BMC Psychiatry最新文献

Background: Structural neuroimaging findings in Subthreshold depression (StD) patients at different ages are highly heterogeneous. This study aims to investigate the pathophysiology of StD across different ages.

Methods: Literature searches for MRI studies of StD were conducted in 11 databases, including PubMed and Embase, from database inception to June 18, 2024. An activation likelihood estimation (ALE) meta-analysis was performed on the studies across different ages.

Results: A total of 24 studies were included. The results revealed that the significant convergent brain regions in StD patients across different ages were primarily located within the frontostriatal circuit. Age-related differences were observed. For adolescent patients, the significant convergent brain regions were the caudate, putamen, anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), and medial frontal gyrus (MFG). For young adult patients, the significant convergent brain regions were the inferior frontal gyrus, parahippocampal gyrus, insula, putamen, claustrum, and medial globus pallidus. For middle-aged and older patients, the significant convergent brain regions were the ACC, the MFG, and the superior frontal gyrus.

Conclusions: This study revealed that abnormalities in the frontostriatal circuit were neuroimaging features common in StD patients across different ages. Additionally, unique different brain regions were identified between age groups. These findings elucidated the mechanisms of StD and provided a theoretical basis for its prevention and treatment.

Background: Previous studies indicate vitamin D impacts autism spectrum disorder (ASD), but its relationship with brain function is unclear. This study investigated the association between serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] levels and brain function in preschool children with ASD using resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI), and explored correlations with clinical symptoms.

Methods: A total of 226 ASD patients underwent rs-fMRI scanning and serum 25(OH)D testing. Clinical symptoms were assessed using Childhood Autism Rating Scale (CARS) and Autism Behavior Checklist (ABC). Patients were categorized into mild and severe groups based on the CARS, and further divided into normal (NVD), insufficient (VDI), and deficient (VDD) serum 25(OH)D levels. Changes in brain function among these groups were analyzed using regional homogeneity (ReHo), with ABC scores used for correlation analysis.

Results: In mild ASD, ReHo increased in the right postcentral gyrus and left precuneus in the VDI and VDD groups compared to NVD, and decreased in the bilateral middle cingulate gyrus and left superior frontal gyrus in the VDD group compared to VDI. In severe ASD, ReHo decreased in the right middle occipital gyrus and increased in the right insula in the VDI group compared to NVD, and increased in the right superior frontal gyrus in the VDD group compared to VDI. Correlation analysis revealed that in mild ASD, ReHo in the right postcentral gyrus was positively correlated with body and object use scores in the NVD and VDI groups, while ReHo in the right middle cingulate gyrus was negatively correlated with relating scores in the VDD and VDI groups. In severe ASD, ReHo in the right insula was positively correlated with language scores in the NVD and VDI groups.

Conclusions: ASD patients with lower serum 25(OH)D levels show multiple brain functional abnormalities, with specific brain region alterations linked to symptom severity. These findings enhance our understanding of vitamin D's impact on ASD and suggest that future research may explore its therapeutic potential.

Background: Subclinical depression (ScD), serving as a significant precursor to depression, is a prevalent condition in college students and imposes a substantial health service burden. However, the brain network topology of ScD remains poorly understood, impeding our comprehension of the neuropathology underlying ScD.

Methods: Functional networks of individuals with ScD (n = 26) and healthy controls (HCs) (n = 33) were constructed based on functional magnetic resonance imaging data. These networks were then optimized using a small-worldness and modular similarity-based network thresholding method to ensure the robustness of functional networks. Subsequently, graph-theoretic methods were employed to investigated both global and nodal topological metrics of these functional networks.

Results: Compared to HCs, individuals with ScD exhibited significantly higher characteristic path length, clustering coefficient, and local efficiency, as well as a significantly lower global efficiency. Additionally, significantly lower nodal centrality metrics were found in the default mode network (DMN) regions (anterior cingulate cortex, superior frontal gyrus, precuneus) and occipital lobe in ScD, and the nodal efficiency of the left precuneus was negatively correlated with the severity of depression.

