1.Effects of childhood trauma on resting blood pressure, heart rate, and heart rate variability in patients with depression
Kuaikuai LIU ; Fanfan HUANG ; Lulu YU ; Meina BAI ; Wenting LU ; Bufan LIU ; Tianyu ZHAO ; Ruojia REN ; Yuanyuan GAO ; Haoran ZHANG ; Xueyi WANG
Chinese Journal of Psychiatry 2025;58(9):681-689
Objective:To explore the effects of childhood trauma on resting blood pressure, heart rate, and heart rate variability in patients with depression.Methods:A cross-sectional study was designed to prospectively collect clinical data on a total of 163 patients with depression, including 47 males and 116 females, aged 18-50 years,with mean[ M( Q1, Q3)] [29.0, (21.0, 37.0)]years, who were either the outpatients or the inpatients in the Mental Health Center of the First Hospital of Hebei Medical University from September 2022 to June 2024. The Childhood Trauma Questionnaire-Short form (CTQ-SF) was used to assess the experience of abuse and neglect during childhood. According to the CTQ-SF score, the subjects were divided into a trauma group ( n=80) and a non-trauma group ( n=83). The 17-item Hamilton Depression Scale (HAMD 17) and Hamilton Anxiety Scale (HAMA) were used to assess depressive and anxiety symptoms in the participants, respectively. A digital blood pressure monitor and an autonomic nervous system response detector were employed to measure resting blood pressure, heart rate, and heart rate variability (HRV). Spearman correlation analysis was used to examine the relationships between childhood trauma and resting blood pressure, heart rate, and HRV. Multiple linear regression analysis was performed to analyze factors influencing these parameters. The Bootstrap method was employed to test the potential mediating role of parasympathetic nervous system activity in the relationships between childhood trauma and resting blood pressure, and heart rate. Results:No significant difference was observed in resting heart rate between the trauma and non-trauma groups ( P>0.05). However, the trauma group exhibited higher resting systolic and diastolic blood pressure [(123.3±9.1) mmHg (1 mmHg=0.133 kPa) vs(116.9±10.8) mmHg, (80.0±8.6) mmHg vs (77.0±8.0) mmHg; Z=4.08, 2.24, all P<0.05]. HRV indices, including the standard deviation of normal to normal interval (SDNN), root mean square of successive differences (RMSSD), total power (TP), low frequency (LF), and high frequency (HF), were significantly lower in the trauma group [25.3 (19.4, 30.4) me vs 36.3 (27.4, 49.0) ms, 18.3 (12.9, 27.2) me vs 26.2 (19.0, 38.5) ms, 6.0(5.4, 6.5)ms 2vs 7.0(6.3, 7.4)ms 2,4.4(3.7,5.3)ms 2vs 5.8(4.9,6.3)ms 2, 4.2(3.4, 5.2)ms 2vs 5.2(4.6, 6.1)ms 2, respectively; all P<0.001]. Spearman correlation analysis showed that childhood trauma experiences in patients with depression were positively correlated with resting systolic blood pressure and diastolic blood pressure ( r=0.309, 0.236; P<0.01), childhood trauma was negatively correlated with HRV (SDNN, RMSSD, TP, LF, HF) ( r=-0.264, -0.274, -0.271, -0.235, -0.279; all P<0.01). Multiple linear regression analysis showed that childhood trauma was positively correlated with resting-state systolic blood pressure and resting-state diastolic blood pressure ( β=0.305, 0.291; all P<0.001). Childhood trauma was negatively correlated with RMSSD, TP, LF, and HF( β=-0.244, -0.249, -0.233, -0.263; all P<0.01). Mediation effect analysis showed that parasympathetic activity partially mediated the relationship between childhood trauma and resting systolic blood pressure (effect size 0.04, standard error 0.02, 95% CI=0.01-0.09), accounting for 14.29% (0.04/0.28) of the total effect. Conclusion:Childhood trauma experiences are associated with elevated resting blood pressure and reduced HRV in patients with depression. Decreased parasympathetic activity partially mediates the relationship between childhood trauma and elevated resting systolic blood pressure in these patients.
