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Biomedical subjects

Michael W Otto

Publications and source records attributed to Michael W Otto.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed2005

Clinical and diagnostic implications of lifetime attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder comorbidity in adults with bipolar disorder: data from the first 1000 STEP-BD participants.

BACKGROUND: Systematic studies of children and adolescents with a diagnosis of bipolar disorder show that rates of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) range from 60% to 90%, but the prevalence and implications of ADHD in adults with bipolar disorder are less clear. METHODS: The first consecutive 1000 adults with bipolar disorder enrolled in the National Institute of Mental Health's Systematic Treatment Enhancement Program for Bipolar Disorder (STEP-BD) were assessed for lifetime ADHD. The retrospective course of bipolar disorder, current mood state, and prevalence of other comorbid psychiatric diagnoses were compared for the groups with and without lifetime comorbid ADHD. RESULTS: The overall lifetime prevalence of comorbid ADHD in this large cohort of bipolar patients was 9.5% (95% confidence interval 7.6%-11.4%); 14.7% of male patients and 5.8% of female patients with bipolar disorder had lifetime ADHD. Patients with bipolar disorder and ADHD had the onset of their mood disorder approximately 5 years earlier. After adjusting for age of onset, those with ADHD comorbidity had shorter periods of wellness and were more frequently depressed. We found that patients with bipolar disorder comorbid with ADHD had a greater number of other comorbid psychiatric diagnoses compared with those without comorbid ADHD, with substantially higher rates of several anxiety disorders and alcohol and substance abuse and dependence. CONCLUSIONS: Lifetime ADHD is a frequent comorbid condition in adults with bipolar disorder, associated with a worse course of bipolar disorder and greater burden of other psychiatric comorbid conditions. Studies are needed that focus on the efficacy and safety of treating ADHD comorbid with bipolar disorder.

Adult↗
PubMed2005

A pilot study of functional Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (fCBT) for schizophrenia.

BACKGROUND: The feasibility and preliminary efficacy of a novel cognitive behavioral treatment for decreasing psychotic symptoms and improving social functioning was evaluated in a pilot study. This represents the first treatment outcome study of CBT for psychosis with a manualized, active comparison condition. METHODS: Thirty outpatients with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder, depressed type with residual psychotic symptoms were randomly assigned to either 16 weekly sessions of functional cognitive behavioral therapy (fCBT) or psychoeducation (PE) with assessments conducted at baseline and post-treatment by blind evaluators. RESULTS: Attrition was only 7% and did not differ between fCBT and PE, indicating good tolerability of both treatments. For this sample with persistent symptoms, between groups effects were not significantly different, but within group effect sizes indicated greater treatment benefit for fCBT on positive symptoms, particularly for the PSYRATS voices subscale. CONCLUSION: The results suggest that fCBT is well tolerated and holds promise for reducing persistent positive symptoms.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2005

Cognitive-behavioral therapy for ADHD in medication-treated adults with continued symptoms.

The purpose of the present study was to examine the potential efficacy, patient acceptability, and feasibility of a novel, cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) for adults with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) who have been stabilized on medications but still show clinically significant symptoms. Thirty-one adults with ADHD and stable psychopharmacology for ADHD were randomized to CBT plus continued psychopharmacology or continued psychopharmacology alone. Assessments included ADHD severity and associated anxiety and depression rated by an independent evaluator (IE) and by self-report. At the outcome assessment, those who were randomized to CBT had lower IE-rated ADHD symptoms (p < .01) and global severity (p < .002), as well as self-reported ADHD symptoms (p < .0001) than those randomized to continued psychopharmacology alone. Those in the CBT group also had lower IE-rated and self-report anxiety (p's < .04), lower IE-rated depression (p < .01), and a trend to have lower self-reported depression (p = .06). CBT continued to show superiority over continued psychopharmacology alone when statistically controlling levels of depression in analyses of core ADHD symptoms. There were significantly more treatment responders among patients who received CBT (56%) compared to those who did not (13%) (p < .02). These data support the hypothesis that CBT for adults with ADHD with residual symptoms is a feasible, acceptable, and potentially efficacious next-step treatment approach, worthy of further testing.

Adult↗
PubMed2005

Emotional exposure in the treatment of substance use disorders: conceptual model, evidence, and future directions.

