Frontiers in Psychiatry最新文献

Purpose: To investigate the effects of a basketball intervention on the development of executive functions in children with autism spectrum disorder.

Methods: 22 autistic children aged 6-12 years old in the elementary school section of the Wuhu Autism Association were randomly assigned into an experimental group (n=11) and a control group (n=11). The experimental group underwent basketball intervention training three times a week for 60 min each time for a total of 12 weeks, while the control group did not participate in any physical education course training, and only carried out usual daily routines. Inhibitory function, working memory and cognitive flexibility of the autistic children were tested before and after the trial.

Results: After the basketball intervention, the experimental group showed significantly higher scores on the Stroop Color-Word Test, n-back task, and task-switching task were significantly higher than those of the control group (P < 0.01), which demonstrated the enhanced level of the experimental group in the three aspects of inhibitory control, working memory, and cognitive flexibility.

Conclusion: Basketball training may potentially enhance executive function in children with ASD. Further discussion and mechanism analysis are warranted in future studies.

Background: Insomnia is closely associated with anxiety and depression, forming a complex bidirectional relationship. Although previous research has demonstrated that fatigue is a core and bridge symptom within this complex relationship, its potential moderating role in their interaction remains unexplored. This study employs symptom network analysis to explore the Moderating role of fatigue, aiming to identify core symptoms and their interactions.

Methods: A total of 544 participants (mean age 37.86 ± 11.41 years, 210 males) diagnosed with chronic insomnia disorder were included. Sleep quality was assessed using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), insomnia severity with the Insomnia Severity Index (ISI), anxiety with the Hamilton Anxiety Scale (HAMA), depression with the 17-item Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAMD-17), and fatigue with the 14-item Fatigue Scale (FS-14). Hierarchical LASSO was applied to estimate symptom networks, with total scores from the FS-14 used to measure fatigue as the moderating variable.

Results: Our analysis revealed significant bidirectional relationships among symptoms of insomnia, depression, and anxiety. Fatigue played a key moderating role, particularly in the relationships linking difficulty staying asleep with cognitive impairment, somatic anxiety with daytime dysfunction, and difficulty staying asleep with circadian rhythm. Centrality analysis identified mental anxiety, the impact of insomnia on quality of life, and sleep-related interference with daytime function as core symptoms in the network.

Conclusion: We identified significant bidirectional relationships between the symptoms of insomnia, depression, and anxiety symptoms and interaction terms moderated by fatigue. These findings provide valuable theoretical and practical insights for disrupting the cycle of these interconnected symptoms through targeted interventions addressing fatigue.

Clinical trial registration: To systematically evaluate the cognition and real experience of adolescent patients with depression towards the disease, in order to comprehensively understand the cognitive and psychological predicaments they face and provide a basis for formulating targeted intervention strategies for adolescent patients with depression.

Design: A systematic review and meta-synthesis of qualitative studies.

Methods: Qualitative studies on the cognition and real experience of adolescent patients with depression towards the disease were retrieved from Chinese and English databases from the establishment of the databases to June 2025. The quality of the literature was evaluated using the JBI qualitative research quality evaluation standard, and the convergent meta-synthesis method was used for integration.

Results: A total of 12 articles were included, and 37 research results were extracted. Two themes and nine sub-themes were identified, namely, cognition of the disease (misunderstanding of the disease, stigma towards the disease, and cognition of the prognosis of the disease), and real experience of the illness (diversity of influencing factors of the illness, somatization symptoms after the illness, emotional and psychological experiences after the illness, reconstruction of interpersonal relationships, predicaments and powerlessness in treatment, and establishment of new values).

Conclusion: Teenagers with depression often have cognitive biases and undergo complex, multi-dimensional painful experiences. Healthcare professionals should first assess and restructure the patients' cognitive biases and provide targeted treatment for their painful experiences. At the same time, scientific disease cognition and intervention strategies should be extended from hospitals to families and schools, and a collaborative support system should be established to jointly address the psychological needs of adolescent patients.

