Nearly two-thirds of individuals with a mental disorder start experiencing symptoms during adolescence or early adulthood, and the onset of a mental disorder during this critical life stage strongly predicts adverse socioeconomic and health outcomes. Subthreshold manifestations of Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD), also called autistic traits, are known to be associated with a higher vulnerability to the development of other psychiatric disorders. Current psychopathological research has pointed out the shortcomings of a categorical approach to mental illnesses (e.g., the concept of comorbidity) whilst a dimensional approach allows the description of patients across multiple syndrome dimensions that, in turn, constitute broad spectra of interrelated psychopathologies.

This study aimed to assess the presence of autistic traits in a population of young adults seeking specialist assistance, and to evaluate the study population across various psychopathological domains in order to determine their links with autistic traits.

We recruited a sample of 263 adolescents and young adults referring to a specialized outpatient clinic, and we administered them several self-report questionnaires for the evaluation of various psychopathological domains: the Autism Quotient, the Ritvo Autism and Asperger Diagnostic Scale-Revised, RAADS-R, the Empathy Quotient, EQ, the Sensory Perception Quotient – Short Form, SPQ-SF35, the Beck Depression Inventory, BDI-II, the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, STAI-Y1 and Y2, the Eating Attitude Test-26 items, EAT-26, the Prodromal Questionnaire–short version, PQ-16, the Personality Inventory for DSM-5, PID-5-BF, the Pathological Narcissism Inventory, PNI. We then conducted a cluster analysis based on the prevalence of autistic traits (AQ, RAADS-R), empathy (EQ) and sensory sensitivity (SPQ-SF35) scores.

The cluster analysis identified three distinct groups in the sample: an autistic traits (AT) cluster (22.43%), an intermediate cluster (45.25%), and a no-AT cluster (32.32%). Moreover, subjects with higher autistic traits exhibited significantly greater symptomatology across multiple psychopathological domains, including mood, anxiety, eating disorders severity, psychotic symptoms, and personality traits such as Detachment and Vulnerable Narcissism.

The study highlights the importance of identifying autistic traits in young individuals struggling with mental health concerns, and suggests a relationship between autistic traits and greater overall psychopathological burden. Additionally, the findings underscore the necessity of adopting a dimensional approach to psychopathology, in order to better understand the complex interplay of different psychiatric symptoms and facilitate tailored interventions.

None Declared

Jacobsen Syndrome (JS), or 11q Deletion Syndrome, is a rare genetic disorder affecting approximately 1 in 100,000 births, with a female-to-male ratio of 2:1 (Grossfeld et al. Am J Med Genet A. 2004; 129A(1):51-61). It is caused by a deletion on chromosome 11’s long arm, leading to diverse clinical features, affecting mainly the immune and cardiac systems (Dalm et al. J Clin Immunol. 2015; 35(8):761-8). Core neuropsychiatric symptoms include intellectual disability, psychomotor delays and distinctive physical traits. Recent reports highlighted attention deficits and autism-like characteristics (Akshoomoff et al. Genet Med. 2015; 17(2):143-8). Although previous studies identified varied cognitive profiles in JS, most focused on medical features, and a detailed psychiatric and cognitive characterisation is lacking.

This study aims to describe and analyse the psychiatric and cognitive profiles of individuals with JS as well as its associations, within a Spanish sample.

Twenty-nine participants aged 2 to 45 years were recruited from the Spanish association “11q España”. Psychiatric data were collected through interviews with parents and cross-referenced with medical reports, and behavioural symptoms were assessed using the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL). Cognitive functioning was evaluated using Wechsler scales and the Merrill-Palmer-Revised scale.

The cohort’s average age was 12 years, with a female majority (68.9%). Psychiatric or neurodevelopmental comorbidities were present in over half (51.72%), with ADHD being the most common. According to the CBCL, 54.4% had internalising problems, and 54.5% had externalising problems. The average Intellectual Quotient (IQ) was 50.18, and the mean Developmental Quotient 36. When grouped by disability, 17.3% had borderline functioning, 17.3% mild, 21.7% moderate, 26% severe, and 17.3% profound ID. Higher IQ was associated with increased depression diagnoses and anxious/depressed symptoms.

This study provides a detailed neurocognitive profile of individuals with JS, confirming its heterogeneous presentation. Psychiatric comorbidities, especially ADHD, were common, and cognitive functioning ranged from borderline to profound ID, with no cases of normal cognition. Notably, participants with higher cognitive abilities were more prone to depression, highlighting the need for targeted mental health support tailored to individuals with JS.

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North Kivu and Ituri in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) are among the provinces most severely affected by humanitarian needs. The security situation is highly unstable, with over 530,000 people displaced. Those remaining face urgent needs, and the conflict has severely impacted their mental health. An assessment of healthcare staff in local centers revealed significant distress due to both their exposure to patients in crisis and the surrounding violence and insecurity.

The aim of the protocol developed and proposed to healthcare staff was to implement preventive and curative phycological support actions designed to address all the psychosocial risks identified, as well as to alleviate emotional distress, improve well-being and strengthen the resilience mechanisms of healthcare centre staff.

