Annals of Neurosciences最新文献

Background: Early detection of developmental delays in children can significantly help them realise their full potential. The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-V), is the system in use at the moment to detect neurodevelopmental delays among children in the United States and other Western nations. However, due to cultural differences, there is a pertinent need for a content-validated module in the context of low- and middle-income countries, including India.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to develop and validate Teacher's Evaluation of Neurodevelopmental Delays (TEDD) tool based on the criterions and definitions of neurodevelopmental disorders as mentioned in DSM-V and then synced with developmental milestones mentioned in International Classification of Diseases, 10^th revision (ICD-10) and Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE)/ New York City Early Education Centre (NYCE) framework, and items were worded in behavioural terms.

Methods: We did a thorough review of the literature for the development of TEDD tool and used modified Delphi technique to content validate it. Data from nine experts, such as doctors, clinical psychologists, special educators, speech and language and applied behaviour analysis therapist were used for the analysis.

Results: Analysis resulted into 28 items being retained which can be applied in the Indian context.

Conclusion: This study has shown good content validity of the TEDD tool. Future studies are being planned to rule the feasibility and reliability of this tool.

Background: Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) is well known for its effectiveness in addressing psychiatric disorders such as depression, anxiety, PTSD, and borderline personality disorder, often used alongside medication.

Summary: CBT is used more often in the criminal justice system to help rehabilitate offenders by targeting cognitive distortions affecting their social and decision-making abilities. These maladaptive behaviours and sense of entitlement can result from distortions, which CBT works to address by restructuring thought patterns and encouraging adaptive behaviours. In general, CBT is a crucial method for decreasing repeat offences and dealing with mental health problems within the legal system.

Key message: CBT has demonstrated encouraging outcomes in decreasing reoffending rates in both youths and adults, aiding criminals in acquiring abilities to successfully re-enter society. Although it has replaced traditional rehabilitative services such as education and occupational therapy, its success highlights its importance in offender rehabilitation programmes. Nevertheless, inmates are frequently required to participate, causing doubts about their willingness to engage voluntarily.

Introduction: The Omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) became the global community's third major cause of worry. In the current study, we deployed a self-reported survey questionnaire to investigate the degree of comprehension, awareness and perception of the Omicron variant of COVID-19 in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) and their respective caregivers (CGs).

Materials and methods: Using a standardised questionnaire, we conducted a prospective study on PD patients attending the neurology outpatient department prior to and during the COVID-19 pandemic. The study period was between February and August of 2022.

Results: A total of 114 CGs and 134 disease-affected patients were evaluated. Approximately 1.8% of the CGs and 4.5% of the patients contracted the Omicron-COVID-19. Over half of the patients (77.6%) were aware of the Omicron variant, and approximately 40.3% of them were aware of its symptoms. After receiving the Covid immunisation, patients (94.02%) reported no change in symptoms. The percentage of patients and CGs who had no symptoms of the viral infection and were not even got tested ever was 95.5% and 98.2%, respectively. Further, patients (95.5%) opted for the 'offline' as a preferred mode of consultation, citing the precision of treatment being the main reason.

Conclusion: No definite correlation between the Omicron variant infection and symptoms of PD could be established. The awareness regarding Omicron variant was largely unknown. More patient-centred research on larger population groups, incorporating literate and urban groups would unravel the knowledge gaps.

Background: Hypothyroidism (HT) is the most prevalent endocrine disorder, affecting approximately one in 10 out of 35 adults, with a higher prevalence in females and the elderly.

Purpose: This systematic review (SR) aimed to discuss the effects of yoga on markers and comorbid conditions of HT.

Methods: The SR was registered with the PROSPERO (PROSPERO 2022 CRD42022312990). Google Scholar, PubMed, Cochrane, and EMBASE were searched for the relevant English language interventional studies published from 31 December 1947 to 31 December 2023 by using the keywords 'meditation OR breath regulation OR yoga OR yoga nidra AND hypothyroidism OR hypothyreosis OR underactive thyroid OR low thyroid'. Of the 4078 screened studies, eight eligible studies (three RCTs, two pilot studies, two pre-post trials, and one case study) with 421 HT patients (392 females and 29 males) and three to six-month yoga interventions were included. Two independent review authors extracted study characteristics and synthesised them descriptively. RCTs and NRSIs were assessed for risk-of-bias (RoB) using Cochrane tools RoB2 and ROBINS-1.

Results: The findings suggest that yoga effectively improves the thyroid profile, lipid profile, heart rate variability, pulmonary functions, anxiety, depression, and quality of life among HT patients.

Conclusion: Yoga may be an inexpensive add-on preventive and therapeutic option for HT. The clinical and methodological heterogeneity among the studies did not allow for meta-analysis (MA). Well-designed MAs are warranted by including rigorous RCTs to draw valid conclusions and defined mechanisms regarding the efficacy of yoga practices/interventions on HT.

Background: The field of journalism has undergone substantial transformation with the integration of artificial intelligence (AI), leveraging technologies like natural language processing and automated reporting. These advancements enhance information processing speed, enable personalised content delivery and improve data analysis capabilities, thereby reshaping journalism practices.

