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Frontiers in Psychiatry 2024Studies have shown that psychological factors, notably interpersonal needs and emotion regulation, play a significant role in suicidal behavior. Interpersonal needs are...
BACKGROUND
Studies have shown that psychological factors, notably interpersonal needs and emotion regulation, play a significant role in suicidal behavior. Interpersonal needs are significant contextual components that affect emotion regulation and contribute to a wide range of dysfunctional behaviors, such as suicidal behavior. It has been postulated that emotion regulation mediates the associations between proximal and distal risk factors of suicidal behavior.
METHOD
The sample consisted of 340 community-dwelling individuals (62.5% women; SD = 0.48) with an age range of 18 through 55 (M = 30.23; SD = 8.54) who completed the interpersonal needs questionnaire, the suicide behaviors questionnaire-revised, and the cognitive emotion regulation questionnaire. The Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) approach was utilized to evaluate a mediation model.
RESULTS
The findings indicate that interpersonal needs (i.e., perceived burdensomeness r = .55, p <.01 and thwarted belongingness r = .25, p <.01) and putatively maladaptive cognitive emotion regulation strategies (i.e., self-blame; r = .38, p <.01, catastrophizing; r = .55, p <.01, rumination; r = .40, p <.01, and other blame; r = .44, p <.01) have strong associations with suicidal behavior, and these strategies have a mediating effect on the association between interpersonal needs and suicidal behavior.
CONCLUSIONS
Our findings show that contextual-interpersonal needs, which underpin suicidal behavior, are significantly influenced by maladaptive emotional processes. Thus, therapeutic outcomes might be enhanced by focusing on the content of the associated cognitions and trying to reduce maladaptive regulatory processes like rumination and catastrophization.
PubMed: 38911702
DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2024.1301695 -
Frontiers in Psychiatry 2024Although some adults with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) require intensive and specialized ASD treatment, there is little research on how these adults experience the...
INTRODUCTION
Although some adults with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) require intensive and specialized ASD treatment, there is little research on how these adults experience the recovery process. Recovery is defined as the significant improvement in general functioning compared to the situation prior to treatment.
METHODS
This qualitative study describes the recovery process from the perspective of adults on the autism spectrum during intensive inpatient treatment. Semi-structured interviews (n = 15) were carried out and analyzed according to the principles of grounded theory.
RESULTS
Our results indicate that, given the specific characteristics of autism, therapeutic interventions and goal-oriented work cannot be carried out successfully, and the recovery process cannot begin, if no good working relationship has been established, and if care is not organized in ways that a person on the autism spectrum finds clear and predictable.
PubMed: 38911701
DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2024.1383138 -
Frontiers in Neuroscience 2024Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD) is a crucial molecule in cellular metabolism and signaling. Mapping intracellular NAD content of human brain has long been of...
INTRODUCTION
Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD) is a crucial molecule in cellular metabolism and signaling. Mapping intracellular NAD content of human brain has long been of interest. However, the sub-millimolar level of cerebral NAD concentration poses significant challenges for measurement and imaging.
METHODS
In this study, we demonstrated the feasibility of non-invasively mapping NAD contents in entire human brain by employing a phosphorus-31 magnetic resonance spectroscopic imaging (P-MRSI)-based NAD assay at ultrahigh field (7 Tesla), in combination with a probabilistic subspace-based processing method.
RESULTS
The processing method achieved about a 10-fold reduction in noise over raw measurements, resulting in remarkably reduced estimation errors of NAD. Quantified NAD levels, observed at approximately 0.4 mM, exhibited good reproducibility within repeated scans on the same subject and good consistency across subjects in group data (2.3 cc nominal resolution). One set of higher-resolution data (1.0 cc nominal resolution) unveiled potential for assessing tissue metabolic heterogeneity, showing similar NAD distributions in white and gray matter. Preliminary analysis of age dependence suggested that the NAD level decreases with age.
DISCUSSION
These results illustrate favorable outcomes of our first attempt to use ultrahigh field P-MRSI and advanced processing techniques to generate a whole-brain map of low-concentration intracellular NAD content in the human brain.
PubMed: 38911598
DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2024.1389111 -
Lancet Regional Health. Americas Jul 2024Reducing cigarette addictiveness has the potential to avert millions of yearly tobacco-related deaths worldwide. Substantially reducing nicotine in cigarettes decreases...
BACKGROUND
Reducing cigarette addictiveness has the potential to avert millions of yearly tobacco-related deaths worldwide. Substantially reducing nicotine in cigarettes decreases cigarette consumption, but no large clinical trial has determined the effects of reduced-nicotine cigarettes when other nicotine-containing products are available. The aim of this study was to examine the effects of reduced-nicotine cigarettes in the context of the availability of alternative nicotine delivery systems.
