Journal of psychiatric research最新文献

{"title":"Monocyte profiles and their association with depression severity and functional disability","authors":"Romina Isabel Álvarez Casiani ,&nbsp;Leandro Nicolás Grendas ,&nbsp;Alejandro Olaviaga ,&nbsp;Luciana Carla Chiapella ,&nbsp;Ángeles Romina Arena ,&nbsp;Vera Tifner ,&nbsp;Cintia Romina Prokopez ,&nbsp;Jhon Esteban López-Carvajal ,&nbsp;Josefina Robetto ,&nbsp;Eugenio Antonio Carrera Silva ,&nbsp;Andrea Emilse Errasti ,&nbsp;Federico Manuel Daray","doi":"10.1016/j.jpsychires.2025.03.008","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jpsychires.2025.03.008","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Inflammatory processes have been implicated in the pathophysiology of depression. This study explores the association between the number, proportion and subtypes of monocytes with functional disability and depression severity in a sample of adult patients.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>A cross-sectional study was conducted with 74 participants. The total number and proportion of monocytes were obtained from hemogram analysis and the subtypes (classical, intermediate, and non-classical) were quantified using flow cytometry. Depression severity was assessed using the 17-item Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS-17), and functional disability was measured via the Sheehan Disability Scale (SDS). Linear regression models adjusted for demographic and clinical covariates were applied to evaluate associations.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Total blood monocyte counts and their percentages were negatively correlated with functional disability scores (r = −0.27 and r = −0.26, respectively; p &lt; 0.05). In contrast, elevated levels of intermediate and non-classical proinflammatory monocytes were positively correlated with depression severity (r = 0.25, p &lt; 0.05). Linear regression analysis revealed that a 1% increase in proinflammatory monocytes was associated with a 0.19-point increase in HDRS-17 scores (p = 0.009). Additionally, higher total and percentage monocyte counts were associated with reductions in functional disability scores by 10.63 units (p = 0.02) and 0.80 units (p = 0.04), respectively.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>Monocytes play a dual role, contributing to both the initiation and resolution of inflammation. In this study, we found that monocytes may be involved in protecting functional responses while also reflecting depression severity. These findings underscore the potential of monocyte profiles as biomarkers for depression severity and functional impairment, highlighting the need for further research to elucidate the underlying mechanisms.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":16868,"journal":{"name":"Journal of psychiatric research","volume":"184 ","pages":"Pages 272-278"},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2025-03-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143578137","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Increased sensitivity to psychomotor effects of ketamine enantiomers in the Wistar-Kyoto depression model","authors":"Kristian Elersič ,&nbsp;Anamarija Banjac,&nbsp;Marko Živin,&nbsp;Maja Zorović","doi":"10.1016/j.jpsychires.2025.02.061","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jpsychires.2025.02.061","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Ketamine, a fast-acting antidepressant, is a racemic mixture, composed of equal amounts of R- and S-ketamine. Preclinical studies are comparing them to better understand their role in therapeutic and undesirable effects. An important research gap is that studies do not use long clinically relevant protocols to compare the desired and undesired effects of ketamine enantiomers in modeled and control animals. In our preclinical study, we explored the behavioral effects of R- and S-ketamine at 10 mg/kg in clinically relevant treatment protocol using Wistar-Kyoto rats as a depression model and Wistar rats as a control. Undesirable psychomotor effects were evaluated with locomotor stimulation and sensitization, ataxia, and stereotypy. Persistent effects associated with therapeutic outcomes were evaluated by measuring working memory, anxiety, and behavioral despair. We found that S-ketamine has stronger acute psychomotor effects compared to R-ketamine and that Wistar-Kyoto rats are more sensitive to these effects compared to Wistar rats. After repeated treatment, sensitization to locomotor stimulating effects, and tolerance to ataxic effects of S-ketamine develops. We found no persistent changes due to ketamine treatments. Taken together, our results may indicate that depressed patients would be more prone to negative side effects of ketamine, compared to healthy controls. However, after repeated treatment, tolerance to side effects may develop and make the treatment more tolerable. Future preclinical and clinical studies are needed to address neurobiological mechanisms and clinical relevance of higher sensitivity to the psychomotor effects of ketamine, and the development of tolerance to psychomotor effects of ketamine in depressed individuals.