Serum signature of antibodies to Toxoplasma gondii, rubella virus, and cytomegalovirus in females with bipolar disorder: A cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Immunity alterations have been observed in bipolar disorder (BD). However, whether serum positivity of antibodies to Toxoplasma gondii (T gondii), rubella, and cytomegalovirus (CMV) shared clinical relevance with BD, remains controversial. This study aimed to investigate this association. METHODS: Antibody seropositivity of IgM and IgG to T gondii, rubella virus, and CMV of females with BD and controls was extracted based on medical records from January 2018 to January 2023. Family history, type of BD, onset age, and psychotic symptom history were also collected. RESULTS: 585 individuals with BD and 800 healthy controls were involved. Individuals with BD revealed a lower positive rate of T gondii IgG in the 10-20 aged group (OR = 0.10), and a higher positive rate of rubella IgG in the 10-20 (OR = 5.44) and 20-30 aged group (OR = 3.15). BD with family history preferred a higher positive rate of T gondii IgG (OR = 24.00). Type-I BD owned a decreased positive rate of rubella IgG (OR = 0.37) and an elevated positive rate of CMV IgG (OR = 2.12) compared to type-II BD, while BD with early onset showed contrast results compared to BD without early onset (Rubella IgG, OR = 2.54; CMV IgG, OR = 0.26). BD with psychotic symptom history displayed a lower positive rate of rubella IgG (OR = 0.50). LIMITATIONS: Absence of male evidence and control of socioeconomic status and environmental exposure. CONCLUSIONS: Differential antibody seropositive rates of T gondii, rubella, and cytomegalovirus in BD were observed.

Hippocampal mitophagy contributes to spatial memory via maintaining neurogenesis during the development of mice.

BACKGROUND: Impaired mitochondrial dynamics have been identified as a significant contributing factor to reduced neurogenesis under pathological conditions. However, the relationship among mitochondrial dynamics, neurogenesis, and spatial memory during normal development remains unclear. This study aims to elucidate the role of mitophagy in spatial memory mediated by neurogenesis during development. METHODS: Adolescent and adult male mice were used to assess spatial memory performance. Immunofluorescence staining was employed to evaluate levels of neurogenesis, and mitochondrial dynamics were assessed through western blotting and transmission electron microscopy. Pharmacological interventions further validated the causal relationship among mitophagy, neurogenesis, and behavioral performance during development. RESULTS: The study revealed differences in spatial memory between adolescent and adult mice. Diminished neurogenesis, accompanied by reduced mitophagy, was observed in the hippocampus of adult mice compared to adolescent subjects. Pharmacological induction of mitophagy in adult mice with UMI-77 resulted in enhanced neurogenesis and prolonged spatial memory retention. Conversely, inhibition of mitophagy with Mdivi-1 in adolescent mice led to reduced hippocampal neurogenesis and impaired spatial memory. CONCLUSION: The observed decline in spatial memory in adult mice is associated with decreased mitophagy, which affects neurogenesis in the dentate gyrus. This underscores the therapeutic potential of enhancing mitophagy to counteract age- or disease-related cognitive decline.

Latent Profile Analysis of Suicidal Ideation in Chinese Individuals with Bipolar Disorder.

Individuals with bipolar disorder (BD) have a greater suicide risk than the general population. In this study, we employed latent profile analysis (LPA) to explore whether Chinese individuals with different phases of BD differed at the levels of suicidal ideation. We recruited 517 patients. Depressive symptoms were measured using the 24-item Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAMD-24), and manic symptoms were evaluated using the Young Mania Rating Scale (YMRS). The extent of suicidal thoughts was determined through the Beck Scale for Suicide Ideation (BSSI). The scores of HAMD and YMRS were used to perform LPA. LPA categorized participants into three classes: one exhibiting severe depressive and mild manic symptomatology, another showing severe depressive and severe manic symptomatology, and the third one displaying severe depressive and intermediate manic symptomatology. Suicidal ideation levels were found to be remarkably elevated across all three classes. Additionally, the three classes showed no significant differences in terms of suicidal ideation. Our research confirms the link between depressive symptoms and suicide, independent of the manic symptoms. These findings carry meaning as they provide insight into the suicide risk profiles within different phases of BD.

Psychological and physical side effects during G-CSF mobilization in related donors of allo-HCT.