In this article, we review research on the nature and treatment of panic disorder, and apply these findings to a discussion of the role of internal cue exposure in the treatment of substance use disorders (SUDs). Two features of panic treatment were used as a model for interventions for SUDs: exposure to internal (interoceptive) cues rather than reliance on external (environmental) exposure alone, and use of cue exposure to try to inoculate individuals against future maladaptive patterns. Specifically, we emphasized the role of exposure to internal, largely emotional cues, as a way to enhance resilience to cues for relapse in individuals with SUDs. Hypothesized moderators and mediators of this treatment approach were discussed, as were similarities between this research agenda and an increasing focus on the role of emotional acceptance/tolerance in cognitive-behavioral treatments.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy↗
PubMed2005

Panic disorder and bipolar disorder: anxiety sensitivity as a potential mediator of panic during manic states.

BACKGROUND: Panic disorder (PD) occurs at high rates in bipolar disorder and more commonly than in unipolar depression. Reports of PD onset during hypomania and depressive mania (i.e., mixed states) raise questions about whether the affective disturbances of bipolar disorder play a specific role in the exacerbation or onset of PD. Anxiety sensitivity (AS), a risk factor for PD appears greater in bipolar disorder compared to unipolar depression, although the association of specific mood states with AS remains unknown. METHODS: We examined the association of current mood state (i.e., mixed state, mania or hypomania, bipolar depression, unipolar depression, and euthymia) with Anxiety Sensitivity Index (ASI) scores in 202 individuals with bipolar disorder (n=110) or major depressive disorder (n=92). RESULTS: Current mood state was significantly associated with ASI score (Chi-square=21.2, df=4, p=0.0003). In multiple regression analyses, including covariates for comorbid anxiety disorders, current mania or hypomania was a significant predictor of ASI scores (p<0.04). Current mixed state tended toward a similar association (p<0.10). LIMITATIONS: Conclusions are limited by the study's cross-sectional nature and relatively small sample size. CONCLUSIONS: These findings of elevated AS during manic states, independent of comorbid anxiety disorders, provide preliminary support for the hypothesis that manic states contribute to risk for the development or exacerbation of PD, and that AS may contribute to the high prevalence and severity of PD comorbid with bipolar disorder.

Adult↗
PubMed2005

A Double-blind, randomized trial of St John's wort, fluoxetine, and placebo in major depressive disorder.

OBJECTIVE: This study looks to compare the antidepressant efficacy and safety of a standardized extract of St John's wort with both placebo and fluoxetine. METHOD: After a 1-week single-blind washout, patients with major depressive disorder diagnosed by Structured Clinical Interview for Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition were randomized to 12 weeks of double-blind treatment with LI-160 St John's wort extract (900 mg/d), fluoxetine (20 mg/d), or placebo. The 17-item Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HAMD-17) was the primary efficacy measure, and analysis of covariance was used to compare differences in end point HAMD-17 scores across the 3 treatment groups, treating the baseline HAMD-17 as the covariate. RESULTS: One hundred thirty-five patients (57% women; mean age, 37.3 +/- 11.0; mean HAMD-17, 19.7 +/- 3.2) were randomized to double-blind treatment and were included in the intent-to-treat analyses. Analysis of covariance analyses showed lower mean HAMD-17 scores at end point in the St John's wort group (n = 45; mean +/- SD, 10.2 +/- 6.6) compared with the fluoxetine group (n = 47; 13.3 +/- 7.3; P < 0.03) and a trend toward a similar finding relative to the placebo group (n = 43; 12.6 +/- 6.4; P = 0.096). There was also a trend toward higher rates of remission (HAMD-17 <8) in the St John's wort group (38%) compared with the fluoxetine group (30%) and the placebo group (21%). Overall, St John's wort appeared to be safe and well tolerated. CONCLUSION: St John's wort was significantly more effective than fluoxetine and showed a trend toward superiority over placebo. A (25%) smaller than planned sample size is likely to account for the lack of statistical significance for the advantage (indicating a moderate effect size, d = 0.45) of St John's wort over placebo.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2005

