Psychiatry Research[JOURNAL]
Sun
200 papers
The differential effects of stigma on mental health service use by age groups: A comparison study based on Korean nationwide survey 2011 and 2021.
Kang B, Hahm BJ, Seong SJ … +11 more , Seo HY, Kim BS, Chang SM, Hong JP, Kim HJ, Park D, Lee H, Kwak JH, Ryu H, Kim J, Park JE
Psychiatry Res · 2026 Sep · PMID 42155352 · Publisher ↗
PURPOSE: Although the prevalence of mental disorders in Korea is comparable to that in other countries, mental health service use remains markedly low. This study aimed to identify barriers to service use by assessing th...
PURPOSE: Although the prevalence of mental disorders in Korea is comparable to that in other countries, mental health service use remains markedly low. This study aimed to identify barriers to service use by assessing the effect of stigma across age groups using data from two surveys conducted 10 years apart. METHODS: This study used data from the Korean Epidemiologic Catchment Area study 2011 (n = 6022) and the National Mental Health Survey of Korea 2021 (n = 5511). Stigma was assessed using the Perceived Devaluation-Discrimination scale. Participants were categorized into three age groups: 18-39, 40-59, and ≥60 years. Multivariable regression analyses were performed to examine the effects of stigma on service use adjusting for sociodemographic covariates. Interaction terms and stratified analyses were used to evaluate age-specific association across the study years. RESULTS: Stigma was higher among older individuals, and it increased across all age groups from 2011 to 2021. During this period, mental health service use declined overall, except among younger adults. The effect of stigma differed significantly by age group. Higher stigma was associated with reduced service use among middle-aged and older adults in 2011, whereas this association persisted only among middle-aged adults in 2021. No significant association was observed among younger adults in either survey year. CONCLUSION: The adverse effect of stigma was dominant in middle-aged adults, reflecting their active social roles, whereas older adults were more likely to be affected by socioeconomic factors. Age-specific interventions are necessary to promote mental health service use.
Theta burst stimulation for suicidal ideation in depression: A systematic review and meta-analysis of efficacy and protocol moderators.
Xia X, Feng X, Huang C … +3 more , Chen Z, Lei W, Yue Y
Psychiatry Res · 2026 Sep · PMID 42155351 · Publisher ↗
BACKGROUND: Suicidal ideation (SI) is common in major depressive disorder (MDD) and strongly associated with suicide risk. Current treatments often fail to provide rapid and sustained relief. This meta-analysis evaluated...
BACKGROUND: Suicidal ideation (SI) is common in major depressive disorder (MDD) and strongly associated with suicide risk. Current treatments often fail to provide rapid and sustained relief. This meta-analysis evaluated the effects of theta burst stimulation (TBS) on SI and depressive symptoms. METHODS: Six databases were systematically searched through March 2026 for randomized controlled trials evaluating TBS for SI in depression. Random-effects models were used to calculate pooled standardized mean differences (SMDs). Subgroup, meta-regression, and correlation analyses were conducted. RESULTS: Eighteen studies were included, with 14 entering quantitative synthesis. TBS significantly reduced SI (SMD = -0.48, p < 0.001) and depressive symptoms (SMD = -0.66, p < 0.001). TBS was superior to sham and comparable, but not superior, to standard rTMS. Baseline depression severity significantly moderated anti-suicidal effects (β = -2.777, p = 0.007), although findings were sensitive to high-leverage studies. Improvements in SI and depressive symptoms were moderately correlated but not statistically significant (R = 0.57, p = 0.112). No serious adverse events were reported. CONCLUSIONS: TBS may be an effective and time-efficient intervention for depression with SI. Given its shorter treatment duration, TBS may be particularly useful in settings requiring rapid SI relief. Improvements in SI and depressive symptoms may be partly independent, supporting separate assessment and treatment of SI. Future studies should prioritize SI as a primary outcome and investigate optimal stimulation timing parameters.
Classification of autism spectrum disorder using a directional graph attention network on brain effective connectivity.
Huang Y, Huang F, Wang Y … +7 more , Chang X, Guo S, Chen Y, Wang M, Liu K, Liu X, Fang X
Psychiatry Res Neuroimaging · 2026 Sep · PMID 42155186 · Publisher ↗
Recent research into the neural mechanisms underlying autism spectrum increasingly relies on brain network analysis; however, conventional models remain limited in their ability to capture directed causal interactions be...
