Occurrence Of Affective Disorders Research Articles

Molecular signaling of key neurotrophic factors in the brain while the occurrence of affective disorders

The COVID-19 pandemic and the increasingly tense political situation worldwide have led to an increase in the incidence of mood disorders. The occurrence of affective disorders is usually associated with neurotransmitters such as serotonin and dopamine; however, modern trends aim at studying the involvement of neurotrophic factors in the mechanisms of mood disorders. This review aimed to summarize and systematize knowledge about key neurotrophic factors and the molecular mechanisms of their relationships. The key metabolic mechanisms of proteins such as brain-derived neurotrophic factor, vascular endothelial growth factor, insulin-like growth factor-1, basic fibroblast growth factor-2, nerve growth factor, and glial cell-line derived neurotrophic factor are considered. Molecular pathways were analyzed, and a complex diagram of a multiple cascade with interconnected reactions was compiled, including each factor. Key molecular targets chosen included nuclear factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B-cells (NF-kB) and cAMP response element-binding protein. The review also presented candidates for the role of limiting factors for these molecular targets. For the NF-kB cascade, neurotrophin receptor p75(NTR) was proposed as a limiting factor, and those for the CREB cascade were intracellular phospholipase C (PLC-γ), binary molecular switches (RAS-GTP), and protein kinase B (AKT).

Affective disorders and self-injurious behavior in children and young adults with carbohydrate metabolism disorders

Introduction: Affective disorders and carbohydrate metabolism disorders are problems of increasing importance in the population of children, teenagers and young adults. Much evidence indicates that these problems may co-occur with increased frequency and have much more serious consequences than on their own. Material and methods: Inclusion criteria were established for the review of studies and comprised participants under 25 years of age diagnosed with carbohydrate metabolism disorders, psychometric measurements of symptoms of affective disorders and self-aggressive tendencies. Review of the MEDLINE database was conducted. Discussion: The results of 10 out of 12 studies included in the review indicated significantly increased risk of depression and suicidal tendencies in patients with diabetes. In the described publications, the frequency of affective disorders in a specific population ranged from 1.2% to 47.6% and up to 60.4% for unspecified affective disorder, sub-threshold and fully symptomatic, and the HR ranged from 1.33 to 2.0 for fully symptomatic affective disorders and up to 6.49 for unspecified affective disorder, sub-threshold and fully symptomatic. Descriptions of the incidence of self-injurious behavior and suicidal tendencies estimate them in the range from 0.8% to 35.7%, and in the studies comparing to a control group, the risk for a suicide attempt was between HR: 1.7 and 3.25. Conclusions: The occurrence of affective disorders in children and young adults is significantly more frequent in patients with diabetes compared to patients without carbohydrate metabolism disorders. Keywords: affective disorder, depression, suicide, diabetes mellitus, children

The influence of stimuli valence, extraversion, and emotion regulation on visual search within real-world scenes

Affective traits, including extraversion and emotion regulation, are important considerations in clinical psychology due to their associations with the occurrence of affective disorders. Previously, emotional real-world scenes have been shown to influence visual search. However, it is currently unknown whether extraversion and emotion regulation can influence visual search towards neutral targets embedded within real-world scenes, or whether these traits can impact the effect of emotional stimuli on visual search. An opportunity sample of healthy individuals had trait levels of extraversion and emotion regulation recorded before completing a visual search task. Participants more accurately identified search targets in neutral images compared to positive images, whilst response times were slower in negative images. Importantly, individuals with higher trait levels of expressive suppression displayed faster identification of search targets regardless of the emotional valence of the stimuli. Extraversion and cognitive reappraisal did not influence visual search. These findings add to our understanding regarding the influence of extraversion, cognitive reappraisal, and expressive suppression on our ability to allocate attention during visual search when viewing real-world scenes.