The psychological side effects of granulocyte colony-stimulating factor mobilization in related donors of allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (allo-HCT) and impacts of psychological/physical side effects on harvest outcomes remain largely unknown. We prospectively analyzed 349 consecutive related peripheral blood stem cell (PBSC) donors for allo-HCT at the First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University, School of Medicine from March 2021 to August 2023. Higher baseline peripheral blood white blood cell counts (p = 0.046), monocyte counts (p < 0.001), platelet counts (p = 0.001), and hemoglobin (p < 0.001) had a positive correlation to CD34+ cell counts in the first leukapheresis, while female donors (male vs. female, p < 0.001) and older age (> 40 vs. < = 40, p = 0.003) were negatively related to CD34+ cell counts. Bone pain was the most observed physical side effect and was more frequent in female donors (p = 0.032). The incidence of fatigue was higher in female donors and older donors (female vs. male, p = 0.016; > 40 vs. < = 40, p = 0.015). Donor depression (pre vs. during mobilization, p < 0.001), anxiety (pre vs. during mobilization, p = 0.043) and insomnia (pre vs. during mobilization, p = 0.011) scores increased during the mobilization period. Donors with higher depression, anxiety and stress scores at admission were more likely to experience nausea. At 1 month after the last leukapheresis, the counts of white blood cell, neutrophil, monocyte and hemoglobin were significant lower than baseline counts, while the platelet counts recovered to baseline. The mobilization and harvest process can increase the depression, anxiety and insomnia scores. Poor psychological status of the donor can aggravate the occurrence of physical side effects.

Efficacy and tolerability of FDA-approved atypical antipsychotics for the treatment of bipolar depression: a systematic review and network meta-analysis.

We employed a Bayesian network meta-analysis for comparison of the efficacy and tolerability of US Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved atypical antipsychotics (AAPs) for the treatment of bipolar patients with depressive episodes. Sixteen randomized controlled trials with 7234 patients treated by one of the five AAPs (cariprazine, lumateperone, lurasidone, olanzapine, and quetiapine) were included. For the response rate (defined as an improvement of ≥50% from baseline on the Montgomery-Åsberg Depression Rating Scale [MADRS]), all AAPs were more efficacious than placebo. For the remission rate (defined as the endpoint of MADRS ≤12 or ≤ 10), cariprazine, lurasidone, olanzapine, and quetiapine had higher remission rates than placebo. In terms of tolerability, olanzapine was unexpectedly associated with lower odds of all-cause discontinuation in comparison with placebo, whereas quetiapine was associated with higher odds of discontinuation due to adverse events than placebo. Compared with placebo, lumateperone, olanzapine, and quetiapine showed higher odds of somnolence. Lumateperone had a lower rate of ≥ weight gain of 7% than placebo and other treatments. Olanzapine was associated with a significant increase from baseline in total cholesterol and triglycerides than placebo. These findings inform individualized prescriptions of AAPs for treating bipolar depression in clinical practice.

Clinical Characteristics of Asymptomatic Thromboembolism in Psychiatric Inpatients: A Retrospective Study.

Purpose: Venous thromboembolism (VTE) poses a significant threat to individuals' health, yet its correlation with mental disorders remains underappreciated. Here, we conducted a retrospective analysis to explore the characteristics of psychiatric patients presenting with VTE. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed psychiatric inpatients with elevated plasma D-dimer levels at the Mental Health Center, First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, from January 2014 to January 2022. The inclusion criteria comprised comprehensive demographic and clinical profiles, including laboratory and imaging findings. Results: A cohort of 33 eligible patients was included, with plasma D-dimer levels ranging from 880 to 10,700 µg/L FEU. Significantly higher D-dimer levels were observed in patients diagnosed with severe mental disorders (SMD), such as schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, compared to those with mild mental disorders (MMD), including depression and anxiety disorders (p = 0.007). Furthermore, individuals receiving antipsychotic medications for less than one year exhibited elevated D-dimer levels compared to those on treatment for over one year (p = 0.005). However, normalization of D-dimer levels did not demonstrate a significant association with psychiatric diagnosis or treatment duration (p > 0.05). Conclusion: Our findings suggest that patients diagnosed with SMD or those undergoing antipsychotic treatment for less than one year may have elevated D-dimer levels, indicating a potential predisposition to VTE severity. This underscores the importance of recognizing VTE risk in individuals with severe mental disorders and warrants further investigation into the impact of antipsychotic treatment duration on thrombotic risk.

Task-state skin potential abnormalities can distinguish major depressive disorder and bipolar depression from healthy controls.

