{"title":"Connecting the dots: Understanding and addressing the metabolic impact of antipsychotic and antidepressant medications","authors":"Susanne U. Miedlich, J. Steven Lamberti","doi":"10.1111/nyas.15301","DOIUrl":"10.1111/nyas.15301","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Serious mental disorders such as schizophrenia and major depression are associated with considerable morbidity and mortality, resulting in much shorter life expectancies in those affected. The discovery of antipsychotic medications ushered in improved health outcomes for people with serious mental disorders but also brought about increased morbidity due to their metabolic side effects, including obesity and diabetes mellitus. Antidepressant medications have a more favorable metabolic side effect profile, but some can still cause weight gain and hyperglycemia. In this narrative review, we discuss antipsychotic and antidepressant medications’ mechanisms of action, their respective effectiveness in treating psychosis and depression, and their metabolic side effects. In addition, we present therapeutic strategies for minimizing cardiometabolic health risks in patients treated with these medications by applying a comprehensive, biopsychosocial approach.</p>","PeriodicalId":8250,"journal":{"name":"Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences","volume":"1546 1","pages":"35-57"},"PeriodicalIF":4.1,"publicationDate":"2025-03-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143599537","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"综合性期刊","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Zixiao Yang, Tejas S. Sathe, Meghal Shah, Jay Hemant Shah, David L. Hu
{"title":"Passive neck brace for surgeons","authors":"Zixiao Yang, Tejas S. Sathe, Meghal Shah, Jay Hemant Shah, David L. Hu","doi":"10.1111/nyas.15308","DOIUrl":"10.1111/nyas.15308","url":null,"abstract":"<p>A surgeon peers downward into a body cavity when operating. Holding this position for hours across weeks, months, and years may lead to neck pain and musculoskeletal disorders. We were inspired by ungulates such as giraffes and horses, which use dorsal-ventral flexion to graze for 9–14 h per day without perceivable neck pain. Ungulates evolved a strong nuchal ligament that relieves neck muscles by stretching to support some of the weight of the head during grazing or running. In contrast, humans evolved an upright posture, and like many primates, have a reduced nuchal ligament. The goal of this study is to use the nuchal ligament as inspiration for a neck brace that passively supports the weight of the head while still permitting lateral flexion, ventral-dorsal flexion, and rotation. We assembled a prototype using an elastic band, headband, and back posture corrector. Our device augments the human nuchal ligament by using a stiff material and greater mechanical advantage. By our calculations, flexing the head ventrally 40 degrees when wearing the brace reduces the torque applied by neck muscles by 21%. Our device is a proof-of-concept that a bioinspired device can offload neck muscular tension and prevent injury.</p>","PeriodicalId":8250,"journal":{"name":"Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences","volume":"1546 1","pages":"112-119"},"PeriodicalIF":4.1,"publicationDate":"2025-03-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/nyas.15308","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143583017","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"综合性期刊","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Why friendship and loneliness affect our health","authors":"Robin I. M. Dunbar","doi":"10.1111/nyas.15309","DOIUrl":"10.1111/nyas.15309","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Humans, like all monkeys and apes, have an intense desire to be social. The human social world, however, is extraordinarily complex, depends on sophisticated cognitive and neural processing, and is easily destabilized, with dramatic consequences for our mental and physical health. To show why, I first summarize descriptive aspects of human friendships and what they do for us, then discuss the cognitive and neurobiological processes that underpin them. I then summarize the growing body of evidence suggesting that our mental as well as our physical health and wellbeing are best predicted by the number and quality of close friend/family relationships we have, with five being the optimal number. Finally, I review neurobiological evidence that both number of friends and loneliness itself are correlated with the volume of certain key brain regions associated with the default mode neural network and its associated gray-matter processing units.</p>","PeriodicalId":8250,"journal":{"name":"Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences","volume":"1545 1","pages":"52-65"},"PeriodicalIF":4.1,"publicationDate":"2025-03-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/nyas.15309","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143560870","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"综合性期刊","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Johannes Gerb, Sandra Becker-Bense, Doreen Huppert, Konstanze Dunker, Valerie Schöb, Denis Grabova, Karoline Steinmetz, Ralf Strobl, Andreas Zwergal
