Climate Change and Aging: Implications for Psychiatric Care.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: We reviewed recent evidence regarding the impact of climate change (specifically, high ambient temperatures, heatwaves, weather-related disasters, and air pollution) on older adults' mental health. We also summarized evidence regarding other medical problems that can occur in aging adults in connection with climate change, resulting in psychiatric manifestations or influencing psychopharmacological management. RECENT FINDINGS: Older adults can experience anxiety, depressive, and/or posttraumatic stress symptoms, as well as sleep disturbances in the aftermath of climate disasters. Cognitive deficits may occur with exposure to air pollutants, heatwaves, or post-disaster. Individuals with major neurocognitive disorders and/or preexisting psychiatric illness have a higher risk of psychiatric hospitalizations after exposure to high temperatures and air pollution. There is a growing body of research regarding psychiatric clinical presentations associated with climate change in older adults. However, there is a paucity of evidence on management strategies. Future research should investigate culturally appropriate, cost-effective psychosocial and pharmacological interventions.

Elevated Mood Induced by Subthalamic Nucleus Deep Brain Stimulation: A Video-Recorded Case Report.

Background: Deep brain stimulation (DBS) can be an effective therapy to control motor signs in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD). However, subthalamic nucleus (STN) DBS can induce undesirable psychiatric adverse effects, including elevated mood. Case report: We reported a video case of a 73-year-old male implanted with bilateral STN DBS who experienced stimulation-induced elevated mood. A correlation between mood changes and enhanced activation of the ventromedial region in the left STN was observed. Discussion: This video case report illustrates STN DBS-induced elevated mood and enhances early symptom recognition for patients and diagnostic awareness for professionals.

Advances in the Diagnosis and Management of Psychotic Symptoms in Neurodegenerative Diseases: A Narrative Review.

Background: Approximately 15% of older adults may experience psychotic phenomena. Primary psychiatric disorders that manifest with psychosis (delusions, hallucinations, and disorganized thought or behavior) account for less than half. Up to 60% of late-life psychotic symptoms are due to systemic medical or neurological conditions, particularly neurodegenerative diseases. A thorough medical workup including laboratory tests, additional procedures if indicated, and neuroimaging studies is recommended. This narrative review summarizes current evidence regarding the epidemiology and phenomenology of psychotic symptoms encountered as part of the neurodegenerative disease continuum (including prodromal and manifest stages). Results: Prodromes are constellations of symptoms that precede the onset of overt neurodegenerative syndromes. Prodromal psychotic features, particularly delusions, have been associated with an increased likelihood of receiving a neurodegenerative disease diagnosis within several years. Prompt prodrome recognition is crucial for early intervention. The management of psychosis associated with neurodegenerative diseases includes behavioral and somatic strategies, although evidence is scarce and mostly limited to case reports, case series, or expert consensus guidelines, with few randomized controlled trials. Conclusion: The complexity of psychotic manifestations warrants management by interprofessional teams that provide coordinated, integrated care.

Online Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy for People with Parkinson's Disease and Their Caregivers: a Pilot Study.

Anxiety and depression are common non-motor symptoms of Parkinson's disease (PD). Caregivers of people with PD may experience severe caregiver burden. This study explored the feasibility and potential benefits of an online mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) intervention for improving anxiety and depressive symptoms in people with PD and their caregivers (ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04469049, 7/8/2020). People with PD or parkinsonism and anxiety and/or depressive symptoms and caregivers of people with PD participated in one of three online MBCT groups. Demographic variables, pre- and post-MBCT behavioral measures (GAD-7, PHQ-9, Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire - FFMQ-15, Caregiver Self-Assessment Questionnaire - CSAQ), and satisfaction surveys were collected. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize data. Pre- and post-MBCT behavioral scores were compared using mixed-effect models. Fifty-six potential participants were assessed for eligibility. Twenty-eight entered MBCT groups; all but one completed the intervention. The overall sample analyzed (22 people with PD, 4 caregivers) showed significant GAD-7 and PHQ-9 score reductions and FFMQ-15 total and observing and non-reactivity subscale score increases (all p's < 0.05). Participants with PD and anxiety symptoms (n = 14) had a significant GAD-7 score reduction; those with PD and depressive symptoms (n = 12) had a significant PHQ-9 score reduction (both p's < 0.05). Participants with PD also had a significant FFMQ-15 observing subscale score increase (p < 0.05). The caregiver sample was too small to be analyzed separately. Online MBCT is feasible (as measured by high attendance, completion rate, and participant satisfaction) and may be effective in improving anxiety and depressive symptoms in people with PD.

