Brief Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Depression and Anxiety in Patients with Schizophrenia in Psychiatric Home Nursing Service: Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial.

This pilot randomized controlled trial (RCT) aimed to explore whether depression and anxiety could be reduced by psychiatric home nursing supporters offering brief cognitive behavioral therapy for psychosis (CBTp) at home, using a workbook for patients with schizophrenia. Eighteen patients with schizophrenia treated in a psychiatric home nursing service were randomly assigned to two groups: one group received CBTp in addition to usual care (TAU + CBTp group; n = 9) and the other received only usual care (TAU group; n = 9); two patients were excluded due to hospitalization or withdrawal of consent. Eight weekly CBTp sessions were conducted; anxiety/depression, quality of life, self-esteem, and overall functioning were assessed at baseline, week 9, and week 13. There was no significant difference in the primary and secondary evaluations. The effect size was 0.84 for primary evaluation indicating a large effect. This study showed that nurses and occupational therapists can provide CBTp in psychiatric home nursing for patients with schizophrenia to potentially alleviate anxiety and depression compared to standard psychiatric home nursing service alone. Therefore, larger RCTs with larger sample sizes are recommended.

"The Psychiatric Domain of Post-Intensive Care Syndrome: A Review for the Intensivist".

Post-intensive care syndrome (PICS) is a clinical syndrome characterized by new or worsening changes in mental health, cognition, or physical function that persist following critical illness. The psychiatric domain of PICS encompasses new or worsened psychiatric burdens following critical illness, including post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, and anxiety. Many of the established predisposing and precipitating factors for the psychiatric domain of PICS are commonly found in the setting of critical illness, including mechanical ventilation (MV), exposure to sedating medications, and physical restraint. Importantly, previous psychiatric history is a strong risk factor for the development of the psychiatric domain of PICS and should be considered when screening patients to diagnose psychiatric impairment and interventions. Delirium has been associated with psychiatric symptoms following ICU admission, therefore prevention warrants careful consideration. Dexmedetomidine has been shown to have the lowest risk for development of delirium when compared to other sedatives and has been the only sedative studied in relation to the psychiatric domain of PICS. Nocturnal dexmedetomidine and intensive care unit (ICU) diaries have been associated with decreased psychiatric burden after ICU discharge. Studies evaluating the impact of other intra-ICU practices on the development of the psychiatric domain of PICS, including the ABCDEF bundle, depth of sedation, and daily spontaneous awakening trials, have been limited and inconclusive. The psychiatric domain of PICS is difficult to treat and may be less responsive to multidisciplinary post-discharge programs and targeted interventions than the cognitive and physical domains of PICS. Given the high morbidity associated with the psychiatric domain of PICS, intensivists should familiarize themselves with the risk factors and intra-ICU interventions that can mitigate this important and under-recognized condition.

Associations of multiple risk factors with prenatal depression and anxiety: Evidence from the Tianjin Birth Cohort (TJBC) study.

BACKGROUND: Antenatal mental disorders are associated with maternal and fetal adverse events. Previous studies have been focused on the postpartum period, rather than pregnancy, yet the association of risk factors with prenatal depression and anxiety through pregnancy has been rarely reported. This study aimed to identify the risk factors of prenatal depression and anxiety, and access their potential roles in developing mental disorders during pregnancy. METHODS: This is a prospective study in 6470 participants from the Tianjin Birth Cohort in China (TJBC). The degree of prenatal depression and anxiety was evaluated using a questionnaire of Self-Rating Depression scale (SDS) and Self-Rating Anxiety Scale (SAS), which was given to pregnant women at 15-27 (Stage-2), and 28-41 (Stage-3) gestational weeks. The questionnaire also collected demographic, personal, and lifestyle information. The association of different factors with SDS/SAS score was examined by logistic regression analysis. RESULTS: We observed an overall depression rate of 12.4 % and an overall anxiety rate of 7.7 % during pregnancy in the TJBC. In the Stage-2, the depression rate was 14.5 % and the anxiety rate was 9.5 %. In the Stage-3, the depression rate dropped to 9.7 % while the anxiety rate dropped to 5.3 %. With univariate analysis, we found that age, education, social support, marriage satisfaction, secondhand smoke (SHS), sleeping time and stress were common factors of prenatal mental health. Working status, family income, gravidity, smoking, electronic using, recreational activities were associated with depression risk, whereas BMI, disease history, changing eating habits, and feeding animal were associated with anxiety risk. Using logistic regression, we found that low education level, low social support, low marriage satisfaction, thyroid disfunction, Stage-2(second trimester), and stress were related to prenatal mental health. CONCLUSION: The prevalence anxiety and depression in Tianjin is normal as national level. Age appropriateness, a good education level, sufficient social support, marital satisfaction, normal thyroid function, and absence of stress are associated with relieving depression and anxiety during gestation. However, due to individual difference, expectant mothers should seek professional support and guidance to address their mental health needs during gestation.

