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Background/Objectives: This study explores the effects of two probiotics, Lactobacillus helveticus R0052 and Bifidobacterium longum R0175, on myocardial infarction (MI) and associated depression-like behaviours, with a focus on sex differences. Methods: MI was induced in adult male and female rats by occluding the left anterior coronary artery for 30 min, followed by 24 h of reperfusion. Probiotics were administered via drinking water for at least two weeks before ischemia. Infarct size, plasma C-reactive protein (CRP), estradiol levels, and intestinal permeability were then measured. Two weeks after, MI subgroups of rats were tested for depression-like behaviours. Results: We found a significant interaction between sex and probiotics in relation to infarct size. Probiotics significantly reduced the infarct size compared to the vehicle group in female rats but not in males. Probiotics increased the plasma estradiol levels and reduced the CRP concentrations in females, suggesting anti-inflammatory and cardioprotective properties. Probiotics significantly increased intestinal resistance following MI in males only, suggesting sex-specific physiological responses to treatment. Probiotics enhanced social interaction in males with MI but not in females. Similarly, in the forced swim test, probiotics reduced immobility in males with MI but increased it in females, further underscoring the sex-dependent effects of probiotics. Conclusions: This study reports cardioprotective effects of probiotics upon MI in female rats, while benefits in male rats were rather at the behavioural level. These results highlight distinct physiological and behavioural responses between sexes, emphasizing the need to account for sex differences in future tests of probiotics as a prophylactic treatment for MI.

Abstract Increasing evidence suggests that the intestinal microbiota composition could play a role in specific pathologies such as hypertension, obesity and diabetes. This study aims to demonstrate that the intestinal microbiota modulated by a diet creating dysbiosis increased the size of the myocardial infarction and that probiotics could attenuate this effect. To do this, microbiota transplants from rats fed a dysbiotic or non-dysbiotic diet in the presence or absence of probiotics were performed for 10 days on rats whose microbiota had been previously suppressed by antibiotic therapy. Then, the anterior coronary artery of the transplanted rats was occluded for 30 min. Infarct size was measured after 24 h of reperfusion, while signaling pathways were evaluated after 15 min of reperfusion. Intestinal resistance, plasma concentration of LPS (lipopolysaccharides), activation of NF-κB and Akt and composition of the microbiota were also measured. Our results demonstrate a larger infarct size in animals transplanted with the dysbiotic microbiota without probiotics compared to the other groups, including those that received the dysbiotic microbiota with probiotics. This increase in infarct size correlates with a higher firmicutes/bacteroidetes ratio, NF-kB phosphorylation and plasma LPS concentration, and a decrease in intestinal barrier resistance and Akt. These results indicate that dysbiotic microbiota promotes an increase in infarct size, an effect that probiotics can attenuate.

BackgroundChildren with neurodevelopmental disorders have a high risk of sleep disturbances, with insomnia being the most common sleep disorder (ie, chronic and frequent difficulties with going and staying asleep). Insomnia adversely affects the well-being of these children and their caregivers. Pediatric sleep experts recommend behavioral interventions as the first-line treatment option for children. Better Nights, Better Days for Children with Neurodevelopmental Disorders (BNBD-NDD) is a 5-session eHealth behavioral intervention delivered to parents to improve outcomes (eg, Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory [PedsQL]) for their children (ages 4-12 years) with insomnia and who have a diagnosis of mild to moderate attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, autism spectrum disorder, cerebral palsy, or fetal alcohol spectrum disorder. If cost-effective, BNBD-NDD can be a scalable intervention that provides value to an underserved population. ObjectiveThis protocol outlines an economic evaluation conducted alongside the BNBD-NDD randomized controlled trial (RCT) that aims to assess its costs, efficacy, and cost-effectiveness compared to usual care. MethodsThe BNBD-NDD RCT evaluates the impacts of the intervention on children’s sleep and quality of life, as well as parents’ daytime functioning and psychosocial health. Parent participants were randomized to the BNBD-NDD treatment or to usual care. The economic evaluation assesses outcomes at baseline and 8 months later, which include the PedsQL as the primary measure. Quality of life outcomes facilitate the comparison of competing interventions across different populations and medical conditions. Cost items include the BNBD-NDD intervention and parent-reported usage of private and publicly funded resources for their children’s insomnia. The economic evaluation involves a reference case cost-effectiveness analysis to examine the incremental cost of BNBD-NDD per units gained in the PedsQL from the family payer perspective and a cost-consequence analysis from a societal perspective. These analyses will be conducted over an 8-month time horizon. ResultsResearch funding was obtained from the Kids Brain Health Network in 2015. Ethics were approved by the IWK Health Research Ethics Board and the University of Calgary Conjoint Health Research Ethics Board in January 2019 and June 2022, respectively. The BNBD-NDD RCT data collection commenced in June 2019 and ended in April 2022. The RCT data are currently being analyzed, and data relevant to the economic analysis will be analyzed concurrently. ConclusionsTo our knowledge, this will be the first economic evaluation of an eHealth intervention for insomnia in children with neurodevelopmental disorders. This evaluation’s findings can inform users and stakeholders regarding the costs and benefits of BNBD-NDD. Trial RegistrationClinicalTrial.gov NCT02694003; https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT02694003 International Registered Report Identifier (IRRID)DERR1-10.2196/46735

