Maintenance Of Mental Health Research Articles

Epistasis effects of COMT and MTHFR on inter-individual differences in mental health: Under the inverted U-shaped prefrontal dopamine model

Higher cognitive performance, maintenance of mental health and psychological well-being require adequate prefrontal cortex (PFC) function. “Inverted U-shaped” dopamine model indicates optimal PFC dopamine level is important to attain its function while high or low levels have adverse effects. Catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) and methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) may be involved in this complex non-linear PFC dopamine regulation. We addressed whether genetic variation reflecting COMT and MTHFR activities can explain the inter-individual mental health differences in healthy Japanese men (n=188). The mental health was measured by Mental Health Inventory (MHI)-5 score. The rs4633–rs4818–rs4680 haplotypes were used to represent the multilevel COMT activities, while for MTHFR, the functional single polymorphism, rs1801133 (C677T), was used. We examined the effectiveness of haplotype-based association analysis of COMT on mental health together with studying its interaction with MTHFR-C677T. As a result, the relation between activity-ranked COMT genotype and MHI-5 score showed a tendency to fit into an “inverted U-shaped” quadratic curve (P=0.054). This curvilinear correlation was significant in the subjects with MTHFR-CC (P<0.001), but not with MTHFR T-allele carriers (P=0.793). Our pilot study implies a potential influence of COMT and MTHFR genotypic combination on normal variation of mental health.

Atividade antitríptica de proteínas em polpas e sementes de frutas tropicais

A alimentação saudável e diversificada é essencial para a manutenção da saúde física e mental, e apesar de o perfil alimentar atual valorizar a praticidade do comer, nota-se que a população está consumindo, de forma crescente, frutas, tanto na forma in natura como na forma de sucos. No entanto, o consumo de certas frutas in natura ocorre acompanhado da ingestão de suas sementes, cascas ou mesmo outras partes, podendo existir fatores antinutricionais, moléculas e/ou compostos que podem interferir na biodisponibilidade e/ou digestibilidade de nutrientes, tais como os inibidores de tripsina. Tais inibidores podem prejudicar o aproveitamento de proteínas presentes nos alimentos, porém estudos recentes vêm sendo divulgados, demonstrando também os efeitos benéficos dos mesmos. Este estudo teve como objetivo avaliar inibidores de tripsina nos extratos aquosos das frutas: goiaba (Psidium guajava L), das variedades Kumagai (branca) e Paluma (vermelha); maracujá-amarelo (Passiflora edulis f.) e melancia (Citrullus vulgaris Schrad). Para tal, foi realizada a detecção da presença da atividade antitríptica e a dosagem de proteínas solúveis. Em todos os extratos analisados, foi detectada atividade inibitória de tripsina, bem como de proteínas solúveis. Assim, a inibição pode ser explicada pela presença de inibidores proteicos, pois, nos extratos de sementes, em SDS-PAGE, foi possível visualizar um largo espectro de bandas proteicas. Vale ressaltar que, no estudo, as bandas proteicas que coincidem com as massas moleculares dos inibidores de tripsina não apareceram de forma majoritária, demonstrando que os extratos de sementes, provavelmente, possuem inibidor proteico, no entanto em pouca quantidade, justificando a baixa atividade antitríptica (1,36 a 15,15 UI / mg de peso seco), também apresentada pelos extratos de polpa. Portanto, tendo em vista o consumo recomendado das frutas, incluindo goiaba, maracujá e melancia, possivelmente, esta atividade inibitória esteja mais relacionada a benefícios do que a prejuízos à saúde, enfatizando, entretanto, o cuidado com o consumo de quantidades elevadas de sementes presentes e consumidas nestas frutas.

Mediators of Posttraumatic Mental Health in Sexual Assault Survivors

The development of posttraumatic growth (PTG) and the relationship between PTG and distress outcomes in sexual assault is an important area of investigation. Recent research suggests that some forms of cognitive processing might be critical in the development, maintenance, and resolution of posttraumatic mental health among sexual assault survivors. The objective of this study was to examine factors associated with posttraumatic mental health among sexual assault survivors. Seventy-three participants who experienced sexual assault completed measures of trauma symptoms, PTG, changes in outlook, cognitive processing, and support and coping. Results revealed that significant levels of posttraumatic symptomatology and low levels of PTG were reported 3 years following sexual assault. A weak relationship was found between symptoms of distress and growth. Contrary to predictions, only ratings of hope and brooding rumination were mediators of the relationship between posttraumatic symptoms and PTG. Reflective rumination was not related to the development of PTG.

