Objectives: Smoking causes 8 million deaths annually and significant socioeconomic burdens. Despite several therapies, cessation rates remain low due to nicotine’s addictive properties and withdrawal symptoms. This study evaluates the efficacy of transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation (taVNS) in reducing nicotine dependence and improving psychological states. Methods: This pilot study enrolled 23 adult smokers aged 19 to 65 years with the Fagerström Test for Nicotine Dependence (FTND) scores over 4 and daily cigarette consumption exceeding 10. Participants were randomized into treatment and control groups. The treatment group received personalized taVNS stimulation targeting the auricular branch of the vagus nerve, applied for 30 minutes, three times daily, for four weeks. The control group received a low-level fixed-current stimulation. Outcomes, including the FTND, cigarettes per day (CPD), the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7), and the Insomnia Severity Index (ISI), were assessed at baseline, 2 weeks, and 4 weeks. Statistical analyses included the Mann–Whitney U-test and Wilcoxon signed-rank test. Results: The treatment group showed significant reductions in the FTND (2.0 points at 2 weeks, p<0.05; 3.0 points at 4 weeks, p<0.05) and CPD (1.0 fewer cigarette at 2 weeks, p<0.05; 2.0 fewer cigarettes at 4 weeks, p<0.05). Additionally, the PHQ-9 scores decreased significantly in the treatment group (3.0 points at 2 weeks, p<0.05; no further improvement at 4 weeks). However, the GAD-7 and the ISI scores showed no statistically significant changes in either group. The control group exhibited slight improvements in the FTND and the CPD, possibly due to placebo effects or motivation induced by study participation. Conclusions This study highlights taVNS as a promising non-invasive treatment for smoking cessation, effective in reducing nicotine dependence and improving depressive symptoms. However, its effects on anxiety and sleep quality remain unclear. Larger studies are needed to confirm its efficacy and explore optimal parameters and underlying mechanisms.

Late life depression (LLD) is common and characterized by specific cognitive decline, numerous comorbidies accompanied by consideration of polypharmacy, and heavy disability. Distinct structural and functional changes observed in neuroimaging lead to neurobehavioral symptoms in this population. Dysfunction of the default mode network, cognitive control network, anterior salience network, and positive valence system circuits brings about negative self-referential rumination, executive function problem, troubles in attention, and reward processing deficit. Due to frequent cognitive impairment in LLD and strong association between Alzheimer’s dementia (AD) and depressive symptoms, discrete elaboration is difficult. There are various linkages between LLD and AD in pathophysiologies including neuroinflammation, vascular disease, and neurodegeneration. These etiological hypotheses are supported by clinical manifestations, cognitive measurements, neuroimage and related molecular findings. Therefore, LLD is thought to be a risk factor for AD which should be managed. However, other perspectives on LLD suggest it as a prodromal manifestation of AD or as prognostic factor to predict disease progression. Consistent research with eligible criteria with homogenous diagnosis, cognitive and symptom measurement, and long-term follow-up studies would be needed to better understand the relationship between LLD and AD.

Objectives: Smoking causes 8 million deaths annually and significant socioeconomic burdens. Despite several therapies, cessation rates remain low due to nicotine’s addictive properties and withdrawal symptoms. This study evaluates the efficacy of transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation (taVNS) in reducing nicotine dependence and improving psychological states. Methods: This pilot study enrolled 23 adult smokers aged 19 to 65 years with the Fagerström Test for Nicotine Dependence (FTND) scores over 4 and daily cigarette consumption exceeding 10. Participants were randomized into treatment and control groups. The treatment group received personalized taVNS stimulation targeting the auricular branch of the vagus nerve, applied for 30 minutes, three times daily, for four weeks. The control group received a low-level fixed-current stimulation. Outcomes, including the FTND, cigarettes per day (CPD), the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7), and the Insomnia Severity Index (ISI), were assessed at baseline, 2 weeks, and 4 weeks. Statistical analyses included the Mann–Whitney U-test and Wilcoxon signed-rank test. Results: The treatment group showed significant reductions in the FTND (2.0 points at 2 weeks, p<0.05; 3.0 points at 4 weeks, p<0.05) and CPD (1.0 fewer cigarette at 2 weeks, p<0.05; 2.0 fewer cigarettes at 4 weeks, p<0.05). Additionally, the PHQ-9 scores decreased significantly in the treatment group (3.0 points at 2 weeks, p<0.05; no further improvement at 4 weeks). However, the GAD-7 and the ISI scores showed no statistically significant changes in either group. The control group exhibited slight improvements in the FTND and the CPD, possibly due to placebo effects or motivation induced by study participation. Conclusions This study highlights taVNS as a promising non-invasive treatment for smoking cessation, effective in reducing nicotine dependence and improving depressive symptoms. However, its effects on anxiety and sleep quality remain unclear. Larger studies are needed to confirm its efficacy and explore optimal parameters and underlying mechanisms.

