Acute Porphyromonas gingivalis Subdural Abscess with Brain Abscess in the Left Temporal Lobe: A Case Report and Review of Literature.

Background: Brain abscesses are a rare but serious complication of focal intracerebral infection. Case Description: We present a patient of acute subdural abscess with brain abscess in the left temporal lobe. After craniotomy, combined with the Third Next Generation Sequencing and Gene Diagnosis (TNGS & GD) of abscess, we prescribed sensitive antibiotics; the patient recovers well and the abscess did not recur. Conclusion: For patients with acute subdural abscess, combined craniotomy and the TNGS & GD of abscess could achieve good results.

Reliability and validity of the electronic version of the Hopkins verbal learning test-revised in middle-aged and elderly Chinese people.

Background: The aging population is increasing, making it essential to have a standardized, convenient, and valid electronic memory test that can be accessed online for older people and caregivers. The electronic version of the Hopkins Verbal Learning Test-Revised (HVLT-R) as a test with these advantages and its reliability and validity has not yet been tested. Thus, this study examined the reliability and validity of the electronic version of the HVLT-R in middle-aged and elderly Chinese people to provide a scientific basis for its future dissemination and use. Methods: We included 1,925 healthy participants aged over 40, among whom 38 were retested after 3-6 months. In addition, 65 participants completed both the pad and paper-and-pencil versions of the HVLT-R (PAP-HVLT-R). We also recruited 42 Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients, and 45 amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI) patients. All participants completed the Pad-HVLT-R, the Hong Kong Brief Cognitive Test (HKBC), the Brief Visual Memory Test-Revised (BVMT-R), and the Logical Memory Test (LM). Results: (1) Reliability: the Cronbach's α value was 0.94, the split-half reliability was 0.96. The test-retest correlation coefficients were moderate, ranging from 0.38 to 0.65 for direct variables and 0.16 to 0.52 for derived variables; (2) Concurrent validity: the Pad-HVLT-R showed a moderate correlation with the HKBC and BVMT-R, with correlation coefficients between total recall of 0.41 and 0.54, and between long-delayed recall of 0.42 and 0.59, respectively. It also showed a high correlation with the LM, with correlation coefficients of 0.72 for total recall and 0.62 for long-delayed recall; (3) Convergent validity: the Pad-HVLT-R was moderately correlated with the PAP version, with correlation coefficients ranging from 0.29 to 0.53 for direct variables and 0.15 to 0.43 for derived variables; (4) Discriminant capacity: the Pad-HVLT-R was effective in differentiating AD patients, as demonstrated by the ROC analysis with AUC values of 0.834 and 0.934 for total recall and long-delayed recall, respectively. Conclusion: (1) The electronic version of HVLT-R has good reliability and validity in middle-aged and elderly Chinese people; (2) The electronic version of HVLT-R can be used as an effective tool to distinguish AD patients from healthy people.

Assessing anxiety during the COVID-19 delta epidemic: Validation of the Chinese coronavirus anxiety scale.

The study aimed to examine the psychometric properties of the coronavirus anxiety scale (CAS) during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) delta epidemic. A total of 2,116 participants on the Chinese mainland completed the online survey. We employed exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) to investigate the factor structure. The findings showed that the one-factor model of the CAS Chinese version fitted perfectly with the data. The multigroup CFAs showed the measurement invariance across gender and age groups (18-29 and 30-68). We also examined the CAS's internal consistency and convergent and concurrent validity. The results demonstrated that the one-factor model had good reliability and convergent and concurrent validity. Overall, according to our findings, the CAS Chinese version was reliable for measuring coronavirus anxiety during the COVID-19 delta outbreak.

The adaption of the Chinese version of the COVID Stress Scales as a screening instrument of stress: Psychometric properties during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The COVID Stress Scales (CSS) was used to access related distress concerning Corona Virus Disease 2019 (COVID-19). Based on China's epidemic prevention and control policies during the COVID-19 pandemic, the adaption of the Chinese version of the CSS was developed. Our study evaluated the reliability and validity of the Chinese adapted version of the CSS during the COVID-19 pandemic. An online survey was employed to construct a national sample of 2,116 participants in Chinese mainland. We examined the factor structure, internal consistency, convergent validity, discriminant validity, and concurrent validity. The results demonstrated that the six-factor solution for the Chinese adaptation of the CSS proved a good fit with the data after comparing the factor structure with the five-factor model. The six-factor model had good reliability and supported good convergent, discriminant, and concurrent validity of the CSS Chinese adaption. Overall, our findings supported the Chinese adapted version of the CSS as a psychometrically sound measure of stress during the COVID-19 pandemic in China.

