Zung Self-Rating Anxiety Scale Research Articles

Does brain-derived neurotrophic factor play a role in the association between maternal prenatal mental health and neurodevelopment in 2-year-old children?

ObjectiveTo evaluate the role of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF)—a crucial modulator of neural development and plasticity—in the association between prenatal maternal anxiety, depression, and perceived stress and child neurodevelopment in a prospective cohort study. MethodsWe included 526 eligible mother-child pairs from the Shanghai Birth Cohort in the study. Maternal mental health was assessed at mid-pregnancy using Zung's Self-Rating Anxiety Scale, Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale, and Perceived Stress Scale. The concentration of BDNF in cord blood was measured by ELISA. The offspring neurodevelopment at 24 months of age was assessed using the Bayley Scales. Linear and non-linear regression models were used. ResultsThe average cord blood BDNF levels were higher in female newborns and those born via vaginal delivery, full term, and normal birth weight. Prenatal maternal anxiety (β = −0.32; 95 % CI: −0.55, −0.09), depression (β = −0.30; 95 % CI: −0.52, −0.08), and perceived stress (β = −0.41; 95 % CI: −0.71, −0.12) scores were negatively associated with social-emotional performance at 24 months of age. However, no significant associations were found between prenatal maternal anxiety, depression, or perceived stress at mid-pregnancy and cord blood BDNF levels, as well as between cord blood BDNF levels and child neurodevelopment. LimitationsMaternal mental health at different timepoints during pregnancy and generalizability of the results warrant further assessment. ConclusionsPrenatal mental health was not associated with cord blood BDNF level and that BDNF may not be a mediator in the association between prenatal mental health and child neurodevelopment.

Anxiety symptom severity is associated with increased arterial blood pressure and arterial blood pressure variability in apparently healthy young adults

Introduction: Lifetime prevalence of anxiety disorders is approximately 30%, and anxiety is associated with an increased susceptibility to develop cardiovascular disease. Anxiety disorders have been linked to hypertension, and autonomic dysfunction has been posited as a contributing factor. However, anxiety symptom severity exists on a continuum, and it is less clear how anxiety severity is associated with blood pressure or beat-to-beat blood pressure variability, a hemodynamic biomarker that reflects dynamic cardiovascular regulatory mechanisms. The objective of this study was to test the hypothesis that self-reported anxiety symptom severity is positively associated with resting blood pressure and beat-to-beat blood pressure variability among healthy young adults without cardiometabolic disease. Methods: Resting beat-to-beat blood pressure (mmHg; finger plethysmography) and anxiety scores from a self-report anxiety symptom questionnaire (Zung Self-Rated Anxiety Scale, ZSRA) were collected in 53 healthy young adults (40 males, 13 females, age = 25 ± 4 yr, BMI = 25 ± 6 kg/m2). Following 10 minutes of quiet rest, signals were recorded over a 10-minute period with participants in a supine position, and the middle 8 minutes were used for analyses. Multiple linear regression was used to examine the independent relations of ZSRA with systolic arterial pressure (SAP), diastolic arterial pressure (DAP), mean arterial pressure (MAP), SAP standard deviation (SAPSD), DAP standard deviation (DAPSD), and MAP standard deviation (MAPSD) while controlling for age and sex. To further understand whether the observed relations between ZSRA and beat-to-beat blood pressure variability were explained by or independent of elevated absolute arterial pressure, partial correlations (rxy,z) were performed for ZSRA versus SAPSD, DAPSD, and MAPSD while partialling out the effect of SAP, DAP, and MAP, respectively. Results: ZSRA was significantly correlated with SAP (β = 0.34, p = 0.015), MAP (β = 0.32, p = 0.023), SAPSD (β = 0.36, p = 0.008), DAPSD (β = 0.35, p = 0.014), and MAPSD (β = 0.37, p = 0.008). When controlling for SAP, DAP, and MAP, ZSRA was independently associated with SAPSD (rxy,z = 0.34, p = 0.016), DAPSD (rxy,z = 0.35, p = 0.012), and MAPSD (rxy,z = 0.40, p = 0.005). Conclusion: Self-reported anxiety symptom severity is associated with increased blood pressure and beat-to-beat blood pressure variability, which indicates an important relationship between anxiety and blood pressure regulation across a continuum of symptom severity. This study is the first to show a relationship between anxiety and beat-to-beat blood pressure variability, independent of absolute mean blood pressure, among healthy young adults devoid of cardiometabolic disease. Our data build upon and align with previous findings that anxiety symptom severity is associated with increased muscle sympathetic nerve activity among healthy young adults and enhances our understanding of the relationship between anxiety and cardiovascular health, even among apparently healthy individuals. Funding provided by a grant from the Injury Prevention Research Center through the CDC (R49 CE003095; NDMJ). This is the full abstract presented at the American Physiology Summit 2024 meeting and is only available in HTML format. There are no additional versions or additional content available for this abstract. Physiology was not involved in the peer review process.

