Effect of social support on psychological-stress-induced anxiety and depressive symptoms in patients receiving peritoneal dialysis.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to assess the association of psychological stress and social support with anxiety and depressive symptoms in peritoneal dialysis (PD) patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD). METHODS: Eighty-one patients receiving PD were recruited. Their demographic characteristics, psychological stress, and social support were determined with a structured questionnaire, and their anxiety and depressive symptoms were assessed with the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale. RESULTS: Psychological stressors caused by ESRD and PD originated from five major sources, as determined by factor analysis. These included "Job and family crisis," "Worry about health and family being harmed," "Worry about daily life being restricted and physical appearance being altered," "Fear of decline in social ability," and "Fear of decline in physical function." Hierarchical linear regression analysis indicated that, after adjusting for gender, age, marital status, educational level, and duration of illness, solid social support can alleviate such symptoms.

[Effects of acute hypobaric hypoxia on spatial learning, memory and its relationship with orphanin FQ of hippocampus in rats].

AIM: To study the relationship between changes of learning, memory and orphanin FQ (OFQ) in hippocampus of rats in acute hypobaric hypoxia at two different altitude levels of 4 500 m(moderate) and 7 500 m(serious). METHODS: Hypobaric chamber, Morris water maze training method and RT-PCR technique were used in the experiment. RESULTS: (1) Compared with the control, the OFQ mRNA expression of hippocampus increased significantly after exposure to acute serious hypobaric hypoxia (8 h/d for 6 d in succession), but obviously decreased after Morris water maze training (6 times/d for 6 d in succession, the latency of place navigation was shortened). (2) After exposure to acute hypobaric hypoxia, the latency of place navigation was markedly elongated, but the OFQ mRNA of hippocampus was significantly higher than that of learning and memory group. CONCLUSION: The hippocampal OFQ was involved in the mechanism of decrease in spatial learning and memory induced by acute hypobaric hypoxia.