Access to inpatient mood management services after stroke in Australian acute and rehabilitation hospitals.

OBJECTIVE: Post-stroke mental health impairments are common, but under-assessed and under-treated. We aim to describe trends in the provision of mood management to patients with stroke, and describe factors associated with adoption of national mood management recommendations for stroke within Australian hospitals. DESIGN: Secondary analysis of cross-sectional data from the biennial Stroke Foundation Audit Program. SETTING: Participating acute (2011-2021) and rehabilitation hospitals (2012-2020) in Australia. PARTICIPANTS: In the acute audit, 22,937 stroke cases were included from 133 hospitals. In the rehabilitation audit, 15,891 stroke cases were included from 127 hospitals. MAIN MEASURES: Hospital- and patient-level mood management processes. RESULTS: Among 133 acute hospitals (22,937 stroke episodes), improvements were made between 2011 and 2021 in utilization of mood screening (17% [2011], 33% [2021]; p < 0.001) and access to psychologists during hospital stay (18% [2011], 45% [2021]; p < 0.001). There was no change in access to a psychologist among those with a mood impairment (p = 0.34). Among 127 rehabilitation hospitals (15,891 stroke episodes) improvements were observed for mood screening (35% [2012], 61% [2020]; p < 0.001), and access to a psychologist during hospital stay (38% [2012], 68% [2020]; p < 0.001) and among those with a mood-impairment (30% [2012], 50% [2020]; p < 0.001). Factors associated with receiving mood management processes included: younger age, not requiring an interpreter and longer length of stay. CONCLUSIONS: Adherence to mood management recommendations has improved over 10 years within Australian hospitals. Those aged over 65, requiring an interpreter, or with shorter hospital stays are at risk of missing out on appropriate mood management.

Clinical management of individuals with Intellectual Disability: The outbreak of Covid-19 pandemic as experienced in a clinical and research center Research in Developmental Disabilities.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the Oasi Research Institute of Troina (Italy) became an important hotbed for infection; in fact, 109 patients with different levels of Intellectual Disability (ID) tested positive for COVID-19. The procedures and interventions put in place at the Oasi Research Institute due to the COVID-19 pandemic are exhaustively reported in this paper. The description of the clinical procedures as well as remote/in person psychological support services provided to people with ID and their families are here divided into three different sections: Phase I (or Acute phase), Phase II (or Activity planning), and Phase III (or Activity consolidation). In each section, the main psycho-pathological characteristics of patients, the reactions of family members and the multidisciplinary interventions put in place are also described.

The Early Burden of Disability in Individuals With Mood and Other Common Mental Disorders in Ontario, Canada.

Importance: Large population-based data on the trajectory to disability after the first diagnosis of a mood disorder are lacking. Objective: To assess the time between an incident mood disorder diagnosis and the receipt of disability services during a follow-up period of as long as 20 years. Design, Setting, and Participants: This cohort study used health administrative and social service data from ICES for 1 902 792 adults aged 18 to 59 years living in Ontario, Canada. A narrow cohort of individuals who had a new diagnosis of a mood disorder between October 1, 1997, and March 31, 2007, matched by sex and age to individuals with no history of mood disorder, included 278 296 participants. A broader cohort of individuals who had a new diagnosis of other common mental disorders during the same period, matched by sex and age to individuals with no history of mental disorder diagnosis, included 1 624 496 individuals. All individuals were followed up to a maximum end date of March 31, 2017. Data analysis was conducted from November 2017 to June 2018. Exposure: Incident diagnosis of mood or common mental disorder. Main Outcomes and Measures: Disability outcomes were as follows: (1) entry into the Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP), signifying long-term inability to work because of a disability, and (2) admission into a long-term care (LTC) residence, signifying the inability to live in independent housing. Cox proportional hazards models were used. Results: In the full cohort of 1 902 792 individuals, 278 296 participants (14.6%) were included in the mood disorder cohort (mean [SD] age, 37.5 [11.9] years; 157 386 [56.6%] women), and 1 624 496 participants (85.4%) were included in the common mental disorder cohort (mean [SD], 36.5 [11.8] years; 932 545 [57.4%] women). The incidence of ODSP initiation was greater among individuals with mood disorders than those without (51.5 per 10 000 person-years vs 25.5 per 10 000 person-years; adjusted hazard ratio [aHR], 2.03; 95% CI, 1.95-2.11) and for those with common mental disorders (45.0 per 10 000 person-years vs 27.6 per 10 000 person-years; aHR, 1.57; 95% CI, 1.55-1.60). The aHR for admission to LTC was also higher among individuals with mood disorders compared with those without (aHR, 2.20; 95% CI, 1.80-2.69) and those with common mental disorders compared with those without (aHR, 1.21; 95% CI, 1.14-1.29). Individuals with bipolar disorders had greater ODSP rates than individuals with major depressive disorders (crude rate ratio: 4.31 [95% CI, 3.56-5.17] vs 1.82 [95% CI, 1.36-2.43]). Conclusions and Relevance: This cohort study found that mood disorders were associated with elevated and early rates of disability services. Effective early intervention strategies targeting functional impairment in this population are encouraged.

