Point Omega Research Articles

Valoración clínica de un modelo para la depresión nerviosa de la auriculoterapia: propuesta de nuevos puntos en las áreas de Brodmann de la corteza prefrontal medial, la corteza cingulada anterior y los núcleos habenulares

Background Our clinical study introduces a combination of points on the anterior side of the ear lobule together with points on the pretragal area, localized immediately under the ascending branch of the helix. Both localizations imply Brodmann-representations of the medial prefrontal cortex and habenular nuclei, respectively. In our experience, these zones will appear pain-sensitive to pressure in cases of major depression, reactional depression, seasonal affective disorder, and atypical depression. In addition to conventional treatment, we suggest the therapeutic use of the points on the ear lobule, point Omega included, with the objective of raising the tolerance of frustration. The lobule points are efficient in the treatment of the positive symptoms of depression like increased heart rate, motor unrest such as trembling, insomnia, mental uneasiness and hyperkinetic attention etc., but seem to have no effect on the negative ones like asthenia, anorexia, apathy, hypothermia, daytime somnolence etc. Although the points on the pretragal zone resolve the emotional anhedonic indifference as seen in major depression, unfortunately in this process apathy will tend to yield in favour of reactivation of underlying fears and anxiety. This unwanted side effect of reactivated avoidance behaviour with mental and motor unrest excludes these pretragal points from therapeutic use in depression. Objectives Since P. Nogier the ear lobule has been presented as the projection of the cortical zones of the brain: frontal-, parietal-, temporal- and occipital cortical zones (ectodermal territory). These were thought to be represented on the anterior side of the lobule. In our model, the medio-inferior zone of the anterior lobule represents the medial prefrontal cortex and, more precisely, the Omega point represents the anterior cingulate cortex. The pretragal points just beneath the ascending branch of the helix represent the habenular nuclei. These could be identical to points described in the Bobigny cartography as used against complaints with diurnal, menstrual or seasonal rhythmicity. We propose a cartography of the ear as a representation of circuits in the central nervous system, the advantage of which lies in the fact that the indications of the new ear points can be deduced from complaints due to hyper- or hypofunction of these circuits as described in neuroscience - functions which can be clinically checked out or technically verified as to their central representation. This concept not only applies the points in a logical sense, but also makes the model particularly accessible to our colleagues in classical medicine. Methods Our method is based on clinical assessment. The patients present themselves to our practice because of their non-responsiveness to antidepressants, and want to try acupuncture for this reason. Statistical analysis or technical investigation of patients who are medication-free would be preferable, since it could be possible to attribute an improvement or remission to an ultimate effect of the medication prescribed before the acupuncture sessions began. Results We treated more than ten patients in the group of reactional depression and three cases of atypical depression. According to their own evaluation, six out of ten patients improved more than 50% with at least five sessions average. Auricular therapy worked fine for all of the positive symptoms but did not improve the negative symptoms of depression. Especially the hedonic commitment in everyday life in major depression was not improved, the patients remaining apathetic to salient events or opportunities to participate. Conclusion The results are far better for positive symptoms of depression than for the negative symptoms that are only barely influenced, if not at all. The results of ear lobule therapy show effectiveness for atypical and reactional depression. The proposed points are insufficient regarding the amplification of spontaneity and the feeling of personal involvement in everyday events: indifference towards self-rewarding actions in major depression could not be improved. Our combination is not hedonically activating, but efficient in the treatment of positive symptoms of depression only.

Clinical Assessment of a Model for Nervous Depression in Auriculotherapy: Proposition for New Points in the Brodmann-Representations of the Medial Prefrontal Cortex, Anterior Cingulate Cortex and Habenular Nuclei

