Association between commuting and mental health among Japanese adolescents.

AIM: Mental health issues in adolescence contribute to various disease burdens later in life and are associated with violence, crime, and suicide. Activities such as sleep, diet, exercise, and time spent using electronic devices are related to declining mental health. However, few studies have examined the association between commuting times to school and mental health. This study tested the hypothesis that high school students' long commuting times are associated with poor mental health. METHOD: A cross-sectional study was conducted between October and December 2022 among 2067 students at two private high schools. Survey items included participant information (sex, grade, school), commuting time, mental health status (Patient Health Questionnaire 9 [PHQ-9]: depressive symptoms, and Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7 [GAD-7]: anxiety symptoms), lifestyle factors, and sleep-related factors. RESULTS: Data from 1899 high school students were analyzed. The prevalence of depressive and anxiety symptoms was 17.3% and 19.0%, respectively. A commuting time of ≥1 h was significantly associated with depressive symptoms (adjusted odds ratio: 1.60 [95% confidence interval]: 1.14-2.24) and anxiety symptoms (adjusted odds ratio: 1.51 [95% confidence interval]: 1.09-2.10). Sex, grade, use of ≥8 h/day of electronic devices, and chronotype were significantly associated with depressive symptoms, while sex, grade, use of ≥8 h/day of electronic devices, and insomnia were significantly associated with anxiety symptoms. CONCLUSION: It is suggested that long commuting times are associated with poor mental health in high school students. Parents and schools should consider commuting time when advising students on school selection to maintain their mental health.

Prevalence, knowledge, and concerns regarding the use of heated tobacco products and electronic cigarettes among young Japanese physicians.

INTRODUCTION: Heated tobacco products (HTPs) and e-cigarettes (ECs) have gained traction as alternatives for harm reduction, especially in Japan. In particular, the use of HTPs is rapidly gaining popularity among young adults in Japan, with a prevalence of 10.9% in 2020. Despite uncertainties regarding the health effects of HTPs and ECs, concerns regarding nicotine and carcinogens persist. Although physicians play a vital role in smoking cessation, they lack awareness and concerns regarding HTPs. This study aimed to assess the prevalence, knowledge, and concerns regarding HTPs and ECs among young Japanese physicians. METHODS: A cross-sectional online survey was conducted in 2021 with 529 young Japanese physicians aged 24-39 years. Parameters assessed included awareness, smoking status, knowledge of HTPs and ECs, and concerns related to HTPs. Statistical analyses were conducted to assess prevalence, knowledge, and concerns by smoking status using the chi-squared test and logistic regression. RESULTS: Most participants were aware of HTPs (89.0%) and ECs (71.3%). Young male physicians preferred HTPs, while females favored ECs. Primary sources of information included newspapers and stories (56.8%), and TV (37.4%). Non-smokers (89.0%) demonstrated limited knowledge of these products. Concerns were highest and lowest among non-smokers and HTP users, respectively, with safety concerns being the most prevalent. CONCLUSIONS: Young physicians exhibited lower smoking rates than the general population, but HTP use was prominent among young male physicians. Concerns varied based on smoking status, indicating the need to address these issues among healthcare professionals. Despite high awareness, knowledge gaps, particularly among non-smokers, highlight the importance of public health and educational campaigns to disseminate knowledge among physicians, regardless of medical specialty.

Impact of chronotype, insomnia symptoms, sleep duration, and electronic devices on nonrestorative sleep and daytime sleepiness among Japanese adolescents.

