Neuroimaging Insights: Kava's () Effect on Dorsal Anterior Cingulate Cortex GABA in Generalized Anxiety Disorder.

Generalised Anxiety Disorder (GAD) is a prevalent, chronic mental health disorder. The measurement of regional brain gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) offers insight into its role in anxiety and is a potential biomarker for treatment response. Research literature suggests (Kava) is efficacious as an anxiety treatment, but no study has assessed its effects on central GABA levels.

Interleukin 10 (IL10) promoter region polymorphism is associated with IL10 serum concentrations and processing speed in healthy community-dwelling older adults.

Inflammation is repressed by interleukin 10 (IL10), a potent anti-inflammatory cytokine, and unchecked inflammation can have detrimental effects on cognition. In healthy older adults enrolled in the Australian Research Council Longevity Intervention (ARCLI) cohort we explored whether a known functional single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in the promoter region of IL10, -1082 G/A (rs1800896), was associated with reaction times on computerized cognitive testing that included elements of processing speed (i.e.

Effect of kava (Piper methysticum) on peripheral gene expression among individuals with generalized anxiety disorder: A post hoc analysis of a randomized controlled trial.

Kava is a South Pacific plant-based medicine with anxiolytic properties, but little is known about the impact kava has on gene expression or whether gene expression can serve as a marker of kava response. This study aimed to determine whether kava treatment alters the expression of genes with physiological relevance to anxiety pathophysiology and whether the baseline expression of these physiologically relevant genes modifies the efficacy of kava treatment. In this post hoc analysis, we examined the expression of 48 genes relevant to the pathophysiology of anxiety collected from a double-blind randomized controlled trial that assessed the efficacy of kava treatment in generalized anxiety disorder.

Liver and inflammatory biomarker relationships to depression symptoms in healthy older adults.

Introduction: Early identification and management of physical and mental illness is vital to maintain quality of life as we age. Markers of peripheral inflammation and liver function show elevations with aging, and are also associated with depression symptoms, suggesting a similar pattern in both aging and clinical groups.

Methods: The current study examined the relationship between such markers and measures of depression/negative mood in 284 healthy older adults using data from the Australian Research Council Longevity Intervention (ARCLI).

Peripheral inflammation marker relationships to cognition in healthy older adults - A systematic review.

Several cognitive domains show decline with increasing age, which is associated with poorer work performance and reduced quality of life. As many nations show a rise in the number of citizens aged over 60 years, the study of the mechanisms underlying age-related cognitive functional reductions, such as inflammation, is important. Inflammaging has been implicated in progressive minor decline through to dementia typologies, with peripheral cytokine patterns investigated for their potential role in cognitive function.

The Relationship between F-Isoprostanes Plasma Levels and Depression Symptoms in Healthy Older Adults.

The increasing proportion of older citizens in our society reflects a need to better understand age-related biological underpinnings of mood, as depression in older age may be under-diagnosed. Pre-clinical and human studies evidence a relationship between oxidative stress (OS) biomarkers in depression symptoms, and an influence of biological factors such as Body Mass Index (BMI), but focus has been clinical or younger samples, and less is known about patterns in healthy older adults. We investigated these associations with data derived from the Australian Research Council Longevity Study (ARCLI; ANZCTR12611000487910), in 568 healthy adults aged 60-75 years using F-Isoprostanes plasma levels, and controlling for demographic factors, in assessing mood via the Beck Depression Inventory-II, Chalder Fatigue Scale, and General Health Questionnaire 12.

The Relationship between Gut Microbiome and Cognition in Older Australians.

Ageing is associated with changes in biological processes, including reductions in cognitive functions and gut microbiome diversity. However, not much is known about the relationship between cognition and the microbiome with increasing age. Therefore, we examined the relationship between the gut microbiome and cognition in 69 healthy participants aged 60-75 years.

Higher habitual dietary flavonoid intake associates with lower central blood pressure and arterial stiffness in healthy older adults.

Flavonoids have shown anti-hypertensive and anti-atherosclerotic properties: the impact of habitual flavonoid intake on vascular function, central haemodynamics and arterial stiffness may be important. We investigated the relationship between habitual flavonoid consumption and measures of central blood pressure and arterial stiffness. We performed cross-sectional analysis of 381 non-smoking healthy older adults (mean age 66·0 (sd 4·1) years; BMI, 26·4 (sd 4·41) kg/m; 41 % male) recruited as part of the Australian Research Council Longevity Intervention study.