Associations between oral health and depression and anxiety: A cross-sectional and prospective cohort study from the UK Biobank.

AIM: To investigate the associations between oral health and depression, anxiety and their comorbidity in the UK Biobank cohort. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Oral health problems were self-reported at baseline. Symptoms of depression and anxiety were assessed using the Mental Health Questionnaire (PHQ-4) in a cross-sectional study. In the cohort study, diagnoses of depression and anxiety disorders were based on hospital records. Logistic regression and Cox regression models were used to analyse the association between oral health and depression/anxiety. RESULTS: A total of 305,188 participants were included in the cross-sectional study, and multivariate analysis showed that periodontal disease was associated with depression and/or anxiety (odds ratio [OR]: 1.79, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.73-1.86). In the prospective cohort study involving 264,706 participants, periodontal disease was significantly associated with an increased risk of depression and/or anxiety (hazard ratio [HR]: 1.14, 95% CI: 1.10-1.19), depression (HR: 1.19, 95% CI: 1.13-1.25) and anxiety (HR: 1.13, 95% CI: 1.07-1.19). Periodontal disease was also significantly associated with comorbid depression and anxiety (HR: 1.27, 95% CI: 1.16-1.38). Multiple mediation analysis using baseline inflammatory factors showed that white blood cell count and C-reactive protein explained 3.07% and 3.15% of the association between periodontal disease and depression and anxiety, respectively. However, the results of longitudinal multiple mediation analysis of inflammatory factors at first follow-up (N = 10,673) were not significant. CONCLUSIONS: Periodontal disease was found to be consistently associated with an increased risk of depression, anxiety and their comorbidity.

Discriminative capacity of the Spanish version of the Inventory of Depression and Anxiety Symptoms-II (IDAS-II) for detecting DMS-5 specific disorders and poor quality of life in a clinical sample.

BACKGROUND: Emotional problems can be evaluated using categorical approaches to guide treatment choices focused on targeting specific disorders, or dimensional approaches to reduce symptom severity. Moreover, recent evidence points out the need to intervene in patients' quality of life (QoL), which often remains low even after the remission of emotional problems. Thus, assessment instruments are needed to provide information on diagnosis, symptom severity, and QoL. The present study aimed to provide diagnostic and QoL cutoffs for the Inventory of Depression and Anxiety Symptoms-II (IDAS-II). METHODS: 273 patients recruited from mental health services in Huelva (Spain) completed the IDAS-II, Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview, and Short Form-36 Health Survey. Receiver operating characteristic curve analyses were used to establish cutoff values. Diagnostic, balanced, and screening cutoffs were provided for each IDAS-II scale to detect corresponding diagnoses and poor QoL. RESULTS: The specific IDAS-II scales Suicidality, Panic, Social Anxiety, Claustrophobia, and Traumatic Intrusions showed adequate discrimination values for their corresponding diagnoses (suicidal behavior disorder, panic disorder, social anxiety disorder, agoraphobia, and post-traumatic stress disorder, respectively). Both the General Depression and Dysphoria scales showed adequate ability to detect major depressive disorder. The IDAS-II scales showed a higher discrimination ability for Mental Health-related QoL, than for General Health-related QoL. CONCLUSIONS: The diagnostic and QoL cutoffs expand the clinical utility of the IDAS-II in clinical practice and research, making it a comprehensive, detailed, and versatile self-report tool. The IDAS-II allows for the assessment of emotional problems consistent with the dimensional, categorical, transdiagnostic, and QoL approaches.

