Clinical Psychopharmacology and Neuroscience最新文献

Objective: Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a psychiatric disorder characterized by the presence of obsessions and/or compulsions that cause significant distress and functional impairment. Despite extensive research, its etiopathogenesis remains incompletely understood. Recent evidence suggests that dysfunction in tight junctions may contribute to the pathophysiology of various psychiatric disorders. Tight junction proteins play a crucial role in maintaining blood-brain barrier integrity and regulating neuronal signaling. This study aims to investigate the involvement of tight junction proteins in the etiopathogenesis of OCD, providing new insights into their potential role in the disorder's neurobiological mechanisms.

Methods: A total of 41 medication-free children and adolescents with OCD and 41 healthy controls were included in this study. The participants filled out self-report scales to determine various psychological variables. Blood samples were collected from all participants to measure the levels of claudin-5, claudin-12, occludin, angulin-1, and tricellulin.

Results: The levels of claudin-5, claudin-12, occludin, and tricellulin were significantly higher in the OCD group compared to the control group. However, there was no significant difference in angulin-1 levels between the groups.

Conclusion: Our findings indicate that claudin-5, claudin-12, occludin, and tricellulin levels differ between individuals with OCD and healthy controls. These results suggest that tight junction proteins may contribute to the etiopathogenesis of OCD. Further research is needed to better understand the relationship between OCD and tight junction proteins.

Objective: In vitro models are useful for exploring the molecular mechanisms underlying impaired neuroplasticity in depression. In this study, we developed a three-dimensional spheroid model in which we investigated the effects of the synthetic glucocorticoid dexamethasone on key pathways involved in neuroplasticity, specifically BDNF, sirtuin 1, and mTORC1 signaling.

Methods: A micro-spheroid device was fabricated using photolithography and soft lithography, and cortical spheroids were generated from primary rat cortical cells. These spheroids, which contained neurons, astrocytes, microglia, and oligodendrocytes, were treated with various concentrations of dexamethasone.

Results: Dexamethasone treatment (100, 200, and 300 μM) resulted in a dose-dependent reduction in cell viability, BDNF mRNA expression, and neurite outgrowth. At 100 μM, dexamethasone reduced the expression of BDNF and sirtuin 1 and decreased the phosphorylation of ERK1/2. It also decreased the phosphorylation of mTORC1, 4E-BP1, and p70S6K, as well as synaptic proteins such as PSD-95 and GluA1.

Conclusion: Dexamethasone treatment inhibited pathways related to neuroplasticity. While dexamethasone-treated spheroids may serve as a basis for developing an in vitro model of depression, further validation is needed to confirm their broader applicability.

Objective: Levels of circulating cytokines has been shown to be related to psychological distress. We have earlier shown that the symptoms of hostility may be related to levels of interferon γ inducible protein 10 (IP-10) in a group of general psychiatric in-patients receiving psychotropic medication. Here we investigate this association in a group of patients with chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection with or without opioid maintenance treatment (OMT).

Methods: In a cross-sectional study, out-patients were interviewed for psychological distress using the Symptoms Check-List-90-R (SCL-90-R) and blood samples were drawn to measure serum levels of IP-10. Hierarchical linear regression analysis was used to investigate the association between hostility and IP-10 hostility in the whole group, and in the non-OMT and the OMT-patients, respectively.

Results: One hundred and twenty patients with chronic HCV infection were included, of whom 53 received OMT. There was no association between hostility and IP-10 in the patient group as a whole. In the OMT group we observed a negative association throughout the steps including adjusting for age, gender and BMI (β = -0.48, p = 0.011).

Conclusion: We observed that only in OMT patients was there a negative association between hostility and IP-10. This might support previous findings that drugs, self-reported mental health symptoms and cytokines interact.

Objective: The association between panic disorder (PD) and heart rate variability (HRV) has long been studied with a focus on the imbalance of the autonomic nervous system. This study aims to demonstrate the predictive capability of HRV in determining PD severity using machine learning.

Methods: Psychometric scales and various HRV components were measured from 507 PD patients who were recruited. We designed three experiments with different sets of input features for comparison. The input features of each experiment were 1) both psychometric scales and HRV together (ExSH), or 2) only the scales (ExS), or 3) only the HRV components. In each experiment, nine machine learning models were used to predict the Panic Disorder Severity Scale. We compared the predictive capability of the three sets of input features by statistically analyzing the performance metrics of the models in the three experiments. SHapley Additive exPlanation (SHAP) was further employed to assess the importance of the input features.

Results: The Random Forest model in ExSH, which incorporated both psychometric scales and HRV, achieved the highest f1-score (76.50%) and sensitivity (75.35%). ExSH showed significantly higher sensitivity and f1-score compared to ExS. For the RF model of ExSH, the highest SHAP importance value was found for the Hamilton Rating Scale for Anxiety, followed by the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale, and the low-frequency power (LF).

Conclusion: Our findings demonstrate that integrating HRV with psychometric scales improves machine learning-based prediction of PD severity. We also highlighted LF as a promising variable among HRV components.

Objective: This systematic review explores the efficacy of fMRI-based neurofeedback as an alternative treatment for individuals with depression who do not respond well to traditional therapies.

Methods: A comprehensive literature search across several databases (PubMed, Web of Science, ProQuest, Cochrane Library, and Google Scholar) identified 649 articles related to neurofeedback and depression, ultimately including 26 studies after eligibility assessments.

