Testing the Associations Between Attachment Anxiety, Relational Aggression and Depressive Symptoms in Romantic Relationships: Actor-Partner Interdependence Model and Actor-Partner Interdependence Mediator Model.

Emerging adulthood is a pivotal period for romantic relationships, yet the specific mechanisms through which attachment anxiety influences relationship dynamics and psychological outcomes in this phase are poorly understood. Particularly, in the context of romantic dyads, understanding how partners' behaviors and emotional patterns reciprocally influence each other remains underexplored. This study utilizes the Actor-Partner Interdependence Model and Actor-Partner Interdependence Mediator Model to explore the relationship between attachment anxiety,relational aggression (both perpetration and victimization), and depressive symptoms among emerging adults. A sample of 138 mixed-sex emerging adulthood couples from China, was recruited (Mage = 21.40, SD = 2.54; 50% female, 62.6% reporting that this relationship was ongoing for more than a year). Attachment anxiety significantly predicted relational aggression in both partners, with male attachment anxiety also significantly predicted female relational aggression. Significant indirect effects of both partners' relational aggression perpetration and victimization on their own and each other's relationship between attachment anxiety and depressive symptoms. These findings contribute to understanding the intricate dynamics of attachment anxiety and relational aggression in romantic relationships during emerging adulthood, emphasizing the need for targeted interventions to mitigate these risks.

Predicting the diagnosis of various mental disorders in a mixed cohort using blood-based multi-protein model: a machine learning approach.

The lack of objective diagnostic methods for mental disorders challenges the reliability of diagnosis. The study aimed to develop an easily accessible and useable objective method for diagnosing major depressive disorder (MDD), schizophrenia (SZ), bipolar disorder (BPD), and panic disorder (PD) using serum multi-protein. Serum levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), VGF (non-acronymic), bicaudal C homolog 1 (BICC1), C-reactive protein (CRP), and cortisol, which are generally recognized to be involved in different pathogenesis of various mental disorders, were measured in patients with MDD (n = 50), SZ (n = 50), BPD (n = 55), and PD along with 50 healthy controls (HC). Linear discriminant analysis (LDA) was employed to construct a multi-classification model to classify these mental disorders. Both leave-one-out cross-validation (LOOCV) and fivefold cross-validation were applied to validate the accuracy and stability of the LDA model. All five serum proteins were included in the LDA model, and it was found to display a high overall accuracy of 96.9% when classifying MDD, SZ, BPD, PD, and HC groups. Multi-classification accuracy of the LDA model for LOOCV and fivefold cross-validation (within-study replication) reached 96.9 and 96.5%, respectively, demonstrating the feasibility of the blood-based multi-protein LDA model for classifying common mental disorders in a mixed cohort. The results suggest that combining multiple proteins associated with different pathogeneses of mental disorders using LDA may be a novel and relatively objective method for classifying mental disorders. Clinicians should consider combining multiple serum proteins to diagnose mental disorders objectively.

Internet-based cognitive behavioural therapy combined with attentional bias modification training in generalized anxiety disorder: a randomized, controlled multi-session experiment.

BACKGROUND: Although attentional bias modification training (ABM) and cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) are two effective methods to decrease the symptoms of generalized anxiety disorders (GAD), to date, no randomized controlled trials have yet evaluated the effectiveness of an intervention combining internet-based cognitive behavioural therapy (ICBT) and ABM for adults with GAD. AIMS: This study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of an intervention combining ICBT and ABM for adults with GAD. METHOD: Sixty-three participants diagnosed with GAD were randomly assigned to the treatment group (ICBT with ABM; 31 participants) or the control group (ICBT with ABM placebo; 32 participants), and received 8 weeks of treatment and three evaluations. The CBT, ABM and ABM-placebo training were conducted via the internet. The evaluations were conducted at baseline, 8 weeks later, and 1 month later, respectively. RESULTS: Both the treatment and control groups reported significantly reduced anxiety symptoms and attentional bias, with no clear superiority of either intervention. However, the treatment group showed a greater reduction in negative automatic thoughts than the control group after treatment and at 1-month follow-up (η2 = 0.123). CONCLUSION: The results suggest that although not differing in therapeutic efficacy, the intervention combining ICBT and ABM is superior to the intervention combining ICBT and ABM-placebo in the reduction of negative automatic thoughts. ABM may be a useful augmentation of ICBT on reducing anxiety symptoms.