Perioperative Assessment of Cerebellar Masses and the Potential for Cerebellar Cognitive Affective Syndrome.

The cerebellum was long perceived to be a region of limited importance with primary functions in the regulation of motor control. A degree of its functional topography in motor modulation has been traditionally appreciated. However, an evolving body of evidence supports its role in a range of cognitive processes, including executive decision making, language, emotional processing, and working memory. To this end, numerous studies of cerebellar stroke syndromes as well as investigations with functional magnetic resonance imaging and diffusion tensor imaging have given clinicians a better model of the functional topography within the cerebellum and the essential lanes of communication with the cerebrum. With this deeper understanding, neurosurgeons should integrate these domains into the perioperative evaluation and postoperative rehabilitation of patients with cerebellar tumors. This review aims to discuss these understandings and identify valuable tools for implementation into clinical practice.

Rehabilitation coordinator intervention versus control in psychiatric specialist care for return to work and reduced sick leave: study protocol of a randomised controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Mental disorders are the most common reason for sick leave in Sweden. Knowledge about effective methods to help these individuals to return to work (RTW)/entry into work or studies is limited. Rehabilitation coordinators (RC's) have been introduced within healthcare with the purpose to promote cooperation, streamline the sick leave and rehabilitation process, and facilitate RTW for sick-listed patients. The function of RC's has shown positive results by reducing sick leave within primary healthcare. However, the function has not been evaluated in terms of specialist psychiatry. This paper describes the design of a study to evaluate effects of a RC intervention on sick leave and RTW/entry in work or studies in patients with moderate to severe affective and/or moderate to severe anxiety disorders within specialist psychiatric care. METHODS: A randomised controlled trial (RCT) comparing an intervention group receiving support from a RC with a control group receiving treatment as usual (TAU). The target group is patients on sick leave, treated for affective and/or anxiety disorder, aged 25-64, with or without employment. DISCUSSION: This study gives the possibility to evaluate a RC intervention for individuals with mental disorders. If the study has promising vocational outcomes, it may be of importance for the participants in many ways, e.g. increase participation in society, provide economic benefits and improve health and wellbeing. This would be valuable for the individual as well as for the society. TRIAL REGISTRATION: The study is registered at the Clinicaltrials.gov Register Platform (ID NCT03729050) in 2 November 2018.

Treatments for Poststroke Motor Deficits and Mood Disorders: A Systematic Review for the 2019 U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and U.S. Department of Defense Guidelines for Stroke Rehabilitation.

