Probiotics as an effective therapeutic approach in alleviating depression symptoms: an umbrella meta-analysis.

Growing evidence has suggested that the consumption of probiotics can decrease depressive symptoms. However, even the results of meta-analyses are conflicting. In this regard, we performed an umbrella meta-analysis and proposed the decisive impacts of probiotics on depressive symptoms. The following international databases were searched up to July 2021: PubMed/Medline, Web of Science, Scopus, EMBASE, and Google Scholar. Meta-analyses investigating the impact of supplementation of probiotics on depression symptoms in adults were included. According to the studies, random-effects model was used to perform the analysis. Subgroup analysis was performed by dosage of probiotics, duration of supplementation and total sample size. Publication bias was assessed using Egger's, Begg's and visual inspection of funnel plot. Ten meta-analyses (n = 8886 participants) were included in study. The pooled data indicated that probiotic supplementation significantly reduced depression symptoms (ES= -1.41; 95% CI: -2.53, -0.30, p = 0.016; I2 = 99.4, p = <0.001). Subgroup analysis of studies with intervention duration >8 weeks and dosage >10 × 109 CFU demonstrated a more robust effect of probiotics on decreasing depression symptoms. There was also significant between-study heterogeneity in which dosage was identified as source of it. The results of present umbrella meta-analysis suggest administration of probiotics for relieving depression symptoms for >8 weeks with dosage of >10 × 109 CFU.Supplemental data for this article is available online at https://doi.org/10.1080/10408398.2022.2051164.

Emotional intelligence components in alcohol dependent and mentally healthy individuals.

OBJECTIVE: Emotional intelligence might play an important role in the onset and persistence of different psychopathologies. This study investigated the relationship between emotional intelligence and alcohol dependence. METHODS: In this case-control study, participants included alcohol dependent individuals and mentally healthy inpatients. Each group consisted of 40 individuals (male/female: 1). The diagnosis was based on the criteria of the DSM-IV-TR using the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV (SCID-IV). All the participants completed Bar-On emotional intelligence test. RESULTS: 20 males and 20 females were included in each group. Mean age of alcohol dependent participants and controls was 31.28±7.82 and 34.93±9.83 years in that order. The analyses showed that the alcohol dependent individuals had a significant difference compared with the control group and received lower scores in empathy, responsibility, impulse control, self-esteem, optimism, emotional consciousness, stress tolerance, autonomy, problem-solving, and total score of emotional intelligence components. CONCLUSION: Patients with alcohol dependence have deficits in components of emotional intelligence. Identifying and targeted training of the individuals with lower scores in components of emotional intelligence may be effective in prevention of alcohol dependence.

Affective reactivity of speech in patients with schizophrenia and their non-schizophrenic relatives.

BACKGROUND: Studies about cognitive functioning of patients with schizophrenia (language problems in particular) are very limited in Iran. This study aims at evaluating the affective reactivity of speech in Turkish-speaking schizophrenic patients and their non-schizophrenic relatives. METHODS: In a cross-sectional setting, 30 outpatients with schizophrenia were compared with 30 first-degree non-schizophrenic family members and 30 non-clinical controls. The audio-taped speech samples (10 min each) were analyzed blindly for frequencies of referential communication failure. Levels of referential communication disturbance in speech samples (Communication Disturbance Index, CDI) during two separate sessions were compared in affectively positive versus affectively negative conditions. RESULTS: All three groups showed significantly higher frequencies of communication disturbances in the affectively negative condition. The affective reactivity of speech was significant in patients with schizophrenia compared with the controls but not the unaffected relatives. The severity of positive or negative symptoms was not correlated with CDI or level of affective reactivity. CONCLUSION: This study was carried out in a Turkish-speaking sample and supports the idea that referential communication disturbances may be linked to vulnerability to schizophrenia while affective reactivity is associated with manifest illness. Language differences may affect the observed impact of symptom severity on communication failures.