2.The effects of deep Theta burst stimulation applied to the bilateral dorsolateral prefrontal cortex on depressive symptoms and executive functions in patients with depression
Haoran ZHANG ; Lulu YU ; Ruojia REN ; Wenting LU ; Xueyi WANG ; Ning LI
Chinese Journal of Psychiatry 2025;58(9):701-709
Objective:To explore the effects of the deep Theta burst stimulation (dTBS) applied to the bilateral dorsolateral prefrontal cortex on depressive symptoms and executive functions in patients with depression.Methods:The clinical data of a total of 98 patients with depression who were outpatients and inpatients in the Mental Health Center of the First Hospital of Hebei Medical University from June 2023 to October 2024 were prospectively collected, including 37 males and 61 females, aged 18-65 (37.4±13.3) years. Patients were randomly assigned to one of three groups: an active dTBS+drug therapy group (active stimulation group, n=33), a sham dTBS+drug therapy group (sham stimulation group, n=32), and a drug therapy group ( n=33). A shielding cover was added over the sham dTBS coil to increase the distance between the coil and the cortical surface, thereby achieving the sham stimulation effect. During each treatment, both active and sham dTBS were first applied by 1, 200 pulses of intermittent dTBS (diTBS) to the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, followed by 600 pulses of continuous dTBS (dcTBS) to the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. Before treatment and two weeks after treatment, the Hamilton Anxiety Scale (HAMA) and 17-Item Hamilton Depression Scale (HAMD 17) were used to evaluate patients′ depression and anxiety, and the Symbol Digit Coding Test of the Chinese Brief Cognitive Test (C-BCT) was used to assess the executive functions. The 32-item Hypomania Checklist (HCL-32) as well as the Mood Disorder Questionnaire (MDQ) were used to evaluate the risk of treatment-emergent mania. The primary outcomes included reduction rate in HAMD 17 and HAMA scores, as well as changes in the Symbol Digit Coding Test of the C-BCT. Secondary outcomes encompassed HAMD 17 treatment response rate, adverse events, and the risk of treatment-emergent mania. The differences in efficacy between the three groups were compared using one-way ANOVA and LSD post-hoc analysis (reduction rate in HAMD 17 scores, reduction rate in HAMA scores, and changes in the Symbol Digit Coding Test of the C-BCT). Results:At the end of the 2nd week of the treatment, the HAMD 17 reduction rate in the active stimulation group was higher than the sham stimulation group and the drug therapy group, with a significant difference (59.4 (46.9, 80.2) % vs 47.6 (31.2, 58.3) %, H=18.95, P=0.006; 59.4 (46.9, 80.2) % vs 35.5 (20.0, 50.0) %, H=31.10, P<0.001). The HAMA reduction rate in the active stimulation group and the sham stimulation group were higher than the drug therapy group, with a significant difference (52.6 (43.5, 65.7) % vs 2.1 (21.1, 58.8) %, H=21.31, P=0.002; 52.9 (41.7, 62.5) % vs 32.1 (21.1, 58.8) %, H=14.4, P=0.037). The changes in the symbol digit coding test of the C-BCT in the active stimulation group were significantly higher than the sham stimulation group and the drug therapy group (6.3±2.1 scores vs 2.9±3.2 scores, F=5.02, P=0.011; 6.3±2.1 scores vs 2.8±3.1 scores, F=5.02, P=0.009). The incidence rate of adverse events in the active stimulation group was 12.1% (4/33) and 3.1% (1/32) in the sham stimulation group, and there was no significant difference in the incidence of adverse events between the two groups (χ 2=0.17, P=0.355). Conclusion:Bilateral dTBS stimulation of the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex combined with drug therapy can improve depressive symptoms and executive functions, such as information processing speed, attention and working memory.
