Exploring the relationship between earthquake exposure and severity of erectile dysfunction in southern part of Türkiye.

PURPOSE: This study aimed to explore the impact of psychological stress on erectile dysfunction (ED) in male patients following the Gaziantep-Kahramanmaras earthquake. The investigation aimed to establish correlations between earthquake-induced stress and changes in sexual function using International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF), Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), and Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7) scores. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A retrospective analysis was conducted on male ED patients from a Gaziantep urology clinic post-earthquake (March to August 2023). Patients with deteriorated erectile function post-earthquake (group 1) and those with pre-existing ED experiencing worsened symptoms post-earthquake (group 2) were included. Data collected encompassed sexual histories, IIEF scores, laboratory tests, and PHQ-9/GAD-7 evaluations. Patients were also evaluated mild and mild to moderate ED, moderate and severe ED according to IIEF erectile function. RESULTS: Seventy-six patients were evaluated (24 in group 1 and 52 in group 2). Significant reductions in total IIEF scores (58 to 40 in group 1 and 49 to 33 in group 2) were observed post-earthquake in both groups (p<0.001). PHQ-9/GAD-7 scores was 11.12±3.79/9.34±3.11 in mild and mild to moderate ED and 13.17±3.05/12.14±3.17 in moderate and severe ED (p=0.011, p<0.001, respectively). Negative correlations existed between PHQ-9/GAD-7 scores and IIEF erectile function (p<0.05) and total IIEF (p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: This research suggests a plausible connection between the Gaziantep-Kahramanmaras earthquake and heightened ED cases. Psychological stress post-earthquake may contribute to worsened ED symptoms. Further investigations are warranted to comprehensively understand the interplay between natural disasters and sexual dysfunction, essential for optimizing patient care in challenging situations.

LNP-mRNA vaccine prevents type 1 diabetes in non-obese diabetes mice.

Islet-antigen-specific tolerization is a key goal of experimental immunotherapies for type 1 diabetes. mRNA-based vaccines have demonstrated the feasibility of RNA delivery in inducing antigen tolerance in autoimmune diseases. In this study, mRNA vaccine, encoded tandem glutamic acid decarboxylase 65 (GAD65) epitopes and cholera toxin B subunit (CTB-GADIII), prepared by an in vitro transcription (IVT) system and encapsulated with lipid nanoparticles (LNP), was intramuscularly administered to non-obese diabetic (NOD) and cyclophosphamide (Cy)-NOD mice respectively. The results showed that the mRNA vaccines significantly reduced the incidence rate of type 1 diabetes, delayed the disease progression, improved glucose tolerance, and protected pancreatic morphology and function compared with the controls. Meanwhile, the vaccines also reduced the levels of autoantibodies to glutamic acid decarboxylase (GADA) and insulin (IAA) in the serum. Furthermore, the proportion of CD4+ T helper cell subsets was modulated in the spleen of mice treated with mRNA vaccines, in correspondence with the increased levels of IL-10 and TGF-ß in serum, suggesting the possible mechanism of immune tolerance. This study provides experimental evidence for the application of mRNA vaccines encoding self-antigens in the prevention or treatment of type 1 diabetes.

The Prevalence of Anxiety and Depression in Children With Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS): A Retrospective Study.

INTRODUCTION: Postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS) is a chronic form of orthostatic intolerance characterized by various symptoms such as dizziness, lightheadedness, and increased heart rate. Conflicting reports exist regarding the prevalence of anxiety and depression in adults with POTS, while data on pediatric POTS remains scarce. METHOD: A retrospective analysis of pediatric patients aged 11-17 years with POTS, who underwent autonomic testing at Nemours Children's Hospital in Orlando, Florida, was conducted. The patients were screened for anxiety, using the Severity Measure for Generalized Anxiety Disorder-Child Age 11-17 years (GAD-7) questionnaire, and depression, using PHQ-9 Modified for Adolescence (PHQ-A) for depression. The prevalence rates of anxiety and depression in the study cohort were compared to historical data from similar age groups in the existing literature. The study was approved by the Nemours Children's Hospital Institutional Review Board. RESULTS: The cohort comprised 27 children with POTS (26 females, age 15.8±1.6 years). Overall, 74% exhibited moderate-to-severe anxiety, depression, or both, with 44% having comorbid anxiety and depression. In total, 4/27 (14%) had pure depression and 4/27 (14%) had pure anxiety. Six patients had no depression or anxiety. On average, POTS symptoms began 1.9±1.3 years before diagnosis. Eleven patients took stable doses of psychotropic medications. After a follow-up period of 5.1±1.7 months of POTS therapy, seven patients had follow-up questionnaires. In 4/7 patients, the depression severity improved, and in 3/7 patients, the anxiety severity improved. Patients were not actively treated for depression and anxiety during this time. CONCLUSION: Anxiety and depression are prevalent among pediatric patients with POTS. While preliminary data suggests POTS therapy may alleviate these psychological symptoms, further longitudinal studies are warranted to explore the therapeutic impact in greater detail.