Early detection of bipolar depression (BPD) and major depressive disorder (MDD) has been challenging due to the lack of reliable and easily measurable biological markers. This study aimed to investigate the accuracy of discriminating patients with mood disorders from healthy controls based on task state skin potential characteristics and their correlation with individual indicators of oxidative stress. A total of 77 patients with BPD, 53 patients with MDD, and 79 healthy controls were recruited. A custom-made device, previously shown to be sufficiently accurate, was used to collect skin potential data during six emotion-inducing tasks involving video, pictorial, or textual stimuli. Blood indicators reflecting individual levels of oxidative stress were collected. A discriminant model based on the support vector machine (SVM) algorithm was constructed for discriminant analysis. MDD and BPD patients were found to have abnormal skin potential characteristics on most tasks. The accuracy of the SVM model built with SP features to discriminate MDD patients from healthy controls was 78% (sensitivity 78%, specificity 82%). The SVM model gave an accuracy of 59% (sensitivity 59%, specificity 79%) in classifying BPD patients, MDD patients, and healthy controls into three groups. Significant correlations were also found between oxidative stress indicators in the blood of patients and certain SP features. Patients with depression and bipolar depression have abnormalities in task-state skin potential that partially reflect the pathological mechanism of the illness, and the abnormalities are potential biological markers of affective disorders.

Progress and Implications from Genetic Studies of Bipolar Disorder.

With the advancements in gene sequencing technologies, including genome-wide association studies, polygenetic risk scores, and high-throughput sequencing, there has been a tremendous advantage in mapping a detailed blueprint for the genetic model of bipolar disorder (BD). To date, intriguing genetic clues have been identified to explain the development of BD, as well as the genetic association that might be applied for the development of susceptibility prediction and pharmacogenetic intervention. Risk genes of BD, such as CACNA1C, ANK3, TRANK1, and CLOCK, have been found to be involved in various pathophysiological processes correlated with BD. Although the specific roles of these genes have yet to be determined, genetic research on BD will help improve the prevention, therapeutics, and prognosis in clinical practice. The latest preclinical and clinical studies, and reviews of the genetics of BD, are analyzed in this review, aiming to summarize the progress in this intriguing field and to provide perspectives for individualized, precise, and effective clinical practice.

Mapping the global, regional and national burden of bipolar disorder from 1990 to 2019: trend analysis on the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019.

BACKGROUND: Data on trends in the epidemiological burden of bipolar disorder are scarce. AIMS: To provide an overview of trends in bipolar disorder burden from 1990 to 2019. METHOD: Revisiting the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019, we analysed the number of cases, calculated the age-standardised rate (per 100 000 population) and estimated annual percentage change (EAPC) of incidence, prevalence and years lived with disability (YLDs) for bipolar disorder from 1990 to 2019. The independent effects of age, period and cohort were estimated by the age-period-cohort modelling. RESULTS: Globally, the bipolar disorder-related prevalent cases, incident cases and number of YLDs all increased from 1990 to 2019. Regionally, the World Health Organization Region of the Americas accounted for the highest estimated YLD number and rate, with the highest age-standardised prevalence rate in 1990 and 2019 and highest EAPC of prevalence. By sociodemographic index (SDI) quintiles, all five SDI regions saw an increase in estimated incident cases. Nationally, New Zealand reported the highest age-standardised rate of incidence, prevalence and YLDs in 1990 and 2019. The most prominent age effect on incidence rate was in those aged 15-19 years. Decreased effects of period on incidence, prevalence and YLD rates was observed overall and in females, not in males. The incidence, prevalence and YLD rates showed an unfavourable trend in the younger cohorts born after 1990, with males reporting a higher cohort risk than females. CONCLUSIONS: From 1990 to 2019, the overall trend of bipolar disorder burden presents regional and national variations and differs by age, sex, period and cohort.

The impact of quetiapine monotherapy or in combination with lithium on the thyroid function in patients with bipolar depression: A retrospective study.