Long-term Impact of Psychological Rehabilitation on Isolated Hospitalization Patients with COVID-19: A Longitudinal Study.

This study aimed to investigate the long-term effects of a psychological rehabilitation program that was effective on anxiety, depression, and quality of sleep in hospitalized COVID-19 patients. This is longitudinal study. 13 patients in the experimental group who received a psychological rehabilitation program during hospitalization and 16 patients in the control group who received conservative treatment completed the questionnaire 6 months after discharge. Questionnaires are the Zung Self-Rating Anxiety Scale (SAS), Zung Self-Rating Depression Scale (SDS), Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), Visual Analysis Scale (VAS), and the Korean version of the Insomnia Severity Index (ISI-K). The VAS for depression significantly improved in the experimental group compared with control group at discharge (E = -2.40, p < 0.001) and follow-up (E = -3.36, p < 0.001). The SDS and PHQ-9 scores significantly improved at discharge (E = -4.05, p = 0.01 and E = -2.29, p = 0.01) but not at follow-up (E = -4.64, p = 0.12 and E = -1.81, p = 0.22). There are no significant interactions for VAS for anxiety (E = -0.27, p = 0.79), SAS scores (E = -1.48, p = 0.51), and insomnia (E = -0.69, p = 0.63) scores during the follow-up. Psychological rehabilitation showed a significant long-term reduction in depression, but not in anxiety. Therefore, continuous intervention and management of mental health are required after discharge.

The Impact of SARS-CoV-2 on the Mental Health of Patients with Primary Immune Deficiency and Their Parents

: Since the start of the Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, people have had to cope with significant mental pressure regarding this mysterious infection. The rapid spread of syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) worldwide has led to immense anxiety and depression among people, especially in the immunocompromised population and their close relatives. This study aims to evaluate the mental health of patients with primary immune deficiency (PID) and their mothers during the first year of the COVID-19 outbreak. A cross-sectional study was conducted from September 2020 to March 2021 among pediatric patients with PID and their family members. Thirty PID patients and their mothers were investigated using the Zung Self-Rating Anxiety Scale and Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI), respectively. The results showed that mothers of younger PID patients experienced higher levels of anxiety (P-value = 0.019). Additionally, PID patients who did not comply with quarantine measures had significantly higher anxiety levels (P-value = 0.02). The results indicate mild to moderate anxiety in PID patients aged 12.1 ± 1.46 years during the first year of the COVID-19 outbreak. Furthermore, there was mild anxiety observed in mothers of PID patients. Non-compliance with quarantine measures significantly contributed to higher anxiety scores in both groups, emphasizing the importance of staying home and adhering to restricted social interactions to improve mental health.

Prevalence and correlates of mental health problems among different occupations of medical workers during COVID-19 outbreak in China.

