Exploring Blood Glutamate as a Diagnostic Biomarker for Major Depressive Episodes in a context of Major Depressive Disorder.

Introduction: Major depressive disorder (MDD) represents a critical public health issue, impacting millions globally and significantly contributing to disability-adjusted life years (DALYs). Major Depressive Episode (MDE) is a feature of MDD characterized by severe depressive symptoms. The role of glutamate, a primary excitatory neurotransmitter, in MDD has been extensively studied and several drugs improving MDE/MDD impact the glutamate cascade; however, findings regarding blood glutamate levels in patients with a current MDE in a context of MDD remain inconsistent.

Fetoception: a window into maternal interoception?

Fetoception refers to the maternal detection and integration of signals originating from the fetus, particularly the perception of fetal movements. This process reflects a specific form of maternal interoception, the central nervous system's capacity to process internal bodily signals. As such, fetoception offers a unique window into maternal interoceptive processing during pregnancy, a period marked by profound physiological and sensory changes.

Atypical visual hallucinations in vascular depression following cerebellar stroke.

Cerebrovascular abnormalities may predispose, precipitate, or perpetuate depressive symptoms in old adults, supported by the hypothesis of vascular depression. These depressive episodes are sometimes accompanied by atypical neurological symptoms associated with localized vascular lesions in the brain. We present the case of an 84-year-old man with vascular depression who experienced visual hallucinations and dizziness, coinciding with the incidental discovery of a cerebellar stroke.

The Gut Microbiota Is Altered in Antidepressant-Free Depressed Patients and Is Associated With Depression Severity.

Interest in the microbiota-gut-brain axis is increasing, but data on the associations between the microbiota and major depressive disorder (MDD), particularly in relation to symptomatology and treatment response, remain scarce and inconsistent. This study aims at characterizing the gut microbiota of antidepressant-free MDD patients with a Major Depressive Episode (MDE) in comparison to healthy controls (HCs) and to investigate whether microbiota composition is associated with depression severity. Twenty-five adults with a current MDE, who had been antidepressant-free for at least 1 month, were evaluated for both depression severity and fecal microbiota composition using 16S rRNA sequencing.

Echoes of Pregnancy: Maternal Perception of Phantom Foetal Movements After Childbirth.

Objective: Phantom foetal movements (PFMs) refer to the perception of foetal-like abdominal sensations following pregnancy. Despite their prevalence, PFMs remain insufficiently studied, and their underlying mechanisms are poorly understood. This study aimed to examine the prevalence, characteristics and associated factors of PFMs in the general population.

Flowers for Algernon: How metacognition affects quality of life in schizophrenia. Structural equation modeling with the FACE-SZ cohort.

Background And Hypothesis: We examined the association between metacognitive performance, functioning, and quality of life (QoL) in schizophrenia using structural equation model analyses.

Study Design: A sample of 249 participants was assessed for symptoms, functioning, QoL, and both objective and subjective cognitive performance. Metacognitive performance was defined as the adequation between objective and subjective measures of cognitive performance.

Electroconvulsive therapy in erotomanic delusion: a path to belief updating.

Objective: Erotomania is a rare delusional disorder marked by the persistent, unfounded belief that another person is in love with the affected individual. While antipsychotic medications may alleviate the intensity of delusions, the core belief often persists, leading to significant emotional distress and potential behavioral risks. The aim of this study was to illustrate the potential therapeutic role of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) in the treatment of chronic, treatment-resistant erotomania.

Effects of experiencing the COVID-19 pandemic on optimistically biased belief updating.

Optimistically biased belief updating is essential for mental health and resilience in adversity. Here, we asked how experiencing the COVID-19 pandemic affected optimism biases in updating beliefs about the future. One hundred and twenty-three participants estimated the risk of experiencing adverse future life events in the face of belief-disconfirming evidence either outside the pandemic (n=58) or during the pandemic (n=65).

Treatment strategies for clozapine-induced sialorrhea in France: A systematic review.