Systematic review registration: https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/view, identifier CRD420251105051.

Objective: This study aims to explore the possible relationship between Cognitive Disengagement Syndrome (CDS) and headaches in children and to understand the biochemical basis of this association.

Materials and methods: The study included children aged 6-16 who presented with headaches to the pediatric neurology and child psychiatry outpatient clinics of Zonguldak Bülent Ecevit University Medical Faculty. A total of 42 children with headaches and 40 healthy controls were enrolled. All participants completed a sociodemographic data form, the Barkley Child Attention Scale (BCAS), and the DSM-5-based Atilla Turgay ADHD Rating Scale. In addition, laboratory evaluations included complete blood count parameters, ferritin, vitamin D, vitamin B12, TSH, and free T4 (fT4) levels.

Results: Of the participants, 51.2% (n=42) were male and 48.8% (n=40) were female. Signs of Cognitive Disengagement Syndrome were found to be significantly higher in children with headache (p<.001). Significant differences were found between children with and without headaches in terms of biochemical parameters, including RBC, hemoglobin, ferritin, vitamin B12, vitamin D, free T4, and TSH levels. There was a negative correlation between BCAS scores and levels of vitamin B12, ferritin, vitamin D, sT4, and TSH (respectively, r = -0.246, p = 0.026; r = -0.361, p = 0.001; r = -0.436, p <0.001; r = -0.382, p <0.001; r = -0.308, p = 0.005).

Conclusion: Childhood headaches may be associated with symptoms of Cognitive Disengagement Syndrome. Our data indicated that decreased levels of vitamin B12, ferritin, vitamin D, sT4, and TSH were associated with higher CDS scores, suggesting a possible link. The potential for CDS development in children with headaches should be considered, and the importance of biochemical parameters in this process should not be overlooked.

Introduction: Sexual offenses against minors represent a major public health and judicial concern. Pedophilia, defined as a persistent sexual preference for prepubescent children, is frequently assessed in forensic psychiatry, particularly in the context of evaluating criminal responsibility and risk offending, yet its clinical significance and relationship to offending behavior remain debated. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of pedophilia among individuals accused of sexual offenses against minors under 14 of age in Switzerland and to compare offenders with and without this diagnosis.

Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted on 51 male individuals referred for forensic psychiatric evaluation between 2018 and 2021 in Geneva. Data from forensic reports included sociodemographic characteristics, psychiatric history, ICD-10 diagnoses, and offense details. Comparisons were performed between individuals accused of contact versus non-contact offenses, and secondarily between those with and without pedophilia.

Results: Pedophilia was diagnosed in 58.8% of participants. This diagnosis was associated with higher rates of personality and substance use disorders. However, no significant differences were found between contact and non-contact offenders regarding the prevalence of pedophilia and no distinctive profile emerged within the pedophilic group.

Discussion: These findings confirm the high prevalence of pedophilia in forensic populations and underscore their clinical heterogeneity. They highlight the need for comprehensive, individualized forensic assessments integrating diagnostic, contextual, and dispositional factors, and suggest that future research should further examine the interaction between pedophilic interests, self-control, and situational opportunities.

Introduction: Despite preclinical evidence for berberine's antidepressant potential, its pharmacological effects remain controversial.This study therefore systematically reviews animal research to clarify its mechanisms and support future clinical trials.

Methods: We searched PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, and OVID for studies on berberine in depression models up to March 20, 2025. Analysis used STATA 15.0 and Review Manager 5.4, with study quality assessed via SYRCLE's risk of bias tool.

