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Is Type 2 Diabetes an Independent Risk Factor for Alzheimer Patients with Depression?

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Research Paper Title

Analysis of Risk Factors for Depression in Alzheimer’s Disease Patients.

Background

Depression, which affects about 52% of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) patients, can worsen cognitive impairment and increase mortality and suicide rates.

The researchers hope to provide clinical evidence for the prevention and treatment of depression in AD patients by investigating related risk factors of depression in AD patients.

Methods

158 AD inpatients of the Department of Neurology, Daping Hospital from September 2017 to March 2019 were enrolled. General information, laboratory tests, cognitive and emotional function assessments of the inpatients were collected.

Logistic regression was used to analyse the risk factors of depression in AD patients, and the relationship between 17 Hamilton depression scale scores and HbA1c levels in AD patients was further analysed.

Results

The prevalence of age, gender, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), and white matter lesions (WML) in the AD with depression group was significantly different from without depression group.

Hypertension, T2DM, and WML are independent risk factors for depression in AD patients.

The depression scores of AD patients with HbA1c>6.5% were significantly higher than AD patients with HbA1c ≤ 6.5%, and there were significant difference in depression scale scores between using anti-diabetes drugs group and not using anti-diabetes drugs group whose HbA1c level is >6.5%, while no difference in depression scores between using anti-diabetes drugs group and not using anti-diabetes drugs group whose HbA1c level is ≤6.5%.

Conclusions

T2DM is an independent risk factor for AD patients with depression.

Increased HbA1c levels aggravate depression in AD patients, and controlling HbA1c levels and anti-diabetes drugs can reduce the severity of depression in AD patients.

Reference

Yang, H., Hong, W., Chen, L., Tao, Y., Peng, Z. & Zhou, H. (2020) Analysis of Risk Factors for Depression in Alzheimer’s Disease Patients. The International Journal of Neuroscience. 1-6. doi: 10.1080/00207454.2020.1730369. Online ahead of print.

Should We Target Inflammation, The Gut Microbiome, and Mitochondrial Dysfunction in Combat PTSD-Metabolism?

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Research Paper Title

Novel Pharmacological Targets for Combat PTSD-Metabolism, Inflammation, The Gut Microbiome, and Mitochondrial Dysfunction

Background

Current pharmacological treatments of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) have limited efficacy.

Although the diagnosis is based on psychopathological criteria, it is frequently accompanied by somatic comorbidities and perhaps “accelerated biological ageing,” suggesting widespread physical concomitants.

Such physiological comorbidities may affect core PTSD symptoms but are rarely the focus of therapeutic trials.

Methods

To elucidate the potential involvement of metabolism, inflammation, and mitochondrial function in PTSD, the researchers integrate findings and mechanistic models from the DOD-sponsored “Systems Biology of PTSD Study” with previous data on these topics.

Results

Data implicate inter-linked dysregulations in metabolism, inflammation, mitochondrial function, and perhaps the gut microbiome in PTSD.

Several inadequately tested targets of pharmacological intervention are proposed, including insulin sensitisers, lipid regulators, anti-inflammatories, and mitochondrial biogenesis modulators.

Conclusions

Systemic pathologies that are intricately involved in brain functioning and behaviour may not only contribute to somatic comorbidities in PTSD, but may represent novel targets for treating core psychiatric symptoms.

Reference

Bersani, F.S., Mellon, S.H., Lindqvist, D., Kang, J.I., Rampersaud, R., Somvanshi, P.R., Doyle, F.J., Hammamieh, R., Jett, M., Yehuda, R., Marmar, C.R. & Wolkowitz, O.M. (2020) Novel Pharmacological Targets for Combat PTSD-Metabolism, Inflammation, The Gut Microbiome, and Mitochondrial Dysfunction

Book: Self-Esteem for Dummies

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Book Title:

Self-Esteem for Dummies.

Author(s): S. Renee Smith and Vivian Harte.

Year: 2015.

Edition: Fourth (4th), Revised Edition.

Publisher: John Wiley and Sons.

Type(s): Paperback and Kindle.

Synopsis:

Boost your self-esteem and truly believe that you are perfectly awesome Looking to get your hands on some more self-esteem? You’re not alone.

Thankfully, Self-Esteem For Dummies presents clear, innovative, and compassionate methods that help you identify the causes of low self-esteem as well the lowdown on the consequences.

Packed with trusted, hands-on advice to help you improve your overall self-worth, Self-Esteem For Dummies arms you with the proven tools and techniques for learning how to think and behave with more self-assurance at work, in social situations, and even in relationships.