OBJECTIVE: This study aims to investigate whether quetiapine monotherapy or in combination with lithium significantly disturbs thyroid function in depressed patients with bipolar disorder (BD), and whether difference exists in the post-treatment thyroid function between the two therapies. METHODS: Based on the electric medical records, outpatients and inpatients with a current depressive episode of BD from January 2016 to December 2022 were screened. All patients were treated with quetiapine monotherapy or in combination with lithium. In addition to the demographic data and depression scale, thyroid profiles including total thyroxine (TT4), total triiodothyronine (TT3), free thyroxine (FT4), free triiodothyronine (FT3), thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), thyroid peroxidase antibody (TPOAb), and antithyroglobulin antibody (TGAb) were recorded, analyzed, and compared before and after the treatment. RESULTS: Totally, 73 eligible patients were enrolled, including 53 in the monotherapy group (MG) and 20 in the combined therapy group (CG). No significant differences in thyroid profiles were detected between the two groups at the baseline (p > 0.05). After one-month treatment, in the MG, serum levels of TT4, TT3, FT4, and FT3 reduced significantly (p < 0.05), while TSH, TPOAb, and TGAb increased significantly (p < 0.05). In the CG, serum levels of TT4, TT3, and FT4 reduced and TSH increased following one-month treatment (p < 0.05), with no significant change in FT3, TPOAb, or TGAb (p > 0.05). After one-month treatment, no difference of TT4, TT3, FT4, FT3, and TSH was found between the two groups (p > 0.05). CONCLUSION: Both quetiapine monotherapy and a combined therapy with lithium significantly disturbed thyroid function in patients with bipolar depression, while quetiapine monotherapy seems to be associated with immune dysregulation in the thyroid.

Circulating T-cell subsets discrepancy between bipolar disorder and major depressive disorder during mood episodes: A naturalistic, retrospective study of 1015 cases.

AIMS: We aimed to investigate whether peripheral T-cell subsets could be a biomarker to distinguish major depressive disorder (MDD) and bipolar disorder (BD). METHODS: Medical records of hospitalized patients in the Department of Psychiatry, the First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, from January 2015 to September 2020 with a discharge diagnosis of MDD or BD were reviewed. Patients who underwent peripheral blood examination of T-cell subtype proportions, including CD3+, CD4+, CD8+ T-cell, and natural killer (NK) cells, were enrolled. The Chi-square test, t-test, or one-way analysis of variance were used to analyze group differences. Demographic profiles and T-cell data were used to construct a random forest classifier-based diagnostic model. RESULTS: Totally, 98 cases of BD mania, 459 cases of BD depression (BD-D), and 458 cases of MDD were included. There were significant differences in the proportions of CD3+, CD4+, CD8+ T-cell, and NK cells among the three groups. Compared with MDD, the BD-D group showed higher CD8+ but lower CD4+ T-cell and a significantly lower ratio of CD4+ and CD8+ proportions. The random forest model achieved an area under the curve of 0.77 (95% confidence interval: 0.71-0.83) to distinguish BD-D from MDD patients. CONCLUSION: These findings imply that BD and MDD patients may harbor different T-cell inflammatory patterns, which could be a potential diagnostic biomarker for mood disorders.

Efficacy of Quetiapine Monotherapy and Combination Therapy for Patients with Bipolar Depression with Mixed Features: A Randomized Controlled Pilot Study.

Effective pharmacotherapy of bipolar depression with mixed features defined by DSM-5 remains unclear in clinical treatment guidelines. Quetiapine (QTP) and valproate have potential treatment utility but are often inadequate as monotherapy. Meanwhile, the efficacy of combination therapies of QTP plus valproate or lithium have yet to be verified. Hence, we conducted a randomized controlled pilot study to evaluate the efficacy of QTP monotherapy in patients with bipolar depression with mixed features defined by DSM-5 and compared the combination therapy of QTP plus valproate (QTP + V) versus QTP plus lithium (QTP + L) for those patients who responded insufficiently to QTP monotherapy. Data was analyzed according to the intent-to-treat population. Generalized linear mixed model was performed by using "nlme" package in R software. A total 56 patients were enrolled, among which, 35 patients responded to QTP alone, and 11 and 10 patients were randomly assigned to QTP + V and QTP + L group, respectively. Nearly 60% enrolled patients responded to QTP monotherapy at the first two weeks treatment. No statistically significant difference in efficacy between QTP + V and QTP + L was observed. In conclusion, QTP monotherapy appeared to be efficacious in patients with bipolar depression with mixed features, and for those who responded insufficiently to QTP, combining with either valproate or lithium appeared to have positive effects.

Shifting levels of peripheral inflammatory profiles as an indicator for comorbid multiple autoimmune diseases and bipolar disorder: a case report.

