Music in depression: Neural correlates of emotional experience in remitted depression

Compared with healthy participants, Chinese patients with hepatitis B (HB) experience more psychosocial stress. The present study provided the first examination of physiological and subjective responses to stress in Chinese HB patients. A standard psychosocial stressor, the Trier Social Stress Test (TSST), was administered to 26 Chinese HB patients and 24 healthy control participants. Cortisol concentrations were measured in blood samples collected before and after the stressor. Self-reported emotional responses and cardiovascular measures were examined before and after the TSST. Depression and anxiety were assessed using Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale. Chinese HB patients exhibited higher cortisol response to the stressor than healthy control participants. Compared with healthy participants, Chinese HB patients showed higher levels of anxiety, depression and nervousness, and lower levels of calmness after the TSST. HB patients reported more negative life events in the previous 6 months and obtained higher adversity scores, as compared with control participants. Significant correlations were obtained between adversity scores and change cortisol secretion after TSST in HB patients, but not in healthy participants. This study firstly demonstrates that physiological and subjective responses to psychosocial stress among Chinese HB patients were different from that in healthy control participants.

BackgroundThere is contradictory evidence regarding negative memory biases in major depressive disorder (MDD) and whether these persist into remission, which would suggest their role as vulnerability traits rather than correlates of mood state. Early life stress (ELS), common in patients with psychiatric disorders, has independently been associated with memory biases, and confounds MDD versus control group comparisons. Furthermore, in most studies negative biases could have resulted from executive impairments rather than memory difficulties per se. MethodsTo investigate whether memory biases are relevant to MDD vulnerability and how they are influenced by ELS, we developed an associative recognition memory task for temporo-spatial contexts of social actions with low executive demands, which were matched across conditions (self-blame, other-blame, self-praise, other-praise). We included fifty-three medication-free remitted MDD (25 with ELS, 28 without) and 24 healthy control (HC) participants without ELS. ResultsOnly MDD patients with ELS showed a reduced bias (accuracy/speed ratio) towards memory for positive vs. negative materials when compared with MDD without ELS and with HC participants; attenuated positive biases correlated with number of past major depressive episodes, but not current symptoms. There were no biases towards self-blaming or self-praising memories. ConclusionsThis demonstrates that reduced positive biases in associative memory were specific to MDD patients with ELS rather than a general feature of MDD, and were associated with lifetime recurrence risk which may reflect a scarring effect. If replicated, our results would call for stratifying MDD patients by history of ELS when assessing and treating emotional memories.

Aims/hypothesisOur aims were to compare osteoclastic activity between patients with acute Charcot’s osteoarthropathy and diabetic and healthy controls, and to determine the effect of the receptor activator of nuclear factor-kappaB ligand (RANKL) and its decoy receptor osteoprotegerin (OPG).MethodsPeripheral blood monocytes isolated from nine diabetic Charcot patients, eight diabetic control and eight healthy control participants were cultured in the presence of macrophage-colony stimulating factor (M-CSF) alone, M-CSF and RANKL, and also M-CSF and RANKL with excess concentrations of OPG. Osteoclast formation was assessed by expression of tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase on glass coverslips and resorption on dentine slices.ResultsIn cultures with M-CSF, there was a significant increase in osteoclast formation in Charcot patients compared with healthy and diabetic control participants (p = 0.008). A significant increase in bone resorption was also seen in the former, compared with healthy and diabetic control participants (p < 0.0001). The addition of RANKL to the cultures with M-CSF led to marked increase in osteoclastic resorption in Charcot (from 0.264 ± 0.06% to 41.6 ± 8.1%, p < 0.0001) and diabetic control (0.000 ± 0.00% to 14.2 ± 16.5%, p < 0.0001) patients, and also in healthy control participants (0.004 ± 0.01% to 10.5 ± 1.9%, p < 0.0001). Although the addition of OPG to cultures with M-CSF and RANKL led to a marked reduction of resorption in Charcot patients (41.6 ± 8.1% to 5.9 ± 2.4%, p = 0.001), this suppression was not as complete as in diabetic control patients (14.2 ± 16.5% to 0.45 ± 0.31%, p = 0.001) and in healthy control participants (from 10.5 ± 1.9% to 0.00 ± 0.00%, p < 0.0001).Conclusions/interpretationThese results indicate that RANKL-mediated osteoclastic resorption occurs in acute Charcot’s osteoarthropathy. However, the incomplete inhibition of RANKL after addition of OPG also suggests the existence of a RANKL-independent pathway.

