scholarly journals Symptoms of Depression in Patients with Chemosensory Disorders

ORL ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 83 (3) ◽  
pp. 135-143
Author(s):  
Ben Chen ◽  
Cara Benzien ◽  
Vanda Faria ◽  
Yuping Ning ◽  
Mandy Cuevas ◽  
...  

<b><i>Introduction:</i></b> Patients with chemosensory dysfunction frequently report symptoms of depression. The current study aims to clarify whether the type (smell dysfunction, taste dysfunction, and mixed smell and taste dysfunction), severity, duration, or cause of dysfunction have differential impacts on the symptoms of depression. <b><i>Methods:</i></b> 899 patients with chemosensory disorders and 62 controls were included. Following a structured interview and an otorhinolaryngological examination, subjects underwent olfactory tests (Sniffin’ Sticks), gustatory tests (taste sprays) and an assessment of depressive symptoms (Beck Depression Inventory). Information on the cause and duration of disorders was also collected. <b><i>Results:</i></b> Patients with combined olfactory/gustatory dysfunction had higher depression scores than patients with smell dysfunction only and controls, and no significant difference was found between the smell dysfunction and controls. Anosmia patients, but not hyposmia patients, exhibited higher depression scores than controls. Among various causes of chemosensory disorders, patients from the posttraumatic group had higher depression scores than patients with other causes of chemosensory dysfunction (sinonasal, idiopathic, or postinfectious). Multiple linear regression analyses suggested that reduced olfactory function was associated with enhanced depression scores in the olfactory disorders group (<i>B</i> = −0.326, <i>t</i> = −2.294, and <i>p</i> = 0.02) and in all patients with chemosensory disorders (<i>B</i> = −0.374, <i>t</i> = −2.550, <i>p</i> = 0.017). <b><i>Discussion/Conclusion:</i></b> Simultaneously decreased input of olfaction and gustation seems to have an additive effect on the exacerbation of emotional dysfunction. Early intervention should be considered for depression symptoms in patients with mixed olfactory/gustatory dysfunction in clinical practice.

2021 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 12-15
Author(s):  
M. Tata Suharta

Chemosenses are frequently reported in patients with chemosensory impairment.The present investigation intends to clarify whether there are differential pacts onsymptoms of depression between the types (smell dysfunction, taste dysfunction,and combination smell and taste dysfunction), severe- ity, length or source ofdysfunction. At the same time, diminished olfaction input and taste appear tohave a detrimental influence on emotional dysfunction aggravation. In patientswith mixed olfactory or gustatory dysfunction in clinical practice, earlymanagement should be considered for depressure symptoms. The current studysought to compare depressive symptoms in patients with mixedolfactory/gustatory dysfunction, purely olfactory disorder, and gustatorydisorder, as well as to investigate the relationships between chemosensoryfunction and depressive symptoms in various groups.


2021 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 12-15
Author(s):  
M. Tata Suharta

Chemosenses are frequently reported in patients with chemosensory impairment. The present investigation intends to clarify whether there are differential pacts on symptoms of depression between the types (smell dysfunction, taste dysfunction, and combination smell and taste dysfunction), severe- ity, length or source of dysfunction. At the same time, diminished olfaction input and taste appear to have a detrimental influence on emotional dysfunction aggravation. In patients with mixed olfactory or gustatory dysfunction in clinical practice, early management should be considered for depressure symptoms. The current study sought to compare depressive symptoms in patients with mixed olfactory/gustatory dysfunction, purely olfactory disorder, and gustatory disorder, as well as to investigate the relationships between chemosensory function and depressive symptoms in various groups.


