Psychiatric morbidity and post-traumatic symptoms among survivors in the early stage following the 1999 earthquake in Taiwan.

This study reports the clinical psychiatric presentations and post-traumatic symptoms among 525 survivors at Yu-Chyr District in Nantou County who sought psychiatric service in the first month following the devastating earthquake that struck the central area of Taiwan. All subjects received psychiatric interviews and assessments using the 12-item Chinese Health Questionnaire (CHQ-12) and a checklist for post-traumatic symptoms. The most common psychiatric symptoms reported were insomnia, palpitations, nervousness, and dizziness with headache. Eleven percent of the subjects reported having thought of death or having suicidal ideation. The mean score on the CHQ-12 was 6.43 (S.D.=2.89). The rate of probable psychiatric morbidity as defined by a CHQ-12 score > or =3 was 89.9%. Post-traumatic symptoms were very prevalent, particularly symptoms of re-experiencing the earthquake and hyper-arousal. Factors significantly associated with high psychiatric morbidity were being female, serious destruction of property and house, and personality characteristics of nervousness and obsessiveness. Findings of this study suggest that early psychiatric intervention, including pharmacological treatment for acute stress disorder, is indicated during the early stages following a disastrous earthquake.

[Experimental study on effect of congsheng capsule on expression of brain derived neurotrophic factor and tyrosinkinase mRNA in forebrain of rats after cortical devascularization].

OBJECTIVE: To study the effect and mechanism of Congsheng Capsule (CSC) on brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and tyrosinkinase (trkB) mRNA in forebrain of rats after cortical devascularization. METHODS: The rat devascularization model was established, and expression of BDNF mRNA and trkB mRNA were determined by hybridization in situ method. RESULTS: Expression of BDNF mRNA and trkB mRNA reduced obviously in the cerebral cortex and hippocampus of devascularization model, especially in hippocampal CA1 subregion. There was trkB mRNA but no BDNF mRNA expression in the macrocyte basal nuclei (MBN). CSC significantly increased the decreased BDNF and trkB mRNA in cortex, hippocampus and MBN compared with placebo group. CONCLUSION: CSC could salvage the degenerating neurons and maintain their survival after cortical devascularization by increasing the expression of BDNF and trkB mRNA and improving the synthesis of BDNF mRNA and trkB protein.