Decreased Balance Function in School-Aged Children with Behavioral Problems

Children with behavioral problems have a high risk of impaired motor performance. However, the characteristics of balance functions and their associations with behavioral traits are unclear in this population. This study aimed to evaluate balance functions and their relationships with the degree of behavioral problems in school-aged children. A total of 209 children, aged 6–10 years, were divided into two groups, those with and those without behavioral problems, using the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ). Physical assessments included the one-leg standing test (OLST), the two-step test, and the five-times-sit-to-stand test. We compared the data between groups and assessed for correlations in terms of total difficulties and the SDQ subscale scores. Children with behavioral problems showed significantly reduced the OLST results (p < 0.001) and the two-step test results (p = 0.008). The five-times-sit-to-stand test results did not show significant differences between groups. The OLST results were significantly correlated with emotional symptoms (r = −0.22, p < 0.001), hyperactivity/inattention (r = −0.29, p < 0.001), peer relationship problems (r = −0.22, p < 0.001), and total difficulties (r = −0.32, p < 0.001). Meanwhile, the two-step test results showed no significant correlation with the SDQ scores. Children with behavioral problems have poor balance function, thereby increasing the risk for instability. This suggests that the balance function of children with behavioral problems needs to be considered.

Particularities of Electrophysiological and Psychoneurological Assessment of Mild Traumatic Brain Injury

Neuropsychological functioning after mTBI is individualized and dynamic, with no currently known predictors and usually having a trajectory of gradual improvement. It is still a challenge to identify specific cognitive profiles associated with mTBI. One of the causes is the transient character of TBI symptoms as they are not appearing immediately after the injury. Another explanation resides in the individual and group variability of cognitive impairements following mTBI, which also affects the standardisation of the neuropsychological tests to use in mTBI assessment batteries (Iverson et al., 2013; Prince & Bruhns, 2017; Tulsky et al., 2017). Presently concussion has no accepted definition or diagnostic criteria. Also, there is no standard (or gold standard) for screening or properly identifying and diagnosing all population with concussion. (Borg et al., 2004). Patients with mTBI could evolve in a bunch of physical, cognitive, and emotional symptoms (Permenter et al., 2021) that are usually known as post-concussion syndrome (PCS). In terms of symptoms, we target neuropsychological evaluation of four key domains (“higher-order attention”, “executive function”, “episodic memory”, and “speed of information processing”) implicated in chronic impairment after mTBI. Alternatively, studies on the EEG frequency domain shed new light on the possibility to have a diagnostic marker based on QEEG patterns identified in the mTBI population and some prognostic factors for the PCS syndrome.(Rapp et al., 2015; Thornton & Carmody, 2009). Given the particularities of neuropsychological functioning after mTBI we emphasize the need of a mixed methodology, using both electrophysiological and psychoneurological tools, to provide the best sensitivity and specificity in assessing cognitive and functional deficits and in predicting further PCS.

Correlation between Mild Traumatic Brain Injury-Induced Inflammatory Cytokines and Emotional Symptom Traits: A Systematic Review

Both mild traumatic brain injuries (mTBI) and systemic injuries trigger a transient neuroinflammatory response that result in similar clinical outcome. The ensuing physical, cognitive, and emotional symptoms fail to subside in approximately 15–20% of the concussed population. Emotional impairments, particularly depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), are commonly associated with poor recovery following mTBI. These emotional impairments also have a significant neuroinflammatory component. We hypothesized that the inflammatory cytokines seen in mTBI patients with emotional symptoms would coincide with those commonly seen in patients with emotional symptoms without mTBI. A systematic review was conducted to identify the most common neuroinflammatory cytokines in the mTBI population with psychological symptoms (depression, anxiety, PTSD). The electronic databases EMBASE, MEDLINE, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), PUBMED, and PSYCINFO were searched from data inception to 31 August 2021. A systematic screening approach was employed from screening to data analysis. A total of 994 articles were screened, 108 were selected for full article review, and 8 were selected for data analysis. The included studies consisted of 875 patients of which 81.3% were male. The mean sample size of patients with at least one mTBI was 73.8 ± 70.3 (range, 9–213), with a mean age of 33.9 ± 4.8 years. The most common cytokines associated with poor psychological outcomes involving PTSD and/or depression in the chronic mTBI population were IL-6, TNFα, IL-10, and CRP.