Clemastine improves emotional and social deficits in adolescent social isolation mice by reversing demyelination.

Adolescence is a critical period for social experience-dependent oligodendrocyte maturation and myelination. Adolescent stress predisposes to cause irreversible changes in brain structure and function with lasting effects on adulthood or beyond. However, the molecular mechanisms linking adolescent social isolation stress with emotional and social competence remain largely unknown. In our study, we found that social isolation during adolescence leads to anxiety-like behaviors, depression-like behaviors, impaired social memory and altered patterns of social ultrasonic vocalizations in mice. In addition, adolescent social isolation stress induces demyelination in the prefrontal cortex and hippocampus of mice, with decreased myelin-related gene expression and disrupted myelin structure. More importantly, clemastine was sufficient to rescue the impairment of emotional and social memory by promoting remyelination. These findings reveal the demyelination mechanism of emotional and social deficits caused by social isolation stress in adolescence, and provides potential therapeutic targets for treating stress-related mental disorders.

Future time perspective and depression, anxiety, and stress in adulthood.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Research has shown that perceptions of future time as limited are associated with more depressive symptoms. However, there is limited research on which dimensions of future time perspective (FTP: opportunity, extension, constraint) are associated with depression, anxiety, and stress, and whether these findings vary across age. DESIGN AND METHODS: Data came from a cross-sectional study in a nonclinical U.S. sample (N = 793, 48.0% male; 48.7% female; age: M = 50 years, range: 19-85 years), and local structural equation modeling was used to examine the moderating role of age as a continuous variable rather than artificial age groups. RESULTS: For all dimensions of FTP, the perception of the future as limited was moderately to strongly associated with higher depression, anxiety and stress levels. More importantly, the association between the perceived constraint dimension and depression, anxiety, and stress was twice as large at younger ages than at older ages. CONCLUSION: These findings indicate that perceived constraint is primarily a strong risk factor for or indicator of negative wellbeing in young adulthood, whereas perceived limited opportunity and extension are potential risk factors or indicators across the entire adulthood.

Translation, cultural adaptation and validation of Patient Health Questionnaire and generalized anxiety disorder among adolescents in Nepal.

BACKGROUND: Depression and anxiety are significant contributors to the global burden of disease among young people. Accurate data on the prevalence of these conditions are crucial for the equitable distribution of resources for planning and implementing effective programs. This study aimed to culturally adapt and validate data collection tools for measuring depression and anxiety at the population level. METHODS: The study was conducted in Kathmandu, Nepal, a diverse city with multiple ethnicities, languages, and cultures. Ten focus group discussions with 56 participants and 25 cognitive interviews were conducted to inform adaptations of the Patient Health Questionnaire adapted for Adolescents (PHQ-A) and Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD-7). To validate the tools, a cross-sectional survey of 413 adolescents (aged 12-19) was conducted in three municipalities of Kathmandu district. Trained clinical psychologists administered the Kiddie Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia (K-SADS-DSM 5 version) to survey participants. RESULTS: A number of cultural adaptations were required, such as changing statements into questions, using a visual scale (glass scale) to maintain uniformity in responses, and including a time frame at the beginning of each item. For younger adolescents aged 12 to 14 years, a PHQ-A cut-off of > = 13 had a sensitivity of 0.93, specificity of 0.80, positive predictive value (PPV) of 0.33, and negative predictive value (NPV) of 0.99. For older adolescents aged 15-19, a cut-off of > = 11 had a sensitivity of 0.89, specificity of 0.70, PPV of 0.32, and NPV of 0.97. For GAD-7, a cut-off of > = 8 had a sensitivity of 0.70 and specificity of 0.67 for younger adolescents and 0.71 for older adolescents, with a PPV of 0.39 and NPV of 0.89. The individual symptom means of both PHQ-A and GAD-7 items showed moderate ability to discriminate between adolescents with and without depression and anxiety. CONCLUSION: The PHQ-A and GAD-7 demonstrate fair psychometric properties for screening depression but performed poorly for anxiety, with high rates of false positives. Even when using clinically validated cut-offs, population prevalence rates would be inflated by 2-4 fold with these tools, requiring adjustment when interpreting epidemiological findings.