3.Effects of childhood trauma on resting blood pressure, heart rate, and heart rate variability in patients with depression
Kuaikuai LIU ; Fanfan HUANG ; Lulu YU ; Meina BAI ; Wenting LU ; Bufan LIU ; Tianyu ZHAO ; Ruojia REN ; Yuanyuan GAO ; Haoran ZHANG ; Xueyi WANG
Chinese Journal of Psychiatry 2025;58(9):681-689
Objective:To explore the effects of childhood trauma on resting blood pressure, heart rate, and heart rate variability in patients with depression.Methods:A cross-sectional study was designed to prospectively collect clinical data on a total of 163 patients with depression, including 47 males and 116 females, aged 18-50 years,with mean[ M( Q1, Q3)] [29.0, (21.0, 37.0)]years, who were either the outpatients or the inpatients in the Mental Health Center of the First Hospital of Hebei Medical University from September 2022 to June 2024. The Childhood Trauma Questionnaire-Short form (CTQ-SF) was used to assess the experience of abuse and neglect during childhood. According to the CTQ-SF score, the subjects were divided into a trauma group ( n=80) and a non-trauma group ( n=83). The 17-item Hamilton Depression Scale (HAMD 17) and Hamilton Anxiety Scale (HAMA) were used to assess depressive and anxiety symptoms in the participants, respectively. A digital blood pressure monitor and an autonomic nervous system response detector were employed to measure resting blood pressure, heart rate, and heart rate variability (HRV). Spearman correlation analysis was used to examine the relationships between childhood trauma and resting blood pressure, heart rate, and HRV. Multiple linear regression analysis was performed to analyze factors influencing these parameters. The Bootstrap method was employed to test the potential mediating role of parasympathetic nervous system activity in the relationships between childhood trauma and resting blood pressure, and heart rate. Results:No significant difference was observed in resting heart rate between the trauma and non-trauma groups ( P>0.05). However, the trauma group exhibited higher resting systolic and diastolic blood pressure [(123.3±9.1) mmHg (1 mmHg=0.133 kPa) vs(116.9±10.8) mmHg, (80.0±8.6) mmHg vs (77.0±8.0) mmHg; Z=4.08, 2.24, all P<0.05]. HRV indices, including the standard deviation of normal to normal interval (SDNN), root mean square of successive differences (RMSSD), total power (TP), low frequency (LF), and high frequency (HF), were significantly lower in the trauma group [25.3 (19.4, 30.4) me vs 36.3 (27.4, 49.0) ms, 18.3 (12.9, 27.2) me vs 26.2 (19.0, 38.5) ms, 6.0(5.4, 6.5)ms 2vs 7.0(6.3, 7.4)ms 2,4.4(3.7,5.3)ms 2vs 5.8(4.9,6.3)ms 2, 4.2(3.4, 5.2)ms 2vs 5.2(4.6, 6.1)ms 2, respectively; all P<0.001]. Spearman correlation analysis showed that childhood trauma experiences in patients with depression were positively correlated with resting systolic blood pressure and diastolic blood pressure ( r=0.309, 0.236; P<0.01), childhood trauma was negatively correlated with HRV (SDNN, RMSSD, TP, LF, HF) ( r=-0.264, -0.274, -0.271, -0.235, -0.279; all P<0.01). Multiple linear regression analysis showed that childhood trauma was positively correlated with resting-state systolic blood pressure and resting-state diastolic blood pressure ( β=0.305, 0.291; all P<0.001). Childhood trauma was negatively correlated with RMSSD, TP, LF, and HF( β=-0.244, -0.249, -0.233, -0.263; all P<0.01). Mediation effect analysis showed that parasympathetic activity partially mediated the relationship between childhood trauma and resting systolic blood pressure (effect size 0.04, standard error 0.02, 95% CI=0.01-0.09), accounting for 14.29% (0.04/0.28) of the total effect. Conclusion:Childhood trauma experiences are associated with elevated resting blood pressure and reduced HRV in patients with depression. Decreased parasympathetic activity partially mediates the relationship between childhood trauma and elevated resting systolic blood pressure in these patients.
