Intestinal flora and depressive disorders:exploration and prospect of microbial-gut-brain axis

This paper examines the correlation between depressive disorders and intestinal flora.Depression is a common affective disorder characterized by low mood,loss of interest,anhedonia,high incidence,high recurrence rate,high disability rate,and high medical costs.The incidence and harmfulness of depressive disorder are gradually increasing,and its etiology is complex and diverse,among which the abnormal intestinal flora is considered to be one of the causes of depressive disorder.This article reviews the results of several studies that found intestinal flora imbalance in depressed patients,including changes in the type and quantity of flora and changes in metabolic pathways.In addition,antibiotic and probiotic treatments have also been shown to be effective in alleviating depressive symptoms,further indicating the importance of intestinal flora disturbances in the pathogenesis of depression.We also explored the relationship between intestinal flora and the pathogenesis of depressive disorders.Through neuro-immuno-endo-crine-metabolic pathways,intestinal flora can affect the function of the central nervous system,cause changes in the host’s mental behavior,and lead to or aggravate depressive symptoms.Overall,this study not only found differences in the intestinal flora of patients with depressive disorders but also revealed the potential role of intestinal flora in the pathogenesis.Importantly,this provides a new theoretical basis for further clarifying the pathogenesis of depressive disorders and formulating diagnosis and treatment strategies.

Research progress on the effects of positive stress reduction on positive awareness and psychosocial functioning in patients with depressive disorders

To review the current research status of positive thought stress reduction therapy(PTSRT),psychosocial functioning of patients with depressive disorders,the shortcomings and outlook of the influence of PTSRT on positive thought awareness,and psychosocial functioning of patients with depressive disorders.This review has the objective to provide clinical healthcare personnel with essential information about the use of PTSRT to improve the level of positive thought and psychosocial functioning of patients with depressive disorders.

Profiles of depressive disorders and influencing factors among the elderly in China: protocol for a secondary data analysis

Background:Depressive disorders have become a major risk factor that influences people’s health worldwide,but few studies have focused on the prevalence of depressive disorders among the Chinese elderly and their characteristics of depressive disorders.The current study is a secondary data analysis designed to explore the profiles of depressive disorders in the Chinese elderly by latent profile analysis.Methods:The China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study(CHARLS 2018)database will be used for analysis.Latent profile analysis will be employed to identify the profiles of depressive disorders using data from the subsection“CESD Depression”in the section“Cognition and Depression”.Stepwise multinomial logistic regression will be used to explore the influencing factors of different profiles of depressive disorders among the Chinese elderly.Discussion:The prevalence of depressive disorders among the Chinese elderly and their profiles of depressive disorders will be reported.Possible influencing factors may include some demographic characteristics and associated psychological elements,which will provide a reference for further research and precise intervention.

Factors causing a relapse of major depressive disorders following successful electroconvulsive therapy:A retrospective cohort study

BACKGROUND Electroconvulsive therapy(ECT)is used to treat major depressive disorder(MDD).Relapse is often observed even after successful ECT,followed by adequate pharmaceutical treatment for MDD.AIM To investigate the diagnostic factors and treatment strategies associated with depression relapse.METHODS We analyzed the relationships between relapse,the diagnostic change from MDD to bipolar disorder(BP),and treatment after the initial ECT.We performed a 3-year retrospective study of the prognoses of 85 patients of the Shiga University of Medical Science Hospital.The relative risk of relapse of depressive symptoms was calculated based on the diagnostic change from MDD to BP.A receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve was generated to evaluate the predictive accuracy of diagnostic changes from MDD to BP based on the duration between the first course of ECT and the relapse of depressive symptoms.RESULTS Eighty-five patients initially diagnosed with MDD and successfully treated with ECT were enrolled in the study.Compared with the MDD participants,more BP patients experienced relapses and required continuation and/or maintenance ECT to maintain remission(65.6%vs 15.1%,P<0.001;relative risk=4.35,95%CI:2.19-8.63,P<0.001).Twenty-nine patients experienced relapses during the three-year follow-up.In 21(72.4%,21/29)patients with relapse,the diagnosis was changed from MDD to BP.The duration from the first course of ECT to relapse was shorter for the BP patients than for the MDD patients(9.63±10.4 mo vs 3.38±3.77 mo,P=0.022);for most patients,the interval was less than one month.The relative risk of depressive symptoms based on diagnostic changes was 4.35(95%confidence interval:2.19–8.63,P<0.001),and the area under the ROC curve for detecting diagnostic changes based on relapse duration was 0.756(95%CI:0.562-0.895,P=0.007).CONCLUSION It may be beneficial to suspect BP and change the treatment strategy from MDD to BP for patients experiencing an early relapse.

