Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UMLS:C0011570 (depression)
 172,036 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

This study investigates the nosological specificity and time stability of reduced facial expressivity in schizophrenia by means of objective measurement. Facial expression in an emotional interview was evaluated using the "Facial Action Coding System" in 33 acute schizophrenia patients and 23 acute depressive patients in comparison with 21 nonpatient controls, each assessed twice within 4 weeks, and in 36 partly remitted schizophrenia patients assessed twice within 3 months. Acute schizophrenia patients showed reduced facial activity especially in the upper face and in facial activity often used as communicative signs or as signs of positive emotions. As depressive patients showed a comparable pattern of facial activity, nosological specificity is questionable. This pattern remained stable in the acute illness course and was almost identical in remitted schizophrenia patients, indicating a marked time stability of attenuated facial expressivity in schizophrenia and--for the acute phase assessed--in depression.
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PMID:Facial expressivity in the course of schizophrenia and depression. 1536 10

Nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) represent a class of therapeutic targets with the potential to impact numerous diseases and disorders where significant unmet medical needs remain. The latter include cognitive and neurodegenerative diseases; psychotic disorders, such as schizophrenia; acute nociceptive, neuropathic and inflammatory pain; affective disorders, such as depression and inflammation, where nAChR subtypes modulate key cellular pathways involved in anti-inflammatory processes as well as cell survival. Our increased understanding of the heterogeneity of nAChR targets is defining the relationship of biologic effects to specific receptor subtypes, which in turn, will allow further refinement of desired therapeutic activities. Both preclinical and clinical evidence support the notion that novel compounds targeting specific nAChR subtypes will offer increased potency and efficacy, longer lasting effects, fewer side effects and a more rapid onset of action and less dependence, compared with existing therapies. Clinical proof-of-concept is rapidly emerging and will solidify the position of this new therapeutic approach.
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PMID:Nicotinic receptors as targets for therapeutic discovery. 2349 28