Aberrant degree centrality profiles during rumination in major depressive disorder.

Rumination is closely linked to the onset and maintenance of major depressive disorder (MDD). Prior neuroimaging studies have identified the association between self-reported rumination trait and the functional coupling among a network of brain regions using resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). However, little is known about the underlying neural circuitry mechanism during active rumination in MDD. Degree centrality (DC) is a simple metric to denote network integration, which is critical for higher-order psychological processes such as rumination. During an MRI scan, individuals with MDD (N = 45) and healthy controls (HC, N = 46) completed a rumination state task. We examined the interaction effect between the group (MDD vs. HC) and condition (rumination vs. distraction) on vertex-wise DC. We further characterized the identified brain region's functional involvement with Neurosynth and BrainMap. Network-wise seed-based functional connectivity (FC) analysis was also conducted for the identified region of interest. Finally, exploratory correlation analysis was conducted between the identified region of interest's network FCs and self-reported in-scanner affect levels. We found that a left superior frontal gyrus (SFG) region, generally overlapped with the frontal eye field, showed a significant interaction effect. Further analysis revealed its involvement with executive functions. FCs between this region, the frontoparietal, and the dorsal attention network (DAN) also showed significant interaction effects. Furthermore, its FC to DAN during distraction showed a marginally significant negative association with in-scanner affect level at the baseline. Our results implicated an essential role of the left SFG in the rumination's underlying neural circuitry mechanism in MDD and provided novel evidence for the conceptualization of rumination in terms of impaired executive control.

Delayed improvements in visual memory task performance among chronic schizophrenia patients after high-frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation.

BACKGROUND: Cognitive impairments are core characteristics of schizophrenia, but are largely resistant to current treatments. Several recent studies have shown that high-frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) of the left dor-solateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) can reduce negative symptoms and improve certain cognitive deficits in schizophrenia patients. However, results are inconsistent across studies. AIM: To examine if high-frequency rTMS of the DLPFC can improve visual memory deficits in patients with schizophrenia. METHODS: Forty-seven chronic schizophrenia patients with severe negative symptoms on stable treatment regimens were randomly assigned to receive active rTMS to the DLPFC (n = 25) or sham stimulation (n = 22) on weekdays for four consecutive weeks. Patients performed the pattern recognition memory (PRM) task from the Cambridge Neuropsychological Test Automated Battery at baseline, at the end of rTMS treatment (week 4), and 4 wk after rTMS treatment (week 8). Clinical symptoms were also measured at these same time points using the Scale for the Assessment of Negative Symptoms (SANS) and the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS). RESULTS: There were no significant differences in PRM performance metrics, SANS total score, SANS subscores, PANSS total score, and PANSS subscores between active and sham rTMS groups at the end of the 4-wk treatment period, but PRM performance metrics (percent correct and number correct) and changes in these metrics from baseline were significantly greater in the active rTMS group at week 8 compared to the sham group (all P < 0.05). Active rTMS treatment also significantly reduced SANS score at week 8 compared to sham treatment. Moreover, the improvement in visual memory was correlated with the reduction in negative symptoms at week 8. In contrast, there were no between-group differences in PANSS total score and subscale scores at either week 4 or week 8 (all P > 0.05). CONCLUSION: High-frequency transcranial magnetic stimulation improves visual memory and reduces negative symptoms in schizophrenia, but these effects are delayed, potentially due to the requirement for extensive neuroplastic changes within DLPFC networks.

Faculty Success Initiative: An Innovative Approach to Professional Faculty Onboarding and Development.

Higher education institutions have been increasingly dependent on adjunct faculty to provide instruction at undergraduate and graduate levels. At professional schools, most faculty begin teaching graduate courses with limited to no formal training or teaching experience as industry expertise is the primary requirement for employment. Despite the availability of ample pedagogical resources to advance teaching, these faculty require additional support during their induction into academia. This paper describes the design and operationalization of the New York University Faculty Success Initiative (FSI), an innovative, semi-structured, faculty-centered onboarding and professional development program that provides quality, longer term preparation to new faculty throughout their first semester of instruction to increase their teaching effectiveness and their sense of connection to their academic unit. An analysis of multiple qualitative and quantitative data sources indicates that FSI led to an increase in teaching effectiveness and played a significant role in transitioning professional faculty from practitioners to educators. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s41686-022-00069-x.

