bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Structure and function of social networks, loneliness, and their association with mental disorders among older men and women in Ireland: A prospective community-based study
Authors: Santini Z. , Fiori K.L. , Tyrovolas S. , Haro J.M. , Feeney J. , Koyanagi A. 
Published: May 2016

IntroductionInterpersonal stressors and social isolation are detrimental for emotional health, but how these factors are related to loneliness and altogether influence risk for mental disorders is not well understood.ObjectivesTo examine the mediating role of loneliness in the associations of relationship quality and social networks with depressive symptoms, anxiety, and worry among a sample of Irish men and women in late-life.AimsTo determine the gender-specific risk for mental disorder associated with poor social relationships and loneliness among older adults.MethodsData came from the Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing (TILDA). Nationally representative data on 6105 community-dwelling adults aged > 50 years were analyzed. Follow-up data was obtained two years after cohort inception. Multivariable linear regressions and mediation analyses were used to assess the associations. Analyses were stratified by gender.ResultsBetter spousal relationship quality was protective against depressive symptoms and worry for men. For both genders, support from friends was protective against depressive symptoms, and better relationship quality with children was protective against depressive symptoms and worry. Social network integration was inversely related to depressive symptoms for men. Loneliness significantly mediated most associations (Tables 1–3).ConclusionsHigh quality spousal relationships and social integration appear to play a more central role for mental health among men than for women. For both genders, poor social relationships increase feelings of loneliness, which in turn worsens mental health. Interventions to improve relationship quality and social networks, with a focus on reducing loneliness, may be beneficial for the prevention of mental disorders among older adults.Disclosure of interestThe authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.
Burden of care among relatives of people with dementia attending tertiary care in Oman
Authors: Al Maqbali M. , A-Sinawi H. 
Published: May 2016

IntroductionProviding care to people with dementia is a stressful experience and has been associated with high burden of care. Such issue has been under-researched in Arabic/Islamic parts of the world.Aims and objectivesThe aim of this study is to determine the degree of burden of care among caregivers of people with dementia attending the Old-Age clinic, Sultan Qaboos University Hospital, Oman.MethodsFifty patients with dementia and their primary care caregivers were included in the study. The diagnosis of dementia was based on DSM 5 criteria and the severity was rated according to the Global Deterioration Scale for Assessment of Primary Degenerative Dementia and Clinical Dementia Rating. Level of dependency was measured using the Katz Index of Independence in Activities of Daily Living (ADL) and Lawton Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADL) Scale. For the caregivers, burden of care was determined by Zarit Burden Interview (ZBI).ResultsThe majority of caregivers were adult children (90%) who are supported by other relatives. Overall, 70% of caregivers demonstrated high degree of burden as quantified by ZBI. Factors such as patient's age, duration and severity of dementia, level of dependency and female gender of the caregiver were associated with higher burden.ConclusionBurden is common among dementia caregivers and several factors interplay to influence the perceived stress. As increased burden was evidenced to be associated with higher incidence of mental disorders, screening and early intervention will impact positively on the caregiver as well as the patient.Disclosure of interestThe authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.
Cognitive deterioration and depressive symptoms in elderly people living in the community
Authors: García Mahía M.D.C. , Fernández Quintana Á. , Vidal Millares M. 
Published: May 2016

