Online Health Information Seeking, eHealth Literacy, and Health Behaviors Among Chinese Internet Users: Cross-Sectional Survey Study.

Background: The internet has become an increasingly vital platform for health-related information, especially in upper-middle-income countries such as China. While previous research has suggested that online health information seeking (OHIS) can significantly impact individuals' engagement in health behaviors, most research focused on patient-centered health communication.

Objective: This study aims to examine how OHIS influences health behavior engagement among Chinese internet users, focusing on the role of eHealth literacy and perceived information quality in influencing relationships.

Enhanced Cognition and Modulation of Brain Connectivity in Mild Neurocognitive Disorder: The Promise of Transcranial Pulse Stimulation.

Existing pharmacological treatments for mild neurocognitive disorder (NCD) offer limited effectiveness and adverse side effects. Transcranial pulse stimulation (TPS) utilizing ultrashort ultrasound pulses reaches deep brain regions and may circumvent conductivity issues associated with brain stimulation. This study addresses the gap in TPS research for mild NCD during a critical intervention period before irreversible cognitive degradation.

The Hong Kong version of Montreal Cognitive Assessment for the Visually Impaired (HKMoCA-VI): Proposed cut-off and cognitive functioning survey of visually impaired elderly in residential homes.

Background: Visual impairment has been strongly associated with the incidence of dementia. Appropriate cognitive screening for the elderly with visual impairment is crucial for early identification of dementia and its management. Due to challenges in processing visually presented stimuli among participants, the cut-off score of the Hong Kong version of the Montreal Cognitive Assessment for the Visually Impaired (HKMoCA-VI), also known as MoCA-BLIND or MoCA-22, was unknown.

The differential effect of emotional loneliness and social loneliness on late-life depression.

Objectives: Loneliness adversely affects the prognosis, treatment, and remission of late-life depression. However, no clear distinction of the cause or definition of loneliness was imposed in existing literatures, resulting in mixed findings of the effect of loneliness to late-life depression (LLD). The aim of this study was to explore the association between different facets of loneliness and risk factors of LLD, specifically, if age of onset in LLD possess a different clinical profile in the clinical group.

Prevalence and correlates of depression, anxiety and trauma-like symptoms in Chinese psychiatric patients during the fifth wave of COVID-19 pandemic: a cross-sectional study in Hong Kong.

Background: Psychiatric patients are susceptible to adverse mental health outcome during COVID-19 pandemic, but its associated factors are understudied. This observational cross-sectional study aimed to comprehensively examine prevalence and correlates of psychological distress, in terms of depression, anxiety and post-traumatic-stress-disorder (PTSD)-like symptoms, among Chinese adult psychiatric outpatients amidst the peak of fifth COVID-19 wave in Hong-Kong.

Methods: A total of 415 patients (comprising 246 patients with common-mental-disorders [CMD] and 169 with severe-mental-disorders [SMD]) and 399 demographically-matched controls without mental disorders were assessed with self-rated questionnaires between 28-March and 8-April-2022, encompassing illness profile, mental health symptoms, psychosocial measures (loneliness, resilience, coping styles) and COVID-19 related factors.

The modulation effect of cognition on mentalization in late-life depression: a study of gaze perception-a potential screening tool for high-risk group of late-life depression.

Introduction: Impairment in mentalization is implicated in the development and maintenance of depression. Major depressive disorders showed significant impairment in social cognition and such impairment appears to be positively associated with the severity of depression. Self-referential gaze perception (SRGP), a measurement of mentalization, was predominantly measured in patients with psychosis but rarely examined in late-life depression (LLD).

Network analysis on psychopathological symptoms, psychological measures, quality of life and COVID-19 related factors in Chinese psychiatric patients in Hong Kong.

Background: Psychiatric patients are susceptible to adverse mental health impacts during COVID-19, but complex interplays between psychopathology and pandemic-related variables remain elusive. This study aimed to investigate concomitant associations between psychopathological symptoms, psychological measures and COVID-19 related variables in Chinese psychiatric patients during the peak of fifth pandemic wave in Hong Kong.

Methods: We employed network analysis to investigate inter-relationships among psychopathological symptoms (including depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder-like [PTSD-like] symptoms, insomnia, psychotic symptoms), cognitive complaints, health-related quality of life, loneliness, resilience and selected pandemic-related factors in 415 psychiatric outpatients between 28 March and 8 April, 2022.

Study protocol for a comparative randomized controlled trial of Tai Chi and conventional exercise training on alleviating depression in older insomniacs.

Background: Insomnia and depression are prevalent mental disorders that are often comorbid among older adults. Lifestyle intervention strategies incorporating Tai Chi or conventional exercise have been shown to alleviate symptoms of insomnia and depression. However, the comparative efficacy of these exercise modalities in individuals with both disorders has yet to be determined.

A Delphi consensus on clinical features, diagnosis and treatment of major depressive disorder patients with anhedonia amongst psychiatrists in the Asia-Pacific.

Background: Anhedonia, a core diagnostic feature for major depressive disorder (MDD), is defined as the loss of pleasure and interest in daily activities. Its prevalence in MDD patients vary from 35 to 70%. Anhedonia in MDD negatively impacts functioning and is associated with treatment resistance and poorer prognosis for various clinical outcomes.

Temporal trends of antidepressant utilization patterns in children and adolescents in Hong Kong: A 14-year population-based study with joinpoint regression analysis.

Background: There is limited research on real-world antidepressant utilization patterns in children and adolescents, particularly in non-western countries. We aimed to examine temporal trends of antidepressant prescribing practice among Chinese children and adolescents in Hong Kong over 14-year period.

Methods: This population-based study identified 9566 patients aged 5-17 years who had redeemed at least one antidepressant prescription within 2005-2018, using data from health-record database of Hong Kong public healthcare services.