Peripheral Interleukin-18 is negatively correlated with abnormal brain activity in patients with depression: a resting-state fMRI study.

BACKGROUND: Interleukin-18 (IL-18) may participate in the development of major depressive disorder, but the specific mechanism remains unclear. This study aimed to explore whether IL-18 correlates with areas of the brain associated with depression. METHODS: Using a case-control design, 68 subjects (34 patients and 34 healthy controls) underwent clinical assessment, blood sampling, and resting-state functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI). The total Hamilton depression-17 (HAMD-17) score was used to assess depression severity. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used to detect IL-18 levels. Rest-state fMRI was conducted to explore spontaneous brain activity. RESULTS: The level of IL-18 was higher in patients with depression in comparison with healthy controls. IL-18 was negatively correlated with degree centrality of the left posterior cingulate gyrus in the depression patient group, but no correlation was found in the healthy control group. CONCLUSION: This study suggests the involvement of IL-18 in the pathophysiological mechanism for depression and interference with brain activity.

Association Between Depressive Symptoms and Serum Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor Levels in Patients With First-Episode and Drug-Naïve Schizophrenia.

Previous studies have revealed that brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) levels are inversely associated with the severity of depressive symptoms. In addition, serum BDNF levels tend to increase with improvement in depressive symptoms. There is also evidence that BDNF has a possible role in the pathophysiology of schizophrenia. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to determine whether BDNF levels correlated with depressive symptoms in patients with first-episode and drug-naïve (FEDN) schizophrenia. In this study, 90 patients with FEDN schizophrenia and 60 healthy controls were recruited. The Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) and the 17-item Hamilton Depression Scale (HAMD-17) were used to gage psychopathological and depressive symptoms, respectively. All participants had their BDNF levels measured using a sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent test. Serum BDNF levels were lower in patients with FEDN schizophrenia compared with healthy controls. Moreover, patients with depressive symptoms exhibited a higher PANSS total score and a higher general psychopathology score than those without depressive symptoms (p < 0.05). For patients with depressive symptoms, serum BDNF levels were higher than in those without depressive symptoms (p < 0.05). An association between BDNF levels and the positive subscore was also observed (p < 0.01). However, there was no significant association between BDNF levels and HAMD scores (p > 0.05). In conclusion, BDNF levels were shown to be higher in the serum of patients with FEDN schizophrenia with depressive symptoms than in those without. Additionally, low levels of serum BDNF may contribute to the positive symptoms of FEDN schizophrenia but not to depressive symptoms.

Sleep Disturbances and Their Association With Quality of Life in Older Psychiatric Patients During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

AIMS: The negative effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on sleep quality of clinically stable psychiatric patients is unknown. This study examined the prevalence of sleep disturbances and their association with quality of life (QOL) in clinically stable older psychiatric patients during the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS: This multicenter, cross-sectional study involved older patients attending maintenance treatment at outpatient departments of four major psychiatric hospitals in China. Patients' socio-demographic and clinical characteristics were collected. Sleep disturbances, depressive symptoms, and QOL were assessed with the Insomnia Severity Index, the 9-item Patient Health Questionnaire, and 2 items of the World Health Organization Quality of Life-Brief version, respectively. Binary logistic regression analysis was conducted to examine the independent associations of socio-demographic and clinical variables with sleep disturbances, while the association between sleep disturbances and QOL was explored with analysis of covariance. RESULTS: A total of 941 patients were recruited. The prevalence of sleep disturbances was 57.1% (95% CI: 53.9-60.2%). Analysis of covariance revealed that QOL was significantly lower in patients with sleep disturbances compared to those without. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that sleep disturbances were positively and independently associated with more severe depressive symptoms (OR = 1.32, 95% CI: 1.26-1.37). Compared to patients with major depressive disorder, those with other psychiatric diagnoses had a significantly higher prevalence of sleep disturbances (OR = 1.44, 95% CI: 1.00-2.08). CONCLUSION: Sleep disturbances were common among clinically stable older psychiatric patients during the COVID-19 pandemic. Considering the negative association with QOL, this subpopulation needs regular assessment and timely treatment to reduce their sleep disturbances and improve their QOL.