ERK1/2-dependent BDNF synthesis and signaling is required for the antidepressant effect of microglia stimulation.

Depressed mice have lower numbers of microglia in the dentate gyrus (DG). Reversal of this decline by a single low dose of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) may have antidepressant effects, but there is little information on the molecular mechanisms underlying this effect. It is known that impairment of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) signaling is involved in the development of depression. Here, we used a combination of neutralizing antibodies, mutant mice, and pharmacological approaches to test the role of BDNF-tyrosine kinase receptor B (TrkB) signaling in the DG in the effect of microglial stimulation. Our results suggest that inhibition of BDNF signaling by infusion of an anti-BDNF antibody, the BDNF receptor antagonist K252a, or knock-in of the mutant BDNF Val68Met allele abolished the antidepressant effect of LPS in chronically stressed mice. Increased BDNF synthesis in DG, mediated by extracellular signal-regulated kinase1/2 (ERK1/2) signaling but not protein kinase B (Akt)-mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling, was essential for the antidepressant effect of microglial stimulation. These results suggest that increased BDNF synthesis through activation of ERK1/2 caused by a single LPS injection and subsequent TrkB signaling are required for the antidepressant effect of hippocampal microglial stimulation.

Aberrated Multidimensional EEG Characteristics in Patients with Generalized Anxiety Disorder: A Machine-Learning Based Analysis Framework.

Although increasing evidences support the notion that psychiatric disorders are associated with abnormal communication between brain regions, scattered studies have investigated brain electrophysiological disconnectivity of patients with generalized anxiety disorder (GAD). To this end, this study intends to develop an analysis framework for automatic GAD detection through incorporating multidimensional EEG feature extraction and machine learning techniques. Specifically, resting-state EEG signals with a duration of 10 min were obtained from 45 patients with GAD and 36 healthy controls (HC). Then, an analysis framework of multidimensional EEG characteristics (including univariate power spectral density (PSD) and fuzzy entropy (FE), and multivariate functional connectivity (FC), which can decode the EEG information from three different dimensions) were introduced for extracting aberrated multidimensional EEG features via statistical inter-group comparisons. These aberrated features were subsequently fused and fed into three previously validated machine learning methods to evaluate classification performance for automatic patient detection. We showed that patients exhibited a significant increase in beta rhythm and decrease in alpha1 rhythm of PSD, together with the reduced long-range FC between frontal and other brain areas in all frequency bands. Moreover, these aberrated features contributed to a very good classification performance with 97.83 ± 0.40% of accuracy, 97.55 ± 0.31% of sensitivity, 97.78 ± 0.36% of specificity, and 97.95 ± 0.17% of F1. These findings corroborate previous hypothesis of disconnectivity in psychiatric disorders and further shed light on distribution patterns of aberrant spatio-spectral EEG characteristics, which may lead to potential application of automatic diagnosis of GAD.

Tolerance-inducing effect and properties of innate immune stimulation on chronic stress-induced behavioral abnormalities in mice.

Over-activation of the innate immune system constitutes a risk factor for the development of nervous system disorders but may reduce the severity of these disorders by inducing tolerance effect. Here, we studied the tolerance-inducing effect and properties of innate immune stimulation on chronic social defeat stress (CSDS)-induced behavioral abnormalities in mice. A single injection of the innate immune enhancer lipopolysaccharide (LPS) one day before stress exposure prevented CSDS-induced impairment in social interaction and increased immobility time in the tail suspension test and forced swimming test. This effect was observed at varying doses (100, 500, and 1000 µg/kg) and peaked at 100 µg/kg. A single LPS injection (100 µg/kg) either one or five but not ten days before stress exposure prevented CSDS-induced behavioral abnormalities. A second LPS injection ten days after the first LPS injection, or a 2 × or 4 × LPS injections ten days before stress exposure also induced tolerance against stress-induced behavioral abnormalities. Our results furthermore showed that a single LPS injection one day before stress exposure skewed the neuroinflammatory response in the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex of CSDS-exposed mice toward an anti-inflammatory phenotype. Inhibiting the central innate immune response by pretreatment with minocycline or PLX3397 abrogated the tolerance-inducing effect of LPS preconditioning on CSDS-induced behavioral abnormalities and neuroinflammatory responses in the brain. These results provide evidence for a prophylactic effect of innate immune stimulation on stress-induced behavioral abnormalities via changes in microglial activation, which may help develop novel strategies for the prevention of stress-induced psychological disorders.

