Identifying mental health outcomes and evidence-based psychological interventions for supporting pediatric gunshot wound patients: A systematic review and proposed conceptual model.

BACKGROUND: Accidental and assault gunshot wounds (GSWs) are the second leading cause of injury in the United States for youth ages 1- to 17-years-old, resulting in significant negative effects on pediatric patients' mental health functioning. Despite the critical implications of GSWs, there has yet to be a systematic review synthesizing trends in mental health outcomes for pediatric patients; a gap the present review fills. Additionally, this review identifies evidence-based psychological interventions shown to be effective in the treatment of subclinical symptoms of psychological disorders in the general population. METHODS: A comprehensive search was conducted using five databases: American Psychological Association (APA) PsycInfo, APA PsycArticles, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), Education Resource Information Center (ERIC), and Medical Literature Analysis and Retrieval Systems Online (MEDLINE). Twenty-two articles met inclusion criteria. RESULTS: Findings suggest pediatric GSW patients are at a significantly elevated risk for mental health disorders when compared to other- (e.g., motor vehicle collision) and non-injured youth. Disorders include post-traumatic stress, disruptive behavior, anxiety, depression, and substance use. Hospital-based violence intervention programs, cultivating supportive relationships with adults in one's community, and trauma-focused outpatient services were identified as effective interventions for treating subclinical psychological symptoms. CONCLUSIONS: Depicted in the proposed conceptual model, the present study delineates a direct association between pediatric GSWs and subsequent onset of mental health disorders. This relation is buffered by evidence-based psychological interventions targeting subclinical symptoms. Results suggest brief psychological interventions can help treat mental health challenges, minimizing risk for significant long-term concerns. Cultural adaptations to enhance the utility and accessibility of interventions for all patients are recommended.

Neural Mechanisms of Nonauditory Effects of Noise Exposure on Special Populations.

Due to the abnormal structure and function of brain neural networks in special populations, such as children, elderly individuals, and individuals with mental disorders, noise exposure is more likely to have negative psychological and cognitive nonauditory effects on these individuals. There are unique and complex neural mechanisms underlying this phenomenon. For individuals with mental disorders, there are anomalies such as structural atrophy and decreased functional activation in brain regions involved in emotion and cognitive processing, such as the prefrontal cortex (PFC). Noise exposure can worsen these abnormalities in relevant brain regions, further damaging neural plasticity and disrupting normal connections and the transmission of information between the PFC and other brain areas by causing neurotransmitter imbalances. In the case of children, in a noisy environment, brain regions such as the left inferior frontal gyrus and PFC, which are involved in growth and development, are more susceptible to structural and functional changes, leading to neurodegenerative alterations. Furthermore, noise exposure can interrupt auditory processing neural pathways or impair inhibitory functions, thus hindering children's ability to map sound to meaning in neural processes. For elderly people, age-related shrinkage of brain regions such as the PFC, as well as deficiencies in hormone, neurotransmitter, and nutrient levels, weakens their ability to cope with noise. Currently, it is feasible to propose and apply coping strategies to improve the nonauditory effects of noise exposure on special populations based on the plasticity of the human brain.

The Frequency of Neuropsychiatric Sequelae After Traumatic Brain Injury in the Global South: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

This study aimed to assess the prevalence of neuropsychiatric sequelae following traumatic brain injury (TBI) among the Western Asian, South Asian and African regions of the global south. All studies on psychiatric disturbances or cognitive impairment following TBI conducted (until August 2021) in the 83 countries that constitute the aforementioned regions were reviewed; 6 databases were selected for the literature search. After evaluating the articles using the Joanna Briggs Institute guidelines, the random effects model was used to estimate the prevalence of depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), TBI-related sleep disturbance (TBI-SD), obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and cognitive impairment. Of 56 non-duplicated studies identified in the initial search, 27 were eligible for systematic review and 23 for meta-analysis. The pooled prevalence of depression in 1,882 samples was 35.35%, that of anxiety in 1,211 samples was 28.64%, that of PTSD in 426 samples was 19.94%, that of OCD in 313 samples was 19.48%, that of TBI-SD in 562 samples was 26.67% and that of cognitive impairment in 941 samples was 49.10%. To date, this is the first critical review to examine the spectrum of post-TBI neuropsychiatric sequelae in the specified regions. Although existing studies lack homogeneous data due to variability in the diagnostic tools and outcome measures utilised, the reported prevalence rates are significant and comparable to statistics from the global north.