{"title":"Sex differences in caloric nystagmus intensity: Should reference values be updated?","authors":"Johannes Gerb, Sandra Becker-Bense, Doreen Huppert, Konstanze Dunker, Valerie Schöb, Denis Grabova, Karoline Steinmetz, Ralf Strobl, Andreas Zwergal","doi":"10.1111/nyas.15310","DOIUrl":"10.1111/nyas.15310","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Bithermal caloric irrigation of the horizontal semicircular canals is a key method of neurotological diagnostics, allowing the detection of peripheral vestibular hypofunction in the low-frequency range. Current diagnostic criteria for unilateral vestibulopathy (UVP), bilateral vestibulopathy (BVP), and presbyvestibulopathy (PVP) rely on gender-neutral absolute or relative metrics. Here, we analyzed all bithermal water caloric examinations performed in the German Center for Vertigo and Balance Disorders (DSGZ) between 07/2018 and 01/2024 and calculated the total caloric reactivity (TR). Patient age and sex were collected as covariates. For UVP, BVP, and PVP diagnoses, international diagnostic criteria were applied. In total, 11,332 patients (6219 females, mean age 55.97±17.52 years) were included. Females displayed a higher TR (mean difference: 6.41°/s, <i>p</i><0.001). The frequency of UVP, BVP, and PVP diagnoses based on <i>absolute</i> cut-off values showed a significant male predominance (UVP: <i>n</i> = 1144, 548 females, odd ratio [OR] −0.32, <i>p</i><0.001; BVP: <i>n</i> = 305, 138 females, OR −0.40, <i>p</i><0.001; PVP: <i>n</i> = 813, 378 females, OR −0.37, <i>p</i><0.001). However, the rate of UVP based on <i>relative</i> asymmetries showed no sex differences (<i>n</i> = 2971, 1595 females, OR −0.08, <i>p</i> = 0.06). Diagnostic criteria for UVP, BVP, or PVP, which utilize <i>absolute</i> caloric excitability cut-offs, might need to be updated to address sex-specific differences of caloric excitability.</p>","PeriodicalId":8250,"journal":{"name":"Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences","volume":"1546 1","pages":"136-143"},"PeriodicalIF":4.1,"publicationDate":"2025-03-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/nyas.15310","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143560869","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"综合性期刊","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Jose F. Meneses-Echavez, Lisette Ethel Iglesias-Gonzalez, Andres F. Loaiza-Betancur, Nathaly Chavez Guapo
{"title":"Sedentary behavior and sleep for children and adolescents with obesity: A systematic review","authors":"Jose F. Meneses-Echavez, Lisette Ethel Iglesias-Gonzalez, Andres F. Loaiza-Betancur, Nathaly Chavez Guapo","doi":"10.1111/nyas.15303","DOIUrl":"10.1111/nyas.15303","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Sedentary behavior and inadequate sleep are well-known lifestyle determinants of obesity that are linked to poor health outcomes, including into adulthood. This systematic review aims to synthesize evidence on how sedentary behavior (different durations, frequencies, patterns, or types) and improved sleep and/or sleep hygiene are related to improved health and functioning and reduced obesity-associated disability for the integrated management of obesity. We systematically searched electronic databases and trial registries for randomized trials and prospective cohort studies published between 2012 and 2023. The searches yielded 8990 records, 95 of which were read in full text by independent reviewers. No completed studies met the selection criteria. Only one ongoing study will likely meet the review's selection criteria, but data collection has not yet been completed. The lack of participants with obesity at baseline was the most common exclusion reason (51 studies, 53%), followed by ineligible exposures (12 studies, 12%) like dietary counseling or parenting interventions. As randomized trials and prospective cohort studies concerning sedentary behavior or sleep in children and adolescents have traditionally focused on the primary prevention of obesity, future research should include children and adolescents with obesity and present subgroup analyses for different degrees of obesity and comorbidities.</p>","PeriodicalId":8250,"journal":{"name":"Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences","volume":"1545 1","pages":"66-75"},"PeriodicalIF":4.1,"publicationDate":"2025-03-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/nyas.15303","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143560872","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"综合性期刊","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Anastasiia L. Sivkina, Olga V. Iarovaia, Sergey V. Razin, Sergey V. Ulianov
