bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Supportive Text Messages for Patients with Depression – A Randomized Controlled Trial
Authors: Agyapong V. , Juhas M. , Ohinmaa A. , Omeje J. , Mrklas K. , Suen V. , Dursun S. , Greenshaw A. 
Published: June 2017

BackgroundDepression is projected to be the primary cause of disability worldwide by 2030. Our aim was to test the feasibility of a supportive text messaging mobile health intervention in improving treatment outcomes in depressed patients.MethodsWe performed a single-rater-blinded randomised trial involving 73 patients with Major Depressive Disorder. Patients in the intervention group (n = 35) received twice-daily supportive text messages for 3 months while those in the control group (n = 38) received a single text message every fortnight thanking them for participating in the study.ResultsAfter adjusting for baseline BDI scores, a significant difference remained in the three month mean BDI scores between the intervention and control groups: (20.8 (SD = 11.7) vs. 24.9 (SD = 11.5), F (1, 60) = 4.83, P = 0.03, ηp2 = 0.07). The mean difference in the BDI scores change was significant with an effect size (Cohen's d) of 0.67. Furthermore, after adjusting for baseline scores, a significant difference remained in the three month mean self-rated VAS scores (EQ-5D-5L scale) between the intervention and control groups, 65.7 (SD = 15.3) vs. 57.4 (SD = 22.9), F (1, 60) = 4.16, P = 0.05, ηp2 = 0.065. The mean difference in change mean self-rated VAS scores was also statistically significant with an effect size (Cohen's d) of 0.51.ConclusionsOur findings suggest that supportive text messages are a potentially useful psychological intervention for depression, especially in underserved populations. Further studies are needed to explore the implications of our findings in larger clinical samples.
Cognitive Impairment in Major Depressive Disorder and Severe Depressive Episode with Psychotic Symptoms
Authors: Fedorová S. , Blažková M. , Humpolíček P. , Barteček R. 
Published: June 2017

IntroductionCognitive impairment in patients with depressive disorder is a subject of intensive research.ObjectivesThis study deals with the cognitive impairment in patients with severe depressive episode with psychotic symptoms and patients with major depressive disorder during the acute state of illness.AimsThe aim was to define domains and the level of cognitive impairment in both groups of patients.The next aim was to compare profiles of cognitive impairment in both groups of patients.The last aim was to find out a relationship between cognitive performance and severity of depressive episode during the acute state of illness.MethodsWe have used neuropsychological test battery (Auditory–Verbal Learning Test, Rey-Osterrieth Complex Figure Test, Logical Memory, Digit span test, Trail making test, Verbal Fluency Test, Block Design and Benton Visual Retention Test) for the evaluation of the cognitive functions in patients with severe depressive episode with psychotic symptoms (n = 5) and patients with major depressive disorder (n = 8).ResultsWe found cognitive impairment in all examined domains in both groups of patients.More profound cognitive impairment was found in patients with severe depressive episode with psychotic symptoms, particularly in visual memory, visuo-constructive abilities, speed of cognitive processing and executive functions. We found no correlation between cognitive performance and severity of depressive episodes.ConclusionsOur findings suggest a strong correlation between psychotic symptoms in depression and cognitive performance.
Automatic Analysis of Psychotherapy Videos by Using Synchrony Signal
Authors: Gargot T. , Varni G. , Chetouani M. , Cohen D. 
Published: June 2017

IntroductionSome techniques of psychotherapy are now widely evidence-based and very cost effective, especially cognitive and behavioral therapies. Most of the studies are indirectly based on patient reported outcomes or problematic behaviors evaluated before and after the psychotherapy. Unfortunately, studies struggle to control for what is actually happening during psychotherapy, especially the non-specific aspects, like the interaction between the patient and the therapist, that is a known predictor of psychotherapeutic efficacy. Consequently, it is difficult to make precise links between theory and practice, control its application and understand which of its ingredients are the most important.ObjectivesHere, we suggest a research framework to extract automatically social signals from psychotherapy videos. We focused on the extraction of synchrony of the motor signal since it was considered to be a predictor of psychotherapeutic outcome in an earlier study and a relevant signal for the study of mother-child interactions.MethodsWe developed open source python and R scripts to compute this synchrony of motion history on a database of interaction between a parent and a child http://bit.ly/syncpsyResultsWe confirmed that synchrony, was a relevant signal for studying social interactions since the scores are completely different from synchrony scores computed on shuffle motion history data. However, these scores alone are unable to distinguish the two periods of the videos (with and without disagreement).ConclusionSynchrony of motion history is a promising marker of social interactions.
Abuse During Childhood and Burnout
Authors: Di Giacomo E. , Pescatore F. , Colmegna F. , Di Carlo F. , Clerici M. 
Published: June 2017

