Radiomic features of amygdala nuclei and hippocampus subfields help to predict subthalamic deep brain stimulation motor outcomes for Parkinson‘s disease patients

Background and purpose

The aim of the study is to predict the subthalamic nucleus (STN) deep brain stimulation (DBS) outcomes for Parkinson’s disease (PD) patients using the radiomic features extracted from pre-operative magnetic resonance images (MRI).

Methods

The study included 34 PD patients who underwent DBS implantation in the STN. Five patients (15%) showed poor DBS motor outcome. All together 9 amygdalar nuclei and 12 hippocampus subfields were segmented using Freesurfer 7.0 pipeline from pre-operative MRI images. Furthermore, PyRadiomics platform was used to extract 120 radiomic features for each nuclei and subfield resulting in 5,040 features. Minimum Redundancy Maximum Relevance (mRMR) feature selection method was employed to reduce the number of features to 20, and 8 machine learning methods (regularized binary logistic regression (LR), decision tree classifier (DT), linear discriminant analysis (LDA), naive Bayes classifier (NB), kernel support vector machine (SVM), deep feed-forward neural network (DNN), one-class support vector machine (OC-SVM), feed-forward neural network-based autoencoder for anomaly detection (DNN-A)) were applied to build the models for poor vs. good and very good STN-DBS motor outcome prediction.

Results

The highest mean prediction accuracy was obtained using regularized LR (96.65 ± 7.24%, AUC 0.98 ± 0.06) and DNN (87.25 ± 14.80%, AUC 0.87 ± 0.18).

Conclusion

The results show the potential power of the radiomic features extracted from hippocampus and amygdala MRI in the prediction of STN-DBS motor outcomes for PD patients.

Online Behaviours during the COVID-19 Pandemic and Their Associations with Psychological Factors: An International Exploratory Study

This cross-sectional study aimed to explore specific online behaviours and their association with a range of underlying psychological and other behavioural factors during the COVID-19 pandemic. Eight countries (Italy, Spain, the United Kingdom, Lithuania, Portugal, Japan, Hungary, and Brazil) participated in an international investigation involving 2223 participants (M = 33 years old; SD = 11), 70% of whom were females. Participants were surveyed for specific type of Internet use severity, appearance anxiety, self-compassion, and image and use of performance-enhancing drugs (IPEDs). Results were compared cross-culturally. The mean time spent online was 5 h (SD = ±3) of daily browsing during the pandemic. The most commonly performed activities included social networking, streaming, and general surfing. A strong association between these online behaviours and appearance anxiety, self-compassion, and IPEDs use was found after adjustment for possible confounders, with higher scores being associated with specific online activities. Significant cross-cultural differences also emerged in terms of the amount of time spent online during the initial stages of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Contribution of Obstructive Sleep Apnoea to Cognitive Functioning of Males With Coronary Artery Disease: A Relationship With Endocrine and Inflammatory Biomarkers

Introduction

Our exploratory study aimed to determine whether obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) could affect cognitive functioning in males with coronary artery disease (CAD), and whether such impact could be associated with changes in thyroid hormones and inflammatory marker regulation on cognitive functioning.

Method

We evaluated different endocrine and inflammatory biomarkers, including free triiodothyronine [fT3], free tetraiodothyronine [fT4], N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide [NT-pro-BNP], and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein [hs-CRP] serum levels in 328 males (x¯ = 57 ± 10 years), undergoing cardiac rehabilitation after an acute coronary event. Participants underwent full-night polysomnography and were classified in mild/non-OSA (n = 253) and OSA (n = 75) according to an apnoea-hypopnoea index ≥ 15 event/h. Cognitive functioning testing included the Digit Span Test, Digit Symbol Test (DSST), and Trail Making Test. Analyses of variance assessed the impact of OSA on cognitive functioning and possible relationships of fT3/fT4, NT-pro-BNP and with hs-CRP on cognitive measures.

Results

Significant group (OSA, mild/non-OSA) × NT-pro-BNP (<157.0 vs. ≥157.0, ng/L) interactions were found for the DSST raw score (F_(2,324) = 3.58, p = 0.014). Decomposition of interactions showed that the DSST scores of the OSA group with NT-pro-BNP ≥ 157.0 ng/L (M = 33.2; SD = 8.1) were significantly lower, p = 0.031, than those of the mild/non-OSA with NT-pro-BNP < 157.0 ng/L (M = 37.7; SD = 8.9).

