Comparison of the neurobiological effects of attribution retraining group therapy with those of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors
Braz. j. med. biol. res
;
46(3): 318-326, 15/mar. 2013. tab
Article
in English
| LILACS
| ID: lil-670901
ABSTRACT
The aim of this study was to compare the effectiveness of attribution retraining group therapy (ARGT) with selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) in the treatment of major depressive disorder (MDD), generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Subjects were sequentially recruited and randomized into two groups, one receiving ARGT (n = 63) and the other SSRIs (n = 66) for 8 weeks. Fifty-four ARGT outpatients with MDD (n = 19), GAD (n = 19), and OCD (n = 16) and 55 SSRI outpatients with MDD (n = 19), GAD (n = 19), and OCD (n = 17) completed the study. All subjects were assessed using the Hamilton Depression Scale and Hamilton Anxiety Scale before and after treatment. The 10-item Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale was employed only for OCD subjects. Plasma levels of serotonin, norepinephrine, cortisol, and adrenocorticotropic hormone were also measured at baseline and 8 weeks after completion of treatment. Symptom scores were significantly reduced (P < 0.001) in both the ARGT and SSRI groups at the end of treatment. However, MDD, GAD and OCD patients in the ARGT group had significantly lower plasma cortisol concentrations compared to baseline (P < 0.05), whereas MDD and OCD patients receiving SSRIs showed significantly increased plasma levels of serotonin (P < 0.05). These findings suggest that ARGT may modulate plasma cortisol levels and affect the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis as opposed to SSRIs, which may up-regulate plasma serotonin levels via a different pathway to produce an overall improvement in the clinical condition of the patients.
Full text:
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Index:
LILACS (Americas)
Main subject:
Anxiety Disorders
/
Psychotherapy, Group
/
Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors
/
Depressive Disorder, Major
/
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
Type of study:
Controlled clinical trial
Limits:
Adult
/
Female
/
Humans
/
Male
Language:
English
Journal:
Braz. j. med. biol. res
Journal subject:
Biology
/
Medicine
Year:
2013
Type:
Article
/
Project document
Affiliation country:
China
Institution/Affiliation country:
Nanjing Brain Hospital, Nanjing Medical University/CN
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