Prefrontal Physiomarkers of Anxiety and Depression in Parkinson's Disease.

Objective: Anxiety and depression are prominent non-motor symptoms of Parkinson's disease (PD), but their pathophysiology remains unclear. We sought to understand their neurophysiological correlates from chronic invasive recordings of the prefrontal cortex (PFC). Methods: We studied four patients undergoing deep brain stimulation (DBS) for their motor signs, who had comorbid mild to moderate anxiety and/or depressive symptoms. In addition to their basal ganglia leads, we placed a permanent prefrontal subdural 4-contact lead. These electrodes were attached to an investigational pulse generator with the capability to sense and store field potential signals, as well as deliver therapeutic neurostimulation. At regular intervals over 3-5 months, participants paired brief invasive neural recordings with self-ratings of symptoms related to depression and anxiety. Results: Mean age was 61 ± 7 years, mean disease duration was 11 ± 8 years and a mean Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale, with part III (UPDRS-III) off medication score of 37 ± 13. Mean Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) score was 14 ± 5 and Beck Anxiety Index was 16.5 ± 5. Prefrontal cortex spectral power in the beta band correlated with patient self-ratings of symptoms of depression and anxiety, with r-values between 0.31 and 0.48. Mood scores showed negative correlation with beta spectral power in lateral locations, and positive correlation with beta spectral power in a mesial recording location, consistent with the dichotomous organization of reward networks in PFC. Interpretation: These findings suggest a physiological basis for anxiety and depression in PD, which may be useful in the development of neurostimulation paradigms for these non-motor disease features.

Elevated Mood States in Patients With Parkinson's Disease Treated With Deep Brain Stimulation: Diagnosis and Management Strategies.

OBJECTIVE: Deep brain stimulation (DBS) is an effective surgical treatment for patients with Parkinson's disease (PD). DBS therapy, particularly with the subthalamic nucleus (STN) target, has been linked to rare psychiatric complications, including depression, impulsivity, irritability, and suicidality. Stimulation-induced elevated mood states can also occur. These episodes rarely meet DSM-5 criteria for mania or hypomania. METHODS: The investigators conducted a chart review of 82 patients with PD treated with DBS. RESULTS: Nine (11%) patients developed stimulation-induced elevated mood. Five illustrative cases are described (all males with STN DBS; mean age=62.2 years [SD=10.5], mean PD duration=8.6 years [SD=1.6]). Elevated mood states occurred during or shortly after programming changes, when more ventral contacts were used (typically in monopolar mode) and lasted minutes to months. Four patients experienced elevated mood at low amplitudes (1.0 V/1.0 mA); all had psychiatric risk factors (history of impulse-control disorder, dopamine dysregulation syndrome, substance use disorder, and/or bipolar diathesis) that likely contributed to mood destabilization. CONCLUSIONS: Preoperative DBS evaluations should include a thorough assessment of psychiatric risk factors. The term "stimulation-induced elevated mood states" is proposed to describe episodes of elevated, expansive, or irritable mood and psychomotor agitation that occur during or shortly after DBS programming changes and may be associated with increased goal-directed activity, impulsivity, grandiosity, pressured speech, flight of ideas, or decreased need for sleep and may persist beyond stimulation adjustments. This clinical phenomenon should be considered for inclusion in the bipolar disorder category in future DSM revisions, allowing for increased recognition and appropriate management.

A Historical Review of Key Events and Components of Faculty and Professional Development in Psychiatry.

