R (-)-ketamine shows greater potency and longer lasting antidepressant effects than S (+)-ketamine.

The N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor antagonist ketamine is one of the most attractive antidepressants for treatment-resistant major depressive disorder (MDD). Ketamine (or RS (±)-ketamine) is a racemic mixture containing equal parts of R (-)-ketamine and S (+)-ketamine. In this study, we examined the effects of R- and S-ketamine on depression-like behavior in juvenile mice after neonatal dexamethasone (DEX) exposure.

Calcification at orifices of aortic arch branches is a reliable and significant marker of stenosis at carotid bifurcation and intracranial arteries.

Purpose: Simple rating scale for calcification in the cervical arteries and the aortic arch on multi-detector computed tomography angiography (MDCTA) was evaluated its reliability and validity. Additionally, we investigated where is the most representative location for evaluating the calcification risk of carotid bifurcation stenosis and atherosclerotic infarction in the overall cervical arteries covering from the aortic arch to the carotid bifurcation.

Method: The aortic arch and cervical arteries among 518 patients (292 men, 226 women) were evaluated the extent of calcification using a 4-point grading scale for MDCTA.

Reduced serum paraoxonase 1 (PON1) activity in patients with schizophrenia treated with olanzapine but not quetiapine.

Background: Second generation antipsychotics (SGAs) are currently the most prescribed drugs in the treatment of schizophrenia. Despite their advantages, which include greater improvement in negative symptoms, cognitive function, prevention of deterioration, quality of life, and fewer extrapyramidal symptoms, the concern regarding metabolic abnormalities which might cause cardiovascular diseases during treatment with SGAs have been rising. Paraoxonase 1 (PON1) is an enzyme mostly located on high-density lipoprotein particles, and has been shown to protect or inhibit lipoprotein oxidation.

Plasma levels of mature brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) in treatment-resistant schizophrenia treated with clozapine.

Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) regulates the survival and growth of neurons, and influences synaptic efficiency and plasticity. Peripheral BDNF levels in patients with schizophrenia have been widely reported in the literature. However, it is still controversial whether peripheral levels of BDNF are altered in patients with schizophrenia.

The influences of emotional intensity for happiness and sadness on walking.

Walking is one of the most common activities that we perform every day. Even if the main goal of walking is to move from one place to another place, walking can also convey emotional clues in social context. Those clues can be used to improve interactions or any messages we want to express.

Role of the NMDA receptor in cognitive deficits, anxiety and depressive-like behavior in juvenile and adult mice after neonatal dexamethasone exposure.

Postnatal dexamethasone (DEX) therapy has been used to treat or prevent chronic lung disease after premature births. However, there are many reports of long-term negative neurodevelopmental sequelae following this treatment. In contrast, hydrocortisone (HYD), which has fewer neurodevelopment adverse effects, is used as an alternative for DEX.

Reliability and validity of the CogState battery Chinese language version in schizophrenia.

Background: Cognitive impairment in patients with schizophrenia is a core symptom of this disease. The computerized CogState Battery (CSB) has been used to detect seven of the most common cognitive domains in schizophrenia. The aim of this study was to examine the reliability and validity of the Chinese version of the CSB (CSB-C), in Chinese patients with schizophrenia.

Low openness on the revised NEO personality inventory as a risk factor for treatment-resistant depression.

Background: Recently, we reported that low reward dependence, and to a lesser extent, low cooperativeness in the Temperature and Character Inventory (TCI) may be risk factors for treatment-resistant depression. Here, we analyzed additional psychological traits in these patients.

Methods: We administered Costa and McCrae's five-factor model personality inventory, NEO Personality Inventory-Revised (NEO-PI-R), to antidepressant-treatment resistant depressed patients (n=35), remitted depressed patients (n=27), and healthy controls (n=66).

7,8-Dihydroxyflavone, a TrkB agonist, attenuates behavioral abnormalities and neurotoxicity in mice after administration of methamphetamine.

Rationale: It is widely recognized that methamphetamine (METH) induces behavioral abnormalities and dopaminergic neurotoxicity in the brain. Several lines of evidence suggest a role for brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and its specific receptor, tropomyosin-related kinase (TrkB), in METH-induced behavioral abnormalities.

Objective: In this study, we examined whether 7,8-dihydroxyflavone (7,8-DHF), a novel potent TrkB agonist, could attenuate behavioral abnormalities and dopaminergic neurotoxicity in mice after administration of METH.

Prenatal immune activation and subsequent peripubertal stress as a new model of schizophrenia.

Epidemiological studies show that maternal viral infection during pregnancy plays a key role in the etiology of neurodevelopmental disorders, such as schizophrenia and autism. Prenatal maternal immune activation and peripubertal psychological stress are key environmental risk factors for neurodevelopmental disorders. Viral mimic polyriboinosinic-polyribocytidylic acid is known to act as a Toll-like receptor-3 agonist.

