Mitochondrial gene expression profiles in PTG in the amygdala of a PTSD model following corticosterone therapy.

The metabolic and neuronal mechanisms underlying the development of posttraumatic growth (PTG) following corticosterone (CORT) therapy in patients with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are not well defined. In this study, we assess differential gene expression (DEG) profiles associated with mitochondrial function in the amygdala of a PTSD rodent model using a mitochondrial focused gene array chip for both metabolic and neuronal functions. Amygdala tissue samples were excised from four groups of rats (N = 10 each) including: non-stressed control, stressed alone, CORT therapy alone, and CORT therapy with stress.

Acquisition and extinction of active avoidance compulsive-like behavior in mice.

Approximately 90% of adults have ever experienced obsessions, yet less than 3% of them develop OCD. It is hypothesized that excessive fear of negative events contributes to OCD onset and development, which is related to the individual differences in psychopathology and neurophysiology associated with OCD among those who experience obsessions. To explore the hypothesis, this study examined if a fear-inducing aversive footshock could induce compulsive-like lever-pressing behavior in mice, the effects of extinction treatments on the compulsive-like behavior, and how the expression of tryptophan hydroxylase 2 (TPH2) in the amygdala would be regulated.

Association of 5-HTTLPR With Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder in US Service Members.

Objective: Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a mental disorder that manifests after exposure to a stressful traumatic event, such as combat experience. Accumulated evidence indicates an important genetic influence in the development of PTSD. The serotonin transporter (5-HTT) gene has been identified as a candidate for PTSD and a polymorphism of the serotonin transporter-linked promoter region (5-HTTLPR) is associated with the disorder in the general population.

Sex-related difference of association of mitochondrial DNA copy number with PTSD in U.S. service members.

Gender differences in the lifetime prevalence of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) have been well described with rates reported as approximately 10%-12% in females and 5%-6% in males (Olff, 2017). This study examined whether the sex-related difference of mitochondrial DNA copy number (mtDNAcn), an emerging systemic index of mitochondrial biogenesis and function can serve as a potential biomarker for PTSD. Leukocyte mtDNAcn of service members with PTSD (male = 127, female = 24) or without PTSD (male = 621, female = 78) was assessed using a TaqMan assay.

Left Amygdala Functional Connectivity Decreased after Fear of Negative Events was Disregarded in Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder.

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a chronic and debilitating mental disorder that affects patients throughout their lives, leading to a diminished quality of life for patients and families, reduced productivity, and higher health care costs. It is of clinical and theoretical importance to investigate a more efficacious therapeutic approach for OCD and the neurophysiological mechanism underlying the efficacy of treatment, potentially associated with the etiology of OCD. Recently, a novel psychotherapy designated cognitive-coping therapy (CCT) has been reported to have a large effect size in OCD treatment.

Decreased left amygdala functional connectivity by cognitive-coping therapy in obsessive-compulsive disorder.

It is of great clinical importance to explore more efficacious treatments for OCD. Recently, cognitive-coping therapy (CCT), mainly focusing on recognizing and coping with a fear of negative events, has been reported as an efficacious psychotherapy. However, the underlying neurophysiological mechanism remains unknown.

Effects of short-term cognitive-coping therapy on resting-state brain function in obsessive-compulsive disorder.

Background: Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) tends to be treatment refractory. Recently, cognitive-coping therapy (CCT) for OCD is reported to be an efficacious psychotherapy. However, the underlying neurophysiological mechanism remains unknown.

Effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Obsessive-Compulsive Symptoms Among University Students: Prospective Cohort Survey Study.

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic is associated with common mental health problems. However, evidence for the association between fear of COVID-19 and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is limited.

Objective: This study aimed to examine if fear of negative events affects Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale (Y-BOCS) scores in the context of a COVID-19-fear-invoking environment.

Potential chemokine biomarkers associated with PTSD onset, risk and resilience as well as stress responses in US military service members.

Cytokines, including chemokines, are small secreted proteins, which specifically effect on the interactions and communications between cells. Pro-inflammatory cytokines are produced predominantly by activated macrophages and are involved in the upregulation of inflammatory reactions. Dysregulation of cytokines is associated with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Genetic association of FKBP5 with PTSD in US service members deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan.

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a debilitating mental disorder with a prevalence of more than 7% in the US population and 12% in the military. An interaction of childhood trauma with FKBP5 (a glucocorticoid-regulated immunophilin) has been reported to be associated with PTSD in the general population. However, there are few reports on the association of FKBP5 with PTSD, particularly in important high-risk population such as the military.

Clinical remission of a treatment-refractory individual with severe repetitive rituals and rumination.