Background Coping styles are the ways in which people deal with different stressor situations. Coping strategies can be categorized into three types: task-oriented, emotion-oriented, and avoidance-oriented. Several studies showed a strong relationship between coping styles and cardiovascular diseases. The aim of the study was to evaluate how much the SARS-CoV-2 national lockdown has impacted the coping strategies on behaviors for cardiovascular prevention. Methods 62 participants from Rome were recruited to assess the impact of prevention and promotion of health on Individual Cardiovascular Risk. The Coping Inventory to Stressful Situations (CISS, Endler &amp; Parker, 1990) is a self-report questionnaire that measures the three strategies of coping. Behaviors dealing with cardiovascular prevention were evaluated at the beginning of the observation period, and after 6, 12, and 18 months. During 12 (February 2020) and 18 months (July 2020) the SARS-CoV-2 national lockdown enabled us to inquire into coping strategies in stressful situations and cardiovascular risk factors. Results The Pearson correlation analysis was used to assess the existence of a correlation between coping strategies and the variation of cardiovascular risk factors and alcohol consumption at 12 and 18 months. Interestingly, results showed relations between Emotional-oriented (r = 0.26 p &amp;lt; 0.05) and Task-oriented (r = -0.33 p &amp;lt; 0.01) coping styles and Differential Cardiovascular Risk Reduction (DCRR). Furthermore, a positive relation between Task-oriented (r = 0.34 p &amp;lt; 0.01) coping style and Differential Alcohol Consumption (DAC) was observed. Conclusions We found that the DCRR relates to the Emotional- and Task-oriented coping styles, while DAC is associated with the Task-oriented coping style. The strength of our study consists in the territorial and multidisciplinary dimension of the project, the main critical issue is represented by the small size of the patient sample. Key messages A relationship can be described between Differential Cardiovascular Risk Reduction and Emotional- and Task-oriented coping styles. There is a relationship between Differential Alcohol Consumption and the Task-oriented coping style.

Malaria and schistosomiasis are infectious diseases that cause biochemical abnormalities. Malaria and Schistosoma mansoni coinfection causes exacerbations of health consequences and comorbidities. The study area is found in Ethiopia, where coinfection of malaria and S. mansoni is common. However, there is limited data on the biochemical profiles of patients coinfected with malaria and S. mansoni schistosomiasis in the study area. Hence, this study aimed to assess the effect of malaria and S. mansoni schistosomiasis coinfection on selected biochemical profiles. An institutional-based comparative cross-sectional study was conducted from March 30 to August 10, 2022. Using a convenient sampling technique, 70 participants (35 cases and 35 controls) were enrolled in the study. Schistosoma mansoni was detected in stool samples using the wet mount and the Kato Katz method. To detect Plasmodium, both thick and thin blood films were prepared and stained with Giemsa. The blood sample was processed for the analysis of biochemical profiles. All data were analyzed using SPSS version 25. A p value of less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant. The mean values of alanine aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase (37.1 U/L and 41.9 U/L, respectively) in coinfected participants were significantly higher than in the healthy control participants (17.4 U/L and 22.0 U/L, respectively) (p < 0.05). Also, the median values of creatinine, total bilirubin, and direct bilirubin (1.51 mg/dL, 2.35 mg/dL, and 0.91 mg/dL, respectively) in coinfected participants were significantly higher than in the healthy control participants (0.85 mg/dL, 0.42 mg/dL, and 0.12 mg/dL, respectively) (p < 0.05). However, median values of total protein (4.82 g/dL) and mean values of glucose (66.6 mg/dL) in coinfected participants were significantly lower than in the healthy control participants (total protein (7.64 g/dL) and glucose (91.9 mg/dL)) (p < 0.05). The results of biochemical profiles in healthy participants were significantly different from those with light, moderate, and heavy S. mansoni infection intensity in malaria and S. mansoni coinfection (p < 0.05). Schistosoma mansoni infection intensity had a positive correlation with biochemical profiles except for total protein and glucose, which correlated negatively in coinfected participants (p > 0.05). Biochemical profiles in coinfection were significantly changed as compared to healthy individuals. As a result, biochemical profile tests should be utilized to monitor and manage coinfection-related problems, as well as to reduce coinfection-related morbidity and death.

