Metabolic syndrome among young adults at high and low familial risk for depression.

BACKGROUND: Our study examined whether the early-onset depression phenotype among young adults (probands) is associated with the metabolic syndrome (MetS) and its components, and if MetS characterizes unaffected but high-risk siblings of probands. METHODS: We studied three groups of young adults (Mage = 25 years, s.d. = 3.84 years): probands with histories of childhood onset depression - i.e. early-onset phenotype - (n = 293), their unaffected siblings (high-risk siblings, n = 273), and healthy controls (n = 171). Participants completed a full psychiatric interview, physical and laboratory assessments, and self-rating scales. MetS was defined using the criteria of the Expert Panel on Detection, Evaluation, and Treatment of High Blood Cholesterol in Adults (). RESULTS: Early-onset depression phenotype and being a high-risk sibling were associated with higher MetS composite scores relative to that of controls, but did not differ from one another. With regard to MetS components: Probands and siblings had similarly larger waist circumference and lower HDL than did controls, while siblings and controls had lower triglyceride levels than did probands but did not differ from one another. Groups did not differ on glucose levels and SBP. CONCLUSIONS: Our study extends the literature on the association between MetS and depression and underscores the importance of depression phenotypes: failure to account for the clinical heterogeneity of depression may partly underlie the inconsistent findings regarding its relation to MetS. The results also suggest that, in depression-prone populations, MetS may predate and possibly function as a risk factor for eventual depression.

Role of received social support in the physical activity of coronary heart patients: The Health Action Process Approach.

Physical activity (PA) plays a crucial role in the management of coronary artery disease (CAD). The Health Action Process Approach provides a useful framework for understanding and predicting the process of health behaviors. The aim of the current study was to unveil the role of received social support in the HAPA model, concerning the physical activity of CAD patients. A longitudinal sample of 117 CAD patients filled out a questionnaire during three measurement points (baseline, 2 months, and 6 months later). The constructs within the model were measured by the previously validated HAPA scales. PA was assessed with four items, which were also included in the HAPA questionnaire. To test the direct and indirect associations between the variables, structural equation modeling with latent variables was employed. Received social support was proven to have a significant and strong effect on both action planning and action control, suggesting a synergistic effect on the individual factors, as well as increasing the explained variance of PA. Results confirmed the important role of received social support in the PA of CAD patients. It could be presumed that strengthening the social support from family and friends could support the regular physical activity of CAD patients.

Childhood-onset depression and arterial stiffness in young adulthood.

OBJECTIVES: The literature on childhood-onset depression and future compromised vascular function is suggestive but limited. The objective of this study was to determine if arterial stiffness, a predictor of future cardiovascular disease (CVD), measured in young adulthood, is associated with childhood-onset depression. METHODS: Cardiometabolic risk factors and pulse wave velocity (PWV), a measure of arterial stiffness, were cross-sectionally assessed in young adults with a history of childhood-onset depression (clinical diagnosis of major depressive episode or dysthymic disorder; N = 294 probands; initially recruited via child mental health facilities across Hungary; mean age of first depressive episode = 10.4 years), their never-depressed full biological siblings (N = 269), and never-depressed controls (N = 169). The mean ages of probands, siblings, and controls at the PWV visit were 25.6, 25.0, and 21.7 years, respectively, and 8.8% of the probands were in a current depressive episode. RESULTS: Controlling for age, sex, age*sex, education, and family clusters, PWV (m/s) did not statistically differ across the groups (probands = 7.01; siblings = 6.98; controls = 6.81). However, after adjusting for key covariates, there were several across-group differences in CVD risk factors: compared to controls, probands and siblings had higher diastolic blood pressure and lower high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, probands had higher triglycerides, and siblings had higher body mass index (all p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: We found limited evidence of an association between a history of childhood-onset depression and young adulthood arterial stiffness. However, our findings of elevated cardiovascular risk factors in those with childhood-onset depression suggest that pediatric depression may predispose to increased CVD risk later in life and warrants further investigation.

