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Frontiers in Physiology 2021Sweating, hot flushes, and blushing are symptoms frequently reported by individuals with anxiety disorders. They represent important reinforcers of anxiogenic... (Review)
Review
Sweating, hot flushes, and blushing are symptoms frequently reported by individuals with anxiety disorders. They represent important reinforcers of anxiogenic cognitions and behaviours. One system that may be involved in the manifestation of these symptoms is the thermosensory/thermoregulatory system. The aim of the present study was to investigate to what extent individuals with anxiety disorders are characterised by alterations in this system. PubMed and PsycINFO were systematically searched. Studies were eligible if they (i) assessed individuals with anxiety disorders, (ii) thermosensation or thermoregulatory effectors/outcomes, and (iii) used a case-control design. = 86 studies were identified. There was no evidence of altered thermosensation in individuals with anxiety disorders. Regarding thermoregulatory effectors, individuals with social anxiety disorder exhibited altered cutaneous vasodilation upon pharmacological challenge; individuals with specific phobia showed increased sweating upon confrontation with phobic stimuli; individuals with panic disorder showed increased daily sweating as well as increased sweating in response to non-phobic and phobic stimuli. Regarding thermoregulatory outcomes, there was evidence for altered skin temperature in all subtypes of anxiety. Whereas there was no evidence of altered thermoregulation in specific phobia, a subgroup of individuals with social anxiety and panic disorder appears to exhibit altered vasodilation and sweating, respectively. Longitudinal research is warranted to investigate whether this represents a vulnerability to anxiety/panic.
PubMed: 34938204
DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2021.784943 -
Neuropsychiatric Disease and Treatment 2021Accumulating evidence has shown the important role of the inflammatory process in the pathophysiology of mental disorders. However, the relative levels of inflammatory...
BACKGROUND
Accumulating evidence has shown the important role of the inflammatory process in the pathophysiology of mental disorders. However, the relative levels of inflammatory markers in patients with panic disorder (PD) have rarely been evaluated. The aim of the present study was to conduct a systematic review to determine the correlation of peripheral C-reactive protein (CRP) and inflammatory cytokine profiles with PD.
METHODS
This study followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. We searched for quantitative research studies published up to July 31, 2021 that measured peripheral levels of CRP and inflammatory cytokines in people with PD compared with controls. Meta-analysis using a random-effects model was performed for the levels of CRP and inflammatory cytokines with data from three or more studies.
RESULTS
Fourteen identified studies met the inclusion criteria. In total, 18 cytokines were evaluated. Markers that were reported in more than 3 studies were included in this meta-analysis. The results showed that peripheral levels of CRP, IL-6, IL-2 and TNF-α were significantly higher in PD patients than in healthy controls, while there was no significant difference in peripheral levels of IL-1β, IL-10 and IFN-γ between groups. Notably, the relevant studies involving IL-6, IL-1β, IL-10 and IFN-γ in PD patients were highly heterogeneous. Similar to meta-analyses of other inflammatory factors in mental disorders, our meta-analysis also reflected differences in participant medication use, comorbid anxiety or depression, sampling methods and detection methods. Eight inflammatory cytokines were reported in only one study, and their expression levels were higher, lower, or unchanged compared with those in healthy controls.
CONCLUSION
There is preliminary evidence to suggest a significant inflammatory response in PD patients, but the role of inflammatory markers in PD remains unclear. Studying inflammatory markers in PD will help to clarify the etiology and pathophysiological mechanisms of the disorder.
PubMed: 34908836
DOI: 10.2147/NDT.S340388 -
General Hospital Psychiatry 2022Caffeine has been purported to have anxiogenic and panicogenic properties, specifically salient in patients with panic disorder (PD). However, compilations of the... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis Review
BACKGROUND
Caffeine has been purported to have anxiogenic and panicogenic properties, specifically salient in patients with panic disorder (PD). However, compilations of the magnitude of the effect of caffeine on anxiety and panic attacks are lacking and potential dose-response relationships have not been examined.
OBJECTIVES
In the present systematic review and meta-analysis, we aimed to examine the acute effects of placebo-controlled caffeine challenge on occurrence of panic attacks and subjective anxiety in patients with PD and healthy controls (HC), including dose-response relationships.
