Relationship Between Epilepsy and Dreaming: Current Knowledge, Hypotheses, and Perspectives

The interactions between epilepsy and sleep are numerous and the impact of epilepsy on cognition is well documented. Epilepsy is therefore likely to influence dreaming as one sleep-related cognitive activity. The frequency of dream recall is indeed decreased in patients with epilepsy, especially in those with primary generalized seizures. The content of dreams is also disturbed in epilepsy patients, being more negative and with more familiar settings. While several confounding factors (anti-seizure medications, depression and anxiety disorders, cognitive impairment) may partly account for these changes, some observations suggest an effect of seizures themselves on dreams. Indeed, the incorporation of seizure symptoms in dream content has been described, concomitant or not with a focal epileptic discharge during sleep, suggesting that epilepsy might directly or indirectly interfere with dreaming. These observations, together with current knowledge on dream neurophysiology and the links between epilepsy and sleep, suggest that epilepsy may impact not only wake- but also sleep-related cognition.

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The effects of digital cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia on cognitive function: a randomized controlled trial

SLEEP ◽

10.1093/sleep/zsaa034 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 43 (9) ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Simon D Kyle ◽

Madeleine E D Hurry ◽

Richard Emsley ◽

Antonia Marsden ◽

Ximena Omlin ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Cognitive Impairment ◽

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy ◽

Cognitive Performance ◽

Behavioral Therapy ◽

Wait List ◽

Depression And Anxiety ◽

Wait List Control ◽

Cognitive Failures ◽

The Impact ◽

Insomnia Severity

Abstract Study Objectives We sought to examine the impact of digital cognitive behavioral therapy (dCBT) for insomnia on both self-reported cognitive impairment and objective cognitive performance. Methods The Defining the Impact of Sleep improvement on Cognitive Outcomes (DISCO) trial was an online, two-arm, single-blind, randomized clinical trial of dCBT versus wait-list control. Participants were aged 25 years and older, met DSM-5 diagnostic criteria for insomnia disorder, and reported difficulties with concentration or memory. Assessments were carried out online at baseline, and 10 and 24 weeks post-randomization. The primary outcome measure was self-reported cognitive impairment, assessed with the British Columbia Cognitive Complaints Inventory (BC-CCI). Secondary outcomes included tests of cognitive performance, insomnia symptoms, cognitive failures, fatigue, sleepiness, depression, and anxiety. Results Four hundred and ten participants with insomnia were recruited and assigned to dCBT (N = 205) or wait-list control (N = 205). At 10 weeks post-randomization the estimated adjusted mean difference for the BC-CCI was −3.03 (95% CI: −3.60, −2.47; p < 0.0001, d = −0.86), indicating that participants in the dCBT group reported less cognitive impairment than the control group. These effects were maintained at 24 weeks (d = −0.96) and were mediated, in part, via reductions in insomnia severity and increased sleep efficiency. Treatment effects in favor of dCBT, at both 10 and 24 weeks, were found for insomnia severity, sleep efficiency, cognitive failures, fatigue, sleepiness, depression, and anxiety. We found no between-group differences in objective tests of cognitive performance. Conclusions Our study shows that dCBT robustly decreases self-reported cognitive impairment at post-treatment and these effects are maintained at 6 months.

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The impact of postpartum depression and anxiety disorders on children’s processing of facial emotional expressions at pre-school age

Archives of Women s Mental Health ◽

10.1007/s00737-015-0519-y ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 18 (5) ◽

pp. 707-716 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Susanne Meiser ◽

Anna-Lena Zietlow ◽

Corinna Reck ◽

Birgit Träuble

Keyword(s):

Postpartum Depression ◽

Anxiety Disorders ◽

Emotional Expressions ◽

School Age ◽

Depression And Anxiety ◽

The Impact

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The Role of Dietary Supplements in Depression and Anxiety – A Narrative Review

Pharmacopsychiatry ◽

10.1055/a-0942-1875 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 52 (06) ◽

pp. 261-279 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Knut Hoffmann ◽

Barbara Emons ◽

Stefan Brunnhuber ◽

Sedya Karaca ◽

Georg Juckel

Keyword(s):