[Psychometric properties of the Hungarian Adult Attachment Scale]. / A Collins­Read Felnott Kötodési Skála pszichometriai jellemzoinek vizsgálata.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: The revised Adult Attachment Scale (AAS) developed by N. L. Collins is a widely used questionnaire to measure adult attachment. However, its psychometric properties have not been investigated in Hungary. We aimed to confirm the key psychometric properties of the Hungarian version of the AAS focusing on reliability indices on a population that consis-ted of depressed and non-depressed young adults. METHODS: The AAS is a self-report questionnaire, in which two different dimensional evaluating systems are possible: the original (close, depend, and anxiety) and the alternative scoring system (anxiety, avoidance). Our study population consisted of young adults with a history of major depression (n = 264, median age = 25.7 years) and their never-depressed biological siblings (n = 244, median age = 24.0). RESULTS: The internal consistency of close, anxiety, and avoidance scales were satisfactory (Cronbach-α >0.7). The consistency of the depend scale was slightly lower than expected (Cronbach-α = 0.62). Test-retest reliability was good for all of the scales, it ranged from 0.73 to 0.78 after 14 months of follow-up period. The scale showed good discrimination as tested by the differences of close and anxiety attachment dimensions between the groups (p<0.01). More-over, we were able to differentiate the currently dep-res-sed subjects based on these attachment dimensions. Explo-ra-tory and confirmatory factor analyses were conducted, and a bifactor solution proved optimal model fit. CONCLUSION: The three dimensions of the AAS has not been confirmed. However, the close and anxiety scales of AAS were found to be adequate. Our results also indicate that attachment features correlate with major depressive episodes in adulthood.

[Telemental health service in child and adolescent psychiatry].

INTRODUCTION: Even though mental disorders present significant health burden worldwide, most patients with mental disorders do not receive adequate healthcare. The possibility of telemental health service came into prominence in Hungary due to the restriciton of face-to-face doctor-patient meetings. The present review, based on the last 20 years' scientific literature, aims to summarize the feasability, efficacy and effectivity of telemedicine services in child and adolescent psychiatry. METHOD: A review by Gloff et al (17) summarized telepsychiatry service in children and adolescents before 2015. A literature search was generated in order to summarize current knowledge based on 3 international databases (Pubmed, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews és Web of Science) for scientific publi - cations after 2015. Search words were telemental health, children, adolescent, and telepsychiatry. RESULTS: International literature showed similar feasability, efficacy and effectivity of evidence based diagnostic and therapeutic methods in tele- child and adolescent psychiatry as in face-to-face services. CONCLUSION: The application of telemedicine in child and adolescent psychiatry is internationally accepted, feasible and effective. Its widespread use in Hungary would require a professional protocol which specifies the conditions and advices of telemental health services in this age group.

Large-scale genome sequencing of mycorrhizal fungi provides insights into the early evolution of symbiotic traits.

Mycorrhizal fungi are mutualists that play crucial roles in nutrient acquisition in terrestrial ecosystems. Mycorrhizal symbioses arose repeatedly across multiple lineages of Mucoromycotina, Ascomycota, and Basidiomycota. Considerable variation exists in the capacity of mycorrhizal fungi to acquire carbon from soil organic matter. Here, we present a combined analysis of 135 fungal genomes from 73 saprotrophic, endophytic and pathogenic species, and 62 mycorrhizal species, including 29 new mycorrhizal genomes. This study samples ecologically dominant fungal guilds for which there were previously no symbiotic genomes available, including ectomycorrhizal Russulales, Thelephorales and Cantharellales. Our analyses show that transitions from saprotrophy to symbiosis involve (1) widespread losses of degrading enzymes acting on lignin and cellulose, (2) co-option of genes present in saprotrophic ancestors to fulfill new symbiotic functions, (3) diversification of novel, lineage-specific symbiosis-induced genes, (4) proliferation of transposable elements and (5) divergent genetic innovations underlying the convergent origins of the ectomycorrhizal guild.

["Risk factors of childhood depression" research grant - past, present, future].

The authors summarize the last 10 years of an ongoing collaborative study between the Universities of Szeged and Pittsburgh on early onset major depression. First, the "Risk factors of childhood depression" grant is presented briefly as an initial research study in which the subjects of the current studies were recruited. This is a prominently large clinical sample in the field of child psychiatry even on an international level. In addition to the follow-up of the prognosis of the disorder, recent studies continue to explore the early onset depression in two directions. On the one hand, two studies investigate the role of biobehavioral inflexibility markers in the development of major depression ("Biobehavioral inflexibility and risk for juvenile-onset depression" and "Biobehavioral inflexibility and risk for juvenile-onset depression - renewal grant"). On the other hand, the authors would like to have a better understanding of the possible relationship between the major depression and cardiovascular diseases ("Pediatric depression and subsequent cardiac risk factors: a longitudinal study"). The most significant aims of the three studies will be demonstrated, as well as how the studies were prepared and organized along with the already existing experience concerning research management and involvement of new collaborating partners and experts.

[Long-term follow-up of childhood-onset depression - comorbidity, suicidal behavior and prognosis in adulthood].