Psychiatry's evolution has entailed clinical, educational, research, and administrative missions. Faculty development efforts concern ways in which professional identity, attitudes and skills are transmitted and enhanced from generation to generation. Top-down efforts by national and international organizations and bottom-up movements by individuals in numerous local settings have helped faculty and guided the profession forward. Organizations have provided new faculty with access to mentors and peers across the country, training opportunities, and up-to-date information on emerging scientific, pedagogical, and regulatory trends. Additional innovations and evaluation regarding best practices for faculty development initiatives in psychiatry are needed.

Developmental Approaches to Faculty Development.

An academic career goes through developmental stages and faculty have different needs as they progress through these stages. Faculty development initiatives can target these developmental needs. Early career faculty develop their clinical and academic identities and benefit from orientation programs and mentorship. Mid-career faculty engage in role transitions, consolidating their careers, and focusing on productivity and generativity. They benefit from programs that provide new skills, including leadership skills. Advanced career faculty focus on professional-personal integration, contributing to a community, and changes in roles and power. They can benefit from mentorship, from peers locally and at a distance.

The Many Roads to Mindfulness: A Review of Nonmindfulness-Based Interventions that Increase Mindfulness.

Objectives: Mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) have become increasingly popular for treating various physical and mental disorders. An increase in mindfulness levels through the teaching of mindfulness meditation is the most well-studied mechanism of MBIs. Recent studies, however, suggest that an increase in mindfulness is also observed in physical or psychosocial interventions not explicitly labeled as MBIs, or what the authors call non-MBIs. The authors aimed to review what non-MBIs can increase mindfulness levels despite not explicitly teaching mindfulness meditation. Design: The authors conducted a literature search for studies that included a non-MBI study arm measuring pre- and postintervention mindfulness levels using one of the following eight validated self-reported mindfulness questionnaires: Five-Faceted Mindfulness Questionnaire, Mindful Awareness and Attention Scale, Freiburg Mindfulness Inventory, Toronto Mindfulness Scale, Philadelphia Mindfulness Scale, Kentucky Inventory of Mindfulness Skills, Child and Adolescent Mindfulness Measure, and Cognitive and Affective Mindfulness Scale-Revised. The authors identified 69 non-MBI study arms from 51 independent studies of the non-MBI itself or as active controls of an MBI under investigation. The authors documented or calculated, if not provided, effect sizes (ES) for changes in mindfulness levels following these interventions. Results: Among the 69 non-MBI arms, 36 showed no effect for change in mindfulness (ES <0.20), 3 were indeterminate (no ES available or unable to calculate), 13 had small effects (0.20 < ES <0.5), 13 had medium effects (0.50 < ES <0.80), 3 had large effects (0.80 < ES <1.3), and 1 had a very large effect (ES >1.3) for change in mindfulness. Conclusions: Analysis of the characteristics of non-MBIs with significant increases in mindfulness levels suggested some commonalities between MBIs and non-MBIs, shedding light on a spectrum of mindfulness-related interventions and the possibility that there are many roads to developing mindfulness.

Telepsychiatry for patients with movement disorders: a feasibility and patient satisfaction study.

BACKGROUND: Telemedicine is a convenient health service delivery modality for patients with movement disorders, including Parkinson's disease (PD), but is currently underutilized in the management of associated psychiatric symptoms. This study explored the feasibility of and patient satisfaction with telepsychiatry services at an academic movement disorders center. METHODS: All patients seen by telepsychiatry between January and December 2017 at the UCSF Movement Disorders and Neuromodulation Center were invited to participate. Participation was voluntary. Patients received an initial survey after the first telepsychiatry visit and satisfaction surveys after each visit. Survey responses were collected online via Research Electronic Data Capture (REDCap). Frequencies were calculated for categorical variables, and means and standard deviations were generated for continuous variables. RESULTS: Thirty-three patients (79% with PD; 72% Medicare recipients; 64% men; mean age, 61.1 ± 10.5 years; mean distance to clinic, 79.9 ± 81.3 miles) completed a total of 119 telepsychiatry and 62 in-person visits. Twenty-two initial surveys and 50 satisfaction surveys (from 21 patients) were collected. Patients were very satisfied with the care (95%), convenience (100%), comfort (95%), and overall visit (95%). Technical quality was somewhat lower rated, with 76% patients reporting they were very satisfied, while 19% were satisfied. All patients would recommend telemedicine to friends or family members. CONCLUSIONS: Telepsychiatry is a feasible option for patients with movement disorders, leading to high patient satisfaction and improved access to care. Technical aspects still need optimization. Whenever available, telepsychiatry can be considered in addition to in-person visits. Future studies with larger samples should explore its impact on patient care outcomes and caregiver burden.

