Neural Correlates of Failed Inhibitory Control as an Early Marker of Disordered Eating in Adolescents

BackgroundBinge eating and other forms of disordered eating behavior (DEB) are associated with failed inhibitory control. This study investigated the neural correlates of failed inhibitory control as a potential biomarker for DEB.MethodsThe study used prospective longitudinal data from the European IMAGEN study adolescent cohort. Participants completed baseline assessments (questionnaires and a brain scan [functional magnetic resonance imaging]) at 14 years of age and a follow-up assessment (questionnaires) at 16 years of age. Self-reported binge eating and/or purging were used to indicate presence of DEB. Neural correlates of failed inhibition were assessed using the stop signal task. Participants were categorized as healthy control subjects (reported no DEB at both time points), maintainers (reported DEB at both time points), recoverers (reported DEB at baseline only), and developers (reported DEB at follow-up only). Forty-three individuals per group with complete scanning data were matched on gender, age, puberty, and intelligence (N = 172).ResultsAt baseline, despite similar task performance, incorrectly responding to stop signals (failed inhibitory control) was associated with greater recruitment of the medial prefrontal cortex and anterior cingulate cortex in the developers compared with healthy control subjects and recoverers.ConclusionsGreater recruitment of the medial prefrontal and anterior cingulate regions during failed inhibition accords with abnormal evaluation of errors contributing to DEB development. As this precedes symptom onset and is evident despite normal task performance, neural responses during failed inhibition may be a useful biomarker of vulnerability for DEB. This study highlights the potential value of prospective neuroimaging studies for identifying markers of illness before the emergence of behavior changes.     

Can acupuncture combined with SSRIs improve clinical symptoms and quality of life in patients with depression? Secondary outcomes of a pragmatic randomized controlled trial

ObjectivesTo explore the effects of acupuncture (manual acupuncture or electroacupuncture) combined with SSRIs for moderate to severe depression improving major clinical symptoms and life quality of the patients on secondary outcomes.DesignPragmatic, parallel, randomized controlled trial.Setting6 hospitals in China.Interventions6 weeks of manual acupuncture (MA)+selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), electroacupuncture (EA)+SSRIs, and SSRIs alone.Main outcome measuresThe primary outcome was response rate of 17-item Hamilton Depression Scale (HAMD-17) total score at 6^th week. The secondary outcomes reported in this analysis were HAMD-17 factor scores at 1^st, 2^nd, 4^th, 6^th, 10^th week and WHO Quality of Life-BREF (WHOQOL-BREF) scores at 6^th week.Results477 patients were randomly assigned into MA + SSRIs (n = 161), EA + SSRIs (n = 160), or SSRIs alone (n = 156) groups. For HAMD-17 (at 6^th week), the MA + SSRIs group was significantly better than the SSRIs alone group in retardation factor (p = 0.008), while the EA+SSRIs group was significantly better than the SSRIs alone group in anxiety/somatization factor (p<0.001) and sleep disturbance factor (p = 0.002). For WHOQOL-BREF (at 6^th week), the EA + SSRIs group, compared with the SSRIs alone group, produced a more significant improvement in the overall quality of life, general health, physical health, and psychological health (p<0.05). While, the MA + SSRIs group, compared to the SSRIs alone group, showed significant advantage only in psychological health (p = 0.023).ConclusionsEither MA or EA combined SSRIs treatment could improve symptoms and quality of life for patients with moderate to severe depression. The main limitation of this trial was not using a sham control therefore the placebo effect could not be excluded.     

Differentiating early Parkinson's disease and multiple system atrophy with parkinsonism by saccade velocity profiles

