Metabolic syndrome and psychiatric disorders: a population-based study

Objective:

To identify the association of metabolic syndrome (MetS) and psychiatric disorders in young adults in southern Brazil.

Methods:

This population based cross-sectional study involved a total of 1,023 young adults between the ages of 21 and 32 years. Current episodes of psychiatric disorders were assessed using the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview – Plus version. MetS was evaluated using the National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel III (NCEP/ATP III).

Results:

Of the 1,023 participants, 24.3% were identified with MetS, 13.5% were diagnosed with anxiety disorders, 7.5% with current depression, 3.9% with bipolar disorders and 10.1% were at risk of suicide. MetS was associated with ethnicity (p = 0.022), excess weight (p < 0.001), current anxiety disorders (p < 0.001), current mood disorders (bipolar disorder in mood episode and current depression) (p < 0.001), and suicide risk (p < 0.001).

Conclusions:

MetS was associated with psychiatric disorders. Awareness of factors associated with MetS can help identify high-risk individuals and stimulate disease prevention and control programs, as well as lifestyle changes.

Frequency of brain tissue donation for research after suicide

Objectives:

To describe the frequency of brain tissue donation for research purposes by families of individuals that committed suicide.

Methods:

All requests for brain tissue donation to a brain biorepository made to the families of individuals aged 18-60 years who had committed suicide between March 2014 and February 2016 were included. Cases presenting with brain damage due to acute trauma were excluded.

Results:

Fifty-six cases of suicide were reported. Of these, 24 fulfilled the exclusion criteria, and 11 others were excluded because no next of kin was found to provide informed consent. Of the 21 remaining cases, brain tissue donation was authorized in nine (tissue fragments in seven and the entire organ in two).

Conclusions:

Donation of brain tissue from suicide cases for research purposes is feasible. The acceptance rate of 42.8% in our sample is in accordance with international data on such donations, and similar to rates reported for neurodegenerative diseases.

Cognition and functioning in bipolar depression

Objectives:

Depressive symptoms are associated with worse outcomes in patients with bipolar disorder (BD). However, scarce data are available regarding neurocognitive profiles across different areas of functioning among BD patients with moderate and severe depression. Our objective was to assess cognition and global functioning in a group of patients with bipolar depression.

Methods:

Data were available for 100 patients with bipolar depression (78% female) and 70 controls (64% female) paired by age and education level. Cognitive function was assessed with a neuropsychological test battery. Functioning was assessed with the Functioning Assessment Short Test.

Results:

In patients, severe depression was associated with poorer cognitive performance on measures of executive function. Patients with severe depression showed worse global functioning than those with moderate depression (z = 2.54, p = 0.011). In patients with severe depression, lower global functioning was associated with lower scores in working memory (r = -0.200, p = 0.010), and executive function (r = -0.210, p = 0.007; and r = 0.293, p < 0.001).

Conclusion:

Our findings suggest cognitive impairment and global functioning impairment are associated with the severity of depressive symptoms in bipolar depression. Intensive treatment of depressive symptoms in patients with BD is crucial to improve cognitive functioning and, consequently, functional outcomes.

The association between biological rhythms, depression, and functioning in bipolar disorder: a large multi-center study

OBJECTIVE

We examined the relationship between biological rhythms and severity of depressive symptoms in subjects with bipolar disorder and the effects of biological rhythms alterations on functional impairment.

METHOD

Bipolar patients (n = 260) and healthy controls (n = 191) were recruited from mood disorders programs in three sites (Spain, Brazil, and Canada). Parameters of biological rhythms were measured using the Biological Rhythms Assessment in Neuropsychiatry (BRIAN), an interviewer administered questionnaire that assesses disruptions in sleep, eating patterns, social rhythms, and general activity.

RESULTS

Multivariate analyses of covariance showed significant intergroup differences after controlling for potential confounders (Pillai's F = 49.367; df = 2, P < 0.001). Depressed patients had the greatest biological rhythms disturbance, followed by patients with subsyndromal symptoms, euthymic patients, and healthy controls. Biological rhythms and HAMD scores were independent predictors of poor functioning (F = 12.841, df = 6, P < 0.001, R²  = 0.443).

