Mental and Social Health Commons^™

Intracranial Directed Connectivity Links Subregions Of The Prefrontal Cortex To Major Depression, John Myers, Jiayang Xiao, Raissa K Mathura, Ben Shofty, Victoria Gates, Joshua Adkinson, Anusha B Allawala, Adrish Anand, Ron Gadot, Ricardo Najera, Hernan G Rey, Sanjay J Mathew, Kelly Bijanki, Garrett Banks, Andrew Watrous, Eleonora Bartoli, Sarah R Heilbronner, Nicole Provenza, Wayne K Goodman, Nader Pouratian, Benjamin Y Hayden, Sameer A Sheth

Staff and Researcher Publications

Research on the neural basis of major depressive disorder suggests that it is fundamentally a disease of cortical disinhibition, where breakdowns of inhibitory neuronal systems lead to diminished emotion regulation and intrusive rumination. Subregions of the prefrontal cortex are thought to be sources of this disinhibition. However, due to limited opportunities for intracranial recordings from humans with major depression, this hypothesis has not been directly tested. Here, we use intracranial recordings from the dorsolateral prefrontal, orbitofrontal, and anterior cingulate cortices from patients with major depression to measure daily fluctuations in self-reported depression symptom severity. Results indicate that directed connectivity within …

Evaluation Of The Feasibility And Effectiveness Of Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioural Therapy For Children And Youth In Ukraine During The War, Elisa Pfeiffer, Maike Garbade, Renee Beer, Anette Birgersson, Natalie Cabrera, Judith A Cohen, Esther Deblinger, Rafaela Gjini, Veronica Kirsch, Zlatina Kostova, Michael Larsson, Anthony Mannarino, Gavin Moffitt, Marja Onsjö, Tale Ostensjo, Anna Vikgren, Hanna Weyler, Vitalii Klymchuk, Cedric Sachser

Rowan-Virtua School of Osteopathic Medicine Departmental Research

BACKGROUND: The large-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine in early 2022 resulted in a humanitarian crisis with hundreds of thousands of children exposed to traumatic events. To date, trauma-focused evidence-based treatments (EBTs) for children and youth have not been systematically evaluated and implemented in Ukraine. This study aims at evaluating 1) the feasibility of a training program for Ukrainian therapists on Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (TF-CBT) and 2) the feasibility and effectiveness of the treatment for children, youth, and their families in and from Ukraine during the ongoing war.

METHODS: The project "TF-CBT Ukraine" was implemented between March 2022 and May …

Βiv Spectrin Abundancy, Cellular Distribution And Sensitivity To Akt/Gsk3 Regulation In Schizophrenia, Jessica Di Re, Michela Marini, Syed Ibrar Hussain, Aditya K Singh, Akshaya Venkatesh, Musaad A Alshammari, Tahani K Alshammari, Abdul-Rizaq Ali Hamoud, Ali Sajid Imami, Zahra Haghighijoo, Nickolas Fularcyzk, Laura Stertz, Derek Hawes, Angela Mosebarger, Jordan Jernigan, Claire Chaljub, Ralda Nehme, Consuelo Walss-Bass, Anton Schulmann, Marquis P Vawter, Robert Mccullumsmith, Robert D Damoiseaux, Agenor Limon, Demetrio Labate, Michael F Wells, Fernanda Laezza

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Schizophrenia (SCZ) is a complex psychiatric disorder with unclear biological mechanisms. Spectrins, cytoskeletal proteins linked to neurodevelopmental disorders, are regulated by the AKT/GSK3 pathway, which is implicated in SCZ. However, the impact of SCZ-related dysregulation of this pathway on spectrin expression and distribution remains unexplored. Here, we show that βIV spectrin protein levels were reduced in neurons of the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex in SCZ postmortem samples compared to healthy control (HC) from the Human Brain Collection Core (HBCC). To investigate potential links between βIV spectrin and the AKT/GSK3 pathway, we analyzed the PsychEncode dataset, revealing elevated SPTBN4 and AKT2 mRNA …

Exploring Predictors Of Treatment Response To Glp-1 Receptor Agonists For Smoking Cessation, Luba Yammine, Constanza De Dios, Robert Suchting, Charles E Green, David A Nielsen, Consuelo Walss-Bass, Joy M Schmitz

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Introduction: Understanding predictors of smoking cessation medication efficacy facilitates the ability to enhance treatment effectiveness. In our pilot trial, exenatide, a glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist, adjunct to nicotine patch improved smoking abstinence compared to nicotine patch alone. This secondary analysis explores potential baseline characteristics associated with differential treatment response to exenatide.

