Clinical Use of Mood Stabilizers With Antidepressants in Asia Report From the Research on Asian Psychotropic Prescription Patterns for Antidepressants (REAP-AD) Projects in 2004 and 2013

Abstract Objective: As most reports concerning treatment with combinations of mood stabilizer (MS) with antidepressant (AD) drugs are based in the West, we surveyed characteristics of such cotreatment in 42 sites caring for the mentally ill in 10 Asian countries. Methods: This cross-sectional, pharmacoepidemiologic study used 2004 and 2013 data from the REAP-AD (Research Study on Asian Psychotropic Prescription Patterns for Antidepressants) to evaluate the rates and doses of MSs given with ADs and associated factors in 4164 psychiatric patients, using standard bivariate methods followed by multivariable logistic regression modeling. Results: Use of MS + AD increased by 104% (5.5% to 11.2%) between 2004 and 2013 and was much more associated with diagnosis of bipolar disorder than major depression or anxiety disorder, as well as with hospitalization > outpatient care, psychiatric > general-medical programs, and young age (all P < 0.001), but not with country, sex, or AD dose. Conclusions: The findings provide a broad picture of contemporary use of MSs with ADs in Asia, support predictions that such treatment increased in recent years, and was associated with diagnosis of bipolar disorder, treatment in inpatient and psychiatric settings, and younger age

Electron-vibration interactions in carrier-transport material: Vibronic coupling density analysis in TPD

Vibronic coupling, or electron–vibration coupling constant in N, N′-diphenyl-N, N′-di(m-tolyl)benzidine (TPD) cation is calculated from vibronic coupling integrals. The calculated constants are very small compared with other π conjugated systems. The calculated constants are analyzed on the basis of vibronic coupling density (VCD). The VCD analysis clearly reveals that large contributions originate from the phenyl group and tolyl group. In addition, the hole transport property of electrode-TPD molecule–electrode system is investigated using non-equilibrium Green’s function (NEGF) theory. Reflecting the small coupling, the current suppression and power loss are less than 1/2 compared with other π conjugated systems such as oligothiophenes

Altered Resting-State Brain Activities in Drug-Naïve Major Depressive Disorder Assessed by fMRI: Associations With Somatic Symptoms Defined by Yin-Yang Theory of the Traditional Chinese Medicine

Identification of biological markers for defining subtypes of major depressive disorder (MDD) is critical for better understanding MDD pathophysiology and finding effective treatment intervention. The “Yin and Yang” theory is a fundamental concept of traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). The theory differentiates MDD patients into two subtypes, Yin and Yang, based on their somatic symptoms, which had empirically been used for the delivery of effective treatment in East Asia. Nonetheless, neural processes underlying Yin and Yang types in MDD are poorly understood. In this study, we aim to provide physiological evidence using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to identify altered resting-state brain activity associated with Yin and Yang types in drug-naïve MDD patients. The Yin type and Yang type MDD patients showed increased amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation (ALFF) in different cortical brain areas in the parietal, temporal, and frontal lobe, compared to matched healthy controls. Differential ALFF is also observed in several cortical areas in frontal lobe and insula between Yin and Yang type group. Of note, although ALFF is increased in the inferior parietal lobe in both Yin and Yang type group, inferior parietal lobe-centered functional connectivity (FC) is increased in Yang type, but is decreased in Ying type, compared with matched healthy controls. These results suggest that differential resting-state brain activity and functional connectivity in Yin and Yang types may contribute to biological measures for better stratification of heterogeneous MDD patients

Correction: Behavioural cue reactivity to alcohol-related and non-alcohol-related stimuli among individuals with alcohol use disorder: An fMRI study with a visual task.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0229187.]

Behavioural cue reactivity to alcohol-related and non-alcohol-related stimuli among individuals with alcohol use disorder: An fMRI study with a visual task.

Patients with alcohol use disorder (AUD) have difficulty controlling their alcohol cravings and thus exhibit increased use and early relapse. Although patients tend to respond more strongly to alcohol-related images than to non-alcohol-related images, few researchers have examined the factors that modulate cravings. Here, we examined whole-brain blood oxygen level-dependent (BOLD) responses to behavioural cues in individuals with AUD and in healthy controls (HCs). The participants included 24 patients with AUD and 15 HCs. We presented visual cues consisting of four beverage-related images (juice, drinking juice, sake, and drinking sake), and the cue reactivity of AUD participants was contrasted with that of HC participants. Multiple comparisons revealed that the AUD group had lower BOLD responses than the HC group in the left precuneus (p = 0.036) and the left posterior cingulate cortex (PCC) (p = 0.044) to images of drinking juice and higher BOLD responses than the HC group in the left PCC (p = 0.044) to images of drinking sake. Furthermore, compared to the HCs, the AUD patients had decreased BOLD responses associated with cue reactivity to drinking juice in the left precuneus during the periods from 15 to 18 s (p = 0.004, df = 37) and 18 to 21 s (p = 0.002, df = 37). Our findings suggest that HCs and AUD patients differ in their responses not to images of alcoholic beverages but to images related to alcohol-drinking behaviour. Thus, these patients appear to have different patterns of brain activity. This information may aid clinicians in developing treatments for patients with AUD

Behavioural cue reactivity to alcohol-related and non-alcohol-related stimuli among individuals with alcohol use disorder: an fMRI study with a visual task.

