The prevalence of depression and insomnia symptoms among patients with rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis in Poland: a case control study

Sleep problems and insomnia are common and associated with pain intensity, number of comorbidities and analgesic use in patients with knee and hip osteoarthritis: a cross-sectional study using data from the good life with osteoarthritis in Denmark (GLA:D®) registry

To assess the difference in prevalence of sleep problems and insomnia in patients with knee or hip osteoarthritis (OA), and explore characteristics associated with sleep problems and insomnia. We included 8,162 knee/hip OA patients enrolled in supervised exercise and patient education through the Good Life with osteoArthritis in Denmark (GLA:D®) program. We assessed presence of sleep problems (yes/no), followed by the Insomnia Severity Index 3-item (ISI-3) questionnaire among those with sleep problems (Insomnia: ISI-3 score ≥ 7). Characteristics associated with sleep problems/insomnia was estimated for knee and hip OA patients separately (prevalence ratios [PR]). In total, 68% (n = 3,539) and 64% (n = 1,807) of knee and hip OA patients reported sleep problems, respectively, corresponding to a PR of 1.06 (95% CI 1.03 to 1.10). Prevalence of insomnia was 17% (n = 943) and 20% (n = 528) for those with knee and hip OA, respectively (PR 1.18 [95% CI 1.07 to 1.30]). Large overlap between characteristics associated with sleep problems and insomnia were observed. Characteristics most strongly associated with higher prevalence of insomnia were pain intensity ≥40 mm VAS (knee: PR 2.39 [95% CI 2.08 to 2.74]; hip: PR 2.54 [95% CI 2.10 to 3.07], a high number of comorbidities, and analgesic use in both patients with knee and hip OA. Sleep problems and insomnia are highly prevalent among primary care patients with knee and hip OA, and slightly more common in hip OA patients. Prevalence of insomnia was substantially higher among patients with more comorbidities, higher pain intensity and analgesic use.

Genetic causality between insomnia and specific orthopedic conditions: Insights from a two-sample Mendelian randomization study

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the genetic causality for the insomnia and common orthopedic diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis (RA), ankylosing spondylitis (AS), osteoporosis (OP), and gout (GT).

METHODS

The genome-wide association study (GWAS) summary data on insomnia were obtained from a published study, while the GWAS summary data on RA, AS, OP, and GT were sourced from the FinnGen consortium. We utilized the TwoSampleMR package of the R software (version 4.1.2) to conduct a two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis. Our primary method of analysis was the random-effects inverse variance weighted (IVW) approach. Subsequently, we conducted a series of sensitivity analyses for the MR analysis.

RESULTS

The MR analysis revealed a positive genetic causal relationship between insomnia and RA (P = 0.016, odds ratio [OR] 95 % confidence interval [CI] = 1.112 [1.020-1.212]). However, no significant genetic causal relationship was observed between insomnia and AS (P = 0.194, OR 95 % CI = 1.121 [0.944-1.331]), OP (P = 0.788, OR 95 % CI = 1.016 [0.904-1.142]), and GT (P = 0.757, OR 95 % CI = 1.018 [0.912-1.136]). The MR analysis did not exhibit heterogeneity, horizontal pleiotropy, outlier effects, or dependence on a single SNP, and demonstrated normal distribution, which guaranteed the robustness of the results.

CONCLUSION

The results of this study suggest that insomnia may be a significant risk factor for RA, and controlling insomnia may represent a promising strategy for preventing RA. While insomnia was not observed to be associated with AS, OP, and GT at the genetic level, other levels of association cannot be excluded.

Sleep pattern, genetic risk, and the risk of incident rheumatoid arthritis: A cohort study

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the associations of sleep behaviors with the risk of rheumatoid arthritis, and whether the associations differ among individuals with low, intermediate, or high genetic risk.

