Shared microglial mechanisms underpinning depression and chronic fatigue syndrome and their comorbidities

The Impact of Chronic Fatigue on Psychopathology in Outpatient Physiotherapy Patients

INTRODUCTION

Chronic fatigue is a debilitating condition marked by physical and mental exhaustion, frequently co-occurring with psychiatric disorders such as depression and anxiety.

METHODS

In a cross-sectional study, 172 consecutive patients from a busy physiotherapy clinic were assessed using the Fatigue Assessment Scale (FAS) for physical and mental fatigue and the SCL-90 for various psychological symptoms, with correlation analyses exploring relationships between fatigue severity, psychological distress and demographic factors.

RESULTS

Most participants reported clinically significant fatigue, with 90.69% experiencing physical fatigue and 76.77% experiencing mental fatigue. Paranoid ideation (61.05%) and obsessive-compulsiveness (59.88%) were common. Strong correlations were found between overall fatigue and psychological distress (r = 0.675, p < 0.001), especially between mental fatigue and depression (r = 0.699, p < 0.001).

CONCLUSION

Overall, the findings underscore the need for integrated multidisciplinary interventions to address both chronic fatigue and its related psychiatric symptoms.

Recent research in myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome: an evidence map

Background

Myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome is a chronic condition, classified by the World Health Organization as a nervous system disease, impacting around 17 million people worldwide. Presentation involves persistent fatigue and postexertional malaise (a worsening of symptoms after minimal exertion) and a wide range of other symptoms. Case definitions have historically varied; postexertional malaise is a core diagnostic criterion in current definitions. In 2022, a James Lind Alliance Priority Setting Partnership established research priorities relating to myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome.

Objective(s)

We created a map of myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome evidence (2018-23), showing the volume and key characteristics of recent research in this field. We considered diagnostic criteria and how current research maps against the James Lind Alliance Priority Setting Partnership research priorities.

Methods

Using a predefined protocol, we conducted a comprehensive search of Cochrane, MEDLINE, EMBASE and Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature. We included all English-language research studies published between January 2018 and May 2023. Two reviewers independently applied inclusion criteria with consensus involving additional reviewers. Studies including people diagnosed with myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome using any criteria (including self-report), of any age and in any setting were eligible. Studies with < 10 myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome participants were excluded. Data extraction, coding of topics (involving stakeholder consultation) and methodological quality assessment of systematic reviews (using A MeaSurement Tool to Assess systematic Reviews 2) was conducted independently by two reviewers, with disagreements resolved by a third reviewer. Studies were presented in an evidence map.

Results

Of the 11,278 identified studies, 742 met the selection criteria, but only 639 provided sufficient data for inclusion in the evidence map. These reported data from approximately 610,000 people with myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome. There were 81 systematic reviews, 72 experimental studies, 423 observational studies and 63 studies with other designs. Most studies (94%) were from high-income countries. Reporting of participant details was poor; 16% did not report gender, 74% did not report ethnicity and 81% did not report the severity of myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome. Forty-four per cent of studies used multiple diagnostic criteria, 16% did not specify criteria, 24% used a single criterion not requiring postexertional malaise and 10% used a single criterion requiring postexertional malaise. Most (89%) systematic reviews had a low methodological quality. Five main topics (37 subtopics) were included in the evidence map. Of the 639 studies; 53% addressed the topic 'what is the cause?'; 38% 'what is the problem?'; 26% 'what can we do about it?'; 15% 'diagnosis and assessment'; and 13% other topics, including 'living with myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome'.

Discussion

Studies have been presented in an interactive evidence map according to topic, study design, diagnostic criteria and age. This evidence map should inform decisions about future myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome research.

Limitations

An evidence map does not summarise what the evidence says. Our evidence map only includes studies published in 2018 or later and in English language. Inconsistent reporting and use of diagnostic criteria limit the interpretation of evidence. We assessed the methodological quality of systematic reviews, but not of primary studies.

Conclusions

We have produced an interactive evidence map, summarising myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome research from 2018 to 2023. This evidence map can inform strategic plans for future research. We found some, often limited, evidence addressing every James Lind Alliance Priority Setting Partnership priority; high-quality systematic reviews should inform future studies.

Funding

This article presents independent research funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Evidence Synthesis programme as award number NIHR159926.

