Introduction: Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a high-prevalent neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by inattention, impulsivity, and hyperactivity, frequently co-occurring with other psychiatric and medical conditions. Current diagnosis is time-consuming and often delays effective treatment; to date, no valid biomarker has been identified to facilitate this process. Research has linked the core symptoms of ADHD to autonomic dysfunction resulting from impaired arousal modulation, which contributes to physiological abnormalities that may serve as useful biomarkers for the disorder.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThis study aimed to explore the physiological dynamics of cognitive stress in patients with Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) and design a multiparametric model for objectively measuring severity of depression. Physiological signal recordings from 40 MDD patients and 40 healthy controls were collected in a baseline stage, in a stress-inducing stage using two cognitive tests, and in the recovery period. Several features were extracted from electrocardiography, photoplethysmography, electrodermal activity, respiration, and temperature.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Mental health conditions have become a substantial cause of disability worldwide, resulting in economic burden and strain on the public health system. Incorporating cognitive and physiological biomarkers using noninvasive sensors combined with self-reported questionnaires can provide a more accurate characterization of the individual's well-being. Biomarkers such as heart rate variability or those extracted from the electrodermal activity signal are commonly considered as indices of autonomic nervous system functioning, providing objective indicators of stress response.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe increasing burden on mental health has become a worldwide concern especially due to its substantial negative social and economic impact. The implementation of prevention actions and psychological interventions is crucial to mitigate these consequences, and evidence supporting its effectiveness would facilitate a more assertive response. Heart rate variability biofeedback (HRV-BF) has been proposed as a potential intervention to improve mental wellbeing through mechanisms in autonomic functioning.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground And Objective: The Covid-19 pandemic continues challenging health systems globally, exposing healthcare workers to constant physical and psychological stressors. To date, several studies have already shown the catastrophic impact on the mental health of medical personnel during the early period of the pandemic. Nevertheless, literature evidences the dearth of works that evaluate the effect over time, understanding the pandemic as a sustained extreme stressor.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFEnferm Clin (Engl Ed)
June 2022
Objective: To determine the impact that the COVID-19 pandemic has had on health professionals, in terms of work changes and mental health.
Method: 1) Cross-sectional study and 2) longitudinal prospective study on health professionals who worked directly with patients affected by COVID-19 pandemic during the period between March-June 2020 in a tertiary hospital in Barcelona. Baseline (July-November 2020) and follow-up (November 2020-March 2021) data were collected.
Objective: To determine the impact that the COVID-19 pandemic has had on health professionals, in terms of work changes and mental health.
Method: 1) Cross-sectional study and 2) longitudinal prospective study on health professionals who worked directly with patients affected by COVID-19 pandemic during the period between March-June 2020 in a tertiary hospital in Barcelona. Baseline (July-November 2020) and follow-up (November 2020-March 2021) data were collected.
Background And Objective: The Covid-19 pandemic continues challenging health systems globally, exposing healthcare workers to constant physical and psychological stressors. To date, several studies have already shown the catastrophic impact on the mental health of medical personnel during the early period of the pandemic. Nevertheless, literature evidences the dearth of works that evaluate the effect over time, understanding the pandemic as a sustained extreme stressor.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIntroduction: The SARS-CoV-2 outbreak is posing unprecedented care scenarios, increasing the psychological distress among healthcare workers while reducing the efficiency of health systems. This work evaluated the psychological impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on Spanish frontline healthcare workers of two tertiary hospitals.
Material And Methods: Healthcare workers were recruited from the medical units designated for the care of Covid-19 patients.
Caregiver burnout syndrome is an increasingly seen condition, although the subjective nature of self-administered psychometric tests and the lack of a consensual diagnostic tool might hinder a proper diagnosis. The availability of objective psychosomatic measures of stress might facilitate the early diagnosis and clinical management of these patients. For this reason, the aim of this work was to develop a quantitative tool to evaluate the stress level of caregivers in a noninvasive and repeatable manner.
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