Method of diagnosing, treating and educating individuals with and/or about depression
First Claim
1. A method of diagnosing and treating a depressive disorder in a patient, comprising challenging the traditional dogma of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual IV-TR, which has set the current standard of care with it'"'"'s criteria sets, as being only a differential diagnostic manual primarily useful for differentiating depression from other mental disorders;
- challenging that the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual IV-TR'"'"'s limited number of depressive symptoms in it'"'"'s criteria set is accurate and sensitive enough to diagnose, monitor and test for depressive symptoms and accurate and sensitive enough to test for remission of depressive symptoms, said limited number of depressive symptoms consisting of depressed mood, decreased sleep, decreased interest, guilt, decreased energy, decreased concentration, decreased appetite, psychomotor retardation and suicidal ideation; and
challenging that the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale or equivalent scale(s), which rating scale relies on the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual IV'"'"'s limited number of depressive symptom list, is accurate and sensitive enough to diagnose, monitor and test for depressive symptoms and accurate and sensitive enough to test for remission of depressive symptoms, by providing an extended list of depressive symptoms that is accurate and sensitive enough and that can be systematically relied upon to diagnose, test and monitor for depressive symptoms, said extended list selected from the group consisting of anxiety, somatic concerns/somatization/focusing on somatic symptoms, rumination/obsessiveness, anger/irritability/impulsivity/hostility/violence, cognitive distortion/global thinking, cognitive deficit/impairment, social withdrawal, helplessness/hopelessness, acute and chronic stressors and the patient'"'"'s ability to cope with them and to problem solve, perception of unjust and resentment, indifference, sensitivity, and other symptoms and observed signs.
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Abstract
The present invention relates to methods of correcting misconceptions in the DSM, which can affect improved diagnosis and testing for depression, resulting in better patient satisfaction and global improvement. Also provided are methods comprising administering various medications to produce a “pseudo-placebo” effect in depression, which can guide in selecting a particular treatment method for a more effective antidepressant effect. Another aspect of the invention relates to clinical neuroplasticity in depression by providing a method that increases patient compliance with medication, decreases the bias or prejudice in the public against depression/mental illness, decreases the percentage of treatment resistant depression, decreases patients'"'"' resistance and inappropriate use of less effective treatment or treatment without medication because of the existing misperception. Similar methods also can be used successfully for other conditions where depressive symptoms are often present as coexisting condition, such as nicotine addiction, smoking cessation, overweight/weight control and pain management.
58 Citations
52 Claims
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1. A method of diagnosing and treating a depressive disorder in a patient, comprising challenging the traditional dogma of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual IV-TR, which has set the current standard of care with it'"'"'s criteria sets, as being only a differential diagnostic manual primarily useful for differentiating depression from other mental disorders;
- challenging that the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual IV-TR'"'"'s limited number of depressive symptoms in it'"'"'s criteria set is accurate and sensitive enough to diagnose, monitor and test for depressive symptoms and accurate and sensitive enough to test for remission of depressive symptoms, said limited number of depressive symptoms consisting of depressed mood, decreased sleep, decreased interest, guilt, decreased energy, decreased concentration, decreased appetite, psychomotor retardation and suicidal ideation; and
challenging that the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale or equivalent scale(s), which rating scale relies on the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual IV'"'"'s limited number of depressive symptom list, is accurate and sensitive enough to diagnose, monitor and test for depressive symptoms and accurate and sensitive enough to test for remission of depressive symptoms, by providing an extended list of depressive symptoms that is accurate and sensitive enough and that can be systematically relied upon to diagnose, test and monitor for depressive symptoms, said extended list selected from the group consisting of anxiety, somatic concerns/somatization/focusing on somatic symptoms, rumination/obsessiveness, anger/irritability/impulsivity/hostility/violence, cognitive distortion/global thinking, cognitive deficit/impairment, social withdrawal, helplessness/hopelessness, acute and chronic stressors and the patient'"'"'s ability to cope with them and to problem solve, perception of unjust and resentment, indifference, sensitivity, and other symptoms and observed signs. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 22, 23, 24, 25)
- challenging that the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual IV-TR'"'"'s limited number of depressive symptoms in it'"'"'s criteria set is accurate and sensitive enough to diagnose, monitor and test for depressive symptoms and accurate and sensitive enough to test for remission of depressive symptoms, said limited number of depressive symptoms consisting of depressed mood, decreased sleep, decreased interest, guilt, decreased energy, decreased concentration, decreased appetite, psychomotor retardation and suicidal ideation; and
- 12. A method of increasing treatment adherence and decreasing resistance for seeking help in a depressed patient as well as decreasing or eliminating prejudice and the stigma against depression as a mental illness, comprising describing to the patient, as well as to health care providers and to the general public, about clinical studies that do not pertain directly to mental depression involving neuroplasticity of the brain, neurogenesis, and/or brain mapping, wherein that is linked to neuroplasticity in the brain and mental depression and/or brain mapping in depression with a description of a metaphor.