Network Analysis of Depression, Anxiety, Posttraumatic Stress Symptoms, Insomnia, Pain, and Fatigue in Clinically Stable Older Patients With Psychiatric Disorders During the COVID-19 Outbreak.

OBJECTIVES: The Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has profound negative effects on the mental health of clinically stable older patients with psychiatric disorders. This study examined the influential nodes of psychiatric problems and their associations in this population using network analysis. METHODS: Clinically stable older patients with psychiatric disorders were consecutively recruited from four major psychiatric hospitals in China from May 22 to July 15, 2020. Depressive and anxiety syndromes (depression and anxiety hereafter), insomnia, posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS), pain, and fatigue were measured using the Patient Health Questionnaire, General Anxiety Disorder, Insomnia Severity Index, Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Checklist - Civilian Version, and Numeric Rating Scales for pain and fatigue, respectively. RESULTS: A total of 1063 participants were included. The network analysis revealed that depression was the most influential node followed by anxiety as indicated by the centrality index of strength. In contrast, the edge connecting depression and anxiety was the strongest edge, followed by the edge connecting depression and insomnia, and the edge connecting depression and fatigue as indicated by edge-weights. The network structure was invariant by gender based on the network structure invariance test (M = .14, P = .20) and global strength invariance tests (S = .08, P = .30). CONCLUSIONS: Attention should be paid to depression and its associations with anxiety, insomnia, and fatigue in the screening and treatment of mental health problems in clinically stable older psychiatric patients affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Prevalence of Suicidality and its Association with Quality of Life in Older Patients with Clinically Stable Psychiatric Disorders in China During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

AIMS: The pattern of suicidality in older patients with psychiatric disorders during the COVID-19 pandemic is not clear. This study examined the prevalence of suicidality and its association with quality of life (QOL) among older clinically stable patients with psychiatric disorders during the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS: A multicenter, cross-sectional study was conducted from May 22 to July 15, 2020, among four major tertiary psychiatric hospitals in China. Suicidality was assessed by asking 3 standardized questions. Depressive symptoms, pain, and QOL were assessed with the 9-item Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9), the numeric pain rating scale (NPRS), and the World Health Organization Quality of Life Questionnaire-brief version, respectively. RESULTS: A total of 1063 clinically stable patients participated and completed the assessment. The prevalence of suicidality was 11.8% (95% CI: 9.9%-13.7%) during the COVID-19 pandemic. Multiple logistic regression analysis revealed that poor treatment adherence (P = .009, OR = 1.86, 95% CI: 1.17-2.96) and perceived illness worsening during the COVID-19 outbreak (P = .02, OR = 2.07, 95% CI: 1.15-3.73), being diagnosed with major depressive disorder (P < .001, OR = 2.79, 95% CI: 1.68-4.64), PHQ-9 total score (P < .001, OR = 1.20, 95% CI: 1.15-1.24) and NPRS total score (P = .002, OR = 1.17, 95% CI: 1.06-1.29) were associated with higher risk of suicidality. After controlling for covariates, older psychiatric patients with suicidality had lower QOL compared to those without (F(1, 1063) =16.5, P<.001). CONCLUSIONS: Suicidality was common in older patients with clinically stable psychiatric disorders during the COVID-19 pandemic. Considering its negative impact on QOL and personal suffering, routine screening and preventive suicide measures should be implemented for older psychiatric patients.

Prevalence of suicidality in clinically stable patients with major depressive disorder during the COVID-19 pandemic.

