@article{UeceylerKewenigKittelSchneideretal.2015, author = {{\"U}{\c{c}}eyler, Nurcan and Kewenig, Susanne and Kittel-Schneider, Sarah and Fallgatter, Andreas J. and Sommer, Claudia}, title = {Increased cortical activation upon painful stimulation in fibromyalgia syndrome}, series = {BMC Neurology}, volume = {15}, journal = {BMC Neurology}, number = {210}, doi = {10.1186/s12883-015-0472-4}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-125230}, year = {2015}, abstract = {Background Fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS) is a chronic condition characterized by widespread pain and associated symptoms. We investigated cerebral activation in FMS patients by functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS). Methods Two stimulation paradigms were applied: a) painful pressure stimulation at the dorsal forearm; b) verbal fluency test (VFT). We prospectively recruited 25 FMS patients, ten patients with unipolar major depression (MD) without pain, and 35 healthy controls. All patients underwent neurological examination and all subjects were investigated with questionnaires (pain, depression, FMS, empathy). Results FMS patients had lower pressure pain thresholds than patients with MD and controls (p < 0.001) and reported higher pain intensity (p < 0.001). Upon unilateral pressure pain stimulation fNIRS recordings revealed increased bilateral cortical activation in FMS patients compared to controls (p < 0.05). FMS patients also displayed a stronger contralateral activity over the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex in direct comparison to patients with MD (p < 0.05). While all three groups performed equally well in the VFT, a frontal deficit in cortical activation was only found in patients with depression (p < 0.05). Performance and cortical activation correlated negatively in FMS patients (p < 0.05) and positively in patients with MD (p < 0.05). Conclusion Our data give further evidence for altered central nervous processing in patients with FMS and the distinction between FMS and MD.}, language = {en} } @article{UeceylerKewenigKafkeetal.2014, author = {{\"U}{\c{c}}eyler, Nurcan and Kewenig, Susanne and Kafke, Waldemar and Kittel-Schneider, Sarah and Sommer, Claudia}, title = {Skin cytokine expression in patients with fibromyalgia syndrome is not different from controls}, doi = {10.1186/s12883-014-0185-0}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-110624}, year = {2014}, abstract = {Background Fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS) is a chronic pain syndrome of unknown etiology. There is increasing evidence for small nerve fiber impairment in a subgroup of patients with FMS. We investigated whether skin cytokine and delta opioid receptor (DOR) gene expression in FMS patients differs from controls as one potential contributor to small nerve fiber sensitization. Methods We investigated skin punch biopsies of 25 FMS patients, ten patients with monopolar depression but no pain, and 35 healthy controls. Biopsies were obtained from the lateral upper thigh and lower calf. Gene expression of the pro-inflammatory cytokines tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF), interleukin (IL)-6, and IL-8 and of the anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10 was analyzed using quantitative real-time PCR and normalizing data to 18sRNA as housekeeping gene. Additionally, we assessed DOR gene expression. Results All cytokines and DOR were detectable in skin samples of FMS patients, patients with depression, and healthy controls without intergroup difference. Also, gene expression was not different in skin of the upper and lower leg within and between the groups and in FMS patient subgroups. Conclusions Skin cytokine and DOR gene expression does not differ between patients with FMS and controls. Our results do not support a role of the investigated cytokines in sensitization of peripheral nerve fibers as a potential mechanism of small fiber pathology in FMS.