Vitamin D deficiency in children with severe disabilities under limited ultraviolet exposure.

INTRODUCTION: Nutritional prevention of osteoporosis management is an important issue for children with severe disabilities. Due to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic that started in 2020, children admitted to institutions had fewer opportunities for ultraviolet (UV) exposure owing to restrictions on attending school and going out. Hence, the vitamin D (VD) status of these children has been a cause of concern. This study aimed to assess the correlation between VD intake and VD status among children with severe disabilities who had limited UV exposure. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This research included patients admitted to Iwate Prefectural Rehabilitation and Nursery Center for Disabled Children. Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] levels were assessed during school/outing restriction periods and after restriction removal and the introduction of sunbathing periods. The trends in 25(OH)D levels and oral VD intake before the two measurements were analyzed. RESULTS: Although 17 of 32 patients had VD intake above the recommended level of Dietary Reference Intakes for Japanese during the first measurement, 31 patients had VD deficiency. The 25(OH)D levels of 13 patients without UV exposure before the first evaluation and those with UV exposure before the second evaluation were 2.03 times higher, despite of constant VD intakes. In contrast, there were no remarkable changes in both VD intakes and 25(OH)D levels in five patients without UV exposure before both assessments. CONCLUSION: Japanese children with severe disabilities who consume the recommended oral VD intake but who have limited UV exposure can still present VD deficiency.

Japanese public health nurses classified based on empathy and secondary traumatic stress: variable-centered and person-centered approaches.

BACKGROUND: Healthcare providers frequently help traumatized people and are regularly exposed to indirect trauma from their work, resulting in negative psychological responses, such as secondary traumatic stress. Empathy has been associated with patient's quality of care and secondary traumatic stress among healthcare providers. However, the relationship between dispositional empathy and secondary traumatic stress has not been fully elucidated. This study used person- and variable-centered approaches to explore the nature of this relationship. METHODS: A total of 1,006 Japanese public health nurses working in the Tohoku region and Saitama prefecture completed questionnaires that included scales assessing dispositional empathy, secondary traumatic stress, and burnout. First, we examined predictors of secondary traumatic stress using multiple linear regression analysis. Then, we conducted a latent profile analysis to classify participants into unique groups based on four subscales of dispositional empathy (i.e., empathic concern, perspective taking, personal distress, fantasy) and secondary traumatic stress. Finally, we compared the mean values of the study variables across these groups. RESULTS: The multiple regression indicated that in those working in Saitama prefecture, lifetime traumatic experiences, work-related distress, and personal distress were positively related to secondary traumatic stress, but perceived support was negatively related to secondary traumatic stress. Latent profile analysis extracted four unique subgroups. Group 1 displayed the highest secondary traumatic stress levels. Group 2 was characterized by the highest level of empathic concern, personal distress, and fantasy and the lowest perspective taking. Group 3 had a moderate secondary traumatic stress level. Group 4 had the lowest secondary traumatic stress and personal distress scores. In these four groups, the burnout scale (exhaustion, cynicism, and professional efficacy) showed a pattern similar to the secondary traumatic stress scale. CONCLUSIONS: Our person-centered approach showed that this sample of public health nurses could be classified into four unique groups based on their empathy and secondary traumatic stress scores. Although this group of public health nurses was not large, one group displayed high personal distress levels and high secondary traumatic stress levels. Further research is needed to determine effective interventions for this group.

Affective Temperaments in Differentiation Between Melancholic and Nonmelancholic Depression: A Case-Control Study.

ABSTRACT: The association between major depressive disorder (MDD) and personality traits has been extensively studied. However, differences in personality traits between patients with melancholic MDD (MEL) and nonmelancholic MDD (NMEL) remain unclear. In this study, we aimed to determine whether neuroticism, which has been associated with MDD, and the five affective temperament subtypes assessed by the Temperament Evaluation of Memphis, Pisa, Paris and San Diego-autoquestionnaire version (TEMPS-A) can be used to distinguish MEL and NMEL. A total of 106 patients with MDD (MEL, n = 52; NMEL, n = 54) and 212 age- and sex-matched healthy controls answered the Eysenck Personality Questionnaire-revised and the short version of TEMPS-A. In hierarchical logistic regression analysis, only depressive temperament scores were identified as a statistically significant feature distinguishing NMEL from MEL. Depressive temperament scores assessed by the short version of TEMPS-A were found to be significantly higher in NMEL patients than in MEL patients.