Pharmacologic interventions for addressing social impairments in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are lacking. Proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H-MRS) studies in individuals with ASD have documented altered glutamate levels in the pregenual anterior cingulate cortex (pgACC). To evaluate the safety and efficacy of memantine for treating social impairments in youths with ASD and to explore pgACC glutamate levels as a potential biomarker for treatment response. This 12-week, placebo-controlled, double-blind, parallel-design randomized clinical trial was conducted between January 20, 2015, and July 11, 2018. The study population comprised youths aged 8 to 17 years with ASD without intellectual disability (IQ≥85) recruited from ambulatory psychiatry clinics at an academic institution. Age- and sex-matched healthy control participants provided reference data for pgACC glutamate levels. Data analysis was conducted between January 7, 2020, and December 19, 2024. Participants with ASD were randomized to memantine or placebo, with dose titration up to 20 mg/d. 1H-MRS scans were acquired to assess pgACC glutamate levels. Response was defined a priori as (1) a 25% or greater reduction in informant-rated Social Responsiveness Scale-Second Edition total scores and (2) a clinician-rated Clinical Global Impression-Improvement subscale (anchored for ASD) score of 2 or less. The association between pgACC glutamate levels and treatment response was explored using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis. This study included 42 youths with ASD who initiated treatment (mean [SD] age, 13.2 [2.6] years; 32 males [76.2%]). Of these youths, 35 were included in the intention-to-treat efficacy analysis (n = 16 treated with memantine and 19 with placebo), and 33 completed the trial (n = 16 treated with memantine and 17 with placebo). Significantly more memantine-treated participants met the response criteria compared with placebo-treated participants (9 of 16 [56.2%] vs 4 of 19 [21.0%]; odds ratio, 4.8 [95% CI, 1.1-21.2]; P = .03). Memantine was well tolerated and did not have significantly more adverse events compared with placebo. Mean (SD) pgACC glutamate levels were significantly higher in youths with ASD vs healthy control participants (95.5 [14.6] IU vs 76.6 [17.7] IU; standardized mean difference, -1.2 [95% CI, -1.8 to -0.6]; P < .001). Abnormally elevated pgACC glutamate levels (≥1 SD above that of healthy control participants) were observed in 20 of 37 participants (54.0%) with ASD and were associated with more treatment responders to memantine than placebo (8 of 10 [80.0%] vs 2 of 10 [20.0%]; odds ratio, 16.0 [95% CI, 1.8-143.2]; P = .007). ROC curve analysis indicated that pgACC glutamate levels were highly efficient at identifying treatment responders. In this trial, memantine was well tolerated and significantly improved social impairments in youths with ASD. Elevated pgACC glutamate levels were associated with a favorable treatment response, supporting their potential as a biomarker for assessing memantine efficacy in individuals with ASD. ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT01972074.

The Effect of Early Life Stress on Memory is Mediated by Anterior Hippocampal Network