METHODS

We included participants who were free of rheumatoid arthritis at baseline based the UK Biobank. We evaluated the associations of five sleep behaviors with the risk of rheumatoid arthritis using Cox proportional hazard regression models. We then generated a sleep risk score which combined five sleep behaviors and assessed its association with the risk of rheumatoid arthritis. We finally generated a genetic risk score and examined the joint effects of sleep patterns and genetic susceptibility on the risk of rheumatoid arthritis.

RESULTS

Of the 375,133 participants at baseline, 4913 incident rheumatoid arthritis cases were identified over a median follow-up of 11.73years. We found that insomnia and daytime sleepiness were associated with a 33% and a 38% increased risk of rheumatoid arthritis. A U-shaped association was observed between sleep duration and the risk of rheumatoid arthritis, with a 29% higher risk for those with short sleep and a 30% higher risk for those with long sleep. Participants with unfavorable sleep patterns had a 63% increased risk of rheumatoid arthritis compared with those with favorable sleep patterns. Participants with unfavorable sleep patterns and high genetic risk showed the highest risk of rheumatoid arthritis although no statistically significant multiplicative or additive interaction was found.

CONCLUSIONS

Our study suggested that insomnia, daytime sleepiness, and short or long sleep duration, as well as sleep risk score were associated with an increased risk of rheumatoid arthritis.

Exploration of Inflammatory Biomarkers and Psychological Cardiovascular Disease Risk Factors Among Community Dwelling Adults: A Gender Comparison Study

Patients with rheumatic disease (RD) are at high risk for cardiovascular disease (CVD), which is the leading non-communicable chronic disease cause of death worldwide. Inflammatory biomarkers and psychological health status are reliable predictors of CVD in patients with RD. The primary aim of this study was to compare the inflammatory biomarkers and psychological CVD risk factors (CRFs) between a group of community-dwelling adults with RD and CRFs and a group of their peers with CRFs only. The secondary aim of this study was to analyze and compare the collected data by gender in the RD group. Data were collected and analyzed from 355 participants, with the 135 participants with physician-diagnosed RD assigned to the RD group and the remainder (n = 220) assigned to the comparison group. The measures used included a demographic datasheet, medical information, serum homocysteine (Hcy) levels, high sensitive C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) levels, and depression and global sleep-quality scale scores. The RD group had higher ratios of hypertension and depression diagnoses than the comparison group. The gender analysis of the RD group found significantly more-severe sleep disturbances in women than men and a significantly higher mean value of Hcy in men than women. The women in the RD group were significantly older, less educated, and less employed than their male counterparts and thus may be presumed to at higher risk of health illiteracy. Gender-tailored interventions to modify the risk factors of CVD identified in this study for patients with RD are recommended.

Relationship between Optimism, Self-Efficacy and Quality of Life: A Cross-Sectional Study in Elderly People with Knee Osteoarthritis

BACKGROUND

Due to the presence of numerous problems in osteoarthritis, e.g., the presence of one or more chronic diseases, reduced self-esteem and reduced ability to cope, patients must undertake readaptation activities. In such circumstances, resources that are necessary for optimal adaptation become of particular importance. This cross-sectional study aimed to assess the impact of behavioral resources, namely self-efficacy and optimism, on quality of life perception in early-old-age patients with knee osteoarthritis.

METHODS

An anonymous survey was conducted using recognized research tools: the Index of Severity for Knee Disease, Life Orientation Test, General Self-Efficacy Scale and World Health Organization Quality of Life BEFF. The study involved 300 people aged between 60 and 75 years old, including 150 patients diagnosed with gonarthrosis and 150 people without diagnosed joint and muscular diseases of the lower limbs. Non-parametric tests (e.g., Mann-Whitney U test, Kruskal-Wallis test, Spearman's correlation coefficient) were used for the statistical analysis of the results, assuming a significance level of p < 0.05.