[A case report of anti-NMDA receptor encephalitis with mental disturbances manifestation]. / Klinicheskoe nablyudenie anti-NMDA-retseptornogo entsefalita, protekayushchego s psikhicheskimi narusheniyami.

Presented clinical observation of anti-NMDA-receptor encephalitis, which was first described in 2007, is rare and to date has not been sufficiently studied. The disease often manifests with psychopathological symptoms and catatonia, so patients are transferred into a mental healthcare institution and often require intensive care and resuscitation, due to the development of life-threatening respiratory and hemodynamic disorders. Diagnosis is based on detection of autoantibodies to the NR1- and NR2 subunits of the glutamate NMDA receptor in blood serum and cerebrospinal fluid. Pathogenesis-based therapy includes the administration of glucocorticoids and intravenous immunoglobulins, plasmapheresis, as well as the introduction of monoclonal antibodies in also used, and in severe cases, cytostatics are prescribed. The widespread comorbidity of anti-NMDA receptor encephalitis with ovarian neoplasms in women (up to 60%) requires appropriate diagnosis and early removal of ovarian neoplasms when they are detected. With timely diagnosis and adequate treatment strategies, the outcome of this rare disorder is usually positive.

Neurological or Psychiatric Disorders After Dengue Fever.

This cohort study investigates the association between dengue fever and risk of neurological and psychiatric disorders among adults in Taiwan.

Epigenetic mechanisms linking early-life adversities and mental health.

Early-life adversities, whether prenatal or postnatal exposure, have been linked to adverse mental health outcomes later in life increasing the risk of several psychiatric disorders. Research on its neurobiological consequences demonstrated an association between exposure to adversities and persistent alterations in the structure, function, and connectivity of the brain. Consistent evidence supports the idea that regulation of gene expression through epigenetic mechanisms are involved in embedding the impact of early-life experiences in the genome and mediate between social environments and later behavioral phenotypes. In addition, studies from rodent models and humans suggest that these experiences and the acquired risk factors can be transmitted through epigenetic mechanisms to offspring and the following generations potentially contributing to a cycle of disease or disease risk. However, one of the important aspects of epigenetic mechanisms, unlike genetic sequences that are fixed and unchangeable, is that although the epigenetic markings are long-lasting, they are nevertheless potentially reversible. In this review, we summarize our current understanding of the epigenetic mechanisms involved in the mental health consequences derived from early-life exposure to malnutrition, maltreatment and poverty, adversities with huge and pervasive impact on mental health. We also discuss the evidence about transgenerational epigenetic inheritance in mammals and experimental data suggesting that suitable social and pharmacological interventions could reverse adverse epigenetic modifications induced by early-life negative social experiences. In this regard, these studies must be accompanied by efforts to determine the causes that promote these adversities and that result in health inequity in the population.

Mental health sequelae in survivors of cardiogenic shock complicating myocardial infarction. A population-based cohort study.

PURPOSE: Cardiogenic shock secondary to acute myocardial infarction (AMI-CS) is associated with substantial short- and long-term morbidity and mortality. However, there are limited data on mental health sequelae that survivors experience following discharge. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective, population-based cohort study in Ontario, Canada of critically ill adult (≥ 18 years) survivors of AMI-CS, admitted to hospital between April 1, 2009 and March 31, 2019. We compared these patients to AMI survivors without shock. We captured outcome data using linked health administrative databases. The primary outcome was a new mental health diagnosis (a composite of mood, anxiety, or related disorders; schizophrenia/psychotic disorders; and other mental health disorders) following hospital discharge. We secondarily evaluated incidence of deliberate self-harm and death by suicide. We compared patients using overlap propensity score-weighted, cause-specific proportional hazard models. RESULTS: We included 7812 consecutive survivors of AMI-CS, from 135 centers. Mean age was 68.4 (standard deviation (SD) 12.2) years, and 70.3% were male. Median follow-up time was 767 days (interquartile range (IQR) 225-1682). Incidence of new mental health diagnosis among AMI-CS survivors was 109.6 per 1,000 person-years (95% confidence interval (CI) 105.4-113.9), compared with 103.8 per 1000 person-years (95% CI 102.5-105.2) among AMI survivors without shock. After propensity score adjustment, there was no difference in the risk of new mental health diagnoses following discharge [hazard ratio (HR) 0.99 (95% CI 0.94-1.03)]. Factors associated with new mental health diagnoses following AMI-CS included female sex, pre-existing mental health diagnoses, and discharge to a long-term hospital or rehabilitation institute. CONCLUSION: Survivors of AMI-CS experience substantial mental health morbidity following discharge. Risk of new mental health diagnoses was comparable between survivors of AMI with and without shock. Future research on interventions to mitigate psychiatric sequelae after AMI-CS is warranted.