The effects of a multi-disciplinary team on sleep quality assessment in mild-to-moderate Alzheimer's disease patients with sleep disorders.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Sleep disturbances are a severe problem among patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD). By evaluating sleep quality in mild-to-moderate AD patients, this study aimed to assess the effects of multi-disciplinary team (MDT) in reducing the incidence of adverse reactions of AD patients. The reduction in the incidence of adverse reactions to predict multi-disciplinary team (MDT) treatment effects. METHODS AND RESULTS: This study included 60 mild-to-moderate AD patients with sleep problems when hospitalized in Huzhou Third Municipal Hospital. The patients were randomly distributed into two groups, routine and MDT treatments. The cognitive functions, sleep conditions, and psycho-behavioral symptoms were compared between both the groups. Cognitive function declined significantly between pretherapy and follow-up in the routine treatment group (MMSE: t = -7.961, P < 0.001; MoCA: t = -4.672, P < 0.001). There was a significant decline in drowsiness in the MDT group compared to that in the routine treatment group (χ2 = 4.320, P = 0.038). Sleep quality improved significantly during the follow-up in the MDT treatment group (t = 6.098, P < 0.001). The results of the Hamilton Depression Scale (HAMD) and Hamilton Anxiety Scale (HAMA) among family caregivers (FCGs) demonstrated that MDT treatment could alleviate caregivers' depression (t = -2.867, P = 0.042), and routine treatment can worsen their anxiety (t = 3.258, P = 0.003). CONCLUSION: The MDT treatment method as an effective and meaningful therapy can help mitigate the suffering of patients with AD and FCGs.

Can virtual reality improve traditional anatomy education programmes? A mixed-methods study on the use of a 3D skull model.

BACKGROUND: Realistic, portable, and scalable lectures, cadaveric models, 2D atlases and computer simulations are being combined more frequently for teaching anatomy, which result in major increases in user satisfaction. However, although digital simulations may be more portable, interesting, or motivating than traditional teaching tools, whether they are superior in terms of student learning remain unclear. This paper presents a study in which the educational effectiveness of a virtual reality (VR) skull model is compared with that of cadaveric skulls and atlases. The aim of this study was to compare the results of teaching with VR to results of teaching with traditional teaching methods by administering objective questionnaires and perception surveys. METHODS: A mixed-methods study with 73 medical students was conducted with three different groups, namely, the VR group (N = 25), cadaver group (N = 25) and atlas group (N = 23). Anatomical structures were taught through an introductory lecture and model-based learning. All students completed the pre- and post-intervention tests, which comprised a theory test and an identification test. The theory test consisted of 18 multiple-choice questions, and the identification test consisted of 25 fill-in-the-blank questions. RESULTS: The participants in all three groups had significantly higher total scores on the post-intervention test than on the pre-intervention test; the post-intervention test score in the VR group was not statistically significantly higher than the post-intervention test score of the other groups (VR: 30 [IQR: 22-33.5], cadaver: 26 [IQR: 20-31.5], atlas: 28[IQR: 20-33]; p > 0.05). The participants in the VR and cadaver groups provided more positive feedback on their learning models than the atlas group (VR: 26 [IQR: 19-30], cadaver: 25 [IQR: 19.5-29.5], atlas: 12 [IQR: 9-20]; p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: The skull virtual learning resource (VLR) was equally efficient as the cadaver skull and atlas in teaching anatomy structures. Such a model can aid individuals in understanding complex anatomical structures with a higher level of motivation and tolerable adverse effects.

Higher serum VGF protein levels discriminate bipolar depression from major depressive disorder.

