Translational Psychiatry最新文献

{"title":"A psychoneuroimmunological underpinnings of the relationship between childhood trauma, loneliness, and depression in older adults.","authors":"Rachel R Jin, Nichol M L Wong, Junji Ma, Ji-Tseng Fang, Chih-Ming Lin, Cheng Hong Toh, Kuan-Yi Wu, Jung Lung Hsu, Chih-Mao Huang, Shwu Hua Lee, Tatia M C Lee","doi":"10.1038/s41398-025-03547-5","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41398-025-03547-5","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Depression is highly prevalent among older people globally. It is well known that childhood trauma and loneliness are significant risk factors for depression, and neural alterations in the default mode network and immunological dysregulation (e.g., neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio) are factors significantly associated with loneliness and depression. This study examined the inter-relationships and interactions of these factors for translational insight into the pathophysiological underpinnings of late-life depression. Among ninety-two healthy older adults, we measured the leukocyte distribution as reflected by neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio, childhood trauma history, current feelings of loneliness, and levels of depressive symptoms. All participants underwent structural MRI scanning to acquire T1-weighted images, which were used to measure the grey matter volume within the default mode network and its key regions. We observed that loneliness as a significant mediator explained the positive relationship between childhood emotional neglect and the severity of depression in late life. The modulating effect of grey matter volume in the default mode network depends on the level of neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio. In sum, our findings indicated that the more severe the lonely feeling those older people with childhood emotional neglect felt, the more the depressive symptoms were, which was especially obvious among those with relatively higher neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio and with lower grey matter volume in the default mode network. The current findings inspire future preventive and interventional studies targeting loneliness and inflammation to promote mental wellness in older adults.</p>","PeriodicalId":23278,"journal":{"name":"Translational Psychiatry","volume":"15 1","pages":"328"},"PeriodicalIF":6.2,"publicationDate":"2025-08-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12397221/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144970583","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Using deep learning to predict internalizing problems from brain structure in youth.","authors":"Marlee M Vandewouw, Bilal Syed, Noah Barnett, Alfredo Arias, Elizabeth Kelley, Jessica Jones, Muhammad Ayub, Alana Iaboni, Paul D Arnold, Jennifer Crosbie, Russell J Schachar, Margot J Taylor, Jason P Lerch, Evdokia Anagnostou, Azadeh Kushki","doi":"10.1038/s41398-025-03565-3","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s41398-025-03565-3","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Internalizing problems (e.g., anxiety and depression) are associated with a wide range of adverse outcomes. While some predictors of internalizing problems are known (e.g., their frequent co-occurrence with neurodevelopmental (ND) conditions), the biological markers of internalizing problems are not well understood. Here, we used deep learning, a powerful tool for identifying complex and multi-dimensional brain-behaviour relationships, to predict cross-sectional and worsening longitudinal trajectories of internalizing problems. Data were extracted from four large-scale datasets: the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development study, the Healthy Brain Network, the Human Connectome Project Development study, and the Province of Ontario Neurodevelopmental network. We developed deep learning models that used measures of brain structure (thickness, surface area, and volume) to (a) predict clinically significant internalizing problems cross-sectionally (N = 14,523); and (b) predict subsequent worsening trajectories (using the reliable change index) of internalizing problems (N = 10,540) longitudinally. A stratified cross-validation scheme was used to tune, train, and test the models, which were evaluated using the area under the receiving operating characteristic curve (AUC). The cross-sectional model performed well across the sample, reaching an AUC of 0.80 [95% CI: 0.71, 0.88]. For the longitudinal model, while performance was sub-optimal for predicting worsening trajectories in a sample of the general population (AUC = 0.66 [0.65, 0.67]), good performance was achieved in a small, external test set of primarily ND conditions (AUC = 0.80 [0.78, 0.81]), as well as across all ND conditions (AUC = 0.73 [0.70, 0.76]). Deep learning with features of brain structure is a promising avenue for biomarkers of internalizing problems, particularly for individuals who have a higher likelihood of experiencing difficulties.