Neurosciences Commons^™

Loss Of Pleasure (Anhedonia): A Sex-Dependent, Cross-Species Consequence Of Unpredictable Signals To The Perinatal Brain, Anna M. Zhou, Madison R. Tetzlaff, Laura M. Glynn, Curt A. Sandman, Hal S. Stern, Tallie Z. Baram, Elysia Poggi Davis

Psychology Faculty Articles and Research

Reward seeking is an essential component of human behavior. Anhedonia (reduced motivation for and pleasure in reward) is a core feature of several mental illnesses. Early life adversity associates with later impairments in reward behaviors and related psychopathology; however, specific aspects of early adversity that lead to disrupted reward behaviors are unknown. Capitalizing on evidence that unpredictable signals to the developing brain constitute adversity and influence neurodevelopment, we examined whether exposure to perinatal unpredictable maternal signals associated with diminished reward responsivity, and probed causality using experiments in mice. We analyzed a longitudinal human study (N=158 mother/child dyads) and a …

Prevalence Of Depression Among Patients With Epilepsy In Saudi Arabia: A Nationwide Systematic Review And Meta-Analysis, Mothana Y. Al Jabr, Aryam M. Alenizi, Faisal S. Aleisa, Mazen A. Alghamdi, Noura I. Alfehaid, Muteb M. Alqahtani, Abbas S. Almutair

Neurosciences

Objective: To assess the pooled prevalence of depression among epilepsy patients and find the associated demographics and psychosocial factors. Mood disorders are significant comorbidity between patients diagnosed with epilepsy, adversely influencing quality of life and complicating disease management. However, the incidence, prevalence, and associated risk factors of depression in patients diagnosed with epilepsy in Saudi Arabia are not well elucidated.

Methods: This review was employed used studies retrieved from medical databases and the Saudi Digital Library. Observational and cross-sectional studies assessing depression between patients diagnosed with epilepsy in Saudi Arabia were included. Data were analyzed using the Freeman–Tukey double arcsine …

Fatigue And Depression In Epilepsy Patients May Not Be Solely Related To The Epilepsy Itself, Sounira Mehri, Josef Finsterer

Neurosciences

No abstract provided.

The Power Of Belief: Investigating The Intersection Of Religious Observance, Social Support, And Psychological Distress, Victoria R. Atwater

Undergraduate Honors Thesis Collection

Religion can act as a protective factor against stress and depression (Koenig et al., 2009; Krok, 2008) and can be examined through an individual’s relationship with religion or the efficacy of religious practices on mental health. In this study, 206 participants completed an online questionnaire that measured stress, depression, religious coping, religiosity (intrinsic religiosity, organized religious activities and non-organized religious activities), and social support using validated scales. The results indicate a positive correlation between stress, depression, and negative religious coping as predicted. While intrinsic religiosity and positive religious coping did not significantly influence stress or depression, organized religious activities were …

Factors Associated With Postpartum Depression Symptoms Following Antepartum Hospitalization, Alison N Goulding, Daniel Palacios, Sukru Aras, Hu Chen, Sasidhar Pasupuleti, Marika Toscano, Nicole Cirino, Israel C Christie, Zhandong Liu, Emily S Miller, Terri L Fletcher

Duncan NRI Faculty and Staff Publications

Background: Hospitalized antepartum patients are at increased risk for postpartum depression (PPD). Developing approaches to identify those at highest risk for PPD would enable timely and targeted intervention.

Objective: We aimed to identify factors associated with the development of PPD symptoms in hospitalized antepartum patients and to assess their predictive utility.

Study design: This retrospective cohort study included pregnant individuals hospitalized in a regional referral center due to medical or obstetric complications between 2012 and 2025. Data were extracted from the electronic health record, including demographics, medical and obstetric history, hospitalization characteristics, and postpartum Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) scores …

Heightened Risk: Childhood Trauma And Anticipatory Grief Exacerbate The Impact Of Loneliness On Depressive Symptoms And Lps-Stimulated Cytokines In Dementia Caregivers, Kelly N Brice, Jensine Paoletti-Hatcher, E Lydia Wu-Chung, Vincent D Lai, Daniel L Argueta, Michelle A Chen, Itee Mahant, Bryan T Denny, Charles Green, Luis D Medina, Paul Schulz, Jennifer Stinson, Samantha K Henry, Cobi Heijnen, Christopher P Fagundes