Conclusions: Altered global metrics indicate a disrupted small-world architecture and a typical shift toward regular configuration of functional networks in ScD, which may result in lower efficiency of information transmission in the brain of ScD. Moreover, lower nodal centrality in DMN regions suggest that DMN dysfunction is a neuroimaging characteristic shared by both ScD and major depressive disorder, and might serve as a vital factor promoting the development of depression.

Background: Major depressive disorder (MDD) is one of the health problems that imposes a large disease burden on the community. Its prevalence is based on gender. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the prevalence of MDD in Iranian men between 2011 and 2022.

Methods: The Medline, Embase, Scopus, Web of Sciences, PsycINfo, and Iranian databases were searched for studies published from January 2011 to December 2022. Two independent reviewers screened the observational studies conducted on men aged 15 years and older with MDD. The interested outcomes were the prevalence type of MDD.

Results: Data of 5 studies were included in the present meta-analysis. Among 10,667 participants in the study, 1479 (13.9%) individuals had a history of MDD. In the subgroup analysis, the average lifetime prevalence was 7.6% (95% confidence interval [CI]; 4.7 - 12.0%) and the point prevalence was 19.1% (95% confidence interval [CI]; 6.7 - 43.5%) based on random effect model. The 12-month prevalence was 10.8% (95% confidence interval [CI]; 9.8 - 11.9%) based on the single study.

Conclusion: Preventive and therapeutic programs are strongly recommended due to the high prevalence of major depression in Iranian men and the lack of sufficient studies in this field.

Background: Oxytocin is increasingly considered as a new pharmacological option for mitigating social difficulties and regulating stress in autism spectrum disorder. However, in prior trials, autistic individuals with co-occurring intellectual disability (ID) have largely been overlooked, despite their high prevalence, poorer outcome, and the enhanced need but reduced availability of therapeutic interventions. Prior studies have also overlooked the importance of standardizing the context in which oxytocin is administered, rendering outcomes from prior trials inconclusive.

Methods: To meet these limitations, we propose a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial investigating the effects of intermittent multiple-dose intranasal oxytocin administration (4 weeks, 24 IU 3x/week), administered within a standardized psychosocial stimulating context at special need schools, in 80 children with autism and co-occurring ID (4-13 years old). Clinical-behavioral as well as stress-regulatory effects of oxytocin will be evaluated using the Autism Treatment Evaluation Checklist (ATEC), the Brief Observation of Social Communication Change (BOSCC) expert rating scale, and measurements of high-frequency heart rate variability (HF-HRV), a validated index of parasympathetic autonomic nervous system activity. To assess the possibility of retention and/or late-emerging effects, outcomes will be assessed immediately after the administration regime, and at two follow-up sessions, four-weeks and six months after administration.

Discussion: Significant clinical-behavioral improvements on the ATEC and BOSCC, and significantly higher parasympathetic HF-HRV power in the oxytocin compared to the placebo group would confirm beneficial clinical-behavioral and stress-regulatory effects of oxytocin in autistic children with co-occurring ID. This would also corroborate the use of intermittent dosing schemes in combination with concomitant psychosocial stimulation.

Trial registration: The trial was registered on the 9th of December 2022 at the European Clinical Trial Registry (EudraCT 2022-002423-36) and on 20th of September the trial was transferred to the EU Clinical Trial Register (EU CT 2024-513436-14).

Background: Serious mental illnesses significantly contribute to the global health burden. The prodromal stage, marked by subclinical symptoms that impair daily functioning but do not meet full diagnostic criteria, often precedes the onset of serious mental illness. This stage can vary across regions, cultures, and demographics. High false-positive rates and low conversion rates to diagnosed mental disorders may increase stigmatization and delay timely care. This study aimed to explore the prodromal symptoms preceding serious mental illness in Taiwanese young adults.