Late life depression (LLD) is common and characterized by specific cognitive decline, numerous comorbidies accompanied by consideration of polypharmacy, and heavy disability. Distinct structural and functional changes observed in neuroimaging lead to neurobehavioral symptoms in this population. Dysfunction of the default mode network, cognitive control network, anterior salience network, and positive valence system circuits brings about negative self-referential rumination, executive function problem, troubles in attention, and reward processing deficit. Due to frequent cognitive impairment in LLD and strong association between Alzheimer’s dementia (AD) and depressive symptoms, discrete elaboration is difficult. There are various linkages between LLD and AD in pathophysiologies including neuroinflammation, vascular disease, and neurodegeneration. These etiological hypotheses are supported by clinical manifestations, cognitive measurements, neuroimage and related molecular findings. Therefore, LLD is thought to be a risk factor for AD which should be managed. However, other perspectives on LLD suggest it as a prodromal manifestation of AD or as prognostic factor to predict disease progression. Consistent research with eligible criteria with homogenous diagnosis, cognitive and symptom measurement, and long-term follow-up studies would be needed to better understand the relationship between LLD and AD.

Objectives: Smoking causes 8 million deaths annually and significant socioeconomic burdens. Despite several therapies, cessation rates remain low due to nicotine’s addictive properties and withdrawal symptoms. This study evaluates the efficacy of transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation (taVNS) in reducing nicotine dependence and improving psychological states. Methods: This pilot study enrolled 23 adult smokers aged 19 to 65 years with the Fagerström Test for Nicotine Dependence (FTND) scores over 4 and daily cigarette consumption exceeding 10. Participants were randomized into treatment and control groups. The treatment group received personalized taVNS stimulation targeting the auricular branch of the vagus nerve, applied for 30 minutes, three times daily, for four weeks. The control group received a low-level fixed-current stimulation. Outcomes, including the FTND, cigarettes per day (CPD), the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7), and the Insomnia Severity Index (ISI), were assessed at baseline, 2 weeks, and 4 weeks. Statistical analyses included the Mann–Whitney U-test and Wilcoxon signed-rank test. Results: The treatment group showed significant reductions in the FTND (2.0 points at 2 weeks, p<0.05; 3.0 points at 4 weeks, p<0.05) and CPD (1.0 fewer cigarette at 2 weeks, p<0.05; 2.0 fewer cigarettes at 4 weeks, p<0.05). Additionally, the PHQ-9 scores decreased significantly in the treatment group (3.0 points at 2 weeks, p<0.05; no further improvement at 4 weeks). However, the GAD-7 and the ISI scores showed no statistically significant changes in either group. The control group exhibited slight improvements in the FTND and the CPD, possibly due to placebo effects or motivation induced by study participation. Conclusions This study highlights taVNS as a promising non-invasive treatment for smoking cessation, effective in reducing nicotine dependence and improving depressive symptoms. However, its effects on anxiety and sleep quality remain unclear. Larger studies are needed to confirm its efficacy and explore optimal parameters and underlying mechanisms.

Late life depression (LLD) is common and characterized by specific cognitive decline, numerous comorbidies accompanied by consideration of polypharmacy, and heavy disability. Distinct structural and functional changes observed in neuroimaging lead to neurobehavioral symptoms in this population. Dysfunction of the default mode network, cognitive control network, anterior salience network, and positive valence system circuits brings about negative self-referential rumination, executive function problem, troubles in attention, and reward processing deficit. Due to frequent cognitive impairment in LLD and strong association between Alzheimer’s dementia (AD) and depressive symptoms, discrete elaboration is difficult. There are various linkages between LLD and AD in pathophysiologies including neuroinflammation, vascular disease, and neurodegeneration. These etiological hypotheses are supported by clinical manifestations, cognitive measurements, neuroimage and related molecular findings. Therefore, LLD is thought to be a risk factor for AD which should be managed. However, other perspectives on LLD suggest it as a prodromal manifestation of AD or as prognostic factor to predict disease progression. Consistent research with eligible criteria with homogenous diagnosis, cognitive and symptom measurement, and long-term follow-up studies would be needed to better understand the relationship between LLD and AD.

