Publications by authors named "Marx W"

Background: The prenatal and early-life periods pose a crucial neurodevelopmental window whereby disruptions to the intestinal microbiota and the developing brain may have adverse impacts. As antibiotics affect the human intestinal microbiome, it follows that early-life antibiotic exposure may be associated with later-life psychiatric or neurocognitive outcomes.

Aims: To explore the association between early-life (in utero and early childhood (age 0-2 years)) antibiotic exposure and the subsequent risk of psychiatric and neurocognitive outcomes.

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Research on nutraceutical and dietary interventions in psychiatry has grown substantially, but progress is hindered by methodological inconsistencies and limited reporting standards. To address this, the International Society for Nutritional Psychiatry Research presents the first guidelines on clinical trial design, conduct, and reporting for future clinical trials in this area. Recommendations were developed using a Delphi process including eighteen researchers with considerable clinical trial expertise and experience in either methodology, nutraceutical, or dietary interventions in psychiatry.

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Objective: To identify the COVID-19 pandemic impact on well-being/mental health, coping strategies, and risk factors in adolescents worldwide.

Method: This study was based on an anonymous online multi-national/multi-language survey in the general population (representative/weighted non-representative samples, 14-17 years of age), measuring change in well-being (World Health Organization-Five Well-Being Index [WHO-5]/range = 0-100) and psychopathology (validated composite P-score/range = 0-100), WHO-5 <50 and <29, pre- vs during COVID-19 pandemic (April 26, 2020-June 26, 2022). Coping strategies and 9 a priori- defined individual/cumulative risk factors were measured.

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Background: Mood disorders, including unipolar and bipolar depression, contribute significantly to the global burden of disease. Psychological therapy is considered a gold standard non-pharmacological treatment for managing these conditions; however, a growing body of evidence also supports the use of lifestyle therapies for these conditions. Despite some clinical guidelines endorsing the application of lifestyle therapies as a first-line treatment for individuals with mood disorders, there is limited evidence that this recommendation has been widely adopted into routine practice.

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Article Synopsis
  • The COH-FIT study is a large, multi-country survey aimed at identifying factors affecting wellbeing and mental health outcomes during the COVID-19 pandemic, involving a representative sample of 121,066 adults.
  • Researchers analyzed both modifiable (like coping strategies and pre-pandemic stress) and non-modifiable factors (such as age, gender, and socioeconomic status), finding significant negative effects on wellbeing and psychopathology scores during the pandemic.
  • The study identified 15 modifiable and 9 non-modifiable risk factors, alongside 13 modifiable and 3 non-modifiable protective factors, emphasizing the importance of social support and coping strategies in mental health outcomes.
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Article Synopsis
  • There is a lack of comprehensive international studies examining multidimensional mental health and wellbeing before and during the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly identifying at-risk groups and effective coping strategies.
  • The COH-FIT survey, conducted from April 2020 to June 2022 in 30 languages, assessed changes in well-being and psychopathology among over 121,000 participants, revealing significant declines in mental health during the pandemic.
  • Key findings indicated that certain demographics, such as young adults and people in low-income countries, were particularly affected, while coping strategies like exercise, internet use, and maintaining social contacts emerged as the most effective for managing stress.
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Our aim was to conduct an umbrella review of evidence from meta-analyses of observational studies investigating the link between sugar-sweetened beverage consumption and human health outcomes. Using predefined evidence classification criteria, we evaluated evidence from 47 meta-analyses encompassing 22,055,269 individuals. Overall, 79% of these analyses indicated direct associations between greater sugar-sweetened beverage consumption and higher risks of adverse health outcomes.

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Increasing rates of child neurodevelopmental vulnerability are a significant public health challenge. The adverse effect of socioeconomic adversity on offspring cognition may be mediated through elevated prenatal maternal systemic inflammation, but the role of modifiable antecedents such as maternal nutrition has not yet been clarified. This study aimed to examine (1) whether prenatal factors, with an emphasis on maternal nutrition, were associated with prenatal maternal systemic inflammation at 28 weeks' gestation, including the metabolomic marker glycoprotein acetyls (GlycA); (2) the extent to which the association between prenatal maternal nutrition and child cognition and language at age two years was mediated by elevated maternal inflammation in pregnancy; (3) the extent to which the associations between prenatal socioeconomic adversity and child neurodevelopment were mediated through prenatal maternal nutrition and GlycA levels.

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Sub-optimal response in schizophrenia is frequent, warranting augmentation strategies over treatment-as-usual (TAU). We assessed nutraceuticals/phytoceutical augmentation strategies via network meta-analysis. Randomized controlled trials in schizophrenia/schizoaffective disorder were identified via the following databases: PubMed, MEDLINE, EMBASE, Scopus, PsycINFO, CENTRAL, and ClinicalTrials.

