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Background: Childhood trauma is a non specific risk factor for adult eating disorders (ED), and the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis seems to mediate such a risk. Here we explored the impact of different types of childhood trauma and of traumatic load on the cortisol awakening response (CAR) of women with anorexia nervosa (AN) or bulimia nervosa (BN). Methods: Saliva samples were collected at awakening and after 15, 30, 60 min to measure cortisol levels by 121 women (44 AN patients, 36 BN patients and 41 healthy women). Participants filled in the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire. Results: AN and BN patients with childhood maltreatment exhibited an attenuated CAR compared with non-maltreated ones. In the whole ED patient group, the CAR showed a progressive impairment with the increasing number of reported trauma types. Although significant negative correlations emerged between the type or the number of traumas and the CAR, only the number of traumas remained significantly associated with the CAR in a stepwise multiple regression analysis. Conclusions: Present findings confirm that childhood trauma is associated with an impaired CAR in adult AN and BN patients and demonstrate for the first time a negative dose-dependent effect of the traumatic load on HPA axis activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Aggressive behaviors represent a public health concern and although most psychiatric patients are not aggressive, bipolar disorders (BDs) are associated with increased risk of these behaviors. Previous research focused on self-aggression identifying different predictors including affective temperaments and predominant polarity (PP), but little is known about hetero-aggressive behavior (HAB). Objectives: To explore the association between affective temperaments, PP and HAB and clinical predictors of HAB in BDs. Methods: A total of 371 subjects with BDI o BDII were recruited from the Barcelona Bipolar Disorder Program. Data on HAB were obtained from structured interviews with the patients or electronic clinical records. Affective temperaments were assessed with the TEMPS-A. Patients with and without HAB were compared regarding Clinical and sociodemographic variables and a logistic regression was performed. Results: 81 patients reported HAB which was associated positively with substance use (SU) (p=0.004), manic polarity (p=0.024) and treatment with atypical antipsychotics (p=0.030) and negatively with depressive polarity (DP) (p=0.032) and hyperthymic temperament (p=0.025). After logistic regression, SU was positively associated with HAB (OR 2.05 [95% CI 1.18-3.57] p = 0.001) and DP negatively (OR 0.44 [95% CI, 0.20-0.97] p=0.042). Conclusions: Current evidence on prevention strategies forHABin BDs is limited. It is possible that high levels of impulsivity in BDs, as linked to behavioral dyscontrol and SU, can lead to HAB. The evaluation of PP and SU should direct in the prevention of HAB, but the assessment of self-aggressive behaviors remain the main focus for a clinician. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Among the course specifier of Bipolar Disorder (BD), seasonal pattern specifier (SPS) outlines a clinical course characterizad by a tendency towards relapses according to specific moments of the year. This course affects 15-25% of BD patients. In the past, SPS just considered depressive episodes, intrinsically biasing clinical correlates outlined. Seasonality in DSM-5 may be applied to both polarities of relapse. Objectives: To assess SPS and its clinical correlates, in a sample of BD I and II patients. Methods: BD-I and BD-II patients enrolled from a prospective cohort follow-up. Data on seasonality were obtained from electronic clinical records, and assessed with respect to season of relapse and type of episode per season. SPS and non-SPS patients were compared according to sociodemographic and clinical correlates variables. A binary logistic regression was performed on the likelihood of association with SPS. Results: Among the 889 BD patients enrolled, 168 presented SPS. Significant variables at bivariate comparisons were included in a binary logistic regression. Total variance explained by the model was statistically significant (p<0.0001), between 7.2-11.0%, and included significant contribution of BD-II (p<0001, OR=2.655), treatment less treated with quetiapine (p<0.008 OR=1.8), undetermined predominant polarity (p<0.003, OR=1.8). Conclusions: Our results outline a known association with BD-II, an unknown association with undetermined predominant polarity. Differences among SPS BD patient might possibly underpin a need for a more precise definition which implements type of the affective relapse as well as season of relapse, in order to stratify among SPS patients more homogenous subpopulations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The essential oil, various extracts at different polarity, fractions, and pure compounds obtained from Nigella damascena plants and seeds were screened for biological activity. Antimicrobial tests showed the essential oil to be active only against Gram positive bacteria; among the extracts, the BuOH was active against Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus. Molluscicidal activity was absent. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]