A 5-session protocol was proposed to healthcare staff. The sessions focused on psychological distress specific to professional situations in the context of conflict and humanitarian emergencies: vicarious trauma and self-help strategies using emotional regulation exercises. We measured several dimensions of participants’ psychological and professional well-being at the start and end of the programme: the PCL-5 to assess post-traumatic stress symptoms, the HADS to measure levels of anxiety and depression, the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) to assess three dimensions of burnout: emotional exhaustion, depersonalisation and personal fulfilment. Finally, the ProQoL scale was used to assess participants’ quality of working life.

Analyses of the scores differences between pre and post intervetion, among a pre-sample of 65 participants (21% women; 78.5% men) showed significant improvements. Anxiety and depression levels decreased significantly (HAD-A: t = - t = 7.71, p < 0.001; HAD-D: t = 7.30, p < 0.001). On the MBI, participants showed a significant reduction in emotional exhaustion (t = 5.83, p < 0.001) and depersonalisation (t = 8.85, p < 0.001) and an increase in the sense of personal accomplishment (t = -5.12, p < 0.001). The results also show a clear reduction in post-traumatic stress symptoms (PCL-5: t = 8.64, p < 0.001). On the ProQoL scale, compassion satisfaction also increased significantly (t = -5.70, p < 0.001), indicating that carers feel more gratified by their role despite the challenges they face. Secondary traumatic stress (t = 5.38, p < 0.001), and burnout (t = 2.82, p = 0.006)., although significantly reduced, remain areas of concern.

The intervention had significant positive effects on several dimensions of the psychological and professional well-being of healthcare workers, contributing to better stress management, increased satisfaction, and reduced burnout. These results highlight the importance of implementing support programs for healthcare professionals working in challenging contexts.

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Past studies found lack of left frontal asymmetry in major depressive disorder (MDD) patients, also during task execution, probably depending on thought disorders associated to MDD. Indeed, individuals suffering from depressive mood are more likely to develop specific symptoms, i.e., rumination (R) (Thomsen, 2006) and perseverative thoughts (PT). According to Martin & Tesser (1996), rumination could be defined as “[…] a class of conscious thoughts that revolve around a common instrumental theme and that recur in the absence of immediate environmental demands requiring the thoughts”. Following this definition, this symptom can be represented along a continuum ranging between healthy individuals and patients with full-blown mood disorder.

The present study aimed at investigating the psychophysiological markers underlying the risk to develop mood disorders, in a community sample selected for two important psychiatric transdiagnostic domains, i.e., perseverative thoughts and ruminations (PT/R).

In order to prompt a rumination state, we developed a new mood induction paradigm based on presentation of brief, validated videoclips able to evoke sadness, psychological sufferance and feelings of loss. Subjective reports and high-density EEG data from 20 students with high (≥80th) and 20 with low (≤20th percentile) PT/R were collected. Subjective data analyses included self-perceived valence and arousal for ‘love abandonment’, ‘loneliness’ and ‘city documentary’ (i.e., neutral) clips. sLORETA source analyses on EEG bands were carried out to unmask the cortical areas involved in rumination.

Regardless of group, emotional clips elicited greater valence and arousal scores than neutral videos. Between-group sLORETA analysis revealed greater delta and theta activity in low vs. high PT/R participants in left superior parietal lobule during viewing of ‘love abandonment’ clips. Within-group analysis carried out in low PT/R participants showed that, compared with neutral clips, the ‘love abandonment’ and ‘loneliness’ conditions elicited greater alpha activity in superior (left) and middle (right) frontal gyri, respectively. On the contrary, high PT/R participants showed similar right (pre)cuneus alpha increase, regardless of emotional content.

Results suggest a decreased sensitivity to negative videoclips in high PT/R individuals, together with the loss of the specialized frontal hemispheric valence-dependent asymmetry that is typically found in low PT/R participants.

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Severe mental disorders, characterized by their progressive course, early onset, and persistent symptoms, pose significant challenges to patients’ well-being and psychosocial functioning. Despite the growing recognition of the importance of comprehensive treatment, psychological therapies remain underutilized in this population in Vietnam. The Tree of Life therapy, a low-cost, evidence-based, and culturally adaptable intervention, offers a holistic perspective on mental health recovery through personal growth, enhanced coping skills, and social connectedness. This study aimed to explore the therapeutic potential of the Tree of Life group therapy for inpatients with severe mental disorders at Hanoi Mental Hospital.

1) To understand the experience of participating in the Tree of Life therapy group for inpatients with severe mental disorders; 2) To explore the perspectives of patients on the hospitalization, inpatient treatment process, their self-perception, life goals and resources before and after participating in the group

Using qualitative methods, we interviewed 30 inpatients about their experiences before and after participating in the therapy. The Tree of Life group was conducted through four 1-hour sessions guided by the original protocol (Ncube, 2006). The study design follows a qualitative approach. After collection, the data was transcribed, coded, and stored as online text. We chose thematic analysis using MAXQDA 24 software for data analysis.