Health workers involved in the fight to prevent the COVID-19 outbreak were exposed to hazards. Detailed information on mental health problems in different medical occupations is crucial. To examined the prevalence of mental health issues in three medical occupations as well as the relationships between mental health problems and correlates in each occupation. This study utilizing the Questionnaire Star program was conducted among medical workers working at medical institutions in China from February 17 to 24, 2020. The Self-Reporting Questionnaire (SRQ-20), the Zung Self-rating Anxiety Scale (SAS), and the Zung Self-rating Depression Scale (SDS) were used to assess mental health problems. The prevalence of any mental health problems in the three occupations was 43.6, 34.6, and 32.9% for nurses, paramedical workers (PMWs), and doctors, respectively. Three occupations shared some correlates, such as being overworked, not having enough time to rest, support from colleagues, and previous mental health status. There were specific factors for each occupation. For doctors, age, educational level, living status, support from family, and previous physical status were related factors in mental health problems. Working in a designated hospital for treating COVID-19, having COVID-19 event exposures, and receiving support from family were associated with the mental health problems of the nurses. PMWs' mental health problems was linked to educational level and care from supervisors or heads of department. Different medical occupations have distinct impacts on mental health issues. Policy makers and mental health professionals working to prepare for potential disease outbreaks should be aware of multiple factors in different occupations.

The effect of emotional freedom techniques (EFT) on anxiety and caregiver burden of family caregivers of patients with heart failure: A quasi-experimental study.

Family members are at the forefront of providing care to patients with chronic illnesses, such as heart failure (HF). Since patient caregiving can affect the mental and physical health of family caregivers, the implementation and training of new psychological interventions by nurses are considered important and necessary for family caregivers. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of emotional freedom techniques (EFTs) on anxiety and caregiver burden of family caregivers of patients with HF. This study was a quasi-experimental study, in which 91 family caregivers participated. The family caregivers were assigned into two groups of intervention (n = 46) and control (n = 45). Data were collected using a demographic information form, Zung Self-Rating Anxiety Scale (SAS), and Caregiver Burden Inventory (CBI) developed by Novak and Guest. The intervention group underwent EFT training within six sessions, while the control group received no training. Descriptive statistics (mean, standard deviation, and absolute and relative frequency) and inferential statistical tests such as Chi-square, Fisher's exact, and independent t-tests were run, and the data were analyzed by Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 23 software. The findings showed that the intervention group had a significant improvement in reducing anxiety (P > 0.001). In addition, EFT significantly reduced caregiver burden among family caregivers of HF patients (P > 0.001). EFT could significantly reduce anxiety and caregiver burden in family caregivers of patients with HF in our study. Therefore, nurses working in clinical settings are recommended to learn and use EFT to reduce the anxiety and caregiver burden of patients' family caregivers.

Influencing Factors and Prevalence of Anxiety in Medical Students: A Cross-Sectional Study

Introduction: While current research highlights student anxiety globally, limited data exists on the specific situation of Vietnamese medical students. This study addresses this gap by investigating the prevalence and contributing factors of anxiety within this population, aiming to gain a deeper understanding of their mental health experiences.&#x0D; Methods: Utilizing a convenience sampling technique, 400 medical students from Ho Chi Minh City University of Medicine &amp; Pharmacy were surveyed using the Zung Self-Rating Anxiety Scale and a custom questionnaire assessing factors contributing to anxiety. Data analysis included descriptive statistics, independent-samples t-tests, ANOVA, and Pearson's correlation.&#x0D; Results: Findings revealed mild to moderate anxiety levels among medical students (M = 49.68 ± 11.54), with significant differences based on gender, academic year, and academic performance. Males (M = 51.27 ± 12.26) and senior students (M = 53.18 ± 12.50) reported higher anxiety levels. Key contributors to anxiety included financial concerns, major examinations, and discrepancies between perceived and desired academic performance. Notably, a strong positive correlation was found between academic performance discrepancies and anxiety levels (r = 0.888, p &lt; 0.001).&#x0D; Conclusion: The study highlights a potentially higher prevalence of anxiety among medical students than previously reported, emphasizing the need for targeted interventions. Understanding the multifaceted nature of anxiety and its contributing factors is crucial for fostering a supportive learning environment, ultimately nurturing well-equipped and resilient healthcare professionals.

