Loneliness, internalizing symptoms, and inflammatory markers in adolescent COVID-19 survivors

BACKGROUND

Concerns about the psychiatric sequelae after COVID-19 infection have increased as the pandemic spreads worldwide. The increase in self-isolation during this pandemic period has also revealed the importance of feelings of loneliness. This study aimed to examine the relationship between baseline inflammation levels, internalizing symptoms, and feelings of loneliness in adolescent COVID-19 survivors in the long term.

METHODS

A total of 74 adolescents (41 girls, 55.4%, mean age 14.88) and their parents were included in the study. This cross-sectional study assessed internalizing symptoms via Revised Children's Anxiety and Depression Scale (RCADS) and feelings of loneliness using the UCLA-loneliness scale. Baseline inflammatory markers at COVID-19 diagnosis were collected. Logistic regression analysis was used to determine predictors for depression in adolescents.

RESULTS

The most common disorder was Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) (25.7%), and 33.8% of the adolescents were in the clinical range in at least one internalizing domain. Baseline C-Reactive Protein (CRP) levels correlated weakly with MDD scores. Loneliness scores correlated with all internalizing symptoms, strong association with MDD scores. Loneliness, anxiety, and parental anxiety were associated with an increased likelihood of MDD. Baseline CRP positivity did not predict MDD in adolescent COVID-19 survivors.

CONCLUSIONS

This study indicates that anxiety, loneliness, and parental anxiety play an important role in adolescents' experience of depressive symptoms after COVID-19 infection. Thus, screening parental psychopathology and loneliness in COVID-19 survivors seems to be preventive for adolescent mental health problems.

Psychiatric symptoms in children with COVID-19, mothers` psychological resilience and related factors: pandemic hospital inpatient experiences

BACKGROUND

Information on psychological problems and affecting factors in children hospitalized with the suspicion or diagnosis of COVID-19 is limited. We aimed to screen the psychiatric symptoms of children hospitalized with COVID-19 in Ankara City Children`s Hospital and evaluate the caregivers` depression, anxiety, stress, and resilience levels during hospitalization.

METHODS

Among the children and adolescents hospitalized in Ankara City Children`s Hospital between 1 May 2020 and 31 May 2020 due to the diagnosis of COVID-19, those who agreed to participate in the study were included. The Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ), the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale-21 (DASS- 21) scale, and the Brief Resilience Scale (BRS) were used to determine the symptoms.

RESULTS

The mean age of study group (n = 49) was 8.7 ± 5.0 years, 59.2% (n = 29) were girls. The mean children`s SDQ-externalizing problems scores were higher in the COVID-19 positive mothers group than the COVID-19 negative mothers` group. The SDQ-total score was positively and strongly correlated with the DASS total score, DASS-depression score, and DASS-anxiety score. BRS scale scores were negatively correlated with the SDQtotal, externalizing, and DASS-21scale scores.

CONCLUSIONS

COVID-19 positivity in mothers could be associated with externalizing problems in children. The high resilience of caregivers of inpatients seems to be related to less psychopathology in children. During hospitalization, caregivers` psychological evaluation and psychosocial support may be important for preventive child mental health.

Finding underlying genetic mechanisms of two patients with autism spectrum disorder carrying familial apparently balanced chromosomal translocations

BACKGROUND

Genetic etiologies of autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are complex, and the genetic factors identified so far are very diverse. In complex genetic diseases such as ASD, de novo or inherited chromosomal abnormalities are valuable findings for researchers with respect to identifying the underlying genetic risk factors. With gene mapping studies on these chromosomal abnormalities, dozens of genes have been associated with ASD and other neurodevelopmental genetic diseases. In the present study, we aimed to idenitfy the causative genetic factors in patients with ASD who have an apparently balanced chromosomal translocation in their karyotypes.

METHODS

For mapping the broken genes as a result of chromosomal translocations, we performed whole genome DNA sequencing. Chromosomal breakpoints and large DNA copy number variations (CNV) were determined after genome alignment. Identified CNVs and single nucleotide variations (SNV) were evaluated with VCF-BED intersect and Gemini tools, respectively. A targeted resequencing approach was performed on the JMJD1C gene in all of the ASD cohorts (220 patients). For molecular modeling, we used a homology modeling approach via the SWISS-MODEL.

RESULTS

We found that there was no contribution of the broken genes or regulator DNA sequences to ASD, whereas the SNVs on the JMJD1C, CNKSR2 and DDX11 genes were the most convincing genetic risk factors for underlying ASD phenotypes.

CONCLUSIONS

Genetic etiologies of ASD should be analyzed comprehensively by taking into account of the all chromosomal structural abnormalities and de novo or inherited CNV/SNVs with all possible inheritance patterns.

Serum Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF) Level in Children with Specific Learning Disabilities

OBJECTIVE

Specific learning disorder (SLD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder frequently seen in childhood with deficits in many areas of functioning. Although the etiology of SLD is known to be multifactorial, research findings are limited. In this study, we aimed to compare the serum levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in children with SLD to healthy children to find out whether BDNF has a role in the pathophysiology of SLD.

METHOD

The study included 30 children between the ages of 7-12, diagnosed with SLD and 30 age and gender matched healthy controls. The groups were tested on the Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia Interview Schedule for School-age Children-Now and Lifetime Form (K-SADS-PL), the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-revised form (WISC-R), the Teacher Information Form (TIF) and the Specific Learning Difficulty Battery (SLDB).

RESULTS

No difference the serum BDNF levels in children with SLD and the healthy controls. BDNF levels did not correlate with the WISC-R scores and reading rate in the SLD group.

CONCLUSION

An association was not determined between SLD and and serum BDNF levels. Our study was the first to investigate this relationship and provided preliminary data on this topic. There is a need for further studies with large patient groups of phenotypic homogeneity.

Neuropeptide Y Levels in Children and Adolescents with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

OBJECTIVE

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is one of the most common psychiatric disorders in adolescence, however, the etiology has not been described. Neuropeptide Y (NPY) is one potential factor that may be involved in the etiology of ADHD. The goal of this study was to evaluate NPY levels in children with ADHD and compare the findings to healthy controls.

METHODS

Forty-eight ADHD patients and 40 healthy controls were included in this study. The age range of ADHD patients was 6 to 16 years. All patients were diagnosed according to the fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-V).

RESULTS

The NPY levels of children with ADHD were compared to healthy controls but were not significantly different (t (86)= -0.887,  p= 0.378). NPY levels were similar (F= 0.191, p= 0.826) between ADHD presentations, and included 8 children with predominantly hyperactive-impulsive type (14.3%), 14 children with predominantly inattentive type (30.4%), and 26 children with a combined type (55.4%). There was also no difference between ADHD patients using medical treatment, ADHD patients not using medical treatment, and control subjects in terms of NPY levels (F= 0.572, p= 0.566). There was a significant positive correlation between age and NPY levels in the ADHD group (r= 0.349, p= 0.015).

CONCLUSION

This study demonstrated that the NPY levels of ADHD subjects were not different than those of controls. Future studies with homogeneous phenotypes and a larger sample population are needed.