IntroductionDepression is a prevalent illness in elderly people. Cognitive deterioration associated to depressive symptoms is frequently considered as Dementia, especially in primary care. The study of the relation between both pathologies is necessary to correct treatment of mental illness in elderly people.AimsThe aim of this study is to investigate whether depressive symptoms are related to certain areas of cognitive decline in elderly people.MethodsThe sample included community people older than 65 years (n = 927), mean age 72.9; 55.1% were women and 44,9% men. Instruments used were Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), Blessed Dementia Scale (BDS), Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE), verbal fluency test, clock drawing task, Wechsler digit substitution test and Wechsler similarity test.ResultsOf the sample, 15,2% presented cognitive deterioration in Blessed Dementia Scale, with statistical significance in relation between growing age, female sex and cognitive deterioration (P < 0.005). Twenty-eight percent of the sample present cognitive decline, finding the same relation between sex, age and cognitive condition. Of the sample, 33.5% presented mild depression, 9.1% moderate depression and 1.4% presented severe depression using BDI. Correlations between depression and cognitive tests were analyzed. In demographic factors, social support was significantly correlated with depression but marital status, occupation and education were not correlated.ConclusionsThere is a high prevalence of depressive symptoms and cognitive deterioration in elderly people. High levels of depressive symptoms are associated with cognitive deterioration, especially in comprehension and judgment, delayed recall, verbal memory and visuospacial coordination in elderly people.Disclosure of interestThe authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.
Efficacy of memantine for elderly patients in the mild stage of Alzheimer's and vascular dementia in Ukraine
Authors: Kholin V. , Bachinskaya N. , Rozhelijuk I. 
Published: May 2016

The aim of our research was to investigate the effectiveness of memantine treatment of Ukrainian patients with Alzheimer's (AD) and vascular dementia (VaD) depending on existing ApoE genotype.MethodsIt was a complex examination of 60 elderly persons (72.40 ± 1.35 years) with mild stage of AD and VD. The effectiveness of response to (20 mg/day) memantine intake was studied during the first 3 months of treatment. Efficacy of short-term treatment was determined by MMSE and the numbers of positive statistically significant changes ADAS-cog subtests. Genetic ApoE polymorphism was investigated too (using the of the PCR technique). Statistical Anova analysis was done.ResultsAfter 3 months of treatment significant changes in the overall score of Adas-cog was observed in both groups with some differences in subscale profiles. For AD patients, statistically positive changes (P < 0.05) were found in comprehension of spoken language, naming objects, commands, ideational praxis and delayed recall subtests. For VaD patients, statistically positive changes (P < 0.05) were found in comprehension of spoken language, naming objects, word finding difficulty and delayed recall subtests. There was established a significant prevalence of individuals with genotype ɛ4/ɛ4 among patients with AD compared with patients with VD. The main differences, according to the memantine efficacy treatment in carriers ApoE3 and ApoE4 genotypes, were in remembering test instructions subtest.ConclusionsThe memantine treatment efficacy in AD and VaD patients in mild stage of dementia was not significantly associated with an existing of Apo-E genotype polymorphism.Disclosure of interestThe authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.
Effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of a cardiovascular risk prediction algorithm for people with severe mental illness
Authors: Zomer E. , Osborn D. , Nazareth I. , Blackburn R. , Burton A. , Hardoon S. , Holt R.I.G. , King M. , Marston L. , Morris S. , Omar R. , Petersen I. , Walters K. , Hunter R.M. 
Published: May 2016

IntroductionCardiovascular risk prediction tools are important for cardiovascular disease (CVD) prevention, however, which algorithms are appropriate for people with severe mental illness (SMI) is unclear.Objectives/aimsTo determine the cost-effectiveness using the net monetary benefit (NMB) approach of two bespoke SMI-specific risk algorithms compared to standard risk algorithms for primary CVD prevention in those with SMI, from an NHS perspective.MethodsA microsimulation model was populated with 1000 individuals with SMI from The Health Improvement Network Database, aged 30–74 years without CVD. Four cardiovascular risk algorithms were assessed; (1) general population lipid, (2) general population BMI, (3) SMI-specific lipid and (4) SMI-specific BMI, compared against no algorithm. At baseline, each cardiovascular risk algorithm was applied and those high-risk (> 10%) were assumed to be prescribed statin therapy, others received usual care. Individuals entered the model in a ‘healthy’ free of CVD health state and with each year could retain their current health state, have cardiovascular events (non-fatal/fatal) or die from other causes according to transition probabilities.ResultsThe SMI-specific BMI and general population lipid algorithms had the highest NMB of the four algorithms resulting in 12 additional QALYs and a cost saving of approximately £37,000 (US$ 58,000) per 1000 patients with SMI over 10 years.ConclusionsThe general population lipid and SMI-specific BMI algorithms performed equally well. The ease and acceptability of use of a SMI-specific BMI algorithm (blood tests not required) makes it an attractive algorithm to implement in clinical settings.Disclosure of interestThe authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.
The effect of the reductions in social interactions due to the economic crisis on the subjective well-being of non-insurance health care seekers in Greece
Authors: Lyrakos G. , Grigoriadou M. , Zacharis T. , Grigoraki M. , Menti D. , Tsioumas N. , Georgiadis A. , Spyropoulos I. , Spinaris V. 
Published: May 2016