Misdiagnosis between major depressive disorder (MDD) and bipolar depression (BD) is quite common. Our previous study found significantly lower serum VGF (non-acronymic) in MDD patients. However, it is unclear whether same changes occur in BD patients. Therefore, we aimed to investigate the relationship between serum VGF levels in BD and MDD patients. General information, scores of 17-item Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS), and fasting blood samples of all participants including 30 MDD patients, 20 BD patients, and 30 healthy controls (HC) were collected. Serum VGF levels were measured by Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kits. Pearson correlation analysis was used to analyze correlations between serum VGF levels and clinical information. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve and likelihood ratios (LRs) were used to analyze the differential potential of serum VGF. Serum VGF levels were significantly lower in MDD patients but higher in BD patients compared with HC (both PTukey < 0.01). No correlation was found between serum VGF levels and any data of subjects. The optimal cutoff for serum VGF in discriminating BD patients from MDD patients was ≥1093.85 pg/ml (AUC = 0.990, sensitivity of 95%, specificity of 100% and accuracy of 95%). LRs further confirmed the differential efficiency of serum VGF in distinguishing BD and MDD patients with +LR of infinity and -LR of 0. The results suggest that serum VGF level changed significantly in MDD and BD patients and serum VGF may be an indicator for differentiating BD patients from MDD patients.

Association of NPSR1 rs324981 polymorphism and treatment response to antidepressants in Chinese Han population with generalized anxiety disorder.

In previous studies, neuropeptide S (NPS) and its cognate receptor (NPSR) have been involved in the pathogenesis of anxiety disorders in previous studies. Here, we aimed to investigate the association of NPSR1 polymorphism with generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) and its treatment response in Chinese Han population. Three hundred and thirty seven patients and one hundred and seventy seven healthy controls were involved in our study for 8 weeks. Further, Hamilton Anxiety Scale (HAMA) was used to assess anxiety symptom at baseline and the 1st, 2nd, 4th, 8th week. And all participants were genotyped for NPSR1 (rs324981) variants by polymerase chain reaction. Using Repeated-measures analysis, it showed significant reduction on HAMA scores in patients treated with escitalopram (F = 1.03, P = 0.362) and venlafaxine (F = 0.27, P = 0.763) respectively through 8 weeks treatment. Additionally, patients with AA and TT homozygous genotypes treated with venlafaxine XR had a higher reduction of HAMA scores compared to AT heterozygotic carriers (F = 4.18, P = 0.004), while no significant differences were found in patients treated with escitalopram (F = 1.05, P = 0.383). Thus, our study provides preliminary evidence that NPSR1 AA and TT homozygous genotypes have better treatment responses to venlafaxine XR in Chinese GAD patients, but not to escitalopram. Further studies are needed to verify the observation.

Nociceptive neuronal Fc-gamma receptor I is involved in IgG immune complex induced pain in the rat.

Antigen-specific immune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis are often accompanied by pain and hyperalgesia. Our previous studies have demonstrated that Fc-gamma-receptor type I (FcγRI) is expressed in a subpopulation of rat dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurons and can be directly activated by IgG immune complex (IgG-IC). In this study we investigated whether neuronal FcγRI contributes to antigen-specific pain in the naïve and rheumatoid arthritis model rats. In vitro calcium imaging and whole-cell patch clamp recordings in dissociated DRG neurons revealed that only the small-, but not medium- or large-sized DRG neurons responded to IgG-IC. Accordingly, in vivo electrophysiological recordings showed that intradermal injection of IgG-IC into the peripheral receptive field could sensitize only the C- (but not A-) type sensory neurons and evoke action potential discharges. Pain-related behavioral tests showed that intradermal injection of IgG-IC dose-dependently produced mechanical and thermal hyperalgesia in the hindpaw of rats. These behavioral effects could be alleviated by localized administration of non-specific IgG or an FcγRI antibody, but not by mast cell stabilizer or histamine antagonist. In a rat model of antigen-induced arthritis (AIA) produced by methylated bovine serum albumin, FcγRI were found upregulated exclusively in the small-sized DRG neurons. In vitro calcium imaging revealed that significantly more small-sized DRG neurons responded to IgG-IC in the AIA rats, although there was no significant difference between the AIA and control rats in the magnitude of calcium changes in the DRG neurons. Moreover, in vivo electrophysiological recordings showed that C-nociceptive neurons in the AIA rats exhibited a greater incidence of action potential discharges and stronger responses to mechanical stimuli after IgG-IC was injected to the receptive fields. These results suggest that FcγRI expressed in the peripheral nociceptors might be directly activated by IgG-IC and contribute to antigen-specific pain in pathological conditions.

