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Di Nicola M, Pepe M, De Mori L, Ferrara OM, Panaccione I, Sani G. Physical and cognitive correlates, inflammatory levels, and treatment response in post-COVID-19 first-onset vs. recurrent depressive episodes. Eur Arch Psychiatry Clin Neurosci 2024; 274:583-593. [PMID: 37154920 PMCID: PMC10166052 DOI: 10.1007/s00406-023-01617-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2022] [Accepted: 04/26/2023] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
Psychiatric symptoms have been frequently reported in patients affected by COVID-19, both as new occurring and recurrences of pre-existing diseases. Depressive symptoms are estimated to affect at least 30% of patients following infection, with specific physical and cognitive features and relevant immune-inflammatory alterations. This study aimed to retrospectively characterize post-COVID-19 first-onset and recurrent major depressive episodes (MDE) and to evaluate the effects of antidepressants on physical and cognitive correlates of depression, in addition to mood, anxiety, and underlying inflammatory status. We evaluated 116 patients (44.8% males, 51.1 ± 17 years) with post-COVID-19 first-onset (38.8%) and recurrent (61.2%) MDE at baseline and after one- and three-month treatment with antidepressants (31% SSRIs, 25.9% SNRIs, 43.1% others). We assessed sociodemographic and clinical features and psychopathological dimensions through: Hamilton Depression and Anxiety Rating Scales; Short Form-36 Health Survey Questionnaire; Perceived Deficits Questionnaire-Depression 5-items. The systemic immune-inflammatory index was calculated to measure inflammation levels. Alongside the reduction of depression and anxiety (p < 0.001), physical and cognitive symptoms improved (p < 0.001) and inflammatory levels decreased (p < 0.001) throughout treatment in both groups. Post-COVID-19 recurrent MDE showed a significantly more severe course of physical and cognitive symptoms and persistently higher levels of inflammation than first-onset episodes. Antidepressants proved to be effective in both post-COVID-19 first-onset and recurrent MDE. However, a sustained inflammatory status might blunt treatment response in patients with recurrent depression in terms of physical correlates and cognition. Therefore, personalized approaches, possibly involving combinations with anti-inflammatory compounds, could promote better outcomes in this clinical population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marco Di Nicola
- Department of Neuroscience, Section of Psychiatry, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy.
- Department of Psychiatry, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli IRCCS, Rome, Italy.
| | - Maria Pepe
- Department of Neuroscience, Section of Psychiatry, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy
| | - Lorenzo De Mori
- Department of Neuroscience, Section of Psychiatry, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy
| | - Ottavia Marianna Ferrara
- Department of Neuroscience, Section of Psychiatry, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy
| | | | - Gabriele Sani
- Department of Neuroscience, Section of Psychiatry, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy
- Department of Psychiatry, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli IRCCS, Rome, Italy
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Simonetti A, Restaino A, Bernardi E, Ferrara OM, Margoni S, D’Onofrio AM, Ranieri F, Janiri D, Galluzzo V, Tosato M, Kotzalidis GD, Landi F, Sani G. Effect of Anti-Interleukin-6 Agents on Psychopathology in a Sample of Patients with Post-COVID-19 Syndrome: An Observational Study. Brain Sci 2024; 14:47. [PMID: 38248262 PMCID: PMC10813526 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci14010047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2023] [Revised: 12/23/2023] [Accepted: 12/26/2023] [Indexed: 01/23/2024] Open
Abstract
Interleukin 6 (IL-6) receptor inhibitors tocilizumab and sarilumab have recently been approved for severe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). They also affect mood, even though their effect on the post-COVID-19 syndrome-related psychopathology still has to be investigated. The aim of this study was to investigate their effect on psychopathology in a sample of patients with post-COVID-19 syndrome. We included 246 patients (34% female, 66% male) aged 18-75 years who had been hospitalized for COVID. Patients were split into those who received anti-IL-6 receptor agents (Anti-IL-6-R, N = 88) and those who did not (Ctrl, N = 158). The former group was further split into those receiving tocilizumab (TOC, N = 67) and those receiving sarilumab (SAR, N = 21). Groups were compared based on clinical characteristics before and during COVID-19 as well as on physical and psychiatric symptoms after COVID-19. Ctrl had less psychiatric and physical symptoms during hospitalization and more post-COVID-19 diarrhea, headache, cough, and dyspnea upon exertion than those receiving IL-6-receptor inhibitors. Ctrl also showed greater difficulties in emotion regulation. These differences were driven by TOC vs. Ctrl, whereas differences between SAR and Ctrl or TOC did not reach significance. IL-6 receptor inhibitors are related to a lower post-COVID-19 illness burden and seem to be effective in emotion regulation. Further research is needed to confirm these findings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessio Simonetti
- Department of Neuroscience, Section of Psychiatry, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli IRCCS, 00168 Rome, Italy; (D.J.); (G.S.)
