The aim of the present study was to test whether, like monoamine re-uptake inhibitors, mirtazapine would also produce positive biases in emotional processing.

We studied 30 healthy

volunteers who received either a single dose of mirtazapine (15 mg) or placebo in a parallel group, double-blind study. Two hours following medication administration, participants completed a battery of tasks testing various aspects of emotional processing including facial expression recognition, emotion potentiated startle, and emotional categorization and memory.

Compared to placebo, mirtazapine significantly impaired the recognition of fearful facial expressions and reduced eye-blink responses in the emotion potentiated startle task. Participants receiving mirtazapine were also significantly quicker to respond to emotional

self-relevant information in the categorization task LXH254 in vivo and showed a positive bias in memory recall compared to those receiving placebo.

Our findings indicate that mirtazapine reduces fear processing in healthy volunteers, BGJ398 mw an effect similar to that produced by repeated administration of selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors. In addition, mirtazapine increased memory for likeable versus dislikeable self-relevant information suggesting an induction of positive bias in emotional memory. Such effects may be important for our understanding of the neuropsychological mechanisms of antidepressant action in both anxiety and depressive disorders.”
“Background/Aims: Cardiovascular morbidity and mortality are high in patients with chronic kidney disease. We evaluated the influence of small differences in preoperative kidney function on mortality and complications following cardiac surgery. Methods: This is an observational study that included adult patients undergoing cardiac surgery. Preoperative estimated glomerular

filtration rate (eGFR) was estimated by the Coproporphyrinogen III oxidase 4-component Modification of Diet in Renal Disease (MDRD) and Chronic Kidney Disease Epidemiology Collaboration (CKD-EPI) equations based on preoperative creatinine levels. For analysis, patients were divided into groups according to their preoperative creatinine (0.2 mg/dl increments) and eGFR levels (15-30 ml/min/1.73 m(2) decrements). Results: Data on 5,340 patients were analyzed. A significant increase in postoperative mortality was demonstrated with preoperative creatinine at high-normal versus low-normal values (OR 1.7, 95% CI: 1-2.5; p = 0.02). For preoperative creatinine >1.2 mg/dl, adjusted OR for in-hospital mortality increased step-wise with every 0.2-mg/dl increment of creatinine. In addition, a statistically significant increment of mortality was detected with every 15-ml/min/1.73 m(2) decrement in preoperative eGFR.