</p>","PeriodicalId":23278,"journal":{"name":"Translational Psychiatry","volume":"15 1","pages":"326"},"PeriodicalIF":6.2,"publicationDate":"2025-08-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12397277/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144970524","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Treatments of depressive symptoms in cancer patients: A systematic review and network meta-analysis.","authors":"Wenhai Fu, Yuexin Liu, Yu Jiang, Hongjiang Chu, Robin Shao, Peiling Chen, Xin Zheng, Caichen Li, Jianxing He, Kangguang Lin, Wenhua Liang","doi":"10.1038/s41398-025-03507-z","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41398-025-03507-z","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Depression is are often insufficiently managed in cancer patients globally. To address this, we conducted a comprehensive systematic review and network meta-analysis to evaluate and compare the effectiveness of pharmacological and non-pharmacological interventions in alleviating depressive symptoms in adult cancer patients.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>We searched PubMed, EMBASE, the Cochrane Library, and ClinicalTrials.gov from inception until 31 July 2024, with an updated search conducted on 10 January 2025. Eligible studies were randomised controlled trials evaluating pharmacological or non-pharmacological interventions for depressive symptoms in adult patients with cancer (aged ≥18 years). Studies involving paediatric populations, lacking complete outcome data, or not reporting intervention outcomes were excluded. A Bayesian network meta-analysis was undertaken to compare the effectiveness of included interventions. The review protocol was prospectively registered in PROSPERO (CRD42023465056).</p><p><strong>Findings: </strong>A total of 95 RCTs involving 17,260 participants were included. Several non-pharmacological interventions indicated potential benefit compared with usual care, notably massage and touch therapy (standardised mean difference [SMD]: -0.76, 95% CI: -1.37 to -0.16; low certainty), relaxation therapy (SMD: -0.59, 95% CI: -1.06 to -0.11; low certainty), psychotherapy (SMD: -0.43, 95% CI: -0.56 to -0.30; low certainty), and education and support of person with cancer (SMD: -0.30, 95% CI: -0.45 to -0.14; low certainty). Among pharmacological approaches, preliminary findings suggest the combination of mirtazapine and methylphenidate may offer benefits compared with placebo (SMD: -2.46, 95% CI: -4.24 to -0.70; low certainty). However, the overall evidence quality was low, reflecting substantial variability and limited data.</p><p><strong>Interpretation: </strong>Non-pharmacological interventions such as massage, relaxation therapies, and psychotherapy show promise in alleviating depressive symptoms in cancer patients. Limited preliminary evidence also suggests possible benefits of combined pharmacological treatment (mirtazapine plus methylphenidate). More rigorous research is required to strengthen these findings and better inform clinical practice.</p>","PeriodicalId":23278,"journal":{"name":"Translational Psychiatry","volume":"15 1","pages":"327"},"PeriodicalIF":6.2,"publicationDate":"2025-08-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12397251/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144970518","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Altered development and network connectivity in a human neuronal model of 15q11.2 deletion-related neurodevelopmental disorders.","authors":"Christa W Habela, Shiyu Liu, Arens Taga, Sean Oddoye, Raha Dastgheyb, Norman Haughey, Dwight E Bergles, Hongjun Song, Guo-Li Ming, Nicholas J Maragakis","doi":"10.1038/s41398-025-03453-w","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s41398-025-03453-w","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The chromosome 15q11.2 locus is deleted in 1.5% of patients with genetic epilepsy and confers a risk for intellectual disability and schizophrenia. Individuals with this deletion demonstrate increased cortical thickness, decreased cortical surface area and white matter abnormalities. Human induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-derived neural progenitor cells from 15q11.2 deletion individuals exhibit early adhesion junction and migration abnormalities, but later neuronal development and function have not been fully assessed. Imaging studies indicating altered structure and network connectivity in the anterior brain regions and the cingulum suggest that in addition to alterations in neural progenitor dynamics, there may also be structural and functional changes within discrete networks of neurons. To explore this, we generated human forebrain cortical neurons from iPSCs derived from individuals with or without 15q11.2 deletion and used longitudinal imaging and multielectrode array analysis to evaluate neuronal development over time. 15q11.2 deleted neurons exhibited fewer connections and an increase in inhibitory neurons. Individual neurons had decreased neurite complexity and overall decreased neurite length. These structural changes were associated with a reduction in multiunit action potential generation, bursting and synchronization. The 15q11.2 deleted neurons also demonstrated specific functional deficits in glutamate- and GABA-mediated neuronal network activity and synchronization with a delay in the maturation of the inhibitory response to GABA. These data indicate that deletion of the 15q11.2 region is sufficient to impair the structural and functional maturation of cortical neuron networks, and suggest an in vitro correlate to the pathologic changes in humans with the 15q11.2 deletion.