Multiple voxel pattern analysis shows associations between chronic fatigue syndrome and cortical atrophy

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) is a disease characterized by unexplained fatigue and impaired cognition for more than 6 months. Recent studies have reported declines in large-scale brain networks' functional connections among patients with CFS, and these declines correlated with the patients' symptom severity. However, these reported networks are inconsistent. Brain structure serves as the essential architecture supporting brain functional fluctuations. Investigating structural alterations could provide insights into functional changes in different brain areas and facilitate the clinical diagnosis of CFS. In this study, we recruited 37 patients with CFS and 34 healthy controls to collect their clinical assessments and structural magnetic resonance imaging data. Multiple Voxel Pattern Analysis (MVPA) was employed to recognize chronic fatigue-related brain areas, and cortical thickness was compared between the two groups. By constructing a predictive MVPA classifier with 70% balanced accuracy, we identified five relevant brain areas, including the paracentral cortex, precentral cortex, central cortex, intraparietal cortex, and superior temporal cortex. Subsequently, the results showed that the thickness of these areas had associations with fatigue severity, healthy life status, and pain levels among our subjects. Furthermore, compared to healthy controls, the thickness reduction was observed in patients with CFS. In summary, our study revealed a pathological chronic fatigue pattern for understanding CFS and suggested associations between cortical atrophy and CFS, with the aim of highlighting potential impacts of chronic fatigue. The trial was registered in the Chinese Clinical Trial Registry (ChiCTR2000032577).

Role of the gut microbiome in psychological symptoms associated with inflammatory bowel diseases

The brain-gut axis constitutes the basis for the bidirectional communication between the central nervous system and the gastrointestinal tract driven by neural, hormonal, metabolic, immunological, and microbial signals. Alterations in the gut microbiome composition as observed in inflammatory bowel diseases can modulate brain function and emerging empirical evidence has indicated that interactions among the brain-gut microbiome-axis seem to play a significant role in the pathogenesis of both inflammatory bowel diseases and psychiatric disorders and their comorbidity. Yet, the immunological and molecular mechanisms underlying the co-occurrence of inflammatory bowel diseases and psychological symptoms are still poorly understood. The aim of this narrative review is to highlight contemporary empirical findings supporting a pivotal role of the gut microbiome in the pathophysiology of highly prevalent neuropsychiatric symptoms in inflammatory bowel diseases such as fatigue, depression, and anxiety. Finally, we focus on microbiome modulation as potential treatment option for comorbid neuropsychiatric symptoms in immune-mediated diseases and especially in inflammatory bowel diseases. High-quality clinical trials are required to clarify how microbiome modulation through dietary interventions or probiotic, prebiotic or synbiotic treatment can be used clinically to improve mental health and thus quality of life of patients with inflammatory bowel diseases.

Relationship between major depressive disorder and myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome: a two-sample mendelian randomization study analysis

Major depressive disorder (MDD) and myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) frequently occur together; yet their causal relationship remains unclear. To investigate the potential genetic causal link between these conditions, we conducted a two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis. Summary data from Genome-Wide Association Studies (GWAS) for MDD were sourced from the UK Biobank and the Psychiatric Genomics Consortium, while GWAS data for ME/CFS were retrieved from the UK Biobank. Inverse-variance weighting (IVW), the MR-Egger method, and weighted median, simple and weighted modes were used to perform the MR analysis. In addition, Cochrane's Q-test was used to detect heterogeneity among the MR results. Horizontal pleiotropy was detected using the MR-Egger intercept and the MR pleiotropy residual sum and outlier (MR-PRESSO) tests. Leave-one-out analysis was performed to investigate the sensitivity of the association between MDD and ME/CFS. The results of the MR analysis revealed no causal relationship between MDD and ME/CFS. The pleiotropy test revealed that causality bias was improbable, and no evidence of heterogeneity was found among the genetic variants. Finally, the leave-one-out test confirmed the stability and robustness of our findings.

Patients with NPSLE experience poorer HRQoL and more fatigue than SLE patients with no neuropsychiatric involvement, irrespective of neuropsychiatric activity

OBJECTIVES

Substantial proportions of patients with SLE report poor health-related quality of life (HRQoL). Our objective was to investigate the impact of neuropsychiatric involvement (NP) in SLE on patient-reported outcomes.

METHODS

We analysed data from four phase III trials (BLISS-52, BLISS-76, BLISS-SC, EMBRACE; N = 2968). The NPSLE group comprised individuals with NP-BILAG A/B/C/D or score in any descriptor of the NP-SLEDAI-2K at baseline (N = 350), while the non-NPSLE group consisted of patients with NP-BILAG E (N = 2618). HRQoL was assessed with the SF-36, EQ-5D-3L, and FACIT-F. Full health state (FHS) was defined as 'no problems' in all EQ-5D dimensions.

RESULTS

NPSLE patients reported lower scores in the SF-36 physical and mental component summary compared with the non-NPSLE population [mean (s.d.): 35.7 (9.1) vs 39.6 (9.6); P < 0.001 and 37.3 (12.1) vs 41.4 (11.0); P < 0.001, respectively]. NPSLE patients also exhibited impaired HRQoL in all EQ-5D dimensions compared with non-NPSLE patients (P < 0.05 for all). A substantially lower proportion of NPSLE patients experienced FHS in comparison with the non-NPSLE group (3.3% vs 14.5%; P < 0.001). NPSLE was associated with severe fatigue [23.8 (12.2) vs 31.5 (11.6); P < 0.001]. Notably, our findings revealed no discernible distinctions between active and inactive NPSLE patients with regard to SF-36, EQ-5D, FHS or FACIT-F scores.