Background: Early rehabilitation after stroke is essential to help reduce disability. Purpose: To summarize evidence on the benefits and harms of nonpharmacologic and pharmacologic treatments for motor deficits and mood disorders in adults who have had stroke. Data Sources: English-language searches of multiple electronic databases from April 2009 through July 2018; targeted searches to December 2018 for studies of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) or serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors. Study Selection: 19 systematic reviews and 37 randomized controlled trials addressing therapies for motor deficits or mood disorders in adults with stroke. Data Extraction: One investigator abstracted the data, and quality and GRADE assessment were checked by a second investigator. Data Synthesis: Most interventions (for example, SSRIs, mental practice, mirror therapy) did not improve motor function. High-quality evidence did not support use of fluoxetine to improve motor function. Moderate-quality evidence supported use of cardiorespiratory training to improve maximum walking speed and repetitive task training or transcranial direct current stimulation to improve activities of daily living (ADLs). Low-quality evidence supported use of robotic arm training to improve ADLs. Low-quality evidence indicated that antidepressants may reduce depression, whereas the frequency and severity of antidepressant-related adverse effects was unclear. Low-quality evidence suggested that cognitive behavioral therapy and exercise, including mind-body exercise, may reduce symptoms of depression and anxiety. Limitation: Studies were of poor quality, interventions and comparators were heterogeneous, and evidence on harms was scarce. Conclusion: Cardiorespiratory training, repetitive task training, and transcranial direct current stimulation may improve ADLs in adults with stroke. Cognitive behavioral therapy, exercise, and SSRIs may reduce symptoms of poststroke depression, but use of SSRIs to prevent depression or improve motor function was not supported. Primary Funding Source: U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Veterans Health Administration.

The Management of Stroke Rehabilitation: A Synopsis of the 2019 U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and U.S. Department of Defense Clinical Practice Guideline.

Description: In June 2019, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) approved an update of the joint clinical practice guideline for rehabilitation after stroke. This synopsis summarizes the key recommendations from this guideline. Methods: In February 2018, the VA/DoD Evidence-Based Practice Work Group convened a joint VA/DoD guideline development effort that included clinical stakeholders and stroke survivors and conformed to the National Academy of Medicine (formerly the Institute of Medicine) tenets for trustworthy clinical practice guidelines. The guideline panel identified key questions, systematically searched and evaluated the literature, and developed 2 algorithms and 42 key recommendations using the GRADE (Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation) system. Stroke survivors and their family members were invited to share their perspectives to further inform guideline development. Recommendations: The guideline recommendations provide evidence-based guidance for the rehabilitation care of patients after stroke. The recommendations are applicable to health care providers in both primary care and rehabilitation. Key features of the guideline are recommendations in 6 areas: timing and approach; motor therapy; dysphagia; cognitive, speech, and sensory therapy; mental health therapy; and other functions, such as returning to work and driving.

Efficacy of a combined intervention program for the reduction of internalized stigma in people with severe mental illness.

BACKGROUND: Internalized stigma (IS) is a key factor in the recovery, quality of life and functioning of people with severe mental illness (SMI), and effective intervention programs are needed to reduce IS in all its dimensions. The aim of this report was to design and evaluate the effectiveness of a new psychological intervention group program for the reduction of IS in people with SMI. METHODS: A 9-session hands-on intervention program was designed with a group format in which different therapeutic techniques were combined. To evaluate the effectiveness of the program, 80 people with SMI and high levels of IS were selected and randomly assigned to one of two groups: program (n = 41, experimental group) or conventional treatment (n = 39, control group). RESULTS: Mixed analysis of variance showed improvements in total IS and all of its dimensions (cognitive, emotional and behavioral) (p ≤ 0.01) and in depressive symptomatology (p = 0.01) in the experimental group after the treatment phase. CONCLUSION: The results indicate that the program effectively reduces IS and its dimensions as well as other relevant associated variables in a sample of people with SMI.

The impact of substance use on treatment as a compulsory patient.

OBJECTIVES: This paper considers the impact of having a diagnosis of substance use disorder on the utilisation of compulsory orders under the Victorian Mental Health Act (2014). METHODS: We analysed the subsequent treatment episodes over 2 years of people who had been on a community treatment order for at least 3 months and determined the odds of a further treatment order if there was a diagnosis of substance use at or about the time the index community treatment order ended. RESULTS: An additional diagnosis of a substance use disorder was coded in 47.7% and was associated with significantly increased odds of a subsequent treatment order in the following 2 years for those with a main diagnosis of schizophrenia (AOR = 3.03, p<0.001) and 'other' disorders (AOR = 11.60, p=0.002). Those with a main diagnosis of mood disorder had a significant increase in odds for an inpatient treatment order if there was an additional substance use disorder diagnosis (AOR = 3.81, p=0.006). CONCLUSIONS: Having an additional diagnosis of substance use disorder was associated with increased likelihood of being placed on an order. This study supports greater emphasis being given to treatment of substance use concurrently with that of mental illness.