Conclusion

These findings indicate that males with OSA and clinically elevated NT-pro-BNP levels experienced inferior psychomotor performance compared to those without OSA and reduced NT-pro-BNP levels.

An international cross-sectional investigation on social media, fitspiration content exposure, and related risks during the COVID-19 self-isolation period

With the global COVID-19 pandemic, governments from many countries in the world implemented various restrictions to prevent the SARS-Cov-2 virus's spread, including social distancing measures, quarantine, in-home lockdown, and the closure of services and public spaces. This led to an in-creased use of social media platforms to make people feel more connected, but also to maintain physical activity while self-isolating. Concerns about physical appearance and the desire to keep or reach a muscular and toned ideal body, might have further reinforced the engagement in fitness-related social media activities, like sharing progresses in training achievements or following more fitness contents on popular profiles. To better understand the underlying relation among these factors, the present study investigates 729 responses to the Exercise Addiction Inventory (EAI), the Appearance Anxiety Inventory (AAI), the Self-Compassion Scale (SCS) and their association to social media usage and compares the results cross-culturally in five countries (Spain, Lithuania, United Kingdom, Japan, and Hungary). Findings highlight significant differences between males and females, espe-cially in regard to the time spent online (U = 477.5, p = 0.036). Greater levels of appearance anxiety were associated with the exposure to fitness-related contents on social media. These results strongly confirm the previously highlighted association between fitspiration media and body image anxiety predominantly in females. Clinical implications and future considerations in terms of prevention and treatment in a situation of global emergency are also discussed.

Core Competencies in Clinical Neuropsychology as a Training Model in Europe

The multitude of training models and curricula for the specialty of clinical neuropsychology around the world has led to organized activities to develop a framework of core competencies to ensure sufficient expertise among entry-level professionals in the field. The Standing Committee on Clinical Neuropsychology of the European Federation of Psychologists’ Associations is currently working toward developing a specialty certification in clinical neuropsychology to establish a cross-national standard against which to measure levels of equivalency and uniformity in competence and service provision among professionals in the field. Through structured interviews with experts from 28 European countries, we explored potential areas of core competency. Specifically, questions pertained to the perceived importance of a series of foundational, functional, and other competencies, as well as current training standards and practices, and optimal standards. Our findings revealed considerable agreement (about three quarters and above) on academic and clinical training, despite varied actual training requirements currently, with fewer respondents relegating importance to training in teaching, supervision, and research (a little over half), and even fewer to skills related to management, administration, and advocacy (fewer than half). European expert clinical neuropsychologists were in agreement with previous studies (including those conducted in the United States, Australia, and other countries) regarding the importance of sound theoretical and clinical training but management, administrative, and advocacy skills were not central to their perspective of a competent specialist in clinical neuropsychology. Establishing a specialty certificate in clinical neuropsychology based on core competencies may enable mobility of clinical neuropsychologists across Europe, and, perhaps, provide an impetus for countries with limited criteria to reconsider their training requirements and harmonize their standards with others.

Validation of the patient health questionnaire-9 and the generalized anxiety disorder-7 in Lithuanian student sample

BACKGROUND

The Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) and the Generalized Anxiety Disorder Questionnaire- 7 (GAD-7) are short screening instruments used for detection of depression and anxiety symptoms in various settings, including general and mental health care as well as the general population. The aim of this study is to evaluate psychometric properties and factorial structure of the PHQ-9 and the GAD-7 in a sample of Lithuanian university students.

METHODS

1368 students (mean age 22.5±4.8) completed the PHQ-9 and the GAD-7 questionnaires online; after the completion of the survey, students were asked to provide phone contact for an additional interview. Eligible students were approached later by trained interviewers and completed The Clinical Interview Schedule-Revised for assessment of depressive and anxiety disorders.

RESULTS

Results showed that the PHQ-9 and the GAD-7 are reliable screening tools for depression and anxiety (Cronbach alpha 0.86 and 0.91, respectively). The one-factor structure of the PHQ-9 and the GAD-7 was confirmed by the Confirmatory Factor Analysis. A cut-off of ≥10 for the PHQ-9 resulted in 71% sensitivity and 66% specificity recognizing students with increased risk for mood or anxiety disorder. For the GAD-7, a cut-off ≥9 resulted in 73% sensitivity and 70% specificity recognizing students at risk. The PHQ-9 was sensitive but not specific in recognizing students with depressive disorders. The sensitivity and specificity of the GAD-7 in differentiating students with generalized anxiety disorders were low.