ObjectivePatients with Parkinson's disease (PD) and multiple system atrophy both present predominantly with parkinsonism at early stages, whereas cerebellar symptoms are largely masked in multiple system atrophy with parkinsonism (MSAP). We sought to determine whether the velocity profiles of saccades could be used to differentiate between these two disorders, revealing the underlying basal ganglia and/or cerebellar dysfunction and brainstem pathology in these disorders.MethodsSixteen MSA-P patients, 63 PD patients, and 36 age-matched normal subjects performed the visually guided (VGS) and memory-guided saccade (MGS) tasks. Targets were presented at eccentricities of 5, 10, 20, and 30 degrees. The amplitude, peak velocity, and duration of saccades were compared among subject groups. Duration was further subdivided into acceleration and deceleration periods, corresponding to the times before and after peak velocity. These parameters correlated with the severity of Parkinsonism as assessed by the UPDRS motor score.ResultsHypometria predominated in both PD and MSAP patients, whereas hypermetria, frequently noted in cerebellar ataxia, was rarely observed. Saccades in MSAP were characterized both by prolonged acceleration and deceleration periods with reduced peak velocity. In contrast, the velocity profile of PD patients was characterized mainly by the prolonged deceleration period. The changes observed in velocity profiles of MGS deteriorated with advancing severity of parkinsonism in MSAP and PD patients.ConclusionSaccade profiles provide useful information for differentiating between PD and MSAP at early stages. While the changes in velocity profiles may be explained by the cerebellar and brainstem pathology in MSAP, the changes in velocity profile in both PD and MSAP correlated significantly with increasing severity of Parkinsonism in both disorders, suggesting a link with striatonigral pathology.SignificanceThe differential changes in saccade velocity profiles of MSAP and PD may be used as a measure indexing the progression of cerebellar and basal ganglia dysfunction as well as for assessing the functional improvement when clinical treatment becomes available.     

Assessing possible DSM-5 ASD subtypes in a sample of victims meeting caseness for DSM-5 ASD based on self-report following multiple forms of traumatic exposure

Acute stress disorder (ASD) was introduced into the DSM-IV to recognize early traumatic responses and as a precursor of PTSD. Although the diagnostic criteria for ASD were altered and structured more similarly to the PTSD definition in DSM-5, only the PTSD diagnosis includes a dissociative subtype. Emerging research has indicated that there also appears to be a highly symptomatic subtype for ASD. However, the specific nature of the subtype is currently unclear. The present study investigates the possible presence of ASD subtypes in a mixed sample of victims meeting caseness for DSM-5 ASD based on self-report following four different types of traumatic exposure (N = 472). The results of latent profile analysis revealed a 5-class solution. The highly symptomatic class was marked by high endorsement on avoidance and dissociation compared to the other classes. Findings are discussed in regard to its clinical implications including the implications for the pending the ICD-11 and the recently released DSM-5.     

Altered gut microbiota and mucosal immunity in patients with schizophrenia

Evidence shows that gut microbiota may play important roles in schizophrenia pathogenesis via the “gut-brain” axis, but the mechanisms remain unclear. Here, eighty-four patients with schizophrenia and 84 sex- and age-matched healthy controls were enrolled. Shotgun metagenomic sequencing and 16S rRNA sequencing were performed, and the gut microbiota-associated epitopes (MEs) were predicted, which, together with IgA content, were used to determine the gut microbiota composition associated with gut immune status. Patients with schizophrenia had significantly reduced gut microbiota richnesses compared with those of the healthy controls, and the gut microbiota compositions clearly distinguished the patients with schizophrenia from the healthy controls. Based on two-stage metagenomic-wide association studies, nineteen gut microbiota taxonomies were associated with schizophrenia, and the microbial dysbiosis (MD) index was calculated based on the abundance of differential taxonomies. We found that MD index was positively correlated with MEs diversity and gut IgA levels, and negatively correlated with gut microbiota richness. Glutamate synthase (GOGAT) was more active in the guts of patients with schizophrenia than in those of healthy controls, and high GOGAT activity was associated with altered gut microbiota taxonomies associated with gut IgA levels. Our results may imply a role of the microbiome in the etiology of schizophrenia and contribute to the development of microbiome targeted interventions for schizophrenia.     

中药注射剂用于新型冠状病毒肺炎患者的药学监护探讨

新型冠状病毒肺炎的爆发严重危害了人们的身体健康和生命安全。国家卫生健康委员会发布的《新型冠状病毒肺炎诊疗方案(试行第七版)》(以下简称第七版方案)中,推荐临床治疗期重型、危重型患者在使用中药饮片的同时可联合使用中药注射剂。本文针对第七版方案中推荐的部分中药注射剂,详细分析其相关作用特点及药学监护点,帮助临床医护人员合理使用中药注射剂,以利于中医药防治新型冠状病毒肺炎疫情,促进临床一线合理用药。     

Mental Health Multimorbidity among Caregivers of Older Adults During the COVID-19 Epidemic