Research progress on brain-derived neurotrophic factor and non-suicidal self-injury addictive behavior associated with depressive disorders in adolescents

In recent years,non-suicidal self-injury(NSSI)behavior has emerged in a large number of adoles-cent depression.NSSI associated with adolescent depres-sion may be an addictive behavior,which has many sim-ilar neurobiological mechanisms to substance addiction.Brain-derived neurotrophic factor(BDNF)and precursor of BDNF(proBDNF)play an important role in addiction behavior,and they may be related to endogenous opioid receptors.The location and distribution of opioidμre-ceptors in the brain are related to reward,motivation and emotion regulated by behavioral addiction.The purpose of this paper is to review the general situation,mechanism and relationship between the characteristics of NSSI be-havior addiction and brain-derived nutritional factors in adolescents with depression.

A Comprehensive Overview of the Role of Visual Cortex Malfunction in Depressive Disorders: Opportunities and Challenges

Major depressive disorder(MDD)is a highly heterogeneous mental disorder,and its complex etiology and unclear mechanism are great obstacles to the diagnosis and treatment of the disease.Studies have shown that abnormal functions of the visual cortex have been reported in MDD patients,and the actions of several antidepressants coincide with improvements in the structure and synaptic functions of the visual cortex.In this review,we critically evaluate current evidence showing the involvement of the malfunctioning visual cortex in the pathophysiology and therapeutic process of depression.In addition,we discuss the molecular mechanisms of visual cortex dysfunction that may underlie the pathogenesis of MDD.Although the precise roles of visual cortex abnormalities in MDD remain uncertain,this undervalued brain region may become a novel area for the treatment of depressed patients.

Peripheral mitochondrial DNA as a neuroinflammatory biomarker for major depressive disorder

In the pathogenesis of major depressive disorder, chronic stress-related neuroinflammation hinders favorable prognosis and antidepressant response. Mitochondrial DNA may be an inflammatory trigger, after its release from stress-induced dysfunctional central nervous system mitochondria into peripheral circulation. This evidence supports the potential use of peripheral mitochondrial DNA as a neuroinflammatory biomarker for the diagnosis and treatment of major depressive disorder. Herein, we critically review the neuroinflammation theory in major depressive disorder, providing compelling evidence that mitochondrial DNA release acts as a critical biological substrate, and that it constitutes the neuroinflammatory disease pathway. After its release, mitochondrial DNA can be carried in the exosomes and transported to extracellular spaces in the central nervous system and peripheral circulation. Detectable exosomes render encaged mitochondrial DNA relatively stable. This mitochondrial DNA in peripheral circulation can thus be directly detected in clinical practice. These characteristics illustrate the potential for mitochondrial DNA to serve as an innovative clinical biomarker and molecular treatment target for major depressive disorder. This review also highlights the future potential value of clinical applications combining mitochondrial DNA with a panel of other biomarkers, to improve diagnostic precision in major depressive disorder.

Multimodal abnormalities of brain structures in adolescents and young adults with major depressive disorder:An activation likelihood estimation meta-analysis