BackgroundChildhood maltreatment is the most important risk factor for the onset of psychiatric disorders. Revictimization is really frequent as well as substance or alcohol abuse, often linked to self-treatment. Accordingly, our pilot study aims to analyze possible implication of childhood maltreatment on resilience and burnout.MethodsPatients admitted to outpatients psychiatric department in a six month period (1st January 2015–30th June 2015) complaining low to moderate anxiety or depression have been administered childhood trauma questionnaire (CTQ) and Maslach burnout inventory.ResultsCTQ results in 71 (87%) Emotional Neglect (EN), 2 (2.4%) Sexual Abuse (SA) and 2 (2.4%) Physical Abuse (PA). Twenty-one showed high emotional exhaustion, 21 high depersonalization, 9 moderate personal accomplishment while 1 showed low personal accomplishment. None of the patients who suffered child sexual abuse shows depersonalization or personal accomplishment difficulties linked to burnout. Patients negative to CTQ show respectively moderate emotional exhaustion (M = 20 ± 20.15), moderate depersonalization (11 ± 9.42) and high personal accomplishment (17 ± 12.38). Patients who suffered emotional neglect show the poorest profile at Maslach, particularly regarding emotional exhaustion. ANOVA reaches statistical significance among the 3 groups of detected abuse (EN, SA, PA) in personal accomplishment (P = 0.013) confirmed at POST HOC between EN and SA (P = 0.0004).ConclusionThe results obtained in this pilot study highlight two important considerations. First, it seems urgent to stress the huge prevalence of emotional neglect among those referred to psychiatric outpatient department due to moderate anxiety or depression complain. Moreover, emotional neglect appears to be the most compromised factor of burnout, especially if compared to sexual abuse.
Assessing Violence in Psychosis – A Clinical Prediction Rule
Authors: Seena F. , Wolf A. , Fanshawe T. 
Published: June 2017

BackgroundCurrent approaches to stratify patients with psychosis into risk groups are limited by inconsistency, variable accuracy, and unscalability.MethodsThis paper will present an overview of current approaches based on a systematic review. It will also present a novel scalable approach based on a total national cohort of 75 158 Swedish individuals aged 15–65 with a diagnosis of severe mental illness (schizophrenia, schizophrenic-spectrum, bipolar disorder, and other psychotic illnesses). We developed predictive models for violent offending through linkage of population-based registers and tested them in external validation. We measured discrimination and calibration for prediction of violent offending at 1 year using specified risk cut-offs.Findings: A 16-item model was developed from pre-specified routinely collected criminal history, socio-demographic and clinical risk factors. In external validation, the model showed good measures of discrimination (c-index 0.89) and calibration. For risk of violent offending at 1 year, using a 5% cut off, sensitivity was 64% and specificity was 94%. Positive and negative predictive values were 11% and 99%, respectively. The model was used to generate a simple web-based risk calculator (OxMIV).InterpretationWe have developed a prediction score in a national cohort of all patients with psychosis that can be used as an adjunct to decision-making in clinical practice by identifying those who are at low risk of future violent offending and higher risk individuals who may benefit from additional risk management. Further evaluation in other populations and countries is needed.
Dealing With Specific Cognitive Dysfunctions Associated with Psychiatric Vulnerability in Intellectual Developmental Disorders
Authors: Scuticchio D. , Bianco A. , Rossi M. , Piva Merli M. , Bertelli M.O. 
Published: June 2017