Psychiatric Disorders ◽

Dietary Supplements ◽

Psychiatric Treatment ◽

Practical Knowledge ◽

Current Knowledge ◽

German Society ◽

Narrative Review ◽

Depression And Anxiety ◽

The Impact

Abstract Introduction Dietary supplements are very widely used in the general population and there is a growing market for them, which is against the recommendations of the German Society for Nutrition. There is some evidence that dietary supplements are useful additions in the treatment of psychiatric disorders. This review is an overview of available practical knowledge regarding the use of supplements in psychiatric treatment. In particular, the review focused on the diagnosis of depression and anxiety in terms of supplement treatment. Methods This is a narrative review of the evidence regarding supplements for treating anxiety and depression. We searched PubMed to 2018. Two reviewers screened the citations and abstracted the data. Phytopharmaceutical attends and animal-based data were excluded. Results There are strong indications regarding the impact of supplements on the selected psychiatric disorders, but at this time, there only a few randomized clinical studies available, so evidence for these findings is quite low. However, it must be noted that there are strong hints for a relationship between vitamin D level and depression. Furthermore, various supplements have got potentially an influence on the characteristics of depression. Discussion This review summarizes the current knowledge about supplements when used for some psychiatric conditions, but the data does not provide compelling evidence in any direction. There are only indications that there is an influence of supplements on psychiatric diseases. In support of this, there is further need for high-quality studies in this field. Reviews on other diagnoses, such as schizophrenia and dementia, will be part of further work.

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The impact of antidepressants on seizure frequency and depressive and anxiety disorders of patients with epilepsy: Is it worth investigating?

Epilepsy & Behavior ◽

10.1016/j.yebeh.2017.02.032 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 70 ◽

pp. 5-9 ◽

Cited By ~ 22

Author(s):

Ramses Ribot ◽

Bichun Ouyang ◽

Andres M. Kanner

Keyword(s):

Anxiety Disorders ◽

Seizure Frequency ◽

Patients With Epilepsy ◽

The Impact

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Hypertension and the Brain: A Risk Factor for More Than Heart Disease

Cerebrovascular Diseases ◽

10.1159/000446082 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 42 (3-4) ◽

pp. 255-262 ◽

Cited By ~ 40

Author(s):

Anja Meissner

Keyword(s):

Risk Factor ◽

Cognitive Impairment ◽

Cognitive Decline ◽

Small Vessel Disease ◽

Current Knowledge ◽

White Matter Lesions ◽

Cerebrovascular Complications ◽

Cerebrovascular Function ◽

The Impact ◽

The Brain

Background: Cerebral small vessel disease (cSVD), a common risk factor for cognitive impairment, involves unspecific arteriopathy characterized by hypertrophy and endothelial dysfunction that alter cerebrovascular function and auto-regulation of cerebral blood flow (CBF). Microbleedings, subcortical lacunar infarctions and diffuse areas of white matter lesions resulting from vascular injury are associated with reduced cognitive function mostly characterized by difficulties in learning and retention, attention deficits, gait disorders or depression. In recent years, it has become evident that vascular risk factors contribute to the development of cSVD and associated vascular cognitive impairment (VCI). Among them, hypertension emerged as such a major modifiable risk factor since the brain presents an early target for organ damage due to changes in blood pressure (BP). Subsequently both high and, especially in the elderly, low BP have been linked to cognitive decline, which initiated controversial discussions about BP control as a potential therapeutic strategy to achieve optimal brain perfusion and thus, reduce the occurrence of cSVD and cognitive dysfunction. Yet, recent randomized controlled trials examined the impact of anti-hypertensive therapy on cognitive performance with conflicting results. Summary: In light of the current knowledge, it becomes apparent that there is an urgent need to understand the mechanisms underlying hypertension-induced cerebrovascular complications in order to identify effective therapeutic targets to prevent and most importantly also reverse cognitive decline mediated through hypertension. Key Message: This review summarizes the current knowledge of cSVD pathogenesis as well as possible links to hypertension-mediated cerebrovascular complications. By pointing out knowledge gaps, it aims to spur future studies in search of specific targets helping to prevent therapy failures and decelerate the rapidly progressing neuro-degeneration of patients suffering from cerebrovascular diseases emanating from hypertension.