CONCLUSION

NP in patients with SLE has a detrimental effect on HRQoL experience and is associated with severe fatigue, regardless of the degree of neuropsychiatric disease activity. Early intervention is warranted in NPSLE patients to enhance long-term HRQoL experience.

The molecular fingerprint of neuroinflammation in COVID-19: A comprehensive discussion on molecular mechanisms of neuroinflammation due to SARS-COV2 antigens

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 attacks the neural system directly and indirectly via various systems, such as the nasal cavity, olfactory system, and facial nerves. Considering the high energy requirement, lack of antioxidant defenses, and high amounts of metal ions in the brain, oxidative damage is very harmful to the brain. Various neuropathic pain conditions, neurological disorders, and neuropsychiatric complications were reported in Coronavirus disease 2019, prolonged Coronavirus disease 2019, and after Coronavirus disease 2019 immunization. This manuscript offers a distinctive outlook on the interconnectedness between neurology and neuropsychiatry through its meticulous analysis of complications.

DISCUSSION

After recovering from Coronavirus disease 2019, approximately half of the patients reported developing Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. Long Coronavirus disease 2019 imaging reports illustrated the hypometabolism in various parts of the brain, such as olfactory bulbs, limbic/paralimbic domains, the brainstem, and the cerebellum. Ninety imaging and neuropathological studies of Coronavirus disease 2019 have shown evidence of white matter, brainstem, frontotemporal, and oculofrontal lesions. Emotional functions, such as pleasant, long/short-term memory, movement, cognition and cognition in decision-making are controlled by these regions. The neuroinflammation and the mechanisms of defense are well presented in the discussion. The role of microglia activation, Inducible NO synthase, Cyclooxygenases ½, Reactive oxygen species, neurotoxic toxins and pro-inflammatory cytokines, such as Interleukin-1 beta, Interleukin-6 and Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha are highlighted in neuronal dysfunction and death. Nuclear factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells, Mitogen-activated protein kinase, Activator Protein 1, and Interferon regulatory factors are the main pathways involved in microglia activation in Coronavirus disease 2019 neuroinflammation.

CONCLUSION

The neurological aspect of Coronavirus disease 2019 should be highlighted. Neurological, psychological, and behavioral aspects of Coronavirus disease 2019, prolonged Coronavirus disease 2019, and Coronavirus disease 2019 vaccines can be the upcoming issues. We need a global awareness where this aspect of the disease should be more considered in health research.

Neuroinflammation-induced parvalbumin interneuron and oscillation deficits might contribute to neurobehavioral abnormities in a two-hit model of depression

Depression is a common neuropsychiatric disorder that causes profound disability worldwide, yet the underlying mechanism remains unclear. Thus, the present study aimed to evaluate the effects of a two-hit model of depression on glial activation, parvalbumin (PV) interneuron, oscillation activity, and behavior alternations, and whether chronic fluoxetine treatment can reverse these abnormalities. Male mice were submitted to lipopolysaccharide (LPS) injection, followed by a modified chronic unpredictable stress (CUS) protocol. In our study, we showed that mice exposed to LPS and CUS exhibited reduced body weight, anhedonic-like behavior as well as cognitive and anxiety symptoms. These behavioral alternations were related to enhanced neuroinflammation, as reflected by significantly increased IL-1β and IL-6 levels and microglia activation in the prefrontal cortex (PFC). In addition, mice exposed to LPS and CUS displayed significantly decreased PV expression and disturbance of theta and gamma oscillations in the PFC. However, chronic fluoxetine treatment reversed most of these abnormalities. In conclusion, our study suggests that neuroinflammation-induced PV interneuron and oscillation deficits might contribute to neurobehavioral abnormalities in a two-hit model of depression.

A distinctive profile of family genetic risk scores in a Swedish national sample of cases of fibromyalgia, irritable bowel syndrome, and chronic fatigue syndrome compared to rheumatoid arthritis and major depression

BACKGROUND

Functional somatic disorders (FSD) feature medical symptoms of unclear etiology. Attempts to clarify their origin have been hampered by a lack of rigorous research designs. We sought to clarify the etiology of the FSD by examining the genetic risk patterns for FSD and other related disorders.

METHODS

This study was performed in 5 829 186 individuals from Swedish national registers. We quantified familial genetic risk for FSD, internalizing disorders, and somatic disorders in cases of chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), fibromyalgia (FM), and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), using a novel method based on aggregate risk in first to fifth degree relatives, adjusting for cohabitation. We compared these profiles with those of a prototypic internalizing psychiatric - major depression (MD) - and a somatic/autoimmune disorder: rheumatoid arthritis (RA).