Efficacy and safety of escitalopram in treatment of severe depression in Chinese population.

Severe depression accounts for one-third of depressed patients. Increasing severity of depression usually hinders patients from achieving remission. This study evaluated the efficacy and safety of escitalopram in acute-phase treatment of severe major depressive disorder (MDD). A total of 225 participants with severe MDD (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th Edition criteria), with a current depressive episode and Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS) score of ≥30 were enrolled. Participants received flexible dose escitalopram (10-20 mg/d) treatment for 8 weeks. Symptoms status was assessed by MADRS, Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAM-D-17), and Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale (HAM-A). Quality of life was assessed by Short Form-12 (SF-12) and safety by adverse events, laboratory investigations, vital signs and physical findings. The remission (MADRS total score ≤ 10) rate in the intent-to-treat set (n = 207) was 72.9% at week 8. Significant improvement in symptoms compared to baseline, as evaluated by MADRS, HAMD-17 and HAMA scores at baseline, week 1, week 2, week 4, and week 8 (p < 0.0001 for all), was noted. Mean (SD) reduction from baseline in MADRS total score was 26.6 (11.38). Improvements in SF-12 score were significant (p = 0.000) and positively related to symptom improvement and negatively related to treatment-emergent adverse events (TEAEs). TEAEs were reported in 28.38% of participants. Most common TEAEs (>4%) were somnolence (9.0%), nausea (7.7%), hyperhidrosis (4.5%), dry mouth and dizziness (4.1% each). No serious TEAEs were reported. Escitalopram was effective and well-tolerated for acute-phase treatment of severe depression in Chinese population.

A reassessment of cervical surface anatomy via CT scan in an adult population.

Surface landmarks in the neck are important for orientations of cervical glands, arteries, veins, nerves, and vertebrae. Recent research suggests some orientations are not correct. What are the cervical landmark orientations in the Chinese population? In this study, two essential cervical anatomy planes, the thyroid cartilage and C7 planes, were assessed in living adult Chinese subjects using computed tomography (CT), and the hyoid, carotid bifurcation, cricoid cartilage, thyroid arteries, and vertebral artery were simultaneously positioned. After excluding patients with distorting pathology, a total of 108 cervical CT scans were examined. The thyroid cartilage plane commonly passed through the C5 (in males) or C4 (in females) vertebral level. The carotid artery bifurcated most commonly at C3 (left) or C4 (right), more than 10 mm above the thyroid cartilage plane bilaterally in most cases. Orientation of the carotid bifurcation according to the body or greater horn of the hyoid was more accurate. The superior thyroid artery was found a finger-breadth below the thyroid cartilage plane, and the inferior thyroid artery in the C7 plane. The inferior border of the cricoid cartilage was most often at C7 (in males) or C6 (in females). The vertebral artery entered the C6 transverse foramen in more than 80% of scans. This reassessment of cervical surface anatomy using modern imaging tools in vivo provides both qualitative and quantitative information for surgeons in clinical practice. Clin. Anat. 30:330-335, 2017. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

A reappraisal of adult thoracic and abdominal surface anatomy via CT scan in Chinese population.

Accurate surface anatomy is essential for safe clinical practice. There are numerous inconsistencies in clinically important surface markings among and within contemporary anatomical reference texts. The aim of this study was to investigate key thoracic and abdominal surface anatomy landmarks in living Chinese adults using computed tomography (CT). A total of 100 thoracic and 100 abdominal CT scans were examined. Our results indicated that the following key surface landmarks differed from current commonly-accepted descriptions: the positions of the tracheal bifurcation, azygos vein termination, and pulmonary trunk bifurcation (all below the plane of the sternal angle at vertebral level T5-T6 in most individuals); the superior vena cava formation and junction with the right atrium (most often behind the 1st and 4th intercostal spaces, respectively); and the level at which the inferior vena cava and esophagus traverse the diaphragm (T10 and T11, respectively). The renal arteries were most commonly at L1; the midpoint of the renal hila was most frequently at L2; the 11th rib was posterior to the left kidney in only 29% of scans; and the spleen was most frequently located between the 10th and 12th ribs. A number of significant sex- and age-related differences were noted. The Chinese population was also compared with western populations on the basis of published reports. Reappraisal of surface anatomy using modern imaging tools in vivo will provide both quantitative and qualitative evidence to facilitate the clinical application of these key surface landmarks.

