@article{WernerKobayashiJavadietal.2018, author = {Werner, Rudolf A. and Kobayashi, Ryohei and Javadi, Mehrbod Som and K{\"o}ck, Zoe and Wakabayashi, Hiroshi and Unterecker, Stefan and Nakajima, Kenichi and Lapa, Constantin and Menke, Andreas and Higuchi, Takahiro}, title = {Impact of Novel Antidepressants on Cardiac Metaiodobenzylguanidine (mIBG) Uptake: Experimental Studies in SK-N-SH Cells and Healthy Rabbits}, series = {Journal of Nuclear Medicine}, journal = {Journal of Nuclear Medicine}, issn = {0161-5505}, doi = {10.2967/jnumed.117.206045}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-161280}, year = {2018}, abstract = {Background: \(^{123}\)I-metaiodobenzylguanidine (mIBG) provides independent prognostic value for risk stratification among heart failure patients, but the use of concomitant medication should not impact its quantitative information. We aimed to evaluate the four most-prescribed antidepressants currently used as a first‑line treatment for patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) and their potential on altering mIBG imaging results. Methods: The inhibition effect of four different types of antidepressants (desipramine, escitalopram, venlafaxine and bupropion) for MDD treatment on \(^{131}\)I-mIBG uptake was assessed by in-vitro cell uptake assays using human neuroblastoma SK-N-SH cells. The half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) of tracer uptake was determined from dose-response curves. To evaluate the effects of IV pretreatment with desipramine (1.5 mg/kg) and escitalopram (2.5, 15 mg/kg) on mIBG cardiac uptake, in-vivo planar 123I-mIBG scans in healthy New Zealand White Rabbits were conducted. Results: The IC50 values of desipramine, escitalopram, venlafaxine and bupropion on \(^{131}\)I-mIBG cellular uptake were 11.9 nM, 7.5 μM, 4.92 μM, and 12.9 μM, respectively. At the maximum serum concentration (Cmax, as derived by previous clinical trials), the inhibition rates of 131I-mIBG uptake were 90.6 \% for desipramine, 25.5 \% for venlafaxine, 11.7 \% for bupropion and 0.72 \% for escitalopram. A low inhibition rate for escitalopram in the cell uptake study triggered investigation of an in-vivo rabbit model: with dosage considerably higher than clinical practice, the non-inhibitory effect of escitalopram was confirmed. Furthermore, pretreatment with desipramine led to a marked reduction of cardiac 123I-mIBG uptake. Conclusions: In the present in-vitro binding assay and in-vivo rabbit study, the selective-serotonin reuptake inhibitor escitalopram had no major impact on neuronal cardiac mIBG uptake within therapeutic dose ranges, while other types of first-line antidepressants for MDD treatment led to a significant decrease. These preliminary results warrant further confirmatory clinical trials regarding the reliability of cardiac mIBG imaging, in particular, if the patient's neuropsychiatric status would not tolerate withdrawal of a potentially norepinephrine interfering antidepressant.}, subject = {Antidepressants}, language = {en} } @phdthesis{Unterecker2003, author = {Unterecker, Stefan}, title = {Zusammenhang zwischen Behandlungserwartung und Symptomatik bei Patienten einer psychotherapeutischen Ambulanz}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-6397}, school = {Universit{\"a}t W{\"u}rzburg}, year = {2003}, abstract = {Die Behandlungserwartung des Patienten stellt eine f{\"u}r den Therapieerfolg bedeutsame Variable dar. Aufgrund verschiedener Vorbefunde stellt sich die Frage, ob Patienten mit unterschiedlicher Symptomatik unterschiedliche Behandlungserwartungen aufweisen. Die Berechnung des Zusammenhangs zwischen Behandlungserwartung und Symptomatik bei einer Stichprobe von 757 Psychotherapiepatienten (62\% Frauen, 38\% M{\"a}nner, Altersmittelwert 36,6 Jahre) ergibt zahlreiche signifikante Korrelationen zwischen den drei Behandlungserwartungsskalen „gespr{\"a}chsorientiert", „verhaltensorientiert", „somatisch orientiert" und den SCL-90-R-Skalen, so dass sich ein deutlicher, aber unspezifischer Zusammenhang zwischen Behandlungserwartung und Symptomatik ergibt. Außerdem bestehen signifikante Zusammenh{\"a}nge zwischen Patientenalter und niedrigerer Schulbildung auf der einen und somatisch orientierter Behandlungserwartung auf der anderen Seite. Die vom Therapeuten beurteilte Diagnose und die Beeintr{\"a}chtigungsschwere besitzen keine substanziellen Korrelationen zur Behandlungserwartung. Da die SCL-90-R starke Skaleninterkorrelationen aufweist und die neun Skalen durch Faktorenanalysen nur unzureichend abzubilden sind, ist die Entwicklung einer Kurzversion der SCL-90-R zu begr{\"u}ßen - allerdings sollte diese verst{\"a}rkt auch somatische Symptome miterfassen. Insgesamt sollten Behandlungserwartungen im Rahmen der Therapieplanung den ihnen f{\"u}r die Therapiemotivation nachgewiesenen Stellenwert erhalten. Es bietet sich die M{\"o}glichkeit eines besseren Verst{\"a}ndnisses des Patienten mit dem Potenzial h{\"o}herer Compliance und niedrigerer Reaktanz.