Altered resting-state functional connectivity in a thalamo-cortico-cerebellar network in patients with schizophrenia.

The diagnosis of schizophrenia is associated with a complex psychopathology related to disrupted brain circuitry causing a failure in coordinating information across brain sites with no consensus regarding the mechanisms. Although schizophrenia is well-studied, the great majority of studies investigated pre-selected ROIs or Seed-based connectivity. Whole brain ROI-wise studies that consider all ROIs available simultaneously are lacking.

Reduced GABA Levels in the ACC of Actively Drinking High Risk Individuals Compared to Recently Detoxified Alcohol-Dependent Patients.

Background: Acute gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABAergic) effects of alcohol consumption are well-known, whereas prior research has yielded inconsistent findings regarding on adaptations of the GABAergic neurotransmitter system to chronic alcohol use. Previous studies indicate either elevated or reduced GABA levels in cortical regions such as the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) in persons with alcohol use disorder (AUD). We tested the hypothesis that active alcohol consumption compared to abstinence contributes to GABA levels as observed in prior research on chronic alcohol use.

Through the patients' eyes: psychometric evaluation of the 64-item version of the Experienced Patient-Centeredness Questionnaire (EPAT-64).

Background: Patient-reported experience measures (PREMs) are valuable tools to evaluate patient-centredness (PC) from the patients' perspective. Despite their utility, a comprehensive PREM addressing PC has been lacking. To bridge this gap, we developed the preliminary version of the Experienced Patient-Centeredness Questionnaire (EPAT), a disease-generic tool based on the integrative model of PC comprising 16 dimensions.

The differential role of socioeconomic status dimensions in depressive symptoms of aging adults: data from the Hamburg City Health cohort Study.

Background: Socioeconomic status (SES) has consistently been associated with depressive symptoms, however, it remains unclear which subset of SES variables is most relevant to the development of depressive symptoms. This study determined a standardized SES-Index to test the relationship of its sub-dimensions with depressive symptoms.

Methods: HCHS data ( = 10,000; analysis sample = 8,400), comprising participants 45+ years of age, was used.

Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) in an assertive community treatment structure (ACT): testing integrated care borderline (ICB) in a randomized controlled trial (RECOVER).

Background: Though Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) and other treatment models for individuals with Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) have shown to be efficient in inpatient and outpatient settings, there is a general shortage of these treatments. In Germany, most resources are spent on inpatient treatments and unspecific crisis interventions, while it is difficult to implement the necessary team structures in an outpatient setting. This study is testing an alternative approach focussing on outpatient treatment: Integrated Care Borderline (ICB) provides DBT for persons with severe BPD within the structures of an Assertive Community Treatment (ACT).

Markers of Biological Brain Aging Mediate Effects of Vascular Risk Factors on Cognitive and Motor Functions: A Multivariate Imaging Analysis of 40,579 Individuals.

The increasing global life expectancy brings forth challenges associated with age-related cognitive and motor declines. To better understand underlying mechanisms, we investigated the connection between markers of biological brain aging based on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), cognitive and motor performance, as well as modifiable vascular risk factors, using a large-scale neuroimaging analysis in 40,579 individuals of the population-based UK Biobank and Hamburg City Health Study. Employing partial least squares correlation analysis (PLS), we investigated multivariate associative effects between three imaging markers of biological brain aging - relative brain age, white matter hyperintensities of presumed vascular origin, and peak-width of skeletonized mean diffusivity - and multi-domain cognitive test performances and motor test results.

Digital nature: Unveiling the impact and safety of FlowVR group intervention for depression in a feasibility trial.

Objective: This study addresses the limitations of existing interventions for depression, such as a deficit-oriented focus, overlooking the utilization of positive elements such as nature, and neglecting the incorporation of group effects. The present feasibility study examines FlowVR, a resource-oriented, nature-inspired virtual reality (VR)-based group therapy. Previously tested individually in a pilot study for non-clinical participants, FlowVR has demonstrated positive effects on depressive symptoms.

Correlation of striatal dopamine D2/3 receptor availability with GABA level in the anterior cingulate cortex in healthy controls but not in alcohol-dependent subjects and individuals at high risk: A multimodal magnetic resonance spectroscopy and positron emission tomography study.