Results: The majority of these studies, comprising both open-label and randomized controlled trials, reported significant reductions in depressive symptoms following neurofeedback interventions, which primarily targeted amygdala activity. Eighteen studies showed moderate to large effect sizes (Cohen's d values from 0.38 to 1.50) on validated depression measures. Notably, neurobiological changes were observed, including increased Blood Oxygenation Level Dependent (BOLD) activity and connectivity in emotion regulation regions such as the amygdala and prefrontal cortex. Some studies indicated sustained symptom improvements, with over 75% of patients applying learned strategies in daily life. However, methodological limitations and a moderate to high risk of bias were noted in several studies.

Conclusion: fMRI-based neurofeedback presents a promising adjunctive therapy for depression, especially for patients who are resistant to standard treatments. Although current evidence shows positive effects on neural function and clinical outcomes, addressing methodological issues and standardizing study designs is essential. Future research should emphasize larger sample sizes and long-term efficacy while enhancing accessibility and cost-effectiveness in diverse clinical environments.

Oxytocin, often called the "love hormone," is well-known for its roles in childbirth and lactation. Beyond these traditional functions, it plays a vital role in emotional and social behaviors, mood regulation, stress responses, and various physiological processes. Blood oxytocin levels are typically low under basal conditions but increase significantly during labor, breastfeeding, sexual activity, and positive social interactions. However, reported plasma oxytocin levels in humans and rodents vary widely across studies. In this study, we reviewed plasma oxytocin levels in rats from research conducted over the past decade, emphasizing the notable discrepancies observed between studies. Furthermore, we investigated the effects of two anesthetic protocols (inhaled isoflurane and a combination of three anesthetics) and the proteinase inhibitor aprotinin on plasma oxytocin levels in adult male rats. Our findings revealed that neither the anesthetics nor aprotinin significantly affected plasma oxytocin levels. We also discussed potential factors contributing to the marked differences in reported rat blood oxytocin levels.

Objective: To investigate relationships between diabetes, diabetes duration, and psychiatric difficulties using data from a nationwide survey and to examine associations between psychiatric difficulties and physician diagnosis, treatment status, and glycemic control in diabetes patients by performing subgroup analyses.

Methods: Data from the 2022 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey were analyzed. A representative sample of 4,475 adults aged 19 years or older was obtained using stratified, multistage, clustered sampling. Psychiatric difficulties were assessed using PHQ-9 for depression, GAD-7 for anxiety, and face-to-face interviews for suicidality. Diabetes patients were categorized by diabetes duration (< 5, 5-9, 10-14, and ≥ 15 years). Statistical models were adjusted for demographic and clinical covariates.

Results: Diabetes patients were significantly more likely to experience depression than controls (aOR = 1.818). Those with a diabetes duration of ≥ 15 years showed significant associations with depression (aOR = 2.830), suicidal ideation (aOR = 2.496), and suicidal plans (aOR = 4.604). Such associations were not found in shorter duration groups. Subgroup analyses revealed links between suicidal ideation and being diagnosed by a physician or receiving treatment. No significant associations were found between glycemic control and psychiatric difficulties.

Conclusion: Depression was more prevalent in diabetes patients than in controls. A diabetes duration of ≥ 15 years was significantly linked to higher rates of depression and suicidality. Routine psychiatric screenings after 15 years of diabetes duration could enhance public health strategies. Addressing societal stigma and alleviating burdens of diabetes management might improve mental health outcomes.

Objective: This study explores how maternal depressive symptoms during the second trimester, a critical phase for autonomic nervous system (ANS) development, affect maternal and fetal heart rate variability (HRV) in the third trimester, with implications for infant development.

Methods: We examined the effects of second trimester maternal depression on subsequent maternal and fetal HRV. A cohort of women in early or late second trimester completed depression assessments using the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) and underwent HRV evaluations in the third trimester.

Results: Among 118 participants, 97 completed the EPDS at 14-20 weeks, with 12 showing depressive symptoms. At 21-28 weeks, 111 participants were assessed, and 24 were identified as possibly depressive. Depressive symptoms were linked to increased maternal pNN50% (percentage of successive NN intervals differing by more than 50 ms) and decreased detrended fluctuation analysis alpha, indicating hemodynamic shifts. Their fetuses showed reduced root mean square of successive differences, standard deviation of successive differences, and short-term and long-term variability indices, suggesting weakened parasympathetic activity.

Conclusion: Prenatal depression influences maternal physiological adaptation and fetal ANS development, highlighting HRV as a potential biomarker for predicting neurodevelopment. Early identification and treatment of mid-pregnancy depressive symptoms may help mitigate potential risks to infant neurodevelopment.

Cues, which induce craving, and may lead to relapse, are an important paradigm for addiction research. Visual cues related to addictive substances trigger powerful neurophysiological responses in the brains of addicts, leading to craving. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying these neurophysiological responses remain incompletely understood. While the role of dopamine in cue-induced phenomena has been extensively studied, the contribution of glutamate, a major excitatory neurotransmitter and a key player in cue-associated phenomena as proposed by animal studies, is less explored in humans. Functional magnetic resonance spectroscopy (fMRS) is a promising tool for investigating glutamatergic modulations in tasks. This review aims to evaluate the potential of fMRS in explaining the dynamics of glutamate during cue-induced phenomena in drug addiction. We discuss the clinical implications, strengths, and limitations of fMRS in this context and propose directions for future research.