Neuropsychiatric Disease and Treatment

Shisandra Decoction Alleviates Parkinson's Disease Symptoms in a Mouse Model Through PI3K/AKT/mTOR Signalling Pathway
Pan Y, Chen M, Pan L, Tong Q, Cheng Z, Lin S, Pan R, Chen M and Zhi Y
The present study aimed to characterize neuroprotective effects of Schisandra Decoction (Sch D) treatment in a mouse model of Parkinson's disease (PD), and to explore underlying mechanisms focused on the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling pathway.
Health-Care Utilisation and Costs of Transition from Paliperidone Palmitate 1-Monthly to 3-Monthly Treatment for Schizophrenia: A Real-World, Retrospective, 24-Month Mirror-Image Study
Chang BC, Kuo MH, Lee CH, Chu YL, Chen KP, Tung CL, Yang YH, Hung CS, Tsai JH and Chuang HY
Poor adherence to antipsychotics in patients with schizophrenia is a leading cause of relapse and functional deterioration. Long-acting injectable paliperidone may reduce relapse risks, health-care utilisation, and health-care costs in these patients.
Atractylenolide-I Ameliorates Motor Deficits and Reduces Inflammation of the Spinal Cord by SIRT1/PGC-1α Pathway in MPTP Subacute Mouse Model of Parkinson's Disease [Letter]
Wen X and Xiao Z
Combined Predictors for the Diagnostic Transition from Acute and Transient Psychotic Disorder to Schizophrenia: A Retrospective Study
Lu Y, Wang Q, Liu X, Gao S, Ni S, Sun J and Xu X
Acute and transient psychotic disorder (ATPD), a psychosis frequently diagnosed, can potentially evolve into chronic conditions like schizophrenia (SCZ) and other mental disorders. This study aimed to develop a predictive model based on clinical data to forecast the transition from ATPD to SCZ and to identify the predictive factors.
Follow-Up of a Sample of Patients with Substance Use Disorder After Completing a Rehabilitation Program in a Continuous Care Unit in Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia, from 2012 to 2022: A Retrospective Study
Ali MI, Alrayabi A, Sallam A, Alshamarani AS, Almuqahwi MS and Afifi SY
There has been limited research on Saudi patients with substance use disorders (SUDs) that has examined and assessed the psychotherapy modalities utilized in rehabilitation. Therefore, there is a need to evaluate rehabilitation programs in the continuous care unit of the Erada Complex for Mental Health, Eastern Province, Saudi Arabia.
The Value of PHQ-9 and GAD-7 for Screening Emotional Disorders in IBS-D and the Specificity of the Gut Flora Associated with Emotional Comorbidity: Preliminary Findings
Zhao J, Li X, Wang X, Wang X, Hao X, Li Z and Zhu L
To identify irritable bowel syndrome with diarrhea (IBS-D) combined with anxiety and/or depression through a psychological screening tool and to further explore the relationships between patients with comorbidities and gut microbiota.
Unravelling Suicide and Related Behaviours in Indigenous Youth and Young Adults in the Canadian Context
Hus Y and Segal O
Suicide, rooted in antiquity, is now identified as a global dilemma, particularly impacting Indigenous peoples. The backdrop for this non-systematic focused review is the worldwide challenges faced by vulnerable Indigenous peoples with untenable poverty, degraded life-quality conditions, and suicidality, while the focus, as a specific case, is on the complexity of suicidality in Canadian Indigenous high-risk age groups. The aim here is to present overt and covert intersecting factors underlying suicide in Indigenous youths and young adults in the vast Canadian context. Although living in a privileged geopolitical region, their physically remote and economically compromised communities meshed with a haunting history combined with authorities' ingrained attitudes of exclusion and neglect, spawned meager health and education resources, services, and consequent dire results. The article's guiding theoretical frameworks are with its emphasis on context that explains health, illness, and recovery in groups and individuals, and the to identify individuals' suicidality triggers. The article highlights indigenous social determinants of health, identifies elements underlying the tragic suicidality trend in these groups, and addresses literacy and education as poverty driven issues and suicidality-contributing factors promoting attitudes of hopelessness. The discussion includes joint suicide combatting efforts by Indigenous communities and Canadian authorities, these authors' psychosocial-cognitive literacy acquisition plan to address all age-groups simultaneously, and a take-home message introducing employers' desirable worker competencies for effective future employment, thereby uplifting life-quality and prospects to help thwart the spectre of suicide. The Conclusion introduces current trends in suicidality science, confirming the authors' intervention plan is a good fit in the psychosocial intervention trend. Future directions include advice to examine the effectiveness of the plan in the Indigenous context, and tweak it accordingly. For ease of reader comprehension, the article flow is included at the start of the Introduction section.
