Single-Nucleotide Polymorphisms in Genes Maintaining the Stability of Mitochondrial DNA Affect the Occurrence, Onset, Severity and Treatment of Major Depressive Disorder.

One of the key features of major depressive disorder (MDD, depression) is increased oxidative stress manifested by elevated levels of mtROS, a hallmark of mitochondrial dysfunction, which can arise from mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) damage. Thus, the current study explores possibility that the single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of genes encoding the three enzymes that are thought to be implicated in the replication, repair or degradation of mtDNA, i.e., POLG, ENDOG and EXOG, have an impact on the occurrence, onset, severity and treatment of MDD. Five SNPs were selected: EXOG c.-188T > G (rs9838614), EXOG c.*627G > A (rs1065800), POLG c.-1370T > A (rs1054875), ENDOG c.-394T > C (rs2977998) and ENDOG c.-220C > T (rs2997922), while genotyping was performed on 538 DNA samples (277 cases and 261 controls) using TaqMan probes. All SNPs of EXOG and ENDOG modulated the risk of depression, but the strongest effect was observed for rs1065800, while rs9838614 and rs2977998 indicate that they might influence the severity of symptoms, and, to a lesser extent, treatment effectiveness. Although the SNP located in POLG did not affect occurrence of the disease, the result suggests that it may influence the onset and treatment outcome. These findings further support the hypothesis that mtDNA damage and impairment in its metabolism play a crucial role not only in the development, but also in the treatment of depression.

Assessment of emotions in pregnancy: introduction of the Pregnancy Anxiety and Stress Rating Scale (PASRS) and its application in the context of hospitalization.

OBJECTIVES: Pregnancy is a special time that brings both joy and challenges. Among these challenges, anxiety and stress are emotions that can affect the mental wellbeing of the pregnant woman as well as the developing baby. MATERIAL AND METHODS: In response to these challenges, we present the Pregnancy Anxiety and Stress Rating Scale (PASRS), an innovative tool that aims to identify and assess anxiety and stress levels among pregnant women. RESULTS: The PASRS contains 15 questions that are more comprehensive and cover various aspects of pregnancy, including the health of the baby, the health of the mother, body changes, finances and social support. CONCLUSIONS: In an era where mental health is just as important as physical health, SOLiSC is a step forward in recognising and addressing the unique mental challenges that pregnant women may face.

Additional effects of therapeutic exercise and education on manual therapy for chronic temporomandibular disorders treatment: a randomized clinical trial.

BACKGROUND: Previous studies have evaluated the implementation of behavioral approaches in individuals with chronic temporomandibular disorders (TMDs). OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the benefits of a behavioral approach to craniofacial pain. Second, we assessed the benefits of kinesiophobia, catastrophizing, mouth opening without pain, and forward head posture. METHODS: Individuals with chronic TMDs were treated for five weeks. The intervention group (n = 17) underwent pain neuroscience education, manual therapy, and therapeutic exercise, whereas the control group (n = 17) underwent manual therapy only. Outcomes were evaluated immediately, at seven and 19 weeks follow-up. The assessment tools used were the Craniofacial Pain Disability Inventory, Pain Catastrophizing Scale, Tampa Scale for Kinesiophobia, Mandibular Range of Motion Scale, and Cervical Range of Motion Tool. RESULTS: The interventions did not influence the differences in the improvements between the groups observed for craniofacial pain disability (inter-subject p 0.4). The intervention had a moderate influence on the improvement of kinesiophobia and catastrophizing (Inter-subject p 0.09 and 0.1 respectively) with a clinically significant effect size (Estimated mean (EM) -8.6 standard deviation (SD) ±3.48 p 0.019; and EM -7.6 SD ± 5.11 p 0.15 respectively). CONCLUSION: The behavioral approach improved catastrophizing and kinesiophobia outcomes in individuals with chronic TMDs.

Psychiatric Treatment in Pregnancy: A Narrative Review.

Pregnancy, childbirth and the puerperium are a series of transformations and huge changes in a woman's life, which may also be accompanied by various mental problems. Very often, women experiencing mental disorders during this period and their doctors face a decision on safety of treatment. The purpose of the following review was to assess the safety of treatment during pregnancy. Internet scientific database PubMed was searched. There are groups of psychiatric medications contraindicated during pregnancy such as valproates as well as relatively safe ones such as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) or antipsychotics. However, in every clinical situation, a decision should be made with caution, based on individual characteristics of patient, severity of disorder and clinical picture.