Effectiveness of a Mindfulness-Based Group Intervention for Chinese University Students with Sleep Problems

The increasing prevalence of sleep disorders among university students should be taken seriously. Group counseling involving a mindfulness-based strategy may help prevent students from developing insomnia and subsequent mental health disorders. This study aimed to evaluate the ameliorating effects of a mindfulness-based group intervention on sleep problems and emotional symptoms in university students in China. Twenty-one university students (16 females, 22.71 ± 4.28 years) who were not on medication were recruited and assigned to the intervention group based on the criterion of high levels of sleep problems. Additionally, twenty-four university students (19 females, 24.50 ± 0.93 years) were included as a nonrandomized control group. Individuals in the intervention group participated in a two-hour group intervention once a week for eight sessions. All participants completed self-reported questionnaire baseline tests, postintervention tests, and one-month follow-ups on mindfulness, sleep quality, anxiety and depressive symptoms. Repeated-measures ANOVA was performed. The results revealed significant intervention effects, with significant differences observed between the two groups in mindfulness and sleep quality. However, there was no significant effect of the intervention on anxiety and depressive symptoms. This study contributes to a better understanding of the effectiveness of mindfulness-based intervention in addressing sleep problems in university students.

Psychometric properties of the Valuing Questionnaire in a Spaniard sample and factorial equivalence with a Colombian sample

Background The Valuing Questionnaire (VQ) is considered as one of the most psychometrically robust instruments to measure valued living according to the acceptance and commitment therapy model. It consists of 10 items that are responded to on a 7-point Likert-type scale and has two factors: Progression and Obstruction. The Spanish version of the VQ showed good psychometric properties in Colombian samples. However, there is no evidence of the psychometric properties of the VQ in Spaniard samples. This study aims to analyze the validity of the VQ in a large Spaniard sample and analyze the measurement invariance with a similar Colombian sample. Method The VQ was administered to a Spaniard sample of 846 adult participants from general online population. Cronbach’s alpha and McDonald’s omega were computed to analyze the internal consistency of the VQ. The fit of the VQ’s two-factor model was tested through a confirmatory factor analysis with a robust maximum likelihood (MLR) estimation method. Afterward, we analyzed the measurement invariance across countries and gender. Convergent construct validity was analyzed with a package of questionnaires that evaluated experiential avoidance (Acceptance and Action Questionnaire-II, AAQ-II), emotional symptoms (Depression Anxiety and Stress Scale-21, DASS-21), life satisfaction (Satisfaction with Life Scale, SWLS), and cognitive fusion (Cognitive Fusion Questionnaire, CFQ). Results The internal consistency across samples was adequate (alphas and omegas were .85 for VQ-Progress and .84 for VQ-Obstruction). The two-factor model obtained a good fit to the data (RMSEA = 0.073, 90% CI [0.063, 0.083], CFI = 0.98, NNFI = 0.97, and SRMR = 0.053). The VQ showed strict invariance across countries and gender and showed theoretically coherent correlations with emotional symptoms, life satisfaction, experiential avoidance, and cognitive fusion. In conclusion, the Spanish version of the VQ demonstrated good psychometric properties in a large Spaniard sample.