The factor structure of the Hopkins Symptom Checklist 25 among persons seeking HIV testing.

Rates of anxiety and depression are high among individuals living with HIV. The Hopkins Symptom Checklist (HSCL) is a screening tool to identify symptoms of depression and anxiety. The objective of this study was to determine the factor structure of the 25-item HSCL in a population-based sample of individuals seeking HIV testing in the Western Cape in South Africa. Participants volunteered for HIV testing at two non-medical HIV testing sites in the Western Cape. We used convenience sampling to administer the scale prior to their undergoing HIV testing. Data were analysed using exploratory factor analysis, using an extraction method of principal components with Promax (oblique) rotation. The Cronbach's alpha reliability indices were calculated for each of the independent factors to determine internal consistency. Factor analysis revealed a three-factor structure that explained 56.86% of the total variance. These factors included depression (14 items), anxiety (7 items) and somatic symptoms (4 items). Alpha levels ranged from 0.67 to 0.94. We found that the HSCL is a reliable measure for depression and anxiety, and consists of 3 distinguishable factors depression, anxiety, and somatic symptoms.

Emotional intelligence, spiritual intelligence, depression and anxiety, and satisfaction with life among emerging adults in Israel and India: the impact of gender and individualism/collectivism.

Much research has focused on how emotional and spiritual intelligences promote well-being and help combat mental health issues. This comparative study, which was conducted in Israel and India with emerging adults enrolled in higher education, explored the relationship of emotional intelligence, spiritual intelligence, anxiety and depression, and satisfaction with life. The results in Israel showed a positive correlation of emotional intelligence with satisfaction with life, but in India, only spiritual intelligence correlated positively with satisfaction with life. In both groups, female participants scored higher on all variables than male participants. We offer initial explanations for these results.

Associated lifestyle factors of elevated plasma aldosterone concentration in community population, gender-stratified analysis of a cross-sectional survey.

BACKGROUND: Aldosterone plays important parts in development of cardio-metabolic diseases as end product of renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system. However, factors elevating circulating aldosterone are not clear, and lifestyle-related factors are suggested to be involved, whereas less studied. Therefore, we aimed to explore the association of lifestyle factors with plasma aldosterone concentration (PAC) in community population. METHODS: In this cross-sectional study, we recruited participants using multistage random sampling from Emin China in 2019, and collected data and fasting blood samples. The considered lifestyle factors included obesity parameters (neck circumference, abdominal circumference), alcohol consumption, blood pressure (BP), physical activity, sleep duration, sleep quality, mental state (depression and anxiety), fasting blood glucose (FBG), and lipid profiles (total cholesterol and triglyceride). PAC was measured using radioimmunoassay. We performed sex-stratified linear and logistic regressions to explore associated factors of PAC. Component analysis was further performed to identify the main factors affecting PAC. RESULTS: Twenty-seven thousand four hundred thirty-six participants with 47.1% men were included. Obesity parameters (neck circumference, abdominal circumference), glucose metabolism (FBG), psychological status (anxiety status in men and women, depression status in men), BP, liver function (in men), lipid metabolism (TC and TG in men), sleep parameters (sleep quality in women), and renal function (in women) are the main factors associated with elevated PAC. CONCLUSION: lower physical activity, alcohol consumption, higher BP, fat accumulation, dyslipidemia, higher fasting blood glucose, and presence of depression and anxiety were the main factors associated with eleveated PAC.