Aims and methods: The parent trial randomized (1:1) 84 smokers with prediabetes and/or overweight to once-weekly placebo or exenatide, 2 mg, subcutaneously. All participants received nicotine patch (21 mg) and brief smoking cessation counseling, with biologically confirmed 7-day point prevalence abstinence at week 6 (end-of-treatment) deemed the primary outcome. …

Multi-Ancestry Genome-Wide Association Analyses Incorporating Snp-By-Psychosocial Interactions Identify Novel Loci For Serum Lipids, Amy R Bentley, Michael R Brown, Solomon K Musani, Karen L Schwander, Thomas W Winkler, Mario Sims, Tuomas O Kilpeläinen, Hugues Aschard, Traci M Bartz, Lawrence F Bielak, Jin-Fang Chai, Kumaraswamy Naidu Chitrala, Nora Franceschini, Mariaelisa Graff, Xiuqing Guo, Fernando P Hartwig, Andrea R V R Horimoto, Elise Lim, Yongmei Liu, Alisa K Manning, Ilja M Nolte, Raymond Noordam, Melissa A Richard, Albert V Smith, Yun Ju Sung, Dina Vojinovic, Rujia Wang, Yujie Wang, Mary F Feitosa, Sarah E Harris, Leo-Pekka Lyytikäinen, Giorgio Pistis, Rainer Rauramaa, Peter J Van Der Most, Erin Ware, Stefan Weiss, Wanqing Wen, Lisa R Yanek, Dan E Arking, Donna K Arnett, Christie Ballantyne, Eric Boerwinkle, Yii-Der Ida Chen, Martha L Daviglus, Lisa De Las Fuentes, Paul S De Vries, Joseph A C Delaney, Amanda M Fretts, Lynette Ekunwe, Jessica D Faul, Linda C Gallo, Sami Heikkinen, Georg Homuth, M Arfan Ikram, Carmen R Isasi, Jost Bruno Jonas, Liisa Keltikangas-Järvinen, Pirjo Komulainen, Aldi T Kraja, Jose E Krieger, Lenore Launer, Lifelines Cohort Study, Jianjun Liu, Kurt Lohman, Annemarie I Luik, Ani W Manichaikul, Pedro Marques-Vidal, Yuri Milaneschi, Stanford E Mwasongwe, Jeffrey R O'Connell, Kenneth Rice, Stephen S Rich, Pamela J Schreiner, Lars Schwettmann, James M Shikany, Xiao-Ou Shu, Jennifer A Smith, Harold Snieder, Nona Sotoodehnia, E Shyong Tai, Kent D Taylor, Lesley Tinker, Michael Y Tsai, André G Uitterlinden, Cornelia M Van Duijn, Diana Van Heemst, Melanie Waldenberger, Robert B Wallace, Hwee-Lin Wee, David R Weir, Wen-Bin Wei, Ko Willems Van Dijk, Gregory Wilson, Jie Yao, Kristin L Young, Xiaoyu Zhang, Wei Zhao, Xiaofeng Zhu, Alan B Zonderman, Ian J Deary, Christian Gieger, Hans Jörgen Grabe, Timo A Lakka, Terho Lehtimäki, Albertine J Oldehinkel, Martin Preisig, Ya-Xing Wang, Wei Zheng, Michele K Evans, Michael Province, James Gauderman, Vilmundur Gudnason, Catharina A Hartman, Bernardo L Horta, Sharon L R Kardia, Charles Kooperberg, Ching-Ti Liu, Dennis O Mook-Kanamori, Brenda Wjh Penninx, Alexandre C Pereira, Patricia A Peyser, Bruce M Psaty, Jerome I Rotter, Xueling Sim, Kari E North, Dabeeru C Rao, Laura Bierut, Clint L Miller, Alanna C Morrison, Charles N Rotimi, Myriam Fornage, Ervin R Fox

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Serum lipid levels, which are influenced by both genetic and environmental factors, are key determinants of cardiometabolic health and are influenced by both genetic and environmental factors. Improving our understanding of their underlying biological mechanisms can have important public health and therapeutic implications. Although psychosocial factors, including depression, anxiety, and perceived social support, are associated with serum lipid levels, it is unknown if they modify the effect of genetic loci that influence lipids. We conducted a genome-wide gene-by-psychosocial factor interaction (G×Psy) study in up to 133,157 individuals to evaluate if G×Psy influences serum lipid levels. We conducted a two-stage meta-analysis …