RESULTS

Patients with FM carry substantial genetic risks not only for FM, but also for pain syndromes and internalizing, autoimmune and sleep disorders. The genetic risk profiles for IBS and CFS are also widely distributed although with lower average risks. By contrast, genetic risk profiles of MD and RA are much more restricted to related conditions.

CONCLUSION

Patients with FM have a relatively unique family genetic risk score profile with elevated genetic risk across a range of disorders that differs markedly from the profiles of a classic autoimmune disorder (RA) and internalizing disorder (MD). A similar less marked pattern of genetic risks was seen for IBS and CFS. FSD arise from a distinctive pattern of genetic liability for a diversity of psychiatric, autoimmune, pain, sleep, and functional somatic disorders.

Prevalence of depression and its association with quality of life among guardians of hospitalized psychiatric patients during the COVID-19 pandemic: a network perspective

Background

The COVID-19 pandemic has greatly affected treatment-seeking behaviors of psychiatric patients and their guardians. Barriers to access of mental health services may contribute to adverse mental health consequences, not only for psychiatric patients, but also for their guardians. This study explored the prevalence of depression and its association with quality of life among guardians of hospitalized psychiatric patients during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods

This multi-center, cross-sectional study was conducted in China. Symptoms of depression and anxiety, fatigue level and quality of life (QOL) of guardians were measured with validated Chinese versions of the Patient Health Questionnaire - 9 (PHQ-9), Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale - 7 (GAD-7), fatigue numeric rating scale (FNRS), and the first two items of the World Health Organization Quality of Life Questionnaire - brief version (WHOQOL-BREF), respectively. Independent correlates of depression were evaluated using multiple logistic regression analysis. Analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) was used to compare global QOL of depressed versus non-depressed guardians. The network structure of depressive symptoms among guardians was constructed using an extended Bayesian Information Criterion (EBIC) model.

Results

The prevalence of depression among guardians of hospitalized psychiatric patients was 32.4% (95% CI: 29.7-35.2%). GAD-7 total scores (OR = 1.9, 95% CI: 1.8-2.1) and fatigue (OR = 1.2, 95% CI: 1.1-1.4) were positively correlated with depression among guardians. After controlling for significant correlates of depression, depressed guardians had lower QOL than non-depressed peers did [F_{(1, 1,101)} = 29.24, p < 0.001]. "Loss of energy" (item 4 of the PHQ-9), "concentration difficulties" (item 7 of the PHQ-9) and "sad mood" (item 2 of the PHQ-9) were the most central symptoms in the network model of depression for guardians.

Conclusion

About one third of guardians of hospitalized psychiatric patients reported depression during the COVID-19 pandemic. Poorer QOL was related to having depression in this sample. In light of their emergence as key central symptoms, "loss of energy," "concentration problems," and "sad mood" are potentially useful targets for mental health services designed to support caregivers of psychiatric patients.

Ginsenoside Rg1 can reverse fatigue behavior in CFS rats by regulating EGFR and affecting Taurine and Mannose 6-phosphate metabolism

Background: Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) is characterized by significant and persistent fatigue. Ginseng is a traditional anti-fatigue Chinese medicine with a long history in Asia, as demonstrated by clinical and experimental studies. Ginsenoside Rg1 is mainly derived from ginseng, and its anti-fatigue metabolic mechanism has not been thoroughly explored. Methods: We performed non-targeted metabolomics of rat serum using LC-MS and multivariate data analysis to identify potential biomarkers and metabolic pathways. In addition, we implemented network pharmacological analysis to reveal the potential target of ginsenoside Rg1 in CFS rats. The expression levels of target proteins were measured by PCR and Western blotting. Results: Metabolomics analysis confirmed metabolic disorders in the serum of CFS rats. Ginsenoside Rg1 can regulate metabolic pathways to reverse metabolic biases in CFS rats. We found a total of 34 biomarkers, including key markers Taurine and Mannose 6-phosphate. AKT1, VEGFA and EGFR were identified as anti-fatigue targets of ginsenoside Rg1 using network pharmacological analysis. Finally, biological analysis showed that ginsenoside Rg1 was able to down-regulate the expression of EGFR. Conclusion: Our results suggest ginsenoside Rg1 has an anti-fatigue effect, impacting the metabolism of Taurine and Mannose 6-phosphate through EGFR regulation. This demonstrates ginsenoside Rg1 is a promising alternative treatment for patients presenting with chronic fatigue syndrome.

Exosome-associated mitochondrial DNA from patients with myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome stimulates human microglia to release IL-1β

Myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) is a debilitating disease that presents with fatigue, sleep disturbances, malaise, and cognitive problems. The pathogenesis of ME/CFS is presently unknown, and serum levels of potential biomarkers have been inconsistent. Here, we show that mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) associated with serum exosomes, is increased in ME/CFS patients only after exercise. Moreover, exosomes isolated from patients with ME/CFS stimulate significant release of IL-1β from cultured human microglia. These results provide evidence that activation of microglia by serum-derived exosomes may serve as a potential novel pathogenetic factor and target for treatment of ME/CFS.