BACKGROUND Major depressive disorder(MDD)in adolescents and young adults contributes significantly to global morbidity,with inconsistent findings on brain structural changes from structural magnetic resonance imaging studies.Activation likeli-hood estimation(ALE)offers a method to synthesize these diverse findings and identify consistent brain anomalies.METHODS We performed a comprehensive literature search in PubMed,Web of Science,Embase,and Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure databases for neuroi-maging studies on MDD among adolescents and young adults published up to November 19,2023.Two independent researchers performed the study selection,quality assessment,and data extraction.The ALE technique was employed to synthesize findings on localized brain function anomalies in MDD patients,which was supplemented by sensitivity analyses.RESULTS Twenty-two studies comprising fourteen diffusion tensor imaging(DTI)studies and eight voxel-based morphome-try(VBM)studies,and involving 451 MDD patients and 465 healthy controls(HCs)for DTI and 664 MDD patients and 946 HCs for VBM,were included.DTI-based ALE demonstrated significant reductions in fractional anisotropy(FA)values in the right caudate head,right insula,and right lentiform nucleus putamen in adolescents and young adults with MDD compared to HCs,with no regions exhibiting increased FA values.VBM-based ALE did not demonstrate significant alterations in gray matter volume.Sensitivity analyses highlighted consistent findings in the right caudate head(11 of 14 analyses),right insula(10 of 14 analyses),and right lentiform nucleus putamen(11 of 14 analyses).CONCLUSION Structural alterations in the right caudate head,right insula,and right lentiform nucleus putamen in young MDD patients may contribute to its recurrent nature,offering insights for targeted therapies.

Sleep disturbances and psychomotor retardation in the prediction of cognitive impairments in patients with major depressive disorder

BACKGROUND Symptoms of depression and comorbid anxiety are known risk factors for cognitive impairment in major depressive disorder(MDD).Understanding their relationships is crucial for developing targeted interventions to mitigate cognitive impairments in MDD patients.We expect that the severity of sleep disturbances and other depressive symptoms will be positively correlated with the degree of cognitive impairments.We also hypothesize that anxiety symptoms,especially psychic anxiety,is a key factor in predicting cognitive performance in MDD patients and may indirectly contribute to cognitive impairment by affecting sleep disturbances and other potential factors.AIM To determine which dimension of the depressive and anxiety symptoms predicts cognitive impairment during a depressive episode.METHODS A comprehensive neurocognitive test battery assessed executive function,attention,processing speed,and memory in 162 medication-free MDD patients and 142 matched healthy controls.The 24-item Hamilton Depression Rating Scale was used to assess depressive symptoms,and the 14-item Hamilton Anxiety Scale was used to assess anxiety symptoms.Linear regression analyses and mediation analyses were conducted to evaluate the impact of depressive and anxiety symptoms,as well as their interactions,on cognitive impairments.RESULTS Among the depressive symptoms,sleep disturbances were associated with poorer executive function(P=0.004),lower processing speed(P=0.047),and memory impairments(P<0.001),and psychomotor retardation(PR)was associated with lower processing speed in patients with MDD(P=0.019).Notably,PR was found to mediate the impact of sleep disturbances on the processing speed.Regarding anxiety symptoms,psychic anxiety,rather than somatic anxiety,was associated with cognitive impairments in all aspects.Sleep disturbances mediated the effect of psychic anxiety on executive function[β=-0.013,BC CI(-0.027,-0.001)]and memory[β=-0.149,BC CI(-0.237,-0.063)],while PR mediated its effect on processing speed(β=-0.023,BC CI(-0.045,-0.004)].CONCLUSION Sleep disturbances may be a key predictor of poorer executive function,lower processing speed,and memory loss,while PR is crucial for lower processing speed during a depressive episode.Psychic anxiety contributes to all aspects of cognitive impairments,mediated by sleep disturbances and PR.

Vulnerable brain regions in adolescent major depressive disorder:A resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging activation likelihood estimation meta-analysis

BACKGROUND Adolescent major depressive disorder(MDD)is a significant mental health concern that often leads to recurrent depression in adulthood.Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging(rs-fMRI)offers unique insights into the neural mechanisms underlying this condition.However,despite previous research,the specific vulnerable brain regions affected in adolescent MDD patients have not been fully elucidated.AIM To identify consistent vulnerable brain regions in adolescent MDD patients using rs-fMRI and activation likelihood estimation(ALE)meta-analysis.METHODS We performed a comprehensive literature search through July 12,2023,for studies investigating brain functional changes in adolescent MDD patients.We utilized regional homogeneity(ReHo),amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations(ALFF)and fractional ALFF(fALFF)analyses.We compared the regions of aberrant spontaneous neural activity in adolescents with MDD vs healthy controls(HCs)using ALE.RESULTS Ten studies(369 adolescent MDD patients and 313 HCs)were included.Combining the ReHo and ALFF/fALFF data,the results revealed that the activity in the right cuneus and left precuneus was lower in the adolescent MDD patients than in the HCs(voxel size:648 mm3,P<0.05),and no brain region exhibited increased activity.Based on the ALFF data,we found decreased activity in the right cuneus and left precuneus in adolescent MDD patients(voxel size:736 mm3,P<0.05),with no regions exhibiting increased activity.CONCLUSION Through ALE meta-analysis,we consistently identified the right cuneus and left precuneus as vulnerable brain regions in adolescent MDD patients,increasing our understanding of the neuropathology of affected adolescents.

