Circulating Brain-Reactive Autoantibody Profiles in Military Breachers Exposed to Repetitive Occupational Blast.

Military breachers are routinely exposed to repetitive low-level blast overpressure, placing them at elevated risk for long-term neurological sequelae. Mounting evidence suggests that circulating brain-reactive autoantibodies, generated following CNS injury, may serve as both biomarkers of cumulative damage and drivers of secondary neuroinflammation. In this study, we compared circulating autoantibody profiles in military breachers ( = 18) with extensive blast exposure against unexposed military controls ( = 19).

Impact of psilocybin on cognitive function: A systematic review.

Psilocybin is a classic psychedelic with demonstrated preliminary clinical efficacy in a range of psychiatric disorders. Evaluating the impact of psilocybin on cognitive function is essential to unravel its potential benefits and risks. In this systematic review, we assessed psilocybin's effect on cognitive function through a comprehensive search of electronic databases from inception to January 2024, identifying 20 articles involving 2,959 participants.

Digital Interventions to Understand and Mitigate Stress Response: Protocol for Process and Content Evaluation of a Cohort Study.

Background: Staffing and resource shortages, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, have increased stress levels among health care workers. Many health care workers have reported feeling unable to maintain the quality of care expected within their profession, which, at times, may lead to moral distress and moral injury. Currently, interventions for moral distress and moral injury are limited.

A tale of two targets: examining the differential effects of posterior cingulate cortex- and amygdala-targeted fMRI-neurofeedback in a PTSD pilot study.

Introduction: Real-time fMRI-based neurofeedback (rt-fMRI-NFB) is a non-invasive technology that enables individuals to self-regulate brain activity linked to neuropsychiatric symptoms, including those associated with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Selecting the target brain region for neurofeedback-mediated regulation is primarily informed by the neurobiological characteristics of the participant population. There is a strong link between PTSD symptoms and multiple functional disruptions in the brain, including hyperactivity within both the amygdala and posterior cingulate cortex (PCC) during trauma-related processing.

'I am afraid you will see the stain on my soul': Direct gaze neural processing in individuals with PTSD after moral injury recall.

Direct eye contact is essential to understanding others' thoughts and feelings in social interactions. However, those with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and exposure to moral injury (MI) may exhibit altered theory-of-mind (ToM)/mentalizing processes and experience shame which precludes one's capacity for direct eye contact. We investigated blood oxygenation level-dependent (BOLD) responses associated with direct vs averted gaze using a virtual reality paradigm in individuals with PTSD (n = 28) relative to healthy controls (n = 18) following recall of a MI vs a neutral memory.

Moral Distress, Mental Health, and Risk and Resilience Factors Among Military Personnel Deployed to Long-Term Care Facilities During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Research Protocol and Participation Metrics.

Background: The earliest days of the COVID-19 pandemic in Canada were marked by a significant surge in COVID-19 cases and COVID-19-related deaths among residents of long-term care facilities (LTCFs). As part of Canada's response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) personnel were mobilized for an initial emergency domestic deployment to the hardest-hit LTCFs (Operation LASER LTCF) to support the remaining civilian staff in ensuring the continued delivery of care to residents. Akin to what was observed following past CAF international humanitarian missions, there was an expected increased risk of exposure to multiple stressors that may be psychologically traumatic and potentially morally injurious in nature (ie, related to core values, eg, witnessing human suffering).

A randomized controlled trial of Deep Brain Reorienting: a neuroscientifically guided treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder.

Background: Advanced neuroscientific insights surrounding post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and its associated symptomatology should beget psychotherapeutic treatments that integrate these insights into practice. Deep Brain Reorienting (DBR) is a neuroscientifically-guided psychotherapeutic intervention that targets the brainstem-level neurophysiological sequence that transpired during a traumatic event. Given that contemporary treatments have non-response rates of up to 50% and high drop-out rates of >18%, DBR is investigated as a putative candidate for effective treatment of some individuals with PTSD.

How the body remembers: Examining the default mode and sensorimotor networks during moral injury autobiographical memory retrieval in PTSD.

Neural representations of sensory percepts and motor responses constitute key elements of autobiographical memory. However, these representations may remain as unintegrated sensory and motor fragments in traumatic memory, thus contributing toward re-experiencing and reliving symptoms in trauma-related conditions such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Here, we investigated the sensorimotor network (SMN) and posterior default mode network (pDMN) using a group independent component analysis (ICA) by examining their functional connectivity during a script-driven memory retrieval paradigm of (potentially) morally injurious events in individuals with PTSD and healthy controls.

Investigating TSPO levels in occupation-related posttraumatic stress disorder.

Microglia are immune brain cells implicated in stress-related mental illnesses including posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Their role in the pathophysiology of PTSD, and on neurobiological systems that regulate stress, is not completely understood. We tested the hypothesis that microglia activation, in fronto-limbic brain regions involved in PTSD, would be elevated in participants with occupation-related PTSD.

Cortical Gyrification Morphology in Adult Males with Mild Traumatic Brain Injury.