A comparative study of anhedonia components between major depression and schizophrenia in Chinese populations.

BACKGROUND: Anhedonia is a prominent symptom of major depressive disorder (MDD) and schizophrenia. At present, it is believed that hedonic processing rather consists of the anticipatory and consummatory phase. The aim of this research is to explore the different anhedonia components in MDD and schizophrenia in Chinese populations. METHODS: A Chinese version of the Temporal Experience of Pleasure Scale (TEPS) was used to evaluate 176 MDD patients, 346 schizophrenia patients, and 268 healthy controls. Additionally, the 17-item Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAMD-17) was used for MDD patients, while the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) was applied for schizophrenia. RESULTS: The scores of consummatory (TEPS-CON) and anticipatory pleasure (TEPS-ANT) in MDD and schizophrenia were both significantly lower than healthy controls (both P < 0.001). TEPS-CON and TEPS-ANT were negatively correlated with the score of HAMD-17, the duration of illness and admission times in MDD (P < 0.05 or 0.01). TEPS-CON was negatively related to PANSS total scores and negative symptoms (P < 0.05 or 0.01), but no significant correlation was found with duration of illness and admission times in schizophrenia (P > 0.05). There was no significant correlation between TEPS-ANT and any clinical variables (P > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The consummatory and anticipatory pleasures were both impaired in MDD and schizophrenia. Consummatory and anticipatory anhedonia can be considered as a "state" in MDD, but as a "trait" in schizophrenia.

[Research on association of BDNF gene Val66Met polymorphism with efficacy of antidepressants and plasma BDNF level].

OBJECTIVE: To assess the association of BDNF gene Val66Met polymorphism with efficacy of antidepressant treatment and plasma BDNF level. METHODS: Two hundred and forty-nine ethnic Han Chinese patients with depression(study group), who have met the diagnostic criteria of DSM-IV, were prescribed with venlafaxine or paroxetine. Two hundred and two healthy individuals were recruited as the control group. General demographic information such as gender, age, educational status, occupation, and marriage status were collected. HAMD-17 was adopted as the primary rating tool to evaluate the severity of depression on the baseline and at the end of 1st, 2nd, 4th, 6th week of treatment. PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism was applied to determine the Val66Met polymorphism of the BDNF gene in the two groups. Plasma BDNF concentration was measured with ELISA before and after 6 weeks of treatment. RESULTS: No significant differences have been found in HAMD scores and reduction of HAMD scores on the baseline and at the end of 1 st, 2nd, 4th, 6th weeks of treatment for each genotype. Nor were significant differences found in the Val66Met genotypes and allelic frequency between patients who achieved remission or not after 6 weeks' treatment as well as the healthy volunteers. The plasma BDNF level in depression patients was lower than that in healthy controls. The BDNF level has increased significantly after 6 weeks' treatment with both venlafaxine and paroxetine, but was still lower than the healthy controls. The BDNF level in the patients achieved remission who were treated with venlafaxine was similar to the normal controls, while those treated with paroxetine was still lower than normal controls. The BDNF level in patients who have not achieved remission was lower than normal controls. The BDNF level was not associated with the Val66Met polymorphism on the baseline and the end of 6th week. CONCLUSION: No association has been found between the efficacy of venlafaxine or paroxetine and the BDNF Val66Met polymorphism. The BDNF level of patients with depression is significantly lower than healthy controls on the baseline, and can be enhanced with the treatment. Particularly, the BDNF level in patients who achieved remission after the treatment of venlafaxine can rise to normal. The level of BDNF has certain value in the forecasting of efficacy in the anti-depression therapy. BDNF level is not associated with the Val66Met polymorphism of the BDNF gene.