Recent research into the neural mechanisms underlying autism spectrum increasingly relies on brain network analysis; however, conventional models remain limited in their ability to capture directed causal interactions between brain regions. To address this limitation, we propose a directional graph attention network (DGAT) as a proof-of-concept framework for autism classification using directed effective connectivity. DGAT takes Granger causality matrices as input and employs a dual-branch attention architecture to model incoming and outgoing information flows separately, then adaptively fuses the resulting bidirectional embeddings through learnable weights to more explicitly characterize driver-response relationships between regions. In addition, the model incorporates multiscale node descriptors, including temporal statistics, graph-theoretic centrality measures, and global graph metrics, to enhance representational capacity. Under nested cross-validation, DGAT achieved competitive performance on key metrics (accuracy: 71.99%, AUC: 75.15%, specificity: 73.07%) and produced more favorable results than support vector machines, random forests, graph convolutional networks, and GAT based on undirected functional connectivity. These findings suggest that DGAT may serve as a promising exploratory framework and offer a novel perspective for disease classification based on directed brain networks.
Prevalence of anxiety and depression among Chinese medical students over the past decade: A systematic review and meta-analysis.
Wang J, Shu H, Zhou Z … +2 more , Li H, Wei X
Psychiatry Res · 2026 Sep · PMID 42142498 · Publisher ↗
BACKGROUND: Depression and anxiety are prevalent mental health conditions among Chinese medical students, profoundly affecting their daily lives and academic performance. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to review and analysi...
BACKGROUND: Depression and anxiety are prevalent mental health conditions among Chinese medical students, profoundly affecting their daily lives and academic performance. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to review and analysis the prevalence of depression and/or anxiety among Chinese medical students over the past decade. METHOD: Cross-sectional studies on the prevalence of depression and/or anxiety among medical students in China were retrieved from PubMed, Embase, the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, CNKI, and Wanfang database over the past decade (from 2015 to 2024). An 11-item checklist recommended by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality was used to evaluate the quality of the included studies. Software Stata 16.0 and RevMan 5.3 were used to analyze the data. RESULT: Over the past decade, the pooled prevalence of anxiety and depression among Chinese medical students was 25.36% and 31.75%. The prevalence of depression is correlated with gender, race, residence, grades, exercise frequency and family relationship. The prevalence of anxiety is related with gender and grades. Region, assessment tool, research quality, grades, sample size, gender and residence were notable heterogeneous sources of depression. Region, assessment tool, grade, and sample size were significant heterogeneous sources of anxiety. CONCLUSION: It is recommended to conduct regular screening and appropriate intervention for depression and anxiety problems among Chinese medical students. REGISTRATION: PROSPERO, CRD420250651768.
Examining the prognostic utility of symptom etiology groupings on the VA's comprehensive traumatic brain injury evaluation.
Ozturk ED, Chanfreau-Coffinier C, VA Million Veteran Program … +1 more , Merritt VC
Psychiatry Res · 2026 Sep · PMID 42142497 · Publisher ↗
Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a prevalent condition among military service members and Veterans. As such, the Veterans Health Administration established the TBI Screening and Evaluation Program to identify and assess s...
Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a prevalent condition among military service members and Veterans. As such, the Veterans Health Administration established the TBI Screening and Evaluation Program to identify and assess suspected deployment-related TBI's among post-9/11 Veterans. Veterans who screen positive on an initial four-item TBI Screen are referred for a Comprehensive Traumatic Brain Injury Evaluation (CTBIE), a structured clinical interview used to confirm TBI diagnosis and evaluate the likely etiology of current symptoms. This study examined whether clinician-rated symptom etiology classifications on the CTBIE (i.e., Symptom Resolution, TBI, Behavioral Health, Comorbid [TBI + Behavioral Health], or Other) predict clinical and functional outcomes assessed ∼3 years later among Veterans with a history of suspected deployment-related TBI. Clinical and functional outcomes included posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms, depression/anxiety symptoms, subjective cognitive functioning, sleep, and employment. Participants (N=1,213) had a suspected TBI per the CTBIE, enrolled in the VA Million Veteran Program (MVP), and completed MVP surveys. Adjusted regression analyses demonstrated that symptom etiology group classification was significantly associated with most clinical and functional outcomes. Follow-up analyses elucidated how symptom etiology groups differed from one another across outcomes, with the Comorbid and Behavioral Health groups consistently experiencing the poorest outcomes. Findings demonstrate that clinician-rated symptom etiology groupings from the CTBIE provide meaningful insight into chronic symptoms and functional status of Veterans with suspected deployment-related TBI. These results support the clinical utility of the CTBIE's symptom etiology classification as a prognostic indicator to inform individualized care and targeted interventions for Veterans navigating long-term recovery.