Patients with alcohol use disorder (AUD) have difficulty controlling their alcohol cravings and thus exhibit increased use and early relapse. Although patients tend to respond more strongly to alcohol-related images than to non-alcohol-related images, few researchers have examined the factors that modulate cravings. Here, we examined whole-brain blood oxygen level-dependent (BOLD) responses to behavioural cues in individuals with AUD and in healthy controls (HCs). The participants included 24 patients with AUD and 15 HCs. We presented visual cues consisting of four beverage-related images (juice, drinking juice, sake, and drinking sake), and the cue reactivity of AUD participants was contrasted with that of HC participants. Multiple comparisons revealed that the AUD group had lower BOLD responses than the HC group in the left precuneus (p = 0.036) and the left posterior cingulate cortex (PCC) (p = 0.044) to images of drinking juice and higher BOLD responses than the HC group in the left PCC (p = 0.044) to images of drinking sake. Furthermore, compared to the HCs, the AUD patients had decreased BOLD responses associated with cue reactivity to drinking juice in the left precuneus during the periods from 15 to 18 s (p = 0.004, df = 37) and 18 to 21 s (p = 0.002, df = 37). Our findings suggest that HCs and AUD patients differ in their responses not to images of alcoholic beverages but to images related to alcohol-drinking behaviour. Thus, these patients appear to have different patterns of brain activity. This information may aid clinicians in developing treatments for patients with AUD

Mental Health Difficulties and Countermeasures during the Coronavirus Disease Pandemic in Japan: A Nationwide Questionnaire Survey of Mental Health and Psychiatric Institutions

The number of people with coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has been increasing worldwide. Anxiety about potential infection, fear of severe illness, death, economic problems, and loneliness and isolation brought on by social distancing are increasingly being experienced by people. Therefore, it is imperative to address and improve such mental health-related problems during COVID-19. We aimed to investigate the current mental health care and psychological intervention statuses related to COVID-19 in Japan. In a questionnaire survey, 55 of 69 (80%) mental health and welfare centers and 194 of 931 (21%) psychiatric institutions across Japan responded. COVID-19 patients, their family members, and the general public often consulted the mental health and welfare institutions through telephone. The questionnaire included various information of mental health difficulties related to COVID-19 such as the numbers and contents of the consultations, and the type of the interventions. The contents of consultation included psychological symptoms (anxiety, depression, insomnia, and alcohol problems) and psychosocial problems (interpersonal problems, prejudice, and discrimination). Overall, 9% of mental health and welfare centers provided psychological first aid as psychological intervention and 28% of consultations involved cases requiring urgent care. In Japan, consultations about COVID-19-related mental health problems occurred mainly in mental health and welfare centers. There is urgent need to establish a system that enables mental health triage and brief psychological interventions that are feasible in the centers

Effectiveness of psychological first aid in infectious disease pandemics: An overview of systematic reviews

Abstract There is insufficient research on the usefulness of psychological interventions, such as psychological first aid (PFA), during outbreaks. We searched for and critically appraised systematic reviews that examined the effectiveness of PFA during infectious disease outbreaks, such as the novel coronavirus disease (COVID‐19). Systematic reviews that examined the efficacy of PFA in the severe acute respiratory syndrome, Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus, Ebola virus disease, and COVID‐19 outbreaks were searched through PubMed on February 19, 2021. The three included systematic reviews were critically appraised and assessed using AMSTAR‐2. One review's overall confidence in its findings was evaluated as “high,” which suggested that PFA training had a favorable effect on healthcare personnel. Furthermore, the review also demonstrated that PFA was commonly used during outbreaks and could be delivered through multiple methods, such as a phone or video call. Although it was anticipated that PFA would improve subjective well‐being, reports showed no evidence of reduced depression or insomnia. Future studies should examine additional numbers of PFA recipients and conduct quasi‐experimental studies to better understand the effectiveness of PFA. Evidence on its effectiveness in infectious disease outbreaks is still lacking, along with research and evaluation methods. Quasi‐experimental studies, such as comparisons with other psychological interventions, are required to better understand the effectiveness of PFA

Increased BOLD Signals Elicited by High Gamma Auditory Stimulation of the Left Auditory Cortex in Acute State Schizophrenia

【Corrigendum】Hironori Kuga, Toshiaki Onitsuka, Yoji Hirano, Itta Nakamura, Naoya Oribe, Hiroaki Mizuhara, Ryota Kanai, Shigenobu Kanba, Takefumi Ueno Corrigendum to “Increased BOLD Signals Elicited by High Gamma Auditory Stimulation of the Left Auditory Cortex in Acute State Schizophrenia” [EBioMedicine 12 (2016) 143-149], EBioMedicine, Volume 16, February 2017, Page 312Recent MRI studies have shown that schizophrenia is characterized by reductions in brain gray matter, which progress in the acute state of the disease. Cortical circuitry abnormalities in gamma oscillations, such as deficits in the auditory steady state response (ASSR) to gamma frequency (> 30-Hz) stimulation, have also been reported in schizophrenia patients. In the current study, we investigated neural responses during click stimulation by BOLD signals. We acquired BOLD responses elicited by click trains of 20, 30, 40 and 80-Hz frequencies from 15 patients with acute episode schizophrenia (AESZ), 14 symptom-severity-matched patients with non-acute episode schizophrenia (NASZ), and 24 healthy controls (HC), assessed via a standard general linear-model-based analysis. The AESZ group showed significantly increased ASSR-BOLD signals to 80-Hz stimuli in the left auditory cortex compared with the HC and NASZ groups. In addition, enhanced 80-Hz ASSR-BOLD signals were associated with more severe auditory hallucination experiences in AESZ participants. The present results indicate that neural over activation occurs during 80-Hz auditory stimulation of the left auditory cortex in individuals with acute state schizophrenia. Given the possible association between abnormal gamma activity and increased glutamate levels, our data may reflect glutamate toxicity in the auditory cortex in the acute state of schizophrenia, which might lead to progressive changes in the left transverse temporal gyrus