</p>","PeriodicalId":23278,"journal":{"name":"Translational Psychiatry","volume":"15 1","pages":"329"},"PeriodicalIF":6.2,"publicationDate":"2025-08-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12397418/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144970629","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Advancing paroxetine treatment in depression: predicting remission and plasma concentration, and validating and updating therapeutic reference ranges.","authors":"Rui Yuan, Yundan Liao, Xuan Lu, Zhewei Kang, Jing Guo, Yuyanan Zhang, Yaoyao Sun, Zhe Lu, Junyuan Sun, Guorui Zhao, Yunqing Zhu, Yang Yang, Xiaoyang Feng, Chad Bousman, Weihua Yue","doi":"10.1038/s41398-025-03503-3","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41398-025-03503-3","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Optimizing paroxetine therapy for major depressive disorder (MDD) requires effective prediction models for treatment efficacy and therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM). This study aimed to develop prediction models for treatment remission and steady-state concentration (Css) of paroxetine, elucidate the role of CYP2D6 activity score (AS) in predicting Css, establish associations between adverse drug reactions (ADRs) and Css, and validate and update the therapeutic reference range (TRR) for patients with MDD in the Han Chinese population. We conducted a post-hoc analysis of an 8-week multicenter prospective cohort study involving 530 Han Chinese patients with MDD. Logistic regression models were developed to predict treatment remission at the eighth week and Css as a binary variable (within/outside TRR of 20-65 ng/ml). The model for predicting treatment remission demonstrated an AUC of 0.707, while the model for Css achieved an AUC of 0.615. Associations between ADRs and Css were assessed using logistic regression, adjusted for sex and age. Patients with Css within 20-65 ng/ml were more likely to achieve remission (OR = 1.655, 95% CI: 1.109-2.489) and less likely to experience ADRs (OR = 0.460, 95% CI: 0.203-0.961). Additionally, those with lower AS were more likely to maintain Css within this range (OR = 0.638, 95% CI: 0.461-0.878). ROC analysis further established an updated TRR of 20.8-52.5 ng/ml considering both treatment remission and ADRs. Our findings enhance paroxetine treatment and monitoring, underscoring the potential of CYP2D6 AS and Css as predictors for Css and treatment remission, respectively.</p>","PeriodicalId":23278,"journal":{"name":"Translational Psychiatry","volume":"15 1","pages":"321"},"PeriodicalIF":6.2,"publicationDate":"2025-08-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12394657/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144970549","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Activation of the supramammillary-dentate gyrus circuit enhances alertness and cognitive function in a rat model of ADHD.","authors":"Tian Tian, Xin Qin, Bolong Li, Yu Tian Wang, Xin Yang","doi":"10.1038/s41398-025-03564-4","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41398-025-03564-4","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity, with growing evidence suggesting hypoalertness as a contributing factor to its associated cognitive impairments. Despite promising results from behavioral interventions employing external stimuli to improve cognitive function, the underlying neural mechanisms remain inadequately understood. Here, we identify the supramammillary nucleus (SuM) as a critical neural substrate involved in modulating alertness and cognitive deficits associated with ADHD. We show that hypoactivity of SuM neurons correlates with reduced alertness and impaired recognition using a rat ADHD model. We further demonstrate that SuM neurons influence recognition through projections to the dentate gyrus (DG), primarily by facilitating long-term depression (LTD) within this pathway. Importantly, chemogenetic and optogenetic activation of the SuM-DG circuit resulted in significant enhancement of alertness and restoration of cognitive performance in ADHD rats, aligning their cognitive function with that of control animals. These findings elucidate a pivotal role for the SuM-DG pathway in mediating cognitive deficits related to hypoalertness in ADHD, offering mechanistic insights into the efficacy of alertness-enhancing interventions and highlighting novel therapeutic targets for ADHD treatment.