We tested the hypothesis of an atypical scalp distribution of electroencephalography (EEG) activity during Rapid Eye Movement (REM) sleep in young autistic adults. EEG spectral activity and ratios along the anteroposterior axis and across hemispheres were compared in 16 neurotypical (NT) young adults and 17 individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). EEG spectral power was lower in the ASD group over the bilateral central and right parietal (beta activity) as well as bilateral occipital (beta, theta, and total activity) recording sites. The NT group displayed a significant posterior polarity of intra-hemispheric EEG activity while EEG activity was more evenly or anteriorly distributed in ASD participants. No significant inter-hemispheric EEG lateralization was found. Correlations between EEG distribution and ASD symptoms using the Autism Diagnostic Interview-Revised (ADI-R) showed that a higher posterior ratio was associated with a better ADI-R score on communication skills, whereas a higher anterior ratio was related to more restricted interests and repetitive behaviors. EEG activity thus appears to be atypically distributed over the scalp surface in young adults with autism during REM sleep within cerebral hemispheres, and this correlates with some ASD symptoms. These suggests the existence in autism of a common substrate between some of the symptoms of ASD and an atypical organization and/or functioning of the thalamo-cortical loop during REM sleep.

BackgroundAn upsurge in dream and nightmare frequency has been noted since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic and research shows increases in levels of stress, depression and anxiety during this time. Growing evidence suggests that dream content has a bi-directional relationship with psychopathology, and that dreams react to new, personally significant and emotional experiences. The first lockdown experience was an acute event, characterized by a combination of several unprecedent factors (new pandemic, threat of disease, global uncertainty, the experience of social isolation and exposure to stressful information) that resulted in a large-scale disruption of life routines. This study aimed at investigating changes in dream, bad dream and nightmare recall; most prevalent dream themes; and the relationship between dreams, bad dreams, nightmares and symptoms of stress, depression and anxiety during the first COVID-19 lockdown (April-May 2020) through a national online survey.Methods968 participants completed an online survey. Dream themes were measured using the Typical Dreams Questionnaire; stress levels were measured by the Cohen's Perceived Stress Scale; symptoms of anxiety were assessed by Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD-7) scale; and symptoms of depression were assessed using the Quick Inventory of Depressive Symptomatology.Results34% (328) of participants reported increased dream recall during the lockdown. The most common dream themes were centered around the topics of 1) inefficacy (e.g., trying again and again, arriving late), 2) human threat (e.g., being chased, attacked); 3) death; and 4) pandemic imagery (e.g., being separated from loved ones, being sick). Dream, bad dream and nightmare frequency was highest in individuals with moderate to severe stress levels. Frequency of bad dreams, nightmares, and dreams about the pandemic, inefficacy, and death were associated with higher levels of stress, as well as with greater symptoms of depression and anxiety.ConclusionsResults support theories of dream formation, environmental susceptibility and stress reactivity. Dream content during the lockdown broadly reflected existential concerns and was associated with increased symptoms of mental health indices.

Introduction The negative impacts of COVID-19 have rippled through every facet of society. Understanding the multidimensional impacts of this pandemic is crucial to identify the most critical needs and to inform targeted interventions. This population survey study aimed to investigate the acute phase of the COVID-19 outbreak in terms of perceived threats and concerns, occupational and financial impacts, social impacts and stress between 3 April and 15 May 2020.Methods 6040 participants are included in this report. A multivariate linear regression model was used to identify factors associated with stress changes (as measured by the Cohen’s Perceived Stress Scale (PSS)) relative to pre-outbreak retrospective estimates.Results On average, PSS scores increased from low stress levels before the outbreak to moderate stress levels during the outbreak (p