Association between problematic social networking use and anxiety symptoms: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

A growing number of studies have reported that problematic social networking use (PSNU) is strongly associated with anxiety symptoms. However, due to the presence of multiple anxiety subtypes, existing research findings on the extent of this association vary widely, leading to a lack of consensus. The current meta-analysis aimed to summarize studies exploring the relationship between PSNU levels and anxiety symptoms, including generalized anxiety, social anxiety, attachment anxiety, and fear of missing out. 209 studies with a total of 172 articles were included in the meta-analysis, involving 252,337 participants from 28 countries. The results showed a moderately positive association between PSNU and generalized anxiety (GA), social anxiety (SA), attachment anxiety (AA), and fear of missing out (FoMO) respectively (GA: r = 0.388, 95% CI [0.362, 0.413]; SA: r = 0.437, 95% CI [0.395, 0.478]; AA: r = 0.345, 95% CI [0.286, 0.402]; FoMO: r = 0.496, 95% CI [0.461, 0.529]), and there were different regulatory factors between PSNU and different anxiety subtypes. This study provides the first comprehensive estimate of the association of PSNU with multiple anxiety subtypes, which vary by time of measurement, region, gender, and measurement tool.

A systematic review of interpersonal psychotherapy for postpartum depression.

BACKGROUND: The current study endeavored to systematically integrate and quantitatively evaluate the effectiveness of interpersonal psychological interventions for postpartum depression patients. METHODS: Four electronic databases Pubmed, Embase, Cochrane and Web of Science were employed for literature retrieval, and the search time was from the inception of the database to May 30, 2022. Literature screening and data extraction were performed independently by two researchers. RESULTS: A total of 528 studies were screened, and 9 of them were finally included. There were 1012 subjects, 518 of them were assigned in experimental group and 494 in control. Evidence from interpersonal psychological interventions indicated that the data on postpartum depression, satisfaction with family, and social support in both groups after intervention included: depression score [MD = -2.80, 95%CI (-3.86 to -1.74), P < 0.05], satisfaction score [MD = 8.41, 95%CI (1.49 to -15.33), P < 0.05], and social support score [MD = 1.83, 95%CI (-2.10 to -5.76)] of postpartum depression patients. P values < 0.05 indicated substantial improvement as compared to control. LIMITATIONS: During the research process, it is impossible for the experimental group and the researchers to use double-blind trials simultaneously, which may present a Hawthorne effect, but this can be avoided by general psychological intervention for the control. CONCLUSIONS: Interpersonal psychotherapy could improve depression in patients with postpartum depression, but the appropriate intervention time was between 4 and 8 weeks, and it also improved satisfaction with family of patients, and the longer the intervention, the higher the satisfaction with the family.

Severity and Vaccine Effectiveness in Patients With the Omicron Variant of COVID-19 in Suzhou: A Retrospective Single-Center Study.

Background The Omicron variant of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) virus has spread rapidly worldwide, even in areas with high vaccination rates. Consequently, it has further exacerbated the current global pandemic. In this study, we aimed to characterize the clinical severity of patients with the COVID-19 variant Omicron and analyze vaccine effectiveness in predicting clinical severity. Methodology A total of 142 patients who contracted the COVID-19 virus in the Omicron era were retrospectively studied, and differences in their clinical severity were analyzed. They were stratified as follows: unvaccinated vs. vaccinated, unvaccinated vs. one to two vaccine doses vs. three vaccine doses, and cycle threshold (CT) values ≤ 28 vs. CT > 28. Results Of the 142 patients, 27 were asymptomatic, 83 had mild disease, and 32 had moderate disease. The median age was 32 years for asymptomatic patients vs. 31 years for those with mild disease vs. 59 years for those with moderate disease (P＜0.05), and the direct medical hospitalization costs were ¥4901 for asymptomatic patients vs. ¥5259 for those with mild disease vs. ¥8378 for those with moderate disease (P＜0.05). Of the 142 patients, 112 (78.8%) were vaccinated, 11 (7.7%) had one vaccine dose, 63 (44.4%) had two vaccine doses, and 38 (26.7%) received three vaccine doses. The median direct medical cost in the vaccinated group was significantly lower than that in the unvaccinated group (¥5470.5 vs. ¥7535.5, P＜0.05). For ORF1ab and N genes, hospital stay length and direct medical cost significantly decreased in the group with CT values > 28 compared with those in the group with CT values ≤ 28 (P＜0.05). Multiple regression analysis showed that being ≥ 60 years old could be a predictor of moderate disease severity in patients, and three vaccine doses could be effective against moderate COVID-19. Conclusion Mild infection is the main clinical manifestation of the Omicron variant. Vaccination can significantly decrease direct Omicron-associated medical costs. Although vaccination cannot provide protection against severe disease caused by this variant, three vaccine doses are highly effective in preventing moderate COVID-19.