Lower Beck Depression Inventory Research Articles

Effects of three-duration Tai-Chi exercises on depression and sleep quality in older women.

This study aims to explore the effects of 24weeks of three-duration Tai-Chi (TC) practice on depression and sleep quality in older women. A total of 124 older women were randomly divided into four groups: short-time group (SG, n = 31, mean age: 65.3), medium-time group (MG, n = 30, mean age: 65.7), long-time group (LG, n = 32, mean age: 64.9) and control group (CG, n = 31, mean age: 66.2). The Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), and serum levels of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-6 (IL-6) and 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) were measured. 1) Within-group comparisons: Compared with the baseline, the 12th and 24th weeks showed reductions in TNF-α and IL-6 levels and increase in 5-HT level in the SG, MG and LG (p < 0.05). The LG at the 24th week had reduced BDI and PSQI scores (p < 0.05). Compared with the 12th week, the 24th week showed reductions in TNF-α and IL-6 levels (p < 0.01) and increase in 5-HT level (p < 0.05) in the SG, MG, and LG. 2) Between-group comparisons: The SG, MG, and LG had lower TNF-α and IL-6 levels and higher 5-HT level than the CG at 12th and 24th weeks (p < 0.05). At the 24th week, the LG had lower BDI and PSQI scores than the CG and lower TNF-α level than the SG and MG (p < 0.05). The MG had lower TNF-α levels than the SG in the 24th week (p < 0.01). These results indicate that older individuals may undertake at least 12weeks of TC exercise with a duration of 60min per session to significantly improve depressive mood and sleep quality.

The Plasma Neurofilament Light Chain, Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor, and Risk of Depression in Chronic Hemodialysis Patients.

Depression is highly prevalent among hemodialysis patients. Understanding the relationship between the plasma neurofilament light chain (NfL) and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) may help us to better understand the mechanisms of depression. This study determined their impact, alongside that of other factors, on the risk of depression in hemodialysis patients. The study enrolled 82 patients undergoing chronic hemodialysis. Serum NfL, BDNF, uric acid, urea, potassium, calcium, phosphorus, intact parathyroid hormone, and C-reactive protein (CRP) levels were measured. The patients completed the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI). Blood pressure values, body mass before and after hemodialysis, and weekly duration of hemodialysis in hours were assessed. For 19-month survival analysis, the patients were stratified according to baseline BDI scores. Based on the BDI score, 18.3% of the patients had an increased risk of depression. Lower scores were associated with significantly longer duration of hemodialysis treatment (37.5 (25-57) 24 (14-37) months, p = 0.01). Within the 19-month survival analysis, 31.7% of patients died. The patients with BDI scores above the median had significantly lower survival than those below the median (log-rank test p = 0.02). No significant differences in serum BDNF levels (192.7 [125.2-278.2]; 207.7 [142.8-265.8] pg/mL, p = 0.40), or NfL concentrations (1431.5 [1182.6-1625.7]; 1494.6 [1335.7-1667] kDa, p = 0.52) were found between patients with lower and higher risk of depression. Patients with BDI scores above the median had significantly higher levels of CRP (9.6 [4.4-14]) than those with scores below the median (3.6 [2.2-7.5], p = 0.01). A significant positive correlation was found between the BDI score and serum CRP level (r = 0.38, p = 0.01). A significant negative correlation was observed between the BDI score and URR% value (r = -0.36, p = 0.02). Patients with lower BDI scores had a longer dialysis duration, indicating a potential negative association between depression risk and length of dialysis treatment. Neither serum NfL nor BDNF levels can serve as markers of depression risk in the dialysis population.