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":16868,"journal":{"name":"Journal of psychiatric research","volume":"184 ","pages":"Pages 307-317"},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2025-03-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143610729","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Is more better? Comparing 600, 1200 and 1800 pulses/session (p/s) of intermittent theta-burst stimulation (iTBS) for the treatment of depression","authors":"Katharina Kerkel ,&nbsp;Stefan Schoisswohl ,&nbsp;Berthold Langguth ,&nbsp;Mohamed A. Abdelnaim ,&nbsp;Jost Bernet ,&nbsp;Martin Schecklmann ,&nbsp;Andreas Reissmann","doi":"10.1016/j.jpsychires.2025.03.006","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jpsychires.2025.03.006","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Introduction</h3><div>Repetitive Transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) is a non-invasive therapy for treatment-resistant disorders. Intermittent theta-burst stimulation (iTBS) has emerged as a favorite treatment protocol for the treatment of therapy resistant depression, with the tendency to administer an increasing number of pulses/session (p/s).</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>We retrospectively analyzed the records of 215 in- and out-patients, suffering from unipolar or bipolar depressive disorder in a German tertiary care hospital between January 2021 and September 2024. All patients received left prefrontal iTBS with either 600 (<em>n</em> = 68), 1200 (<em>n</em> = 67) or 1800 (<em>n</em> = 80) p/s over the course of 15–20 days. Depressive symptoms were assessed with the 21-item Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAMD-21) and the Major Depression Inventory (MDI) before and at the end of the respective treatment. Side effects were quantified by the number of patients reporting a side effect in at least one of the rTMS sessions.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>In all groups, the HAMD-21 and MDI scores improved significantly. There was no significant difference between the three groups (HAMD-21: <em>p</em> = .198, MDI: <em>p</em> = .281). Further, this result equally applies to men and women (all <em>p</em>′s &gt; .145). No serious side effects occurred. Patients who were treated with 600 p/s reported most side effects.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>Our retrospective analysis suggests that an increase of p/s from 600 to 1200 or 1800 does not result in more pronounced antidepressant effects.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":16868,"journal":{"name":"Journal of psychiatric research","volume":"184 ","pages":"Pages 256-261"},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2025-03-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143578134","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Feeling at home in a virtually amputated body; neural and phenomenological effects of illusory embodiment in body integrity dysphoria","authors":"Gianluca Saetta ,&nbsp;Yannik Peter ,&nbsp;Kathy Ruddy ,&nbsp;Jasmine T. Ho ,&nbsp;Roger Luechinger ,&nbsp;Emily Cross ,&nbsp;Lars Michels ,&nbsp;Bigna Lenggenhager","doi":"10.1016/j.jpsychires.2025.02.055","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jpsychires.2025.02.055","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>In Body Integrity Dysphoria (BID) a profound incongruity between the physical body and the desired, i.e., amputated body, often leads to a desire for limb amputation. Virtual reality (VR) and multisensory stimulation paradigms provide powerful tools to create the experience of being embodied in an amputated body.</div><div>Here we investigate the impact of such an experience on neural and subjective responses in 18 individuals with BID and 18 controls. We used both task-based and resting-state MRI before and after participants played an immersive virtual game in an amputated body corresponding to their desired bodily shape and mimicking their movements. The task-based fMRI assessed neural activity when viewing images of the body in the desired versus the undesired state.</div><div>Individuals with BID reported higher sense of ownership and control over the virtual body. Task-based fMRI showed increased pre-VR activity in the right superior parietal lobule (rSPL), right angular gyrus, and right supplementary motor area in the BID group, normalizing after VR exposure. Resting-state fMRI showed reduced connectivity in the rSPL, visuo-occipital areas, fronto-parietal, and fronto-striatal mirror and limb system networks, also normalizing post-VR. Additionally, there was a normalization in the pattern of increased connectivity of cortico-striatal tracts connecting the rSPL and the pars orbitalis of the right inferior frontal gyrus with the nucleus accumbens.