ABSTRACT
Circadian rhythm disruptions are a hallmark feature of mood disorders. Patients experiencing acute depressive episodes report noticeable changes in their sleep-wake cycles. This research explains the association between depression and various circadian rhythm metrics, explicitly focusing on adolescents diagnosed with depressive disorders. Adolescence is a critical period marked by significant physiological and psychological changes, making it imperative to understand how mood disorders manifest during this phase. However, there have been minimal specific studies in pediatric populations to determine whether circadian rhythm changes differ between adolescents with first and multiple-recurrent depressive episodes. Our study involved a group of 61 adolescents aged between 13 and 18. We performed a cross-sectional study of a clinical population of patients presenting to a child and adolescent psychiatry clinic diagnosed with depression. Participants were asked to complete self-report evaluations using several tools: the Korean version of the Biological Rhythms Interview of Assessment in Neuropsychiatry (K-BRIAN), the Korean Translation of Composite Scale to Measure Morningness-Eveningness (KtCS), and the Seasonal Pattern Assessment Questionnaire (SPAQ). Tools such as the Children's Depression Inventory (CDI), State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI), and K-Mood Disorder Questionnaire (K-MDQ) were employed for the assessment of clinical characteristics of depression. Based on the frequency of their depressive episodes, participants were bifurcated into two distinct groups: those experiencing their first episode (n = 22, mean age: 15.09 ± 1.44 years) and those with recurrent episodes (n = 39, mean age: 15.95 ± 1.26 years). At first, the two groups' data revealed no significant differences regarding mood or circadian rhythm metrics (CDI: first episode 26.18 ± 10.54 and recurrent episode 25.90 ± 10.59, STAI-S: first episode 56.91 ± 12.12 and recurrent episode 57.49 ± 11.93, STAI-T: first episode 60.36 ± 11.63 and recurrent episode 59.09 ± 12.10, SPAQ-total: first episode 6.59 ± 4.86 and recurrent episode 6.77 ± 5.23, KtCS: first episode 30.32 ± 5.83 and recurrent episode 28.13 ± 7.36). However, we observed significant correlations between circadian rhythm disruptions and depression scales (CDI with SPAQ-weight (r = 0.26), KtCS (r = -0.48), K-BRIAN-sleep (r = 0.58), K-BRIAN-activity (r = 0.64), K-BRIAN-social (r = 0.71), and K-BRIAN-eating (r = 0.40)). These correlations were especially pronounced in the recurrent episode group, suggesting that with the progression and chronicity of depression, the relationship between circadian rhythms and depression becomes more intertwined and evident. In conclusion, especially in adolescents, as the severity and chronicity of depression increase, the interplay between circadian rhythms and mood disorders becomes more pronounced, warranting further research and clinical attention.
ABSTRACT
Objectives: The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic has had various effects on mankind, especially children and adolescents. Because children and adolescents spend a lot of time at school, COVID-19 has had a great impact on school mental health. In this study, we investigated the effect of prolonged COVID-19 on school mental health. Methods: We prepared self-report questionnaires for depression (Children's Depression Inventory, CDI), anxiety (Korean version of the Penn State Worry Questionnaire for Children; Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7, GAD-7), and post-traumatic stress (Primary Care Post-traumatic Stress Disorder, PC-PTSD) for administering to students aged between 7 and 18 years, recruited by a COVID-19 psychological prevention support group in the Gwangmyeong Mental Health Welfare Center for 2 years, in 2020 and 2021. Results: For children aged 7-12 years, there was no significant difference between the years 2020 and 2021 in the assessment of depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress. Conversely, for adolescents aged 13-18 years, there was a significant increase in the scale scores (CDI, PC-PTSD, and GAD-7). Conclusion: Prolonged COVID-19 might have had a significant impact on the mental health of adolescents who spent a lot of time at school. When comparing the years 2020 and 2021, middle and high school students were more affected by COVID-19 than elementary school students.
ABSTRACT
Objective: Cyber addiction, which is more vulnerable in adolescents, is defined as the excessive use of computers and the Internet that causes serious psychological, social, and physical problems. In this study, we investigated the resting-state functional connectivity (rsFC) in adolescents with cyber addiction. Methods: We collected and analyzed resting-state functional neuroimaging data of 20 patients with cyber addiction, aged 13-18 years, and 27 healthy controls. Based on previous studies, the seed regions included the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, medial orbitofrontal cortex, lateral orbitofrontal cortex, dorsal anterior cingulate cortex, insula, hippocampus, amygdala, nucleus accumbens, and the ventral tegmental area. Seed-to-voxel analyses were performed to investigate the differences between patients and healthy controls. A correlation analysis between rsFC and cyber addiction severity was also performed. Results: Patients with cyber addiction showed the following characteristics: increased positive rsFC between the left insular-right middle temporal gyrus; increased positive rsFC between the right hippocampus-right precentral gyrus; increased positive rsFC between the right amygdala-right precentral gyrus and right parietal operculum cortex; increased negative rsFC between the left nucleus accumbens-right cerebellum crus II and right cerebellum VI. Conclusion: Adolescents with cyber addiction show altered functional connectivity during the resting state. The findings of this study may help us better understand the neuropathology of cyber addiction in adolescents.
ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: To analyze the relationship between seizure threshold (ST) and psychotropic drugs in patients treated with ECT. METHODS: We examined clinical data from 43 patients. ST was titrated at each treatment session. We examined associations between ST and psychotropic drugs using multivariate correlation analyses. Data are presented as initial ST, the difference in ST between the first and 10th sessions (ΔST10th), and the mean difference in ST between the first and last sessions (mean ΔSTlast). RESULTS: Multivariate regression analyses showed associations between initial ST and the total chlorpromazine-equivalent dose of antipsychotics (ß=0.363, p<0.05). The total fluoxetine-equivalent dose of antidepressants was associated with ΔST10th (ß=0.486, p<0.01) and mean ΔSTlast (ß=0.472, p<0.01). CONCLUSION: Our study elucidated possible effects of psychotropic drugs on ST shifts. Larger doses of antipsychotics were associated with higher initial ST, whereas higher doses of antidepressants were associated with stronger shifts in ST.
ABSTRACT
UNLABELLED: The Fraxel laser has been a useful method for skin resurfacing. According to recent reports, vitamin C has beneficial effects for the skin. However, there is a paucity of data about the effect of vitamin C associated with the Fraxel laser. This study aimed to assess the effect of topical vitamin C as a post-Fraxel regimen. The study involved 44 Koreans, who wished to improve their facial skin aesthetics. All the patients were treated by Fraxel laser twice, with a 4-week interval between treatments. Beginning on day 1, the treatment group used a topical vitamin C agent as a post-Fraxel regimen for 12 weeks. The control group was told not to apply any topical agents. At every visit (0, 4, 8, and 12 weeks after the first Fraxel), colorimetric status, stratum corneum hydration, skin surface lipids, skin pH, and transepidermal water loss (TEWL) were measured. The parameters showing significant differences were TEWL and pH. Stratum corneum hydration, skin surface lipids, and colorimetric status showed no statistically significant differences between the two groups. Topical vitamin C application reduces the injury of the skin's surface barrier after Fraxel laser and promotes restoration of skin pH. However, there is a limit with increasing skin lightness or decreasing skin redness. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE II: This journal requires that authors assign a level of evidence to each article.