Mastery is central: an examination of complex interrelationships between physical health, stress and adaptive cognition, and social connection with depression and anxiety symptoms.

Background: Research has established the link between physical health, stress and cognition, and social connection with depression and anxiety. Nevertheless, an understanding of the comorbidity of depression and anxiety symptoms and their complex interrelationships with relevant factors remains still limited. This study investigated the complex pattern of interplay between depression and anxiety symptoms and pertinent physical, cognitive, and social factors and potential gender differences. Methods: Using a sample of 600 middle-aged men and women, depression and anxiety as well as physical health, perceived stress and mastery, and social connection were assessed. The network structure of depression and anxiety symptoms and risk and resilience factors were characterized by examining interrelationships and the centrality indices of Strength and Bridge Strength. Gender differences were examined using the Network Comparison Test. Results: Perceived stress and mastery were central bridge factors influencing comorbid depression and anxiety symptoms, and perceived stress, anhedonia, and mastery exhibited strong inter-connections to each other. The connections of physical health-anhedonia and sleep disturbance-irritability were stronger in men than in women, while social connection with family was linked to interpersonal problems only in women. Conclusions: The results underscore that prevention and interventions targeting reducing perceptions of stress and promoting mastery would prevent onset or recurrence of depression and anxiety symptoms among middle-aged men and women. Engaging in behavioral activities to maintain physical health and ensuring adequate sleep could be particularly beneficial for men in reducing overall symptom severity.

Depression and anxiety between nurses and nursing assistants working in long-term care facilities during the COVID-19 pandemic.

AIM: This study investigated the levels of depression and anxiety in nurses and nursing assistants working in long-term care facilities during the COVID-19 pandemic. We also explored the potential causes of depression and anxiety in nurses and nursing assistants working in long-term care facilities during the pandemic. BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic has had a considerable impact on long-term care facilities. The high infection and mortality rates for COVID-19 have resulted in an increased workload for caregivers. INTRODUCTION: The COVID-19 pandemic exposed caregivers working in long-term care facilities to higher risks of anxiety and depression. Additionally, the high risk of infection in the work environment and concerns about spreading COVID-19 to family members and long-term care facility residents led to various forms of stress among caregivers. METHODS: The present study was a cross-sectional study. Questionnaires were used to investigate depression and anxiety among regarding nurses and nursing assistants working in long-term care facilities during the pandemic. RESULTS: The depression and anxiety levels of the nurses were higher than nursing assistants, but had no statistically significant difference (p = 0.551). The factors influencing levels of depression and anxiety in nurses contained facility affiliation and experience working. In terms of nursing assistants, age, marital status, and facility affiliation were correlated with the levels of depression and anxiety. DISCUSSION: The pandemic has severely impacted caregivers. In the process of implementing pandemic prevention measures and providing care for COVID-19 patients, safeguarding the psychological health of caregivers is also essential. CONCLUSION: The levels of depression and anxiety in nurses were higher than in nursing assistants working in long-term care facilities during the pandemic. IMPLICATION FOR NURSING AND HEALTH POLICY: Long-term care facilities managers are recommended to enhance the education and training process for caregivers. Managers are also recommended to ensure provision of sufficient amounts of pandemic prevention equipment and resources.

Racial discrimination in healthcare services among Black individuals in Canada as a major threat for public health: its association with COVID-19 vaccine mistrust and uptake, conspiracy beliefs, depression, anxiety, stress, and community resilience.