Differences in the cluster of depressive symptomatology among bariatric surgery candidates, long-term bariatric surgery patients, and subjects with a major depressive disorder without obesity.

depression is more frequent among people with obesity (PwO) compared to the general population. Depression seems to improve after bariatric surgery (BS) at short term, but data are inconclusive at long term. Besides, it is not known whether depressive symptoms among PwO are similar to those people with a major depression without obesity. we aimed to study whether there are differences regarding depressive symptomatology among subjects seeking BS or patients after BS in the long-term compared with subjects with MDD. the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) was administered to three groups: 52 patients seeking BS (OB), 135 patients with a BS with a minimum follow-up of 18 months (BS) and 45 subjects with a MDD (MDD). the MDD obtained the higher score with the BDI whether compared to the OB (18.9 ± 12.7 vs 14.2 ± 6.9; p = 0.01) or the BS (18.9 ± 12.7 vs 8.1 ± 8; p < 0.0001). Also, BS presented a lower BDI than the OB (8.1 ± 8 vs 14.2 ± 6.9; p < 0.0001). The MDD scored higher in the psychological domain than patients in the OB (9.9 ± 7.5 vs 5.7 ± 5.1; p < 0.0001) as well as in the BS (9.9 ± 7.5 vs 3.1 ± 3; p < 0.0001). There was a negative correlation between a greater score in the somatic domain and %EPP (p = 0.04). at long term, depressive symptomatology among subjects with a BS remained lower compared to PwO seeking BS.PwO presented a different cluster of depression compared to individuals with a MDD. BS reduces the somatic depressive cluster at long term, although its presence is associated to a lesser weight loss.

Inflammatory markers of symptomatic remission at 6 months in patients with first-episode schizophrenia

Neuroinflammation contributes to the pathophysiology of various mental illnesses including schizophrenia. We investigated peripheral inflammatory cytokines as a biomarker for predicting symptomatic remission in patients with first-episode schizophrenia. The study included 224 patients aged 15–60 years who fulfilled the criteria for schizophrenia spectrum disorder with a treatment duration ≤6 months. Serum levels of tumor necrosis factor (TNF) -α, interferon-γ, interleukin (IL)-1α, IL-1β, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, and IL-12 were measured. Psychotic symptoms, depressive symptoms, and general functioning were assessed using the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale, Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), Calgary Depression Scale for Schizophrenia, and Personal and Social Performance scale, respectively. Duration of untreated psychosis (DUP) was also recorded. We investigated the factors associated with remission for each sex in logistic regression analysis. In total, 174 patients achieved remission at the 6-month follow-up (females, 83.5%; males, 70.9%). Remission was associated with older age and lower BDI scores in male patients and with lower TNF-α levels and shorter DUP in female patients. Our findings suggest that peripheral inflammatory cytokines may impede early symptomatic remission in female patients with schizophrenia. In addition, depressive symptoms in males and long DUP in females may be poor prognostic factors for early remission in patients with first-episode psychosis.

The Effect of Clinical Pilates Exercises and Prenatal Education on Maternal and Fetal Health.

The mental, physical and sexual health of women as well as maternal and fetal health should be considered during the prenatal and postnatal periods. Investigating the effect of clinical Pilates exercises and prenatal education (CPE & PE) on obstetric and neonatal outcomes as well as the mental, physical, and sexual health of women was intended. In the second trimester, mothers with singleton pregnancies who attended (n=79, study group) or did not attend (n=80, control group) CPE & PR were recruited to this prospective cohort study, and were evaluated in the prenatal and postnatal periods. Depression was assessed with Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), sexual functions with Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI), muscle strength with Gross Muscle Scales (GMS), and labor pain with Visual Analogue Scale (VAS). In addition, the presence of low back pain (LBP) was questioned. No significant association of CPE & PE with obstetric outcomes such as cesarean rates, preterm birth, and neonatal outcomes such as birth weight and Apgar scores were identified. Changes in VAS scores, the incidence of perineal trauma, and episiotomy were not associated with CPE & PE. However, CPE & PE was associated with lower BDI scores, a gradual increase in the total scores of FSFI, increased GMS, and reduced LBP. CPE & PE had no adverse effects on obstetric and neonatal outcomes and was associated with improved mental, physical, sexual health scores during pregnancy and postpartum.

