Search Our Scientific Publications & Authors

J Med Internet Res 2022 May 20;24(5):e30907. Epub 2022 May 20.

Mood Disorders Psychopharmacology Unit, University Health Network, Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.

Background: Depression is associated with significant morbidity and human capital costs globally. Early screening for depressive symptoms and timely depressive disorder case identification and intervention may improve health outcomes and cost-effectiveness among affected individuals. China's public and academic communities have reached a consensus on the need to improve access to early screening, diagnosis, and treatment of depression. Read More

Pain Med 2022 May 19. Epub 2022 May 19.

Lecturer of Clinical Neurophysiology, Neuro diagnostic research center, Beni-Suef University, Beni-Suef, Egypt.

Objectives: The aim of this work was to explore the expression of miR-320a level in fibromyalgia patients in comparison to healthy controls, and to clarify its impact on the severity of symptoms and the cerebral processing of pain assessed by middle latency somatosensory evoked potentials (SSEPs).

Design: Case-control study.

Setting: Rheumatology and Neurology outpatient clinics. Read More

Clin Neuropharmacol 2022 May-Jun 01;45(3):52-60. Epub 2022 Apr 14.

Departments of Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics.

Objectives: We investigated the utility of switching from benzodiazepines to suvorexant or eszopiclone to manage benzodiazepine-unresponsive insomnia in patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) in a randomized, open-label study.

Methods: Patients with MDD who have insomnia symptoms (a score of >7 on the Insomnia Severity Index Japanese version [ISI-J]), who had received benzodiazepine treatment for more than 2 weeks (n = 18) were randomized to 4 weeks of suvorexant (20 or 15 mg/d) or eszopiclone (3 or 2 mg/d) treatment. The primary endpoint was an improvement in insomnia severity from baseline assessed by the ISI-J score at 2 and 4 weeks after switching from benzodiazepines. Read More

CNS Neurol Disord Drug Targets 2022 May 16. Epub 2022 May 16.

Department of Pharmacy, Shri Ram Murti Smarak College of Engineering & Technology, Bareilly (243202), India.

Aim: The main aim of present study to assess the depression and various neurotransmitters involved in it with their evaluating models.

Background: Depression is a common ailment that can be recurrent or even become chronic. According to the National Service Framework for Mental Health (released in 1999 by the Department of Health), people with depression should continue to be treated primarily in primary care settings. Read More

Front Psychiatry 2022 29;13:838825. Epub 2022 Apr 29.

Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel.

Objective: To identify COVID-19 work-related stressors and experiences associated with sleep difficulties in HCW, and to assess the role of depression and traumatic stress in this association.

Methods: A cross-sectional study of HCW using self-report questionnaires, during the first peak of the pandemic in Israel (April 2020), conducted in a large tertiary medical center in Israel. Study population included 189 physicians and nurses working in designated COVID-19 wards and a comparison group of 643 HCW. Read More

Implement Sci Commun 2022 May 14;3(1):53. Epub 2022 May 14.

Center for Clinical Management Research, VA Ann Arbor Healthcare System, 2215 Fuller Road, Ann Arbor, MI, 48105, USA.

Background: The adoption and sustainment of evidence-based practices (EBPs) is a challenge within many healthcare systems, especially in settings that have already strived but failed to achieve longer-term goals. The Veterans Affairs (VA) Maintaining Implementation through Dynamic Adaptations (MIDAS) Quality Enhancement Research Initiative (QUERI) program was funded as a series of trials to test multi-component implementation strategies to sustain optimal use of three EBPs: (1) a deprescribing approach intended to reduce potentially inappropriate polypharmacy; (2) appropriate dosing and drug selection of direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs); and (3) use of cognitive behavioral therapy as first-line treatment for insomnia before pharmacologic treatment. We describe the design and methods for a harmonized series of cluster-randomized control trials comparing two implementation strategies. Read More

Nutrients 2022 May 3;14(9). Epub 2022 May 3.

Faculty of Medicine, "Grigore T. Popa" University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 700115 Iasi, Romania.