4.The effects of deep Theta burst stimulation applied to the bilateral dorsolateral prefrontal cortex on depressive symptoms and executive functions in patients with depression
Haoran ZHANG ; Lulu YU ; Ruojia REN ; Wenting LU ; Xueyi WANG ; Ning LI
Chinese Journal of Psychiatry 2025;58(9):701-709
Objective:To explore the effects of the deep Theta burst stimulation (dTBS) applied to the bilateral dorsolateral prefrontal cortex on depressive symptoms and executive functions in patients with depression.Methods:The clinical data of a total of 98 patients with depression who were outpatients and inpatients in the Mental Health Center of the First Hospital of Hebei Medical University from June 2023 to October 2024 were prospectively collected, including 37 males and 61 females, aged 18-65 (37.4±13.3) years. Patients were randomly assigned to one of three groups: an active dTBS+drug therapy group (active stimulation group, n=33), a sham dTBS+drug therapy group (sham stimulation group, n=32), and a drug therapy group ( n=33). A shielding cover was added over the sham dTBS coil to increase the distance between the coil and the cortical surface, thereby achieving the sham stimulation effect. During each treatment, both active and sham dTBS were first applied by 1, 200 pulses of intermittent dTBS (diTBS) to the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, followed by 600 pulses of continuous dTBS (dcTBS) to the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. Before treatment and two weeks after treatment, the Hamilton Anxiety Scale (HAMA) and 17-Item Hamilton Depression Scale (HAMD 17) were used to evaluate patients′ depression and anxiety, and the Symbol Digit Coding Test of the Chinese Brief Cognitive Test (C-BCT) was used to assess the executive functions. The 32-item Hypomania Checklist (HCL-32) as well as the Mood Disorder Questionnaire (MDQ) were used to evaluate the risk of treatment-emergent mania. The primary outcomes included reduction rate in HAMD 17 and HAMA scores, as well as changes in the Symbol Digit Coding Test of the C-BCT. Secondary outcomes encompassed HAMD 17 treatment response rate, adverse events, and the risk of treatment-emergent mania. The differences in efficacy between the three groups were compared using one-way ANOVA and LSD post-hoc analysis (reduction rate in HAMD 17 scores, reduction rate in HAMA scores, and changes in the Symbol Digit Coding Test of the C-BCT). Results:At the end of the 2nd week of the treatment, the HAMD 17 reduction rate in the active stimulation group was higher than the sham stimulation group and the drug therapy group, with a significant difference (59.4 (46.9, 80.2) % vs 47.6 (31.2, 58.3) %, H=18.95, P=0.006; 59.4 (46.9, 80.2) % vs 35.5 (20.0, 50.0) %, H=31.10, P<0.001). The HAMA reduction rate in the active stimulation group and the sham stimulation group were higher than the drug therapy group, with a significant difference (52.6 (43.5, 65.7) % vs 2.1 (21.1, 58.8) %, H=21.31, P=0.002; 52.9 (41.7, 62.5) % vs 32.1 (21.1, 58.8) %, H=14.4, P=0.037). The changes in the symbol digit coding test of the C-BCT in the active stimulation group were significantly higher than the sham stimulation group and the drug therapy group (6.3±2.1 scores vs 2.9±3.2 scores, F=5.02, P=0.011; 6.3±2.1 scores vs 2.8±3.1 scores, F=5.02, P=0.009). The incidence rate of adverse events in the active stimulation group was 12.1% (4/33) and 3.1% (1/32) in the sham stimulation group, and there was no significant difference in the incidence of adverse events between the two groups (χ 2=0.17, P=0.355). Conclusion:Bilateral dTBS stimulation of the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex combined with drug therapy can improve depressive symptoms and executive functions, such as information processing speed, attention and working memory.