IntroductionDespite the increasing evidence of common neurodevelopmental alterations and high simultaneous or sequential co-occurrence, the relationship between specific cognitive dysfunctions and psychiatric vulnerability has not been adequately studied, not even in people with intellectual developmental disorders (IDD), whose rate of mental health problems is up to 4 times higher than the general population.AimThe aim of the present paper is to investigate the correlation between specific cognitive dysfunctions or dysfunctional cognitive patterns and the presence of specific psychiatric symptoms and syndromes in people with IDD.MethodsA sample of 52 individuals with IDD consecutively attending a clinical facility for multidisciplinary evaluation, in Florence, Italy was assessed through the SPAID (psychiatric instrument for intellectual disabled adult) system, the WAIS III - R (Wechsler adult intelligence scale III – Revised), the TMT (trial making test), and other neuropsychological tools. Psychiatric diagnoses were formulated by expert clinicians in accordance to DC-LD or DM-ID criteria. The main procedure of the data statistical elaboration was the calculation of frequency and correlation indexes.ResultsSome relevant correlations have been found, that between executive frontal functions, autistic traits and impulse control disorder, and that between working memory and bipolar disorder were among the strongest.ConclusionsIn people with IDD some cognitive alterations or ‘characteristics’ significantly correlate with the presence of psychiatric disorders. The possibility to understand the nature of this relationship seems to increase with the degree of specificity of variables in both the cognitive and the psychopathological assessment.
Anxious Distress is Associated with Increased Immune Dysregulation in Patients with Major Depressive Disorder
Authors: Gaspersz R. , Lamers F. , Wittenberg G. , Beekman A. , van Hemert A. , Schoevers R. , Penninx B. 
Published: June 2017

IntroductionAlthough depression with anxious distress appears to be a clinically relevant subtype of Major Depressive Disorder (MDD), whether it involves specific pathophysiology remains unclear. Inflammation has been implicated, but not comprehensively studied. We examined within a large MDD sample whether anxious distress and related anxiety features are associated with differential basal inflammation and innate cytokine production capacity.MethodsData are from 1078 MDD patients from the Netherlands study of depression and anxiety. Besides the DSM-5 anxious distress specifier, we studied various dimensional anxiety scales (e.g. Inventory of Depressive Symptomatology anxiety arousal subscale [IDS-AA], Beck Anxiety Inventory [BAI], Mood and Anxiety Symptoms Questionnaire Anxious Arousal scale [MASQ-AA]). Basal inflammatory markers included C-reactive protein, interleukin (IL)-6 and tumor-necrosis factor (TNF)-α. Innate production capacity was assessed by 13 lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated inflammatory markers. Basal and LPS-stimulated inflammation index scores were created.ResultsBasal inflammation was not associated with anxious distress in MDD patients (anxious distress prevalence 54.3%), except for modest positive associations for IDS-AA and BAI scores. However, anxious distress was associated with higher LPS-stimulated levels (interferon-ɣ, IL-2, IL-6, monocyte chemotactic protein (MCP)-1, macrophage inflammatory protein (MIP)-1α, MIP-1β, matrix metalloproteinase-2, TNF-α, TNF-β, LPS-stimulated index). Oher anxiety indicators (number of specifier items and anxiety diagnoses, IDS-AA, BAI, MASQ-AA) were also associated with increased innate production capacity.ConclusionsWithin a large MDD sample, the anxious distress specifier was associated with increased innate cytokine production capacity but not with basal inflammation. Results from dimensional anxiety indicators largely confirm these results. These findings provide new insight into the pathophysiology of anxious depression.
Using Quality Improvement Methodology to Achieve NICE Compliant Care for People with Intellectual Disabilities Whose Behavior Challenges
Authors: O’Kane N. , Hall I. 
Published: June 2017