The backbone symptoms of depression: a network analysis after the initial wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in Macao

Background

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic disrupted the working lives of Macau residents, possibly leading to mental health issues such as depression. The pandemic served as the context for this investigation of the network structure of depressive symptoms in a community sample. This study aimed to identify the backbone symptoms of depression and to propose an intervention target.

Methods

This study recruited a convenience sample of 975 Macao residents between 20th August and 9th November 2020. In an electronic survey, depressive symptoms were assessed with the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9). Symptom relationships and centrality indices were identified using directed and undirected network estimation methods. The undirected network was constructed using the extended Bayesian information criterion (EBIC) model, and the directed network was constructed using the Triangulated Maximally Filtered Graph (TMFG) method. The stability of the centrality indices was evaluated by a case-dropping bootstrap procedure. Wilcoxon signed rank tests of the centrality indices were used to assess whether the network structure was invariant between age and gender groups.

Results

Loss of energy, psychomotor problems, and guilt feelings were the symptoms with the highest centrality indices, indicating that these three symptoms were backbone symptoms of depression. The directed graph showed that loss of energy had the highest number of outward projections to other symptoms. The network structure remained stable after randomly dropping 50% of the study sample, and the network structure was invariant by age and gender groups.

Conclusion

Loss of energy, psychomotor problems and guilt feelings constituted the three backbone symptoms during the pandemic. Based on centrality and relative influence, loss of energy could be targeted by increasing opportunities for physical activity.

Involvement of inflammatory responses in the brain to the onset of major depressive disorder due to stress exposure

Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a multifactorial disease affected by several environmental factors. Although several potential onset hypotheses have been identified, the molecular mechanisms underlying the pathogenesis of this disorder remain unclear. Several recent studies have suggested that among many environmental factors, inflammation and immune abnormalities in the brain or the peripheral tissues are associated with the onset of MDDs. Furthermore, several stress-related hypotheses have been proposed to explain the onset of MDDs. Thus, inflammation or immune abnormalities can be considered stress responses that occur within the brain or other tissues and are regarded as one of the mechanisms underlying the stress hypothesis of MDDs. Therefore, we introduce several current advances in inflammation studies in the brain that might be related to the pathophysiology of MDD due to stress exposure in this review.

The Effect of Chronic Exercise on Energy and Fatigue States: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Trials

In this meta-analysis, we synthesized the results of randomized controlled trials of different exercise training interventions on participants' feelings of fatigue, energy, and vitality. The search of studies was conducted using six databases as well as several other supplementary search strategies available before December 2021. The initial search generated over 3,600 articles with 81 studies (7,050 participants) and 172 effects meeting the inclusion criteria. We analyzed the effects from the studies using a meta-analytic multivariate model and considered the potential moderating effect of multiple variables. Our analysis revealed exercise to decrease the feelings of fatigue by a small effect size (g = -0.374; 95% CI [-0.521, -0.227]), increase energy by a small-to-moderate effect size (g = 0.415; 95% CI [0.252, 0.578]), and to increase the feeling of vitality by a moderate effect size (g = 0.537; 95% CI [0.404, 0.671]). All main results remained robust after several sensitivity analyses using different statistical estimators, and consideration of outlier and influential studies. Moreover, moderator analyses revealed significant effects of exercise intensity and intervention duration on fatigue, exercise intensity, and modality on energy, and participant health, exercise intensity modality, and exercise training location on vitality. We conclude that when groups adopt a moderate intensity exercise training program while participating in a randomized trial, compared to controls, this typically results in small-to-moderate average improvements in feelings of fatigue, energy, and vitality.

Indole-3-Carbinol Selectively Prevents Chronic Stress-Induced Depression-but not Anxiety-Like Behaviors via Suppressing Pro-Inflammatory Cytokine Production and Oxido-Nitrosative Stress in the Brain

Indole-3-carbinol (I3C), a phytochemical enriched in most cruciferous vegetables, has been shown to display various biological activities such as anti-oxidative stress, anti-inflammation, and anti-carcinogenesis. In this study, we investigated the regulatory effect of I3C on chronic stress-induced behavioral abnormalities in mice. Results showed that repeated I3C treatment at the dose of 10, 30, and 60 mg/kg prevented chronic social defeat stress (CSDS)-induced behavioral abnormalities in the tail suspension test, forced swimming test, sucrose preference test, and social interaction test in mice, and did not affect CSDS-induced behavioral abnormalities in the elevated plus maze, light-dark test, and open-field test, suggesting that the I3C treatment selectively prevents the onset of depression- but not anxiety-like behaviors in chronically stressed mice. Further analysis demonstrated that repeated I3C treatment (60 mg/kg, 10 days) prevented CSDS-induced increases in levels of interleukin-1β (IL-1β), IL-6, and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) mRNA and protein, but did not affect CSDS-induced decreases in levels of IL-4, IL-10, and Ym-1 mRNA and/or protein in the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex, suggesting that I3C can selectively prevent chronic stress-induced pro-inflammatory but not anti-inflammatory responses in the brain. Further analysis showed that repeated I3C treatment (60 mg/kg, 10 days) prevented CSDS-induced increases in levels of nitrite and malondialdehyde (MDA), decreases in contents of glutathione (GSH), and decreases in levels of brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) protein in the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex. These results demonstrated that I3C selectively prevents chronic stress-induced depression-like behaviors in mice likely through suppressing neuroinflammation and oxido-nitrosative stress in the brain.