5.Preliminary study on remote treatment of relapse in alcohol dependent patients by the alcoholics anonymous
Enhua YONG ; Zhiling SONG ; Wenting LU ; Ruojia REN ; Lan WANG ; Na LI ; Junfeng ZHANG ; Tanyu YANG ; Xueyi WANG
Chinese Journal of Nervous and Mental Diseases 2024;50(11):655-660
Objective To explore the impact of alcoholics anonymous (AA) online video conferences on relapse among alcohol dependent patients. Method Alcohol dependent patients who were hospitalized and discharged from the Mental Health Center of the First Hospital of Hebei Medical University from March 2020 to March 2022 were randomly divided into the AA group and the non AA group. The AA group underwent a 12-month remote AA treatment,participating in an AA online video conference once a week. The non-AA group did not receive any intervention. At baseline,the general condition of the subjects,such as alcohol consumption and addiction duration,as well as the severity of anxiety and depression symptoms,were evaluated. At 12 months after enrollment,clinicians communicated and assessed the subjects and their families via telephone or WeChat. The assessments included changes in anxiety and depression among the subjects,relapse into drinking,duration of abstinence after discharge,and other relevant factors. Result Eighty subjects were included,including 32 in the AA group and 48 in the non AA group. After intervention,the proportion of the AA group patients who resumed drinking was lower than that of the non AA group (68.8% vs. 93.8%,P<0.01). The median duration of abstinence in the AA group was 7.5 (3.0,12.0) months,while the median duration of abstinence in the non AA group was 1.0 (0.3,5.0) months,with a significant difference (P<0.01). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that the risk of relapse in the non AA group was 14.85 times higher than that in the AA group (OR=14.85,95%CI:2.33-94.57). Conclusion Online videos for AA in quitting alcohol are convenient and easy to implement for alcohol dependent patients. This remote treatment can significantly prolong the duration of abstinence among alcohol dependent patients.
6.Preliminary study on remote treatment of relapse in alcohol dependent patients by the alcoholics anonymous
Enhua YONG ; Zhiling SONG ; Wenting LU ; Ruojia REN ; Lan WANG ; Na LI ; Junfeng ZHANG ; Tanyu YANG ; Xueyi WANG
Chinese Journal of Nervous and Mental Diseases 2024;50(11):655-660
Objective To explore the impact of alcoholics anonymous (AA) online video conferences on relapse among alcohol dependent patients. Method Alcohol dependent patients who were hospitalized and discharged from the Mental Health Center of the First Hospital of Hebei Medical University from March 2020 to March 2022 were randomly divided into the AA group and the non AA group. The AA group underwent a 12-month remote AA treatment,participating in an AA online video conference once a week. The non-AA group did not receive any intervention. At baseline,the general condition of the subjects,such as alcohol consumption and addiction duration,as well as the severity of anxiety and depression symptoms,were evaluated. At 12 months after enrollment,clinicians communicated and assessed the subjects and their families via telephone or WeChat. The assessments included changes in anxiety and depression among the subjects,relapse into drinking,duration of abstinence after discharge,and other relevant factors. Result Eighty subjects were included,including 32 in the AA group and 48 in the non AA group. After intervention,the proportion of the AA group patients who resumed drinking was lower than that of the non AA group (68.8% vs. 93.8%,P<0.01). The median duration of abstinence in the AA group was 7.5 (3.0,12.0) months,while the median duration of abstinence in the non AA group was 1.0 (0.3,5.0) months,with a significant difference (P<0.01). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that the risk of relapse in the non AA group was 14.85 times higher than that in the AA group (OR=14.85,95%CI:2.33-94.57). Conclusion Online videos for AA in quitting alcohol are convenient and easy to implement for alcohol dependent patients. This remote treatment can significantly prolong the duration of abstinence among alcohol dependent patients.
