Neurotoxic Amyloidogenic Peptides Identified in the Proteome of SARS-COV2: Potential Implications for Neurological Symptoms in COVID-19

COVID-19 is primarily known as a respiratory disease caused by the virus SARS-CoV-2. However, neurological symptoms such as memory loss, sensory confusion, cognitive and psychiatric issues, severe headaches, and even stroke are reported in as many as 30% of cases and can persist even after the infection is over (so-called 'long COVID'). These neurological symptoms are thought to be caused by brain inflammation, triggered by the virus infecting the central nervous system of COVID-19 patients, however we still don't fully understand the mechanisms for these symptoms. The neurological effects of COVID-19 share many similarities to neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's in which the presence of cytotoxic protein-based amyloid aggregates is a common etiological feature. Following the hypothesis that some neurological symptoms of COVID-19 may also follow an amyloid etiology we performed a bioinformatic scan of the SARS-CoV-2 proteome, detecting peptide fragments that were predicted to be highly amyloidogenic. We selected two of these peptides and discovered that they do rapidly self-assemble into amyloid. Furthermore, these amyloid assemblies were shown to be highly toxic to a neuronal cell line. We introduce and support the idea that cytotoxic amyloid aggregates of SARS-CoV-2 proteins are causing some of the neurological symptoms commonly found in COVID-19 and contributing to long COVID, especially those symptoms which are novel to long COVID in contrast to other post-viral syndromes.

Sleep disturbance, psychiatric issues, and employment status of Iranian people living with HIV

Objectives There are limited studies on the psychological issues and sleep problems among the Iranian people living with HIV (HIV). In this study, we aimed to assess sleep disorders, psychiatric characteristics, and employment status among Iranian PLWH. Results In total, 304 PLWH with a mean age of 40.01 (SD = 9.60) years participated in the study. About 72% of the participants had a global PSQI score of more than 5, with a mean score of 7.71 (SD = 3.31). About 55.6%, 50%, and 67.4% of subjects had abnormal scores for depression, anxiety, and stress. Unemployed participants had 2.13 times more chance (95% CI 1.01–4.53) of having poor sleep quality compared to employed patients, and stress increased its likelihood by 3.18 times (95% CI 1.47–5.88).

“When the first session may be the last!”: A case report of the implementation of “rapid tele-psychotherapy” with single-session music therapy in the COVID-19 outbreak

Objective Conventional psychotherapy with a lengthy and regular number of meetings is no longer relevant in the case of COVID-19, when persons with psychiatric problems, especially COVID-19 patients/clients, really require immediate psychological assistance. It is recognized as a “rapid test” in the field of body health to rapidly decide whether or not a person is affected by COVID-19. So, we should now be able to use the term “rapid tele-psychotherapy” with Single-Session Music Therapy (SSMT) in the field of mental health to characterize the mechanism of assistance provided to persons who seek therapeutic assistance virtually during this COVID-19 outbreak, so that they will easily and reliably be freed from troubling psychiatric issues. Method The author reports the case of a 33-year-old widow with asymptomatic COVID-19 who was admitted to her own home. Results The author describes the effectiveness of the implementation of rapid tele-psychotherapy with SSMT in reducing the scale of anxiety, panic, fear, depression, acute stress, insomnia, and delusions of death. Significance of results This case can provide new inputs or ideas for counselors/psychologists/psychiatrists/therapists who work in hospitals/institutions to provide rapid tele-psychotherapy with SSMT as therapeutic assistance for individuals who need psychotherapy in this COVID-19 outbreak, especially for COVID-19 patients/clients. Besides that, this concept is not only suitable for rapidly screening individuals that may face psychological problems and helping them better seek therapeutic assistance, but can also be used as an adjuvant therapy for psychiatric patients.

Depression Due to Polycystic Ovary Syndrome in Adolescents

Introduction: Polycystic ovary syndrome(PCOS) is a common endocrinal disorder of reproductive age, that cause enlarged ovaries with small cyst on the outer edges with infrequent or prolonged menstrual cycles, excess hair growth, acne and obesity, which is nowadays prevailing among females at adolescent stage. About 5-10% of women among the general population of in the world are affected by PCOS. There is an increase in the prevalence of PCOS among the women and young girls of reproductive age, where they experience depression because of PCOS particularly. The exact cause of PCOS is unknown. The early diagnosis and treatment along with weight loss may reduce the long term complications of PCOS. It is not only a problem associated with reproduction, but also has associated vital metabolic and psychological health risks. Aim: Depression Due to Polycystic Ovary Syndrome in Adolescents Conclusion: In comparison to safe controls, adolescents with PCOS had lower self-esteem, more anxiety, and more depressive symptoms. Future research is required to look into the psychiatric issues that affect adolescents with PCOS.

Sleep Disturbance, Psychiatric Issues, and Employment Status of Iranian People Living with HIV

Objectives. Psychiatric problems and sleep disturbance among people living with HIV (PLWH) are associated with response to treatment, prognosis, and high-risk behaviors. We aimed to assess sleep disorders, psychiatric characteristics, and employment status among Iranian PLWH. Results. In total, 304 patients with a mean age of 40.01 (SD=9.60) years participated in the study. About 72% of the participants had a global PSQI score of more than 5, with a mean of 7.71 (SD=3.31). About 55.6%, 50%, and 67.4% of patients had abnormal scores for depression, anxiety, and stress. Unemployed patients had 2.13 times more chance (95% CI: 1.01-4.53) of having poor sleep quality compared to employed patients, and stress increased its likelihood by 3.18 times (95% C: 1.47-5.88).