The mental health and traumatic experiences of mothers of children with 22q11DS.

Background: 22q11 Deletion Syndrome (22q11DS) is the most common microdeletion syndrome with broad phenotypic variability, leading to significant morbidity and some mortality. The varied health problems associated with 22q11DS and the evolving phenotype (both medical and developmental/behavioural) across the lifespan can strongly impact the mental health of patients as well as their caregivers. Like caregivers of children with other chronic diseases, caregivers of children with 22q11DS may experience an increased risk of traumatisation and mental health symptoms.Objective: The study's primary objective was to assess the frequency of traumatic experiences and mental health symptoms among mothers of children with 22q11DS. The secondary objective was to compare their traumatic experiences to those of mothers of children with other neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs).Method: A total of 71 mothers of children diagnosed with 22q11DS completed an online survey about their mental health symptoms and traumatic experiences. Descriptive statistics were used to summarise the prevalence of their mental health symptoms and traumatic experiences. Logistic regression models were run to compare the traumatic experiences of mothers of children with 22q11DS to those of 335 mothers of children with other neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs).Results: Many mothers of children with 22q11DS experienced clinically significant mental health symptoms, including depression (39%), anxiety (25%), and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms (30%). The types of traumatic events experienced by mothers of children with 22q11DS differed from those of mothers of children with other NDDs as they were more likely to observe their child undergoing a medical procedure, a life-threatening surgery, or have been with their child in the intensive care unit.Conclusion: 22q11DS caregivers are likely to require mental health support and trauma-informed care, tailored to the specific needs of this population as they experience different kinds of traumatic events compared to caregivers of children with other NDDS.

Mothers of children with 22q11DS experience clinically significant levels of depression, anxiety, and PTSD.Mothers of children with 22q11DS experience many and diverse trauma particularly related to medical interventions of their child.The types of traumatic events experienced by mothers of children with 22q11DS are different from those of the mothers of children with other neurodevelopmental disorders.

Examining the role of the visuospatial sketchpad in children's math calculation skills using Baddeley and Hitch's model of working memory.

Math difficulties (MDs) occur in about 3-7 % of children and have been associated with academic, health, and occupational challenges. To date, findings about the role of working memory in MDs have been conflicting. The Automated Working Memory Assessment Battery (AWMA), which assesses all components of Baddeley and Hitch's model of working memory, was used to investigate which component of the model was most related to math calculation skills in elementary-school children. Participants were 94 (52 male) children (M age = 9 years 1 month; Range = 6 years 0 months to 11 years 8 months). As hypothesized, math calculation scores were correlated with all four working memory components (phonological loop, visuospatial sketchpad, verbal and visuospatial central executive). After accounting for age, phonological processing, and attention, the visuospatial sketchpad was the only memory component that contributed to the prediction of math calculation scores, explaining an additional 10.2 % of unique variance. Short-term visuospatial memory should be assessed in children having difficulty with math and children could benefit from interventions that include attention to the development of both visuospatial memory and math calculation skills. This study did not use a longitudinal design and so we cannot conclude that weak visuospatial memory impedes the development of math calculation skills. Future research should use longitudinal designs and investigate other types of math skills.

The Impact of Parental Mental Health Diagnoses, Trauma, and Coping Mechanisms on Their Children's Well-Being.

The transgenerational effects of parental diagnoses, trauma and coping mechanisms on children's internalizing symptoms are not well understood. In a population-based study of 933 families combining data from a web-based survey and the Danish registers, we used an online survey of parents to examine how parental diagnoses, trauma and coping mechanisms affect the development of internalizing symptoms in children aged 6 to 18 years. To account for attrition, we used inverse probability weights in our regression models. Children of parents diagnosed with depression or anxiety displayed more internalizing symptoms than children of controls. Similarly, children of parents who experienced multiple trauma had significantly more internalizing symptoms. In contrast, we observed significantly fewer internalizing symptoms among children of parents who felt they could cope well. The protective effect of parental coping persisted even after adjusting for parental diagnoses or trauma. Interventions boosting parental coping mechanisms might help to prevent the development of internalizing symptoms in children even among patients who have been diagnosed with depression or anxiety or experienced a high trauma load.