Computer-assisted cognitive therapy for depression: maintaining efficacy while reducing therapist time.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this investigation was to compare the efficacy of computer-assisted cognitive therapy against standard cognitive therapy and a control group without treatment for outpatients with nonpsychotic major depressive disorder. METHOD: Medication-free participants (N=45) with major depressive disorder were randomly assigned to cognitive therapy (N=15), computer-assisted cognitive therapy (N=15), or a wait list (N=15). Both active treatments consisted of nine sessions over 8 weeks. Therapist time was reduced after the first visit for computer-assisted cognitive therapy, with 25-minute sessions rather than 50-minute sessions. Assessments were completed pretreatment, after 4 and 8 weeks of therapy, and 3 and 6 months posttreatment. RESULTS: Computer-assisted cognitive therapy and standard cognitive therapy were superior to the wait list control group for treatment of depression and did not differ from each other on the primary outcome variables. Very large between-group effect sizes were observed. Improvement in depression for both computer-assisted cognitive therapy and standard cognitive therapy was maintained at the 3- and 6-month follow-up evaluations. Computer-assisted cognitive therapy had more robust effects, relative to being wait-listed, than standard cognitive therapy in reducing measures of cognitive distortion and in improving knowledge about cognitive therapy. CONCLUSIONS: A multimedia, computer-assisted form of cognitive therapy with reduced therapist contact was as efficacious as standard cognitive therapy. Computer-assisted therapy could decrease costs and improve access to cognitive therapy for depression.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2005

Influence of psychiatric comorbidity on recovery and recurrence in generalized anxiety disorder, social phobia, and panic disorder: a 12-year prospective study.

OBJECTIVE: The authors sought to observe the long-term clinical course of anxiety disorders over 12 years and to examine the influence of comorbid psychiatric disorders on recovery from or recurrence of panic disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, and social phobia. METHOD: Data were drawn from the Harvard/Brown Anxiety Disorders Research Program, a prospective, naturalistic, longitudinal, multicenter study of adults with a current or past history of anxiety disorders. Probabilities of recovery and recurrence were calculated by using standard survival analysis methods. Proportional hazards regression analyses with time-varying covariates were conducted to determine risk ratios for possible comorbid psychiatric predictors of recovery and recurrence. RESULTS: Survival analyses revealed an overall chronic course for the majority of the anxiety disorders. Social phobia had the smallest probability of recovery after 12 years of follow-up. Moreover, patients who had prospectively observed recovery from their intake anxiety disorder had a high probability of recurrence over the follow-up period. The overall clinical course was worsened by several comorbid psychiatric conditions, including major depression and alcohol and other substance use disorders, and by comorbidity of generalized anxiety disorder and panic disorder with agoraphobia. CONCLUSIONS: These data depict the anxiety disorders as insidious, with a chronic clinical course, low rates of recovery, and relatively high probabilities of recurrence. The presence of particular comorbid psychiatric disorders significantly lowered the likelihood of recovery from anxiety disorders and increased the likelihood of their recurrence. The findings add to the understanding of the nosology and treatment of these disorders.

Adult↗
PubMed2005

Does recovery from substance use disorder matter in patients with bipolar disorder?

OBJECTIVE: To examine the potential impact of recovery from substance use disorder (SUD) on the course of bipolar disorder among patients diagnosed with both bipolar and substance use disorders according to DSM-IV criteria. METHOD: As part of the multicenter Systematic Treatment Enhancement Program for Bipolar Disorder (STEP-BD), we examined bipolar disorder status (i.e., whether the patient is recovering or recovered), role functioning, and quality of life in the first 1000 patients to enter the STEP-BD study. We compared patients with no history of SUD, current SUD, and past SUD (i.e., lifetime SUD, but no current SUD) on these parameters. Data were collected between November 1999 and April 2001. RESULTS: A current clinical status of recovering or recovered from bipolar disorder was less likely among patients with current or past SUD compared to patients with no SUD (p < .002). Recovering/recovered status did not differ significantly between patients with current SUD versus past SUD. All 3 groups differed significantly on measures of role functioning as assessed by the Longitudinal Interval Follow-Up Evaluation-Range of Impaired Functioning Tool (LIFE-RIFT), with poorest role functioning among patients with current SUD, followed by patients with past SUD (p = .0002). Patients with current or past SUD reported significantly lower quality of life as measured by the LIFE-RIFT and the Quality of Life Enjoyment and Satisfaction Questionnaire and more lifetime suicide attempts (p < .001) than patients without an SUD; patients with past versus current SUD did not differ significantly on these measures. CONCLUSION: The results suggest that patients with bipolar disorder who experience sustained remission from an SUD fare better than patients with current SUD, but not as well as subjects with no history of SUD; differences among the 3 groups appear greatest in the area of role functioning.