INTRODUCTION: Several long-term follow-up studies investigate the progression of adolescent onset major depressive disorder but much less explore short and long-term consequences and prognosis into adulthood of childhood- onset depression. The aim of the present study is to follow childhood-onset depression, lifetime comorbid psychiatric disorders and suicidal behavior into adulthood. METHODS: Subjects (N=166) were 25.95+2.42 years old on average, 54.2% were women. Follow-up period lasted for a mean of 14.74+1.31 years. Psychiatric diagnosis was assessed by a DSM-IV based semi-structured interview. Subjects reported on 4 stages of suicidal behavior as one of the symptoms of depressive disorder. RESULTS: The onset of the first depressive episode was at the mean age of 10.17+2.34 years. 40,4% of the sample had only 1 episode while recurrent depressive episode presented in 32.5% above 18 years of age. Lifetime comorbid psychiatric disorders were present in more than 1/3 of the sample. The most frequent lifetime comorbidity was anxiety (42.4%), and specific phobia among anxiety disorders. Lifetime attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder and oppositional/conduct disorder were also frequent (25.9% and 16.9%, respectively). Suicidal behavior was not present life-time in 19.1% of the sample. Thoughts of death and thoughts of suicide were quite frequent (80.8% and 69.5%, respectively), specific plans and suicidal attempt were more frequent in girls (plan:female vs male 53.9% vs 38.4%, attempt: 33.3% vs 9.6%) during follow-up. CONCLUSION: About one-third of childhood-onset depression had recurrence above 18 years of age, which is lower than the recurrence rate for adolescent onset depression. A high rate of lifetime comorbidity was found between depression and anxiety disorders. The assessment of the actual level of suicidal behavior is important in the prevention of selfdestructive behavior.

Emotion Regulation Among Adolescents With Pediatric Depression As a Function of Anxiety Comorbidity.

Background: Both depression and anxiety (two of the most common internalizing psychopathologies among youths) are associated with difficulties in emotion regulation (ER). Little is known about whether anxiety as a comorbid condition has an effect on the habitual use of different ER strategies in youngsters with depression histories. We aimed 1) to compare ER in adolescents with histories of childhood onset major depressive disorder (MDD) with and without comorbid anxiety and 2) to examine whether certain ER response clusters (Cognitive, Social, and Behavioral/Physical) characterize comorbid children and adolescents. Methods: We analyzed data on 217 youth (11-18 years old) with depression history: 85 subjects with lifetime anxiety comorbidity (comorbid group) and 132 without lifetime anxiety (non-comorbid group). Psychiatric diagnosis was established by a comprehensive Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) IV-based diagnostic procedure. ER strategies were examined via the self-rated "Feelings and Me" Child version questionnaire (FAM-C). Results: The comorbid group used maladaptive ER strategies significantly more frequently than the non-comorbid youngsters. The Behavioral/Physical and Social ER skills, especially those reflecting social withdrawal and self-harm, were responsible for the higher maladaptive scores. Limitations: Because our study is a cross-sectional analysis, we have no information about the development or the onset of maladaptive ER strategies. Therefore, we were unable to examine whether maladaptive ER was a risk factor or a consequence of the internalizing psychopathology and comorbidity. Conclusions: Comorbid anxiety worsens the impaired use of ER strategies in depression-prone youths. Further longitudinal research is needed to explore the causal role of dysfunctional ER in the development of internalizing psychopathology.

[The Frieze of Life, or death, anxiety and love in the oeuvre of Edvard Munch].

Edvard Munch was a Norwegian expressionist painter. His painting The Scream is one of the most wellknown visual art in the world. His works present psychologically significant topics such as anxiety, love, illness, and death. He was capable of displaying social and personal uncertainties and tensions in his artworks. In order to get to know the psychological functioning of his creativity, we used a special case study method of personality research - psychobiography - which aims to analyze the lives of culturally significant individuals through psychological theories and research. The focus of the publication was on The Frieze of Life series, which according to the creator, most express his artistic concept and his message. To interpret his creativity, we used the theory of Winnicott, Klein, and existential psychology. We especially emphasize the role of potential space, reparation and the benefits of the consciousness of death. According to our results, Munch kept the anxiety and tension caused by early object-relation disturbances under control with artistic sublimation and it was also the driving force for his artistic activity. However, the sublimation activity could not solve the internal tensions in the long run, which eventually led to a collapse.

Comparative genomics reveals the origin of fungal hyphae and multicellularity.