</div><div>Our findings suggest that virtual embodiment effectively modulates BID-related neural networks, offering a safe, cost-effective intervention for BID and highlights VR's potential in exploring the complex interaction between body and self, with potential implications for similar psychiatric conditions.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":16868,"journal":{"name":"Journal of psychiatric research","volume":"184 ","pages":"Pages 395-404"},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2025-03-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143628554","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Understanding depression and anxiety symptom interrelations in Indonesian OCD patients: A network approach","authors":"Zakia Aura Fajriana ,&nbsp;Riangga Novrianto ,&nbsp;Nimaz Indryastuti Dewantary ,&nbsp;Pelita DKL. Tobing ,&nbsp;Eric A. Storch ,&nbsp;Edo S. Jaya","doi":"10.1016/j.jpsychires.2025.03.007","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jpsychires.2025.03.007","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) patients often experience co-occurring symptoms of depression and anxiety, underscoring the needs for targeted clinical interventions that address overlapping symptoms. Network analysis offers a method to examine the symptom interrelations and identify key symptoms for OCD patients interventions. This study collected self-report data on depression (PHQ-9) and anxiety (GAD-7) on OCD-diagnosed outpatients from a clinical psychology clinic in Jakarta, Indonesia (N = 232). The data were analyzed with several network analysis methods, including association networks, graphical LASSO, and directed acyclic graphs (DAGs), to visualize symptom interrelations. The findings indicated that while depression and anxiety symptoms in OCD are distinct, they are linked by “bridge” symptoms. Specifically, motor symptoms of depression and restlessness symptoms of anxiety were the key bridges, with worry and nervousness identified as highly central anxiety symptoms. In contrast, symptoms like appetite and suicidal symptoms of depression, along with irritability and fear in anxiety, were less connected within the network. Network analysis highlights that motoric symptoms may play a critical role in maintaining co-occurring anxiety and depression in OCD patients. Thus, interventions targeting motoric symptoms—such as intense exercise and behavioral activation—could be beneficial for managing these interconnected symptoms and improving patient outcomes.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":16868,"journal":{"name":"Journal of psychiatric research","volume":"184 ","pages":"Pages 359-366"},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2025-03-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143619486","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Circadian rhythm modulation in heart rate variability as potential biomarkers for major depressive disorder: A machine learning approach","authors":"Ye Xia ,&nbsp;Han Zhang ,&nbsp;Ziwei Wang ,&nbsp;Yanhui Song ,&nbsp;Ke Shi ,&nbsp;Jingjing Fan ,&nbsp;Yuan Yang","doi":"10.1016/j.jpsychires.2025.03.002","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jpsychires.2025.03.002","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Major depressive disorder (MDD) is associated with reduced heart rate variability (HRV), but its link to circadian rhythm modulation (CRM) of HRV is unclear. Given that depression disrupts circadian rhythms, assessing HRV fluctuations may better capture the CRM and the related autonomic nervous system (ANS) alterations, potentially enhancing our understanding of the pathophysiological mechanisms of MDD. This study aimed to explore the relationship between CRM of HRV and MDD, and to identify potential biomarkers for MDD using machine learning (ML). A total of 165 MDD patients and 60 healthy controls (HCs) were enrolled in the study, with each participant completing 24-h Holter electrocardiogram (ECG) monitoring and psychological scale assessments prior to receiving antidepressant treatment. The circadian rhythm of HRV was quantified using a cosine regression model, and seven typical ML models were employed to distinguish MDD from HCs. MDD patients exhibited a significant decrease in average diurnal HRV indices, particularly during night-time, along with reductions in the parameter M of HRV circadian rhythms compared to HCs. Depression severity was negatively associated with the parameters M of RMSSD, PNN50, HF, while positively associated with the parameter M of LF/HF ratio. Furthermore, the gradient boosting machine (GBM) model demonstrated the best performance in classifying MDD (accuracy 0.823, AUC 0.868), and a final GBM model was developed with 12 selected features. This study provides new insights into the relationship between circadian rhythm abnormalities and MDD, highlighting the potential of using CRM of HRV as novel biomarkers for MDD pathophysiology and clinical applications.