Results of the COVID-19 mental health international for the general population (COMET-G) study.

INTRODUCTION: There are few published empirical data on the effects of COVID-19 on mental health, and until now, there is no large international study. MATERIAL AND METHODS: During the COVID-19 pandemic, an online questionnaire gathered data from 55,589 participants from 40 countries (64.85% females aged 35.80 ± 13.61; 34.05% males aged 34.90±13.29 and 1.10% other aged 31.64±13.15). Distress and probable depression were identified with the use of a previously developed cut-off and algorithm respectively. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS: Descriptive statistics were calculated. Chi-square tests, multiple forward stepwise linear regression analyses and Factorial Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) tested relations among variables. RESULTS: Probable depression was detected in 17.80% and distress in 16.71%. A significant percentage reported a deterioration in mental state, family dynamics and everyday lifestyle. Persons with a history of mental disorders had higher rates of current depression (31.82% vs. 13.07%). At least half of participants were accepting (at least to a moderate degree) a non-bizarre conspiracy. The highest Relative Risk (RR) to develop depression was associated with history of Bipolar disorder and self-harm/attempts (RR = 5.88). Suicidality was not increased in persons without a history of any mental disorder. Based on these results a model was developed. CONCLUSIONS: The final model revealed multiple vulnerabilities and an interplay leading from simple anxiety to probable depression and suicidality through distress. This could be of practical utility since many of these factors are modifiable. Future research and interventions should specifically focus on them

Glutamine synthetase activity and glutamine content in brain: modulation by NMDA receptors and nitric oxide

Acute intoxication with large doses of ammonia leads to rapid death. The main mechanism for ammonia elimination in brain is its reaction with glutamate to form glutamine. This reaction is catalyzed by glutamine synthetase and consumes ATP. In the course of studies on the molecular mechanism of acute ammonia toxicity, we have found that glutamine synthetase activity and glutamine content in brain are modulated by NMDA receptors and nitric oxide. The main findings can be summarized as follows. Blocking NMDA receptors prevents ammonia-induced depletion of brain ATP and death of rats but not the increase in brain glutamine, indicating that ammonia toxicity is not due to increased activity of glutamine synthetase or formation of glutamine but to excessive activation of NMDA receptors. Blocking NMDA receptors in vivo increases glutamine synthetase activity and glutamine content in brain, indicating that tonic activation of NMDA receptors maintains a tonic inhibition of glutamine synthetase. Blocking NMDA receptors in vivo increases the activity of glutamine synthetase assayed in vitro, indicating that increased activity is due to a covalent modification of the enzyme. Nitric oxide inhibits glutamine synthetase, indicating that the covalent modification that inhibits glutamine synthetase is a nitrosylation or a nitration. Inhibition of nitric oxide synthase increases the activity of glutamine synthetase, indicating that the covalent modification is reversible and it must be an enzyme that denitrosylate or denitrate glutamine synthetase. NMDA mediated activation of nitric oxide synthase is responsible only for part of the tonic inhibition of glutamine synthetase. Other sources of nitric oxide are also contributing to this tonic inhibition. Glutamine synthetase is not working at maximum rate in brain and its activity may be increased pharmacologically by manipulating NMDA receptors or nitric oxide content. This may be useful, for example, to increase ammonia detoxification in brain in hyperammonemic situations.Supported in part by grants from the Spanish Plan Nacional de I + D (SAF97-0001) and of the Promoción General del Conocimiento of Ministerio de Educación y Cultura (PM99-0019)

