Cross-sectional survey following a longitudinal study on mental health and insomnia of people with sporadic COVID-19

BACKGROUNDIn the post-pandemic era, the emergence of sporadic cases of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and the scale of the pandemic are unpredictable. Therefore, the impact ofsporadic cases of COVID-19 and isolation measures on mental health and sleep in different groupsof people need to be analyzed.AIMTo clarify the severity of psychological problems and insomnia of staff and community residentsaround a hospital with sporadic cases of COVID-19, and their relationship with quarantinelocation and long-term changes.METHODSA cross-sectional survey was conducted on community residents and medical staff. Many of thesemedical staff had been subjected to different places of quarantine. Community residents did notexperience quarantine. Hospital anxiety and depression scale (HADS), acute stress disorder scale(ASDS) and insomnia severity index (ISI) were used to evaluate anxiety and depression, acutestress disorder symptoms, and the severity of insomnia. Additionally, we conducted a 1-yearfollow-up study on medical staff, with related scales measurement immediately after and one yearafter the 2-wk quarantine period.RESULTSWe included 406 medical staff and 226 community residents. The total scores of ISI and subscale inHADS of community residents were significantly higher than that of medical staff. Furtheranalysis of medical staff who experienced quarantine showed that 134 were quarantined in hotels,70 in hospitals and 48 at home. Among all subjects, the proportions of HADS, ASDS and ISI scoresabove normal cutoff value were 51.94%, 19.17% and 31.11%, respectively. Multivariable logisticregression analysis found that subjects with higher total ASDS scores had a greater risk to developanxiety and depression. The total ISI score for medical staff in hotel quarantine was significantlyhigher than those in home quarantine. Total 199 doctors and nurses who completed the 1-yearfollow-up study. Compared with baseline, HADS and ASDS scores decreased significantly oneyear after the end of quarantine, while ISI scores did not change significantly.CONCLUSIONSporadic COVID-19 cases had a greater psychological impact on residents in surroundingcommunities, mainly manifested as insomnia and depressive symptoms. Hotel quarantineaggravated the severity of insomnia in medical staff, whose symptoms lasted ≥ 1 year.

Non-coding RNAs expression in SARS-CoV-2 infection:pathogenesis,clinical significance,and therapeutic targets

The coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19)pandemic has been looming globally for three years,yet the diagnostic and treatment methods for COVID-19 are still undergoing extensive exploration,which holds paramount importance in mitigating future epidemics.Host non-coding RNAs(ncRNAs)display aberrations in the context of COVID-19.Specifically,microRNAs(miRNAs),long non-coding RNAs(lncRNAs),and circular RNAs(circRNAs)exhibit a close association with viral infection and disease progression.In this comprehensive review,an overview was presented of the expression profiles of host ncRNAs following SARS-CoV-2 invasion and of the potential functions in COVID-19 development,encompassing viral invasion,replication,immune response,and multiorgan deficits which include respiratory system,cardiac system,central nervous system,peripheral nervous system as well as long COVID.Furthermore,we provide an overview of several promising host ncRNA biomarkers for diverse clinical scenarios related to COVID-19,such as stratification biomarkers,prognostic biomarkers,and predictive biomarkers for treatment response.In addition,we also discuss the therapeutic potential of ncRNAs for COVID-19,presenting ncRNA-based strategies to facilitate the development of novel treatments.Through an in-depth analysis of the interplay between ncRNA and COVID-19 combined with our bioinformatic analysis,we hope to offer valuable insights into the stratification,prognosis,and treatment of COVID-19.

Causal relationships between chronotype and risk of multiple cancers by using longitudinal data and Mendelian randomization analysis

Dear Editor,Cancer is the second leading cause of death worldwide,and the cancer situation is becoming more complicated(Zhou et al.,2022).The International Agency for Research on Cancer(IARC)Monographs Working Group classified night shift work as probably carcinogenic(Group 2A)to humans in2019(Ward et al.,2019).

Astrocytes:the neglected stars in the central nervous system and drug addiction

With the advent of improved tools to examine the astrocytes,which have been believed to play a supportive role in the central nervous system(CNS)for years,their participation in the operation of the CNS and drug addiction was unveiled.Assisting the formation and function of the CNS,astrocytes are involved in physiological and pathological brain activities.Drug addiction is a pervasive psychiatric disorder,characterized by compulsive drug-taking behavior and high rate of relapse,impacting individual health and society stability and safety.When exposed to drugs of abuse,astrocytes go through a series of alterations,contributing to the development of addiction.Here we review how astrocytes contribute to the CNS and drug addiction.We hope that understanding the interaction between addictive drugs and astrocytes may help discover new mechanisms underlying the addiction and produce novel therapeutic treatments.

