Narrow Results

The anxiolytic effect of the alcoholic extract of Ting-Chih-Wan (TCWa) was studied using the black and white test (BWT) and the elevated plus-maze (EPM). We further demonstrated the anxiolytic mechanism of TCWa by combining with diazepam (DIZ), serotonin (5-HT) agonists or antagonists, and measuring the levels of monoamines and its metabolites in the brain stem and cortex. In the BWT, TCWa (0.1–1.0 g/kg, p.o.) increased the time spent in the white chamber and total change between the two chambers, and decreased the time spent in the black chamber. TCWa (0.1–0.5 g/kg, p.o.) increased the arm entries and the time spent on the open arms, and decreased the arm entries and the time spent on the closed arms in the EPM. On the other hand, TCWa (1.0 g/kg, p.o.) decreased horizontal activity and prolonged pentobarbital-induced sleeping times. TCWa (0.1, 0.5 g/kg) decreased the levels of norepinephrine (NE), dopamine (DA), 5-HT and 5-hydroxy-indoleacetic acid (5-HIAA) and increased the levels of vanillylmandelic acid (VMA) and homovanillic acid (HVA) in the brain stem. TCWa (0.1 and 0.5 g/kg) decreased the levels of NE, DA and increased the levels of VMA and HVA in the cortex. TCWa also attenuated the anxiogenic effect of 5-hydroxytryptophan (5-HTP) and enhanced the anxiolytic effect of 9p-chlorophenylalanine (PCPA), buspirone (BUS) and ritanserin (RIT) in the EPM. From these results, TCWa at 0.1 and 0.5 g/kg posessed an anxiolytic effect. The anxiolytic mechanisms of TCWa might be due to decreased catecholaminergic activity caused by the increase in the turnover rate of catecholamines in the brain and decreased concentrations of 5-HT in the brain stem via activating somatodendritic 5-HT1A autoreceptors and inhibiting postsynaptic 5-HT2 receptors.

The purpose of this study is to explore the psychological efficacy of Xinwei Decoction, a traditional Chinese herbal medicine, to treat functional dyspepsia (FD) accompanied with depression and anxiety. Seventy-three subjects, divided into three groups, had been given herbal medicine (Xinwei Decoction), prokinetic agent (Domperidone) and placebo, respectively for 8 weeks. Before and after treatment, all subjects were examined with FD symptom scale, Hamilton Depression Scale (HAMD) and Hamilton Anxiety Scale (HAMA). As a result, the total scores of the three groups in FD symptom scale, HAMD and HAMA after treatment decreased in different levels, with the decrease in the herbal group more significant than the other two groups (p<0.01), indicating the efficacy of the herbal medicine. The total effective rates of the herbal, Domperidone and placebo groups were 90%, 67% and 31%, respectively, which indicated significant effect differences between Xinwei Decoction and Domperidone (p<0.05) and between Xinwei Decoction and placebo (p<0.01), showing that the efficacy of herbal therapy was superior to that of the other two therapies. Furthermore, there was no one in the Domperidone and placebo groups being cured of depression and anxiety, while the curing rate in the herbal group was about 70%, indicating the efficacy of herbal medicine in comparison to that of Domperidone and placebo for anti-depression and anti-anxiety. The result demonstrated that Xinwei Decoction could not only alleviate FD symptoms but also relieve depression and anxiety.

It is presently accepted that emotional disturbances lead to immune system impairment, and that therefore their treatment could restore the immune response. Thus, the aim of the present work was to study the effect of an acupuncture treatment, designed specifically to relieve the emotional symptoms stemming from anxiety, on several functions (adherence, chemotaxis, phagocytosis, basal and stimulated superoxide anion levels, lymphocyte proliferation in response to phytohemagglutinin A (PHA) and natural killer (NK) activity) of leukocytes (neutrophils and lymphocytes) from anxious women. The acupuncture protocol consisted of manual needle stimulation of 19 acupoints, with each session lasting 30 min. It was performed on 34 female 30–60 year old patients, suffering from anxiety, as determined by the Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI). Before and 72 hours after receiving the first acupuncture session, peripheral blood samples were drawn. In 12 patients, samples were also collected immediately after the first single acupuncture session and one month after the end of the whole acupuncture treatment, which consisted of 10 sessions during a year, until the complete remission of anxiety. Twenty healthy non-anxious women in the same age range were used as controls. The results showed that the most favorable effects of acupuncture on the immune functions appear 72 hours after the single session and persist one month after the end of the complete treatment. Impaired immune functions in anxious women (chemotaxis, phagocytosis, lymphoproliferation and NK activity) were significantly improved by acupuncture, and augmented immune parameters (superoxide anion levels and lymphoproliferation of the patient subgroup whose values had been too high) were significantly diminished. Acupuncture brought the above mentioned parameters to values closer to those of healthy controls, exerting a modulatory effect on the immune system.