RESULTS

The level of the examined personal resources was significantly lower in the group of people with gonarthrosis (p < 0.001), among whom low self-efficacy and a tendency toward pessimism prevailed. The results in terms of the level of lower limb joints impairment among the respondents correlated significantly and negatively with self-efficacy (r = -0.239; p = 0.003) and dispositional optimism (r = -0.318; p < 0.001). A higher level of the studied psychosocial resources led to a more favorable assessment of quality of life (p < 0.001) and own health (p < 0.001). In addition, a higher sense of self-competence was associated with better quality of life in the psychological (p = 0.044), social (p < 0.001) and environmental (p < 0.001) domains, while a tendency toward optimism was associated with higher quality of life perception in the social domain (p < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

It would seem to be reasonable to introduce a routine diagnosis, assessing the level of personal capabilities of elderly people with knee osteoarthritis, which may have a beneficial effect on their perception of their quality of life and their own health.

Inflammatory hypotheses of sleep disturbance - depression link: Update and research agenda

Studies in human and experimental animal models support a role of inflammation in the aetiology of depression, yet the precise role played by sleep disturbance (i.e., difficulties falling or maintaining sleep) is poorly understood. Consistent evidence from prospective epidemiological studies suggests sleep disturbance as a predictor of major depression episodes and depression recurrence. In parallel, up to 20% of individuals with sleep disturbance have low-grade peripheral inflammation (i.e., CRP>3 mg/l), and preliminary longitudinal evidence showed that sleep disturbance may even predict the levels of inflammation. Therefore, it is possible that sleep disturbance may increase inflammation, which in turn may contribute (i.e., mediate) to the onset - or worsening - of depression. Alternatively, sleep disturbance may serve as a vulnerability factor and increase the risk of developing depressive symptoms when facing an immune challenge. The aim of this review was to summarise the state of the science on the role of sleep disturbance in contributing to depression-related inflammation. A research agenda is also proposed to advance the study of sleep disturbance in the psychoneuroimmunology of depression.

The Effects and Potential Mechanisms of Moxibustion for Rheumatoid Arthritis-Related Pain: A Randomized, Controlled Trial

Purpose

To investigate the effects of moxibustion in relieving pain, and other clinical symptoms for patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), and explore the potential mechanism of moxibustion treatment for RA.

Patients and Methods

Seventy qualified RA patients were randomly assigned in a 1:1 ratio to the moxibustion group or the routine group. The routine group only took oral methotrexate tablets and folic acid tablets. The moxibustion group was treated with moxibustion based on oral pharmaceutical. Moxibustion was performed two times weekly for 8 weeks, a total of 16 sessions. Patients scored their pain on a visual analog scale (VAS). The American College of Rheumatology improvement criteria of 20%, 50% and 70% (ACR20, ACR50 and ACR70) after treatment were investigated. Clinical symptoms, a disease activity score using 28 joint counts (DAS28), simplified disease activity index (SDAI), clinical disease activity index (CDAI), health assessment questionnaire (HAQ), interleukin 1β (IL-1β), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) of RA patients were analyzed before and after treatment.

Results

After treatment, the VAS scores, tender and swollen joint counts, morning stiffness scores, disease activity scores (DAS28, SDAI, CDAI), HAQ scores in the two groups were both improved, and the effects of moxibustion group were more obvious (P < 0.05). The ACR20 and ACR50 of the moxibustion group were greater than that of the routine group (P < 0.05), no significant difference of the ACR70 existed between the two groups (P > 0.05). In addition, the decreases of IL-1β, TNF-α, VEGF of the moxibustion group were better than that of the routine group (P < 0.05).

Conclusion

Moxibustion could effectively relieve pain, ameliorate the clinical symptoms, and decrease the disease activity of RA. The potential mechanism may be the decrease in the level of serum inflammatory factors.

