GAD

Background: Anxiety and worry are central symptoms of Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) that have been theorized to negatively impact cognitive functions. However, most of the research has focused on threat-related or emotionally-charged stimuli, and a surprisingly small number of investigations examined 'cold' cognitive functions using classic neuropsychological tests. Such investigations are particularly important given that some theoretical models suggest compensatory mechanisms associated with anxiety that in certain circumstances may result in intact performance. The aim of the present study is to assess the neuropsychological profile associated with GAD, using a comprehensive neuropsychological battery. Methods: A sample of 23 college students meeting criteria for DSM-5 GAD and 20 control participants completed a psychometrically valid comprehensive computerized neuropsychological battery and clinical questionnaires. Results: The GAD sample presented with significantly elevated symptomatic rates of anxiety, worry, depression and stress. However, no significant differences were found on any neuropsychological outcome measures or domain indexes. Effect sizes were small, some of which favored the GAD sample. Conclusion: Despite substantial psychopathological burden, GAD exhibited intact cognitive functioning. These results support the Cognitive Control Theory of Anxiety, suggesting that elevated primary anxiety may not impact 'cold' cognitive functions in the absence of threat or substantial cognitive load. Given that this is one of the only studies employing a comprehensive neuropsychological battery in GAD, more research is needed in this population to replicate these results and to examine the impact of anxiety on cognitive functions at varying degrees of cognitive load in this population.

A table set out in honor of Lady Luck will not be unfamiliar to anyone who has explored folk customs and traditions over the ages. The prophet Isaiah already mentions one: "But as for you who forsake the Lord / Who ignore My holy mountain, Who set a table for Luck / And fill a mixing bowl for Destiny ..." (Isaiah 65:11). The verse in Hebrew is "ve atem-ha‘orkhim le gad shulḥan." This "Gad" is none other than the Babylonian deity, Ba‘al-Gad, the god of good fortune. A table is set to appease him.

The present study analyzed tic disorders among 50 children and adolescents aged 5-18 years. Patients were sourced from a specialist service delivering child psychiatry services in Canada. Motor and vocal tics were found among the study population, with the former being predominant. Among the comorbidities assessed, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, Generalized Anxiety Disorder and Obsessive Compulsive Disorder emerged as the most prevalent. Sleep difficulties and Intellectual Disability were also found among a large percentage of the young people having tic disorder. The coexistence of motor and phonic tics with psychiatric comorbidities observed among the study population indicates Tourette's Disorder. More organized prospective studies and analysis of the learning disabilities and familial history of the comorbidities is warranted for a better understanding of clinical presentation and etiology of tics and Tourette's Disorder.

This study explored the relationships between individuals' ability to tolerate emotional distress to their tendency to worry excessively, the amount of imagery they experience during worrying, and the concreteness of their worrisome thought. A group of 119 university students completed a thought-listing task recording their most severe current worry, estimated the amount of imagery and verbal thought during this worry episode, and completed questionnaires assessing their worry proneness, negative effect, and ability to tolerate emotional distress. The concreteness of thought-listed worry episodes was rated by independent judges. Consistent with expectations, lower distress tolerance was associated with more worrying, even when levels of negative affect were statistically controlled for. Excessive worriers also reported lower levels of imagery, but imagery and distress tolerance were unrelated. The findings concerning concreteness were in the opposite direction to those expected: more excessive worrying and lower distress tolerance were associated with more concreteness of worrisome thought. The results are consistent with avoidance theory, but future research is needed to investigate the mechanisms by which low distress tolerance may contribute to excessive worrying.

BACKGROUND The Patient Health Questionnaire-4 (PHQ-4) is an ultra-brief self-report consisting of a 2-item depression scale (PHQ-2) and a 2-item anxiety scale (GAD-2). The aim of the present study is to determine the psychometric properties of a computerized version of the PHQ-4 used to detect emotional disorders (anxiety and depression) in the primary care setting. METHOD A total of 1052 patients with suspected anxiety, depression, or somatic symptoms were recruited from 28 primary care centres participating in the PsicAP trial and completed the full version of the computerized PHQ. In addition, 178 of these patients also underwent in clinical interviews as a gold standard. RESULTS Confirmatory factor analyses showed very good fit indices for a two-factor solution. This model was structurally invariant among the various age and gender groups and internal consistency was acceptable (PHQ-4; $\alpha$=0.83, PHQ-2; $\alpha$=0.86, and GAD-2; $\alpha$=0.76). The best cut-off points to obt...

Background. The worldwide emergence of COVID-19 has brought about various psychological consequences, including anxiety, fear of death, etc. Objectives. This study was aimed at determining the proportion of death anxiety and its covariates during the COVID-19 pandemic in Shahroud city, Iran. Material and methods. This cross-sectional study was conducted on 1,215 participants. Data was collected by convenient sampling method with online tools, including an awareness and attitude checklist toward COVID-19, Templar Death Anxiety Questionnaire and the Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD-7) Questionnaire. The data was analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics (multivariate linear regression analysis). The significant level for all tests was considered to be 0.05. Results. The results indicated that the mean score ± standard deviation of death anxiety and GAD were 6.46 ± 3.33 and 6.27 ± 4.83, respectively. Of all participants, 49.1% reported high death anxiety. Parallel to the high anxiety level, a significant increase in death anxiety was observed (p < 0.001). Moreover, factors such as younger age and the death of a family member due to COVID-19 were significantly correlated with death anxiety (p = 0.024 and p = 0.001). Conclusions. Assessing anxiety among exposed clients and applying anxiety reduction and coping methods, such as problem-solving techniques, as well as providing comprehensive and practical information on methods to control and adapt with this disease, are recommended to be implemented in health care systems.