Assessment Of Contextualized Reinforcement Pathology In A Community Sample Of Young Adult Substance Users, Ángel García-Pérez, Alba González-Roz, Roberto Secades-Villa, Gema Aonso-Diego, Sara Weidberg, Jin H Yoon

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Alcohol, tobacco, and cannabis are the most commonly used substances among young populations, often leading to polysubstance use, which correlates with problematic consumption and adverse health outcomes. The contextualized reinforcer pathology (CRP) model explains addictive behaviors through several constructs, including the following: drug demand, delay discounting (DD), and substance-free and substance-related reinforcement. Most previous studies have focused on a single CRP construct and the couse of only two substances. This study aimed to characterize three subgroups of young adults reporting past month use of alcohol only, alcohol + tobacco or cannabis, and alcohol + tobacco + cannabis, in terms …

Linking Symptom Inventories Using Semantic Textual Similarity, Eamonn Kennedy, Shashank Vadlamani, Hannah M Lindsey, Kelly S Peterson, Kristen Dams O'Connor, Ronak Agarwal, Houshang H Amiri, Raeda K Andersen, Talin Babikian, David A Baron, Erin D Bigler, Karen Caeyenberghs, Lisa Delano-Wood, Seth G Disner, Ekaterina Dobryakova, Blessen C Eapen, Rachel M Edelstein, Carrie Esopenko, Helen M Genova, Elbert Geuze, Naomi J Goodrich-Hunsaker, Jordan Grafman, Asta K Håberg, Cooper B Hodges, Kristen R Hoskinson, Elizabeth S Hovenden, Andrei Irimia, Neda Jahanshad, Ruchira M Jha, Finian Keleher, Kimbra Kenney, Inga K Koerte, Spencer W Liebel, Abigail Livny, Marianne Løvstad, Sarah L Martindale, Jeffrey E Max, Andrew R Mayer, Timothy B Meier, Deleene S Menefee, Abdalla Z Mohamed, Stefania Mondello, Martin M Monti, Rajendra A Morey, Virginia Newcombe, Mary R Newsome, Alexander Olsen, Nicholas J Pastorek, Mary Jo Pugh, Adeel Razi, Jacob E Resch, Jared A Rowland, Kelly Russell, Nicholas P Ryan, Randall S Scheibel, Adam T Schmidt, Gershon Spitz, Jaclyn A Stephens, Assaf Tal, Leah D Talbert, Maria Carmela Tartaglia, Brian A Taylor, Sophia I Thomopoulos, Maya Troyanskaya, Eve M Valera, Harm Jan Van Der Horn, John D Van Horn, Ragini Verma, Benjamin S C Wade, Willian C Walker, Ashley L Ware, J Kent Werner, Keith Owen Yeates, Ross D Zafonte, Michael M Zeineh, Brandon Zielinski, Paul M Thompson, Frank G Hillary, David F Tate, Elisabeth A Wilde, Emily L Dennis

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

An extensive library of symptom inventories has been developed over time to measure clinical symptoms of traumatic brain injury (TBI), but this variety has led to several long-standing issues. Most notably, results drawn from different settings and studies are not comparable. This creates a fundamental problem in TBI diagnostics and outcome prediction, namely that it is not possible to equate results drawn from distinct tools and symptom inventories. Here, we present an approach using semantic textual similarity (STS) to link symptoms and scores across previously incongruous symptom inventories by ranking item text similarities according to their conceptual likeness. We tested …

Psychometric Properties Of The Spanish Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale - Second Edition, Eric A Storch, Jessica Sc Cheng, Miranda Higham, Josselyn S Muñoz, Vanessa Zavala Cruz, Dayan Berrones, Diana P Obando, Jacey L Anderberg, Renee M Frederick, Vissente Tapia-Cuevas, Macarena Churruca Muñoz, Constanza Uribe Villar, Pablo R Moya, Marcos E Ochoa-Panaifo, Mayra C Martinez Mallen, Andrew D Wiese, Caitlin M Pinciotti, Melisa N Sagarnaga, Joseph F Mcguire, Ogechi C Onyeka, María B Moyano, Latin American Trans-Ancestry Initiative For Ocd Genomics (Latino), Brazilian Obsessive-Compulsive Spectrum Disorder Working Group (Gttoc), Wayne K Goodman, James J Crowley