Adult↗
PubMed2005

Benzodiazepine use, cognitive impairment, and cognitive-behavioral therapy for anxiety disorders: issues in the treatment of a patient in need.

Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) is effective in the treatment of anxiety disorders when used in conjunction with benzodiazepine pharmacotherapy and when used as a monotherapy. Patients using CBT alone have dropout rates similar to or lower than those patients undergoing other forms of therapy, including benzodiazepines. CBT also works well with patients who do not respond adequately to pharmacotherapy. Combined CBT and benzodiazepine treatment has additive effects when compared with benzodiazepine monotherapy; however, patients receiving combined therapy who subsequently discontinue benzodiazepine treatment experience a loss of efficacy compared with CBT and placebo, perhaps due to fear extinction being context dependent. To avoid this loss of efficacy, CBT may be administered alone or as a bridge between benzodiazepine use and discontinuation during a medication taper. The case report upon which this supplement is based questions the value of CBT for patients experiencing cognitive impairment due to an anxiety disorder, benzodiazepine medication, substance abuse, or a combination of these factors. This article addresses this concern and asserts that CBT is a valuable treatment option in these cases.

Anti-Anxiety Agents↗
PubMed2005

Cognitive-behavioral therapy and the treatment of panic disorder: efficacy and strategies.

In this article, we review the efficacy and applications of cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) for panic disorder. Research supports CBT as an effective first-line treatment of panic disorder that offers relatively quick onset of action and long-term maintenance of treatment benefits. These characteristics, plus the acceptability, tolerability, and cost-efficacy of CBT, make it an especially attractive treatment option for panic disorder. We review these findings as well as some newer developments in the field including research on emotional acceptance, the importance of context in extinction learning, and the use of CBT in combination with pharmacotherapy.

Antidepressive Agents↗
PubMed2004

Hypericum extract in patients with MDD and reversed vegetative signs: re-analysis from data of a double-blind, randomized trial of hypericum extract, fluoxetine, and placebo.

Hypericum extract (HE) might be favourably active in depressed patients with reversed vegetative signs (RVS). Therefore, we performed an exploratory subgroup analysis of a three-armed study to compare HE, fluoxetine, and placebo in patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) in a 12 wk trial. A total of 135 patients were randomized to 12 wk treatment with HE LI 160 (900 mg/d), fluoxetine (20 mg/d), or placebo. Patients with RVS were defined in two steps, according to DSM-IV. First, patients with melancholy-related vegetative signs were excluded. Secondly, patients had to have at least one score of 2 for the items 22-26 of the HAMD-28 scale, which are related to hypersomnia and hyperphagia. Twenty-seven patients remained in the group. Analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) was applied using the HAMD-17 score. Secondly a chi2 test for response was performed, using the same and further an adapted criterium as in recently published studies. ANCOVA revealed a trend to a global difference. Post-hoc analysis showed a trend to superiority of HE compared to placebo and to fluoxetine, but a very large effect size for both differences. Fluoxetine was not different from placebo. The adapted response criterium showed a significant global difference as well as a significant superiority of HE over placebo and over fluoxetine. These data are based on a small sample size and must be considered tentative. A characterization of vegetative features of patients with depression could lead to an overall increased effect size in the treatment with HE.

Analysis of Variance↗
PubMed2004

Cognitive behavior therapy and pharmacotherapy for insomnia: a randomized controlled trial and direct comparison.

BACKGROUND: Chronic sleep-onset insomnia is a prevalent health complaint in adults. Although behavioral and pharmacological therapies have been shown to be effective for insomnia, no placebo-controlled trials have evaluated their separate and combined effects for sleep-onset insomnia. The objective of this study was to evaluate the clinical efficacy of behavioral and pharmacological therapy, singly and in combination, for chronic sleep-onset insomnia. METHODS: This was a randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial that involved 63 young and middle-aged adults with chronic sleep-onset insomnia. Interventions included cognitive behavior therapy (CBT), pharmacotherapy, or combination therapy compared with placebo. The main outcome measures were sleep-onset latency as measured by sleep diaries; secondary measures included sleep diary measures of sleep efficiency and total sleep time, objective measures of sleep variables (Nightcap sleep monitor recorder), and measures of daytime functioning. RESULTS: In most measures, CBT was the most sleep effective intervention; it produced the greatest changes in sleep-onset latency and sleep efficiency, yielded the largest number of normal sleepers after treatment, and maintained therapeutic gains at long-term follow-up. The combined treatment provided no advantage over CBT alone, whereas pharmacotherapy produced only moderate improvements during drug administration and returned measures toward baseline after drug use discontinuation. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that young and middle-age patients with sleep-onset insomnia can derive significantly greater benefit from CBT than pharmacotherapy and that CBT should be considered a first-line intervention for chronic insomnia. Increased recognition of the efficacy of CBT and more widespread recommendations for its use could improve the quality of life of a large numbers of patients with insomnia.

