Article
Neurosciences
Marco Di Nicola, Maria Pepe, Isabella Panaccione, Lorenzo Moccia, Luigi Janiri, Gabriele Sani
Summary: This study aimed to evaluate the effect of extended-release trazodone on clinical and functional features in individuals with comorbid Major Depressive Disorder and Alcohol Use Disorder. The results showed that trazodone effectively reduced depressive symptoms, anxiety, sleep disturbances, and alcohol craving. The medication was well-tolerated with only mild side effects reported. These findings suggest that trazodone could be a promising pharmacological option for patients with both MDD and AUD.
CURRENT NEUROPHARMACOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Gastroenterology & Hepatology
Heather Valerio, Maryam Alavi, Matthew Law, Shane Tillakeratne, Janaki Amin, Naveed Z. Janjua, Mel Krajden, Jacob George, Gail Matthews, Behzad Hajarizadeh, Louisa Degenhardt, Jason Grebely, Gregory J. Dore
Summary: This study classified people with HCV based on drug dependence and found the highest treatment uptake among those with recent drug dependence, with disparities in treatment uptake related to factors such as gender, ethnicity, nationality, geographic location, among others.
JOURNAL OF HEPATOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Immunology
Heather Valerio, Maryam Alavi, Matthew Law, Hamish McManus, Shane Tillakeratne, Sahar Bajis, Marianne Martinello, Gail Matthews, Janaki Amin, Naveed Z. Janjua, Mel Krajden, Jacob George, Louisa Degenhardt, Jason Grebely, Gregory J. Dore
Summary: This study found that many individuals with HCV and evidence of drug dependence were hospitalized while eligible for DAA treatment, with the highest rates of hospitalization seen for mental health, drug, and alcohol-related issues. Among these hospitalized individuals, a significant proportion had multiple admissions and longer hospital stays, with lower uptake of DAA therapy observed among this group.
CLINICAL INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2021)
Article
Gastroenterology & Hepatology
Jung Wha Chung, Hwa Young Choi, Moran Ki, Eun Sun Jang, Sook-Hyang Jeong
Summary: The majority of Korean CHC patients have comorbidities, take multiple prescribed medications, the number of which increases with age, and are at significant risk of drug-drug interactions. Comorbidities and comedication profiles should be considered during DAA therapy.
Article
Clinical Neurology
Claire K. Morice, Luba Yammine, Jin Yoon, Scott D. Lane, Joy M. Schmitz, Thomas R. Kosten, Richard De la Garza, Christopher D. Verrico
Summary: Individuals with both PTSD and AUD have more severe symptoms and poorer treatment outcomes compared to those with PTSD or AUD alone. However, there is a lack of evidence and FDA-approved treatments for comorbid PTSD and AUD. This manuscript reviews a potential target for treating comorbid AUD in persons with PTSD.
PROGRESS IN NEURO-PSYCHOPHARMACOLOGY & BIOLOGICAL PSYCHIATRY
(2022)
Article
Virology
Jueqing Gu, Guodong Yu, Xiaoli Zhang, Shanyan Zhang, Huan Cai, Chanyuan Ye, Yida Yang, Dezhou Li, Zhaowei Tong, Huajiang Shen, Huazhong Chen, Feng Ding, Xijie Lai, Junyan Liu, Meiling Xu, Weiti Wu
Summary: This study investigated 8309 patients with chronic hepatitis B from five hospitals in eastern China in 2018, revealing an increasing prevalence of comorbidities and chronic kidney disease with age. Age, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, hepatic cirrhosis, and previous medication history were significantly associated with chronic kidney disease.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Marek Drozdzik, Joanna Lapczuk-Romanska, Christoph Wenzel, Lukasz Skalski, Sylwia Szelag-Pieniek, Mariola Post, Arkadiusz Parus, Marta Syczewska, Mateusz Kurzawski, Stefan Oswald
Summary: Hepatic drug metabolizing enzymes (DMEs) play a crucial role in drug pharmacokinetics and can be affected by liver diseases. This study analyzed hepatitis C liver samples of different functional states and found that the protein abundances and mRNA levels of specific CYP and UGT enzymes were altered. The severity of the disease was associated with significant up-regulation or down-regulation of certain enzymes, indicating that hepatitis C virus infection impacts DMEs protein abundances in the liver.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Psychiatry
Jiayi Cox, Richard Sherva, Leah Wetherill, Tatiana Foroud, Howard J. Edenberg, Henry R. Kranzler, Joel Gelernter, Lindsay A. Farrer
Summary: The study found stimulant dependence to be heritable, with potential genetic factors and genes underlying the trait identified through a genome-wide association study. Four suggestive loci were identified, with genes related to other substance use disorders also being highlighted.