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

The Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale, Second Edition (Y-BOCS-II) is an evidence-based clinician-rated measure for assessing the presence and severity of obsessive-compulsive symptoms. The Spanish version of the Y-BOCS-II has not yet been validated. The present study examines the psychometric properties of the Spanish Y-BOCS-II (Spanish-Y-BOCS-II) in adults with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) who are of Hispanic/Latino ancestry. The Spanish-Y-BOCS-II was administered to 1805 adults with OCD. Participants also completed a battery of measures assessing OCD, depression, and anxiety symptoms. The internal consistency for the Symptom Checklist (Kuder-Richardson-20=0.92), Obsession Severity (α=0.87), Compulsion Severity (α=0.86), and Total Severity (α=0.92) were high. The inter-rater reliability …

Home-Based Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation For Major Depressive Disorder: 6-Month Follow-Up From Randomised Sham-Controlled Trial And Open-Label Treatment Phases, Rachel D Woodham, Sudhakar Selvaraj, Nahed Lajmi, Harriet Hobday, Gabrielle Sheehan, Ali-Reza Ghazi-Noori, Peter J Lagerberg, Rodrigo Machado-Vieira, Jair C Soares, Allan H Young, Cynthia H Y Fu

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) is a potential home-based treatment for major depressive disorder (MDD). In our double-blind randomised controlled trial (RCT) (n = 174; UK and USA), a 10-week course of home-based tDCS demonstrated clinical efficacy (clinical response: 58.3 % active treatment arm and 37.8 % sham (p = 0.017). tDCS was delivered in a bifrontal montage, with anode over left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) and cathode over right DLPFC. Each session was 30 min, with active stimulation at 2 mA and sham at 0 mA, incorporating brief ramp-up and ramp-down phased. Following the 10-week RCT, all participants were …

Development And Pilot Testing Of An Addiction Clinic-Based Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis Uptake And Adherence Intervention For Women With Substance Use Disorders: Protocol For A Pilot Randomized Trial, Angela M Heads, Diane Santa Maria, Mandy J Hill, Robert Suchting, Kimberly N Evans, Zaneta Gaul, Luba Yammine, Constanza De Dios, Joy M Schmitz

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Black and Hispanic women in the United States continue to bear disproportionate incidence of HIV related to sexual transmission and injection drug use. Specifically, women with substance use disorders (SUDs) are more likely to engage in vaginal or anal condomless sex associated with HIV transmission. Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) is a highly effective HIV prevention tool but is not widely used by racial or ethnic minority women. Effective interventions for engaging women with SUDs in HIV prevention interventions that are culturally appropriate and, therefore, more appealing to racial or ethnic minority women with SUDs are critically needed.

Objective: This 3-phased …

Functional Brain Connectivity Of The Salience Network In Alcohol Use And Anxiety Disorders, Dhruv M Patel, Guillermo F Poblete, Alexandra Castellanos, Ramiro Salas

Staff and Researcher Publications

The interplay between alcohol use disorder (AUD) and anxiety disorders (ANX) is well-documented, yet the underlying neurobiological mechanisms remain elusive. This study aims to elucidate these mechanisms by examining the resting-state functional connectivity (RSFC) within the salience network and to the amygdala, both implicated in alcohol and anxiety disorders. We analyzed data from 264 inpatient participants culled from a wider group of 518 inpatients at The Menninger Clinic in Houston, TX, categorized into four groups (n = 66 each) based on DSM-IV diagnoses: AUD without ANX (AUD), ANX without AUD (ANX), concurrent AUD and ANX (BOTH), and neither (NEITHER). Our …

Lifespan Reference Curves For Harmonizing Multi-Site Regional Brain White Matter Metrics From Diffusion Mri, Alyssa H Zhu, Talia M Nir, Shayan Javid, Julio E Villalón-Reina, Amanda L Rodrigue, Lachlan T Strike, Greig I De Zubicaray, Katie L Mcmahon, Margaret J Wright, Sarah E Medland, John Blangero, David C Glahn, Peter Kochunov, Douglas E Williamson, Asta K Håberg, Paul M Thompson, Neda Jahanshad

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Age-related white matter (WM) microstructure maturation and decline occur throughout the human lifespan, complementing the process of gray matter development and degeneration. Here, we create normative lifespan reference curves for global and regional WM microstructure by harmonizing diffusion MRI (dMRI)-derived data from ten public datasets (N = 40,898 subjects; age: 3-95 years; 47.6% male). We tested three harmonization methods on regional diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) based fractional anisotropy (FA), a metric of WM microstructure, extracted using the ENIGMA-DTI pipeline. ComBat-GAM harmonization provided multi-study trajectories most consistent with known WM maturation peaks. Lifespan FA reference curves were validated with test-retest data …

