Category: Mental Health Conditions

Is There a Link between Elevated Spindle Oscillatory Frequency in PTSD & Sleep Continuity?

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Research Paper Title

Increased Oscillatory Frequency of Sleep Spindles in Combat-Exposed Veteran Men with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.

Background

Sleep disturbances are core symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), but reliable sleep markers of PTSD have yet to be identified.

Sleep spindles are important brain waves associated with sleep protection and sleep-dependent memory consolidation.

The present study tested whether sleep spindles are altered in individuals with PTSD and whether the findings are reproducible across nights and sub-samples of the study.

Methods

Seventy-eight combat-exposed veteran men with (n = 31) and without (n = 47) PTSD completed two consecutive nights of high-density EEG recordings in a laboratory.

The researchers identified slow (10-13 Hz) and fast (13-16 Hz) sleep spindles during N2 and N3 sleep stages and performed topographical analyses of spindle parameters (amplitude, duration, oscillatory frequency, and density) on both nights.

To assess reproducibility, we used the first 47 consecutive participants (18 with PTSD) for initial discovery and the remaining 31 participants (13 with PTSD) for replication assessment.

Results

In the discovery analysis, compared to non-PTSD participants, PTSD participants exhibited:

  1. Higher slow-spindle oscillatory frequency over the antero-frontal regions on both nights; and
  2. Higher fast-spindle oscillatory frequency over the centro-parietal regions on the second night.

The first finding was preserved in the replication analysis.

The researchers found no significant group differences in the amplitude, duration, or density of slow or fast spindles.

Conclusions

The elevated spindle oscillatory frequency in PTSD may indicate a deficient sensory-gating mechanism responsible for preserving sleep continuity.

The findings, if independently validated, may assist in the development of sleep-focused PTSD diagnostics and interventions.

Reference

Wang, C., Laxminarayan, S., Ramakrishnan, S., Dovzhenok, A., Cashmere, J.D., Germain, A. & Reifman, J. (2020) Increased Oscillatory Frequency of Sleep Spindles in Combat-Exposed Veteran Men with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. Sleep. pii: zsaa064. doi: 10.1093/sleep/zsaa064. [Epub ahead of print].

Does Comorbid GAD & Back Pain and GAD & Migraine have an Association with Non-Medical Opioid Use?

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Research Paper Title

An Examination of Comorbid Generalized Anxiety Disorder and Chronic Pain on Substance Misuse in a Canadian Population-Based Survey.

Background

Chronic pain and generalised anxiety disorder (GAD) are co-occurring, and both conditions are independently associated with substance misuse. However, limited research has examined the impact of comorbid GAD and chronic pain on substance misuse.

The aim of this article was to examine the associations between comorbid GAD and chronic pain conditions compared to GAD only with non-medical opioid use, drug abuse/dependence, and alcohol abuse/dependence in a Canadian, population-based sample.

Methods

Data came from the 2012 Canadian Community Health Survey-Mental Health (N = 25,113).

Multiple logistic regressions assessed the associations between comorbid GAD and chronic pain conditions (migraine, back pain, and arthritis) on substance misuse.

Results

Comorbid GAD + back pain and GAD + migraine were associated with increased odds of nonmedical opioid use compared to GAD only. However, the relationship was no longer significant after controlling for additional chronic pain conditions.

No significant relationship was found between GAD + chronic pain conditions with drug or alcohol abuse/dependence.

Conclusions

Comorbid GAD + back pain and GAD + migraine have a unique association with non-medical opioid use in Canadians compared to GAD only, and chronic pain multi-morbidity may be driving this relationship.

Results emphasise the need for screening for substance misuse and prescription access in the context of GAD and comorbid chronic pain.

Reference

Bilevicius, E., Sommer, J.L., Keough, M.T. & El-Gabalawy, R. (2020) An Examination of Comorbid Generalized Anxiety Disorder and Chronic Pain on Substance Misuse in a Canadian Population-Based Survey. Canadian Journal of Psychiatry. doi: 10.1177/0706743719895340. [Epub ahead of print].