Climate Change and Mental Health.

This JAMA Insights discusses the adverse effects of climate change on mental health and proposes solutions to help mitigate those effects.

[Psychological dysfunctions and management of cerebral palsy patients]. / Dysfonctionnements et prise en charge psychologiques des patients cérébrolésés.

Cerebrospinal patients are victims of acquired brain lesions of multiple etiologies: head trauma, stroke, brain tumors, arteriovenous malformations, progressive degenerative diseases. Their care requires a combination of neurological, neuropsychological, psychiatric and psychopathological knowledge. Psychological follow-up of patients with cerebral palsy is one of the dimensions of their care.

[Therapy of mental disorders in patients with hematological malignancies]. / Terapiya nepsikhoticheskikh psikhicheskikh rasstroistv u bol'nykh s zabolevaniyami sistemy krovi.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the possibilities of therapy with minimal effective doses (MED) of psychotropic drugs for mental disorders (MD) that manifest during the treatment of hematological malignancies (HM). MATERIAL AND METHODS: A prospective study was conducted at the National Medical Research Center for Hematology of the Russian Ministry of Health (Moscow), which included 204 (39.4%) men and 314 (60.6%) women (518 patients in total), aged 17 to 83 years (median 45 years), with various HM, in which the manifestation of MD occurred during the treatment of the underlying disease. To minimize the side-effects of psychotropic drugs and given the relatively mild level of MD, psychopharmacotherapy of patients was carried out mainly at MED. The severity of MD, manifested in patients, was assessed by the illness severity scale of the Clinical Global Impression (CGI) scale, and the effectiveness of the treatment was assessed by the improvement scale (CGI-I). RESULTS: Mainly mild (188, 36%) and moderately pronounced (270, 52%) MD were noted in patients with HM during the treatment of the underlying disease. Severe psychopathological disorders (60, 12%) were observed much less often. Because of psychopharmacotherapy with MED, patients experienced a very significant (97, 19%) and significant improvement (354, 68%) of their mental state, less often the improvement was regarded as minimal (67, 13%). Therefore, almost all patients showed a stable relief of MD; in 87% (95% CI 84-90) of patients, this improvement was significant. CONCLUSION: The tactics of treatment MD that manifest in patients with HM with MED of psychotropic drugs turned out to be therapeutically effective according to the results of the assessment on CGI scales.

The impact of excessive maternal weight on the risk of neuropsychiatric disorders in offspring-a narrative review of clinical studies.

The global prevalence of overweight and obesity is a significant public health concern that also largely affects women of childbearing age. Human epidemiological studies indicate that prenatal exposure to excessive maternal weight or excessive gestational weight gain is linked to various neurodevelopmental disorders in children, including attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, autism spectrum disorder, internalizing and externalizing problems, schizophrenia, and cognitive/intellectual impairment. Considering that inadequate maternal body mass can induce serious disorders in offspring, it is important to increase efforts to prevent such outcomes. In this paper, we review human studies linking excessive maternal weight and the occurrence of mental disorders in children.

Progress in Pharmacologic Management of Neuropsychiatric Syndromes in Neurodegenerative Disorders: A Review.

