The Effects of Multidisciplinary Approach for Children with Feeding Disorder and Failure to Thrive on Their Mothers

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to determine whether intervention using a multidisciplinary approach affects maternal mental health, parenting stress, and sense of parenting competence in children with feeding disorder and failure to thrive (FTT). METHODS: Children with feeding disorder and FTT were randomized to the intervention group (N=11) or control group (N=8). We administered the Korean standardization of Parent Temperament Questionnaire for Children (K-PTQ) in both groups before intervention, and the Korean version of the Parenting Stress Index-Short Form (K-PSI-SF), Korean version of the Parenting Sense of Competence (K-PSOC), Korean version of the Beck's Depression Inventory (K-BDI), Korean version of the Beck Anxiety Inventory (K-BAI), and Korean version of the Mood Disorder Questionnaire (K-MDQ) in both groups before and after the intervention. RESULTS: In the intervention group, the K-BDI (p=.068), K-BAI (p=.068), and K-MDQ (p=.066) scores tended to show a decline, the K-PSI-SF scores for stress related to child learning showed a significant decline, and the K-PSOC scores for sense of parenting competence showed significant improvement. However, no significant changes were observed in the control group. CONCLUSION: Use of a multidisciplinary approach improved maternal mental health, parenting stress, and sense of competence. Comparison of these results with those of normal control will be necessary in a future study.

Serum S100B Levels and Major Depressive Disorder: Its Characteristics and Role in Antidepressant Response

OBJECTIVE: S100B is a neurotrophic factor that is involved in neuroplasticity. Neuroplasticity is disrupted in depression; however, treatment with antidepressants can restore neuroplasticity. S100B has previously been used as a biological marker for neuropathology and neuroplasticity; therefore, in this study, we compared serum S100B levels in depressive patients to those of normal controls. In addition, we compared the serum S100B levels of antidepressant responders to those of nonresponders. METHODS: Thirty five normal controls and 59 depressive patients were enrolled in this study. Depressive patients entered a 6 week clinical trial that included treatment with antidepressants. The serum S100B levels and clinical assessments, which included Hamilton depression rating scores, were measured at baseline and after 6 weeks of treatment with antidepressants. The difference in the serum S100B levels between depressive patients and normal controls and between antidepressant responders and nonresponders was then compared. RESULTS: There were no significant differences in the serum S100B levels of normal controls and depressive patients. In addition, 30 of the depressive patients responded to antidepressant treatment while 29 did not. Finally, the responders had significantly higher baseline serum S100B levels than the nonresponders. CONCLUSION: The results of this study suggest that the baseline serum S100B level is associated with the subsequent response to antidepressants. In addition, the high baseline serum S100B level that was observed in depressive patients may enhance neuroplasticity, which results in a favorable therapeutic response to antidepressants.