Regarding the Tree of Life group therapy experience, prominent themes emerged, including positive group interactions, relevant content, enhanced health and well-being, therapeutic engagement promotion, and memorable session components. When examining patients’ perspectives on hospitalization, treatment, recovery, self-description, hopes and dreams, and resources, a strong emphasis on family stood out. The family theme was then analysed further to identify subthemes: Family members were perceived as gatekeepers to treatment, sources of love and support, motivations for recovery, active participants and decision-makers in future life plans.

The pilot qualitative study demonstrates the potential therapeutic efficacy of Tree of Life group therapy for patients with severe mental disorders. The findings also highlight the critical role of the family in supporting patients with severe mental disorders and underscore the importance of involving family members in the treatment process in the Vietnam context. However, further randomised controlled trials are required to establish the therapy’s effectiveness on a broader scale and provide robust evidence for clinical implementation.

None Declared

There is an increasing demand for alternative evaluation tools capable of providing objective assessments or highlighting differences. Functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) and heart rate variability (HRV) are frequently employed as biomarkers for assessing emotional status.

This study hypothesizes that emotional expressions, particularly unpleasant emotions and their variations in adolescents, are associated with changes in heart rate variability and frontal lobe activity.

A total of 55 adolescents participated in this study. Following the completion of clinical scales, assessments of both HRV and fNIRS in a resting state were conducted for all participants for 200 seconds. After a 10-second rest, HRV and fNIRS assessments were performed during a positive emotional perception test for 192 seconds. Following a 30-second rest, the same procedures were repeated during a negative emotional perception test.

The correction rate of unpleasant emotional perception negatively correlated with HRV measures (unpleasant-HF, unpleasant-SDNN) and positively with pleasant-RMSSD. Additionally, it positively correlated with the ΔaccHBO2 within the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC). Conversely, the correction rate of pleasant emotional perception negatively correlated with increases in ΔaccHBO2 within the left DLPFC. Both unpleasant-SDNN and unpleasant-HF negatively correlated with ΔaccHBO2 within the left DLPFC.

The perception of negative emotions in adolescents is associated with individual levels of depression and anxiety. Furthermore, the perception of negative emotions significantly correlates with changes in HRV and activity within the left DLPFC. There is also evidence suggesting a link between changes in HRV and brain activity in response to the perception of negative emotions.

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Positive writing (PW) consists in a written treatment of real or imagined events, processed with a positive connotation. The technique has been proven useful and effective for increasing psychological well-being. It derives from the expressive writing (EW) methodology developed by James Pennebaker.

The objective of this study is to analyze the effects of positive writing (PW) in a group of healthy subjects. The psychological variables measured following the application of PW are six mood states: tension, depression, anger, vigor, fatigue and confusion. These are preliminary data from work that is still in progress.

Two groups were randomly formed (one experimental and one control) and wrote for 3 consecutive days on different topics. The experimental group wrote for 20 minutes a day about the most rewarding experience of their life, while the control group described, again for 20 minutes a day, a topic with a low emotional connotation (description of their home). Three administrations (baseline, 3-day follow-up and 10-day follow-up) of the POMS (Profile of Mood States) psychological test were carried out on study participants.

A statistical analysis such as analysis of variance (2-way ANOVA for repeated measures) was used to analyze the effects of positive writing in relation to the different parameters considered, between the groups (Experimental Group vs Control Group) in three different times (baseline, 3 days, 10 days).

Statistically significant decreases were recorded in the experimental group in confusion (Factor C) in the 10-day measurement (7.44 VS 5.00 p < 0.01) and in fatigue (factor S) (5, 94 VS 3.88; p < 0.05).

These data demonstrate how positive writing can lead to beneficial psychological effects. In particular, this study examined the effects of writing about one’s real life experiences and highlighted beneficial psychological/cognitive effects (decreased confusion) and psychophysical (decreased feelings of fatigue). Focusing attention on one’s positive experiences therefore produces improvements on a cognitive level for the sensations that concern clarity and linearity of thought and reduction of feelings of psycho-physical fatigue.

None Declared

Open access to psychological treatment manuals is critical for advancing research and clinical practice, particularly in low- and middle-income countries, where access to mental health care is scarce. Despite growing recognition of the need for freely available manuals to ensure replicability, transparency, and wider dissemination of evidence-based interventions, open and free access to intervention manuals remains limited.

We aimed to quantify the availability of protocols and manuals for psychological interventions used in randomized clinical trials (RCTs) for severe mental disorders. This research is part of the broader European Research Council – funded project DECOMPOSE, in which we employ a systematic and reproducible approach for decoding, classifying, and evaluating the active ingredients of psychological interventions.

Using recent network meta-analyses of RCTs, we collected psychological interventions for psychotic, bipolar, substance use, eating, and borderline personality disorders. We attempted to retrieve intervention protocols and manuals directly from trial publications or their published protocols and referenced manuals. If the protocols or manuals were not accessible, we contacted the study authors to request the materials.