}, language = {en} } @article{WillekeJansonZinketal.2021, author = {Willeke, Kristina and Janson, Patrick and Zink, Katharina and Stupp, Carolin and Kittel-Schneider, Sarah and Bergh{\"o}fer, Anne and Ewert, Thomas and King, Ryan and Heuschmann, Peter U. and Zapf, Andreas and Wildner, Manfred and Keil, Thomas}, title = {Occurrence of mental illness and mental health risks among the self-employed: a systematic review}, series = {International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health}, volume = {18}, journal = {International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health}, number = {16}, issn = {1660-4601}, doi = {10.3390/ijerph18168617}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-245085}, year = {2021}, abstract = {We aimed to systematically identify and evaluate all studies of good quality that compared the occurrence of mental disorders in the self-employed versus employees. Adhering to the Cochrane guidelines, we conducted a systematic review and searched three major medical databases (MEDLINE, Web of Science, Embase), complemented by hand search. We included 26 (three longitudinal and 23 cross-sectional) population-based studies of good quality (using a validated quality assessment tool), with data from 3,128,877 participants in total. The longest of these studies, a Swedish national register evaluation with 25 years follow-up, showed a higher incidence of mental illness among the self-employed compared to white-collar workers, but a lower incidence compared to blue-collar workers. In the second longitudinal study from Sweden the self-employed had a lower incidence of mental illness compared to both blue- and white-collar workers over 15 years, whereas the third longitudinal study (South Korea) did not find a difference regarding the incidence of depressive symptoms over 6 years. Results from the cross-sectional studies showed associations between self-employment and poor general mental health and stress, but were inconsistent regarding other mental outcomes. Most studies from South Korea found a higher prevalence of mental disorders among the self-employed compared to employees, whereas the results of cross-sectional studies from outside Asia were less consistent. In conclusion, we found evidence from population-based studies for a link between self-employment and increased risk of mental illness. Further longitudinal studies are needed examining the potential risk for the development of mental disorders in specific subtypes of the self-employed.}, language = {en} } @article{VolkertZierhutSchieleetal.2014, author = {Volkert, Julia and Zierhut, Kathrin C. and Schiele, Miriam A. and Wenzel, Martina and Kopf, Juliane and Kittel-Schneider, Sarah and Reif, Andreas}, title = {Predominant polarity in bipolar disorder and validation of the polarity index in a German sample}, doi = {10.1186/s12888-014-0322-8}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-111042}, year = {2014}, abstract = {Background: A large number of patients with bipolar disorder (BD) can be characterized by predominant polarity (PP), which has important implications for relapse prevention. Recently, Popovic et al. (EUR NEUROPSYCHOPHARM 22(5): 339-346, 2012) proposed the Polarity Index (PI) as a helpful tool in the maintenance treatment of BD. As a numeric expression, it reflects the efficacy of drugs used in treatment of BD. In the present retrospective study, we aimed to validate this Index in a large and well characterized German bipolar sample. Methods: We investigated 336 bipolar patients (BP) according to their PP and calculated the PI for each patient in order to prove if maintenance treatment differs according to their PP. Furthermore, we analysed whether PP is associated with demographic and clinical characteristics of BP. Results: In our sample, 63.9\% of patients fulfilled criteria of PP: 169 patients were classified as depressive predominant polarity (DPP), 46 patients as manic predominant polarity (MPP). The two groups differed significantly in their drug regime: Patients with DPP were more often medicated with lamotrigine and antidepressants, patients with MPP were more often treated with lithium, valproate, carbamazepine and first generation antipsychotics. However, patients with DPP and MPP did not differ significantly with respect to the PI, although they received evidence-based and guideline-driven treatment. Conclusion: The reason for this negative finding might well be that for several drugs, which were used frequently, no PI value is available. Nevertheless we suggest PP as an important concept in the planning of BD maintenance treatment.