- Menninger Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Baylor College of Medicine, 1977 Butler Blvd., Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Antonio Restaino
- Department of Neuroscience, Section of Psychiatry, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, 00168 Rome, Italy; (A.R.); (E.B.); (O.M.F.); (S.M.); (A.M.D.); (G.D.K.)
| | - Evelina Bernardi
- Department of Neuroscience, Section of Psychiatry, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, 00168 Rome, Italy; (A.R.); (E.B.); (O.M.F.); (S.M.); (A.M.D.); (G.D.K.)
| | - Ottavia Marianna Ferrara
- Department of Neuroscience, Section of Psychiatry, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, 00168 Rome, Italy; (A.R.); (E.B.); (O.M.F.); (S.M.); (A.M.D.); (G.D.K.)
| | - Stella Margoni
- Department of Neuroscience, Section of Psychiatry, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, 00168 Rome, Italy; (A.R.); (E.B.); (O.M.F.); (S.M.); (A.M.D.); (G.D.K.)
| | - Antonio Maria D’Onofrio
- Department of Neuroscience, Section of Psychiatry, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, 00168 Rome, Italy; (A.R.); (E.B.); (O.M.F.); (S.M.); (A.M.D.); (G.D.K.)
| | - Federica Ranieri
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Campania Luigi Vanvitelli, 80138 Naples, Italy;
| | - Delfina Janiri
- Department of Neuroscience, Section of Psychiatry, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli IRCCS, 00168 Rome, Italy; (D.J.); (G.S.)
| | - Vincenzo Galluzzo
- Department of Geriatrics, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, 00168 Rome, Italy; (V.G.); (M.T.); (F.L.)
| | - Matteo Tosato
- Department of Geriatrics, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, 00168 Rome, Italy; (V.G.); (M.T.); (F.L.)
- NESMOS (Neurosciences, Mental Health, and Sensory Organs) Department, Faculty of Medicine and Psychology, Sant’Andrea Hospital, Sapienza Università di Roma, Via di Grottarossa 1035-1039, 00189 Rome, Italy
| | - Georgios D. Kotzalidis
- Department of Neuroscience, Section of Psychiatry, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, 00168 Rome, Italy; (A.R.); (E.B.); (O.M.F.); (S.M.); (A.M.D.); (G.D.K.)
- NESMOS (Neurosciences, Mental Health, and Sensory Organs) Department, Faculty of Medicine and Psychology, Sant’Andrea Hospital, Sapienza Università di Roma, Via di Grottarossa 1035-1039, 00189 Rome, Italy
| | - Francesco Landi
- Department of Geriatrics, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, 00168 Rome, Italy; (V.G.); (M.T.); (F.L.)
- Department of Geriatrics, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, 00168 Rome, Italy
| | - Gabriele Sani
- Department of Neuroscience, Section of Psychiatry, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli IRCCS, 00168 Rome, Italy; (D.J.); (G.S.)
- Department of Neuroscience, Section of Psychiatry, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, 00168 Rome, Italy; (A.R.); (E.B.); (O.M.F.); (S.M.); (A.M.D.); (G.D.K.)