Effects of a Home-based Exercise Program on Anxiety and Mood Disturbances in Older Adults with Cancer Receiving Chemotherapy.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVE: Exercise interventions improve anxiety and mood disturbances in patients with cancer. However, studies are limited in older adults with cancer. We assessed the effects of exercise on anxiety, mood, and social and emotional well-being in older patients with cancer during their first 6 weeks of chemotherapy. DESIGN: Exploratory secondary analysis of a randomized controlled trial (RCT). SETTING: Community oncology practices. PARTICIPANTS: Older patients (aged 60 years or older) undergoing chemotherapy (N = 252). INTERVENTION: Patients were randomized to Exercise for Cancer Patients (EXCAP) or usual care (control) for the first 6 weeks of chemotherapy. EXCAP is a home-based, low- to moderate-intensity progressive walking and resistance training program. MEASUREMENTS: Analysis of covariance, with study arm as the factor, baseline value as the covariate, and study arm × baseline interaction, was used to evaluate arm effects on postintervention anxiety (State Trait Anxiety Inventory [STAI]), mood (Profile of Mood States [POMS]), and social and emotional well-being (Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-General subscales) after 6 weeks. RESULTS: Median age was 67 years; 77% had breast cancer. Statistically significant group differences were observed in the STAI score (P = .001), POMS score (P = .022), social well-being (P = .002), and emotional well-being (P = .048). For each outcome, EXCAP patients with worse baseline scores had larger improvements at 6 weeks; these improvements were clinically significant for STAI score and social well-being. CONCLUSIONS: Among older cancer patients receiving chemotherapy, a 6-week structured exercise program improved anxiety and mood, especially among those participants with worse baseline symptoms. Additional RCTs are needed to confirm these findings and evaluate the appropriate exercise prescription for managing anxiety, mood, and well-being in this patient population. J Am Geriatr Soc 67:1005-1011, 2019.

Enabling the return-to-work process among people with affective disorders: A multiple-case study.

BACKGROUND: The Individual Enabling and Support (IES) model is an adapted, supported employment program developed to meet motivational, cognitive and time-use needs of people with affective disorders. Vocational programs for this target group have been developed but more knowledge is needed about the important characteristics and perceived usefulness of the programs. The aim of this study was to illustrate the IES model and process from multiple perspectives. METHODS: Five participants were included in this multiple-case study. The material comprised interviews with participants, intervention documents, memos and interviews with employment specialists. Within and cross-case analyzes and an analytical generalization were performed. RESULTS: The cases illustrated different IES processes, and the theme; Enabling engagement in return to work (RTW) was formulated. Continuous support from the employment specialist and a focus on personal resources and motivation were essential to overcome low self-confidence regarding RTW. Motivational, cognitive and time-use strategies gave an opportunity to learn new behavior and coping strategies for job seeking, getting employed and working. CONCLUSION: Providing a combination of these strategies integrated with supported employment could promote self-efficacy and engagement in the RTW process among people on sick leave due to an affective disorder.

Reducing anger outbursts after a severe TBI: a single-case study.

Anger outbursts constitute a frequent behavioural issue after a traumatic brain injury (TBI) and have a strong negative impact on the social outcomes resulting from the TBI. However, few studies have examined the efficacy of specific intervention strategies to reduce the frequency and intensity of anger outbursts. We therefore performed a single-case study on this topic by administering two successive and complementary psychological interventions with an AB design with maintenance (first intervention) and an AC design with maintenance plus a one-month follow-up (second intervention) to a patient with a severe TBI. Whereas the first intervention focused on improving the recognition and expression of basic emotions, the second consisted of a self-regulation programme, including various features such as psychoeducation about self-control strategies, relaxation and assertiveness training that aimed to establish adequate behaviours, which were further promoted by an implementation intentions strategy in the patient's daily life. The results indicated that all interventions resulted in a reduced frequency and intensity of anger outbursts, and the data upheld the specificity of these effects. In addition, a meta-analytic integration of the effects of both interventions on the outcomes indicated a medium effect size. Further research is needed on other patients who experience long-standing anger outbursts to examine whether the observed gains can be replicated, sustained on a longer-term basis and improved.

