Focused Neuroregulation in the Treatment and Prevention of Mental and Physical Illness
Issue:
Volume 10, Issue 2, March 2022
Pages:
49-58
Received:
22 February 2022
Accepted:
11 March 2022
Published:
23 March 2022
Abstract: Despite the enormous strides that have been made in neuroscience, the pathophysiology of psychiatric disorders remains unclear. Consequently, various forms of psychotherapy, pharmacotherapy, and neuromodulatory therapy continue to be applied without a clear understanding of what pathological process is being treated. However, an emerging hypothesis contends that psychiatric symptoms are the consequence of pathological hyperactivity in symptom-related circuits in the brain. According to the Multi-Circuit Neuronal Hyperexcitability (MCNH) Hypothesis of Psychiatric Disorders, persistent firing in anxiety circuits causes persistent feelings of anxiety; persistent firing in depressive circuits causes persistent feelings of depression; persistent firing in cognitive circuits causes ruminative and obsessive thoughts; etc… This pathological circuit-specific hyperactivity is believed to be caused by an inherent failure of the neurological system to self-regulate when perturbed by a psychological, emotional, or biological stressor. Based on this hypothesis, it would not be unreasonable to think that psychiatric symptoms, irrespective of which disorder was being treated, would respond favorably to any natural or medicinal intervention that reduces the excitability of the neurological system. Although the use of brain-calming drugs in psychiatry is not new, what is new is the idea of focusing their use on correcting a specific physiological abnormality that is believed to underlie the symptoms. This technique, which could be called “Focused Neuroregulation,” would differ from standard pharmacotherapy in that if one anticonvulsant failed to alleviate or only partially alleviated symptoms, another anticonvulsant would be substituted or added rather than turning to an off-target class of drugs. This approach is clinically valid because each anticonvulsant is structurally different, and there are multiple mechanisms (and receptors) through which the excitability of the neurological system can be therapeutically regulated. Also, anticonvulsants, unlike other classes of psychotropic drugs, tend to bring the system back into balance; hence the term “mood stabilizers.” Yet another benefit of Focused Neuroregulation is that it could help prevent or slow the progression of the many chronic health conditions that have been linked to an inherent hyperexcitability of the neurological system. In recognition of these potential benefits, and in an effort to avoid the many problems that are associated with the symptom-based treatment of psychiatric and related functional symptoms, the aim of this article is to incentivize the study of a more targeted approach to the treatment of mental illness and the prevention of chronic disease.
Abstract: Despite the enormous strides that have been made in neuroscience, the pathophysiology of psychiatric disorders remains unclear. Consequently, various forms of psychotherapy, pharmacotherapy, and neuromodulatory therapy continue to be applied without a clear understanding of what pathological process is being treated. However, an emerging hypothesis...
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Metformin Intolerance: A Proposal for Definition Using the GSRS
Issue:
Volume 10, Issue 2, March 2022
Pages:
59-62
Received:
1 March 2022
Accepted:
26 March 2022
Published:
9 April 2022
Abstract: Metformin is a first line drug for the treatment of patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and has been associated with metformin intolerance with disappointing patient adherence. Since there is no official definition for metformin intolerance, comparison of international study results on gastrointestinal complaints is almost impossible. In the present study with type 2 diabetes patients who are on a metformin immediate-release (MIR) and are visiting the outpatient’s department of internal medicine. To create a quantifiable and standardized definition of metformin intolerance, this study used the Gastro-intestinal Symptom Rating Scale (GSRS) to evaluate the gastrointestinal complaints. A total of 59 patients (mean age 62.56; +/- 12.08) completed the GSRS in an interview with a skilled investigator. The mean GSRS score for the study population was 34.56 (+/- 14.57). Subsequently two subpopulations were created using 50 as a cutoff point. This resulted in two populations with statistically significant different GSRS scores of 55.50 (+/- 7.88) for patients with a GSRS score of ≥ 50 versus 28.04 (+/- 8.86) for patients with a GSRS score of < 50. The total GSRS results for the various metformin dosages yielded comparable results (figure 1, p<0.05). The authors recommend the use of the GSRS in all studies on the topic of metformin intolerance to enable the comparison of results of international studies. In addition, the authors propose the use of a cutoff GSRS score of 50 as an international definition for metformin intolerance.
