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Tosta A, Fonseca AS, Messeder D, Ferreira ST, Lourenco MV, Pandolfo P. Effects of Gestational Exercise on Nociception, BDNF, and Irisin Levels in an Animal Model of ADHD. Neuroscience 2024; 543:37-48. [PMID: 38401710 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2024.02.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2023] [Revised: 01/25/2024] [Accepted: 02/12/2024] [Indexed: 02/26/2024]
Abstract
Abnormal cognitive and sensorial properties have been reported in patients with psychiatric and neurodevelopmental conditions, such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). ADHD patients exhibit impaired dopaminergic signaling and plasticity in brain areas related to cognitive and sensory processing. The spontaneous hypertensive rat (SHR), in comparison to the Wistar Kyoto rat (WKY), is the most used genetic animal model to study ADHD. Brain neurotrophic factor (BDNF), critical for midbrain and hippocampal dopaminergic neuron survival and differentiation, is reduced in both ADHD subjects and SHR. Physical exercise (e.g. swimming) promotes neuroplasticity and improves cognition by increasing BDNF and irisin. Here we investigate the effects of gestational swimming on sensorial and behavioral phenotypes, striatal dopaminergic parameters, and hippocampal FNDC5/irisin and BDNF levels observed in WKY and SHR. Gestational swimming improved nociception in SHR rats (p = 0.006) and increased hippocampal BDNF levels (p = 0.02) in a sex-dependent manner in adolescent offspring. Sex differences were observed in hippocampal FNDC5/irisin levels (p = 0.002), with females presenting lower levels than males. Our results contribute to the notion that swimming during pregnancy is a promising alternative to improve ADHD phenotypes in the offspring.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andréa Tosta
- Program of Neurosciences, Federal Fluminense University, Niterói, Brazil
| | - Ariene S Fonseca
- Institute of Medical Biochemistry Leopoldo de Meis, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Débora Messeder
- Program of Neurosciences, Federal Fluminense University, Niterói, Brazil
| | - Sérgio T Ferreira
- Institute of Medical Biochemistry Leopoldo de Meis, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; Institute of Biophysics Carlos Chagas Filho, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Mychael V Lourenco
- Institute of Medical Biochemistry Leopoldo de Meis, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Pablo Pandolfo
- Program of Neurosciences, Federal Fluminense University, Niterói, Brazil; Program of Biomedical Sciences: Physiology and Pharmacology, Federal Fluminense University, Niterói, Brazil.
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Yin X, Liu W, Feng H, Huang J, Wang Q, Zhang Q, He J, Wang R. Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis A6 attenuates hippocampal damage and memory impairments in an ADHD rat model. Food Funct 2024; 15:2668-2678. [PMID: 38374797 DOI: 10.1039/d3fo04665f] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/21/2024]
Abstract
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is commonly accompanied by learning and memory deficits. This study aimed to demonstrate the effects of probiotic Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis A6 (BAA6) on behaviour and memory function in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRs). The results showed that BAA6 treatment ameliorated spatial working memory deficits and inhibited hippocampal neuron loss in SHRs. The levels of neurotransmitters such as acetylcholine, dopamine, and norepinephrine, and the brain derived neurotrophic factor increased and that of glutamate decreased in the brain tissue of SHRs after BAA6 administration. Moreover, BAA6 reduced the levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines TNF-α and IL-1β, and increased the levels of anti-inflammatory IL-10 and antioxidant glutathione in SHRs. 16S rRNA high-throughput sequencing showed that BAA6 treatment changed the gut microbiota composition. BAA6 promoted beneficial Lactobacillus, Romboutsia, Blautia, and Turicibacter, and decreased the enrichment of bacterial genera such as Dietzia, Sporosarcina, Brevibacterium, NK4A214_group, Atopostipes, and Facklamia negatively associated with neurotransmitter release and anti-inflammatory effects in SHRs. Together, these results suggested that BAA6 improved memory function by ameliorating hippocampal damage, abnormal neurotransmitter release and cerebral inflammation by reshaping the gut microbiota in SHRs. This study provides a scientific basis for the development and application of BAA6 as a promising dietary intervention to reduce the risk of ADHD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xindi Yin
- Key Laboratory of Functional Dairy, Department of Nutrition and Health, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100190, China.
| | - Weichen Liu
- Key Laboratory of Functional Dairy, Department of Nutrition and Health, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100190, China.
- National Center of Technology Innovation for Dairy, Hohhot 010000, China
| | - Haihong Feng
- Key Laboratory of Functional Dairy, Department of Nutrition and Health, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100190, China.