Is cesarean section a cause of affective disorders?—A national cohort study using sibling designs

BackgroundThe gut microbiota of children delivered by cesarean section differs from that of children delivered vaginally. In light of the gut-brain axis hypothesis, cesarean section may influence risk of affective disorders. MethodsPopulation based prospective cohort study included Danish children born 1982 through 2001, with follow-up until 2015. The effect of delivery mode on the risk of affective disorders was assessed using a standard Cox model and two types of Cox sibling models. Diagnostic codes or prescriptions for antidepressants and lithium were used to define cases of affective disorders. Results1,009,444 children were followed for 8,880,794 person-years from the age of 13 years, with relevant covariates available from birth. There are strong calendar time trends in the occurrence of affective disorders with an increasingly younger age at first diagnosis and with a hotspot between the years 2007–2012. Fully adjusted standard Cox models showed an increased risk of affective disorders for both pre-labor (hazard ratio [HR], 1.11; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.08–1.15) and intrapartum (HR, 1.07; 95% CI, 1.05–1.10) cesarean section, compared to vaginal delivery. This effect disappeared in the between–within sibling model for pre-labor (HR, 1.00; 95% CI, 0.94–1.07) but not intrapartum (HR, 1.05; 95% CI, 1.00–1.12) cesarean section. LimitationsInterpretation of results from sibling models may not be relevant to children without siblings. ConclusionsThese results do not support the hypothesis that a delivery-mode dependent change in gut microbiota is a cause of subsequent affective disorders, despite an apparent association with delivery mode.

Affective disorders as potential complication of anti-acne treatment with isotretinoin: A case series

ObjectiveTo analyse cases of 9 patients (18-27 yo) who were consequently admitted to our department and treated with affective disorders (AD) while undergoing isotretinoin (INN) therapy. MethodsA semi-structured questionnaire designed by the authors was used to analyse many variables related to demographic characteristics, dermatologic and psychiatrics symptoms, AD course and treatment, family history of mental disorders, building on medical histories of patients and their families, and available medical records. ResultsPatients were diagnosed (DSM-IV-TR) with: a major depressive episode (4 patients), a recurrent major depressive episode (3), a bipolar mixed episode (1), and rapid cycling bipolar I disorder (1). The mean time from the first use of INN to: I. the onset of mental disorders was approximately 2 months (1–6 months), II. a visit with a psychiatrist was about 12 months (1–38 months). The predictors of occurrence of AD included a family history of AD and a prior episode of mental disorders. The onset of AD was in most cases preceded by prodromal symptoms such as headaches, sleep disorders, fatigue, drowsiness, or general weakness. Five patients reported suicidal ideation, four patients showed suicidal tendencies, and two persons attempted to commit suicide during the treatment. ConclusionsPsychiatrists should pay special attention to isotretinoin as a drug that may trigger episodes of AD, particularly in patients with a family history of AD or prior episodes of mental disorders. Isotretinoin therapy of patients with acne and a family history of AD or prior episodes of mental disorders requires special care and, if symptoms of depression develop or worsen during the INN treatment, collaboration between a dermatologist and a psychiatrist is needed.

Neural activation associated with the cognitive emotion regulation of sadness in healthy children

When used effectively, cognitive reappraisal of distressing events is a highly adaptive cognitive emotion regulation (CER) strategy, with impairments in cognitive reappraisal associated with greater risk for psychopathology. Despite extensive literature examining the neural correlates of cognitive reappraisal in healthy and psychiatrically ill adults, there is a dearth of data to inform the neural bases of CER in children, a key gap in the literature necessary to map the developmental trajectory of cognitive reappraisal. In this fMRI study, psychiatrically healthy schoolchildren were instructed to use cognitive reappraisal to modulate their emotional reactions and responses of negative affect after viewing sad photos. Consistent with the adult literature, when actively engaged in reappraisal compared to passively viewing sad photos, children showed increased activation in the vlPFC, dlPFC, and dmPFC as well as in parietal and temporal lobe regions. When children used cognitive reappraisal to minimize their experience of negative affect after viewing sad stimuli they exhibited dampened amygdala responses. Results are discussed in relation to the importance of identifying and characterizing neural processes underlying adaptive CER strategies in typically developing children in order to understand how these systems go awry and relate to the risk and occurrence of affective disorders.