On the Eve of Upgrading Antidepressants:(R)-Ketamine and Its Metabolites

Ketamine is a noncompetitive N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor （NMDAR） antagonist that has attracted wide- spread attention for its rapid-onset antidepressant effects, especially in individuals with treatment-resistant depres- sion and suicidal ideation [1-3]. Compared with the tra- ditional antidepressants that take weeks, if not months, to benefit patients and are associated with a high rate of relapse, ketamine exerts its antidepressant effects within several hours. These clinical benefits can last for 2 weeks after a single injection [1, 2, 4]. However, ketamine still has limited clinical application, psychotomimetic side-effects and liability of abuse. A recent paper in Nature [5] showed that the ketamine metabolite enantiomer （2R,6R）-hydroxynorketamine （HNK） has rapid and sustained antidepressant effects without the side-effects associated with ketamine, such as abuse potential. The discovery of （R）-ketamine is a land- mark in the field of depression. Investigations of its mechanism of action will inspire the development of a new

Prevalence and risk factors of cardiovascular diseases and psychological distress among female scientists and technicians

This study aimed to explore the prevalence and risk factors of cardiovascular disease(CVD)and psychological distress among female scientists and technicians in China.Accordingly,we included scientists and technicians from representative research institutions,medical institutions,colleges,universities,and businesses in China,and the data were collected from July 1,2019 to March 31,2021 via online questionnaires.The parameters evaluated in this study included age,sex,marital status,educational background,monthly income,sleep hours,sleep problems,smoking,alcohol consumption,work-related stress,work burnout,cardiovascular symptoms,CVD,family history,and depressive and anxiety symptoms.A total of 14530 scientists and technicians were included,comprising 7144 men and 7386 women.We found 34.9%men and 16.6%women with CVD,35.1%men and 21.4%women with depressive symptoms,28.7%men and 13.8%women with anxiety symptoms,and 22.0%men and9.5%women with CVD combined with depressive or anxiety symptoms.This study focused on the details of women.Younger women(age≤35 years)had the highest prevalence of depressive symptoms(24.9%),anxiety symptoms(16.2%),and comorbidity(11.2%).It was established that,despite traditional risk factors,unmanageable work burnout,depressive symptoms,and anxiety symptoms were associated with a higher risk of CVD in women;insomnia,overwhelming work stress,unmanageable work burnout,and CVD were linked to a higher risk of depressive symptoms and anxiety;insomnia,overwhelming work stress,and unmanageable work burnout were related to CVD combined with depressive or anxiety symptoms.A bidirectional relationship was noted between CVD and depression or anxiety in female scientists and technicians,and insomnia and overwhelming work stress were positively associated with comorbidity.It is suggested that effective measures should be taken to protect female scientists and technicians from CVD and psychological distress.

Synthesis and biological evaluation of a lipopeptide-based methamphetamine vaccine

We describe an application of carrier protein-free strategy in constructing a fully synthetic methamphetamine(METH)vaccine that contains three components:Toll-like receptor 2 ligand,Th2 epitope,and METH hapten.The immunological evaluation in mice revealed high titers of METH-specific antibodies induced by the construct and the activation of humoral immunity that would be beneficial for neutralization and clearance of the METH molecule.Behavio ral experiments indicated that the synthetic vaccine attenuated the acquisition of METH-induced conditioned place preference and inhibited the initiation and expression of METH-induced locomotor sensitization.These results demonstrate that the lipopeptide-based vaccine has invo ked an immune response and showed the potential of preventing the rewarding and psychoactive effects of METH.

Unique Pharmacology,Brain Dysfunction,and Therapeutic Advancements for Fentanyl Misuse and Abuse

Fentanyl is a fully synthetic opioid with analgesic and anesthetic properties.It has become a primary driver of the deadliest opioid crisis in the United States and elsewhere,consequently imposing devastating social,economic,and health burdens worldwide.However,the neural mechanisms that underlie the behavioral effects of fentanyl and its analogs are largely unknown,and approaches to prevent fentanyl abuse and fentanyl-related overdose deaths are scarce.This review presents the abuse potential and unique pharmacology of fentanyl and elucidates its potential mechanisms of action,including neural circuit dysfunction and neuroinflammation.We discuss recent progress in the development of pharmacological interventions,anti-fentanyl vaccines,anti-fentanyl/heroin conjugate vaccines,and monoclonal antibodies to attenuate fentanyl-seeking and prevent fentanyl-induced respiratory depression.However,translational studies and clinical trials are still lacking.Considering the present opioid crisis,the development of effective pharmacological and immunological strategies to prevent fentanyl abuse and overdose are urgently needed.