Self-esteem is shaped by your thoughts, relationships, and experiences. When you were growing up, your successes, failures, and how you were treated by your family, teachers, coaches, religious authorities, and peers determined how you feel about yourself.

But you can shift your thinking and reclaim your self-worth with the help of Self-Esteem For Dummies.

  • Helps you understand the ranges of self-esteem and the benefits of promoting self-esteem.
  • Arms you with the tools to learn how to think and behave with more self-assurance.
  • Covers the importance of mental well-being, assertiveness, resilience, and more.
  • Shows you how to improve your self-image, increase personal power, and feel better about yourself.

If you are looking to boost your sense of self-worth, Self-Esteem For Dummies sets you on the path to a more confident, awesome you.

Book: The Science of Positivity

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Book Title:

The Science of Positivity: Stop Negative Thought Patterns by Changing Your Brain Chemistry.

Author(s): Loretta Graziano Breuning.

Year: 2016.

Edition: First (1st).

Publisher: Adams Media Corporation.

Type(s): Paperback, Audiobook, and Kindle.

Synopsis:

Sometimes it is easiest to look for the worst in every situation – our brains have evolved to scan for problems in order to help avoid them. But you can transcend this natural negativity – if you know how.

The Science of Positivity teaches you how cynical thought habits are formed, and how you can rewire yourself to go beyond them. Neurochemical expert Loretta Graziano Breuning, PhD, empowers you to transcend negativity by creating new thought habits.

You will learn simple, practical actions you can take to shift your thinking to a way that causes your brain to reward optimism with the release of happy chemicals. You can even permanently replace cynical thought patterns with realistic and optimistic thoughts.

In just minutes a day for six weeks, you will build new pathways to see the world in new ways. Frustration is an inevitable part of life, but rather than using cynicism to manage frustration, you can rewire your brain to get beyond it.

Book: The Routledge Handbook of Philosophy of Well-Being

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Book Title:

The Routledge Handbook of Philosophy of Well-Being.

Author(s): Guy Fletcher (editor).

Year: 2015.

Edition: First (1st).

Publisher: Routledge.

Type(s): Hardcover, Paperback, and Kindle.

Synopsis:

The concept of well-being is one of the oldest and most important topics in philosophy and ethics, going back to ancient Greek philosophy. Following the boom in happiness studies in the last few years it has moved to centre stage, grabbing media headlines and the attention of scientists, psychologists and economists. Yet little is actually known about well-being and it is an idea that is often poorly articulated.

The Routledge Handbook of Philosophy of Well-Being provides a comprehensive, outstanding guide and reference source to the key topics and debates in this exciting subject.

Comprising over 40 chapters by a team of international contributors, the Handbook is divided into six parts:

  • Well-being in the history of philosophy.
  • Current theories of well-being, including hedonism and perfectionism.
  • Examples of well-being and its opposites, including friendship and virtue and pain and death.
  • Theoretical issues, such as well-being and value, harm, identity and well-being and children.
  • Well-being in moral and political philosophy.
  • Well-being and related subjects, including law, economics and medicine..

Essential reading for students and researchers in ethics and political philosophy, it is also an invaluable resource for those in related disciplines such as psychology, politics and sociology.

Book: The Rough Guide to Psychology

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Book Title:

The Rough Guide to Psychology: An Introduction to Human Behaviour and the Mind.

Author(s): Dr. Christian Jarrett.

Year: 2011.

Edition: First (1st).

Publisher: Rough Guides.

Type(s): Paperback and Kindle.

Synopsis:

The Rough Guide to Psychology looks at the question psychologists have been asking for over a hundred years – why are we the way we are? It starts with you, your mind and brain, broadening out to look at your friends and other relationships, then finally on to crowds, mobs and religion.

It explores the latest research relevant to crime, schooling, sport, politics, shopping and health, and what happens when the mind goes wrong, including depression, anxiety, schizophrenia, and more unusual conditions.

The Rough Guide to Psychology includes fascinating information on real-life psychology, testing your memory, intelligence, personality and much more, with advice on everything from chat-up lines to developing your creativity.

The Rough Guide to Psychology is your ultimate guide to this fascinating subject.

Book: Psychology in Black and White

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Book Title:

Psychology in Black and White – The Project Of A Theory-Driven Science.

Author(s): Sergio Salvatore.

Year: 2015.

Edition: Reprint Edition.

Publisher: Information Age Publishing.

Type(s): Hardcover, Paperback, and Kindle.

Synopsis:

This book is long awaited within the contemporarily creative field of cultural psychologies.

It is a theoretical synthesis that is at the level of innovations that Sigmund Freud, James Mark Baldwin, William Stern, Kurt Lewin, Jean Piaget, Lev Vygotsky and Jan Smedslund have brought into psychology over the past century.

