Big Five personality and depression diagnosis,severity and age of onset in older adults

Background

Personality may play an important role in late-life depression. The aim of this study is to examine the association between the Big Five personality domains and the diagnosis, severity and age of onset of late-life depression.

Methods

The NEO-Five Factor Inventory (NEO-FFI) was cross-sectionally used in 352 depressed and 125 non-depressed older adults participating in the Netherlands Study of Depression in Older Persons (NESDO). Depression diagnosis was determined by the Composite International Diagnostic Interview (CIDI). Severity of depression was assessed by the Inventory of Depressive Symptomatology (IDS). Logistic and linear regression analyses were applied. Adjustments were made for sociodemographic, cognitive, health and psychosocial variables.

Results

Both the presence of a depression diagnosis and severity of depression were significantly associated with higher Neuroticism (OR=1.35, 95% CI=1.28−1.43 and B=1.06, p<.001, respectively) and lower Extraversion (OR=.79, 95% CI=.75−.83; B=−.85, p<.001) and Conscientiousness (OR=.86, 95% CI=.81.−.90; B=−.86, p<.001). Earlier onset of depression was significantly associated with higher Openness (B=−.49, p=.026).

Limitations

Due to the cross-sectional design, no causal inferences can be drawn. Further, current depression may have influenced personality measures.

Conclusions

This study confirms an association between personality and late-life depression. Remarkable is the association found between high Openness and earlier age of depression onset.     

Personality pathways to mortality: Interleukin-6 links conscientiousness to mortality risk

Personality is associated consistently with mortality hazards, but the physiological pathways are not yet clear. Immune system dysregulation may be one such pathway due to its role in age-related morbidity and mortality. In this preregistered study, we tested whether interleukin-6 (IL-6) and C-reactive protein (CRP) mediated the associations between personality traits and mortality hazards. The sample included 957 participants (M ± SD = 58.65 ± 11.51 years; range = 35–86 years) from the Midlife in the United States Survey that had 14 years of follow-up. Higher conscientiousness was associated with lower mortality hazards, with each one standard deviation higher conscientiousness associated with a 35% lower mortality risk. IL-6, but not CRP, partially mediated this association, with IL-6 accounting for 18% of this association in the fully adjusted model. While there was initial evidence that the biomarkers mediated both neuroticism and agreeableness and mortality risk, the indirect effects were not significant when controlling for the sociodemographic variables. Taken together, higher conscientiousness may lead to a longer life partially as a result of lower IL-6. This work highlights the importance of biological pathways that link personality to future mortality risk.     

Plasma Exchange Therapy to Reduce Mortality in Japanese Patients With Diffuse Alveolar Hemorrhage and Microscopic Polyangiitis

Diffuse alveolar hemorrhage (DAH) is well known as a serious complication of microscopic polyangiitis (MPA). We examined the effectiveness of plasma exchange (PLEX) therapy to reduce mortality in Japanese DAH patients with MPA. This retrospective, double‐center, observational cohort study included 20 DAH patients with MPA who were admitted to Juntendo University Hospital or Juntendo Koto Geriatric Medical Center between April 1998 and March 2018. The primary outcome was non–disease‐specific mortality. The 1‐year survival rate of patients with PLEX therapy (N = 4) was higher than that of patients with conventional therapy (N = 16, 75% and 13%, respectively, P = 0.037). Higher values of the 1996 Five‐Factor Score (FFS) and 2009 FFS were associated with increased mortality, with hazard ratios of 2.29 (P = 0.040) and 2.41 (P = 0.043), respectively, by Cox univariate analysis. We investigated PLEX therapy for reducing mortality in DAH patients with MPA, and the 1996 FFS and 2009 FFS were both independent prognostic factors.     

五禽戏联合推拿对原发性痛经患者中医证候及血清TNF-α、CD4+、OT、β-EP 表达的影响

目的:观察五禽戏联合推拿治疗原发性痛经(PD)的临床疗效及对患者血清肿瘤坏死因子-α(TNF-α)、CD4⁺、催产素(OT)及β-内啡肽(β-EP)水平的影响。方法:选取80例PD女大学生,按随机数字表法分为对照组、五禽戏组、推拿组及五禽戏⁺推拿组,对照组给予田七痛经胶囊治疗,其余3组分别给予五禽戏、推拿及五禽戏+推拿治疗,治疗时间均为3个月经周期。采用中医证候积分评价临床疗效,通过血清TNF-α、CD4⁺、OT、β-EP表达的变化探讨五禽戏联合推拿治疗PD的作用机制。结果:与治疗前比较,4组中医证候积分治疗1个疗程、2个疗程、3个疗程后均降低(P<0.05),且随着疗程增加逐渐降低。停止治疗3个月后,4组中医证候积分均较治疗3个疗程时上升(P<0.05);五禽戏+推拿组中医证候积分低于五禽戏组和推拿组,差异均有统计学意义(P<0.05)。治疗后,4组血清TNF-α、OT水平均较治疗前降低(P<0.05),血清CD4⁺、β-EP水平均较治疗前升高(P<0.05)。4组治疗后CD4⁺、OT水平比较,差异均有统计学意义(P<0.05),而TNF-α、β-EP水平比较,差异均无统计学意义(P>0.05)。治疗后,五禽戏+推拿组OT水平均低于对照组、五禽戏组及推拿组(P<0.05),CD4⁺水平高于对照组(P<0.05)。经秩和检验,4组临床疗效比较,差异无统计学意义(P>0.05)。结论:五禽戏联合推拿治疗PD有较好的近期及远期疗效,其作用机制可能与调节患者的血清TNF-α、CD4⁺、OT、β-EP水平有关。     