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":16868,"journal":{"name":"Journal of psychiatric research","volume":"184 ","pages":"Pages 340-349"},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2025-03-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143619553","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Does having COVID-19 infection history lead to a different clinical presentation and treatment response in patients with major depression?","authors":"Zehra Gokkaya Kilic ,&nbsp;Mustafa Ugurlu ,&nbsp;Esra Kabadayi Sahin ,&nbsp;Gulsum Zuhal Kamis ,&nbsp;Gorkem Karakas Ugurlu ,&nbsp;Ali Caykoylu","doi":"10.1016/j.jpsychires.2025.03.001","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jpsychires.2025.03.001","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Objective</h3><div>This study aimed to investigate whether a history of Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) affects depression severity, symptoms, and treatment response in patients with major depressive disorder (MDD).</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>The study included 76 patients with a history of COVID-19 and 98 patients without, all diagnosed with first-episode MDD. After one month, 32 patients with and 36 without a history of COVID-19 were re-evaluated. Beck Depression Inventory, Clinically Useful Depression Outcome Scale, Community Assessment of Psychic Experiences, WHO Quality of Life Scale Short Form, Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, and Structured Interview Guide for the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale Seasonal Affective Disorder Version (SIGH-SAD) were administered to the patients at the initial presentation. The self-report scales were re-administered at the follow-up visit.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Patients with a history of COVID-19 infection had significantly higher SIGH-SAD scores for increased appetite, weight gain, somatic anxiety, and paranoid symptoms. After treatment, improvement in the physical subscale of quality of life was significantly better in these patients.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>While depression severity was similar in both groups, atypical symptoms were more prominent in patients with a history of COVID-19 infection. These patients also showed greater improvements in mixed symptoms and quality of life after treatment.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":16868,"journal":{"name":"Journal of psychiatric research","volume":"184 ","pages":"Pages 224-231"},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2025-03-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143563214","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Impact of postmenopause on bipolar depression: Insights from a prospective study","authors":"Francesco Attanasio ,&nbsp;Valentina Fazio ,&nbsp;Lorenzo Fregna ,&nbsp;Cristina Colombo","doi":"10.1016/j.jpsychires.2025.02.043","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jpsychires.2025.02.043","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Existing research on menopause and Bipolar Disorder indicates a general exacerbation in depressive symptoms but lacks clear distinctions between menopausal stages, despite their specific hormonal and symptomatic profiles. This study assesses how postmenopause versus the reproductive phase impacts the progression and antidepressant responsiveness of bipolar depression in women with Bipolar I Disorder.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>This prospective cohort study included 364 women with moderate to severe depressive episodes. Participants were classified into postmenopausal and reproductive groups based on the <em>Stages of Reproductive Aging Workshop + 10</em> criteria. Over four weeks, all participants received a personalized treatment, with depressive symptoms assessed weekly.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Similar depression severity was observed between groups at the outset of the study. However, women in postmenopause experienced worse treatment responses and lower remission rates, despite the application of more complex treatment strategies. Notably, the impact of postmenopause on treatment outcomes, despite a small effect size, proved independent of age and comorbidities.