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Adults with dialysis-dependent ESKD experience higher rates of depression than the general population, yet efficacy of depression treatments in this population is not well understood. We conducted a systematic review of the benefits and harms of depression treatment in adults with ESKD. We searched multiple data sources through June 2020 for English-language, controlled trials that compared interventions for depression in adults with ESKD to another intervention, placebo, or usual care, and reported depression treatment-related outcomes. Observational studies were included for harms. Two investigators independently screened all studies using prespecified criteria. One reviewer abstracted data on study design, interventions, implementation characteristics, and outcomes, and a second reviewer provided confirmation. Two reviewers independently assessed study quality and resolved any discords through discussion or a third reviewer. Strength of evidence (SOE) was assessed and agreed upon by review-team consensus. We qualitatively analyzed the data and present syntheses in text and tables. We included 26 RCTs and three observational studies. SSRIs were the most studied type of drug and the evidence was largely insufficient. We found moderate SOE that long-term, high-dose vitamin D3 is ineffective for reducing depression severity. Cognitive behavioral therapy is more effective than (undefined) psychotherapy and placebo for depression improvement and quality of life (low SOE), and acupressure is more effective than usual care or sham acupressure in reducing depression severity (low SOE). There is limited research evaluating treatment for depression in adults with ESKD, and existing studies may not be generalizable to adults in the United States. Studies suffer from limitations related to methodologic quality or reporting. More research replicating studies of promising interventions in US populations, with larger samples, is needed. Systematic Review registry name and registration number : PROSPERO, CRD42020140227., Competing Interests: All authors have nothing to disclose., (Copyright © 2021 by the American Society of Nephrology.)

Background and Objectives: Patients with kidney failure experience depression at rates higher than the general population. Despite the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services' ESRD Quality Incentive Program requirements for routine depression screening for patients with kidney failure, no clear guidance exists., Design, Setting, Participants, & Measurements: For this systematic review, we searched MEDLINE, PsycINFO, and other databases from inception to June 2020. Two investigators screened all abstracts and full text. We included studies assessing patients with kidney failure and compared a tool to a clinical interview or another validated tool ( e.g ., Beck Depression Inventory II). We abstracted data related to sensitivity and specificity, positive and negative predictive value, and the area under the curve. We evaluated the risk of bias using the Quality Assessment of Diagnostic Accuracy Studies 2., Results: A total of 16 studies evaluated the performance characteristics of depression assessment tools for patients with kidney failure. The Beck Depression Inventory II was by far the best studied. A wide range of thresholds were reported. Shorter tools in the public domain such as the Patient Health Questionnaire 9 and Geriatric Depression Scale 15 (adults over 60) performed well but were not well studied. Short tools such as the Beck Depression Inventory-Fast Screen may be a good option for an initial screen., Conclusions: There is limited research evaluating the diagnostic accuracy of most screening tools for depression in patients with kidney failure, and existing studies may not be generalizable to US populations. Studies suffer from limitations related to methodology quality and/or reporting. Future research should target widely used, free tools such as the Patient Health Questionnaire 2 and the Patient Health Questionnaire 9., Clinical Trial Registry Name and Registration Number: Systematic Review Registration: PROSPERO CRD42020140227., (Copyright © 2020 by the American Society of Nephrology.)

The interaction of color wavelength and perception was evaluated during two experiments. The first study used a time-estimation task which included controls for both stimulus duration and frequency. The second study required production of duration using the same colors and three time periods to be reproduced by the participant according to stimulus cues. Based upon previous research, it was hypothesized that exposure to long-wavelength stimuli would yield shorter time estimations than exposure to short-wavelength stimuli. The results supported the assumption that stimuli of different color wavelengths differentially alter perception and psychological activation; however, the effects were not related to systematic alterations of wavelength.

While recent evidence shows visuospatial information processing deficits to be present in chronic alcoholics, it remains unclear whether such deficits are present prior to alcohol abuse in persons at risk for developing alcoholism. If present, it is also unclear whether the information processing mechanisms underlying these deficits are the same in alcoholics and persons at risk for alcoholism. This study investigated visuospatial information processing psychophysiological activation in adults with and without a family history of alcoholism. Thirty matched nonalcoholics served as participants. Fifteen persons were from families in which at least one biologic parent and one other relative had a history of alcoholism. Another group of 15 persons had no family history of alcoholism. In addition to displaying atypical patterns of learning-contingent physiological activation, participants with a family history of alcoholism displayed visuospatial learning that was significantly poorer than persons with no family history of alcoholism. The learning and physiological activation displayed by the participants with a family history of alcoholism were similar to those displayed by previously studied alcoholics using a similar learning task. The data suggest that visuospatial learning deficits may reflect an antecedent to, rather than a consequence of, chronic alcohol abuse.

This study investigated whether the visuospatial deficits displayed by chronic alcoholics are present in persons at risk for alcoholism. Participants were 34 matched social drinkers, half of whom were children of alcoholic parents and half of whom had no family alcoholism history. Ss with a family history of alcoholism displayed visuospatial learning that was significantly poorer than that displayed by Ss with no family alcoholism history. The learning patterns displayed by those with a family alcoholism history were similar to those displayed by previously studied detoxified alcoholics and young children of alcoholics using a similar learning task. Data suggest that visuospatial learning deficits may reflect an antecedent to rather than a consequence of chronic alcohol abuse.