We identified a total of 259 RCTs, but only 18 had published protocols. Of the 71 RCTs pre-registered on platforms such as ClinicalTrials.gov, only 5 provided an adequate description of the psychological treatment components, all of which overlapped with already published protocols. To retrieve missing materials, we contacted 450 authors from 241 RCTs. We received positive responses from 75 RCTs, negative responses from 55 RCTs, and no replies from 100 RCTs. We were not able to retrieve contact information for the authors of 11 RCTs.

Of the 75 positive responses, we obtained the complete requested materials for only 47 trials. In the remaining cases, we were instructed to purchase the manuals (n=11), provided with only partial materials (n=4), or given additional references that were not the full intervention manual (n=13). Negative responses included the trial being too old or no authors’ access to the materials (n=22), commitment to send the materials without further follow-up (n=8), suggesting the paper as the sole available resource (n=11), and various other reasons (n=14)

Our findings reveal a significant lack of freely available intervention manuals, limiting the implementation and replicability of psychological treatments. Coordinated action is needed to ensure open access to these materials for more replicable research, wider dissemination of results, and improved access to evidence-based mental health care.

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The mental health status and capacity to govern of democratically-elected politicians have become significant topics of interest, which have attracted speculation in the media and beyond. In fulfilling demanding and high-stress positions, politicians could encounter distinctive risk factors that may harm their mental wellbeing, yet existing research literature about this topic remains underexplored.

This scoping review aimed to systematically examine the breadth of available evidence on mental health issues and risk factors affecting democratically-elected politicians and to identify future research needs.

Using pre-defined eligibility criteria based on JBI guidelines, a systematic keyword search was conducted in May 2024 of MEDLINE, Scopus, and APA PsycNet, supplemented by snowballing techniques. Only studies reporting primary, empirical evidence on mental ill-health or risk factors with adverse psychological correlates from serving politicians in “Full” or “Flawed” democracies (per the Democracy Index) were included from 1999-2024. Titles and abstracts were screened and the full-text of potentially eligible literature was assessed before data extraction and synthesis.

Eighteen sources met the eligibility criteria, cumulatively encompassing ~3,500 politicians across seven democracies, namely: Australia, Canada, the Netherlands, Norway, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Four sources (22.2%) explored general psychopathology trends, revealing varying but sizeable rates of mental ill-health and high-risk alcohol consumption. The other fourteen studies (77.8%) provided evidence on risk factors; twelve underlined the psychological toll of violence and two investigations highlighted the injurious effects of specific occupational conditions. Notably, exposure to violence often precipitated detrimental mental health outcomes, with certain data indicating a disproportionate impact on female officeholders.

Existing research literature suggests that democratically-elected politicians face considerable mental health challenges, especially from the effects of violence. However, there are notable research gaps with a paucity of reliable prevalence estimates, intervention studies, and work on national leaders. Equally, the underrepresentation of numerous democratic countries accentuates the need for a more diverse evidence-base to better support the mental wellbeing of politicians worldwide.

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In recent years, more and more researchers have found positive psychological changes after experiencing stressful events. When people are exposed to stressful events, a sense of hope and psychological well-being, as significant positive psychological traits, can lessen the negative effects of psychological imbalance and help them cope with their worries in life in a more positive way, effectively promoting and protecting their mental health

This study aims to examine the mediating role of well-being in the relationship between people’s perception of hope and mental health.

The present research was performed using a convenience (or snowball) sampling method obtained in the context of the Hope Barometer research program in 2023. Inclusion criteria were being an adult (aged ≥ 18 years); providing e-consent; having internet access; and understanding the Portuguese language. An online survey including information sheet, demographic questions, and three instruments, namely: Dispotional Hope was measured through the Perceived Hope Scale [PHS]; Mental health status was evaluated by General Anxiety Disorder-7itens; and, well-being measured by the Mental Health Continuum Short Form (MHC-SF). We employed the PROCESS macro for SPSS (model 4: mediation analysis) to evaluate our model.

The most frequently reported demographic categories were female (n=402), married (n = 206), have children (n = 344), graduated (n = 442), and with religious/spiritual affiliation (n = 400). The mean age was 47.72±11.86 years old. Dispositional hope were significantly and positively correlated with mental health. We conducted a mediation analysis to examine whether mediates the relationship between dispositional hope and mental health. The indirect effects for hedonic well-being (β = 0.28; 95% CI [0.02, 0.36]), psychological well-being (β = 0.14; 95% CI [0.06, 0.19]), and social well-being (β = 0.06; 95% CI [0.008, 0.073]) were all significant, indicating a mediating effect.

Given the COVID-19 pandemic and its consequences have caused a variety of psychological distress such as fears, worries, and anxiety among people worldwide, this study underlies the mechanism between positive psychological resources such as perceived hope and well-being of individuals during the times of crisis of COVID-19 affects their mental health.

None Declared

Executive functions (EEFF) are different cognitive aspects that allow us to find solutions and adapt to changes. There are several traditional instruments that assess these processes, but they are difficult to generalize to the subject’s real environment.