7.TXNDC5-Prx2 axis regulates drug resistance of prostate cancer cells
Yongli ZHANG ; Ruojia ZHANG ; Huancai FAN ; Luna GE ; Lin WANG
Journal of International Oncology 2021;48(8):473-478
Objective:To study the effect of thioredoxin domain containing protein 5 (TXNDC5)-peroxiredoxin 2 (Prx2) on the drug resistance of prostate cancer cells.Methods:Prostate cancer PC3 cells were cultured in vitro, treated with the chemotherapy drug cyclophosphamide (5, 10, 15 μmol/L) for 24 hours, and PC3 cells without any treatment was served as the control group. The expression levels of TXNDC5 in PC3 cells were detected by real-time fluorescent quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) and Western blotting. PC3 cells with TXNDC5 knocking down were exposed by cyclophosphamide and CCK-8 was used to detect the cell viability of siTXNDC5 group and siNC group. The content of reactive oxygen free radicals was determined by reactive oxygen detection kit. PC3 cells and its parental cyclophosphamide-resistant ones with TXNDC5 knocking down were treated by 10 μmol/L cyclophosphamide and subjected for CCK8 assay. The expression of Prx2 in PC3 cells was detected by Western blotting after TXNDC5 was silenced. Prx2 expression was silenced in PC3 cells overexpressing TXNDC5, and cell viability and reactive oxygen free radical content were detected in Vec-Ctrl group, pcTXNDC5 group, siNC group, siPrx2 group and pcTXNDC5+ siPrx2 group. Results:Compared with the control group, cyclophosphamide treatment significantly increased the expression of TXNDC5 at mRNA and protein levels in PC3 cells. After PC3 cells were treated with cyclophosphamide (10, 15 μmol/L) for 12 h, compared with the siNC group, the cell viability in the siTXNDC5 group was significantly suppressed (0.44±0.08 vs. 0.74±0.10, t=3.647, P=0.031; 0.30±0.04 vs. 0.53±0.06, t=6.115, P=0.006). When PC3 cells were treated with 10 μmol/L cyclophosphamide for 6 and 12 h, compared with the siNC group, the production of reactive oxygen free radicals in the siTXNDC5 group was significantly increased (2.68±0.19 vs. 1.58±0.26, t=-6.027, P=0.005; 4.56±0.37 vs. 2.73±0.26, t=-6.995, P=0.003). When PC3 cells and its cyclophosphamide-resistant ones were treated with 10 μmol/L cyclophosphamide for 12 h, compared with the siNC group, the cell viability was significantly inhibited in the siTXNDC5 group. Western blotting analysis showed that the expression of Prx2 was significantly reduced when TXNDC5 was silenced. Silencing Prx2 could significantly attenuate the increase of cell viability and the decrease of reactive oxygen content resulting from TXNDC5 overexpression. PC3 cells were treated with 10 μmol/L cyclophosphamide for 12 h, and the cell viabilities of the Vec-Ctrl group, pcTXNDC5 group, siNC group, siPrx2 group and pcTXNDC5+ siPrx2 group were 0.52±0.07, 0.69±0.03, 0.56±0.05, 0.43±0.05, 0.58±0.07, respectively, and there was a statistically significant difference ( F=8.868, P=0.003). Furthermore, the cell viability in the pcTXNDC5+ siPrx2 group decreased significantly when compared to that of the pcTXNDC5 group ( P=0.045). The contents of reactive oxygen free radicals in the above 5 groups were 3.26±0.46, 2.09±0.49, 3.16±0.38, 4.62±0.26, 2.87±0.36, respectively, and there was a statistically significant difference ( F=16.037, P<0.001). The content of reactive oxygen radicals in the pcTXNDC5+ siPrx2 group was higher than that of the pcTXNDC5 group ( P=0.036). Conclusion:TXNDC5 can reduce the level of reactive oxygen free radicals in prostate cancer cells by regulating the expression of Prx2, so as to promote the drug resistance of prostate cancer cells.

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