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic is associated with an increased risk of mental health problems including suicide in many subpopulations, but its influence on stable patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) has been studied fleetingly. This study examined the one-year prevalence of suicidality including suicidal ideation (SI), suicide plans (SP), and suicide attempts (SA) as well as their correlates in clinically stable MDD patients during the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS: A cross-sectional, observational study was conducted between October 1, 2020, and October 15, 2021, in six tertiary psychiatric hospitals. Socio-demographic information, clinical data and one-year prevalence of suicidality were recorded. RESULTS: Altogether, 1718 participants who met the eligibility criteria were included. The overall one-year prevalence of suicidality during the COVID-19 pandemic was 68.04% (95% confidence intervals (CI) =65.84-70.25%), with one-year SI prevalence of 66.4% (95%CI = 64.18-68.65%), SP prevalence of 36.26% (95%CI = 33.99-38.54%), and SA prevalence of 39.35% (95%CI = 37.04-41.66%). Binary logistic regression analyses revealed male gender, married marital status, college education level and above and age were negatively associated with risk of suicidality. Urban residence, unemployed work status, experiences of cyberbullying, a history of suicide among family members or friends, and more severe fatigue, physical pain, and residual depressive symptoms were positively associated with risk of suicidality. CONCLUSIONS: Suicidality is common among clinically stable MDD patients during the COVID-19 pandemic. Regular suicide screening and preventive measures should be provided to clinically stable MDD patients during the pandemic.

Sleep status of psychiatric nurses: A survey from China.

AIM: Our study aimed to evaluate the sleep status of psychiatric nurses in Chinese population and analyse the influencing factors. DESIGN: Cross-sectional, correlation design with logistic regression analysis. METHODS: We investigated 1,044 psychiatric nurses from seven psychiatric hospitals in China. Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index and Maslach Burnout Inventory General Survey were used as main measures. RESULTS: The average Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index score of 1,044 psychiatric nurses was 7.00 ± 3.59, and 38.63% of nurses had a total Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index score >7. Our study found that middle-night shift nurses had poor sleep quality and sleep disorders are positively correlated with emotional exhaustion and cynical disregard for job burnout. Middle-night shift nurses showed 1.586 times more likely to suffer from sleep disorders than those non-middle-night shift. The higher the score of emotional exhaustion, the greater the risk of sleep disorders.

The prevalence of depressive and anxiety symptoms and their associations with quality of life among clinically stable older patients with psychiatric disorders during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on clinically stable older patients with psychiatric disorders is unclear. This study examined the prevalence of depressive and anxiety symptoms, and their associations with quality of life (QOL) in clinically stable older patients with psychiatric disorders during the COVID-19 pandemic. This was a multicenter, cross-sectional study. Depressive and anxiety symptoms, insomnia, pain, and QOL were assessed with standardized instruments. A total of 1063 patients were included. The prevalence of depressive and anxiety symptoms, and combined depressive and anxiety symptoms were 62.3% (95%CI = 59.4-65.2%), 52.4% (95%CI = 49.3-55.4%), and 45.9% (95%CI = 42.9-48.9%), respectively. Patients with depressive and anxiety symptoms had significantly lower QOL than those without (P < 0.01). Binary logistic regression analyses revealed that having depressive symptoms was positively associated with more severe insomnia (OR = 1.29, P < 0.01) and pain (OR = 1.14, P < 0.01), and was negatively associated with other psychiatric diagnoses (except for major depressive disorder, schizophrenia, and organic mental disorder; OR = 0.50, P < 0.01), while having anxiety symptoms was positively associated with severe physical diseases (OR = 1.57, P = 0.02), poor adherence to treatment (OR = 1.50, P < 0.01), and more severe insomnia (OR = 1.15, P < 0.01) and pain (OR = 1.11, P < 0.01). Having combined depression and anxiety symptoms was positively associated with poor adherence to treatment (OR = 1.42, P = 0.02) and more severe insomnia (OR = 1.19, P < 0.01) and pain (OR = 1.15, P < 0.01), and was negatively associated with the diagnosis of schizophrenia (OR = 0.50, P = 0.04) and others (OR = 0.53, P < 0.01). Depressive and anxiety symptoms were common in clinically stable older patients with psychiatric disorders during the COVID-19 pandemic. Considering the negative impact of these symptoms on QOL, regular screening and appropriate treatment are recommended for this population.