Autoimmune diseases (AID) cause inflammatory changes in the peripheral blood, which might be a predisposing factor for the development of comorbid bipolar disorder (BD). The levels of peripheral inflammatory indicators and cytokines may also serve as potential biomarkers for predicting BD susceptibility and the efficacy of antipsychotics in patients with AID. Herein, we present the case of a 43-year-old female who has suffered from AID for over 16 years and was recently diagnosed with "bipolar and related disorder due to another medical condition".

Clinical characteristics and outcomes of patients with mental illnesses who attempted suicide by drug overdose: A retrospective analysis of 109 cases.

OBJECTIVE: Individuals with mental illnesses are exposed to an increased risk of suicide. In this study, we aimed to investigate the clinical characteristics and outcome of psychiatric patients who attempted suicide by drug overdose and required emergency care. METHODS: A retrospective study was carried out in the Department of Emergency, the First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine. Electronic medical records of psychiatric patients who were hospitalized due to suicide attempts from March 2019 to February 2022, with a discharge diagnosis of drug overdose were reviewed. Suicide-related data of patients were collected, including suicide month, time from suicide to admission, type of drugs, the number of tablets taken, as well as demographic and clinical profiles (e.g., gender, age, marital status, profession, physical comorbidities, and diagnosis of mental illness). RESULTS: In the results, half of the patients were young people, female patients accounted for a higher proportion (72.5%), and the incidence of suicide was higher in winter than other seasons. Among the 109 psychiatric patients, 60 patients (55.0%) had a history of major depressive disorder, and 86 patients (78.9%) committed suicide with various psychotropic drugs, among which anxiolytics were the most commonly used drugs. Thirty-seven patients (33.9%) experienced severe physical complications caused by drug overdose, with lung infections being the most common. The clinical outcome of most patients was favorable following emergent treatment, while 2 patients (1.8%) older than 80 failed to survive. CONCLUSION: A better understanding of psychiatric patients referred to emergency care due to suicide by drug overdose helps to improve the clinical management and prognosis of patients.

Psychological consequences among veterans during the COVID-19 pandemic: A scoping review.

Although there is an increasing number of studies reporting the psychological impact of COVID-19 on the general population and healthcare workers, relatively less attention has been paid to the veterans. This study aimed to review the existing literature regarding the psychological consequences of COVID-19 on veterans. A systematic search was conducted on PubMed, Embase, and the Cochrane Library from inception to December 3, 2022. A total of twenty-three studies were included with moderate-quality of evidence. Veterans experienced more mental health problems than civilians. The prevalence rates of alcohol use, anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, stress, loneliness, and suicide ideation significantly increased during the pandemic, ranging from 9.6% to 47.4%, 9.4% to 53.5%, 8.6% to 55.1%, 4.1% to 58.0%, 4.3% to 39.4%, 15.9% to 28.4%, and 7.8% to 22.0%, respectively. The main risk factors of negative consequences included pandemic-related stress, poor family relationships, lack of social support, financial problems, and preexisting mental disorders. In contrast, higher household income and greater community interaction and support appeared to be resilience factors. In conclusion, the COVID-19 pandemic has increased adverse mental health consequences among veterans. Tackling mental health issues due to the COVID-19 pandemic among veterans should be a priority.

An Integrative Model of In-Hospital and Out-of-Hospital Nursing Care for Non-Suicidal Self-Injury: A Narrative Review.

BACKGROUND: Non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) refers to the intentional and repeated physical trauma of an individual without explicit suicidal intent, which has negative effects on the physical and mental well-being of an individual, especially for adolescents. Timely and accessible nursing care may play an important role in the survival and rehabilitation process of NSSI. METHODS: In this review, we systematically discuss the nursing care of NSSI behavior and provide recommendations based on an integrated nursing model for NSSI management. RESULTS: As reported in previous studies, a variety of factors can contribute to NSSI behavior, such as personality traits, current psychological status, history of mental illnesses, as well as family and social factors. In-hospital care is the most necessary and effective care during acute episodes of NSSI behavior. To effectively manage inpatients with NSSI behaviors, nurses should first understand the motivation of NSSI, and provide comprehensive and multi-level care through nurse-patient communication, individualized psychological care, and multidisciplinary cooperation with other professionals. While the purpose of out-of-hospital nursing is to reduce the frequency of NSSI behaviors by screening high-risk individuals, providing psychological support, promoting health education, and improving self-awareness. CONCLUSIONS: An integrative model of in-hospital and out-of-hospital nursing care can help improve the clinical management and long-term prognosis of patients with NSSI and minimize the risk of suicidal ideation or suicidal behavior.