METHODS
Systematic searches were performed in six databases. We included blinded placebo-controlled studies of acute caffeine challenge on panic attacks and/or subjective anxiety in adult patients with PD.
RESULTS
Of the 1893 identified articles, ten met our inclusion criteria. The 9 studies investigating panic attacks included 237 patients, of which 51.1% had a panic attack following caffeine, but none after placebo. Six of these studies compared 128 patients with 115 healthy controls (HC), finding that patients (53.9%) were more vulnerable than HC (1.7%) for panic attacks following caffeine (log RR: 3.47; 95% CI 2.06-4.87). Six studies investigated subjective anxiety in 121 patients and 111 HC following caffeine, with an overall effect indicating increased sensitivity to the anxiogenic effects of caffeine in the patient group (Hedges' g = 1.02 [95% CI: 0.09-1.96]). The restricted range of caffeine employed [400-750 mg] and few studies (3) not using 480 mg prevented any meaningful analysis of a dose-response relationship.
LIMITATIONS
Of the ten studies included, only 2 reported anxiety data for the placebo condition, precluding a proper meta-analysis comparing anxiogenic effects of caffeine and placebo. The restricted dose range used prevented assessment of dose-response relationships.
CONCLUSIONS
The results confirm that caffeine at doses roughly equivalent to 5 cups of coffee induces panic attacks in a large proportion of PD patients and highly discriminates this population from healthy adults. Caffeine also increases anxiety in PD patients as well as among healthy adults at these doses although the exact relationship between caffeine-induced anxiety and panic attacks remains uncertain. The results suggest that caffeine targets important mechanisms related to the pathophysiology of PD.
IMPLICATIONS
Future studies should employ a wider range of caffeine doses and investigate contributions of biological and psychological mechanisms underlying the anxiogenic and panicogenic effects of caffeine. In the clinic, patients with PD should be informed about the panicogenic and anxiogenic effects of caffeine, with the caveat that little is known regarding smaller doses than 480 mg. Registration. PROSPERO (www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero) registration number CRD42019120220.
Topics: Adult; Anxiety; Anxiety Disorders; Caffeine; Humans; Panic Disorder
PubMed: 34871964
DOI: 10.1016/j.genhosppsych.2021.11.005 -
Frontiers in Psychiatry 2021Comorbidities are seen with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) across the lifespan. Neurodevelopmental comorbidities are common in young children, followed by mood,...
Comorbidities are seen with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) across the lifespan. Neurodevelopmental comorbidities are common in young children, followed by mood, anxiety, and obsessive-compulsive related disorders (OCRDs) in children, adolescents and adults, and neurological and degenerative disorders in the elderly. Understanding comorbidity prevalence and patterns has clinical and research implications. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis on comorbidities in OCD across the lifespan, with the objective to, first, estimate age-wise pattern and prevalence of comorbidities with OCD and, second, to examine associations of demographic (age at assessment, gender distribution) and clinical characteristics (age of onset, illness severity) with comorbidities. Four electronic databases (PubMed, EMBASE, SCOPUS, and PsycINFO) were searched using predefined search terms for articles published between 1979 and 2020. Eligible studies, across age, reported original findings on comorbidities and had an OCD sample size of ≥100. We excluded studies that did not use standardised diagnostic assessments, or that excluded patients on the basis of comorbidity. We adhered to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. The review protocol has been registered on the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews. A comorbidity rate of 69% was found in a pooled sample of more than 15,000 individuals. Mood disorders (major depressive disorder), anxiety disorders (generalised anxiety disorder), neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs) and OCRDs were the commonest comorbidities. Anxiety disorders prevailed in children, mood disorders in adults, whereas NDDs were similarly prevalent. Higher comorbidity with any psychiatric illness, NDDs, and severe mental disorders was seen in males, vs. females. Illness severity was inversely associated with rates for panic disorder, tic disorders, OCRDs, obsessive compulsive personality disorder, and anorexia nervosa. This systematic review and meta-analysis provides base rates for comorbidities in OCD across the lifespan. This has implications for comprehensive clinical evaluation and management planning. The high variability in comorbidity rates suggests the need for quality, multi-centric, large studies, using prospective designs. Unique Identifier: CRD42020215904.