Prevalence and correlates of fatigue and its association with quality of life among clinically stable older psychiatric patients during the COVID-19 outbreak: a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: The pattern of fatigue in older psychiatric patients during the COVID-19 outbreak was unknown. This study examined the prevalence of fatigue and its association with overall quality of life (overall QOL) in clinically stable older patients with psychiatric disorders during the COVID-19 outbreak. METHODS: This was a multicenter, cross-sectional study. Fatigue, depressive symptoms, pain, insomnia symptoms, and overall QOL were assessed with standardized instruments. RESULTS: A total of 1063 patients were recruited. The prevalence of fatigue was 47.1% (95%CI: 44.1-50.1%). An analysis of covariance revealed that overall QOL was significantly lower in patients with fatigue compared to those without (P = 0.011). A multiple logistic regression analysis revealed that more severe depressive symptoms (OR = 1.15, P < 0.001), insomnia symptoms (OR = 1.08, P < 0.001) and pain (OR = 1.43, P < 0.001) were significantly associated with fatigue. CONCLUSIONS: Fatigue is common among clinically stable older patients with psychiatric disorders during the COVID-19 outbreak. Considering its negative impact on overall QOL, regular assessment of fatigue and appropriate treatment warrant attention in this subpopulation.

Reduction of depression-like behavior in rat model induced by ShRNA targeting norepinephrine transporter in locus coeruleus.

Depression may be associated with reduced monoamine neurotransmission, particularly serotonin and norepinephrine (NE). Reuptake of NE by the norepinephrine transporter (NET) is the primary mechanism by which many of the antidepressants are high-affinity substrates for NET. This study aimed to examine the effect of lentivirus-mediated shRNA targeting NET in locus coeruleus (LC) on depression-like behaviors of rats. We randomly assigned 60 male Wistar rats to 6 experimental groups: (1) Control group: without chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS) and without NET-shRNA treatment; (2) shRNA group: without CUMS + NET-shRNA; (3) CUMS group: 3-week CUMS without NET-shRNA; (4) CUMS + nonsense shRNA group; (5) CUMS + amygdala (Amy)-shRNA group; (6) CUMS+ locus coeruleus (LC)-shRNA group. First, recombinant lentiviral vector expressing shRNA (ShRNA-629, ShRNA-330, ShRNA-1222, ShRNA-1146 or ShRNA- negative control) against NET were produced, and their efficiency in knocking down of NET in PC12 cells were assessed by Q-PCR and western blot analysis. Second, shRNA was injected into the rat LC bilaterally to investigate whether it could prevent the depressive-like behavior induced by 3-week CUMS. Third, we tested the depressive-like behavior of the rats in the forced swimming test, the open field test, the sucrose preference test, as well as the body weight gain at the end of the seventh week. Finally, the protein expressions of NET was measured by western blot and the NE levels were measured by high performance liquid chromatography. Q-PCR and western blot showed that the ShRNA-1146 had the best interference efficiency targeting on NET in PC12 cells (p < 0.01). Compared to the depression model group, the immobility time in the forced swimming test was significantly reduced (p < 0.01), but the sucrose preference and the total scores in the open field test were significantly increased (all p < 0.01) in the group treated with shRNA in LC. Furthermore, compared with the depression model group, NET levels were significantly decreased (p < 0.01), but NE levels were significantly increased in the group treated with shRNA in LC (p < 0.05). Our findings suggest that Lentivirus-mediated shRNA targeting NET in LC downregulated NET both in vitro and in vivo, resulting in a significant decrease in depressive-like behavior of rats.