CONCLUSION

Our study shows a dose-dependent association between the severity of depressive symptoms and degree of biological rhythms disturbance. Biological rhythms disturbance was also an independent predictor of functional impairment. Although the directionality of this relationship remains unknown, our results suggest that stability of biological rhythms should be an important target of acute and long-term management of bipolar disorder and may aid in the improvement of functioning.

Inflammatory markers in post-traumatic stress disorder: a systematic review, meta-analysis, and meta-regression

BACKGROUND

Studies investigating inflammatory markers in post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) have yielded mixed results. The aim of our study was to compare concentrations of inflammatory markers in patients with PTSD compared with healthy controls.

METHODS

We did a meta-analysis and meta-regression of studies comparing inflammatory markers between patients with PTSD and healthy controls by searching PubMed, Embase, Scopus, Web of Science, and PsycINFO for articles published between Jan 1, 1960, and April 7, 2015. From eligible studies (ie, cross-sectional studies or baseline data from longitudinal studies of peripheral blood cytokine concentrations that compared adults with PTSD with healthy controls), we extracted outcomes of interest, such as mean and SD of peripheral blood cytokines, the time of day blood was collected, whether the study allowed patients with comorbid major depressive disorder in the PTSD group, whether patients were medication free, and severity of PTSD symptoms. We undertook meta-analyses whenever values of inflammatory markers were available in two or more studies. A random-effects model with restricted maximum-likelihood estimator was used to synthesise the effect size (assessed by standardised mean difference [SMD]) across studies.

FINDINGS

8057 abstracts were identified and 20 studies were included. Interleukin 6 (SMD 0.88; p=0.0003), interleukin 1β (SMD 1.42; p=0.045), and interferon γ (SMD 0.49; p=0.002) levels were higher in the PTSD group than in healthy controls. Subgroup meta-analysis of patients who were not given medication showed higher tumour necrosis factor α (TNFα; SMD 0.69, 95% CI 0.35-1.02; p<0.0001) in the PTSD group than the control group in addition to the aforementioned cytokines. TNFα (SMD 1.32, 0.13-2.50; p=0.003), interleukin 1β (SMD 2.35, 0.01-4.68; p=0.048), and interleukin 6 (SMD 1.75, 0.97-2.53; p<0.0001) levels remained increased in the PTSD group in a subgroup meta-analysis of studies that excluded comorbid major depressive disorder. Illness duration was positively associated with interleukin 1β levels (b=0.33, p<0.0001) and severity with interleukin 6 (b=0.02, p=0.042). A model composed of several variables-presence of comorbid major depressive disorder, use of psychotropic medications, assay used, and time of day blood was collected-explained the large amount of heterogeneity between interleukin 1β, interleukin 6, and C-reactive protein studies. Egger's linear regression test revealed a potential publication bias for interleukin 1β. Additionally, for most inflammatory markers, study heterogeneity was reported to be high (I(2)>75%).

INTERPRETATION

PTSD is associated with increased interleukin 6, interleukin 1β, TNFα, and interferon γ levels. This information might be useful for consideration of chronic low-grade inflammation as a potential target or biomarker in PTSD treatment. Use of psychotropic medication and presence of comorbid major depressive disorder were important moderators that might explain the inconsistency between results of previous studies. Our search strategy used a range of databases and we made exhaustive effort to acquire data by contacting the authors. Notably, high levels of between-study heterogeneity were recorded for most cytokine variables measured in our analysis. However, meta-regression analysis could explain a large amount of this heterogeneity.

FUNDING

None.

Association of interleukin-10 levels with age of onset and duration of illness in patients with major depressive disorder

OBJECTIVE

To investigate peripheral levels of interleukin-10 (IL-10) in patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) and bipolar disorder (BD) and evaluate the relationship between IL-10, age of disease onset, and duration of illness.

METHODS

Case-control study nested in a population-based cohort of 231 individuals (age 18-24 years) living in Pelotas, state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. Participants were screened for psychopathology using the Mini-International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI) and the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV (SCID-I). Serum IL-10 was measured using commercially available immunoassay kits.

