No abstract

Our findings provide initial evidence for the involvement of the epigenetic alterations of DAT1 in modulating the response to MPH treatment in ADHD, primarily on oppositional and hyperactive-impulsive symptoms.

ADHD is generally deemed to be a highly heritable disorder with mean heritability of 0.75. The enzyme monoamine oxidase (MAO), which has both A and B types, has long been considered a candidate pathological substrate for ADHD, and more recently, the genes for both MAO enzymes have been examined as mediators of the illness. Previous studies indicated that 30-50% of children with ADHD will experience symptoms that persist into adolescence and will have more significant impairment in social and neuropsychological functioning compared to those whose symptoms have remitted. Genes may also influence these characteristics of the disorder, and in this context MAO genes may also be candidates for moderating the presentation of ADHD. The current study examined the association between adolescent outcome of ADHD and MAO gene polymorphisms, including the 941T > G polymorphism in exon 8 (rs1799835) and 1460C > T polymorphism in exon 14 (rs1137070) of the MAOA gene, and the A > G polymorphism in intron13 (rs1799836), C > T polymorphism in the 3'UTR (rs1040399), and 2327T > C polymorphism in exon15 of the MAOB gene. Significant associations were observed between the MAOA gene polymorphisms and ADHD remission. Due to the small sample size and the possibility of phenotypic and etiologic heterogeneity of ADHD outcomes across ethnic or geographic groups, these results must be replicated before they can be generalized to other populations.

Introduction: Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) may be effective for generalized anxiety disorder (GAD); however, the neural mechanism is poorly understood. In this study, we examined the potential neural mechanisms through which MBCT may reduce anxiety in patients with mild-to-moderate GAD.Methods: Eight weekly group MBCT sessions (2 h each) were conducted with 32 GAD patients. Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) was used, along with clinical and mindfulness profiles. A regional homogeneity (ReHo) approach was applied, and resting-state functional connectivity in the default mode network (DMN) using the posterior cingulate cortex (PCC) seed was examined.Results: MBCT reduced the anxiety and increased the mindfulness abilities of patients. After MBCT, patients had reduced ReHo in broad regions of the limbic system, along with increased DMN functional connectivity in the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) and bilateral insula. Overlapping regions of reduced ReHo and increased DMN functional connectivity were observed in the mid-cingulate cortex (MCC) and bilateral insula. The increased PCC-ACC and PCC-insula functional connectivity following MBCT were related to anxiety improvements, suggesting a potential therapeutic mechanism for mindfulness-based therapies. Discussion: Group MBCT treatment appears to have effectively reduced anxiety symptoms in patients with mild-to-moderate GAD. Activation and functional connectivity appeared significantly different across some limbic regions after MBCT treatment. The salience network showed reduced ReHo and increased connectivity to the PCC. The DMN functional connectivity of the MCC may indicate reduced anxiety and improved mindfulness in GAD patients. K E Y W O R D S functional MRI (fMRI), generalized anxiety disorder, mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT), waiting list

Characteristics and challenges of psychological first aid in China during the COVID-19 outbreak With the outbreak of the 2019 coronavirus disease (COVID-19) (Wang et al., 2020), mental health professionals in China actively participated in combating the disease, especially in the psychological first aid. There are several features in the present psychological first aid which are different from previous rescue works in China such as the severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) in 2003 and the Wenchuan Earthquake in Sichuan in 2008. There are some reflections that are useful for us to prepare for the future as well.

No abstract

Results from our three-decade longitudinal repeated cross-sectional survey show that due to rapid social, economic and cultural changes among the Jino people, serious social and mental health problems such as alcohol-related disorder, suicide and major depressive disorders have increased.

No abstract