To evaluate the therapeutic effects of Chinese herbal medicine (CHM) for Alzheimer’s disease (AD), we evaluated five CHMs in oligomeric A${\beta }_{25-35}$-treated mouse primary hippocampal neuronal cultures. The aqueous extract from the root of Pueraria lobata (Puerariae Radix; PR) showed better neuroprotective effects than did the other four CHM aqueous extracts, including Gardenia jasminoides, Eleutherococcus senticosus, Rhodiola rosea, and Panax, in the primary culture treated with saline or oligomeric A${\beta }_{25-35}$. Furthermore, the neuroprotective effects of aqueous extract of PR were also better than its well-known active compound, puerarin, against the neurotoxicity of oligomeric A${\beta }_{25-35}$ in a primary culture. For in vivo experiments, C57BL/6J male mice that received direct infusion of soluble oligomeric A${\beta }_{25-35}$ into the bilateral hippocampal CA1 subregion were used as an alternative AD mouse model. The effects and molecular mechanisms of chronic systemic administration of PR aqueous extract were evaluated in the alternative AD model. PR aqueous extract prevented anxiety and cognitive impairment in mice associated with a decrease in the levels of A$\beta$ deposition, tau protein phosphorylation, inflammation, loss of noradrenergic, and serotonergic neurons and an increase in the levels of synaptophysin and insulin degrading enzyme (IDE) against the toxicity of oligomeric A${\beta }_{25-35}$. Furthermore, no obvious damage to the liver and kidney was detected after chronic systemic administration of PR aqueous extract. Therefore, using PR could be a safer, more effective therapeutic strategy than using its active compound puerarin to prevent both cognitive and noncognitive dysfunction and related pathological features of AD.

Background and Purpose: Osteoarthritis patients often suffer from anxiety which can affect the disease prognosis. This study is aimed at assessing the various psychological dimensions in different joint arthritic subjects of the rural population and finding the most common joint arthritis that can lead to anxiety in the rural population. Materials & methods: A total of 252 subjects satisfied the inclusion criteria and were recruited for the study after written informed consent and were asked to fill in the GPS online through Google forms. The “feelings” subscale assesses the patient’s psychological stress due to pain and disease. The psychological dimensions of sub-section feelings of GPS were analyzed by one-way ANOVA to assess whether there is a difference on average in the scores among the three groups at a p < 0.05 significant level. Tukey HSD was used for post hoc pairwise comparisons. Results: One-way ANOVA results showed that there was no statistically significant difference between the groups for fear, level of anxiety, depression, stress, and fatigue. Tukey HSD post hoc comparison revealed that the results were statistically significant for fear (Q = 3.35, p = 0.04) and fatigue levels (Q = 3.69, p = 0.02). The Tukey HSD post hoc comparison for levels of anxiety, depression, and stress was not statistically significant. Conclusion: From this study, we conclude that anxiety, fatigue, and fear are highly prevalent in hip osteoarthritis. Anxiety is associated with all joint osteoarthritis and can result in poor quality of living. We recommend physicians to emphasize psychological dimensions and address them at an early stage in order to achieve a better prognosis in degenerative joint diseases.

Human Model of Rare Genetic Disease Reveals New Clues to Ageing Process.

Singapore Scientists Discover a Possible Off-Switch for Anxiety.

Researchers Find Indirect Path to Attack Breast Cancer Stem Cells.