Simple method for broadband amplification in a polarizing-maintained Yb fiber amplifier with a narrow bandpass filter.

We have demonstrated a simple method for achieving broadband amplification and short-pulse generation in a polarizing maintained (PM) Yb fiber amplifier with the implementation of a narrow bandpass filter (NBF). By using an NBF with a spectral bandwidth of 3.3 nm at a wavelength of 1036 nm before the PM Yb amplifier, the spectral bandwidth was extended by self-phase modulation (SPM) in the PM YDF amplifier. The recompressed pulse duration of 125 fs obtained with the NBF was nearly three times shorter than that (350 fs) achieved without the NBF, and therefore the peak intensity of 0.35 MW with the NBF was over two times greater in comparison with that (0.16 MW) obtained without the NBF. We believe that this simple method is useful for developing an all-fiber laser system for high-power short pulse generation.

Risk and resilience in trajectories of post-traumatic stress symptoms among first responders after the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake: 7-year prospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: First responders to disasters are at risk of developing post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The trajectories of post-traumatic stress symptom severity differ among individuals, even if they are exposed to similar events. These trajectories have not yet been reported in non-Western first responders. AIMS: We aimed to explore post-traumatic stress symptom severity trajectories and their risk factors in first responders to the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake (GEJE) - a historically large earthquake that resulted in a tsunami and a nuclear disaster. METHOD: A total of 55 632 Japan Ground Self-Defense Force (JGSDF) personnel dispatched to the GEJE were enrolled in this 7-year longitudinal cohort study. PTSD symptom severity was measured using the Impact of Event Scale-Revised. Trajectories were identified using latent growth mixture models (LGMM). Nine potential risk factors for the symptom severity trajectories were analysed using multinomial logistic regression. RESULTS: Five symptom severity trajectories were identified: 'resilient' (54.8%), 'recovery' (24.6%), 'incomplete recovery' (10.7%), 'late-onset' (5.7%), and 'chronic' (4.3%). The main risk factors for the four non-resilient trajectories were older age, personal disaster experiences and working conditions. These working conditions included duties involving body recovery or radiation exposure risk, longer deployment length, later or no post-deployment leave and longer post-deployment overtime. CONCLUSIONS: The majority of first responders to GEJE were resilient and developed few or no PTSD symptoms. A substantial minority experienced late-onset and chronic symptom severity trajectories. The identified risk factors can inform policies for prevention, early detection and intervention in individuals at risk of developing symptomatic trajectories.

A reciprocal inhibition model of alternations between under-/overemotional modulatory states in patients with PTSD.

Patients with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) appear to manifest two opposing tendencies in their attentional biases and symptoms. However, whether common neural mechanisms account for their opposing attentional biases and symptoms remains unknown. We here propose a model in which reciprocal inhibition between the amygdala and ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC) predicts synchronized alternations between emotional under- and overmodulatory states at the neural, behavioral, and symptom levels within the same patients. This reciprocal inhibition model predicts that when the amygdala is dominant, patients enter an emotional undermodulatory state where they show attentional bias toward threat and manifest re-experiencing symptoms. In contrast, when the vmPFC is dominant, patients are predicted to enter an emotional overmodulatory state where they show attentional bias away from threat and avoidance symptoms. To test the model, we performed a behavioral meta-analysis (total N = 491), analyses of own behavioral study (N = 20), and a neuroimaging meta-analysis (total N = 316). Supporting the model, we found the distributions of behavioral attentional measurements to be bimodal, suggesting alternations between the states within patients. Moreover, attentional bias toward threat was related to re-experiencing symptoms, whereas attentional bias away from threat was related with avoidance symptoms. We also found that the increase and decrease of activity in the left amygdala activity was related with re-experiencing and avoidance symptoms, respectively. Our model may help elucidate the neural mechanisms differentiating nondissociative and dissociative subtypes of PTSD, which usually show differential emotional modulatory levels. It may thus provide a new venue for therapies targeting each subtype.