Caffeine intake during lactation has a sex-dependent effect on the hippocampal excitatory/inhibitory balance and pups' behavior.

During early life, disruptions in glutamatergic and GABAergic synapse development in the hippocampus may contribute to several neurodevelopmental disorders, including cognitive deficits and psychiatric disorders. Caffeine is the most consumed psychoactive drug in the world, and previous work from our group has shown that caffeine disrupts visual system connections at different stages of development. This work aimed to investigate the effects of caffeine consumption during lactation in the glutamatergic and GABAergic synaptic markers in the hippocampus and on the behavior of rat offspring. We found that maternal caffeine intake significantly reduced GluN1 subunits of the NMDA receptor, increased the GluA1/GluA2 ratio of AMPA receptor in the dorsal hippocampus, and decreased GAD content in female pups' ventral hippocampus. On the other hand, an increase in GluN1/GluN2b subunits, a decrease in GAD content in the dorsal hippocampus, and a reduction of the GluA1 content in the ventral hippocampus were observed in male pups. In addition, changes in the behavior of the offspring submitted to indirect caffeine consumption were also sex-dependent, with females developing anxiety-like behavior and males showing anxiety-like behavior and hyper-locomotion. These results highlight that maternal caffeine intake promotes changes in the hippocampal excitatory and inhibitory balance and offspring behavior in a sex-dependent manner, suggesting that the population should be alerted to reduced caffeine consumption by breastfeeding mothers.

GAD1 ameliorates glioma progression through regulating cuproptosis via RAS/MAPK pathway.

Glioma represents a primary malignant tumor occurring in the central nervous system. Glutamate decarboxylase (GAD1) plays a significant role in tumor development; however, its function of GAD1 and underlying mechanisms in glioma progression remain unclear. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) obtained from the GSE12657 and GSE15209 datasets that intersected with cuproptosis-related genes and pivot genes were identified using comprehensive bioinformatics methods. The elesclomol (ES) treatment was used to induce cuproptosis in U251 cells, which was validated by detecting intracellular copper levels and cuproptosis marker expression. Lentivirus-mediated gene overexpression was performed to explore the effects of GAD1 using functional assays in vitro and in a mouse xenograft model. The RAS agonist ML098 was used to verify the effect of GAD1 on the RAS/MAPK pathway in glioma cells. A total of 87 cuproptosis-related DEGs and seven hub genes were obtained, with five genes upregulated and two were downregulated in gliomas. Overexpression of GAD1 inhibited proliferation, invasion, and migration, promoted apoptosis of glioma cells, and suppressed tumorigenesis in vivo. In addition, GAD1 overexpression enhanced the sensitivity of glioma cells to cuproptosis. Additionally, ML098 treatment attenuated the inhibitory effect of GAD1 overexpression on the malignant phenotype of ES-treated cells. GAD1 plays an anti-oncogenic role in glioma by regulating apoptosis via inhibition of the RAS/MAPK pathway.

Different development patterns of reward behaviors induced by ketamine and JWH-018 in striatal GAD67 knockdown mice.