Comment on "Effects of video game intervention on attention deficit in children with ADHD: A systematic review and meta-analysis".
Zhang H, Du Z
Psychiatry Res · 2026 Sep · PMID 42142496 · Publisher ↗
Abstract loading — click title to view on PubMed.
Longitudinal associations between depressive symptoms and exposure to intimate partner sexual violence in men: findings from a nationally representative sample.
Pilkington V, Bendall S, Tillman G … +4 more , Wilson MJ, Chhabra J, Rice S, Seidler Z
Psychiatry Res · 2026 Sep · PMID 42142495 · Publisher ↗
BACKGROUND: Research on sexual violence exposure in men has primarily focused on child sexual abuse, with considerably less attention paid to adult experiences, including sexual violence occurring within intimate relatio...
BACKGROUND: Research on sexual violence exposure in men has primarily focused on child sexual abuse, with considerably less attention paid to adult experiences, including sexual violence occurring within intimate relationships. This study examines associations between men's exposure to intimate partner sexual violence (IPSV) and depressive symptoms. METHOD: Data were drawn from Ten to Men, Australia's largest longitudinal study of men's health (n = 16,021 at wave one). Data were collected across four waves between 2013-14 and 2022. Men aged ≥18 years at wave one completed the IPSV item and were included in the analysis (n = 13,328). The study examined whether exposure to IPSV was associated with moderate-to-severe depressive (PHQ-9) symptoms across waves. Population-averaged associations were estimated using logistic regression with generalised estimating equations. Potential moderators were assessed, including demographic characteristics, substance misuse, social support, help-seeking, and sexual functioning. RESULTS: The prevalence of reported IPSV was 2.5% (n = 337). Men exposed to IPSV had 68% higher odds of moderate-to-severe depressive symptoms across the study period, relative to unexposed men (OR=1.68, 95% CI: 1.35- 2.09, p<. 001). No assessed moderators reached significance, suggesting the association between IPSV and depressive symptoms was consistent across demographic and psychosocial profiles. IMPLICATIONS: These findings highlight the importance of recognising IPSV as a significant mental health concern among men, who may represent an under-identified group in clinical settings. Findings emphasise a need for greater investment in research and services targeting violence-exposed men, ensuring accessible, gender- and trauma-informed care.
Ketamine and esketamine for the prevention of postpartum depression: A systematic review and network meta-analysis, with an integrated evidence synthesis.
Lunsky I, Gutierrez G, Wang X … +8 more , Zhuang A, Zhang Y, Vazquez G, Bhat V, Archer S, Khullar A, Chrenek C, Swainson J
Psychiatry Res · 2026 Sep · PMID 42142494 · Publisher ↗
INTRODUCTION: Postpartum Depression (PPD) is a common condition with serious consequences for both mother and baby if left untreated. Currently, few effective strategies exist for prevention of PPD. Ketamine and Esketami...
INTRODUCTION: Postpartum Depression (PPD) is a common condition with serious consequences for both mother and baby if left untreated. Currently, few effective strategies exist for prevention of PPD. Ketamine and Esketamine are rapid acting and potent antidepressants, and emerging evidence is showing promising results for PPD. METHODS: This review searched the MEDLINE, CINAHL, PsycINFO, EMBASE, and Cochrane databases, including peer-reviewed randomized controlled trials (RCT), pilot studies, and observational studies. The articles studied the effects of ketamine or esketamine interventions on PPD prevention, when administered during pregnancy or postpartum for both c-section and vaginal deliveries. A network meta-analysis (for RCTs) and narrative synthesis (for other study designs) approach was used to analyze the effects of these treatments. Qualitative analysis employed the Cochrane risk of bias tool and the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE). RESULTS: Thirty-six studies were identified, five included vaginal delivery, thirty included c-section, and one study did not specify delivery mode. The results of the network meta-analysis and the narrative synthesis suggested that ketamine and esketamine treatment were well tolerated, and may be associated with a reduced risk of developing PPD. However, it is worth highlighting that the quality of the data was low to very low, as such these results should be interpreted with caution. CONCLUSIONS: This review suggested that ketamine and esketamine treatment may lower PPD risk. Nevertheless, the poor quality and scarcity of the data, and the limitations presented by current psychiatric practice guidelines, highlight the need for more high-quality, adequately powered studies.