CONCLUSIONS

The PHQ-9 and the GAD-7 have sufficient formal psychometric properties, but their clinical utility as diagnostic tools for recognition of depressive and anxiety disorders in students is limited. Due to low specificity and high false positive rates, both scales are recommended only as an initial screening tool for recognition of subjects with increased risk of mental disorders, however positive cases should be later assessed using more comprehensive instruments.

Predictive value of baseline cognitive functioning on health-related quality of life in individuals with coronary artery disease: a 5-year longitudinal study

AIMS

Emerging studies suggest an association exists between coronary artery disease (CAD) and the development of neurodegenerative diseases, with CAD acting as a precursor. Our study aimed to investigate the relationship between baseline measures of cognitive functioning and long-term health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in individuals with CAD with specification to Type D personality traits and sex.

METHODS AND RESULTS

This prospective observational cohort study consisted of 864 participants (mean age 58 SD = 9 years, 74.0% men) with CAD after acute coronary syndrome. Baseline characteristics included comprehensive cognitive testing, measures of sociodemographic and clinical factors, and psychological assessment scales, such as Type D personality scale and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression scale. The Minnesota Living with Heart Failure Questionnaire assessed participants' HRQoL, conducted through phone interviews at baseline, every 6 months for up to 2 years, and after 5 years. Cognitive functioning correlated with HRQoL at all time intervals over the 5-year follow-up. Regarding sex and Type D personality, significant differences emerged in associations between impaired cognitive functioning at baseline and HRQoL measured over the period of 5 years. Men participants with characteristics of Type D personality were especially vulnerable to impaired cognitive functioning affecting the 5-year quality of life.

CONCLUSION

Men with CAD who obtained scores indicating characteristics of Type D personality were significantly more likely to have lower baseline cognitive functions and long-term HRQoL outcomes. This information could inform healthcare practitioners to screen for personality characteristics and closely follow-up those at a greater risk.

Exploring the Relationship Between Mental Well-Being, Exercise Routines, and the Intake of Image and Performance Enhancing Drugs During the Coronavirus Disease 2019 Pandemic: A Comparison Across Sport Disciplines

Introduction: Physical distancing under the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic had a significant impact on lifestyles, including exercise routines. In this study, we examined the relationship between mental health and addictive behaviors, such as excessive exercise and the use of image and performance enhancing drugs (IPEDs) across 12 sport disciplines. Materials and methods: A large cross-sectional sample of the adult population (N = 2,295) was surveyed. The mean age was 33.09 (SD = 11.40). The number of male participants was 668 (30.0%). The use of IPEDs was assessed in conjunction with psychometric measures such as the Exercise Addiction Inventory (EAI) and the Appearance Anxiety Inventory (AAI). The participants were grouped into activity group (AG) and non-activity group (NAG) according to the presence or absence of their exercise habits. The results were compared between these groups, as well as across sport disciplines, while taking into account the relationship between different psychological measures and IPEDs consumption. Results: The frequency of IPEDs use was higher among AG (34.6%) than NAG (14.6%), although AG participants reported less history of addictions (7.1%) than NAG (11.8%). The logistic regression analysis revealed that scores equal to or above cutoff points, in both the EAI and AAI, predicted the IPEDs use. Regarding the differences across the various sport disciplines, those who were involved in practicing Weight Lifting and Cross Fit were found to be more at risk of excessive exercising and more inclined to use a wide range of IPEDs. Conclusions: Although exercise could help to increase well-being and prevent addictions during the COVID-19 pandemic, our results show that those in the AG are particularly vulnerable to excessive IPEDs use. Sport disciplines associated with higher EAI and AAI scores have also shown a higher tendency to excessive IPEDs use. Furthermore, the factor of having above the cutoff scores in EAI or AAI in each sport could indicate larger IPEDs consumption regardless of the discipline. In light of the current findings, it is necessary to better define the "non-excessive" levels of exercise in various sport disciplines and an adequate intake of IPEDs to ensure the safety and well-being of people during a pandemic.