The Other Face of the Nucleus Accumbens:Aversion

The nucleus accumbens （NAc） is thought to integrate information that is conveyed by （1） dopaminergic inputs from the midbrain and （2） glutamatergic inputs from limbic and cortical regions, including the amygdala, prefrontal cortex （PFC）, hippocampus, and thalamus [1], and signal to the basal ganglia motor system to guide appropriate behaviors. Addictive drug use is proposed to hijack this system, enhancing the brain＇s reactivity to drug cues and triggering drug-seeking and relapse after prolonged with- drawal [2, 3]. Both positive reinforcement （rewarding effects of drugs） and negative reinforcement （aversive emotional state associated with withdrawal） have been considered to play critical roles in the etiology and main- tenance of drug addiction, and NAc neurons are capable of processing both reward and aversion [4, 5]. Optogenetic activation of inputs from the PFC, ventral hippocampus （vHipp）, and basolateral amygdala （BLA） to the NAc drives positive reinforcement and facilitates reward- seeking behavior [6, 7], but a recent paper in Nature [8] has identified another face of the NAc. The pathway from the paraventricular nucleus of the thalamus （PVT） to the NAc is key to the aversive emotional state of drug withdrawal.

Online Survey on Accessing Psychological Knowledge and Interventions During the COVID-19 Pandemic-China, 2020

Summary What is already known on this topic?The public was at elevated risk of mental health illnesses during the coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19)pandemic,so accessibility to psychological knowledge and interventions is vital to promptly respond to mental health crises.What is added by this report?During the pandemic period,40,724(71.9%)participants reportedly had access to psychological knowledge,and 36,546(64.5%)participants had accessed information on psychological interventions.Participants who were male,unmarried,living alone,divorced or widowed,or infected with COVID-19 were less likely to access psychological knowledge and intervention.

Economic“Activity-Silent”Synaptic Mechanisms of Working Memory

Working memory（WM）allows humans to hold necessary information in temporary storage and manipulate such information online for higher-order cognitive functions,such as language understanding,decision making,and problem solving.Since its first appearance in the science of psychology in the 1960s,many theories have sought to elucidate the nature of WM.The most accepted model is

Longitudinal Abnormalities in Brain Structure in COVID-19 Patients

The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2(SARS-CoV-2)pandemic that began in 2019 has been plaguing our life and society[1]and caused untold deaths worldwide.With the proliferation of COVID-19 vaccines and less lethal strains of the virus,the number of patients with severe COVID-19 has gradually decreased.The majority of patients now exhibit only mild-to-moderate symptoms.

调节记忆关键时间窗口治疗精神疾病

随着社会及科技的高速发展,现代人类面临巨大的压力及突发公共卫生事件等不确定因素,各种精神疾病负担日益加重.物质成瘾及创伤后应激障碍等疾病与病理性记忆相关,它们往往因持久存在的创伤或者异常的奖赏记忆而难以治愈,尚缺乏有效的治疗及干预手段.既往研究发现抹除或者破坏创伤或者奖赏记忆是治疗此类精神障碍的关键.当已经稳定的记忆被再次唤起后,会进入一个不稳定的可干预的时间窗口,也就是“再巩固”过程,而干预记忆再巩固可作为治疗记忆相关精神疾病的重要靶点.本文综述了行为干预(如条件性和非条件线索唤起-消退心理学范式)、神经调控技术干预(如经颅磁刺激、经颅电刺激等)和药物干预等方式在特异时间窗内修改病理性记忆“再巩固”过程治疗相关精神疾病的研究进展,并对干预记忆再巩固策略的潜在优势、局限性、挑战和机遇进行了讨论.

跨越人工智能在精神疾病临床应用中的鸿沟

Mental disorder is one of the greatest health challenges of our time,attracting increasingly more public awareness and causing high disability and huge socioeconomic burdens.According to the 2019 Global Burden of Disease led by the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation,12.5%of the global population has been suffering from a mental disorder.Globally,mental illness contributes to 32.4%of years lived with disability and 13.0%of disability-adjusted life-years[1].

中国脑计划:从基础到临床

The complexity of the brain has attracted scientists from all over the world.Much effort has been paid to explore the mechanisms from genetics to molecules,from cells to circuits,and from Caenorhabditis elegans to humans.Brain research contributes to the development of new technologies,especially artificial intelligence(AI).According to the International Data Corporation,the global revenue of the AI market is expected to exceed$500 billion by 2023 and$900 billion by 2026,highlighting the great importance of brain research for social progress.