The interplay between symptoms of insomnia and pain in people with osteoarthritis: A narrative review of the current evidence

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a leading cause of disability worldwide and clinical pain is the major symptom of OA. This clinical OA-related pain is firmly associated with symptoms of insomnia, which are reported in up to 81% of people with OA. Since understanding the association between both symptoms is critical for their appropriate management, this narrative review synthesizes the existing evidence in people with OA on i) the mechanisms underlying the association between insomnia symptoms and clinical OA-related pain, and ii) the effectiveness of conservative non-pharmacological treatments on insomnia symptoms and clinical OA-related pain. The evidence available identifies depressive symptoms, pain catastrophizing and pain self-efficacy as mechanisms partially explaining the cross-sectional association between insomnia symptoms and pain in people with OA. Furthermore, in comparison to treatments without a specific insomnia intervention, the ones including an insomnia intervention appear more effective for improving insomnia symptoms, but not for reducing clinical OA-related pain. However, at a within-person level, treatment-related positive effects on insomnia symptoms are associated with a long-term pain reduction. Future longitudinal prospective studies offering fundamental insights into neurobiological and psychosocial mechanisms explaining the association between insomnia symptoms and clinical OA-related pain will enable the development of effective treatments targeting both symptoms.

Prevalence, characteristics, and health burden of rheumatoid arthritis in the U.S. veteran population

OBJECTIVE

To examine the prevalence, characteristics, and physical and mental health burden of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in a nationally representative sample of U.S. military veterans.

METHODS

Data were analyzed from the 2019-2020 National Health and Resilience in Veterans Study (NHRVS), which surveyed a contemporary, nationally representative sample of 4,069 U.S. veterans. Veterans with RA (n = 227) were compared to veterans with any other medical condition(s) (n = 3,444) on measures of sociodemographic, military, trauma, medical and psychiatric characteristics. Multivariable analyses were then conducted to examine independent associations between RA and health conditions.

RESULTS

A total of 5.3% (95% confidence interval = 4.5-6.2%) of primarily male U.S. veterans reported having been diagnosed with RA. Relative to controls, veterans with RA were older, and more likely to be racial/ethnic minorities, unpartnered, lower income, and combat veterans. They also reported greater cumulative trauma burden, more medical conditions (i.e., osteoarthritis, chronic pain, respiratory and cardiovascular conditions), and greater severity of somatic symptoms, and were more likely to screen positive for current insomnia and subthreshold posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and lifetime alcohol use disorder (AUD). In adjusted analyses, RA remained associated with number of medical conditions, more severe somatic symptoms, insomnia, subthreshold PTSD, and AUD.

CONCLUSIONS

One of 20 U.S. veterans has RA, which is more prevalent among certain sociodemographic subsets, and is associated with elevated physical and mental health burden. Results provide insight into risk correlates of RA and underscore the importance of assessing, monitoring, and treating medical and psychiatric conditions/symptoms that co-occur with RA in this population.

Experiences of group-based cognitive behavioural therapy for insomnia among patients with rheumatoid arthritis: a qualitative study

OBJECTIVE

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic autoimmune disease, with a prevalence of insomnia disorders in up to 70%. Patients' experiences of participating in group-based cognitive behavioural therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) are sparsely explored, and CBT-I has not been evaluated in patients with RA until now. Therefore, the aim was to explore patients' experiences of CBT-I and how the components of CBT-I were incorporated in sleep management.

DESIGN

We conducted a qualitative study with semi-structured interviews. The interview guide was developed based on CBT-I, with questions that explicitly explored the participants' experiences of sleep education and the behavioural components of CBT-I.

SETTING

Interviews were conducted one-to-one at Center for Rheumatology and Spine Diseases, Copenhagen.

PARTICIPANTS

Patients with RA who had received CBT-I as intervention in a randomised controlled trial (N=11). The analysis was based on a reflexive thematic method.