Exercise and Use of Enhancement Drugs at the Time of the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Multicultural Study on Coping Strategies During Self-Isolation and Related Risks

Introduction: Little is known about the impact of restrictive measures during the COVID-19 pandemic on self-image and engagement in exercise and other coping strategies alongside the use of image and performance-enhancing drugs (IPEDs) to boost performance and appearance. Objectives: To assess the role of anxiety about appearance and self-compassion on the practice of physical exercise and use of IPEDs during lockdown. Methods: An international online questionnaire was carried out using the Exercise Addiction Inventory (EAI), the Appearance Anxiety Inventory (AAI), and the Self-Compassion Scale (SCS) in addition to questions on the use of IPEDs. Results: The sample consisted of 3,161 (65% female) adults from Italy (41.1%), Spain (15.7%), the United Kingdom (UK) (12.0%), Lithuania (11.6%), Portugal (10.5%), Japan (5.5%), and Hungary (3.5%). The mean age was 35.05 years (SD = 12.10). Overall, 4.3% of the participants were found to engage in excessive or problematic exercise with peaks registered in the UK (11.0%) and Spain (5.4%). The sample reported the use of a wide range of drugs and medicines to boost image and performance (28%) and maintained use during the lockdown, mostly in Hungary (56.6%), Japan (46.8%), and the UK (33.8%), with 6.4% who started to use a new drug. Significant appearance anxiety levels were found across the sample, with 18.1% in Italy, 16.9% in Japan, and 16.7% in Portugal. Logistic regression models revealed a strong association between physical exercise and IPED use. Anxiety about appearance also significantly increased the probability of using IPEDs. However, self-compassion did not significantly predict such behavior. Anxiety about appearance and self-compassion were non-significant predictors associated with engaging in physical exercise. Discussion and Conclusion: This study identified risks of problematic exercising and appearance anxiety among the general population during the COVID-19 lockdown period across all the participating countries with significant gender differences. Such behaviors were positively associated with the unsupervised use of IPEDs, although no interaction between physical exercise and appearance anxiety was observed. Further considerations are needed to explore the impact of socially restrictive measures among vulnerable groups, and the implementation of more targeted responses.

Impulsivity Mediates Associations Between Problematic Internet Use, Anxiety, and Depressive Symptoms in Students: A Cross-Sectional COVID-19 Study

Background: Problematic internet use (PIU) is a serious global mental health issue that especially manifested during the Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic. Engagement in PIU as an impulsive coping with mental distress may pose a long-lasting threat to develop anxiety and depressive disorders. The first aim of our study was to investigate the prevalence of PIU and mental distress symptoms during the COVID-19 pandemic among university students in Lithuania. The second aim was to test the hypothesis that PIU affects anxiety and depressive symptoms through the mediating role of impulsivity. Methods: The cross-sectional study was comprised of 619 university students (92.9% females and 7.1% males) with a mean age of 22 ± 3 years who participated in an online survey from May to November, 2020. Participants completed the following scales: the Problematic Internet Use Questionnaire-9, the Generalized Anxiety Disorder Questionnaire-7, the Patient Health Questionnaire-9, and the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale-11. K-means cluster analysis and one-way multivariate analysis of variance were used for group comparison in terms of internet use time and habit change during COVID-19 pandemic. Structural equation modeling was applied to examine the mediating effect of impulsivity in association between PIU and mental distress, while controlling for age. Results: In sum, 45.1% of the participants reported PIU and 38.1% had markedly expressed symptoms of anxiety while 43.6% of the students reported moderate to severe depressive symptoms. During the COVID-19 pandemic 76% of the students reported at least moderate increase in their internet use time. Anxiety and depressive symptoms were significantly higher in the group of frequent internet users. The results of the structural equational modeling analysis showed a statistically significant effect of PIU on subjective anxiety symptoms and the statistically significant effect of PIU on subjective depression symptoms, both mediated via impulsivity. Conclusions: During COVID-19 pandemic, PIU, anxiety and depression symptoms are highly prevalent among students. Findings also suggest that relationships between PIU, anxiety and depressive symptoms are mediated via impulsivity. These results underscore the importance of the inclusion of impulsivity factor in the studies analyzing longitudinal effects of PIU on mental distress during COVID-19 pandemic.