Factors associated with vocational disengagement among young people entering mental health treatment.

AIM: Most mental disorders have their onset by age 25, disrupting normative vocational engagement. Factors associated with vocational disengagement at first contact with specialist treatment are important for service planning. The aim of this paper was to investigate the association between theoretically important factors and vocational disengagement for youth entering mental health treatment. METHODS: A file audit was used to extract vocational data of 145 young people aged 15 to 25 years entering treatment in 2011 at a public youth mental health service in Melbourne, Australia. Comparisons were made across three specialist programs for: psychosis (n = 50), mood disorders (n = 52) and borderline personality pathology (n = 43). Individual characteristics were entered into univariate and multivariate logistic regressions to investigate their associations with vocational disengagement. RESULTS: Educational disengagement was associated with being older (OR = 4.38, P = 0.004) and not living with parents (OR = 2.87, P = 0.038). Unemployment and being NEET (Not in Education, Employment or Training) were both associated with not having commenced tertiary education (OR = 0.23, P = 0.022; OR = 0.05, P = 0.002; respectively). Being NEET was also associated with being older (OR = 6.18, P = 0.004). Primary diagnostic grouping was not associated with vocational disengagement, once accounting for other factors. CONCLUSIONS: The likelihood of vocational disengagement did not differ across disorder groups, implying that intervention should be "transdiagnostic" and might best target education first, specifically post-secondary qualifications. Other domains or variables not measured in this study are also likely to be important, and this might include young people's support systems and symptom severity. Qualitative studies may be useful for exploring further factors relevant to vocational engagement.

Effectiveness of a brief adjunctive yoga intervention for short-term mood and psychiatric symptom change during partial hospitalization.

OBJECTIVE: Evidence concerning the effectiveness of yoga in partial hospital programs is limited. Yet, partial hospitals provide treatment at a critical juncture by bridging inpatient and outpatient care. The present study tested the effectiveness of a single-session group yoga intervention for short-term mood and psychiatric symptom change in participants attending a 1- to 2-week partial hospital program. METHOD: Participants included 104 partial hospital patients who participated in the single-session yoga intervention and completed a measure of positive/negative affect before and after the group. Participants, as well as partial hospital patients who did not attend the yoga intervention (n = 438), completed measures of depression and anxiety symptoms at admission and discharge from the program. At discharge, they also rated their perceived improvement and the overall quality of the care they received. RESULTS: Participants who attended the yoga intervention experienced significant improvements in positive and negative affect during the group. They did not show greater improvements in symptoms of anxiety or depression over the course of treatment compared to individuals who did not attend the group. Yoga intervention participants nonetheless gave higher ratings to the quality of the care they received. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: Findings demonstrated that attending a single yoga session during partial hospitalization was associated with short-term mood benefits, and with enhanced overall perceptions of treatment. Further research is needed to determine the conditions under which participation in yoga during partial hospitalization could contribute to symptom change in this context. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved).

Traumatic brain injury results in altered physiologic, but not subjective responses to emotional stimuli.