The influence of physical activity during sleep deprivation on mood and reaction speed to visual and auditory stimuli

IntroductionSleep deprivation (SD) is being examined in the treatment of depression and other affective disorders for years. However, studies’ outcomes remain ambiguous, with varying levels of clinical improvement and its ephemeral character. Thus, it is necessary to find new factors accounting for the variability of results to develop new therapeutic protocols.ObjectivesThe study aimed to assess the influence of physical activity on mood and reaction speed following SD.MethodsThe study group consisted of 71 participants. SD lasted about 24 hours, beginning in the morning hours of the SD day to the morning hours of the following day. Physical activity (PA) was controlled using actigraphy (actigraph GENEActive Original, ActivInsights Ltd.) given to each participant. Participants underwent the reaction speed test (Response Time Test Apparatus, AT Smart Systems, Poland) and filled out a questionnaire assessing depression symptoms- Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), in the evening of the SD day, and the following morning. Based on the percentage of sedentary time (gravity-subtracted sum of vector magnitudes&lt;386, DOI 10.1111/sms.13488) participants were classified as inactive (≥70% of SD duration spent sedentary, n= 43) or active (n= 28).ResultsThere were no significant differences between the active and the inactive participants regarding pre/post SD BDI score, reaction speed, and demographic data (age, sex, BMI) (all p&gt;0.05). The inactive group had a significantly lower BDI score following SD in comparison with their baseline parameters (5, IQR 1-12 vs. 3, IQR 0-12, p=0.024) than the active group (3, IQR 1-6 vs. 3, IQR 0-7, p=0.408). Reaction speed after SD was impaired in both active (0.216, IQR 0.206-0.226 vs. 0.231, IQR 0.222-0.46, p&lt;0.001) and inactive group (0.224, IQR 0.216-0.235 vs. 0.238, IQR 0.220-0.251, p&lt;0.001). However, the difference between pre/post SD response time was slightly higher in the active individuals (0.015, IQR 0.011-0.028 vs. 0.012, IQR 0.003-0.022, p=0.047).ConclusionsThis study shows, that a sedentary behavior during SD might improve mood and slightly less impair the response time to auditory or visual stimuli than a higher activity level. Thus, PA could be an important modulator of clinical outcomes observed in individuals with affective disorders subjected to SD. PA should be accounted for in the SD protocols designed for future studies.Disclosure of InterestNone Declared

Association between Depressive Symptom Trajectory and Chronic Kidney Disease Progression: Findings from the Chronic Renal Insufficiency Cohort Study.

While depression is highly prevalent among individuals with chronic kidney disease (CKD), little is known about the course of depressive symptoms over time. We characterized trajectories of depressive symptoms and CKD progression and evaluated the association between depressive symptoms trajectory and CKD progression. 2361 individuals with mild-to-moderate CKD enrolled in the Chronic Renal Insufficiency Cohort Study. The Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) was used to assess depressive symptoms at baseline and biennially. Higher BDI scores indicate worse depressive symptoms. Estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) was calculated using the 2021 CKD-EPI equation. Group-based trajectory models were used to determine trajectories of BDI score and eGFR change over time. Multinomial logistic regression was used to examine factors associated with BDI trajectories and to evaluate the association of BDI trajectories with eGFR change. Over 8 years of follow-up, three patterns of depressive symptoms were identified: persistently low BDI score (57.7%), persistently moderate BDI score (33.1%), and persistently high BDI score (9.2%). Three eGFR trajectory groups were identified: non-linear, rapid eGFR decline (21.5%); linear, expected eGFR decline (54.8%); and stable eGFR (23.7%). Predictors of persistently moderate and high BDI trajectories included low educational attainment, smoking, and poor quality of life. Compared to those with a persistently low BDI score, the odds for non-linear, rapid eGFR decline were higher for those with persistently moderate BDI scores (OR, 1.45; 95% CI, 1.04-2.03) and persistently high BDI scores (OR, 1.90; 95% CI, 1.02-3.56). No association between moderate BDI score and linear, expected eGFR decline was observed. Depressive symptoms remained largely stable among individuals with mild-to-moderate CKD, and persistently moderate and high BDI scores were associated with non-linear, rapid eGFR decline. Future work is needed to better understand the interplay between depression and CKD progression.