A Randomized Trial of Comparing the Efficacy of Two Neurofeedback Protocols for Treatment of Clinical and Cognitive Symptoms of ADHD: Theta Suppression/Beta Enhancement and Theta Suppression/Alpha Enhancement.

Introduction. Neurofeedback (NF) is an adjuvant or alternative therapy for children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). This study intended to compare the efficacy of two different NF protocols on clinical and cognitive symptoms of ADHD. Materials and Methods. In this clinical trial, sixty children with ADHD aged 7 to 10 years old were randomly grouped to receive two different NF treatments (theta suppression/beta enhancement protocol and theta suppression/alpha enhancement protocol). Clinical and cognitive assessments were conducted prior to and following the treatment and also after an eight-week follow-up. Results. Both protocols alleviated the symptoms of ADHD in general (p < 0.001), hyperactivity (p < 0.001), inattention (p < 0.001), and omission errors (p < 0.001); however, they did not affect the oppositional and impulsive scales nor commission errors. These effects were maintained after an eight-week intervention-free period. The only significant difference between the two NF protocols was that high-frequency alpha enhancement protocol performed better in suppressing omission errors (p < 0.001). Conclusion. The two NF protocols with theta suppression/beta enhancement and theta suppression/alpha enhancement have considerable and comparable effect on clinical symptoms of ADHD. Alpha enhancement protocol was more effective in suppressing omission errors.

Preventive effect of liothyronine on electroconvulsive therapy-induced memory deficit in patients with major depressive disorder: a double-blind controlled clinical trial.

Introduction and Objective. Despite the effectiveness of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) in treating major depressive disorder (MDD), its cognitive side effects make it less popular. This study investigated the impact of liothyronine on ECT-induced memory deficit in patients with MDD. Methodology. This is a double-blind clinical trial, in which 60 patients with MDD who were referred for ECT were selected. The diagnosis was based on the criteria of DSM-IV-TR. Patients were divided randomly into two groups to receive either liothyronine (50 mcg every morning) or placebo. After the assessment with Wechsler Memory Scale-Revised (WMS-R) before first session of ECT, posttests were repeated again, two months after the completion of ECT. Findings. By controlling the pretest scores, the mean scores of the experimental group were higher than the control group in delayed recall, verbal memory, visual memory, general memory, and attention/concentration scales (P < 0.05). Conclusion. Liothyronine may prevent ECT-induced memory impairment in patients with MDD. This study has been registered in IRCT under IRCT201401122660N2.

Factors related to marital satisfaction in women with major depressive disorder.

OBJECTIVE: Major depressive disorder (MDD) is one of the most common psychiatric disorders which affects married couples frequently.The present study aims to explain the role of family processes, social support and demographic factors in marital satisfaction of women with Major Depressive Disorder (MDD). METHOD: In this cross-sectional study, 188 women with MDD were randomly selected among the patients who visited Bozorgmehr Clinic of Tabriz University of Medical Sciences. The sample selection was carried out through structured psychiatric interviews based on DSM-TV-TR criteria. Data were collected using Index of Marital Satisfaction (IMS), Family Process Scale (FPS) and Norbeck Social Support Questionnaire (NSSQ).The Mann Whitney U, Multivariate and ANOVA tests were used to analyze the data. RESULTS: No relationship was observed between age, educational level, age difference of couples and number of children with family processes and marital satisfaction (p ≥ 0.05). The patients with low educational level reported less social support (p ≥ 0.05).Marital satisfaction and family coherence were lower when the husband had a psychiatric disorder (P ≤ 0.01). The family processes (family coherence, problem-solving skills, communication skills and religious beliefs) and social support positively predicted marital satisfaction, while the husband's psychiatric disorders negatively predicted marital satisfaction. CONCLUSION: The findings highlight the significance of family processes, social support and husband's psychiatric disorders in marital satisfaction of women with MDD.