BackgroundIn May 2015, NICE published guidelines for people with intellectual disabilities whose behavior challenges (NG11). Eight quality standards were subsequently developed by NICE to help service providers, health and social care practitioners and commissioners implement the necessary recommendations within the new NG11 guidelines.MethodsWe used a Quality Improvement (QI) methodology including process mapping, driver diagrams, and fortnightly QI team meetings. We conducted a baseline audit of the quality standards and used Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) cycles to pilot interventions generated by the team to improve compliance with the standards.ResultsBaseline compliance with the quality standards was low. We identified four priority areas for intervention: annual physical health checks, recording the indication of medication, multidisciplinary case discussion and concurrent psychosocial interventions for those prescribed medications for challenging behavior. Using a PDSA cycle for each intervention, we have demonstrated improved compliance with the NG11 guidelines. Compliance for the recording of indication of medication for all case reviews was previously 0% and now 100%. At least one target case is discussed at each MDT team meeting. Full results for annual health checks are awaited, but intervention has already shown an improvement in the uptake from 40% to 70%. Staff and carers knowledge of psychosocial interventions for people with challenging behavior showed an improvement after training.ConclusionsQuality Improvement methodology was successful in improving adherence to NG11 guidelines. We are currently assessing whether this is leading to reductions in challenging behavior and improvements to people's well-being.
Skin Conductance Response to Emotional Stimuli and Injury Location in Patients with Single Right Hemisphere Damage
Authors: Álvarez S. , Lahera G. 
Published: June 2017

IntroductionRight hemisphere damage (RHD) has been related to alterations in emotion processing. However, results regarding physiological responses are limited and inconsistent. More research regarding specific brain areas involved in emotional physiological responses is needed.ObjectivesTo examine the skin conductance response (SCR) to emotion eliciting images in patients with single RHD. To explore the relationship between SCR and brain injury location in patients with single RHD.AimsTo examine the relationship between SCR and cortical and subcortical damage in RH regarding emotional processing.MethodForty-one individuals with RHD due to stroke were assessed (mean age 68.5, SD 12.2, 51.1 males). The amplitude of event-related SCR was registered through a biofeedback system while observing 54 photographs from the international affective picture system (IAPS). Emotional images were classified using two different approaches: emotional valence (pleasant, unpleasant, neutral) and social vs. non-social content. Brain damage location, determined through medical records, included cortical (frontal, parietal, temporal and occipital lobes) as well as sub-cortical (caudate nucleus, thalamus, lenticular nucleus, insular cortex, basal ganglia and limbic system) structures.ResultsAmplitude of SCR to emotional images was significantly lower in individuals with occipital cortex injury compared to those with damage in other brain locations (P < 0.05). These results were consistent through all stimuli categories but non-social pictures, which presented the same pattern though, did not reach statistical significance.ConclusionsResults show a relationship between occipital areas in HD and SCR to emotional eliciting stimuli, suggesting occipital right lobe involvement in physiological emotional processing.Disclosure of interestThe authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.
The use of Polygenic Risk Scores to Inform Aetiology of Mood and Psychotic Disorders
Authors: Harrison J. , Mistry S. 
Published: June 2017

IntroductionPolygenic risk scores (PRS) incorporate many small genetic markers that are associated with conditions. This technique was first used to investigate mental illnesses in 2009. Since then, it has been widely used.ObjectivesWe wanted to explore how PRS have been used to the study the aetiology of psychosis, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and depression.AimsWe aimed to conduct a systematic review, identifying studies that have examined associations between PRS for bipolar disorder, schizophrenia/psychosis and depression and psychopathology-related outcome measures.MethodsWe searched EMBASE, Medline and PsychInfo from 06/08/2009 to 14/03/2016. We hand-searched the reference lists of related papers.ResultsAfter removing duplicates, the search yielded 1043 publications. When irrelevant articles were excluded, 33 articles remained. We found 24 studies using schizophrenia PRS, three using bipolar PRS and nine using depression PRS. Many studies successfully used PRS to predict case/control status. Some studies showed associations between PRS and diagnostic sub-categories. A range of clinical phenotypes and symptoms has been explored. For example, specific PRS are associated with cognitive performance in schizophrenia, psychotic symptoms in bipolar disorder, and frequency of episodes of depression. PRS have also demonstrated genetic overlap between mental illnesses. It was difficult to assess the quality of some studies as not all reported sufficient methodological detail.ConclusionsPRS have enabled us to explore the polygenic architecture of mental illness and demonstrate a genetic basis for some observed features. However, they have yet to give insights into the biology, which underpin mental illnesses.Disclosure of interestThe authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.
Peripheral Levels of the Micro-RNA MiR-1202 are Correlated with Changes in Brain Activity and Connectivity During an Antidepressant Treatment
Authors: Lopez J.P. , Pereira F. , Richard-Devantoy S. , Ding Y. , Fiori L.M. , Niola P. , Turecki G. , Jollant F. 
Published: June 2017