TRANSLATIONAL PSYCHIATRY
(2021)
Article
Neurosciences
Tiago Guardia, Linda Geerligs, Kamen A. Tsvetanov, Rong Ye, Karen L. Campbell
Summary: As individuals age, changes in brain connectivity, especially between the ARAS and cortical networks, may impact cognitive performance. Decreases in ARAS-cortical connectivity were found to mediate age-related differences in network organization and predict cognitive performance across various tasks.
HUMAN BRAIN MAPPING
(2022)
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Kyung Min Kwon, Jae-Jun Shim, Gi-Ae Kim, Bo Ok Kim, Helin Han, Hyun Jung Ahn
Summary: This study aimed to understand the demographic characteristics and comorbidities of patients with chronic hepatitis C (CHC) in Korea and the impact of their medication on potential drug-drug interactions (DDIs). The results showed that 37.2% of CHC patients were over the age of 65, and the most common comorbidities were diseases of the digestive system, respiratory system, and musculoskeletal system and connective tissue. Sofosbuvir-based regimens showed favorable DDI profiles compared to other antivirals in Korean patients.
KOREAN JOURNAL OF INTERNAL MEDICINE
(2023)
Article
Neurosciences
Linh Tran, Jeah Jung, Caroline Carlin, Sunmin Lee, Chen Zhao, Roger Feldman
Summary: The study found that patients with ADRD had a lower risk of initiating DAAs compared to those without ADRD. Behavioral disturbances may reduce the likelihood of DAA use in patients with ADRD. DAA treatment was associated with a significant decrease in mortality among patients with ADRD.
JOURNAL OF ALZHEIMERS DISEASE
(2021)
Article
Gastroenterology & Hepatology
Catrina M. Loucks, Jennifer J. Lin, Jessica N. Trueman, Britt Drogemoller, Galen E. B. Wright, Wan-Chun Chang, Kathy H. Li, Eric M. Yoshida, Jo-Ann Ford, Samuel S. Lee, Pam Crotty, Richard B. Kim, Bandar Al-Judaibi, Ute Schwarz, Alnoor Ramji, Jeanette F. Farivar, Edward Tam, Lori Lee Walston, Colin J. D. Ross, Bruce C. Carleton
Summary: This study demonstrates that patient-specific genetic factors can be used as a tool to identify patients at higher risk of treatment failure, allowing for these patients to receive effective therapy sooner.
LIVER INTERNATIONAL
(2022)
Article
Immunology
Isabelle Desombere, Freya Van Houtte, Ali Farhoudi, Lieven Verhoye, Caroline Buysschaert, Yvonne Gijbels, Sibyl Couvent, Wilfried Swinnen, Hans Van Vlierberghe, Andre Elewaut, Andrea Magri, Zania Stamataki, Philip Meuleman, Jane A. McKeating, Geert Leroux-Roels
Summary: Hepatitis C virus can be transmitted by B cells, but B cells from recently infected patients failed to transmit the virus to mice, while all serum samples were infectious. The study also observed an association between circulating antibodies and B cell transmission of HCV.
FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Clinical Neurology
A. Suller Marti, E. Bellosta Diago, P. Vinueza Buitron, A. Velazquez Benito, S. Santos Lasaosa, J. A. Mauri Llerda
Summary: This study compared patients diagnosed with epilepsy before and after the age of 65, finding that epilepsy onset after 65 years old is closely related to cardiovascular risk factors, requiring fewer antiepileptic drugs and responding to lower doses.