[Antibiotic drug minocycline: a potential therapeutic drug for methamphetamine-related disorders].

Accumulating evidence suggests a role of inflammation in the pathophysiology of a number of neuropsychiatric diseases. The second generation antibiotic drug minocycline has potent neuroprotective and anti-inflammatory effects. We reported that minocycline could attenuate behavioral abnormalities and dopaminergic neurotoxicity in mice after administration of methamphetamine or 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA).

Effects of AS2586114, a soluble epoxide hydrolase inhibitor, on hyperlocomotion and prepulse inhibition deficits in mice after administration of phencyclidine.

Accumulating evidence suggests that soluble epoxide hydrolase (sEH) plays a key role in controlling levels of lipid signaling molecules, and that the potent sEH inhibitors may be potential therapeutic drugs for a number of diseases associated with metabolism of epoxyeicosatrienoic acids (EETs). This study was undertaken to examine whether the potent sEH inhibitor AS2586114 could attenuate behavioral abnormalities (e.g.

Longitudinal changes in serum brain-derived neurotrophic factor in accident survivors with posttraumatic stress disorder.

Background: This prospective cohort study investigated the serum levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), which mediates synaptic plasticity crucial for fear memory extinction, in patients severely injured in motor vehicle accidents (MVAs).

Method: A nested, case-controlled study was conducted with 103 MVA survivors: 8 medication-naïve patients who met the criteria for full diagnosis of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) at 6 months after MVA, 10 medication-naïve patients with partial PTSD and 85 patients with no PTSD. PTSD was evaluated by the Clinician-Administered PTSD Scale (CAPS).

Personality traits as risk factors for treatment-resistant depression.

Background: The clinical outcome of antidepressant treatment in patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) is thought to be associated with personality traits. A number of studies suggest that depressed patients show high harm avoidance, low self-directedness and cooperativeness, as measured on the Temperament and Character Inventory (TCI). However, the psychology of these patients is not well documented.

Neonatal disruption of serine racemase causes schizophrenia-like behavioral abnormalities in adulthood: clinical rescue by d-serine.

Background: D-Serine, an endogenous co-agonist of the N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor, is synthesized from L-serine by serine racemase (SRR). Given the role of D-serine in both neurodevelopment and the pathophysiology of schizophrenia, we examined whether neonatal disruption of D-serine synthesis by SRR inhibition could induce behavioral abnormalities relevant to schizophrenia, in later life.

Methodology/principal Findings: Neonatal mice (7-9 days) were injected with vehicle or phenazine methosulfate (Met-Phen: 3 mg/kg/day), an SRR inhibitor.

Optimal extent of dopamine D2 receptor occupancy by antipsychotics for treatment of dopamine supersensitivity psychosis and late-onset psychosis.

Several studies have proposed an optimal dopamine D2 receptor occupancy by antipsychotics (OOc) to establish optimal pharmacological treatment of schizophrenia. However, there are limitations to the use of the OOc, especially in application to patients with treatment-resistant schizophrenia, including dopamine supersensitivity psychosis (DSP) or late-onset psychosis (LOP). It has been suggested that D2 receptor density is up-regulated by chronic treatment of antipsychotics in DSP, whereas it may be low in LOP owing to age-related reduction.

Differential levels of brain amino acids in rat models presenting learned helplessness or non-learned helplessness.

Rationale: Glutamatergic and γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA)ergic abnormalities have recently been proposed to contribute to depression. The learned helplessness (LH) paradigm produces a reliable animal model of depression that expresses a deficit in escape behavior (LH model); an alternative phenotype that does not exhibit LH is a model of resilience to depression (non-LH model).

Objectives: We measured the contents of amino acids in the brain to investigate the mechanisms involved in the pathology of depression.

Effects of TrkB agonist 7,8-dihydroxyflavone on sensory gating deficits in mice after administration of methamphetamine.

Several lines of evidence suggest that the brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF)-tropomyosin-related kinase B (TrkB) signaling pathway plays a role in behavioral abnormalities observed after administration of psychostimulants, such as methamphetamine (METH). This study was undertaken to examine whether the potent TrkB agonist, 7,8-dihydroxyflavone (7,8-DHF) could improve prepulse inhibition (PPI) deficits in mice seen after a single dose of METH. Treatment with 7,8-DHF (3.

Enzymes in the glutamate-glutamine cycle in the anterior cingulate cortex in postmortem brain of subjects with autism.

Background: Accumulating evidence suggests that dysfunction in the glutamatergic system may underlie the pathophysiology of autism. The anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) has been implicated in autism as well as in glutamatergic neurotransmission. We hypothesized that alterations in the glutamate-glutamine cycle in the ACC might play a role in the pathophysiology of autism.