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COgnitive-Pulmonary Disease

BioMed Research International ◽

10.1155/2014/697825 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 2014 ◽

pp. 1-8 ◽

Cited By ~ 26

Author(s):

Fiona A. H. M. Cleutjens ◽

Daisy J. A. Janssen ◽

Rudolf W. H. M. Ponds ◽

Jeanette B. Dijkstra ◽

Emiel F. M. Wouters

Keyword(s):

Cognitive Impairment ◽

Cognitive Functioning ◽

Hospital Admissions ◽

Negative Impact ◽

Current Knowledge ◽

Systemic Disease ◽

Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease ◽

Self Control ◽

Chronic Obstructive ◽

The Impact

Over the past few decades, chronic obstructive lung disease (COPD) has been considered a disease of the lungs, often caused by smoking. Nowadays, COPD is regarded as a systemic disease. Both physical effects and effects on brains, including impaired psychological and cognitive functioning, have been demonstrated. Patients with COPD may have cognitive impairment, either globally or in single cognitive domains, such as information processing, attention and concentration, memory, executive functioning, and self-control. Possible causes are hypoxemia, hypercapnia, exacerbations, and decreased physical activity. Cognitive impairment in these patients may be related to structural brain abnormalities, such as gray-matter pathologic changes and the loss of white matter integrity which can be induced by smoking. Cognitive impairment can have a negative impact on health and daily life and may be associated with widespread consequences for disease management programs. It is important to assess cognitive functioning in patients with COPD in order to optimize patient-oriented treatment and to reduce personal discomfort, hospital admissions, and mortality. This paper will summarize the current knowledge about cognitive impairment as extrapulmonary feature of COPD. Hereby, the impact of smoking on cognitive functioning and the impact of cognitive impairment on smoking behaviour will be examined.

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Portal Vein Thrombosis Is Associated with an Increased Incidence of Depression and Anxiety Disorders

Journal of Clinical Medicine ◽

10.3390/jcm10235689 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 10 (23) ◽

pp. 5689

Author(s):

Simon Johannes Gairing ◽

Peter Robert Galle ◽

Jörn M. Schattenberg ◽

Karel Kostev ◽

Christian Labenz

Keyword(s):

Anxiety Disorders ◽

Portal Vein ◽

Portal Vein Thrombosis ◽

Cox Regression ◽

Severe Disease ◽

Well Being ◽

Depression And Anxiety ◽

Vein Thrombosis ◽

The Impact ◽

The Relationship

Portal vein thrombosis (PVT) is a severe disease that adversely affects patients’ well-being. Data on the influence of PVT on the occurrence of depression or anxiety disorders are lacking. This study aimed to explore the impact of PVT on the incidence of depression and anxiety disorders diagnoses in a large German primary care cohort over a ten-year period. Patients with PVT were matched to non-PVT individuals by age, sex, yearly consultation frequency, index year and comorbidities in a 1:5 ratio. The primary outcome of the study was the incidence of depression and anxiety disorders. The relationship between PVT and both depression and anxiety disorders was investigated using Cox regression models. We compared 547 patients with PVT with 2735 matched individuals without PVT. Within 5 years of the index date, 17.4% of patients with PVT and 9.3% of non-PVT individuals were diagnosed with depression (p < 0.001). Anxiety disorders were diagnosed in 5.5% and 3.0% of patients with PVT and non-PVT individuals, respectively (p = 0.002). On regression analyses, PVT was positively associated with incident depression (HR 2.01, 95% CI 1.53–2.64, p < 0.001) as well as anxiety disorders (HR 2.16, 95% CI 1.35–3.46, p = 0.001). Regarding depression, this association remained significant in women as well as in men. There was no association between PVT and the incidence of anxiety disorders in women. In conclusion, PVT is associated with the development of depression and anxiety disorders. However, further prospective studies are needed to confirm our findings before definitive recommendations can be made.

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The impact of depression and anxiety treatment on biological aging and metabolic stress: study protocol of the Mood treatment with antidepressants or running (MOTAR) study

BMC Psychiatry ◽

10.1186/s12888-019-2404-0 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 19 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Bianca A. Lever-van Milligen ◽

Josine E. Verhoeven ◽

Lianne Schmaal ◽

Laura S. van Velzen ◽

Dóra Révész ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Anxiety Disorder ◽

