Physical Inactivity in Youth During COVID-19: A Narrative Review

The prevalence of physical inactivity in youth during COVID-19 has varied across countries and depending on the age of the youth and whether the data were collected during lockdown versus non-lockdown. In studies that compared activity pre-and during COVID, activity decreased in 40-59% of youth. Several negative effects have been noted, including excessive screen time, sleep problems, over-eating, and affective disturbances. Physical inactivity was a significant correlate of all of these problems. Relatively little intervention research has been conducted, and underlying mechanisms have not been explored. As in most of the COVID-19 literature, this research has the limitations of being typically cross-sectional and self-reported.

Relationship Between Self-Reported Concomitant Depressive and Anxiety Symptoms and the Post-Concussion Symptoms Scale (PCSS)

ABSTRACT Objectives: The current study explored how affective disturbances, particularly concomitant anxiety and depressive symptoms, impact baseline symptom self-reporting on the Post-Concussion Symptoms Scale (PCSS) in college athletes. Methods: Athletes were separated into four groups (Healthy Control (HC) (n = 581), Depression Only (n = 136), Anxiety Only (n = 54), Concomitant Depression/Anxiety (n = 62)) based on their anxiety and depression scores. Groups were compared on Total PCSS Score as well as 5 PCSS Symptom Cluster scores (Cognitive, Physical, Affective, Sleep, and Headache). Results: The three affective groups reported significantly greater symptomatology than HCs, with the Concomitant group showing the highest symptomatology scores across all clusters. The depressive symptoms only group also reported significantly elevated symptomatology, compared to HCs, on every symptom cluster except headache. The anxiety symptoms only group differed from HCs on only the cognitive symptoms cluster. Additionally, the Concomitant group reported significantly increased PCSS symptomatology, in terms of total scores and all 5 symptom clusters, compared to the depressive symptoms only and anxiety symptoms only groups. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that athletes experiencing concomitant depressive/anxiety symptoms report significantly greater levels of symptomatology across all 5 PCSS symptom clusters compared to HCs. Further, results suggest that athletes experiencing concomitant affective disturbance tend to report greater symptomatology than those with only one affective disturbance. These findings are important because, despite the absence of concussion, the concomitant group demonstrated significantly elevated symptomatology at baseline. Thus, future comparisons with post-concussion data should account for this increased symptomatology, as test results may be skewed by affective disturbances at baseline.

Psychopathology structure of affective disturbances in patients with schizotypal disorder

The study of the structural features of the psychopathological symptomatology of schizophrenic spectrum disorders remains one of the most urgent topics in modern psychiatry; schizotypal disorder deserves special attention in this context. In order to identify the structural characteristics of affective disturbances in patients with schizotypal disorder, during 2019-2020, aprospective study of 128 patients with schizotypal disorder who were on outpatient treatment was conducted. By using clinical-anamnestic, clinical-psychopathological, psychodiagnostic and statistical methods it was revealed, that affective pathology has a significant prevalence among patients with schizotypal disorder, in the vast majority of cases it is represented by unipolar depressive symptoms, the intensity of which varies in a continuum from moderate severity of manifestations to their complete absence; in a quarter of cases affective psychopathological symptoms have a wider spectrum and reach hypomanic states; the prevalence of manic symptoms in the clinical picture lids to a partial elimination of the underlying disease symptoms; the psychopathological content of the affective sphere in one third of the examined patients with schizotypal disorder is represented by specific changes in the form of reduced affect display.

Modelling the temporal interplay between stress and affective disturbances in pathways to psychosis: an experience sampling study

Background One putative psychological mechanism through which momentary stress impacts on psychosis in individuals with increased liability to the disorder is via affective disturbance. However, to date, this has not been systematically tested. We aimed to investigate whether (i) cross-sectional and temporal effects of momentary stress on psychotic experiences via affective disturbance, and (ii) the reverse pathway of psychotic experiences on stress via affective disturbance were modified by familial liability to psychosis. Methods The Experience Sampling Method was used in a pooled data set of six studies with three groups of 245 individuals with psychotic disorder, 165 unaffected first-degree relatives, and 244 healthy control individuals to index familial liability. Multilevel moderated mediation models were fitted to investigate indirect effects across groups cross-sectionally and multilevel cross-lagged panel models to investigate temporal effects in the proposed pathways across two measurement occasions. Results Evidence on indirect effects from cross-sectional models indicated that, in all three groups, effects of stress on psychotic experiences were mediated by negative affect and, vice versa, effects of psychotic experiences on stress were mediated by negative affect, with all indirect effects being weakest in relatives. Longitudinal modelling of data provided no evidence of temporal priority of stress in exerting its indirect effects on psychotic experiences via affective disturbance or, vice versa. Conclusions Our findings tentatively suggest a rapid vicious cycle of stress impacting psychotic experiences via affective disturbances, which does, however, not seem to be consistently modified by familial liability to psychosis.

