Publications by authors named "Fang Yi-Ru"
Article Synopsis
- The study investigates cognitive dysfunction in patients with Bipolar Depression (BD-D) using the THINC-it tool to measure changes over time, emphasizing the need for effective evaluation methods in mental health.
- Involving 120 BD-D patients and 100 healthy controls, the research assessed cognitive functions over an 8-week period using established rating scales, with a primary focus on the THINC-it tool for psychometric analysis.
- Results indicated no significant changes in cognitive impairment over time in BD-D patients; however, notable differences in specific cognitive assessments between BD-D patients and healthy controls were observed, suggesting the tool's potential for clinical evaluation.
Article Synopsis
- Root hairs (RHs) in vascular plants develop in response to internal and external factors like ethylene and light, but the interaction between these signals in RH development is not fully understood.
- Research shows that the protein COP1 plays a crucial role in coordinating ethylene and light signals, mainly by suppressing RH development in dark conditions.
- COP1 promotes the degradation of specific proteins (ACS2 and ACS6) that regulate ethylene levels, suggesting that it has a dual role: inhibiting RH growth while supporting hypocotyl elongation under certain conditions, enhancing overall seedling survival.
Article Synopsis
- * In the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana, a specific cell type called the archesporial cell leads to the formation of pollen sacs, with the tapetum playing a vital role in supporting microspore development through nutrient delivery and programmed cell death.
- * The protein HAPLESS13 (HAP13) is essential for pollen sac formation and overall pollen production; its loss leads to fewer pollen sacs and disrupts the tapetum's function, resulting in male sterility due to impaired hormone distribution and cellular processes in the anther.
Article Synopsis
- A study of 555 bipolar disorder (BD) patients in China examined differences between those with psychotic symptoms (BD P +) and those without (BD P-).
- Findings indicated that BD P + patients were more likely to have a BD I diagnosis, experience mania or mixed episodes, and be misdiagnosed as schizophrenia, rather than major depressive disorder.
- Multivariate analyses showed that BD P + patients had higher rates of hospitalizations and suicidal behaviors, used more antipsychotics and mood stabilizers, but less frequently used antidepressants compared to BD P- patients.
Article Synopsis
- Despite advancements in neuroimaging research on major depressive disorder (MDD), findings remain inconsistent due to small sample sizes and varying analysis methods, prompting the launch of the Depression Imaging REsearch ConsorTium (DIRECT) and the REST-meta-MDD project, which pooled data from 2,428 functional brain images.
- The initial analyses revealed significant changes in brain connectivity and dynamics, laying the groundwork for future research and highlighting the need for more comprehensive studies across diverse populations.
- DIRECT's second phase aims to broaden the investigation of brain alterations in MDD by including various ethnic groups and other mental health disorders, while also focusing on long-term studies of treatment effects and improving neuroimaging methodologies for clinical applications.
Article Synopsis
- The study investigates the nucleus accumbens (NAc), which is key in reward processing and its role in major depressive disorder (MDD).
- Through meta- and mega-analysis of resting-state fMRI data, it was found that patients with recurrent MDD exhibited decreased functional connectivity within the NAc-based reward circuits.
- The research highlights that disrupted connectivity between the reward network and the default mode network (DMN) may aid in differentiating MDD patients from healthy individuals, suggesting potential biomarkers for diagnosis.
Article Synopsis
- Deep brain stimulation (DBS) targeting the habenula (HB) shows promise in easing symptoms of treatment-resistant depression (TRD) and bipolar disorder (BD) in a pilot study involving seven patients.
- After one month, patients experienced significant reductions in depression and anxiety symptoms (around 49%), alongside improvements in overall health and quality of life, though results varied widely among participants.
- The study also found that changes in brain activity patterns correlated with symptom severity, suggesting that further research in larger studies is needed to confirm the safety and effectiveness of HB-DBS for mood disorders.
Objective: To investigate the prevalence of psychotic depression and the differences in sociodemographic and clinical characteristics and prescription patterns of psychotropic medications between patients with psychotic depression (PD) and patients with nonpsychotic depression (NPD) in China.
Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study in 13 major psychiatric hospitals or the psychiatric units of general hospitals in China from September 1, 2010, to February 28, 2011. PD was defined according to the psychotic disorder section of the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI).
Article Synopsis
- The study investigates the alterations in functional homotopy architecture in patients with Major Depressive Disorder (MDD), highlighting a significant reduction in functional connectivity between homotopic brain regions.
- Using resting-state fMRI data from over 1,000 MDD patients and nearly 900 healthy controls, researchers found specific areas in the brain, like the posterior cingulate gyrus and precuneus, showed notably decreased connectivity in MDDs, with variations related to age and gender.
- The findings suggest that structural connectivity deficits in MDD may impact how information is exchanged between the brain's hemispheres, correlating with the severity of depressive symptoms and indicating potential areas for further study in treatment.
Brain structural alterations in MDD patients with gastrointestinal symptoms: Evidence from the REST-meta-MDD project.
Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry
December 2021
Article Synopsis
- This study aims to investigate the neural underpinnings of gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms in patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) by examining changes in brain structure, specifically focusing on gray matter volume (GMV) and density (GMD).* -
- Researchers divided participants into three groups: MDD patients with GI symptoms, MDD patients without GI symptoms, and healthy controls, analyzing MRI scans from a total of 930 individuals and using tools like the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale to assess symptoms.* -
- Results showed that patients with GI symptoms had higher depression scores and significant differences in brain structure compared to the other groups, particularly in regions like the superior temporal gyrus and caudate nucleus, suggesting a link between
Article Synopsis
- The study investigates brain functional connectivity asymmetry in patients with Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) using resting-state fMRI data from 753 patients compared to 451 healthy controls.
- Results show that MDD patients exhibited increased asymmetry scores, indicating decreased specialization in various brain networks, particularly in the default mode, control, and attention networks, influenced by demographic and clinical variables.
- The findings suggest that MDD disrupts efficient brain information processing, providing new insights into the pathophysiology of depression that could inform future research.
Article Synopsis
- Major depressive disorder (MDD) is complex and can be divided into subtypes based on differences in brain connectivity within the default mode network (DMN), as revealed by a study involving 1,397 participants (690 MDD patients and 707 healthy controls).
- Researchers used advanced data analysis methods, such as K-means and principal component analysis, to identify two distinct MDD subgroups—hyperDMN MDD (increased connectivity) and hypoDMN MDD (decreased connectivity)—which were consistently observed across multiple trials.
- The discovery highlights the importance of understanding these neural subtypes, potentially guiding more personalized treatments for individuals with depression based on their specific connectivity patterns.
Article Synopsis
- The study examines how functional neuroimaging differs in bipolar depression patients with anxiety symptoms (BDP-A) compared to those without (BDP-NA) and healthy controls (HC).
- Results showed that BDP-A patients had altered brain activity patterns, including decreased amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations in certain brain regions and increased functional connectivity.
- Limitations include a small sample size, the inclusion of non-drug-naive patients, a lack of pure anxiety disorder controls, and insufficient mental health evaluations of healthy participants.
Article Synopsis
- The study investigates how age impacts treatment outcomes in patients experiencing their first episode of major depressive disorder (MDD), specifically looking at those over 18 years old.
- A total of 982 patients were divided into three age groups—early adults (18-44), middle adults (45-59), and late adults (60-85)—and assessed over 8-12 weeks of antidepressant treatment.
- Results showed that younger patients faced more severe depressive symptoms and functional impairment compared to older adults, suggesting that younger age is linked with worse clinical outcomes in MDD.
Article Synopsis
- The study investigates the stigma associated with major depressive disorder (MDD) in patients from five Asian countries (China, Korea, Malaysia, Singapore, and Thailand) involving 547 outpatients.
- It finds that younger patients (under 55) experience significantly higher stigma levels than older patients, with stigma negatively impacting mental health and correlated with various depression and social support factors.
- Key predictors of perceived stigma include age, symptoms of interpersonal sensitivity and psychoticism, and poor health-related quality of life, identifying young MDD patients with low social support as a key group for targeted stigma reduction efforts.
Article Synopsis
- Major depressive disorder (MDD) is prevalent and disabling, with unclear underlying brain mechanisms; the REST-meta-MDD Project aims to address these knowledge gaps using a large data set.