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>This exploratory research is the first to specifically assess the impact of postmenopause on bipolar depression, revealing its independent and negative influence on treatment outcomes. The small outcomes differences observed between groups, achieved through the use of more complex treatment strategies, suggest that developing tailored therapeutic protocols could significantly improve the clinical management of these patients.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":16868,"journal":{"name":"Journal of psychiatric research","volume":"184 ","pages":"Pages 371-377"},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2025-03-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143619488","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Social support predicts longitudinal reductions in suicidal ideation among patients on a waitlist for psychiatric treatment","authors":"Saulnier K. G ,&nbsp;Cleary J ,&nbsp;Mills E. D ,&nbsp;Pfeiffer P. N ,&nbsp;Wright A. G. C ,&nbsp;Sen S ,&nbsp;Bohnert A. S. B","doi":"10.1016/j.jpsychires.2025.02.056","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jpsychires.2025.02.056","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Social support is a protective factor for suicide and suicidal ideation (SI). However, inconsistencies exist regarding which aspects of social support are most protective for SI, potentially due to overlap amongst social support subscales. This study used bifactor modeling to test the cross-sectional and longitudinal relations between social support and SI, as bifactor modeling allows for the examination of subscale-specific relations after accounting for shared variance across all social support items (i.e., a general social support factor). Participants were 2445 adults on a waitlist for outpatient psychiatric treatment (<em>M</em> age = 37.74; <em>SD</em> = 14.75; 72.11% female) enrolled in a clinical trial assessing mobile app interventions. Participants completed a baseline measure of social support to assess appraisal support, belonging support, and tangible support, and an SI measure at baseline and 6-week follow-up. Confirmatory factor analysis compared correlated-factor and bifactor models of social support and examined associations with SI. A bifactor model of social support fit the data best. The general Social Support factor was negatively associated with SI at baseline and at 6-week follow-up. The specific social support factors explained minimal variation in SI after controlling for the general social support factor. Findings suggest that general social support, rather than lower-order dimensions, may be most relevant to assess when evaluating predictors of SI. Findings are consistent with theoretical accounts that suggest social support protects against escalating SI. Interventions targeting social support hold promise for ameliorating SI among individuals on waitlists for psychiatric treatment.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":16868,"journal":{"name":"Journal of psychiatric research","volume":"184 ","pages":"Pages 147-154"},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2025-03-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143549781","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Potential role for kynurenine pathway in increased COVID-19 mortality of patients with schizophrenia","authors":"Peng Wang ,&nbsp;Zhen-Ying Li ,&nbsp;Jie Wang ,&nbsp;Kun-Ze Liu ,&nbsp;Ya-Ru Wang ,&nbsp;Qing-Yun Guo ,&nbsp;Shi-Lei Wen ,&nbsp;Pan-Li Ni ,&nbsp;Quan-Peng Zhang ,&nbsp;Tan Wang ,&nbsp;Chun-Mei Gong ,&nbsp;Wei Wan ,&nbsp;Xi-Nan Yi ,&nbsp;Zhi-Jian Ma ,&nbsp;Yun-Qing Li ,&nbsp;Li-Fang Lu ,&nbsp;Ren-Jun Feng","doi":"10.1016/j.jpsychires.2025.02.030","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jpsychires.2025.02.030","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Schizophrenia (SCZ) is a common psychiatric disorder that has complex pathological mechanisms. During the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) epidemic, patients with SCZ had substantially higher rates of infection with SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, as well as higher COVID-19 mortality relative to patients without mental disorders. Previous studies suggested that COVID-19 and SCZ both involve the kynurenine metabolic pathway. This article reviews the characteristics of kynurenine metabolism in COVID-19 and SCZ, and considers the possibility that disordered kynurenine metabolism may be one cause of increased infection and COVID-19 mortality rates in the patients with SCZ. Several possible molecular mechanisms that could be involved in disease pathology are discussed.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":16868,"journal":{"name":"Journal of psychiatric research","volume":"183 ","pages":"Pages 289-295"},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2025-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143508714","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}