Review
Virology
Susmita Sil, Annadurai Thangaraj, Abiola Oladapo, Guoku Hu, Naseer A. Kutchy, Ke Liao, Shilpa Buch, Palsamy Periyasamy
Summary: Chronic low-grade inflammation is a key feature in HIV-1 infected individuals, even under combined antiretroviral therapy (cART), and contributes to cognitive defects and aging. Drug abuse exacerbates the cognitive defects by activating cells in the central nervous system (CNS) and causing neurotoxin release, leading to neuroinflammation. Impaired autophagy, caused by exposure to HIV-1/HIV-1 proteins, cART, and drug abuse, plays a role in neuroinflammaging and immune senescence.
Article
Psychology, Clinical
Elisabet Alzueta, Simon Podhajsky, Qingyu Zhao, Susan F. Tapert, Wesley K. Thompson, Massimiliano de Zambotti, Dilara Yuksel, Orsolya Kiss, Rena Wang, Laila Volpe, Devin Prouty, Ian M. Colrain, Duncan B. Clark, David B. Goldston, Kate B. Nooner, Michael D. De Bellis, Sandra A. Brown, Bonnie J. Nagel, Adolf Pfefferbaum, Edith Sullivan, Fiona C. Baker, Kilian M. Pohl
Summary: This study found that the COVID-19 pandemic has significantly increased the risk of depression in emerging adults, particularly young women. Frequent alcohol use and short sleep duration during the pandemic have been associated with an increase in depressive symptoms.
PSYCHOLOGICAL MEDICINE
(2023)
Article
Substance Abuse
Edith V. Sullivan, Adolf Pfefferbaum
Summary: Excessive alcohol use shortens longevity and increases the risk of accidents, violence, and alcohol poisoning. It also contributes to the acceleration of age-related medical and psychiatric conditions in chronic heavy drinkers. Understanding the impact of alcohol use disorder on brain structure may help identify modifiable risk factors and prevent further deterioration. This review focuses on the aging of the brains of individuals with alcohol use disorder, considering the potential for recovery through harm reduction and the implications for age-related dementia.
Article
Neurosciences
Adolf Pfefferbaum, Edith V. Sullivan, Natalie M. Zahr, Kilian M. Pohl, Manojkumar Saranathan
Summary: This study validated a modified method for segmenting thalamic nuclei in T1 MRI data and quantified age-related volume declines using this method. The study also found functional meaningfulness by predicting performance on motor testing.
HUMAN BRAIN MAPPING
(2023)
Article
Immunology
Jacob Bolzenius, Carlo Sacdalan, Lishomwa C. Ndhlovu, Napapon Sailasuta, Lydie Trautmann, Somporn Tipsuk, Trevor A. Crowell, Duanghathai Suttichom, Donn J. Colby, Nittaya Phanuphak, Phillip Chan, Thomas Premeaux, Eugene Kroon, Sandhya Vasan, Denise C. Hsu, Victor Valcour, Jintanat Ananworanich, Merlin L. Robb, Julie A. Ake, Kilian M. Pohl, Somchai Sriplienchan, Serena Spudich, Robert Paul
Summary: The study found that there are changes in brain volume during acute HIV infection, with the most significant differences occurring in the later stages of infection. Further research is needed to understand the mechanisms behind possible brain disruption following antiretroviral therapy, including viral factors and markers of neuroinflammation.
Article
Immunology
Edith V. Sullivan, Natalie M. Zahr, Stephanie A. Sassoon, Kilian M. Pohl, Adolf Pfefferbaum
Summary: This study aimed to determine the independent contributions of central nervous system (CNS) and peripheral nervous system (PNS) metrics to balance instability in people with HIV (PWH) compared with people without HIV (PWoH). The results showed that PWH exhibited greater stability deficits with closed eyes compared to PWoH. Further analysis revealed that longer sway paths correlated with smaller cortical and cerebellar brain volumes known for sensory integration, and both CNS and PNS metrics were independent predictors of postural instability in PWH.
Article
Immunology
Erin E. O'Connor, Edith Sullivan, Linda Chang, Dima A. Hammoud, Tony W. Wilson, Ann B. Ragin, Christina S. Meade, Jennifer Coughlin, Beau M. Ances
Summary: Neuroimaging research is crucial in detecting HIV-associated brain abnormalities and understanding the impact of confounding factors. It is important to use sensitive methods and consider potential confounders when studying brain structure and function in virally suppressed PWH.
