Annals of Neurosciences最新文献

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: The elderly population is rapidly growing worldwide. By the year 2050, the elderly population will increase up to 2.1 billion. Among them, most of the elderly will be from low- to middle-income countries. India and China are the most populated countries in the world, and also they fall in the category of low- to middle-income countries. The elderly population in these two countries is also growing rapidly and creating an economic burden of geriatric care. On the other hand, the COVID-19 pandemic greatly affected the healthcare system. A higher mortality rate was documented among the elderly due to COVID-19; hence, it was a challenge for them to deal with a high load of the elderly population during the pandemic. These challenges never sublimate even during the post-COVID era. Mental health issues, such as stress, anxiety, and depression, are major drawbacks of COVID-19 among the elderly due to excessive fear of getting reinfection of COVID-19 and fear of social withdrawal. These factors are affecting healthy aging among the elderly. Even though WHO has taken few initiatives for healthy aging, proper interventional strategies are required to prevent mental illness and improve mental health among the elderly during the post-COVID era.

Summary: In this review, we have proposed a few mind-body strategies like Yoga, Exercise, Tai-Chi, and Qigong to improve mental health and holistic patient-centric implementation of those practices in the elderly during the post-COVID era.

Key message: Mind-body interventions can be used in a holistic patient-centric manner to prevent infectious diseases, and post-infection consequences. Further, it enhances immunomodulation along with mental health in the elderly.

Background: Earlier researchers have explored the individual impacts of locus of control and self-esteem on academic as well as nonacademic success. But limited attention was given to their interplay within a university context. By integrating these variables into a unified framework, a more comprehensive understanding of the learning processes of university students can be achieved, which can further help in developing strategies to improve the overall learning outcome and come out as successful individuals.

Purpose: The aim of this study is to find out the contribution of locus of control and self-esteem toward academic achievement at graduation and across various demographic factors-socioeconomic status, family type, age, and different streams of graduation).

Methods: The sample consists of MBA students (n = 200) coming from different graduation streams, both male and female, in the age group of 21-27 years. Data was collected through the Rosenberg Self-esteem Scale and Rotter's Locus of control. A descriptive analysis and Chi-square test were used to analyze the data.

Results: Sixty-two percent had an internal locus of control, and 38% had an external locus of control. Forty-one percent had low self-esteem, and 59% had high self-esteem. There was a significant correlation between self-esteem, locus of control, and academic achievement. Self-esteem and locus of control totally predicted 41% of the variation in academic achievement, with self-esteem and locus of control both being stronger factors to predict academic achievement. Area (rural, urban), family type (nuclear, joint), and academic scores have a strong correlation with locus of control and self-esteem.

Conclusion: MBA students are the future leaders. For them to be successful leaders, interventions can be designed to increase self-esteem, which would help them have faith in their abilities and achieve their objectives by taking responsibility for the outcome of challenging situations.

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: Hyperdense middle cerebral artery sign (HMCAS) on a non-enhanced multidetector computed tomography (MDCT) scan is considered an important radiological marker in detecting acute arterial thrombotic occlusion, and it is one of the earliest signs of ischemic cerebrovascular accident (CVA). This finding has been observed within 90 min of symptom onset. Modern approaches to patients with cerebral infarction emphasize early diagnosis and management.

Purpose: To determine the diagnostic accuracy of hyperdense artery signs in early detection of middle cerebral artery (MCA) infarction on non-contrast-enhanced MDCT scan using Magnetic Resonance Angiography (MRA) within 24 h as the gold standard for definitive diagnosis.

Method: A total of 140 patients aged 35-70 years, referred to the radiology department of Aga Khan University Hospital with clinical suspicion of acute cerebral infarction, were included. After clinical suspicion of acute infarction, the patient underwent an initial complete MDCT scan of the brain, which was performed using Aquilion ONE 640 slice MDCT (Toshiba Medical Systems, Japan). Consultant radiologists, with a minimum of 5 years of experience in MDCT brain imaging, interpreted the images. Follow-up examination with MRA within 24 h was performed to confirm the diagnosis of MCA infarction.

Results: Overall sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value, and diagnostic accuracy of HMCAS in the early detection of MCA infarction on non-contrast-enhanced MDCT scan using MRA as the gold standard for definitive diagnosis was 96.20%, 93.44%, 95.0%, 95.0%, and 95.0%, respectively.

Conclusion: This study concluded that the diagnostic accuracy of hyperdense artery signs in the early detection of MCA infarction on non-contrast-enhanced MDCT scans is very high.

The pathophysiology of dystonia in Wilson disease (WD) is complex and poorly understood. Copper accumulation in the basal ganglia, disrupts dopaminergic pathways, contributing to dystonia's development via neurotransmitter imbalance. Despite advances in diagnosis and management, WD with dystonia remains a challenging condition to treat. We aim to report the unprecedented co-occurrence of pathogenic genetic variants in both the ATP7B and KMT2B genes in a patient with WD. A 13-year-old male presented at 12 with dysarthria and bilateral Kayser-Fleischer rings. Over months, dystonia spread to his left foot, upper limb, and trunk, accompanied by slowed daily activities. Diagnostic tests included MRI for brain structure, abdominal ultrasound for liver function, serum ceruloplasmin and copper levels to assess copper metabolism, and 24-hour urine copper tests for excretion levels. Whole exome sequencing was conducted using genomic DNA from peripheral blood samples. Variant classification followed guidelines from the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics. The sequencing revealed compound heterozygous pathogenic variants in the ATP7B gene: NM_000053.4:c.2165dupT and NM_000053.4:c.813C>A. A pathogenic variant in the KMT2B gene, NM_014727:c.3052delA, was identified. This case highlights WD co-occurrence with ATP7B and KMT2B mutations, suggesting KMT2B as a potential genetic modifier.

Background: Parkinson's disease (PD) is characterized by dopaminergic (DA) neuron loss, Lewy body build-up, and motor dysfunction. One of the primary pathogenic mechanisms of PD development is autophagy dysfunction and nitric oxide-mediated neurotoxicity.

Purpose: The current study focuses on autophagy and nitric oxide (NO) signaling roles in 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP)-intoxicated PD mice and their protection by their modulators.

Method: BALB/c mice were administered MPTP (30 mg/kg/i.p/day) for five consecutive days in order to create a PD model. Following MPTP poisoning, the doses of GA (16.8 mg/kg/day/i.p.), 7-nitroindazole (7-NI) (10 mg/kg/day/i.p.), and their combination were administered once daily for 14 days. Animals were observed for behavioral and locomotor changes, biochemical examination, inflammatory mediators, and analysis of molecular markers.

Results: GA, 7-NI alone significantly reduced MPTP-induced locomotor, behavioral, and oxidative damage. Additionally, in MPTP-intoxicated animals, 7-NI and GA had protective effects on dopamine levels, TH positive DA neurons, inflammatory cytokines interleukin 1β (IL-1β), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB), and cyclooxygenase-2 (Cox-2) concentration. Furthermore, GA increases LC3BII expression, which in turn increases autophagy. It also decreases total NO content, and a significant response of 7-NI demonstrates their interaction, which is neuroprotective.

Conclusion: Present research suggests that dysregulation of autophagy and NO-mediated neuroinflammation are involved in the pathogenesis and progression of MPTP-induced PD. The use of two pharmacotherapeutics, GA and 7-NI, respectively, significantly reduces MPTP-induced PD distortions and their interaction enhances the overall protective effect, suggesting that these pharmacological agents may be used for the treatment of PD.

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.