Psychotic vulnerability in pediatric OCD: associations with neurocognitive functioning.
Guney O, Guney AY, Yildirim S … +8 more , Akbas IH, Kinay Ermis D, Kasar N, Gultekin Tas Z, Tuncturk M, Turan S, Ermis C, Karacetin G
Psychiatry Res · 2026 Sep · PMID 42139967 · Publisher ↗
Although psychotic vulnerability features may accompany obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) in children and adolescents, the neurocognitive characteristics of this clinical presentation remain insufficiently understood....
Although psychotic vulnerability features may accompany obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) in children and adolescents, the neurocognitive characteristics of this clinical presentation remain insufficiently understood. This study examined whether psychotic vulnerability is associated with neurocognitive functioning in pediatric OCD. The sample comprised 112 children and adolescents with DSM-5 OCD and 30 healthy controls. Based on positive symptom ratings on the Structured Interview for Psychosis-Risk Syndromes, the OCD group was divided into a subgroup with psychotic vulnerability (Psy+; n = 52) and a subgroup without psychotic vulnerability (Psy-; n = 60). Participants were assessed using standardized measures of psychopathology, neurocognition, global functioning, and premorbid adjustment. Group differences were examined using ANOVA, and multiple linear regression analyses were conducted to evaluate associations between symptom dimensions and neurocognitive outcomes. Compared with Psy- cases, Psy+ cases showed poorer global functioning, worse premorbid adjustment, and greater psychosis-spectrum symptom burden. In categorical analyses, both OCD subgroups performed worse than healthy controls on verbal learning and memory measures, with the lowest performance observed in the Psy+ group. Differences between Psy+ and Psy- cases were also most evident in verbal learning and memory. In dimensional analyses, OCD symptom severity was not significantly associated with neurocognitive outcomes, whereas negative symptoms were associated with poorer neurocognitive performance. These findings suggest that psychotic vulnerability may represent a clinically meaningful feature in pediatric OCD, associated with poorer functioning and selective neurocognitive differences.
The impacts of trauma and stress on orexin expression and signalling: A systematic review.
Xiao K, Sayed H, Xing J … +5 more , Zhang XY, Ai J, Dri CE, Bruggen FV, McIntyre RS
Psychiatry Res · 2026 Sep · PMID 42134275 · Publisher ↗
BACKGROUND: Orexins are excitatory hypothalamic neuropeptides which modulate various stress-related physiological functions. This systematic review aims to evaluate the current literature on the impacts of trauma and str...
BACKGROUND: Orexins are excitatory hypothalamic neuropeptides which modulate various stress-related physiological functions. This systematic review aims to evaluate the current literature on the impacts of trauma and stress on orexin expression and signalling. METHODS: A systematic review of primary research was conducted using Embase, PsycInfo, MEDLINE, and PubMed databases from inception to December 2025, following PRISMA criteria. Our search strings included keywords related to trauma, stress, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and orexins. Both preclinical and clinical studies evaluating the impacts of trauma and stress on orexin expression and signalling were included. RESULTS: In preclinical studies (n = 6), acute stress is associated with increased orexin neuronal activation and concentration (1.55-fold increase, p< 0.05), as well as increased orexin receptor expression in the posterior hypothalamus (1.3-fold increase, p<0.01). Chronic stress and PTSD is associated with increased orexin receptor responsivity (t = 3.51, p= 0.011). Childhood trauma is associated with decreased orexin receptor 1 (OX₁ receptor) expression in the hypothalamus (p< 0.05) and amygdala (2-fold decrease, p<0.05). In a clinical study, childhood trauma was associated with increased plasma orexin-B concentration and Major Depressive Disorder (p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Acute trauma exposure and stress are associated with increased orexin expression, and chronic trauma exposure and PTSD are associated with increased receptor responsivity and decreased receptor expression. The research strategic priority is to replicate these findings in clinical samples not taking medication, and examine differences by age, sex, and type and length of trauma exposure.
Perceived treatment assignment influences the effects of transcranial direct current stimulation on anxiety during an internet-based psychosocial stressor.