A música para indução de relaxamento na Terapia de Integração Pessoal pela Abordagem Direta do Inconsciente – ADI/TIP

Estudos revelam que determinados tipos de musica podem favorecer a manutencao da saude mental, reduzir ou prevenir o estresse, aliviar o cansaco fisico e induzir emocoes, o que nos leva a refletir sobre sua utilizacao como recurso terapeutico. Este trabalho tem por objetivo discutir sobre a utilizacao da musica para inducao de relaxamento, os beneficios deste recurso para a pessoa em processo terapeutico e sua aplicacao na Terapia de Integracao Pessoal pelo metodo Abordagem Direta do Inconsciente (ADI/TIP). Para isso, foi realizada uma revisao de literatura, explicitando-se a historia da utilizacao da musica com fins terapeuticos, seus efeitos sobre os estados fisiologicos e as emocoes e consequentes beneficios para sua utilizacao a partir da inducao de relaxamento. Observou-se que musicas consideradas sedativas, com andamento lento e poucas variacoes ritmicas, podem reduzir o estresse e favorecer o relaxamento, o que aponta para os beneficios de sua utilizacao como um instrumento facilitador do processo terapeutico da ADI/TIP. Palavras-chave: musica, relaxamento, psicoterapia, ADI/TIP.

The contribution of resilience to healthy ageing

Gill Windle from the Dementia Services Development Centre at Bangor University looks at the role of resilience in healthy ageing Global demographic changes in the ageing population have made healthy ageing policy an international priority.i Policymakers recognise that healthy, independent, and active ageing can enhance individual lives, negate the social and economic implications of an ageing population, and potentially reduce public spending on services. More recently, interest has been placed on the importance of good mental health, wellbeing and the role of resilience.2,3,4 Resilience certainly seems to be a 'buzz' word at the moment. Although resilience research can be traced back at least five decades (see Luthar5 for review), a large proportion of this work is derived from the discipline of developmental psychology, and has mainly been undertaken with children and adolescents. Far less is known about the determinants of resilience in adulthood and later life, especially when faced with a prolonged and significant exposure to an adversity, such as chronic illness. What is resilience? Resilience is the process of negotiating, managing and adapting to significant sources of stress or trauma. Figure 1 gives an example of a resilience framework, and demonstrates how assets and resources within the individual, their life and environment facilitate this capacity for adaptation and 'bouncing back' in the face of adversity.6 This definition acknowledges key features of resilience; the encounter with adversity (e.g. ill-health); the ability to resist and adapt to the adversity (drawing on resources); and the avoidance of a negative outcome, or the maintenance of mental health. An important thing to grasp is that resilience is not necessarily about superior functioning or flourishing, it is about doing okay, or better than could be expected, given the individual circumstances. In many instances the risk or adversity is not an isolated event that the person is able to actively change. For example, a common adversity in studies of resilient children and adolescents is poverty and deprivation. From a life course perspective poverty and deprivation can persist. However, as adults develop there are a number of other adverse occurrences that create irreversible losses, such as bereavement of friends and relatives, unemployment, and the onset of physical ill-health or the diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease. How can resilience be promoted? In general, human beings (along with families and communities) have the capacity to respond well to adversity, but not everyone develops the abilities to do so.7 Resilience is not necessarily a rare occurrence, at least not in children, and has been described as 'ordinary magic'.8 So how can resilience be promoted? As part of the work programme of the Resilience and Healthy Ageing Network1 a scoping review of resilience interventions found very few peer reviewed publications of interventions that promote resilience in relation to health outcomes (mental and physical), especially in relation to older people. The lack of identified peer-reviewed papers reflects the results of an earlier review of children and adolescent resilience.9 They note: 'the literature on resilience promotion, while empirically based, includes relatively few accounts of conscious and specific strategies used to promote resilience, and fewer still that have been subject to a robust evaluation using controlled trials'. It would appear there is a need for further development and refinement of interventions to promote resilience, especially within later life, and within the UK the Medical Research Council's Lifelong Health and Well-Being Programme recently funded research with resilience as a key area. However given the current lack of evidence for the direct promotion of resilience, what can interested practitioners do? Qualitative research from Canada suggests people/organizations may be already engaged in delivering services that promote resilience, but not necessarily aware that they are doing so. …

Functional Neural Plasticity and Associated Changes in Positive Affect After Compassion Training

