AIM:To investigate the therapeutic effects of chrysin on nonalcoholic steatohepatitis(NASH).METHODS:Eight-week-old male C57BL/6 mice were randomly divided into control group,model group,and chrysin group.The mice in control group were fed with normal diet,and those in model and chrysin groups were fed with methio-nine-and choline-deficient(MCD)diet.After 5 weeks of adaptation,the mice in chrysin group received chrysin treatment(20 mg/kg)by continuous lavage for 6 weeks,while those in control and model groups were given equal volume of saline.During the experiment,the health condition of the mice was monitored.Liver morphology was examined after the mice were sacrificed.Serum triglyceride(TG),total cholesterol(TC),low-density lipoprotein cholesterol(LDL-C),high-den-sity lipoprotein cholesterol(HDL-C),alanine aminotransferase(ALT)and aspartate aminotransferase(AST)levels were measured using a biochemical analyzer.Liver tissue TG and TC levels were measured using assay kits.Liver cell damage and inflammation were assessed by hematoxylin-eosin(HE)staining and F4/80 immunohistochemistry staining.The ex-tent of liver lipid deposition was explored by oil red O staining.Masson staining and Sirius red staining were performed to assess liver fibrosis.Immunohistochemistry was performed to analyze the expression of fibrosis-related molecules.RE-SULTS:Compared with control group,the mice in model group showed significant decrease in body weight,liver wet weight,and liver volume.Serum TG,LDL-C,ALT and AST levels,as well as liver TG and TC levels were significantly elevated,and HDL-C levels were decreased in model group.Pathological staining showed significant inflammatory cell in-filtration,lipid deposition,and liver fibrosis.After the treatment with chrysin,increased body weight and liver weight,a reddish appearance of the liver,relatively smooth surface,and sharp liver edges were observed.Serum TG,LDL-C,AST and ALT levels,and liver TG levels were significantly reduced by chrysin.Inflammatory cell infiltration,lipid deposition,and liver tissue fibrosis were also significantly attenuated by chrysin.CONCLUSION:Chrysin shows a potential as a can-didate drug for the treatment of NASH by inhibiting hepatic steatosis,inflammation,and liver fibrosis.

Negative symptoms of schizophrenia profoundly affect patients' social function and life quality, and traditional treatments have limited efficacy in improving these symptoms. In recent years, non-invasive brain stimulation techniques such as repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS), transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS), transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS), and transcranial random noise stimulation (tRNS) have shown potentiality in alleviating negative symptoms. However, the selection of stimulation targets remains an area of active research, as different targets may yield varying therapeutic outcomes. Therefore, identifying the most appropriate treatment targets is crucial for improving negative symptoms. This article reviews the targets selection and therapeutic effects of different non-invasive brain stimulation techniques for ameliorating negative symptoms, to provide guidance for target selection in clinical treatment.

Objective:To investigate the efficacy and safety of high-precision transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) targeting the anterior prefrontal cortex (aPFC) in prospective memory (PM) deficits in patients with schizophrenia.Methods:A total of 38 schizophrenia patients with PM deficits admitted to Outpatient Department of Psychiatry, Beijing Anding Hospital Affiliated to Capital Medical University from March 2022 to March 2023 were included and divided into true stimulus group ( n=19) and pseudo-stimulus group ( n=19) by random envelope method. Two mA stimulation current intensity with duration of 20 min was given to the true stimulus group, and same stimulation current intensity with duration of 40 s was given to the pseudo-stimulus group twice daily for 5 d. PM function was assessed by Cued Unfocused Laboratory Prospective Memory Task before and 1 week after stimulation, cognitive function and severity of clinical symptoms were evaluated by Positive and Negative Symptom Scale (PANSS) and Chinese version of MATRICS consensus cognition test (MCCB). Safety was assessed by tDCS adverse reaction questionnaire at the end of stimulation. Results:The time (before and 1 week after stimulation) and group interactions of PM trial accuracy and PM trial response time between the two groups were not significantly different ( P>0.05). Compared with that before stimulation, the PM trial accuracy 1 week after stimulation was significantly improved in the true stimulus group ([0.38±0.22] % vs. [0.57±0.28] %, P<0.05). No significant difference in PM trial accuracy ([0.56±0.25] % vs. [0.67±0.25] %) or PM trial response time ([2 216.46±570.03] ms vs. [2 059.59±378.41] ms) between before and 1 week after stimulation was noted in the pseudo-stimulus group ( P>0.05). In terms of severity of clinical symptoms and cognitive function, no significant difference in PANSS or MCCB scores were noted between the true stimulus group and pseudo-stimulus group 1 week after treatment ( P>0.05); no significant difference was noted between the two groups in time (before and 1 week after stimulation) and group interaction of all indexes ( P>0.05). In terms of adverse reactions, compared with the pseudo-stimulus group, the true stimulus group had significantly higher score of "skin redness" ( P<0.05); no significant differences in scores of other adverse reactions were noted between the two groups ( P>0.05). No serious adverse events occurred in all patients. Conclusion:In this study, no positive results have been found in improving PM deficits in patients with schizophrenia with high-precision tDCS targeting aPFC, but existing results suggest an improved trend, which can provide preliminary evidence for subsequent large-sample clinical trials to improve PM deficits in schizophrenia.

