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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 14 of 14. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by Oddipus Rex on April 21, 2003, at 8:52:02
I wish I lived in New Haven, at least for 12 weeks. I'd be glad to volunteer. This sounds fascinating to me.
Yale Offers Free Short Term Therapy As Part of Neurological StudyNew Haven, Conn. The Yale School of Medicine¹s Department of Psychiatry is offering 12 weeks of free cognitive behavioral therapy for major depression as part of a study to measure possible changes in brain chemistry associated with treatment.
The neurotransmitter GABA (g-aminobutyric acid) may be a key in diagnosing specific subtypes of depression, and may be useful in helping to determine which type of treatment is most likely to provide benefit to an individual patient, said the principal investigator, Gerard Sanacora, director of the Depression Research Clinic.
The study involves measuring levels of several neurotransmitters, including GABA, at the beginning of the treatment trial and then again after the therapy is completed. The measures will be made using magnetic resonance imaging.
Persons eligible for the study are men and women 21 to 65-years-old who are depressed but who are either not on medication or whose medication is not effective. The person must not have a substance abuse problem.
Persons enrolled in the study will be given a thorough medical and psychiatric evaluation to insure that they meet the diagnosis of depression. Symptoms of depression include, among others, insomnia and loss of appetite.
Cognitive therapists can help persons to identify and correct unrealistic ideas and thinking that lead to erroneous conclusions about themselves and others. The therapists can also help persons to devise ways to deal more effectively with day-to-day problems. However, no studies to date have specifically assessed whether the treatment is associated with changes in brain chemistry.
www.HealthNewsDigest.com
Posted by Dinah on April 21, 2003, at 22:28:19
In reply to Study to look at brain changes from CBT, posted by Oddipus Rex on April 21, 2003, at 8:52:02
Have you been able to reschedule your CBT appointment? I'm anxious to hear what you think of it. Opinions seem decidedly mixed (even within myself).
Posted by BekkaH on April 22, 2003, at 0:21:54
In reply to Study to look at brain changes from CBT, posted by Oddipus Rex on April 21, 2003, at 8:52:02
> I wish I lived in New Haven, at least for 12 weeks. I'd be glad to volunteer. This sounds fascinating to me.
>
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OddipusRex - Yes, it does look fascinating. Why don't you contact Yale and see whether they have temporary housing for patients participating in clinical studies? And even if they don't have housing arrangements, ask how many days per week you'd have to be there. If it's only one or two days a week, and if you live in the northeastern part of the U.S., perhaps you could travel there just on the days you're required to be there. I know for a fact that several major medical centers around the country have dormitory-type housing for patients participating in studies, and I'd be very surprised if Yale didn't have similar accommodations.
Posted by Oddipus Rex on May 4, 2003, at 12:03:48
In reply to Re: Study to look at brain changes from CBT » Oddipus Rex, posted by Dinah on April 21, 2003, at 22:28:19
> Have you been able to reschedule your CBT appointment? I'm anxious to hear what you think of it. Opinions seem decidedly mixed (even within myself).
No I haven't tried. I did have two abortive attempts at CBT but i didn't give it a real trial. I think in the first case the therapist was just too young and wouldn't listen to me and I wouldn't disagree with him because he WAS so young and it was his first job etc. We just didn't click and couldn't communicate. The second woman was older and I liked her but I was so anxious at the time I would stay up all night before I went to see her and then when she did a relaxation exercise to begin I would go to sleep. It was really kind of funny. I also found out she knew someone I did socially and it made me really uncomfortable. I have been working on it by myself and my scores on the Burns inventories have gone down by about a third on anxiety and depression. Now I'm thinking what I need is a vacation. Actually I was thinking I needed to leave the country and leave no forwarding address but I'm trying to compromise on a vacation. Thanks for remembering :)
Posted by Oddipus Rex on May 4, 2003, at 12:06:16
In reply to Study to look at brain changes from CBT-O.Rex, posted by BekkaH on April 22, 2003, at 0:21:54
Thanks for replying! I'm too quick to think things are impossible and I don't have alternatives. I don't think I want to move across the country right now but thanks for opening up a few possibilities for me.
> ************************************************
> OddipusRex - Yes, it does look fascinating. Why don't you contact Yale and see whether they have temporary housing for patients participating in clinical studies? And even if they don't have housing arrangements, ask how many days per week you'd have to be there. If it's only one or two days a week, and if you live in the northeastern part of the U.S., perhaps you could travel there just on the days you're required to be there. I know for a fact that several major medical centers around the country have dormitory-type housing for patients participating in studies, and I'd be very surprised if Yale didn't have similar accommodations.
Posted by Oddipus Rex on May 4, 2003, at 12:07:36
In reply to Re: Study to look at brain changes from CBT-O.Rex, posted by Oddipus Rex on May 4, 2003, at 12:06:16
Posted by Dinah on May 4, 2003, at 14:48:54
In reply to Re: Study to look at brain changes from CBT » Dinah, posted by Oddipus Rex on May 4, 2003, at 12:03:48
You are too nice, Oddipus. I think I would have delighted in tormenting the new CBT therapist. Too reminiscent of the incompetent teachers I used to like to torture.
Congratulations on your score reductions!
And a vacation sounds lovely. We're planning two long weekends away over the summer. Frankly though, I find vacations more stressful than life and have to gear myself up to them.
