Background: Obesity and depression are both associated with changes in sleep/wake regulation, with potential implications for individualized treatment especially in comorbid individuals suffering from both. However, the associations between obesity, depression, and subjective, questionnaire-based and objective, EEG-based measurements of sleepiness used to assess disturbed sleep/wake regulation in clinical practice are not well known.
Objectives: The study investigates associations between sleep/wake regulation measures based on self-reported subjective questionnaires and EEG-derived measurements of sleep/wake regulation patterns with depression and obesity and how/whether depression and/or obesity affect associations between such self-reported subjective questionnaires and EEG-derived measurements.
Obesity and depression are two major public health concerns, particularly when they co-occur. To date, mechanisms underlying this association have not been established and it is unclear why some obese people become depressed whilst others do not. However, considering the strong association between depression and cognitive reactivity (CR), the present study explores possible associations between obesity, depression and CR in light of the scarce and conflicting nature of past literature.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: In major depressive disorder (MDD), findings include hyperstable regulation of brain arousal measured by electroencephalography (EEG) vigilance analysis and alterations in serum levels of cytokines. It is also known that cytokines affect sleep-wake regulation. This study investigated the relationship between cytokines and EEG vigilance in participants with MDD and nondepressed controls, and the influence of cytokines on differences in vigilance between the two groups.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFContext: Chronic systemic inflammation in obesity originates from local immune responses in visceral adipose tissue. However, assessment of a broad range of inflammation-mediating cytokines and their relationship to physical activity and adipometrics has scarcely been reported to date.
Objective: To characterize the profile of a broad range of pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines and the impact of physical activity and energy expenditure in individuals with general obesity, central obesity, and non-obese subjects.
In major depressive disorder, changes in cytokine levels have been reported to play a role in pathogenesis. Therefore, we sought to investigate a broad range of cytokines in depression. We compared serum levels of interleukin (IL)-2, IL-4, IL-5, IL-10, IL-12, IL-13, granulocyte macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF), interferon (INF-γ) and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α in 64 subjects with current depression and 206 non-depressed subjects.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFStructural and metabolic alterations in prefrontal brain areas, including the subgenual (SGPFC), medial (MPFC) and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC), have been shown in major depressive disorder (MDD). Still it remains largely unknown how brain connectivity within these regions is altered at the level of neuronal oscillations. Therefore, the goal was to analyze prefrontal electroencephalographic phase synchronization in MDD and its changes after antidepressant treatment.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFWhen dealing with electroencephalograms (EEGs) recorded under resting conditions, periods of low-voltage activity might indicate drowsiness, but mental activation as well. Thus, low-voltage EEG retrieves a notorious source of confusion. The simultaneous occurrence of drowsiness related slow horizontal eye movements (SEM) allow to assign low-voltage EEG-activity to a brain state of reduced vigilance instead of mental activation.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground/aim: Recently, a framework has been presented that links vigilance regulation, i.e. tonic brain arousal, with clinical symptoms of affective disorders.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFWe investigated state effects of two forms of meditation on electroencephalography prefrontal α-asymmetry, a global indicator of approach versus withdrawal motivation and related affective state. A clinical series of previously depressed individuals were guided to practice either mindfulness breathing meditation (N = 8) or a form of meditation directly aimed at cultivating positive affect, loving kindness or metta meditation (N = 7). Prefrontal asymmetry was assessed directly before and after the 15-min meditation period.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAlthough neuroticism has long been established as an important risk factor for depression, the mechanisms through which this temperamental predisposition translates into the occurrence of symptoms are still relatively unclear. This study investigated cognitive reactivity, i.e.
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