Mental health consequences for survivors of the 2011 Fukushima nuclear disaster: a systematic review. Part 2: emotional and behavioral consequences.

To compile the findings of studies assessing emotional and behavioral changes in the survivors of the 2011 Fukushima nuclear disaster, we performed a systematic review in August 2019 using four literature databases (PubMed, PsycINFO, Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection, and ICHUSHI). Peer-reviewed manuscripts, either in English or Japanese, were included in the searches. Sixty-one studies were retrieved for the review. Of these, 41 studies (67.2%) assessed emotional consequences, 28 studies (45.9%) evaluated behavioral consequences, and 8 studies (13.1%) evaluated both emotional and behavioral outcomes. The main research topic in emotional change was radiation exposure-associated risk perception, as reported in 15 studies. This risk perception included immediate health effects (eg, acute radiation syndrome) as well as future health effects (eg, future cancer and genetic effects). Lowered subjective well-being was reported in eight studies. Six studies reported perceived discrimination/stigmatization in the disaster survivors. The most critical behavioral change was an increase in suicides compared with residents in the whole of Japan or affected by the earthquake and tsunami, but not by the nuclear disaster. Increased rate of alcohol and tobacco use was reported, although the effect on one's health was inconsistent. As a conclusion, the Fukushima nuclear disaster survivors suffered issues in risk perception, well-being, stigmatization, and alcohol/tobacco use in the first 8 years after the disaster. The present study is important in order to better understand the emotional and behavioral responses to future nuclear/radiological disasters as well as other "invisible" disasters, such as chemical and biological public health crises.

Mental health consequences for survivors of the 2011 Fukushima nuclear disaster: a systematic review. Part 1: psychological consequences.

To integrate scholastic literature regarding the prevalence and characteristics of the psychological consequences faced by survivors of the 2011 Fukushima earthquake/tsunami/nuclear disaster, we conducted a systematic review of survivor studies concerning the Fukushima disaster. In August 2019, four literature databases (PubMed, PsycINFO, Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection, and ICHUSHI) were used in the literature search. Peer-reviewed manuscripts reporting psychological consequences, either in English or Japanese, were selected. A total of 79 studies were selected for the review. Twenty-four studies (30.4%) were conducted as part of the Fukushima Health Management Survey-large-scale cohort study recruiting the residents of the entire Fukushima prefecture. Study outcomes were primarily nonspecific psychological distress, depressive symptoms, post-traumatic stress symptoms, and anxiety symptoms. The rates of high-risk individuals determined by the studies varied significantly owing to methodological differences. Nevertheless, these rates were mostly high (nonspecific psychological distress, 8.3%-65.1%; depressive symptoms, 12%-52.0%; and post-traumatic stress symptoms, 10.5%-62.6%). Many studies focused on vulnerable populations such as children, mothers of young children, evacuees, and nuclear power plant workers. However, few studies reported on the intervention methods used or their effect on the survivors. As a conclusion, high rates of individuals with psychological conditions, as well as a wide range of mental conditions, were reported among the Fukushima nuclear disaster survivors in the first 8 years after the disaster. These findings demonstrate the substantial impact of this compound disaster, especially in the context of a nuclear catastrophe.

TEMPS-A (short version) plays a supplementary role in the differential diagnosis between major depressive disorder and bipolar disorder.

