Acceptance and Commitment Therapy plus usual care for improving quality of life in people with motor neuron disease (COMMEND): a multicentre, parallel, randomised controlled trial in the UK.

Background: Motor neuron disease is a progressive, fatal neurodegenerative disease for which there is no cure. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) is a psychological therapy incorporating acceptance, mindfulness, and behaviour change techniques. We aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of ACT plus usual care, compared with usual care alone, for improving quality of life in people with motor neuron disease.

Cost-effectiveness of acceptance and commitment therapy for people living with motor neuron disease, and their health-related quality of life.

Background: Given the degenerative nature of the condition, people living with motor neuron disease (MND) experience high levels of psychological distress. The purpose of this research was to investigate the cost-effectiveness of acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), adapted for the specific needs of this population, for improving quality of life.

Methods: A trial-based cost-utility analysis over a 9-month period was conducted comparing ACT plus usual care (n = 97) versus usual care alone (n = 94) from the perspective of the National Health Service.

A randomised controlled trial of acceptance and commitment therapy plus usual care compared to usual care alone for improving psychological health in people with motor neuron disease (COMMEND): study protocol.

Background: Motor neuron disease (MND) is a rapidly progressive, fatal neurodegenerative disease that predominantly affects motor neurons from the motor cortex to the spinal cord and causes progressive wasting and weakening of bulbar, limb, abdominal and thoracic muscles. Prognosis is poor and median survival is 2-3 years following symptom onset. Psychological distress is relatively common in people living with MND.

Metacognition in functional cognitive disorder.

Functional cognitive disorder is common but underlying mechanisms remain poorly understood. Metacognition, an individual's ability to reflect on and monitor cognitive processes, is likely to be relevant. Local metacognition refers to an ability to estimate confidence in cognitive performance on a moment-to-moment basis, whereas global metacognition refers to long-run self-evaluations of overall performance.

Assessing frailty indicators in the context of psychiatric disorder: A Delphi consensus study.

Objectives: Substantial construct overlap exists between indicators of frailty and symptoms of some psychiatric disorders. This study aimed to gain consensus of expert academic opinion on the potential impact of psychiatric illness on frailty assessment and how best to conceptualise and measure frailty indicators in the context of psychiatric symptoms.

Design: A classic Delphi approach was employed across two studies to achieve consensus: The first-round questionnaire consisted of open-ended questions, analysed through content analysis.

Acceptance and commitment therapy for older people with treatment-resistant generalised anxiety disorder: the FACTOID feasibility study.

Background: Generalised anxiety disorder, characterised by excessive anxiety and worry, is the most common anxiety disorder among older people. It is a condition that may persist for decades and is associated with numerous negative outcomes. Front-line treatments include pharmacological and psychological therapy, but many older people do not find these treatments effective.

COVID-19 Deaths in the United States: Shifts in Hot Spots over the Three Phases of the Pandemic and the Spatiotemporally Varying Impact of Pandemic Vulnerability.

The geographic areas most impacted by COVID-19 may not remain static because public health measures/behaviors change dynamically, and the impacts of pandemic vulnerability also may vary geographically and temporally. The nature of the pandemic makes spatiotemporal methods essential to understanding the distribution of COVID-19 deaths and developing interventions. This study examines the spatiotemporal trends in COVID-19 death rates in the United States from March 2020 to May 2021 by performing an emerging hot spot analysis (EHSA).

Acceptance and commitment therapy for late-life treatment-resistant generalised anxiety disorder: a feasibility study.

Background: Generalised anxiety disorder (GAD) is the most common anxiety disorder in older people. First-line management includes pharmacological and psychological therapies, but many do not find these effective or acceptable. Little is known about how to manage treatment-resistant generalised anxiety disorder (TR-GAD) in older people.

Metacognition in functional cognitive disorder- a potential mechanism and treatment target.

Functional Cognitive Disorder (FCD) is common. Despite this, there is no evidence-based consensus on how to treat FCD. Poor metacognitive ability has been suggested as a key mechanism underlying the disorder.

Optimising the acceptability and feasibility of acceptance and commitment therapy for treatment-resistant generalised anxiety disorder in older adults.

Background: generalised anxiety disorder (GAD) is common in later life with a prevalence of 3-12%. Many only partially respond to cognitive behavioural therapy or pharmacotherapy and can be classified as treatment resistant. These patients experience poor quality of life, and are at increased risk of comorbid depression, falls and loneliness.

Clinical presentation and neuropsychological profiles of Functional Cognitive Disorder patients with and without co-morbid depression.

Introduction: Functional Cognitive Disorder (FCD) is poorly understood. We sought to better characterise FCD in order to inform future diagnostic criteria and evidence based treatments. Additionally, we compared FCD patients with and without co-morbid depression, including their neuropsychological profiles, to determine whether these two disorders are distinct.

Multicomponent Frailty Assessment Tools for Older People with Psychiatric Disorders: A Systematic Review.

Objective: To review evidence evaluating the use of multicomponent frailty assessment tools in assessing frailty in older adults with psychiatric disorders.

Methods: A systematic literature review was conducted to identify all multicomponent frailty assessment tools (ie, a tool that assesses two or more indicators of frailty). The items of each frailty assessment tool were compared with Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th edition (DSM-5) diagnostic criteria for psychiatric disorders to assess construct overlap.

The neurochemistry of agitation in Alzheimer's disease: a systematic review.

Objective: To provide an up-to-date systematic review of the characteristics, methodology and findings of studies that have investigated the neurochemistry of agitation in Alzheimer's disease (AD).

Methods: Electronic databases were searched for published peer-reviewed articles which provided data on any neurotransmitter system in relation to agitation in AD. Screening of titles and abstracts and data extraction from full texts were conducted in duplicate.

TNF alpha inhibitors in Alzheimer's disease: A systematic review.

Objectives: The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of tumour necrosis factor-alpha inhibitors (TNF-αI) on Alzheimer's disease-associated pathology.

Design: A literature search of PubMed, Embase, PsychINFO, Web of Science, Scopus, and the Cochrane Library databases for human and animal studies that evaluated the use of TNF-αI was performed on 26 October 2016.

Results: The main outcomes assessed were cognition and behaviour, reduction in brain tissue mass, presence of plaques and tangles, and synaptic function.

Magnetic resonance imaging of the human locus coeruleus: A systematic review.

The locus coeruleus (LC), the major origin of noradrenergic modulation of the central nervous system, innervates extensive areas throughout the brain and is implicated in a variety of autonomic and cognitive functions. Alterations in the LC-noradrenergic system have been associated with healthy ageing and neuropsychiatric disorders including Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease and depression. The last decade has seen advances in imaging the structure and function of the LC, and this paper systematically reviews the methodology and outcomes of sixty-nine structural and functional MRI studies of the LC in humans.

Predictors of treatment outcome in depression in later life: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Predictor analyses of late-life depression can be used to identify variables associated with outcomes of treatments, and hence ways of tailoring specific treatments to patients. The aim of this review was to systematically identify, review and meta-analyse predictors of outcomes of any type of treatment for late-life depression.

Methods: Pubmed, Embase, CINAHL, Web of Science and PsycINFO were searched for studies published up to December 2016.

Psychometric properties of multicomponent tools designed to assess frailty in older adults: A systematic review.

Background: Frailty is widely recognised as a distinct multifactorial clinical syndrome that implies vulnerability. The links between frailty and adverse outcomes such as death and institutionalisation have been widely evidenced. There is currently no gold standard frailty assessment tool; optimizing the assessment of frailty in older people therefore remains a research priority.