The bispectral electroencephalography (BSEEG) method quantifies post-operative delirium-like states in young and aged male mice after head mount implantation surgery.

Delirium, a syndrome characterized by an acute change in attention, awareness, and cognition, is commonly observed in older adults, although there are few quantitative monitoring methods in the clinical setting. We developed a bispectral electroencephalography (BSEEG) method capable of detecting delirium and can quantify the severity of delirium using a novel algorithm. Pre-clinical application of this novel BSEEG method can capture a delirium-like state in mice following LPS administration. However, its application to postoperative delirium (POD) has not yet been validated in animal experiments. This study aimed to create a POD model in mice with the BSEEG method by monitoring BSEEG scores following EEG head-mount implantation surgery and throughout the recovery. We compared the BSEEG scores of C57BL/6J young (2-3 months old) with aged (18-19 months old) male mice for quantitative evaluation of POD-like states. Postoperatively, both groups displayed increased BSEEG scores and a loss of regular diurnal changes in BSEEG scores. In young mice, BSEEG scores and regular diurnal changes recovered relatively quickly to baseline by postoperative day 3. Conversely, aged mice exhibited prolonged increases in postoperative BSEEG scores and it reached steady states only after postoperative day 8. This study suggests that the BSEEG method can be utilized as a quantitative measure of POD and assess the effect of aging on recovery from POD in the pre-clinical model.

Genome-wide DNA methylation analysis in female veterans with military sexual trauma and comorbid PTSD/MDD.

BACKGROUND: Military sexual trauma (MST) is a prevalent issue within the U.S. military. Victims are more likely to develop comorbid diseases such as posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and major depressive disorder (MDD). Nonetheless, not everyone who suffers from MST develops PTSD and/or MDD. DNA methylation, which can regulate gene expression, might give us insight into the molecular mechanisms behind this discrepancy. Therefore, we sought to identify genomic loci and enriched biological pathways that differ between patients with and without MST, PTSD, and MDD. METHODS: Saliva samples were collected from 113 female veterans. Following DNA extraction and processing, DNA methylation levels were measured through the Infinium HumanMethylationEPIC BeadChip array. We used limma and bump hunting methods to generate the differentially methylated positions and differentially methylated regions (DMRs), respectively. Concurrently, we used Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genome to find enriched pathways. RESULTS: A DMR close to the transcription start site of ZFP57 was differentially methylated between subjects with and without PTSD, replicating previous findings and emphasizing the potential role of ZFP57 in PTSD susceptibility. In the pathway analyses, none survived multiple correction, although top GO terms included some potentially relevant to MST, PTSD, and MDD etiology. CONCLUSION: We conducted one of the first DNA methylation analyses investigating MST along with PTSD and MDD. In addition, we found one DMR near ZFP57 to be associated with PTSD. The replication of this finding indicates further investigation of ZFP57 in PTSD may be warranted.

Interpersonal Sensitivity as a Mediator of the Effect of Childhood Parenting Quality on Depressive Symptoms.

ABSTRACT: The aim of this study was to analyze whether interpersonal sensitivity mediates the effect of qualitative parenting characteristics experienced during childhood on the appraisal of life experiences and depression severity during adulthood in adult community volunteers. A total of 404 Japanese adult volunteers answered the following four self-report questionnaires: Parental Bonding Instrument, Interpersonal Sensitivity Measure, Life Experiences Survey, and Patient Health Questionnaire-9. Structural equation modeling was performed to analyze whether childhood parenting quality increases depressive symptom severity through interpersonal sensitivity, which then affects the appraisal of recent life events. In the two structural equation models, inadequate care and excessive overprotection received during childhood were associated with the negative evaluation of life experiences and depression severity in adulthood through high interpersonal sensitivity. Our findings indicate interpersonal sensitivity as a mediator of the effect of inadequate care and excessive overprotection experienced in childhood on the negative evaluation of life experiences and depression severity in adulthood.

Trait anxiety and depressive rumination mediate the effect of perceived childhood rearing on adulthood presenteeism.

AIM: Productivity loss in the workplace due to physical or mental health problems, which is called presenteeism, leads to large financial losses. Personal and work environment factors, as well as physical and mental illnesses are associated with presenteeism, but the detailed underlying mechanism remains unclear. In this study, we analyzed the effects of perceived childhood rearing on the presenteeism of adult workers, and the mediating effects of trait anxiety and depressive rumination. METHODS: In 2017 and 2018, a cross-sectional paper-based survey was conducted, and written consent from 447 adult workers was obtained. Demographic information and results from the Parental Bonding Instrument, trait anxiety of State-Trait Anxiety Inventory Form Y, Ruminative Responses Scale, and Work Limitations Questionnaire were surveyed. Multiple regression analyses and structural equation modeling were conducted. RESULTS: The low perceived quality of rearing from parents in childhood, i.e., low care and high overprotection, indirectly worsened current presenteeism via trait anxiety and depressive rumination. Presenteeism was directly worsened by trait anxiety and depressive rumination, and the low perceived quality of rearing from parents directly affected trait anxiety and depressive rumination, and trait anxiety affected depressive rumination. CONCLUSION: The results of this study clarified the long-term influences of the low perceived quality of rearing experienced in childhood on adulthood presenteeism via trait anxiety and depressive rumination. Therefore, assessing the quality of childhood rearing, trait anxiety, and depressive rumination of individuals may help to elucidate the causes of presenteeism in the workplace, and how to manage it effectively.

Association between psychotropics use and occurrence of falls in hospitalized patients: A matched case-control study.