To analyze the test-retest reliability of the adaptation of the BRIEF-A to the Spanish population with a non-clinical sample, as well as studying the informant consensus between the Self-report and Informant report forms that this instrument presents.

The questionnaire has been administered to 58 subjects from the general population (Self-report version) and 58 informants who adequately knew each subject (Informant report version) at baseline and at 4 weeks follow-up in order to study the test-retest reliability. Statistical analysis was carried out using the Pearson Correlation Coefficient to study the test-retest reliability. Self-reports and Informant reports mean scores were also compared using the Student’s T-Test for paired samples.

The calculated correlations were significant for all the scales and indices in both the Self-report and the Informant report versions, and relatively strong in all the cases with values ranging from 0.62 to 0.89 except for the Task Monitor scale in the Self-report form, which presented a moderate correlation (r = 0.31). When it comes to the T-Test, mean differences between the two samples were also statistically significant in all the cases.

Test-retest reliability of the BRIEF-A is adequate in the non-clinical Spanish population, and the scores obtained in the first occasion remain relatively stable in the second. Furthermore, the informant consensus is observed to be low, therefore showing the utility of gathering data from different informants, since that can provide a better approach of subjects EEFF. Further research with clinical population would be necessary to validate this tool and perform a complete assessment.

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Huntington’s disease (HD) is a hereditary neurodegenerative disorder marked by progressive declines in motor, cognitive, and psychiatric functions. This case report presents a 45-year-old female patient with HD who displayed significant manic symptoms, which later evolved into acute psychosis. Notably, her neuropsychiatric symptoms emerged months before motor deficits. This case aims to raise clinician awareness of the interplay between neuropsychiatric symptoms and HD.

Analyze early neuropsychiatric manifestations, particularly manic and psychotic symptoms; highlight the importance of recognizing these symptoms before the onset of motor dysfunction; and explore the neurobiological mechanisms underlying, including neurotransmitter dysregulation and structural brain changes.

A comprehensive clinical evaluation was conducted for the patient. Her psychiatric history was assessed using standardized tools, including the Young Mania Rating Scale (YMRS) and the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS).

Neuroimaging, including computed tomography (CT), assessed structural brain changes in regions related to mood regulation and psychosis, such as the striatum and prefrontal cortex. A literature review correlated these findings with existing research on neurobiological mechanisms in HD, focusing on neurotransmitter systems and brain morphology.

Initially, the patient exhibited manic symptoms such as elevated mood and irritability, with moderate severity noted on the YMRS. Within a month, her condition escalated to acute psychosis, featuring auditory hallucinations and paranoid delusions, as reflected by moderate PANSS scores. Neuroimaging revealed structural changes consistent with HD, including striatal atrophy and prefrontal cortex alterations. These findings supported the hypothesis of neurotransmitter dysregulation, particularly involving dopamine and serotonin.

The management plan included mood stabilizers and antipsychotics, such as valproic acid and risperidone, along with temporary benzodiazepines to manage agitation. This approach led to a significant reduction in both manic and psychotic symptoms, improving the patient’s overall quality of life through integrated psychiatric care.

This case underscores the importance of recognizing early neuropsychiatric symptoms, particularly manic and psychotic features, in HD patients. The emergence of these symptoms prior to motor dysfunction calls for heightened clinician awareness, as early identification can facilitate timely interventions and enhance patient outcomes. The observed structural brain changes and neurotransmitter dysregulation suggest underlying neurobiological mechanisms, warranting further research in the broader HD population. A multidisciplinary approach is essential for effectively managing the interplay of neuropsychiatric symptoms.

None Declared

Historically, syphilis has been known as “the Great Imitator” due to its heterogeneous clinical manifestations. Though its incidence decreased with the widespread use of penicillin, recent data suggest a resurgence, particularly among those experiencing delays in treatment. This resurgence creates diagnostic challenges, especially when patients have coexisting psychiatric conditions like Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD).

This report explores the psychiatric and cognitive manifestations of neurosyphilis in patients with preexisting personality disorders. The primary objective is to highlight how neurosyphilis complicates psychiatric diagnosis and care and to emphasize the need for early detection and intervention.

A thorough literature review was conducted using PubMed database covering studies published from 2000 to 2023. Keywords included “neurosyphilis,” “borderline personality disorder,” “psychiatric symptoms,” “syphilis resurgence,” and “cognitive impairment.” Additionally, the case of a 35-year-old female with BPD who developed neurosyphilis is presented, demonstrating the complexities in distinguishing between overlapping psychiatric symptoms. The case also emphasizes the importance of comprehensive care.

The psychiatric symptoms of neurosyphilis, such as impulsivity, mood instability, and cognitive dysfunction, significantly overlap with those of BPD, complicating diagnosis and treatment. Literature indicates that neurosyphilis occurs in 0.5% to 2% of untreated syphilis cases. Common psychiatric manifestations of neurosyphilis—such as irritability, cognitive decline, and affective dysregulation—are often misattributed to underlying psychiatric disorders, leading to delays in proper treatment. In the case of the 35-year-old patient, her longstanding BPD symptoms, including emotional instability and impulsivity, worsened with the progression of neurosyphilis. Cognitive testing revealed mild impairment, which was consistent with the cognitive decline seen in neurosyphilis, further complicating the clinical picture.

