Transdiagnostic cognitive biases in psychiatric disorders: A systematic review and network meta-analysis

Psychiatric disorders are characterized by cognitive deficits, which have been proposed as a transdiagnostic feature of psychopathology (“C” factor). Similarly, cognitive biases (e.g., in attention, memory, and interpretation) represent common tendencies in information processing that are often associated with psychiatric symptoms. However, the question remains whether cognitive biases are also transdiagnostic or are specific to certain psychiatric disorders/symptoms. The current systematic review (osf.io/znf4q) sought to address whether the proposed “C” factor of transdiagnostic cognitive dysfunction in psychopathology can be extended to cognitive biases. Overall, 31 studies comprising 4401 participants (2536 patients, 1865 non-clinical controls) across 21 diagnostic categories met inclusion criteria, assessing 19 cognitive biases with most studies focusing on interpretation (k = 22) and attention (k = 11) biases, with only 2 assessing memory biases. Traditional meta-analyses found a moderate effect size (g = 0.32) for more severe cognitive biases in all patients relative to non-clinical controls, as well as small but significant associations between interpretation biases and transdiagnostic symptom categories (general psychopathology: r = .20, emotion dysfunction: r = 0.17, psychotic symptoms: r = 0.25). Network meta-analyses revealed significant patient versus control differences on attention and interpretation biases across diagnoses, as well as significant differences between diagnoses, with highest severity in panic disorder for attention biases and obsessive-compulsive disorder for interpretation biases. The current findings support a big “C” interpretation of transdiagnostic cognitive dysfunction in psychiatric disorders, extending the concept to cognitive biases and transdiagnostic symptom dimensions. They also suggest that while the presence of cognitive biases is transdiagnostic, bias severity differs across diagnoses, as in traditional neurocognitive deficits

Transdiagnostic Cognitive Biases in Psychiatric Disorders

Systematic review and meta-analysis on the presence and specificity of cognitive biases in transdiagnostic psychiatric disorder

Inhalation of tungsten particles: impact on the central nervous system, an unsuspected target organ

International audienceBeing the main cause of contamination in nuclear facilities, particulate aerosols represent a health risk factor raising serious concerns. The brain represents a direct target for inhaled aerosols, in particular through the involvement of the olfactory nerve entry pathway. There is a lack of knowledge about the toxicity of tungsten (W) in the central nervous system, although it is considered as an emerging contaminant. To study the potential effects of exposure to W particles, preliminary metrological work was carried out to optimize and control the generation of the aerosol at concentrations in the order of the Occupational Exposure Limit Value, and to characterize its granulometry. Adult rats were exposed to optimized and controlled W aerosols via inhalation at two different concentrations (5 and 80 mg.m-3) in a single acute or fractionated mode (4X daily exposures). Various assays were used to examine biological processes involved in brain toxicity, such as neuroinflammation, oxidative stress, cell death and neurogenesis.Results obtained 24 hours after exposure suggest site-specific and concentration-dependent modifications of the transcripts of genes involved in these target processes. The impact of oxidative stress is currently being further evaluated using the Dihydroethidium probe sensitive to reactive oxygen species, complemented by immunohistochemistry and protein expression of 4HNE and Nrf2, which respectively reflect lipid peroxidation and antioxidant signalling. Immunohistochemistry experiments suggest a potential effect on the density and morphology of microglial cells involved in neuroinflammation, as well as an abnormal phenotype of the nuclei of some mature neurons indicating neuronal damage. At the cellular level, the effects were also site-specific, dependent on the mode of exposure and the concentration and could involve several signalling pathways, recently investigated by transcriptomics. ICP-MS assays show an increase in the concentration of W in brain structures in groups exposed to high concentrations, which could contribute to site-specificity of observed effects. Current work aims to investigate whether these effects are related to adaptive mechanisms or are neurotoxic and can ultimately alter neuronal integrity depending on exposure patterns. Co-exposure to W aerosols and ionizing radiation is another focus for our future research.These results can help close knowledge gaps in understanding neurological health effects of particulate aerosols, especially metallic ones, and thus help improve the system of human (radio)protection

Inflammatory markers and auto-Abs to type I IFNs in COVID-19 convalescent plasma cohort study

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