The development of social emotions such as compassion is crucial for successful social interactions as well as for the maintenance of mental and physical health, especially when confronted with distressing life events. Yet, the neural mechanisms supporting the training of these emotions are poorly understood. To study affective plasticity in healthy adults, we measured functional neural and subjective responses to witnessing the distress of others in a newly developed task (Socio-affective Video Task). Participants' initial empathic responses to the task were accompanied by negative affect and activations in the anterior insula and anterior medial cingulate cortex--a core neural network underlying empathy for pain. Whereas participants reacted with negative affect before training, compassion training increased positive affective experiences, even in response to witnessing others in distress. On the neural level, we observed that, compared with a memory control group, compassion training elicited activity in a neural network including the medial orbitofrontal cortex, putamen, pallidum, and ventral tegmental area--brain regions previously associated with positive affect and affiliation. Taken together, these findings suggest that the deliberate cultivation of compassion offers a new coping strategy that fosters positive affect even when confronted with the distress of others.

Natural mood foods: The actions of polyphenols against psychiatric and cognitive disorders

ObjectivesPolyphenols, natural compounds found in plant-based foods, possess special properties that can battle oxidative stress and stimulate the activation of molecules that aid in synaptic plasticity, a process that underlies cognitive function. Unlike many traditional treatments, polyphenols affect a broad range of mechanisms in the brain that can assist in the maintenance of cognitive and mental health, as well as the recovery from neurodegenerative diseases. Examining the molecular basis underlying the link between food intake and brain function has presented the exciting possibility of using diet as a viable method to battle cognitive and psychiatric disorders.MethodsWe will discuss the molecular systems that link polyphenols, the gut, and the brain, as well as introduce published human and animal studies demonstrating the effects of polyphenol consumption on brain plasticity and cognition.ResultsBy influencing cellular energy metabolism and modulating the signaling pathways of molecules involved with brain plasticity, dietary factors – formerly recognized for just their effects on bodily systems – have emerged as affecters of the brain.ConclusionThus, the consumption of diets enriched with polyphenols may present the potential of dietary manipulation as a non-invasive, natural, and inexpensive therapeutic means to support a healthy brain.

Socially isolated mice exhibit a blunted homeostatic sleep response to acute sleep deprivation compared to socially paired mice

Sleep is an important physiological process underlying maintenance of physical, mental and emotional health. Consequently, sleep deprivation (SD) is associated with adverse consequences and increases the risk for anxiety, immune, and cognitive disorders. SD is characterized by increased energy expenditure responses and sleep rebound upon recovery that are regulated by homeostatic processes, which in turn are influenced by stress. Since all previous studies on SD were conducted in a setting of social isolation, the impact of the social contextual setting is unknown. Therefore, we used a relatively stress-free SD paradigm in mice to assess the impact of social isolation on sleep, wakefulness and delta electroencephalogram (EEG) power during non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep. Paired or isolated C57BL/6J adult chronically-implanted male mice were exposed to SD for 6h and telemetric polygraphic recordings were conducted, including 18h recovery. Recovery from SD in the paired group showed a significant decrease in wake and significant increase in NREM sleep and rapid eye movement (REM), and a similar, albeit less robust response occurred in the isolated mice. Delta power during NREM sleep was increased in both groups immediately following SD, but paired mice exhibited significantly higher delta power throughout the dark period. The increase in body temperature and gross motor activity observed during the SD procedure was decreased during the dark period. In both open field and elevated plus maze tests, socially isolated mice showed significantly higher anxiety than paired mice. The homeostatic processes altered by SD are differentially affected in paired and isolated mice, suggesting that the social context of isolation stress may adversely affect the quantity and quality of sleep in mice.

Feeling Refreshed by Sleep Can Predict Psychological Wellbeing Assessed Using the General Health Questionnaire in Male Workers: A 3-Year Follow-Up Study

Prediction of psychological wellbeing based on several important predictors was conducted for ensuring maintenance of good mental health. A 3-year follow-up study to determine psychological well-being was conducted in 969 Japanese male workers. Age, body mass index, present history of medication and four lifestyle factors were used for the analysis. A logistic regression analysis revealed that the odds ratio (95% confidence interval) for obtaining a score of ≥4 in the General Health Questionnaire-12-item version, among the subjects who felt refreshed by sleep was 0.559 (0.415-0.753). None of the other factors showed any statistically significant association. Feeling refreshed by sleep was identified as a predictor of maintained psychological wellbeing in this 3-year follow-up study.