The Impact of Weekday-to-Weekend Sleep Differences on Health Outcomes among Adolescent Students

The sleep difference between weekdays and weekends can lead to negative physical and mental health outcomes in adolescents. Thus, this study has attempted to analyze the impact of sleep time differences on various health outcomes, using nationally representative panel data. Data from the junior high school student panel of the Korean Children and Youth Panel Survey were analyzed. The sleep difference was defined as the difference between the average sleep duration on weekdays and that on weekends in minutes. A series of mixed effect linear regression models for continuous variables or mixed effect logit regression for binary variables was utilized. Korean adolescent students reported from 96.8 min to 133.2 min of sleep duration difference between weekdays and weekends. After controlling for gender, parent work status, and type of housing, the weekday-to-weekend sleep differences were associated with various health-related outcomes including concentration difficulty, aggression, somatic symptoms, and withdrawal. Additionally, adolescent student life satisfaction was associated with sleep difference. The sleep differences among adolescent students were more associated with mental health-related outcomes and emotional symptoms than with physical health-related outcomes. The appropriate intervention to reduce the sleep difference gap is an important key to improve health in the adolescence period.

Procrastination, Negative Emotional Symptoms, and Mental Well-Being among college students in Saudi Arabia

The main aim of the current study was the examines the relationship between procrastination, Negative Emotions, and mental well-being. Participants from Saudi Arabia (n = 886; females 344, 38.8% and 542 males, 61.2%; Mage = 24.33, SD = 5.68). Participants completed online questionnaires on the Irrational Procrastination Scale (IPS), the Depression Anxiety Stress Scales (DASS-21), and the Mental Health Continuum-Short Form (MHC-SF). As hypothesized, males procrastinated more than females. Furthermore, single ones procrastinated more than married ones. Depending on the study assumption that procrastination and negative emotional symptoms are related to poorer mental well-being, procrastination is related to higher levels of DASS-21 and decreased well-being. These findings suggest that age, gender, depression, stress, anxiety, and Well-being were predictive of procrastination. Findings add to the psychological literature and improve a better comprehension of the complicated associations between Procrastination, Negative Emotions, and Well-Being. El objetivo principal del presente estudio fue examinar la relación entre la procrastinación, las emociones negativas y el bienestar mental. Participantes de Arabia Saudita (n = 886; mujeres 344, 38.8% y 542 hombres, 61.2%; Medad = 24.33, SD = 5.68). Los participantes completaron cuestionarios en línea sobre la Escala de procrastinación irracional (IPS), las Escalas de estrés por depresión, ansiedad (DASS-21) y el Formulario corto continuo de salud mental (MHC-SF). Según la hipótesis, los hombres postergaron las cosas más que las mujeres. Además, los solteros postergaban más que los casados. Dependiendo de la hipótesis del estudio de que la procrastinación y los síntomas emocionales negativos están relacionados con un peor bienestar mental, la procrastinación está relacionada con niveles más altos de DASS-21 y una disminución del bienestar. Estos hallazgos sugieren que la edad, el género, la depresión, el estrés, la ansiedad y el bienestar eran factores predictivos de la procrastinación. Los hallazgos se suman a la literatura psicológica y mejoran una mejor comprensión de las complicadas asociaciones entre la procastinación, las emociones negativas y el bienestar.

Preliminary Support for a Cognitive Remediation Intervention for Women During the Menopausal Transition: A Pilot Study