You know what I would love to do? And yes, I know it's silly and probably completely lacking in usefulness. But I'd love to go to the Amen Clinic and get a SPECT scan. That's my dream. Sniff. Sniff. Probably will never be reached, but we all should have a dream, right?
Posted by BekkaH on May 4, 2003, at 17:32:56
In reply to Re: Study to look at brain changes from CBT » Oddipus Rex, posted by Dinah on May 4, 2003, at 14:48:54
> > You know what I would love to do? And yes, I >know it's silly and probably completely lacking >in usefulness. But I'd love to go to the Amen >Clinic and get a SPECT scan. That's my dream. >Sniff. Sniff. Probably will never be reached, >but we all should have a dream, right?
*************************************************You don't have to go to the Amen Clinic to have a SPECT scan. I had one in New York, 3,000 miles from the Amen Clinic. I can't imagine a major medical center in this day and age that doesn't have SPECT equipment.
Find an excellent neurologist or neuropsychiatrist, schedule an appointment, have a neurological exam, discuss your concerns, and see whether the SPECT is indicated. If it is, some doctors prefer that you stay off all medications for AT LEAST 4-6 weeks and, of course, you'd have to decide whether it is safe for you to do that.
SPECT scans and the desire to have one are not silly, and they can be useful; however, they are often done in conjunction with other diagnostic measures, like neuropsychological testing.
Posted by Dinah on May 4, 2003, at 19:07:46
In reply to SPECT scans, posted by BekkaH on May 4, 2003, at 17:32:56
Hi Bekka,
I guess one reason I think it's silly for me is that I live in a psychiatric backwater. They don't even have DBT around here, and I have met with blank incomprehension when I have asked about various things I've read about here or elsewhere. Perhaps neurology is in a better state, but I haven't seen any neuropsychiatrists around here either, so I'm not hopeful. So on top of the not insubstantial cost of the scan itself, there would have to be travel costs.
Did you find that your SPECT scan yielded results that were useful for your treatment?
Posted by mattdds on May 5, 2003, at 14:54:38
In reply to Re: Study to look at brain changes from CBT » Dinah, posted by Oddipus Rex on May 4, 2003, at 12:03:48
Oddipus,
Good for you on your score reductions! Don't you think this is a great way to measure progress? It is great to see people doing this.
What I have been doing these days is using an Excel graph to plot scores of anxiety / depression. I even put the questionairre on my PDA. I like the look of the negatively sloping line that has been steadily declining(though very slowly) for about 2 years. Kinda nerdy, but it gives me highly accurate feedback on what is working! I feel like I'm in charge of my anxiety / depression more now.
What techniques are you using? Daily mood log? Others? This is interesting to me.
Congrats, and hope you continue to decline (in anxiety and depression)
Matt
Posted by BekkaH on May 5, 2003, at 19:48:09
In reply to Re: SPECT scans » BekkaH, posted by Dinah on May 4, 2003, at 19:07:46
Dinah,
Is there a major medical center or medical school near you? If so, they might have neuropsychiatrists on staff. I might be wrong, but I think there are very few separate departments of neuropsychiatry around the country. There is no separate department of neuropsychiatry at the hospital where I had the scan, but there are neurologists and psychiatrists that work in BOTH the neurology and psychiatry departments. It might take a lot of time on the phone, but perhaps you could call those departments and ask whether there is someone who specializes in SPECT scans and other types of brain imaging. When I had the scan, the procedure was done in the nuclear medicine department, so you might try calling that department, too. If you do call, try to speak with a physician because I found that some of the people on the office staff didn't know what I was talking about.
As far the the cost of the SPECT scan, my insurance did pay for it, but my doctor had to spend an enormous amount of time convincing them that it was necessary.
Yes, I do believe that my SPECT scan yielded results that were useful in my treatment, but I think SPECT scans are most useful when done in conjunction with other types of testing.
Are you familiar with the Castle Connolly Guide to the "Top Doctors in America"? I got a copy at Border's, but I've also seen it in my local library. You can check for the most highly regarded neurologists near your town. I have come across some doctors listed in that guide that I did not consider "top notch," but at least it's a place to start.
If you are unable to find someone in your area, then the Amen Clinic might be the best place. If you do decide to go there, perhaps you and your family can turn the trip into a mini vacation, so at least you can have some fun when you're up there!
Posted by Dinah on May 5, 2003, at 20:37:37
In reply to Re: SPECT scans - Dinah, posted by BekkaH on May 5, 2003, at 19:48:09
Posted by glaciergirl on May 8, 2003, at 11:23:21
In reply to Re: Study to look at brain changes from CBT » Dinah, posted by Oddipus Rex on May 4, 2003, at 12:03:48
Can someone give me a link to take the Burns Inventories? I'm curious to see what it is after reading your comments.
Thanks,
Brooke
Posted by Oddipus Rex on May 18, 2003, at 20:18:28
In reply to Re: Study to look at brain changes from CBT, posted by glaciergirl on May 8, 2003, at 11:23:21
> Can someone give me a link to take the Burns Inventories? I'm curious to see what it is after reading your comments.
> Thanks,
> BrookeI used the ones in the book. They are surely posted somewhere though. I think they are pretty good especially the anxiety one.
This is the end of the thread.
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