METHODS
In a U.S. six-site, open-label, parallel-arm study, smokers were randomized for twelve weeks to an experimental marketplace containing cigarettes with either 0.4 mg or 15.8 mg nicotine per gram of tobacco; all had access to non-combusted alternative nicotine delivery systems (e.g., e-cigarettes; medicinal nicotine). Group differences in the primary outcomes (cigarettes per day, number of smoke-free days) were examined using linear and negative binomial regression, respectively (Trial Registration: NCT03272685).
FINDINGS
Among 438 randomized participants (mean [standard deviation (SD), range] age, 44.5 [11.9, 20-73] years, 225 [51.4%] women, 282 [64.4%] White and 339 [77.4%] trial completers), those in the 0.4 mg vs. 15.8 mg nicotine cigarette condition experienced significantly lower cigarettes per day at the end of intervention (mean [SD], 7.05 [7.88] vs. 12.95 [9.07], adjusted mean difference, -6.21 [95% CI, -7.66 to -4.75], P < 0.0001) and greater smoke-free days during intervention (mean [SD], 18.59 [27.97] vs. 5.06 [13.77], adjusted rate ratio, 4.25 [95% CI, 2.58-6.98], P < 0.0001).
INTERPRETATION
A reduced-nicotine cigarette standard in the context of access to other non-combusted nicotine products has the potential to benefit public health.
FUNDING
U.S. NIH/FDA U54DA03165.
PubMed: 38911348
DOI: 10.1016/j.lana.2024.100796 -
SSM. Qualitative Research in Health Jun 2024•Various aspects of neighbourhood environments influence recovery from psychosis.•High levels of violence at the neighbourhood level may negatively affect...
•Various aspects of neighbourhood environments influence recovery from psychosis.•High levels of violence at the neighbourhood level may negatively affect recovery.•Social cohesion may be a protective factor that promotes recovery.•Normalisation of cannabis use and easy access to cannabis may also hinder recovery.•Community involvement is needed to design interventions targeting these factors.
PubMed: 38911287
DOI: 10.1016/j.ssmqr.2023.100373 -
The Lancet Regional Health. Western... Jun 2024The Australian population aged 70 and above is increasing and imposing new challenges for policy makers and providers to deliver accessible, appropriate and affordable...
Pre-COVID life expectancy, mortality, and burden of diseases for adults 70 years and older in Australia: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease 2019 Study.
BACKGROUND
The Australian population aged 70 and above is increasing and imposing new challenges for policy makers and providers to deliver accessible, appropriate and affordable health care. We examine pre-COVID patterns of health loss between 1990 and 2019 to inform policies and practices.
METHODS
Using the standardised methodology framework and analytical strategies from GBD 2019 methodologies, we estimated mortality, causes of death, years of life lost (YLLs), years lived with disability (YLDs), disability-adjusted life years (DALYs), life expectancy at age 70 and above (LE-70), and healthy life expectancy (HALE-70) in Australia comparing them globally and with high socio-demographic index (SDI) groups.
FINDINGS
DALY rates have been improving steadily over the past 30 years among Australians aged 70 and above. Decreases in DALY rates were primarily attributed to a fall in YLLs attributable to cardiovascular diseases (60%) and chronic respiratory disorders (30.2%) and transport injuries (56.9%), while the non-fatal burden remained stable from 1990 to 2019. According to the DALY rates, the top five leading causes are ischemic heart disease, Alzheimer's disease, COPD, stroke, and falls, where falls exhibited the largest increase since 1990.
INTERPRETATION
This study provides an in-depth report on the main causes of mortality and disability in Australia's population aged 70 and above. It sheds light on the shifts in burden over three decades, emphasising the need for the Australian health system to enhance its readiness in addressing the escalating demands of an ageing population. These findings establish pre-COVID baseline estimates for Australia's population aged 70 and above, informing healthcare preparedness.
FUNDING
Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
PubMed: 38911261
DOI: 10.1016/j.lanwpc.2024.101092 -
Frontiers in Human Neuroscience 2024
PubMed: 38911230
DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2024.1432073 -
Neuropsychiatric Disease and Treatment 2024Schizophrenia is most times a chronic and often debilitating illness associated with poor mental health outcomes. Early and effective treatment of schizophrenia in the... (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND
Schizophrenia is most times a chronic and often debilitating illness associated with poor mental health outcomes. Early and effective treatment of schizophrenia in the most appropriate setting can make a significant difference in the long-term recovery. The aim of this narrative review was to provide suggestions and recommendations for effectively managing patients with schizophrenia during acute exacerbations and to enhance awareness and skills related to personalized medicine.