AIM: Early differential diagnosis between patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) and bipolar disorder (BD), and subsequently providing appropriate treatments are essential. There has been increased interest regarding the association between affective temperaments and mood disorder diagnosis. Our aim was to analyze the diagnostic validity of affective temperaments assessed by the short version of the Temperament Evaluation of Memphis, Pisa, Paris and San Diego-autoquestionnaire version (TEMPS-A), in mood disorder patients. METHODS: Inpatients with MDD (n = 146) or BD (n = 128) completed the short version of TEMPS-A, and their depressive and manic symptom severities were evaluated. Data of MDD and BD patients were compared by univariable and multivariable analyses. RESULTS: Of the five affective temperament dimensions, substantially higher hyperthymic, irritable, and cyclothymic temperament scores were found in BD patients than in MDD patients. Using a multivariable logistic regression model built using the severities of depressed and manic conditions, and the five affective temperament subscale scores as independent variables, we identified two factors statistically associated with BD diagnosis (anxious temperament and cyclothymic temperament). The recommended cutoff point for the 12 items evaluating cyclothymic temperament to differentiate BD from MDD was 8 or more 'True' items (sensitivity: 35.9%, specificity: 87.7%). LIMITATIONS: Our design was cross-sectional, and therefore, there was a possibility of longitudinal diagnostic conversion of patients from MDD to BD. CONCLUSION: Cyclothymic and anxious temperaments on the short version of TEMPS-A, identified as diagnostic differentiating factors between MDD and BD, may play supplementary roles in the early identification of BD.

Evaluation of the Severity of Major Depression Using a Voice Index for Emotional Arousal.

Recently, the relationship between emotional arousal and depression has been studied. Focusing on this relationship, we first developed an arousal level voice index (ALVI) to measure arousal levels using the Interactive Emotional Dyadic Motion Capture database. Then, we calculated ALVI from the voices of depressed patients from two hospitals (Ginza Taimei Clinic (H1) and National Defense Medical College hospital (H2)) and compared them with the severity of depression as measured by the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HAM-D). Depending on the HAM-D score, the datasets were classified into a no depression (HAM-D < 8) and a depression group (HAM-D ≥ 8) for each hospital. A comparison of the mean ALVI between the groups was performed using the Wilcoxon rank-sum test and a significant difference at the level of 10% (p = 0.094) at H1 and 1% (p = 0.0038) at H2 was determined. The area under the curve (AUC) of the receiver operating characteristic was 0.66 when categorizing between the two groups for H1, and the AUC for H2 was 0.70. The relationship between arousal level and depression severity was indirectly suggested via the ALVI.

General psychological distress among Japan Self-Defense Forces personnel dispatched on United Nations peacekeeping operations and their spouses.

AIM: The importance of family care during international deployment is emphasized within military organizations, but mental health interactions between deployed personnel and their spouses have not yet been assessed. This study addressed this gap by examining couples' mental health throughout a deployment period. METHODS: The mental health of 324 spousal dyads of Japan Self-Defense Forces personnel dispatched for a half-year United Nations Disengagement Observer Force mission was examined, using longitudinal data derived from a survey at four time points: one-month pre-deployment, initial deployment, middle deployment, and immediately after homecoming. The 30-item General Health Questionnaire was used to evaluate general psychological distress, with high scores (≥7) indicating adverse mental health. RESULTS: The spouses' general psychological distress was significantly higher compared with the deployed personnel (P < 0.001). The high general psychological distress of personnel was significantly related to that of their spouses (odds ratio = 2.24; 95% confidence interval, 1.32-3.80), and vice versa (odds ratio = 2.38; 95% confidence interval 1.39-4.08). CONCLUSION: Mental health care will be beneficial for not only deployed personnel but also their spouses.

Differential effects of voluntary wheel running and toy rotation on the mRNA expression of neurotrophic factors and FKBP5 in a post-traumatic stress disorder rat model with the shuttle-box task.