What is the Prevalence of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) with Atopic Dermatitis (AD)

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Research Paper Title

The Association between Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder and Atopic Dermatitis: A Study among Iranian Children.

Background

The co-occurrence of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) with atopic dermatitis (AD) has been well described in some recent association studies; however, the researchers did not have any perspective on this relationship in their country.

Hence, the present study aimed to assess the prevalence of ADHD in children with AD.

Methods

This cross-sectional study was performed on 95 consecutive children and adolescents (aged 4-18 years) who were referred to dermatology clinics at the two hospitals in Tehran during 2017 with atopic dermatitis.

The evidence of atopy was assessed using the 2003 National Survey of Children’s Health. The diagnosis of ADHD was based on the Conner Rating Scale.

The sleep disorder was also assessed by the Pittsburg sleep quality questionnaire.

Results

The prevalence of hyperactivity and attention deficit in their AD patients was 20.0% and 29.47%, respectively.

Furthermore, patients with sleep problem were significantly more likely to have hyperactivity disorder (odds ratio [OR]: 2.91, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.04-8.16, P = 0.04).

According to the results of multiple logistic regression analyses, flexor involvement was the only predictor of hyperactivity disorder in the final model.

The univariate and multivariate analyses showed that having attention deficit was associated with having cheek involvement (OR = 3.63, 95% CI: 1.44-9.14, P = 0.01) and sleep problem (OR = 3.68, 95% CI: 1.45-9.33, P = 0.01).

Conclusions

It seems that neurocognitive disturbances due to sleep restriction in AD children may be one of the main triggers, especially for attention deficit.

Reference

Atefi, N., Rohaninasab, M., Shooshtari, M., Behrangi, E., Mehran, G., Goodarzi, A., Moghadam, S.S. & Shakoei, S. (2019) The Association between Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder and Atopic Dermatitis: A Study among Iranian Children. Indian Journal of Dermatology. 64(6), pp.451-455. doi: 10.4103/ijd.IJD_458_18.

What is the Impact of Neighbourhood Change & Psychotic Experiences?

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Research Paper Title

Neighborhood change and psychotic experiences in a general population sample.

Background

Social stress caused by the neighbourhood environment may be a risk factor for psychotic experiences (PEs).

However, little information is available on the effect of the perception of the neighbourhood in relation to PEs.

Methods

In a general population study in the United States (N = 974), the researchers examined the relationship between PEs and neighborhood disruption/gentrification.

Results

When adjusted for age, sex, race, income, nativity, city, marital status, and common mental disorders, higher disruption scores were significantly associated with higher odds for any PE (odds ratio = 1.09, 95% CI = 1.05-1.12).

The same pattern of associations was observed for individual PEs including delusional mood, delusion of reference and persecution, delusion of control, and hallucination.

Conclusions

This study suggests that subjectively perceived neighbourhood change may be a factor contributing to the occurrence of PEs.

There was no significant relationship between PE and gentrification.

Having a low income and racial minority status did not modify this association.

Future studies can employ comparative longitudinal analyses of individuals/neighbourhoods/cities, geographical information systems, and ethnography, to examine the impact of neighbourhood change on mental health.

Reference

Narita, Z., Knowles, K., Fedina, L., Oh, H., Stickley, A., Kelleher, I. & DeVylder, J. (2019) Neighborhood change and psychotic experiences in a general population sample. Schizophrenia Research. pii: S0920-9964(19)30543-2. doi: 10.1016/j.schres.2019.11.036. [Epub ahead of print].

Overview of Trauma- & Stress-Related Disorders

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Trauma- and stress-related disorders result from exposure to a traumatic or stressful event.

Specific disorders include acute stress disorder (ASD) and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). These disorders cause similar symptoms but differ in how long they last.

  • ASD:
    • Typically begins immediately after the event.
    • Lasts from 3 days to 1 month.
  • PTSD:
    • Lasts for more than 1 month.
    • It may develop as a continuation of acute stress disorder or develop separately up to 6 months after the event.