Disease progression in Parkinson‘s disease patients with subjective cognitive complaint

ObjectiveLittle is known about the disease progression of Parkinson's disease patients with subjective cognitive complaint (PD‐SCC). This longitudinal cohort study aims to compare the progression of clinical features and quality of life (QoL) in PD patients with normal cognition (NC), SCC, and mild cognitive impairment (MCI).MethodsA total of 383 PD patients were enrolled, including 189 PD‐NC patients, 59 PD‐SCC patients, and 135 PD‐MCI patients, with 1–7 years of follow‐up. Linear mixed models were applied to evaluate longitudinal changes in motor symptoms, nonmotor features (cognitive impairment, depression, and excessive daytime sleepiness), and QoL in PD.ResultsAt baseline, PD‐SCC patients had lower Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) scores and Parkinson's Disease Questionnaire‐39 (PDQ‐39) scores than PD‐NC patients (all p < 0.05). Longitudinal analyses revealed that the PD‐SCC group exhibited faster progression in terms of BDI scores (p = 0.042) and PDQ‐39 scores (p = 0.035) than the PD‐NC group. The PD‐MCI group exhibited faster progression rates in the Epworth Sleepiness Scale scores (p = 0.001) and PDQ‐39 scores (p = 0.005) than the PD‐NC group. In addition, the PD‐SCC group exhibited a greater reduction in attention (Trail Making Test Part A, p = 0.047) and executive function (Stroop Color‐Word Test, p = 0.037) than the PD‐NC group.InterpretationPD‐SCC patients exhibited faster deterioration of depression and QoL than PD‐NC patients, and SCC may be an indicator of initial attention and executive function decline in PD. Our findings provided a more accurate prognosis in PD‐SCC patients.

Psychological Distress in a Sample of Adult Italian Patients Affected by Vocal Nodules and Muscle-Tension Dysphonia: Preliminary Results

To evaluate the correlation between voice disorders and psychological distress, in terms of anxiety, stress, and depression, in a sample of adult Italian patients and to compare our results with those obtained in a group of adult healthy controls matched by age, sex, geographic distribution, and occupation. This prospective-controlled study included 100 adults with Vocal nodules (VN) and Muscle Tension Dysphonia (MTD1), aged between 18 and 65 years, as Experimental Group (EG) and 100 age-matched subjects without any voice disorders as a Control Group (CG). All patients in the EG underwent a phoniatric evaluation, including the administration of the Voice Handicap Index (VHI) and laryngeal examination. Both patients of EG and CG underwent a Psychological evaluation by means of standardized tests; Beck's Depression Inventory, State Anxiety Inventory (STAI 1-State Anxiety), Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI 2- Trait Anxiety), and Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10) were completed by patients. Fisher's exact test and chi-squared test were used to compare all categorical variables, whereas numerical variables were compared either with the nonparametric Mann-Whitney-Wilcoxon or with Kruskal Wallis test. General linear models were used to study continuous variables between patients and controls and between different groups within the sample. In the study group, the Physical domain (P score) of the VHI was more affected than the Emotional (E score) and Functional ones (F score) both in patients with MTD1 and VN; patients with VN presented a significant difference in P score, E score and VHI total score than patients with isolated MTD 1 (P < 0.005). Psychological assessment showed a significant difference (P < 0.005) between VN and MTD 1 regarding PSS-10 and STAI-1 scores. Low Beck's Depression Inventory scores were present in our sample without significant differences between patients with VN and those with MTD 1. Scores related to psychological distress in the EG were far superior to those obtained by the healthy CG, with markedly significant values especially for PSS-10 (P < 0.0001) and STAI 2 (P < 0.01). Finally, younger patients (18-35 years) with VN showed a highest risk of psychosocial distress. the present study identified a high prevalence of psychological distress among patients with vocal disorders without any prior specific psychiatric diagnosis, especially in terms of anxiety and perceived stress. For this reason both these symptoms should be taken into consideration in the diagnostic, therapeutic, and follow-up process of patients with MTD1 and VN.