2005 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 4 ◽  
Author(s):  
M YH Moosa ◽  
F Y Jeenah ◽  
M Voster

Objective. Published studies on the prevalence of depressive symptoms using rating scales and the relationship between depression and immune status offer inconsistent results. Depressive symptoms are common and impact on functioning, quality of life, and health status, highlighting the importance of diagnosis and treatment of patients with HIV infection. The aim of the study was to determine the occurrence of depression among HIV-positive patients using the Beck's Depression Inventory (BDI) and to determine a relationship, if any, between depressive symptoms and CD4 count.Method. Forty-one patients aged 18 years or more were recruited from the HIV outpatient clinic. All the subjects completed the 21-item BDI and their CD4 counts were determined. Patients who had a score of 10 or more on the BDI were considered positive for a depressive disorder.Results. More than half (56%) of the study sample had a BDI of ≥ 10 indicating significant symptoms of depression. There was no significant difference in the CD4 counts between the depressed and non-depressed groups (p > 0.05), and no correlation between CD4 counts and BDI scores in the total study sample (r = 0.27, p > 0.05). The affective components of the BDI contributed significantly to the overall BDI score compared with the somatic component (p < 0.05).Conclusion. The evidence from the study supports the BDI as a suitable measure for identifying those patients who meet the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) criteria for minor or major depression. The HIV epidemic is the most serious health challenge in South Africa and it is imperative that HIV-infected patients who complain of fatigue or insomnia be screened routinely for major depression, followed by a structured interview to confirm the diagnosis.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Santiago Allende ◽  
Valerie Forman-Hoffman ◽  
Philippe Goldin

UNSTRUCTURED Background: Anxiety and depression symptoms are highly correlated in adults with depression; however, little is known about their interaction and temporal dynamics of change during treatment. Thus, the primary aim of this study was to examine the temporal dynamics of anxiety and depressive symptoms during a 12-week therapist-supported, smartphone-delivered digital health intervention for symptoms of depression and anxiety, the Meru Health Program (MHP). Method: A total of 290 participants from the MHP were included in the present analyses (age Mean = 39.64, SD = 10.25 years; 79% female; 54% self-reported psychotropic medication use). A variance components model was used to examine whether (1) reporting greater anxiety during the current week relative to anxiety reported in other weeks would be associated with greater reporting of depressive symptoms during the current week, while a time-varying effect model was used to examine whether, (2) consistent with findings reported by Wright et al. (2014), the temporal relationship between anxiety and depressive symptoms during the intervention would be expressed as a quadratic function marked by a weak association at baseline, followed by an increase to a peak before demonstrating a negligible decrease until the end of treatment. Results: In support of hypothesis 1, we found that reporting greater anxiety symptoms during the current week relative to other weeks was associated with greater depressive symptoms during the current week. Contrary to hypothesis 2, the temporal relationship between anxiety and depressive symptoms evidenced a recurring pattern, with the association increasing during the initial weeks, decreasing during mid-treatment and sharply increasing toward the end of treatment. Conclusions: The present findings demonstrate that anxiety and depressive symptoms overlap and fluctuate in concert during a smartphone-based intervention for anxiety and depressive symptoms. The present findings may warrant more refined intervention strategies specifically tailored to co-occurring patterns of change in symptoms.


2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S45-S45
Author(s):  
Courtney J Bolstad ◽  
Anisha L Thomas ◽  
Michael R Nadorff

Abstract Symptoms of insomnia are associated with symptoms of depression and anxiety in older adults, yet less is known about the impact of specific forms of insomnia (i.e. onset, maintenance, and terminal insomnia). We explored how insomnia type predicted symptoms of anxiety and depression in older adults (n = 133; mean age 69, range 65-89). We hypothesized that onset and maintenance insomnia would have stronger relations to depression and anxiety than terminal insomnia. Regression analyses indicated that onset insomnia was the only significant predictor of anxiety symptoms, and maintenance was the only significant predictor of depressive symptoms. Thus, our findings suggest that despite overlap between depression and anxiety, insomnia may have different mechanisms of affecting each disorder. Implications for the treatment of anxiety and depressive symptoms by addressing insomnia problems will be discussed.


Author(s):  
Umair Akram ◽  
Jason G. Ellis ◽  
Glhenda Cau ◽  
Frayer Hershaw ◽  
Ashlieen Rajenthran ◽  
...  