Overexpression of ATF4 Inhibits Ferroptosis to Alleviate Anxiety Disorders by Activating the TGF-β Signaling Pathway
Wu W, Wen F, Hu J and Li L
Anxiety disorders seriously impair patients' mental health and quality of life, with limited effectiveness of current treatments. Dysregulation of activating transcription factor 4 (ATF4) is involved in various mental diseases, but the research on its potential roles in alleviating anxiety disorders remains limited.
Research Progress of Shared Decision-Making in Schizophrenia with Anxiety
Sun JJ, Wang T, Zhao P, Zhao YQ, Wang L and Ye F
Shared decision-making (SDM) has been practiced fairly frequently in general medicine, but less so in mental disorders, especially in closed psychiatric wards, and its positive predictor has recently been recognized in the field of mental health. Studies have shown that patients with severe mental disorders want a say in their care and their desire to participate in clinical decision-making is even higher than those treated by general medical services. This review aims to explore the research progress of SDM for patients with schizophrenia with anxiety in a collectivist culture (such as Chinese culture) and to provide a reference for the implementation of SDM in closed psychiatric wards.
Chronic Stress in a Rat Model of Depression Disturbs the Glutamine-Glutamate-GABA Cycle in the Striatum, Hippocampus, and Cerebellum [Letter]
Babber A and Sharma A
Correlation Between Family Dysfunction and Nonsuicidal Self-Injury in a Sample of Chinese Adolescents: The Mediating Effect of Alexithymia and circRNA_103636
Shi S, Li G, Zhu X and Kong L
Adolescent group may be prone to a variety of behavioral disorders, one of which is nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI), NSSI intervention is limited for its unknown mechanism, so this study aimed to explore the factors associated with and pathological mechanism underlying NSSI from the perspective of family dysfunction, alexithymia, circRNA_103636 in a sample of Chinese adolescents.
The Impact of the Triglyceride-Glucose Index on the Development of Depression in Patients with Coronary Atherosclerotic Heart Disease
Guan J, Wang Y, Dong C, Chen Y, Li B, Zhou Y, Huang F, Sun P, Tian X, Ran F and Lv J
Depression is common among patients with coronary atherosclerotic heart disease and is a prevalent mental health issue, particularly among those with cardiovascular diseases. Depression is commonly associated with elevated blood glucose and lipid levels. The triglyceride-glucose index is a novel indicator reflecting insulin resistance, which has been proven in numerous studies to be associated with cardiovascular diseases.