Cortical gyrification, as a specific measure derived from magnetic resonance imaging, remains understudied in mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI). Local gyrification index (GI) and mean curvature are related measures indexing the patterned folding of the cortex,ml which reflect distinct properties of cortical morphology and geometry. Using both metrics, we examined cortical gyrification morphology in 59 adult males with mTBI ( = 29) versus those without ( = 30) mTBI in the subacute phase of injury (between 2 weeks and 3 months).

A Distinct Metabolite Signature in Military Personnel Exposed to Repetitive Low-Level Blasts.

Military Breachers and Range Staff (MBRS) are subjected to repeated sub-concussive blasts, and they often report symptoms that are consistent with a mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI). Biomarkers of blast injury would potentially aid blast injury diagnosis, surveillance and avoidance. Our objective was to identify plasma metabolite biomarkers in military personnel that were exposed to repeated low-level or sub-concussive blast overpressure.

Conducting research during the COVID-19 pandemic: the Op LASER study.

The Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) deployed 2595 regular and reserve force personnel on Operation (Op) LASER, the CAF's mission to provide support to civilian staff at longterm care facilities in Ontario and in the Centres d'hébergement de soins de longue durée in Quebec. An online longitudinal survey and in-depth virtual discussions were conducted by a multidisciplinary team of researchers with complementary expertise. This paper highlights the challenges encountered in conducting this research and their impact on the design and implementation of the study, and provides lessons learned that may be useful to researchers responding to similar public health crises in the future.

Moral wounds run deep: exaggerated midbrain functional network connectivity across the default mode network in posttraumatic stress disorder.

Background: A moral injury occurs when a deeply held moral code has been violated, and it can lead to the development of symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). However, the neural correlates that differentiate moral injury and PTSD remain largely unknown. Intrinsic connectivity networks such as the default mode network (DMN) appear to be altered in people with PTSD who have experienced moral injury.

Well-being of Canadian Veterans during the COVID-19 pandemic: cross-sectional results from the COVID-19 Veteran well-being study.

Background: The impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic have disproportionally affected different population groups. Veterans are more likely to have pre-existing mental health conditions compared to the general Canadian population, experience compounded stressors resulting from disruptions to familial, social, and occupational domains, and were faced with changes in health-care delivery (e.g.

Well-being of Canadian Armed Forces Veterans and Spouses of Veterans During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Protocol for a Prospective Longitudinal Survey.

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in significant changes to everyday life, including social distancing mandates, changes to health care, and a heightened risk of infection. Previous research has shown that Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) veterans are at higher risk of developing mental and physical health conditions. Veterans and their families may face unique social challenges that can compound with pandemic-related disruptions to negatively impact well-being.

Differential mechanisms of posterior cingulate cortex downregulation and symptom decreases in posttraumatic stress disorder and healthy individuals using real-time fMRI neurofeedback.

Background: Intrinsic connectivity networks, including the default mode network (DMN), are frequently disrupted in individuals with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The posterior cingulate cortex (PCC) is the main hub of the posterior DMN, where the therapeutic regulation of this region with real-time fMRI neurofeedback (NFB) has yet to be explored.

Methods: We investigated PCC downregulation while processing trauma/stressful words over 3 NFB training runs and a transfer run without NFB (total n = 29, PTSD n = 14, healthy controls n = 15).

Pathways to mental health care in active military populations across the Five-Eyes nations: An integrated perspective.

Military service is associated with increased risk of mental health problems. Previous reviews have pointed to under-utilization of mental health services in military populations. Building on the most recent systematic review, our narrative, critical review takes a complementary approach and considers research across the Five-Eyes nations from the past six years to update and broaden the discussion on pathways to mental healthcare in military populations.

Impacts of morally distressing experiences on the mental health of Canadian health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Background: Research is urgently needed to understand health care workers' (HCWs') experiences of moral-ethical dilemmas encountered throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, and their associations with organizational perceptions and personal well-being. This research is important to prevent long-term moral and psychological distress and to ensure that workers can optimally provide health services.

Objective: Evaluate associations between workplace experiences during COVID-19, moral distress, and the psychological well-being of Canadian HCWs.

Imaging of astrocytes in posttraumatic stress disorder: A PET study with the monoamine oxidase B radioligand [C]SL25.1188.

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a debilitating mental health condition that results from exposure to traumatic event(s). Decreased astrocyte-related proteins (e.g.

Exploring the Well-being of Health Care Workers During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Protocol for a Prospective Longitudinal Study.

Background: Health care workers (HCWs) have experienced several stressors associated with the COVID-19 pandemic. Structural stressors, including extended work hours, redeployment, and changes in organizational mandates, often intersect with interpersonal and personal stressors, such as caring for those with COVID-19 infections; worrying about infection of self, family, and loved ones; working despite shortages of personal protective equipment; and encountering various difficult moral-ethical dilemmas.

Objective: The paper describes the protocol for a longitudinal study seeking to capture the unique experiences, challenges, and changes faced by HCWs during the COVID-19 pandemic.