Hyphae represent a hallmark structure of multicellular fungi. The evolutionary origins of hyphae and of the underlying genes are, however, hardly known. By systematically analyzing 72 complete genomes, we here show that hyphae evolved early in fungal evolution probably via diverse genetic changes, including co-option and exaptation of ancient eukaryotic (e.g. phagocytosis-related) genes, the origin of new gene families, gene duplications and alterations of gene structure, among others. Contrary to most multicellular lineages, the origin of filamentous fungi did not correlate with expansions of kinases, receptors or adhesive proteins. Co-option was probably the dominant mechanism for recruiting genes for hypha morphogenesis, while gene duplication was apparently less prevalent, except in transcriptional regulators and cell wall - related genes. We identified 414 novel gene families that show correlated evolution with hyphae and that may have contributed to its evolution. Our results suggest that hyphae represent a unique multicellular organization that evolved by limited fungal-specific innovations and gene duplication but pervasive co-option and modification of ancient eukaryotic functions.

Autonomic correlates of lifetime suicidal thoughts and behaviors among adolescents with a history of depression.

Suicidal thoughts and behaviors (STBs) have been associated with emotion dysregulation and atypical responses to affective and stressful stimuli. To investigate the psychophysiology involved, we measured changes in respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) and cardiac pre-ejection period (PEP; indexing parasympathetic and sympathetic functioning, respectively) in response to stressful- and sadness-eliciting laboratory probes. Our sample included adolescents with a history of depression and STBs (n = 177), adolescents with a history of depression but no history of STBs (n = 47), and healthy controls (n = 175). The outcome of interest was the most severe form of clinician-rated STBs across the subject's lifetime. In partial support of our hypotheses, during the stressful task, adolescents with a history of depression and STBs did not evidence the RSA decrease that was exhibited by controls and displayed greater PEP shortening compared to ever-depressed adolescents with no lifetime STBs. No group differences were found in either RSA or PEP reactivity to the sadness-eliciting stimulus. As expected, severity of STBs was positively correlated with the extent of PEP shortening during the stressful task. The results suggest that adolescents with a history of depression and STBs experience blunted parasympathetic responses to stress along with compensatory efforts. Our findings contribute to a better understanding of STBs among youths and underscore that future studies should examine physiological risk factors for these psychopathological outcomes.

The Development of Mood Repair Response Repertories: I. Age-Related Changes Among 7- to 14-Year-Old Depressed and Control Children and Adolescents.

The purpose of this study was to test developmentally informed hypotheses about regulatory responses to sadness that attenuate versus exacerbate it (adaptive versus maladaptive mood repair responses, respectively) across late childhood, early adolescence, and mid-adolescence. In a multi-site study in Hungary, clinic-based, 7- to 14-year-olds with Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders' (4th ed., text rev.) depressive disorders (N = 697; 55% male) and age/sex matched (at 1:2) nondepressed, school-based controls (N = 1,394) reported on their usual responses to sadness/dysphoria; parental reports were obtained separately. Adaptive and maladaptive response repertoire scores were compared across ages within and across subject groups, and by informant, controlling for confounds. Contrary to Hypothesis 1, older (vs. younger) youths in both groups reported fewer adaptive regulatory responses. Maladaptive response repertoires were unrelated to age among controls but significantly increased with age among depressed youths, particularly the girls. Partially supporting Hypothesis 2, subject groups differed in age-related trajectories of mood repair repertories, but not as expected (e.g., younger depressed children reported larger adaptive response repertoires than did controls). Parental reports revealed no developmental changes in offspring's mood repair repertories. Parent-offspring reports were most discordant for younger (vs. older) offspring, tended to converge around age 11, and were consistently and significantly larger in the depressed sample. Self-reported adaptive mood repair repertories appear to have been laid down by late childhood and then undergo "trimming" across ages 7-14 years. The extensive maladaptive mood repair response repertoires of depressed youths, which increased with age, distinguish them primarily from controls. Therefore, reducing maladaptive regulatory responses to sadness should be a priority when treating depressed youths.

Dysregulated behavioral responses to hedonic probes among youth with depression histories and their high-risk siblings.