PubMed: 34858219
DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2021.703701 -
Indian Journal of Gastroenterology :... Oct 2021Celiac disease (CD) primarily affects the small intestine. Previous studies have identified higher incidences of neuropsychiatric diseases among CD patients compared to... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis Review
Celiac disease (CD) primarily affects the small intestine. Previous studies have identified higher incidences of neuropsychiatric diseases among CD patients compared to non-CD controls. Genome-wide association studies have identified >60 non-human leukocyte antigen (HLA) genes associated with CD, where estimated 15% genes have role in neurological health. We carried out a systematic review and meta-analysis to estimate the potential risk conferred by CD in developing neuropsychiatric diseases. Literature search was performed till June 2019. Incidences of neuropsychiatric diseases were compared among CD and non-CD controls. Funnel plots and Egger's tests were used to evaluate publication bias and estimate study effects. Qualities of the included studies were estimated using Newcastle-Ottawa Scale. Quality of evidence was graded using the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) approach. Odds of developing neuropsychiatric diseases among CD were evaluated by computing meta-odds ratio (Manten-Haenszel method) and Z test p-value using random and fixed effect models based on the degree of study heterogeneity. Thirteen non-randomized case-control studies were found eligible. Subjects suffering from CD were found to have significantly more risk to develop depression (p<1.00E-05; OR=1.60 [1.37-1.86]), anxiety (p=0.05; OR=1.41 [1.00-1.97]), headache (p<0.1.00E-05; OR=3.27 [2.46-4.34]), epilepsy (p<1.00E-04; OR=11.90 [3.78-37.43]), panic disorder (p<1.00E-04; OR=4.64 [2.22-9.70]), and dysthymia (p=2.00E-03; OR=5.27 [1.83-15.22]). CD is a major predisposing factor in developing array of common neuropsychiatric diseases. Shared biological processes and molecular networks could play a crucial role in disease co-occurrence. Detailed molecular evidences are needed to establish the cause-effect relationship between these diseases.
Topics: Anxiety; Celiac Disease; Depression; Dysthymic Disorder; Epilepsy; Genome-Wide Association Study; Headache; Humans; Panic Disorder
PubMed: 34839445
DOI: 10.1007/s12664-021-01215-2 -
Association between panic disorder and childhood adversities: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Psychological Medicine Apr 2023Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) increase the risk of mental health difficulties in general, but the link to panic disorder (PD) has received comparatively little... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis
BACKGROUND
Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) increase the risk of mental health difficulties in general, but the link to panic disorder (PD) has received comparatively little attention. There are no data for the magnitudes between ACEs and PD. This systematic review and meta-analysis estimated the overall, as well as the subgroups, odds ratio of having PD in adults who report ACEs, compared to adults who do not.
METHODS
The study was pre-registered on PROSPERO [CRD42018111506] and the database was searched in June 2021. In order to overcome the violation of independent assumptions due to multiple estimations from the same samples, we utilized a robust variance estimation model that supports meta-analysis for clustered estimations. Accordingly, an advanced method relaxing the distributional and asymptotic assumptions was used to assess publication bias and sensitivity.
RESULTS
The literature search and screening returned 34 final studies, comprising 192,182 participants. Ninety-six estimations of 20 types of ACEs were extracted. Pooled ORs are: overall 2.2, CI (1.82-2.58), sexual abuse 1.92, CI (1.37-2.46), physical abuse 1.71, CI (1.37-2.05), emotional abuse 1.61, CI (0.868-2.35), emotional neglect 1.53, CI (0.756-2.31), parental alcoholism 1.83, CI (1.24-2.43), and parental separation/loss 1.82, CI (1.14-2.50). No between-group difference was identified by either sociolegal classification (abuse, neglect, household dysfunction) or threat-deprivation dimensions (high on threat, high on deprivation and mixed).
CONCLUSIONS
There are links of mild to medium strength between overall ACEs and PD as well as individual ACEs. The homogeneous effect sizes across ACEs either suggest the effects of ACEs on PD are comparable, or raised the question whether the categorical or dimensional approaches to classifying ACEs are the definitive ways to conceptualize the impact of ACEs on later mental health.