Corrigendum: The Depression Anxiety Stress Scale-21 in Chinese Hospital Workers: Reliability, Latent Structure, and Measurement Invariance Across Genders.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2020.00247.].

Two Cases Report of Intrathecal Tigecycline Therapy for Intracranial Infection with Acinetobacter baumannii and Review of Literatures.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the treatment scheme for intracranial infection with Acinetobacter baumannii. METHODS: We retrospective analyzed two cases of patients of intracranial infection with Acinetobacter baumannii. RESULTS: The intracranial infection was controlled effectively by the scheme to intravenous"tigecycline + cefperazone-sulbactam"combined with intrathecal tigecycline injection, the two patients recover well with 21 months' follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: Tigecycline-based drug scheme combined with intrathecal tigecycline injection can achieve the effect of controlling intracranial infection. Lumbar cisterna drainage tube plays a major role in controlling intracranial infection.

The Behavioral Inhibition System/Behavioral Activation System Scales: Measurement Invariance Across Gender in Chinese University Students.

Objectives: To identify the optimal factor structure of the behavioral inhibition system/behavioral activation system (BIS/BAS) scales and to examine measurement invariance (MI) of the scales across gender among a sample of Chinese undergraduate students. Methods: Convenience sampling was employed to recruit 1,085 subjects. Participants completed the Chinese version of the BIS/BAS scales. A confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) of competing models was conducted to determine the optimal factor model, followed by a test of MI across gender based on the optimal model. Results: A single-group CFA indicated that the modified four-factor structure fits best in the total sample. Multiple-group CFAs demonstrated that configural invariance, weak invariance, strong invariance, and strict invariance models of the four-factor structure of the BIS/BAS scales were all acceptable. Conclusion: The four-factor structure of the Chinese version of the BIS/BAS scales possesses MI across gender.

Psychometric Properties and Measurement Invariance of the Cognitive Emotion Regulation Questionnaire in Chinese Adolescents With and Without Major Depressive Disorder: A Horizontal and Longitudinal Perspective.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to examine the psychometric properties and posited nine-factor structure of the Chinese version of the Cognitive Emotion Regulation Questionnaire (CERQ-C) in high school students and adolescents with major depressive disorder (MDD), including assessment of measurement invariance of CERQ-C and its subscales across gender, time, and presence of depression. Methods: Chinese high school students from Hunan Province (N = 1,253) and adolescents with major depressive disorder (MDD) from the Medical Psychological Institute outpatient clinic at The Second Xiangya Hospital (N = 205) were enrolled. We examined the reliability, and model fit of the CERQ-C. Multigroup confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was used to test measurement invariance of the subscales across gender, time, and presence of depression. Results: The CERQ-C subscales showed good internal consistency and moderate test-retest reliability in high school students and excellent internal consistency in adolescents with MDD group. The nine-factor model yielded adequate fit indices in different samples. Multigroup CFA confirmed that CERQ-C is strongly equivalent across gender, time, and presence of depression. Conclusions: The CERQ-C is a valid, reliable, and stable instrument for the evaluation of the cognitive emotion regulation (ER) strategies for different samples, including high school students and adolescents with MDD. The horizontal and longitudinal equivalences are strongly established.

Using Mindfulness to Reduce Anxiety and Depression of Patients With Fever Undergoing Screening in an Isolation Ward During the COVID-19 Outbreak.

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) continues to spread globally. This infectious disease affects people not only physically but also psychologically. Therefore, an effective psychological intervention program needs to be developed to improve the psychological condition of patients screened for fever during this period. This study aimed to investigate the effect of a brief mindfulness intervention on patients with suspected fever in a screening isolation ward awaiting results of the COVID-19 test. The Faces Scale and the Emotional Thermometer Tool were used to investigate 51 patients who were randomly divided into an intervention group and a control group. All patients completed self-rating questionnaires online at the time they entered the isolation ward and before they were informed of the results. The intervention group listened to the mindfulness audios through hospital broadcasts in the isolation ward before their lunch break and while they slept. Compared with the control group, the intervention group's life satisfaction score increased (F = 4.02, p = 0.051) and the emotional thermometer score decreased (F = 8.89, p = 0.005). The anxiety scores (F = 9.63, p = 0.003) and the needing help scores decreased significantly (F = 4.95, p = 0.031). Distress (F = 1.41, p = 0.241), depression (F = 1.93, p = 0.171), and anger (F = 3.14, p = 0.083) also decreased, but did not reach significance. Brief mindfulness interventions can alleviate negative emotions and improve the life satisfaction of patients in the isolation ward who were screened for COVID-19 during the waiting period.