Life-threatening experiences can result in the development of post-traumatic stress disorder. We have developed an animal model for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) using a shuttle box in rats. In this paradigm, the rats were exposed to inescapable foot-shock stress (IS) in a shuttle box, and then an avoidance/escape task was performed in the same box 2 weeks after IS. A previous study using this paradigm revealed that environmental enrichment (EE) ameliorated avoidance/numbing-like behaviors, but not hyperarousal-like behaviors, and EE also elevated hippocampal brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) expression. However, the differential effects of EE components, i.e., running wheel (RW) or toy rotation, on PTSD-like behaviors has remained unclear. In this experiment, we demonstrated that RW, toy rotation, and EE (containing RW and toy rotation) ameliorated avoidance/numbing-like behaviors, induced learning of avoidance responses, and improved depressive-like behaviors in traumatized rats. The RW increased the hippocampal mRNA expression of neurotrophic factors, especially BDNF and glial-cell derived neurotrophic factor. Toy rotation influenced FK506 binding protein 5 mRNA expression, which is believed to be a regulator of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA)-axis system, in the hippocampus and amygdala. This is the first report to elucidate the differential mechanistic effects of RW and toy rotation. The former appears to exert its effects via neurotrophic factors, while the latter exerts its effects via the HPA axis. Further studies will lead to a better understanding of the influence of environmental factors on PTSD.

Flexible generation of 28 Gbps PAM4 60 GHz/80 GHz radio over fiber signal by injection locking of direct multilevel modulated laser to spacing-tunable two-tone light.

To meet the ever-increasing bandwidth demands in the future broadband wireless networks, the millimeter-wave (mm-wave) frequency region is being actively perused, owing to its broad bandwidth and high frequencies. In this paper, a photonic mm-wave system is proposed and experimentally demonstrated based on the injection locking of a direct multilevel modulated laser to a spacing-tunable two-tone light. Since the mm-wave frequency of the generated signal is locked to the frequency spacing of the injected two-tone light, it shows better frequency stabilization than the schemes based on two free-running lasers. Moreover, by simply tuning the tone spacing, the mm-wave frequency could be easily re-configured, offering flexibility in the mm-wave signal generation. Instead of using complex and expensive optical modulators, the multilevel modulation on the mm-wave data carrier is implemented through the direct multilevel modulation of a laser and the injection locking. A 28 Gbps four-level pulse amplitude modulation (PAM4) is realized by biasing a 10 G-class laser at a current far from the threshold, providing a cost-effective and simple mm-wave generation scheme. In the experiment, a photonic approach to generating 28 Gbps PAM4 60 GHz/80 GHz mm-wave signals is experimentally demonstrated. A power penalty of less than 0.2 dB is observed for the filtered-out PAM4 signals with respect to the original PAM4. Besides, an ultra-low phase noise of up to -98 dBc/Hz is obtained for the mm-wave carriers after the injection locking. The proposed scheme possesses the flexibility and frequency stability of the mm-wave frequency, and also has low cost and implementation complexity.

The relationship between dispositional empathy, psychological distress, and posttraumatic stress responses among Japanese uniformed disaster workers: a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Disaster workers suffer from psychological distress not only through the direct experience of traumatic situations but also through the indirect process of aiding disaster victims. This distress, called secondary traumatic stress, is linked to dispositional empathy, which is the tendency for individuals to imagine and experience the feelings and experiences of others. However, the association between secondary traumatic stress and dispositional empathy remains understudied. METHODS: To examine the relationship between dispositional empathy and mental health among disaster workers, we collected data from 227 Japan Ground Self-Defense Force personnel who engaged in international disaster relief activities in the Philippines following Typhoon Yolanda in 2013. The Impact of Event Scale-Revised and the Kessler Psychological Distress Scale were used to evaluate posttraumatic stress responses (PTSR) and general psychological distress (GPD), respectively. Dispositional empathy was evaluated through the Interpersonal Reactivity Index, which consists of four subscales: Perspective Taking, Fantasy, Empathic Concern, and Personal Distress. Hierarchial linear regression analyses were performed to identify the variables related to PTSR and GPD. RESULTS: High PTSR was significantly associated with high Fantasy (identification tendency, ß = 0.21, p < .01), high Personal Distress (the self-oriented emotional disposition of empathy, ß = 0.18, p < .05), and no experience of disaster relief activities (ß = 0.15, p < .05). High GPD was associated with high Personal Distress (ß = 0.28, p < .001), marital status (married, ß = 0.22, p < .01), being female (ß = 0.18, p < .01), medical unit (ß = 0.18, p < .05), and no experience of disaster relief activities (ß = 0.13, p < .05). CONCLUSIONS: Among Japanese uniformed disaster workers, high PTSR was associated with two subtypes of dispositional empathy: the self-oriented emotional disposition of empathy and high identification tendency, whereas high GPD was associated with high identification tendency. Educational interventions that aim to mitigate these tendencies might be able to relieve the psychological distress of disaster workers.