This study explores the challenges faced by the older adults during the COVID-19-induced lockdown periods in Gweru and Mutare, Zimbabwe’s third and fourth largest cities, respectively. Seventeen men and women above the age of 60 were interviewed following all COVID-19 protocols during the period April to August 2021. Semi-structured interview guides were used to gather data and Tesch’s (1990) method of thematic analysis was used to make sense of the data. Findings indicate that the older adults faced new challenges as a result of the strict lockdown and that the pandemic exacerbated the challenges that the elderly were facing. Intersectionality of challenges was also evident from the older people’s descriptions. A number of stressors were related to the pandemic restrictions, financial issues, health challenges, social challenges, and challenges of everyday living. Some participants reported mental health challenges and symptoms related to anxiety and depression. The COVID-19 pandemic presented unique psychological, economic, and social challenges to older persons in Zimbabwe. To curb such challenges in the future, there is a need to prioritize older adults during pandemic outbreaks and disasters. Adequate Universal pensions could assist in dealing with the economic challenges faced by older adults in Zimbabwe. There is a need to raise awareness and formulate structured programs on the well-being of older adults. Further research is required to map the extent of the psychological and socio-economic challenges faced by older adults in Zimbabwe.

Stroke is an acute cerebrovascular disease characterized by a high incidence, disability rate, recurrence rate, and mortality rate. Depression, as one of the main types of mood disorders, can manifest as symptoms such as a loss of interest in daily activities, reduced energy, diminished self-esteem, insomnia, and decreased appetite. There exists a significant relationship between these two conditions in terms of their pathogenesis. To delve deeper into the factors associated with the occurrence of both diseases, particularly examining the influence of depression on stroke risk, the authors conducted a large-scale investigation and data collection in the population of Shanghai, obtained 5599 valid data points, including information on hypertension, abnormal blood lipid levels, diabetes, atrial fibrillation, body mass index (BMI), a history of stroke, family history of stroke, previous transient ischemic attacks, smoking history, and exercise habits. Ultimately, the authors employed the decision tree C4.5 algorithm to construct a risk analysis model for both stroke and depression, analyzing the risk factors contributing to their occurrence and inferring the correlation between depression and stroke. The results revealed a close association between depression and a history of stroke, BMI, gender, and physical activity. Additionally, in the nonelderly population, psychological factors such as anxiety, depression, mood disorders, and stress were found to be closely linked to stroke onset. In many instances, regular exercise may mitigate the adverse effects of depression on stroke risk.

Post-surgical pain is commonly experienced by patients, and traditional pain medication has limitations and side effects. Virtual reality (VR) is a computer-generated technology that simulates realistic environments, which distracts the patient’s attention and emotions, reduces pain, and improves rehabilitation by creating an immersive experience. The increasing affordability and quality of portable VR headsets, as well as the increasing utility of pain management, bode well for the exciting future of using VR for analgesia. VR was found to be effective as a complementary adjunct or alternative nonpharmacological analgesic to a range of acute and chronic pain treatments. The application of VR to post-surgical pain management can significantly reduce patients’ dependence on medications, as well as decrease the intensity and duration of pain. In this paper, a thorough literature review was conducted to systematically evaluate the use of VR in post-surgical pain management.

Early Life Stress (ELS) has been associated with a range of adverse outcomes in adults, including abnormalities in electrical brain activity [1], personality dimensions [40], increased vulnerability to substance abuse and depression [14]. The present study seeks to quantify these proposed effects in a large sample of non-clinical subjects. Data for the study was obtained from The Brain Resource International Database (six laboratories: two in USA, two in Europe, two in Australia). This study analyzed scalp electrophysiological data (EEG eyes open, closed and target auditory oddball data) and personality (NEO-FFI), history of addictive substance use and ELS) data that was acquired from 740 healthy volunteers. The ELS measures were collected via a self-report measure and covered a broad range of events from childhood sexual and physical abuse, to first-hand experience of traumatizing accidents and sustained domestic conflict [41]. Analysis of covariance, controlling for age and gender, compared EEG data from subjects exposed to ELS with those who were unexposed. ELS was associated with significantly decreased power across the EEG spectrum. The between group differences were strongest in the eyes closed paradigm, where subjects who experienced ELS showed significantly reduced beta (F_1,405 = 12.37, p = .000), theta (F_1,405 = 20.48, p = .000), alpha (F_1,405 = 9.65, p = .002) and delta power (F_1,450 = 36.22, p = .000). ELS exposed subjects also showed a significantly higher alpha peak frequency (F_1,405 = 6.39, p = .012) in the eyes closed paradigm. Analysis of covariance on ERP components revealed that subjects who experienced ELS had significantly decreased N2 amplitude (F_1,405 = 7.73, p = .006). Analyses of variance conducted on measures of personality revealed that subjects who experienced ELS had significantly higher levels of neuroticism (F_1,264 = 13.39, p = .000) and openness (F_1,264 = 17.11, p = .000), but lower levels of conscientiousness, than controls (F_1,264 = 4.08, p = .044). The number of ELS events experienced was shown to be a significant predictor of scores on the DASS questionnaire [27], which rates subjects on symptoms of depression (F_3,688 = 16.44, p = .000, R² = .07), anxiety (F_3,688 = 14.32, p = .000, R² = .06) and stress (F_3,688 = 20.02, p = .000, R² = .08). Each additional early life stressor was associated with an increase in these scores independent of age, gender and the type of stressor. Furthermore, the number of ELS experiences among smokers was also found to be a positive predictor of the nicotine dependency score (Faegstrom Test For Nicotine Dependence, [19]) (F_3,104 = 10.99, p = .000, R² = .24), independent of age, gender and type of stressor. In conclusion, we highlight the impact of a history of ELS showed significant effects on brain function (EEG and ERP activity), personality dimensions and nicotine dependence.

