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Traumatic brain injury (TBI), a major cause of death and disability among young people, leads to significant public health and economic challenges. Despite its frequency, treatment options remain largely unsuitable. However, examination of the blood–brain barrier (BBB) can assist with understanding the mechanisms and dynamics of brain dysfunction, which affects TBI sufferers secondarily to the injury. Here, we present a rat model of TBI focused on two standard BBB assessment markers, high- and low-molecular-weight complexes, in order to understand BBB disruption. In addition, we tested a new technique to evaluate BBB disruption on a single brain set, comparing the new technique with neuroimaging. A total of 100 Sprague–Dawley rats were separated into the following five groups: naive rats (n = 20 rats), control rats with administration (n = 20 rats), and TBI rats (n = 60 rats). Rats were assessed at different time points after the injury to measure BBB disruption using low- and high-molecular-weight complexes. Neurological severity score was evaluated at baseline and at 24 h following TBI. During the neurological exam after TBI, the rats were scanned with magnetic resonance imaging and euthanized for assessment of the BBB permeability. We found that the two markers displayed different examples of BBB disruption in the same set of brain tissues over the period of a week. Our innovative protocol for assessing BBB permeability using high- and low-molecular-weight complexes markers in a single brain set showed appropriate results. Additionally, we determined the lower limit of sensitivity, therefore demonstrating the accuracy of this method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Accumulating evidence suggests that nuclear factor (NF)-κB is involved in the pathophysiology of mood disorders. Objectives and Methods: We conducted two experimental protocols in rats to investigate the effects of a selective NF-κB inhibitor (JSH-23) on (i) lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced inflammation and (ii) on behavioral phenotypes in rat models of depression (sucrose consumption test and forced swim test) and mania (amphetamine-induced hyperactivity test). Additionally, we tested the effects of JSH-23 on levels of inflammatory components (interleukin-6, prostaglandin E2, nuclear phospho-p65, and tumor necrosis factor-α) in the brain. Results: Acute treatment with JSH-23 (10 mg/kg, intraperitoneally [ip]) led to potent anti-inflammatory effects in LPS-treated rats, including a diminished hypothermic response to LPS and a reduction in pro-inflammatory mediators' levels in the brain. Chronic treatment with JSH-23 (3 mg/kg, ip, once daily, for 14 days) resulted in robust antidepressant-like effects (increased sucrose consumption and decreased immobility time). The antidepressant-like effects of JSH-23 were mostly accompanied by a reduction in levels of pro-inflammatory mediators in the brain. On the other hand, JSH-23 did not reduce amphetamine-induced hyperactivity. Conclusions: Altogether, these data suggest that NF-κB may be a potential therapeutic target for pharmacological interventions for depression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Soon after the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) pandemic outbreak, it became clear that vaccination will be the most useful tool to combat the disease. Despite the apparent safety and efficacy of the developed anti‐COVID‐19 vaccines, relatively high percentages of the population worldwide refused to get vaccinated, including many health workers and health students. The present cross‐sectional study examined the motives, attitudes, and personal characteristics of those who did not get vaccinated against COVID‐19 or vaccinated without complete willingness among nursing students and nursing faculty members in Israel (n = 472). Results show that the vast majority of the study participants (97%) received at least one dose of the anti‐COVID‐19 vaccine. Nearly 37% of the participants indicated that they received the vaccine without complete willingness. As compared to faculty members, nursing students reported lower trust in the efficacy of the vaccine, perceived the COVID‐19 pandemic as a health threat to a lesser extent, exhibited lower institutional and personal trust, and had higher levels of posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms. Non‐Jewish participants were at risk of vaccinating without complete willingness. These findings underscore the need for developing evidence‐based strategies to promote the safety and efficacy of the anti‐COVID‐19 vaccines in nursing schools. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Depression is a common and devastating mental illness associated with increased morbidity and mortality, partially due to elevated rates of suicidal attempts and death. Select patients with end-stage heart failure on a waiting-list for a donor heart undergo left ventricular assist device (LVAD) implantation. The LVAD provides a circulatory flow of oxygenated blood to the body, mimicking heart functionality by operating on a mechanical technique. LVAD improves functional capacity and survivability among patients with end-stage heart failure. However, accumulating data suggests that LVAD recipients suffer from an increased incidence of depression and suicide attempts. There is scarce knowledge regarding the pathological mechanism and appropriate treatment approach for depressed LVAD patients. This article summarizes the current evidence on the association between LVAD implantation and occurrence of depression, suggesting possible pathological mechanisms underlying the device-associated depression and reviewing the current treatment strategies. The summarized data underscores the need for a rigorous pre-(LVAD)-implantation psychiatric evaluation, continued post-implantation mental health assessment, and administration of antidepressant treatment as necessary. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The failure of efforts to significantly reduce the use of physical coercive measures (PCMs) in psychiatric hospitals remains a global concern. There is a gap in the understanding of staff's characteristics that may affect their attitudes and perceptions towards PCMs. This study used a cross‐sectional design to examine the attitudes and perceptions of staff working at a mental health centre in Israel regarding the use of PCMs and to explore whether staff attitudes differed depending on their professional and demographic background. This study also sought to explore staff willingness to accept a policy of reducing the use of PCMs. The data were collected from 149 staff members (nurses, physicians, and auxiliary staff) working at mental health centre, using a questionnaire developed for this study. The findings indicate a low degree of support for use of PCMs among participants who were older, female, more qualified psychiatric nurses, with longer duration of employment, and those who have not participated in coercive intervention in the past year. The majority of the sample reported a low willingness to reduce the use of PCMs, and a lack of institutional support after participating in a coercive event. High hospital occupancy and insufficient staffing were perceived as contributing factors to coercive incidents. Therefore, availability of trained and experienced staff, elimination of organizational barriers, along with creating and maintaining a safe clinical environment should be a priority. Alternative non‐coercive interventions should further be taught and used for managing aggressive and violent behaviour in the psychiatric clinical settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: Nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) is known to play an important role in the inflammatory process which takes place after ischemic stroke. The major objective of the present study was to examine the effects of MEDS-23, a potent inhibitor of NF-κB, on clinical outcomes and brain inflammatory markers in post-ischemic stroke rats. Main methods: Initially, a Toxicity Experiment was performed to determine the appropriate dose of MEDS-23 for use in animals, as MEDS-23 was analyzed in vivo for the first time. We used the middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) model for inducing ischemic stroke in rats. The effects of MEDS-23 (at 10 mg/kg, ip) on post-stroke outcomes (brain inflammation, fever, neurological deficits, mortality, and depression- and anxiety-like behaviours) was tested in several efficacy experiments. Key findings: MEDS-23 was found to be safe and significantly reduced the severity of some adverse post-stroke outcomes such as fever and neurological deficits. Moreover, MEDS-23 significantly decreased prostaglandin E2 levels in the hypothalamus and hippocampus of post-stroke rats, but did not prominently alter the levels of interleukin-6 and tumor necrosis factor-α. Significance: These results suggest that NF-κB inhibition is a potential therapeutic strategy for the treatment of ischemic stroke. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]