Objectives: Smoking causes 8 million deaths annually and significant socioeconomic burdens. Despite several therapies, cessation rates remain low due to nicotine’s addictive properties and withdrawal symptoms. This study evaluates the efficacy of transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation (taVNS) in reducing nicotine dependence and improving psychological states. Methods: This pilot study enrolled 23 adult smokers aged 19 to 65 years with the Fagerström Test for Nicotine Dependence (FTND) scores over 4 and daily cigarette consumption exceeding 10. Participants were randomized into treatment and control groups. The treatment group received personalized taVNS stimulation targeting the auricular branch of the vagus nerve, applied for 30 minutes, three times daily, for four weeks. The control group received a low-level fixed-current stimulation. Outcomes, including the FTND, cigarettes per day (CPD), the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7), and the Insomnia Severity Index (ISI), were assessed at baseline, 2 weeks, and 4 weeks. Statistical analyses included the Mann–Whitney U-test and Wilcoxon signed-rank test. Results: The treatment group showed significant reductions in the FTND (2.0 points at 2 weeks, p<0.05; 3.0 points at 4 weeks, p<0.05) and CPD (1.0 fewer cigarette at 2 weeks, p<0.05; 2.0 fewer cigarettes at 4 weeks, p<0.05). Additionally, the PHQ-9 scores decreased significantly in the treatment group (3.0 points at 2 weeks, p<0.05; no further improvement at 4 weeks). However, the GAD-7 and the ISI scores showed no statistically significant changes in either group. The control group exhibited slight improvements in the FTND and the CPD, possibly due to placebo effects or motivation induced by study participation. Conclusions This study highlights taVNS as a promising non-invasive treatment for smoking cessation, effective in reducing nicotine dependence and improving depressive symptoms. However, its effects on anxiety and sleep quality remain unclear. Larger studies are needed to confirm its efficacy and explore optimal parameters and underlying mechanisms.

Late life depression (LLD) is common and characterized by specific cognitive decline, numerous comorbidies accompanied by consideration of polypharmacy, and heavy disability. Distinct structural and functional changes observed in neuroimaging lead to neurobehavioral symptoms in this population. Dysfunction of the default mode network, cognitive control network, anterior salience network, and positive valence system circuits brings about negative self-referential rumination, executive function problem, troubles in attention, and reward processing deficit. Due to frequent cognitive impairment in LLD and strong association between Alzheimer’s dementia (AD) and depressive symptoms, discrete elaboration is difficult. There are various linkages between LLD and AD in pathophysiologies including neuroinflammation, vascular disease, and neurodegeneration. These etiological hypotheses are supported by clinical manifestations, cognitive measurements, neuroimage and related molecular findings. Therefore, LLD is thought to be a risk factor for AD which should be managed. However, other perspectives on LLD suggest it as a prodromal manifestation of AD or as prognostic factor to predict disease progression. Consistent research with eligible criteria with homogenous diagnosis, cognitive and symptom measurement, and long-term follow-up studies would be needed to better understand the relationship between LLD and AD.

Objectives: This study was designed to investigate whether there was a relationship between smoking and generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) in a Korean adult group. Methods: This study was based on the data from eighth Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES). The subjects were 5,273 adults aged 19 years or older. Smoking group was classified into non-smoker, exsmoker, and current smoker. GAD was defined as above 10 points of GAD-7. The correlation between smoking and GAD was examined using complex sample design after adjusting confounders. Results: For male, smoking did not have a significant effect on GAD, but for female, current smokers were significantly more likely to have GAD than non-smokers (odds ratio=2.33, p=0.012). Conclusions The association between smoking and GAD was found only in female. The result means that a differentiated approach is needed for female and male in the management of smokers and patients with GAD.

Objectives: The aim of this study is to identify the prevalence of parasuicide and deliberate suicide attempts in the general population of Korea, as well as their associations with sociodemographic risk factors and mental disorders. Methods: This study utilized data from the 2021 National Mental Health Survey of Korea. The survey was conducted between June and August 2021, involving 5,511 respondents aged 18 to 79 years living in communities. The Korean version of the Composite International Diagnostic Interview (K-CIDI) was used as the survey instrument. Logistic regression analysis was employed for statistical analysis. Results: The prevalence of parasuicide was 1.1%, and that of deliberate suicide attempts was 0.9%. The risk of parasuicide increased among younger age, while no significant associations with other sociodemographic factors were found.The risk of deliberate suicide attempts was associated with being divorced, separated or widowed and low income. Both parasuicide and deliberate suicide attempts were associated with depressive disorders, anxiety disorders, alcohol use disorders and nicotine use disorders. Conclusions The sociodemographic risk factors of parasuicide and deliberate suicide attempts are distinct. This study provides valuable insights into the mental disorder-related traits associated with parasuicide and deliberate suicide attempts, which could be useful in developing future suicide prevention programs.