Topics: Adult; Humans; Child; Panic Disorder; Child Abuse; Mental Health; Adverse Childhood Experiences; Physical Abuse
PubMed: 34776038
DOI: 10.1017/S0033291721004505 -
Archives of Women's Mental Health Feb 2022Anxiety disorders are more prevalent and severe in women than men. Extant research suggests that the menstrual cycle modulates the severity and expression of anxiety... (Review)
Review
Anxiety disorders are more prevalent and severe in women than men. Extant research suggests that the menstrual cycle modulates the severity and expression of anxiety symptoms across a range of disorders. The aims of this systematic review were to synthesise the existing literature investigating menstrual phase-related fluctuations in symptoms of anxiety disorders, and related conditions PTSD and OCD, in menstruating women, and to evaluate the methodologies used. PsycINFO and PubMed were searched through to April 2021 for studies that measured and compared symptoms of a diagnosed anxiety disorder, PTSD, or OCD, between at least two menstrual phases. Fourteen studies meeting inclusion criteria were identified. The review revealed evidence for exacerbation of a broad range of symptoms in panic disorder, PTSD, social anxiety disorder, and generalised anxiety disorder, around the weeks prior to and post menses onset, coincident with elevated but declining ovarian hormones, and low hormone levels, respectively. Effects were heterogenous between individuals and different symptom types. Key methodological weaknesses included sub-optimal and inconsistent means of defining and identifying menstrual phases, low sample representativeness, and small sample sizes. Menstrual fluctuations in anxiety symptoms appear to be a feature of anxiety disorders, PTSD, and OCD, but likely only occur in a subset of women. Future research in this field could better manage and account for such heterogeneity by using group-based trajectory modelling in larger sample sizes and using pre-screening to recruit women with known histories of menstrual fluctuation in anxiety symptoms.
Topics: Anxiety; Anxiety Disorders; Female; Humans; Male; Menstrual Cycle; Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder; Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic
PubMed: 34668073
DOI: 10.1007/s00737-021-01187-4 -
General Hospital Psychiatry 2021To determine the prevalence of anxiety in general hospital inpatients by conducting a systematic review and meta-analysis of all relevant published studies. (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis
OBJECTIVE
To determine the prevalence of anxiety in general hospital inpatients by conducting a systematic review and meta-analysis of all relevant published studies.
METHOD
We searched Ovid Medline, Ovid Embase and Ovid PsycINFO from inception to December 2020. We included studies of the prevalence of anxiety symptoms of clinically significant severity (using cut-off scores on rating scales) and of the prevalence of anxiety disorders (using diagnostic interviews) in general hospital inpatients. Two independent reviewers assessed articles and extracted data. The review is registered with PROSPERO, number CRD42020189722.
RESULTS
We included 32 studies. Pooled prevalence estimates in random-effects meta-analyses were: anxiety symptoms 28% (95% CI 19% to 38%, 95% prediction interval 5% to 72%), any anxiety disorder 8% (95% CI 5% to 12%, 95% prediction interval 2% to 33%), panic disorder 3% (95% CI 2% to 4%, 95% prediction interval 1% to 8%), generalized anxiety disorder 5% (95% CI 3% to 8%, 95% prediction interval 1% to 23%). There was high heterogeneity in prevalence, little of which was explained in exploratory analyses of a limited number of potential determinants.
CONCLUSION
Anxiety symptoms of clinically significant severity affect more than one in four inpatients and anxiety disorders affect nearly one in ten.
Topics: Anxiety; Anxiety Disorders; Hospitals, General; Humans; Inpatients; Prevalence
PubMed: 34454342
DOI: 10.1016/j.genhosppsych.2021.08.004 -
Frontiers in Psychiatry 2021To synthesize the prevalence of mental and substance use disorders in countries of the Eastern Mediterranean Region (EMR) of the World Health Organization. The...