}, language = {en} } @article{RiveroReifSanjuanetal.2010, author = {Rivero, Olga and Reif, Andreas and Sanjuan, Julio and Molto, Maria D. and Kittel-Schneider, Sarah and Najera, Carmen and Toepner, Theresia and Lesch, Klaus-Peter}, title = {Impact of the AHI1 Gene on the Vulnerability to Schizophrenia: A Case-Control Association Study}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-68501}, year = {2010}, abstract = {Background: The Abelson helper integration-1 (AHI1) gene is required for both cerebellar and cortical development in humans. While the accelerated evolution of AHI1 in the human lineage indicates a role in cognitive (dys)function, a linkage scan in large pedigrees identified AHI1 as a positional candidate for schizophrenia. To further investigate the contribution of AHI1 to the susceptibility of schizophrenia, we evaluated the effect of AHI1 variation on the vulnerability to psychosis in two samples from Spain and Germany. Methodology/Principal Findings: 29 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) located in a genomic region including the AHI1 gene were genotyped in two samples from Spain (280 patients with psychotic disorders; 348 controls) and Germany (247 patients with schizophrenic disorders; 360 controls). Allelic, genotypic and haplotype frequencies were compared between cases and controls in both samples separately, as well as in the combined sample. The effect of genotype on several psychopathological measures (BPRS, KGV, PANSS) assessed in a Spanish subsample was also evaluated. We found several significant associations in the Spanish sample. Particularly, rs7750586 and rs911507, both located upstream of the AHI1 coding region, were found to be associated with schizophrenia in the analysis of genotypic (p = 0.0033, and 0.031,respectively) and allelic frequencies (p = 0.001 in both cases). Moreover, several other risk and protective haplotypes were detected (0.006,p,0.036). Joint analysis also supported the association of rs7750586 and rs911507 with the risk for schizophrenia. The analysis of clinical measures also revealed an effect on symptom severity (minimum P value = 0.0037). Conclusions/Significance: Our data support, in agreement with previous reports, an effect of AHI1 variation on the susceptibility to schizophrenia in central and southern European populations.}, subject = {Schizophrenie}, language = {en} } @article{PalladinoChiocchettiFranketal.2020, author = {Palladino, Viola Stella and Chiocchetti, Andreas G. and Frank, Lukas and Haslinger, Denise and McNeill, Rhiannon and Radtke, Franziska and Till, Andreas and Haupt, Simone and Br{\"u}stle, Oliver and G{\"u}nther, Katharina and Edenhofer, Frank and Hoffmann, Per and Reif, Andreas and Kittel-Schneider, Sarah}, title = {Energy metabolism disturbances in cell models of PARK2 CNV carriers with ADHD}, series = {Journal of Clinical Medicine}, volume = {9}, journal = {Journal of Clinical Medicine}, number = {12}, issn = {2077-0383}, doi = {10.3390/jcm9124092}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-220074}, year = {2020}, abstract = {The main goal of the present study was the identification of cellular phenotypes in attention-deficit-/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) patient-derived cellular models from carriers of rare copy number variants (CNVs) in the PARK2 locus that have been previously associated with ADHD. Human-derived fibroblasts (HDF) were cultured and human-induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSC) were reprogrammed and differentiated into dopaminergic neuronal cells (mDANs). A series of assays in baseline condition and in different stress paradigms (nutrient deprivation, carbonyl cyanide m-chlorophenyl hydrazine (CCCP)) focusing on mitochondrial function and energy metabolism (ATP production, basal oxygen consumption rates, reactive oxygen species (ROS) abundance) were performed and changes in mitochondrial network morphology evaluated. We found changes in PARK2 CNV deletion and duplication carriers with ADHD in PARK2 gene and protein expression, ATP production and basal oxygen consumption rates compared to healthy and ADHD wildtype control cell lines, partly differing between HDF and mDANs and to some extent enhanced in stress paradigms. The generation of ROS was not influenced by the genotype. Our preliminary work suggests an energy impairment in HDF and mDAN cells of PARK2 CNV deletion and duplication carriers with ADHD. The energy impairment could be associated with the role of PARK2 dysregulation in mitochondrial dynamics.}, language = {en} } @article{McNeillRadtkeNieberleretal.2023, author = {McNeill, Rhiannon V. and Radtke, Franziska and Nieberler, Matthias and Koreny, Carolin and Chiocchetti, Andreas G. and Kittel-Schneider, Sarah}, title = {Generation of four human induced pluripotent stem cells derived from ADHD patients carrying different genotypes for the risk SNP rs1397547 in the ADHD-associated gene ADGRL3}, series = {Stem Cell Research}, volume = {67}, journal = {Stem Cell Research}, doi = {10.1016/j.scr.2023.103016}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-350099}, year = {2023}, abstract = {Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the ADGRL3 gene have been significantly associated with the development of ADHD, the aetiology of which remains poorly understood. The rs1397547 SNP has additionally been associated with significantly altered ADGRL3 transcription. We therefore generated iPSCs from two wild type ADHD patients, and two ADHD patients heterozygous for the risk SNP. With this resource we aim to facilitate further investigation into the complex and heterogenous pathology of ADHD. Furthermore, we demonstrate the feasibility of using magnetic activated cell sorting to allow the unbiased selection of fully reprogrammed iPSCs.