RESULTS

Five themes were identified (1) When knowledge contributes to an altered perception of sleep, referring to the reduced misperception and increased motivation that followed sleep education, (2) Overcoming habits and perceptions to accelerate sleep onset, referring to barriers related to sleep behaviour and how stimulus control enabled them to find meaningful behaviour, (3) The sleep window of challenges in learning how to sleep right referring to that payoff from sleep restriction did not come easily or by magic, and commitment gave them confidence to continue, (4) Relaxation becomes a behavioural habit and goes beyond sleep, referring to a means to achieve a relaxed body and mind and how they thereby coped better with RA-related symptoms and (5) Break the cycle and regain control referring to how trust in one's own accomplishment was crucial to reducing worrying.

CONCLUSION

The process towards eliminating insomnia was a bodily experience and involved a changed mindset that resulted in an alteration of behaviour and cognitions.

Effect of solution-focused approach on anxiety and depression in patients with rheumatoid arthritis: A quasi-experimental study

Introduction

Anxiety and depression are common psychological problems in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients. However, few effective nursing intervention models have been designed specifically to improve anxiety and depression in RA patients. Solution-focused approach (SFA) is an effective intervention method for psychosocial issues. There have been no studies involving SFA yet in RA patients. This study investigated the effects of SFA-based nursing intervention on anxiety and depression in RA patients.

Methods

A quasi-experimental study using a convenience sampling of RA patients was conducted. The 48 RA patients were divided into the control group (n = 24) and the experimental group (n = 24). The control group received routine nursing intervention, while the experimental group received SFA-based nursing intervention. The scores on the self-rating anxiety scale (SAS), self-rating depression scale (SDS), arthritis self-efficacy scale-8 (ASES-8), and questionnaire on patient satisfaction with nursing care were collected before and after nursing interventions.

Results

Between-Group Comparison: Before the nursing intervention, there was no statistically significant difference in the SDS, SAS, and ASES-8 scores between the two groups (p > 0.05). However, after the nursing intervention, the SDS and SAS scores of the experimental group were statistically significantly lower than those of the control group (p < 0.05). In contrast, the ASES-8 score of the experimental group was statistically significantly higher than that of the control group (p < 0.05). In addition, patient satisfaction with nursing care of the experimental group was better than that of the control group (p > 0.05). Within-Group Comparison: There was no statistically significant difference in the SDS, SAS, and ASES-8 scores in the control group before and after routine nursing intervention (p > 0.05). However, in the experimental group, the SDS and SAS scores before SFA-based nursing intervention were statistically significantly higher than those after SFA nursing intervention (p < 0.05), and the ASES-8 score before SFA-based nursing intervention was considerably lower than that after SFA nursing intervention (p < 0.05).

Discussion

SFA-based nursing intervention can effectively improve anxiety, depression, and arthritis self-efficacy of RA patients. This study broadens clinical psychological nursing intervention models for RA patients. SFA may be an effective nursing model for various psychosocial problems in the current medical context.

Prevalence and Risk Factors of Depression in Patients with Rheumatic Disease in South Korea during the COVID-19 Pandemic

This study aimed to examine the prevalence and risk factors of depression among patients with rheumatic diseases (RDs) during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. This study adopted a cross-sectional design, and 160 outpatients with RDs in one university hospital in South Korea were sampled using the convenience sampling method. Data were collected from May to July 2021 using a structured questionnaire. The risk factors of depression were analyzed using descriptive statistics and multiple logistic regression analyses. The prevalence rates of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), insomnia, and depression were 37.5%, 20.0%, and 24.4%, respectively. Multiple logistic regression analyses confirmed that employment status, monthly income, perceived health, PTSD, and insomnia were significant risk factors of depression. The findings highlight the urgent need to assist patients with RDs who are at risk of depression during the COVID-19 pandemic, especially individuals who are unemployed or have low incomes and poor perceived health, individuals with high PTSD, and individuals with severe insomnia. There is a need to provide disease-specific interventions to effectively alleviate depression among these individuals during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Complementary and Alternative Medicines Used by Individuals With Rheumatological Diseases to Cope With Sleeplessness