P-1007 - Positive maternal mental health: promoting resilience and wellbeing in perinatal women

Pregnancy and new motherhood are challenging times for families. Promoting positive maternal mental health improves overall health and can prevent mental health problems, which could be detrimental to the woman, her baby, and her family. Since maternal mental well-being is fundamental to the health of her entire family, it is essential that we promote the development and maintenance of positive mental health in perinatal women. Positive mental health is believed to be the optimal way to minimize the risk of mental illness. It is more than the mere absence of mental illness; it also encompasses strategies that will maximize a woman's mental health throughout the perinatal period. Positive mental health also promotes recovery from mental health problems and should be part of every treatment plan. Therefore, it is critical that we help women learn how to deal with the changes associated with pregnancy and new motherhood in ways that promote mental wellbeing and allow them to adapt and enjoy this important period of their life. This presentation explores positive mental health, resilience, optimism, wellbeing, and empowerment in pregnant and postpartum woman. In addition, it provides strategies to promote maternal mental health, specifically, incorporating protective assets for mothers and families. Mental health promotion for pregnant and postpartum women will improve health outcomes for individual women and their families, and will contribute to a more optimistic and thriving society.

Gesundheitsförderung, Prävention und Rehabilitation im Alter

Considering the increasing disability with higher age and the demographic changes health promotion, prevention and rehabilitation are of high relevance for the maintenance and restoration of activity and participation of the elderly. Among the most important goals of prevention are mobility including physical activity and prevention of falls, adequate nutrition, maintenance of mental health, social integration and function. Different conditions of geriatric rehabilitation in Germany focussing either on acute care hospitals with early rehabilitation (inpatient or outpatient) or on rehabilitation in specialized centres lead to regional disparities. The application for rehabilitation measures has to consider the need, ability to participate, specified goals and prognosis after the interventions. Disease specific rehabilitation has to be differentiated from general geriatric rehabilitation addressing typical multimorbidity and geriatric syndromes. Significant characteristics of geriatric rehabilitation are regular patient oriented discussions within the multi-professional and interdisciplinary team coordinated by geriatricians. This includes prioritizing the patient's problems according to their significance and availability of effective therapy, evaluation of the results and adjustment of treatment goals if necessary. Standardised geriatric assessments should be applied. Geriatric rehabilitation including the interdisciplinary team increases function and reduces the risks of nursing home admissions and mortality. Therefore, the access to and the capacities of geriatric rehabilitation should be further improved.

Measuring Estrogens and Progestagens in Humans: An Overview of Methods

Estrogens and progestagens (ovarian steroids) not only play an important a role in sexual behavior and reproduction, but they are involved in the development, regulation, and function of all body systems, including aging, sleep, pain, pharmacodynamics, immune response, and cognition. They are essential to the maintenance of cardiovascular, renal, mental, and bone health. Often, their effects are positive and their absence, negative. However, in certain contexts they can promote the development of cancers and neurologic conditions. Finally, ovarian steroids can even affect the response to pharmacologic treatments for many diseases. Given their central role in human biology, it is essential to be able to accurately determine the circulating levels of these hormones. To facilitate such endeavors, this review provides a comprehensive overview of the role of ovarian steroids in normal and abnormal physiology, primarily in women. It discusses the sensitivity, specificity, and precision of the most commonly used assays for estrogens and progestagens: bioassay, immunoassay, and mass spectrophotometry. Examples of how each of these assays has been used with samples taken from serum, urine, and saliva are provided. Strengths and limitations of each method are discussed.

Visually storying living with HIV: bridging stressors and supports in accessing care

This paper examines how visual narratives may bridge relational understandings between people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWH/A) and future oral health care providers. Borrowing from literature in participatory visual methods such as photo elicitation and photovoice, we explored how PLWH/A visually choose to represent their daily lives. This study uses a grounded theory action-oriented approach in examining the thematic analysis of 257 photos and 12 related reflective participant journals. Ten collaborative themes emerged from the participants' analysis of their photos. These themes of social support, places, family, staff, group, recovery tools, transportation, friends, medications and food exhibited the indivisible characteristics of stressors and supports commonly found in accessing care. Further researcher reflections also found three meta-themes of stigmatization, maintenance of positive mental health and the development of pride in managing one's health. PLWH/A need to share these visual themes of supports and stressors with future dental providers so that they may hopefully acquire an understanding of chronic illness that is more personalized and relationship centered rather than merely numeric and detached.