The Anxiety and Depression of International Medical Students during COVID-19 Pandemic: A Cross-Sectional Study

The COVID-19 pandemic has inflicted physical harm and exacerbated a significant mental health crisis, warranting greater attention. This study investigated the prevalence of anxiety and depression among international medical students (IMSs) during the pandemic and explored its correlation with demographic factors. Participants completed a comprehensive questionnaire encompassing demographic details, the Zung self-rating anxiety scale, and the Zung self-rating depression scale. The findings revealed that 23.27% of IMSs reported anxiety, while 48.52% experienced symptoms of depression. Multivariate logistic regression analysis identified poor health conditions and limited access to the family as independent risk factors for anxiety. At the same time, depression was associated with both compromised health and notable financial burdens. This study provides crucial insights for policymakers, college administrators, and government authorities, urging proactive measures to support and manage the wellbeing of IMSs during pandemic situations.

The impact of video calls on the anxiety level among patients’ caregivers at Viet Duc Hospital during covid-19 pandemics

Objectives: To assess the impact of video call on the anxiety level of caregivers at the intensive care unit 2 at Viet Duc Hospital during COVID-19 pandemics. Research participants and methods: Intervention study comparing 2 groups on 62 caregivers of patients who were treated at Intensive Care Unit 2 of Viet Duc Hospital from January 2022 to November 2022 based on Zung Self-Rating Anxiety Scale. Results: Assessing the level of anxiety in the video call group: Severe anxiety was 71%, no pathological anxiety and very severe anxiety was 0%. Among the research participants in the video call group, the proportion of people who felt panicked for no reasons accounted for 71%, and 61.3% felt more impatient and anxious than usual, those felt limbs swaying, trembling, weak and easily tired, breathing in and out easily were 3.2%, 3.1%, 3.2% respectively. Anxiety level in video calls at mild to moderate anxiety accounted for the highest rate of 93.5%; The rate of very severe anxiety is 0%. Conclusion: Video calls for caregivers significantly reduced anxiety proportion compared to non-video calls.

Dose-response association of sleep duration with anxiety symptoms in Chinese type 2 diabetes mellitus

Objectives Anxiety is a disorder with a high prevalence in T2DM, and some studies have found that sleep problems can cause anxiety. Therefore, this study explored the independent effects of night sleep duration on anxiety symptoms in T2DM patients. Research Design and Methods A cross-sectional population-based study was conducted using self-reported questionnaires and taking into account several socio-demographic, lifestyle and health related characteristics. The 1,611 participants enrolled in our study. Anxiety was assessed by the Zung self-rating anxiety scale (SAS). A multivariate logistic regression model and restricted cubic spline with anxiety symptoms as the dependent variable were fitted. Results Of the T2DM patients in this study, 891 (55.31%) were male, 720 (44.69%) were female and 207 (12.85%) had anxiety symptoms. Controlling for potential confounders and intermediates, sleep duration &gt;8 h relative to intermediate sleep (7–8 h) was significantly associated with anxiety syndrome (OR: 1.46, 95% CI [1.06–2.02], p = 0.02) and a J-shaped association was found between sleep duration and anxiety. The prevalence of anxiety symptoms was higher in the male group (&gt;8 h/night) compared to the female. Study participants under the age of 50 who had a shorter sleep duration had a higher prevalence of anxiety compared to those between the ages of 50 and 60. Conclusion Among Chinese T2DM patients, there is a dose-response relationship between night sleep duration and anxiety, these findings may propose important public health implications for diabetes management.