Hyde J, Huneke NTM, Baldwin DS … +1 more , Garner M
Psychiatry Res · 2026 Aug · PMID 42127498 · Publisher ↗
Social anxiety disorder is the most prevalent anxiety disorder. Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) is a non-invasive brain stimulation technique that represents a promising tool for modulating anxiety-related...
Social anxiety disorder is the most prevalent anxiety disorder. Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) is a non-invasive brain stimulation technique that represents a promising tool for modulating anxiety-related cortical activity. Psychosocial stressors, such as the InterneT-based Stress test for Social Anxiety Disorder (ITSSAD), are useful tools for controlled induction of acute social anxiety symptoms. We tested whether tDCS might reduce anxiety induced by the ITSSAD. This was a randomized, sham-controlled, double-blinded study. Ninety-six university students were randomized to receive 20 min of active or sham 2 mA tDCS over the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC) in a unilateral (anodal left dlPFC only) or bilateral (anodal left and cathodal right dlPFC) montage. Participants then underwent a challenging social interaction with an experimenter over videoconferencing software (ITSSAD). Subjective anxiety and mood, and autonomic nervous system activity measures were taken. Perceived treatment assignment was measured after the interaction. The ITSSAD increased subjective anxiety and negative mood, as reported previously. No differential effects of active versus sham tDCS were found on any of the subjective or autonomic measures. Significant effects of perceived treatment were found on subjective anxiety, such that participants who believed they had received active stimulation reported smaller increases following the ITSSAD. The findings of this study do not provide support for the effectiveness of tDCS for anxiety symptoms in response to an acute psychosocial stressor but instead suggest that perceived treatment plays an important role in observed outcomes. This study highlights the importance of measuring treatment expectations and blinding integrity in tDCS trials.
Is it time for AI to take a leading role in mass trauma mental health response?
Brenner GH, Koyfman S, Mehendale R
Psychiatry Res · 2026 Aug · PMID 42119256 · Publisher ↗
Machine learning (ML) and artificial intelligence (AI) offer opportunity and risk in mass trauma response, disasters and crisis. This narrative review synthesizes material from our "AI to the Rescue" panel at the inaugur...
Machine learning (ML) and artificial intelligence (AI) offer opportunity and risk in mass trauma response, disasters and crisis. This narrative review synthesizes material from our "AI to the Rescue" panel at the inaugural PreAct Mass Trauma conference in June 2025, integrating relevant literature and the authors' expertise. We examine AI approaches beyond large language models (LLMs), including traditional ML and multimodal systems, while grounding the concept of "AI-made disasters" as a necessary third disaster type alongside Human-made and Natural, supported by emerging evidence of AI-caused psychiatric harm. We present the AI Safety Levels for Mental Health (ASL-MH) framework with six levels - from supportive applications, to autonomous packages, to experimental, high-risk systems - positioned as a practical heuristic for graduated risk governance given the nascent regulatory landscape and the demonstrated fragility of voluntary industry safety commitments. Using the Model for Adaptive Response to Complex Cyclical Disasters (MARCCD) framework, we organize AI applications across four phases: Anticipation, Impact, Adaptation, and Growth & Recovery, with attention to core disaster mental health sequelae and the challenge of differentiating normative distress from psychopathology. Recommendations address research/evidence, governance/regulation, training/literacy, and equity/access. Given our presentation involved live demos of AI applications, we have distilled key elements into this review which cannot be directly shown.
Spoken language biomarkers in Turkish-speaking schizophrenia patients: Evidence from linguistic analysis and word embeddings.
Bozdağ MÇ, Kumcu A, Şenel LK … +5 more , Temizkan HN, Özil Ö, Arslanyürek İ, Ertekin PN, Candansayar S
Psychiatry Res · 2026 Aug · PMID 42119255 · Publisher ↗
BACKGROUND AND HYPOTHESIS: Schizophrenia (SZ) disrupts language in ways that may be universal across languages. This study investigated whether linguistic anomalies previously observed in SZ also occur in Turkish, a morp...