IMPORTANCE: Glutamic acid decarboxylase 67 (GAD67) is a gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) synthesis enzyme associated with the function of other neurotransmitter receptors, such as the N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor and cannabinoid receptor 1. However, the role of GAD67 in the development of different abused drug-induced reward behaviors remains unknown. In order to elucidate the mechanisms of substance use disorder, it is crucial to study changes in biomarkers within the brain's reward circuit induced by drug use. OBJECTIVE: The study was designed to examine the effects of the downregulation of GAD67 expression in the dorsal striatum on reward behavior development. METHODS: We evaluated the effects of GAD67 knockdown on depression-like behavior and anxiety using the forced swim test and elevated plus maze test in a mouse model. We further determined the effects of GAD67 knockdown on ketamine- and JWH-018-induced conditioned place preference (CPP). RESULTS: Knockdown of GAD67 in the dorsal striatum of mice increased depression-like behavior, but it decreased anxiety. Moreover, the CPP score on the NMDA receptor antagonist ketamine was increased by GAD67 knockdown, whereas the administration of JWH-018, a cannabinoid receptor agonist, did not affect the CPP score in the GAD67 knockdown mice group compared with the control group. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: These results suggest that striatal GAD67 reduces GABAergic neuronal activity and may cause ketamine-induced NMDA receptor inhibition. Consequently, GAD67 downregulation induces vulnerability to the drug reward behavior of ketamine.

The Psychological Impact of COVID-19: A Comparative Analysis of Pre-Lockdown and During-Lockdown Periods Among Saudi General Population.

Background: Prior research has revealed substantial psychological impacts of COVID-19 among the general population. However, there is a noticeable gap in studies addressing the enduring anxiety levels before and during lockdown periods of the COVID-19 pandemic. Objective: The study assessed and compared the psychological impact of the COVID-19 pandemic before and during lockdown periods among the general population in Saudi Arabia. Methods: A validated and reliable General Anxiety Disorder (GAD)-7 instrument was used to quantify stress levels by measuring anxiety. Nonprobability snowball sampling was used to collect data from 516 participants residing in Saudi Arabia. The difference in scores for each of the seven related questions of GAD-7 was determined using a non-parametric Wilcoxon rank test. Results: A mild level of anxiety was consistently observed both before and during the lockdown, as indicated by GAD-7 scores of 6.17 (SD = 5.5) before the lockdown and 6.42 (SD = 5.7) during the lockdown. There were no differences in GAD-7 scores before 6.17 (SD = 5.5) and during 6.42 (SD = 5.7) the lockdown periods. However, levels of moderate anxiety increased by 5% during the lockdown period. Anxiety levels before and during lockdown were significantly associated with gender (χ2 (3, n = 516) =11.23 p = 0.01) and employment status (χ2 (3, n = 516) = 9.41 p = 0.024). Among the GAD-7 questionnaire items, item number 1 ("Feeling nervous, anxious, or on edge") (p= 0.00) and item number 7 ("Feeling afraid as if something awful might happen") (p= 0.025) showed a significant association with anxiety levels before and during the lockdown periods. Conclusion: The enduring prevalence of mild anxiety, persisting both before and during the lockdown periods, underscores the profound impact of COVID-19 on the mental health of the general population in Saudi Arabia.

This study aimed to understand how the COVID-19 pandemic affected the mental well-being of people in Saudi Arabia, specifically looking at anxiety levels before and during lockdown. We used a survey with 516 participants and found that, overall, people reported mild anxiety both before and during the lockdown. However, there was a 5% increase in moderate anxiety during the lockdown. Interestingly, we discovered that gender and employment status were linked to anxiety levels. Women and those with certain employment statuses reported different anxiety levels. Specific questions in the survey, such as feeling nervous or afraid, were mainly associated with anxiety during both periods. In conclusion, even though anxiety levels were generally mild, some groups and specific concerns showed differences. This information can help us understand how to better support people's mental health during challenging times like a pandemic.

A Case of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Revealed Transient Positivity of Glutamic Acid Decarboxylase (GAD) Antibodies Following Immunoglobulin Administrations.

Glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD) antibodies are frequently measured in diabetes care as islet-associated autoantibodies that are useful in the diagnosis of type 1 diabetes. However, GAD antibodies derived from other persons may contaminate immunoglobulin preparations, and there have been cases of transiently positive GAD antibodies after intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIg) in patients who were originally negative for GAD antibodies. Clinicians may be unaware of such contamination and misdiagnose some cases as type 1 instead of type 2 diabetes mellitus based on positivity for GAD antibodies. Herein, we present a case of type 2 diabetes mellitus that revealed transiently positive GAD antibodies following immunoglobulin administrations. A 68-year-old woman with a medical history of diabetes mellitus was admitted to our hospital for the treatment of Guillain-Barré syndrome, and IVIg was started on the day of admission. Blood tests on admission revealed negative for GAD antibodies but showed weak positivity on day one after IVIg. Afterward, GAD antibodies turned negative on day 72. Immunoglobulin preparations were revealed to have a high concentration of GAD antibodies. Based on changes in GAD antibody titers and all negativity for anti-insulinoma-associated antigen-2 (IA-2), insulin, and zinc transporter 8 (ZnT8) antibodies, the patient was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes mellitus rather than slowly progressive type 1 diabetes mellitus (SPIDDM). This case demonstrates that it is important for the medical clinician to be aware of the possible presence of GAD antibodies in immunoglobulin preparations and to measure antibody titers before and after their use for diagnosing the type of diabetes mellitus.

Network analysis of anxiety and cognitive impairment among mental healthcare workers.

Introduction: With the rising demand for medical services and the associated burden, work-related stress and mental health issue have garnered increased attention among healthcare workers. Anxiety, cognitive impairment, and their comorbidities severely impact the physical and mental health as well as the work status of healthcare workers. The network analysis method was used to identify the anxiety and cognitive impairment among mental healthcare workers using the Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale (GAD-7) and the Perceived Deficit Questionnaire for Depression (PDQ-D). We sought to identify the core symptoms associated with the comorbidity of anxiety and cognitive impairment in mental healthcare workers. Methods: The study was conducted by Shandong Daizhuang Hospital and Qingdao Mental Health Center in China from September 13, 2022, to October 25, 2022, involving a total of 680 healthcare workers as participants. GAD-7 and PDQ-D were utilized to assess anxiety and cognitive impairment, respectively. Regularized partial correlation network analysis was employed to examing the expected influence and predictability of each item within the network. Statistical analysis and visualization of the network were performed using R software. Results: The mean total score for anxiety was 3.25, while the mean total score for cognitive symptoms was 15.89. PDQ17 "Remembering numbers", PDQ12 "Trouble get started" and PDQ20 "Trouble make decisions" emerged as central symptoms in the anxiety-cognition network. GAD6 "Irritable", GAD5 "Restlessness" and GAD1 "Nervousness or anxiety" were identified as the most critical bridge symptoms connecting anxiety and cognition. Gender was found to be unrelated to the global strength of the network, edge weight distribution, or individual edge weights. Conclusion: Utilizing central and bridge symptoms (i.e., Remembering numbers, Trouble get started, Trouble make decisions, Irritable, Restlessness and Nervousness or anxiety) as primary intervention points may aid in mitigating the serious health consequences of anxiety, cognitive impairment, and comorbidities anxiety and cognitive impairment for mental healthcare workers.

Prevalence of anxiety and depression among patients with glaucoma.

Purpose: This study aimed to determine the prevalence of anxiety and depression among patients with glaucoma compared to the average Brazilian prevalence (9.8% of anxiety and 5.8% of depression, according to the World Health Organization) and its correlation with the severity of the disease. Methods: This was a transversal, single-arm trial of patients from four glaucoma centers in São Paulo and Curitiba-Brazil. Patients comprised adults at least 18 years of age with glaucoma diagnosis under treatment for at least 6 months. All subjects of the study answered two questionnaires (PHQ-9 and GAD-7) to evaluate the presence of anxiety and depression, and the results were analyzed accordingly to clinical and demographic characteristics. Results: The protocol included a total of 210 patients. The average age was 61.6 ± 15.3 years, and the female gender was more common (68.86%). Primary open-angle glaucoma was the most common diagnosis (59.90%). The average IOP was 18.5 mmHg, and 1.5 anti-glaucoma drops were the mean treatment. The prevalence of depression and anxiety was 26.90 and 25.71%, respectively. Most patients with anxiety were classified as early glaucoma, while those with depression had severe glaucoma. Conclusion: This study found that the prevalence of anxiety and depression among patients with glaucoma is higher than in the general population in our country.

Management of autoimmune temporal lobe epilepsy with GAD65 antibody: four case reports.