IntroductionMicro-RNAs are short non-coding sequences playing a major role in regulating gene expression. Peripheral levels of the micro-RNA miR-1202 have been shown to predict antidepressant response and to change during treatment. However, it is not clear to what extent these peripheral measures reflect central neural changes in vivo.ObjectivesWe aimed at investigating a potential link between peripheral micro-RNA and neuroimaging measures.MethodsAt baseline and after 8 weeks of desvenlafaxine (50–100 mg die), twenty depressed patients were scanned with 3 T magnetic resonance imaging, first at rest then during the Go/NoGo task, a classical test of response inhibition. Blood samples were taken for RNA extraction.ResultsDuring resting state, baseline miR-1202 levels were predictive of decreased connectivity between the posterior cingulate and the prefrontal, occipital and parietal cortices. Changes in miR-1202 levels were correlated with changes in activity in right precuneus within the default-mode network, and with decreased connectivity between the posterior cingulate and the temporal and prefrontal cortices, and the precuneus. During the Go/NoGo task, baseline levels and changes in these levels were correlated with activity changes in different regions, including bilateral prefrontal, insular, cingulate, and temporal cortices. Finally, secondary analyses suggest an association between miR-1202 levels and glutamate levels measured by spectroscopy in dorsomedial prefrontal cortex.ConclusionsThis is the first study showing that baseline and changes in peripheral levels of one micro-RNA were associated with changes in brain activity and connectivity during an antidepressant treatment. MiR-1202 may act through the modulation of the glutamatergic system.
Concomitant 3q13.31 Microdeletion and Ring Chromosome 22 in a Patient with Severe Developmental Delay, Ventriculomegaly, and Dandy-walker Malformation
Authors: Kashevarova A. , Belyaeva E. , Skryabin N. , Vasilyev S. , Lopatkina M. , Nazarenko L. , Nikonov A. , Lebedev I. 
Published: June 2017

IntroductionOver 20% of patients with developmental delay (DD) has copy number variations (CNV) of unknown significance. Some CNV may be associated with disease in a patient and also present in their apparently healthy parents. According to the two-hit model another CNV may contribute to phenotypic variation of such genomic disorders.ObjectivesDD diagnostics improvement.AimsUnderstanding the pathogenic significance of concomitant 3q13.31 and 22q13.32-q13.33 microdeletions.MethodsRing chromosome 22 was first detected by conventional cytogenetics. Microdeletions at 3q13.31 and 22q13.32–q13.33 were revealed by agilent technologies 60 K microarray and confirmed by qPCR. Ring chromosome was confirmed by FISH.ResultsWe present a four-year-old girl with del22q13.32-q13.33 resulted in a ring chromosome 22 and a single TUSC7 gene microdeletion at 3q13.31. The del22q13.32-q13.33 originated de novo, whereas del3q13.31 was inherited from healthy mother. The 22q13.32-q13.33 locus is associated with Phelan-McDermid syndrome (PHMDS, OMIM 606232). The patient demonstrated features both typical for the syndrome (psychomotor and speech development delay, autistic signs, aggression, sleep alteration, seizures) and atypical – attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), ventriculomegaly, and reduced size of cerebella hemispheres (Dandy-Walker variant). ADHD and ventriculomegaly were previously described in patients with del3q13.31 (OMIM 615433) but Dandy-Walker variant was observed in our patient for the first time. Possibly, atypical for PHMDS features, may result from trans-epistasis of microdeletions.ConclusionsMultiple CNVs in one patient complicate genotype-phenotype correlations due to possible overlapping phenotypes and/or modifying effect of variants. This study was supported by Russian Science Foundation, grant no. 16-15-10231.