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Dementia spousal caregivers are at a disproportionate risk for adverse mental and physical health outcomes. Loneliness is associated with depressive symptoms and proinflammatory cytokine production among caregivers. Additionally, childhood trauma, anticipatory grief, and poor sleep quality are all associated with enhanced stress reactivity. This study used a cross-sectional design to investigate whether loneliness is associated with proinflammatory cytokine production and depressive symptoms in caregivers, and whether these relationships are strongest among caregivers who report high levels of childhood trauma, high amounts of anticipatory grief, or poor sleep quality. A sample of 111 dementia spousal caregivers provided blood samples and completed …

Risk Of Major Depression In Partners Of People With Alzheimer's Disease: A National Cohort Study, Casey Crump, Jingkai Wei, Barbara G Vickrey, Alexis C Edwards, Paul E Schulz, Weiva Sieh, Jan Sundquist, Kristina Sundquist

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Alzheimer's disease (AD) may cause significant psychosocial distress not only in the patient but also their partner. However, long-term risks of major depression in partners of AD patients are largely unknown.

Methods: A national cohort study was conducted of all 145 289 partners of people diagnosed with all-cause dementia, including 57 113 partners of people diagnosed with AD, in Sweden during 1998-2017, and 1 300 561 population-based controls. Cox regression was used to compute hazard ratios (HRs) for subsequent risk of major depression identified from nationwide outpatient and inpatient diagnoses through 2018, adjusting for sociodemographic factors and prior mental …

The Role Of Diet In Moderating The Relationship Between Symptoms Of Depression And Brain Amyloid Load, Hilal Salim Said J. Al Shamsi, Samantha L. Gardener, Stephanie R. Rainey-Smith, Hamid R. Sohrabi, Kevin C.M. Taddei, Colin L. Masters, Vincent M. Doré, Christopher L. Rowe, W. M.A.D.Binosha Fernando, Ralph N. Martins

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Background: Healthy lifestyle factors, including diet, may affect brain amyloid beta (Aβ) load. This study examines dietary patterns as moderators of the relationships among symptoms of depression, anxiety, and brain Aβ load. Method: A cross-sectional study of cognitively unimpaired older adults (n = 524) from the Australian Imaging, Biomarkers, and Lifestyle study assessed dietary patterns, depressive and anxiety symptoms, and brain Aβ load. Moderation and simple slope analyses were conducted. Results: The Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet moderated the relationship between depressive and anxiety symptoms and brain Aβ load. Higher symptoms were associated with greater Aβ load in …

A Long Non-Coding Erna Forms R-Loops To Shape Emotional Experience-Induced Behavioral Adaptations, Rose Marie Akiki

MUSC Theses and Dissertations

Emotional experiences often evoke neural plasticity that supports adaptive changes in behavior, including maladaptive plasticity associated with mood and substance use disorders. These adaptations are supported in part by experience-dependent activation of immediate-early response genes, such as Npas4. We discovered that a conserved, long non-coding enhancer RNA (lnc-eRNA) transcribed from an activity-sensitive enhancer produces DNA-RNA hybrid R-loop structures that support 3D chromatin-looping of the enhancer and proximal promoter and stimulus-induced, rapid Npas4 gene induction. We also show that this Npas4 lnceRNA and its R-loops are required for the development of behavioral adaptations produced by chronic psychosocial stress or cocaine exposure, …

Comparative Efficacy Of Hallucinogens In Treating Mood Disorders Through A Meta-Analysis Of Symptom Reduction, Dosage, And Duration, John Marco D.F. Muniz

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Background: Hallucinogens including psilocybin, lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), ketamine, N,N-dimethyltryptamine (DMT) (as ayahuasca), have re-emerged as potential rapid-acting treatments for mood disorders. We conducted a meta-analysis of placebo-controlled trials evaluating their efficacy in depression and anxiety disorders. Methods: A systematic review identified 12 trials (Total ≈ 670) meeting inclusion criteria (randomized, placebo-controlled). Data on Cohen’s d and Hedges’ g effect sizes for depression- and anxiety-related outcomes were extracted. We computed pooled effect sizes (weighted by sample size and inverse variance), performed subgroup analyses by drug, diagnosis, follow-up duration, and outcome measure type, and assessed heterogeneity (I², Q …