AIM OF STUDY: Glutamate decarboxylase (GAD) enzyme can be a target intracellular antigen in autoimmune focal epilepsy. GAD65 antibody is in found patients diagnosed with drug-refractory temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE). We explore the clinical features of the disease and therapeutic options. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We present the cases of four TLE patients, two of them with type 1 diabetes. All of them were drug-resistant and therefore underwent presurgical evaluation, which revealed GAD65 antibody positivity. We discuss the four GAD65 antibody positive temporal lobe epilepsy patients' electroclinical data, the treatments, and their effectiveness. RESULTS: One of them became seizure-free after right anterior temporal lobe resection, two of them did not show significant improvement with immunmodulatory agents, and the fourth patient with the shortest duration of disease had significant improvement in seizure status and normalisation of cognitive status with IVIg therapy. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS: Our cases show that the earlier a GAD65 antibody is detected, the greater the chance of achieving seizure freedom or improvements in both seizure and cognitive status with immunomodulatory agents. However, in some cases, surgery may also bring seizure freedom, but with a risk of cognitive deterioration.

New onset diabetic ketoacidosis in a renal transplant recipient.

Post-transplant diabetes mellitus (PTDM) is a well-known solid organ transplant complication, which can be related to immunosuppressants, particularly tacrolimus. We report an unusual presentation of PTDM with diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA). This is unique as PTDM typically resembles Type 2 DM, whereas DKA is associated with Type 1 DM and has rarely been reported as a complication of tacrolimus. A 38-year-old African American male on LCP-tacrolimus presented four months post kidney transplant with vomiting, weakness, poor appetite, and polyuria. Labs demonstrated hyperglycemia, ketonuria, and high anion gap metabolic acidosis. He was nonobese and had no personal or family history of Type 2 DM. DKA was suspected to be secondary to tacrolimus-induced pancreatic beta cell damage worsened by supratherapeutic tacrolimus levels. Latent autoimmune diabetes in adults (LADA) was diagnosed when further testing showed insulinopenia, low C-peptide, and anti-glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD) autoantibodies. He required 120-units of subcutaneous insulin daily. Our literature review revealed only 16 other tacrolimus-induced DKA cases. No cases reported anti-GAD positivity and most showed beta cell toxicity reversibility with tacrolimus tapering or substitution. Our patient was early post-transplant with leukocytopenia, so tacrolimus was not exchanged. This unusual PTDM case may have resulted from both autoimmune and tacrolimus-induced beta cell destruction. Physicians should be aware of new onset LADA post-transplantation and tacrolimus toxicity leading to DKA, even in patients without traditional risk factors. Anti-GAD antibody screening in patients on tacrolimus who develop PTDM may identify patients less likely to recover beta cell function with immunosuppression augmentation which requires careful monitoring.

Association of GAD1 gene polymorphism rs3749034 with the information processing and cognitive event-related potentials in schizophrenia patients and healthy subjects.

OBJECTIVE: Glutamic acid decarboxylase, an enzyme in GABA biosynthesis, is encoded by the GAD1 gene, the transcriptional activity of which is affected by the rs3749034 polymorphism. The aim was to investigate the effects of rs3749034 on cognitive event-related potentials (P300) in healthy subjects and schizophrenic patients. METHODS: Determination of rs3749034 polymorphism was performed in 89 healthy volunteers and 109 schizophrenic patients (males). Two-stimulus oddball task performance and P300 auditory evoked potentials were analyzed and patient symptomatology was assessed using the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS). RESULTS: An increased frequency of C allele carriers was disclosed in patients. In controls, superior task performance was observed in cytosine-thymine carriers, while a greater P300 amplitude and shorter latency were found in C/C carriers. Analogous effects were found in patients with a disease onset before 25 years of age. Higher N5 and lower P3 and G5 PANSS scales were revealed in C/C homozygotes. CONCLUSIONS: The findings substantiate an involvement of GABA-ergic mechanisms in maintaining an optimal excitatory-inhibitory balance and an association of rs3749034 with early-onset disorder and negative symptoms of schizophrenia. SIGNIFICANCE: These results are important for understanding underlying mechanisms and the development of evidence-based methods for assessing the risk of schizophrenia.