Results: The meta-analysis included 18 studies (338animals). Overall, berberine significantly reduced depression-like behaviors in animal models.Specifically, BBR increased total locomotor activity in the open field test (SMD=2.79, 95% CI: 1.55, 4.02) and time spent in the center zone (SMD=2.49, 95% CI:1.61, 3.37), reduced immobility time in both the forced swim test and tail suspension test (SMD =-4.42, 95% CI:-5.77,-3.07; SMD=-4.46, 95% CI:-6.21, -2.71), increased sucrose intake in the sucrose preference test (SMD = 3.72, 95% CI: 2.37, 5.07), and reduced feeding latency in the novelty-suppressed feeding test (SMD=-5.72, 95% CI:-7.63, -3.82). However, BBR did not significantly alter the number of square crossings (SMD=1.36, 95%CI:-0.07 , 2.79) or rearing frequency (SMD=1.66, 95% CI: -0.29, 3.61) in the open field test. BBR also increased the levels of body weight, brain-derived neurotrophic factor, dopamine, serotonin, and norepinephrine,while reducing the levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines including TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-6.

Discussion: Preclinical studies suggest that berberine may represent a promising therapeutic agent for the treatment of depressive disorders. Its antidepressant effects appear to be closely associated with the modulation of neurotransmitter levels,reduction of oxidative stress, and inhibition of inflammatory responses.However, methodological limitations may constrain these findings. Larger, more rigorous preclinical studies are needed for confirmation.

Systematic review registration: https://inplasy.com/inplasy-2025-6-0002, identifier INPLASY202560002.

Objectives: Myopia is considered to be associated with depressive symptoms. Perceived parental control plays a critical role in children and adolescents' mental health. The present study aimed to examine the role of myopia in depressive symptoms and whether parental control contributes to depressive symptoms via vision-related quality of life (QoL) in myopic students.

Methods: This study investigated the mediating role of vision-related QoL between parental control and depressive symptoms among Chinese children and adolescents with myopia. A total of 2014 college freshmen in China were included. Correlation analysis and mediation analysis were conducted. Mediation models were used to assess the potential mechanism of vision-related QoL in the association between parental control and depressive symptoms.

Results: In our sample, participants with myopia were less likely to develop depressive symptoms than those without myopia (P = 0.01). Subsequently, analysis within the myopic group revealed that vision-related QoL significantly mediated the relationship between parental control and depressive symptoms, accounting for 15.69% (maternal control) and 18.86% (paternal control) of the total effect.

Conclusions: This study highlights the important role of myopia for depressive symptoms in college freshmen and demonstrates that vision-related QoL significant mediates the relationship between parental control and depressive symptoms.

Objective: Recent reviews indicated that the psychosis spectrum co-occurs with disorders on the eating disorder (ED) spectrum, which might elucidate the low recovery rates. Consequently, the ED field is encouraged to better understand the interplay between these two spectra. This study examined whether female youth with EDs experience higher levels of psychotic phenomena than controls, including associations between different levels of (subclinical) psychosis and the factors negative affect (NA), self-esteem, stress, and ED severity.

Method: A cross-sectional study using experience sampling methodology (ESM) for 10 days involved 50 young female individuals with EDs and 50 controls. Subclinical psychotic experiences (PE), psychotic symptoms, and disorders were assessed using ESM, Community Assessment of Psychic Experiences, Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale, and Mini-International Neuropsychiatric Interview. ED severity was assessed with the Eating Disorder Examination-Questionnaire. Mixed effects, logistic, and linear regression models were used for the analyses.

Results: The ED group had significantly more momentary PE (B = 1.57, p <.001), lifetime PE (B = 0.50, p <.001), psychotic symptoms (B = 17.21, p <.001) and lifetime psychotic disorders (B = 2.83, p <.001) than controls. In the ED group, momentary PE were associated with momentary NA, self-esteem, stress, and EDE-Q; lifetime PE were associated with momentary NA, stress, and EDE-Q; and psychotic symptoms were associated with momentary NA.

Discussion: All levels of psychosis were common in female youth with an ED, and these (subclinical) psychotic phenomena were associated with transdiagnostic factors such as momentary NA, self-esteem, and stress and/or ED severity. The findings have relevance for clinical practice and inform future transdiagnostic studies on the mechanism and treatment of individuals with EDs and (comorbid) psychosis.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2024.1396716.].