Association of serotonin 2c receptor gene polymorphism with depression and quality of life indicators in patients before coronary artery bypass grafting

The aim was to study the association of the rs6318 polymorphism of the HTR2C gene with the level of depression and quality of life in patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). Materials and methods. A total of 116 patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) (age 60 [57; 65] years) were examined before CABG. Depression was assessed in all patients in the preoperative period using the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI). In addition, the quality of life was measured in all patients using the SF-36 questionnaire. Blood samples were collected for the subsequent polymerase chain reaction-based genotyping to detect the rs6318 polymorphism of the HTR2C gene. Statistical analysis was performed using the STATISTICA 10.0 software package (StatSoft Inc., USA). The value of p &lt; 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results. No significant differences were found in the associations between different genotypes of the HTR2C gene and depression levels. However, certain trends have been established ( p = 0.1). Thus, the pairwise comparison of different genotypes reported that carriers of the CC genotype had higher BDI scores (12 [8; 19]), whereas carriers of the CG genotype ( p = 0.07) and GG genotype ( p = 0.08) had lower BDI scores (3.5 [2; 5] and 8 [0; 25], respectively). The quality of life among carriers of the CC, CG and GG genotypes did not differ significantly. Nevertheless, the median values of almost all indicators (GH, PF, RE, VT) were lower in carriers of the CC genotype. Carriers of the CC genotype suffered more from pain limiting their daily activities than carriers of the GG genotype ( p = 0.04). Homozygous C allele carriers demonstrated poorer mental health than heterozygous carriers (56 [40; 64] vs 82 [72; 92], p = 0.04). Conclusions. Reliable associations of different genotypes of the rs6318 polymorphism of the HTR2C gene with the quality of life parameters have been found in patients with coronary artery disease.

Serum 25-Hydroxyvitamin D Concentrations Are Associated with Mental Health and Psychosocial Stress in Young Adults.

We aimed to test the hypothesis that serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 (25(OH)D) concentration is associated with mental health and life stress measures in young adults and investigate gender and racial disparities in these associations. This study comprised 327 black and white participants. Depression, trait anxiety, perceived stress, and hostility were measured by the following validated instruments: Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI), Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), and Cook–Medley Hostility Scale (CMHS). Linear regression was used to estimate correlations between serum 25(OH)D concentration and mental health measurements in the total population and in subgroups stratified by gender and race. In this sample (28.2 ± 3.1 years, 52% female, 53% black), serum 25(OH)D concentration was negatively related to BDI, STAI, PSS, total CMHS score, and the majority of CMHS subscale scores (p-values < 0.05). Stratified by gender, most of these associations remained significant only in women (p-values < 0.05). Stratified by race, higher 25(OH)D concentrations in white participants were significantly related to lower BDI, STAI, PSS, and CMHS-cynicism subscales (p-values < 0.05); 25(OH)D concentrations in the black participants were only inversely associated with CMHS and most CMHS subscales (p-values < 0.05) but not with BDI, STAI, and PSS. We present novel findings of consistent inverse relationships between serum 25(OH)D concentration and various measures of mental health and life stress. Long-term interventional studies are warranted in order to investigate the roles of vitamin D supplementation in the prevention and mitigation of depression, anxiety, and psychological stress in young adults.

Can successful treatment by direct-acting antivirals improve depression in chronic HCV patients?