METHODS
A panel of academics and clinicians with experience in the field of psychosis met virtually on July 13 2023 to narratively review and discuss the research evidence and their clinical experience about the most appropriate acute treatments for patients with schizophrenia. This manuscript represents a synthesis of the panel analysis and discussion.
RESULTS
First contact is very important for service users, as is finding the most adequate treatment setting. If patients present to the emergency department, which may be a traumatic setting for service users, a dedicated environment with adequate space and specialized mental health support, including personnel trained in de-escalation techniques, is recommended. A well-connected continuum of care is strongly recommended, possibly with seamless links between inpatient units, day hospital services, outpatient facilities and rehabilitation services. Ideally, this should be structured as part of a coordinated step-down service line. Treatment challenges include suboptimal response, side effects, and nonadherence, which is reduced by the use of long-acting injectable antipsychotics.
CONCLUSION
Individual circumstances, including age, gender, and presence of hostility/aggression or self-harm, cognitive impairment and negative symptoms, comorbidities (depression, substance use disorders) or associated symptoms (anxiety, insomnia), should be considered when selecting the most appropriate treatment for the acute phase of schizophrenia. Efficacy and feasibility, as well as acceptability and tolerability of treatments, require joint consideration from the early stages of schizophrenia, thereby enhancing the possibility of improved short- and long-term outcomes.
PubMed: 38911102
DOI: 10.2147/NDT.S459450 -
Frontiers in Cellular Neuroscience 2024RASopathies are a group of genetic disorders caused by mutations in genes encoding components and regulators of the RAS/MAPK signaling pathway, resulting in...
RASopathies are a group of genetic disorders caused by mutations in genes encoding components and regulators of the RAS/MAPK signaling pathway, resulting in overactivation of signaling. RASopathy patients exhibit distinctive facial features, cardiopathies, growth and skeletal abnormalities, and varying degrees of neurocognitive impairments including neurodevelopmental delay, intellectual disabilities, or attention deficits. At present, it is unclear how RASopathy mutations cause neurocognitive impairment and what their neuron-specific cellular and network phenotypes are. Here, we investigated the effect of RASopathy mutations on the establishment and functional maturation of neuronal networks. We isolated cortical neurons from RASopathy mouse models, cultured them on multielectrode arrays and performed longitudinal recordings of spontaneous activity in developing networks as well as recordings of evoked responses in mature neurons. To facilitate the analysis of large and complex data sets resulting from long-term multielectrode recordings, we developed MATLAB-based tools for data processing, analysis, and statistical evaluation. Longitudinal analysis of spontaneous network activity revealed a convergent developmental phenotype in neurons carrying the gain-of-function Noonan syndrome-related mutations and . The phenotype was more pronounced at the earlier time points and faded out over time, suggesting the emergence of compensatory mechanisms during network maturation. Nevertheless, persistent differences in excitatory/inhibitory balance and network excitability were observed in mature networks. This study improves the understanding of the complex relationship between genetic mutations and clinical manifestations in RASopathies by adding insights into functional network processes as an additional piece of the puzzle.
PubMed: 38910965
DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2024.1388409 -
Continuity in Education 2024Despite high survival rates for many adolescent or young adult (AYA) cancer diagnoses, the psychosocial, academic, and vocational repercussions for survivors are...
Despite high survival rates for many adolescent or young adult (AYA) cancer diagnoses, the psychosocial, academic, and vocational repercussions for survivors are profound and enduring. Hospital systems are able to address many AYA needs, but the ability to provide the human connectedness and knowledge that drive long-term school and career planning is lacking. This study assessed a group of AYAs who have or had cancer (n = 108, 54% female, 71% white, mean age 20.6 ± 4.4) to determine the school, career, medical, emotional, and psychosocial needs that are not currently being met by hospital staff and support networks. We identified the most common unmet needs of AYAs, differences between needs of AYAs in active treatment and survivorship, and the role of a career-focused mentoring program developed by the nonprofit organization Connecting Champions (CC) to address the array of unmet AYA needs. We found that the most commonly reported needs were all related to career and school, and that the top needs did not differ significantly throughout the cancer journey. These findings suggest that career and school-based needs are a high priority for AYAs, yet social isolation can make the necessary people or resources inaccessible. The CC mentoring program was reported as effective in attending to unmet needs (with an average score of 95.1/100) and can be a valuable resource for hospital systems, nonprofit organizations, and health insurers to provide personalized, career-focused support to AYAs during cancer treatment and survivorship.
PubMed: 38910896
DOI: 10.5334/cie.106