Nurses’ Caring Behavior, Parental Anxiety and Satisfaction in Pediatric Inpatient War

Caring behavior should consistently be applied by nurses in all care settings, including pediatric inpatient wards.Children undergoing hospitalization will experience traumatic and highly stressful events, this condition can lead to anxiety in parents. Caring can reduce anxiety for both the child and parents. Furthermore, if nurses implement caring optimally, patients will feel satisfied, leading to an improvement in the quality of nursing services. This research aims to identify the relationship between nurses' caring behavior and parental satisfaction and anxiety in pediatric inpatient wards. The research design utilizes descriptive correlational with a cross-sectional approach involving 97 parents sampled through quota sampling. The instrument for measuring caring behavior uses the Caring Assessment Tools (CAT), a satisfaction questionnaire containing five SERVQUAL dimensions, and a parental anxiety questionnaire using the Zung Self-Rating Anxiety Scale. Sprearman rank was used as data analysis. The research results indicate that almost all respondents (90.7%) do not feel anxious, the majority of respondents (75.3%) are highly satisfied with the service, and most of respondentds (62.9%) assess nurses' caring behavior as adequate. Spearman-ranks test results show a significant relationship between anxiety and satisfaction with nurses' caring behavior (p=0.036 &amp; p=0.001). These findings suggest that the better the nurses' caring behavior, the lower the level of parental anxiety, and the higher the patient satisfaction in the pediatric inpatient ward. Nurses need to undergo training and develop caring attitudes and behaviors in delivering nursing services.

The Effect of Therapeutic Communication on the Anxiety Level of Children Undergoing the COVID-19 Vaccination

Background: Anxiety is often encountered in society, especially in children, when undergoing the COVID-19 vaccination. Anxiety is a factor influencing children to refuse vaccination. Therefore, nurses need to reduce this level of anxiety through the application of therapeutic communication. This research was carried out to determine the effect of therapeutic communication on children's anxiety levels during the implementation of the COVID-19 vaccination. Methods: A pre-experiment design with a one-group pretest-posttest design was used on 58 respondents who were selected using a simple random sampling technique. The research instrument used was the Zung Self-Rating Anxiety Scale (SAS/SRAS) questionnaire with a Likert scale model, and the results were analyzed using the Wilcoxon Signed Ranks Test statistical test. Results: The results of the Wilcoxon Signed Ranks Test analysis on respondents' anxiety levels showed that there was a decrease in anxiety after therapeutic communication was carried out with a p-value of 0.00 (p &lt; 0.05), which means that therapeutic communication had a significant influence on the anxiety level of children undergoing the COVID-19 vaccination. Conclusion: Therapeutic communication can effectively reduce the anxiety level of children undergoing COVID-19 vaccination.

Analysis of influencing factors of anxiety and depression in patients with periodontitis.

Periodontitis is a chronic oral disease caused by pathogenic microorganisms that corrode tooth tissue, form periodontal pockets, absorb alveolar bone, and finally lead to tooth loss. During treatment, patients are prone to anxiety, tension, and other negative emotions, which affect their ability to face the disease and may also lead to aggravation of the original condition and affect oral health. Therefore, it is important to improve the negative psychology of patients with periodontitis to clarify the factors that may lead to negative psychological emotions. To investigate the risk factors that may lead to anxiety and depression in patients with periodontitis. One hundred patients with periodontitis were selected between March 2022 and March 2023 at our hospital. All patients were assessed with the Zung Self-rating Depression Scale (SDS) (≥ 53 points indicate a depressive state) and Zung Self-rating Anxiety Scale (SAS) (≥ 50 points indicates an anxious state). In this study, patients who experienced anxiety or depression were included in the occurrence group and those without anxiety or depression were included in the non-occurrence group. The baseline data of the two groups were compared to explore the risk factors for anxiety and depression in patients with periodontitis. A total of 100 patients with periodontitis were included in this study. According to the SDS, 38 patients (38.00%) developed depression, with an average SDS score of (68.52 ± 5.85) points. According to the SAS, 40 patients (40.00%) developed anxiety, and the average SAS score was (72.15 ± 4.15) points. In this study, 56 patients with anxiety or depression were included. Compared with the non-occurrence group, the occurrence group had higher ages (≥ 60 years), lower level of hope (low level), educational level (high school or below), disease perception (poor), and sleep disorder (yes). The negative coping dimension scores of the simplified coping style questionnaire (SCSQ) and Dental Fear Scale (DFS) in the occurrence group were higher, whereas the score of the positive coping dimension of the SCSQ was significantly lower (P < 0.05). There were no significant differences in the other data between the groups (P > 0.05). The results of multiple logistics regression analysis showed that age (≥ 60 years), level of hope (low level), educational level (high school or below), disease perception (poor), sleep disorder (yes), high negative coping dimension scores of SCSQ, high score of DFS, and low positive coping dimension scores of SCSQ were all factors contributing to the anxiety and depression in patients with periodontitis (odds ratio > 1, P < 0.05). Age, hope level, educational level, disease perception, sleep disorders, coping style, and dental fear were all associated with anxiety and depression in patients with periodontitis.