BACKGROUND AND HYPOTHESIS: Schizophrenia (SZ) disrupts language in ways that may be universal across languages. This study investigated whether linguistic anomalies previously observed in SZ also occur in Turkish, a morphologically rich and agglutinative language. We hypothesised that SZ patients would differ from healthy controls (HCs) across multiple linguistic domains, including features typically sensitive to cross-linguistic variation. METHODS: Speech characteristics of 50 native Turkish-speaking SZ patients were compared with 50 HCs matched for age, sex, length of education, and handedness. Speech data were collected in 15-minute interviews. The interview recordings were transcribed and analysed for various lexical, syntactic, and phonological measures using CLAN, and compared for discourse measures using fastText word embedding models. RESULTS: The number of words produced per minute, mean length of utterance, average word frequency, the number of filled pauses, discourse coherence, and question-response similarity were lower in the patient group than in the control group. The content word-function word ratio, sentence prediction loss, type-token ratio, number of silent pauses, and silent pauses-to-total speech ratio were higher in the patient group than in the control group. Specific clinical and sociodemographic variables were identified as predictors of speech abnormalities in patients. CONCLUSION: The hypothesis was confirmed. Turkish-speaking SZ patients displayed speech patterns similar to those reported in other language groups, including language-sensitive variables. This supports the idea of universal linguistic disruptions in SZ. The findings are particularly valuable given the scarcity of research on Turkish, a low-resource and typologically distinct language.
Reconsidering triple network dysconnectivity in trauma-related psychosis: Methodological reflections and future directions.
Baharuddin B, Handayani L, Akl MM
Psychiatry Res Neuroimaging · 2026 Sep · PMID 42116242 · Publisher ↗
Abstract loading — click title to view on PubMed.
Effects of fronto-occipital transcranial alternating current stimulation for treating schizophrenia with prominent negative symptoms: A double-blind, randomized, sham-controlled trial.
Wu G, Shen M, Lin Y … +11 more , Chen H, Qian Z, Zhang J, Guo Q, Hu H, Jiao X, Liu X, Wang Z, Hu Q, Wang J, Tang Y
Psychiatry Res · 2026 Aug · PMID 42114330 · Publisher ↗
BACKGROUND: Developing novel technologies to effectively alleviate negative symptoms of schizophrenia remains challenging. While non-invasive brain stimulation targeting the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) has sho...
BACKGROUND: Developing novel technologies to effectively alleviate negative symptoms of schizophrenia remains challenging. While non-invasive brain stimulation targeting the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) has shown potential, its outcomes have been inconsistent. Transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS), which modulates specific frequency synchronization across long-range brain networks, offers new insights into optimizing the therapeutic efficacy for negative symptoms. OBJECTIVE: To examine the efficacy and safety of a 7 Hz, right DLPFC-occipital tACS protocol for negative symptoms. METHODS: Sixty schizophrenia patients with prominent negative symptoms were randomized to receive 10 sessions of active or sham tACS. The primary outcome was reduction rate of Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) negative subscale. Secondary outcomes included changes in Scale for the Assessment of Negative Symptoms (SANS) scores and other PANSS scores. General linear mixed model analysis of covariance was used for an intent-to-treat sample. RESULTS: No significant interaction between group and time of assessment was found for the PANSS negative subscale (F = 0.614, p = 0.543). Only SANS Anhedonia-Asociality showed a significant interaction between group and time (F = 4.596, p = 0.012), whereas all other secondary outcomes showed no significant interaction. In the active tACS group, significant interactions between time and illness duration were observed for SANS Affective Flattening scores (F = 3.689, p = 0.020) and PANSS negative subscale (F = 3.868, p = 0.024). CONCLUSION: The application of 7 Hz, fronto-occipital tACS did not yield significant immediate or short-term effects in alleviating negative symptoms, suggesting that stimulation parameters require further optimization.
The relationship between loneliness and childhood traumatic experiences among patients with late-life depression.
Wang AY, Chi DC, Chen WY … +3 more , Huang CY, Chiu CC, Stewart R
Psychiatry Res · 2026 Aug · PMID 42107417 · Publisher ↗
OBJECTIVE: The aims of this study are to investigate the relationship between loneliness and childhood traumatic experiences among patients with late-life depression (LLD) and to examine which subtypes of childhood traum...
