Abnormal Prefrontal Brain Activation During a Verbal Fluency Task in Treatment-Resistant Depression Using Near-Infrared Spectroscopy.

Objective: The study investigated cognitive performance and brain function between treatment-resistant depression (TRD) and non- TRD patients to find potential neurobiological markers associated with refractoriness in depression patients.

Methods: Fourteen TRD patients, 26 non-TRD patients and 23 healthy controls (HC) were included in the present study. The neural function of prefrontal cortex (PFC) and cognitive performance among the three group were examined using near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) during verbal fluency task (VFT).

Prefrontal cortex alterations in major depressive disorder, generalized anxiety disorder and their comorbidity during a verbal fluency task assessed by multi-channel near-infrared spectroscopy.

Major depressive disorder (MDD) and generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) are frequently comorbid with each other, and both associated with substantial cognitive impairments; however, it is still unclear whether their impairments are neurobiologically similar or distinct. This study aims to investigate the cognitive functions of the prefrontal cortex (PFC) in patients with MDD and GAD during the verbal fluency task (VFT) using functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS). Fifty-two patients with MDD, fifty-one patients with GAD, fifty-two patients with the comorbidity of MDD and GAD (CMG), and forty-seven healthy controls (HC) participated in the study.

Brain activation during verbal fluency task in type II bipolar disorder patients: a near-infrared spectroscopy study.

Background: Previous studies have shown that BD patients exhibited impairment when performing a verbal fluency task (VFT) and abnormal prefrontal cortex activation during this task. However, no study has specifically examined whether patients with type II BD demonstrate difficulty in performing VFT and impairments in relevant neural correlates or whether these are related to psychotic symptoms, the present study aimed to examine these issues.

Methods: Forty-nine patients with type II BD (21 patients with psychotic symptoms [BDIIp] and 28 patients without psychotic symptoms [BDIIn]) and 45 matched healthy controls (HCs) participated the study and completed the VFTs, while their brain activity was recorded with near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS).

Differentiating between bipolar and unipolar depression using prefrontal activation patterns: Promising results from functional near infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) findings.

Background: Bipolar depression (BD) is a unique, severe and prevalent mental illness that shares many similarities in symptoms with unipolar depression (UD). Improving precision of their diagnoses would enhance treatment outcome and prognosis for both conditions. This study aims to provide evidence from functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy (fNIRS) as a potential tool to differentiate UD and BD based on their differences in hemodynamic change in the prefrontal cortex during verbal fluency tasks (VFT).

Effects of music therapy on major depressive disorder: A study of prefrontal hemodynamic functions using fNIRS.

Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a recurrent, chronic mental illness. While music therapy has been established as an effective treatment for MDD patients, the effects of this therapy on brain function remain unclear. This research employed near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) to explore the effects of music therapy on brain activity in mild or moderate MDD patients and to illustrate the potential mechanism of music therapy.

Abnormal prefrontal brain activation during a verbal fluency task in bipolar disorder patients with psychotic symptoms using multichannel NIRS.

Purpose: Bipolar disorder (BD) patients with psychotic symptoms (BDp) worsens prognosis and decreases rates of recovery. The study investigated cognitive performance and brain function between BD patients in depressive episode with and without psychotic symptoms to find potential neurobiological markers associated with psychotic features of BD patients in depressive episode.

Patients And Methods: Thirty-one patients without psychotic symptoms and 29 patients with psychotic symptoms diagnosed with bipolar I disorder with a current depressive episode were included in the present study.

Reduced prefrontal activation during verbal fluency task in chronic insomnia disorder: a multichannel near-infrared spectroscopy study.

Purpose: Daytime complaints such as memory and attention deficits and failure to accomplish daily tasks are common in insomnia patients. However, objective psychological tests to detect cognitive impairment are equivocal. Neural function associated with cognitive performance may explain the discrepancy.

Improvement of Orbitofrontal Cortex Function Associated with Blephrospasm Symptom Remission.

Objective: To determine whether orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) function improves with blepharospasm (BSP) symptom remission using a verbal fluency task and near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS).

Methods: Nineteen BSP patients and 9 healthy controls (HCs) matched by gender and education were examined using NIRS. The BSP patients were divided into 2 groups based on the onset or remission of BSP symptoms.

Near-Infrared Spectroscopy Reveals Abnormal Hemodynamics in the Left Dorsolateral Prefrontal Cortex of Menopausal Depression Patients.

. Menopausal depression (MD) is characterized by depressive symptoms along with hormonal fluctuations. We investigate brain function alteration between major depressive disorder (MDD) and MD.

Prefrontal Hemodynamic Functions during a Verbal Fluency Task in Blepharospasm Using Multi-Channel NIRS.

Blepharospasm (BSP) has a morbidity of 16 to 133 per million and is characterized by orbicularis oculi spasms. BSP can severely impact daily life. However, to date, its pathophysiology has not been clearly demonstrated.

Plasma galanin is a biomarker for severity of major depressive disorder.

Objective: This study investigated the association between plasma galanin level and depression severity.

Methods: The severity of depression symptoms of 79 patients with major depressive disorder (MDD; 52 women and 27 men, 71 patients in onset, 8 in remission) was assessed using the 17-item Hamilton Depression Rating Scale. Venous fasting blood samples (5 mL) were taken from the 79 MDD patients, 35 healthy siblings, and 19 healthy controls, and plasma samples were prepared.

P300 differences exist between Tourette's syndrome with and without attention deficiency and hyperactivity disorder in children.

Objective: To study the characteristics of P300 in Tourette's syndrome (TS) with and without attention deficiency and hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

Method: Auditory evoked P300 were recorded in 19 TS only (TS-ADHD) children, 15 TS with ADHD (TS + ADHD) children and 20 unaffected control subjects, and their waveforms, amplitudes, latencies and topographies were compared at Fz, Cz, C3, C4 and Pz.

Results: The TS + ADHD group showed shorter latencies than control subjects at all electrode sites (P<0.

Comorbid behavioural problems in Tourette's syndrome are positively correlated with the severity of tic symptoms.

Objective: We studied the comorbid behavioural and mood problems in children with non-psychiatric Tourette's syndrome (TS) and their relationship with severity of tic disorder.

Method: Sixty-nine TS children and 69 healthy controls were assessed by Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) and Yale Global Tic Severity Scale (YGTSS). The relationships between behavioural problems and severity of tic symptoms were analysed statistically by comparison, correlation and multiple linear regression.

[Association study of sleep apnea syndrome and polymorphisms in the serotonin transporter gene].

Objective: To identify polymorphisms of the serotonin transporter(5-HTT) gene and to find out whether there was relationship between any such polymorphisms and sleep apnea syndrome (SAS).

Methods: For two polymorphisms of 5-HTT target DNA gene was amplified using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and 6% non-denaturing polyacrylamide gels electrophoresis. The frequencies of the different forms of the genotypes and alleles of 5-HTT gene were analyzed in 104 patients with SAS and 150 healthy controls.