Objective:To explore differences of resting brain regional homogeneity (ReHo) between patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) and their siblings.Methods:From January to December 2013, the resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data of 87 patients with MDD and 21 healthy siblings were collected.DPABI v5.1 software was used to preprocess the resting-state fMRI data, and ReHo maps of each subject was obtained. A two-sample t-test was used to compare differences between the patients with MDD and their siblings in ReHo values throughout the brain. ReHo values within the significant brain regions were extracted out, and used to calculate Spearman correlation with the total score of 17-items Hamilton depression rating scale(HAMD-17) in the patients with MDD and their siblings respectively.The software of SPSS 20.0 was used for statistical analysis. Results:The patients with MDD exhibited lower ReHo values in the precuneus extending to the posterior cingulate cortex (PCu/PCC) compared with their siblings (cluster-size=126 voxel, cluster-level PFDR=0.033; MNI: x=-4, y=-58, z=38, t=4.30). ReHo values of the PCu/PCC in patient with MDD were positively correlated with the severity of depressive symptoms ( r=0.255, P=0.021). Conclusion:Compared with the siblings, local brain activity of the PCu/PCC in the patients with MDD was decreased, and related to the severity of depressive symptoms. It is helpful to further reveal the intrinsic neural mechanism of MDD.

Objective:To explore the impact of cognitive function and childhood trauma in individuals with clinical high risk of psychosis (CHR).Methods:From June 2017 to September 2022, a total of 62 individuals with CHR(CHR group) were screened by structured interviews with psychiatric risk syndrome (SIPS) at Beijing Anding Hospital, and 61 healthy controls(healthy control group) matched in gender, age, and educational years were recruited. All participants were evaluated by the childhood trauma questionnaire (CTQ) and the Chinese version of the MATRICS consensus cognitive test battery (MCCB). Differences in cognitive function and childhood trauma between the two groups were compared by R4.1.1 software, and the correlation between cognitive function and childhood trauma in the CHR group was analyzed.Results:The scores of MCCB composite score (41.46±6.97), information processing speed (40.20±8.40), attention vigilance (40.92±11.00), working memory (41.09±9.97), verbal learning, and visual learning of CHR group were significantly lower than those of healthy controls(MCCB composite score(46.26±7.64), information processing speed(45.83±8.36), attention vigilance(46.30±9.57), working memory(46.18±8.49)), and with statistically significant differences ( t=-3.73--2.03, P<0.05). The total CTQ score, emotional abuse, physical abuse, and physical neglect factor scores of the CHR group (40.0 (36.0, 50.8), 7.5 (6.0, 10.0), 5.0 (5.0, 7.0), 9.0 (7.0, 11.0)) were significantly higher than those of the healthy control group (34.0 (31.0, 40.0), 6.0 (5.0, 8.0), 5.0 (5.0, 6.0), 9.0 (6.0, 10.0) ) ( Z=-4.07--2.06, P<0.05). In the CHR group, the total score of childhood trauma and the score of physical abuse factors were negatively correlated with working memory ( r=-0.29, -0.28, P<0.05), and the total score of cognitive function, attention vigilance, and word learning were negatively correlated with physical neglect ( r=-0.28, -0.26, -0.31, P<0.05). After partial correlation analysis using gender, age, years of education, and total SIPS score as covariates, the aforementioned correlation remained significant. Conclusion:CHR individuals have multiple cognitive deficits, and childhood trauma is more serious. Childhood trauma, especially physical trauma, may affect the cognitive function of CHR individuals.