Lavender And Lemon Aromatherapy Against Anxiety III Trimester Pregnant Women Facing Labor

Management of anxiety can be done pharmacologically and non-pharmacologically, non-pharmacologically, one of which is aromatherapy. This study aims to determine the Comparison of Lavender and Lemon Aromatherapy to the Anxiety of Trimester Pregnant Women Facing Childbirth. This type of research is a Quasi Experiment with the design of a method of two groups, pre and post-test without control. In a sample of 22 respondents, the sampling technique is quota sampling. The research instrument used Zung Self-Rating Anxiety Scale (ZSAS) sheets—data analysis using the Wilcoxon and Mann-Whitney tests. Based on the results of the Wilcoxon test, the lavender and lemon aromatherapy group showed a p-value of 0.000 (&lt;0.05). The results of the Mann-Whitney test analysis found that lavender aromatherapy was more effective than lemon, with a p-value of 0.672. It can be concluded that there is no significant comparison of lavender and lemon aromatherapy to the anxiety of pregnant women in the third trimester facing childbirth. Third-trimester pregnant women facing labour who experience anxiety can use lavender and lemon aromatherapy to reduce stress.

The effect of virtual reminiscence therapy on depression and anxiety in patients with gastric cancer undergoing chemotherapy.

To determine the effect of virtual reminiscence therapy on depression and anxiety in patients with gastric cancer (PwGC) undergoing chemotherapy. In this quasi-experimental study, we randomly allocated 152 PwGC who met the inclusion criteria as 1:1 ratio to control (N = 76) and intervention (N = 76) groups. The patients in the control group received routine post-chemotherapy care, while those in the intervention group received reminiscence therapy over the phone in addition to routine care. The participants of both groups completed Beck's Depression Inventory and Zung's Self-rating Anxiety Scale before the study, 6 weeks after the beginning of the study, and 3 months after the intervention. Although the mean depression score before chemotherapy indicated moderate depression in both groups, the reminiscence therapy group showed a significant reduction in the depression score compared to the control group (P < 0.001) following intervention. The mean anxiety scores indicated mild to moderate anxiety in both groups, which was later placed within the normal range, there was a significant difference between the two groups. Intra-group comparison revealed that the mean depression and anxiety scores decreased significantly in the reminiscence therapy group (P < 0.001). This study indicated that virtual reminiscence therapy can decrease anxiety and depression in PwGC undergoing chemotherapy. Therefore, it can be a supportive psychological method for these patients.

Psychological characteristics and emotional difficulties underlying school refusal in adolescents using functional near-infrared spectroscopy