ObjectiveTo investigate mental health status and associated factors among caregivers of older adults during the COVID-19 epidemic in China.MethodsFrom March 1 to 31, 2020, 916 caregivers of older adults participated in an online cross-sectional survey on the prevalence of anxiety, depression, and sleep problems. The seven-item Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale (GAD-7) was administered to measure anxiety symptoms, the two-item Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-2) was used to assess depressive symptoms, and a self-developed questionnaire was used to assess sleep quality and duration. Six questions about COVID-19-related experiences were used to assess community-level infection contact and the level of exposure to media information. The prevalence rates of anxiety, depression and sleep problems were computed. The Wald χ² were applied to compare the differences between subgroups. Multiple logistic regression analyses were performed to investigate factors associated with anxiety, depression, sleep problems, and multimorbidity.ResultsThe prevalence rates of anxiety, depression, and sleep problems were 46.8%, 29.8%, and 10.8%, respectively. Approximately 263 participants (28.7%) presented with two or more mental health problems. Being female (OR, 2.254; 95% CI, 1.510–3.363), having community-level COVID-19 contact (OR, 1.856; 95% CI, 1.189–2.898), and having a mental disorder (OR, 3.610; 95% CI, 1.644–7.930) were associated with increased risk of multimorbidity among caregivers. Caregivers who preferred positive information (OR, 0.652; 95% CI, 0.472–0.899) had reduced risk of multimorbidity.ConclusionAnxiety and depression were common among caregivers of older adults during the COVID-19 epidemic. Being female and having community-level COVID-19 contact were independent risk factors for experiencing multiple mental health problems. Preexisting mental disorders increased the risk of multimorbidity among caregivers, while enhanced access to positive media information decreased the risk of multimorbidity.     

新冠肺炎流行期中学生从医意愿及相关因素

目的:了解中学生在新冠肺炎流行期间的从医意愿及其相关因素。方法:在2020年3月8日-15日对全国8078名12~18岁的中学生进行在线问卷调查。采用自编调查表进行从医意愿及原因调查,患者健康问卷(PHQ-9)用于抑郁症状的筛查,广泛性焦虑量表(GAD-7)用于焦虑症状的筛查,社会支持评定量表(SSRS)用于评估个体的社会支持水平。结果:新冠疫情期间中学生有从医意愿者比率为55.1%,前3位原因分别为职业价值高、对医学感兴趣、职业受人尊重,其中29.8%的中学生在疫情爆发后由无从医意愿转为有从医意愿。无从医意愿前3位原因分别为对医学不感兴趣、工作压力大、工作忙而休息时间少。Logistic回归分析显示,女性(OR=1.31,P<0.001)、居住在城市(OR=1.14,P<0.05)、高(OR=2.70,P<0.001)或中(OR=1.48,P<0.001)社会支持水平与中学生较高的从医意愿关联;高中(OR=0.60,P<0.001)、抑郁症状(OR=0.74,P<0.001)与中学生较低的从医意愿关联。结论:新冠肺炎流行期间,中学生有从医意愿的占比超过半数,女性、居住在城市、社会支持水平较高的中学生从医意愿较高,高中生、伴有抑郁症状的中学生从医意愿较低。     

注意缺陷多动障碍伴情绪不稳儿童的家庭环境特点

目的:探讨注意缺陷多动障碍(ADHD)伴情绪不稳儿童的家庭环境特点。方法:选取符合DSM-5ADHD诊断标准的儿童183例和正常儿童50例,采用家庭环境量表(FES-CV)、Conners儿童行为问卷分别评定ADHD儿童和正常儿童的家庭环境特点以及情绪是否稳定。将Conners儿童行为问卷中第7、8、33、37情绪相关条目总分大于等于6分定义为伴有情绪不稳。结果:ADHD组情绪不稳的比例高于正.常对照组(41%vs.2%,P<0.05)。ADHD情绪不稳组儿童FES-CV家庭的知识性、娱乐性得分同时低于ADHD情绪稳定组和对照组(P<0.05),矛盾性得分同时高于情绪稳定组和对照组,亲密度、独立性和组织性得分低于对照组(均P<0.05),与情绪稳定组差异无统计学意义(P>0.05)。结论:ADHD儿童伴.情绪不稳的比例高于正常儿童,他们的家庭中文化活动与课外活动较情绪稳定的ADHD儿童更少。