Network connectivity between psychological resilience and depression in prostate cancer patients.

OBJECTIVES: Prostate cancer (PCa) patients often experience depression. One possible buffer against stress-related depression is psychological resilience (PR), which has been described as heterogeneous in structure, like major depressive disorder (MDD). Although both of these constructs are central to understanding and assisting distressed PCa patients, no data have been reported on how they connect via network arrays at a component and symptom level. Such information has the potential to inform clinical practice with depressed PCa patients. METHODS: Using a cross-sectional design, 555 PCa patients completed the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) and the Connor-Davison Resilience Scale (CDRISC). Data were analysed via network analysis. RESULTS: Network analysis indicated that various CDRISC factors interacted with different PHQ-9 symptoms. For example, trust in one's instincts, tolerance of negative affect, and strengthening effects of stress (CDRISC) was associated with concentration problems and suicidal ideation (PHQ-9); positive acceptance of change, and secure relationships (CDRISC) was linked to low self-worth, anhedonia, fatigue/lethargy, motor problems, depressed mood, and concentration and appetite problems (PHQ-9). Similarly heterogeneous associations were found between individual CDRISC items and PHQ-9 symptoms. Network analytic figures depict both these sets of associations. CONCLUSIONS: As well as confirming the heterogeneous nature of PR and MDD in PCa patients, these findings argue for the further development of 'individualised' medicine approaches when working with PCa patients and their experiences of depression.

Network analysis of depression in prostate cancer patients: Implications for assessment and treatment.

OBJECTIVES: Many prostate cancer patients also suffer from depression, which can decrease their life satisfaction and also impede recovery from their cancer. This study described the network structure of depressive symptomatology in prostate cancer patients, with a view to providing suggestions for clinical interventions for depressed patients. METHODS: Using a cross-sectional design, 555 prostate cancer patients completed the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9). RESULTS: Network analysis and multidimensional scaling indicated that anhedonia was the most central symptom for these men, and that several sets of depression symptoms were closely associated with each other. These included anhedonia-depressed mood; sleeping problems-fatigue/lethargy; and suicidal ideation-low self-worth-depressed mood. Other depression symptoms such as appetite problems, concentration problems, and motor problems, were less well-related with the remainder of the network. Patients receiving treatment for reocurring prostate cancer (PCa) had significantly higher PHQ9 scores than patients undergoing their initial treatment, but no major differences in their network structures. Implications for clinical practice were derived from the relationships between individual depression symptoms and the overall depression network by examining node predictability. CONCLUSIONS: The use of total depression scores on an inventory does not reflect the underlying network structure of depression in PCa patients. Identification and treatment of the central symptom of anhedonia in PCa patients suggests the need to adopt specific therapies that are focussed upon this symptom.

Network analysis of frontal lobe alpha asymmetry confirms the neurophysiological basis of four subtypes of depressive behavior.

Introduction: Although depression is widespread carries a major disease burden, current treatments remain non-universally effective, arguably due to the heterogeneity of depression, and leading to the consideration of depressive "subtypes" or "depressive behavior subtypes." One such model of depressive behavior (DB) subtypes was investigated for its associations with frontal lobe asymmetry (FLA), using a different data analytic procedure than in previous research in this field. Methods: 100 community volunteers (54 males, 46 females) aged between 18 yr. and 75 years (M = 32.53 yr., SD = 14.13 yr) completed the Zung Self-rating Depression Scale (SDS) and underwent 15 min of eyes closed EEG resting data collection across 10 frontal lobe sites. DB subtypes were defined on the basis of previous research using the SDS, and alpha-wave (8-13 Hz) data produced an index of FLA. Data were examined via network analysis. Results: Several network analyses were conducted, producing two models of the association between DB subtypes and FLA, confirming unique neurophysiological profiles for each of the four DB subtypes. Discussion: As well as providing a firm basis for using these DB subtypes in clinical settings, these findings provide a reasonable explanation for the inconsistency in previous FLA-depression research.

Frontal Alpha Asymmetry Argues for the Heterogeneity of Psychological Resilience.

Depression is associated with frontal alpha asymmetry (FAA) and Psychological Resilience (PR), although in different ways. Only cursory attention has been given to how these three constructs interact despite the possible clinical and research implications of those associations. One limitation of recent research into these associations has been conceptualising PR as a unitary construct, whereas it has been shown to be multi-component. This study investigated the underlying components of PR, their correlations with FAA, and the effect that participants' depressive status had upon those correlations in a community sample of 54 males and 46 females aged between 18 yr and 75 years. Results confirmed the overall inverse association between total PR and depression for four of the original five PR components and for one of the two components found in this sample. Similarly, there were differences between the ways that FAA and PR components were associated, depending upon the depressive status of participants. Source localisation data indicated that the PR components were not uniformly correlated with alpha activity in the same brain regions. These findings of content, efficacy, and neurophysiological differences between the five components of PR and their associations with FAA argue against consideration of PR as a unitary construct.

Cluster analysis of autism spectrum disorder symptomatology: Qualitatively distinct subtypes or quantitative degrees of severity of a single disorder?

The decision to collapse several related disorders into a single diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) generated significant controversy and debate. There has been mixed evidence as to whether various ASD subtypes are qualitatively distinct or if they exist on a spectrum of symptom severity. The present study conducted a two-step cluster analysis of major ASD symptoms in a sample of 147 young males with ASD aged between 6yr and 18yr with IQ > 70. Results indicated that a two-cluster solution (high and low severity of ASD symptomatology) was reliable and valid. Further, the construct of challenging behaviour was not a necessary component of the two-cluster solution, verifying the new conceptualisation of ASD. Further replication of these findings with other subsets of individuals with ASD is needed.

A comparison of age, cognitive, hormonal, symptomatic and mood correlates of Aggression towards Others in boys with ASD.

BACKGROUND: Aggression is a major problem in children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) but little is known about the possible contributors to this behaviour. AIMS: To determine the relative strength of the relationships between developmental, cognitive, symptomatic, hormonal and mood factors and 'Aggression towards Others' in boys with ASD. METHOD: Predictors of Aggression towards Others were investigated in a sample of 136 boys with Autism Spectrum Disorder (M age=11.3yr, SD=3.2yr, range=6yr to 17yr). Data were collected from the boys themselves and their parents (14 fathers, 122 mothers). RESULTS: Results indicated that age and Low Registration on the Sensory Profile were the only significant correlates of this form of aggression. Importantly, testosterone levels did not account for level of social aggression. CONCLUSIONS: These data suggest that these boys may have learnt more effective methods of dealing with their frustration as they grew older or benefitted from cognitive maturation, and that having a high neurological threshold may be a source of frustration for these boys. The relationship between Aggression towards Others and Low Registration is discussed and clinical implications of the findings explicated.