</p>","PeriodicalId":23278,"journal":{"name":"Translational Psychiatry","volume":"15 1","pages":"325"},"PeriodicalIF":6.2,"publicationDate":"2025-08-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12394623/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144970588","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Criminal minds in dementia: A systematic review and quantitative meta-analysis.","authors":"Matthias L Schroeter, Marija Žuvela, Lena Szabo","doi":"10.1038/s41398-025-03523-z","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41398-025-03523-z","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>Subjects with dementia might exhibit criminal risk behavior (CB), even in early disease stages.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>This systematic review and quantitative meta-analysis investigated CB prevalence across all neurodegenerative syndromes according to PRISMA criteria and preregistered in PROSPERO. Mean frequencies and odds ratios were calculated and compared.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Finally, the meta-analysis included 14 studies with 236,360 persons. Studies originated from different countries, with largest contributing country being the U.S.A., followed by Scandinavian countries, i.e., Sweden and Finland, and additionally Germany and Japan. All quantitative analyses revealed a very consistent picture: CB prevalence was highest in behavioral variant frontotemporal dementia ( >50%), followed by semantic variant primary progressive aphasia (40%), but rather low in vascular dementia and Huntington's disease (15%), Alzheimer's disease (10%), lowest in Parkinsonian syndromes ( <10%). The systematic literature review revealed that CB prevalence is more frequent in early disease course than in the general population, but declines thereafter below population levels. Men are overrepresented.</p><p><strong>Discussion: </strong>CB is a common symptom in dementia, most pronounced in frontotemporal dementia. CB committed for the first time at mid-age could be an indicator of incident dementia, requiring earliest diagnosis and therapy. As present studies show a wide variability in assessment methods and cohorts investigated, and had been conducted in a minority of countries world-wide, large prospective international studies are warranted that systematically apply homogeneous methods and standardized questionnaires in assessing criminal risk behavior in different dementia syndromes.</p>","PeriodicalId":23278,"journal":{"name":"Translational Psychiatry","volume":"15 1","pages":"324"},"PeriodicalIF":6.2,"publicationDate":"2025-08-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12394586/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144970625","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"ROC Analysis of Biomarker Combinations in Fragile X Syndrome-Specific Clinical Trials: Evaluating Treatment Efficacy via Exploratory Biomarkers.","authors":"Jordan E Norris, Elizabeth M Berry-Kravis, Mark D Harnett, Scott A Reines, Melody R Smith, Emma K Auger, Abigail H Outterson, Jeremiah Furman, Mark E Gurney, Lauren E Ethridge","doi":"10.1038/s41398-025-03558-2","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41398-025-03558-2","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Fragile X Syndrome (FXS) is a rare neurodevelopmental disorder caused by a trinucleotide repeat expansion on the 5' untranslated region of the FMR1 gene. FXS is characterized by intellectual disability, anxiety, sensory hypersensitivity, and difficulties with executive function. A recent phase 2 placebo-controlled clinical trial assessing BPN14770, a first-in-class phosphodiesterase 4D allosteric inhibitor, in 30 adult males (age 18-41 years) with FXS demonstrated cognitive improvements on the NIH Toolbox Cognitive Battery in domains related to language and caregiver reports of improvement in both daily functioning and language. However, individual physiological measures from electroencephalography (EEG) demonstrated only marginal significance for trial efficacy. A secondary analysis of resting state EEG data collected as part of the phase 2 clinical trial evaluating BPN14770 was conducted using a machine learning classification algorithm to classify trial conditions (i.e., baseline, drug, placebo) via linear EEG variable combinations. The algorithm identified a composite of peak alpha frequencies (PAF) across multiple brain regions as a potential biomarker demonstrating BPN14770 efficacy. Increased PAF from baseline was associated with drug but not placebo. Given the relationship between PAF and cognitive function among typically developed adults and those with intellectual disability, as well as previously reported reductions in alpha frequency and power in FXS, PAF represents a potential physiological measure of BPN14770 efficacy.