The Relationship between Oxidative Stress and Anxiety in a Healthy Older Population.

F-Isoprostanes are putative markers of oxidative stress, one of the processes associated with biological senescence. Evidence exists for elevated F-Isoprostanes in chronic conditions including psychiatric disorders. Few studies have examined the relationship between oxidative stress and mood in older healthy samples, to establish the influence on mental health.

Is poor self-rated sleep quality associated with elevated systemic inflammation in healthy older adults?

Objective: Examine subjective sleep quality and inflammation among healthy older adults participating in the Australian Research Council Longevity Intervention (ARCLI).

Methods: Data was taken from a sub-set of 232 participants aged between 60-70 years (M = 65.88 ± SD 4.

Effects of Panax quinquefolius (American ginseng) on the steady state visually evoked potential during cognitive performance.

Objective: To investigate the effects of acute Panax quinquefolius (American ginseng) administration on steady state visually evoked potentials (SSVEPs) during completion of working memory and continuous performance tasks.

Methods: A randomised, double-blind, placebo controlled, balanced, cross-over trial was conducted in middle-aged volunteers aged between 40 and 60 years. Participants were administered 200 mg P.

Kava for generalised anxiety disorder: A 16-week double-blind, randomised, placebo-controlled study.

Objective: Previous randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled studies have shown that Kava (a South Pacific medicinal plant) reduced anxiety during short-term administration. The objective of this randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled study was to perform a larger, longer-term trial assessing the efficacy and safety of Kava in the treatment of generalised anxiety disorder and to determine whether gamma-aminobutyric acid transporter (SLC6A1) single-nucleotide polymorphisms were moderators of response.

Methods: The trial was a phase III, multi-site, two-arm, 16-week, randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled study investigating an aqueous extract of dried Kava root administered twice per day in tablet form (standardised to 120 mg of kavalactones twice/day) in 171 currently non-medicated anxious participants with diagnosed generalised anxiety disorder.

S-Adenosylmethionine (SAMe) monotherapy for depression: an 8-week double-blind, randomised, controlled trial.

Rationale: Dysregulation of the one carbon cycle is documented in depression. Thereby, S-adenosylmethionine (SAMe), a one-carbon cycle nutraceutical compound with a favourable side effect profile, has a theoretical rationale for efficacy. However, further controlled studies are required to confirm SAMe's efficacy.

Higher plasma levels of F-isoprostanes are associated with slower psychomotor speed in healthy older adults.

Oxidative stress has been identified as a process which is detrimental to brain health, and associated with age-related cognitive declines. Few studies to-date have examined the relationship between oxidative stress biomarkers and cognitive performance within healthy elderly populations. The current study investigated the relationship between reaction time and oxidative stress, as measured by blood plasma concentrations of F-isoprostanes using a sample of 251 healthy, non-demented, elderly volunteers (Male; 111: Female 140) aged 60-75 years from the Australian Research Council Longevity Intervention (ARCLI) study cohort.

Nutraceuticals for major depressive disorder- more is not merrier: An 8-week double-blind, randomised, controlled trial.

Background: One of the most pressing questions in "Nutritional Psychiatry" is whether using combinations of different nutraceuticals with putative antidepressant activity may provide an enhanced synergistic antidepressant effect.

Methods: A phase II/III, Australian multi-site, 8-week, double-blind, RCT involving 158 outpatients with a DSM-5 diagnosis of MDD. The intervention consisted of a nutraceutical combination: S-adenosyl methionine; Folinic acid; Omega-3 fatty acids; 5-HTP, Zinc picolinate, and relevant co-factors versus placebo.

Increases in total cholesterol and low density lipoprotein associated with decreased cognitive performance in healthy elderly adults.

The current study examined associations between blood lipid profiles and cognitive functioning using a healthy non-demented elderly sample. The sample comprised 196 healthy volunteers (male; 86: female 110) aged 60-75 years from the Australian Research Council Longevity Intervention (ARCLI) study cohort. Serum total cholesterol (T-C), low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-c), high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-c) and triglycerides (TGL) were collected, and participants completed the Swinburne University Computerized Cognitive Assessment Battery (SUCCAB).

Adjunctive S-adenosylmethionine (SAMe) in treating non-remittent major depressive disorder: An 8-week double-blind, randomized, controlled trial.