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Article Synopsis
  • The study investigated the link between consuming ultra-processed foods and the risk of developing depressive symptoms using data from the NutriNet Brasil cohort and other observational studies.
  • Results showed that a 10% increase in ultra-processed food intake raised the risk of depression by 10%, and the meta-analysis of six studies found a 32% increased risk for those with high exposure to these foods.
  • The conclusion emphasizes that a diet high in ultra-processed foods can significantly elevate the chances of experiencing depression.
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Introduction: Medicinal cannabis might have a role in supporting the mental health of people with cancer. This systematic review and meta-analysis examined the efficacy and safety of medicinal cannabis, compared with any control, as an intervention for depression, anxiety, and stress symptoms in people living with cancer. A secondary aim was to examine the effect of low versus high Δ-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) dose on these outcomes.

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Objective: To evaluate the existing meta-analytic evidence of associations between exposure to ultra-processed foods, as defined by the Nova food classification system, and adverse health outcomes.

Design: Systematic umbrella review of existing meta-analyses.

Data Sources: MEDLINE, PsycINFO, Embase, and the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, as well as manual searches of reference lists from 2009 to June 2023.

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To what extent do Americans racially discriminate against doctors? While a large literature shows that racial biases pervade the American healthcare system, there has been no systematic examination of these biases in terms of who patients select for medical treatment. We examine this question in the context of the ongoing global COVID-19 pandemic, where a wealth of qualitative evidence suggests that discrimination against some historically marginalized communities, particularly Asians, has increased throughout the United States. Conducting a well-powered conjoint experiment with a national sample of 1,498 Americans, we find that respondents do not, on average, discriminate against Asian or doctors from other systematically minoritized groups.

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The use of probiotics, prebiotics, synbiotics or fermented foods can modulate the gut-brain axis and constitute a potentially therapeutic intervention in psychiatric disorders. This systematic review aims to identify current evidence regarding these interventions in the treatment of patients with DSM/ICD psychiatric diagnoses. Forty-seven articles from 42 studies met the inclusion criteria.

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Background: Sub-optimal response in schizophrenia is frequent, warranting augmentation strategies over treatment-as-usual (TAU).

Methods: We assessed nutraceuticals/phytoceutical augmentation strategies via network meta-analysis. Randomized controlled trials in schizophrenia/schizoaffective disorder were identified via the following databases: PubMed, MEDLINE, EMBASE, Scopus, PsycINFO, CENTRAL, and ClinicalTrials.

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Context: Dietary fibers hold potential to influence depressive and anxiety outcomes by modulating the microbiota-gut-brain axis, which is increasingly recognized as an underlying factor in mental health maintenance.

Objective: Evidence for the effects of fibers on depressive and anxiety outcomes remains unclear. To this end, a systematic literature review and a meta-analysis were conducted that included observational studies and randomized controlled trials (RCTs).

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Objectives: To synthesise the literature on the efficacy of primary motor cortex anodal transcranial direct current stimulation (M1-a-tDCS), as a standalone or priming technique, for pain reduction in people with knee osteoarthritis (KOA).

Methods: The systematic literature search was conducted in MEDLINE, CINAHL, Embase and CENTRAL according to PRISMA statement.

Results: Fourteen studies involving 740 people with KOA were included.

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Aim: We investigated the historical origins of developmental care for newborn infants using Reference Publication Year Spectroscopy (RPYS), an innovative method of bibliometric analysis.

Methods: A Web of Science search query that combined infant and intervention-related synonyms was performed on 2 February 2022. RPYS analysis was performed on this dataset to identify the most referenced historical publications for developmental care in newborn infants.

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Introduction: The significance of Eye Motion Tracking in aiding learners in training search patterns, pattern recognition, and efficiently using their gaze in terms of time and scanning distribution has been highlighted in the USAF Pilot Training Next initiative.

Methods: The innovation described further builds on this concept in the realm of medical imaging and the provision of real-time feedback of eye direction and gaze duration.

Results: This real-time indicator enables the trainer to adapt verbal queueing of the trainee in a personalized manner to improve knowledge transfer, and to increase the confidence of the trainer and trainee in the competency of the trainee.

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Article Synopsis
  • People with physical diseases like cardiovascular issues, cancer, and neurodegenerative disorders are at a higher risk for major depressive disorder (MDD), and those with MDD also face increased risks for various physical diseases, creating a cycle of health challenges.
  • This comorbidity leads to worse health outcomes, higher treatment costs, and more complex clinical management due to overlapping symptoms and treatments, highlighting the need for integrated care approaches.
  • The text explores shared genetic and biological factors, social influences, and effective treatment strategies for managing both MDD and common physical diseases, emphasizing the importance of lifestyle interventions and collaborative care models.
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