Importance: Neuropsychiatric syndromes (NPSs) are common in neurodegenerative disorders (NDDs); compromise the quality of life of patients and their care partners; and are associated with faster disease progression, earlier need for nursing home care, and poorer quality of life. Advances in translational pharmacology, clinical trial design and conduct, and understanding of the pathobiology of NDDs are bringing new therapies to clinical care. Observations: Consensus definitions have evolved for psychosis, agitation, apathy, depression, and disinhibition in NDDs. Psychosocial interventions may reduce mild behavioral symptoms in patients with NDD, and pharmacotherapy is available for NPSs in NDDs. Brexpiprazole is approved for treatment of agitation associated with Alzheimer disease dementia, and pimavanserin is approved for treatment of delusions and hallucinations associated with psychosis of Parkinson disease. Trials are being conducted across several of the NDDs, and a variety of mechanisms of action are being assessed for their effect on NPSs. Conclusions and Relevance: Detection and characterization of NPSs in patients with NDDs is the foundation for excellent care. New definitions for NPSs in NDDs may inform choices regarding clinical trial populations and translate into clinical practice. Psychosocial and pharmacologic therapies may reduce behavioral symptoms and improve quality of life for patients and caregivers. Approved agents may establish regulatory precedents, demonstrate successful trial strategies, and provide the foundation for further advances in treatment development.

Examination of quality of life and psychiatric symptoms in childhood Graves' disease.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of our study is to examine the emotional, behavioral problems, and psychiatric symptoms of children diagnosed with Graves' disease (GD), to assess their quality of life, and to compare with control group. METHODS: The research was planned as a cross-sectional study and included 16 patients with GD (13 female and three male) and 29 healthy children for control group (19 female and 10 male). Sociodemographic form, Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory, Revised Child Anxiety and Depression Scale-Child Version (RCADS-CV), Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ), Turgay DSM-IV-Based Child and Adolescent Behavior Disorders Screening and Rating Scale (T-DSM-IV-S), and Affective Reactivity Index scale were applied to the children and their families. RESULTS: Eighty one percent of GD group (GG) (n=13, mean age 15.1 ± 2.2) and 66 % of control group (CG) (n=19, 14.6 ± 2.2) were girls. No significant difference was found between GG and CG in terms of quality of life, anxiety, and depression scores. GG had higher scores in affective reactivity index, SDQ-P total score, and T-DSM-IV-S total scores (p values 0.039; 0.009; 0.023, respectively). While no significant difference was detected in the T-DSM-IV-S-inattention and hyperactivity scores, significantly higher scores were detected in oppositional defiance and conduct disorder scores (p values 0.172; 0.294; 0.019; 0.027, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: In children with GD, irritability, oppositional defiant, and conduct disorder symptoms have been detected. Children with these mental health symptoms experience behavioral and emotional difficulties in their daily lives. It is important to follow up children with GD for possible comorbid psychiatric disorders.

Psychiatric complications following SEEG-guided radiofrequency thermocoagulations in patients with drug-resistant epilepsy.

SEEG-guided radiofrequency thermocoagulation (RF-TC) in the epileptogenic regions is a therapeutic option for patients with drug-resistant focal epilepsy who may have or not indication for epilepsy surgery. The most common adverse events of RF-TC are seizures, headaches, somatic pain, and sensory-motor deficits. If RF-TC could lead to psychiatric complications is unknown. In the present study, seven out of 164 patients (4.2 %) experienced psychiatric decompensation with or without memory deterioration after RF-TC of bilateral or unilateral amygdala and hippocampus. The appearance of symptoms was either acute, subacute, or chronic and the symptoms were either transient or lasted for several months. Common features among these patients were female sex, mesial temporal epilepsy, and a pre-existing history of psychological distress and memory dysfunction. Our study highlights the possibility of neuropsychiatric deterioration in specific patients following SEEG-guided RF-TC, despite its rarity.