OBJECTIVES: To examine the prevalence of major racial discrimination (MRD) in healthcare services and its association with COVID-19 vaccine mistrust and uptake, conspiracy theories, COVID-19-related stressors, community resilience, anxiety, depression, and stress symptoms. STUDY DESIGN: The study used a population-based cross-sectional design. METHODS: Data from the BlackVax dataset on COVID-19 vaccination in Black individuals in Canada was analyzed (n = 2002, 51.66% women). Logistic regression analyses were performed to examine the association between MRD and independent variables. RESULTS: 32.55% of participants declared having experienced MRD in healthcare services. Participants with MRD were less vaccinated against COVID-19, presented higher scores of vaccine mistrust, conspiracy beliefs, COVID-19 related stressors, depression, anxiety, and stress, and had lower scores of community resilience. They were more likely to experience depression (AOR = 2.13, P < 0.001), anxiety (AOR = 2.00, P < 0.001), and stress symptoms (AOR = 2.15, P < 0.001). Participants who experienced MRD were more likely to be unvaccinated (AOR = 1.35, P = 0.009). CONCLUSIONS: Racial discrimination experienced by Black individuals in health services is a major public health concern and threat to population health in Canada. Federal, provincial, and municipal public health agencies should adapt their programs, strategies, tools, and campaigns to address the mistrust created by racial discrimination.

Some distance measures for pythagorean cubic fuzzy sets: Application selection in optimal treatment for depression and anxiety.

Pythagorean cubic fuzzy sets represent an advancement beyond conventional interval-valued Pythagorean sets, integrating the principles of Pythagorean fuzzy sets and interval-valued Pythagorean fuzzy sets. Given the critical significance of distance measures in real-world decision-making and pattern recognition tasks, it is noteworthy that there exists a notable gap in the literature regarding distance measures specifically tailored for Pythagorean cubic fuzzy sets. The objectives of this paper are:•To define novel generalized distance measures between Pythagorean cubic fuzzy sets (PCFSs) to tackle intricate decision-making challenges.•These novel distance measures are undergoing testing on a real-world scenario concerning the management of anxiety and depression to evaluate their effectiveness and practical application.•We have illustrated the boundedness and nonlinear characteristics inherent in these distance measures. In addition, we conduct comparative analyses with existing approaches to validate the proposed methodology, thereby providing insights into its advantages and potential applications.

Health care needs, experiences, and satisfaction after terrorism: a longitudinal study of parents of survivors of the Utøya attack.

BACKGROUND: There is scarce knowledge on the health care follow-up of parents of terror attack survivors. This study focused on the mothers and fathers of survivors and examined (1) their perceived health care needs relative to their psychological reactions, physical health problems (unmet health care needs), and adaptation to work; (2) whether sociodemographic characteristics, health problems and social support were associated with unmet health care needs; and (3) how unmet health care needs, sociodemographic characteristics, and experiences with health services associated with overall dissatisfaction during the health care follow-up. METHODS: Interview and questionnaire data from three waves of the Utøya parent study were analyzed (n = 364). Chi-square tests and t- tests were used to compare unmet physical and psychological health care needs, sociodemographic factors and post-terror attack health reported by mothers and fathers. Logistic regression analyses were used to examine whether sociodemographic characteristics, unmet health care needs, and health care experiences were associated with overall dissatisfaction among mothers and fathers of the survivors during the health care follow-up. RESULTS: Among the mothers, 43% reported unmet health care needs for psychological reactions, while 25% reported unmet health care needs for physical problems. Among the fathers, 36% reported unmet health care needs for psychological reactions, and 15% reported unmet health care needs for physical problems. Approximately 1 in 5 mothers and 1 in 10 fathers reported "very high/high" needs for adaptation to work. Poorer self-perceived health, higher levels of posttraumatic stress and anxiety/depression symptoms, and lower levels of social support were significantly associated with reported unmet psychological and physical health care needs in both mothers and fathers. Parents with unmet health care needs reported significantly lower satisfaction with the help services received compared to parents whose health care needs were met. Low accessibility of help services and not having enough time to talk and interact with health care practitioners were associated with overall dissatisfaction with the help received. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings highlight that parents of terror-exposed adolescents are at risk of having unmet psychological and physical health care needs and thus need to be included in proactive outreach and health care follow-up programs in the aftermath of a terror attack.

New horizons for the study of saffron (Crocus sativus L.) and its active ingredients in the management of neurological and psychiatric disorders: A systematic review of clinical evidence and mechanisms.