Neuroimaging-Based Variability In Subtyping Biomarkers For Psychiatric Heterogeneity, Zhenfu Wen, Mira Z Hammoud, Carole E Siegel, Eugene M Laska, Duna Abu-Amara, Amit Etkin, Mohammed R Milad, Charles R Marmar

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Neuroimaging-based subtyping is increasingly used to explain heterogeneity in psychiatric disorders. However, the clinical utility of these subtyping efforts remains unclear, and replication has been challenging. Here we examined how the choice of neuroimaging measures influences the derivation of neuro-subtypes and the consequences for clinical delineation. On a clinically heterogeneous dataset (total n = 566) that included controls (n = 268) and cases (n = 298) of psychiatric conditions, including individuals diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), traumatic brain injury (TBI), and comorbidity of both (PTSD&TBI), we identified neuro-subtypes among the cases using either structural, resting-state, or task-based measures. The …

Misconceptions Among Mental Health Treatment Providers About Ocd And Ptsd, Caitlin M Pinciotti, Gabriella T Ponzini, Gianna M Colombo, Carmen P Mclean, Terri L Fletcher, Natalie E Hundt, Lauren P Wadsworth, Nathaniel Van Kirk, Stephanie Y Wells, Jonathan S Abramowitz, Wayne K Goodman, Eric A Storch

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) share overlapping features for which similar cognitive behavioral treatment (CBT) strategies can be employed. However, the comorbid presence of these conditions poses unique clinical considerations, and a nuanced approach to assessment, conceptualization, and treatment is needed when working with individuals with co-occurring OCD and PTSD. Treatment providers may not be aware of these nuances and may hold misconceptions about co-occurring OCD and PTSD, impacting their approach to assessment, conceptualization, and treatment. The current study sought to examine possible misconceptions among mental health treatment providers of differing specializations. Among 146 primarily CBT-oriented treatment …

Circulating Epstein-Barr Virus Antibody Levels As A Biomarker Of Socioecological Adversity In Amazonian Ecuador, Tyler M Barrett, Melissa A Liebert, Geeta N Eick, Julia G Ridgeway-Diaz, Felicia C Madimenos, Aaron D Blackwell, Tara J Cepon-Robins, Samuel S Urlacher, Lawrence S Sugiyama, J Josh Snodgrass

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Objectives: Circulating Epstein-Barr virus antibodies (EBV-Ab) are used as a biomarker of chronic stress in high-income settings, but their relevance in environments with a high burden of infectious disease, nutritional constraints, and limited resources is less clear. We investigated EBV-Ab as a biomarker of adversity in a setting where local ecology and economy may affect immune development differently than in wealthy countries.

Methods: We measured EBV-Ab in finger-prick dried blood spots collected from Indigenous Shuar (n = 433) and non-Indigenous Colonos (n = 84) ranging from < 1 to 87 years old in Amazonian Ecuador. For a subset of adults (≥ 15 years, n = 210), we collected socioeconomic information (income, education, and occupation) and assessed household-level market integration. We determined the most important predictors of EBV-Ab for adults and children using multi-model averaging of linear regression models.

Results: Male children (< 15 years) had lower EBV-Ab than female children (model averaged β [SE]: -0.238 [0.066]). For adults, Shuar had higher EBV-Ab than Colonos (model averaged β [SE]: 0.235 [0.113]), and high systolic blood pressure was an important predictor of elevated EBV-Ab (model averaged β [SE]: 0.088 [0.047]). Individuals who reported unpaid domestic work as their primary occupation had higher EBV-Ab than agricultural workers (model averaged β [SE]: 0.302 [0.113]). Individuals living in houses with more market-sourced infrastructure had lower EBV-Ab (model averaged β [SE]: -0.088 [0.068]).

Conclusions: Circulating EBV-Ab may capture context-specific aspects of socioecological adversity …

Azetukalner, A Novel Kv7 Potassium Channel Opener, In Adults With Major Depressive Disorder: A Randomized Clinical Trial, Noam N Butterfield, Constanza Luzon Rosenblut, Maurizio Fava, Christoph U Correll, Anthony J Rothschild, James W Murrough, Sanjay J Mathew, Gregory N Beatch, Celene Grayson, Cynthia Harden, Jenny Qian, Joe Mcintosh, Rostam Namdari, Christopher Kenney

Staff and Researcher Publications

Importance: Available antidepressants provide inadequate therapeutic responses in many patients with major depressive disorder (MDD), highlighting a substantial unmet need.