Background: The association of impaired dopaminergic neurotransmission with the development and maintenance of alcohol use disorder is well known. More specifically, reduced dopamine D2/3 receptors in the striatum of subjects with alcohol dependence (AD) compared to healthy controls have been found in previous studies. Furthermore, alterations of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and glutamate (Glu) levels in the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) of AD subjects have been documented in several studies.

Stepped, evidence-based and integrated care service model vs. usual care for mental disorders: A randomized controlled trial (RECOVER).

Stepped, evidence-based and integrated care service models have the potential to be used as a reference for mental health services. RECOVER aimed to evaluate cost savings, effectiveness, and cost-effectiveness of such a model within a two arm, assessor- and data analysist-blinded RCT in Hamburg, Germany. Participants aged 16-79 years with mental disorders were randomly assigned either to RECOVER or treatment as usual (TAU).

Videogame training increases clinical well-being, attention and hippocampal-prefrontal functional connectivity in patients with schizophrenia.

Recent research shows that videogame training enhances neuronal plasticity and cognitive improvements in healthy individuals. As patients with schizophrenia exhibit reduced neuronal plasticity linked to cognitive deficits and symptoms, we investigated whether videogame-related cognitive improvements and plasticity changes extend to this population. In a training study, patients with schizophrenia and healthy controls were randomly assigned to 3D or 2D platformer videogame training or E-book reading (active control) for 8 weeks, 30 min daily.

Linking Cognitive Integrity to Working Memory Dynamics in the Aging Human Brain.

Aging is accompanied by a decline of working memory, an important cognitive capacity that involves stimulus-selective neural activity that persists after stimulus presentation. Here, we unraveled working memory dynamics in older human adults (male and female) including those diagnosed with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) using a combination of behavioral modeling, neuropsychological assessment, and MEG recordings of brain activity. Younger adults (male and female) were studied with behavioral modeling only.

Towards the DSM-6: Results of a Survey of Experts on the Reintroduction of First-Rank Symptoms as Core Criteria of Schizophrenia and on Redefining Hallucinations.

Background: Diagnostic criteria for mental disorders are subject to change. This is particularly true for schizophrenia, whose diagnostic criteria in the current DSM-5 bear little resemblance to what Kraepelin once named "dementia praecox" and Bleuler termed "the schizophrenias." The present study reports results from a survey of experts on two core topics of schizophrenia: (a) whether subsequent editions of the DSM should once again give the Schneiderian first-rank symptoms (FRS; eg, thought broadcasting) the prominent role they had in the DSM-IV and (b) whether the currently quite narrow definition of hallucinations in the DSM-5 requiring them to be vivid and clear and have the full force and impact of normal perceptions should be broadened to incorporate perceptual-like phenomena that the individual can differentiate from proper perceptions but still perceives as real and externally generated.

Spatial characteristics of non-communicable diseases and their associations to social conditions in a large urban cohort in Germany-Results from the Hamburg City Health Study.

Background: Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) are responsible for many deaths. They are associated with several modifiable and metabolic risk factors and are therefore prone to significant regional variations on different scales. However, only few intra-urban studies examined spatial variation in NCDs and its association with social circumstances, especially in Germany.

Trajectories of depressive and anxiety symptoms and associated risk factors during the COVID-19 pandemic in Germany: A longitudinal cohort study.

Background: Most COVID-19-related mental health research focused on average levels of mental health parameters in the general population. However, considering heterogeneous groups and their long-term responses could deepen our understanding of mental health during community crises. This four-wave study aimed to (1) identify subgroups with different trajectories of depressive and anxiety symptoms in the German general population, and (2) investigate associated risk factors.

A latent clinical-anatomical dimension relating metabolic syndrome to brain structure and cognition.

The link between metabolic syndrome (MetS) and neurodegenerative as well as cerebrovascular conditions holds substantial implications for brain health in at-risk populations. This study elucidates the complex relationship between MetS and brain health by conducting a comprehensive examination of cardiometabolic risk factors, brain morphology, and cognitive function in 40,087 individuals. Multivariate, data-driven statistics identified a latent dimension linking more severe MetS to widespread brain morphological abnormalities, accounting for up to 71% of shared variance in the data.