Longitudinal Development Of Resting-State Functional Connectivity In Adolescents With And Without Internalizing Disorders, Eline F. Roelofs, Janna Marie Bas-Hoogendam, Anderson M. Winkler, Nic J.A. Van Der Wee, Robert R.J. M. Vermeiren

School of Medicine Publications

Longitudinal studies using resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) focused on adolescent internalizing psychopathology are scarce and have mostly investigated standardized treatment effects on functional connectivity (FC) of the full amygdala. The role of amygdala subregions and large resting-state networks had yet to be elucidated, and treatment is in practice often personalized. Here, longitudinal FC development of amygdala subregions and whole-brain networks are investigated in a clinically representative sample. Treatment-naïve adolescents with clinical depression and comorbid anxiety who started care-as-usual (n = 23; INT) and healthy controls (n = 24; HC) participated in rs-fMRI scans and questionnaires at baseline (before …

Neural Mechanisms Of Estrogen And Inflammation In Female Stress Susceptibility, Samantha Jane Bouknight

Theses and Dissertations

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and major depressive disorder (MDD) are highly debilitating psychiatric disorders that notably share stress as an etiological factor. Stress is a common occurrence experienced daily by virtually everyone and, while most people are resilient, a substantial portion of the population exhibit risk factors that yield them susceptible to developing stress-related psychiatric disorders. One prominent factor that has long been known to increase this risk is the female biological sex with women presenting at least twice as often with disorders like PTSD and MDD compared to men. Interestingly, this bias exists distinctly during the reproductive years and …

Loss Of Transient Receptor Potential Channel 5 Causes Obesity And Postpartum Depression, Yongxiang Li, Tessa M Cacciottolo, Na Yin, Yang He, Hesong Liu, Hailan Liu, Yuxue Yang, Elana Henning, Julia M Keogh, Katherine Lawler, Edson Mendes De Oliveira, Eugene J Gardner, Katherine A Kentistou, Panayiotis Laouris, Rebecca Bounds, Ken K Ong, John R B Perry, Inês Barroso, Longlong Tu, Jonathan C Bean, Meng Yu, Kristine M Conde, Mengjie Wang, Olivia Ginnard, Xing Fang, Lydia Tong, Junying Han, Tia Darwich, Kevin W Williams, Yongjie Yang, Chunmei Wang, Shelagh Joss, Helen V Firth, Yong Xu, I Sadaf Farooqi

Duncan NRI Faculty and Staff Publications

Hypothalamic neural circuits regulate instinctive behaviors such as food seeking, the fight/flight response, socialization, and maternal care. Here, we identified microdeletions on chromosome Xq23 disrupting the brain-expressed transient receptor potential (TRP) channel 5 (TRPC5). This family of channels detects sensory stimuli and converts them into electrical signals interpretable by the brain. Male TRPC5 deletion carriers exhibited food seeking, obesity, anxiety, and autism, which were recapitulated in knockin male mice harboring a human loss-of-function TRPC5 mutation. Women carrying TRPC5 deletions had severe postpartum depression. As mothers, female knockin mice exhibited anhedonia and depression-like behavior with impaired care of offspring. Deletion of …

The Relationship Between Diet, Depression, And Alzheimer's Disease: A Narrative Review, Hilal Salim Said Al Shamsi, Stephanie R. Rainey-Smith, Samantha L. Gardener, Hamid R. Sohrabi, Rodrigo Canovas, Ralph N. Martins, Warnakulasuriya Mary Ann Dipika Binosha Fernando

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Purpose of Review: This narrative review evaluates the role of diet in the relationship between depression and Alzheimer's disease (AD). Recent Findings: AD and depression are often comorbid, and depression appears to independently increase the future risk of AD. Evidence suggests diet influences the risk of both conditions directly and indirectly. Diet impacts neurochemical and biological processes that may affect the development and progression of depression and cognitive dysfunction. The dietary components offering the greatest protection against depression and AD are yet to be determined. Current evidence highlights the importance of polyphenolic compounds, folate, B vitamins, and polyunsaturated fatty acids, …

