Serum concentrations of brain-derived neurotrophic factor and mental disorders in imprisoned women

Objective: Mental disorders and early trauma are highly prevalent in female inmates. Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) plays an important role in learning, memory processes, and mood regulation. The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship between serum BDNF levels and mental disorders among imprisoned women as compared with age- and education-matched controls. Methods: A consecutively recruited sample of 18 female prisoners with mental disorders was assessed for sociodemographic, criminal, and clinical variables using standardized instruments, the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview Plus (MINI Plus), and serum BDNF levels. Results: High rates of childhood sexual abuse and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) were found in the group of forensic patients. Serum BDNF levels in the forensic group did not differ from those of healthy controls, and were significantly higher when compared with those of women with mental disorders hospitalized in a general hospital. Conclusion: Elevated serum BDNF levels were found in imprisoned women. The results of this study may suggest neurobiological mechanisms similar to those seen in previous clinical and preclinical studies showing the involvement of BDNF in the pathophysiology of PTSD. .

The Study of Reliability and Validity of the Korean Version of the Trauma Symptom Checklist for Young Children

The present study aimed to evaluate the psychometric properties of the Korean version of the Trauma Symptom Checklist for Young Children (TSCYC) including reliability and validity. The TSCYC is an instrument to identify trauma symptoms in children from age 3 to 12 yr by their caretakers. The Korean version of the TSCYC was administered to the caretakers of a normative group of 299 children (137 boys and 162 girls) aged 3 to 12 yr and a traumatized group of 73 sexually abused children (22 boys and 51 girls) aged 3 to 12 yr and their caretakers rated the TSCYC and the Child Behavior Checklist and the Child Sexual Behavior Inventory. Among normative group, 88 performed a re-test after 4 weeks. The internal consistency, Cronbach's alpha of total scale of the TSCYC was 0.92 (normative group) and 0.96 (traumatized group). For the nine clinical scales in the TSCYC, it ranged between 0.46-0.92 and 0.77-0.96, respectively. Test-retest correlation of the TSCYC was good (Pearson r score ranging 0.52-0.96). Correlations between the TSCYC and other measures of corresponding constructs were satisfactory. Regarding discriminant validity, the mean total score of the TSCYC was significantly higher in the traumatized children than in the normative group. This study demonstrated that Korean version of the TSCYC is a reliable measure with excellent internal consistency and good stability over 4-week test-retest interval. It can be recommended for clinicians to screen for trauma symptoms after child sexual abuse in Korean young children between the ages 3 and 12.

Trastorno por estrés postraumático: cambios significativos en el DSM-5 / [Posttraumatic stress disorder: meaningful changes in DSM-5].

UNLABELLED: The fact that posttraumatic stress disorder is a very important construct in public health and opinion, especially in the United States of America, has veiled it dubious specificity and problematic universality. HYPOTHESIS: the abandon of Freudian theory since 1980 was correlative of a permanent revision of criteria to define "traumatic" in DSM versions, as well as of revaluation of ancient theory of dissociation. METHOD: most meaningful changes introduced in PTSD criteria are critically reviewed from DSM-IV to DSM-5. "Traumatic", symptoms and dissociative estates, and a new preschool children subtype are revised. CONCLUSION: "Traumatic" yet being an artificial criterion is steel needed in order to keep the construct as a whole. Dissociative estates occupy an important place for the American authors and have turned more visible in DSM-5 than in previous DSM. New chapter "Trauma and stressor disorders" and new descriptions about PTSD support an enlarged clinical view of "traumatic". Inconsistencies found between reviews considered for PTSD in DSM-5 show that different work groups contribute to the construction of the disorder with fragmentary and divorced parts from one another.

Accuracy of the Composite International Diagnostic Interview (CIDI 2.1) for diagnosis of post-traumatic stress disorder according to DSM-IV criteria / Validade do diagnóstico de transtorno de estresse pós-traumático do Composite International Diagnostic Interview (CIDI 2.1) de acordo com os critérios diagnósticos da DSM-IV

The objective was to study the accuracy of the post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) section of the Composite International Diagnostic Interview (CIDI 2.1) DSM-IV diagnosis, using the Structured Clinical Interview (SCID) as gold standard, and compare the ICD-10 and DSM IV classifications for PTSD. The CIDI was applied by trained lay interviewers and the SCID by a psychologist. The subjects were selected from a community and an outpatient program. A total of 67 subjects completed both assessments. Kappa coefficients for the ICD-10 and the DSM IV compared to the SCID diagnosis were 0.67 and 0.46 respectively. Validity for the DSM IV diagnosis was: sensitivity (51.5%), specificity (94.1%), positive predictive value (9.5%), negative predictive value (66.7%), misclassification rate (26.9%). The CIDI 2.1 demonstrated low validity coefficients for the diagnosis of PTSD using DSM IV criteria when compared to the SCID. The main source of discordance in this study was found to be the high probability of false-negative cases with regards to distress and impairment as well as to avoidance symptoms.