- 13. The method of claiml2, wherein the description comprises as if/role play experiments that cause depression or lift depression and/or environmental situations that could cause depression in anybody.
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14. The method of claiml3, wherein the resolution of these environmental situations or as if/role play experiments are linked to the resolution of depressive symptoms with accompanied neuroplasticity.
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15. The method of claiml2, wherein the linking to mental depression and neuroplasticity pertains to clinical neuroplasticity.
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16. The method of claiml2, wherein the metaphors are selected from the group consisting of an “
- invisible mitt”
being equivalent to restraining negative thought patterns/rumination with medications and/or with cognitive therapy;
the metaphor of practice or practice makes a master, which is a metaphor of practicing the equivalent of turning of dominos in the physical therapy of stroke victims, which is equivalent to the practice of cognitive therapy;
the metaphor of the need for practicing having optimistic thoughts, which can result from increasing positive expectations;
the metaphor of that six hours a day practice was needed for stroke victims therefore in the treatment of depression one hour of practice or psychotherapy per week or even per day may not be enough to counter the old habit/depressive thinking, so the “
invisible mitt/medication(s) and/or diligent homework practice is needed;
the metaphor to explain of why it is so easy to relapse if one stops the invisible mitt/medication and/or the practice; and
using the description and examples of pseudo-placebo conditioning/expectation changing effects of medications on depression to describe various treatment strategies/alternatives for the treatment of depression, or that why antidepressants have a large placebo effect. - View Dependent Claims (17)
- invisible mitt”
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19. A method of increasing treatment adherence and decreasing resistance for seeking help in a depressed patient, comprising:
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meeting the client needs by the healthcare provider;
the healthcare provider changing his/her approach repeatedly so that the client'"'"'s needs are met and a desired change occurs, wherein the patient perceives a gain, that the situation is right and has a readiness for change;
that the timing for change is perceived as the right time, that the need for change being important and emergent enough be realized, that the relative easiness of the change or that the process of change can come with at least some enjoyment and satisfaction can be realized, and that the situation is adjusted so that the patient would have the tools and skills needed for the desired change. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21)
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27. A method of diagnosing and treating a depressive disorder in a patient comprising administering a psychopharmacological diagnostic/treatment/educational modality to the patient, comprising:
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a) assessing the presence and severity of a constellation of symptoms in the patient;
b) administering in therapeutic amounts at least one or more psychoactive drugs to the patient, wherein the at least one or more psychoactive drugs are selected based on the results of (a) so as to target the symptoms that are present;
c) educating the patient as to the neuroplasticity response of the brain that is ubiquitous to any human, wherein said education reduces negative feelings of the patient;
d) meeting the patient'"'"'s needs, wherein said meeting of the patient'"'"'s needs increases positive feelings in the patient;
e) reassessing at a later time the presence and severity of the constellation of symptoms in the patient;
f) adjusting the therapeutic amounts of the at least one or more psychoactive drugs based on the results of (e);
g) administering the adjusted therapeutic amounts of the at least one or more psychoactive drugs to the patient; and
h) repeating steps (c) through (g) until the presence and severity of the constellation of symptoms have diminished to a subclinical level. - View Dependent Claims (28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39)
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40. A method of producing a pseudo-placebo effect in a patient afflicted with a depressive disorder in order to produce rapid global improvement of symptoms and satisfaction in the patient, comprising:
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targeting one or more specific symptoms of the patient which are known to respond quickly to drug administration; and
administering in therapeutic amounts at least one or more psychoactive drugs known to affect the one or more specific symptoms targeted, wherein alleviation of one or more symptoms elicits a conditioned reflex in the patient which results in a rapid global improvement of other symptoms of the patient, thus increasing patient satisfaction and further positive changes in the patient. - View Dependent Claims (41, 42, 43, 44)
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45. A method of improving patient compliance in the treatment of an already-diagnosed depressive disorder, comprising:
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educating the patient as to the neuroplasticity response of the brain that is ubiquitous to any human, wherein said education reduces negative feelings of the patient;
assessing the patent for the reduction of negative feelings; and
promptly administering to the patient a psychoactive drug designed to address the patient'"'"'s symptoms of the depressive disorder. - View Dependent Claims (46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52)
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Specification