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Life (Basel, Switzerland) Jun 2024Menopausal women experience changes in ovarian activity and fluctuating hormone levels. The aim of this study was to detect ongoing sleep and nutritional problems in...
Menopausal women experience changes in ovarian activity and fluctuating hormone levels. The aim of this study was to detect ongoing sleep and nutritional problems in postmenopausal women. This study was conducted with 62 postmenopausal women who had been diagnosed with major depressive disorder, were aged 42-64, were not dieting for at least 1 month, and had been using antidepressants for at least 6 months. The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index and Depression Anxiety Stress Scale-42 were used. Anthropometric measurements were taken and body composition analysis was performed. The prevalence of obesity and overweight were 12.9% and 71%, respectively. Hot flashes, night sweats, and mood swing were more common in those who had been through menopause for <5 years. Also, the PSQI, Depression, and Stress scores of those women were higher. Women who had been menopausal for ≥5 years had a higher BMI, waist/hip ratio, and fat mass and better sleep quality and lower daytime dysfunction according to the PSQI. Energy and fat intake were higher, while protein, vitamin C, and calcium intakes were lower in women who had been menopausal for ≥5 years. It is crucial for healthcare professionals to review approaches for early and late menopausal periods and to individualize treatment options, especially in patients whose symptoms persist.
PubMed: 38929757
DOI: 10.3390/life14060775 -
Medicina (Kaunas, Lithuania) Jun 2024: One of the most significant psychiatric problems in women is depression related to the perinatal period. Our study aims to determine the frequency and course of... (Observational Study)
Observational Study
: One of the most significant psychiatric problems in women is depression related to the perinatal period. Our study aims to determine the frequency and course of depressive symptomatology in the perinatal period with particular reference to objective rate and outcome of postpartum depression. : One hundred and eighty-eight pregnant/postnatal women were included in a prospective, longitudinal, observational study during which the depressive symptomatology was estimated at the third trimester of pregnancy, and the first, sixth, and twelfth month' postpartum. All participants completed a semi-structured sociodemographic questionnaire constructed for research purposes, the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale, Toronto Alexithymia Scale, Beck Anxiety Inventory, and The Mood Disorder Questionnaire at each time point. Postpartum depression diagnosis was confirmed by a trained and certified psychiatrist with long-standing experience. For a better understanding of the trajectory of depressive symptomatology and genuine postpartum depression, we classified depression into those with new-onset and those left over from the previous observation period. In general, 48.9% of participants in the study were depressed at some point during the investigation. A total of 10.6% of women were depressed in the third trimester. The highest percentage of new-onset depression (25%) was in the first month after giving birth and was maintained for up to six months, after which the appearance was sporadic. Most of the postpartum depression resolved in the period from the first month to the sixth month after childbirth (20.7%). The episodes mainly had characteristics of unipolar depression. Our results imply that a new onset of depression is most intensive during the first six months, and after that, it is sporadic. Further studies are needed to explore whether all depressive symptomatology in the postnatal period is the same, or perhaps postpartum depression, classified in this way, has specific characteristics, etiology, and consequently different treatment and preventive options.
Topics: Humans; Female; Pregnancy; Adult; Prospective Studies; Depression, Postpartum; Pregnancy Trimester, Third; Longitudinal Studies; Depression; Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; Parity; Surveys and Questionnaires; Mothers; Postpartum Period
PubMed: 38929587
DOI: 10.3390/medicina60060970 -
Medicina (Kaunas, Lithuania) Jun 2024: Options for treatment-resistant bipolar depression (TRBPD) are limited. Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) has shown efficacy in TRBPD. However, the cognitive deficits...
: Options for treatment-resistant bipolar depression (TRBPD) are limited. Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) has shown efficacy in TRBPD. However, the cognitive deficits and memory concerns associated with ECT are problematic for a significant number of patients. It remains unclear what the next step is for patients with TRBPD who fail ECT. In this case report, we present a patient with TRBPD who sequentially received 12 sessions of brief-pulse right unilateral ECT, 22 sessions of ketamine infusion at 0.5-0.75 mg/kg for 40 min, and 39 sessions of deep repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (dTMS). The patient had some benefit from ECT, but declined continuation of ECT due to memory concerns. The patient tolerated ketamine infusion well but had limited benefit. However, the patient responded well to acute treatment with dTMS and maintained relative stability for more than 2 years. This case suggests that patients with TRBPD who fail ECT and/or ketamine infusion might benefit from dTMS.