The altered magnesium status in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) patients may have a significant clinical imprint considering its role in cell signaling and genomic stability, as well as its involvement in IBD patients' fatigue. Our study pioneers the investigation of magnesium hair concentration patterns in an adult population of IBD patients. The hair magnesium concentration in IBD patients is compared to healthy controls in order to identify correlations between the magnesium status and relevant parameters related to disease activity, psychological status, and sleep quality. Read More

Int J Environ Res Public Health 2022 May 9;19(9). Epub 2022 May 9.

Nursing Department, Faculty of Nursing, University of Valladolid, 47005 Valladolid, Spain.

(1) Background: Today's society is moving towards active aging, underlining the importance of understanding and improving quality of life (QoL). This QoL in women over the age of 65 years diagnosed with osteoporosis was compared with the QoL of the general population, and risk factors for osteoporosis related to QoL were identified. (2) Methods: This is an observational, descriptive, cross-sectional study with a personal interview. Read More

Int J Environ Res Public Health 2022 Apr 25;19(9). Epub 2022 Apr 25.

Department of Family Medicine, Kulliyyah of Medicine, International Islamic University Malaysia, Jalan Sultan Ahmad Shah, Kuantan 25200, Malaysia.

Poor sleep is related to type 2 diabetes and adversely influences a person's quality of life. This study aimed to evaluate sleep quality in patients with type 2 diabetes (T2DM), its associated factors, and its relationship with quality of life. A cross-sectional study was conducted at a primary care clinic in a tertiary hospital on the east coast of Malaysia. Read More

J Intern Med 2022 Mar 15. Epub 2022 Mar 15.

Division of Primary Care Medicine, Geneva University Hospitals, Geneva, Switzerland.

Background: Persistent symptoms of SARS-CoV-2 are prevalent weeks to months following the infection. To date, it is difficult to disentangle the direct from the indirect effects of SARS-CoV-2, including lockdown, social, and economic factors.

Objective: The study aims to characterize the prevalence of symptoms, functional capacity, and quality of life at 12 months in outpatient symptomatic individuals tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 compared to individuals tested negative. Read More

Mult Scler Relat Disord 2022 May 6;63:103846. Epub 2022 May 6.

Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, Department of Psychiatry and Neurochemistry, the Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden.

Background: Fatigue is the major cause of disability in MS. Fatigue has been suggested to be primary, part of the neurological disease; it can also be secondary to other diseases outside the CNS or exist as a separate comorbidity. The only forms of measurement currently available are through subjective standardized questionnaires, which are not able to identify primary MS-related fatigue. Read More

BMC Musculoskelet Disord 2022 May 11;23(1):440. Epub 2022 May 11.

Musculoskeletal Research Unit, Translational Health Sciences, Bristol Medical School, University of Bristol, Learning and Research Building, Level 1, Southmead Hospital, Bristol, BS10 5NB, UK.

Objective: About two thirds of people with chronic pain report problems sleeping. We aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of non-pharmacological sleep interventions for improving sleep in people with chronic pain.

Design: We conducted a systematic review of non-pharmacological and non-invasive interventions to improve sleep quality or duration for adults with chronic non-cancer pain evaluated in a randomised controlled trial. Read More

Chest 2022 May 7. Epub 2022 May 7.

Centre for Sleep and Chronobiology, Woolcock Institute of Medical Research, University of Sydney, NSW, Australia; The University of Sydney, Faculty of Science, School of Psychology, Sydney, NSW, 2006, Australia; The University of Sydney, Brain and Mind Centre, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.

Sleep disturbances are often cited as a primary reason for medicinal cannabis use and there is increasing clinical interest in the therapeutic potential of cannabinoids in treating sleep disorders. Burgeoning evidence suggests a role of the endocannabinoid system in regulating the circadian sleep-wake cycle, highlighting a potential avenue for developing novel therapeutics. Despite widespread use of cannabis products as sleep aids globally, robustly designed studies verifying efficacy in sleep-disordered populations are limited. Read More

Behav Sleep Med 2022 May 10:1-15. Epub 2022 May 10.