Verbal Learning And Memory Deficits Across Neurological And Neuropsychiatric Disorders: Insights From An Enigma Mega Analysis, Eamonn Kennedy, Spencer W Liebel, Hannah M Lindsey, Shashank Vadlamani, Pui-Wa Lei, Maheen M Adamson, Martin Alda, Silvia Alonso-Lana, Tim J Anderson, Celso Arango, Robert F Asarnow, Mihai Avram, Rosa Ayesa-Arriola, Talin Babikian, Nerisa Banaj, Laura J Bird, Stefan Borgwardt, Amy Brodtmann, Katharina Brosch, Karen Caeyenberghs, Vince D Calhoun, Nancy D Chiaravalloti, David X Cifu, Benedicto Crespo-Facorro, John C Dalrymple-Alford, Kristen Dams-O'Connor, Udo Dannlowski, David Darby, Nicholas Davenport, John Deluca, Covadonga M Diaz-Caneja, Seth G Disner, Ekaterina Dobryakova, Stefan Ehrlich, Carrie Esopenko, Fabio Ferrarelli, Lea E Frank, Carol E Franz, Paola Fuentes-Claramonte, Helen Genova, Christopher C Giza, Janik Goltermann, Dominik Grotegerd, Marius Gruber, Alfonso Gutierrez-Zotes, Minji Ha, Jan Haavik, Charles Hinkin, Kristen R Hoskinson, Daniela Hubl, Andrei Irimia, Andreas Jansen, Michael Kaess, Xiaojian Kang, Kimbra Kenney, Barbora Keřková, Mohamed Salah Khlif, Minah Kim, Jochen Kindler, Tilo Kircher, Karolina Knížková, Knut K Kolskår, Denise Krch, William S Kremen, Taylor Kuhn, Veena Kumari, Junsoo Kwon, Roberto Langella, Sarah Laskowitz, Jungha Lee, Jean Lengenfelder, Victoria Liou-Johnson, Sara M Lippa, Marianne Løvstad, Astri J Lundervold, Cassandra Marotta, Craig A Marquardt, Paulo Mattos, Ahmad Mayeli, Carrie R Mcdonald, Susanne Meinert, Tracy R Melzer, Jessica Merchán-Naranjo, Chantal Michel, Rajendra A Morey, Benson Mwangi, Daniel J Myall, Igor Nenadić, Mary R Newsome, Abraham Nunes, Terence O'Brien, Viola Oertel, John Ollinger, Alexander Olsen, Victor Ortiz García De La Foz, Mustafa Ozmen, Heath Pardoe, Marise Parent, Fabrizio Piras, Federica Piras, Edith Pomarol-Clotet, Jonathan Repple, Geneviève Richard, Jonathan Rodriguez, Mabel Rodriguez, Kelly Rootes-Murdy, Jared Rowland, Nicholas P Ryan, Raymond Salvador, Anne-Marthe Sanders, Andre Schmidt, Jair C Soares, Gianfranco Spalleta, Filip Španiel, Scott R Sponheim, Alena Stasenko, Frederike Stein, Benjamin Straube, April Thames, Florian Thomas-Odenthal, Sophia I Thomopoulos, Erin B Tone, Ivan Torres, Maya Troyanskaya, Jessica A Turner, Kristine M Ulrichsen, Guillermo Umpierrez, Daniela Vecchio, Elisabet Vilella, Lucy Vivash, William C Walker, Emilio Werden, Lars T Westlye, Krista Wild, Adrian Wroblewski, Mon-Ju Wu, Glenn R Wylie, Lakshmi N Yatham, Giovana B Zunta-Soares, Paul M Thompson, Mary Jo Pugh, David F Tate, Frank G Hillary, Elisabeth A Wilde, Emily L Dennis

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Deficits in memory performance have been linked to a wide range of neurological and neuropsychiatric conditions. While many studies have assessed the memory impacts of individual conditions, this study considers a broader perspective by evaluating how memory recall is differentially associated with nine common neuropsychiatric conditions using data drawn from 55 international studies, aggregating 15,883 unique participants aged 15–90. The effects of dementia, mild cognitive impairment, Parkinson’s disease, traumatic brain injury, stroke, depression, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), schizophrenia, and bipolar disorder on immediate, short-, and long-delay verbal learning and memory (VLM) scores were estimated relative to matched healthy individuals. Random forest …