Anxiety Disorders ◽

Intervention Study ◽

Metabolic Stress ◽

Antidepressant Medication ◽

Biological Aging ◽

Depression And Anxiety ◽

Secondary Outcomes ◽

The Impact

Abstract Background Depressive and anxiety disorders have shown to be associated to premature or advanced biological aging and consequently to adversely impact somatic health. Treatments with antidepressant medication or running therapy are both found to be effective for many but not all patients with mood and anxiety disorders. These interventions may, however, work through different pathophysiological mechanisms and could differ in their impact on biological aging and somatic health. This study protocol describes the design of an unique intervention study that examines whether both treatments are similarly effective in reducing or reversing biological aging (primary outcome), psychiatric status, metabolic stress and neurobiological indicators (secondary outcomes). Methods The MOod Treatment with Antidepressants or Running (MOTAR) study will recruit a total of 160 patients with a current major depressive and/or anxiety disorder in a mental health care setting. Patients will receive a 16-week treatment with either antidepressant medication or running therapy (3 times/week). Patients will undergo the treatment of their preference and a subsample will be randomized (1:1) to overcome preference bias. An additional no-disease-no-treatment group of 60 healthy controls without lifetime psychopathology, will be included as comparison group for primary and secondary outcomes at baseline. Assessments are done at week 0 for patients and controls, and at week 16 and week 52 for patients only, including written questionnaires, a psychiatric and medical examination, blood, urine and saliva collection and a cycle ergometer test, to gather information about biological aging (telomere length and telomerase activity), mental health (depression and anxiety disorder characteristics), general fitness, metabolic stress-related biomarkers (inflammation, metabolic syndrome, cortisol) and genetic determinants. In addition, neurobiological alterations in brain processes will be assessed using structural and functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) in a subsample of at least 25 patients per treatment arm and in all controls. Discussion This intervention study aims to provide a better understanding of the impact of antidepressant medication and running therapy on biological aging, metabolic stress and neurobiological indicators in patients with depressive and anxiety disorders in order to guide a more personalized medicine treatment. Trial registration Trialregister.nl Number of identification: NTR3460, May 2012.

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Mindfulness Awareness Is Associated With a Lower Risk of Anxiety and Depressive Symptoms in Older Adults With Neurocognitive Disorders

Frontiers in Psychiatry ◽

10.3389/fpsyt.2021.721583 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 12 ◽

Author(s):

Linda Chiu Wa Lam ◽

Allen T. C. Lee ◽

Sheung Tak Cheng ◽

Benjamin H. K. Yip ◽

Wai Chi Chan ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Older Adults ◽

Hong Kong ◽

Cognitive Impairment ◽

Neurocognitive Disorders ◽

Community Dwelling ◽

Depression And Anxiety ◽

Dispositional Mindfulness ◽

The Impact ◽

Physical Morbidity

Background: Apart from depressive disorders, there are great interests in adopting mindfulness based interventions (MBIs) for other mental health conditions. Depression and anxiety are common in people with neurocognitive disorders (NCD). The potential of MBIs as an adjuvant treatment in this cognitively at-risk group should be further explored.Objectives: The current study explored the association between depression and anxiety symptoms with dispositional mindfulness in older adults, and if same association stays in the context of cognitive impairment.Methods: The Hong Kong Mental Morbidity Survey for Older People (MMSOP) is an ongoing epidemiology study of the prevalence of neurocognitive and mental disorders in adults aged 60 years or over in Hong Kong. MMSOP evaluated cognitive function, psychiatric symptoms (Clinical Interview Schedule-revised, CIS-R), chronic physical disease burden, psychosocial support, and resilience factors, including dispositional mindfulness as measured by the Mindful Attention Awareness Scale (MAAS). We analyzed the impact of MAAS on CIS-R and potential moderation effects of mindfulness.Results: In March 2021, 1,218 community dwelling participants completed assessments. The mean age of the sample is 69.0 (SD 6.9) years. Eight hundred and two participants (65.7%) were not demented (CDR 0) and 391 (32%) and 25 (2%) were categorized as having mild NCD (CDR 0.5) and major NCD (CDR 1 or more), respectively. One hundred forty-three (11.7%) satisfied ICD-10 criteria for anxiety or depressive disorder as measured by CIS-R. Linear regression analysis showed that female gender, CIRS, and MAAS scores were significant factors associated with CIS-R scores. MAAS scores moderated and attenuated the impact CIRS on CIS-R (adjusted R2 = 0.447, p < 0.001). MAAS scores remained as significant moderator for CIRS in patients with NCD (CDR ≥ 0.5) (adjusted R2 = 0.33, p < 0.001).Conclusion: Interim findings of the MMSOP suggested that dispositional mindfulness is associated with lower level of mood symptoms in community dwelling older adults in Hong Kong. The interaction effects further suggested that high mindful awareness may reduce the adverse effects of chronic physical morbidity on mental health. The observation stayed in the participants with cognitive impairment. We should further explore MBIs as a non-pharmacological treatment for in older adults at-risk of physical morbidity and cognitive decline.

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