scholarly journals Pituitary volume and the effects of phototherapy in patients with seasonal winter depression: a controlled study

2008 ◽  
Vol 30 (1) ◽  
pp. 50-54 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ângela Marisa de Aquino Miranda-Scippa ◽  
Maria Laura Nogueira Pires ◽  
Benjamim Wolf Handfas ◽  
Sueli Kazue Nagahashi Marie ◽  
Helena Maria Calil
Keyword(s):  
Magnetic Resonance Imaging ◽  
Magnetic Resonance ◽  
Controlled Study ◽  
Crossover Fashion ◽  
Resonance Imaging ◽  
Double Blind ◽  
Efficient Treatment ◽  
Winter Depression ◽  
Tropical Area ◽  
Severity Of Depression

OBJECTIVES: Our aims were to investigate the pituitary volume in patients with seasonal winter depression and healthy volunteers in winter and summer, and to assess the effects of phototherapy in these patients. METHOD: The pituitary volume of 12 patients with winter depression and 12 healthy controls, paired according gender, age and menstrual cycle, were obtained from magnetic resonance imaging in winter and summer. Eight patients were submitted to phototherapy (10000 vs. 2500 lux) in a double-blind crossover fashion during the winter, and reassessed (symptoms and magnetic resonance imaging) after treatment. RESULTS: There were no significant differences in pituitary volume between controls and patients in winter or summer. Exposure to phototherapy (10000 lux) decreased the depressive symptoms (p = 0.004), but the glandular volume did not change (p = 0.5). However, the pituitary volume in winter showed a positive correlation with the severity of depression in these patients (r = 0.69, p = 0.04). CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest that neither winter depression nor the change of seasons is associated with significant change in the pituitary volume. Despite the fact that this study was performed in a tropical area, phototherapy with 10000 lux showed to be an efficient treatment in this SAD patients sample.

Low-dose Infliximab (3 mg/kg) Significantly Reduces Spinal Inflammation on Magnetic Resonance Imaging in Patients with Ankylosing Spondylitis: A Randomized Placebo-controlled Study

2010 ◽  
Vol 37 (8) ◽  
pp. 1728-1734 ◽  
Author(s):  
WALTER P. MAKSYMOWYCH ◽  
DAVID SALONEN ◽  
ROBERT D. INMAN ◽  
PROTON RAHMAN ◽  
ROBERT G.W. LAMBERT
Keyword(s):  
Magnetic Resonance Imaging ◽  
Ankylosing Spondylitis ◽  
Magnetic Resonance ◽  
Treatment Effect ◽  
Low Dose ◽  
High Reliability ◽  
Controlled Study ◽  
Resonance Imaging ◽  
Large Treatment Effect ◽  
Spinal Inflammation

Objective.To evaluate the influence of low-dose infliximab (IFX) on spinal inflammation scored by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The dose recommended for rheumatoid arthritis (3 mg/kg) is also clinically effective for ankylosing spondylitis (AS), although effects on spinal inflammation as defined by MRI have yet to be described in a placebo-controlled trial.Methods.In a 12-week double-blind period, patients were randomized 1:1 to receive either IFX 3 mg/kg at 0, 2, and 6 weeks, or placebo. Spinal inflammation in discovertebral units (DVU) was measured by the Spondyloarthritis Research Consortium of Canada (SPARCC) MRI Index at baseline and 12 weeks by 3 readers blinded to timepoint and treatment allocation. We also compared reliability and discrimination of the SPARCC MRI index based on evaluation of the entire spine (23 DVU score) compared to assessment of only the 6 most severely affected DVU (6 DVU score).Results.At Week 12, patients treated with IFX experienced mean reductions of 55.1% and 57.2% in the 6 DVU and 23 DVU SPARCC scores, respectively, compared with a mean increase of 5.8% and decrease of 3.4% in 6 DVU and 23 DVU scores, respectively, for patients taking placebo (p < 0.001). A large treatment effect (Guyatt’s effect size ≥ 1.7) and high reliability was evident and comparable between 6 DVU and 23 DVU scoring methods.Conclusion.Treatment with low-dose IFX leads to a large treatment effect on spinal inflammation as measured by MRI. Scoring for inflammation of only the most severely affected regions of the spine by MRI is comparable to assessment of the entire spine.

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