Depression is the most common extrahepatic neuropsychiatric manifestation in chronic hepatitis C (CHCV) and is due to direct neuropathogenic mechanisms. Our aim is to evaluate the effect of viral clearance by directly acting antivirals (DAAs) on depression in CHCV patients. One hundred fifty chronic HCV patients eligible for DAAs were assessed for depression using the Beck depression inventory (BDI) scale at baseline, 1 and 3 months after end of treatment (EOT). BDI ≥10 reliable in detecting depression in CHCV. All included patients received Sofosbuvir/Dacltasvir ± Ribavirin for 12 weeks and all achieved sustained virological response (SVR). Baseline BDI of all included patients was 10 ± 5 then decreased to 5.3 ± 5 and 3.5 ± 4.5 at 1 and 3 months after EOT (P = 0.001), respectively. After EOT, 20 patients (13.3%) had BDI >10 which were 11.35 ± 6.5 and 13.3 ± 3.2 at 1 and 3 months (SVR), respectively. A comparison between patients with high and low BDI after EOT showed that patients with persistent high score were older (60.6 ± 9.5vs 52.2 ± 10.6, P = 0.001) and included higher percentage of females (50% vs 22.3%, P = 0.01). Also high BDI patients had higher baseline FIB4 (3 ± 1.6 vs 2 ± 1.3, P = 0.006) and included more patients with significant fibrosis (40% vs 17.7%, P = 0.05), as well as lower baseline hemoglobin (13.6 ± 1.5 vs 14.4 ± 1.65, P = 0.04). Depression associated with CHCV improves after successful treatment with DAAs; however, it may persist in elderly females with significant fibrosis and low hemoglobin.

Can Hostile Attitudes and Hostile Affections Lead to Depressive Symptoms Under Stress? A Study Based on Racial/Ethnic and Gender Differences.

Stress has a significant influence on the development of depressive symptoms. An individual's coping style and resilience may moderate the symptoms of depression. This study is aimed to investigate the role of coping styles and resilience to depressive symptoms when individuals are facing stress in life based on racial/ethnic and gender differences. Enrolled individuals were assessed using the Unfairness Scale, City Stress Inventory, Cook-Medley Hostility Scale, Conner-Davidson Resilience Scale, and Beck Depression Inventory (BDI). Three hundred ninety-six individuals completed the rating scales. There were significant interactions between race and unfairness, city stress (P= 0.006, P< 0.001), and between gender and city stress (P= 0.016). AAs and males suffer more stress than EAs and females. Hostile attitudes and affects act as mediators and significantly affect the relationship between stress and depressive symptoms (indirect effect: B = 0.812, P < 0.001; direct effect: B = 1.015, P < 0.001). Individuals with high resilience reported lower BDI scores. AAs with high stress and medium resilience had a buffer effect on depressive symptoms, while EAs did not. The racial and gender effects of stress on depressive symptoms were significant. Individuals who have frequently experienced stress exhibited a more hostile attitude/affect compared to those who have experienced less stress. Furthermore, individuals who had a more hostile attitude/affect were more likely to be affected by depressive symptoms. Resilience has a protective factor for all participants, and medium resilience had a better buffer effect for AAs compared to EAs. There should be training for boosting resilience in schools and in vulnerable communities.

Depression in myasthenia gravis: a heterogeneous and intriguing entity.

Depressive symptoms in myasthenia gravis (MG) are common, may mimic other disease features, and contribute to misdiagnosis and diagnostic delay. Nevertheless, the clinical determinants of depressive symptoms in MG remain poorly studied, in particular their overlap with fatigue. Moreover, studies in MG have rarely looked at distinct depression phenotypes. In 68 consecutive MG patients, we ascertained cognitive-affective and somatic depression with the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), and also assessed age at disease onset, education, marital state, work ability, sleepiness, fatigue, and treatment modalities. Disease severity was graded according to the Myasthenia Gravis Foundation of America (MGFA) classification. The prevalence of moderate-severe depression was 20.5%. While depression and fatigue showed large overlap (n = 37, 54.4%), only fatigue increased with disease severity, while BDI scores did not. Thymectomy was independently associated with lower BDI scores, but had no impact on fatigue. Total BDI scores were similar in patients with predominantly cognitive-affective and with predominantly somatic depression. However, ESS correlated only with cognitive-affective BDI, and younger age was independently associated with cognitive-affective BDI. Conversely, female sex and thymectomy were independently associated with somatic BDI. Depression and fatigue are highly prevalent and largely overlapping comorbidities in MG, but only fatigue increased with disease severity, and only depression was milder in thymectomized patients. Comparative use of BDI subscales in MG reveals distinct depression phenotypes with distinct correlations to other disease features.

