Inflammatory biomarkers and perinatal depression: a systematic review

This article is a preprint and has not been peer-reviewed [what does this mean?]. It reports new medical research that has yet to be evaluated and so should not be used to guide clinical practice.Background: Approximately 10 to 20% of pregnant women worldwide experience perinatal depression (PND), a depressive episode with onset during pregnancy or after childbirth. We performed a systematic review to identify, summarize and discuss studies on inflammatory biomarkers described in relation to PND. Methods: Inclusion criteria defined the selection of observational studies written in English, French, Spanish or Portuguese, that evaluate analytical levels of inflammatory molecules (protein levels) in biological fluids in women, with a diagnosis of depression using ICD/DSM diagnostic criteria or depressive symptoms assessed by standardized psychometric instruments, during pregnancy and/or postpartum. Case reports, experimental studies, reviews, qualitative analysis, meta-analysis, gray literature or replicated data were excluded. Three electronic databases were used for search (Pubmed, Web of Science and PsychInfo) and quality assessment of selected studies were performed using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale. Data extraction included study design; number of subjects; obstetric information; tools and timepoints of depression and inflammatory markers assessment. Results: 56 studies where the major aim was to analyze the association between depression and inflammatory biomarkers during pregnancy and postpartum period were included in this systematic review. Overall, the findings of our systematic review lend support to the hypothesis that several inflammatory markers may be associated with peripartum depressive symptoms. The associations were somewhat different looking at pregnancy compared to the delivery time-point and postpartum, and mainly referred to increased levels of IL-6, IL-8, CRP and TNF-α among depressed. Discussion: Our results revealed high heterogeneity in relation to the timing of biological sampling for markers, as well as timing and instruments used for depression assessment within the perinatal period for the different studies. Studies differed also in relation to use of biomarkers or depression as exposure and outcome respectively, and whether these were addressed at the same timepoint or separate ones. Given the high burden of PND on women, children and families, it is crucial to try to harmonize methods used in related studies, in order to be able to pool results that could give us insights into the pathophysiological mechanisms behind how the immune system and PND are connected; this could have great impact on early detection, prevention and even treatment of PND.AS-F was supported by the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology and the Portuguese Ministry of Science, Technology and Higher Education, through the national funds, within the scope of the Transitory Disposition of the Decree No. 57/2016, of 29th of August, amended by Law No. 57/2017 of 19 July and previously through the fellowship grant SFRH/BPD/107732/2015. This paper is part of the COST Action Riseup-PPD CA18138 and was supported by COST under COST Action Riseup-PPD CA18138 (Virtual Mobility Grant)

Assessment of posttraumatic stress disorder among women after childbirth using the City Birth Trauma Scale in Spain

OBJECTIVE: Postpartum posttraumatic stress disorder (PP-PTSD) affects 3.1-6.3% of women after childbirth. The City Birth Trauma Scale (City-BiTS) is a questionnaire designed to evaluate and diagnose this disorder, according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (5th ed.) criteria, including the following groups of symptoms characteristic of posttraumatic stress: reexperiencing, avoidance, negative cognitions and mood, and hyperarousal. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the psychometric properties of the Spanish-language version of this questionnaire (City-BiTS-S), based on a community sample of Spanish women. METHOD: A total of 207 mothers, recruited at three health centers in southern Spain, completed the City-BiTS-S questionnaire and provided sociodemographic and obstetric data. RESULTS: Exploratory factor analysis of the data replicated the two-factor structure reported in previous studies that explained 47.9% of the variance: Factor 1 of general symptoms and Factor 2 of birth-related symptoms. Both City-BiTS-S (Cronbach's alpha = .90) and the two factors (Cronbach's alpha for Factor 1 = 0.89; Cronbach's alpha for Factor 2 = 0.82) presented high internal consistency. Rasch analysis confirmed the unidimensionality of the two factors as valid subscales of the PP-PTSD. Results suggested reducing response options, reviewing Item 8, and rewording Item 3 in the Spanish version. CONCLUSIONS: The City-BiTS-S presents appropriate psychometric properties to measure symptoms of PP-PTSD. Nevertheless, further research is recommended to confirm its validity in a clinical population and in different medical approaches to the birth process

Spanish validation and factor structure of the birth satisfaction scale-revised (BSS-R).