OBJECTIVES: Nonrestorative sleep (NRS) and excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS) are important indicators of daytime dysfunction. Electronic media use before bedtime greatly affects adolescent sleep quality. However, few studies have examined factors associated with these symptoms. Therefore, we aimed to investigate the impact of chronotype, electronic device use before bedtime, and insomnia symptoms on NRS and EDS in Japanese adolescents. METHODS: A web-based cross-sectional survey of 2067 adolescents was conducted in 2022 to mainly assess sleep-related issues (sleep duration, chronotype, insomnia symptoms, NRS, and EDS), time spent using electronic devices, physical activity, and mental health. RESULTS: We analyzed data of 1880 adolescents (age, 16.4 ± 0.8 years; males, 56.7%). NRS and EDS prevalence rates were 54.9% and 39.4%, respectively. In multivariate analysis, evening chronotype [odds ratio (OR): 2.14, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.58-2.89], difficulty initiating sleep (OR: 1.94, 95% CI: 1.43-2.64), <5 h sleep (OR: 1.77, 95% CI: 1.24-2.54), 5-6 h sleep (OR: 1.52, 95% CI: 1.20-1.93), and using electronic devices just before bedtime (OR: 1.48, 95% CI: 1.08-2.04) were associated with NRS. Evening chronotype (OR: 1.40, 95% CI: 1.07-1.82), early morning awakening (OR: 1.60, 95% CI: 1.02-2.50), using electronic devices just before bedtime (OR: 2.08, 95% CI: 1.48-2.93), and using electronic devices 30 min before bedtime (OR: 1.57, 95% CI: 1.07-2.29) were associated with EDS. CONCLUSION: Chronotype may be an important factor influencing NRS and EDS. Discontinuing electronic device use at least 30 min before bedtime could benefit affected adolescents.

Transdiagnostic association between subjective insomnia and depressive symptoms in major psychiatric disorders.

In psychiatric disorders, comorbid depressive symptoms are associated with clinically important issues such as reduced quality of life, a poor prognosis, and increased suicide risk. Previous studies have found a close relationship between insomnia and depressive symptoms in major depressive disorder (MDD), and that actively improving insomnia heightens the improvement of depressive symptoms. This study aimed to investigate whether the association between insomnia and depressive symptoms is also found in other psychiatric disorders besides MDD. The subjects were 144 patients with MDD (n = 71), schizophrenia (n = 25), bipolar disorder (n = 22), or anxiety disorders (n = 26). Sleep status was assessed subjectively and objectively using the Athens Insomnia Scale (AIS) and sleep electroencephalography (EEG), respectively. Sleep EEG was performed using a portable EEG device. Depressive symptoms were assessed using the Beck Depression Inventory. Subjective insomnia, as defined by the AIS, was associated with depressive symptoms in all disorders. Moreover, in schizophrenia, a relation between depressive symptoms and insomnia was also found by objective sleep assessment methods using sleep EEG. Our findings suggest that the association between subjective insomnia and depressive symptoms is a transdiagnostic feature in major psychiatric disorders. Further studies are needed to clarify whether therapeutic interventions for comorbid insomnia can improve depressive symptoms in major psychiatric disorders, similar to MDD.

Key particle properties of shells for cadmium chemisorption.

Previous studies on cadmium adsorption of calcium carbonate have found that polymorph, and, crystallinity are influential factors for adsorbing cadmium ions. The predominant factor for cadmium adsorption has yet to be elucidated because these factors are linked. To overcome this, here each factor is investigated separately. First, atmospheric grinding prepared surf clam (aragonite phase) and scallop (calcite phase) shells with similar crystallite sizes and specific surface areas. Using adsorption isotherm models, kinetics, X-ray diffraction analysis, and TEM observations, both calcite and aragonite react with cadmium to form cadmium carbonate. The chemisorption follows the adsorption mechanism reported in the literature. Based on the Langmuir isotherm model fitting, the maximum adsorbed amount for the ground surf clam shells is 633.3 mg/g, while that for scallop shells is 195.8 mg/g. Then fine surf clam shell particles with a similar specific surface area, and with a relatively wide range of the aragonite ratio, and crystallite size are prepared via a combination of grinding and a subsequent calcination process. Our experiments where one explanatory variable is changed at a time demonstrate that the polymorph ratio and crystallite size of the ground shells play key roles in the chemisorption.

Duration Mismatch Negativity Predicts Remission in First-Episode Schizophrenia Patients.