Clinical effectiveness of patient-targeted feedback following depression screening in general practice (GET.FEEDBACK.GP): an investigator-initiated, prospective, multicentre, three-arm, observer-blinded, randomised controlled trial in Germany.

Background: Screening for depression in primary care alone is not sufficient to improve clinical outcomes. However, targeted feedback of the screening results to patients might result in beneficial effects. The GET.

Increased off-target binding of [18F]florbetaben in the skull of women with reduced skull density.

Aim: To investigate the relationship between off-target binding of the amyloid tracer [F]florbetaben (FBB) in the skull and skull density.

Methods: Forty-three consecutive patients were included retrospectively (age 70.2±7.

Subjective evaluation of home environment and levels of self-reported depression in middle to old age: Results from the HCHS study.

Objectives: The immediate living environment might, like other lifestyle factors, be significantly related to mental well-being. The current study addresses the question whether five relevant subjective home environment variables (i.e.

My home-my castle? Self-reported anxiety varies in relation to the subjective evaluation of home environment.

Introduction: Although people spend most of the day in their home environment, the focus of research in environmental psychology to date has been on factors outside the home. However, it stands to reason that indoor quality likewise has an impact on psychological well-being. Therefore, the present study addresses the question of whether the subjective evaluation of home environmental parameters are related to self-reported anxiety and whether they can additionally explain variance beyond the usual sociodemographic and general lifestyle variables.

The impact of emotional dysregulation and comorbid depressive symptoms on clinical features, brain arousal, and treatment response in adults with ADHD.

Introduction: The role of emotional dysregulation (ED) in attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) has become an important issue. This study, in which we analyzed data from a predictive pharmaco-EEG-trial, aimed to examine whether symptoms of ED in adult ADHD affect ADHD symptom severity, brain arousal regulation as measured by resting EEG, and the response to stimulant medication.

Methods: ED is defined as having a sex- and age-corrected -score of >70 on the emotional lability subscale of the German version of Conners' Adult ADHD Rating Scale.

The significance of cerebrospinal fluid analysis in the differential diagnosis of 564 psychiatric patients: Multiple sclerosis is more common than autoimmune-encephalitis.

The analysis of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) is an essential tool for the differential diagnosis of psychiatric disorders caused by autoimmune inflammation or infections. Clear guidelines for CSF analysis are limited and mainly available for schizophrenia and dementia. Thus, insights into CSF changes in psychiatric patients largely derive from research.

Service users' perceptions of relevant and helpful components of an integrated care concept (ACCESS) for psychosis.

Introduction: Psychotic disorders have a significant impact on patients' lives and their families, and long-term treatment with individually tailored multimodal combinations of therapies is often required. Integrated care (IC) concepts such as the "Hamburg Model (ACCESS)" with a focus on psychotic disorders, includes different (therapeutic) components with pharmaco- and psychotherapy, family involvement, home treatment and the option of using a 24/7 crisis hotline. All components are offered by a therapeutically-oriented assertive community treatment (TACT) team in a need-adapted manner.

Remission with or without comorbid substance use disorders in early psychosis: long-term outcome in integrated care (ACCESS III study).

Introduction: Schizophrenia-Spectrum-Disorders are associated with poor long-term outcome as well as disability and often severely affect the lives of patients and their families often from symptom onset. Up to 70% of first episode psychosis (FEP) patients suffer from comorbid substance use disorders (SUD). We aimed at studying the course of illness in FEP patients within evidence-based care, with and without comorbid SUD, to examine how decreased, remitted or persistent substance use impacted rates of a combined symptomatic and functional long-term recovery compared with patients without SUD.

Prevalence of COVID-19 and Psychotropic Drug Treatment in Psychiatric In-patients in Germany in 2020: Results from a Nationwide Pilot Survey.

Introduction: In patients with a pre-existing mental disorder, an increased risk for a first manifestation of a psychiatric disorder in COVID-19 patients, a more severe course of COVID-19 and an increased mortality have been described. Conversely, observations of lower COVID-19 incidences in psychiatric in-patients suggested protective effects of psychiatric treatment and/or psychotropic drugs against COVID-19.

Methods: A retrospective multi-center study was conducted in 24 German psychiatric university hospitals.