BackgroundSocial interactions have an important effect on the subjective well-being of individuals. However, in periods of financial crisis these interactions are reduced, affecting thus the mental health of the individuals as well.AimTo investigate the effect of the reduction in social interactions, as a result of the economic crisis, on the subjective well-being of non-insurance health care seekers in Greece.MethodTwo hundred and sixty-six individuals participated in this study, 90 (35.6%) males and 163 (64.4%) females, with a mean age of 47. Analysis of data was conducted with Anova, using the SPSS software.ResultsThe findings showed that reductions in social interactions, caused by the financial crisis, led to significant reductions in the subjective well-being of individuals as well (F(1.259) = 13.276, P < 0.001 for social activities and F(1,258) = 14.531, P < 0.001 for peer socialization). More specifically, individuals whose social interactions were greatly affected by the financial crisis reported significantly lower subjective well-being than individuals who reported a medium effect (M = −2.952, SD = .764, P < 0.001). Furthermore, individuals who reported that the economic crisis had a great effect on their peer socialization reported significantly lower subjective well-being compared to both those who reported a medium (M = −1.868, SD = .658, P < 0.015) or low (M = −2.77, SD = .809, P < 0.001) effect of the crisis.ConclusionThe results of this research showed that the financial crisis reduced the well-being of affected individuals through reductions in their social interactions. Further research is needed to investigate appropriate interventions to reduce the negative impact that the financial crisis has on the well-being of affected individuals.Disclosure of interestThe authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.
Decreased interhemispheric functional coordination underlying the cognitive impairment in late-onset depression
Authors: Hou Z. , Jiang W. , Yue Y. , Yin Y. , Zhang Y. , Sui Y. , Yuan Y. 
Published: May 2016

BackgroundThe intuitive association between cognitive dysfunction in late onset depression (LOD) and the aberrant functional activity in the brain's default-mode network (DMN) has prompted interest in exploring the role of the DMN in LOD. The altered pattern of resting state voxel-mirrored homotopic connectivity (VMHC) in cognitive processes is not yet well understood in LOD.MethodsThe study was designed to examine the implicit coupling between the alteration of interhemispheric functional coordination and cognitive impairment in LOD. Thirty-one LOD patients and 37 matched healthy controls (HC) underwent neuropsychological tests and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) in this study.ResultsCompared to HC group, attenuated VMHC in superior frontal gyrus, superior temporal gyrus, posterior cerebellar lobe, postcentral and precentral gyrus was observed in LOD. Neuro-behavioral relevancy approach revealed that the imbalanced interhemispheric functional coordination in bilateral cerebellum was positively correlated with the performance of trail making test in LOD (r = 0.367, P = 0.040).ConclusionAltered linkage pattern of intrinsic homotopic connectivity and cognition was firstly investigated in LOD, and it would provide a novel clue to reveal the neural substrates underlying the cognitive dysfunction in LOD.Disclosure of interestThe authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.
Gamma band dysfunction in patients with schizophrenia during a Sternberg Task: A wavelet analysis
Authors: Marasco D.D. , Di Lorenzo G. , Petito A. , Altamura M. , Francavilla G. , Inverso L. , Bellomo A. 
Published: May 2016