Objective: Remission in schizophrenia patients is associated with neurocognitive, social, and role functioning during both the early and chronic stages of schizophrenia. It is well-established that the amplitudes of duration mismatch negativity (dMMN) and frequency MMN (fMMN) are reduced in schizophrenia patients. However, the potential link between MMN and remission has not been established. In this study, we investigated the relationship between MMNs and remission in first-episode schizophrenia (FES) and their association with neurocognitive and social functioning. Method: dMMN and fMMN were measured in 30 patients with FES and 22 healthy controls at baseline and after a mean of 3 years. Clinical symptoms and cognitive and social functioning in the patients were assessed at the time of MMN measurements by using the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS), modified Global Assessment of Functioning (mGAF), Schizophrenia Cognition Rating Scale (SCoRS), and the Brief Assessment of Cognition in Schizophrenia (BACS). Remission of the patients was defined using the criteria by the Remission in Schizophrenia Working Group; of the 30 patients with FES, 14 achieved remission and 16 did not. Results: Baseline dMMN amplitude was reduced in FES compared to healthy controls. Further, baseline dMMN in the non-remitters had decreased amplitude and prolonged latency compared to the remitters. MMN did not change during follow-up period regardless of parameters, diagnosis, or remission status. Baseline dMMN amplitude in FES was correlated with future SCoRS and PANSS total scores. Logistic regression analysis revealed that dMMN amplitude at baseline was a significant predictor of remission. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that dMMN amplitude may be a useful biomarker for predicting symptomatic remission and improvement of cognitive and social functions in FES.

Prolonged P300 Latency in Antipsychotic-Free Subjects with At-Risk Mental States Who Later Developed Schizophrenia.

We measured P300, an event-related potential, in subjects with at-risk mental states (ARMS) and aimed to determine whether P300 parameter can predict progression to overt schizophrenia. Thirty-three subjects with ARMS, 39 with schizophrenia, and 28 healthy controls participated in the study. All subjects were antipsychotic-free. Subjects with ARMS were followed-up for more than two years. Cognitive function was measured by the Brief assessment of Cognition in Schizophrenia (BACS) and Schizophrenia Cognition Rating Scale (SCoRS), while the modified Global Assessment of Functioning (mGAF) was used to assess global function. Patients with schizophrenia showed smaller P300 amplitudes and prolonged latency at Pz compared to those of healthy controls and subjects with ARMS. During the follow-up period, eight out of 33 subjects with ARMS developed overt psychosis (ARMS-P) while 25 did not (ARMS-NP). P300 latency of ARMS-P was significantly longer than that of ARMS-NP. At baseline, ARMS-P elicited worse cognitive functions, as measured by the BACS and SCoRS compared to ARMS-NP. We also detected a significant relationship between P300 amplitudes and mGAF scores in ARMS subjects. Our results suggest the usefulness of prolonged P300 latency and cognitive impairment as a predictive marker of later development of schizophrenia in vulnerable individuals.

Features of Duration Mismatch Negativity Around the Onset of Overt Psychotic Disorders: A Longitudinal Study.

Reduced amplitude of duration mismatch negativity (dMMN) has been reported in psychotic disorders and at-risk mental state (ARMS); however, few longitudinal MMN studies have examined the amplitude changes during the course of psychosis. We compared dMMN amplitude between ARMS individuals with later psychosis onset and those without, and we longitudinally examined potential dMMN changes around psychosis onset. Thirty-nine ARMS subjects and 22 healthy controls participated in this study. Of the 39 ARMS subjects, 11 transitioned to psychosis (at-risk mental state with later psychosis onset [ARMS-P]) during follow-up and 28 did not (at-risk mental state without later psychosis onset [ARMS-NP]). dMMN was measured twice using an auditory oddball paradigm with a mean interval of 2 years. Follow-up dMMN data were available for all but four ARMS-P subjects. dMMN amplitude at baseline was smaller in ARMS-P subjects compared with control and ARMS-NP subjects. Additionally, ARMS-P subjects displayed a longitudinal decline in dMMN amplitude, which was not present in control and ARMS-P subjects. We also observed a progressive decline in dMMN amplitude during the transition period, suggesting dynamic brain changes associated with the psychosis onset. Our findings implicate dMMN amplitude as a biological predictor of future psychosis onset in high-risk individuals, which may be used for early detection and intervention of psychosis.