These results suggest that both of the interventions appear to be superior to usual care for the reduction of anxiety symptoms.

Background This study examined the associations between components of psychological resilience and mental health at different levels of exposure to COVID-19 stressors. Methods A population-representative sample of 4,021 respondents were recruited and assessed between February 25th and March 19th, 2020. Respondents reported current anxiety symptoms (7-item Generalized Anxiety Disorder scale [GAD-7]), cognitive components (perceived ability to adapt to change, tendency to bounce back after adversities) and behavioral components (regularity of primary and secondary daily routines) of resilience, worry about COVID-19 infection, and sociodemographics. Results Logistic regression revealed that cognitive and behavioral components of resilience were not correlated with probable anxiety (GAD-7≥10) among those reporting no worry. Among respondents who were worried, all resilient components were inversely associated with probable anxiety. Specifically, propensity to bounce back and regular primary routines were more strongly related to lower odds of probable anxiety among those reporting lower levels of worry. Limitations The cross-sectional design limits causal inference. Second, other resilient components and some key daily routines that could be related to better mental health were not assessed. Third, generalizability of the findings to other similar major cities is uncertain because cases and deaths due to COVID-19 in Hong Kong have been comparatively lower. Conclusions To foster mental health, cultivation of confidence in one's ability to adapt to change and a propensity to bounce back from hardship should be coupled with sustainment of regular daily routines. Such assessment and intervention protocols could be more relevant to those who suffer heightened levels of exposure to COVID-19 stressors.

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Detachment and savoring could overshadow the positive impact of the other on caregiving burden if either one is at higher levels, while they could demonstrate concurrent positive impact on burden when both are at lower/medium levels. Savoring could have a prioritized role in ameliorating caregivers' anxiety and depressive symptoms, supplemented by detachment. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

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BackgroundChildhood intracranial germ cell tumor (GCT) survivors are prone to radiotherapy-related neurotoxicity, which can lead to neurocognitive dysfunctions. Diffusion kurtosis imaging (DKI) is a diffusion MRI technique that is sensitive to brain microstructural changes. This study aimed to investigate the association between DKI metrics versus cognitive and functional outcomes of childhood intracranial GCT survivors.MethodsDKI was performed on childhood intracranial GCT survivors (n = 20) who had received cranial radiotherapy, and age and gender-matched healthy control subjects (n = 14). Neurocognitive assessment was performed using the Hong Kong Wechsler Intelligence Scales, and functional assessment was performed using the Lansky/Karnofsky performance scales (KPS). Survivors and healthy controls were compared using mixed effects model. Multiple regression analyses were performed to determine the effects of microstructural brain changes of the whole brain as well as the association between IQ and Karnofsky scores and the thereof.ResultsThe mean Intelligence Quotient (IQ) of GCT survivors was 91.7 (95% CI 84.5 – 98.8), which was below the age-specific normative expected mean IQ (P = 0.013). The mean KPS score of GCT survivors was 85.5, which was significantly lower than that of controls (P < 0.001). Cognitive impairments were significantly associated with the presence of microstructural changes in white and grey matter, whereas functional impairments were mostly associated with microstructural changes in white matter. There were significant correlations between IQ versus the mean diffusivity (MD) and mean kurtosis (MK) of specific white matter regions. The IQ scores were negatively correlated with the MD of extensive grey matter regions.ConclusionOur study identified vulnerable brain regions whose microstructural changes in white and grey matter were significantly associated with impaired cognitive and physical functioning in survivors of pediatric intracranial GCT.

Introduction: White matter hyperintensity (WMH) has been regarded as one of the major contributor of the vascular hypothesis of late-life depression (LLD) and cognitive decline in the elderly. On the other hand, cognitive reserve (CR) has long been hypothesized to provide resilience and adaptability against age-and disease-related insults. This study examined the role of CR, using proxy of education, in moderating the association between WMH and clinical LLD expression.Methods: A total of 54 elderly diagnosed with major depressive disorder and 38 matched healthy controls participated in this study. They received MRI scanning and a battery of neuropsychological tests. WMH was quantified by an automated segmentation algorithm. Linear regression analyses were conducted separately in the LLD and control groups to examine the effects of WMH, education and their interaction in depression severity and various cognitive domains.Results: WMH was significantly and negatively associated with executive function only in the healthy controls. In patients with LLD, we observed a significant interactive effect in education on the association between WMH and depression severity and language domain (category fluency task). Specifically, those with high education showed less depressive symptoms and cognitive decline as WMH increased.Conclusion: WMH is associated with lower cognitive function. However, in patients with LLD, high education attenuates the deleterious effect of WMH on mood and cognition.

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