Affective disturbances in individuals with methylphenidate use disorder at abstinence

Background Methylphenidate, mainly sold under the trade name Ritalin, is used to clinically treat attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). There has been an increase in the prevalence of the nonmedical use of methylphenidate among adolescents in the past 30 years. Methods Here, we retrospectively analyzed a clinical dataset of 61 individuals with methylphenidate use disorder who were admitted to a drug rehabilitation program at Beijing Gaoxin Hospital from January 2017 to March 2019. Results The results showed that the majority of individuals with methylphenidate use disorder were adolescents, and the onset of drug use was mainly driven by academic purposes. The abstinence period was accompanied by severe anxiety and depression symptoms in these subjects, and these symptoms were significantly alleviated following four weeks of treatment. In addition, high levels of social support is associated with better affective states. Conclusion To sum up, methylphenidate use disorder individuals are associated with mood disturbances at abstinence, which might be implicated in clinical management strategies.

Validation of the French Version of the Fear of COVID-19 Scale and its Associations with Depression, Anxiety and Differential Emotions

The COVID-19 crisis represents a global health concern, including mental health. Regarding the necessity to assess anxiety related to COVID-19, a scale was developed (Ahorsu et al., 2020). The goal of the present study was to validate of the Fear of COVID-19 Scale (FCV-19S) in French (official language in 29 countries), and investigate its relationship with indicators of affective disturbances. The study was performed on 316 participants. The FCV-19S underwent a double back translation procedure. Its psychometric properties were evaluated.The French FCV-19S demonstrated a stable unidimensional structure with robust psychometric properties (strong internal consistency, good convergent and divergent validity, and good test-retest validity). With its robust psychometric properties in assessing the unidimensional construct of the fear of COVID-19, this scale will help to provide a better understanding of the relationship between emotions and psychological or psychiatric disorders during the pandemics in French-speaking countries.

Pediatric postoperative cerebellar cognitive affective syndrome follows outflow pathway lesions

ObjectiveTo evaluate lesion location after pediatric cerebellar tumor resection in relation to the development of severe cognitive and affective disturbances, or cerebellar cognitive affective syndrome (CCAS).MethodsThe postsurgical lesion location of 195 pediatric patients with cerebellar tumors was mapped onto a template brain. Individuals with CCAS were matched to 2 participants without CCAS by sex, age, and lesion volume. Lesion analyses included both a hypothesis-driven evaluation of the cerebellar outflow pathway (deep nuclei and superior cerebellar peduncles) and data-driven multivariate lesion symptom mapping. Lesion-associated networks were evaluated by comparing connectivity patterns between the lesion location of cases with and those without CCAS with resting-state functional connectivity MRI data from large normative adult and pediatric cohorts.ResultsCCAS was present in 48 of 195 participants (24.6%) and was strongly associated with cerebellar outflow tract lesions (p < 0.0001). Lesion symptom mapping also highlighted the cerebellar outflow pathway, with peak findings in the fastigial nuclei extending into the inferior vermis. Lesion network mapping revealed that the cerebellar region most associated with CCAS was functionally connected to the thalamic mediodorsal nucleus, among other sites, and that higher connectivity between lesion location and the mediodorsal nucleus predicts CCAS occurrence (p < 0.01). A secondary analysis of 27 participants with mutism revealed similar localization of lesions and lesion-associated networks.ConclusionLesions of the cerebellar outflow pathway and inferior vermis are associated with major cognitive and affective disturbances after pediatric cerebellar tumor resection, and disrupted communication between the cerebellum and the thalamic mediodorsal nucleus may be important.

On Neuropsychiatric Manifestations of Basal Ganglia Injury: A Report of Three Cases and Literature Review

The basal ganglia have been considered to primarily play a role in motor processing. A growing body of theoretical and clinical evidence shows that in addition to the motor functions the basal ganglia play a key role in perceptual and visual disturbances. This role may be evident in patients with basal ganglia pathology and subsequent manifestation of symptoms that include cognitive, perceptual, and affective disturbances. We present three cases with basal ganglia pathology that demonstrate affective and psychotic symptoms. Two of the cases presented with late onset psychotic disturbances suggesting likely neurological etiologies. The third case presented with treatment refractory psychosis and symptoms that are rare for a diagnosis of schizophrenia. The role of incidental bilateral basal ganglia calcifications in all the cases is discussed. A review of current literature highlighting various neuropsychiatric manifestations of basal ganglia pathologies in various patients with psychiatric symptoms is presented.