Antidepressant Effect Of Enzymatic Porcine Placenta Hydrolysate In Repeated Immobilization Stress-Induced Ovariectomized Female Mice, Minsook Ye, Sharon Nguyen, Min Ju Kim, Jee Sun Hwang, Gun Won Bae, Keun-Hang Susan Yang, Insop Shim

Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles and Research

When postmenopausal women are under stress conditions, this exacerbates mood disorders and issues with neuroimmune systems. The porcine placenta is known to relieve menopausal depression in clinical trials, but its underlying mechanisms for depression and anti-inflammatory functions remain poorly defined. The present study was designed to examine the anti-inflammatory effects of enzymatic porcine placenta hydrolysate (EPPH) on LPS-induced levels of nitric oxide (NO), prostaglandin E2 (PGE2), corticosterone (CORT), and pro-inflammatory cytokine interleukin-1 beta (IL-1β) in RAW 264.7 macrophage cells. In addition, the neurite outgrowth of PC12 cells was evaluated to examine the effects of EPPH on neurite growth. To mimic …

Single Case Experimental Design Examining Cognitive Behavioural Therapy For Post-Stroke Depression, Liam Alexander Mackenzie Myles, Emma Jones

Journal of Mind and Medical Sciences

Background. Post-stroke depression (PSD) is common in older-age adults and is typically treated with cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT). However, research has ascertained mixed findings regarding the efficacy of CBT for PSD in older-age adults, with limited evidence in people from global majority backgrounds. Materials and Methods. This case study used single case experimental design methodology to examine the effectiveness of CBT for PSD in a black, older-age man. The effects of health conditions, cohort beliefs, transitions in role investments, socio-cultural context and early experiences on the client’s thoughts, emotions, physical sensations and behaviours were formulated, before behavioural activation was used to …

Examining The Effect Of Genes On Depression As Mediated By Smoking And Modified By Sex, Kirsten Voorhies, Julian Hecker, Sanghun Lee, Georg Hahn, Dmitry Prokopenko, Merry-Lynn Mcdonald, Alexander C Wu, Ann Wu, John E Hokanson, Michael H Cho, Christoph Lange, Karin F Hoth, Sharon M Lutz

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Depression is heritable, differs by sex, and has environmental risk factors such as cigarette smoking. However, the effect of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) on depression through cigarette smoking and the role of sex is unclear. In order to examine the association of SNPs with depression and smoking in the UK Biobank with replication in the COPDGene study, we used counterfactual-based mediation analysis to test the indirect or mediated effect of SNPs on broad depression through the log of pack-years of cigarette smoking, adjusting for age, sex, current smoking status, and genetic ancestry (via principal components). In secondary analyses, we adjusted …

Risk For Diagnosis Or Treatment Of Mood Or Anxiety Disorders In Adults After Sars-Cov-2 Infection, 2020–2022, Christina X. Wang, Rhea Kohli, Veronica R. Olaker, Pauline Terebuh, Rong Xu, David C. Kaelber, Pamela B. Davis

Faculty Scholarship

COVID-19 is associated with increased risks for mood or anxiety disorders, but it remains uncertain how the association evolves over time or which patient groups are most affected. We conducted a retrospective cohort study using a nationwide database of electronic health records to determine the risk of depressive or anxiety disorder diagnoses after SARS-CoV-2 infection by 3-month blocks from January 2020 to April 2022. The study population comprised 822,756 patients (51.8% female; mean age 42.8 years) with COVID-19 and 2,034,353 patients with other respiratory tract infections (RTIs) (53.5% female, mean age 30.6 years). First time diagnoses of depressive or anxiety …

Synthetic Neuroactive Steroids Targeting Gaba-A Receptors As A Potential Therapy For Contraceptive-Associated Mood Disorders, Alexandria A. Davis