- Hebei Engineering Research Center of Animal Product, Langfang 065200, China
| | - Jiaqiang Huang
- Key Laboratory of Functional Dairy, Department of Nutrition and Health, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100190, China.
| | - Qi Wang
- Xinjiang Golden Camel Investment Co., Ltd., Wulumuqi 830039, China
| | - Qi Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Functional Dairy, Department of Nutrition and Health, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100190, China.
| | - Jingjing He
- Key Laboratory of Precision Nutrition and Food Quality, Department of Nutrition and Health, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China.
| | - Ran Wang
- Key Laboratory of Functional Dairy, Department of Nutrition and Health, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100190, China.
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Lavezzi AM. Altered Development of Mesencephalic Dopaminergic Neurons in SIDS: New Insights into Understanding Sudden Infant Death Pathogenesis. Biomedicines 2021; 9:biomedicines9111534. [PMID: 34829763 PMCID: PMC8615170 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines9111534] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2021] [Revised: 10/20/2021] [Accepted: 10/21/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) is defined as the unexpected sudden death of an infant under 1 year of age that remains unexplained after a thorough case investigation. The SIDS pathogenesis is still unknown; however, abnormalities in brain centers that control breathing and arousal from sleep, including dramatic changes in neurotransmitter levels, have been supposed in these deaths. This is the first study focusing on mesencephalic dopaminergic neurons, so far extensively studied only in animals and human neurological diseases, in SIDS. Dopaminergic structures in midbrain sections of a large series of sudden infant deaths (36 SIDS and 26 controls) were identified using polyclonal rabbit antibodies against tyrosine hydroxylase, the rate-limiting enzyme in catecholamine biosynthesis, and the dopamine transporter, a membrane protein specifically expressed in dopaminergic cells. Dopamine-immunolabeled neurons were observed concentrated in two specific structures: the pars compacta of the substantia nigra and in the subnucleus medialis of the periaqueductal gray matter. Anatomical and functional degenerations of dopaminergic neurons in these regions were observed in most SIDS cases but never in controls. These results indicate that dopamine depletion, which is already known to be linked especially to Parkinson's disease, is strongly involved even in SIDS pathogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Maria Lavezzi
- "Lino Rossi" Research Center for the Study and Prevention of Unexpected Perinatal Death and SIDS, Department of Biomedical, Surgical and Dental Sciences, University of Milan, 20122 Milan, Italy
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Vengeliene V, Bespalov A, Roßmanith M, Horschitz S, Berger S, Relo AL, Noori HR, Schneider P, Enkel T, Bartsch D, Schneider M, Behl B, Hansson AC, Schloss P, Spanagel R. Towards trans-diagnostic mechanisms in psychiatry: neurobehavioral profile of rats with a loss-of-function point mutation in the dopamine transporter gene. Dis Model Mech 2017; 10:451-461. [PMID: 28167616 PMCID: PMC5399565 DOI: 10.1242/dmm.027623] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2016] [Accepted: 01/26/2017] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The research domain criteria (RDoC) matrix has been developed to reorient psychiatric research towards measurable behavioral dimensions and underlying mechanisms. Here, we used a new genetic rat model with a loss-of-function point mutation in the dopamine transporter (DAT) gene (Slc6a3_N157K) to systematically study the RDoC matrix. First, we examined the impact of the Slc6a3_N157K mutation on monoaminergic signaling. We then performed behavioral tests representing each of the five RDoC domains: negative and positive valence systems, cognitive, social and arousal/regulatory systems. The use of RDoC may be particularly helpful for drug development. We studied the effects of a novel pharmacological approach metabotropic glutamate receptor mGluR2/3 antagonism, in DAT mutants in a comparative way with standard medications. Loss of DAT functionality in mutant rats not only elevated subcortical extracellular dopamine concentration but also altered the balance of monoaminergic transmission. DAT mutant rats showed deficits in all five RDoC domains. Thus, mutant rats failed to show conditioned fear responses, were anhedonic, were unable to learn stimulus-reward associations, showed impaired cognition and social behavior, and were hyperactive. Hyperactivity in mutant rats was reduced by amphetamine and atomoxetine, which are well-established medications to reduce hyperactivity in humans. The mGluR2/3 antagonist LY341495 also normalized hyperactivity in DAT mutant rats without affecting extracellular dopamine levels. We systematically characterized an altered dopamine system within the context of the RDoC matrix and studied mGluR2/3 antagonism as a new pharmacological strategy to treat mental disorders with underlying subcortical dopaminergic hyperactivity. Summary: The first systematic RDoc study of a disease mechanism proposes dopamine transporter DAT mutant rats as a model for drug development, targeting a hyperdopaminergic state.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valentina Vengeliene
- Institute of Psychopharmacology, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, 68159 Mannheim, Germany
| | - Anton Bespalov
- Department of Neuroscience Research, AbbVie Deutschland GmbH & Co KG, 67061 Ludwigshafen, Germany
| | - Martin Roßmanith
- Institute of Psychopharmacology, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, 68159 Mannheim, Germany