BackgroundThis study aims to explore the psychological characteristics, related emotional problems and potential NIR brain function mechanism of adolescents who refuse to attend school.MethodsThe study included 38 adolescents (12–18 years old) who were not attending school and 35 healthy controls (12–18 years old) who are attending school regularly. Participants completed (1) general demographics, (2) Eysenck Personality Questionnaire (EPQ), (3) Zung Self-Rating Depression Scale (SDS), (4) Zung Self-Rating Anxiety Scale (SAS), and (5) Symptom Checklist-90 (SCL-90). In addition to the clinical tests, participants completed functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS). Mental health, personality, and emotional state were evaluated in both groups to explore the differences and to understand the underlying mechanisms of school refusal during adolescence.ResultsAdolescents who did not attend school had higher neuroticism scores on the Eysenck Personality Questionnaire than healthy controls (p(FDR) < 0.001), introversion and concealment scores were lower than those of healthy controls (p(FDR) < 0.001), there was no significant difference in psychoticism scores between groups. SDS, SAS, SCL-90 scores and factor scores were higher than those of healthy control group (p(FDR) < 0.001), NIR functional brain imaging was different from healthy control group in the 12 and 27 channels (p(FDR) = 0.030, p(FDR) = 0.018), and no difference was found in the remaining channels (p(FDR) > 0.05). There were statistically significant differences in age and gender between the adolescents who refused school and the control group (p(FDR) < 0.001).ConclusionSchool refusal adolescents are relatively introverted and sensitive and need more attention in daily life. Although the adolescents’ emotional problems did not reach the diagnostic criteria of depressive disorder and anxiety disorder, their scores were still higher than those of the control group, suggesting that we should pay more attention to their emotional problems in order to better help them return to school. Using fNIRS, it was found that abnormalities in frontal lobe regions in adolescents with school refusal behaviors, which would contribute to early diagnosis and timely intervention of school refusal behaviors.

The effect of murottal auditory therapy on anxiety and comfort levels in patients with cardiovascular disease

Patients with cardiovascular disease often experience anxiety and discomfort, which can negatively affect their outcomes. The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of murottal auditory therapy on anxiety and comfort levels in hospitalized patients with cardiovascular disease. This quasi-experimental study included 45 patients in both the intervention and control groups, selected through purposive sampling. Participants met criteria such as consciousness, effective communication skills, Muslim faith, and no hearing impairments. Anxiety was assessed using the Zung Self-Rating Anxiety Scale, while comfort was evaluated with the General Comfort Questionnaire. The Mc Nemar test was employed to determine the effect of the intervention. The findings indicate that a substantial number of patients in the intervention group reported mild anxiety (91.1%) and increased comfort (95.6%) following murottal therapy. Significant differences in anxiety and comfort levels were observed between the control and intervention groups, with p-values of 0.004 and 0.000, respectively. In conclusion, murottal auditory therapy, specifically Surah Ar-Rahman, effectively reduces anxiety and enhances comfort among patients with cardiovascular disease. These results underscore the potential of murottal auditory therapy as a complementary approach to expedite patients' recovery during treatment.

Neurophysiological and Psychometric Outcomes in Minimal Consciousness State after Advanced Audio-Video Emotional Stimulation: A Retrospective Study.

In the last ten years, technological innovations have led to the development of new, advanced sensory stimulation (SS) tools, such as PC-based rehabilitative programs or virtual reality training. These are meant to stimulate residual cognitive abilities and, at the same time, assess cognition and awareness, also in patients with a minimally conscious state (MCS). Our purpose was to evaluate the clinical and neurophysiological effects of multi-sensory and emotional stimulation provided by Neurowave in patients with MCS, as compared to a conventional SS treatment. The psychological status of their caregivers was also monitored. In this retrospective study, we have included forty-two MCS patients and their caregivers. Each MCS subject was included in either the control group (CG), receiving a conventional SS, or the experimental group (EG), who was submitted to the experimental training with the Neurowave. They were assessed before (T0) and after the training (T1) through a specific clinical battery, including both motor and cognitive outcomes. Moreover, in the EG, we also monitored the brain electrophysiological activity (EEG and P300). In both study groups (EG and CG), the psychological caregiver's aspects, including anxiety levels, were measured using the Zung Self-Rating Anxiety Scale (SAS). The intra-group analysis (T0-T1) of the EG showed statistical significances in all patients' outcome measures, while in the CG, we found statistical significances in consciousness and awareness outcomes. The inter-group analysis between the EG and the CG showed no statistical differences, except for global communication skills. In conclusion, the multi-sensory stimulation approach through Neurowave was found to be an innovative rehabilitation treatment, also allowing the registration of brain activity during treatment.