Background: Menopause is associated with physical and emotional symptoms, and subjective cognitive concerns that are generally not borne out on objective cognitive measures. This discrepancy suggests that a psychological rather than biological mechanism likely mediates the cognitive concerns of women in menopause. The current study assessed the feasibility and effectiveness of a cognitive remediation intervention with the goal of reducing subjective perceptions of cognitive difficulty during the menopause.Methods: Twenty-seven menopausal women (M age = 53.74, SD = 4.14) completed a 5-week group-based intervention (with a post-group booster) consisting of 2-h weekly sessions. Participants completed pre- and post-intervention measures capturing subjective cognitive ability, mood, anxiety, stress, personality, and objective cognitive tests. The primary variable of interest was self-reported cognitive confidence measured by the Memory and Cognitive Confidence Scale (MACCS).Results: All but one MACCS subscale significantly decreased over the course of treatment (with lower scores associated with higher confidence) and effect sizes ranged from small to large (d = −0.39 to −0.91) with gains maintained at 1-month follow-up. Interestingly, no change in objective cognitive test performance was observed, indicating increases in subjective cognitive confidence in the absence of objective cognitive improvement. There was no change in mood, anxiety, or stress scores. Two-level HLM analyses revealed that those with higher baseline neuroticism, as measured by the NEO Personality Inventory, had smaller decreases in post-group MACCS High Standards subscale relative to those with lower baseline neuroticism (p = 0.027, d = −0.45). Those with higher baseline depression scores on the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale (DASS-21) had a smaller decrease in post-intervention MACCS Total Score relative to those with lower depression ratings.Conclusion: To our knowledge, this is the first feasibility study of its kind targeting perceptions of cognitive impairment during menopause. Although generally well-tolerated, recruitment and scheduling difficulties were flagged as challenges to engagement while a small sample size and lack of control group limit conclusions about efficacy. Providing current results could be replicated with enhanced methods, these results provide support that cognitive remediation is a feasible and credible treatment, and may improve quality of life for women in menopause.Clinical Trial Registration:www.ClinicalTrials.gov, identifier: NCT03311880.

Mice behavioural models with pooled data analysis of Gelsemium studies and new findings about Ignatia and Aconitum

Objective: We investigated the effects of three different homeopathic medicines in several dilutions/dynamizations on mice, using validated models which explore anxiety-like and emotional symptoms. Two complete series of investigations were performed in order to assess the activity of Gelsemium sempervirens; furthermore, we investigated Ignatia amara and Aconitum napellus in the same model systems. Methods: Mice of CD1 strain were randomized in different cages (minimum 8 mice per treated group in each experiment) and treatment solutions were coded in such a way that all protocols were carried out fully in blind. The indicated compounds at various centesimal dilutions/dynamizations, a control solution (the solvent vehicle of drugs, which was succussed before administration) or the reference drugs diazepam (1 mg/kg body weight) or buspirone (5 mg/kg body weight) diluted in the same succussed solvent were delivered intraperitoneally (0.3 ml/mice) for 9 days. A series of changes of animal behavior were assessed by the Light-Dark (LD) choice test and the Open-Field (OF) exploration test. Two series of studies with little technical differences, exploiting a total of 14 separate experiments, were carried out with Gelsemium, five complete experiments with Ignatia and four complete experiments with Aconitum. Results: In both series of experiments Gelsemium showed anxiolytic-like effects using both OF test (permanence and movement in centre area of field) and LD test (time spent in lit area and number of light-dark transitions). However, due to high variability of animal responses and possibly to some minor differences in protocols, those effects reached the threshold of statistical significance only in OF in the first series and only in LD in the second series. Cumulative analysis of the two series demonstrated a highly significant (p

The Impact of the COVID-19 Lockdown on European Students’ Negative Emotional Symptoms: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Considerable changes to higher education approaches, as a response to the global coronavirus pandemic, has increased the stress on university students. The impact of these changes has had an effect on the negative emotional symptoms being experienced, which can lead to more severe mental health issues. The purpose of this meta-analysis was to determine the prevalence of anxiety, depression and stress during the coronavirus lockdown. A systematic review of three electronic databases (Google Scholar, PubMed and Medline) was conducted, with 13 studies from different European countries reporting data on students and their negative emotional symptoms identified. The random-effects model was used to perform the meta-analysis on anxiety, depression and stress. The overall pooled prevalence rate was 55% (95% CI: 45–64%) for anxiety, 63% (95% CI: 52–73%) for depression and 62% (95% CI: 43–79%) for stress. The impact of the coronavirus pandemic on negative emotional symptoms has been serious with studies reporting high prevalence rates for these. Isolation, reduced social contact, duration of quarantine and restrictions, which are the characteristics of a lockdown, played an important role in increased negative emotional symptoms for students. Countries have to be aware of this situation and develop mental support strategies to mitigate the impact.