Topics: Humans; Ketamine; Electroconvulsive Therapy; Bipolar Disorder; Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation; Depressive Disorder, Treatment-Resistant; Female; Male; Middle Aged; Adult; Treatment Outcome
PubMed: 38929552
DOI: 10.3390/medicina60060936 -
Brain Sciences Jun 2024Correct classification of irritability is extremely important to assess prognosis and treatment indications of juvenile mood disorders. We assessed factors associated...
Correct classification of irritability is extremely important to assess prognosis and treatment indications of juvenile mood disorders. We assessed factors associated with low versus high parent- and self-rated irritability using the affective reactivity index (ARI) in a sample of 289 adolescents diagnosed with a bipolar or a major depressive disorder. Bivariate analyses were followed by multilinear logistic regression model. Factors significantly and independently associated with high versus low parent-rated ARI score were: more severe emotional dysregulation and bipolar disorders diagnosis. Factors significantly and independently associated with high versus low self-rated ARI score were: lower children depression rating scale (CDRS-R) difficulty of having fun item score, greater children depression inventory (CDI-2) self-report score, more severe emotional dysregulation, and greater CDRS-R appetite disturbance item score. High parent-rated irritability was strictly related with a bipolar disorder diagnosis, whereas high youth-rated irritability was related to depressive phenotype characterized by appetite/food-intake dysregulation, mood lability, and less anhedonia and apathy.
PubMed: 38928611
DOI: 10.3390/brainsci14060611 -
Brain Sciences Jun 2024Melancholia is a major and severe subtype of depression, with only limited data regarding its association with neurological phenomena. To extend the current...
Melancholia is a major and severe subtype of depression, with only limited data regarding its association with neurological phenomena. To extend the current understanding of how particular aspects of melancholia are correlated with brain activity, electroencephalographic data were collected from 100 adults (44 males and 56 females, all aged 18 y or more) and investigated for the association between symptoms of melancholia and the ratios of alpha/beta activity and theta/beta activity at parietal-occipital EEG sites PO1 and PO2. The results indicate differences in these associations according to the depressive status of participants and the particular symptom of melancholia. Depressed participants exhibited meaningfully direct correlations between alpha/beta and theta/beta activity and the feeling that "Others would be better off if I was dead" at PO1, whereas non-depressed participants had significant inverse correlations between theta/beta activity and "Feeling useless and not needed" and "I find it hard to make decisions" at PO1. The results are discussed in terms of the relative levels of fast-wave (beta) versus slow-wave (alpha, theta) activity exhibited by depressed and non-depressed participants in the parietal-occipital region and the cognitive activities that are relevant to that region.
PubMed: 38928607
DOI: 10.3390/brainsci14060607 -
Brain Sciences May 2024Mood disorders and substance use disorder (SUD) are of immense medical and social concern. Although significant progress on neuronal involvement in mood and reward... (Review)
Review
Mood disorders and substance use disorder (SUD) are of immense medical and social concern. Although significant progress on neuronal involvement in mood and reward circuitries has been achieved, it is only relatively recently that the role of glia in these disorders has attracted attention. Detailed understanding of the glial functions in these devastating diseases could offer novel interventions. Here, following a brief review of circuitries involved in mood regulation and reward perception, the specific contributions of neurotrophic factors, neuroinflammation, and gut microbiota to these diseases are highlighted. In this context, the role of specific glial cells (e.g., microglia, astroglia, oligodendrocytes, and synantocytes) on phenotypic manifestation of mood disorders or SUD are emphasized. In addition, use of this knowledge in the potential development of novel therapeutics is touched upon.
PubMed: 38928557
DOI: 10.3390/brainsci14060558 -
Brain Sciences May 2024Depression is the most common mental disorder worldwide. Both antidepressants and psychotherapy are effective in treating depression, but the response to these... (Review)
Review
Depression is the most common mental disorder worldwide. Both antidepressants and psychotherapy are effective in treating depression, but the response to these treatments is often incomplete. Yoga-based interventions (YBIs) have been advocated by some researchers as a promising form of alternative treatment for depression. Recent research has attempted to identify the biological mechanisms associated with the antidepressant actions of YBIs. In this scoping review, conducted according to the PRISMA-ScR guidelines, the PubMed and Scopus databases were searched to retrieve research on biomarkers of response to YBIs in patients with depression. These studies were also critically reviewed to evaluate their methodological quality and any sources of bias. Nineteen studies were included in the review. Based on these studies, there is preliminary evidence that YBIs may be associated with increased serum brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and reduced serum cortisol and interleukin-6 (IL-6) in patients with depression. However, many of these changes were also observed in the control arms, and the overall quality of the research was low. At present, it cannot be concluded that there are reliable biomarkers of response to YBIs in depression, though there are some potential biological correlates. Further advances in this field will depend critically on improvements in study design, particularly the minimization of sources of bias and the selection of more specific and sensitive biomarkers based on existing evidence from other treatment modalities.