</p>","PeriodicalId":23278,"journal":{"name":"Translational Psychiatry","volume":"15 1","pages":"323"},"PeriodicalIF":6.2,"publicationDate":"2025-08-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12394601/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144970448","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Limbic gray matter increases in response to cognitive-behavioral therapy in major depressive disorder.","authors":"Esther Zwiky, Tiana Borgers, Melissa Klug, Philine König, Konrad Schöniger, Janine Selle, Antonia Küttner, Luisa Brunner, Elisabeth J Leehr, Udo Dannlowski, Verena Enneking, Ronny Redlich","doi":"10.1038/s41398-025-03545-7","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41398-025-03545-7","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Major depressive disorder (MDD) is related to volumetric decreases in (cortico-)limbic brain regions. In contrast to pharmacological and electroconvulsive therapy, little is known about the brain structural effects of psychotherapy and potential links to symptom improvements. In a naturalistic longitudinal study using structural magnetic resonance tomography, gray matter volume (GMV) and clinical measures were assessed in 30 outpatients with MDD before and after 20 cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) sessions. Data from 30 healthy controls was acquired. Region-of-interest analyses revealed significant GMV increases within patients for the right anterior hippocampus and the bilateral amygdala, resulting in a significant group-by-time interaction for the left amygdala (p ≤ 0.022). Simultaneously, analyses revealed volumetric decreases in the right posterior hippocampus (p = 0.016). While there were no associations with overall symptom improvement, right amygdala volume increases were slightly associated with improvements in identifying feelings (r_s = 0.321, p = 0.042). Together, findings show an impact of CBT not only on psychopathology but also on brain structure. The connection between CBT-related increased amygdala GMV and improved emotion identification emphasizes the role of improvements in emotional awareness.</p>","PeriodicalId":23278,"journal":{"name":"Translational Psychiatry","volume":"15 1","pages":"301"},"PeriodicalIF":6.2,"publicationDate":"2025-08-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12381077/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144970395","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Virtual reality-based cue exposure therapy reduces psychological craving in men with methamphetamine use disorder: a randomized controlled trial.","authors":"Qiuping Huang, Xinxin Chen, Xuhao Wang, Ying Tang, Wenwu Wang, Li Chao, Yiqi Nie, Shihua Peng, Lin Zhao, Hongxian Shen, Zhenjiang Liao","doi":"10.1038/s41398-025-03553-7","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41398-025-03553-7","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Reducing psychological craving is critical for preventing relapse in methamphetamine use disorder (MUD). This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of virtual reality (VR)-based cue exposure therapy (CET) and cue exposure with aversion therapy (CETA) in reducing methamphetamine craving in men with MUD. In this randomized controlled trial, 89 men with MUD were assigned to three groups: VR-based cue exposure therapy (CET, n = 30), VR-based cue exposure combined with aversion therapy (CETA, n = 29), and neutral scenes (NS, n = 30). The intervention comprised 16 sessions over 8 weeks. Primary outcomes were tonic craving and cue-induced craving. Secondary outcomes included attentional bias, rehabilitation confidence, drug refusal self-efficacy, anxiety, and depression. Both CET and CETA groups demonstrated significant reductions in tonic craving post-intervention (CET: p = 0.001; CETA: p = 0.010), while the NS group showed no change (p = 0.217). The CET group demonstrated significantly lower post-intervention tonic craving compared to the NS group (p = 0.047). All groups showed decreased cue-induced craving in drug use scenes (p < 0.05). The CETA group showed significantly improved drug refusal self-efficacy compared to baseline (p = 0.001) and the NS group (p = 0.018). The CET group demonstrated reduced anxiety compared to the NS group (p = 0.014). No serious adverse events were reported during VR exposure. VR-based cue exposure therapy, particularly when combined with aversion therapy, effectively reduces psychological craving and improves drug refusal self-efficacy in MUD patients. This study provides evidence supporting VR-based interventions as a safe and promising tool for MUD treatment, though larger-scale trials are needed to confirm long-term efficacy. Clinical trial number: This randomized controlled trial was registered with the Chinese Clinical Trial Registry (Code: ChiCTR1800020014).</p>","PeriodicalId":23278,"journal":{"name":"Translational Psychiatry","volume":"15 1","pages":"318"},"PeriodicalIF":6.2,"publicationDate":"2025-08-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12381153/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144970598","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}