Association between 5-HTR1A gene C-1019G polymorphism and antidepressant response in patients with major depressive disorder:A meta-analysis

BACKGROUND Major depressive disorder(MDD)is a substantial global health concern,and its treatment is complicated by the variability in individual response to antide-pressants.AIM To consolidate research and clarify the impact of genetic variation on MDD treatment outcomes.METHODS Adhering to Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines,a systematic search across PubMed,EMBASE,Web of Science,and the Cochrane Library was conducted without date restrictions,utilizing key terms related to MDD,serotonin 1A receptor polymorphism(5-HTR1A),C-1019G polymorphism,and antidepressant response.Studies meeting inclusion criteria were thoroughly screened,and quality assessed using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale.Statistical analyses,includingχ2 and I²values,were used to evaluate heterogeneity and fixed-effect or random-effect models were applied accordingly.RESULTS The initial search yielded 1216 articles,with 11 studies meeting criteria for inclusion.Analysis of various genetic models showed no significant association between the 5-HTR1A C-1019G polymorphism and antidepressant efficacy.The heterogeneity was low to moderate,and no publication bias was detected through funnel plot symmetry and Egger's and Begg's tests.CONCLUSION This meta-analysis does not support a significant association between the 5-HTR1A C-1019G polymorphism and the efficacy of antidepressant treatment in MDD.The findings call for further research with larger cohorts to substantiate these results and enhance the understanding of antidepressant pharmacogenetics.

Death-associated protein kinase 1 is associated with cognitive dysfunction in major depressive disorder

We previously showed that death-associated protein kinase 1(DAPK1)expression is increased in hippocampal tissue in a mouse model of major depressive disorde and is related to cognitive dysfunction in Alzheimer's disease.In addition,depression is a risk factor for developing Alzheimer's disease,as well as an early clinical manifestation of Alzheimer's disease.Meanwhile,cognitive dysfunction is a distinctive feature of major depressive disorder.Therefore,DAPK1 may be related to cognitive dysfunction in major depressive disorder.In this study,we established a mouse model of major depressive disorder by housing mice individually and exposing them to chronic,mild,unpredictable stressors.We found that DAPK1 and tau protein levels were increased in the hippocampal CA3 area,and tau was hyperphosphorylated at Thr231,Ser262,and Ser396 in these mice.Furthermore,DAPK1 shifted from axonal expression to overexpression on the cell membrane.Exercise and treatment with the antidepressant drug citalopram decreased DAPK1 expression and tau protein phosphorylation in hippocampal tissue and improved both depressive symptoms and cognitive dysfunction.These results indicate that DAPK1 may be a potential reason and therapeutic target of cognitive dysfunction in major depressive disorder.

Kynurenine pathway of tryptophan metabolism in pathophysiology and therapy of major depressive disorder

Serotonin deficiency in major depressive disorder(MDD)has formed the basis of antidepressant drug development and was originally attributed to induction of the major tryptophan(Trp)-degrading enzyme,liver Trp 2,3-dioxygenase(TDO),by cortisol,leading to decreased Trp availability to the brain for serotonin synthesis.Subsequently,the serotonin deficiency was proposed to involve induction of the extrahepatic Trp-degrading enzyme indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase(IDO)by proinflammatory cytokines,with inflammation being the underlying cause.Recent evidence,however,challenges this latter concept,as not all MDD patients are immune-activated and,when present,inflammation is mild and/or transient.A wide range of antidepressant drugs inhibit the activity of liver TDO and bind specifically to the enzyme,but not to IDO.IDO induction is not a major event in MDD,but,when it occurs,its metabolic consequences may be masked and overridden by upregulation of kynurenine monooxygenase(KMO),the gateway to production of modulators of immune and neuronal functions.KMO appears to be activated in MDD by certain proinflammatory cytokines and antidepressants with anti-inflammatory properties may block this activation.We demonstrate the ability of the antidepressant ketamine to dock(bind)to KMO.The pathophysiology of MDD may be underpinned by both the serotonin deficiency and glutamatergic activation mediated respectively by TDO induction and N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor activation.Inhibition of TDO and KMO should be the focus of MDD pharmacotherapy.

