Strategies and foundations for scientific discovery in longitudinal studies of bipolar disorder.

Bipolar disorder (BD) is a complex and dynamic condition with a typical onset in late adolescence or early adulthood followed by an episodic course with intervening periods of subthreshold symptoms or euthymia. It is complicated by the accumulation of comorbid medical and psychiatric disorders. The etiology of BD remains unknown and no reliable biological markers have yet been identified.

Childhood trauma and treatment outcomes during mood-stabilising treatment with lithium or quetiapine among outpatients with bipolar disorder.

Background: Childhood trauma affects the course of mood disorders. Researchers are now considering childhood trauma as an influential factor in the treatment of mood disorders. However, the role of childhood trauma in the treatment of bipolar disorder remains understudied.

Attachment insecurity partially mediates the relationship between childhood trauma and depression severity in bipolar disorder.

Background: Childhood trauma is associated with greater depression severity among individuals with bipolar disorder. However, the mechanisms that explain the link between childhood trauma and depression severity in bipolar disorder remain poorly understood. The mediational role of attachment insecurity in childhood and adulthood was assessed in the current study.

Child and Parent Physical Activity, Sleep, and Screen Time During COVID-19 and Associations With Mental Health: Implications for Future Psycho-Cardiological Disease?

The COVID-19 pandemic has afforded the opportunity for some to improve lifestyle behaviours, while for others it has presented key challenges. Adverse changes in global lifestyle behaviours, including physical activity, sleep, and screen time can affect proximal mental health and in turn distal cardiovascular outcomes. We investigated differences in physical activity, sleep, and screen time in parents and children during early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic in Australia compared to pre-COVID-19 national data; and estimated associations between these movement behaviours with parent and child mental health.

A systematic review and meta-analysis of structural and functional brain alterations in individuals with genetic and clinical high-risk for psychosis and bipolar disorder.

Neuroimaging findings in people at either genetic risk or at clinical high-risk for psychosis (CHR-P) or bipolar disorder (CHR-B) remain unclear. A meta-analytic review of whole-brain voxel-based morphometry (VBM) and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) studies in individuals with genetic risk or CHR-P or CHR-B and controls identified 94 datasets (N = 7942). Notwithstanding no significant findings were observed following adjustment for multiple comparisons, several findings were noted at a more liberal threshold.

A systematic review of gut microbiota composition in observational studies of major depressive disorder, bipolar disorder and schizophrenia.

The emerging understanding of gut microbiota as 'metabolic machinery' influencing many aspects of physiology has gained substantial attention in the field of psychiatry. This is largely due to the many overlapping pathophysiological mechanisms associated with both the potential functionality of the gut microbiota and the biological mechanisms thought to be underpinning mental disorders. In this systematic review, we synthesised the current literature investigating differences in gut microbiota composition in people with the major psychiatric disorders, major depressive disorder (MDD), bipolar disorder (BD) and schizophrenia (SZ), compared to 'healthy' controls.

Effect of Glucocorticoid and 11β-Hydroxysteroid-Dehydrogenase Type 1 (11β-HSD1) in Neurological and Psychiatric Disorders.

11β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 1 (11β-HSD1) activity is implicated as a moderator of the progression of multiple diseases and disorders in medicine and is actively subject to investigation as a therapeutic target. Here we summarize the mechanisms of the enzyme and detail the novel agents under investigation. Such agents modulate peripheral cortisol and cortisone levels in hypertension, type 2 diabetes, metabolic disorders, and Alzheimer's disease models, but there is mixed evidence for transduction into symptom management.

Biomarkers for Deep Brain Stimulation in Animal Models of Depression.

Objectives: Despite recent advances in depression treatment, many patients still do not respond to serial conventional therapies and are considered "treatment resistant." Deep brain stimulation (DBS) has therapeutic potential in this context. This comprehensive review of recent studies of DBS for depression in animal models identifies potential biomarkers for improving therapeutic efficacy and predictability of conventional DBS to aid future development of closed-loop control of DBS systems.

Cocaine increases stimulation-evoked serotonin efflux in the nucleus accumbens.

Although dopamine is the most implicated neurotransmitter in the mediation of the pathophysiology of addiction, animal studies show serotonin also plays a vital role. Cocaine is one of the most common illicit drugs globally, but the role of serotonin in its mechanism of action is insufficiently characterized. Consequently, we investigated the acute effects of the psychomotor stimulant cocaine on electrical stimulation-evoked serotonin (phasic) release in the nucleus accumbens core (NAcc) of urethane-anesthetized (1.

Brain Health Executives: A Transdisciplinary Workforce Innovation-A Commentary.

Given the rapidly evolving landscape of technologies, social, health, and consumer trends, the development of effective Brain Health Executives is a key workforce innovation. Convergence Brain Health involves the integration of scientists, clinicians, bioinformaticists, global health experts, social scientists, engineers, technology entrepreneurs, medical educators, caregivers, and consumers. Synergy between government, academia, and industry is also vital.

Effect of Vitamin D Supplementation on Outcomes in People With Early Psychosis: The DFEND Randomized Clinical Trial.