RESULTS

Peripheral levels of IL-10 were not significantly different in individuals with MDD or BD as compared to controls. However, higher IL-10 levels were found in MDD patients with a later disease onset as compared with controls or early-onset patients. In addition, IL-10 levels correlated negatively with illness duration in the MDD group. In the BD group, age of onset and duration of illness did not correlate with IL-10 levels.

CONCLUSION

Higher levels of IL-10 are correlated with late onset of MDD symptoms. Moreover, levels of this cytokine might decrease with disease progression, suggesting that an anti-inflammatory balance may be involved in the onset of depressive symptoms and disease progression in susceptible individuals.

Quality of life, social functioning, family structure, and treatment history associated with crack cocaine use in youth from the general population

OBJECTIVE

To assess the relationship between crack cocaine use and dimensions of quality of life and social functioning in young adults.

METHODS

This was a cross-sectional, population-based study involving 1,560 participants in Pelotas, Brazil. Crack cocaine use and abuse were investigated using the Alcohol, Smoking and Substance Involvement Screening Test (ASSIST) inventory. Outcomes of interest were quality of life, religiosity, and social functioning in terms of education, occupational status, family structure, and medical treatment history.

RESULTS

Lifetime crack cocaine use was associated with poor quality of life, worse functioning, impaired academic performance, and lower religious involvement. A greater maternal presence and higher paternal absence were more also more pronounced in crack cocaine users, who were also more likely to seek psychological and psychiatric treatment than the general population.

CONCLUSION

Quality of life was severely impacted by crack cocaine use, especially in terms of general and physical health. Social functioning also differed between the general population and crack users, who had lower educational attainment and religious involvement. Maternal presence, paternal absence, and mental health-seeking behaviors were also more frequent among crack cocaine users, although these individuals reported lower rates of treatment satisfaction. Crack cocaine users also had significant social impairment, so that interventions involving family management and a greater focus on general health, quality of life, and functioning may make crucial contributions to the recovery of this group.

Brain-derived neurotrophic factor and inflammatory markers in school-aged children with early trauma

OBJECTIVE

The impact of childhood trauma (CT) on brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and cytokines levels remains unclear. We investigated the association between CT and changes in BDNF and cytokines plasma levels in children.

METHOD

We recruited 36 children with trauma (CT+) and 26 children without trauma (CT-). The presence of CT was based on a clinical interview and by Criteria A of DSM-IV criteria for PTSD. Blood samples were drawn from all children to assess BDNF and cytokines. ancova was performed with psychiatric symptoms and BMI as covariates to evaluate group differences in plasma levels.

RESULTS

CT+ showed increased levels of BDNF and TNF-α after excluding children with history of inflammatory disease (P<0.05) when compared with those CT-. IL-12p70, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, and IL-1β levels were not statistically different between groups.

CONCLUSION

CT+ showed increased BDNF and proinflammatory cytokines levels. The increase in BDNF levels may be an attempt to neutralize the negative effects of CT, while an increase in TNF-a levels be associated with a proinflammatory state after CT. How these changes associated with trauma relate to other biological changes and illness trajectory later in life remain to be further studied.

Psychiatric and substance-use comorbidities associated with lifetime crack cocaine use in young adults in the general population

OBJECTIVE

To assess the association between lifetime crack cocaine use and psychiatric (post-traumatic stress disorder, current depression, current dysthymia, generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder with agoraphobia, social phobia, as well as SRQ scores and suicide risk) and substance-use disorders (tobacco, alcohol, cannabis, cocaine, amphetamine, inhalants, sedatives, hallucinogens and opioids) in youth in the general population of the city of Pelotas, RS.

METHOD

This was a cross-sectional population-based study, involving 1560 participants between 18 and 24 ears old. Lifetime substance use and abuse were investigated using the ASSIST inventory. Psychiatric comorbidities were assessed using the Mini-International Neuropsychiatric Interview and symptoms of common mental disorders were evaluated with the Self-Reported Questionnaire (SRQ).

