Publications by authors named "Annette Bruhl"

Objective: Adverse sleep and wake patterns are associated with physical health complaints, including metabolic disorders. The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship between delayed sleep phase syndrome (DSPS) and napping during the day with metabolic syndrome (MetS).

Methods: This study was conducted on 10 065 participants aged 35-65 years using baseline data from the Ravansar Non-Communicable Disease (RaNCD) cohort study.

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Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is highly efficacious for the treatment of major depressive disorder (MDD), but its mechanisms still require clarification. Even though depression is associated with alterations in functional connectivity (FC), EEG studies investigating effects of ECT on FC have not been systematically reviewed. Understanding these effects may help to identify the role of functional brain circuits in depression and its remission.

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Adolescence is a period of significant psychological, physical, and social changes. During this time, adolescents face increasing responsibilities, such as making educational and career decisions, managing peer relationships, and becoming more independent from their families. These changes are often accompanied by mood fluctuations and altered sleep patterns.

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Mindfulness-based interventions (MBI) are effective in relapse prevention in Major Depressive Disorder (MDD). Internet-based interventions have been demonstrated to be effective in the treatment of MDD. Consequently, the integration of MBI through mobile applications emerges as a promising supplementary intervention for MDD, contributing to the augmentation of mental health services, particularly within ambulatory care contexts.

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: Almost by default, young adult students are at increased risk of suffering from mental health issues, and this holds particularly true for medical students. Indeed, compared to the general population and non-medical students, medical students report higher scores for symptoms of depression. For Swiss medical students, research on the associations between psychiatric characteristics and symptoms of depression and insomnia, including cognitive-emotional processes and social activity, has been lacking so far.

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Background: Food plays a dual role in promoting human health and environmental sustainability. Yet, current food systems jeopardize both. Food waste poses a major global challenge due to its significant economic, social, and environmental impacts.

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Introduction: Chronic stress can cause an imbalance within the autonomic nervous system, thereby affecting cardiovascular and mental health. Physical activity (PA) may have a positive effect on the autonomic nervous system and stress-related disorders, such as depression and burnout. Heart rate variability (HRV) is a non-invasive marker of the autonomic nervous system.

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Scientific evidence and everyday experience show that sleep disturbances and self-regulation as a proxy of stress reactivity are linked. Particular personality traits such as neuroticism, internalizing and externalizing problems are also associated with sleep disturbances. Here, we combined self-regulation and personality traits and associated these variables with subjective sleep disturbances.

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Introduction: Associative memory is arguably the most basic memory function and therein constitutes the foundation of all episodic and semantic memory processes. At the same time, the decline of associative memory represents a core feature of age-related cognitive decline in both, healthy and pathological (i.e.

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Background: Although the effectiveness of (es)ketamine for therapy-resistant depression (TRD) has been established, potential treatment-limiting factors include side effects like dissociation, anxiety, or elevated blood pressure. Music can reduce stress and negative emotions as anxiety. This study aimed to investigate the impact of listening to music during intranasal (es)ketamine administration on both tolerability and efficacy.

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Introduction: Regular cocaine use has been associated with hormonal dysfunction including hypogonadism, which can lead to fatigue, reduced stamina, sexual dysfunction, and impaired quality of life. However, cocaine's endocrine effects are largely under-reported in the scientific addiction literature and, in many cases, are not addressed within treatment services. The low profile of these adverse effects might be attributable to a lack of awareness and linkage with cocaine use, such that they are recognized only when an acute/emergency problem arises.

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Research conducted on individuals with depression reveals that major depressive disorders (MDDs) coincide with diminished levels of the inhibitory neurotransmitter γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) in the brain, as well as modifications in the subunit composition of the primary receptors (GABA receptors) responsible for mediating GABAergic inhibition. Furthermore, there is substantial evidence supporting the significant role of GABA in regulating stress within the brain, which is a pivotal vulnerability factor in mood disorders. GABA is readily available and approved as a food supplement in many countries.

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Background: There is sufficient evidence that the index-finger-to-ring-finger-ratio (2D:4D-ratio) is associated with testosterone and estrogen exposure during the fetal stage. More specifically, a lower 2D:4D-ratio (that is; a shorter index finger, compared to a longer ring finger) was associated with a prenatally higher testosterone and lower estrogen exposure during the first trimester of the fetal stage. At a behavioral level, among adults, a lower 2D:4D-ratio was associated with a higher competitive performance among both female and male professional athletes, and with personality traits such as higher scores for mental toughness, dark triad traits, and aggressive behavior, and internet use disorder.

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Almost by default, people with major depression disorder (MDD) also report sexual health issues. This holds even more true when sexual dysfunctions are SSRI-induced. Herbal compounds may have the power to counterbalance such sexual dysfunctions, though research is still scarce.

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Article Synopsis
  • People use smartphones a lot, but some become really anxious when they can’t use them, which is called nomophobia (no mobile phone phobia).
  • A study with 537 students showed that people who have nomophobia also tend to feel more depressed, anxious, and stressed.
  • The findings suggest that feeling anxious might cause nomophobia, but nomophobia isn’t related to problems with sleeping or obsessive behaviors.
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Objectives: The aims of the present study were two-fold: to investigate whether, compared to an active control condition, a modified mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) program could (1) reduce symptoms of stress and depression, and (2) regulate salivary cortisol and serum creatine kinase (CK) concentrations, two physiological stress markers.

Methods: Thirty male wrestlers ( = 26.73 years) were randomly assigned either to the MBSR intervention or the active control condition.

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Background: Within the spectrum of emotional competencies, callous-unemotional traits are socially discouraged, while empathy is considered a socially much more accepted emotional trait. This holds particularly true for adolescents, who are still building up their social and emotional competencies. The aims of the present study were two-fold: First, longitudinally, to identify traits of behavioral problems and objective sleep dimensions at the age of 5 years to predict callous-unemotional traits and empathy at the age of 14 years.

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Objectives: The prevalence and use of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) varies widely across Europe. Historically, Switzerland played an important role in the worldwide spread of ECT. Nevertheless, an overview of current ECT practice in Switzerland is still lacking.

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Background: To evoke a therapeutically effective seizure, electrical stimulation in electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) has to overcome the combined resistivity of scalp, skull and other tissues. Static impedances are measured prior to stimulation using high-frequency electrical alternating pulses, dynamic impedances during passage of the stimulation current. Static impedance can partially be influenced by skin preparation techniques.

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Background: Major holidays such as Christmas and New Year's Eve are regular occasions for get-togethers in families and other social groups. Socially, these days are often loaded with memories and expectations but also involve the potential for interpersonal tension and conflicts and disappointments. In addition, loneliness might also be most intense during these days.

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Background and objective: Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) can be related to changes in the levels of adipokines and neuropeptides, which in turn may affect the energy balance components of neuronal cells. Herein, a systematic review and meta-analysis checked the changes in serum/plasma levels of omentin-1 (OM-1: an adipokine) and orexin-A (OXA: a neuropeptide) in adults (age > 18 years old) with OSA (aOSA) compared to controls. Materials and methods: Four databases (Cochrane Library, PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus) were systematically searched until 14 November 2022, without any restrictions.

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Background And Objective: Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) can be related to high ghrelin hormone levels that may encourage additional energy intake. Herein, a new systematic review and meta-analysis were performed to check the changes in serum/plasma levels of ghrelin in adults with OSA compared to controls, as well as before compared after continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy in adults with OSA.

Materials And Methods: Four main databases were systematically and comprehensively searched until 17 October 2022, without any restrictions.

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