Aim: Understanding the appropriate prescription of psychotropics for hospitalized patients in terms of preventing falls is an important issue. The aim of this study was to assess the associations between the occurrence of falls and the use of various individual psychotropics in hospitalized patients. Methods: A retrospective matched case-control study was conducted on adult patients admitted to every department of Tokyo Medical University Hospital, with the outcome being in-hospital falls. A total of 447 hospitalized patients who had had in-hospital falls at some point in their hospitalization between January 2016 and December 2016 were included as cases. A total of 447 hospitalized patients who did not have in-hospital falls, and were individually matched to the cases by sex, age, and clinical department, were included as controls. All data were extracted from electronic medical records. Conditional logistic regression analyses were conducted to assess the association between the exposure to 16 psychotropic medications and the occurrence of in-hospital falls. The multivariable logistic regression model adjusted sex, age, clinical department, body mass index, fall risk score on the fall risk assessment measure, and use of psychotropic medications. Results: The multivariable conditional logistic regression model showed a significant association between the use of risperidone (odds ratio [OR] = 3.730; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.229-11.325) and flunitrazepam (OR = 4.120; 95% CI = 1.105-15.364) and an increased OR of falls among hospitalized patients. Conclusion: The use of risperidone and flunitrazepam were identified as risk factors for falls among hospitalized patients.

Interpersonal sensitivity mediates the effects of perceived parenting styles on state anxiety and negative assessment of life events in adult volunteers from the community.

Aim: The association of parenting experiences in childhood with anxiety symptoms in adulthood has yet to be clarified. We hypothesized that interpersonal sensitivity (IPS) mediates the impacts of parenting experiences in childhood on anxiety symptoms and negative assessment of life events in adulthood. Methods: An observational cross-sectional study was carried out from January 2014 to August 2014 on 853 adults. Participants provided their demographic information and answered the following four self-administered questionnaires: Parental Bonding Instrument (PBI), Interpersonal Sensitivity Measure (IPSM), Life Experiences Survey (LES), and State-Trait Anxiety Inventory Form Y (STAI-Y). The data of a total of 404 participants who agreed to take part in this study were analyzed. Results: Multiple regression analysis with the State Anxiety subscale of STAI-Y as the dependent variable identified the following five out of the 15 independent variables as being statistically significant: IPSM total, LES positive and negative, PBI paternal overprotection, and employment status. This model explains 17.8% of the State Anxiety subscale score. In the structural equation models, the Care subscale showed significant indirect negative effects on State Anxiety subscale and LES negative score through a decrease in IPSM total score (ß = -0.061 and -0.042, respectively). The former indirect effect accounted for 31.6%, and the latter accounted for 56.8% of the total effects. In contrast, Overprotection subscale had opposite effects to Care subscale. Conclusion: These results suggest that parenting experiences in childhood are related to adult anxiety symptoms and the negative assessment of life events indirectly through IPS.

Association of Chronotypes and Sleep Disturbance with Perceived Job Stressors and Stress Response: A Covariance Structure Analysis.

BACKGROUND: Chronotype, which is a person's circadian characteristics throughout a day, greatly influences a person's lifestyle, health, and sleep pattern; however, the association between job stress and chronotype remains unknown to date. Therefore, in this study, we analyzed the effects of chronotype on the job stress response, and the mediating effects of sleep disturbance using path analysis. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey was conducted on 535 adult volunteers (239 men and 296 women; average age, 41.2 ± 11.9 years) from the community. Participants were evaluated using the Diurnal Type Scale for chronotype, Pittsburg Sleep Quality Index for sleep disturbance, Brief Job Stress Questionnaire for job stressors, and the psychological and physical stress response (PPSR). To investigate the association between chronotype, sleep disturbance, perceived job stressors, and PPSR, a covariance structure analysis was performed. RESULTS: The eveningness chronotype had a significant weak direct effect on sleep disturbance, perceived job stressors, and PPSR, and had a significant indirect effect through sleep disturbance. The perceived job stressors indirectly increased PPSR through sleep disturbance. Sleep disturbance mediated the effects of the eveningness chronotype and perceived job stressors on PPSR. This model accounted for 37.3% of the variability in PPSR of adult workers. CONCLUSION: Chronotype affected PPSR through sleep disturbance. Therefore, improving the sleep disturbance of workers with the eveningness chronotype may reduce their stress response.

Influence of Parenting Quality and Neuroticism on Perceived Job Stressors and Psychological and Physical Stress Response in Adult Workers from the Community.

BACKGROUND: The complex interaction between parenting styles, job stressors, and the stress response has not been clarified to date. We hypothesized that neuroticism acts as a mediator in the effects of parenting quality on perceived job stressors and the psychological and physical stress response (PPSR), and tested this hypothesis using covariance structure analysis. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: We conducted research between April 2017 and April 2018 on 597 adult from the community, and 69 subjects were excluded owing to missing data or nonworkers. Finally, a total of 528 participants were analyzed using the following self-administered questionnaires: the Parental Bonding Instrument, the shortened Eysenck Personality Questionnaire-Revised, and the Brief Job Stress Questionnaire (BJSQ). The data were analyzed by single regression analyses and covariance structure analyses. Job stress was assessed by the BJSQ and 2 subscales, ie, perceived job stressors and the PPSR. This study was approved by the Ethics Committee of Tokyo Medical University. RESULTS: On covariance structure analysis, high parental overprotection was associated with high neuroticism and high PPSR directly, but had no significant effect on perceived job stressors. High parental overprotection was associated with high-perceived job stressors and the high PPSR indirectly through enhanced neuroticism. High parental overprotection was also associated with the high PPSR indirectly through 2 combined paths of neuroticism and perceived job stressors. This model accounted for 40% of the variability of the PPSR. On the other hand, parental care had opposite effects to parental overprotection, and this model of parental care accounted for 39% of the variability of PPSR. The model fits of the 2 models were good. CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that the quality of parenting in childhood is associated with perceived job stressors and the PPSR indirectly through neuroticism.