This study aims to determine complementary and alternative medicine methods used by rheumatology patients to cope with insomnia and to evaluate their attitudes toward complementary and alternative medicine methods. This descriptive study was completed with 167 patients followed up by the rheumatology unit of a university hospital. Data were collected with the patient identification form and the Holistic Complementary and Alternative Medicine Questionnaire. The mean age of the participants was 44.76 ± 8.96 years and the mean disease duration was 52.90 ± 35.51 months. Most of the participants (69.5%) were women, with 64.1% primary school graduates. Majority of the participants (96.4%) knew complementary and alternative medicine methods, and the main source of information (51.5%) was the internet and social media. The most frequently applied method was phytotherapy (58.7%), the most frequently used plant (30.5%) was stinging nettle and the mean Holistic Complementary and Alternative Medicine Questionnaire score of the patients was 26.68 ± 3.51. Rheumatology patients frequently use complementary and alternative medicine methods to cope with insomnia symptoms and the most commonly used complementary and alternative medicine method used by patients is phytotherapy.

Sleep Problems in Chronic Inflammatory Diseases: Prevalence, Treatment, and New Perspectives: A Narrative Review

Epidemiological studies have shown that individuals with sleep problems are at a greater risk of developing immune and chronic inflammatory diseases. As sleep disorders and low sleep quality in the general population are frequent ailments, it seems important to recognize them as serious public health problems. The exact relation between immunity and sleep remains elusive; however, it might be suspected that it is shaped by others stress and alterations of the circadian rhythm (commonly caused by for example shift work). As studies show, drugs used in the therapy of chronic inflammatory diseases, such as steroids or monoclonal antibodies, also influence sleep in more complex ways than those resulting from attenuation of the disease symptoms. Interestingly, the relation between sleep and immunity appears to be bidirectional; that is, sleep may influence the course of immune diseases, such as inflammatory bowel disease. Thus, proper diagnosis and treatment of sleep disorders are vital to the patient's immune status and, in effect, health. This review examines the epidemiology of sleep disorders and immune diseases, the associations between them, and their current treatment and novel perspectives in therapy.

Factors associated with anxiety and depression in rheumatoid arthritis patients: a cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND

The management of anxiety and depression symptoms in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients is vital. Previous study findings on this topic are conflicting, and the topic remains to be thoroughly investigated. This study aimed to clarify the association of RA disease activity with anxiety and depression symptoms after controlling for physical disability, pain, and medication.

METHODS

We conducted a cross-sectional study of RA patients from the XXX Rheumatoid Arthritis Management Alliance cohort. We assessed patients using the Disease Activity Score (DAS28), Health Assessment Questionnaire Disability Index (HAQ-DI), and Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS). Anxiety and depression symptoms were defined by a HADS score ≥ 8. We analyzed the data using multivariable logistic regression analyses.

RESULTS

Of 517 participants, 17.6% had anxiety symptoms and 27.7% had depression symptoms. The multivariable logistic regression analysis demonstrated that DAS28 was not independently associated with anxiety symptoms (odds ratio [OR] [95% confidence interval; CI] 0.93 [0.48-1.78]; p = 0.82) and depression symptoms (OR [95% CI] 1.45 [0.81-2.61]; p = 0.22). However, DAS28 patient global assessment (PtGA) severity was associated with anxiety symptoms (OR [95% CI] 1.15 [1.02-1.29]; p = 0.03) and depression symptoms (OR [95% CI] 1.21 [1.09-1.35]; p < 0.01). Additionally, HAQ-DI scores ≤ 0.5 were associated with anxiety symptoms (OR [95% CI] 3.51 [1.85-6.64]; p < 0.01) and depression symptoms (OR [95% CI] 2.65 [1.56-4.50]; p < 0.01). Patients using steroids were more likely to have depression than those not using steroids (OR [95% CI] 1.66 [1.03-2.67]; p = 0.04).