Adult↗
PubMed2004

Internal cue exposure and the treatment of substance use disorders: lessons from the treatment of panic disorder.

Despite early recognition of the importance of internal cues (craving sensations and emotional states) for relapse in substance use disorders, relatively little attention has been devoted to exposure-based treatments targeting these cues. Drawing upon research on the conceptualization and treatment of panic disorder, we discuss the application of internal (largely emotional) cue exposure for substance use disorders. Our model for this discussion was based on the role of exposure to feared sensations of anxiety in the treatment of panic disorder and benzodiazepine (BZ) discontinuation. Shared research strategies between panic disorder and substance use--studies of biological provocation and anxiety sensitivity--were discussed, as were gender differences in drug-use motives. In accordance with research on anxiety sensitivity, provocation effects, and the treatment of benzodiazepine withdrawal, we discussed the potential value of internal cue-exposure strategies for individuals who use substances as a way to cope with negative affect.

Anti-Anxiety Agents↗
PubMed2004

Early life menstrual characteristics and pregnancy experiences among women with and without major depression: the Harvard study of moods and cycles.

BACKGROUND: Other than premenstrual dysphoria, few studies have examined the extent to which basic characteristics of the menstrual cycle and the occurrence of other reproductive landmarks impact on the risk of major depression. METHODS: From a population-based sample of 4161 premenopausal women 36-45 years of age, we identified 332 women who met DSM criteria for past or current major depression and a sample of 644 women with no such history. In person interviews included a detailed assessment of menstrual cycle characteristics from age at menarche through study enrollment as well as other reproductive landmarks. RESULTS: Risk of depression increased significantly with decreasing age at menarche (P<0.001). The risk of depression was also higher in women with heavier menstrual flow and cycle irregularity during the first 5 years of menstruation. Women with a history of multiple abortions were 2-3-times more likely to develop major depression (95% CI 1.6-4.1). Increasing months of breastfeeding was associated with a decreased risk of depression after adjustment for education, marital status, and number of livebirths (P-value, test of trend=0.012). This association was largely confined to depression during the postpartum period. LIMITATIONS: Menstrual and pregnancy history exposures were self-reported and retrospectively assessed. However, women with and without a HISTORY of depression were subject to similar recall requirements that likely resulted in an underestimate of most risk estimates. CONCLUSIONS: Clinicians involved in routine obstetrical and gynecological care of women need to recognize that menstrual and pregnancy history events may serve as potential markers for subsequent psychiatric sequelae.

Abortion, Induced↗
PubMed2004

Psychosocial treatments for adults with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder.

This article discussed some ways in which a history of failure experiences can enhance negative affect and cognitive avoidance and further impair attentional and organizational abilities associated with ADHD. Accordingly,psychosocial interventions have two targets: providing training in organizational and attentional skills while addressing patterns that motivate demand-related distress and avoidance of these skills. The authors conceptualized these interventions as creating the conditions where patients best can use existing abilities and the benefits offered by medication treatment. As rep-resented by a small but growing literature, there are encouraging signs that structured skill-building treatments of this kind offer benefit to adults with ADHD. Further research on these strategies in the context of well-controlled trials is an essential step for helping reduce disability and distress among this cohort of patients.

Adult↗
PubMed2004

The role and impact of psychotherapy in the management of bipolar disorder.

A growing body of evidence documents the value of structured psychotherapeutic interventions for the co-management of bipolar disorder in the context of ongoing medication treatment. This article reviews the rationale, elements, and outcomes for those psychosocial treatments for bipolar disorder that have been examined in randomized trials. The available evidence suggests that interventions delivered in individual, group, or family settings, can provide significant benefit to patients undergoing pharmacotherapy for bipolar disorder.

Antipsychotic Agents↗