The prevalence of anxiety in pregnant women at Chris Hani Baragwanath Academic Hospital.

Background: Non-psychotic mental disorders are common during the perinatal period. In South Africa, there are few studies on antenatal anxiety and these results vary. Antenatal anxiety does not only add to the burden of perinatal co-morbidity but has subsequent immediate and long-term effects on the mother, birth outcomes and her offspring. Aim: The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of anxiety symptoms in pregnant women during the antenatal period and to determine associated factors. Setting: The study was conducted at an antenatal clinic located in Chris Hani Baragwanath Academic Hospital (CHBAH), Soweto, Johannesburg. Data were collected from March to December 2022. Methods: This was a prospective, cross-sectional study in which 200 pregnant women were interviewed. A biographical questionnaire and the generalised anxiety disorder questionnaire (GAD-7) were administered. Results: The prevalence of anxiety symptoms in pregnant women attending the antenatal clinic was 33%. Participants with anxiety were younger, employed and had lower perceived social support. Women with planned and wanted pregnancies had a lower prevalence of anxiety. Conclusion: One-third of the pregnant women screened positive for anxiety symptoms on the GAD-7. This is significantly higher compared to other studies carried out in the same facility previously. High-risk groups should be screened for anxiety. Contribution: This study prompts further studies and guiding policies on routine screening of pregnant women for anxiety and other mental illnesses during pregnancy.

Leak Event Diagnosis for Power Plants: Generative Anomaly Detection Using Prototypical Networks.

Anomaly detection systems based on artificial intelligence (AI) have demonstrated high performance and efficiency in a wide range of applications such as power plants and smart factories. However, due to the inherent reliance of AI systems on the quality of training data, they still demonstrate poor performance in certain environments. Especially in hazardous facilities with constrained data collection, deploying these systems remains a challenge. In this paper, we propose Generative Anomaly Detection using Prototypical Networks (GAD-PN) designed to detect anomalies using only a limited number of normal samples. GAD-PN is a structure that integrates CycleGAN with Prototypical Networks (PNs), learning from metadata similar to the target environment. This approach enables the collection of data that are difficult to gather in real-world environments by using simulation or demonstration models, thus providing opportunities to learn a variety of environmental parameters under ideal and normal conditions. During the inference phase, PNs can classify normal and leak samples using only a small number of normal data from the target environment by prototypes that represent normal and abnormal features. We also complement the challenge of collecting anomaly data by generating anomaly data from normal data using CycleGAN trained on anomaly features. It can also be adapted to various environments that have similar anomalous scenarios, regardless of differences in environmental parameters. To validate the proposed structure, data were collected specifically targeting pipe leakage scenarios, which are significant problems in environments such as power plants. In addition, acoustic ultrasound signals were collected from the pipe nozzles in three different environments. As a result, the proposed model achieved a leak detection accuracy of over 90% in all environments, even with only a small number of normal data. This performance shows an average improvement of approximately 30% compared with traditional unsupervised learning models trained with a limited dataset.

Examining the clinical validity of the global psychotrauma screen in refugees.

Introduction: The Global Psychotrauma Screen (GPS) is a brief transdiagnostic screener that covers a broad range of trauma-related disorders as well as risk factors known to influence the course of symptoms. Methods: We analyzed data from African war refugees in Australia (n = 70), including the GPS, the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-5 Disorders (SCID-5), the Clinician-Administered PTSD Scale for DSM-5 (CAPS-5), and the Brief Resilience Scale (BRS). Results: Using the Youden's J Index to examine the clinical validity of the GPS subscales measuring PTSD, dissociation, depression, and generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), we found that a PTSD subscale score of 3 or higher, and a depression and dissociation subscale score of 1 or higher, was optimally efficient for detecting a probable diagnosis (Youden's J = 0.76, J = 0.72, and J = 0.90, respectively) with high sensitivity and specificity. We were unable to test the GPS clinical validity for GAD due to the low GAD occurrence. The GPS resilience item was not related to the total score (r = 0.02), indicating low convergent validity for resilience. Risk factors, including current stressors and childhood trauma history, were related to more severe GPS symptom scores, while lack of resilience, social support, and history of mental illness were not. Conclusion: We conclude that the GPS may be a useful screening tool for PTSD, depression, and the dissociative subtype in refugees.