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Simonetti A, Pais C, Savoia V, Cipriani MC, Tosato M, Janiri D, Bernardi E, Ferrara OM, Margoni S, Kotzalidis GD, Chieffo D, Fantoni M, Liperoti R, Landi F, Bernabei R, Sani G. Association of Delirium and Depression with Respiratory and Outcome Measures in COVID-19 Inpatients. J Pers Med 2023; 13:1207. [PMID: 37623458 PMCID: PMC10456095 DOI: 10.3390/jpm13081207] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2023] [Revised: 07/18/2023] [Accepted: 07/27/2023] [Indexed: 08/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Delirium (DEL) and depression (DEP) may impair the course and severity of acute respiratory illness. The impact of such syndromes on respiratory and outcome parameters in inpatients with COVID-19 needs clarification. To clarify the relationship between DEL and DEP and respiratory outcome measures, we enrolled 100 inpatients from COVID-19 units of the Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli IRCCS of Rome. Participants were divided into those with DEL, DEP, or absence of either delirium or depression (CONT). Delirium severity was assessed with the Neelson and Champagne Confusion Scale (NEECHAM). Psychopathology was assessed with the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HAM-D), the Hamilton Rating Scale for Anxiety (HAM-A), and the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS). Dependent variables include: (a) respiratory parameters, i.e., partial pressure of oxygen in arterial blood (PaO2), oxygen saturation (SpO2), ratio between arterial partial pressure of oxygen (PaO2), and fraction of inspired oxygen (PaO2/FiO2); (b) outcome parameters, i.e., duration of hospitalization and number of pharmacological treatments used during the hospitalization. We investigated between-group differences and the relationships between severity of delirium/depression and the dependent variables. Duration of hospitalization was longer for DEL than for either DEP or CONT and for DEP compared to CONT. NEECHAM and HAM-D scores predicted lower PaO2 and PaO2/FiO2 levels in the DEL and DEP groups, respectively. In DEP, BPRS scores positively correlated with duration of hospitalization. Delirium impacted the course of COVID-19 more severely than depression. The mechanisms by which delirium and depression worsen respiratory parameters differ.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessio Simonetti
- Menninger Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA;
- Department of Neuroscience, Section of Psychiatry, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli IRCCS, 00168 Rome, Italy; (D.J.); (O.M.F.); (S.M.); (G.S.)
| | - Cristina Pais
- Department of Geriatrics, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, 00168 Rome, Italy (M.C.C.); (M.T.); (R.L.); (F.L.); (R.B.)
| | - Vezio Savoia
- Service of Clinical Psychology, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli IRCCS, 00168 Rome, Italy; (V.S.); (D.C.)
| | - Maria Camilla Cipriani
- Department of Geriatrics, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, 00168 Rome, Italy (M.C.C.); (M.T.); (R.L.); (F.L.); (R.B.)
| | - Matteo Tosato
- Department of Geriatrics, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, 00168 Rome, Italy (M.C.C.); (M.T.); (R.L.); (F.L.); (R.B.)
| | - Delfina Janiri
- Department of Neuroscience, Section of Psychiatry, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli IRCCS, 00168 Rome, Italy; (D.J.); (O.M.F.); (S.M.); (G.S.)
- Department of Neurology and Psychiatry, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy
| | - Evelina Bernardi
- Department of Neuroscience, Section of Psychiatry, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli IRCCS, 00168 Rome, Italy; (D.J.); (O.M.F.); (S.M.); (G.S.)
| | - Ottavia Marianna Ferrara
- Department of Neuroscience, Section of Psychiatry, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli IRCCS, 00168 Rome, Italy; (D.J.); (O.M.F.); (S.M.); (G.S.)
| | - Stella Margoni
- Department of Neuroscience, Section of Psychiatry, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli IRCCS, 00168 Rome, Italy; (D.J.); (O.M.F.); (S.M.); (G.S.)
| | - Georgios D. Kotzalidis
- Department of Neuroscience, Section of Psychiatry, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli IRCCS, 00168 Rome, Italy; (D.J.); (O.M.F.); (S.M.); (G.S.)
- Department of Neuroscience, Mental Health, and Sensory Organs (NESMOS), Faculty of Medicine and Psychology, Sant’Andrea Hospital, Sapienza–Università di Roma, 00189 Rome, Italy
| | - Daniela Chieffo
- Service of Clinical Psychology, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli IRCCS, 00168 Rome, Italy; (V.S.); (D.C.)