Abstract: Metformin is a first line drug for the treatment of patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and has been associated with metformin intolerance with disappointing patient adherence. Since there is no official definition for metformin intolerance, comparison of international study results on gastrointestinal complaints is almost impossible. In ...
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The Clinical Significance of the Expression of the Serum BMP 6 in the Patients with Tumor-related Anemia with Lower Levels of CRP and Hepcidin
Wu Yuyan,
Shan Tiantian,
Pan Xiangtao
Issue:
Volume 10, Issue 2, March 2022
Pages:
63-66
Received:
9 April 2022
Published:
14 April 2022
Abstract: Objective: To research the expression characteristic and clinical significance of the serum bone morphogenetic protein 6 (BMP6) at the lower expression condition of serum C-reactive protein (CRP) and Hepcidin (Hepc) in patients with tumor-related anemia. Methods: 113 hospitalized tumor patients from October 2019 to June 2020 and 20 healthy volunteers (control group) were recruited. We used enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) to determine the levels of BMP6, soluble-hemojuvelin (s-HJV) and Hepc, Electrochemiluminescence method to determine SF level, and particle-enhanced immune transmission turbidity method to determine CRP level, then analyzed their expression characteristics, correlations and clinical significance. Results: (1) The levels of BMP6, Hepc and CRP of anemia group were respectively 426.18±202.83mg/mL, 6.58±5.41ug/L and 19.10±18.24mg/L, which were all higher than 334.37±171.32mg/mL, 4.60±2.28ug/L and 3.62±3.46mg/L of non-anemia group (t=2.5804, 2.4750 and 3.4144, P<0.01, P<0.05 and P<0.01, respectively). (2) The level of s-HJV was 0.71±0.28ng/mL, which was obviously lower than 1.07±1.01ng/mL (t=2.6529, P<0.01) in non-anemia group. (3) There were negative correlations between BMP6 and both Hb and s-HJV (respectively r=-0.2807, t=3.0812 and r=-0.2497, t=2.7230, respectively, P both <0.01), but there were no correlations between BMP6 and CRP, Hepc and SF. (4) Hepc was positively correlated with both CRP and SF (r=0.2004, t=2.0660 and r=0.3089, t=3.1045, P<0.05 and P<0.01, respectively). Hepc was negatively correlated with Hb (r=-0.2524, t=2.7525, P<0.01). Hepc had no correlation with s-HJV (P>0.05). (5) The BMP6 in the normal CRP group was 461.86±142.91 mg/mL, which was significantly higher than 364.51± 129.84 mg/mL in elevated CRP group (F=11.35, P<0.01). (6) Hepc, s-HJV and SF in the normal CRP group were 5.17±3.49ug/L, 0.69±0.26ng/mL and 149.89±142.34ng/mL, respectively, which were all significantly lower than 9.02±7.14ug/L, 0.76±0.33ng/mL and 288.36±254.51ng/mL in the elevated CRP group (F=9.56, 4.67 and 2.84, P=0.000, 0.09, 0.046, respectively). Conclusions: When tumor patients with anemia is in a low-level condition of CRP and Hepc, the high expression of BMP6 is an important cause for the occurrence and development of anemia.
Abstract: Objective: To research the expression characteristic and clinical significance of the serum bone morphogenetic protein 6 (BMP6) at the lower expression condition of serum C-reactive protein (CRP) and Hepcidin (Hepc) in patients with tumor-related anemia. Methods: 113 hospitalized tumor patients from October 2019 to June 2020 and 20 healthy voluntee...
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