CONCLUSIONS

No association was found between RA disease activity and anxiety and depression symptoms in the multivariable logistic regression analysis. Patients with high PtGA scores or HAQ-DI scores ≤ 0.5 were more likely to experience anxiety and depression symptoms, irrespective of disease activity remission status. Rather than focusing solely on controlling disease activity, treatment should focus on improving or preserving physical function and the patient's overall sense of well-being.

The Effect of Individual Musculoskeletal Conditions on Depression: Updated Insights From an Irish Longitudinal Study on Aging

Few longitudinal studies have systematically investigated whether or how individual musculoskeletal conditions (IMCs) convey risks for negative psychological health outcomes, and approaches to assess such risk in the older population are lacking. In this Irish nationally representative longitudinal prospective study of 6,715 individuals aged 50 and above, machine learning algorithms and various models, including mediation models, were employed to elaborate the underlying mechanisms of IMCs leading to depression and to develop an IMC-induced negative psychological risk (IMCPR) classification approach. Resultantly, arthritis [odds ratio (95% confidence interval): 2.233 (1.700-2.927)], osteoporosis [1.681 (1.133-2.421)], and musculoskeletal chronic pain [MCP, 2.404 (1.838-3.151)] were found to increase the risk of depression after 2 years, while fracture and joint replacement did not. Interestingly, mediation models further demonstrated that arthritis per se did not increase the risk of depression; such risk was augmented only when arthritis-induced restrictions of activities (ARA) existed [proportion of mediation: 316.3% (ARA of usual), 213.3% (ARA of social and leisure), and 251.3% (ARA of sleep)]. The random forest algorithm attested that osteoarthritis, not rheumatoid arthritis, contributed the most to depressive symptoms. Moreover, bone mineral density was negatively associated with depressive symptoms. Systemic pain contributed the most to the increased risk of depression, followed by back, knee, hip, and foot pain (mean Gini-Index: 3.778, 2.442, 1.980, 1.438, and 0.879, respectively). Based on the aforementioned findings, the IMCPR classification approach was developed using an interpretable machine learning model, which stratifies participants into three grades. Among the IMCPR grades, patients with a grade of "severe" had higher odds of depression than those with a "mild" [odds ratio (95% confidence interval): 4.055 (2.907-5.498)] or "moderate" [3.584 (2.101-5.883)] grade. Females with a "severe" grade had higher odds of depression by 334.0% relative to those with a "mild" grade, while males had a relative risk of 258.4%. In conclusion, the present data provide systematic insights into the IMC-induced depression risk and updated the related clinical knowledge. Furthermore, the IMCPR classification approach could be used as an effective tool to evaluate this risk.

Aggression and Non-Suicidal Self-Injury among Depressed Youths: The Mediating Effect of Resilience

Background

The global spread of COVID-19 not only exerted an enormous impact on the public in different countries but also aggravated depression among youths. The aggressive tendencies of depressed individuals can harm their body and life and threaten those of others. The aggressive and non-suicidal self-injurious behaviors of depressed youths may seriously affect their physical and psychological health if not identified and mediated promptly.

Method

A total of 875 young respondents (including college students, community youths, migrant workers, and so on) from three provinces in China were surveyed in 2020 using a depression scale, non-suicidal self-injury scale, aggression scale, and resilience scale.

Results

Depression, non-suicidal self-injury, and aggression are significantly higher among the members of the depression group compared with the members of the healthy control group (P<0.001), and the resilience of the members of the former group is remarkably lower than that of the members of the latter group (P<0.001). Aggression among the depressed youths exhibits a significant positive correlation with non-suicidal self-injury (r= 0.43, P<0.01), whereas aggression (r= -0.18, P<0.05) and non-suicidal self-injury (r= -0.20, P<0.05) demonstrates significant negative correlations with resilience. The resilience of the youths in the depression group plays a partial mediating role in the relationship between aggression and non-suicidal self-injury.