Saffron (Crocus sativus), as an herbal medicine, has been extensively investigated for treating neurological and psychiatric disorders. This systematic review aimed to assess the overall effects of saffron on cognition, depression, anxiety, sleep disorders, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Relevant randomized controlled trials (RCTs) were identified by searching PubMed/Medline, Web of Science, and Clinical Trials databases up to June 2023 according to search terms and inclusion criteria. The participants were either healthy or suffering from some diseases, including neurological and psychiatric disorders, and consumed saffron or its extracts as an intervention. The risk of bias was assessed according to the Cochrane guidelines, and the PRISMA statement was followed. The meta-analysis was performed using RevMan and STATA software. A random-effects or fixed-effects model was used to calculate the pooled effect sizes. Forty-six RCTs were enrolled, and the duration of these trials ranged from 4 to 48 weeks with saffron or its extracts, both alone or in combination with conventional drugs. Saffron was more effective than placebo in improving cognition, depression with an overall effect size of -4.26 (95% CI: -5.76, -2.77), anxiety of -3.75 (95% CI: -5.83, -1.67), and sleep disorders of -1.91 (95% CI: -2.88, -0.93). Saffron was non-inferior to conventional drugs for treating cognitive disorders, depression, anxiety, ADHD, and OCD, and it exhibited good tolerance with few side effects. Saffron may exert protective roles for neurological and psychiatric disorders and represents a relatively favorable and safe treatment.

LFC study: Protocol for a longitudinal follow-up cohort study on ageing and mental health in community-dwelling older adults in Singapore.

The rapid pace of population ageing worldwide has prompted the need to better understand the ageing process. The current study, titled the Longitudinal Follow-up of the CHI (LFC) study, was a 3-year follow-up study of an earlier study titled the Community Health and Intergenerational (CHI) study. The LFC study looked to examine longitudinal changes in their cognitive functioning and psychosocial outcomes across the 3-year period. Additionally, the current study built upon the earlier CHI study by collecting neuroimaging data and exploring the long-term effects of non-pharmacological interventions, which were not examined in the prior study. A total of 653 community-dwelling participants from the baseline CHI study cohort were invited to take part in the LFC study, where they underwent a battery of neuropsychological assessments, psychosocial questionnaires, a Magnetic Resonance Imaging scan and a voice recording segment. The current study would holistically track longitudinal changes in cognitive functioning and psychosocial outcomes in the ageing population in Singapore. Unique associations between linguistics and neuroimaging data alongside cognitive and psychosocial outcomes would be explored. This study also serves to guide the development of new interventions for older adults and assist in improving the well-being of the local and global ageing population.

Lactobacillus brevis-Fermented Gamma-Aminobutyric Acid Ameliorates Depression- and Anxiety-Like Behaviors by Activating the Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor-Tropomyosin Receptor Kinase B Signaling Pathway in BALB/C Mice.

This study investigated the effects of Lactobacillus brevis-fermented gamma-aminobutyric acid (LB-GABA) on depressive and anxiety-like behaviors with the underlying molecular mechanism in a chronic stress model of BALB/c mice. LB-GABA attenuates both neuronal cell death and the increase of monoamine oxidase activity induced by hydrogen peroxide. Behavioral tests revealed that GABA significantly increased sucrose preference and reduced immobility time in both tail suspension and forced swimming tests. LB-GABA increased exploration of the open arms in the elevated plus maze and restored activity in the open field. Moreover, LB-GABA lowered stress hormone and inflammatory mediator levels. Mechanistically, LB-GABA increased protein levels of BDNF and TrkB, activating downstream targets (AKT, ERK, and CREB), crucial for neuronal survival and plasticity. Furthermore, LB-GABA protected hippocampal neurons from stress-induced cell death and increased serotonin and dopamine levels. Overall, LB-GABA has the potential to alleviate stress-induced depression and anxiety-like symptoms and neuroinflammation by activating the BDNF-TrkB signaling pathway.