AbstractPrevious research highlights the potential benefits of engaging with depressive internet memes for those experiencing symptoms of depression. This study aimed to determine whether: compared to non-depressed controls, individuals experiencing depressive symptoms were quicker to orient and maintain overall attention for internet memes depicting depressive content relative to neutral memes. N = 21 individuals were grouped based on the severity of reported depression symptoms using the PhQ-9. Specifically, a score of:  ≤ 4 denoted the control group; and  ≥ 15 the depressive symptoms group. Participants viewed a series of meme pairs depicting depressive and neutral memes for periods of 4000 ms. Data for the first fixation onset and duration, total fixation count and total fixation and gaze duration of eye-movements were recorded. A significant group x meme-type interaction indicated that participants with depressive symptoms displayed significantly more fixations on depressive rather than neutral memes. These outcomes provide suggestive evidence for the notion that depressive symptoms are associated with an attentional bias towards socio-emotionally salient stimuli.


2020 ◽  
pp. 089198872091552
Author(s):  
Marcela Moreira Lima Nogueira ◽  
Jose Pedro Simões Neto ◽  
Marcia Cristina Nascimento Dourado

The quality of life (QoL) of people with Alzheimer disease (PwAD) may be influenced by the type of relationship between carer and the PwAD. Dyads of 98 PwAD/carers (N = 49 spouse-carers; N = 49 nonspouses carers) were measured about QoL, cognition, dementia severity, awareness of disease, functionality, depression, anxiety, and burden of care. Univariate and multivariate regression analyses were conducted to identify the factors that influenced the spouse and nonspouse self-report PwAD QoL (PQOL) and to compare carers’ ratings of PwAD QoL (C-PQOL). The total score of QoL for spouse and nonspouse PwAD showed no significant difference ( P = .29). The linear regression demonstrated that higher awareness of disease was significantly related to spouse PQOL ( P = .001). Nonspouse PQOL was negatively related to lower depression ( P = .007). The total score of QoL for spouse and nonspouse C-PQOL showed no significant difference ( P = .14). The linear regression demonstrated that depression of spouse-PwAD ( P < .001) and burden of care ( P = .001) were negatively related to spouse-dyads’ C-PQOL. The nonspouse-dyads C-PQOL was negatively related to depression of nonspouse-PwAD ( P < .001), awareness of disease ( P = .001), and the mood of the carer ( P = .01). Spouse and nonspouse PwAD evaluate PQOL better than carers (C-PQOL). No significant difference was found in the total PQOL and C-PQOL of spouse and nonspouse, but dyads evaluated differently about what is important to assess QoL.


2019 ◽  
pp. bjophthalmol-2019-314031 ◽  
Author(s):  
Karam AlRahman Alawa ◽  
Ryan P Nolan ◽  
Elaine Han ◽  
Alejandro Arboleda ◽  
Heather Durkee ◽  
...  

BackgroundCurrent visual field screening machines are bulky and expensive, limiting their accessibility, affordability and use. We report the design and evaluation of a novel, portable, cost-effective system for glaucoma screening using smartphone-based visual field screening using frequency doubling technology (FDT) and a head-mounted display.MethodsNineteen eyes of 10 subjects with new-onset or chronic primary open angle glaucoma were tested and compared with the Humphrey Zeiss FDT and the newly developed Mobile Virtual Perimetry (MVP) FDT with the C-20 testing pattern. Mann-Whitney, Bland-Altman and linear regression analyses were performed to assess statistical difference, agreement and correlation, respectively, between the two devices.ResultsThe average age of the participants was 58±15 years. No statistically significant difference was found between the MVP FDT and the Humphrey Zeiss FDT (p>0.05). Bland-Altman and linear regression analyses demonstrated good agreement and correlation between the two devices.ConclusionThe MVP FDT is a low-cost, portable visual field screening device that produces comparable results to the Humphrey Zeiss FDT and may be used as an easily accessible screening tool for glaucoma.