Purpose: Despite the benefits AI offers, concerns persist regarding its impact on job security and the mental health of journalists. Rapid technological changes can lead to increased job insecurity, altered job roles and heightened pressure to adapt, potentially affecting journalists' mental well-being.

Methods: This study utilises the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale (DASS-21) to assess levels of depression, anxiety and stress among 500 journalists from various media organisations that have integrated AI technologies. Quantitative data analysis explores the relationship between AI integration and mental health outcomes.

Results: The findings indicate significant correlations between the perceived threat of AI replacing jobs and higher levels of depression among journalists. Mixed effects were observed regarding the impact of AI integration on job roles, with associations found between AI integration and both increased depression and reduced stress levels.

Conclusion: AI integration in journalism presents both opportunities and challenges for journalists' mental health. Strategies to address job security concerns, enhance comfort with AI tools through training and establish mental health support systems are crucial for fostering a supportive environment in AI-driven newsrooms.

Background: This study explored the relationship between personality attributes and substance use disorder (SUD). Research has identified specific personality dimensions, such as neuroticism, psychoticism, antisocial personality traits, paranoia, and anxiety, as contributing factors on the way to the initiation, continuation, and relapse of SUD.

Purpose: To explore this connection, we examined the personality profiles of subjects with alcohol use disorder (AUD) and opioid use disorder (OUD).

Methods: A total of 928 subjects, 320 with AUD, 490 with OUD and 118 healthy controls (HC), in the age range of 16-65 years were recruited in the study. The Clinical Profile Sheet and the Multiphasic Personality Questionnaire (MPQ) were administered to HC and patients who fulfil the diagnostic criteria for substance dependence as defined by ICD-10 (WHO-1992).

Results: We found significant differences in personality profiles between individuals with OUD and AUD. Patients with AUD scored higher than OUD on the MPQ subscales for depression, mania, paranoia, and antisocial personality traits. All subscales of the MPQ showed elevated scores in subjects with SUD compared to HC.

Conclusion: Elevated scores on the MPQ subscales suggest that personality factors may contribute to the pattern of substance use and misuse in this cohort.

Background: Anxiety disorders are commonly associated with a higher risk of fatal cardiovascular diseases (CVD). Anxiety disorders lead to dysregulation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, thus weakening the key neuronal components of the autonomic nervous system (ANS) that are involved in cardiovascular functions, leading to increased cardiovascular risk.

Purpose: Impaired ANS activity, as reduced parasympathetic tone is strongly associated with an increased risk of CVD in anxiety disorders. Slow pranayama influences the ANS by activating the parasympathetic tone and deactivating the sympathetic tone in healthy volunteers and various diseased conditions. Therefore, we aimed to study the effects of slow pranayama and savasana on cardiac autonomic function tests in anxiety disorder patients.

Methods: Anxiety disorder patients (N = 140) of either sex between the age group 18 and 40 years attending the psychiatry outpatient department (OPD) in JIPMER were recruited for the study and were randomly assigned into the pranayama group and control group. The Pranayama group practised slow pranayama and savasana for 8 weeks along with routine psychiatric care, while the control group continued with routine psychiatric care only. Outcome measures were heart rate variability (HRV), baroreflex sensitivity (BRS), 30:15 ratio during lying to standing, E: I ratio during deep breathing, and ∇DBP during isometric handgrip, which were assessed before and after the intervention period.

Results: After 8 weeks in the Pranayama group, the HRV parameters showed significant improvement towards the parasympathetic domain. Also, there was a significant increase in parasympathetic reactivity with a decrease in sympathetic reactivity and significant improvement in BRS.

Conclusion: Slow pranayama and savasana practice in anxiety disorder patients as an adjunct to routine psychiatric care effectively improves cardiac autonomic function with a shift towards parasympathetic predominance, with significant improvements in cardiovascular parameters. Slow pranayamas with savasana may be incorporated into the routine care of these patients to enhance their cardiovascular health.

Background: Sleep and immune function are interconnected aspects of health that mutually impact each other in disease development and inflammatory homeostasis. Different aspects of immunology are regulated by different sleep characteristics, impacting on specific aspects of immune function including cytokine production and T-cell activity. Ongoing disruptions of sleep have been linked to heightened inflammation and are suspected in the pathogenesis and disease course of a range of life-style-related illnesses, including diabetes and neurodegenerative diseases.

Summary: This review provides a comprehensive overview of knowledge on the interaction of sleep with the immune system, its modulation of inflammatory balance, and the pathogenesis of many diseases. It emphasizes how sleep deficiency compromises immune function by means of a systemic, low-grade inflammatory response, while adequate sleep promotes intense immune responses and thus enables efficient pathogen clearance and the maintenance of immune memory. The mutual influence of sleep on the immune system underlines its critical involvement in health preservation and the course of disease.

Key message: Sleep plays an indispensable role in immune health, mediating the efficiency of immune responses and the course of the regulation of inflammation. Chronic sleep deprivation can result in a low-grade inflammation that substantially contributes to the onset and exacerbation of metabolic and neurodegenerative disorders. The intimate linkage between sleep and immune function can be one strategic approach to therapy, improving health outcomes by leveraging this sleep-immune connection.