Epistatic effect of Ankyrin repeat and kinase domain containing 1 - Dopamine receptor D2 and catechol-o-methyltransferase single nucleotide polymorphisms on the risk for hazardous use of alcohol in Lithuanian population

AIM

The Lithuanian population has outstanding rates of alcohol consumption and alcohol related mortality. Alteration of brain dopaminergic system play a role in the risk for addiction disorders. We evaluated the association of one single nucleotide polymorphism rs1800497 in the Ankyrin Repeat and Kinase Domain Containing 1 - Dopamine Receptor D2 complex (ANKK1-DRD2) and a catechol-o-methyltransferase (COMT) rs4680 single nucleotide polymorphism with the risk for alcohol use disorder and impulsiveness in Lithuanian population. Both genetic polymorphisms are known to alter brain dopaminergic activity, thus we also investigated the possible interaction effect of these polymorphisms.

METHODS

The study included 329 participants recruited from the local community. Hazardous alcohol use was evaluated using the Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test (AUDIT). Impulsiveness was measured using the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale - 11 (BIS-11). Between group differences of AUDIT and BIS-11 scores were examined stratified by genetic polymorphisms and their combinations. The independent effect of each polymorphism and their interaction for hazardous alcohol use were evaluated using adjusted logistic regression analyses.

RESULTS

The ANKK1-DRD2 rs1800497 polymorphism was associated with total AUDIT score, but not with the hazardous use of alcohol, as indicated by the AUDIT test cut-off of 8. The COMT rs4680 GG genotype was associated with the hazardous use of alcohol (adjusted OR = 2.094, p = 0.029), but this association was not statistically significant after adjustment for multiple comparisons. Presence of both COMT rs4680 and ANKK1-DRD2 rs1800497 GGxCT/TT polymorphisms was associated with significantly increased risk for hazardous use of alcohol (adjusted OR = 5.016, p = 0.005). The COMT rs4680 and ANKK1-DRD2 rs1800497 genetic polymorphisms, and their combination were not associated with impulsiveness.

CONCLUSIONS

Our study demonstrated that the interaction of COMT rs4680 and ANKK1-DRD2 rs1800497 genetic polymorphisms is associated with a hazardous use of alcohol.

Validation of the Substance Use Risk Profile Scale in Lithuanian population

Background

Personality traits are related with risk of hazardous alcohol use and alcohol dependence. The Substance Use Risk Profile Scale (SURPS) measures personality traits associated with addictive substance abuse. We examined psychometric properties of the SURPS in Lithuanian population.

Materials and methods

Two hundred forty-seven participants (mean age 37.22 ± 0.78 years), were recruited from the local community and from an inpatient addiction treatment centre. Internal consistency, stability, factor structure, content validity, and external validity of the SURPS were examined. Hazardous alcohol use was evaluated by Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test (AUDIT). Alcohol dependence diagnosis was established by International Classification of Diseases - 10 (ICD - 10). We also performed gender analyses for associations of personality traits with alcohol dependence and hazardous use of alcohol.

Results

The SURPS scale demonstrated appropriate internal validity, good temporal stability, and adequate criterion validity and construct validity. The SURPS scores of hopelessness, anxiety sensitivity and impulsivity were higher in the alcohol dependence group than in the control group for both males and females. Impulsivity and sensation seeking were associated with hazardous alcohol use and these associations were more prevalent in females.

Conclusions

Lithuanian translation of the SURPS scale was appropriate. The SURPS demonstrated good sensitivity for discriminating on alcohol dependence and was more sensitive for discriminating on hazardous alcohol use for females.

Association of COMT Val158Met Polymorphism With Delirium Risk and Outcomes After Traumatic Brain Injury

OBJECTIVE

The authors investigated the association of the catechol-o-methyltransferase (COMT) gene Val¹⁵⁸Met polymorphism with delirium risk and functional and cognitive outcomes among patients with complicated mild to moderate traumatic brain injury (TBI).

METHODS

In a prospective observational cohort study, patients were monitored for occurrence of delirium during the first 4 days of admission by using the Confusion Assessment Method. Functional and cognitive outcomes were evaluated with the Glasgow Outcome on Discharge Scale and the Montreal Cognitive Assessment test, respectively. Eighty-nine patients were included in the study; of these, 17 (19%) were diagnosed with delirium.