BACKGROUND: While the cognitive sequelae of traumatic brain injury (TBI) are well known, emotional impairments after TBI are suboptimally characterized. Lack of awareness of emotional difficulties can make self-report unreliable. However, individuals with TBI demonstrate involuntary changes in heart rate variability which may enable objective quantification of emotional dysfunction. METHODS: Sixteen subjects with chronic TBI and 10 age-matched controls were tested on an emotional function battery during which they watched a series of film clips normed to elicit specific positively and negatively valenced emotions: amusement, sexual amusement, sadness, fear and disgust. Subjective responses to the emotional stimuli were also obtained. Additionally, surface electrodes measured cardiac and respiratory signals to compute heart rate variability (HRV), from which measures of parasympathetic activity, the respiratory frequency area (RFA) and sympathetic activity, the low frequency area (LFA), of the HRV frequency spectrum were derived. The Neurobehavioral Rating Scale-Revised (NRS-R) and the King-Devick (KD) test were administered to assess neurobehavioral dysfunction. RESULTS: The two groups showed no differences in subjective ratings of emotional intensity. Subjects with TBI showed significantly decreased sympathetic activity when viewing amusing stimuli and significantly increased sympathetic activity when viewing sad stimuli compared to controls. Most of the subjects did not show agitation, anxiety, depression, blunted affect, emotional withdrawal, decreased motivation or mental fatiguability on the NRS-R. However, 13/16 subjects with TBI demonstrated attention difficulty on the NRS-R which was positively correlated with the increased sympathetic activity during sad stimuli. Both attention difficulty and abnormal autonomic responses to sad stimuli were correlated with the timing on the KD test, which reflected difficulty with visual attention shifting. CONCLUSIONS: The HRV spectrum may be useful to identify subclinical emotional dysfunction in individuals with TBI. Attention difficulites, specifically impairment in visual attention shifting, may contribute to abnormal reactivity to sad stimuli that may be detected and potentially treated to improve emotional function.

Efficacy of the Unified Protocol for transdiagnostic treatment of comorbid psychopathology accompanying emotional disorders compared to treatments targeting single disorders.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to examine whether the Unified Protocol (UP), a transdiagnostic cognitive-behavioral therapy for emotional disorders (i.e., anxiety, mood, and related disorders), is efficacious in the treatment of co-occurring emotional disorders compared to established single disorder protocols (SDPs) that target specific disorders (e.g., panic disorder). METHOD: Participants included 179 adults seeking outpatient psychotherapy. Participant age ranged from 18 to 66 years, with an average of 30.66 years (SD = 10.77). The sample was 55% female and mostly Caucasian (83%). Diagnostic assessments were completed with the Anxiety Disorder Interview Schedule (ADIS), and disorder-specific, clinician-rated measures for the comorbid diagnoses of interest. RESULTS: In both treatment conditions, participants' mean number of diagnoses dropped significantly from baseline to posttreatment, and baseline to 12-month follow-up. Additionally, large effects were observed for changes in comorbid generalized anxiety (ESSG: UP = -1.72; SDP = -1.98), social anxiety (ESSG: UP = -1.33, -0.86; SDP = -1.60, -1.54), and depression (ESSG: UP = -0.83; SDP = -0.84). Significant differences were not observed in between-group comparisons. CONCLUSIONS: Results suggest that both the UP and SDPs are efficacious in reducing symptoms of comorbid emotional disorders. The clinical, practical, and cost-effective advantages of transdiagnostic CBT are discussed.

Employment predictors and outcomes of U.S. state-federal vocational rehabilitation consumers with affective disorders: A CHAID analysis.

BACKGROUND: This study examined the demographic and rehabilitation service variables affecting employment outcomes of people with affective disorders receiving services from U.S. state-federal vocational rehabilitation (VR) agencies. METHODS: An ex post facto design, using data mining as a statistical analysis strategy, was used to analyze the Rehabilitation Services Administration Case Service Report (RSA-911) for the fiscal year 2011. The sample included 44,960 customers with affective disorders who were closed either as successfully employed (Status 26) or not employed (Status 28) by their VR agency. The dependent variable is employment outcome. The predictor variables include a set of personal characteristic variables and rehabilitation service variables. RESULTS: The chi-squared automatic interaction detector (CHAID) data mining analysis results indicated that job placement services, on-the-job supports, and job search assistance services were significant predictors of successful employment outcomes for individuals with affective disorders. LIMITATIONS: The study used data from the RSA-911 database. Causality cannot be inferred due to the use of archival data. CONCLUSIONS: Employment should be viewed as a viable treatment outcome for individuals with affective disorders. Rehabilitation professionals should advocate for their clients to receive VR services, including job placement services, on-the-job supports, and job search assistance services in order to maximize their employment and mental health outcomes.

Multisensory Stimulation and Individualized Music Sessions on Older Adults with Severe Dementia: Effects on Mood, Behavior, and Biomedical Parameters.