Objective: To translate and validate a Spanish-language version of the Birth Satisfaction Scale-Revised (BSS-R) and describe key measurement properties.Design: A cross-sectional instrument validation design examining factor structure, validity and reliability.Setting: Three public hospital sites in Spain. Participants: 202 women who had given birth within the past four weeks provided complete questionnaire data for analysis. Measurements and findings: Measures included the Spanish version of the BSS-R (S-BSS-R) and the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS). The tri-dimensional measurement model of the BSS-R was found to offer a good fit to Spanish data. Known-groups discriminant validity was found to be excellent with women experiencing a non-intervention delivery having higher S-BSS-R scores (

La gestión ambiental del Instituto de Salud Carlos III: Evaluación del plan 2017-2020 y planificación ambiental del periodo 2021-2024

La presente publicación, que forma parte de los trabajos desarrollados por el grupo de seguimiento del Plan de Gestión Ambiental, tiene un doble objetivo; por una parte, describir y evaluar el Plan de Gestión Ambiental definido en 2016 para el periodo 2017-2020, y por otra, establecer las bases para la elaboración del nuevo PGA para el periodo 2021-2024. La cuestión medioambiental es un asunto que atañe directamente a la salud de la población. El Instituto de Salud Carlos III en materia medioambiental quiere contribuir dando ejemplo en la transformación del modelo existente, por ello ha integrado todas sus acciones en el marco de la planificación ambiental.Introducción y objetivos. El plan de gestión ambiental como instrumento de planificación y gestión en el sector público. Los recursos del ISCIII en los campus de Chamartín y Majadahonda. El plan de gestión ambiental 2017-2020. Estructura y líneas estratégicas. La gestión del agua y de los efluentes líquidos. La gestión de la energía y de las emisiones atmosféricas. La gestión del ruido. La gestión del suelo y de su contaminación. La gestión de los residuos. La gestión del arbolado y del patrimonio verde. La movilidad y el transporte sostenible. La gestión ambiental en la adquisición de bienes y servicios. La gestión de la salud ambiental. Seguimiento, difusión y formación del Plan de gestión ambiental. Una evaluación del PGA 2017-2020. Efectos de la pandemia de la Covid 19. Bases para la elaboración de un nuevo Plan de gestión ambiental. Acciones programadas, para el periodo 2021-2024.N

Shortened Version of the Token Test: Normative data for Spanish-speaking pediatric population

OBJECTIVE: To generate normative data for the Shortened Version of the Token Test in Spanish-speaking pediatric populations. METHOD: The sample consisted of 4,373 healthy children from nine countries in Latin America (Chile, Cuba, Ecuador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Paraguay, Peru, and Puerto Rico) and Spain. Each participant was administered the Shortened Version of the Token Test as part of a larger neuropsychological battery. Shortened Version of the Token Test total scores were normed using multiple linear regressions and standard deviations of residual values. Age, age2, sex, and mean level of parental education (MLPE) were included as predictors in the analyses. RESULTS: The final multiple linear regression models showed main effects for age in all countries, such that score increased linearly as a function of age. In addition, age2 had a significant effect in all countries, except Guatemala and Puerto Rico. Models showed that children whose parent(s) had a MLPE >12 years obtained higher score compared to children whose parents had a MLPE ≤12 years in Ecuador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Paraguay, Peru, Puerto Rico, and Spain. The child’s sex did not have an effect in the Shortened Version of the Token Test total score for any of the countries. CONCLUSIONS: This is the largest Spanish-speaking pediatric normative study in the world, and it will allow neuropsychologists from these countries to have a more accurate interpretation of the Shortened Version of the Token Test when used in pediatric populations

CIBERER : Spanish national network for research on rare diseases: A highly productive collaborative initiative

Altres ajuts: Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII); Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación.CIBER (Center for Biomedical Network Research; Centro de Investigación Biomédica En Red) is a public national consortium created in 2006 under the umbrella of the Spanish National Institute of Health Carlos III (ISCIII). This innovative research structure comprises 11 different specific areas dedicated to the main public health priorities in the National Health System. CIBERER, the thematic area of CIBER focused on rare diseases (RDs) currently consists of 75 research groups belonging to universities, research centers, and hospitals of the entire country. CIBERER's mission is to be a center prioritizing and favoring collaboration and cooperation between biomedical and clinical research groups, with special emphasis on the aspects of genetic, molecular, biochemical, and cellular research of RDs. This research is the basis for providing new tools for the diagnosis and therapy of low-prevalence diseases, in line with the International Rare Diseases Research Consortium (IRDiRC) objectives, thus favoring translational research between the scientific environment of the laboratory and the clinical setting of health centers. In this article, we intend to review CIBERER's 15-year journey and summarize the main results obtained in terms of internationalization, scientific production, contributions toward the discovery of new therapies and novel genes associated to diseases, cooperation with patients' associations and many other topics related to RD research

Increasing opportunities for networking and public engagement through SRIP Research Development Workshop Grants

The Society for Reproductive and Infant Psychology (SRIP) is committed to supporting the development of research. For this purpose, the SRIP offers funding to support development activities, such as hosting a workshop to bring together collaborators to develop a future project proposal, an event aimed at disseminating research findings, a meeting to plan research impact with non-academic stakeholders, or even a research-led training event to support evidence-based practice (Lafarge, 2021). Such funding can support costs incurred from venue hire, travel and accommodation for speakers and delegates, and other incidental costs. Costs from online hosting can also be sought, for remote or online activities. This editorial aims to highlight the range of activities supported by these grants, including the utility for promoting public involvement and engagement in research