Psychiatry - Research Publications

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End date: 2013 × Start date: 2010 × Subject: cytokines ×

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    The impact of statins on psychological wellbeing: a systematic review and meta-analysis
    O'Neil, A ; Sanna, L ; Redlich, C ; Sanderson, K ; Jacka, F ; Williams, LJ ; Pasco, JA ; Berk, M (BMC, 2012-12-03)
    BACKGROUND: Cholesterol-lowering medications such as statins have anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, which may be beneficial for treating depression and improving mood. However, evidence regarding their effects remains inconsistent, with some studies reporting links to mood disturbances. We aimed to conduct a meta-analysis to determine the impact of statins on psychological wellbeing of individuals with or without hypercholesterolemia. METHODS: Articles were identified using medical, health, psychiatric and social science databases, evaluated for quality, and data were synthesized and analyzed in RevMan-5 software using a random effects model. RESULTS: The 7 randomized controlled trials included in the analysis represented 2,105 participants. A test for overall effect demonstrated no statistically significant differences in psychological wellbeing between participants receiving statins or a placebo (standardized mean difference (SMD) = -0.08, 95% CI -0.29 to 0.12; P = 0.42). Sensitivity analyses were conducted to separately analyze depression (n = 5) and mood (n = 2) outcomes; statins were associated with statistically significant improvements in mood scores (SMD = -0.43, 95% CI -0.61 to -0.24). CONCLUSIONS: Our findings refute evidence of negative effects of statins on psychological outcomes, providing some support for mood-related benefits. Future studies could examine the effects of statins in depressed populations.
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    Understanding the role of inflammatory-related pathways in the pathophysiology and treatment of psychiatric disorders: evidence from human peripheral studies and CNS studies
    Dean, B (OXFORD UNIV PRESS, 2011-08)
    Many lines of evidence now support the hypothesis that inflammation-related pathways are involved in the pathophysiology of psychiatric disorders. Much of the data underpinning this hypothesis has come from the study of inflammation-related proteins in blood of individuals with mood disorders and schizophrenia. Significantly, recent data have emerged to suggest that changes in inflammation-related pathways are present in the CNS of subjects with psychiatric disorders. It is therefore timely to overview how such data, plus data on the role of inflammation-related proteins in CNS function, is contributing to understanding the pathophysiology of mood disorders and schizophrenia. In addition, it has been suggested that antidepressants, mood stabilizers and antipsychotic drugs act on inflammation-related pathways and therefore measuring levels of inflammation-related proteins in blood may be useful in monitoring treatment responsiveness. Despite these important neuropsychopharmacological discoveries, there is no clear understanding as to how inflammatory-related pathways can precipitate the onset of psychiatric symptoms. This review will focus on data suggesting that acute-reactive proteins and cytokines are affected by the pathophysiology of mood disorders and schizophrenia, that levels of blood inflammation-related proteins before and after treatment might be useful in the diagnosis of psychiatric disorders or measuring responsiveness to drug treatment. Finally, it will be postulated how changes in these proteins affect CNS function to cause psychiatric disorders.