Importance: People with psychotic disorders have an increased risk of vitamin D deficiency, which is evident during first-episode psychosis (FEP) and associated with unfavorable mental and physical health outcomes.

Objective: To examine whether vitamin D supplementation contributes to improved clinical outcomes in FEP.

Design, Setting, And Participants: This multisite, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group randomized clinical trial from the UK examined adults 18 to 65 years of age within 3 years of a first presentation with a functional psychotic disorder who had no contraindication to vitamin D supplementation.

Psychographic Segmentation: Another Lever for Precision Population Brain Health.

Dementia prevention interventions that address modifiable risk factors for dementia require extensive lifestyle and behavior changes. Strategies are needed to enhance engagement and personalization of the experience at a population level. Precision Population Brain Health aims to improve brain health across the lifespan at a population level.

The collaborative outcomes study on health and functioning during infection times in adults (COH-FIT-Adults): Design and methods of an international online survey targeting physical and mental health effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Background: . High-quality comprehensive data on short-/long-term physical/mental health effects of the COVID-19 pandemic are needed.

Methods: .

The specific phenotype of depression in recent onset schizophrenia spectrum disorders: A symptom profile and network comparison to recent onset major depressive disorder without psychotic features.

The specific phenotype of depression in recent-onset schizophrenia spectrum disorders (SSD) and its relation to non-psychotic depression is unknown. Symptom profile and network analysis are complementary statistical techniques that may provide important insights into the presentation and relative importance of individual symptoms that give rise to depression. The aim of the current study was to characterise the profile and network of depressive symptoms in SSD and compare it to individuals with major depressive disorder (MDD) without psychotic features.

Exploring interleukin-6, lipopolysaccharide-binding protein and brain-derived neurotrophic factor following 12 weeks of adjunctive minocycline treatment for depression.

This study aimed to explore effects of adjunctive minocycline treatment on inflammatory and neurogenesis markers in major depressive disorder (MDD). Serum samples were collected from a randomised, placebo-controlled 12-week clinical trial of minocycline (200 mg/day, added to treatment as usual) for adults ( = 71) experiencing MDD to determine changes in interleukin-6 (IL-6), lipopolysaccharide binding protein (LBP) and brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF). General Estimate Equation modelling explored moderation effects of baseline markers and exploratory analyses investigated associations between markers and clinical outcomes.

The Australian Genetics of Depression Study: New Risk Loci and Dissecting Heterogeneity Between Subtypes.

Background: Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a common and highly heterogeneous psychiatric disorder, but little is known about the genetic characterization of this heterogeneity. Understanding the genetic etiology of MDD can be challenging because large sample sizes are needed for gene discovery-often achieved with a trade-off in the depth of phenotyping.

Methods: The Australian Genetics of Depression Study is the largest stand-alone depression cohort with both genetic data and in-depth phenotyping and comprises a total of 15,792 participants of European ancestry, 92% of whom met diagnostic criteria for MDD.

Social isolation, social support and loneliness as predictors of cardiovascular disease incidence and mortality.

Background: Poor social health is associated with increased risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD). Recent research suggests that different social health domains should be considered separately as the implications for health and possible interventions may differ.

Aim: To assess social isolation, low social support and loneliness as predictors of CVD.

The Moo'D Study: protocol for a randomised controlled trial of A2 beta-casein only versus conventional dairy products in women with low mood.

Background: Beta-casein is a major protein in cow's milk, of which A1 and A2 are the most frequent variants. Recent evidence implicates A1 beta-casein consumption in mechanisms that are of potential importance to mental health, yet its possible effects on psychological endpoints remains unknown. The primary aim of the study is to evaluate the comparative effects of consumption of dairy products containing A2 beta-casein versus conventional dairy (i.

Attentional engagement and inhibitory control according to positive and negative symptoms in schizophrenia: An emotional antisaccade task.

Despite schizophrenia (SZ) is characterized by a high psychopathological heterogeneity, the underlying psychological mechanisms that result in different clinical profiles are unclear. This study examined the cognitive processing of emotional faces (angry, happy, neutral, and sad) by means of assessing inhibitory control (antisaccade task) and attentional engagement (prosaccade task) with the eye-tracking paradigm. Firstly, two clinical SZ subgroups classified according to the predominance of positive (PSZ; n = 20) or negative symptoms (NSZ; n = 34) and a control group of 32 individuals were compared.

Neurofilament light protein as a biomarker in depression and cognitive function.

Purpose Of Review: Converging evidence suggest axonal damage is implicated in depression and cognitive function. Neurofilament light protein, measured within serum and cerebrospinal fluid, may be a biomarker of axonal damage. This article examines the emerging evidence implicating neurofilament light protein in depression and cognitive function.

Microdialysis and microperfusion electrodes in neurologic disease monitoring.

Contemporary biomarker collection techniques in blood and cerebrospinal fluid have to date offered only modest clinical insights into neurologic diseases such as epilepsy and glioma. Conversely, the collection of human electroencephalography (EEG) data has long been the standard of care in these patients, enabling individualized insights for therapy and revealing fundamental principles of human neurophysiology. Increasing interest exists in simultaneously measuring neurochemical biomarkers and electrophysiological data to enhance our understanding of human disease mechanisms.