The research on clinical high-risk for psychosis is a hotspot in recent years, which is helpful to the early identification and early intervention of psychosis. White matter fibers are the important structural basis of complex information transmission function among brain regions. The existing literatures show that there are abnormal white matter microstructures in individuals at clinical high-risk for psychosis, which is related to their clinical symptoms and social function. Diffusion tensor imaging is the only non-invasive technique to study the microstructure of brain white matter. This paper reviews the existing evidences of microstructural abnormalities of white matter at clinical high-risk for psychosis by diffusion tensor imaging, in order to comprehensively analyze the potential neurobiomarkers in the early stage of the disease and the pathological evolution characteristics in the development of the disease.

Objective:To explore the characteristics of cognitive function in patients with early onset and adult onset schizophrenia.Methods:In this cross-sectional study, 546 patients with schizophrenia who met the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition (DSM-Ⅳ) were selected.Among them, 62 cases were defined as early onset schizophrenia (EOS, age of onset＜18 years) and 175 patients were defined as adult onset schizophrenia (AOS, age of onset≥25 years).Patients underwent clinical assessments with the Positive and Negative Symptom Scale (PANSS) and the Personal and Social Performance Scale (PSP), and comprehensive neuropsychological assessments.Results:The EOS patients got lower scores in motor function-PEGDOM T score [ (26±12) vs. (30±11), P＜0.01], working memory-average T score of PASAT and WMSSP[ (34±12) vs. (38±10), P＜0.05]and executive function (inhibition) -Stroop T score [ (35±12) vs. (39±10), P＜0.05]than AOS patients.No differences were fund in processing speed, verbal memory and learning, visual memory and learning (Ps＞0.05) between the two groups.Conclusion:It suggests that the EOS patients have worse motor function, working memory and inhibition.

Objective To explore the influence of gender and age on auditory startle reflex in healthy adults.Methods A total of 150 healthy volunteers (92 males and 58 females) aged from 18 to 60 years were recruited for this study.A modified startle reflex paradigm was adopted.Furthermore,gender-age differences on startle magnitude,habituation,perceived spatial co-location induced prepulse inhibition (PSC-PPI) and perceived spatial separation-induced prepulse inhibition (PSS-PPI) in healthy volunteers were analyzed.Results ① There was no significant difference in amplitude and habituation of startie reflex between males and females (F=0.29,P=0.593;F=1.57,P=0.212).PSC-PPI and PSS-PPI were significantly higher in males (PSC-PPI:(34.68± 20.81) ％,PSS-PPI:(44.56 ± 23.19) ％) than those in females (PSC-PPI:(23.11±22.43)％,PSS-PPI:(35.21±25.09)％) (F=9.48,P=0.002;F=4.76,P=0.031).② There was a negative correlation between startle magnitude and age (r=-0.29,P＜0.01),however,no obvious correlations between age and PSC-PPI or PSS-PPI as well as habituation were observed.③Bivariate analysis of variance showed that no interaction between gender and age was found to the indexes of startle reflex(F=0.71-1.36,all P＞0.05).Conclusions There are differences for gender and age in the indexes of startle reflex.In detail,age chiefly influences startle magnitude,while gender mainly affects the prepulse inhibition.

Prepulse inhibition ( PPI) is the suppression of the startle reflex when the startling stim-ulus is preceded by a non-startling stimulus ( the prepulse) . It is an operational measurement of sensorimotor gating mechanism to help the brain adapt to the complex environment,which could be top-down modulated by attention and other higher cognitive processes. Deficits of PPI and the top-down modulation of PPI are closely related to psychiatric diseases. Research papers published from January 2001 to October 2016 related to PPI in psychiatric disorders were searched in the Chinese and English databases. Results showed that schizo-phrenic patients and their relatives showed deficits in baseline PPI as well as the attentional modulation of PPI,and more importantly,the attentional modulation of PPI rather than the baseline PPI was more related to the symptom severity. Patients with Tourette'' s syndrome showed PPI impairment,while patients with obsess-ive compulsive disorder had lower levels of PPI. PPI deficits in bipolar disorder patients were gender-depend-ent. Studying PPI and the top-down modulation of PPI could provide a basis to study the interaction of senso-ry processing and attention,and facilitate the researches of neural mechanism underlying the deficits of senso-ry gating. To establish advanced paradigms of PPI,new cognitive components could be introduced,such as at-tention,emotion,motor control,compulsivity and so on,thus improving the specificity of PPI test and promo-ting the PPI test as new biomarker and endophenotype in various psychiatric disorders.