Effectiveness and tolerability of brivaracetam in patients with epilepsy stratified by comorbidities and etiology in the real world: 12-month subgroup data from the international EXPERIENCE pooled analysis.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the effectiveness and tolerability of brivaracetam (BRV) in adults with epilepsy by specific comorbidities and epilepsy etiologies. METHODS: EXPERIENCE/EPD332 was a pooled analysis of individual patient records from several non-interventional studies of patients with epilepsy initiating BRV in clinical practice. Outcomes included ≥ 50% reduction from baseline in seizure frequency, seizure freedom (no seizures within prior 3 months), continuous seizure freedom (no seizures since baseline), BRV discontinuation, and treatment-emergent adverse events (TEAEs) at 3, 6, and 12 months. Analyses were performed for all adult patients (≥ 16 years of age) and stratified by comorbidity and by etiology at baseline (patients with cognitive/learning disability [CLD], psychiatric comorbidity, post-stroke epilepsy, brain tumor-related epilepsy [BTRE], and traumatic brain injury-related epilepsy [TBIE]). RESULTS: At 12 months, ≥ 50% seizure reduction was achieved in 35.6% (n = 264), 38.7% (n = 310), 41.7% (n = 24), 34.1% (n = 41), and 50.0% (n = 28) of patients with CLD, psychiatric comorbidity, post-stroke epilepsy, BTRE, and TBIE, respectively; and continuous seizure freedom was achieved in 5.7% (n = 318), 13.7% (n = 424), 29.4% (n = 34), 11.4% (n = 44), and 13.8% (n = 29), respectively. During the study follow-up, in patients with CLD, psychiatric comorbidity, post-stroke epilepsy, BTRE, and TBIE, 37.1% (n = 403), 30.7% (n = 605), 33.3% (n = 51), 39.7% (n = 68), and 27.1% (n = 49) of patients discontinued BRV, respectively; and TEAEs since prior visit at 12 months were reported in 11.3% (n = 283), 10.0% (n = 410), 16.7% (n = 36), 12.5% (n = 48), and 3.0% (n = 33), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: BRV as prescribed in the real world is effective and well tolerated among patients with CLD, psychiatric comorbidity, post-stroke epilepsy, BTRE, and TBIE.

Higher Risk of Psychiatric Disorders in Children With Febrile Seizures: A Nationwide Cohort Study in Taiwan.

BACKGROUND: Febrile seizures occur commonly in children aged between six months and six years. A previous Danish study found a positive correlation between febrile seizures and the overall incidence of psychiatric disorders. This population-based nationwide observational study was conducted to investigate the association between febrile seizures and different psychiatric disorders in Taiwan and the associated risk factors. METHODS: This cohort study used data from the National Health Insurance Research Database in Taiwan-a nationwide claims database covering >99% of the Taiwanese population. The study period was from January 2000 to December 2015; the overall median follow-up time was 11.04 ± 10.95 years. Overall, 2464 children with febrile seizures diagnosed between 2000 and 2015 met the inclusion criteria, and 7392 children without febrile seizures matched by index year, age, and sex were included in the control cohorts. Febrile seizures and psychiatric disorders were measured as the exposure and main outcomes, respectively. RESULTS: Children with febrile seizures (n = 2463) were at a high risk of psychiatric disorders (adjusted hazard ratio, 4.70; 95% confidence interval [CI], 2.44 to 7.30; P < 0.001). The risk for anxiety was the highest (adjusted hazard ratio, 21.92; 95% CI, 11.40 to 34.05; P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: When treating children with febrile seizures, particular attention should be paid to the symptoms of psychiatric disorders, as early referral may be beneficial for these children.

Neuropsychiatric comorbidities in tuberous sclerosis complex patients with epilepsy: results of the TAND checklist survey.

PURPOSE: In addition to epilepsy, individuals with tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC) experience a wide range of behavioral, psychiatric, intellectual, academic, and psychosocial problems. They usually exert a large psychological burden on individuals with these illnesses. METHODS: This cross-sectional study used TSC-associated neuropsychiatric disorders (TAND) checklist interviews conducted at a single medical center. The enrollment of all subjects was > 6 years, and the comorbidities of neurodevelopmental disorders were assessed by clinical psychologists before enrollment. To assess the spectrum of TAND, the TAND checklist was applied as stated in the protocol, and the responses to the TAND checklist were evaluated by clinical psychologists. RESULTS: In the behavioral concerns of patients with TSC without epilepsy, those with epilepsy had excessive shyness, language delay, lack of eye contact, rigid behavior, inattentiveness, and restlessness. In psychiatric disorders, autism spectrum disorder and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder are significantly correlated with epilepsy history. Diminished academic skills, including reading, writing, and mathematics skills, are significantly associated with epilepsy history. For intellectual ability, TSC patients without epilepsy is associated normal intelligence level. Among neuropsychological skills, deficits in attention, dual tasking/multi-tasking, visuospatial tasking, and executive skills are significantly associated with epilepsy history. CONCLUSIONS: Epilepsy in patients with TSC contributes to comorbid neuropsychiatric disorders. In addition to epilepsy evaluation, it is crucial to evaluate the heterogeneous spectrum of neuropsychiatric disorders using a standard checklist during the annual clinical follow-up of patients with TSC.