}, language = {de} } @article{ZechScherfClavelDanielsetal.2021, author = {Zech, Linda D. and Scherf-Clavel, Maike and Daniels, Christine and Schwab, Michael and Deckert, J{\"u}rgen and Unterecker, Stefan and Herr, Alexandra S.}, title = {Patients with higher vitamin D levels show stronger improvement of self-reported depressive symptoms in psychogeriatric day-care setting}, series = {Journal of Neural Transmission}, volume = {128}, journal = {Journal of Neural Transmission}, number = {8}, issn = {1435-1463}, doi = {10.1007/s00702-021-02385-1}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-268525}, pages = {1233-1238}, year = {2021}, abstract = {Depression is a common psychiatric disorder among geriatric patients that decreases the quality of life and increases morbidity and mortality. Vitamin D as a neuro-steroid hormone might play a role in the onset and treatment of depression. In the present study, the association between depressive symptoms and vitamin D concentration in serum was evaluated. 140 patients of a psychogeriatric day-care unit were included. The geriatric depression scale (GDS) and the Hamilton depression rating scale (HDRS) were assessed at the beginning and end of treatment, GDS scores additionally 6 weeks after discharge from the day-care unit. Vitamin D levels were measured at the beginning of the treatment, routinely. Patients with levels below 30 µg/L were treated with 1000 IU vitamin D per day. There was no association between the severity of depressive symptoms and the concentration of vitamin D at the beginning of the treatment. Patients with higher vitamin D levels showed a stronger decline of depressive symptoms measured by the GDS during their stay in the day-care unit. We provide evidence that vitamin D serum levels might influence antidepressant therapy response in a geriatric population. Prospective studies are necessary to determine which patients may profit from add-on vitamin D therapy.}, language = {en} } @article{EgbertsFeketeHaegeetal.2022, author = {Egberts, Karin and Fekete, Stefanie and H{\"a}ge, Alexander and Hiemke, Christoph and Scherf-Clavel, Maike and Taurines, Regina and Unterecker, Stefan and Gerlach, Manfred and Romanos, Marcel}, title = {Therapeutisches Drug Monitoring zur Optimierung der Psychopharmakotherapie von Kindern und Jugendlichen: Update und Leitfaden f{\"u}r die Praxis}, series = {Zeitschrift f{\"u}r Kinder- und Jugendpsychiatrie und Psychotherapie}, volume = {50}, journal = {Zeitschrift f{\"u}r Kinder- und Jugendpsychiatrie und Psychotherapie}, number = {2}, issn = {1422-4917}, doi = {10.1024/1422-4917/a000845}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-262038}, pages = {133-152}, year = {2022}, abstract = {Trotz verbesserter Evidenzbasis bestehen in der kinder- und jugendpsychiatrischen Pharmakotherapie viele Unsicherheiten {\"u}ber die Wirkung und Vertr{\"a}glichkeit der h{\"a}ufig off-label oder in Kombinationstherapie verordneten Medikamente. Gerade auch vor dem Hintergrund der in vielen F{\"a}llen notwendigen mittel- bis langfristigen Einnahme sollen unerw{\"u}nschte Arzneimittelwirkungen in dieser Altersstufe m{\"o}glichst minimiert und eine auf die individuellen Charakteristika der Patientin oder des Patienten zugeschnittene, effektive Dosierung gefunden werden. Kinder und Jugendliche scheinen nicht nur besonders anf{\"a}llig f{\"u}r bestimmte unerw{\"u}nschte Arzneimittelwirkungen, sondern sind auch iatrogenen Risiken durch Dosierungs- oder Applikationsfehler ausgesetzt, die zu Unter- oder {\"U}berdosierungen f{\"u}hren k{\"o}nnen mit entsprechend negativen Auswirkungen auf den Therapieerfolg. Neben einer strengen Indikationsstellung sind daher eine pr{\"a}zise Dosisfindung sowie systematische {\"U}berwachung der Sicherheit der Psychopharmakotherapie unverzichtbar. In diesem Artikel wird Therapeutisches Drug Monitoring als hilfreiches klinisches Instrument vorgestellt und beschrieben, wie dessen richtige Anwendung sowohl die Wirksamkeit als auch die Sicherheit und Vertr{\"a}glichkeit einer Psychopharmakotherapie im Kindes- und Jugendalter zum unmittelbaren Nutzen f{\"u}r die Patientinnen und Patienten verbessern kann.