Molecular signature underlying (R)-ketamine rapid antidepressant response on anhedonic-like behavior induced by sustained exposure to stress.

Anhedonia induced by sustained stress exposure is a hallmark symptom of major depressive disorder (MDD) and in rodents, it can be accessed through the sucrose preference test (SPT). (R)-ketamine is a fast-acting antidepressant with less detrimental side effects and abuse liability compared to racemic ketamine. The present study combined high-throughput proteomics and network analysis to identify molecular mechanisms involved in chronic variable stress (CVS)-induced anhedonia and promising targets underlying (R)-ketamine rapid antidepressant response.

Proteomic Insights into Biology of Bipolar Disorder: Implications for Health Complexity and Mortality.

Objective: The present study has the following objectives: 1) identify differentially expressed proteins and pathways in blood samples of BD compared to healthy controls by employing high-throughput proteomics and bioinformatics and 2) characterize disease-related molecular signatures through in-depth analysis of the differentially expressed proteins and pathways.

Methods: Blood samples from BD patients (n=10) classified into high (BD+) or poor functioning (BD-), based on functional and cognitive status, and healthy controls (n=5) were analyzed using mass spectrometry-based proteomic analysis. Bioinformatics was performed to detect biological processes, pathways, and diseases related to BD.

Drug repurposing and personalized treatment strategies for bipolar disorder using transcriptomics: an exploratory study.

Objective: The present study combined transcriptomic data and computational techniques based on gene expression signatures to identify new bioactive compounds or Food and Drug Administration-approved drugs for the treatment of bipolar disorder (BD).

Methods: Five transcriptomic datasets containing 165 blood samples from individuals with BD were selected from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO). The number of participants varied from six to 60, with a mean age between 35 and 48 years and a gender difference between them.

EMDR therapy vs. supportive therapy as adjunctive treatment in trauma-exposed bipolar patients: A randomised controlled trial.

Introduction: Patients with bipolar disorder (BD) are frequently exposed to traumatic events which worsen disease course, but this study is the first multicentre randomised controlled trial to test the efficacy of a trauma-focused adjunctive psychotherapy in reducing BD affective relapse rates.

Materials And Methods: This multicentre randomised controlled trial included 77 patients with BD and current trauma-related symptoms. Participants were randomised to either 20 sessions of trauma-focused Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) therapy for BD, or 20 sessions of supportive therapy (ST).

Validity and Reliability of the Brazilian Version of the Cognitive Reserve Assessment Scale in Health (CRASH).

Objective: As the elderly population increases, it is important to identify factors that may reduce risks of dementia in the general population. One such factor is the concept of cognitive reserve (CR). The present study analyzed the psychometric properties of the Cognitive Reserve Assessment Scale in Health (CRASH) in the Brazilian population, which was originally developed to measure CR in individuals with severe mental illness.

Validity and Reliability of the Digital Functioning Assessment Short Test (D-FAST) in the Brazilian Sample.

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has caused major disruptions in all aspects of daily functioning, from school and work to interactions with friends and family. The Functioning Assessment Short Test (FAST) is an interviewer-administered scale validated in the psychiatric sample with no previous study assessing its validity and reliability in a digital format. Thus, we aimed to analyse the psychometric properties of the digital version of the FAST and understand the implications of COVID-19 and restrictive measures on functioning.

Differentially regulated targets in the fast-acting antidepressant effect of (R)-ketamine: A systems biology approach.

Approximately two-thirds of patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) fail to respond to conventional antidepressants, suggesting that additional mechanisms are involved in the MDD pathophysiology. In this scenario, the glutamatergic system represents a promising therapeutic target for treatment-resistant depression. To our knowledge, this is the first study using semantic approach with systems biology to identify potential targets involved in the fast-acting antidepressant effects of ketamine and its enantiomers as well as identifying specific targets of (R)-ketamine.

Identifying pathways between psychiatric symptoms and psychosocial functioning in the general population.

The present study aims to identify pathways between psychiatric network symptoms and psychosocial functioning and their associated variables among functioning clusters in the general population. A cross-sectional web-based survey was administered in a total of 3,023 individuals in Brazil. The functioning clusters were derived by a previous study identifying three different groups based on the online Functioning Assessment Short Test.

The relationship between cognition and functioning in Bipolar Disorder: An investigation using functional imaging during working memory performance.

The psychosocial functioning of individuals suffering from bipolar disorder (BD) has a significant impact on prognosis and quality of life. The aim of this study was to assess brain functional correlates of psychosocial functioning in BD individuals during the performance of a working memory task. Sixty-two subjects (31 euthymic BD individuals and 31 matched healthy controls) underwent structural and functional magnetic resonance imaging scanning while performing the 1- and 2-back versions of the n-back task (1-back and 2-back).

High incidence of PTSD diagnosis and trauma-related symptoms in a trauma exposed bipolar I and II sample.