| | - Sandra Horschitz
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, 68159 Mannheim, Germany
| | - Stefan Berger
- Department of Molecular Biology, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, 68159 Mannheim, Germany
| | - Ana L Relo
- Department of Neuroscience Research, AbbVie Deutschland GmbH & Co KG, 67061 Ludwigshafen, Germany
| | - Hamid R Noori
- Institute of Psychopharmacology, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, 68159 Mannheim, Germany
| | - Peggy Schneider
- Institute of Psychopharmacology, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, 68159 Mannheim, Germany
| | - Thomas Enkel
- Department of Molecular Biology, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, 68159 Mannheim, Germany
| | - Dusan Bartsch
- Department of Molecular Biology, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, 68159 Mannheim, Germany
| | - Miriam Schneider
- Institute of Psychopharmacology, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, 68159 Mannheim, Germany
| | - Berthold Behl
- Department of Neuroscience Research, AbbVie Deutschland GmbH & Co KG, 67061 Ludwigshafen, Germany
| | - Anita C Hansson
- Institute of Psychopharmacology, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, 68159 Mannheim, Germany
| | - Patrick Schloss
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, 68159 Mannheim, Germany
| | - Rainer Spanagel
- Institute of Psychopharmacology, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, 68159 Mannheim, Germany
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Urban KR, Gao WJ. Evolution of the Study of Methylphenidate and Its Actions on the Adult Versus Juvenile Brain. J Atten Disord 2015; 19:603-19. [PMID: 22923783 DOI: 10.1177/1087054712455504] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Methylphenidate (MPH) is the most often prescribed medication for treatment of ADHD. However, many of its specific cellular and molecular mechanisms of action, as well as developmental consequences of treatment, are largely unknown. This review provides an overview of current understanding of MPH efficacy, safety, and dosage in adult and pediatric ADHD patients, as well as adult animal studies and pioneering studies in juvenile animals treated with MPH. METHOD A thorough review of the current literature on MPH efficacy and safety in children, adults, and animal models was included. Results of studies were compared and contrasted. RESULTS While MPH is currently considered safe, there is a lack of knowledge of potential developmental consequences of early treatment, as well as differences in drug actions in the developing versus mature brain system. CONCLUSION This review emphasizes the need for further research into the age-dependent activities and potency of MPH, and a need for tighter control and clinical relevance in future studies.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Wen-Jun Gao
- Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA
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Hasan A, Schneider M, Schneider-Axmann T, Ruge D, Retz W, Rösler M, Falkai P, Wobrock T. A similar but distinctive pattern of impaired cortical excitability in first-episode schizophrenia and ADHD. Neuropsychobiology 2013; 67:74-83. [PMID: 23295893 DOI: 10.1159/000343912] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2011] [Accepted: 09/30/2012] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND First-episode schizophrenia (FE-SZ) and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are both neuropsychiatric disorders associated with an impaired dopaminergic transmission. Though displaying different clinical phenotypes, a common pathophysiological pathway is discussed controversially. Several studies using transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) revealed abnormalities in human motor cortex excitability in both schizophrenia and ADHD patients. Studies on cortical excitability comparing these two diseases directly are lacking. METHOD In this study, a total of 94 subjects were analyzed. Twenty-five FE-SZ patients were directly compared with 28 ADHD patients and 41 healthy controls (HC). We investigated cortical excitability (inhibitory and facilitatory networks) with single- and paired-pulse TMS to the left and right motor cortex. RESULTS Compared to HC, FE-SZ/ADHD patients displayed an impaired cortical inhibition over the left hemisphere. Apart from an enhanced intracortical facilitation, FE-SZ patients did not differ compared to ADHD patients in the main outcome measures. Both patient groups presented a dysfunctional hemispheric pattern of cortical inhibition and facilitation in comparison with HC. CONCLUSION The results of this study indicate a pattern of cortical disinhibition and abnormal hemispheric balance of intracortical excitability networks in two different psychiatric diseases. These effects might be associated with an imbalance in GABAergic and dopaminergic transmission and might provide evidence for a common pathophysiological pathway of both diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alkomiet Hasan
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Georg August University, Göttingen, Germany