BackgroundIncreasing body of evidence suggest that patients with schizophrenia (SCZ) present dysfunction of the gamma band oscillations (GBO) during cognitive tasks. The current study aimed to explore the GBO activity in SCZ during a Sternberg task.Materials and methodsTwenty-eight chronic stabilized SCZ and 18 healthy controls (HC), were recruited. Ongoing EEG was recorded during the execution of the Sternberg task. Continuous EEG data were band-pass filtered (1–100 Hz) and corrected for eye blink and muscle artefacts by ICA. For each subject, the event-related-spectral-perturbation (ERSP) and the inter-trial-coherence (ITC) were computed at the Pz channel only for those stimulus-locked segments containing correct responses. GBO wavelet analysis was performed with two different increasing cycle ranges (3 to 5.8 and 12 to 22.6; frequency range: 30–90 Hz), to obtain the best information about temporal and frequency dynamics. Student's t test (with multiple comparisons FDR correction) was used to compare the groups.ResultsDuring the manteinance phase (4000 to 4600 ms after the stimulus onset), SCZ presented a significant increase, respect to HC, in low GBO activity (range: 30-50 Hz;). In the other phases of the Sternberg task (encoding, probe presentation and response periods), no significant difference in GBO was observed between SCZ and HC.ConclusionsThese findings are in line with the evidence that GBO dysfunction in SCZ is present during selective phases of the working memory task. Future studies have to clarify the role of GBO dysfunction on the cognitive performance and the clinical utility of selective GBO modulation during cognitive rehabilitation.Disclosure of interestThe authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.
3-dimensional evaluation of lateral ventricle volumes of schizophrenia patients and investigation of the subgroups
Authors: Nazli I. Polat , Atlamaz M. , Ozalay O. , Deger F. , Kitis O. , Gonul A.S. 
Published: May 2016

IntroductionThe thought of greater loss of brain tissue in Deficit Syndrome (DS) i.e. subgroup of schizophrenia with enduring primary negative symptoms defined by Carpenter et al.; this has not been verified by recent studies.ObjectiveAccumulated researches suggest that enlargement in Lateral Ventricles (LV) is related with current negative symptoms and poor prognosis. However, this has not been validated in DS.AimsOur aim is to study the association between the enduring negative symptoms and LV changes schizophrenia. We included both deficit and non-deficit patients for comparison with controls.MethodsForty-five patients (18 DS, 27 non-DS) and 37 healthy controls were recruited, evaluated for positive and negative symptoms, depression and extrapyramidal symptoms. Structural magnetic resonance imaging was performed. LV was assessed by MANCOVA (gender, age total brain volume as confounding factors) in 3-dimensional (3D) shape analyses. Correlations between clinical and imaging data were analyzed by Pearson correlation coefficient; P > 0.05 being significant.ResultsLV of patients was found to be greater than controls, especially in regions adjacent to parietal and temporal regions but no significant difference between subgroups was detected. Enlargement in right LV by corpus callosum adjacency was found in DS. There was no correlation between negative symptoms and LV volume.ConclusionsThe idea of greater amount of LV enlargement in patients with predominant negative symptoms could not be observed in 3D analyses. New pathophysiological theories are needed for the explanation of negative symptoms, loss of functioning and poor prognosis rather than only commenting about tissue decrease/loss.Disclosure of interestThe authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.
Schizophrenia and dementia. Morphological and spectroscopic findings. Baseline data
Authors: San Román Uría A. , Monforte Porto J.Á. , Santirso Abuelbar L. , Chaviano Grajera J. , Martín Pérez M.Á. , Alcalá Dueñas J.A. , Cuéllar Leal V.A. 
Published: May 2016

IntroductionSpectroscopy is a diagnostic method using MRI, to analysis tissue in vivo noninvasively. There are several studies with magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) in patients with psychiatric disorders, especially schizophrenia and Alzheimer's type dementia, in their different developmental stage. Sometimes spectroscopy may allow brain metabolic changes to be observed before the onset of alterations in brain parenchyma. We do not know any documented case of spectroscopy performed on a psychiatry-targeted manner on our hospital. It is a noninvasive technique without added cost to the MRI and is available in our hospital. It seems interesting for us to combine two specialties like radiology and psychiatry in the field of a neuroimaging Project.Objectives and aimsOur goal is try to establish a radiological anatomical correlate to brain molecular levels. It's a transverse and longitudinal prospective observational study in which subjects will be submitted to various psychiatric assessments by conducting a radiological examination that is the MRI and MRS to determine the regional metabolic pattern in the subjects explored.MethodsInformed consent to all patients, aged more than 18 years, selected according inclusion/exclusion criteria that meet ethical principles. Patients are selected within the public health network of Sacyl Health Care System, Zamora Hospital, Spain.Expected results and conclusionsSchizophrenia increased creatinine, choline and glutamate. NAA decrease in untreated patients and increased the same in patients with treatment Alzheimer: < increased NAA (N-acetyl aspartate) and increased MI (myo-inositol), their relationship has a high negative predictive value, ie if it is negative (the peaks are not increased) is discarded Alzheimer's disease. Early Dx/screening? Treatment?Disclosure of interestThe authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.
Psychiatric comorbidities in patients with brain tumors after radiotherapy – An intermediate report
Authors: Bran M. , Ladea M. , Stanculescu D. , Purnichi T. 
Published: May 2016

