Most external peripheral nerve stimulation devices designed to alter mood states use electrical energy, but mechanical stimulation for activation of somatosensory pathways may be harnessed for potential therapeutic neuromodulation. A novel investigational device for Mechanical Affective Touch Therapy (MATT) was created to stimulate C-tactile fibers through gentle vibrations delivered by piezoelectric actuators on the bilateral …
Category: Psychiatry
Psychological Distress Before and During the COVID-19 Pandemic Among Adults in the United Kingdom Based on Coordinated Analyses of 11 Longitudinal Studies
How population mental health has evolved across the COVID-19 pandemic under varied lockdown measures is poorly understood, and the consequences for health inequalities are unclear. Objective To investigate changes in mental health and sociodemographic inequalities from before and across the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic in 11 longitudinal studies. Design, Setting, and Participants This …
Antidepressants and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) for patients with depression: Analysis of the medical expenditure panel survey from the United States
BackgroundDespite the empirical literature demonstrating the efficacy of antidepressant medications for treatment of depression disorder, these medicationsβ effect on patientsβ overall well-being and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) remains controversial. This study investigates the effect of antidepressant medication use on patient-reported HRQoL for patients who have depression. MethodsA comparative cohort, secondary database analysis was conducted …
Depressive disorders are associated with increased peripheral blood cell deformability: a cross-sectional case-control study (Mood-Morph)
Pathophysiological landmarks of depressive disorders are chronic low-grade inflammation and elevated glucocorticoid output. Both can potentially interfere with cytoskeleton organization, cell membrane bending and cell function, suggesting altered cell morpho-rheological properties like cell deformability and other cell mechanical features in depressive disorders. We performed a cross-sectional case-control study using the image-based morpho-rheological characterization of unmanipulated …
Eczema is a shared risk factor for anxiety and depression: A meta-analysis and systematic review
Globally, anxiety and depression are the most common psychiatric disorders that add large burdens to individuals and society; however, the mechanisms underlying these disorders are unclear. Several studies have found that eczema is a shared risk factor for both these conditions. We identified and evaluated eligible observational studies from EMBASE and PubMed. In total, 20 …