To synthesize the prevalence of mental and substance use disorders in countries of the Eastern Mediterranean Region (EMR) of the World Health Organization. The literature search was conducted across several databases in two phases. First, we searched for systematic reviews and/or meta-analyses published before 2014, reporting prevalence estimates for mental disorders in the EMR. Then, we identified new primary cross-sectional or longitudinal studies published between 2014 and 2020. Studies were included if they had a sample size of ≥ 450 and were conducted among the general adult population. Current, period and lifetime prevalence estimates for each disorder were pooled using random-effects meta-analyses, and subgroup analyses and meta-regressions were conducted. Prevalence estimates were extracted from 54 cross-sectional studies across 15 countries within the EMR. Pooled analyses of current, period and lifetime prevalence showed the highest prevalence for depression (14.8%, 95% confidence interval, CI: 10.7-20.1%), followed by generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) (10.4%, 95% CI: 7.1-14.7%), post-traumatic stress disorder (7.2%, 95% CI: 2.9-16.6%), substance use (4.0%, 95% CI: 3.1-5.2%), obsessive compulsive disorder (2.8%, 95% CI: 1.6-4.9%), phobic disorders (1.8%, 95% CI: 1.1-2.8%), panic disorders (1.1%, 95% CI: 0.6-2.2%), bipolar disorders (0.7%, 95% CI: 0.3-1.6%), and psychosis (0.5%, 95% CI: 0.3-0.9%). Populations exposed to adverse events had higher prevalence of mental disorders than the general population. Period and lifetime prevalence showed little difference across mental disorders. More pronounced differences in prevalence were seen for depression and GAD, specifically between current and lifetime prevalence (depression: current prevalence 20.5% (95% CI: 14.9-27.4%), vs. lifetime prevalence: 4.2% (95%CI: 1.8-9.6%); GAD: current prevalence 10.3% (95% CI: 6.1-17.0), vs. lifetime prevalence: 4.5% (95% CI: 2.4-8.3%). Differences between current and lifetime prevalence of mental disorders may be due to the use of different screening instruments and thresholds being applied. The prevalence of mental and substance use disorders in the EMR is high. Despite substantial inter-survey heterogeneity, our estimates align with previous global and regional data on mental disorders. Our meta-review provides new evidence on the burden of mental health problems in the EMR. PROSPERO, https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?ID=CRD42020187388.
PubMed: 34335323
DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2021.665019 -
The British Journal of Clinical... Sep 2022We reviewed the evidence regarding the effectiveness of schema therapy for anxiety disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), and posttraumatic stress disorder...
OBJECTIVES
We reviewed the evidence regarding the effectiveness of schema therapy for anxiety disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
METHODS
This systematic review followed the recommendation of the PRISMA guidelines. A database search (PsycINFO, MEDLINE, EMBASE, WEB OF SCIENCE, and Academic Search Ultimate) was conducted to identify eligible studies up until 2 April 2021. The search included the keywords ('schema therap*' or 'schema group therap*' or 'schema mode therap*' or 'schema focused' or 'young's model') and ('anxiety disorder*' or 'anxiety-related disorder*' or 'agoraphobia' or 'health anxiety' or 'phobi*' or 'panic disorder' or 'obsessive compulsive disorder' or 'OCD' or 'posttraumatic stress' or 'post traumatic stress' or 'PTSD' or 'hypochondria' or 'axis 1'). Included studies were appraised on methodological quality according to the Psychotherapy Outcome study Methodology Rating Form.
RESULTS
We identified 41 studies that were eligible based on the topic. However, only six (comprising 316 anxiety, OCD, and PTSD patients) could be included despite lenient methodological inclusion/exclusion criteria. Results showed that schema therapy can lead to beneficial effects in disorder-specific symptoms and early maladaptive schemas. Yet, we also uncovered substantial methodological limitations in most studies.
CONCLUSIONS
Schema therapy is a promising treatment for anxiety, OCD, and PTSD. Yet, there is a systematic problem in the quality of research despite growing clinical interest and application. We therefore concluded with a research agenda presenting recommendations for future research that will be crucial for building a solid evidence-base for schema therapy in chronic anxiety, OCD, and PTSD.
PRACTITIONER POINTS
A systematic review on the effectiveness of schema therapy for anxiety disorders, OCD, and PTSD. Preliminary but limited evidence that schema therapy leads to beneficial effects in disorder-specific symptoms. Preliminary but limited evidence that schema therapy leads to beneficial effects in early maladaptive schemas in anxiety, OCD, and PTSD. More research of higher methodological quality is needed to provide more conclusive empirical support for the use of schema therapy for anxiety, OCD, and PTSD.
Topics: Anxiety Disorders; Humans; Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder; Psychotherapy; Schema Therapy; Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic
PubMed: 34296767
DOI: 10.1111/bjc.12324