{"title":"The establishment of the 3D genome structure during zygotic genome activation","authors":"Anastasiia L. Sivkina, Olga V. Iarovaia, Sergey V. Razin, Sergey V. Ulianov","doi":"10.1111/nyas.15304","DOIUrl":"10.1111/nyas.15304","url":null,"abstract":"<p>During zygotic genome activation (ZGA) and early development, hierarchical levels of chromatin structure undergo remarkable perturbations: changes in the nuclear-to-cytoplasmic ratio of various components; changes in chromatin accessibility; histone exchange; and the formation of 3D structures such as loops, topologically associated domains, and compartments. Here, we review the peculiarities, variability, and emergence of the chromatin structural features during ZGA in different organisms. Focusing on newly found structures called <i>fountains</i>, we describe the prerequisites for cohesin loading on DNA and possible mechanisms of genome organization in early development. Fountains resulting from asymmetric bidirectional cohesin extrusion spread from cohesin-loading points in a CTCF-independent manner. We discuss that fountains may not possess specific functions, unlike conventional chromatin structures, and could be found in other biological processes where cohesin loading occurs.</p>","PeriodicalId":8250,"journal":{"name":"Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences","volume":"1545 1","pages":"38-51"},"PeriodicalIF":4.1,"publicationDate":"2025-03-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143532288","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"综合性期刊","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Lan Mai Tran, Aryeh D. Stein, Phuong Hong Nguyen, Melissa F. Young, Usha Ramakrishnan
{"title":"Nurturing care in the first 10 years of life: Results from a Vietnamese longitudinal study","authors":"Lan Mai Tran, Aryeh D. Stein, Phuong Hong Nguyen, Melissa F. Young, Usha Ramakrishnan","doi":"10.1111/nyas.15297","DOIUrl":"10.1111/nyas.15297","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Nurturing care (NC) is essential for children to meet their optimal development potential. However, the various NC dimensions and their patterns from preconception through adolescence have not been comprehensively documented. This study explored five NC dimensions (health, nutrition, safety/security, learning, and relationships) using prospectively collected data from 1040 mother–child dyads in a birth cohort conducted in Vietnam from 2011 to 2023. We described distributions of age-specific variables of the NC dimensions from preconception through ages 2, 6, and 10 years, and generated scaled scores that ranged from 0 to 1. Mean scores varied across dimensions and life stages (range: 0.45–0.83). The scores were 0.1–0.2 points higher among mothers with higher schooling levels. Smaller differences (0.03–0.06 points) in scores were also observed between ethnicities, but no significant difference was observed between boys and girls. We observed positive correlations among most of the five dimensions within each study period (<i>r</i> range: 0.03–0.38). The variation of NC dimensions across different time points indicates a need to measure NC across life stages. Our findings demonstrate important gaps in gaining full achievement in NC from preconception through age 10 years.</p>","PeriodicalId":8250,"journal":{"name":"Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences","volume":"1545 1","pages":"145-156"},"PeriodicalIF":4.1,"publicationDate":"2025-03-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143532417","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"综合性期刊","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Human regulatory systems in the age of abundance: A predictive processing perspective","authors":"Otto Muzik, Vaibhav A. Diwadkar","doi":"10.1111/nyas.15302","DOIUrl":"10.1111/nyas.15302","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Human regulatory systems largely evolved under conditions of food and information scarcity but are now being forced to deal with abundance. The impact of abundance and the inability of human regulatory systems to adapt to it have fed a surge in dual health challenges: (1) a rise in obesity related to food abundance and (2) a rise in stress and anxiety related to information abundance. No single framework has been developed to describe why and how the transition from scarcity to abundance has been so challenging. Here, we provide a speculative model based on predictive processing. We suggest that whereas scarcity (above destructive lower bounds like famine or information voids) preserves the fidelity of the relationship between prediction errors and predictions, abundance distorts this relationship. Furthermore, prediction error minimization is enhanced under scarcity (as the number of competing states in the niche is restricted), whereas the opposite is true under abundance. We also discuss how abundance warps the fundamental drive for seeking novelty by fueling the brain's exploration (as opposed to exploitation) mode. Ameliorative strategies for regulating food and information abundance may largely depend on simulating scarcity, that environmental condition to which human regulatory systems have adapted over millennia.