Background Our clinical study introduces a combination of points on the anterior side of the ear lobule together with points on the pretragal area, localized immediately under the ascending branch of the helix. Both localizations imply Brodmann-representations of the medial prefrontal cortex and habenular nuclei, respectively. In our experience, these zones will appear pain-sensitive to pressure in cases of major depression, reactional depression, seasonal affective disorder, and atypical depression. In addition to conventional treatment, we suggest the therapeutic use of the points on the ear lobule, point Omega included, with the objective of raising the tolerance of frustration. The lobule points are efficient in the treatment of the positive symptoms of depression like increased heart rate, motor unrest such as trembling, insomnia, mental uneasiness and hyperkinetic attention etc., but seem to have no effect on the negative ones like asthenia, anorexia, apathy, hypothermia, daytime somnolence etc. Although the points on the pretragal zone resolve the emotional anhedonic indifference as seen in major depression, unfortunately in this process apathy will tend to yield in favour of reactivation of underlying fears and anxiety. This unwanted side effect of reactivated avoidance behaviour with mental and motor unrest excludes these pretragal points from therapeutic use in depression. Objectives Since P. Nogier the ear lobule has been presented as the projection of the cortical zones of the brain: frontal-, parietal-, temporal- and occipital cortical zones (ectodermal territory). These were thought to be represented on the anterior side of the lobule. In our model, the medio-inferior zone of the anterior lobule represents the medial prefrontal cortex and, more precisely, the Omega point represents the anterior cingulate cortex. The pretragal points just beneath the ascending branch of the helix represent the habenular nuclei. These could be identical to points described in the Bobigny cartography as used against complaints with diurnal, menstrual or seasonal rhythmicity. We propose a cartography of the ear as a representation of circuits in the central nervous system, the advantage of which lies in the fact that the indications of the new ear points can be deduced from complaints due to hyper- or hypofunction of these circuits as described in neuroscience - functions which can be clinically checked out or technically verified as to their central representation. This concept not only applies the points in a logical sense, but also makes the model particularly accessible to our colleagues in classical medicine. Methods Our method is based on clinical assessment. The patients present themselves to our practice because of their non-responsiveness to antidepressants, and want to try acupuncture for this reason. Statistical analysis or technical investigation of patients who are medication-free would be preferable, since it could be possible to attribute an improvement or remission to an ultimate effect of the medication prescribed before the acupuncture sessions began. Results We treated more than ten patients in the group of reactional depression and three cases of atypical depression. According to their own evaluation, six out of ten patients improved more than 50 % with at least five sessions average. Auricular therapy worked fine for all of the positive symptoms but did not improve the negative symptoms of depression. Especially the hedonic commitment in everyday life in major depression was not improved, the patients remaining apathetic to salient events or opportunities to participate. Conclusion The results are far better for positive symptoms of depression than for the negative symptoms that are only barely influenced, if not at all. The results of ear lobule therapy show effectiveness for atypical and reactional depression. The proposed points are insufficient regarding the amplification of spontaneity and the feeling of personal involvement in everyday events: indifference towards self-rewarding actions in major depression could not be improved. Our combination is not hedonically activating, but efficient in the treatment of positive symptoms of depression only.

NOESY around the critical point Omega Tau c = 1.12. Precise determination of proton-proton distances and reorientation correlation times with two-field NOESY

NOESY around the critical point Omega Tau c = 1.12. Precise determination of proton-proton distances and reorientation correlation times with two-field NOESY

Destination: Point Omega

The SciencesVolume 25, Issue 3 p. 7-9 Destination: Point Omega Robert Wright, Robert Wright Robert Wright is senior editor of The Sciences.Search for more papers by this author Robert Wright, Robert Wright Robert Wright is senior editor of The Sciences.Search for more papers by this author First published: May‐June 1985 https://doi.org/10.1002/j.2326-1951.1985.tb02911.x AboutPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Share a linkShare onFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditWechat Volume25, Issue3May‐June 1985Pages 7-9 RelatedInformation

Behavior of the Magnetostatic Wave in a Periodically Corrugated YIG Slab (Short Papers)

An analysis for the propagation characteristics of the magnetostatic wave in a YIG slab having periodically corrugated surfaces is presented. The Brillouin diagrams, close to the intersection point (omega,K) of m = 0 and m = -1 space harmonics, are obtained for different slab thicknesses, and the nonexistence of leaky wave modes has been established. Some discussions concerning the internal dc magnetic field and the propagation loss are also presented,