First evidence of sensory atypicality in mothers of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)

BackgroundAtypical reactions to sensory stimuli show heritability in the general population and are a known risk factor for affective disorders. As sensory problems are highly prevalent in individuals with ASD and their siblings, and the occurrence of affective disorders is elevated in parents of children with ASD, investigating sensory symptoms in parents is important both from clinical and theoretical standpoints.Fifty mothers of children and adolescents with ASD completed the Adolescent and Adult Sensory Profile (AASP). The AASP is a norm-referenced questionnaire that provides scores for four types of responses to sensory stimuli (sensory quadrants): hypo-sensitivity, hyper-sensitivity, sensation seeking, and sensory avoiding.FindingsMothers’ scores were compared with AASP norms. Ninety eight percent of mothers had sensory scores at least one standard deviation (SD) above the normative mean and 44% were two or more SDs above the mean for at least one sensory quadrant.ConclusionsThis study provides the first evidence for sensory atypicality in parents of children with ASD. Further research is needed to elucidate the contribution of genetic and environmental influences on the expression of sensory problems in ASD.

Hormonersatztherapie und deren Wirkung auf Psyche und Gehirn

Hormonal fluctuations during the perimenopausal transition lead to physical discomfort but are also frequently accompanied by mood swings, depressive symptoms, anxiety and sleeping disorders. The important role of the neurotransmitter serotonin in the pathogenesis of anxiety disorders and major depression is unquestioned, but only little is known about the influence of sex hormones on the serotonergic system. This review provides an overview of potential risk factors for the occurrence of affective disorders in the menopausal transition and discusses possible therapeutic options. Current research findings from longitudinal studies testing the efficacy of hormone replacement therapy and antidepressants with effects on the serotonergic neurotransmission on physical and mental discomforts during menopause are presented. Furthermore, studies using positron emission tomography and genetic methods that explore the effects of sex steroids on different components of the serotonergic system are shown. The interactions between estrogen, progesterone and the serotonergic system are described, and possible neurobiological and endocrinological mechanisms underlying depressive symptoms in the perimenopause are elucidated.

The dichotomy of schizophrenia and affective disorders in extended pedigrees

The paper reports the first controlled family study investigating not only 1st but also 2nd and 3rd degree relatives of patients with schizophrenia by direct diagnostic interviews. Regardless of their degree of relationship, all biological relatives of the patients were found to be at an elevated risk of schizophrenia (5.0% in 1st, 3.1% in 2nd, 1.5% in 3rd degree relatives compared to 0.8% among controls). Schizoaffective and affective disorders have also been found to be more common in the three groups of relatives but without a monotone decline of prevalence rates across the groups. Other psychiatric disorders were not found to be at an elevated risk in relatives of patients compared to controls. Thus, our findings support the hypothesis that psychotic, as well as affective disorders, aggregate in families of individuals with schizophrenia. However, in our study, the risk of schizophrenia and the risk of affective disorders correlated. Particularly, the magnitude of the risk of schizophrenia among relatives of probands with schizophrenia varied with the occurrence of affective disorders in relatives. In relatives, the risk of schizophrenia was maximal in absence of a family history of affective disorder. This constellation holds true even if only families of index cases without any affective syndrome during lifetime are considered.

Family psychiatric morbidity, parental deprivation and socio-economic status in cases of mania.

Manic-depressive psychosis is considered to comprise two different clinical entities, bipolar and monopolar. This dichotomy is based mainly on Western clinical material. The present study aimed at eliciting any differences that might exist between monopolar and bipolar manic patients in respect of three factors: (i) occurrence of psychiatric illness in first degree relatives; (ii) parental death before the patient's 15th birthday; and (iii) socio-economic status of the patient. Venkoba Rao (1973) studied the differences between monopolar and bipolar endogenous depressives on three factors: occurrence of affective disorder (including suicide) in first degree relatives; parental loss before the patient's 12th birthday, and the extent of ‘jointness' of the patient's family.

Affective illness in first degree relatives, parental loss and family jointness in depressive disorders.

Manic-depressive illness is believed to comprise two different clinical entities: Bipolar and Monopolar. This paper aims to study any differences there may be between monopolar and bipolar depressions in respect of three factors: occurrence of affective disorder (including suicide) in first degree relatives; parental death before the patients' twelfth birthday and the extent of ‘jointness' (Khatri, 1970) of the patients' family.