Widely applicable metallacarborane reagents for ?-conjugated systems

The compounds [N(CH3)4][3,3?-Co(8-(p-C6H4C2H3)-1,2-C2B9H10)(1?,2?-C2B9H11)], [N(CH3)4][3,3?-Co(8-(p-C6H4CHO)-1,2-C2B9H10)(1?,2?-C2B9H11)], and [N(CH3)4][3,3?-Co(8-(m-C6H4CHO)-1,2-C2B9H10)(1?,2?-C2B9H11)] were synthesized using an easy methodology, in very good yields and large quantities, which are important requisites to be employed as starting reagents. They have been fully characterized by elemental analysis, IR, NMR, and MALDI-TOF-MS, and the crystal structures of [N(CH3)4][3,3?-Co(8-(p-C6H4C2H3)-1,2-C2B9H10)(1?,2?-C2B9H11)] and [N(CH3)4][3,3?-Co(8-(p-C6H4CHO)-1,2-C2B9H10)(1?,2?-C2B9H11)] were elucidated by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. These compounds, having terminal formyl and vinyl functional groups, are suitable platforms to involve the aromatic cobaltabisdicarbollide unit into extended ?-conjugated systems. It is expected that these synthons will facilitate the applicability of metallacarboranes in a wide variety of different fields, where ?-conjugated systems are needed to keep electronic communication

Results of the COVID-19 mental health international for the health professionals (COMET-HP) study: depression, suicidal tendencies and conspiracism.

IntroductionThe current study aimed to investigate the rates of anxiety, clinical depression, and suicidality and their changes in health professionals during the COVID-19 outbreak.Materials and methodsThe data came from the larger COMET-G study. The study sample includes 12,792 health professionals from 40 countries (62.40% women aged 39.76 ± 11.70; 36.81% men aged 35.91 ± 11.00 and 0.78% non-binary gender aged 35.15 ± 13.03). Distress and clinical depression were identified with the use of a previously developed cut-off and algorithm, respectively.Statistical analysisDescriptive statistics were calculated. Chi-square tests, multiple forward stepwise linear regression analyses, and Factorial Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) tested relations among variables.ResultsClinical depression was detected in 13.16% with male doctors and 'non-binary genders' having the lowest rates (7.89 and 5.88% respectively) and 'non-binary gender' nurses and administrative staff had the highest (37.50%); distress was present in 15.19%. A significant percentage reported a deterioration in mental state, family dynamics, and everyday lifestyle. Persons with a history of mental disorders had higher rates of current depression (24.64% vs. 9.62%; p < 0.0001). Suicidal tendencies were at least doubled in terms of RASS scores. Approximately one-third of participants were accepting (at least to a moderate degree) a non-bizarre conspiracy. The highest Relative Risk (RR) to develop clinical depression was associated with a history of Bipolar disorder (RR = 4.23).ConclusionsThe current study reported findings in health care professionals similar in magnitude and quality to those reported earlier in the general population although rates of clinical depression, suicidal tendencies, and adherence to conspiracy theories were much lower. However, the general model of factors interplay seems to be the same and this could be of practical utility since many of these factors are modifiable

The effect of different degrees of lockdown and self-identified gender on anxiety, depression and suicidality during the COVID-19 pandemic: Data from the international COMET-G study.

IntroductionDuring the COVID-19 pandemic various degrees of lockdown were applied by countries around the world. It is considered that such measures have an adverse effect on mental health but the relationship of measure intensity with the mental health effect has not been thoroughly studied. Here we report data from the larger COMET-G study pertaining to this question.Material and methodsDuring the COVID-19 pandemic, data were gathered with an online questionnaire from 55,589 participants from 40 countries (64.85% females aged 35.80 ± 13.61; 34.05% males aged 34.90±13.29 and 1.10% other aged 31.64±13.15). Anxiety was measured with the STAI, depression with the CES-D and suicidality with the RASS. Distress and probable depression were identified with the use of a previously developed cut-off and algorithm respectively.Statistical analysisIt included the calculation of Relative Risk (RR), Factorial ANOVA and Multiple backwards stepwise linear regression analysis RESULTS: Approximately two-thirds were currently living under significant restrictions due to lockdown. For both males and females the risk to develop clinical depression correlated significantly with each and every level of increasing lockdown degree (RR 1.72 and 1.90 respectively). The combined lockdown and psychiatric history increased RR to 6.88 The overall relationship of lockdown with severity of depression, though significant was small.ConclusionsThe current study is the first which reports an almost linear relationship between lockdown degree and effect in mental health. Our findings, support previous suggestions concerning the need for a proactive targeted intervention to protect mental health more specifically in vulnerable groups