Scripps Senior Theses

4-10% of women who use hormonal oral contraceptives (HOCs) discontinue use after experiencing symptoms of anxiety, irritability, and depression in the first 3 months of administration. Previous studies have acknowledged a relationship between HOCs and emotional dysregulation but have not identified mechanisms by which HOCs have this effect. As a result, effective treatment options for HOC-induced mood disorders are lacking. Current theories implicate combined-HOCs, particularly those containing ethinyl estradiol and levonorgestrel (EE-LNG), in reducing neuroactive steroid levels. Specifically, HOC users show decreases in allopregnanolone, a positive allosteric modulator associated with neuronal inhibition and emotional regulation. The objective of this study …

Lateralization Of Motor Behavior As A Measure Of Cognitive Functioning And Resting-State Electrocortical Activity, Alina Dillahunt

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

Background. Research has shown that the laterality between hands in self-report and motor measures maps onto hemispheric lateralization and this has important implications for psychopathology (e.g., depression) and cognition. The present study evaluates the relationship between performance on finger-tapping tasks (FTT), alpha power during resting-state electroencephalography (EEG), handedness, and relevant psychological outcomes. Methods. A sample of 48 individuals between the ages of 18 and 35 completed online assessments including a modified FTT paradigm, the Edinburgh Handedness Inventory, and a common depression measure. A subset of 20 participants completed assessments of motor and executive functioning including a self-report executive functioning measure, …

Management Of Anhedonia After Epilepsy Surgery, Gerardo Maria De Araujo Filho, Antonio L Teixeira

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Anhedonia is clinically defined as difficulty or inability to feel pleasure or to be motivated to perform activities that were previously pleasurable. Anhedonia is a core feature of depressive disorders but can be present in other conditions such as substance use and anxiety disorders. Herein we report the case of a 34-year-old female who developed marked anhedonia after left cortico-amygdalohippocampectomy. Despite optimal seizure control, the person struggled with anhedonia and other depressive symptoms. After ruling out medico-neurologic complications, she was prescribed with a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor and cognitive-behavioral therapy. Anhedonia can be a challenging neuropsychiatric presentation that requires ruling …

Acupuncture Treatment For Post-Stroke Depression: Intestinal Microbiota And Its Role, Hailun Jiang, Shizhe Deng, Jieying Zhang, Junjie Chen, Boxuan Li, Weiming Zhu, Menglong Zhang, Chao Zhang, Zhihong Meng

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Stroke-induced depression is a common complication and an important risk factor for disability. Besides psychiatric symptoms, depressed patients may also exhibit a variety of gastrointestinal symptoms, and even take gastrointestinal symptoms as the primary reason for medical treatment. It is well documented that stress may disrupt the balance of the gut microbiome in patients suffering from post-stroke depression (PSD), and that disruption of the gut microbiome is closely related to the severity of the condition in depressed patients. Therefore, maintaining the balance of intestinal microbiota can be the focus of research on the mechanism of acupuncture in the treatment of …

Non-Canonical Pathways In The Pathophysiology And Therapeutics Of Bipolar Disorder, Rodrigo Machado-Vieira, Alan C Courtes, Carlos A Zarate, Ioline D Henter, Husseini K Manji

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Bipolar disorder (BD) is characterized by extreme mood swings ranging from manic/hypomanic to depressive episodes. The severity, duration, and frequency of these episodes can vary widely between individuals, significantly impacting quality of life. Individuals with BD spend almost half their lives experiencing mood symptoms, especially depression, as well as associated clinical dimensions such as anhedonia, fatigue, suicidality, anxiety, and neurovegetative symptoms. Persistent mood symptoms have been associated with premature mortality, accelerated aging, and elevated prevalence of treatment-resistant depression. Recent efforts have expanded our understanding of the neurobiology of BD and the downstream targets that may help track clinical outcomes and …

Preexisting Depression And Ambulatory Status After Stroke: Florida-Puerto Rico Collaboration To Reduce Stroke Disparities, Amy K Starosciak, Kefeng Wang, Hao Ying, Kaushik Ravipati, Samantha Spring, Carolina M Gutierrez, Hannah Gardener, David Z Rose, Dianne Foster, Chuanhui Dong, Angus Jameson, Ayham Alkhachroum, Jose G Romano, Ralph L Sacco, Tatjana Rundek, Negar Asdaghi

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

OBJECTIVE: Stroke is a global public health burden, and therefore it is critical to identify modifiable risk factors to reduce stroke incidence and improve outcomes. Depression is such a risk factor; however, the association between preexisting depression and stroke outcomes, such as independent ambulation, is not well studied, especially among racial-ethnic minority groups. To address this gap in the literature, effects of preexisting depression on ambulatory status at hospital discharge after stroke were evaluated among individuals participating in the racially and ethnically diverse Florida-Puerto Rico Collaboration to Reduce Stroke Disparities project.