RESULTS

The prevalence of lifetime crack cocaine use in the sample was 2.5%. Its use was associated with total SRW scores and the presence of post-traumatic stress disorder, antisocial personality disorder and suicide risk in the final regression model. Tobacco, alcohol, cannabis, cocaine, amphetamine and cocaine dependence were also associated with lifetime use of crack cocaine.

DISCUSSION

Youth with a history of crack cocaine use had a higher prevalence of psychiatric conditions such as post-traumatic stress disorder, as well as an increased risk of tobacco, alcohol, cannabis, cocaine, amphetamine and inhalant use and dependence.

Staging bipolar disorder: clinical, biochemical, and functional correlates

OBJECTIVE

There are several models of staging in bipolar disorder (BD), but none has been validated. The aims of this study were to empirically investigate clinical variables that may be useful to classify patients in clusters according to stage and study the association with biomarkers as biological validators.

METHOD

This was a historical cohort study. Patients (n = 115) diagnosed with BD and not in an acute episode and first-degree relatives of patients diagnosed with BD (n = 25) were recruited. Sociodemographic, clinical, and functional data were collected. Serum cytokines, brain-derived neurotrophic factor, and biomarkers of lipid and protein oxidation were assessed. Cluster analysis was carried out to build a model of staging, and logistic regression was conducted to study associations between the model and biomarkers.

RESULTS

Cluster analysis divided the sample into two equitable groups, denominated early and late stage, with empirical cutoffs for the Functioning Assessment Short Test score, number of episodes, age at onset of the disorder, and time elapsed since first episode. In the logistic regression, IL-6 was associated with late stage (P = 0.029).

CONCLUSION

This study supports that clinical, functional, and biochemical variables may help to define a classification of staging in BD.

Peripheral toxicity in crack cocaine use disorders

A growing body of evidence suggests that crack cocaine misuse has widespread systemic and cognitive consequences, but little attention has been given to its systemic pathophysiology. We report here changes in inflammation markers, oxidative damage and brain derived neurotrophic factor in a sample of outpatients with crack cocaine use disorders. Fifty-three outpatients were recruited for this cross-sectional study and matched with fifty control subjects. The focus of this report is in between group differences in cytokines, oxidative damage and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF). Crack cocaine use was associated with higher BDNF levels when compared to controls, present only in those who used crack cocaine in the last month. Patients also had higher circulating levels of IL-1β, TNF-α and IL-10 when compared to controls. There were no significant differences in oxidative damage between patients and controls. These results represent a first demonstration that crack cocaine use disorders entail an activation of the reward, immune and inflammatory systems.

Daytime sleepiness, sleep disturbance and functioning impairment in bipolar disorder

OBJECTIVE

To verify the prevalence and clinical impact of excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS) in outpatients with bipolar disorder.

METHODS

Eighty-one outpatients with bipolar disorder and 79 healthy control subjects were recruited. Patients were required not to be acutely manic or depressed. We used the Epworth Sleepiness Scale, the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index and the Functioning Assessment Short Test to assess sleepiness, sleep problems and functioning, respectively.

RESULTS

Patients had a higher prevalence of sleepiness (40%) than the control group (18%). Sleepiness and sleep disturbance had independent impacts on disability in the multivariable model.

CONCLUSIONS

This study suggests that EDS is a relevant clinical dimension in patients with bipolar disorder. It is a frequent symptom that often overlaps with other sleep disturbances. This study also reveals that once present it has the potential to increase functional impairment.

N-acetylcysteine for major depressive episodes in bipolar disorder

OBJECTIVE

In this report, we aimed to evaluate the effect of add-on N-acetylcysteine (NAC) on depressive symptoms and functional outcomes in bipolar disorder. To that end, we conducted a secondary analysis of all patients meeting full criteria for a depressive episode in a placebo controlled trial of adjunctive NAC for bipolar disorder.

METHOD

Twenty-four week randomised clinical trial comparing adjunctive NAC and placebo in individuals with bipolar disorder experiencing major depressive episodes. Symptomatic and functional outcome data were collected over the study period.

