Representativeness of autistic samples in studies recruiting through social media.

Survey-based research with recruitment through online channels is a convenient way to obtain large samples and has recently been increasingly used in autism research. However, sampling from online channels may be associated with a high risk of sampling bias causing findings not to be generalizable to the autism population. Here we examined autism studies that have sampled on social media for markers of sampling bias.

Cognitive processing of infant stimuli in pregnant women with and without affective disorders and the association to postpartum depression.

Pregnancy and childbirth are among the strongest risk factors for depression but the neurocognitive mechanisms underlying this enhanced risk are unknown. This study investigated emotional and non-emotional cognition in 57 pregnant women with or without an affective disorder during their third trimester, and the association between cognitive biases and subsequent postpartum depression (PPD). Of the pregnant women, 22 had a diagnosis of unipolar disorder (UD) and seven of bipolar disorder (BD) in full or partial remission, while 28 had no history of affective disorder.

[Assessment and treatment of cognitive impairments in patients with affective disorders].

Many patients with affective disorders have cognitive impairments during remission, which impede their functional recovery and quality of life. The International Society for Bipolar Disorders Targeting Cognition Task Force recommends that clinicians screen for cognitive impairments, when patients are in remission using subjective and objective screening tools. Clinicians should evaluate, whether any impairments are secondary to comorbidity, medication or unhealthy lifestyle.

Effect of electroconvulsive therapy on neural response to affective pictures: A randomized, sham-controlled fMRI study.

Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is the most effective treatment for severe depression but its neurocognitive mechanisms are unclear. This randomized, sham-controlled functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) study explored the effects of a single ECT on neural response to affective pictures. Twenty-seven patients with major depressive disorder were randomized to a single active ECT (N = 15) or sham (N = 12) session in a double-blind, parallel-group design.

Discrete neurocognitive subgroups in fully or partially remitted bipolar disorder: Associations with functional abilities.

Background: Neurocognitive impairment in remitted patients with bipolar disorder contributes to functional disabilities. However, the pattern and impact of these deficits are unclear.

Methods: We pooled data from 193 fully or partially remitted patients with bipolar disorder and 110 healthy controls.

Screening for cognitive dysfunction in unipolar depression: Validation and evaluation of objective and subjective tools.

Background: Persistent cognitive dysfunction in unipolar depression (UD) contributes to socio-occupational impairment, but there are no feasible methods to screen for and monitor cognitive dysfunction in this patient group. The present study investigated the validity of two new instruments to screen for cognitive dysfunction in UD, and their associations with socio-occupational capacity.

Method: Participants (n=53) with UD in partial or full remission and healthy control persons (n=103) were assessed with two new screening instruments, the Danish translations of the Screen for Cognitive Impairment in Psychiatry (SCIP-D) and Cognitive Complaints in Bipolar Disorder Rating Assessment (COBRA) and with established neuropsychological and self-assessment measures.

Optimising screening for cognitive dysfunction in bipolar disorder: Validation and evaluation of objective and subjective tools.

Introduction: Cognitive impairment is common in bipolar disorder and contributes to socio-occupational difficulties. The objective was to validate and evaluate instruments to screen for and monitor cognitive impairments, and improve the understanding of the association between cognitive measures and socio-occupational capacity.

Methods: Patients with bipolar disorder in partial or full remission (n=84) and healthy controls (n=68) were assessed with the Screen for Cognitive Impairment in Psychiatry (SCIP), Cognitive Complaints in Bipolar Disorder Rating Scale (COBRA), and established neuropsychological tests and subjective rating scales.

The effect of the mental health first-aid training course offered employees in Denmark: study protocol for a randomized waitlist-controlled superiority trial mixed with a qualitative study.

Background: Studies show a high and growing prevalence of mental disorders in the population worldwide. 25% of the general population in Europe will during their lifetime experience symptoms related to a mental disorder. The Mental Health First Aid concept (MHFA) was founded in 2000 in Australia by Kitchener and Jorm, in order to provide the population with mental health first aid skills.