Biological pathways associated with neuroprogression in bipolar disorder

There is evidence suggesting clinical progression in a subset of patients with bipolar disorder (BD). This progression is associated with worse clinical outcomes and biological changes. Molecular pathways and biological markers of clinical progression have been identified and may explain the progressive changes associated with this disorder. The biological basis for clinical progression in BD is called neuroprogression. We propose that the following intertwined pathways provide the biological basis of neuroprogression: inflammation, oxidative stress, impaired calcium signaling, endoplasmic reticulum and mitochondrial dysfunction, and impaired neuroplasticity and cellular resilience. The nonlinear interaction of these pathways may worsen clinical outcomes, cognition, and functioning. Understanding neuroprogression in BD is crucial for identifying novel therapeutic targets, preventing illness progression, and ultimately promoting better outcomes

Effects of childhood trauma on BDNF and TBARS during crack-cocaine withdrawal

Objective: To evaluate the association between childhood trauma (CT) and serum levels of brainderived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances (TBARS) during crackcocaine withdrawal. Method: Thirty-three male crack-cocaine users were recruited at admission to a public addiction treatment unit. Serum BDNF and TBARS levels were evaluated at intake and discharge. Information about drug use was assessed by the Addiction Severity Index-6th Version (ASI-6); CT was reported throughout the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ). CTQ scores were calculated based on a latent analysis model that divided the sample into low-, medium-, and high-level trauma groups. Results: There was a significant increase in BDNF levels from admission to discharge, which did not differ across CT subgroups. For TBARS levels, we found a significant time vs. trauma interaction (F2,28 = 6.357, p = 0.005,Zp 2 = 0.312). In participants with low trauma level, TBARS decreased, while in those with a high trauma level, TBARS increased during early withdrawal. Conclusion: TBARS levels showed opposite patterns of change in crack-cocaine withdrawal according to baseline CT. These results suggest that CT could be associated with more severe neurological impairment during withdrawal

Early life stress interacts with the diet deficiency of Omega-3 fatty acids during the life course increasing the metabolic vulnerability in adult rats

Early stress can cause metabolic disorders in adulthood. Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 PUFAs) deficiency has also been linked to the development of metabolic disorders. The aim of this study was to assess whether an early stressful event such as maternal separation interacts with the nutritional availability of n-3 PUFAs during the life course on metabolic aspects. Litters were randomized into: maternal separated (MS) and non-handled (NH). The MS group was removed from their dam for 3 hours per day and put in an incubator at 32uC on days 1u to 10u postnatal (PND). On PND 35, males were subdivided into diets that were adequate or deficient in n-3 PUFAs, and this intervention was applied during the subsequent 15 weeks. Animal’s body weight and food consumption were measured weekly, and at the end of the treatment tissues were collected. MS was associated with increased food intake (p = 0.047) and weight gain (p = 0.012), but no differences were found in the NPY hypothalamic content between the groups. MS rats had also increased deposition of abdominal fat (p,0.001) and plasma triglycerides (p = 0.018) when compared to the NH group. Interactions between early life stress and n-3 PUFAs deficiency were found in plasma insulin (p = 0.033), HOMA index (p = 0.049), leptin (p = 0.010) and liver PEPCK expression (p = 0.050), in which the metabolic vulnerability in the MS group was aggravated by the n-3 PUFAs deficient diet exposure. This was associated with specific alterations in the peripheral fatty acid profile. Variations in the neonatal environment interact with nutritional aspects during the life course, such as n-3 PUFAs diet content, and persistently alter the metabolic vulnerability in adulthood

The measure of positive psychological capital: evidence of factorial invariance in workers of different professions in João Pessoa-PB and Natal-RN: English

O presente estudo o objetivo de verificar a consistência e invariância da estrutura fatorial da medida de capital psicológico positivo em trabalhadores de distintas profissões. O construto do capital psicológico trata-se de um fator positividade socio-cognitiva, a qual, busca verificar a qualidade de vida de trabalhadores relacionada ao desenvolvimento de afetos e emoções, motivação e autodeterminação, inteligência emocional e bem-estar destinado a elaboração e implantação de mecanismos de proteção das capacidades psicológicas para o enfrentamento das adversidades humanos e laborais no ambiente de trabalho. Esta escala tem sido utilizada no Brasil com bastante frequência para avaliação do comportamento organizacional, motivo pelo qual, objetivou o desenvolvimento desta pesquisa. 316 trabalhadores brasileiros da cidade de Natal, RN e João Pessoa - PB, de 21 a 59 anos, a maioria do sexo feminino, bem como, tendo uma renda econômica acima de 4.000,00 R$. Estes responderam a Escala de Capital Psicológico Positivo (ECPP) e dados sociodemográficos. Observou-se que, na análise confirmatória, os indicadores psicométricos revelaram consistência e invariância fatorial, confirmando a tetrafatorialidade como a melhor estrutura fatorial deste construto independente da especificidade amostral.The present study aims at verifying the consistency and invariance of the positive factorial psychological capital measurement in employees with different professions. The psychological capital construct concerns a factor of social-cognitive positivity that tries to check the employees’ life quality related to the development of affections and emotions, motivation and self-determination, emotional intelligence and well-being turned to the elaboration and implementation of protection mechanisms from the psychological capabilities for facing human and labor adversities in the work environment. This scale has been used in Brazil quite frequently for the assessment of the organizational behavior, and this is the reason why this research was aimed at 316 Brazilian employees from the cities of Natal and João Pessoa, Brazil, aged between 21 and 59 years old, mostly females and holding an economic income above R$ 4.000,00. They answered to the Positive Psychological Capital Scale (PPCS) and social-demographic data. The confirmatory analysis demonstrated that the psychometric indicators showed inconsistency and factorial invariance, confirming the tetra-factorial as the best factor structure in this independent construct of sample specificity

EXPERIÊNCIAS DE PUÉRPERAS NA IDENTIFICAÇÃO DE SINAIS DE FOME DO RECÉM-NASCIDO

Objetivo: conhecer experiências de puérperas em relação à identificação de sinais de fome do recém-nascido. Método: estudo descritivo, exploratório, qualitativo, realizado na maternidade do Hospital Universitário Antônio Pedro. Os dados, coletados em entrevistas semiestruturadas, foram submetidos à análise de conteúdo na modalidade temática. Resultados: as entrevistadas revelaram conhecimentos empíricos em relação ao reconhecimento de sinaisde fome de seus bebês, como o choro, abrir a boca, buscar o seio, agitação, irritação, dentre outros, além de assinalarem a escassez de orientações sobre tal assunto pelos profissionais de saúde, especialmente de enfermagem.Conclusão: as puérperas identificam os sinais de fome dos seus filhos, mas é essencial o apoio do profissional de saúde, para que se estabeleça a amamentação orientada individualmente, com foco nas necessidades reais das mulheres nutrizes e de seus bebês.Descritores: Enfermagem; Aleitamento materno; Período pós-parto