METHODS: Data were analyzed from a total of 42,031 …

Empowering Nurses To Recognize Post-Stroke Depression In The African American Community, Deidra Frisbie, Robin Simon

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

African Americans (AA) have the highest prevalence of stroke and death compared to other racial groups in the United States. Post-stroke depression (PSD) affects approximately 1/3 of all stroke patients and is underdiagnosed in the African American community.

Aim: By using a mHealth mobile app and a Psychiatry provider list at discharge, PSD can be identified, and interventions initiated, thus decreasing the sequela of PSD in AA.

Methods: Nurses were provided education on PSD, expressions of depression in African-Americans, cultural humility, implicit bias, and the importance of the nurse's role in developing a therapeutic relationship.

Results: Quantitative analysis revealed the …

Insulin Resistance In Depression: A Large Meta-Analysis Of Metabolic Parameters And Variation, Brisa S Fernandes, Estela Salagre, Nitesh Enduru, Iria Grande, Eduard Vieta, Zhongming Zhao

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Increased insulin resistance is recognized in psychiatric disorders, such as schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, but its occurrence in depression is less clear. Our aims were to verify if insulin resistance is altered in depression, to test the metabolic subgroup hypothesis of depression and if there are changes with antidepressants. Inclusion criteria were studies including adult subjects with depression and either a control group or follow-up after treatment with antidepressants, and assessing fasting insulin or glucose levels or the Homeostatic Model Assessment for Insulin Resistance (HOMA-IR) index. Seventy studies with 240,704 participants were included. Both insulin levels and the HOMA-IR index …

Investigating The Influence Of Stress On Motivational Dysfunction In Male And Female Rodents, Emily Laine Errante

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Motivational dysfunction is present in a variety of disorders, including major depressive disorder, schizophrenia, and Parkinsonism and can negatively impact social functioning, employment, and treatment response. Interestingly, outside stressors and stress hormones have been shown to contribute to depressive episodes in humans and depressive-like behaviors in rodents, including reducing motivated behaviors. Effort-related decision making procedures have been utilized in both humans and animals in order to examine motivational dysfunction, as it offers a subject a choice between high effort/reward and low effort/reward options, but little research has examined the effects of stress on effort-related decision making behaviors. Moreover, almost all …

Transgenerational Effects Of Chronic Preconception Stress On Developmental And Health Outcomes In Prairie Vole Offspring: Potential Mediation By Parental Emotionality, Mother-Father Bond, Or Parental Care Quality, W. Tang Watanasriyakul

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Background: A positive rearing environment is important for the health and well-being of growing offspring. Chronic parental stress can create a toxic rearing environment, which may impair developmental and sociobehavioral outcomes of the offspring. Specifically, parental stress is linked to unstable parental emotionality, tension between mother and father, and poor parenting quality, although the inter-relatedness of these factors and the mechanisms through which they contribute to the outcomes of the offspring need further investigation. The current study investigated developmental and sociobehavioral outcomes in prairie vole offspring exposed to chronic preconception stress, with parental emotionality, strength of mother-father bond, and parental …

Neuropsychological Symptoms Related To The Covid-19 Pandemic Experienced By The General Population And Particularly By The Healthcare Personnel, Alina Zorina Stroe, Alexandru Floris Stuparu, Silviu Docu Axelerad, Daniel Docu Axelerad, Aurelia Moraru

Journal of Mind and Medical Sciences

Undoubtedly, the outbreak of COVID-19 still represents an overanxious event for both society and population. The fear of getting infected is ubiquitous in the time of the pandemic. The population presented worrying thoughts related to the fact that the health care system was not able to provide enough services during the COVID-19 pandemic. The number of the hospital beds and ventilators was insufficient in order to ensure enough care, considering the increased number of COVID-19 cases that were admitted to the hospitals. Furthermore, people were fearful about the possibility of the global economy becoming decimated. The fright and also the …