Objective: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of azetukalner, a novel, potent KV7 potassium channel opener, in participants with MDD.

Design, setting, and participants: X-NOVA was a multicenter, proof-of-concept, phase 2, randomized, double-blind, parallel-group, placebo-controlled clinical trial that evaluated azetukalner in participants (adults aged ≥18 to ≤65 years) with moderate to severe MDD in a current depressive episode. Participants were enrolled between April 2022 and October 2023, and data analysis occurred from January 2023 to January 2024.

Intervention: Participants were …

Navacaprant, A Novel And Highly Selective Kappa Opioid Receptor Antagonist, In Adults With Major Depressive Disorder: A Randomized, Double-Blind Phase 2 Clinical Trial, Sanjay J Mathew, Andrew J Cutler, Nicole C Visitacion, Michael Gold, Jason Yuan, Bill Aurora

Staff and Researcher Publications

PURPOSE/BACKGROUND: This phase 2a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, 8-week trial assessed the efficacy and safety of navacaprant, a highly selective kappa opioid receptor antagonist, in adults with major depressive disorder (MDD).

METHODS/PROCEDURES: Participants with 17-Item Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAMD-17) scores of 14 to 30 were randomized 1:1 to once-daily navacaprant 80 mg or placebo (n = 102 each). The primary endpoint was HAMD-17 change from baseline (CFB) to week 8. Secondary endpoints included CFB in Snaith-Hamilton Pleasure Scale (SHAPS). No adjustment for multiple comparisons was made.

FINDINGS/RESULTS: At week 8, HAMD-17 CFB was not statistically significantly improved with navacaprant vs …

Cell Type-Specific Multi-Omics Analysis Of Cocaine Use Disorder In The Human Caudate Nucleus, Lea Zillich, Annasara Artioli, Veronika Pohořalá, Eric Zillich, Laura Stertz, Hanna Belschner, Ammar Jabali, Josef Frank, Fabian Streit, Diana Avetyan, Maja P Völker, Svenja Müller, Anita C Hansson, Thomas D Meyer, Marcella Rietschel, Julia Ladewig, Rainer Spanagel, Ana M M Oliveira, Consuelo Walss-Bass, Rick E Bernardi, Philipp Koch, Stephanie H Witt

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Structural and functional alterations in the brain's reward circuitry are present in cocaine use disorder (CocUD), but their molecular underpinnings remain unclear. To investigate these mechanisms, we performed single-nuclei multiome profiling on postmortem caudate nucleus tissue from six individuals with CocUD and eight controls. We profiled 30,030 nuclei, identifying 13 cell types including D1- and D2-medium spiny neurons (MSNs) and glial cells. We observed 1485 differentially regulated genes and 10,342 differentially accessible peaks, with alterations in MSNs and astrocytes related to neurotransmitter activity and synapse organization. Gene regulatory network analysis identified transcription factors including ZEB1 as exhibiting distinct CocUD-specific subclusters, …

Personality Factors Associated With Manner Of Death: A Psychological Autopsy Study, Christopher I Gurguis, Scott D Lane, Edison Leung, Joy M Schmitz, Consuelo Walss-Bass, Thomas D Meyer

Staff and Researcher Publications

Psychological autopsies are a well-established tool for understanding contributing factors in suicide completion. These tools have been used less often to understand personality characteristics of people with other manners of death (e.g. overdose). This study examined personality characteristics related to the manner of death in 83 autopsy cases using the UTHealth Psychological Autopsy Interview Schedule (UTH-PAIS), a psychological autopsy which assesses the presence of mental illness or substance use disorder but also includes items to capture transdiagnostic personality factors. Exploratory factor analysis of the items assessing personality factors was used to examine patterns in personality, and these factors were confirmed …

Dyke-Davidoff-Masson Syndrome: A Rare Cause Of Drug Refractory Epilepsy In An Adult, Paresh Zanzmera, Vaidehi Chauhan, Tvisha Patel, Jaineel Patel, Ankit Dumaswala, Kinjal Shah

Tower Health Research Day

No abstract provided.