Ages at Onset of Anxiety and Depressive Disorders in Parkinson's Disease.

OBJECTIVE: Parkinson's disease (PD) is a quintessential neuropsychiatric condition in which anxiety and depressive symptoms are common and may precede motor manifestations. The authors explored the ages at onset of anxiety and depressive disorders among patients with PD evaluated by psychiatrists at a deep brain stimulation center. METHODS: Psychiatric diagnoses and ages at onset were collected via clinical interviews. The ages at PD diagnosis were ascertained by chart review. Onset ages for anxiety and depressive disorders (overall and for specific disorders) were compared with patients' ages at PD diagnosis by using t tests. Onset ages for major depressive disorder (MDD), generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), and panic disorder were compared with typical onset ages in the general population by using the sign test. A total of 108 patients (66.7% men; age 63.7 years [SD=8.9]) were included in the analysis. RESULTS: Anxiety and depressive disorders occurred significantly earlier than PD diagnoses. Among patients whose anxiety and depression predated motor symptoms, the mean age at onset of anxiety disorders was 25.6 years earlier, and the mean age at onset of depressive disorders was 17.6 years earlier compared with the mean age at PD diagnosis (both p values <0.0001). Median onset ages for MDD (p<0.0001), GAD (p=0.0002), and panic disorder (p=0.0005) were significantly higher than typical median onset ages in the general population. CONCLUSIONS: These results may indicate that neurodegenerative changes are present in parts of the brainstem reticular core and limbic system before motor circuits are affected to a degree that causes motor symptoms. Psychiatrists should be mindful that onset of MDD, GAD, and panic disorder after age 45 might signal a neurodegenerative movement disorder such as PD.

The Psychiatric Assessment and Brief Intervention Program: Partnering With Primary Care Providers.

OBJECTIVE: To present the structure and outcomes to date for the Psychiatric Assessment and Brief Intervention (PABI), a pilot program developed at University of California, San Francisco, to improve access of primary care patients to mental health services. PABI offers diagnostic evaluations and brief (up to 3 months) evidence-based treatment, including pharmacologic management and psychotherapy, to medical patients 18 years of age and older. Core PABI features are ensuring prompt access, actively partnering with patients and referring providers, and coordinating seamless transitions of care. METHODS: Demographic and clinical variables and outcome indicators were collected for all patients seen in PABI from October 2015 to June 2017. Descriptive statistics and mixed-effects linear models were used to analyze the data. RESULTS: During the study period, 139 patients (54% women, mean [SD] age of 48.2 [17.5] years) with a mean of 2 DSM-5 psychiatric diagnoses each (range, 1-5) were seen. Mean time to access was 8 days, with a mean length of stay in the program of 11 weeks. Compared to baseline, final behavioral health measure scores showed significant improvement: the mean Patient Health Questionnaire-9 score decreased by 5.9 points (95% CI, 4.6-7.2), and the mean 7-item Generalized Anxiety Disorder scale score was 4.4 points lower (95% CI, 3.2-5.6; both P values < .0001). CONCLUSIONS: This brief psychiatric treatment program provides prompt access to quality mental health care for patients with medical comorbidities. Results to date suggest that this program leads to significantly improved clinical outcomes. Further research is needed to determine its long-term sustainability and generalizability.