Background: Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a severe chronic mental disorder and tends to be refractory to pharmacotherapy or psychotherapy. For treatment-refractory patients, neurosurgical interventions are options. 64 % of OCD patients who undergo neurosurgery still have greater than 16 in the Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale (Y-BOCS) after a long-term follow-up.

Updates in PTSD Animal Models Characterization.

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a chronic, debilitating mental disorder afflicting more than 7% of the US population and 12% of military service members. Since the Afghanistan and Iraq wars, thousands of US service members have returned home with PTSD. Despite recent progress, the molecular mechanisms underlying the pathology of PTSD are poorly understood.

Association between leukocyte telomere length and hostility in US army service members.

Hostility is a common form of emotionally charged anger which can lead to maladaptive and unhealthy behaviors. Significant association between shortened telomeres and greater levels of hostility has been observed in civilian populations, but has not yet been comprehensively studied in military populations. Our study investigates the relationship between hostility, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and leukocyte telomere length (LTL) in a sample of United States Army Special Operations personnel (n = 474) who deployed to Iraq and/or Afghanistan as part of combat operations.

Duration of untreated psychosis (DUP) and outcome of people with schizophrenia in rural China: 14-year follow-up study.

This study aims to examine the relationship between the duration of untreated psychosis (DUP) and 14-year outcomes of schizophrenia in a Chinese rural area. Participants with schizophrenia (n = 510) were identified in an epidemiological investigation of 123 572 people aged 15 years and older in 1994 and followed up in 2008 in Xinjin, Chengdu, China. Longer DUP (>6 months) was common in participants (27.

Effectiveness of cognitive-coping therapy and alteration of resting-state brain function in obsessive-compulsive disorder.

Background: Cognitive-coping therapy (CCT), integrating cognitive theory with stress-coping theory, is an efficacious therapy for obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). However, the potential brain mediation for the effectiveness remains unclear. We sought to investigate differences of resting-state brain function between OCD and healthy controls and if such differences would be changed by a four-week CCT.

Post-traumatic stress disorder risk and brain-derived neurotrophic factor Val66Met.

Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), which regulates neuronal survival, growth differentiation, and synapse formation, is known to be associated with depression and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). However, the molecular mechanism for those mental disorders remains unknown. Studies have shown that BDNF is associated with PTSD risk and exaggerated startle reaction (a major arousal manifestation of PTSD) in United States military service members who were deployed during the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Telomere length - a cellular aging marker for depression and Post-traumatic Stress Disorder.

Telomeres play a central role in cell fate and aging by adjusting the cellular response to both biological and psychological stress. Human telomeres are regions of tandem TTAGGG repeats at chromosomal ends that protect chromosomes from degradation, fusion, and recombination. They are made up of approximately 1000-2500 copies of the repeated DNA sequence.

Cognitive-coping therapy for obsessive-compulsive disorder: a randomized controlled trial.

Pharmacotherapy and cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) are widely used to treat obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). These treatments have helped many patients with OCD, but there still is room for improvement. Recently, a promising psychotherapy for OCD, cognitive-coping therapy (CCT), has been developed.

A promising randomized trial of a new therapy for obsessive-compulsive disorder.

Pharmacotherapy and cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) are currently the most effective interventions for treating obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). These treatments, however, are time consuming and in some cases the patients do not show significant improvement. In all, 30%-60% of OCD patients do not respond adequately to pharmacotherapy and 20%-40% of OCD patients who complete CBT do not improve significantly, suggesting a more efficacious approach is needed.

Alpha-linolenic acid is a potent neuroprotective agent against soman-induced neuropathology.

Nerve agents are deadly threats to military and civilian populations around the world. Nerve agents cause toxicity to peripheral and central sites through the irreversible inhibition of acetylcholinesterase, the enzyme that metabolizes acetylcholine. Excessive acetylcholine accumulation in synapses results in status epilepticus in the central nervous system.

Startle response related genes.

The startle reaction (also known as the startle response, the startle reflex, or the alarm reaction) is the psychological and physiological response to a sudden unexpected stimulus, such as a flash of light, a loud noise (acoustic startle reflex), or a quick movement near the face. Abnormalities of startle response have been observed in many stress-related mental disorders, such as schizophrenia and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). However, the molecular mechanisms of startle in stress-associated conditions--for example, whether the startle reaction is associated with any gene variance--is still unknown.

P11 expression and PET in bipolar disorders.

Background: Bipolar disorder (BD) is a common mental disorder, subdivided into BD-I and BD-II. Currently, few biomarkers differentiate BD-I from BD-II. However, it is suggested that peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) mRNA levels of p11 and positron emission tomography (PET) might be potential biomarkers for BD.