Alleviative effects of foraging exercise on depressive-like behaviors in chronic mild stress-induced ischemic rat model

BACKGROUND

Poststroke depression (PSD) is a common complication that seriously affects the functional recovery and prognosis of an individual. As some patients with PSD fail to respond to drug therapy, it is urgent to find a viable alternative treatment.

METHODS

An active exercise program known as foraging exercise (FE), using food as bait, was designed. First, focal ischemia and chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS) were used to establish a PSD model in rats. FE was then performed for 4 weeks. Body weight and behavioral assessments were conducted at the end of the 4th and 8th weeks.

RESULTS

After 8 weeks, the results revealed that, compared with the PSD group, the behavioral scores of the rats in the PSD/FE group were significantly improved, the expression of Iba-1 in the affected frontal lobe and striatum was decreased, and serum levels of IL-6 and the IL-6/IL-10 ratio were downregulated. However, the ratio of residual brain volume in rats that had experienced CUMS was significantly less than that in the stroke group.

CONCLUSION

FE can alleviate the behavioral scores of PSD rats, and its mechanism may be related to a modulation of the immune-inflammation response of microglia. Furthermore, chronic, persistent stress may increase the volume of cerebral infarction after stroke.

At the Root of 3 “Long” Diseases: Persistent Antigens Inflicting Chronic Damage on the Brain and Other Organs in Gulf War Illness, Long-COVID-19, and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Several foreign antigens such as those derived from viruses and bacteria have been linked to long-term deleterious effects on the brain and other organs; yet, health outcomes subsequent to foreign antigen exposure vary depending in large part on the host’s immune system, in general, and on human leukocyte antigen (HLA) composition, in particular. Here we first provide a brief description of 3 conditions characterized by persistent long-term symptoms, namely long-COVID-19, myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS), and Gulf War Illness (GWI), followed by a brief overview of the role of HLA in the immune response to foreign antigens. We then discuss our Persistent Antigen (PA) hypothesis and highlight associations between antigen persistence due to HLA-antigen incongruence and chronic health conditions in general and the 3 “long” diseases above in particular. This review is not intended to cover the breadth and depth of symptomatology of those diseases but is specifically focused on the hypothesis that the presence of persistent antigens underlies their pathogenesis.

Rifaximin-mediated gut microbiota regulation modulates the function of microglia and protects against CUMS-induced depression-like behaviors in adolescent rat

BACKGROUND

Chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS) can not only lead to depression-like behavior but also change the composition of the gut microbiome. Regulating the gut microbiome can have an antidepressant effect, but the mechanism by which it improves depressive symptoms is not clear. Short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) are small molecular compounds produced by the fermentation of non-digestible carbohydrates. SFCAs are ubiquitous in intestinal endocrine and immune cells, making them important mediators of gut microbiome-regulated body functions. The balance between the pro- and anti-inflammatory microglia plays an important role in the occurrence and treatment of depression caused by chronic stress. Non-absorbable antibiotic rifaximin can regulate the structure of the gut microbiome. We hypothesized that rifaximin protects against stress-induced inflammation and depression-like behaviors by regulating the abundance of fecal microbial metabolites and the microglial functions.

METHODS

We administered 150 mg/kg rifaximin intragastrically to rats exposed to CUMS for 4 weeks and investigated the composition of the fecal microbiome, the content of short-chain fatty acids in the serum and brain, the functional profiles of microglia and hippocampal neurogenesis.

RESULTS

Our results show that rifaximin ameliorated depressive-like behavior induced by CUMS, as reflected by sucrose preference, the open field test and the Morris water maze. Rifaximin increased the relative abundance of Ruminococcaceae and Lachnospiraceae, which were significantly positively correlated with the high level of butyrate in the brain. Rifaximin increased the content of anti-inflammatory factors released by microglia, and prevented the neurogenic abnormalities caused by CUMS.

CONCLUSIONS

These results suggest that rifaximin can regulate the inflammatory function of microglia and play a protective role in pubertal neurodevelopment during CUMS by regulating the gut microbiome and short-chain fatty acids.

Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS): An Overview

Myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) is a chronic systemic disease that manifests via various symptoms such as chronic fatigue, post-exertional malaise, and cognitive impairment described as "brain fog". These symptoms often prevent patients from keeping up their pre-disease onset lifestyle, as extended periods of physical or mental activity become almost impossible. However, the disease presents heterogeneously with varying severity across patients. Therefore, consensus criteria have been designed to provide a diagnosis based on symptoms. To date, no biomarker-based tests or diagnoses are available, since the molecular changes observed also largely differ from patient to patient. In this review, we discuss the infectious, genetic, and hormonal components that may be involved in CFS pathogenesis, we scrutinize the role of gut microbiota in disease progression, we highlight the potential of non-coding RNA (ncRNA) for the development of diagnostic tools and briefly mention the possibility of SARS-CoV-2 infection causing CFS.

How peptic ulcer disease could potentially lead to the lifelong, debilitating effects of chronic fatigue syndrome: an insight

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) has been defined as unexplained relapsing or persistent fatigue for at least 6 consecutive months. Immuno-inflammatory pathway, bacterial infection, and other causes play essential roles in CFS. Helicobacter pylori infection is one of the most common causes of foregut inflammation, leading to peptic ulcer disease (PUD). This study aimed to analyze the risk of CFS development between patients with and without PUD. Other related factors were also analyzed. We performed a retrospective, nationwide cohort study identifying patients with or without PUD respectively by analyzing the Longitudinal Health Insurance Database 2000 (LHID2000), Taiwan. The overall incidence of CFS was higher in the PUD cohort than in the non- PUD cohort (HR = 2.01, 95% CI = 1.75-2.30), with the same adjusted HR (aHR) when adjusting for age, sex, and comorbidities. The sex-specific PUD cohort to the non-PUD cohort relative risk of CFS was significant in both genders. The age-specific incidence of CFS showed incidence density increasing with age in both cohorts. There is an increased risk of developing CFS following PUD, especially in females and the aging population. Hopefully, these findings can prevent common infections from progressing to debilitating, chronic conditions such as CFS.

Construction of an exposure-pathway-phenotype in children with depression due to transfusion-dependent thalassemia: Results of (un)supervised machine learning

BACKGROUND

Transfusion dependent thalassemia (TDT) patients are treated with continued blood transfusions and show a higher prevalence of depression. TDT with consequent iron overload and inflammation is associated with increased severity of depressive symptoms in TDT children.

AIM OF THE STUDY

To construct a pathway-phenotype which combines iron overload and neuro-immune biomarkers with depressive symptom subdomains in TDT children.

METHODS

We measured iron status parameters (iron, ferritin, transferrin saturation percentage) and inflammatory (interleukin-1β and tumour necrosis factor-α) biomarkers in TDT (n=111) and healthy (n=53) children and analyzed the results using machine learning.

RESULTS

Cluster analysis separated TDT children with depression from those without depression and revealed two depressive subgroups one with low self-esteem and another with increased social-irritability scores. Exploratory factor analysis validated four depressive symptom dimensions as reliable constructs, namely key depressive, physiosomatic, lowered self-esteem and social-irritability dimensions. Partial Least Squares showed that 73.0% of the variance in a latent vector extracted from those four clinical subdomains, immune-inflammatory and iron overload biomarkers was explained by exposure variables including the number of blood transfusions and hospitalizations and use of deferoxamine. The exposure data, iron and immune biomarkers, and symptom subdomains are reflective manifestations of a single latent trait, which shows internal consistency reliability and predictive relevance.

CONCLUSIONS

The nomological network combining exposure, pathways and behavioral phenome manifestations provides an index of overall severity and disease risk and, therefore, constitutes a new drug target, indicating that iron overload and immune activation should be targeted to treat depression due to TDT.

What can neuroimmunology teach us about the symptoms of long-COVID?

Long-Coronavirus Disease (Long-COVID) is becoming increasingly recognized due to the persistence of symptoms such as profound fatigue, neurocognitive difficulties, muscle pains and weaknesses and depression, which would last beyond 3-12 weeks following infection with SARS-CoV-2. These particular symptoms have been extensively observed and studied in the context of previous psychoneuroimmunology research. In this short commentary, we discuss how previous neuroimmunology studies could help us to better understand pathways behind the development of these prolonged symptoms. Various mechanisms, including viral neuroinvasion, glial cells activation, neurogenesis, oxidative stress have been shown to explain these symptoms in the context of other disorders. Previous neuroimmunology findings could represent helpful pointers for future research on long-COVID symptoms and suggest potential management strategies for patients suffering with long-COVID.