Background Choroid plexuses (CPs) have been suggested as a key gateway for inflammation in experimental autoimmune encephalitis, but in vivo evidence of their involvement in multiple sclerosis (MS) is lacking. Purpose To assess CP volumetric and inflammatory changes in patients with MS versus healthy control participants. Materials and Methods This was a secondary analysis of 97 patients (61 with relapsing-remitting MS [RRMS] and 36 with progressive MS) and 44 healthy control participants who participated in three prospective 3.0-T brain MRI studies between May 2009 and September 2017. A subgroup of 37 patients and 19 healthy control participants also underwent translocator protein fluorine 18 (18F)-DPA-714 PET for neuroinflammation. Relapses and disability scores were collected at baseline and over 2 years. CPs were manually segmented on three-dimensional T1-weighted images; other brain volumes were additionally segmented. Volumes were expressed as a ratio of intracranial volume. The 18F-DPA-714 distribution volume ratio was quantified in parenchymal regions, whereas standardized uptake value was used for CP inflammation. Multivariable linear regression analyses were performed to assess CP volumetric and inflammatory differences between patients with MS and healthy control participants and correlations between CP volume and lesion load, brain volumes, 18F-DPA-714 uptake, and annualized relapse rate. Results Ninety-seven patients with MS (mean age, 42 years ± 12 [standard deviation]; 49 women) and 44 healthy control participants (mean age, 39 years ± 14; 23 women) underwent MRI. Thirty-seven patients with MS and 19 healthy control participants underwent PET. CPs were 35% larger in patients with MS (mean value, 15.9 × 10-4 ± 4.5) than in healthy control participants (mean value, 11.8 × 10-4 ± 3.8; P = .004). Subgroup analysis confirmed greater CP volume in patients with RRMS (mean value, 15.5 × 10-4 ± 4.6; P = .008) than in healthy control participants. CP enlargement was greater in patients with active lesions at MRI (mean volume, 18.2 × 10-4 ± 4.9 in patients with lesions that enhanced with gadolinium vs 14.9 × 10-4 ± 4 in patients with lesions that did not enhance with gadolinium; P < .001) and correlated with white matter lesion load (r = 0.39; 95% CI: 0.20, 0.55; P < .001) and 18F-DPA-714 binding in the thalami (r = 0.44; 95% CI: 0.22, 0.72; P = .04) and normal-appearing white matter (r = 0.5; 95% CI: 0.20, 0.71; P = .005). Moreover, it correlated with annualized relapse rate in patients with RRMS (r = 0.37; 95% CI: 0.1, 0.55; P = .005). Finally, patients with MS showed 18.5% higher CP 18F-DPA-714 uptake than control participants (mean value, 0.778 ± 0.23 vs 0.635 ± 0.15, respectively; P = .01). CP volume in patients with RRMS (r = 0.57; 95% CI: 0.37, 0.73; P = .009) correlated with higher 18F-DPA-714 uptake. Conclusion Choroid plexuses (CPs) are enlarged and inflamed in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS), particularly in those with relapsing-remitting MS with inflammatory profiles; CP volumetric analysis could represent an MS imaging marker. © RSNA, 2021 EudraCT no. 2008-004174-40; clinical trial registration nos. NCT02305264 and NCT01651520 Online supplemental material is available for this article.

Recent evidence suggests that early life stress (ELS) changes stress reactivity via reduced resting state functional connectivity (rs-FC) between amygdala and the prefrontal cortex. Oxytocin (OXT) modulates amygdala connectivity and attenuates responses to psychosocial stress, but its effect appears to be moderated by ELS. Here we first investigate the effect of ELS on amygdala-prefrontal rs-FC, and examine whether ELS-associated changes of rs-FC in this neural circuit predict its response to psychosocial stress. Secondly, we explore the joint effect of OXT and ELS on the amygdala-prefrontal circuit. Eighteen healthy young males participated in a resting-state fMRI study of OXT effects using a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled, within-subject crossover design. We measured the rs-FC to bilateral amygdalae and subsequently assessed changes of state anxiety and prefrontal responses to psychosocial stress. Multiple linear regressions showed that ELS, specifically emotional abuse, predicted reduced rs-FC between the right amygdala and pregenual anterior cingulate cortex (pgACC), which in turn predicted elevated state anxiety after psychosocial stress. In subjects with lower ELS scores, stronger pgACC-amygdala rs-FC predicted stronger pgACC deactivation during the psychosocial stress task, and this rest-task interaction was attenuated by OXT. In subjects with higher ELS scores however, the rest-task interaction was altered and OXT showed no significant effect. These findings highlight that ELS reduces pgACC-amygdala rs-FC and alters how rs-FC of this circuit predicts its stress responsiveness. Such changes in pgACC-amygdala functional dynamics may underlie the altered sensitivity to the effects of OXT after ELS.

Introduction: In research on styles of coping with stress conducted among athletes has demonstrated various variables determining these styles, e.g. age [1], gender [2], and styles of thinking [3]. Factors responsible for effective coping with difficult situations are sought, and consequently, greater satisfaction with life. In the presented report, it was recognised that one of the variables related to effective coping and thus, with life satisfaction, is self-efficacy. Aim of research: In this work, it was decided to establish relationships between styles of coping with stress by athletes, their sense of self-efficacy and overall satisfaction with life, as well as the type of difficult situations experienced by them. Group and method: The study comprised 40 participants, 14 women and 26 men practicing sports, 1st-year students of the Faculty of Physical Education and Sports. The mean age was 20.43±1.22 years. Of the subjects, 25 people practiced individual disciplines, while 15 team sports. The questionnaire “Perception of difficult situations by adolescents in sport”, the Generalised Self-Efficacy Scale, the Satisfaction with Life Scale and the Coping In Stressful Situations Questionnaire were used. Results: The results showed a relationship between life satisfaction and the task-oriented style of coping with stress (positive correlation) as well as the emotional style of coping with stress, engaging in substitute activities, and stressful situations - except those related to academic stress (negative correlation); self-efficacy and the task-oriented (positive correlation) and emotional style of coping with stress (negative correlation) and sense of self-efficacy and satisfaction with life (positive correlation). Conclusion: There is a relationship between the styles of coping with stress and the level of satisfaction with life as well as the level of self-efficacy among individuals practicing sports.