Protective Predictors Associated With Posttraumatic Stress and Psychological Distress in Chinese Nurses During the Outbreak of COVID-19.

Background: The novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) posed an unprecedented threat to Chinese healthcare professionals. Nevertheless, few studies notably focused on the mental health conditions of nurses and explored protective factors to prevent posttraumatic stress and psychological distress. This study aimed to explore the prevalence and the predictive factors especially defensive predictors associated with posttraumatic stress and psychological distress in nurses during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: In this online study, 1,728 nurses (~77.5% came from the COVID-19 pandemic frontline) were included in the final analysis. Posttraumatic stress disorder checklist for Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th Edition (PCL-5) and Self-Reporting Questionnaire (SRQ) was used to assess posttraumatic stress and psychological distress. Results: The results demonstrated that the prevalence of posttraumatic stress and psychological distress in nurses throughout China between February 1, 2020 and February 13, 2020 was 39.12 and 24.36%, respectively. Multivariate logistic regression indicated that insomnia, high panic intensity, and high impact of the COVID-19 pandemic were risk predictors of posttraumatic stress and psychological distress in nurses. Married participants had a 1.58 times increased risk of having posttraumatic stress when compared with the single participants. Frontline medical staff were more likely to suffer from psychological distress. The adequate exercise was a protective predictor of psychological distress [adjusted odds ratio (AOR) = 0.655, 95% CI = 0.486-0.883], but not with posttraumatic stress. High-quality diet was a protective predictor of posttraumatic stress (AOR = 0.112, 95% CI = 0.037-0.336) and psychological distress (AOR = 0.083, 95% CI = 0.028-0.247). Conclusions: Our study revealed the prevalence and factors associated with posttraumatic stress and psychological distress in nurses during the COVID-19 pandemic. Low panic intensity, low level of impact, satisfactory sleep, adequate exercise, and better diet were protective factors of posttraumatic stress and psychological distress. It indicated that the psychological status of nurses (particularly those from the COVID-19 pandemic frontline) should be monitored, and protective factors associated with posttraumatic stress and psychological distress should be increased.

Increased Resting-State Interhemispheric Functional Connectivity of Posterior Superior Temporal Gyrus and Posterior Cingulate Cortex in Congenital Amusia.

Interhemispheric connectivity of the two cerebral hemispheres is crucial for a broad repertoire of cognitive functions including music and language. Congenital amusia has been reported as a neurodevelopment disorder characterized by impaired music perception and production. However, little is known about the characteristics of the interhemispheric functional connectivity (FC) in amusia. In the present study, we used a newly developed voxel-mirrored homotopic connectivity (VMHC) method to investigate the interhemispheric FC of the whole brain in amusia at resting-state. Thirty amusics and 29 matched participants underwent a resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) scanning. An automated VMHC approach was used to analyze the fMRI data. Compared to the control group, amusics showed increased VMHC within the posterior part of the default mode network (DMN) mainly in the posterior superior temporal gyrus (pSTG) and posterior cingulate cortex (PCC). Correlation analyses revealed negative correlations between the VMHC value in pSTG/PCC and the music perception ability among amusics. Further ROC analyses showed that the VMHC value of pSTG/PCC showed a good sensibility/specificity to differentiate the amusics from the controls. These findings provide a new perspective for understanding the neural basis of congenital amusia and imply the immature state of DMN may be a credible neural marker of amusia.

Impaired face recognition is associated with abnormal gray matter volume in the posterior cingulate cortex in congenital amusia.

Congenital amusia is as a neurodevelopment disorder primarily defined by impairment in pitch discrimination and pitch memory. Interestingly, it has been reported that individuals with congenital amusia also exhibit deficits in face recognition (prosopagnosia). One explanation of such comorbidity is that the neural substrates of pitch recognition and face recognition may be similar. To test this hypothesis, face recognition ability was assessed using the Cambridge Face Memory Test (CFMT) and gray matter volume was determined through voxel-based morphometry (VBM) among participants with and without congenital amusia. As expected, participants with amusia performed worse on the CFMT test and showed reduced gray matter volume (GMV) in the middle temporal gyrus (MTG), the superior temporal gyrus (STG), and the posterior cingulate cortex (PCC) in the right hemisphere, when compared with matched controls. Furthermore, correlation analyses demonstrated that the CFMT score was positively related to MTG, STG, and PCC GMV in all participants, while separate analyses of each group found a positive correlation of CFMT score and PCC GMV in amusics. These findings suggest that face recognition is associated with a widely distributed microstructural network in the human brain and the PCC plays an important role in both pitch recognition and face recognition in amusics. In addition, neurodevelopmental disorders such as congenital amusia and prosopagnosia may share a common neural substrate.

