Association between allostatic load and cardiac structural and functional abnormalities in young adults with serious mental disorders.

Objective: Allostatic load refers to the pathophysiological consequences of uncompensated adaptation to chronic stress. Few studies have investigated the effect of allostatic load on cardiac health in patients with serious mental disorders (SMDs), a population at high risk of cardiac mortality. Herein we evaluated associations between allostatic load and cardiac structure and function in young adults with SMDs.

Determining cut-off values and predictors for the Snaith-Hamilton Pleasure Scale: comparison between clinical and school settings.

Background: Few previous studies have established Snaith-Hamilton Pleasure Scale (SHAPS) cut-off values using receiver operating characteristic curve analysis and applied these values to compare predictors of anhedonia between clinical and nonclinical groups.

Aims: To determine the optimal cut-off values for the SHAPS and use them to identify predictors of anhedonia in clinical and nonclinical groups in Taiwan.

Method: This cross-sectional and correlational study used convenience sampling to recruit 160 patients from three hospitals and 412 students from two universities in northern Taiwan.

Association of lipids and inflammatory markers with left ventricular wall thickness in patients with bipolar disorder.

Background: Individuals with bipolar disorder (BD) face a high risk of heart failure and left ventricular (LV) dysfunction. Despite strong evidence that high LV relative wall thickness (RWT) is a risk marker for heart failure, few studies have evaluated LV RWT and aggravating factors in individuals with BD.

Methods: We recruited 104 participants (52 patients with BD and 52 age- and sex-matched mentally healthy controls) to undergo echocardiographic imaging and biochemistry, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), and blood cell count measurements.

Depression assessment using integrated multi-featured EEG bands deep neural network models: Leveraging ensemble learning techniques.

Mental Status Assessment (MSA) holds significant importance in psychiatry. In recent years, several studies have leveraged Electroencephalogram (EEG) technology to gauge an individual's mental state or level of depression. This study introduces a novel multi-tier ensemble learning approach to integrate multiple EEG bands for conducting mental state or depression assessments.

Antidepressant sertraline increases thioflavin-S and Congo red deposition in APPswe/PSEN1dE9 transgenic mice.

Depression is strongly associated with Alzheimer's disease (AD). Antidepressants are commonly used in patients before and after their diagnosis of AD. To date, the relationship between antidepressants and AD remains unclear.

Inflammation associated with left ventricular hypertrophy in bipolar disorder: A cross-sectional study.

Objective: Inflammation has received increasing attention as a contributor to the pathophysiology of bipolar disorder (BD) and cardiac hypertrophy into heart failure (HF). Accordingly, we chose BD-related inflammatory markers to investigate their relationships with cardiac left ventricular function and structure in BD.

Methods: Sixty physically healthy and euthymic patients with bipolar I disorder were recruited to compare with 50 healthy normal controls.

Using Text Mining and Data Visualization Approaches for Investigating Mental Illness from the Perspective of Traditional Chinese Medicine.

Anxiety and depressive disorders are the most prevalent mental disorders, and due to the COVID-19 pandemic, more people are suffering from anxiety and depressive disorders, and a considerable fraction of COVID-19 survivors have a variety of persistent neuropsychiatric problems after the initial infection. Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) offers a different perspective on mental disorders from Western biomedicine. Effective management of mental disorders has become an increasing concern in recent decades due to the high social and economic costs involved.

Sex differences in the associations between psychological symptoms and tumor necrosis factor-alpha levels among obese and nonobese children aged 6-13 in Taiwan.

Background: Evidence of associations between psychological symptoms and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α level is scant, as is evidence on sex differences in associations for children and adolescents with obesity. This study examined sex differences in associations between psychological symptoms (self-concept, anxiety, depression, anger, and disruptive behavior) and TNF-α level in Taiwanese children and adolescents with healthy weight, overweight, or obesity.

Methods: In 2010, 564 first, fourth, and seventh graders-comprising 250 children with overweight or obesity (44.

Lithium exposure and chronic inflammation with activated macrophages and monocytes associated with atherosclerosis in bipolar disorder.

Background: Atherosclerosis accounts for cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). This study aimed to explore the association between carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT), psycho-pharmacotherapy, and inflammatory markers along with other molecules related to atherosclerosis in bipolar disorder (BD).

Methods: The euthymic patients with bipolar I disorder (BD-I) aged over 20 years were recruited to measure CIMT through ultrasound and the blood levels of lipid profiles, soluble tumor necrosis factor receptor-1 (sTNF-R1), soluble interleukin-6 receptor (sIL-6R), monocyte chemoattractant protein-1, chitinase 3-like 1, endothelial adhesive proteins, and thrombin-antithrombin complex.

Comparing continuous and harmonized measures of depression severity in older adults with bipolar disorder: Relationship to functioning.

Objective: Harmonizing different depression severity scales often requires creation of categorical variables that may decrease the sensitivity of the measure. Our aim was to compare the associations between categorical and continuous and harmonized measures of depression and global functioning in a large dataset of older age patients with bipolar disorder (OABD).