RESULTS

The COMT Val¹⁵⁸/Val¹⁵⁸ polymorphism was associated with increased risk of delirium in multivariable regression analyses adjusted for alcohol misuse, history of neurological disorder, age, and admission Glasgow Coma Scale score (odds ratio=4.57, 95% CI=1.11, 18.9, p=0.036). The COMT Met¹⁵⁸ allele was associated with better functional outcomes in univariate analysis (odds ratio=2.82, 95% CI=1.10, 7.27, p=0.031) but not in multivariable analysis (odds ratio=2.33, 95% CI=0.89, 6.12, p=0.085). Cognitive outcomes were not associated with the COMT Val¹⁵⁸Met polymorphism in univariate regression analysis (p=0.390). Delirium was a significant predictor of worse functional and cognitive outcomes in multivariable regression analyses adjusted for other risk factors (odds ratio=0.04, 95% CI=0.01, 0.16, p<0.001, and β=-3.889, 95% CI=-7.55, -0.23, p=0.038, respectively).

CONCLUSIONS

The COMT genotype is important in delirium risk and functional outcomes of patients with mild to moderate TBI. Whether the COMT genotype is associated with outcomes through incident delirium remains to be determined in larger studies.

QOLP-16. DISTRESSED (D TYPE) PERSONALITY, PREOPERATIVE PSYCHOLOGICAL DISTRESS, COGNITIVE FUNCTIONING, QUALITY OF LIFE, AND TREATMENT OUTCOMES OF GLIOMA PATIENTS: PROSPECTIVE STUDY

BACKGROUND

This study aimed to evaluate impact of distressed (D type) personality on preoperative psychological distress, cognitive functioning and quality of life (QoL) as well as short-term and long-term treatment outcomes of glioma patients.

METHOD

One-hundred and seventy patients (93 men, mean age=51.1±14.5 years) participated in the study. Fifty-four (31.8%) patients were diagnosed with low grade (WHO grade I-II), and 116 (68.2%) with high grade (WHO grade III-IV) tumors. Psychological assessment was performed 2–3 days before surgery using a set of self-report questionnaires (NCCN Distress thermometer, EORTC-QLQ-C30, EORTCQLQ-BN20, HADS, DS-14) and a short battery of neuropsychological tests. Functional status at the discharge was assessed using the GOS. Follow-up period was 40 months.

RESULTS

Thirty-nine (22.9%) of patients met criteria for D type personality. D-type patients relative to non D-type patients reported significantly worse QoL, higher number tumor related symptoms, greater depression and anxiety symptoms, and demonstrated slowing of psychomotor speed in neuropsychological tests. However, no personality related differences were observed in level of functioning at time of discharge as well as long-term patients’ survival. Path analysis using SEM revealed non-direct impact of D-type personality traits on patients QoL (Chi-square value=16.73, df=13, p=0.212). The model indicated statistically significant indirect effects of D-type Negative Affectivity on QoL (IPC -0.285, 95% CI [-0.386; -0.178], p=0.003) and tumor related symptoms (IPC 0.196, 95% CI [0.117; 0.296], p=0.002) mediated via depression and anxiety. Social Inhibition was also indirectly associated with QoL (IPC -0.047, 95% CI [-0.120; -0.002], p=0.035) and symptoms (IPC 0.033, 95% CI [0.002; 0.097], p=0.032) through depression and anxiety.

CONCLUSION

D-type personality contributes to impairment of QoL and higher number of reported symptoms in glioma patients via increased susceptibility for depression and anxiety.

Social distance in Lithuanian psychology and social work students and professionals

PURPOSE

This cross-sectional study aimed to compare desire for social distance from people with mental illness in the disciplines of social work and psychology, and among students and professionals having different professional experience.

METHODS

948 respondents (715 students and 233 professionals) from Lithuanian educational and mental health-care institutions participated in an anonymous survey. Social distance was measured using Lithuanian Social Distance Scale which was created for this study. Participants also answered questions about familiarity with mental illness. Bias of social desirability was measured using the balanced inventory of desirable responding.

RESULTS

Series of ANCOVA analysis revealed that psychology and social work master's and PhD students reported less social distance from people with mental illness when compared with bachelor's students. Familiarity with mental illness was significantly related to less social distance in the student sample, but not in professionals' sample. The strongest desire for social distance in the professionals' sample was observed in social workers having less than 5 years of professional practice and most experienced psychologists with more than 10 years of professional practice.

CONCLUSIONS

Social distance from people with mental illness decreases through the study years; however, results of professional psychologists and social workers illustrate different trajectories in social distance through the professional career. The results of this study support the need for anti-stigma programmes and initiatives orientated towards mental health professionals.