This case underscores the critical need for timely syphilis screening, particularly for individuals with a history of untreated or inadequately treated infections. Early diagnosis and treatment of neurosyphilis can significantly improve cognitive and psychiatric outcomes while promoting overall wellness. Routine sexually transmitted disease screenings, especially in psychiatric populations, can prevent severe neuropsychiatric complications and support holistic well-being. Given the global resurgence of syphilis, a proactive approach to sexual health is essential in fostering both mental and physical health.

None Declared

AMD is currently the main cause of deterioration in the quality of life, disability and blindness in people over the age of 50 in economically developed countries,the presence of symptoms of anxiety and/or depression may be a risk factor for the development and exacerbation of ophthalmological diseases, a risk factor for an unfavorable prognosis of the disease and one of the factors contributing to a decrease in the patient’s compliance and motivation for ophthalmological treatment

The aim was to study the prevalence of symptoms of anxiety and depression in patients with age–related macular degeneration and determine its impact on quality of life.

A continuous sampling method was used to examine 24 patients (9 men and 15 women, aged from 41 to 87 years, the average age in the group was 69.7 ± 10.8 years) with an established diagnosis of AMD, who were undergoing inpatient treatment at the Cheboksary branch of the FSAU NMIC MNTC Eye Microsurgery. Academician S.N. Fedorova” Ministry of Health of Russia, HADS, The Spielberger anxiety Questionnaire, SF-36,The results of the examination of the mental state were compared with the indicators of visual acuity

Clinically significant severity of depression symptoms was found in 4.2% of patients, mild manifestations of depression were found in 8.3%, 79.2% demonstrated moderate reactive anxiety; 12.5% of the subjects had a low level of reactive anxiety. 81.7 % of the respondents were subject to moderate and high personal anxiety. men were more prone to manifestations of both reactive (88.9% of men and 73.3% of women, respectively) and personal anxiety (100% of men and 86.7% of women, respectively), higher incidence of depression among women than among men. Patients with lower visual acuity tended to give a lower assessment of their physical health.

The results demonstrated a high prevalence of personality and reactive anxiety among patients with age-related macular degeneration. At the same time, persons with higher acuity vision was more prone to anxiety, which may probably be due to incomplete adaptation to pathology in the early stages of AMD development. A tendency was found to have a worse assessment of their physical well-being among older patients with lower visual acuity.

This study has a limitation due to the small sample of patients at the time of analysis, which dictates the need for further study of this issue.

None Declared

Late-life depression (LLD) has been linked to increased likelihood of dementia, although mechanisms responsible for this association remain largely unknown. One feature frequently observed in both LLD and dementia is elevated levels of plasma inflammatory markers.

The present study aimed to compare the levels of 12 plasma inflammatory markers between older people with LLD and controls, and to explore whether these markers, along with clinical characteristics, can predict dementia in patients with LLD within 3 years of follow-up.

Using multiple linear regression with stepwise adjustment (for age, gender, smoking status, and physical comorbidities), we compared levels of plasma inflammatory markers (IL-1β, IL-1ra, IL-6, IL-10, IL-17a, IL-18, IL-33, TNFα, CD40L, IFN-γ, CCL-2 and CCL-4) between 136 older inpatients admitted to psychiatric units for LLD (PRODE cohort) and 103 cognitively healthy non-depressed controls (COGNORM cohort). In the PRODE cohort, follow-up data was available for 139 patients (of them 123 had data on baseline plasma inflammatory markers); 36 (25.9%) developed dementia by year 3. Using Cox proportional hazards regression, we explored whether inflammatory markers and clinical characteristics of LLD (age of onset, treatment response, number of episodes) predicted progression to dementia during follow-up.

Levels of IL-1ra, CCL-2, CCL-4, IFN-γ and IL-17a were significantly higher in LLD patients compared to controls in all models (See Fig 1); IL-33 was significantly elevated in most models. None of the baseline plasma inflammatory markers predicted progression from LLD to dementia. Among clinical features, only improvement in MADRS score at discharge (HR = 0.95, 95% CI 0.91-0.99) and treatment response (HR 0.45, 95%CI 0.21 – 0.98) were associated with lower chance of progression to dementia in fully adjusted models; age of onset and number of previous episodes were not significant predictors of dementia at follow-up.

Image 1:

This study demonstrated an increase in plasma inflammatory markers in LLD but did not find evidence they could predict dementia at follow-up.

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Apathy frequently occurs in older persons but its aetiology is not understood as of yet. One hypothesis, the vascular hypothesis of apathy, suggests a link between apathy and vascular factors such as cerebral small vessel disease (CSVD), that may cause lesions in the reward network of the brain. In previous studies, a cross sectional association was found between lower blood pressure (BP) and symptoms of apathy in older persons with more CSVD, potentially through reduced cerebral blood flow (CBF). However, longitudinal studies on associations between vascular factors and apathy are scarce.