Affect dysregulation in response to rewarding stimuli has been proposed as a vulnerability factor for major depressive disorder (MDD). However, it remains unclear how affective behavioral dynamics may be altered among individuals who are at high risk for depression but not currently depressed. We examined the dynamics of affective facial behavior during hedonic probes among 3 groups of adolescents: remitted probands who had histories of childhood-onset MDD (n = 187), never-depressed siblings of probands (high familial risk; n = 207), and healthy controls (n = 166). Participants' happy and sad facial expressions were coded during 3 hedonic laboratory tasks: receiving a preferred prize, describing a positive autobiographical memory, and watching a humorous film. Happy and sad behavioral dynamics were indexed by mean level- and time-dependent reactivity, variability (mean of the squared successive differences), and inertia (autocorrelation). Relative to controls, probands and siblings exhibited a more rapid decrease in happy behaviors, and probands exhibited higher inertia of sad behaviors during hedonic probes. Both probands and siblings exhibited lower inertia of sad behaviors while receiving a desired prize, which highlights the importance of context variation in testing hypotheses. Overall, our study provides new evidence that hedonic behavioral dysregulation, as reflected in dynamic facial behavior, may highlight depression vulnerability. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved).

The role of social support in the dietary behavior of coronary heart patients: an application of the health action process approach.

Dietary behaviour plays a crucial role in both the onset and the management of coronary artery disease (CAD). To develop effective interventions to modify dietary behaviours of patients, it is fundamental to identify and examine the predictive factors that are relevant to healthy dietary behaviour. The Health Action Process Approach provides a useful framework for understanding and predicting the process of health behaviour. The aim of the current study is to clarify the role and effect of received social support in the HAPA model. A longitudinal sample of 117 CAD patients filled out a questionnaire at three time points. Along with HAPA constructs, dietary behaviour was assessed with a food frequency questionnaire. To investigate the longitudinal associations of the constructs, structural equation modelling with latent variables was employed. In the final model, outcome expectancies and pre-action self-efficacy jointly predicted behavioural intention. In the post-intentional phase, social support served as a mediator between intention and action planning. Moreover, coping planning mediated the relationship between action planning and dietary behaviour. These results confirmed the mediator role of social support in the intention-behaviour relationship. This finding suggests that social support can be a crucial component to facilitate healthy dietary behaviour.

Hydrazine determination in allopurinol using derivatization and SPE for sample preparation.

Hydrazine is a useful building block in the synthesis of organic pharmaceuticals but it is highly toxic so its determination at low ppm range is required. In this work, hydrazine was determined in allopurinol active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) sample at 2.5 ppm level by using derivatization and solid phase extraction (SPE) followed by reversed phase liquid chromatography (RPLC). Hydrazine does not contain chromophore part and is not retained in RPLC thus derivatization was necessary for its determination. Benzaldehyde was found to be the most appropriate derivatization reagent so the analyzed solute was benzaldehyde azine, which had adequate UV absorption and could be retained in RPLC. The derivatization reaction was performed in 0.2 M NaOH solution/MeOH = 50/50 (v/v) mixture, which is a proper solvent for allopurinol, too. Because of the low detection limit, 50 mg sample had to be dissolved in 5 mL solvent. This is a very concentrated solution therefore column overload is expected. Using a C18 SPE for sample preparation allowed to get rid of the huge amount of allopurinol. As allopurinol has a more polar character than benzaldehyde azine, it was easy to wash out from the SPE phase. The benzaldehyde azine can be eluted with a strong solvent and then the eluted sample can be analyzed by RPLC. Limit test validation of the liquid chromatographic method has been performed as well. This complex but not complicated analysis can be used for the accurate determination of hydrazine in allopurinol API. Furthermore it is applicable for other APIs which are more polar than benzaldehyde azine and soluble in high concentration in the aqueous solvent.

[A new method for the measurement of social cognition in schizophrenia].

Impairments in social cognitive functions and their long-term effects are well known in schizophrenia. However, so far no computer application has been available to assess these functions of patients. Our study is about introducing a new computer application measuring social cognitive abilities. The program (SCAN) is available on the following link and can be downloaded for anyone: psychiatry.pote.hu > Research > Workgroups > Schizophrenia. The hypothesis of our present study was that SCAN is able to assess the social cognitive ability of patients with schizophrenia in a rapid, complex and objective way. METHOD: 86 schizophrenia patients and 101 healthy controls were examined. SCAN was used to present verbal and nonverbal tasks to measure four different domains of social cognition. SCAN registered the responses and the reaction times as well. Furthermore, an additional application was developed (called Scanalizer) to evaluate the results of a person being tested. RESULTS: The results were evaluated by a two-dimensional analysis. This means that both task performance and the reaction time were taken into consideration while evaluating the results. As for the results, we found that the patients showed significantly worse functioning than the healthy subjects in the four domains of social cognition. CONCLUSION: Based on our results, SCAN is effective enough to detect the atypical social processing of schizophrenia patients. Moreover, Scanalizer is capable of evaluating the social cognitive abilities of schizophrenia patients in a complex, relatively fast and objective way.