Conclusion

The more aggressive the behaviors of the depressed youths, the more serious their non-suicidal self-injurious symptoms. Furthermore, resilience plays a partial mediating role in the relationship between aggression and non-suicidal self-injury.

The Link Between Autonomic Nervous System and Rheumatoid Arthritis: From Bench to Bedside

Neuronal stimulation is an emerging field of research focused on the management and treatment of various diseases through the reestablishment of physiological homeostasis. Electrical vagus nerve stimulation has recently been proposed as a revolutionary therapeutic option for rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in combination with or even as a replacement for conventional and biological drugs. In the past few years, disruption of the autonomic system has been linked to RA onset and activity. Novel research on the link between the autonomic nervous system and the immune system (immune-autonomics) has paved the way for the development of innovative RA management strategies. Clinical evidence supports this approach. Cardiovascular involvement, in terms of reduced baroreflex sensitivity and heart rate variability-derived indices, and mood disorders, common comorbidities in patients with RA, have been linked to autonomic nervous system dysfunction, which in turn is influenced by increased levels of circulating pro-inflammatory cytokines. This narrative review provides an overview of the autonomic nervous system and RA connection, discussing most of the common cardiac and mental health-related RA comorbidities and their potential relationships to systemic and joint inflammation.

Mapping publication status and exploring hotspots in a research field: Rheumatoid arthritis with depression

AIM

To make a bibliometric analysis of the current research status and hot spots in the field of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) -related depression.

DESIGN

Systematic review.

METHODS

Based on the Web of Science database, studies in the past 5 years from 1 January 2015-5 November 2019 have been included. Data were analysed from annual number of published papers, main research institutions, core authors, core teams and research topics by using bibliometric approaches.

RESULTS

Related papers (N = 1,073) were obtained. The field of RA-related depression is in a stable development stage, forming core authors and core teams. The epidemiological characteristics, influencing factors, prediction effect and the intervention of RA-related depression are common research directions and themes. The common role of auto-antibodies and inflammatory factors in the development of RA and depression, the risk of cardiovascular events and disease burden caused by RA-related depression are newly emerging research topics.

CONCLUSION

The RA-related depression has been widely concerned by scholars and the research field is gradually mature. However, the research on the prevention and intervention of RA-related depression is still wanting, which needs to be strengthened. WHERE AND ON WHOM WILL THE RESEARCH HAVE AN IMPACT?: The research revealed the most popular institutions, authors, research teams, emerging issues and 'hot topics' in the RA-related depression field, which might suggest avenues for future research in this field.

Functional linear modeling of activity data shows analgesic-mediated improved sleep in dogs with spontaneous osteoarthritis pain

In humans, pain due to osteoarthritis has been demonstrated to be associated with insomnia and sleep disturbances that affect perception of pain, productivity, and quality of life. Dogs, which develop spontaneous osteoarthritis and represent an increasingly used model for human osteoarthritis, would be expected to show similar sleep disturbances. Further, these sleep disturbances should be mitigated by analgesic therapy. Previous efforts to quantify sleep in osteoarthritic dogs using accelerometry have not demonstrated a beneficial effect of analgesic therapy; this is despite owner-reported improvements in dogs' sleep quality. However, analytic techniques for time-series accelerometry data have advanced with the development of functional linear modeling. Our aim was to apply functional linear modeling to accelerometry data from osteoarthritic dogs participating in a cross-over non-steroidal anti-inflammatory (meloxicam) drug trial. Significant differences in activity patterns were seen dogs receiving drug (meloxicam) vs. placebo, suggestive of improved nighttime resting (sleep) and increased daytime activity. These results align with owner-reported outcome assessments of sleep quality and further support dogs as an important translational model with benefits for both veterinary and human health.