Effectiveness of drama and music therapies as health communication interventions for reducing anxiety and posttraumatic disorders among children-victims of flood.

This study examined the usefulness of drama and music therapies as communication strategies for reducing symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and generalised anxiety disorder (GAD) among school children (aged 10-16) who were victims of the 2022 floods in Nigeria. The researchers randomly assigned the children to control (n = 122) drama therapy (n = 120) and music therapy (n = 120) groups. The result of the study revealed that after the intervention, school children in the drama and music therapies (unlike those in the control group) reported a significant reduction in their PTSD and GAD symptoms; the reduction achieved statistical significance (p = 0.001, ηp2 = 0.48). Further results revealed a significant interactive effect of gender (p = 0.001) with boys reporting a significant reduction more than girls. The results showed that drama therapy contributed more to reducing PTSD symptoms, while music therapy contributed more to reducing GAD symptoms. The difference did not achieve statistical significance (p = 0.23). The researchers conclude that both drama and music therapies were associated with reduced symptoms, indicating the interventions may be beneficial therapies.

Outcomes of surgical resection and vagus nerve stimulation in patients with medically refractory epilepsy and glutamic acid decarboxylase 65 antibody positivity.

Epilepsy associated with high-titer glutamic acid decarboxylase 65 (GAD65) IgG is often refractory to immunotherapies and antiseizure medication. This study sought to determine the efficacy of vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) and surgical resection in patients with drug-resistant epilepsy associated with GAD65-IgG. We retrospectively identified 15 patients with drug-resistant epilepsy and high serum GAD65 antibody titers (>20 nmol·L-1) who underwent VNS implantation (n = 6), surgical resection (n = 7), or both (n = 2). A responder to VNS was defined as someone with a ≥50% reduction in seizure frequency, and a favorable surgical outcome was defined as Engel I-II. Of the eight patients who underwent VNS implantation, three (37.5%) were initially responders, but this was not sustained in two. Of the nine patients who underwent surgical resection, three (33.3%) had a favorable outcome; however, only one patient was seizure-free at last follow-up. Pathology was available in six patients, and only one had evidence of inflammation; this patient had seizure onset 1 year prior to surgery. Favorable seizure outcome correlated with older age at time of resective surgery, with a trend favoring later age of seizure onset. Taken together, surgical resection and VNS implantation may have limited efficacy in this patient population but can be considered in carefully selected cases.

The effect of intra spinal administration of cerium oxide nanoparticles on central pain mechanism: An experimental study.

This study investigated Cerium oxide nanoparticles (CeONPs) effect on central neuropathic pain (CNP). The compressive method of spinal cord injury (SCI) model was used for pain induction. Three groups were formed by a random allocation of 24 rats. In the treatment group, CeONPs were injected above and below the lesion site immediately after inducing SCI. pain symptoms were evaluated using acetone, Radian Heat, and Von Frey tests weekly for six weeks. Finally, we counted fibroblasts using H&E staining. We evaluated the expression of Cx43, GAD65 and HDAC2 proteins using the western blot method. The analysis of results was done by PRISM software. At the end of the study, we found that CeONPs reduced pain symptoms to levels similar to those observed in normal animals. CeONPs also increased the expression of GAD65 and Cx43 proteins but did not affect HDAC2 inhibition. CeONPs probably have a pain-relieving effect on chronic pain by potentially preserving GAD65 and Cx43 protein expression and hindering fibroblast infiltration.

Stiff-person syndrome in association with Hashimoto's thyroiditis: a case report.

Stiff-person syndrome (SPS) is a rare neurological disorder characterized by chronic and progressive axial muscle rigidity and paroxysmal painful muscle spasms. The present case study described an SPS patient (increased anti-GAD65 antibody in serum and cerebrospinal fluid) with co-occurring Hashimoto's thyroiditis and decreased C3 complement levels. The clinical presentation, diagnostic approach, and treatment employed for this unique case were comprehensively described in detail. In this case, we comprehensively presented a case of SPS with co-occurring Hashimoto's thyroiditis and an associated decrease in serum C3 complement, as well as a discussion on the current data on this topic.