OBJECTIVE: The aims of this study are to investigate the relationship between loneliness and childhood traumatic experiences among patients with late-life depression (LLD) and to examine which subtypes of childhood trauma are more specifically associated with loneliness. We also explored whether family support modifies the association of interest. METHODS: This cross-sectional study was conducted in older adults aged 60 years or more with LLD but not in the acute stage. Questionnaires including Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ), Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS), loneliness scale (UCLA version 3), and the Chinese version of the family adaptation, partnership, growth, affection, and resolve (APGAR-C) were administered. RESULTS: The 51 enrolled participants had a mean age of 68.7±6.2 years and a mean education of 10.5±4.0 years; 82.4% were female. After adjusting for potential confounders, loneliness score was positively associated with CTQ (ß = 0.45, p = 0.004). Among CTQ subtypes, emotional abuse (ß = 0.28, p = 0.033) and emotional neglect (ß = 0.32, p = 0.047) were significantly associated with loneliness whereas physical neglect, physical abuse, and sexual abuse were not. Perceived family support did not significantly moderate the association of interest; however, this null finding should be interpreted cautiously given the small sample size, cross-sectional design, and the narrow family-centered assessment of social support. CONCLUSION: Childhood emotional abuse and neglect are significantly associated with loneliness in patients with LLD. Clinical management of LLD should include assessments of early-life trauma to better tailor interventions aimed at reducing social isolation and loneliness in this vulnerable population.
Altered EEG microstate dynamics as a neurophysiological biomarker for diagnostic differentiation in Schizophrenia.
Yeh TC, Fang HW, Chang WC … +3 more , Sack AT, Chang CC, Chang HA
Psychiatry Res Neuroimaging · 2026 Sep · PMID 42107141 · Publisher ↗
BACKGROUND: To examine spatiotemporal modifications in electroencephalogram (EEG) microstates among individuals diagnosed with schizophrenia utilizing a five-class model, and to evaluate the potential of microstate param...
BACKGROUND: To examine spatiotemporal modifications in electroencephalogram (EEG) microstates among individuals diagnosed with schizophrenia utilizing a five-class model, and to evaluate the potential of microstate parameters as diagnostic biomarkers. METHODS: Resting-state EEG data were collected from 122 patients with schizophrenia and 72 age- and sex-matched healthy controls. EEG recordings were preprocessed and analyzed using a standardized pipeline, applying a five-class microstate framework (A-E). Temporal parameters, transition probabilities, and spatial topographies were quantified. Group comparisons were conducted, and the diagnostic utility of microstate features was evaluated using receiver operating characteristic analysis. The study also investigated the correlations between various microstate metrics and the severity of symptoms, as measured by Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) scores. RESULTS: Significant differences were observed across all five microstate classes between the groups. Patients with schizophrenia showed shorter durations and increased occurrences of all microstates, altered transition patterns, and altered topographic distributions. Notably, reduced duration of microstate A, associated with auditory and linguistic processing, demonstrated the strongest discriminatory power, with an AUC of 0.93, sensitivity of 93.1 %, and specificity of 83.6 %. Despite allowing for group discrimination, microstate metrics were not significantly correlated with symptom severity as measured by the PANSS within the group of patients with schizophrenia. CONCLUSIONS: This study presents robust evidence of disrupted EEG microstate dynamics in patients with schizophrenia. The reduced duration of microstate A may serve as a potential neurophysiological biomarker, independent of symptom severity, for diagnostic differentiation purposes.
Examining adverse effects in a large clinical trial of rTMS application as a treatment for Alzheimer's disease.
Uehara MA, Bretecher CA, Teschuk JM … +6 more , Verot A, Saha C, Fitzgerald PB, Koski L, Millikin C, Moussavi Z
Psychiatry Res · 2026 Aug · PMID 42105452 · Publisher ↗
BACKGROUND: Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) has several advantages compared to other interventions for neurological and psychological disorders. However, various adverse effects have been reported in...
BACKGROUND: Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) has several advantages compared to other interventions for neurological and psychological disorders. However, various adverse effects have been reported in rTMS research, and little is known about who is most susceptible to rTMS adverse effects, or how they can be minimized. AIMS: We aimed to identify risk factors for adverse effects reported in a recent clinical trial examining rTMS as a treatment for Alzheimer's disease (AD). We hypothesized that higher stimulation intensity would be associated with experiencing unspecified pain/discomfort, dental pain, headache, jaw pain, and muscle contractions, but not be associated with other adverse effects. METHODS: Using detailed notes from treatment sessions, 10 adverse effects were identified. Spearman correlations were conducted to assess relationships between the highest applied stimulation intensity and normalized frequency of each adverse effect amongst those who experienced that adverse effect. Demographic information, cognitive scores, and withdrawal status were compared between the binarized groups of participants who experienced adverse effects versus those who did not. Spearman correlations were also conducted on the binarized adverse effects and the highest applied stimulation intensity. Logistic regressions were conducted to identify potential risk factors. RESULTS: In both the sham and active treatment groups, unspecified pain/discomfort was the most common adverse effect, followed by muscle contractions and dizziness. In both the active and sham treatment groups, stimulation intensity was positively associated with muscle contractions, but was not significantly related to any other adverse effect. In evaluating groups with/without adverse effects, we found there was a significantly higher proportion of males reporting adverse effects in both the active treatment group and the sham treatment group compared to females. CONCLUSION: The findings of this study are a step toward understanding how researchers can minimize such adverse effects, and thereby, create a less aversive experience for rTMS participants.