A Qualitative Assessment Of Changes In Occupational Exposures Among Healthcare Facility Workers, David Gimeno Ruiz De Porras, Jenil Patel, Sadie Conway, Lisa Pompeii, Laura E Mitchell, Arch Carson, Lawrence W Whitehead, Inkyu Han, Jan-Paul Zock, Paul K Henneberger, Riddhi Patel, Joy De Los Reyes, George L Delclos

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Adult-onset asthma, notably prevalent among healthcare professionals, especially nurses, is often attributed to occupational factors such as exposure to cleaning agents. Studies consistently underscore the substantial role of such exposure in work-related asthma among hospital staff. We aimed to (a) identify and characterize current practices in cleaning and aerosolized medication administration; (b) assess changes in practices since a similar 2003 study of Texas healthcare workers; and (c) identify factors contributing to diverse exposures within healthcare job categories. We conducted focus groups with 38 participants in 6 healthcare settings, analyzing current practices, changes since 2003, and factors contributing to exposure diversity. …

Discontiguous Recurrences Of Idh-Wildtype Glioblastoma Share A Common Origin With The Initial Tumor And Are Frequently Hypermutated, Malcolm F Mcdonald, Sricharan Gopakumar, Tareq A Juratli, Ilker Y Eyüpoglu, Ganesh Rao, Jacob J Mandel, Ali Jalali

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Glioblastoma is the deadliest primary brain tumor, largely due to inevitable recurrence of the disease after treatment. While most recurrences are local, patients rarely present with a new discontiguous focus of glioblastoma. Little is currently known about the genetic profile of discontiguous recurrences. In our institutional database, we identified 22 patients with targeted exome sequencing of pairs of initial and recurrent IDH-wildtype glioblastoma. Recurrences were classified as contiguous or discontiguous based on the presence or absence of T2 FLAIR signal connection to the initial site of disease on MRI. Exome analysis revealed shared driver and passenger mutations between discontiguous recurrences …

Us Military Veterans’ Perceived Concordance With Their Providers Regarding Persistent Physical Symptoms Prospectively Predicts Satisfaction With Care And Adherence To Care Plans, L Alison Phillips, Laura M Lesnewich, Katharine Bloeser, Yong Lin, Rachel L Boska, Justeen K Hyde, Peter J Bayley, Helena K Chandler, Matthew J Reinhard, Susan L Santos, Rachel Stewart, Drew A Helmer, Lisa M Mcandrew

Center for Medical Ethics and Health Policy Staff Publications

Background: Medically unexplained, persistent physical symptoms and syndromes are commonly seen in primary care. These are debilitating for patients and difficult to treat, causing frustration for patients and providers.

Purpose: This study investigates how well US military veterans with multiple persistent physical symptoms (PPS), called Gulf War illness (GWI), agree with their healthcare providers about their illness. This agreement, called perceived concordance, is hypothesized to influence veterans' satisfaction with care, adherence to care plans, and disability levels.

Methods: Participants were 230 veterans with GWI deployed to the 1990-1991 Gulf War who were recruited from Veteran Affairs primary care and War …

Barriers And Facilitators To Accessing Mental And Physical Health Care Among Sexual Minority Women: A Qualitative Exploration, Charlotte A. Dawson, A. Moulder, Kristin E. Heron

Department Psychiatry & Behavioral Science Faculty Publications

Cisgender sexual minority women (SMW, e.g., lesbian, queer) are at greater risk for poor mental and physical health compared to heterosexual women and face challenges when accessing health care. Previous research has largely focused on general sexual and gender minority barriers to health care, but more research is needed on the experiences of specific subgroups, including cisgender SMW. The current study qualitatively explored barriers and facilitators for cisgender SMW seeking health care. Twenty cisgender SMW aged 18-40 recruited using Meta advertisements and past participant lists completed 45 min semi-structured interviews and a brief survey. Thematic analysis conducted by two coders …

Recognizing Adult Male Mental Health Needs: An Intervention Looking At Education In Rural Communities, Eugene W. Winans Jr

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

This DNP Project examined the role of student nurses and their confidence levels when assisting adult male patients experiencing a mental health crisis. The majority of suicide acts are attributed to men. Thus, this subject requires specific insight and instructions when it comes to proper ways to assist these patients. Incorporating evidence from a pre-test and post-test survey, this project demonstrates that student nurses lack confidence in how to deal with men who are experiencing a mental health crisis. The analysis gained from this project demonstrates the important role nurses play in recognizing, speaking to, and assisting in the treatment …