Meteorological factors, ambient air pollution, and daily hospital admissions for depressive disorder in Harbin: A time-series study

BACKGROUND The literature has discussed the relationship between environmental factors and depressive disorders;however,the results are inconsistent in different studies and regions,as are the interaction effects between environmental factors.We hypo-thesized that meteorological factors and ambient air pollution individually affect and interact to affect depressive disorder morbidity.AIM To investigate the effects of meteorological factors and air pollution on depressive disorders,including their lagged effects and interactions.METHODS The samples were obtained from a class 3 hospital in Harbin,China.Daily hos-pital admission data for depressive disorders from January 1,2015 to December 31,2022 were obtained.Meteorological and air pollution data were also collected during the same period.Generalized additive models with quasi-Poisson regre-ssion were used for time-series modeling to measure the non-linear and delayed effects of environmental factors.We further incorporated each pair of environ-mental factors into a bivariate response surface model to examine the interaction effects on hospital admissions for depressive disorders.RESULTS Data for 2922 d were included in the study,with no missing values.The total number of depressive admissions was 83905.Medium to high correlations existed between environmental factors.Air temperature(AT)and wind speed(WS)significantly affected the number of admissions for depression.An extremely low temperature(-29.0℃)at lag 0 caused a 53%[relative risk(RR)=1.53,95%confidence interval(CI):1.23-1.89]increase in daily hospital admissions relative to the median temperature.Extremely low WSs(0.4 m/s)at lag 7 increased the number of admissions by 58%(RR=1.58,95%CI:1.07-2.31).In contrast,atmospheric pressure and relative humidity had smaller effects.Among the six air pollutants considered in the time-series model,nitrogen dioxide(NO_(2))was the only pollutant that showed significant effects over non-cumulative,cumulative,immediate,and lagged conditions.The cumulative effect of NO_(2) at lag 7 was 0.47%(RR=1.0047,95%CI:1.0024-1.0071).Interaction effects were found between AT and the five air pollutants,atmospheric temperature and the four air pollutants,WS and sulfur dioxide.CONCLUSION Meteorological factors and the air pollutant NO_(2) affect daily hospital admissions for depressive disorders,and interactions exist between meteorological factors and ambient air pollution.

Major depressive disorder is correlated with the mitochondrial ND1 T3394C mutation in two Han Chinese families:Two case reports

BACKGROUND Major depressive disorder(MDD)is the most frequent reason of disabled people in the world,as reported by the World Health Organization.However,the diagnosis of MDD is mainly based on clinical symptoms.CASE SUMMARY The clinical,genetic,and molecular characteristics of two Chinese families with MDD are described in this study.There were variable ages of onset and severity in depression among the families.Both Chinese families had a very low prevalence of MDD.The mitochondrial genomes of these pedigrees were sequenced and indicated a homoplasmic T3394C(Y30H)mutation,with the polymorphism located at a highly conserved tyrosine at position 30 of ND1.The analysis also revealed unique sets of mitochondrial DNA(mtDNA)polymorphisms originating from haplogroups M9a3 and M9a.CONCLUSION This finding of the T3394C mutation in two unrelated depressed patients provides strong evidence that this mutation may have a part in the etiology of MDD.However,In these two Chinese families having the T3394C mutation,no functional mt DNA mutation was observed.Therefore,T3394C mutations are related with MDD,and the phenotypic manifestation of these mutations may be affected by changes in nuclear genes or environmental factors.