BackgroundThe endogenous cannabinoid system mediates the psychoactive effects of cannabis in the brain. It has been argued that this system may play a key role in the pathophysiology of schizophrenia. While some studies have consistently shown that the levels of anandamide, an endogenous cannabinoid ligand, are increased in the cerebrospinal fluid of schizophrenia patients, inconsistent results have been observed in studies measuring anandamide levels in the periphery. Here, we sought to determine if the assessment of peripheral anandamide levels in patients evaluated in a psychiatric emergency setting would show robust increases.MethodsOne hundred seven patients with a schizophrenia-spectrum disorder from the psychiatric emergency settings of the Institut Universitaire en Santé Mentale de Montréal and 36 healthy volunteers were included in the study. A subsample of thirty patients were assessed at two time points: at the emergency and at their discharge from the hospital. Anxious and depressive symptoms, sleep and substance use were assessed using self-report questionnaires. In addition to anandamide, the levels of oleoylethanolamide (OEA), an anorexigenic fatty-acid ethanolamide, were also measured, since the prevalence of the metabolic syndrome is increased in schizophrenia. Plasma levels of anandamide and OEA were measured using liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry.ResultsPlasma anandamide and OEA levels were significantly increased in schizophrenia patients, relative to controls (Cohen’s d=1.0 and 0.5, respectively). Between-group differences remained significant after controlling for metabolic measures. No differences were observed between schizophrenia patients with and without a comorbid substance use disorder at baseline. Importantly, the levels of both endocannabinoids significantly decreased after discharge from the emergency setting.ConclusionThe current results add to the growing body of evidence of endocannabinoid alterations in schizophrenia. The strong elevation of plasma anandamide levels in schizophrenia patients assessed in the psychiatric emergency setting suggests that anandamide and OEA area potential biomarkers of the psychological turmoil associated with this context.

Theoretical models of sleep and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) suggest that symptoms of ADHD are associated with daytime sleepiness, but it has received little support. The present study aimed at testing an alternative model involving the association of attentional instability with sleep instability, i.e., sleep stage transitions and arousals. Twelve ADHD and 15 healthy control (HC) boys aged between 8 and 12 years old underwent polysomnography recording and attentional testing. The microarousal index, the number of awakenings, and the number of stage shifts between stages 1, 2, 3, 4 and REM sleep throughout the night were computed as sleep stability parameters. Attentional functioning was assessed using the Continuous Performance Test-II. We found significantly higher sleep instability in ADHD compared to HC. Sleep arousals and stage transitions (micro arousal index, stage 4/3 and 2/4 transitions) in ADHD significantly correlated with lower attentional scores. No association whatsoever was found between sleep instability and attentional functioning in HC. The results show that sleep instability is associated with lower attentional performance in boys with ADHD, but not in HC. This could be compatible with a model according to which attention and sleep stability share a common neural substrate in ADHD.

Better Nights, Better Days (BNBD) is a 5-session online intervention designed to treat insomnia in 1–10-year-old children (Corkum et al. 2016). Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and insomnia commonly occur in children and, after surgical treatment for OSA, it is estimated that up to 50% of children may continue to suffer from insomnia symptoms. Access to insomnia interventions following OSA treatment is limited as there are few programs available, few trained practitioners to deliver these programs, and limited recognition that these problems exist. The current study involved the usability testing of an internet-based parent-directed session of BNBD tailored towards the needs of children (ages 4–10 years) who experience residual insomnia symptoms after treatment of OSA. This new session was added to the BNBD program. Participants (n = 43) included 6 parents, 17 sleep experts, and 20 front-line healthcare providers who completed and provided feedback on the new session. Participants completed a feedback questionnaire, with both quantitative and qualitative questions, after reviewing the session. Quantitative responses analyzed via descriptive statistics suggested that the session was primarily viewed as helpful by most participants, and open-ended qualitative questions analyzed by content analyses generated a mix of positive and constructive feedback. The results provide insights on how to optimally tailor the BNBD program to meet the needs of the target population and suggest that testing the session on a larger scale would be beneficial. Keywords: Obstructive sleep apnea, Insomnia, Child, Internet intervention, eHealth, Sleep disorders