Background: Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is an established comorbidity in Bipolar Disorder (BD), but little is known about the characteristics of psychological trauma beyond a PTSD diagnosis and differences in trauma symptoms between BD-I and BD-II.

Objective: (1) To present characteristics of a trauma-exposed BD sample; (2) to investigate prevalence and trauma symptom profile across BD-I and BD-II; (3) to assess the impact of a lifetime PTSD diagnosis vs. a history of trauma on BD course; and (4) to research the impacts of sexual and physical abuse.

Effects of Taurine in Mice and Zebrafish Behavioral Assays With Translational Relevance to Schizophrenia.

Background: Altered redox state and developmental abnormalities in glutamatergic and GABAergic transmission during development are linked to the behavioral changes associated with schizophrenia. As an amino acid that exerts antioxidant and inhibitory actions in the brain, taurine is a potential candidate to modulate biological targets relevant to this disorder. Here, we investigated in mice and zebrafish assays whether taurine prevents the behavioral changes induced by acute administration of MK-801 (dizocilpine), a glutamate N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor antagonist.

Psychological trauma as a transdiagnostic risk factor for mental disorder: an umbrella meta-analysis.

This umbrella review is the first to systematically examine psychological trauma as a transdiagnostic risk factor across psychiatric conditions. We searched Pubmed, Scopus, and PsycNET databases from inception until 01/05/2021 for systematic reviews/meta-analyses evaluating the association between psychological trauma and at least one diagnosed mental disorder. We re-calculated the odds ratio (OR), then classified the association as convincing, highly suggestive, suggestive, or weak, based on the number of cases and controls with and without psychological trauma, random-effects p value, the 95% confidence interval of the largest study, heterogeneity between studies, 95% prediction interval, small-study effect, and excess significance bias.

Mental health, functioning, and quality of life in employees who worked in the office vs. from home during the first wave of COVID-19 in Brazil.

Objective: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) was declared a global pandemic early in 2020, followed by a period during which governments imposed strict social distancing measures to slow transmission. However, most essential services remained open, and those working in offices faced a higher risk of infection compared to those working at home. We compare the occurrence and potential determinants of mental health outcomes, functioning, and quality of life (QoL) in a subset of a sample of Brazilian individuals who worked from home and a subset who worked in the office during the first wave of COVID-19.

Cognitive clusters in first-episode psychosis.

Impairments in a broad range of cognitive domains have been consistently reported in some individuals with first-episode psychosis (FEP). Cognitive deficits can be observed during the prodromal stage. However, the course of cognitive deficits is still unclear.

The costs of coping: Different strategies to deal with social defeat stress might come with distinct immunologic, neuroplastic, and oxidative stress consequences in male Wistar rats.

The impact of stress on health and well-being is determined by the ability of an individual to cope with challenges imposed by the stressor. Animals exposed to social defeat stress show different patterns of response during confrontations, leading to distinct stress-induced consequences. Using an established resident-intruder paradigm, we explored the outcomes of adopting active or passive coping strategies during a social defeat protocol over peripheral and central nervous system (CNS) levels of inflammatory cytokines, growth factors, glucocorticoid, and oxidative stress markers in male Wistar rats.

Anti-stress effects of the glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist liraglutide in zebrafish.

Stress-related disorders are extremely harmful and cause significant impacts on the individual and society. Despite the limited evidence regarding glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor (GLP-1R) and mental disorders, a few clinical and preclinical studies suggest that modulating this system could improve symptoms of stress-related disorders. This study aimed to investigate the effects of liraglutide, a GLP-1R agonist, on neurobehavioral phenotypes and brain oxidative status in adult zebrafish.

Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on mental health among local residents in South of Brazil: during pandemic times, youth sleep matters.

Introduction: Social isolation has been associated with poor sleep quality and mental health problems during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, most studies have investigated heterogeneous samples subjected to varying social distancing policies and did not focus on a single local profile subject to homogeneous prevention policies.

Objectives: To evaluate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on mental health and sleep quality in a specific region in the South of Brazil where the populations have similar culture and local governments have adopted similar social distancing policies.

The functioning assessment short test (FAST) applied to first-episode psychosis: Psychometric properties and severity thresholds.

Functional impairment is a defining feature of psychotic disorders. The Functional Assessment Short Test (FAST) is one of the most widely used instruments to measure psychosocial functioning. However, cut-offs of impairment have been well-established for bipolar disorders, but not for other clinical populations.

Resilience and mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Background: Resilience is a process that allows recovery from or adaptation to adversities. The aim of this study was to evaluate state resilience during the COVID-19 pandemic in psychiatric patients (PP), unaffected relatives (UR) and community controls (CC).

Methods: This study is part of the Barcelona ResIlience Survey for Mental Health COVID-19 (BRIS-MHC) project.