Background: Clozapine-induced hypersialorrhoea (or hypersalivation) is a common side effect, and at present there is no therapeutic strategy with a validated indication to treat it. The corrective strategies proposed in the scientific literature have varying degrees of validity. As a result, it is important to regularly update the available data and to make proposals that are in line with the specialties available in each country.

How mood shapes belief updating bias in depression.

Major depressive disorder (MDD) is characterized by mood-congruent beliefs, such as devaluation, unworthiness, helplessness, pessimism, or guilt. These depressive beliefs could cause and maintain emotional and behavioral disturbances, playing a central role in MDD prognosis. Drawing on studies exploring how mood affects information processing, we propose a mechanistic theory of belief updating in depression.

Phantom fetal movements after pregnancy termination: a risk factor for pathological grief?

Background: Phantom fetal movements (PFM) are sensations resembling fetal kicks or shifts that persist after pregnancy, including following miscarriage or termination. While PFM are commonly reported, their underlying mechanisms and psychological impact remain poorly understood. Emerging evidence suggests they may contribute to emotional distress, particularly in cases of perinatal loss.

Electroconvulsive therapy in depression with twin pregnancy.

The use of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) during twin pregnancy has been insufficiently studied, and there is limited evidence regarding its safety. Here, we present a case of successful use of ECT for severe major depressive disorder during twin pregnancy. The patient suffers from psychotic depression with catatonic presentation and Cotard syndrome (delusions with denial of internal organs).

Reshaping computational neuropsychiatry beyond synaptopathy.

Computational neuropsychiatry is a leading discipline in explaining psychopathology in terms of neuronal message passing, distributed processing and belief propagation in neuronal networks. Active Inference (AI) is a way of representing this dysfunctional signal processing. According to the AI approach, all neuronal processing and action selection can be explained by maximizing Bayesian model evidence or minimizing variational free energy.

Bayesian brain theory: Computational neuroscience of belief.

Bayesian brain theory, a computational framework grounded in the principles of Predictive Processing (PP), proposes a mechanistic account of how beliefs are formed and updated. This theory assumes that the brain encodes a generative model of its environment, made up of probabilistic beliefs organized in networks, from which it generates predictions about future sensory inputs. The difference between predictions and sensory signals produces prediction errors, which are used to update belief networks.

Exploring the interplay of clinical reasoning and artificial intelligence in psychiatry: Current insights and future directions.

For many years, it has been widely accepted in the psychiatric field that clinical practice cannot be reduced to finely tuned statistical prediction systems utilizing diverse clinical data. Clinicians are recognized for their unique and irreplaceable roles. In this brief historical overview, viewed through the lens of artificial intelligence (AI), we propose that comprehending the reasoning behind AI can enhance our understanding of clinical reasoning.

Clues for improvement of research in objective structured clinical examination.

While objective clinical structured examination (OSCE) is a worldwide recognized and effective method to assess clinical skills of undergraduate medical students, the latest Ottawa conference on the assessment of competences raised vigorous debates regarding the future and innovations of OSCE. This study aimed to provide a comprehensive view of the global research activity on OSCE over the past decades and to identify clues for its improvement. We performed a bibliometric and scientometric analysis of OSCE papers published until March 2024.

Management strategies for antidepressant-related sexual dysfunction.

Antidepressant-related sexual dysfunction is one of the most frequently met adverse effects for individuals suffering from major depressive disorder. When primary prevention by non-pharmacological measures fails, empirical coping strategies might be proposed. In this article, we present a brief overview of pharmacological strategies for antidepressant-related sexual dysfunction, considering antidepressants and conceivable corrective medications.

Storm on predictive brain: A neurocomputational account of ketamine antidepressant effect.

For the past decade, ketamine, an N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAr) antagonist, has been considered a promising treatment for major depressive disorder (MDD). Unlike the delayed effect of monoaminergic treatment, ketamine may produce fast-acting antidepressant effects hours after a single administration at subanesthetic dose. Along with these antidepressant effects, it may also induce transient dissociative (disturbing of the sense of self and reality) symptoms during acute administration which resolve within hours.