Quality of life for parents of children with autism spectrum disorders

This project describes health-related quality of life (HRQoL) of parents of children with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) using mixed methods. Parents of children with ASDs (N = 224) reported on their HRQoL, depression, and caregiving burden using quantitative tools. HRQoL scores were slightly worse than from those in normative populations especially related to stress and mental health. For example, parents reported average HRQoL scores from SF-6D of 0.74, which was clinically significant lower than an average normative U.S. population. 40% of parents reported having clinical depression symptoms. Married parents reported lower depression symptoms than parents who were not. In addition, families with three or more children with special health care needs (CSHCN) reported lower HRQL and higher caregiving burden than families with less CSHCN. In the qualitative study, we conducted five focus groups to gain insight as to the reasons a child's ASD might influence a parent's HRQoL. Qualitative data further supports the notion that parental HRQoL was negatively influenced by their child's ASDs. Studies that seek to quantify the influence of ASDs and to assess the effect of interventions for children with ASDs may consider measuring the effects on family members as well.     

荧光定量PCR检测HBV-DNA与化学发光酶免疫法检测乙肝五项的相关性调查

目的 探讨FQ-PCR检测HBV-DNA与CLEIA检测乙肝五项之间的相关性.方法 将以FQ-PCR法检测筛选的HBV-DNA阳性结果的血清用CLEIA法对其进行乙肝病毒血清学标志物（即乙肝五项）的检测.结果 大三阳与小三阳所占全部样本的比例最高,其低中高HBV-DNA水平的比例分别为17.2％,17.2％,65.5％和81.8％,15.2％,3.0％,而且差异有统计学意义（P＜0.05）;HBeAg与HBeAb阳性标本的HBV-DNA水平不同,差异有统计学意义（P＜0.05）.结论 FQ-PCR检测HBV-DNA水平与CLEIA检测的乙肝五项水平在判断患者乙肝病毒感染病程方面的相关性较好,但乙肝五项定量结果数值与HBV-DNA载量数值并没有直接相关的关系.     

秦皇岛市5739名孕产妇乙肝五项定量检测结果分析

目的 讨论2013年本院建卡孕产妇的乙肝流行情况,以及各个年龄组乙肝表面抗体的含量,及时接种乙肝疫苗,为孕产妇的乙肝防护提供数据支持.方法 采集孕产妇空腹静脉血,采用荧光免疫分析法（TRFIA）进行乙肝五项定量检测.结果 乙肝表面抗体的阳性率为51.93％,高免疫应答阳性率平均为30.49％,低免疫应答阳性率平均为21.43％.结论 在孕妇中存在着一定比例的HBV感染者和易感者,进行乙肝定量检测能够更好地反应机体乙肝感染动态免疫情况,预防HBV感染,阻断母婴传播,对优生优育、提高人口素质有重要意义.     

中医精准医学的理论形成和内涵剖析

预测性、预防性、个体化和精准医疗是近年来医学界讨论的重要焦点,随着人类健康意识的提升,预防性、个体化和精准化显得更加重要,三者的核心是精准医学.中医学的发展离不开寒热温凉的气候轴、地理特征的方位轴、时序变化的时间轴和四维内容的空间轴,离不开"天人合一"和"五运六气"思想,而这些正是中医精准医学的理论源流,中医学标准化是...     

从五郁探源针灸治疗抑郁症

抑郁症是一种常见的精神疾患,各年龄段均可发生。近年来抑郁症的患病人群逐渐扩大,使得其成为现代医疗体系中必须重视的疾病。笔者以《素问·六元正纪大论》中提出"木郁达之,火郁发之,土郁夺之,金郁泄之,水郁折之"的郁证论治思想为基础,结合历代医家有关郁证的论述,阐述《素问》中"五郁论治"思想对针灸治疗抑郁症临床取穴的指导作用,以丰富针灸临床治疗抑郁症的理论内涵,为临床预防及治疗抑郁症提供新思路。