Neural basis of major depressive disorder: Beyond monoamine hypothesis.

The monoamine hypothesis has been accepted as the most common hypothesis of major depressive disorder (MDD) for a long period because of its simplicity and understandability. Actually, most currently used antidepressants have been considered to act based on the monoamine hypothesis. However, an important problem of the monoamine hypothesis has been pointed out as follows: it fails to explain the latency of response to antidepressants. In addition, many patients with MDD have remained refractory to currently used antidepressants. Therefore, monoamine-alternate hypotheses are required to explain the latency of response to antidepressants. Such hypotheses have been expected to contribute to identifying hopeful new therapeutic targets for MDD. Past studies have revealed that the volume of the hippocampus is decreased in patients with MDD, which is likely caused by the failure of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis and following elevation of glucocorticoids. Two hypotheses have been proposed to explain the volume of the hippocampus: (i) the neuroplasticity hypothesis; and (ii) the neurogenesis hypothesis. The neuroplasticity hypothesis explains how the hippocampal volume is decreased by the morphological changes of hippocampal neurons, such as the shortening length of dendrites and the decreased number and density of spines. The neurogenesis hypothesis explains how the hippocampal volume is decreased by the decrease of neurogenesis in the hippocampal dentate gyrus. These hypotheses are able to explain the latency of response to antidepressants. In this review, we first overview how the neuroplasticity and neurogenesis hypotheses have been developed. We then describe the details of these hypotheses.

[Involvement of autophagy in neuronal plasticity by psychiatric treatment].

Recently we have reported increased hippocampal autophagy signaling after multiple electroconvulsive seizure treatments. The involvement of autophagy process in the neuronal plasticity of synapses and dendrites and in the regulation of the number of specific receptors has been reported in basic studies using C. elegans, drosophila, and cultured neurons. The importance of the autophagy process in neuronal plasticity that supports the stress resilience should be further studied.

In situ 3D crystallographic characterization of deformation-induced martensitic transformation in a metastable Fe-Cr-Ni austenitic alloy by X-ray microtomography.

Excellent strength-ductility balance in metastable Fe-Cr-Ni austenitic alloys stems from phase transformation from austenite (fcc structure) to α' martensite (bcc structure) during deformation, namely deformation-induced α' martensitic transformation (DIMT). Here, DIMT in a metastable Fe-17Cr-7Ni austenitic alloy was detected in situ and characterized in three dimensions (3D) by employing synchrotron radiation X-ray microtomography. This technique utilizes refraction contrast, which is attributable to the presence of phase boundaries between the parent austenite and the newly formed α' martensite phase. By combining microtomography and position-sensitive X-ray diffraction, we succeeded in crystallographically identifying multiple α' martensite phases continuously transformed in four groups from a single parent austenitic phase.

Augmentation of psychiatric symptom onset vulnerability in male mice due to mild traumatic brain injury.

Mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) can induce psychiatric symptoms, including anxiety, depression, and diminished interest. These symptoms can manifest shortly after injury or exhibit delayed onset months or years later, often worsening in severity. Therefore, early intervention and effective treatment are crucial. However, mTBI lacks clear diagnostic markers, making the underlying pathophysiological mechanisms elusive. Additionally, there is a dearth of suitable animal models and a limited understanding of the biochemical changes in the brain that contribute to post-mTBI psychological symptoms. In this study, we hypothesized that mTBI can trigger brain vulnerability mechanisms, which eventually lead to symptom manifestation in response to subsequent stressors. Using a mouse model, we induced very mild blast-induced mTBI without overt trauma or behavioral changes and subsequently subjected the mice to psychological stress. We analyzed the behavioral alterations and gene expression changes in the brain, focusing on microglial and astrocytic markers involved in the immune system and immune responses. The mice exposed to both blast and defeat stress exhibited significantly lower preference scores in the social interaction test than the mice subjected to blast exposure alone, defeat stress alone, or the control condition. Gene expression analysis revealed a distinct set of genes associated with blast exposure during the development of psychiatric symptoms and genes associated with social defeat stress. The results revealed that neither blast exposure nor defeat stress alone significantly affected mouse social behavior; however, their combined influence resulted in noticeable aberrations in social interactions and/or interest. The findings of the present study provide critical insights into the complex interplay between mTBI and psychological stress. Additionally, they provide a novel mouse model for future research aimed at elucidating the pathophysiological mechanisms underlying the psychiatric symptoms associated with mTBI. Ultimately, this knowledge may enhance early intervention and therapeutic strategies for individuals with mTBI-related psychiatric disorders.