Caspase-3 activation in the limbic system and depressive-like symptoms are observed after an acute myocardial infarction (MI) and studies suggest that inflammation may play a significant role. Combined treatment with the probiotic strains Bifidobacterium longum and Lactobacillus helveticus in rats has been shown to attenuate caspase-3 activation and depressive-like behaviour together with a reduction in pro-inflammatory cytokines. The present study was designed to determine the respective contribution of these two strains on caspase-3 activity in the limbic system and on depressive-like behaviour. Sprague-Dawley rats were assigned to one of four groups: Vehicle, L. helveticus R0052, B. longum R0175 and L. salivarius HA-118, administered orally for 14 days (109CFU daily) before inducing MI by occlusion of the left anterior descending artery for 40 min followed by 14 days of reperfusion. Animals were then tested for socialisation, passive avoidance and forced swim test to assess depressive-like behaviour. At day 18 the animals were sacrificed; infarct size was estimated, plasma C-reactive protein concentration and brain caspase-3 activity were measured. Results indicated that infarct size did not vary across the different treatments. Rats treated with B. longum spent more time socializing, learned more rapidly the passive avoidance test and spent less time immobile in the forced swim test compared to the vehicle groups. Caspase-3 activity and plasma C-reactive protein concentrations were reduced in the lateral and medial amygdala as well as in the dentate gyrus of B. longum-supplemented animals. The only significant effect in the two groups receiving Lactobacilli compared to vehicle was that rats receiving L. salivarius learned more rapidly in the step-down passive avoidance test. In conclusion, most of the beneficial effects that we previously reported with the combination of two probiotic strains in our experimentation regarding post-myocardial infarction depression are related to Bifidobacterium longum.

We hypothesized that inflammation induced by myocardial ischemia plays a central role in depression-like behavior after myocardial infarction (MI). Several experimental approaches that reduce inflammation also result in attenuation of depressive symptoms. We have demonstrated that Resolvin D1 (RvD1), a metabolite of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) derived from docosahexaenoic acid, diminishes infarct size and neutrophil accumulation in the ischemic myocardium. The aim of this study is to determine if a single RvD1 injection could alleviate depressive symptoms in a rat model of MI. MI was induced in rats by occlusion of the left anterior descending coronary artery for 40 min. Five minutes before ischemia or after reperfusion, 0.1 μg of RvD1 or vehicle was injected in the left ventricle cavity. Fourteen days after MI, behavioral tests (forced swim test and socialization) were conducted to evaluate depression-like symptoms. RvD1 reduced infarct size in the treated vs. the vehicle group. Animals receiving RvD1 also showed better performance in the forced swim and social interaction tests vs. vehicle controls. These results indicate that a single RvD1 dose, given 5 min before occlusion or 5 min after the onset of reperfusion, decreases infarct size and attenuates depression-like symptoms.

This exploratory study investigated child sleep in a sample of maltreated children living in foster care and examined its associations with placement conditions and history of maltreatment. Participants included 25 foster children and their foster caregiver. Children were on average 60.24 months of age ( SD = 18.70). Foster mothers completed questionnaires assessing parenting stress and quality of child sleep while maltreatment/placement history was retrieved from children Child Protection Services (CPS) records. Shorter nocturnal sleep duration and parasomnias were related to placement at a younger age. The non-restorative sleep index was significantly related to time spent in the foster home and parenting stress and marginally related to number of placements and sexual abuse and neglect. Poor sleep was associated with past experience of sexual abuse and neglect and parenting stress. No relationships were found between sleep characteristics and past experiences of physical abuse or type of foster family. These findings provide an opportunity to uncover how foster children experiences are related to sleep disturbances.

Objective: Although new atypical antipsychotic agents have been found to improve overall cognitive function in patients with schizophrenia (SZ), some aspects of memory, attention and executive functions still remain impaired. Acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibitors, such as rivastigmine, have been shown to improve cognition in other disorders, particularly Alzheimer''s disease. Dysfunctions in cholinergic systems, especially in the prefrontal cortex, have been identified in SZ, suggesting that cholinesterase inhibitors may be effective in treating cognitive deficits in this disease.Research design and methods: Using a randomized crossover design, we assessed SZ patients with stable symptoms and poor cognitive functioning. Fifty-eight patients with memory deficits, according to subjective complaints or based on clinicians'' observations, were assessed with the Repeatable Battery for the Assessment of Neuropsychological Status (RBANS) and Subjective Scale to Investigate Cognition in Schizophrenia (SSTICS). Only 24 of these subjects met the inclusion criteria. Twenty patients took part in the study (four dropped out). All subjects meeting the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, fourth edition (DSM-IV) criteria for SZ were maintained on their current antipsychotic medication (18 atypicals and two typicals) and were randomly assigned to treatment with rivastigmine. Dosage was a function of tolerability, beginning at 3 mg/day and progressively increasing to 9 mg/day. Subjects were given the Cambridge Neuropsychological Test Automated Battery (CANTAB) at baseline and 3 and 6 months.Results: The results revealed no significant improvement in any of the cognitive variables investigated following rivastigmine treatment and symptom severity scores remained unchanged over all recorded time periods.Conclusion: Rivastigmine treatment did not appear to enhance cognition in SZ patients with important cognitive impairments. This finding needs to be interpreted with care and requires substantiation with larger sample size studies with patients treated with cognitive enhancer for longer periods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]