Impact of depression and fatigue on relapsing remitting multiple sclerosis in Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Objectives:To determine relationship between fatigue, depression with the registration in multiple sclerosis (MS) society activity, and stress with the risk developing a new attack in patients with Relapsing remitting MS (RRMS) in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA).Methods:This was a cohort retrospective study conducted in the KSA between July 2018 and July 2019 which included a total of 465 RRMS patients. Data were collected during interviews using the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and Modified Fatigue Impacts Scale (MFIS). Demographic and clinical data were also collected.Results:Of 465 participants, 317 expressed psychological stress before the last attack, 67 of whom developed an attack within 4 weeks, and 250 of whom developed an attack after 4 weeks. Significantly lower BDI scores were associated with registration in MS associations (p=0.003, df = 5). Significantly lower MFIS scores were associated with registration in MS associations (p=0.001, df = 5).Conclusion:The majority of RRMS patients have a significant fatigue and depression, and there are significant relationships between registration in the MS society and MFIS and BDI scores where patients who officially registered in MS society have lower score in MFIS and BDI. we recommend regular follow-ups with a psychologist and/or registration with MS societies.

Vitamin D Supplementation Ameliorates Severity of Major Depressive Disorder.

Major depressive disorder is a serious neuropsychiatric disease that leads to significant impairment in social functioning and increased morbidity and mortality. Low vitamin D (25-OH D) levels have been hypothesized to contribute to the pathophysiology of MDD. To investigate the therapeutic role of vitamin D in MDD, we recruited 62 male and female patients diagnosed with MDD and randomized them into two groups: the first group (49 patients) received vitamin D supplementation as cholecalciferol vitamin D3 (50,000 I.U.) for 3months, in addition to standard of care (SOC) which included pharmacological treatment and psychological support, and the second group (13 patients) received only SOC without vitamin D supplementation for 3months. The Beck depression inventory (BDI) scale was used to assess the severity of MDD symptoms. Immunoassays were utilized to determine levels of serum vitamin D3 and serotonin in all patients. The results showed significant gender differences; female patients showed the most improvement in their depressive symptoms after 3-month vitamin D supplementation. Females with moderate, severe, and extreme depression had significantly lower BDI scores after vitamin D treatment (p < 0.05). Among males, only those diagnosed with severe depression showed significant improvement in their BDI scores (p < 0.05). Serum serotonin levels were significantly increased after vitamin D supplementation compared to baseline in both male and female patients. No significant changes in other biochemical parameters were detected between the two groups. These findings suggest that vitamin D supplementation may ameliorate symptoms of MDD, particularly in females, via a serotonin-dependent mechanism.

The Effect of Hypnotics on Sleep Quality and Cognitive Function in Patients with Brain Tumors

ObjectiveWe investigated the effect of hypnotics on sleep quality, cognitive function, and depressive mood in patients with insomnia following brain tumor resection. MethodsFrom patients who underwent brain tumor resection, we recruited 10 patients with insomnia who received hypnotics for more than 1 week during a 3-week follow-up period (insomnia group). We also recruited 12 control patients with brain tumors but without insomnia (control group). We evaluated sleep quality at baseline and 3 weeks later using the Insomnia Severity Index (ISI), the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), the Stanford Sleepiness Scale (SSS), and the Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS) and investigated cognitive function and depression using the Computerized Neuropsychological Test and the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI). ResultsAt baseline, SSS, ISI, PSQI, and BDI scores were significantly higher and visual continuous performance test (VCPT) and auditory continuous performance test (ACPT) scores were significantly lower in the insomnia than in the control group. Three weeks later, the patients who had received hypnotics had significantly higher ISI, PSQI, ESS, VCPT, ACPT, visual span forward and backward, and visual recognition test scores, and significantly lower BDI scores. ConclusionQuality of sleep in patients with insomnia following brain tumor resection was initially poor but improved significantly after taking hypnotic medication. Further, the hypnotic medications appeared to contribute to the amelioration of cognitive impairments and depressive moods in patients who previously underwent brain tumor resection. We thus recommend the use of hypnotics for patients with brain tumors with insomnia.

Depression/anxiety symptoms in axial spondyloarthritis and psoriatic arthritis patients in Serbia: a pilot study.

