Oscillatory magnetic brain activity is related to dissociative symptoms and childhood adversities - A study in women with multiple trauma.

BACKGROUND: Individuals with trauma-related disorders are complex and heterogeneous; part of this complexity derives from additional psychopathology like dissociation as well as environmental adversities such as traumatic stress, experienced throughout the lifespan. Understanding the neurophysiological abnormalities in Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) requires a simultaneous consideration of these factors. METHODS: Resting state magnetoencephalography (MEG) recordings were obtained from 41 women with PTSD and comorbid depressive symptoms, and 16 healthy women. Oscillatory brain activity was extracted for five frequency bands and 11 source locations, and analyzed in relation to shutdown dissociation and adversity-related measures. RESULTS: Dissociative symptoms were related to increased delta and lowered beta power. Adversity-related measures modulated theta and alpha oscillatory power (in particular childhood sexual abuse) and differed between patients and controls. LIMITATIONS: Findings are based on women with comorbid depressive symptoms and therefore may not be applicable for men or groups with other clinical profiles. In respect to childhood adversities, we had no reliable source for the early infancy. CONCLUSION: Trauma-related abnormalities in neural organization vary with both exposure to adversities as well as their potential to evoke ongoing shutdown responses.

[Management of antibiotic-resistant pathogens in Bavarian hospitals: results of a systematic survey and prospects to establish a statewide network "multidrug-resistant pathogens"]. / Management von Antibiotika-resistenten Erregern in bayerischen Kliniken: Ergebnisse einer systematischen Erhebung und Perspektiven zur Bildung eines landesweiten Netzwerks "multiresistente Erreger"

BACKGROUND: Infections caused by multidrug-resistant pathogens are a serious infection control problem with considerable public-health relevance. Regional networks coordinated by local public health departments are to be originated to establish a broader implementation of currently available official guidelines on infection prevention and control which consider the nosocomial transmission of MRSA. This is also due to the raise of awareness for the need of infection control implications to fight other multidrug-resistant pathogens. METHOD: A standardised guidance and survey in Bavarian hospitals on the basis of a checklist concerning structure, process and outcome quality parameters was done by the local public health departments. The data analysis was carried out by the Bavarian Health and Food Safety Authority. OUTCOMES: Checklists from 130 hospitals spread on 92% of the local districts of Bavaria were analysed. The results point out the need for improvements considering working time and duties of infection control professionals, especially infection control nurses, screening concepts and the compliance with legal regulations on the surveillance of nosocomial infections. On the other hand, the available guidelines for the management of patients carrying MRSA seem to be held serious.