Educational environments in Asian medical schools: A cross-national comparison between Malaysia, Singapore, and China.

INTRODUCTION: Perceptions of the educational environment (EE) represent an important source of information on medical students' learning experience. Understanding and addressing these perceptions can help inform initiatives designed to improve the learning experience and educational outcomes, while comparison of student perceptions across medical schools can provide an added perspective. The aim of the study was to compare the EEs of three Asian medical schools: Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland and University College Dublin Malaysia Campus, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, Singapore and Xiangya School of Medicine, China. METHODS: Medical students in the clinical years (N = 1063) participated in a cross-sectional study using the Dundee Ready Educational Environment Measure (DREEM). Data were analyzed using SPSS version 22. RESULTS: There were significant differences between the three medical schools in the total DREEM scores (F [2, 1059] = 38.29, p < .001), but all were in the category "more positive than negative" (mean score 135.42, range 128.97-142.44). Highest DREEM scores were noted in year 5 at RUMC (139.79 ± 79), year 3 at YLL (145.93 ± 14.52), and year 4 at XSM (138.56 ± 18.91). Variations in total and subscale DREEM scores were also found between clinical years in each medical school. DISCUSSION: Total DREEM scores at the three medical schools are similar to those reported from other undergraduate settings. However, significant variations occurred in perceptions of the EE, as students progressed through the clinical years. Greater attention to the learning environment and the curriculum may improve students' educational experience.

Changes in sensorimotor regions of the cerebral cortex in congenital amusia: a case-control study.

Perceiving pitch is a central function of the human auditory system; congenital amusia is a disorder of pitch perception. The underlying neural mechanisms of congenital amusia have been actively discussed. However, little attention has been paid to the changes in the motor rain within congenital amusia. In this case-control study, 17 participants with congenital amusia and 14 healthy controls underwent functional magnetic resonance imaging while resting with their eyes closed. A voxel-based degree centrality method was used to identify abnormal functional network centrality by comparing degree centrality values between the congenital amusia group and the healthy control group. We found decreased degree centrality values in the right primary sensorimotor areas in participants with congenital amusia relative to controls, indicating potentially decreased centrality of the corresponding brain regions in the auditory-sensory motor feedback network. We found a significant positive correlation between the degree centrality values and the Montreal Battery of Evaluation of Amusia scores. In conclusion, our study identified novel, hitherto undiscussed candidate brain regions that may partly contribute to or be modulated by congenital amusia. Our evidence supports the view that sensorimotor coupling plays an important role in memory and musical discrimination. The study was approved by the Ethics Committee of the Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, China (No. WDX20180101GZ01) on February 9, 2019.

Cortical Morphological Changes in Congenital Amusia: Surface-Based Analyses.

Background: Congenital amusia (CA) is a rare disorder characterized by deficits in pitch perception, and many structural and functional magnetic resonance imaging studies have been conducted to better understand its neural bases. However, a structural magnetic resonance imaging analysis using a surface-based morphology method to identify regions with cortical features abnormalities at the vertex-based level has not yet been performed. Methods: Fifteen participants with CA and 13 healthy controls underwent structural magnetic resonance imaging. A surface-based morphology method was used to identify anatomical abnormalities. Then, the surface parameters' mean value of the identified clusters with statistically significant between-group differences were extracted and compared. Finally, Pearson's correlation analysis was used to assess the correlation between the Montreal Battery of Evaluation of Amusia (MBEA) scores and surface parameters. Results: The CA group had significantly lower MBEA scores than the healthy controls (p = 0.000). The CA group exhibited a significant higher fractal dimension in the right caudal middle frontal gyrus and a lower sulcal depth in the right pars triangularis gyrus (p < 0.05; false discovery rate-corrected at the cluster level) compared to healthy controls. There were negative correlations between the mean fractal dimension values in the right caudal middle frontal gyrus and MBEA score, including the mean MBEA score (r = -0.5398, p = 0.0030), scale score (r = -0.5712, p = 0.0015), contour score (r = -0.4662, p = 0.0124), interval score (r = -0.4564, p = 0.0146), rhythmic score (r = -0.5133, p = 0.0052), meter score (r = -0.3937, p = 0.0382), and memory score (r = -0.3879, p = 0.0414). There was a significant positive correlation between the mean sulcal depth in the right pars triangularis gyrus and the MBEA score, including the mean score (r = 0.5130, p = 0.0052), scale score (r = 0.5328, p = 0.0035), interval score (r = 0.4059, p = 0.0321), rhythmic score (r = 0.5733, p = 0.0014), meter score (r = 0.5061, p = 0.0060), and memory score (r = 0.4001, p = 0.0349). Conclusion: Individuals with CA exhibit cortical morphological changes in the right hemisphere. These findings may indicate that the neural basis of speech perception and memory impairments in individuals with CA is associated with abnormalities in the right pars triangularis gyrus and middle frontal gyrus, and that these cortical abnormalities may be a neural marker of CA.