We assess the anxiety-like behavior in the open field and elevated plus maze tests and measure the nociceptive response in the tail flick test following prenatal stress exposure in adult male and female Wistar rats. In both behavioral anxiety tests, prenatal stress increased the anxiety-like behavior in male PS rats, but not in females suggesting a strong sex-dependent anxiogenic effect. The tail flick results showed a hypersensitivity to pain in male and female PS rats with a subtle gender difference. These findings suggest that prenatal stress is an important risk factor for multiple mental disorders.

In the COVID-19 era, the use of social media platforms has significantly increased leading to misinformation being produced whose management is quite necessary for the domain experts, such as the Reddit social platform where people disseminate extensive information about their health issues using relevant posts and comments. The management of misinformation about COVID-19 impact on mental illness could be quite beneficial for the domain experts. In this regard, we proposed a two-step methodology which could aid domain experts to manage and group the posts and comments information with respect to COVID-19 impact on mental illness. First, we extract the information of well-known mental illnesses (such as depression, anxiety, OCD and PTSD) from the Raddit platform. Second, we leverage the capabilities of unsupervised learning algorithms and text categorisation approach to manage the information. We also proposed the evaluation model to assess the efficacy of the proposed method according to expert opinion. The experimental results indicate the efficacy of the proposed method. Moreover, we observed fuzzy c-means as an outperformed learner (with $\mathrm{\text{ARI}}=0.76$) as compared to K-means ($\mathrm{\text{ARI}}=0.70$) and Agglomerative ($\mathrm{\text{ARI}}=0.69$).

Si-Shen decoction is a mild medicinal dietary material composed of lotus seeds, gorgon, poria and yam. In vitro studies have proved the biological activity of four individual medicinal materials, but the effects of the combination prescription have yet to be evaluated in vivo in the past. This study prepared the Si-Shen extracts (SSE) by heating reflux with 50% alcohol. The prepared extracts contained functional components, including $8.30\pm 0.01$mg of QE/g of flavonoids and $2.32\pm 0.58$mg of GAE/g of polyphenols. The antioxidant activity of SSE was verified by the DPPH and FRAP assays. Moreover, the prepared SSE is not cytotoxic below the concentration of 2mg/mL according to the ISO10993-5 test method. Feeding the SSE for 28 days is sufficient to prevent lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced spatial memory impairment and anxiety symptoms, and SSE improves physical fitness. Further experiments demonstrated that SSE elevated the level of acetylcholine in the brain and serum superoxide dismutase activity. This research demonstrated the apparent efficacy and safety of the SSE, which will be further developed into innovative health products related to disease prevention.