Exploring the Heart-Mind Connection: Unraveling the Shared Pathways between Depression and Cardiovascular Diseases.

Civilization diseases are defined as non-communicable diseases that affect a large part of the population. Examples of such diseases are depression and cardiovascular disease. Importantly, the World Health Organization warns against an increase in both of these. This narrative review aims to summarize the available information on measurable risk factors for CVD and depression based on the existing literature. The paper reviews the epidemiology and main risk factors for the coexistence of depression and cardiovascular disease. The authors emphasize that there is evidence of a link between depression and cardiovascular disease. Here, we highlight common risk factors for depression and cardiovascular disease, including obesity, diabetes, and physical inactivity, as well as the importance of the prevention and treatment of CVD in preventing depression and other mental disorders. Conversely, effective treatment of CVD can also help prevent depression and improve mental health outcomes. It seems advisable to introduce screening tests for depression in patients treated for cardiac reasons. Importantly, in patients treated for mood disorders, it is worth controlling CVD risk factors, for example, by checking blood pressure and pulse during routine visits. It is also worth paying attention to the mental condition of patients with CVD. This study underlines the importance of interdisciplinary co-operation.

Common pathomechanism of migraine and depression. / Wspólny patomechanizm migreny i depresji.

Migraine and depression often coexist and constitute an important clinical problem. Both disorders are associated with the necessity of chronic treatment, and their mutual coexistence contributes to the phenomenon of drug resistance. Influencing the functioning of patients, they also cause numerous social consequences - affecting the quality of life and achievement of personal goals of patients. This review presents factors that may explain the common pathomechanisms of depression and migraine. Structural and functional disturbances of the central nervous system (CNS), disturbances in the neurotransmitter systems, inflammatory theories, hormonal disturbances, as well as a possible genetic basis were taken into account. Due to the fact that both depression and migraine have a multifactorial etiology and at the present stage of scientific research it is difficult to clearly determine which factor is the most important, such a broad overview has been presented. It is also difficult to determine which of the above-mentioned factors, well documented in international studies, only coexist, and which of them may have a cause-and-effect relationship in the described disorders. Further research into the comorbidity and causes of migraine and depression seems to be worth considering.

The position statement of the Working Group on the diagnosis of the post-traumatic stress disorders in adults. / Stanowisko grupy roboczej dotyczace diagnozy zaburzen zwiazanych ze stresem pourazowym u osób doroslych.

Experiencing a situation of extreme danger can lead to serious stress disorders (such as PTSD) that can affect both the victims and the professional helpers. Military operations in Ukraine in the first half of 2022 started an ongoing migration crisis, resulting in the displacement of approximately 3.5 million people to Poland. It is indicated that post-traumatic stress disorders may affect up to one third of adult refugees. Exposure to traumatic stress related to assault, limitation of basic resources, fear, insecurity, death, and a sense of injustice affected the entire population of the country. As a result, refugees, healthcare professionals, uniformed services, volunteers, and NGO workers constitute a group at risk of developing stress-related disorders, including post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The presented recommendations were developed by an interdisciplinary team of experts in the field of psychiatry, clinical psychology, psychotherapy, and family medicine to present systematic guidelines for diagnostic procedures in medical and psychological practice.

The position statement of the Working Group on the treatment of post-traumatic stress disorders in adults. / Stanowisko grupy roboczej dotyczace terapii zaburzen zwiazanych ze stresem pourazowym u osób doroslych.

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a mental distress that occurs after participation in traumatic event such as the experience of natural disaster, car accident, terrorist attack or armed conflict, being a victim of sexual assault, tortured, physically abused, traumatized or being in any other life-threatening situation. The trauma victim does not always have to be in the position of the o directly threatened with physical harm. The disorder may be developed also as a result of an acute reaction to stress caused by participation in situation in which another person suffer so unimaginable that the further normal life of witness becomes impossible. Patients are often convinced that they lose previous ability to exist irretrievably. Globally PTSD is an increasingly recognized disorder. It can be predicted that in Europe, due to the ongoing war in Ukraine and the migration crisis, the frequency of severe disorders related to traumatic stress will systematically increase. In recent years, there has been a significant progress in knowledge and the development of methods for counteracting PTSD. The empirically confirmed forms of treatment include psychotherapeutic and pharmacotherapeutic interactions. The presented recommendations were developed by a team of experts in the field of psychiatry, clinical psychology, psychotherapy and primary care in order to proposed guidelines for therapeutic procedures in medical and psychological practice. The position statement of the working group have been developed in line with evidence-based practice as a part of three-stage procedure including: literature review, the issue discussion and development of the unified expert position.