Addressing Deaths Of Despair: The Impact Of Loneliness On Excessive Alcohol Use And Alcohol-Involved Driving Deaths In Ohio, Juliana Zacher, Akshey Suresh, Dylan Timperman

Scholarship in Medicine - All Papers

Alcohol-related driving deaths and excessive alcohol consumption continue to rise across the United States. These trends have had a large impact on historically disadvantaged populations, such as Appalachia, being disproportionately affected. Previous literature suggests factors such as loneliness, mental distress, segregation, and immigration status amongst others may contribute to this increase in drinking. Although delineating a clear role of the nature of the impact at a community level still remains unclear. Our objective was to explore these very factors as well as to identify social and economic predictors to explain alcohol-related driving deaths and excessive drinking in Ohio between 2016 …

Prevention Of Substance Related Deaths Through Mental Health Counseling, Lindsey Tout, Camille Zonfa

Scholarship in Medicine - All Papers

Background: Substance abuse, particularly alcohol and drug use, remains a critical public safety issue in Ohio. Those suffering with abuse disorders are likely to often have accompanying mental health disorders, however, there lies a significant gap in treatment.
Objective: This study examines trends in alcohol-related driving deaths, drug overdose deaths, excessive drinking, and mental health provider availability from 2016 to 2023 in rural and urban counties of Ohio.
Methods: Data collected from the public source, County Health Rankings and Roadmaps, was analyzed using statistical methods to assess changes between 2016 to 2023 for the 88 counties of Ohio. Urban versus …

Subthreshold Depression In The National Epidemiologic Survey On Alcohol And Related Conditions Iii (Nesarc-Iii): A Quantitative Analysis Of Prevalence, Characteristics, And Burden In A Nationally Representative Sample, Scott T. Young

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

While subthreshold depression (subD) is relatively young for a diagnostic concept at a mere half century old, it has burdened individuals and societies for far longer. Research has established that it is a highly prevalent, clinically important entity with clear links to personal distress and impairment (including increased suicidal ideation and behavior), societal burden (e.g., increased reliance on public assistance programs), and economic costs (both personal and public). Research has also demonstrated that it represents a significant risk factor for incident major depression (MD) and that it likely represents both a prodromal and residual state in the normal course of …

Home-Based Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation Treatment For Major Depressive Disorder: A Fully Remote Phase 2 Randomized Sham-Controlled Trial, Rachel D Woodham, Sudhakar Selvaraj, Nahed Lajmi, Harriet Hobday, Gabrielle Sheehan, Ali-Reza Ghazi-Noori, Peter J Lagerberg, Maheen Rizvi, Sarah S Kwon, Paulette Orhii, David Maislin, Lucia Hernandez, Rodrigo Machado-Vieira, Jair C Soares, Allan H Young, Cynthia H Y Fu

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) has been proposed as a new treatment in major depressive disorder (MDD). This is a fully remote, multisite, double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized superiority trial of 10-week home-based tDCS in MDD. Participants were 18 years or older, with MDD in current depressive episode of at least moderate severity as measured using the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (mean = 19.07 ± 2.73). A total of 174 participants (120 women, 54 men) were randomized to active (n = 87, mean age = 37.09 ± 11.14 years) or sham (n = 87, mean age = 38.32 ± 10.92 …

Association Between Trust In The Incumbent President And Covid-19 Preventive Behaviors During The Pandemic In Four Latin American Countries, Juliana Mejía-Grueso, Gloria Isabel Niño-Cruz, Javiera Alarcón-Aguilar, Pablo Roa-Urrutia, Sergio Mauricio Moreno-López, Adriano Akira Ferreira Hino, Alexandre Augusto De Paula Da Silva, Fernando López, Deborah Salvo, Rodrigo Siqueira Reis, Guillermo Rosas, Andrea Ramírez-Varela

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

The COVID-19 pandemic revealed disparities in policy responses in Latin America. We examined the association between trust in the president and COVID-19 preventive behaviors in Brazil, Chile, Colombia, and Mexico. We used data from the Collaborative COVID-19 Response Survey by the McDonnell Academy at Washington University in St. Louis (United States), from September 2020 to March 2021. Nonprobabilistic sampling included adult citizens from the four countries. Multivariate negative binomial regression models were applied. The study included 8,125 participants, with Brazil showing the lowest adherence to preventive behaviors (65.5%). Increased adoption of preventive behaviors was linked with ages 18-26 (aIRR = …