Towards a Non-pharmacological Intervention on Apathy in Korsakoff's Syndrome: A Systematic Narrative Review Across Different Clinical Conditions
van Dorst MEG, Rensen YCM, Nijsten JMH, Janssen GTL and Kessels RPC
Apathy is a quantitative reduction of goal-directed activity, which can be observed in relation to behavior, cognition, emotions and social interaction. It is an invalidating behavioral symptom that is frequently present across different psychiatric conditions and neurocognitive disorders including Korsakoff's Syndrome (KS). In fact, apathy is one of the most severe behavioral symptoms of KS and has a major impact on the lives of patients and their relatives and other informal caregivers. However, guidelines for the treatment of apathy in KS are currently not available. This systematic narrative review provides a transdiagnostic overview of the effectiveness of different types of non-pharmacological interventions on apathy across different study populations that at symptom-level share characteristics with KS. This evidence may inform the development of an intervention targeting apathy in KS. The included study populations are dementia (due to Alzheimer's disease, or vascular dementia), Parkinson's disease, schizophrenia and traumatic brain injury. Through a stepped selection approach and with regard to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines, 22 systematic reviews and 32 empirical articles on the non-pharmacological treatment of apathy were identified. The results show a variety of effective non-pharmacological interventions on apathy. In conditions with severe cognitive impairments, successful interventions did not rely on intrinsic motivation, self-monitoring, or illness insight of the patients, but depend on external stimulation and behavioral activation. Since apathy is a multidimensional construct, identification of the extent and type of apathetic behavior before starting an intervention is highly recommended. Furthermore, it is important to adjust the treatment to the patients' personal interests and needs and embedded in daily care.
Introducing S.C.O.P.E.™ (Schizophrenia Clinical Outcome Scenarios and Patient-Provider Engagement), an Interactive Digital Platform to Educate Healthcare Professionals on Schizophrenia Care
Correll CU, Rubio JM, Citrome L, Mychaskiw MA, Thompson S, Franzenburg KR, Suett M, Kotak S and Kane JM
Despite evidence of benefits beyond those of oral antipsychotics, long-acting injectable antipsychotics (LAIs) are underused in schizophrenia treatment. Underuse may be partially a result of misconceptions held by some healthcare professionals (HCPs) pertaining to LAIs. A panel of four experts convened between January 2022 and May 2022 to identify these misconceptions, and example cases or scenarios were created to illustrate common clinical situations relevant to these beliefs. Ultimately, an online platform and heuristic tool, Schizophrenia Clinical Outcome Scenarios and Patient-Provider Engagement (S.C.O.P.E.™), was developed to help prescribing clinicians and other HCPs better understand common clinical dilemmas, as well as the place for LAIs in schizophrenia treatment. Three main misconceptions related to the use of LAIs to treat schizophrenia were identified and included "physicians/providers know when patients are nonadherent", "patients do not accept/want LAI treatment", and "LAIs are only appropriate for patients who have demonstrated nonadherence". All misconceptions are refuted by current evidence and were used to develop clinical scenarios with questions to consider when patients present to various sites of care for treatment. These cases are presented on the S.C.O.P.E. educational platform. The platform also includes videos designed to help non-prescribing HCPs and mental health professionals address patient/caregiver concerns and to communicate LAI benefits. In addition, S.C.O.P.E. provides a section with information about each LAI that is currently FDA approved in the United States for the treatment of schizophrenia, to help familiarize HCPs with characteristics of LAIs. S.C.O.P.E. is an educational tool designed for HCPs to help improve their understanding of how to manage common clinical dilemmas in the treatment of people with schizophrenia, to clarify the role of LAIs in medication management, and to increase understanding of the characteristics of available LAIs. S.C.O.P.E. also aims to improve care in schizophrenia by facilitating increased awareness to patients and caregivers.
Esketamine Nasal Spray: Rapid Relief for TRD and Suicide Prevention-Mechanisms and Pharmacodynamics
Song H, Luo Y and Fang L
Esketamine nasal spray has emerged as a promising rapid-relief therapy for treatment-resistant depression (TRD) and suicide prevention. This review examines the chemical structure and pharmacodynamics of esketamine, highlighting its primary action on NMDA receptors and additional effects on AMPA receptors, opioid receptors, monoaminergic receptors, and inflammatory pathways. Despite the synergistic mechanisms contributing to its clinical benefits not being fully understood, future studies are essential to refine our understanding and optimize clinical use. Clinical research indicates that esketamine effectively alleviates depressive symptoms and prevents suicidal behavior in TRD patients, demonstrating good safety and efficacy over extended periods. Specifically, multiple randomized controlled trials have shown that esketamine reduces depressive symptoms within hours and maintains these benefits over several weeks, with a favorable safety profile and minimal side effects observed in long-term use. The approval of esketamine for TRD has significant implications for healthcare practices and policies, offering a new therapeutic option that addresses the urgent needs of patients with severe depression.