Methods: A qualitative research design was employed, with semi-structured interviews conducted every three months until illness onset. Thirty-six individuals (aged 16-35) identified as ultra-high risk for psychosis were recruited from a psychiatric outpatient unit in central Taiwan over a two-year recruitment period. Among them, 24 participants who had developed a serious mental illness (9 with schizophrenia, 5 with bipolar disorders, and 10 with major depressive disorder) were included in the analysis. Data from these participants were analyzed using qualitative content analysis to explore their prodromal experiences and symptoms. The study adhered to the trustworthiness criteria, including credibility, transferability, dependability, and confirmability.

Results: The 24 participants had an average age of 22.83 years, including 8 males and 16 females. Analysis of 52 interviews identified five primary themes and 16 sub-themes: sleep disturbances leading to fatigue, terror caused by confusion between reality and hallucinations, indecision due to cyclic fluctuations in control, gradual loss in sadness and despair, and experiences of self-denial and uncertainty. This study provides valuable insights for the early screening of prodromal symptoms of serious mental illness in Taiwan.

Conclusions: The findings may assist early detection, support interventions to prevent or delay the onset of serious mental illness, and reduce the individual, familial, and societal burdens associated with mental disorders.

Clinical trial number: Not applicable.

Background: Given disparities in healthcare outcomes between ethnocultural groups, there is a need for research to be sensitive to cultural needs and differences to consequently address health inequalities. As part of a project aiming to co-produce a publicly acceptable core mental health dataset (CMHDS) for use in physical health research, evidence was sought as to how this could be made inclusive of a diverse population. The objective was to answer the following questions: What is best practice for culturally sensitive mental health research? How should mental health research be adapted to be culturally sensitive?

Methodology: A comprehensive literature search was conducted using the following four electronic databases: PsychINFO, EMBASE, CINAHL and Medline as well as a capped Google search (using both the generic search engine and Google Scholar). Articles were screened at the title and abstract level and at full text by two reviewers. Key topics and conclusions from the included papers were tabulated and grouped in order to identify themes.

Results: 575 results were identified from the database searches after removing duplicates, which were narrowed down to 95 potential studies after the first round of screening by title and abstract. Full text article review in the second round of screening resulted in a total of 41 included articles for the final analysis. The 100 Google results were all assessed for eligibility with 2 being included. In total, 43 results were identified of relevance and included in the review. Overarching themes identified were as follows: the definition of ethnocultural groups, the impact of language, the influence of research team composition, appropriate research methodologies, and ethical responsibilities of researchers.

Conclusions: The authors conclude that culturally sensitive research requires ongoing commitment to critical analysis, self-reflection, and collaboration from both researchers and institutions. Ethical considerations, including the historical context of racism and colonisation in mental health research, must be acknowledged to build trust and ensure that research outputs are equitable and applicable to diverse populations.

Background: Motoric cognitive risk (MCR) syndrome is a predementia syndrome characterized by subjective cognitive complaints and slow gait in the absence of dementia and mobility disability. Although past research has suggested that personality traits could play a significant role in the onset and progression of MCR among older adults, the exact relationships between specific personality profiles and MCR remain unclear. This study aimed to examine the relationship between personality profiles and MCR among community-dwelling older adults.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted from March 2021 to January 2022. Personality traits, including openness, extraversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness and neuroticism, were measured using the 40-item brief version of the Chinese Big Five Inventory. The Latent profile analysis was used to identify personality profiles among these older adults who shared similar patterns of personality traits. The Lanza, Tan, and Bray's approach was employed to investigate the personality profile-specific differences in MCR prevalence. Furthermore, a stepwise multinomial logistic regression revealed unique population characteristics for different personality profiles.