}, language = {de} } @article{EvdokimovFrankKlitschetal.2019, author = {Evdokimov, Dimitar and Frank, Johanna and Klitsch, Alexander and Unterecker, Stefan and Warrings, Bodo and Serra, Jordi and Papagianni, Aikaterini and Saffer, Nadine and Meyer zu Altenschildesche, Caren and Kampik, Daniel and Malik, Rayaz A. and Sommer, Claudia and {\"U}ceyler, Nurcan}, title = {Reduction of skin innervation is associated with a severe fibromyalgia phenotype}, series = {Annals of Neurology}, volume = {86}, journal = {Annals of Neurology}, number = {4}, doi = {10.1002/ana.25565}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-206168}, pages = {504-516}, year = {2019}, abstract = {Objective: To assess patterns and impact of small nerve fiber dysfunction and pathology in patients with fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS). Methods: One hundred seventeen women with FMS underwent neurological examination, questionnaire assessment, neurophysiology assessment, and small fiber tests: skin punch biopsy, corneal confocal microscopy, microneurography, quantitative sensory testing including C-tactile afferents, and pain-related evoked potentials. Data were compared with those of women with major depressive disorder and chronic widespread pain (MD-P) and healthy women. Results: Intraepidermal nerve fiber density (IENFD) was reduced at different biopsy sites in 63\% of FMS patients (MDP: 10\%, controls: 18\%; p < 0.001 for each). We found 4 patterns of skin innervation in FMS: normal, distally reduced, proximally reduced, and both distally and proximally reduced (p < 0.01 for each compared to controls). Microneurography revealed initial activity-dependent acceleration of conduction velocity upon low frequencies of stimulation in 1A fibers, besides 1B fiber spontaneous activity and mechanical sensitization in FMS patients. FMS patients had elevated warm detection thresholds (p < 0.01), impaired C-tactile afferents (p < 0.05), and reduced amplitudes (p < 0.001) of pain-related evoked potentials compared to controls. Compared to FMS patients with normal skin innervation, those with generalized IENFD reduction had higher pain intensity and impairment due to pain, higher disease burden, more stabbing pain and paresthesias, and more anxiety (p < 0.05 for each). FMS patients with generalized IENFD reduction also had lower corneal nerve fiber density (p < 0.01) and length (p < 0.05). Interpretation: The extent of small fiber pathology is related to symptom severity in FMS. This knowledge may have implications for the diagnostic classification and treatment of patients with FMS.}, language = {en} } @article{UeceylerSchliesserEvdokimovetal.2022, author = {{\"U}{\c{c}}eyler, Nurcan and Schließer, Mira and Evdokimov, Dimitar and Radziwon, Jakub and Feulner, Betty and Unterecker, Stefan and Rimmele, Florian and Walter, Uwe}, title = {Reduced midbrain raphe echogenicity in patients with fibromyalgia syndrome}, series = {PloS One}, volume = {17}, journal = {PloS One}, number = {11}, doi = {10.1371/journal.pone.0277316}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-300639}, year = {2022}, abstract = {Objectives The pathogenesis of fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS) is unclear. Transcranial ultrasonography revealed anechoic alteration of midbrain raphe in depression and anxiety disorders, suggesting affection of the central serotonergic system. Here, we assessed midbrain raphe echogenicity in FMS. Methods Sixty-six patients underwent transcranial sonography, of whom 53 were patients with FMS (27 women, 26 men), 13 patients with major depression and physical pain (all women), and 14 healthy controls (11 women, 3 men). Raphe echogenicity was graded visually as normal or hypoechogenic, and quantified by digitized image analysis, each by investigators blinded to the clinical diagnosis. Results Quantitative midbrain raphe echogenicity was lower in patients with FMS compared to healthy controls (p<0.05), but not different from that of patients with depression and accompanying physical pain. Pain and FMS symptom burden did not correlate with midbrain raphe echogenicity as well as the presence and severity of depressive symptoms. Conclusion We found reduced echogenicity of the midbrain raphe area in patients with FMS and in patients with depression and physical pain, independent of the presence or severity of pain, FMS, and depressive symptoms. Further exploration of this sonographic finding is necessary before this objective technique may enter diagnostic algorithms in FMS and depression.