Molecular hydrogen supplementation in mice ameliorates lipopolysaccharide-induced loss of interest.

Aim: The objective of this study was to evaluate the potential of hydrogen in preventing and treating psychiatric symptoms, particularly depressed mood and loss of interest, and to explore its underlying mechanisms. A mouse model exhibiting inflammation-derived depressive symptoms was used for the investigation. Methods: Institute of Cancer Research mice were subjected to a 7-day intervention of either 30% hydrogen or 40 g per day of air via jelly intake. On the final day, lipopolysaccharide (LPS) was intraperitoneally administered at 5 mg/kg to induce inflammation-related depressive symptoms. Behavioral and biochemical assessments were conducted 24 h post-LPS administration. Results: Following LPS administration, a decrease in spontaneous behavior was observed; however, this effect was mitigated in the group treated with hydrogen. The social interaction test revealed a significant reduction in interactions with unfamiliar mice in the LPS-treated group, whereas the hydrogen-treated group exhibited no such decrease. No significant changes were noted in the forced-swim test for either group. Additionally, the administration of LPS in the hydrogen group did not result in a decrease in zonula occludens-1, a biochemical marker associated with barrier function at the cerebrovascular barrier and expressed in tight junctions. Conclusion: Hydrogen administration demonstrated a preventive effect against the LPS-induced loss of interest, suggesting a potential role in symptom prevention. However, it did not exhibit a suppressive effect on depressive symptoms in this particular model. These findings highlight the nuanced impact of hydrogen in the context of inflammation-induced psychiatric symptoms, indicating potential avenues for further exploration and research.

Empathy and Coping Strategies Predict Quality of Life in Japanese Healthcare Professionals.

Burnout and secondary traumatic stress (STS), also referred to as compassion fatigue, are undeniable negative consequences experienced by healthcare professionals when working with patients. As frontline healthcare professionals are essential to communities, it is crucial to understand their mental health and how they cope with negative psychological responses. This study investigated the relationships between burnout, STS, compassion satisfaction, dispositional empathy, and stress management among Japanese healthcare professionals and students taking care of patients in clinical practice. The participants were 506 Japanese healthcare professionals and students (doctors, nurses, medical students, and nursing students) affiliated with Japanese Ministry of Defense Hospitals. The data were collected from March 2020 to May 2021. We assessed burnout, STS, and compassion satisfaction using the Professional Quality of Life Scale, dispositional empathy using the Interpersonal Reactivity Index, and coping with stress using the Coping Orientation to Problems Experienced Inventory (Brief-COPE). Exploratory factor analysis of the Brief-COPE yielded three factors: active coping; support-seeking; and indirect coping. Personal distress, a self-oriented emotional empathy index, was related to higher burnout and STS scores and lower compassion satisfaction. Empathic concern, an other-oriented emotional empathy index, was associated with lower burnout and higher compassion satisfaction. Active coping strategies were associated with lower burnout and higher compassion satisfaction, whereas indirect coping strategies were associated with higher burnout and STS scores. In a comparison of empathy in professional categories, nurses presented higher personal distress than nursing students, and medical doctors showed lower fantasy tendencies than medical students. These results imply the complex relationships between empathy, coping strategies, and psychological responses among healthcare professionals. Further longitudinal study is needed to explore these complex relationships and to develop more precise and effective psycho-educational interventions to prevent burnout and STS.