There has been increasing interest in nutraceutical augmentation strategies to boost the efficacy of antidepressants. This study assessed whether S-adenosylmethionine (SAMe), a methyl donor that occurs naturally in the body, may be of such benefit. We conducted an 8-week, double-blind RCT in which 107 treatment non-remittent outpatients with DSM-5 diagnosed Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) were randomized to either SAMe or placebo adjunctively to antidepressants.

GABA-modulating phytomedicines for anxiety: A systematic review of preclinical and clinical evidence.

Anxiety disorders are chronic and functionally disabling conditions with high psychological stress, characterised by cognitive symptoms of excessive worry and focus difficulties and physiological symptoms such as muscle tension and insomnia. Gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) is an inhibitory neurotransmitter within the central nervous system and is a key target of pharmacotherapies in the treatment of anxiety. Although current pharmaceutical treatments are often efficacious, they may cause undesirable side effects including cognitive decrements and withdrawal symptoms.

Kava for the treatment of generalised anxiety disorder (K-GAD): study protocol for a randomised controlled trial.

Background: Generalised anxiety disorder (GAD) is a chronic and pervasive condition that generates high levels of psychological stress, and it is difficult to treat in the long term. Current pharmacotherapeutic options for GAD are in some cases only modestly effective, and may elicit undesirable side effects. Through targeted actions on the gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) pathway, the South Pacific medicinal plant kava (Piper methysticum) is a non-addictive, non-hypnotic anxiolytic with the potential to treat GAD.

Improved working memory performance following administration of a single dose of American ginseng (Panax quinquefolius L.) to healthy middle-age adults.

Objective: A ginsenoside-rich extract of American ginseng (Panax quinquefolius L.), Cereboost(TM), was previously shown to improve working memory and mood in healthy young individuals. The present study represented a partial replication investigating whether these effects extended to healthy middle-aged individuals.

Effects of two doses of glucose and a caffeine-glucose combination on cognitive performance and mood during multi-tasking.

Background: This study assessed the effects of two doses of glucose and a caffeine-glucose combination on mood and performance of an ecologically valid, computerised multi-tasking platform.

Materials And Methods: Following a double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomised, parallel-groups design, 150 healthy adults (mean age 34.78 years) consumed drinks containing placebo, 25 g glucose, 60 g glucose or 60 g glucose with 40 mg caffeine.

Acute effects of different multivitamin mineral preparations with and without Guaraná on mood, cognitive performance and functional brain activation.

Previous work has identified the positive effects of the acute administration of a multivitamin-guaraná preparation during an effortful executive/working memory task. Here, we aimed to differentiate the effects of multivitamins with and without guaraná and to examine the neural substrates of such effects using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Following a double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomised, balanced crossover design, 20 participants (mean age 29 ± 5.

Examining the cognitive effects of a special extract of Bacopa monniera (CDRI08: Keenmnd): a review of ten years of research at Swinburne University.

Bacopa monniera (EBm), an Indian aquatic herb, has been used in traditional Ayurvedic medicine for centuries for indications related to memory and inflammation. More recently specific extracts of EBm have emerged that have been subjected to rigorous in vitro, animal and now human clinical trials. In this paper we discuss some of these studies with special reference to mechanisms and efficacy of a special extract of Bacopa (CDRI08).

Kava in the treatment of generalized anxiety disorder: a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled study.

Kava (Piper methysticum) is a plant-based medicine, which has been previously shown to reduce anxiety. To date, however, no placebo-controlled trial assessing kava in the treatment of generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) has been completed. A total of 75 participants with GAD and no comorbid mood disorder were enrolled in a 6-week double-blind trial of an aqueous extract of kava (120/240 mg of kavalactones per day depending on response) versus placebo.

Performance of creatinine and cystatin C GFR estimating equations in an HIV-positive population on antiretrovirals.

Objective: To evaluate the performance of Chronic Kidney Disease Epidemiology Collaboration (CKD-EPI) creatinine, cystatin C, and creatinine-cystatin C estimating equations in HIV-positive patients.

Methods: We evaluated the performance of the Modification of Diet in Renal Disease (MDRD) Study and CKD-EPI creatinine 2009, CKD-EPI cystatin C 2012, and CKD-EPI creatinine-cystatin C 2012 glomerular filtration rate (GFR) estimating equations compared with GFR measured using plasma clearance of iohexol in 200 HIV-positive patients on stable antiretroviral therapy. Creatinine and cystatin C assays were standardized to certified reference materials.