Yoga and music intervention to reduce depression, anxiety, and stress during COVID-19 outbreak on healthcare workers.

AIM: To investigate impact of Yoga and Music Intervention on anxiety, stress, and depression levels of health care workers during the COVID-19 outbreak. METHODS: This study was conducted to assess psychological responses of 240 healthcare workers during COVID-19 outbreak. We used Yoga and Music Intervention in normal and abnormal subjects based on Depression Anxiety and Stress Scale-42 (DASS-42). RESULTS: Of all 209 participants, 105 (50.23%) had symptoms of depression (35.88%), anxiety (40.19), and stress (34.92%) alone or in combination. The data suggest that there is significant improvement in test scores after intervention. Majority of persons with abnormal score exhibited improved DASS-42 score on combined interventions of Yoga and music compared to control group. Even subjects without abnormalities on DASS-42 score also showed improved DASS-42 scores in intervention (n = 52) group compared to nonintervention (n = 52) group. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings highlighted the significance of easily available, simple, inexpensive, safe nonpharmacological interventions like Yoga and Music therapy to overcome stress, anxiety, and depression in present times.

Metagenomics Analysis of Thrombus Samples Retrieved from Mechanical Thrombectomy.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to assess the microbiota in middle cerebral artery thrombi retrieved in mechanical thrombectomy arising out of symptomatic carotid plaque within 6 hours of acute ischemic stroke. Thrombi were subjected to next-generation sequencing for a bacterial signature to determine their role in atherosclerosis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We included 4 human middle cerebral artery thrombus samples (all patients were male). The median age for the patients was 51±13.6 years. Patients enrolled in the study from Pacific Medical University and Hospital underwent mechanical thrombectomy in the stroke window period. All patients underwent brain magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) and circle of Willis and neck vessel MRA along with the standard stroke workup to establish stroke etiology. Only patients with symptomatic carotid stenosis and tandem lesions with ipsilateral middle cerebral artery occlusion were included in the study. Thrombus samples were collected, stored at -80 degrees, and subjected to metagenomics analysis. RESULTS: Of the 4 patients undergoing thrombectomy for diagnosis with ischemic stroke, all thrombi recovered for bacterial DNA in qPCR were positive. More than 27 bacteria were present in the 4 thrombus samples. The majority of bacteria were Lactobacillus, Stenotrophomonas, Pseudomonas, Staphylococcus, and Finegoldia. CONCLUSION: Genesis of symptomatic atherosclerotic carotid plaque leading to thromboembolism could be either due to direct mechanisms like acidification and local inflammation of plaque milieu with lactobacillus, biofilm dispersion leading to inflammation like with pseudomonas fluorescence, or enterococci or indirect mechanisms like Toll 2 like signaling by gut microbiota.