Brain MRI morphometric analysis in Parkinson's disease patients with sleep disturbances

Background

Sleep disturbances are common in patients with advanced Parkinson disease (PD). The aim of this study was to evaluate a possible association of cortical thickness, cortical and subcortical volume with sleep disturbances in PD patients.

Methods

Twenty-eight PD patients (14 men and 14 women, median age 58 years) were evaluated for sleep disturbances with PDSS and underwent brain MRI. Control group consisted of 28 healthy volunteers who were matched by age and gender. Automated voxel based image analysis was performed with the FreeSurfer software.

Results

PD patients when compared to controls had larger ventricles, smaller volumes of hippocampus and superior cerebellar peduncle, smaller grey matter thickness in the left fusiform, parahipocampal and precentral gyruses, and right caudal anterior cingulate, parahipocampal and precentral hemisphere gyruses, as well as smaller volume of left rostral middle frontal and frontal pole areas, and right entorhinal and transverse temporal areas. According to the Parkinson’s disease Sleep Scale (PDSS), 15 (53.58%) patients had severely disturbed sleep. The most frequent complaints were difficulties staying asleep during the night and nocturia. The least frequent sleep disturbances were distressing hallucinations and urine incontinence due to off symptoms. Patients who fidgeted during the night had thicker white matter in the left caudal middle frontal area and lesser global left hemisphere cortical surface, especially in the lateral orbitofrontal and lateral occipital area, and right hemisphere medial orbitofrontal area. Patients with frequent distressful dreams had white matter reduction in cingulate area, and cortical surface reduction in left paracentral area, inferior frontal gyrus and right postcentral and superior frontal areas. Nocturnal hallucinations were associated with volume reduction in the basal ganglia, nucleus accumbens and putamen bilaterally. Patients with disturbing nocturia had reduction of cortical surface on the left pre- and postcentral areas, total white matter volume decrease bilaterally as well in the pons.

Conclusions

PD patients with nocturnal hallucinations had prominent basal ganglia volume reduction. Distressful dreams were associated with limbic system and frontal white matter changes, meanwhile nocturia was mostly associated with global white matter reduction and surface reduction of cortical surface on the left hemisphere pre- and postcentral areas.

Depression screening in patients with brain tumors: a review

Brain tumor (BT) is often a devastating disease associated with poor prognosis. Depression is a common complication in BT patients that often remains under-recognized and untreated. Implementation of reliable depression screening algorithms in routine neuro-oncology setting could potentially improve recognition of depression. The Hospital Anxiety and Depression scale-Depression subscale and Patient Health Questionnaire-9 demonstrated adequate psychometric properties for depressive disorder screening in glioma patients. Patients screened positive for depression should be referred for detailed psychiatric assessment prior to initiating anti-depressive treatment. Further methodologically rigorous studies investigating psychometric properties of single-item and multiple-item depression scales are urgently warranted. Studies evaluating anti-depressive treatments' efficacy and clinical value of depression biomarkers are important avenues for future research endeavors in BT patients.

Changes in depression and quality of life during inpatient treatment of depression

OBJECTIVE

The aim of the study was to evaluate the changes in the symptoms of depression and subjective quality of life improvement during inpatient treatment.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

A total of 87 patients were assessed during the first five days of hospitalization and during naturalistic follow-up at the time of discharge using Composite International Diagnostic Interview Short Form (CIDI-SF), structured interview for depressive symptoms assessment, and World Health Organization Quality of Life Abbreviated Questionnaire.

RESULTS

Results indicate that symptoms of depression decrease and quality of life increases during inpatient treatment. However, high frequency of residual symptoms was observed. More than half of all patients reported ten or more symptoms at time of discharge. Although same gender differences in the frequency and severity of depressive symptoms were observed at time of admission, gender did not impact significantly treatment outcomes. Older age, comorbid somatic diseases, higher number of depressive symptoms at the time of admission, CIDI-SF confirmed major depressive episode, and lower quality of life were related to poor outcome of the treatment. Multiple regression analyses suggested that CIDI-SF confirmed major depressive episode and physical health domain of the quality of life were the most significant predictors of the outcome.

CONCLUSION

Combination of measures of clinical assessment and quality of life can be useful for more complete patients' evaluation and the prediction of treatment outcome.