We investigated whether in older persons, structural and dynamic vascular factors are associated with apathy symptoms over time. We hypothesized that a higher burden of CSVD, a lower BP and lower CBF, would be related to an increase in symptoms of apathy.

This study is a longitudinal cohort study involving community-dwelling older participants of the Discontinuation of Antihypertensive Treatment in the Elderly (DANTE) Study, all using antihypertensive treatment and with mild cognitive deficits. At baseline BP was measured and apathy was assessed with the Apathy Scale (AS, range 0-42) at baseline and after four years of follow-up (n=178). Additionally, a baseline MRI sub study (n=109) was conducted to measure CSVD and CBF. Univariate and multivariate linear regression analyses were performed using CSVD, BP and CBF as determinants and the change in Apathy Scale score over time as an outcome.

Mean age of the population was 80 years (SD 4) and 63% was female. In the MRI sub study, no significant association was found between the summary CSVD scores (β (95% CI)=0.018(-1.089-1.125), p=.975) or it’s separate features; WMH (β(95% CI)=0.012(-0.011-0.035), p=.318), CMB (β (95% CI)=-0.017(-0.605-0.572), p=.956), lacunar infarctions (β(95% CI)=-0.413(-1.266-0.440), p=.339), and a change in Apathy Scale score. Additionally, no significant association between the dynamic vascular factors; CBF (β(95% CI)=-0.029(-0.152-0.094), p=.640), systolic BP (β (95% CI)=-0.019 (-0.056-0.018), p=.310) and diastolic BP (β(95% CI)=-0.029(-0.099-0.042), p=.425), and change in Apathy Scale score was found. The multivariate linear regression model, which incorporated all the structural and dynamic vascular parameters, age, and gender, was not significant.

In older persons with mild cognitive deficits, structural and dynamic vascular factors were not associated with symptoms of apathy after four years of follow-up. Our findings thus do not support a ‘vascular apathy hypothesis’. Potentially, other factors such as life style factors confound the cross sectional association between vascular factors and apathy, or different apathy syndromes may have different aetiologies. Larger studies with less baseline vascular burden, are needed to confirm our results.

None Declared

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is one of the most prevalent mental disorders diagnosed in children and is characterized by complex, interacting symptoms. Although executive functioning systems are most frequently examined in functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) activation studies of ADHD, atypical reward processing may also play a central role in ADHD and influence other symptoms, such as hyperactivity and impulsivity. This meta-analysis aims to advance our understanding of the neural basis of reward processing in ADHD, as measured by fMRI activation studies.

The present study aims to advance our understanding of the neural basis in reward processing in participants with ADHD by identifying aberrant functional activation in various brain regions compared with healthy controls.

We conducted a comprehensive literature search in PubMed for whole-brain, task-based fMRI activation studies comparing participants diagnosed with ADHD to healthy controls in accordance with PRISMA guidelines. We then used multilevel kernel density analysis (MKDA) with ensemble thresholding (α = .05–.0001; FWE-corrected) to explore neural activation patterns associated with ADHD across all tasks and during reward processing tasks.

We obtained 57 primary studies (N = 4,366) that met our inclusion criteria. We found that patients with ADHD (n = 1,591), relative to healthy controls (n = 2,775), exhibited statistically significant (p < .005; FWE-corrected) differential activation in multiple brain regions of the cerebral cortex and basal ganglia, including robust effects across various tasks and task-specific effects observed during reward processing.

These findings strengthen our understanding of the neural basis of reward processing in ADHD, which may inform new neurocognitive models of this heterogeneous disorder. Future studies should investigate disorder-specific and transdiagnostic neural features of ADHD and reward processing and explore clinical applications such as non-invasive brain stimulation and neurofeedback training.

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The detection of electrophysiological markers to differentiate patients with suicide attempts could support the efforts of clinicians to provide proper diagnosis and treatment for them, and finally reduce the suicide mortality rate.

The objective of the current study was to investigate and compare cortical functional networks from resting-state electroencephalogram in patients with suicide attempts and suicidal ideation using source-level weighted network analysis. We also examined the possibility of network features serving as biomarkers by differentiation between suicide attempts and suicidal ideation using machine learning techniques.

This study investigated source-level cortical functional networks using resting-state electroencephalography in drug-naïve depressed patients with suicide attempt and suicidal ideation. Electroencephalogram was recorded in 55 patients with suicide attempts and in 54 patients with suicidal ideation. Graph-theory-based source-level weighted functional networks were assessed using strength, clustering coefficient (CC), and path length (PL) in seven frequency bands. Finally, we applied machine learning to differentiate between the two groups using source-level network features.

There were significant differences in the three global level indices of the high alpha band. The strength and CC of the high alpha band were significantly lower in patients with suicide attempts than in those with suicide attempts ideation. In contrast, the PL of the high alpha band was significantly higher in patients with suicide attempts than in those with suicide ideation. No significant differences in the other frequency bands were between the two groups.

The nodal CCs of patients with suicide attempts were significantly lower than those of patients with suicide ideation in most regions, except for three of the 68 regions.