}, language = {en} } @article{LeutritzvanBraamPreisetal.2023, author = {Leutritz, Anna Linda and van Braam, Lara and Preis, Katharina and Gehrmann, Andrea and Scherf-Clavel, Maike and Fiedler, Katrin and Unterecker, Stefan and Kittel-Schneider, Sarah}, title = {Psychotropic medication in pregnancy and lactation and early development of exposed children}, series = {British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology}, volume = {89}, journal = {British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology}, number = {2}, doi = {10.1111/bcp.15533}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-318954}, pages = {737 -- 750}, year = {2023}, abstract = {There is still limited knowledge about alterations of blood concentrations of psychotropic drugs during pregnancy, the transfer of psychotropic drugs into breastmilk and the effects on exposed children. We investigated changes in concentrations of psychopharmacological medication during pregnancy and lactation in serum and breastmilk at different time points in a naturalistic sample of 60 mothers and observed the development of the exposed children in the first 12 months. We found a decrease in serum concentrations from the first to the second trimester of amitriptyline, duloxetine, escitalopram, quetiapine and sertraline. Citalopram stayed rather stable during pregnancy, sertraline levels interestingly increased again from the second to the third trimester. High concentration-by-dose ratios in breastmilk were found for venlafaxine as well as lamotrigine, low for quetiapine and clomipramine. Similarly, clomipramine and quetiapine showed low milk/serum-penetration ratios. Regarding the birth outcome measures in children, we found no significant differences between in utero exposed compared to nonexposed newborns. There were no significant differences in the development in the first 12 months. Psychotropic medication in the peripartum needs a balancing of risks and benefits and a continuous therapeutic drug monitoring can be a guidance for clinicians to monitor drug alteration patterns, which are likely to occur due to physiological pregnancy-associated changes in pharmacokinetics. Accordingly, therapeutic drug monitoring can optimize a medication in pregnancy and lactation with the lowest effective dose.}, language = {en} } @article{HampfScherfClavelWeissetal.2023, author = {Hampf, Chantal and Scherf-Clavel, Maike and Weiß, Carolin and Kl{\"u}pfel, Catherina and Stonawski, Saskia and Hommers, Leif and Lichter, Katharina and Erhardt-Lehmann, Angelika and Unterecker, Stefan and Domschke, Katharina and Kittel-Schneider, Sarah and Menke, Andreas and Deckert, J{\"u}rgen and Weber, Heike}, title = {Effects of anxious depression on antidepressant treatment response}, series = {International Journal of Molecular Sciences}, volume = {24}, journal = {International Journal of Molecular Sciences}, number = {24}, issn = {1422-0067}, doi = {10.3390/ijms242417128}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-355801}, year = {2023}, abstract = {Anxious depression represents a subtype of major depressive disorder and is associated with increased suicidality, severity, chronicity and lower treatment response. Only a few studies have investigated the differences between anxious depressed (aMDD) and non-anxious depressed (naMDD) patients regarding treatment dosage, serum-concentration and drug-specific treatment response. In our naturalistic and prospective study, we investigated whether the effectiveness of therapy including antidepressants (SSRI, SNRI, NaSSA, tricyclics and combinations) in aMDD patients differs significantly from that in naMDD patients. In a sample of 346 patients, we calculated the anxiety somatization factor (ASF) and defined treatment response as a reduction (≥50\%) in the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS)-21 score after 7 weeks of pharmacological treatment. We did not observe an association between therapy response and the baseline ASF-scores, or differences in therapy outcomes between aMDD and naMDD patients. However, non-responders had higher ASF-scores, and at week 7 aMDD patients displayed a worse therapy outcome than naMDD patients. In subgroup analyses for different antidepressant drugs, venlafaxine-treated aMDD patients showed a significantly worse outcome at week 7. Future prospective, randomized-controlled studies should address the question of a worse therapy outcome in aMDD patients for different psychopharmaceuticals individually.}, language = {en} }