Psychometric Properties of a Simplified Chinese Version of the Secondary Trauma Questionnaire in a Potentially Traumatized Study Sample.

BACKGROUND: Screening for secondary traumatic stress (STS) is lacking in China. It is unclear whether Western models of STS can be adapted satisfactorily for use in non-Western regions. The 20-item Secondary Trauma Questionnaire (STQ) is a self-report measure of traumatic stress symptoms in individuals who have been influenced indirectly by suicide or violent injury of people important to the respondents. METHODS: Here, we assessed the psychometric properties of a newly developed Chinese version of the STQ in a potentially traumatized sample (N = 875) composed of doctors, nurses, teachers, civic administration staff, and social workers in China. We performed reliability and validity analyses. Subsequently, we split the total sample into two subsamples for exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) for measurement invariance analyses. RESULTS: The full scale demonstrated good internal consistency (Cronbach's α = 0.95-0.97), convergent validity, discriminant validity, and factorial validity. CFA affirmed a one-factor structure; the configural, metric, scalar, and strict invariances of the STQ were acceptable across genders. CONCLUSION: The present results indicate that the STQ is a reliable and valid self-report assessment for use with potentially traumatized people in China, and further supports the notion that the STQ is amenable to additional future cross-cultural adaptation.

Corrigendum: The Depression Anxiety Stress Scale-21 in Chinese Hospital Workers: Reliability, Latent Structure, and Measurement Invariance Across Genders.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2020.00247.].

The Depression Anxiety Stress Scale-21 in Chinese Hospital Workers: Reliability, Latent Structure, and Measurement Invariance Across Genders.

The Depression Anxiety Stress Scale-21 (DASS-21) is an instrument in the assessment of mental health status. The current study recruited 1,532 Chinese hospital workers [74.4% female; mean age = 31.97 (SD = 9.70) years] to examine the reliability, latent structure, and measurement invariance of the DASS-21 between genders. The Cronbach's α values were greater than 0.90 for total score. This study examined four possible models of the DASS-21 using the confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) in Chinese hospital workers. The results from CFA revealed that the latent structure of the DASS-21 in medical staffs is best represented by a one-factor model. Then we used the one-factor model to examine measurement invariance across genders by using a multiple-group categorical CFA. All values of root mean square error approximation (RMSEA) were less than 0.08, all Comparative Fix Index (CFI) and Tucker-Lewis Index values were greater than 0.90, all ΔCFI (changes in CFI) values were less than 0.010, and ΔRMSEA (the changes in RMSEA) were less than 0.015. These findings supported the gender invariance of the DASS-21 among Chinese hospital workers.

Effect of Positive Psychological Intervention on Posttraumatic Growth among Primary Healthcare Workers in China: A Preliminary Prospective Study.

Posttraumatic growth (PTG) is defined as positive psychological change in the wake of highly challenging circumstances. Healthcare workers in particular are more vulnerable to stressors and trauma than the general population. The current study examined the use and effectiveness of a novel positive psychological intervention based on Chinese traditional culture to improve PTG in hospital healthcare workers. The intervention was provided to 579 healthcare workers at hospitals in Guilin, Shenzhen and Xiangtan. Scores on the Posttraumatic Growth Inventory (PTGI) and its subscales were significantly higher after intervention than before (p < 0.001). Of the five aspects of PTG, the aspect of "new possibilities" benefited the most from intervention (Cohen's d = 0.45). PTG in women, nurses and college graduates increased to a greater extent than other participants after intervention. It was concluded that our novel intervention is effective at improving PTG in medical staff.