The best classification performance between suicide attempts and suicide ideation was an accuracy of 73.39%, a sensitivity of 76.36%, and a specificity of 70.37% with 17 features. Three of these features were global-level network indices (strength, CC, and PL) in the high alpha band; the other 14 features were high alpha band nodal level CCs in limbic, frontal, temporal, parietal,and occipital area.

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This is the first study to use electroencephalogram source level network measures, revealing that network indices for high alpha band could be potential biomarkers to distinguish betweensuicide attempts and suicide ideation in patients with depression. Moreover, our study evaluated the electroencephalogram signals immediately after fatal suicide attempts in a relatively large number of un-medicated patients.

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Cerebral Autosomal Dominant Arteriopathy with Subcortical Infarcts and Leukoencephalopathy (CADASIL) is a hereditary cerebrovascular disorder caused by point mutations in the NOTCH3 gene located on chromosome 19. The condition is primarily characterized by three core MRI lesions: white matter hyperintensities (WMH), lacunar infarcts, and cerebral microbleeds. Unlike age-related MRI lesions, which can be attributed to multiple factors such as aging, hypertension, and diabetes, the lesions in CADASIL are linked to a single genetic cause, offering a more uniform model for studying the impact of lesion location.

This study focuses on CADASIL patients and aims to identify factors associated with dementia while examining the relationships between total WMH volume, WMH location, lacunar infarct count, cerebral microbleeds, and cognitive performance.

A total of 81 participants were included in the study. Each participant underwent both brain MRI and the CERAD neuropsychological battery. White matter hyperintensity (WMH) volume was assessed via MRI, and the WMHs were categorized by their proximity to the ventricular surface into three types: juxtaventricular (JVWMH), periventricular (PVWMH), and deep white matter hyperintensities (DWMH). DWMH included lesions located beyond 13 mm from the ventricular surface. Additionally, MRI was used to evaluate the number of lacunar infarcts and cerebral microbleeds (CMB) present.

The prevalence of dementia among CADASIL patients was 18.5%. Logistic regression analysis revealed an odds ratio of 1.078 (95% CI = 1.011–1.150) for WMH volume. Similarly, However, the number of lacunar infarcts and CMB did not demonstrate a significant relationship with dementia risk. Linear regression analysis indicated that total WMH volume was significantly linked to performance on several cognitive tests. When WMH volume was categorized by distance from the ventricular surface, JVWMH volume and PVWMH volume werr significantly associated with performance on various cognitve tests. Conversely, DWMH volume did not demonstrate a significant association with cognitive performance in CADASIL patients. The number of lacunar infarcts was correlated with performance on the trail-making test A, the Stroop word test, and the Stroop color test, while cerebral microbleeds did not show significant associations with cognitive performance.

Core MRI-detected lesions exhibit diverse impacts on cognitive function in CADASIL patients. Total WMH volume and JVWMH volume showed a significant correlation with dementia diagnosis. However, DWMH volume did not demonstrate a significant relationship with either dementia diagnosis or specific cognitive functions. The number of lacunar infarcts was notably associated with visual search speed, while CMB were not significantly connected to dementia diagnosis or any particular cognitive functions

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Despite extensive investigation, the neurophysiological underpinnings of ASD remain poorly understood; a predominant hypothesis relates to the activity of the brain’s mu-rhythm (defined as the frequency band ranging between 8–14 Hz topographically centered over the sensorimotor cortex) and the so-called “Mirror Neuron System” (MNS), considered as an execution-imagination-observation matching system. In particular, mirror neurons (MN) are bimodal neurons located in the ventral premotor cortex, discharging both when a goal-directed action is performed and when it is observed. Previous studies investigating mu-wave suppression in individuals with ASD were limited by having consistently employed video clips filmed with a fixed camera position, hence not including the potential movement of the observer towards the other person (a condition perceived as more ecological and close to reality).

Aim of this study was to investigate differences in mu-wave modulation in individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) without intellectual disabilities with respect to a group of neurotypical controls (NT).

Thirty individuals with ASD and thirty NT underwent an EEG recording while watching short videos depicting goal-oriented action filmed from a fixed position, zooming in on the scene, and approaching the scene by means of a steadycam. Afterwards, participants underwent a rating task to evaluate their subjective viewing experience.

Steadycam videos elicited enhanced event-related desynchronization (ERD), suggestive of an enhanced neural activity, in the NT group, and a reduced ERD in the ASD group, with respect to the other filming conditions. ASD participants also showed difficulties in returning to baseline mu-power levels after watching videos filmed from a fixed position. NT reported to feel more comfortable watching videos with movement, whereas participants with ASD did not exhibit differences between conditions.

The ecological nature of video recording (i.e., visual stimuli filmed with a steadycam) seems to have an opposite effect on the ASD an NT population, as it enhances mu-wave suppression in NT, and reduces it in individuals with ASD, bringing them to a level of desynchronization closer to the one of NT. Understanding these differences might help developing tailored interventions to support perceptual, cognitive, and social processes of people with ASD.

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