RESULTS

Seventeen participants were available for this report. Very large effect sizes in favor of NAC were found for depressive symptoms and functional outcomes at endpoint. Eight of the ten participants on NAC had a treatment response at endpoint; the same was true for only one of the seven participants allocated to placebo.

DISCUSSION

These results indicate that adjunctive NAC may be useful for major depressive episodes in bipolar disorder. Further studies designed to confirm this hypothesis are necessary.

Systemic illness moderates the impact of N-acetyl cysteine in bipolar disorder

OBJECTIVES

Bipolar disorder (BD) is intricately associated with chronic clinical conditions. Medical comorbidity is not only more prevalent in mood disorders, but is associated with increased costs, cognitive impairment and, ultimately, premature mortality. Oxidative stress and inflammation may mediate part of this association. To further investigate the association between medical comorbidity status and clinical improvement with adjuvant N acetyl cysteine (NAC) in the context of a placebo-controlled trial.

METHODS

Placebo-controlled randomized clinical trial assessing the effect of NAC over 24 weeks. Symptomatic and functional outcomes were collected over the study period. Medical comorbidities were self-reported, and we took special interest in cardiovascular and endocrine conditions. We evaluated change from baseline to endpoint and the interaction between change and reported medical comorbidities.

RESULTS

Fifty-one percent of patients reported have a cardiovascular or endocrine comorbidity. Although not found for depressive symptoms or quality of life, a significant interaction between medical comorbidity and change scores was consistently found for all functional outcomes. This indicated an advantage of NAC over placebo in those with a clinical comorbidity.

CONCLUSION

Systemic illness moderated only the effect of NAC on functioning, not on depression. Demonstrating an improvement in functional outcomes with an agent that modulates redox and inflammatory pathways, this study lends empirical support to the idea that medical and psychiatric comorbidity are additive in contributing to allostatic states. One intriguing possibility is that comorbid clinical illness could be a marker for more severe oxidative stress states--and thus guide antioxidant use--in BD.

Illness burden and medical comorbidity in the Systematic Treatment Enhancement Program for Bipolar Disorder

OBJECTIVE

Coexisting chronic medical conditions are common in bipolar disorder. Here, we report the prevalence and correlates of medical comorbidity in patients enrolled in the Systematic Treatment Enhancement Program for Bipolar Disorder (STEP-BD). We were particularly interested in associations between variables reflecting illness chronicity and burden with comorbid medical conditions.

METHOD

We used intake data from the open-label component of the STEP-BD. History of medical comorbidity was obtained from the affective disorders evaluation, and its presence was the outcome of interest. The sample size in analyses varied from 3399 to 3534. We used multiple Poisson regression to obtain prevalence ratios.

RESULTS

The prevalence of any medical comorbidity in the sample was 58.8%. In addition to demographic variable, several clinical characteristics were associated with the frequency of medical comorbidity. Having more than 10 previous mood episodes, childhood onset, smoking, lifetime comorbidity with anxiety, and substance use disorders were independently associated with having a medical comorbidity in the final multivariate model.

CONCLUSION

The results presented here reveal strong associations between variables related to illness chronicity and medical burden in bipolar disorder. This lends further support to recent multidimensional models incorporating medical morbidity as a core feature of bipolar disorder.

Social phobia in Brazilian university students: prevalence, under-recognition and academic impairment in women

BACKGROUND

Despite the fact that public speaking is a common academic activity and that social phobia has been associated with lower educational achievement and impaired academic performance, little research has examined the prevalence of social phobia in college students. The aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of social phobia in a large sample of Brazilian college students and to examine the academic impact of this disorder.

METHODS

The Social Phobia Inventory (SPIN) and the MINI-SPIN, used as the indicator of social phobia in the screening phase, were applied to 2319 randomly selected students from two Brazilian universities. For the second phase (diagnostic confirmation), four psychiatrists and one clinical psychologist administered the SCID-IV to subjects with MINI-SPIN scores of 6 or higher.

RESULTS

The prevalence of social phobia among the university students was 11.6%. Women with social phobia had significantly lower grades than those without the disorder. Fear of public speaking was the most common social fear. Only two of the 237 students with social phobia (0.8%) had previously received a diagnosis of social phobia and were under treatment.