Development and validation of non-invasive prediction models for migraine in Chinese adults

BackgroundMigraine is a common disabling neurological disorder with severe physical and psychological damage, but there is a lack of convenient and effective non-invasive early prediction methods. This study aimed to develop a new series of non-invasive prediction models for migraine with external validation.MethodsA total of 188 and 94 subjects were included in the training and validation sets, respectively. A standardized professional questionnaire was used to collect the subjects' 9-item traditional Chinese medicine constitution (TCMC) scores, Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) score, Zung's Self-rating Anxiety Scale and Self-rating Depression Scale scores. Logistic regression was used to analyze the risk predictors of migraine, and a series of prediction models for migraine were developed. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve and calibration curve were used to assess the discrimination and calibration of the models. The predictive performance of the models were further validated using external datasets and subgroup analyses were conducted.ResultsPSQI score and Qi-depression score were significantly and positively associated with the risk of migraine, with the area of the ROC curves (AUCs) predicting migraine of 0.83 (95% CI:0.77–0.89) and 0.76 (95% CI:0.68–0.84), respectively. Eight non-invasive predictive models for migraine containing one to eight variables were developed using logistic regression, with AUCs ranging from 0.83 (95% CI: 0.77–0.89) to 0.92 (95% CI: 0.89–0.96) for the training set and from 0.76 (95% CI: 0.66–0.85) to 0.83 (95% CI: 0.75–0.91) for the validation set. Subgroup analyses showed that the AUCs of the eight prediction models for predicting migraine in the training and validation sets of different gender and age subgroups ranged from 0.80 (95% CI: 0.63–0.97) to 0.95 (95% CI: 0.91–1.00) and 0.73 (95% CI: 0.64–0.84) to 0.93 (95% CI: 0.82–1.00), respectively.ConclusionsThis study developed and validated a series of convenient and novel non-invasive prediction models for migraine, which have good predictive ability for migraine in Chinese adults of different genders and ages. It is of great significance for the early prevention, screening, and diagnosis of migraine.

Anxiety as a Risk Factor for Acute Mountain Sickness Among Young Chinese Men After Exposure at 3800 M: A cross‒sectional Study.

We aimed to explore whether anxiety is a risk factor for acute mountain sickness [AMS] in a young Chinese male population. A total of 143 young Chinese men with a median age of 23 years (IQR, 21-25) were employed in the present study, and they were divided into the AMS+ and AMS- groups according to the Lake Louise AMS score [AMS-S] after exposure at 3800 m for two days. Participants' pulse oximeter saturation [SpO2] and heart rate [HR] were measured. AMS was evaluated using the AMS-S. The anxiety and sleep quality of the subjects were assessed using the Zung Self-Rating Anxiety Scale [SAS] and the Athens Insomnia Scale [AIS], respectively. Outcomes were analysed using Spearman's partial correlation and logistic regression analysis. After two days of exposure at 3800 m, the overall prevalence of AMS was 54% in the whole group. The HR was significantly higher in the AMS+ group than in the AMS- group, as well as the SAS score and AIS score. A converse pattern was observed for SpO2. A significant difference was observed for the change in SAS and AIS score between the AMS+ and AMS- groups. Correlation analysis showed that AMS-S was positively correlated with SAS score, AIS score, HR, ΔSAS score, ΔAIS score, and ΔHR but negatively correlated with SpO2. AIS score was positively correlated with SAS score. After logistic regression analysis was adjusted for HR, SpO2, ΔAIS and ΔHR, SAS score (OR=1.446, 95% CI 1.200-1.744, p<0.001), AIS score (OR=1.216, 95% CI 1.033-1.432) and ΔSAS score (OR=1.158, 95% CI 1.012-1.327) were identified as independent risk factors for AMS. The present study suggests that anxiety is a risk factor for AMS among young Chinese men, and poor sleep quality may partially mediate the association.