Department of Psychiatry, Ambulatório de Sono do Instituto de Psiquiatria do Hospital das Clínicas da Faculdade de Medicina de São Paulo, Brazil.

Objective: To compare the effectiveness of protocols for acceptance and commitment therapy for insomnia (ACT-I) and cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) in adults.

Method: Participants were 37 adults (74.3% women; = 43. Read More

Neuroimage Clin 2022 26;34:103026. Epub 2022 Apr 26.

Department of Neurology, Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100053, China; National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Diseases, Beijing 100053, China. Electronic address:

Background: Dysfunction of the thalamus has been proposed as a core mechanism of fatal familial insomnia. However, detailed metabolic and structural alterations in thalamic subnuclei are not well documented. We aimed to address the multimodal structuro-metabolic pattern at the level of the thalamic nuclei in fatal familial insomnia patients, and investigated the clinical presentation of primary thalamic alterations. Read More

J Med Internet Res 2022 May 3;24(5):e30073. Epub 2022 May 3.

newlife.330, New Life Psychiatric Rehabilitation Association, Hong Kong, Hong Kong.

Background: Although text messaging has the potential to be the core intervention modality, it is often used as an adjunct only. To improve health and alleviate the distress related to insomnia, pain, and dysregulated eating of people living in urban areas, text messaging-based mindfulness-based interventions were designed and evaluated in 3 randomized controlled trials.

Objective: This study investigated the effectiveness and mediating mechanisms of text messaging-based mindfulness-based interventions for people with distress related to insomnia, pain, or dysregulated eating. Read More

Scand J Occup Ther 2022 May 2:1-11. Epub 2022 May 2.

Region Västra Götaland, Habilitation & Health, Gothenburg, Sweden.

Background: Weighted blankets (WBs) have been suggested as a treatment option for insomnia and are commonly prescribed despite lack of evidence of efficacy.

Aim: To investigate prescription pattern, return rate and cost of WBs.

Material And Methods: This observational cohort register-based study in western Sweden included every individual who, in a 2. Read More

Cureus 2022 Mar 26;14(3):e23501. Epub 2022 Mar 26.

Internal Medicine, California Institute of Behavioral Neurosciences & Psychology, Fairfield, USA.

It has been recommended that adults sleep a minimum of seven hours of sleep every night to maintain holistic health and well-being. A considerable fraction of the adult population suffers from sleep deprivation and related disorders. The stress of modern-day living may be the cause of this curtailment of sleep duration. Read More

Sleep Med 2022 Mar 31;94:38-53. Epub 2022 Mar 31.

Departments of Urology and Population Health, NYU School of Medicine and Manhattan Veterans Affairs, New York, NY, USA.

Objective/background: To examine the impact of prostate cancer (PCa) on sleep health for patients and caregivers. We hypothesized that sleep disturbances and poor sleep quality would be prevalent among patients with PCa and their caregivers.

Patients/methods: A systematic literature search was conducted according to the Preferred Reporting Items for a Systematic Review and Meta-analysis guidelines. Read More

J Psychosom Res 2022 Apr 20;158:110923. Epub 2022 Apr 20.

Philipps-University of Marburg, Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Marburg, Germany.

Background: Open-label placebo (OLP) treatment seems to be effective in several medical conditions but has not yet been investigated in insomnia. Furthermore, it needs to be evaluated whether providing a plausible treatment rationale is essential to obtain OLP effects.

Methods: In two consecutive nights, the sleep of patients with primary insomnia (n = 45) was assessed via subjective and objective measures. Read More

Nat Sci Sleep 2022 20;14:725-739. Epub 2022 Apr 20.

The University Sleep Disorders Center, College of Medicine, King Saud University, Riyadh, 11324, Saudi Arabia.

Purpose: Few studies have investigated the validity of the Athens insomnia scale (AIS) using a robust approach of both classical theory and the rating scale model. Therefore, in this study, we investigated psychometric validation of the AIS using both of these approaches in nurses.

Methods: Nurses (n= 563, age= 33. Read More

Psychiatry Res 2022 Jun 17;312:114559. Epub 2022 Apr 17.