- The project involved 25 research groups in China analyzing resting-state fMRI data from 1,300 MDD patients and 1,128 normal controls, finding decreased connectivity in the default mode network (DMN) among recurrent MDD patients.
- The study highlights the importance of DMN connectivity in MDD, revealing a relationship between decreased connectivity, medication usage, and symptom severity, while encouraging further research on the impact of these findings on treatment response.
Article Synopsis
- This study examined the prevalence and characteristics of atypical depression among major depressive disorder (MDD) patients in China, finding that 15.3% of patients had atypical features.
- Atypical depression patients were more likely to experience severe symptoms, such as suicidal ideation, psychotic features, and seasonal episodes, and generally had an earlier onset of depression.
- The study's limitation includes not using a validated scale to assess atypical features, but it highlights that atypical depression may be more severe and impactful in Chinese MDD patients.
Article Synopsis
- Nonadherence to treatment is a significant issue in managing major depressive disorder (MDD), and this study explores how various symptoms impact this issue based on a nationwide survey in China.
- The research involved 1,739 participants diagnosed with MDD who underwent a detailed questionnaire to evaluate their symptoms, employing logistic regression to analyze adherence factors.
- Findings indicate that certain elements, like recurrent episodes and specific antidepressant treatments, increase the likelihood of nonadherence, while others, like using SNRIs, can help protect against it, suggesting that clinicians should focus on these characteristics to improve treatment compliance.
Article Synopsis
- A study explored how lifestyle factors, particularly diet, impact the severity of symptoms in patients with bipolar disorder (BD).
- It involved 113 BD patients who filled out questionnaires about their dietary habits, physical activity, and sleep quality.
- The findings indicated that eating whole grains, seafood, and dairy was linked to lower depression scores, while high sugar, soft drinks, alcohol consumption, and smoking were associated with worse symptoms.
Article Synopsis
- - The study explored the differences in demographic and clinical characteristics between patients with short (≤2 years) and long (>2 years) duration of untreated bipolar disorder (DUB) among 555 Chinese patients across various hospitals.
- - Findings indicated that 31% of patients had a long DUB, and factors like a longer illness duration, diagnosis of bipolar disorder type II, and earlier misdiagnosis of other mental disorders were linked to long DUB.
- - The average DUB in Chinese patients was found to be shorter compared to figures from Western countries, highlighting the need for further research on the long-term effects of DUB on bipolar disorder outcomes.
Article Synopsis
- - A study in China analyzed 555 bipolar disorder patients to compare demographic and clinical features between early-onset bipolar disorder (EOB) in patients aged 21 and younger and late-onset bipolar disorder (LOB) in patients older than 21.
- - Results indicated that EOB patients were more likely to be older, unemployed, have a longer illness duration, and had a higher tendency for misdiagnosis as schizophrenia, whereas LOB patients were less likely to be incorrectly diagnosed as major depressive disorder.
- - The findings suggest that EOB is linked to poorer outcomes and the clinical differences are similar to those found in Western countries, highlighting the need for further prospective studies on long-term outcomes related to age at onset.
Article Synopsis
- The study examined the stigma faced by major depressive disorder (MDD) patients in China, surveying 158 individuals using various assessment tools including the EMIC questionnaire and others for depression severity and mental health.
- *Results indicated that younger patients (ages 18-40) and those who are employed experienced significantly higher stigma compared to older and retired individuals, suggesting a correlation between age, employment status, and stigma perception.
- *The analysis identified that factors such as fatigue and severity of depression are strongly linked to the stigma experienced by MDD patients, highlighting the need for targeted interventions to address these issues in China.
Article Synopsis
- This study investigated the prevalence and characteristics of comorbid dysthymia in Chinese patients with major depressive disorder (MDD), finding that 8.7% of MDD patients also met the criteria for dysthymia.
- It revealed that patients with both MDD and dysthymia exhibited distinct clinical features, such as more depressive episodes with atypical symptoms and fewer psychiatric family histories.
- The research concluded that the differences observed in this demographic could influence treatment strategies, even though the prescription patterns for psychotropic medications were similar between the two patient groups.