Identification and characterization of noncoding RNAs-associated competing endogenous RNA networks in major depressive disorder

BACKGROUND Major depressive disorder(MDD)is a common and serious mental illness.Many novel genes in MDD have been characterized by high-throughput methods such as microarrays or sequencing.Recently,noncoding RNAs(ncRNAs)were suggested to be involved in the complicated environmental-genetic regulatory network of MDD occurrence;however,the interplay among RNA species,including protein-coding RNAs and ncRNAs,in MDD remains unclear.AIM To investigate the RNA expression datasets downloaded from a public database and construct a network based on differentially expressed long noncoding RNA(lncRNAs),microRNAs(miRNAs),and mRNAs between MDD and controls.METHODS Gene expression data were searched in NCBI Gene Expression Omnibus using the search term“major depressive disorder.”Six array datasets from humans were related to the search term:GSE19738,GSE32280,GSE38206,GSE52790,GSE76826,and GSE81152.These datasets were processed for initial assessment and subjected to quality control and differential expression analysis.Differentially expressed lncRNAs,miRNAs,and mRNAs were determined,Gene Ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes enrichment analyses were performed,and protein-protein interaction network was generated.The results were analyzed for their association with MDD.RESULTS After analysis,3 miRNAs,12 lncRNAs,and 33 mRNAs were identified in the competing endogenous RNA network.Two of these miRNAs were earlier shown to be involved in psychiatric disorders,and differentially expressed mRNAs were found to be highly enriched in pathways related to neurogenesis and neuroplasticity as per Gene Ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes enrichment analyses.The expression of hub gene fatty acid 2-hydroxylase was enriched,and the encoded protein was found to be involved in myelin formation,indicating that neurological development and signal transduction are involved in MDD pathogenesis.CONCLUSION The present study presents candidate nc RNAs involved in the neurogenesis and neuroplasticity pathways related to MDD.

Mechanism of Zuojin Pill in the treatment of anxiety disorder and Major depressive disorder based on network pharmacology and molecular docking validation

Background:Zuojin Pill(ZJP)is a classic Chinese herbal prescription with good efficacy in the treatment of Anxiety disorder(AD)and Major depressive disorder(MDD).Nevertheless,the potential mechanisms of ZJP remain unclear.Based on network pharmacology and molecular docking methods,this study aims to elucidate the possible mechanism of ZJP in the treatment of AD and MDD.Methods:The components and targets of Rhizoma Coptidis and Fructus Evodiae were collected from TCMSP,ETCM,HERB,SWISSADME and STITCH databases.The disease targets related to MDD and AD were collected from DISGENET,GENECARDS and OMIM databases.Protein-protein interaction network was constructed by STRING database,GO and KEGG enrichment analysis was performed by METASCAPE database,and“drugs-components-targets network”was constructed by Cytoscape software.Molecular docking verification was performed by Sailvina2.0 software.Results:ZJP may act on AKT1,IL6,TNF and other targets through caffeine,isorhamnetin,berberine and other components,regulating the Inflammatory mediator regulation of TRP channels,Serotonergic synapse,Dopaminergic synapse,PI3K/AKT signaling pathway,and other pathways.The results of molecular docking showed that berberine had the best binding activity with the core target.Conclusion:ZJP can exert anti-anxiety and anti-depression effects through multiple components,multiple targets and multiple pathways.

Risk Factors of Depression Screened by Two-Sample Mendelian Randomization Analysis:A Systematic Review

Objective This study explored the potentially modifiable factors for depression and major depressive disorder(MDD)from the MR-Base database and further evaluated the associations between drug targets with MDD.Methods We analyzed two-sample of Mendelian randomization(2SMR)using genetic variant depression(n=113,154)and MDD(n=208,811)from Genome-Wide Association Studies(GWAS).Separate calculations were performed with modifiable risk factors from MR-Base for 1,001 genomes.The MR analysis was performed by screening drug targets with MDD in the DrugBank database to explore the therapeutic targets for MDD.Inverse variance weighted(IVW),fixed-effect inverse variance weighted(FE-IVW),MR-Egger,weighted median,and weighted mode were used for complementary calculation.Results The potential causal relationship between modifiable risk factors and depression contained 459 results for depression and 424 for MDD.Also,the associations between drug targets and MDD showed that SLC6A4,GRIN2A,GRIN2C,SCN10A,and IL1B expression are associated with an increased risk of depression.In contrast,ADRB1,CHRNA3,HTR3A,GSTP1,and GABRG2 genes are candidate protective factors against depression.Conclusion This study identified the risk factors causally associated with depression and MDD,and estimated 10 drug targets with significant impact on MDD,providing essential information for formulating strategies to prevent and treat depression.