- Department of Life Sciences and Public Health, Faculty of Medicine and Surgery, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, 00168 Rome, Italy
| | - Massimo Fantoni
- Laboratory and Infectious Diseases Sciences, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli IRCCS, Largo F. Vito 1, 00168 Rome, Italy;
- Infectious Diseases Section, Department of Safety and Bioethics, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, 00168 Rome, Italy
| | - Rosa Liperoti
- Department of Geriatrics, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, 00168 Rome, Italy (M.C.C.); (M.T.); (R.L.); (F.L.); (R.B.)
- Department of Geriatrics, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, 00168 Rome, Italy
| | - Francesco Landi
- Department of Geriatrics, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, 00168 Rome, Italy (M.C.C.); (M.T.); (R.L.); (F.L.); (R.B.)
- Department of Geriatrics, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, 00168 Rome, Italy
| | - Roberto Bernabei
- Department of Geriatrics, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, 00168 Rome, Italy (M.C.C.); (M.T.); (R.L.); (F.L.); (R.B.)
- Department of Geriatrics, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, 00168 Rome, Italy
| | - Gabriele Sani
- Department of Neuroscience, Section of Psychiatry, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli IRCCS, 00168 Rome, Italy; (D.J.); (O.M.F.); (S.M.); (G.S.)
- Department of Neuroscience, Section of Psychiatry, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, 00168 Rome, Italy
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Kotzalidis GD, Ferrara OM, Margoni S, Ieritano V, Restaino A, Bernardi E, Fischetti A, Catinari A, Monti L, Chieffo DPR, Simonetti A, Sani G. Are the Post-COVID-19 Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Symptoms Justified by the Effects of COVID-19 on Brain Structure? A Systematic Review. J Pers Med 2023; 13:1140. [PMID: 37511753 PMCID: PMC10381510 DOI: 10.3390/jpm13071140] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2023] [Revised: 07/07/2023] [Accepted: 07/12/2023] [Indexed: 07/30/2023] Open
Abstract
COVID-19 affects brain function, as deduced by the "brain fog" that is often encountered in COVID-19 patients and some cognitive impairment that is observed in many a patient in the post-COVID-19 period. Approximately one-third of patients, even when they have recovered from the acute somatic disease, continue to show posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms. We hypothesized that the persistent changes induced by COVID-19 on brain structure would overlap with those associated with PTSD. We performed a thorough PubMed search on 25 April 2023 using the following strategy: ((posttraumatic OR PTSD) AND COVID-19 AND (neuroimaging OR voxel OR VBM OR freesurfer OR structural OR ROI OR whole-brain OR hippocamp* OR amygd* OR "deep gray matter" OR "cortical thickness" OR caudate OR striatum OR accumbens OR putamen OR "regions of interest" OR subcortical)) OR (COVID-19 AND brain AND (voxel[ti] OR VBM[ti] OR magnetic[ti] OR resonance[ti] OR imaging[ti] OR neuroimaging[ti] OR neuroimage[ti] OR positron[ti] OR photon*[ti] OR PET[ti] OR SPET[ti] OR SPECT[ti] OR spectroscop*[ti] OR MRS[ti])), which produced 486 records and two additional records from other sources, of which 36 were found to be eligible. Alterations were identified and described and plotted against the ordinary PTSD imaging findings. Common elements were hypometabolism in the insula and caudate nucleus, reduced hippocampal volumes, and subarachnoid hemorrhages, while white matter hyperintensities were widespread in both PTSD and post-COVID-19 brain infection. The comparison partly supported our initial hypothesis. These data may contribute to further investigation of the effects of long COVID on brain structure and function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Georgios D Kotzalidis
- NESMOS (Neurosciences, Mental Health, and Sensory Organs) Department, Faculty of Medicine and Psychology, Sant'Andrea Hospital, Sapienza-Università di Roma, 00189 Rome, Italy
- Department of Neuroscience, Section of Psychiatry, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli IRCSS, 00168 Rome, Italy