Nightmare frequency and nightmare distress during the COVID-19 pandemic.

STUDY OBJECTIVES: The current study investigated nightmare frequency and distress during the pandemic and associated factors. METHODS: Participants (n = 1,718) completed a survey, 747 of which were youth. The MADRE dream questionnaire was used to collect self-reported data on nightmare frequency and distress. In addition, personality traits, current stressors, and COVID-related anxiety were also measured. An ordinal regression model was used for statistical analysis, and P < .05 was considered significant. RESULTS: The findings from this study suggest (1) COVID-related anxiety is associated with the frequency of nightmares and the severity of nightmare distress experienced by a person, and (2) findings support the continuity hypothesis, which suggests waking life experiences are related to nightmares and (3) increased COVID-related anxiety contributes independently to nightmare frequency. COVID-related anxiety appeared to be more prevalent within adults (P < .001, effect size = 0.18) compared to youth. Similar results were found for nightmare distress. CONCLUSIONS: The risk of nightmares may have increased due to disruptions in mental health and sleep caused by the COVID-19 crisis. These findings may be important in clinician efforts to understand nightmares and the risk of problematic sleep during the pandemic. CITATION: Remedios A, Marin-Dragu S, Routledge F, et al. Nightmare frequency and nightmare distress during the COVID-19 pandemic. J Clin Sleep Med. 2023;19(1):163-169.

Dream Recall Frequency, Lucid Dream Frequency, and Personality During the Covid-19 Pandemic.

Dream recall frequency and lucid dream frequency showed large inter-individual differences that are partly related to personality dimensions. However, as dream research is a small field, independent studies are necessary to build a solid empirical foundation. The present online survey included 1,537 participants (1150 women, 387 men) with a mean age of 35.1 ± 15.8 years. Whereas the relationship between openness to experience and dream recall frequency was in line with previous research - supporting the life-style hypothesis of dream recall, the associations between the Big Five personality factors and lucid dream frequency are less homogenous; for example, the negative relationship between neuroticism and lucid dream frequency. Even though the effect sizes of these associations are small, the findings can help in identifying links between waking and dreaming. Moreover, it was found that lucid dream frequency was related to Covid-19-related worries, whereas dream recall frequency was not.

Discovery of novel orally bioavailable oxaborole 6-carboxamides that demonstrate cure in a murine model of late-stage central nervous system african trypanosomiasis.

We report the discovery of novel boron-containing molecules, exemplified by N-(1-hydroxy-1,3-dihydrobenzo[c][1,2]oxaborol-6-yl)-2-trifluoromethylbenzamide (AN3520) and 4-fluoro-N-(1-hydroxy-1,3-dihydrobenzo[c][1,2]oxaborol-6-yl)-2-trifluoromethylbenzamide (SCYX-6759), as potent compounds against Trypanosoma brucei in vitro, including the two subspecies responsible for human disease T. b. rhodesiense and T. b. gambiense. These oxaborole carboxamides cured stage 1 (hemolymphatic) trypanosomiasis infection in mice when administered orally at 2.5 to 10 mg/kg of body weight for 4 consecutive days. In stage 2 disease (central nervous system [CNS] involvement), mice infected with T. b. brucei were cured when AN3520 or SCYX-6759 were administered intraperitoneally or orally (50 mg/kg) twice daily for 7 days. Oxaborole-treated animals did not exhibit gross signs of compound-related acute or subchronic toxicity. Metabolism and pharmacokinetic studies in several species, including nonhuman primates, demonstrate that both SCYX-6759 and AN3520 are low-clearance compounds. Both compounds were well absorbed following oral dosing in multiple species and also demonstrated the ability to cross the blood-brain barrier with no evidence of interaction with the P-glycoprotein transporter. Overall, SCYX-6759 demonstrated superior pharmacokinetics, and this was reflected in better efficacy against stage 2 disease in the mouse model. On the whole, oxaboroles demonstrate potent activity against all T. brucei subspecies, excellent physicochemical profiles, in vitro metabolic stability, a low potential for CYP450 inhibition, a lack of active efflux by the P-glycoprotein transporter, and high permeability. These properties strongly suggest that these novel chemical entities are suitable leads for the development of new and effective orally administered treatments for human African trypanosomiasis.