PubMed: 38928543
DOI: 10.3390/brainsci14060543 -
International Journal of Molecular... Jun 2024NMDA receptor antagonists have potential for therapeutics in neurological and psychiatric diseases, including neurodegenerative diseases, epilepsy, traumatic brain... (Review)
Review
NMDA receptor antagonists have potential for therapeutics in neurological and psychiatric diseases, including neurodegenerative diseases, epilepsy, traumatic brain injury, substance abuse disorder (SUD), and major depressive disorder (MDD). ()-ketamine was the first of a novel class of antidepressants, rapid-acting antidepressants, to be approved for medical use. The stereoisomer, ()-ketamine (arketamine), is currently under development for treatment-resistant depression (TRD). The compound has demonstrated efficacy in multiple animal models. Two clinical studies disclosed efficacy in TRD and bipolar depression. A study by the drug sponsor recently failed to reach a priori clinical endpoints but post hoc analysis revealed efficacy. The clinical value of ()-ketamine is supported by experimental data in humans and rodents, showing that it is less sedating, does not produce marked psychotomimetic or dissociative effects, has less abuse potential than ()-ketamine, and produces efficacy in animal models of a range of neurological and psychiatric disorders. The mechanisms of action of the antidepressant effects of ()-ketamine are hypothesized to be due to NMDA receptor antagonism and/or non-NMDA receptor mechanisms. We suggest that further clinical experimentation with ()-ketamine will create novel and improved medicines for some of the neurological and psychiatric disorders that are underserved by current medications.
Topics: Ketamine; Humans; Animals; Antidepressive Agents; Nervous System Diseases; Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate; Mental Disorders; Stereoisomerism
PubMed: 38928508
DOI: 10.3390/ijms25126804 -
International Journal of Molecular... Jun 2024Copper is a transition metal essential for growth and development and indispensable for eukaryotic life. This metal is essential to neuronal function: its deficiency, as... (Review)
Review
Copper is a transition metal essential for growth and development and indispensable for eukaryotic life. This metal is essential to neuronal function: its deficiency, as well as its overload have been associated with multiple neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer's disease and Wilson's disease and psychiatric conditions such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and major depressive disorders. Copper plays a fundamental role in the development and function of the human Central Nervous System (CNS), being a cofactor of multiple enzymes that play a key role in physiology during development. In this context, we thought it would be timely to summarize data on alterations in the metabolism of copper at the CNS level that might influence the development of neuropsychiatric symptoms. We present a non-systematic review with the study selection based on the authors' judgement to offer the reader a perspective on the most significant elements of neuropsychiatric symptoms in Wilson's disease. We highlight that Wilson's disease is characterized by marked heterogeneity in clinical presentation among patients with the same mutation. This should motivate more research efforts to disentangle the role of environmental factors in modulating the expression of genetic predisposition to this disorder.
Topics: Humans; Copper; Hepatolenticular Degeneration; Mental Disorders; Animals
PubMed: 38928192
DOI: 10.3390/ijms25126487 -
International Journal of Molecular... Jun 2024Astrocyte dysfunctions have been consistently observed in patients affected with depression and other psychiatric illnesses. Although over the years our understanding of... (Review)
Review
Astrocyte dysfunctions have been consistently observed in patients affected with depression and other psychiatric illnesses. Although over the years our understanding of these changes, their origin, and their consequences on behavior and neuronal function has deepened, many aspects of the role of astroglial dysfunction in major depressive disorder (MDD) and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) remain unknown. In this review, we summarize the known astroglial dysfunctions associated with MDD and PTSD, highlight the impact of chronic stress on specific astroglial functions, and how astroglial dysfunctions are implicated in the expression of depressive- and anxiety-like behaviors, focusing on behavioral consequences of astroglial manipulation on emotion-related and fear-learning behaviors. We also offer a glance at potential astroglial functions that can be targeted for potential antidepressant treatment.
Topics: Animals; Astrocytes; Humans; Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic; Mood Disorders; Disease Models, Animal; Depressive Disorder, Major; Stress, Psychological; Rodentia
PubMed: 38928062
DOI: 10.3390/ijms25126357