Mitochondria and immunity in chronic fatigue syndrome

It is widely accepted that the pathophysiology and treatment of myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) could be considerably improved. The heterogeneity of ME/CFS and the confusion over its classification have undoubtedly contributed to this, although this would seem a consequence of the complexity of the array of ME/CFS presentations and high levels of diverse comorbidities. This article reviews the biological underpinnings of ME/CFS presentations, including the interacting roles of the gut microbiome/permeability, endogenous opioidergic system, immune cell mitochondria, autonomic nervous system, microRNA-155, viral infection/re-awakening and leptin as well as melatonin and the circadian rhythm. This details not only relevant pathophysiological processes and treatment options, but also highlights future research directions. Due to the complexity of interacting systems in ME/CFS pathophysiology, clarification as to its biological underpinnings is likely to considerably contribute to the understanding and treatment of other complex and poorly managed conditions, including fibromyalgia, depression, migraine, and dementia. The gut and immune cell mitochondria are proposed to be two important hubs that interact with the circadian rhythm in driving ME/CFS pathophysiology.

Depression development: From lifestyle changes to motivational deficits

Until now, depression research has taken a surprisingly narrow approach to modelling the disease, mainly focusing on some form of psychomotor retardation within a mechanistic framework of depression etiology. However, depression has many symptoms and each is associated with a vast number of substrates. Thus, to deepen our insights, this SI ("Depression Symptoms") reviewed the behavioral and neurobiological sequelae of individual symptoms, specifically, psychomotor retardation, sadness, low motivation, fatigue, sleep/circadian disruption, weight/appetite changes, and cognitive affective biases. This manuscript aims to integrate the most central information provided by the individual reviews. As a result, a dynamic model of depression development is proposed, which views depression as a cumulative process, where different symptoms develop at different stages, referred to as early, intermediate, and advanced, that require treatment with different pharmaceutical agents, that is, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors early on and dopamine-based antidepressants at the advanced stage. Furthermore, the model views hypothalamic disruption as the source of early symptoms and site of early intervention. Longitudinal animal models that are capable of modelling the different stages of depression, including transitions between the stages, may be helpful to uncover novel biomarkers and treatment approaches.

Neurobiological findings underlying depressive behavior in Parkinson's disease: A review

Parkinson's disease (PD) is one of the most prevalent neurodegenerative diseases in the world with a harmful impact on the quality of life. Although its clinical diagnosis is based on motor symptoms such as resting tremor, postural instability, slow gait, and muscle stiffness, this disorder is also characterized by the presence of early emotional impairment, including features such as depression, anxiety, fatigue, and apathy. Depression is the main emotional manifestation associated with PD and the mechanisms involved in its pathophysiology have been extensively investigated however, it is not yet completely elucidated. In addition to monoaminergic imbalance, immunological and gut microbiota changes have been associated with depression in PD. Besides, a patient group appears be refractory to the treatment available currently. This review emphasizes the mainly neuromolecular findings of the PD-associated depression as well as discuss novel and potential pharmacological and non-pharmacological therapeutic strategies.

Systematic review and meta-analysis of the prevalence of chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis (CFS/ME)

BACKGROUND

Chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis (CFS/ME) has been emerging as a significant health issue worldwide. This study aimed to systemically assess the prevalence of CFS/ME in various aspects of analyses for precise assessment.

METHODS

We systematically searched prevalence of CFS/ME from public databases from 1980 to December 2018. Data were extracted according to 7 categories for analysis: study participants, gender and age of the participants, case definition, diagnostic method, publication year, and country of the study conducted. Prevalence data were collected and counted individually for studies adopted various case definitions. We analyzed and estimated prevalence rates in various angles: average prevalence, pooled prevalence and meta-analysis of all studies.

RESULTS

A total of 1291 articles were initially identified, and 45 articles (46 studies, 56 prevalence data) were selected for this study. Total 1085,976 participants were enrolled from community-based survey (540,901) and primary care sites (545,075). The total average prevalence was 1.40 ± 1.57%, pooled prevalence 0.39%, and meta-analysis 0.68% [95% CI 0.48-0.97]. The prevalence rates were varied by enrolled participants (gender, study participants, and population group), case definitions and diagnostic methods. For example, in the meta-analysis; women (1.36% [95% CI 0.48-0.97]) vs. men (0.86% [95% CI 0.48-0.97]), community-based samples (0.76% [95% CI 0.53-1.10]) vs. primary care sites (0.63% [95% CI 0.37-1.10]), adults ≥ 18 years (0.65% [95% CI 0.43-0.99]) vs. children and adolescents < 18 years (0.55% [95% CI 0.22-1.35]), CDC-1994 (0.89% [95% CI 0.60-1.33]) vs. Holmes (0.17% [95% CI 0.06-0.49]), and interviews (1.14% [95% CI 0.76-1.72]) vs. physician diagnosis (0.09% [95% CI 0.05-0.13]), respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

This study comprehensively estimated the prevalence of CFS/ME; 0.89% according to the most commonly used case definition CDC-1994, with women approximately 1.5 to 2 folds higher than men in all categories. However, we observed the prevalence rates are widely varied particularly by case definitions and diagnostic methods. An objective diagnostic tool is urgently required for rigorous assessment of the prevalence of CFS/ME.