A Mixed Study on the Health Education Needs of Caregivers for People Living with Epilepsy Undergoing Surgical Treatment and the Effects of a Health Education Program
Zeng S, Liu H, Wen X and Huang Y
This study aims to understand and address the health education needs of family caregivers of people living with epilepsy, irrespective of the patient's age. It seeks to construct and implement a targeted health education program informed by empowerment education theory and evaluate its effectiveness.
The Cerebellum-Ventral Tegmental Area Microcircuit and Its Implications for Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Narrative Review
Zhou P, Peng S, Wen S, Lan Q, Zhuang Y, Li X, Shi M and Zhang C
The cerebellum has long been implicated in the etiopathogenesis of autism spectrum disorder (ASD), and emerging evidence suggests a significant contribution by reciprocal neural circuits between the cerebellum and ventral tegmental area (VTA) in symptom expression. This review provides a concise overview of morphological and functional alterations in the cerebellum and VTA associated with ASD symptoms, primarily focusing on human studies while also integrating mechanistic insights from animal models. We propose that cerebello-VTA circuit dysfunctional is a major contributor to ASD symptoms and that these circuits are promising targets for drugs and therapeutic brain stimulation methods.
Efficacy of Cortical-Hippocampal Target Intermittent Theta Burst Stimulation (iTBS) on Associative Memory of Schizophrenia: A Double-Blind, Randomized Sham-Controlled Trial
Li X, Xiang Q, Cen H, Zhai Z, Gao T, Lu C, Dong Y, Ye Y, Zhang C, Zhuo K, Wang Y and Liu D
The objective of our study was to evaluate whether intermittent theta burst stimulation(iTBS) applied to the regions with the strongest cortico-hippocampal connectivity within the lateral parietal cortical (LPC) or dorsolateral prefrontal cortical (DLPFC) areas in individuals with schizophrenia could enhance associative memory.
Predictive Value of White Matter Hyperintensities for Early Neurological Deterioration in Patients with Embolic Stroke of Undetermined Source
Zhang L, Su Y, Wang Q, Wang Y and Guo Y
To explore the role of white matter hyperintensities (WMH) in predicting early neurological deterioration (END) in patients with embolic stroke of undetermined source (ESUS) without reperfusion therapy.
Atractylenolide-I Ameliorates Motor Deficits and Reduces Inflammation of the Spinal Cord by SIRT1/PGC-1α Pathway in MPTP Subacute Mouse Model of Parkinson's Disease
Gao Y, Li S, Zhang J, Zhang Y, Zhao Y, Zhang S, Zuo L and Yang G
Parkinson's disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative movement disorder that impacts various systems, including the substantia nigra (SN) par compacta (SNpc) and extranigral regions like the spinal cord. The presence of persistent inflammation in the SN and spinal cord is associated with movement difficulties in PD. Atractylenolide-I (ATR-I) is a natural sesquiterpene recognized for its anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective effects. This research aimed to assess the impact of ATR-I treatment on motor function and inflammation in MPTP-induced subacute PD mice, particularly focusing on the role of ATR-I in spinal cord inflammation.
Clinical Patterns of Metabolic Syndrome in First-Hospitalized Major Depressive Disorder Patients: Comparison of Antidepressant-Exposed and Drug-Naïve Groups
Wang S, Zhang L, Wu Y and Ma J
Major depressive disorder (MDD) and metabolic syndrome (MetS) are both major health threats nowadays, and the relationship between them is complex and close. The purpose of this paper is to compare differences in the prevalence and risk factors of MetS in first hospitalized patients with MDD with and without antidepressant exposure.