Neuropathological characteristics of abnormal white matter functional signaling in adolescents with major depression

BACKGROUND Major depression disorder(MDD)constitutes a significant mental health concern.Epidemiological surveys indicate that the lifetime prevalence of depression in adolescents is much higher than that in adults,with a corresponding increased risk of suicide.In studying brain dysfunction associated with MDD in adolescents,research on brain white matter(WM)is sparse.Some researchers even mistakenly regard the signals generated by the WM as noise points.In fact,studies have shown that WM exhibits similar blood oxygen level-dependent signal fluctuations.The alterations in WM signals and their relationship with disease severity in adolescents with MDD remain unclear.AIM To explore potential abnormalities in WM functional signals in adolescents with MDD.METHODS This study involved 48 adolescent patients with MDD and 31 healthy controls(HC).All participants were assessed using the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 Scale and the mini international neuropsychiatric interview(MINI)suicide inventory.In addition,a Siemens Skyra 3.0T magnetic resonance scanner was used to obtain the subjects'image data.The DPABI software was utilized to calculate the WM signal of the fractional amplitude of low frequency fluctuations(fALFF)and regional homogeneity,followed by a two-sample t-test between the MDD and HC groups.Independent component analysis(ICA)was also used to evaluate the WM functional signal.Pearson’s correlation was performed to assess the relationship between statistical test results and clinical scales.RESULTS Compared to HC,individuals with MDD demonstrated a decrease in the fALFF of WM in the corpus callosum body,left posterior limb of the internal capsule,right superior corona radiata,and bilateral posterior corona radiata[P<0.001,family-wise error(FWE)voxel correction].The regional homogeneity of WM increased in the right posterior limb of internal capsule and left superior corona radiata,and decreased in the left superior longitudinal fasciculus(P<0.001,FWE voxel correction).The ICA results of WM overlapped with those of regional homogeneity.The fALFF of WM signal in the left posterior limb of the internal capsule was negatively correlated with the MINI suicide scale(P=0.026,r=-0.32),and the right posterior corona radiata was also negatively correlated with the MINI suicide scale(P=0.047,r=-0.288).CONCLUSION Adolescents with MDD involves changes in WM functional signals,and these differences in brain regions may increase the risk of suicide.

Research on the Intervention Effect of Vibroacoustic Therapy in the Treatment of Patients with Depression

Research purpose:This study implemented somatosensory music therapy on patients with depressive disorders,and explored the effects of somatosensory music therapy on the degree of depression,positive and negative emotions,intuitive stress and autonomic nervous function of patients.Research method:We collected 66 patients diagnosed with depression from the Department of Psychological Medicine of Henan Provincial People’s Hospital,and divided them into a control group and an intervention group according to the random number table,with 33 people in each group.The control group received routine psychiatric treatment and nursing.On the basis of the control group,the intervention group received somatosensory music therapy 3 times a week,30 min each time,for 4 consecutive weeks.The Hamilton Depression Scale,Positive and Negative Emotion Scale,Perceived Stress Scale,and Heart Rate Variability Index were collected and analyzed at baseline(T0),2 weeks after treatment(T1)and 4 weeks after treatment(T2).Research results:After 4 weeks of treatment,the HAMD scores of the two groups decreased to varying degrees,and the difference between the groups was statistically significant(p<0.05).After 4 weeks of treatment,the scores of positive emotions in both groups increased to varying degrees,and the scores of negative emotions increased to varying degrees.The scores decreased to varying degrees,and there were statistically significant differences between the positive and negative emotion groups(p<0.05).After 4 weeks of treatment,the CPSS scores of the two groups decreased to varying degrees,and the difference between the two groups was statistically significant(p<0.05).Analyzing the main effect of intervention factors alone,after 4 weeks of treatment,SDNN and RMSSD indexes all increased to varying degrees,and the degree of increase in the intervention group was greater than that in the control group,and the difference between the groups was statistically significant(p<0.05).Research conclusion:assisting somatosensory music therapy for patients with depressive disorders can improve depressive symptoms,increase positive emotions,reduce negative emotions,and reduce perceived stress.These are beneficial to restore the balance of autonomic nervous system,and are effective for the treatment of depression.