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Urban KR, Waterhouse BD, Gao WJ. Distinct age-dependent effects of methylphenidate on developing and adult prefrontal neurons. Biol Psychiatry 2012; 72:880-8. [PMID: 22609367 PMCID: PMC3433628 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2012.04.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2011] [Revised: 04/17/2012] [Accepted: 04/18/2012] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Methylphenidate (MPH) has long been used to treat attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD); however, its cellular mechanisms of action and potential effects on prefrontal cortical circuitry are not well understood, particularly in the developing brain system. A clinically relevant dose range for rodents has been established in the adult animal; however, how this range will translate to juvenile animals has not been established. METHODS Juvenile (postnatal day [PD] 15) and adult (PD90) Sprague Dawley rats were treated with MPH or saline. Whole-cell patch clamp recording was used to examine the neuronal excitability and synaptic transmission in pyramidal neurons of prefrontal cortex. Recovery from MPH treatment was also examined at 1, 5, and 10 weeks following drug cessation. RESULTS A dose of 1 mg/kg intraperitoneal MPH, either single dose or chronic treatment (well within the accepted therapeutic range for adults), produced significant depressive effects on pyramidal neurons by increasing hyperpolarization-activated currents in juvenile rat prefrontal cortex, while exerting excitatory effects in adult rats. Minimum clinically-relevant doses (.03 to .3 mg/kg) also produced depressive effects in juvenile rats, in a linear dose-dependent manner. Function recovered within 1 week from chronic 1 mg/kg treatment, chronic treatment with 3 and 9 mg/kg resulted in depression of prefrontal neurons lasting 10 weeks and beyond. CONCLUSIONS These results suggest that the juvenile prefrontal cortex is supersensitive to methylphenidate, and the accepted therapeutic range for adults is an overshoot. Juvenile treatment with MPH may result in long-lasting, potentially permanent, changes to excitatory neuron function in the prefrontal cortex of juvenile rats.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Wen-Jun Gao
- Correspondence: Wen-Jun Gao, M.D., Ph.D., Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, Drexel University College of Medicine, 2900 Queen Lane, Philadelphia, PA 19129, Phone: (215) 991-8907, Fax: (215) 843-9802,
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van der Kooij MA, Glennon JC. Animal models concerning the role of dopamine in attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2007; 31:597-618. [PMID: 17316796 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2006.12.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 93] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2006] [Revised: 10/22/2006] [Accepted: 12/30/2006] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Several models of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) have been proposed, ranging from administration of neurotoxins to genetically manipulated models. These models are used to gain insight into ADHD as a disorder and assist in the discovery of new therapeutic strategies. However, the information gained from these models differs, depending to a large extent on the validity (or otherwise) of the model. Thus the insights gained from these models with respect to the pathophysiology and aetiology of ADHD remains inconclusive. No animal model resembles the clinical situation of ADHD perfectly but good animal models of ADHD should mimic its characteristics, confirm to an underlying theory of ADHD and ultimately make predictions of future therapies. While the involvement of dopamine (DA) in ADHD has been established, the evaluation of rodent models of ADHD particularly with respect to dopaminergic systems is attempted here. It is concluded that the neonatal 6-hydroxy-dopamine lesioned rat and DA transporter knockout/knockdown mice have the highest degree of validity for ADHD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael A van der Kooij
- Laboratory for Psychoneuroimmunology & Department of Neonatology, University Medical Center Utrecht, Lundlaan 6, 3584EA Utrecht, The Netherlands.
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Tsai SJ. Semax, an analogue of adrenocorticotropin (4–10), is a potential agent for the treatment of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder and Rett syndrome. Med Hypotheses 2007; 68:1144-6. [PMID: 16996699 DOI: 10.1016/j.mehy.2006.07.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2006] [Accepted: 07/07/2006] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Psychostimulants, such as methylphenidate, are currently the most common used drug therapy for children with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). However, a number of patients with ADHD either fail to respond to these drugs or experience side effects that preclude their use. The heptapeptide Semax is an analogue of the N-terminal fragment (4-10) of adrenocorticotropic hormone, but is completely devoid of any hormonal activity. It has been found to stimulate memory and attention in rodents and humans after intranasal application. Evidence from animal studies revealed that Semax can augment the effects of psychostimulants on central dopamine release and also stimulates central brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) synthesis. In addition, Semax could improve selective attention and modulate brain development. Since ADHD is likely to be a neurodevelopmental disorder with disturbance in dopamine and BDNF function, it is proposed in this paper that Semax may have good therapeutic potential in ADHD. Furthermore, increased BDNF activity is found to improve Rett syndrome, a severe neurodevelopmental disorder which is, in the majority of cases, caused by mutations in the gene encoding methyl-CpG-binding protein 2 (MECP2). The potential therapeutic effect of Semax in Rett syndrome by increasing central BDNF activity may be of interest for further exploration in animal models of Rett syndrome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shih-Jen Tsai
- Department of Psychiatry, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, No. 201, Shih-Pai Road, Sec. 2, 11217 Taipei, Taiwan.
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