Hardwired for suspicion. Network-level markers of paranoid personality traits revealed by multimodal machine-learning.
Grecucci A, Pizzocaro L, Manente L … +7 more , Rizzi R, Taskiran E, Messina I, Bruno F, Draghetti S, Stella M, Yi X
Psychiatry Res Neuroimaging · 2026 Sep · PMID 42105422 · Publisher ↗
BACKGROUND: Current neuroimaging research on paranoid traits remains limited. Existing studies have largely relied on small samples, focused on categorical diagnoses or transient paranoid states, and examined either stru...
BACKGROUND: Current neuroimaging research on paranoid traits remains limited. Existing studies have largely relied on small samples, focused on categorical diagnoses or transient paranoid states, and examined either structural or functional measures in isolation. Crucially, the joint contribution of brain structure and intrinsic functional activity to paranoid personality traits (PPT) in the general population and their relationship with other psychological traits, remains unknown OBJECTIVES: The present study aimed to identify network-level neural markers of paranoid personality traits in a large sample by integrating gray matter morphology and resting-state brain activity, to test the hypothesis that networks associated with social and affective dysfunctions, predict PTT METHODS: We applied an unsupervised multimodal data-fusion approach (parallel ICA) to gray matter concentration and fractional ALFF in 197 healthy individuals. Paranoid personality traits were assessed dimensionally. In complementary analyses, we examined whether multimodal component loadings captured trait-related variance beyond demographic covariates RESULTS: Analyses identified a resting-state component encompassing the precuneus and angular gyrus, partially overlapping with the default mode network, significantly associated with paranoid personality traits. This functional component was positively correlated with a gray matter component including orbitofrontal and insular regions indicating a linked structural-functional pattern. CONCLUSIONS: By jointly modeling gray matter and resting-state activity, this study provides the first multimodal evidence of network-level markers underlying paranoid personality traits in the general population.
Executive dysfunction in military PTSD with ecological sleep assessment: A cross-sectional study.
Sipahimalani G, Sauvet F, Quiquempoix M … +6 more , Feingold D, Jacques C, Guillard M, Lahutte B, Chennaoui M, Saguin E
Psychiatry Res · 2026 Aug · PMID 42102530 · Publisher ↗
BACKGROUND: Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is consistently linked to deficits in executive functions, including attention, working memory, and inhibitory control, which impact clinical outcomes. This study examine...
BACKGROUND: Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is consistently linked to deficits in executive functions, including attention, working memory, and inhibitory control, which impact clinical outcomes. This study examined these cognitive functions in military personnel with PTSD and its associations with clinical symptoms and objective sleep parameters. METHODS: French active-duty and veteran service members with PTSD (n = 130) and healthy military controls (n = 65) completed computerized cognitive tasks: inhibition (Go/No-Go), sustained attention (0-Back), and working memory (2-Back). Sleep was monitored under ecological conditions using a polysomnographic headband. Clinical assessments included PTSD severity (PCL-5) and depression (BDI). Efficiency scores combining accuracy and speed were calculated for each task. Group comparisons, correlations, and multiple regressions were conducted. Executive impairment thresholds were derived from the controls to estimate prevalence in the PTSD group. RESULTS: PTSD participants showed lower performance across the three cognitive tasks. Using normative thresholds, 36.6% met criteria for executive impairment. In the PTSD group, clinical and sleep variables explained only a small proportion of the variance in cognitive performance (R² = 0.12), with REM sleep and PTSD severity showing the largest albeit modest contributions. In contrast, predictors explained a greater proportion of variance in controls (R² = 0.35), suggesting stronger predictive utility. Exploratory analyses indicated that medication burden was the strongest individual predictor of executive performance in PTSD. CONCLUSION: Executive dysfunction is frequent among military personnel with PTSD and only partially explained by standard clinical and sleep measures. Cognitive impairment likely reflects multiple interacting mechanisms not captured by standard assessments, underscoring the need for integrative and multimodal approaches.
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