Gut Microbiome and Depression: How Microbes Affect the Way We Think

The gut microbiome serves an important role in the human body. Reportedly, one of the benefits of these microflora is on mental health. Once established, food and other dietary sources that enhance quality microbiome content in our gastrointestinal system will be a significant consideration in individuals’ day to day lives. This literature review conducted a PubMed search for studies about the gut microbiome and its relation to depression. In using several Medical Subject Heading (MeSH) keywords, relevant literature was selected. A total of 26 articles were selected after applying the inclusion and exclusion criteria, and after checking the articles’ accessibility. This literature would like to establish the role of the gut microbiome in depression. This study's findings showed that there is a strong association of microbiome function to mental well-being.

Refugee and Migrant Children’s Mental Healthcare: Serving the Voiceless, Invisible, and the Vulnerable Global Citizens

Millions of children are on the run worldwide, with many unaccompanied children and adolescents undertaking risky journeys to flee war, adverse circumstances, and political persecution. The grueling journey and multiple stressors faced by the refugee children, both accompanied and unaccompanied during the pre-migration, migration, and in the country of destination, increase their risk for psychiatric disorders and other medical conditions. Unaccompanied refugee migrant children have higher prevalence of mental health disorders than accompanied refugee peers. Long after reaching the host country, the refugee, migrant, and asylum-seeking juveniles continue to face adversities in the form of acculturation. In assessing medical fitness and healthcare mediations for refugees and migrant children, special consideration should be given to certain areas such as their distinct history, whether they are with their family or separated or unaccompanied, and whether they have been peddled or have been left behind.

Psychiatric Comorbidities and the Risk of Suicide in Obsessive-Compulsive and Body Dysmorphic Disorder

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a chronic psychiatric disorder that is characterized by obsessions and compulsions. Obsessions are uncontrollable distressful thoughts. Compulsions are recurrent behaviors or thoughts performed in an attempt to decrease the anxiety of the obsessions. Body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) is a mental disorder characterized by a distressful preoccupation with a perceived defect in appearance. The perceived flaw in appearance is minimal or unnoticed by others. BDD was considered an anxiety disorder in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, fourth edition (DSM-IV). In the DSM-V, it was added to the obsessive-compulsive and related disorders category. The objective of this literature review was to explore the psychiatric comorbidities and the risk of suicide associated with OCD and BDD. Our study results showed OCD and BDD share common genetic and environmental risk factors, clinical features, and sociodemographic profiles. Both OCD and BDD are related disorders that commonly coexist. The suicide risk in OCD is increased as the intensity of the obsessions, trait perfectionism, and alexithymia increases. The suicide risk in BDD is increased by the presence of other disorders such as substance use disorder, major depressive disorder, eating and personality disorders. People with comorbid OCD-BDD have high morbidity, a decrease in insight and poor psychosocial functions. They have higher rates of anxiety, schizotypal features, and suicidal ideation compared to those with BDD or OCD alone.

Traits, Trends, and Trajectory of Tween and Teen Cyberbullies

Digital communication has revolutionized the way children interact and maintain social relations. However, not every tween (8-12 years) or teen (13-18 years) is able to take full advantage of digital media and may cross personal and social boundaries causing distress, mostly to their own friends at school and beyond. This results in adverse health effects for both the cyberbullying perpetrator and the victim. Articles reviewed on elementary school children and adolescents, collected from two different databases, showed that the number of elementary school kids using smartphones has more than doubled in the past few years. Given this rise, the risk of cyberbullying has also increased. Not all elementary school kids have the required media literacy to understand that their friends have equal rights in the virtual world as they do in the schoolyard. Regardless, they still carry a smartphone with data, use computers, and other electronic media to bully, embarrass, exclude, or humiliate others, often through social networking sites. Moving from tweens to teens seems to worsen the cyberbully behavior and choices, with middle school kids facing the highest cyberbullying incidents followed by high school kids and then the elementary school kids. The anonymity of cyberspace and the perceived lack of consequences seems to embolden the cyberbully. Identifying the mindset of a cyberbully and those at high risk of becoming a cyberbully can help target intervention efforts where they are needed the most and prevent cyberbullying. 

The Association of Bullying and Suicidality: Does it Affect the Pediatric Population?

Over the last few years, bullying has been identified as one of the significant issues in the pediatric population. Reports also found that bullied youth have a higher risk of developing suicidality. Although preventable, suicide remains the leading cause of death in young people. This literature review aims to establish the association of bullying and the suicidality of the pediatric group (0-18 years of age). A PubMed search was conducted to find studies associating bullying and suicidality in the pediatric population. MeSH keyword strategy, along with subheadings, was used to retrieve appropriate literature. A total of 42 articles were included after the careful examination and application of exclusion and inclusion criteria. This study showed a strong association between bullying and suicidality, albeit the presence of some contradictory ideas.

Does Catheter Ablation Lower the Long-Term Risk of Stroke and Mortality in Patients with Atrial Fibrillation? A Concise Review of the Current State of Knowledge

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common cardiac arrhythmia worldwide and carries a significant risk of morbidity and mortality. Multiple trials have highlighted the benefit of catheter ablation over medical therapy in restoring sinus rhythm and improving quality of life. Whether it reduces long-term risk of stroke and mortality is still unclear.

We performed a literature search using the PubMed database to review the current state of knowledge regarding the long-term outcomes of stroke and mortality in ablated patients compared to patients who receive medical therapy. Our review mainly consisted of recent randomized controlled trials and large observational studies. 

Results from large observational studies show that catheter ablation significantly reduces the risk of stroke in high-risk patients and mortality compared to medical therapy. However, randomized controlled trials have only demonstrated a mortality benefit in patients with comorbid systolic heart failure. In patients with paroxysmal AF, ablation therapy significantly limits the progression to persistent AF and has a higher efficacy in restoring sinus rhythm. Maintenance of sinus rhythm is the most important factor associated with lower long term risk of stroke and mortality.

Large randomized controlled trials similar to the Catheter Ablation Versus Anti-arrhythmic Drug Therapy for Atrial Fibrillation (CABANA) trial are still needed to clarify whether catheter ablation is superior over medical therapy in improving the long-term outcomes of stroke and mortality.

Catheter Ablation vs. Medical Treatment in Patients With Atrial Fibrillation

Atrial fibrillation has become the most commonly seen cardiac arrhythmia in clinical practice affecting almost 5.6 million Americans with that number expected to rise in the near future. The current literature review is aimed to assess the efficacy of catheter ablation in the treatment of patients with atrial fibrillation when compared to standard medical therapy. A PubMed search for studies of "Atrial Fibrillation" found 83,251 articles. Following the application of inclusion/exclusion criteria, we identified 44 articles of relevance that compared catheter ablation and medical therapy in the treatment of atrial fibrillation. These 44 articles included 20 Observational studies, eight randomized clinical trials, three clinical trials, five cohort studies, and eight review articles. Our review determined that catheter ablation was associated with a much lower rate of reoccurrence of atrial fibrillation when compared to medical therapy, as well as decreased cardiovascular outpatient visits and thromboembolic complications. The effect of quality on life when compared to medical treatment, however, was found to be inconclusive.