- Centro Lucio Bini, 00193 Rome, Italy
| | - Ottavia Marianna Ferrara
- Department of Neuroscience, Section of Psychiatry, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli IRCSS, 00168 Rome, Italy
| | - Stella Margoni
- Department of Neuroscience, Section of Psychiatry, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli IRCSS, 00168 Rome, Italy
| | - Valentina Ieritano
- Department of Neuroscience, Section of Psychiatry, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli IRCSS, 00168 Rome, Italy
| | - Antonio Restaino
- Department of Neuroscience, Section of Psychiatry, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli IRCSS, 00168 Rome, Italy
| | - Evelina Bernardi
- Department of Neuroscience, Section of Psychiatry, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli IRCSS, 00168 Rome, Italy
| | - Alessia Fischetti
- Department of Neuroscience, Section of Psychiatry, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli IRCSS, 00168 Rome, Italy
| | - Antonello Catinari
- Department of Neuroscience, Section of Psychiatry, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli IRCSS, 00168 Rome, Italy
| | - Laura Monti
- UOS Clinical Psychology, Clinical Government, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli IRCCS, 00168 Rome, Italy
| | - Daniela Pia Rosaria Chieffo
- UOS Clinical Psychology, Clinical Government, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli IRCCS, 00168 Rome, Italy
- Women, Children and Public Health Department, Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, 00168 Rome, Italy
| | - Alessio Simonetti
- Department of Neuroscience, Section of Psychiatry, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli IRCSS, 00168 Rome, Italy
- Centro Lucio Bini, 00193 Rome, Italy
- Menninger Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
- Institute of Psychiatry, Department of Neuroscience, Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, 00168 Rome, Italy
| | - Gabriele Sani
- Department of Neuroscience, Section of Psychiatry, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli IRCSS, 00168 Rome, Italy
- Institute of Psychiatry, Department of Neuroscience, Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, 00168 Rome, Italy
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Sani G, Margoni S, Brugnami A, Ferrara OM, Bernardi E, Simonetti A, Monti L, Mazza M, Janiri D, Moccia L, Kotzalidis GD, Chieffo DPR, Janiri L. The Nrf2 Pathway in Depressive Disorders: A Systematic Review of Animal and Human Studies. Antioxidants (Basel) 2023; 12:antiox12040817. [PMID: 37107192 PMCID: PMC10135298 DOI: 10.3390/antiox12040817] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2023] [Revised: 03/12/2023] [Accepted: 03/14/2023] [Indexed: 03/30/2023] Open
Abstract
There is increasing interest in the involvement of antioxidative systems in protecting from depression. Among these, Nrf2 occupies a central place. We aimed to review the role of Nrf2 in depression. For this reason, we conducted a PubMed search using as search strategy (psychiatr*[ti] OR schizo*[ti] OR psychot*[ti] OR psychos*[ti] OR depress*[ti] OR MDD[ti] OR BD[ti] OR bipolar[ti] OR Anxiety[ti] OR antidepress*[ti] OR panic[ti] OR obsess*[ti] OR compulsio*[ti] OR “mood disord*”[ti] OR phobi*[ti] OR agoraphob*[ti] OR anorex*[ti] OR anorect*[ti] OR bulimi*[ti] OR “eating disorder*”[ti] OR neurodevelopm*[ti] OR retardation[ti] OR autism[ti] OR autistic[ti] OR ASM[ti] OR adhd[ti] OR “attention-deficit”[ti]) AND nrf2, which on the 9th of March produced 208 results of which 89 were eligible for our purposes. Eligible articles were studies reporting data of Nrf2 manipulations or content by any treatment in human patients or animals with any animal model of depression. Most studies were on mice only (N = 58), 20 on rats only, and three on both rats and mice. There were two studies on cell lines (in vitro) and one each on nematodes and fish. Only four studies were conducted in humans, one of which was post mortem. Most studies were conducted on male animals; however, human studies were carried out on both men and women. The results indicate that Nrf2 is lower in depression and that antidepressant methods (drugs or other methods) increase it. Antioxidant systems and plasticity-promoting molecules, such as those in the Nrf2–HO-1, BDNF–TrkB, and cyclic AMP–CREB pathways, could protect from depression, while glycogen synthase kinase-3β and nuclear factor κB oppose these actions, thus increasing depressive-like behaviours. Since Nrf2 is also endowed with tumorigenic and atherogenic potential, the balance between benefits and harms must be taken into account in designing novel drugs aiming at increasing the intracellular content of Nrf2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabriele Sani