Recent research indicates a rising occurrence of mental health issues among children and adolescents globally during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the existing literature reveals a notable inconsistency in the reported prevalence rates. College students, in the midst of a transitional phase, confront numerous stressors associated with young adulthood, alongside the academic demands specific to their stage in life. A common challenge faced by college students is the difficulty in recognizing mental health problems and a reluctance to seek help. Both schools and colleges have not been spared from the psychological challenges brought on by the unexpected crisis of the COVID-19 pandemic. In light of these circumstances, this study endeavors to identify and elucidate the characteristics of depression, anxiety, and stress resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic, given its profound repercussions on adolescents. It is also worth exploring whether adolescents with a history of early life stress (ELS) are particularly vulnerable to these mental health challenges. This research aims to shed light on how the pandemic has affected college students, potentially leading to the development of anxiety, stress, and depression during and in the aftermath of the pandemic. To achieve these objectives, a research design involving both descriptive and diagnostic elements has been employed to investigate the prevalence of depression, anxiety, and stress among college students. Primary data have been collected using a straightforward random sampling technique. The research employs various tools, including demographic information about respondents, examining the COVID-19 pandemic’s contextual factors, exploring coping behaviors during the pandemic, and self-reported assessments of depression, anxiety, and stress. Furthermore, to gain insights into the impact of coping behaviors, appropriate statistical methods have been employed to examine how adolescents have been affected by depression, anxiety, and stress following the COVID-19 pandemic. Leveraging machine learning classifiers, a predictive dashboard has been created to estimate the severity of depression, anxiety, and stress experienced by college students based on significant factors associated with their symptoms.

Objective: To evaluate the performance of the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) for screening of depressive disorders and anxiety disorders in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in Hong Kong.

Methods: Consecutive RA patients in the outpatient clinic of Pok Oi Hospital were invited to complete the validated Chinese-Cantonese version of the HADS questionnaire before clinical assessment by a psychiatrist for depressive disorders and anxiety disorders using the Chinese-bilingual Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV Axis I disorders, patient research version. Psychometric properties of the HADS were analyzed by the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis.

Results: For the HADS full scale, sensitivity and specificity at the optimal cut-off score of 16 for any psychiatric disorders were 83.0% and 81.0%, respectively (area under ROC curve [AUC] 0.91). For the depression subscale (HADS-D), sensitivity and specificity at the optimal cut-off score of 10 for any depressive disorders were 89.7% and 84.8%, respectively (AUC 0.93). For the anxiety subscale (HADS-A), sensitivity and specificity at the optimal cut-off score of 8 for any anxiety disorders were 88.5% and 74.1%, respectively (AUC 0.87). The HADS-D showed better screening properties for any depressive disorders than major depressive disorder. The HADS-A showed better screening properties for generalized anxiety disorder than any anxiety disorders.

Conclusion: The HADS had good performance to screen for any psychiatric disorders and the HADS-D had good performance to screen for any depressive disorders. On the other hand, the HADS-A performed better for generalized anxiety disorder than for any anxiety disorders.

The aim of this study was to assess abused children in Saudi Arabia for possible psychological problems. The sample participants were nine Saudi families that included 29 children and eight caregivers (parent or guardian), and the method involved interviewing both the children (two sessions each) and the caregivers. Also, the children were asked to complete the self-report Spence children's anxiety scale (SCAS), while the parents were asked to complete the child behaviour checklist (CBCL). The results showed that children suffered from different types of anxiety, but the highest one was generalised anxiety disorder. Also, the children had emotional and behavioural problems and the most frequent ones were aggressive behaviours and being anxious/depressed. The conclusion is that abused children in Saudi Arabia had high levels of anxiety and behavioural and emotional problems and that this has implications for their care.

In recent years, modern people have lived a simple and busy life, and they have no other spirits and physical strengths to engage in regular sports. Long-term stress can easily cause autonomic diseases. The heart rate variability analysis has become a functional indicator for the study of the autonomic nervous system that can reflect changes in a person’s health. Therefore, it is necessary to detect stress by autonomic heart rate variability (HRV), and then understand that these symptoms in the original body caused by stress. This research explores the anxiety level change with music therapy on college students. Before music therapy and after music therapy, the degree of strain was measured by the situational anxiety table. The higher the degree of stress in the early stages of measurement is, the more relaxed the students will be after listening to music. However, there is no statistically significant difference in the effect of different levels of anxiety on the effectiveness of music therapy. At the same time, physiological measurements of electrocardiogram and blood pressure were performed before, during, and after the music treatment. The experimental results show that music therapy can effectively reduce the activity of sympathetic nerves and enhance the activity of parasympathetic nerves. It allows students to achieve physical and psychological relaxation after music therapy.