Psychiatry Commons^™

Onset Of Multiple Chronic Conditions And Depressive Symptoms: A Life Events Perspective., Maureen Wilson-Genderson, Allison R Heid, Rachel Pruchno

Rowan-Virtua School of Osteopathic Medicine Departmental Research

Background: While the association between depressive symptoms and chronic illness has been the subject of many studies, little is known about whether depressive symptoms differ as a function of the illnesses people have as they transition to living with multiple chronic conditions.

Methods: Self-reports of five diagnosed chronic conditions (arthritis, diabetes, heart disease, hypertension, and pulmonary disease) and depressive symptoms were provided by 3,396 people participating in three waves of the ORANJ BOWL

Results: Between 2006 and 2014, controlling for age, gender, income, race, and a lifetime diagnosis of depression, people who transitioned to having a diagnosis of multiple chronic …

The Cognition-Enhancing Effects Of Psychostimulants Involve Direct Action In The Prefrontal Cortex, Robert C. Spencer, David M. Devilbiss, Craig Berridge

Rowan-Virtua School of Osteopathic Medicine Departmental Research

Psychostimulants are highly effective in the treatment of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. The clinical efficacy of these drugs is strongly linked to their ability to improve cognition dependent on the prefrontal cortex (PFC) and extended frontostriatal circuit. The procognitive actions of psychostimulants are only associated with low doses. Surprisingly, despite nearly 80 years of clinical use, the neurobiology of the procognitive actions of psychostimulants has only recently been systematically investigated. Findings from this research unambiguously demonstrate that the cognition-enhancing effects of psychostimulants involve the preferential elevation of catecholamines in the PFC and the subsequent activation of norepinephrine α2 and dopamine D1 receptors. …

Psychostimulants As Cognitive Enhancers: The Prefrontal Cortex, Catecholamines And Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, Craig Berridge, David M. Devilbiss

Rowan-Virtua School of Osteopathic Medicine Departmental Research

Psychostimulants exert behavioral-calming and cognition-enhancing actions in the treatment of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Contrary to early views, extensive research demonstrates that these actions are not unique to ADHD. Specifically, when administered at low and clinically-relevant doses, psychostimulants improve a variety of behavioral and cognitive processes dependent on the prefrontal cortex (PFC) in subjects with and without ADHD. Despite the longstanding clinical use of these drugs, the neural mechanisms underlying their cognition-enhancing/therapeutic actions have only recently begun to be examined. At behaviorally-activating doses, psychostimulants produce large and widespread increases in extracellular levels of brain catecholamines. In contrast, cognition-enhancing doses …