Results: A total of 538 eligible participants were included in this study. The mean age was 73.25 years (SD = 9.0) and 62.50% were females. This study identified four distinct personality profiles: the resilient, ordinary, reserved, and anti-resilient profiles. The resilient profile exhibited the lowest prevalence of MCR (mean = 6%, SE = 0.024), whereas the anti-resilient profile had the highest (mean = 20.3%, SE = 0.043). The prevalence of MCR differed among personality profiles (overall χ² = 14.599, p = 0.002). Personality profile membership was characterized by different population characteristics. Notably, the anti-resilient profile was association with symptoms of depression (OR = 28.443, 95%CI = 11.095-72.912), while the reserved profile was linked with advanced age (OR = 1.031, 95%CI = 1.003-1.061). Overall, a low education level and poor sleep quality were the robust attribution factors.

Conclusions: This study revealed that personality profiles may assist in identifying older adults at greater risk of MCR. Increased awareness and management of personality profiles may contribute to the prevention of MCR.

Background: Evidence indicates that patients with Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) exhibit a senescence phenotype or an increased susceptibility to premature senescence. However, the relationship between senescence-related genes (SRGs) and MDD remains underexplored.

Methods: We analyzed 144 MDD samples and 72 healthy controls from the GEO database to compare SRGs expression. Using Random Forest (RF) and Support Vector Machine-Recursive Feature Elimination (SVM-RFE), we identified five hub SRGs to construct a logistic regression model. Consensus cluster analysis, based on SRGs expression patterns, identified subclusters of MDD patients. Weighted Gene Co-expression Network Analysis (WGCNA) identified gene modules strongly linked to each cluster. Single-cell RNA sequencing was used to analyze MDD SRGs functions.

Results: The five hub SRGs: ALOX15B, TNFSF13, MARCH 15, UBTD1, and MAPK14 showed differential expression between MDD patients and controls. Diagnostics models based on these hub genes demonstrated high accuracy. The hub SRGs correlated positively with neutrophils and negatively with T lymphocytes. SRGs expression pattern revealed two distinct MDD subclusters. WGCNA identified significant gene modules within these subclusters. Additionally, individual endothelial cells with high senescence scores were found to interact with astrocytes via the Notch signaling pathway, suggesting a specific role in MDD pathogenesis.

Conclusion: This comprehensive study elucidates the significant role of SRGs in MDD, highlighting the importance of the Notch signaling pathway in mediating senescence effects.

Background: Schizophrenia (SCZ) is a complex mental disorder characterized by a wide range of symptoms and cognitive impairments. The search for reliable biomarkers for SCZ has gained increasing attention in recent years, as they hold the potential to improve early diagnosis and intervention strategies. To understand the research trends and collaborations in this field, a comprehensive Bibliometric analysis of SCZ and biomarkers research was conducted.

Methods: A systematic search of the Web of Science Core Collection was performed to retrieve relevant articles published from January 2000 to July 2023. The search focused on SCZ and biomarkers. Bibliometric tools, including CiteSpace, VOSviewer, and R package Bibliometrix, were utilized to perform data extraction, quantitative analysis, and visualization.

Results: The search focused on SCZ and biomarkers, and a total of 2935 articles were included in the analysis. The analysis revealed a gradual increase in the number of publications related to SCZ and biomarkers over the years, indicating a growing research focus in this area. Collaboration and research activity were found to be concentrated in the United States and Western European countries. Among the top ten most active journals, "Schizophrenia Research" emerged as the journal with the highest number of publications and citations related to SCZ and biomarkers. Recent studies published in this journal have highlighted the potential use of facial expressions as a diagnostic biomarker for SCZ, suggesting that facial expression analysis using big data may hold promise for future diagnosis and interventions. Furthermore, the analysis of key research keywords identified inflammatory factors, DNA methylation changes, and glutamate alterations as potential biomarkers for SCZ diagnosis.

Conclusion: This Bibliometric analysis provides valuable insights into the current state of research on SCZ and biomarkers. The identification of reliable biomarkers for SCZ could have significant implications for early diagnosis and interventions, potentially leading to improved outcomes for individuals affected by this challenging mental disorder. Further research and collaborations in this field are encouraged to advance our understanding of SCZ and enhance diagnostic and therapeutic approaches.