To assess prevalence and change of depression/anxiety symptoms in spondyloarthritis patients and feasibility of depression/anxiety questionnaires. 43 Patients with axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA) and 27 patients with psoriatic arthritis (PsA) were consecutively recruited. There were 34 patients on biologics and 36 patients on nonbiologics. Patients were not previously treated for depression. The demographic variables, pain, patient global assessment, laboratory, clinical findings, diseases activity scores, Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and Depression Anxiety and Stress Scale-short version (DASS-21) were collected. The study visits were at the beginning, after 1month, after 3 and after 6months. In axSpA and PsA patients on biologics, BDI and DASS-21 were significantly lower compared to nonbiologics group during time. The axSpA patients on biologics had significantly lower BDI and depression severity by BDI at each time point and lower DASS-21 after 1, 3 and 6 months. BDI in PsA patients who received biological therapy was significantly lower after 3 and 6 months. In biologics groups, BDI significantly decreased after 3months in axSpA patients and after 1month in PsA patients. In axSpA patients, there was a medium correlation between BDI and axial pain, patient global assessment and disease activity scores. The biological therapy significantly affected the depression/anxiety symptoms in axSpA and PsA during time. BDI moderately correlated with pain and disease activity in axSpA. BDI and DASS-21 are easy to use in daily practice.

Depressive Symptoms Among Sarajevo University Students: Prevalence and Socio-Demographic Correlations.

The aim of this research was to detect the presence of depressive symptoms among the student population at a Faculty of Medicine, as well to determine the correlation between the socio-demographic characteristics and students' lifestyle and depressive symptoms. Of 800 students enrolled and asked to participate, 412 responded to the survey. The study included students from all 6 years of studies. The degree of depressive symptoms was measured by a 21-item revised form of the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI). We built bivariate logistic regression models to study whether age, gender, housing accommodation, year of medical training, and school success status (Grade Point Average - GPA) were associated with depressive symptoms. The results are reported as odds ratios (OR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI). The study revealed that almost one third of students reported BDI >16 (30.1%). The present study did not find any association between BDI scores and study year or age difference, but we found that there was an association between housing accommodation and depressive symptoms. Students who lived with their parents had lower BDI scores than those who lived in a dormitory. The results of this study showed there is a negative correlation between physical activity and depressive symptoms in students, as well as that there is a positive correlation between depressive symptoms and substance abuse. Overall, our study confirms that the factors associated with an increase in medical students' depressive symptoms are housing accommodation, a lack of physical activity and substance abuse. Regarding failing a year of study at the medical school, as well as gender and age differences, we did not find any significant difference between students with higher compared to those with lower depressive symptoms.

Effect of Social Factors on Surgical Outcomes in Cervical Disc Disease.

BackgroundDaily clinical practice shows us how diametrically different surgical outcomes can occur in particular groups of patients sharing the same diagnosis and being subjected to the same treatment. Patient-reported outcomes appear to be significantly influenced by social factors and patients’ emotional status. Data on such variables were collated and analyzed statistically with the aim of confirming our clinical observations.MethodsWe analyzed a group of 100 patients following cervical disc surgery. The clinical evaluation was based on a visual analog scale (VAS) for pain and the neck disability index (NDI). Non-clinical data comprised education status, employment status, body mass index (BMI), and history of depressive episodes in the period immediately preceding the surgery, which was investigated using the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI).ResultsPatients who had completed university or secondary school education had a significantly lower BMI and lower BDI scores and they reported less pain at 12 months postoperatively than patients with vocational or elementary school education only. Patients who were employed at the time of the study or were retired demonstrated significantly lower NDI scores both before the surgery and at 12 months postoperatively, as well as lower BDI scores compared to those who were unemployed or drew disability pensions. Factors such as age or BMI score did not exert a direct effect on treatment outcomes assessed as changes in the VAS and NDI scores.ConclusionsSurgical treatment for the cervical disc disease decreases pain and improves patients’ quality of life. Treatment outcomes are also influenced by social factors and patients’ emotional status.