Cigarette smoking is currently the leading cause of preventable deaths and disability throughout the world, being responsible for about five million premature deaths/year. Unfortunately, fewer than 10% of tobacco users who try to stop smoking actually manage to do so. The main addictive agent delivered by cigarette smoke is nicotine, which induces psychostimulation and reward, and reduces stress and anxiety. The use of new technologies (including optogenetics) and the development of mouse models characterised by cell-specific deletions of receptor subtype genes or the expression of gain-of-function nAChR subunits has greatly increased our understanding of the molecular mechanisms and neural substrates of nicotine addiction first revealed by classic electrophysiological, neurochemical and behavioural approaches. It is now becoming clear that various aspects of nicotine dependence are mediated by close interactions of the glutamatergic, dopaminergic and γ-aminobutyric acidergic system...

Cigarette smoking is currently the leading cause of preventable deaths and disability throughout the world, being responsible for about five million premature deaths/year. Unfortunately, fewer than 10% of tobacco users who try to stop smoking actually manage to do so. The main addictive agent delivered by cigarette smoke is nicotine, which induces psychostimulation and reward, and reduces stress and anxiety. The use of new technologies (including optogenetics) and the development of mouse models characterised by cell-specific deletions of receptor subtype genes or the expression of gain-of-function nAChR subunits has greatly increased our understanding of the molecular mechanisms and neural substrates of nicotine addiction first revealed by classic electrophysiological, neurochemical and behavioural approaches. It is now becoming clear that various aspects of nicotine dependence are mediated by close interactions of the glutamatergic, dopaminergic and γ-aminobutyric acidergic system...

NS cells are a homogeneous population of neural stem cells which were previously derived from embryonic stem cells as well as from the fetal and adult brain. Our previous reports have described a 21 day long neuronal differentiation protocol able to reproducibly convert adult SVZ-derived NS (aNS) cells into a population composed of 65% mature neurons and 35% glial cells.Here we have developed a different procedure specifically applicable to ES-derived NS cells in order to fully explore their neurogenic capacity. Differently from the aNS differentiation procedure, optimized neuronal output from ES-derived NS cells requires replating of the cells on appropriate substrates followed by sequential exposure to modified media. In these conditions, ES-derived NS cells differentiate into neurons with a barely appreciable quota of astrocytes and occasional oligodendrocytes. In particular, 21 days after the beginning of the treatment, 85% of the cells has differentiated into molecularly and electrophysiologically mature neurons belonging to the GABAergic lineage. The procedure, which is applicable with no considerable differences to different ES-derived NS cell lines and to NS cells at different passages, opens to the possibility of molecular and biochemical studies on close-to-uniform stem cell derived neurons.

To elucidate chronic actions of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) on GABAergic synapses, we examined effects of a long-term application of BDNF for 10-15 days on autapses (synapses) of solitary GABAergic neurons cultured from rat visual cortex. Solitary neuron preparations were used to exclude a possible contamination of BDNF actions on excitatory neurons in dissociated neuron culture or slice preparations. Neurons were confirmed to be GABAergic pharmacologically with bicuculline, a selective antagonist for GABAA receptors and immunocytochemically with antibody against glutamic acid decarboxylase 65, a GABA synthesizing enzyme. To evaluate GABAergic synaptic function, evoked and/or miniature inhibitory postsynaptic currents (IPSCs) were recorded in the whole-cell voltage-clamp mode. The treatment with BDNF at a concentration of 100 ng/ml enhanced the amplitude of evoked IPSCs and the frequency of miniature IPSCs. In contrast, BDNF did not have a detectable effect on the ampli...

Objective: To assess the psychometric properties and health correlates of the Geriatric Anxiety Inventory (GAI) in a cohort of Australian community-residing older women.
Method: Cross-sectional study of a population-based cohort of women aged 60 years and over (N 1⁄4 286). Results: The GAI exhibited sound internal consistency and demonstrated good concurrent validity against the state half of the Spielberger State Trait Anxiety Inventory and the neuroticism domain of the NEO five-factor inventory. GAI score was significantly associated with self-reported sleep difficulties and perceived memory impairment, but not with age or cognitive function. Women with current DSM-IV Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) had significantly higher GAI scores than women without such a history. In this cohort, the optimal cut-point to detect current GAD was 8/9. Although the GAI was designed to have few somatic items, women with a greater number of general medical problems or who rated their general health as worse had higher GAI scores.
Conclusion: The GAI is a new scale designed specifically to measure anxiety in older people. In this Australian cohort of older women, the instrument had sound psychometric properties.