</p>","PeriodicalId":8250,"journal":{"name":"Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences","volume":"1545 1","pages":"16-27"},"PeriodicalIF":4.1,"publicationDate":"2025-02-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143526342","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"综合性期刊","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Julianne Holt-Lunstad, Andrew Scot Proctor, Carla Perissinotto, Angelin Cheng, Thomas K. M. Cudjoe, Ashwin A. Kotwal, Tad Morley
{"title":"Healthcare providers’ perceived importance and barriers to addressing social connection in medical settings","authors":"Julianne Holt-Lunstad, Andrew Scot Proctor, Carla Perissinotto, Angelin Cheng, Thomas K. M. Cudjoe, Ashwin A. Kotwal, Tad Morley","doi":"10.1111/nyas.15295","DOIUrl":"10.1111/nyas.15295","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Despite the well-established significance of indicators of social connection for health and mortality, healthcare providers’ (HCPs) perceptions of the role of social connection in physical health and the extent to which it is considered medically relevant remain unclear. This study examines the perceived importance and barriers to addressing social connection among HCPs in clinical settings. Surveys were completed by 681 HCPs across multiple locations and medical settings. HCPs ranked social connection low in importance among factors known to influence mortality and chronic illness. Furthermore, HCPs report significant barriers to addressing social connection; including lack of time, resources, training, and confidence. The findings have implications for developing educational programs, institutional policies, and structural changes to facilitate the integration of social connection into clinical practices, ultimately improving patient outcomes and overall public health.</p>","PeriodicalId":8250,"journal":{"name":"Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences","volume":"1545 1","pages":"132-144"},"PeriodicalIF":4.1,"publicationDate":"2025-02-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/nyas.15295","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143517896","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"综合性期刊","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Mei Chenghan, Li Wanxin, Zhao Bangcheng, He Yao, Li Qinxi, Zhang Ting, Li Xiaojie, Zhang Kun, Zhang Yingqian, Zhong Zhihui
{"title":"Short-chain fatty acids mediate gut microbiota–brain communication and protect the blood–brain barrier integrity","authors":"Mei Chenghan, Li Wanxin, Zhao Bangcheng, He Yao, Li Qinxi, Zhang Ting, Li Xiaojie, Zhang Kun, Zhang Yingqian, Zhong Zhihui","doi":"10.1111/nyas.15299","DOIUrl":"10.1111/nyas.15299","url":null,"abstract":"<p>The human gut, with a complex community of microbes, is essential for maintaining overall health. This gut microbiota engages in two-way communication with the central nervous system, collectively known as the gut microbiota−brain axis. Alterations in gut microbiota have been associated with various neurological disorders, and disruptions to the blood–brain barrier (BBB) may be crucial, though the exact mechanisms remain unknown. In the current study, we investigated the impacts of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) on the integrity of the BBB, which was compromised by orally administered antibiotics in rhesus monkeys and C57BL/6n mice. Our results showed that SCFA supplementation notably enhanced BBB integrity in rhesus monkeys with gut dysbiosis. Similar outcomes were observed in mice with gut dysbiosis, accompanied by decreased cortical claudin-5 mRNA levels. In particular, propionate, but not acetate or butyrate, could reverse the antibiotic-induced BBB permeability increase in mice. Additionally, in vitro studies demonstrated that propionate boosted the expression of tight junction proteins in brain endothelial cells. These results suggest that the propionate can maintain BBB integrity through a free fatty acid receptor 2–dependent mechanism. This study offers new insights into the gut−brain axis and underscores potential therapeutic targets for interventions based on gut microbiota.</p>","PeriodicalId":8250,"journal":{"name":"Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences","volume":"1545 1","pages":"116-131"},"PeriodicalIF":4.1,"publicationDate":"2025-02-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143486173","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"综合性期刊","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}