Biological Psychology Commons^™

Preliminary Evidence For Medication Effects On Functional Abnormalities In The Amygdala And Anterior Cingulate In Bipolar Disorder, Hilary P. Blumberg, Nelson H. Donegan, Charles A. Sanislow, Susan Collins, Cheryl Lacadie, Pawel Skudlarski, Ralitza Gueorguieva, Robert K. Fulbright, Thomas H. Mcglashan, John C. Gore, John H. Krystal

Charles A. Sanislow, Ph.D.

RATIONALE: Abnormal amygdala and frontocortical responses to emotional stimuli are implicated in bipolar disorder (BD) and have been proposed as potential treatment targets.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to investigate amygdala and frontocortical responses to emotional face stimuli in BD and the influences of mood-stabilizing medications on these responses.

METHODS: Functional magnetic resonance imaging was performed while 17 BD participants (5 unmedicated) and 17 healthy comparison (HC) participants viewed faces with happy, sad, fearful, or neutral expressions.

RESULTS: The group by stimulus-condition interaction was significant (p<0.01) for amygdala activation, with the greatest effects in the happy face condition. Relative to HC, amygdala increases were greater in unmedicated BD, but lower in medicated BD. Rostral anterior cingulate (rAC) activation was decreased in unmedicated BD compared to HC; however, BD participants taking medication demonstrated rAC activation similar to HC participants.

CONCLUSIONS: Although the sample sizes were small, these preliminary results suggest that …

Relation Of Therapeutic Alliance And Perfectionism To Outcome In Brief Outpatient Treatment Of Depression, David C. Zuroff, Sidney J. Blatt, Stuart M. Sotsky, Janice L. Krupnick, Daniel J. Martin, Charles A. Sanislow, Sam Simmens

Charles A. Sanislow, Ph.D.

Prior analyses of the National Institute of Mental Health Treatment of Depression Collaborative Research Program demonstrated that perfectionism was negatively related to outcome, whereas both the patient's perception of the quality of the therapeutic relationship and the patient contribution to the therapeutic alliance were positively related to outcome across treatment conditions (S. J. Blatt, D. C. Zuroff, D. M. Quinlan, & P. A. Pilkonis, 1996; J. L. Krupnick et al., 1996). New analyses examining the relations among perfectionism, perceived relationship quality, and the therapeutic alliance demonstrated that (a) the patient contribution to the alliance and the perceived quality of the …

Short And Long-Term Effects Of Medication And Psychotherapy In The Brief Treatment Of Depression: Further Analyses Of Data From The Nimh Tdcrp, Sidney J. Blatt, David C. Zuroff, Colin M. Bondi, Charles A. Sanislow

Charles A. Sanislow, Ph.D.

Prior analyses of data from the NIMH sponsored Treatment for Depression Collaborative Research Program (TDCRP; e.g., I. Elkin, 1994) indicated greater reduction of symptoms at midtreatment (8th wk) with Imipramine (IMI-CM) than with Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) and Interpersonal therapy (IPT), but no significant differences in symptom reduction among these 3 active treatments at termination. Current analyses of previously unanalyzed data from ratings by therapists, clinical evaluators, and 162 patients (mean age 35 yrs) at termination and at 18-mo follow-up also indicated no significant differences among these treatments in symptom reduction or ratings of current clinical condition. But significant treatment differences …