- Institute of Psychiatry, Department of Neuroscience, Catholic University of the Sacred Hearth, Rome, Largo Francesco Vito 1, 00168 Rome, Italy
- Department of Psychiatry, Department of Neuroscience, Head, Neck and Thorax, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli IRCCS, Largo Agostino Gemelli 1, 00168 Rome, Italy
- Correspondence:
| | - Stella Margoni
- Institute of Psychiatry, Department of Neuroscience, Catholic University of the Sacred Hearth, Rome, Largo Francesco Vito 1, 00168 Rome, Italy
| | - Andrea Brugnami
- Institute of Psychiatry, Department of Neuroscience, Catholic University of the Sacred Hearth, Rome, Largo Francesco Vito 1, 00168 Rome, Italy
| | - Ottavia Marianna Ferrara
- Institute of Psychiatry, Department of Neuroscience, Catholic University of the Sacred Hearth, Rome, Largo Francesco Vito 1, 00168 Rome, Italy
| | - Evelina Bernardi
- Institute of Psychiatry, Department of Neuroscience, Catholic University of the Sacred Hearth, Rome, Largo Francesco Vito 1, 00168 Rome, Italy
| | - Alessio Simonetti
- Institute of Psychiatry, Department of Neuroscience, Catholic University of the Sacred Hearth, Rome, Largo Francesco Vito 1, 00168 Rome, Italy
- Department of Psychiatry, Department of Neuroscience, Head, Neck and Thorax, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli IRCCS, Largo Agostino Gemelli 1, 00168 Rome, Italy
- Menninger Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Baylor College of Medicine, 1 Baylor Plaza, Houston, TX 77030, USA
- Centro Lucio Bini, Via Crescenzio 42, 00193 Rome, Italy
| | - Laura Monti
- UOS Clinical Psychology, Clinical Government, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli IRCCS, Largo Agostino Gemelli 1, 00168 Rome, Italy
| | - Marianna Mazza
- Institute of Psychiatry, Department of Neuroscience, Catholic University of the Sacred Hearth, Rome, Largo Francesco Vito 1, 00168 Rome, Italy
- Department of Psychiatry, Department of Neuroscience, Head, Neck and Thorax, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli IRCCS, Largo Agostino Gemelli 1, 00168 Rome, Italy
| | - Delfina Janiri
- Institute of Psychiatry, Department of Neuroscience, Catholic University of the Sacred Hearth, Rome, Largo Francesco Vito 1, 00168 Rome, Italy
- Department of Psychiatry, Department of Neuroscience, Head, Neck and Thorax, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli IRCCS, Largo Agostino Gemelli 1, 00168 Rome, Italy
| | - Lorenzo Moccia
- Institute of Psychiatry, Department of Neuroscience, Catholic University of the Sacred Hearth, Rome, Largo Francesco Vito 1, 00168 Rome, Italy
- Department of Psychiatry, Department of Neuroscience, Head, Neck and Thorax, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli IRCCS, Largo Agostino Gemelli 1, 00168 Rome, Italy
| | - Georgios D. Kotzalidis
- Institute of Psychiatry, Department of Neuroscience, Catholic University of the Sacred Hearth, Rome, Largo Francesco Vito 1, 00168 Rome, Italy
- NESMOS Department, Faculty of Medicine and Psychology, Sant’Andrea University Hospital, University of Rome La Sapienza, Via di Grottarossa, 1035-1039, 00189 Rome, Italy
| | - Daniela Pia Rosaria Chieffo
- UOS Clinical Psychology, Clinical Government, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli IRCCS, Largo Agostino Gemelli 1, 00168 Rome, Italy
| | - Luigi Janiri
- Institute of Psychiatry, Department of Neuroscience, Catholic University of the Sacred Hearth, Rome, Largo Francesco Vito 1, 00168 Rome, Italy
- Department of Psychiatry, Department of Neuroscience, Head, Neck and Thorax, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli IRCCS, Largo Agostino Gemelli 1, 00168 Rome, Italy
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