IntroductionPrimary or secondary CNS tumors are among the most difficult to manage forms of cancer. Treatment of these tumors remains a challenge in oncology and the success rates for treatment of brain tumors are much lower than in extracerebral localizations. Because most chemotherapeutic agents do not cross the blood-brain barrier effectively and surgery is sometimes only palliative, radiotherapy remains the main method of treatment of these lesions. Both localized and generalized brain radiotherapy have numerous psychiatric complications.ObjectivesThe objective of the study was to assess the psychiatric comorbidities in patients with brain tumors receiving radiotherapy.AimsThis is an intermediate report of a larger study that assesses comorbidities in patients with brain tumors after radiotherapy.MethodsTwenty-five patients with different localization brain tumors were included in this observational study before receiving radiotherapy. All patients were assessed using Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) for anxiety and depressive symptoms, Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MOCA) for cognitive impairment and Quality of Life Enjoyment and Satisfaction Questionnaire–Short Form (Q-LES-Q-SF) at inclusion and after 3 months from finishing the radiotherapy sessions.ResultsTwenty-two patients completed the study. Nine patients received antidepressant treatment (sertraline, tianeptine) during the study for depressive symptoms or anxiety. Patients receiving antidepressants showed better scores on HADS, MOCA and Q-LES-Q-SF scales.ConclusionsAntidepressant use in patients receiving radiotherapy for brain tumors could be neuroprotective and could improve quality of life.Disclosure of interestThe authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.
The fibromyalgia patients would present higher levels of magnification that controls pain: A pilot study
Authors: Cabas-Hoyos K. , Muñoz-Salgado J.L. , Cadavid-Perez I. , De Hoyos L. , Gonzalez-Gamero G. , Luna-Martinez L. , Perez-Solano I. , Quintero-Soto L. , Roman F. 
Published: May 2016

Catastrophism is a variable of great importance in the study of pain. Catastrophism refers to a negative and exaggerated compared to the experience of pain, both real and anticipated mental perception (Sullivan, Bishop and Pivik, 1995; Sullivan et al., 2001). The current study to compare the levels of catastrophism in patients with and without fibromialgia. This study is cross-cutting and comparative. Twenty participants (M: 47.20; SD: 12.11) distributed as the following way:– group 1: patients with fibromyalgia previously diagnosed through the American College of Rheumatology criteria (n = 10);– group 2: Clinical depression, defined according to the DSM-5 (n = 5);– group 3: healthy patients (n = 5) paired by age with the group of Fibromyalgia.The PCS, a self-administered, was used to measure Catastrophism. Responses were summed to yield three different subscales: Rumination, Magnification and Helplessness. This instrument is validated in both experimental and clinical population (Van Damme, Crombez, Bijttebier, Gouber and Van Houdenhove, 2002; Edwards et al., 2006). A comparison among the three groups was established using one-way factor ANOVA. The results point out that patients with fibromyalgia have higher levels of magnification controls with depression and healthy group (P < 0.05). In contrast, although the average level of Catastrophism total presented a greater tendency in fibromyalgia patients no statistically significant differences were found. This is discussed in relation to the literature, a higher level of magnification to explain pain and maintaining the chronicity of the disease. It is important to consider the component catastrophism to have a multidimensional view of pain.Disclosure of interestThe authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.