-Mental State Examination, and the Clinical Global Impressions-Severity of Illness Scale., Results: Plasma Aβ levels and the Aβ40/Aβ42 ratio were similar at T0 and T1. The Aβ40/Aβ42 ratio correlated positively with the HRSD total score at both T0 and T1. At T0, a negative correlation was found between the Aβ40/Aβ42 ratio and the improvement of depressive and cognitive symptoms. Moreover, remitters (n = 9; HRSD ≤10) showed a significantly lower Aβ40/Aβ42 ratio at T0 than nonremitters., Conclusion: The present data suggest that a low Aβ40/Aβ42 ratio might characterize a subgroup of depressed patients who respond to ECT, while higher values of this parameter seem to be typical of more severe cases of patients with cognitive impairment., (Copyright © 2013 S. Karger AG, Basel.)

Background: There is increasing evidence that the brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is involved in the pathophysiology of mood disorders and that its peripheral levels represent a reliable mirror of its concentration in the brain. The aim of the present study was to measure BDNF plasma levels in patients affected by major depression and to explore the possible relationship between the biological parameter and characteristics of the illness., Method: BDNF plasma levels were evaluated in 30 inpatients suffering from major depression, according to DSM-IV criteria, by means of a commonly employed ELISA method. The clinical characteristics were assessed by the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HRSD) and the Clinical Global Impression Scale., Results: BDNF plasma levels were significantly lower in the patients with the severest illness compared with the others, and the same was true for patients with dissociative symptoms, severe sleep disturbance and recurrent depression. A significant and negative correlation was observed between the biological parameter and the retardation factor score of the HRSD., Conclusion: These findings suggest that low BDNF levels are related to both recurrence and severity of depression, as well as to symptoms typical of dysfunctions of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis., (Copyright © 2010 S. Karger AG, Basel.)

Background/aims: The aim of this study was to investigate the serotonin transporter (SERT), by means of the 3H-paroxetine ([3H]-Par) binding to platelet membranes, in patients affected by pathological gambling (PG), as compared with a similar group of healthy control subjects., Methods: Seventeen PG patients were selected amongst those who were drug-free and at the first psychiatric interview in a Department of Addiction. The diagnosis was assessed according to DSM-IV criteria and PG severity was measured by means of the South Oaks Gambling Screen. The platelet [3H]-Par binding was carried out according to a standardized method. The binding parameters, the maximum binding capacity (B(max)) and the dissociation constant (K(d)), were obtained by means of the Scatchard analysis., Results: The B(max) values of PG patients were significantly lower than that of healthy subjects, while the K(d) values were not different in the two groups. No significant effect of age, sex or psychiatric comorbidity on B(max) or K(d) was observed; there were also no correlations between clinical and biological variables., Conclusions: PG patients showed a dysfunction at the level of the platelet SERT that would suggest the involvement of the 5-HT system in this condition., (2008 S. Karger AG, Basel.)