Inflammatory Markers and Episodic Memory Functioning in Depressive Disorders.

Depression is a psychiatric disorder that is observed to be associated with changes in levels of inflammatory markers and deterioration in cognitive functioning. Here, we combined the biochemical tests of IL-1 and IL-6 serum levels and the expressions of genes encoding these interleukins with cognitive assessment of episodic memories, and examined 50 depressed patients and 37 healthy participants. Results confirmed increased serum levels of IL-1 and IL-6 in the study group when compared to healthy volunteers. Moreover, episodic memory, in terms of answering structured questions (but not free recollection of past events) deteriorated among depressed patients. The described parameters neither correlated with each other nor with the two measures of severity of depression-HDRS score and years of psychiatric treatment. Although both observed dysfunctions-cognitive and immune-among depressed patients are confirmed, they do not seem to covary in the present study.

Personality Traits and Inflammation in Depressive Disorders.

Depression is a psychiatric disorder of heterogeneous etiology. One of the leading theories suggests an inflammatory background to it. It is often found in the scientific literature that certain personality traits, such as high neuroticism, low extroversion and conscientiousness, are being associated with depression. We combined biochemical tests of IL-1 and IL-6 serum levels and scores in the personality test EPQ-R among 50 depressed patients and 37 healthy participants. The results confirmed increased serum levels of IL-1 and IL-6 in a study group when compared to healthy volunteers. Additionally, personality traits (psychoticism and neuroticism) were increased in the depressed group when compared to healthy volunteers. The authors analyzed correlations in both groups. However, only one statistically significant link was observed in IL-6 and K levels (scale associated with the need for social acceptance) in the control group.

Experts and national consultants' recommendations regarding management of patients treated for migraine with comorbid depression. Epidemiology. Pathomechanism. Comorbidity. Part 1. / Zalecenia ekspertów i konsultantów krajowych dotyczace postepowania u pacjentów leczonych z powodu migreny ze wspólwystepujaca depresja. Epidemiologia. Patomechanizm. Wspólchorobowosc. Czesc 1.

Coexistence of migraine and depression is a significant clinical problem. Health examination surveys indicate that patients who suffer from migraine are more likely to develop depression than the general population. The inverse relationship is also observed. The etiopathogenesis of both migraine and depression is not fully understood and is probably multifactorial and complex. Neurotransmission disorders, the immune system, and genetic predisposition are considered in the literature. The authors present etiopathogenetic theories of both diseases and their prevalence. They analyze data on the comorbidity of these conditions and discuss likely underlying factors. They describe clinical predictors of depression onset in people with migraine.

Experts and national consultants' recommendations regarding management of patients treated for migraine with comorbid depression. Diagnosis. Therapeutic strategies. Part 2. / Zalecenia ekspertów i konsultantów krajowych dotyczace postepowania u pacjentów leczonych z powodu migreny ze wspólwystepujaca depresja. Diagnoza. Strategie terapeutyczne. Czesc 2.

Depressive disorders are currently diagnosed based on the ICD-10 and DSM-5 diagnostic criteria and include axial depressive symptoms and additional symptoms that must coexist for at least two weeks. Migraine is diagnosed based on the International Classification of Headache Disorders. It is generally divided into migraine with and without aura, and with regard to the frequency of attacks into episodic and chronic migraine. The therapeutic strategy in the treatment of depression is pharmacotherapy combined with psychotherapy, whereas in the treatment of migraine the strategy depends on the frequency of headache attacks (episodic migraine vs. chronic migraine) and comorbidities. A novelty is the introduction of monoclonal antibodies directed against CGRP or the receptor of CGRP. There are numerous reports which indicate specific usefulness of monoclonal antibodies that modify the action of CGRP in the treatment of migraine in people suffering from depression.

Inflammation and Cognition in Depression: A Narrative Review.

The authors aim to present a narrative review of research on the inflammatory aetiology of depression. Depression is a psychiatric disorder, constituting the most common reason of disability due to a health condition. It has been estimated that at least one in six people suffer from depression at some point of their lives. The aetiology of depression, although researched extensively all around the world, still remains unclear. Authors discuss the possible role of inflammation in depression, the neurodevelopmental theory of depression as well as associations between cognition and depression. Possible associations between memory dysfunction among depressive patients and inflammatory markers are included. The associations between the immune system, depression and cognition are observed. Possible mediating factors between these areas include personality traits, hormonal imbalance and functioning of the brain areas. The question as to what mediating factors are involved is still open to research.