DNA methylation plays a key role in neural cell fate and provides a molecular link between early life stress and later-life behavioral phenotypes. Here, studies that combine neuroimaging methods and DNA methylation analysis in pediatric population with a history of adverse experiences were systematically reviewed focusing on: targeted genes and neural correlates; statistical models used to examine the link between DNA methylation and neuroimaging data also considering early life stress and behavioral outcomes. We identified 8 studies that report associations between DNA methylation and brain structure/functions in infants, school age children and adolescents faced with early life stress condition (e.g., preterm birth, childhood maltreatment, low socioeconomic status, and less-than optimal caregiving). Results showed that several genes were investigated (e.g., OXTR, SLC6A4, FKBP5, and BDNF) and different neuroimaging techniques were performed (MRI and f-NIRS). Statistical model used ranged from correlational to more complex moderated mediation models. Most of the studies (n = 5) considered DNA methylation and neural correlates as mediators in the relationship between early life stress and behavioral phenotypes. Understanding what role DNA methylation and neural correlates play in interaction with early life stress and behavioral outcomes is crucial to promote theory-driven studies as the future direction of this research fields.

Emotion Regulation in Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, Unaffected Siblings, and Unrelated Healthy Control Participants

Plasma oxytocin concentrations are lower in depressed vs. healthy control women and are independent of cortisol

Early life stress is said to play a critical role in the development of borderline personality disorder (BPD) and major depressive disorder (MDD), but the underlying mediating factors remain uncertain. This study aimed to investigate self-reported childhood trauma, emotion regulation difficulties, and their associations in a sample of BPD (n = 49) and MDD (n = 48) patients and healthy control participants (n = 63). Multiple regressions were used to evaluate the impact of the quality and severity of self-reported childhood trauma on self-reported emotion regulation. The results supported an association between self-reported maltreatment experiences, especially emotional abuse and neglect, and emotion regulation difficulties. Additional analyses showed that emotion regulation difficulties influence the association between self-reported emotional abuse and acute symptomatology in the BPD subgroup. Emotion regulation difficulties may be 1 pathway through which early life stress, particularly emotional abuse, increases the risk for developing BPD symptomatology.

A comprehensive systematic literature review of the health-related quality-of-life (HRQOL) differences among individuals with chronic ankle instability (CAI), ankle-sprain copers, and healthy control participants has not been conducted. It could provide a better indication of the self-reported deficits that may be present in individuals with CAI. To systematically summarize the extent to which HRQOL deficits are present in individuals with CAI. We searched for articles in the electronic databases of EBSCO Host and PubMed Central using key words chronic, functional, mechanical, coper, instability, sprains, and patient-assessed. We also performed a hand search of reference lists, authors, and patient-reported outcomes (PROs) of the articles screened for inclusion. Studies were included if they (1) incorporated a PRO as a participant descriptor or as a study outcome to compare adults with CAI to ankle-sprain copers or healthy controls, (2) were written in English, and (3) were published in peer-reviewed journals. Two authors independently assessed methodologic quality using the modified Downs and Black Index. Articles were filtered into 3 categories based on between-groups comparisons: CAI and copers, CAI and healthy control participants, copers and healthy participants. We calculated Hedges g effect sizes and 95% confidence intervals to examine PRO group differences. Of the 124 studies assessed for eligibility, 27 were included. A total of 24 articles compared PROs in individuals with CAI and healthy controls, 7 compared individuals with CAI and copers, and 4 compared copers and healthy controls. Quality scores on the modified Downs and Black Index ranged from 52.9% to 88.2%, with 8 high-, 16 moderate-, and 3 low-quality studies. Overall, we observed moderate to strong evidence that individuals with CAI displayed deficits on generic and region-specific PROs compared with copers and healthy controls. However, evidence that differences exist between copers and healthy controls was conflicting. In addition, for dimension-specific outcomes, evidence to suggest that fear of reinjury is heightened in individuals with CAI was limited. The evidence suggested that CAI is associated with functional and HRQOL deficits, particularly when examined with region-specific PROs. However, PROs do not appear to differ between copers and healthy controls.