Method: In the Global Aging & Geriatric Experiments in Bipolar Disorder Database (GAGE-BD) the 17-item Hamilton Depression scale (HAM-D), Montgomery Asberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS) or the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression scales (CES-D) was used to assess current depressive symptoms, while the Global Assessment of Functioning (GAF) assessed functional status.

Peripheral inflammatory markers associated with brain volume reduction in patients with bipolar I disorder.

Background: Neuroinflammation and brain structural abnormalities are found in bipolar disorder (BD). Elevated levels of cytokines and chemokines have been detected in the serum and cerebrospinal fluid of patients with BD. This study investigated the association between peripheral inflammatory markers and brain subregion volumes in BD patients.

Cardioprotective potential of lithium and role of fractalkine in euthymic patients with bipolar disorder.

Objective: Over a half century, lithium has been used as the first-line medication to treat bipolar disorder. Emerging clinical and laboratory studies suggest that lithium may exhibit cardioprotective effects in addition to neuroprotective actions. Fractalkine (CX3CL1) is a unique chemokine associated with the pathogenesis of mood disorders and cardiovascular diseases.

Echocardiographic study of cardiac structure and function in people with bipolar disorder after midlife.

Background: Heart failure is the leading cause of mortality in older people with bipolar disorder (BD). Studies examining cardiac structure and function in middle-aged patients with BD by using echocardiography and cardiac strain imaging are scant.

Methods: We recruited 48 patients with bipolar I disorder (BD-I) older than 45 years to undergo conventional and tissue speckle tracking echocardiography.

A nationwide study of the risk of all-cause, sudden death, and cardiovascular mortality among antipsychotic-treated patients with schizophrenia in Taiwan.

Introduction: Studies have reported higher risks of mortality for patients with schizophrenia, compared to the general population. This study aimed to evaluate the risk of all-cause, sudden death, and cardiovascular mortality among patients with schizophrenia in terms of types of antipsychotics.

Methods: A retrospective cohort study assessed the risk of mortality among antipsychotic-treated patients with schizophrenia.

Effect of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation on depression and cognition in individuals with traumatic brain injury: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) is an FDA-approved therapy in major depressive disorder. However, its treatment efficacy on depression after traumatic brain injury (TBI) remains inconclusive. We conducted a meta-analysis to assess the effectiveness of executing rTMS over dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) on depression, cognitive impairment and post-concussion syndrome in individuals with traumatic brain injury.

Roles of sedative-hypnotics in patients with recurrent major depressive disorder: a nationwide population-based 14-year follow-up study in Taiwan.

Background: The use of sedatives or hypnotics and the recurrence of depression have not been adequately explored. This study investigated the roles of sedative-hypnotics in patients with major depressive disorder (MDD). Various characteristics of sedative-hypnotic use were tested as risk factors for recurrence.

The association between carotid atherosclerosis and treatment with lithium and antipsychotics in patients with bipolar disorder.

Objectives: Patients with bipolar disorder are at high risk of cardiovascular diseases. Among cardiovascular diseases, coronary heart disease and stroke are the leading causes of premature death and both share the pathogenesis of arterial atherosclerosis. Increased carotid intima-media thickness is sensitive for detecting early atherosclerosis and a practical index for predicting cardiovascular diseases.

Body mass index, residual psychotic symptoms, and inflammation associated with brain volume reduction in older patients with schizophrenia.

Unlabelled: Obesity, aging, and pathophysiology of schizophrenia (SCZ) may collectively contribute to the gray matter loss in brain regions of SCZ. We attempted to examine the association between volumes of specific brain regions, body mass index (BMI), inflammatory markers, and clinical features in older SCZ patients.

Method: Clinically stable outpatients with schizophrenia (DSM-IV) aged ≥50 years were recruited to undergo whole-brain magnetic resonance imaging.

Differences in outcomes between older community-dwelling patients with bipolar disorder and schizophrenia with illness onset at young age.

Aim: Older community-dwelling patients with severe mental illness (SMI), particularly those with illness onset at young age, constitute a group of survivors with unique long-term care needs. Using an Asian sample in Taiwan, we attempted to find out the differences in outcomes related to physical health, cognition, and social functioning between older community-dwelling adults with bipolar disorder and schizophrenia with early age onset.

Methods: Community-dwelling patients aged >50 years with bipolar I disorder or schizophrenia whose illness developed before the age of 40 years were recruited.

Associations of nitric oxide with obesity and psychological traits among children and adolescents in Taiwan.

Background: Findings concerning nitric oxide (NO) in children and adolescents with obesity are scant.

Objective: This study examined the links of NO with obesity and psychological traits (ie, self-concept, anxiety, depression, anger and disruptive behaviour) in children and adolescents in Taiwan.

Methods: A total of 564 first, fourth and seventh graders (314 children with overweight/obesity and 250 children with normal weight) completed an in-hospital health examination in 2010.