University of Tuebingen, Institute of Psychology, Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Tuebingen, Germany; University of Tuebingen, Institute of Sport Science, Department of Education & Health Research, Tuebingen, Germany; University of Tuebingen, Interfaculty Research Institute for Sport and Physical Activity, Tuebingen, Germany.

Background: COVID-19-related confinements pose a threat to mental health. We investigated prevalence rates of symptoms of depression, generalized anxiety and insomnia in German adults. Furthermore, we explored associations of exercise behavior with disorder-specific symptoms and assessed whether specific affect regulation skills enhance the effect of exercise on symptom alleviation. Read More

Int J Pharm 2022 Apr 23;621:121756. Epub 2022 Apr 23.

Laboratory of Pharmaceutics and Biopharmaceutics, Université libre de Bruxelles, Campus de la Plaine, CP207, Boulevard du Triomphe, Brussels 1050, Belgium. Electronic address:

Insomnia is a chronic disorder with a mean prevalence ranged from 6% to 15% worldwide. The usual pharmacologic treatment for insomnia has been benzodiazepines and barbiturates. More recently, z-drugs were introduced in the therapeutic arsenal to maximize benefits and minimize treatment damage. Read More

Behav Res Ther 2022 Jun 18;153:104094. Epub 2022 Apr 18.

School of Applied Psychology and Menzies Health Institute Queensland, Griffith University, Queensland, Australia.

Sleep problems are amongst the most common triggers of migraine and non-migraine primary headache. Despite a majority of sleep problems being psychological in nature, there is a paucity of quantitative research on the psychological factors involved in sleep-related headaches. This is the first study to examine the link between maladaptive sleep beliefs and headaches. Read More

J Pers Med 2022 Apr 4;12(4). Epub 2022 Apr 4.

Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery, CHA University, Bundang CHA Medical Center, Seongnam 13496, Korea.

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has been suggested to increase the risk of depression and anxiety disorders. This study expanded upon previous findings by estimating the changes in medical visits for various psychological disorders during the COVID-19 pandemic compared to before COVID-19. The entire Korean population ≥ 20 years old (~42. Read More

Life (Basel) 2022 Apr 18;12(4). Epub 2022 Apr 18.

Hallym Data Science Laboratory, Hallym University College of Medicine, Anyang 14068, Korea.

The COVID-19 pandemic has been suggested to have adverse impacts on psychiatric disorders. This study aimed to investigate the changes in medical visits due to a wide range of psychiatric disorders in children during the COVID-19 pandemic. The medical visits of all Korean children and adolescents (0-19 years old) due to the 12 following psychiatric disorders were investigated: autism; attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD); depressive disorder; bipolar disorder; primary insomnia; schizophrenia; panic disorder; hypochondriasis; posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD); anxiety disorder; anorexia nervosa; and adephagia. Read More

JAMA Psychiatry 2022 Apr 20. Epub 2022 Apr 20.

Slone Epidemiology Center at Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts.

Importance: Black women are at risk for insomnia disorder. Despite interest in addressing sleep health disparities, there is limited research investigating the efficacy of criterion-standard treatment (cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia [CBT-I]) among this racial minority population.

Objective: To compare the efficacy of a standard version of an internet-delivered CBT-I program, a culturally tailored version, and a sleep education control at improving insomnia symptoms. Read More

Complement Ther Med 2022 Aug 16;67:102834. Epub 2022 Apr 16.

Research Department, ARCIM Institute (Academic Research in Complementary and Integrative Medicine), Im Haberschlai 7, 70794 Filderstadt, Germany; Department of Neonatology, University Hospital Tübingen, Calwerstraße 7, 72076 Tübingen, Germany; Department of Pediatrics, Filderklinik, Im Haberschlai 7, 70794 Filderstadt, Germany. Electronic address:

Objectives: To compare the effects between warm water (WW) and ginger footbaths (WW+ginger) on sleep quality and warmth regulation in adults with self-reported insomnia symptoms.

Methods: A prospective randomized-controlled study in which 28 participants (mean age 50.9 years, 64. Read More