3111T/C CLOCK GENE POLYMORPHISM IS NOT ASSOCIATED WITH SLEEP DISTURBANCES IN UNTREATED DEPRESSED PATIENTS

Sleep patterns, frequently altered in depression, have been hypothesized to be under genetic control. The circadian locomotor output cycles kaput (CLOCK) T3111C variant has been studied in association with sleep disturbances in depressed patients. The aim of this study was to investigate possible effects of T3111C CLOCK on insomnia, daytime sleepiness, sleep quality, and depression severity in a sample of 100 major depressive disorder patients. Inclusion criteria were: major depressive disorder, drug-free for any antidepressant and/or benzodiazepines for at least four weeks previously to the study, and a minimum score of >17 on the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression. The Morningness–Eveningness Questionnaire, Epworth Sleepiness Scale, Athens Insomnia Scale, and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index were applied. No significant difference was found concerning genotype or allele groups and Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression items or clusters. No difference was found between genotypes and comorbidity, chronotype distribution, Epworth Sleepiness Scale, Athens Insomnia Scale, or Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index total scores. Overall, the present findings did not support the hypothesis of an effect of the T3111C CLOCK variant on sleep disturbances in major depressive disorder. Further analysis of clock machinery will clarify the contribution of clock genes to the maintenance of mental health. (Author correspondence: alessandro.serretti@unibo.it)

On the Classification of Emotional Biosignals Evoked While Viewing Affective Pictures: An Integrated Data-Mining-Based Approach for Healthcare Applications

Recent neuroscience findings demonstrate the fundamental role of emotion in the maintenance of physical and mental health. In the present study, a novel architecture is proposed for the robust discrimination of emotional physiological signals evoked upon viewing pictures selected from the International Affective Picture System (IAPS). Biosignals are multichannel recordings from both the central and the autonomic nervous systems. Following the bidirectional emotion theory model, IAPS pictures are rated along two dimensions, namely, their valence and arousal. Following this model, biosignals in this paper are initially differentiated according to their valence dimension by means of a data mining approach, which is the C4.5 decision tree algorithm. Then, the valence and the gender information serve as an input to a Mahalanobis distance classifier, which dissects the data into high and low arousing. Results are described in Extensible Markup Language (XML) format, thereby accounting for platform independency, easy interconnectivity, and information exchange. The average recognition (success) rate was 77.68% for the discrimination of four emotional states, differing both in their arousal and valence dimension. It is, therefore, envisaged that the proposed approach holds promise for the efficient discrimination of negative and positive emotions, and it is hereby discussed how future developments may be steered to serve for affective healthcare applications, such as the monitoring of the elderly or chronically ill people.

Mission in Sukusuku Cohort, Mie: A Study Focusing on the Characteristics of Participants and the Mental Health of the Mothers Raising Children

BackgroundWe carried out Sukusuku cohort, Mie (SCM), a long term cohort study of child development and investigated the feasibility and validity of this study. Then we focused on the characteristics of the enrolled families and verified the representativeness of the participants in SCM.MethodsThe characteristics of 185 families recruited from 3 hospitals were analyzed, and we verified the representativeness of these subjects. We also analyzed the factors that may influence the mental health of the mothers who are raising children.ResultsThere were no significant differences between the subjects from the 3 hospitals in terms of the age distribution, academic background, occupation, and annual income of the participating families. At 42 months, the average developmental quotients for postural and motor, cognitive and adaptive, and speech and social development in the 140 infants were 98.6, 100.6, and 99.9, respectively. The overall developmental quotient for infants was 100.3 ± 13.2; this score was within the standard range (55–132). The path-analysis model revealed that family function was an important factor influencing the mental health of mothers.ConclusionsThe participant characteristics were thought to be generally representative, and we showed the validity and representativeness of the participants in this cohort study. The mental health analysis of mothers suggested that relieving mothers from child-rearing stress and maintaining family function were important for the maintenance and improvement of maternal mental health.

