Connecting to nature through 360° videos during COVID-19 confinement: a pilot study of a brief psychological intervention

Psychological interventions have been shown to be beneficial in mitigating stress related to COVID-19 confinement. According to theories of restorative environments, exposure to natural surroundings has positive effects on well-being and stress through its restorative qualities. With 360° video-based Virtual Reality (VR), people can be exposed to nature and so better manage the consequences associated with mobility restrictions during confinement. The main aim of this pilot study was to examine whether a 360° video-based VR intervention composed of five 13-minute sessions (once a day) has positive effects on affect, well-being, and stress. The sample was made up of 10 participants (4 men and 6 women; age : M = 46.5, SD = 11.7) who were confined at home (voluntarily or not) during the COVID-19 pandemic. Participants were instructed to watch a 360° video each day (of a “beach” or “lake” environment) using their smartphone and VR glasses sent to them by mail. Participants responded with several self-reports before and/or after each session (emotions and sense of presence) and before and/or after the intervention (affect, well-being, perceived stress, perceived restorativeness of nature, and the usefulness and acceptability of the intervention). Results showed a tendency to improve positive (e.g., happiness) and negative (e.g., anxiousness) emotions and experience a high sense of presence after each session. Moreover, perceived restorative qualities of the environment and their cognitive and behavioral effects were high. A significant decrease in negative affect was found after the intervention. Usefulness and acceptability were also high. This is the first study to show that an affordable and accessible technology can be used to overcome the negative consequences of confinement and counteract its harmful psychological effects

Nigral and striatal connectivity alterations in asymptomatic LRRK2 mutation carriers: A magnetic resonance imaging study

Background. The study of the functional connectivity by means of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in asymptomatic LRRK2 mutation carriers could contribute to the characterization of the prediagnostic phase of LRRK2 associated Parkinson's disease (PD). Objective. To characterize MRI functional patterns during resting state in asymptomatic LRRK2 mutation carriers. Methods. We acquired structural and functional MRI data of 18 asymptomatic LRRK2 mutation carriers and 18 asymptomatic LRRK2 mutation noncarriers, all first-degree relatives of LRRK2-PD patients. Starting from resting state data, we analyzed the functional connectivity of the striatocortical and the nigrocortical circuitry. Structural brain data was analyzed by voxel based morphometry, cortical thickness and volumetric measures. Results: Asymptomatic LRRK2 mutation carriers had functional connectivity reductions between the caudal motor part of the left striatum and ipsilateral precuneus and superior parietal lobe. Connectivity in these regions correlated with subcortical gray matter volumes in mutation carriers. Asymptomatic carriers also showed increased connectivity between the right substantia nigra and bilateral occipital cortical regions (occipital pole and cuneus bilaterally, and right lateral occipital cortex). No intergroup differences in structural MRI measures were found. In LRRK2 mutation carriers, age and functional connectivity correlated negatively with striatal volumes. Additional analyses including only subjects with the G2019S mutation revealed similar findings. Conclusion: Asymptomatic LRRK2 mutation carriers showed functional connectivity changes in striatocortical and nigrocortical circuits compared with noncarriers. These findings support the concept that altered brain connectivity precedes the onset of classical motor features in a genetic form of PD

Synaptic Vesicle Docking: Sphingosine Regulates Syntaxin1 Interaction with Munc18

Consensus exists that lipids must play key functions in synaptic activity but precise mechanistic information is limited. Acid sphingomyelinase knockout mice (ASMko) are a suitable model to address the role of sphingolipids in synaptic regulation as they recapitulate a mental retardation syndrome, Niemann Pick disease type A (NPA), and their neurons have altered levels of sphingomyelin (SM) and its derivatives. Electrophysiological recordings showed that ASMko hippocampi have increased paired-pulse facilitation and post-tetanic potentiation. Consistently, electron microscopy revealed reduced number of docked vesicles. Biochemical analysis of ASMko synaptic membranes unveiled higher amounts of SM and sphingosine (Se) and enhanced interaction of the docking molecules Munc18 and syntaxin1. In vitro reconstitution assays demonstrated that Se changes syntaxin1 conformation enhancing its interaction with Munc18. Moreover, Se reduces vesicle docking in primary neurons and increases paired-pulse facilitation when added to wt hippocampal slices. These data provide with a novel mechanism for synaptic vesicle control by sphingolipids and could explain cognitive deficits of NPA patients

Efficacy and cost-effectiveness of a blended cognitive behavioral therapy for depression in Spanish primary health care:Study protocol for a randomised non-inferiority trial

Background: Data from primary health care in Spain show a high prevalence of the major depressive disorder. Blended treatment (combination of face-to-face and online components) seems to be a very promising tool for the optimization and dissemination of psychological treatments in a cost-effective form. Although there is growing data that confirm the advantages of blended therapies, few studies have analyzed their application in regular clinical practice. The objective of the present paper is to describe the protocol for a clinical study aimed at exploring the clinical and cost-effectiveness of a blended cognitive behavioral therapy (b-CBT) for depression, compared to treatment as usual (TAU) in a primary health care setting.Methods: A two-arm randomised controlled non-inferiority trial will be carried out, with repeated measures (baseline, 3 months, 6 months, and 12 months) under two conditions: b-CBT and TAU. The b-CBT program will consist in three face-to-face sessions and eight online sessions. The TAU is defined as the routine care delivered by the general practitioner for the treatment of depression in primary care. The primary outcome is a symptomatic change of depressive symptoms on the patient-health questionnaire (PHQ-9). Other secondary outcomes will be considered (e.g., quality of life, treatment preference). All participants must be 18 years of age or older and meet the diagnostic criteria for major depressive disorder according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental disorders 4th edition. 156 participants will be recruited (78 per arm).Discussion: It is expected that b-CBT is clinically non-inferior when compared to TAU. This is the first study in Spain to use a b-CBT format in primary and specialized care, and this format could be an efficacious and cost-effective therapeutic strategy for the treatment of depression.Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02361684. Registered on 8 January 2015. Currently recruiting participants

Corrigendum: Elena+ Care for COVID-19, a Pandemic Lifestyle Care Intervention: Intervention Design and Study Protocol (Front. Public Health, (2021), 9, (625640), 10.3389/fpubh.2021.625640)

10.3389/fpubh.2021.809278Frontiers in Public Health980927