2012 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 62-67 ◽  
Author(s):  
Johanna Thomtén ◽  
Joaquim J.F. Soares ◽  
Örjan Sundin

AbstractBackground and aimsLower socioeconomic status (SES), based on economic situation, education and occupation, has been associated with greater morbidity and mortality in a wide range of diseases, and socioeconomic inequalities have been found in several chronic pain populations. Since women are overrepresented in several clinical pain conditions, there is a need to understand the influence of SES among women with pain. In a previous cross-sectional study, socioeconomic-and work conditions were associated with pain among women from the general population of Sweden. In the present study, based on baseline and follow-up measures from 2300 of the same sample, we examined associations between pain variables, socioeconomic status and work conditions over time by means of multiple logistic/linear regression analyses. Additionally, a possible mediating role of depressive symptoms on the relationship between SES and pain was examined.MethodsThe study was a prospective panel survey with two measurements 12 months apart among 2300 women with and without pain from the general population in Stockholm (aged 18–64). Logistic and linear regression analyses were used to identify associations between SES and pain outcomes.ResultsResults revealed that pain is a rather stable condition with large impact on daily functioning among many women. Certain SES variables (educational level, financial strain, occupational level) were related to pain and pain related disability prospectively. Financial strain and to be a blue-collar worker were related to the incidence of pain among all women, while educational level was related to worse pain outcomes among women with pain in terms of pain intensity, pain frequency, number of pain locations and pain-related disability. Symptoms of depression were associated with pain incidence and with pain variables (intensity, number of pain locations and pain-related disability) and with lower SES.ConclusionsFinancial strain and occupational level were here identified as risk factors for the incidence of pain, and could be interpreted as increasing both physical and psychological stress and thereby work both as predisposing the individual to pain and to perpetuate the development of a pain condition. Educational level was associated with the course of pain in terms of pain duration and pain-related disability which may indicate that once affected by pain, lower educational level may be related to less functional coping strategies in the adaptation to the pain condition. Depressive symptoms could be understood as a mediator of the relationship between SES and pain among women in terms of limiting the individual’s strategies to handle pain in a functional manner by increasing passive behavior patterns such as avoidance.ImplicationsThe interplay between SES and symptoms of depression should be regarded in preventive interventions and in treatment of pain among women. An overall risk-profile in terms of psychosocial and biological factors needs to be assessed early on within pain treatment for women. Increased knowledge of socioeconomic risk factors for long term pain, e.g. low educational level, is needed on all levels among all professionals within the healthcare system in order to facilitate effective communication in the treatment of women with pain.


2002 ◽  
Vol 32 (7) ◽  
pp. 1175-1185 ◽  
Author(s):  
W. JOHNSON ◽  
M. McGUE ◽  
D. GAIST ◽  
J. W. VAUPEL ◽  
K. CHRISTENSEN

Background. Self-reported depressive symptoms among the elderly have generated considerable interest because they are readily available measures of overall well-being in a population often thought to be at special risk for mental disorder.Method. The heritability of depression symptoms was investigated in a sample of 2169 pairs of Danish twins (1033 MZ and 1136 same sex DZ) ranging in age from 45 to over 95. Twins completed an interview assessment that identified symptoms of depression, which were scored on Affective, Somatic and Total scales.Results. Overall heritability estimates (a2) for the Affective (a2 = 0.27, (95% CI 0.22–0.32)). Somatic (a2 = 0.26, (0.21–0.32)), and Total (a2 = 0.29, (0.22–0.34)) scales were all moderate, statistically significant and similar to results from other studies. To assess possible variations in heritability across the wide age span, the sample was stratified into age groups in increments of 10 years. The magnitude of heritable influence did not vary significantly with age or sex. Somatic scale heritability tended to be greater for females than for males, though this difference was not statistically significant. The genetic correlation between the Affective and Somatic scales was 0.71, suggesting substantial common genetic origins.Conclusions. Though the frequency of self-reported depressive symptoms increased with age in this sample, their heritability did not.


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