BACKGROUND: Multisensory stimulation and individualized music have shown to be good in handling the psychological and behavioral symptoms in people with severe dementia. OBJECTIVE: Explore the effects of two nonpharmacological interventions, multisensory stimulation environment (MSSE) in a Snoezelen room and individualized music sessions, on mood, behavior, and biomedical parameters of institutionalized elderly patients with severe dementia. METHODS: Randomized trial of 21 patients aged ≥65 years randomly assigned to two groups (MSSE and individualized music). Interventions administered in two-weekly sessions lasted 30 minutes for a period of 12 weeks. Main outcomes were recorded before, during, and at the end of the intervention. RESULTS: Both groups had immediate positive effects on mood and behavior. Participants were more happy/more content (p < 0.001), talked more spontaneously (p = 0.009), related to people better (p = 0.002), were more attentive to/focused on their environment (p < 0.001), enjoyed themselves (p = 0.003), were less bored/inactive (p = 0.004), and more relaxed/content (p = 0.003). The MSSE group performed a better visual follow-up of the stimuli (p = 0.044), and the music group were more relaxed and happy (p = 0.003). A decrease in heart rate (p = 0.013) and an increase in oxygen saturation (p = 0.011) were observed from before to after interventions in both groups, with no significant differences between them. CONCLUSIONS: Both interventions seem to be effective at managing mood and behavioral disturbances in the short term and at improving physiological rates, highlighting the efficacy of nonpharmacological treatments in patients with severe dementia.

Revealing the Neural Mechanisms Underlying the Beneficial Effects of Tai Chi: A Neuroimaging Perspective.

Tai Chi Chuan (TCC), a traditional Chinese martial art, is well-documented to result in beneficial consequences in physical and mental health. TCC is regarded as a mind-body exercise that is comprised of physical exercise and meditation. Favorable effects of TCC on body balance, gait, bone mineral density, metabolic parameters, anxiety, depression, cognitive function, and sleep have been previously reported. However, the underlying mechanisms explaining the effects of TCC remain largely unclear. Recently, advances in neuroimaging technology have offered new investigative opportunities to reveal the effects of TCC on anatomical morphologies and neurological activities in different regions of the brain. These neuroimaging findings have provided new clues for revealing the mechanisms behind the observed effects of TCC. In this review paper, we discussed the possible effects of TCC-induced modulation of brain morphology, functional homogeneity and connectivity, regional activity and macro-scale network activity on health. Moreover, we identified possible links between the alterations in brain and beneficial effects of TCC, such as improved motor functions, pain perception, metabolic profile, cognitive functions, mental health and sleep quality. This paper aimed to stimulate further mechanistic neuroimaging studies in TCC and its effects on brain morphology, functional homogeneity and connectivity, regional activity and macro-scale network activity, which ultimately lead to a better understanding of the mechanisms responsible for the beneficial effects of TCC on human health.

The effect of individual enabling and support on empowerment and depression severity in persons with affective disorders: outcome of a randomized control trial.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the effect of Individual Enabling and Support (IES) on empowerment and depression severity as compared to Traditional Vocational Rehabilitation (TVR) in people with affective disorders at 12 months follow-up. Additionally, longitudinal changes within the intervention groups and the correlation over time between empowerment and depression severity were evaluated. METHOD: A single-blind randomized controlled trial of two intervention groups, IES (n = 33) and TVR (n = 28), was performed with measurement points at baseline, 6, and 12 months. Individuals with affective disorders, including depression and bipolar disorder diagnoses were included. The Empowerment Scale and Montgomery-Åsberg Depression Self-Rating Scale were administered, and Intention-To-Treat analysis was applied. The study was registered with the trial number ISRCTN93470551. RESULT: There was a statistically significant difference between the intervention groups on empowerment and depression severity at 12 months. Within-group analysis showed that IES-participants increased their perceived empowerment and decreased their depression severity between measurement points, this was not seen among TVR-participants. A moderate, inverse relationship was detected between empowerment and depression. CONCLUSION: IES is more effective in increasing empowerment and decreasing depression severity after a 12-month intervention than is TVR. This study was limited by a small sample size and larger trials in different contexts are needed.