Although depression and anxiety are often prominent, individuals with trauma-related disorders often have a wide variety of symptoms that may not obviously seem related to the traumatic event.

For example, individuals may:

  • Act aggressively;
  • Be unable to experience pleasure; and/or
  • Feel restless, discontented, angry, numb, or disconnected from themselves and others.

Linking Spatial Working Memory, Affective Disorders, & Mild Current Depression

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Research Paper Title

[Disorders of spatial working memory in affective disorders with mild current depression and their neurophysiological correlates].

Background

To assess spatial working memory disorders in patients with mild depressive disorders and determine their neurophysiological correlates.

Methods

Thirty patients (right-handed) with ICD-10 diagnosis Mood Disorders (F31.3, F32.0, F33.0, F34.1), aged 37±8 years, were examined before treatment. A control group included 30 mentally and somatically healthy individuals (32±7 years old). The study of spatial working memory was carried out using the Corsi Block-Tapping test. EEG was recorded and the values of the spectral power of theta, alpha and beta rhythms were analysed.

Results and Conclusions

A decrease in the level of working memory that was correlated with higher values of theta rhythm power in the frontal and occipital regions and alpha rhythm in the frontal cortex was observed in affective disorders with mild depressive symptoms.

Reference

Galkin, S.A., Peshkovskaya, A.G., Simutkin, G.G., Vasil’eva, S.N., Roshchina, O.V., Ivanova, S.A. & Bokhan, N.A. (2019) [Disorders of spatial working memory in affective disorders with mild current depression and their neurophysiological correlates]. (in Russian). Zhurnal Nevrologii i Psikhiatrii Imeni S.S. Korsakova. 119(10):56-61. doi: 10.17116/jnevro201911910156.

Use Your Smartphone to Spot Schizophrenia, Soon

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Speaking into your smartphone for two minutes could reveal whether you have a mental health condition!

That is according to the developers of an app that analyses facial expressions and speech to diagnose schizophrenia.

The company behind the app, AICure, hopes it could be used to better support and monitor people with schizophrenia, and eventually those who have other mental health conditions.

The current version was developed to measure symptoms of schizophrenia like low mood and difficulty thinking, which are normally harder to measure than symptoms like hallucinations and delusions.

To do this, the app tracks facial movements, as well as the content, tone and pitch of a person’s speech. Some people with schizophrenia move more slowly, and show less emotion on their faces. The app can then send a score to the person’s doctor, rating these symptoms.

However, it is not designed to spot other symptoms associated with the condition, such as hallucinations.

AICure tested the app with 21 people who have schizophrenia and nine people who do not. The participants made weekly recordings over 12 weeks. Each person was also evaluated by a clinician at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York at the start and end of the study.

The results of this small trial suggest that the app’s ratings “are highly correlated” with those of a clinician, states AICure. However, AICure does not yet have enough data to prove its app works, because the sample size is very small. The results can be viewed more as a proof of concept than as a diagnostic tool, which is a little way off.

Reference

Hamzelou, J. (2019) Smartphone App Could Spot Signs of Schizophrenia. New Scientist. 28 September 2019, pp.7.

Is It Really Addiction?

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An interesting article in the New Scientist around addiction, specifically gaming disorder.

“For Ian and others like him, video games feel as addictive as a drug.

In May, the World Health Organization (WHO) reached a similar conclusion, including gaming disorder in its International Classification of Diseases for the first time.

Studies suggest that between 0.3 and 1 per cent of the general population might qualify for a diagnosis.

In the UK, plans are under way to open the first National Health Service-funded internet addiction centre, which will initially focus on gaming disorder.

But some argue that to pathologise problematic gaming as an addiction is a mistake.

In 2017, a group of 24 academics argued against attributing this behaviour to a new disorder.” (Sarner, 2019, p.42).

You can read the full article below.

Is It Really Addiction (Sarner, 2019)Download

Reference

Sarner, M. (2019) Is It Really Addiction? New Scientist. 14 September 2019, pp.42-47.