Pathways and Correlates Connecting Latinos' Mental Health With Exposure to the United States

We examined potential pathways by which time in the United States may relate to differences in the predicted probability of past-year psychiatric disorder among Latino immigrants as compared with US-born Latinos. We estimated predicted probabilities of psychiatric disorder for US-born and immigrant groups with varying time in the United States, adjusting for different combinations of covariates. We examined 6 pathways by which time in the United States could be associated with psychiatric disorders. Increased time in the United States is associated with higher risk of psychiatric disorders among Latino immigrants. After adjustment for covariates, differences in psychiatric disorder rates between US-born and immigrant Latinos disappear. Discrimination and family cultural conflict appear to play a significant role in the association between time in the United States and the likelihood of developing psychiatric disorders. Increased perceived discrimination and family cultural conflict are pathways by which acculturation might relate to deterioration of mental health for immigrants. Future studies assessing how these implicit pathways evolve as contact with US culture increases may help to identify strategies for ensuring maintenance of mental health for Latino immigrants.

The Relationship Between Cultural Variables and Gambling Behavior Among Chinese Residing in Australia

Cultural variables (e.g., cultural values, acculturation and attitudes towards seeking professional assistance) have been found to play important roles in the initiation and maintenance of numerous mental health and substance related problems. However, there is a significant lack of empirical studies investigating the relationships between these cultural variables and gambling behavior. Thus, this study assessed whether these cultural variables could predict gambling behavior among 233 Chinese residing in Australia. Several questionnaires were used in the study including the South Oaks Gambling Screen (SOGS), the Asian Values Scale (AVS), Attitudes towards Seeking Psychological Help Scale (ATSPHS) and the modified version of the Cultural Life Style Inventory (CLSI). Results showed that although adherence to Asian values could not predict gambling behavior, acculturation (i.e., cultural shift and cultural incorporation) could negatively predict gambling behavior. Furthermore, the interpersonal openness subscale of ATSPHS could predict gambling behavior. Implications of these findings are discussed.

Beyond Mental Health Maintenance: An Evaluation Framework Driven by Recovery-Focused Outcomes

Evaluations of mental health outcomes have traditionally focused on indicators of mental health maintenance and stability. Although many jurisdictions in Canada are incorporating the principles of recovery into mental health services, evaluation practices and accountability frameworks have not kept pace with this shift in thinking. In our local regions of Waterloo and Wellington-Dufferin, Ontario, an innovative partnership between mental health agencies and consumer organizations has developed to apply principles of recovery to system-wide case management. In this article we describe the development of a comprehensive logic model framework designed to assess the impact of system-wide changes to practice. The model is grounded in the experiences, needs, and expectations of service users. This framework positions recovery-focused outcomes as alternatives to maintenance-based outcomes and as central to knowledge development and accountability in mental health systems.

Possible involvement of GABAergic mechanism in protective effect of melatonin against sleep deprivation–induced behaviour modification and oxidative damage in mice

Sleep is an important physiological process responsible for the maintenance of physical, mental and emotional health of a living being. Sleep deprivation is considered risky for several pathological diseases such as anxiety and motor and cognitive dysfunctions. Sleep deprivation has recently been reported to cause oxidative damage. This study has been designed to explore the possible involvement of the GABAergic mechanism in protective effects of melatonin against 72-h sleep deprivation-induced behaviour modification and oxidative damage in mice. Mice were sleep-deprived for a period of 72 h using the grid over water suspended method. Animals were divided into groups of 6-8 animals each. Melatonin (5 and 10 mg/kg), flumazenil (0.5 mg/kg), picrotoxin (0.5 mg/kg) and muscimol (0.05 mg/kg) were administered for 5 days starting 2 days before 72-h sleep deprivation. Various behavioural tests (plus maze, zero maze, mirror chamber, actophotometer) and body weight assessment followed by oxidative stress parameters (malondialdehyde level, glutathione, catalase, nitrite and protein) were carried out. The 72-h sleep deprivation caused significant anxiety-like behaviour, weight loss, impaired locomotor activity and oxidative damage as compared with naïve (without sleep deprivation). Treatment with melatonin (5 mg/kg and 10 mg/kg, ip) significantly improved locomotor activity, weight loss and antianxiety effect as compared with control (sleep-deprived). Biochemically, melatonin treatment significantly restored reduced glutathione, catalase activity, attenuated lipid peroxidation and nitrite level as compared with control animals (72-h sleep-deprived). Flumazenil (0.5 mg/kg) and picrotoxin (0.5 mg/kg) pretreatments with a lower dose of melatonin (5 mg/kg) significantly antagonized the protective effect of melatonin. However, muscimol (0.05 mg/kg) pretreatment with melatonin (5 mg/kg, ip) potentiated the protective effect of melatonin which was significant as compared with their effect per se. This study suggests that GABAergic modulation is involved in the protective action of melatonin against sleep deprivation-induced anxiety-like behaviour and associated oxidative damage.