Here we can observe a creative solution to integrating cultural psychology with the rich traditions of psychodynamic perspectives, without repeating the conceptual impasses in which many psychoanalytic perspectives have become caught.

Book: Psychology and the Conduct of Everyday Life

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Book Title:

Psychology and the Conduct of Everyday Life.

Author(s): Ernst Schraube (editor) and Charlotte Hojholt (contributor).

Year: 2015.

Edition: First (1st).

Publisher: Routledge.

Type(s): Hardcover, Paperback, and Kindle.

Synopsis:

Psychology and the Conduct of Everyday Life moves psychological theory and research practice out of the laboratory and into the everyday world. Drawing on recent developments across the social and human sciences, it examines how people live as active subjects within the contexts of their everyday lives, using this as an analytical basis for understanding the dilemmas and contradictions people face in contemporary society.

Early chapters gather the latest empirical research to explore the significance of context as a cross-disciplinary critical tool; they include a study of homeless Māori men reaffirming their cultural identity via gardening, and a look at how the dilemmas faced by children in difficult situations can provide insights into social conflict at school. Later chapters examine the interplay between everyday life around the world and contemporary global phenomena such as the rise of the debt economy, the hegemony of the labour market, and the increased reliance on digital technology in educational settings. The book concludes with a consideration of how social psychology can deepen our understanding of how we conduct our lives, and offer possibilities for collective work on the resolution of social conflict.

Football, Prince William and Our Mental Health (2020)

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Introduction

Documentary following Prince William’s campaign to get British men to open up about mental health issues through football.

Outline

Why do British men struggle to talk about their emotions? The Duke of Cambridge has spent the past year campaigning to change attitudes to mental health in Britain. Spurred on by the fact that suicide is the biggest killer of young men in this country, he wants to use football as a way to get men talking and to break the taboo that surrounds mental health. As a real fan of the sport, William has seen the way men express their feelings at football games. Now he wants to help men show the same passion and openness away from the game.

The film follows William as he meets players and fans from grassroots to the elite of the game and openly discusses their mental health challenges. Former England goalkeeper Joe Hart explains how he has learnt to cope with difficulties at the very top of the game, and a group of bereaved fathers reveal how they use their local football team as a support network and safe space to talk. Former Premier League footballer Marvin Sordell opens up about his struggles with depression, while Chelsea manager Frank Lampard compares life now with his early experiences of professional football.

As well as campaigning to change attitudes today, William explores aspects of British history that have helped create the culture of silence around this issue. Honest and touching, the film powerfully conveys his passion to change the conversation around mental health in Britain.

Production & Filming Details

  • Director(s): Marcus Plowright.
  • Producer(s): Gabby Saper, Lucy Rogers, Tony Pastor, and Jonathan Smith.
  • Production: Goalhanger Films.
  • Distributor(s): BBC.
  • Release Date: 28 May 2020.
  • Running Time: 59 minutes.
  • Country: UK.
  • Language: English.

A Leader Suicide Risk Assessment Tool for Mitigating Risk Factors

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Research Paper Title

Development of a Leader Tool for Assessing and Mitigating Suicide Risk Factors.

Background

Despite efforts in prevention, suicide rates in the US military remain unchanged. This article describes the development of a tool for leaders to identify and mitigate suicide risk factors.

Methods

A seven-item measure, the Leader Suicide Risk Assessment Tool (LSRAT), was constructed to allow leaders to assess and mitigate suicide drivers. During a 6-month pilot, unit leaders completed the LSRAT for 161 at-risk soldiers. The LSRAT data were compared to clinical data from a subset of these soldiers.

Results

The LSRAT showed good test-retest reliability. The LSRAT scores showed significant correlations with both clinical and screening measures of suicidality. Command actions mitigated or partially mitigated 89% of risk factors identified on the LSRAT.

Conclusions

This study provides initial psychometric data on a tool that prescribes concrete responses to mitigate risk. The LSRAT may be a valid and feasible tool to assist front-line commanders in identifying potential area’s risk mitigation. Synchronisation efforts between commanders, clinicians, and support services are crucial to ensure effective intervention to prevent suicide behaviour.

Reference

Hoyt, T., Repke, D., Barry, D., Baisley, M., Jervis, S., Black, R., McCreight, S., Prendergast, D., Brinton, C. & Amin, R. (2020) Development of a Leader Tool for Assessing and Mitigating Suicide Risk Factors. Military Medicine. 185(Suppl 1), pp.334-341. doi: 10.1093/milmed/usz194.