JOURNAL OF INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2023)
Article
Substance Abuse
Jonatan Ottino-Gonzalez, Renata B. Cupertino, Zhipeng Cao, Sage Hahn, Devarshi Pancholi, Matthew D. Albaugh, Ty Brumback, Fiona C. Baker, Sandra A. Brown, Duncan B. Clark, Massimiliano de Zambotti, David B. Goldston, Beatriz Luna, Bonnie J. Nagel, Kate B. Nooner, Kilian M. Pohl, Susan F. Tapert, Wesley K. Thompson, Terry L. Jernigan, Patricia Conrod, Scott Mackey, Hugh Garavan
Summary: A distinct pattern of structural covariance networks (SCN) derived from MRI measurements of brain cortical thickness can be used to identify young adults with alcohol use disorder (AUD) and predict problematic drinking in adolescents. SCN can serve as a marker for brain-related psychopathology.
Article
Psychiatry
Stephanie A. Sassoon, Rosemary Fama, Anne-Pascale Le Berre, Eva M. Muller-Oehring, Natalie M. Zahr, Adolf Pfefferbaum, Edith Sullivan
Summary: Experience of childhood trauma, particularly abuse, increases the risk of alcohol use disorder (AUD) and risky behaviors leading to HIV infection. Both AUD and HIV are associated with lower health-related quality of life (HRQoL) possibly influenced by childhood trauma. In this study, individuals with AUD, HIV, AUD+HIV, and controls completed assessments to measure HRQoL, resilience, and childhood trauma. The results showed that AUD, HIV, and AUD+HIV groups had lower HRQoL and resilience scores compared to controls. Greater resilience was a significant predictor of better quality of life in all groups. The impact of childhood trauma on HRQoL differed between AUD and HIV, with higher T-lymphocyte count contributing to better HRQoL in HIV. This study highlights the detrimental effect of AUD, HIV, and their comorbidity on HRQoL, as well as the positive influence of resilience.
JOURNAL OF PSYCHIATRIC RESEARCH
(2023)
Meeting Abstract
Substance Abuse
E. V. Sullivan, N. M. Zahr, A. Pfefferbaum
ALCOHOLISM-CLINICAL AND EXPERIMENTAL RESEARCH
(2023)
Meeting Abstract
Substance Abuse
K. M. Pohl, Q. Zhao, A. Pfefferbaum, E. V. Sullivan
ALCOHOLISM-CLINICAL AND EXPERIMENTAL RESEARCH
(2023)
Meeting Abstract
Substance Abuse
S. A. Sassoon, R. Fama, M. Leonard, K. L. Machitar, A. Pfefferbaum, E. V. Sullivan
ALCOHOLISM-CLINICAL AND EXPERIMENTAL RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Anatomy & Morphology
Rosemary Fama, Eva M. Muller-Oehring, Taylor F. Levine, Edith V. Sullivan, Stephanie A. Sassoon, Priya Asok, Helen M. Bronte-Stewart, Kathleen L. Poston, Kilian M. Pohl, Adolf Pfefferbaum, Tilman Schulte
Summary: Episodic memory deficits are observed in PLWH and PD patients, which may be caused by both executive dysfunction and learning deficits. In a study involving PLWH, PD patients, and controls, it was found that both PLWH and PD patients performed poorly in learning and free and cued recall, but did not differ in recognition and retention of learned material. Furthermore, different brain regions showed different correlations with learning and memory abilities. Therefore, memory deficits in PLWH and PD patients may have different pathogenic mechanisms.
BRAIN STRUCTURE & FUNCTION
(2023)
Proceedings Paper
Computer Science, Artificial Intelligence
Yixin Wang, Wei Peng, Susan F. Tapert, Qingyu Zhao, Kilian M. Pohl
Summary: This article discusses the issue of lacking specific measurements of brain Regions of Interests (ROIs) in publicly available data sets for training machine learning models. The author proposes a method called Demographic Aware Graph-based Imputation (DAGI) that imputes missing measurements via a graph neural network (GNN) and takes demographic differences into account. The proposed algorithm is tested on imputing missing Freesurfer measurements and achieves higher accuracy compared to linear regressors and deep learning models.
PREDICTIVE INTELLIGENCE IN MEDICINE, PRIME 2023
(2023)