Effects of transcranial pulse stimulation on autism spectrum disorder: a double-blind, randomized, sham-controlled trial.

Transcranial pulse stimulation has been proven effective to improve cognition, memory and depressive symptoms of Alzheimer's disease, but supporting evidence on other neurological diseases or neuropsychiatric disorders remains limited. This study aimed to investigate the effects of transcranial pulse stimulation on the right temporoparietal junction, which is a key node for social cognition for autism spectrum disorder, and to examine the association between transcranial pulse stimulation and executive and social functions. This double-blinded, randomized, sham-controlled trial included 32 participants (27 males), aged 12-17 years with autism spectrum disorder.

Prevalence and correlates of subjective cognitive impairment in Chinese psychiatric patients during the fifth wave of COVID-19 in Hong Kong.

Introduction: The extent of cognitive impairment and its association with psychological distress among people with pre-existing mental illness during COVID-19 is understudied. This study aimed to investigate prevalence and correlates of subjective cognitive impairment (SCI) in Chinese psychiatric patients during fifth-wave of COVID-19 in Hong Kong (HK).

Methods: Four-hundred-eight psychiatric outpatients aged 18-64 years were assessed with questionnaires between 28 March and 8 April 2022, encompassing illness profile, psychopathological symptoms, coping-styles, resilience, and COVID-19 related factors.

Transcranial pulse stimulation in the treatment of mild neurocognitive disorders.

Objective: There are limited effectiveness and potential side effects of existing pharmacological approach in treating mild neurocognitive disorder (NCD). Transcranial pulse stimulation (TPS) applies repetitive single high-pressure ultrashort shockwave pulses to stimulate the brain, which has been shown to effectively improve cognition in major NCD. However, the effectiveness of TPS in mild NCD patients remained unknown.

COVID-19 perseverative cognition and depressive symptoms in Hong Kong: The moderating role of resilience, loneliness and coping strategies.

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic significantly increased depression prevalence in general population. However, the relationship between persistent dysfunctional thinking associated with COVID-19 (perseverative-cognition) and depression, and its potential moderators are understudied. We aimed to examine the association between COVID-19 perseverative-cognition and depression, and the moderating effect of potential risk and protective factors on this association in general public during the peak of fifth COVID-19 wave in Hong Kong.

Evaluating the efficacy and safety of transcranial pulse stimulation on adolescents with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder: Study protocol of a pilot randomized, double-blind, sham-controlled trial.

Background: Traditional treatment alone might not effectively control the severity of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms. Transcranial pulse stimulation (TPS) is a non-invasive brain stimulation (NIBS) technology used on older adults with mild neurocognitive disorders and adults with major depressive disorder. However, there has been no study conducted on young adolescents with ADHD.

The Effectiveness of Electrical Vestibular Stimulation (VeNS) on Symptoms of Anxiety: Study Protocol of a Randomized, Double-Blinded, Sham-Controlled Trial.

The prevalence of symptoms of anxiety is increasing, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. A home use transdermal neurostimulation device might help to minimize the severity of anxiety disorder. To the best of our knowledge, there is no clinical trial using transdermal neurostimulation to treat individuals with symptoms of anxiety in Asia.

Evaluating the Efficacy of Electrical Vestibular Stimulation (VeNS) on Insomnia Adults: Study Protocol of a Double-Blinded, Randomized, Sham-Controlled Trial.

Insomnia is a common health problem in the general population. There are different ways to improve sleeping habits and quality of sleep; however, there is no clinical trial using transdermal neurostimulation to treat individuals with symptoms of insomnia in Asia. This gives us the impetus to execute the first study in Asia which aims to evaluate the efficacy of Electrical Vestibular Stimulation (VeNS) on individuals with insomnia in Hong Kong.

Evaluating the Safety and Efficacy of Transcranial Pulse Stimulation on Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Double-Blinded, Randomized, Sham-Controlled Trial Protocol.

Autistic spectrum disorder (ASD) is a common developmental disorder in children. The latest non-intrusive brain stimulation (NIBS) technology-transcranial pulse stimulation (TPS)-has been proven effective in older adults with mild neurocognitive disorders and adults with major depressive disorder. Nonetheless, there is so far no robust randomized controlled trial (RCT) conducted on adolescents with ASD nationwide.

Psychological impact on healthcare workers, general population and affected individuals of SARS and COVID-19: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Any infectious disease outbreak may lead to a negative detrimental psychological impact on individuals and the community at large, however; there was no systematic review nor meta-analysis that examined the relationship between the psychological/mental health impact of SARS and COVID-19 outbreak in Asia.

Methods And Design: A systematic search was conducted using PubMed, EMBASE, Medline, PsycINFO, and CINAHL databases from 1/1/2000 to 1/6/2020. In this systematic review and meta-analysis, we analyzed the psychological impact on confirmed/suspected cases, healthcare workers and the general public during the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) outbreak and Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) epidemics.

Effects of exercise intensity and frequency on improving cognitive performance in middle-aged and older adults with mild cognitive impairment: A pilot randomized controlled trial on the minimum physical activity recommendation from WHO.

The World Health Organization physical activity guidelines recommend adults and older adults to accumulate at least 150-300 min of moderate or 75-150 min of vigorous aerobic-type physical activity weekly for health benefits including improvements of cognitive performance. However, the optimal exercise intensity and frequency for maximizing the cognitive benefits remain unclear. We conducted a parallel, assessor-blinded, pilot randomized controlled trial to evaluate the effectiveness of different intensities and frequencies of the WHO-recommended minimal volume of aerobic-type physical activity on improving cognitive performance in middle-aged and older adults with mild cognitive impairment (MCI).