LIMITATIONS

Social phobia comorbidities were not evaluated in this study. The methods of assessment employed by the universities (written exams) may mask the presence of social phobia. This was not a population-based study, and thus the results are not generalizable to the entire population with social phobia.

CONCLUSION

Preventive strategies are recommended to reduce the under-recognition and the adverse impact of social phobia on academic performance and overall quality of life of university students.

Serum brain-derived neurotrophic factor in patients with trauma psychopathology

OBJECTIVE

Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) has an important role in learning, motivation and regulation of mood. The aim of this study was to investigate levels of serum BDNF in patients with trauma psychopathology (acute and post-traumatic stress disorder) when compared to age and gender matched controls.

METHOD

A consecutive sample of 34 patients was evaluated regarding socio-demographic and clinical variables by means of a standard protocol, Davidson Trauma Scale, Beck Depression Inventory, Clinical Global Impression and the Global Assessment of Functioning. BDNF serum levels were measured right after the intake interview.

RESULTS

Patients had higher BDNF levels than controls. Those levels, however, were higher right after the traumatic event, decreasing over time. When two groups of patients (recent and remote trauma) were investigated in separate, the recent trauma group (less than 1year since the traumatic event) had higher BDNF than controls, but this effect was not detected in the remote trauma group. The recent and remote trauma groups had different BDNF levels. Those findings persisted, even controlling for symptom severity, use of psychotropic medication, and history of psychiatric disease.

CONCLUSIONS

As far as we know this is the first report of elevated serum BDNF levels in patients with recent trauma. Based in animal models that implicate BDNF in memory formation and consolidation, higher BDNF in recent PTSD could be related to memory and learning disruption central in PTSD psychopathology.

Obesity is associated with previous suicide attempts in bipolar disorder

Gomes FA, Kauer-Sant'Anna M, Magalhães PV, Jacka FN, Dodd S, Gama CS, Cunha Â, Berk M, Kapczinski F. Obesity is associated with previous suicide attempts in bipolar disorder.

OBJECTIVE

There is a paucity of data about risk factors for suicide attempts in bipolar disorder. The aim of this study is to examine the association between suicide attempts and obesity in people with bipolar disorder.

METHODS

Two hundred fifty-five DSM-IV out-patients with bipolar disorder were consecutively recruited from the Bipolar Disorder Program at Hospital das Clínicas de Porto Alegre and the University Hospital at the Universidade Federal de Santa Maria, Brazil. Diagnosis and clinical variables were assessed with Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV-axis I (SCID I) and Program structured protocol. History of suicide attempts was obtained from multiple information sources including patients, relatives and review of medical records. Patients with body mass index (BMI) ≥ 30 were classified as obese.

RESULTS

Over 30% of the sample was obese and over 50% had a history of suicide attempt. In the multivariate model, obese patients were nearly twice (OR = 1.97, 95% CI: 1.06-3.69, p = 0.03) as likely to have a history of suicide attempt(s).

CONCLUSION

Our results emphasise the relevance of obesity as an associated factor of suicide attempts in bipolar disorder. Obesity may be seen as correlate of severity and as such, must be considered in the comprehensive management of bipolar patients.

Increased serum neurotrophin-4/5 levels in bipolar disorder

Neurotrophins are central to several aspects of central nervous system function, and emerging evidence links these growth factors to mood disorders. The purpose of this study was to investigate serum neurotrophin-4/5 (NT-4/5) levels in patients with bipolar disorder, both within mood episodes and in euthymia. Patients with bipolar I disorder (n=154) and controls (n=30) had their NT-4/5 serum levels assayed using an ELISA. Levels of NT-4/5 levels were significantly higher in bipolar disorder patients than in controls; NT-4/5 levels were increased in mania, depression and euthymia, but not significantly different between BD mood states. As far as are aware, this is the first study showing NT-4/5 immunocontent alterations in bipolar disorder. A tentative explanation would be that NT-4/5 increases is compensating for ongoing oxidative damage in dopaminergic neurons.