O objetivo deste artigo foi estudar a validade concorrente da seção de transtorno de estresse pós-traumático do CIDI 2.1 critérios DSM IV, utilizando o Structured Clinical Interview (SCID) como padrão-ouro, e comparar o diagnóstico de TEPT entre CID-10 e DSM IV. O CIDI foi aplicado por entrevistadores leigos treinados e o SCID por uma psicóloga. A amostra foi composta por sujeitos da comunidade e de um ambulatório de especialidade psiquiátrica. Sessenta e sete sujeitos completaram ambos os questionários. O coeficiente kappa foi de 0.46 ao comparar DSM IV com a SCID. A validade diagnóstica usando critérios do DSM IV foi de: sensibilidade = 51.5%, especificidade = 94.1%, valor preditivo positivo = 89.5%, valor preditivo negativo = 66.7%, taxa de classificação incorreta = 26.9%. O CIDI 2.1 apresentou valores baixos para os coeficientes de validação de TEPT usando os critérios do DSM IV ao comparar com o SCID. A principal causa de discordância foi o grande número de casos falsos negativos devido aos sintomas de significância clínica e sintomas de evitação.

Síndrome del trauma fetal o temprano STFT / Fetal and early trauma syndrome - FETS

Nueva descripción clínica para los caso de hijos de desaparecidos y de nacidos en cautiverio de madres bajo torturas, vejaciones y abusos como una forma especial de sufrimiento temprano, y en muchos casos fetal. Estos niños padecieron el horro, al ser separados violentamente de sus padres a la mas tierna edad, o inmediatamente después de su nacimiento en cautiverio, vendidos por sus captores y criados como adoptados o propios por los adquirentes durante la última dictadura militar (1976-83) Se discute su posible inclusión en las categorías vigentes del CIE-10 de la OMS: Trastornos de estrés postraumático F43.1, pues incluyen Las respuestas tardías o diferidas a situaciones de ser victimas de torturas, terrorismo y violación. Pero se aclara que en el caso de que las secuelas de un estrés devastador, se manifiesten después de década, habrá que codificar como Trastorno persistente de la personalidad, tras experiencia catastrófica F62.0. Se concluye con la necesidad de postular el STFT como un nuevo cuadro de los Trastornos Persistentes de la Personalidad, por sus características idiosincrásicas específicas que desbordan las descripciones clínicas disponibles que tiene ecuación etio-patológica propia y una identificación protognomónica reconocible, que en algunos casos sirvió para detectar a niños con problemas de identidad enajenada (vale entender como jurídicamente sustraída clínicamente alienada). Se mencionan aspectos propedéuticos y de tratamiento en conjunción con las particularidades de una terapéutica que restaure la personalidad privada ilegalmente en estos niños, hoy adultos de 25 a 29 años. Finalmente se realiza una discusión meta-psicológica sobre la resiliencia de la verdad, que cuando se la rechaza, retorna constituyéndose así como una, ética de la verdad

Escalas de avaliacao de transtorno do estresse pos-traumatico / Rating scales for post traumatic stress disorder

Este artigo descreve as principais escalas utilizadas na avaliacao do Transtorno do Estresse Pos-traumatico, discutindo os problemas existentes em sua aplicacao. Sao apresentadas neste trabalho a CAPS (Clinician Administered PSTD Scale), a IES (Impact of Events Scale), a MISS (Mississippi Rating Scale For Combat Related PTSD e MISS - Civilian Version e a SOS (Significant Other Scale)

Intervenções psicoterápicas em situações de estresse agudo e estresse pós-traumático / Psycotherapeutic intervention in acute stress' situations and post-traumatic stress

É apresentada uma abordagem integrada sobre os mecanismos subjacentes ao conceito de transtorno de estresse pós-traumático, os critérios diagnósticos desse transtorno nas classificaçöes psiquiátricas atuais e as diferentes formas de tratamento

Tratamiento de la ansiedad en niños

Se trata de un estudio descriptivo sobre el diagnóstico, antecedentes, estado general y resultado del tratamiento de 33 pacientes que fueron atendidos por ansiedad en el Hospital Pediátrico de La Misericordia entre junio de 1991 y junio de 1992. Los pacientes son 55 por ciento mujeres y 45 por ciento hombres, en promedio tenían 10 años y estaban cursando 5o. grado. Al hacer la diferencia por el tipo de ansiedad se encontró que la mayoría padecían de hiperansiedad (33 por ciento) seguidos por ansiedad postraumática (27 por ciento) y luego los otros tipos de ansiedad. La mejoría se presentó, en promedio, 30 días luego de iniciar el tratamiento. Los motivos de consulta que condujeron al estudio son muy diversos. Se hicieron diagnósticos pediátricos en el 67 por ciento de los niños. El 90 por ciento de los niños no tenían trastorno del desarrollo. En cambio el estrés psicosocial al cual estaban sometidos fue de severo a moderado en la mayoría. En casi todos los niños su funcionamiento global estaba seriamente deteriorado por el trastorno. Los pacientes se trataron con psicoterapia individual, información a la familia y psicotrópicos. Del grupo mejoraron 28 pacientes que representan el 85 por ciento y la mejoría se mantuvo al año de terminado el tratamiento.