}, language = {en} } @article{ManchiaAdliAkulaetal.2013, author = {Manchia, Mirko and Adli, Mazda and Akula, Nirmala and Arda, Raffaella and Aubry, Jean-Michel and Backlund, Lena and Banzato, Claudio E. M. and Baune, Bernhard T. and Bellivier, Frank and Bengesser, Susanne and Biernacka, Joanna M. and Brichant-Petitjean, Clara and Bui, Elise and Calkin, Cynthia V. and Cheng, Andrew Tai Ann and Chillotti, Caterina and Cichon, Sven and Clark, Scott and Czerski, Piotr M. and Dantas, Clarissa and Del Zompo, Maria and DePaulo, J. Raymond and Detera-Wadleigh, Sevilla D. and Etain, Bruno and Falkai, Peter and Fris{\´e}n, Louise and Frye, Mark A. and Fullerton, Jan and Gard, S{\´e}bastien and Garnham, Julie and Goes, Fernando S. and Grof, Paul and Gruber, Oliver and Hashimoto, Ryota and Hauser, Joanna and Heilbronner, Urs and Hoban, Rebecca and Hou, Liping and Jamain, St{\´e}phane and Kahn, Jean-Pierre and Kassem, Layla and Kato, Tadafumi and Kelsoe, John R. and Kittel-Schneider, Sarah and Kliwicki, Sebastian and Kuo, Po-Hsiu and Kusumi, Ichiro and Laje, Gonzalo and Lavebratt, Catharina and Leboyer, Marion and Leckband, Susan G. and L{\´o}pez Jaramillo, Carlos A. and Maj, Mario and Malafosse, Alain and Martinsson, Lina and Masui, Takuya and Mitchell, Philip B. and Mondimore, Frank and Monteleone, Palmiero and Nallet, Audrey and Neuner, Maria and Nov{\´a}k, Tom{\´a}s and O'Donovan, Claire and {\"O}sby, Urban and Ozaki, Norio and Perlis, Roy H. and Pfennig, Andrea and Potash, James B. and Reich-Erkelenz, Daniela and Reif, Andreas and Reininghaus, Eva and Richardson, Sara and Rouleau, Guy A. and Rybakowski, Janusz K. and Schalling, Martin and Schofield, Peter R. and Schubert, Oliver K. and Schweizer, Barbara and Seem{\"u}ller, Florian and Grigoroiu-Serbanescu, Maria and Severino, Giovanni and Seymour, Lisa R. and Slaney, Claire and Smoller, Jordan W. and Squassina, Alessio and Stamm, Thomas and Steele, Jo and Stopkova, Pavla and Tighe, Sarah K. and Tortorella, Alfonso and Turecki, Gustavo and Wray, Naomi R. and Wright, Adam and Zandi, Peter P. and Zilles, David and Bauer, Michael and Rietschel, Marcella and McMahon, Francis J. and Schulze, Thomas G. and Alda, Martin}, title = {Assessment of Response to Lithium Maintenance Treatment in Bipolar Disorder: A Consortium on Lithium Genetics (ConLiGen) Report}, series = {PLoS ONE}, volume = {8}, journal = {PLoS ONE}, number = {6}, doi = {10.1371/journal.pone.0065636}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-130938}, pages = {e65636}, year = {2013}, abstract = {Objective: The assessment of response to lithium maintenance treatment in bipolar disorder (BD) is complicated by variable length of treatment, unpredictable clinical course, and often inconsistent compliance. Prospective and retrospective methods of assessment of lithium response have been proposed in the literature. In this study we report the key phenotypic measures of the "Retrospective Criteria of Long-Term Treatment Response in Research Subjects with Bipolar Disorder" scale currently used in the Consortium on Lithium Genetics (ConLiGen) study. Materials and Methods: Twenty-nine ConLiGen sites took part in a two-stage case-vignette rating procedure to examine inter-rater agreement [Kappa (\(\kappa\))] and reliability [intra-class correlation coefficient (ICC)] of lithium response. Annotated first-round vignettes and rating guidelines were circulated to expert research clinicians for training purposes between the two stages. Further, we analyzed the distributional properties of the treatment response scores available for 1,308 patients using mixture modeling. Results: Substantial and moderate agreement was shown across sites in the first and second sets of vignettes (\(\kappa\) = 0.66 and \(\kappa\) = 0.54, respectively), without significant improvement from training. However, definition of response using the A score as a quantitative trait and selecting cases with B criteria of 4 or less showed an improvement between the two stages (\(ICC_1 = 0.71\) and \(ICC_2 = 0.75\), respectively). Mixture modeling of score distribution indicated three subpopulations (full responders, partial responders, non responders). Conclusions: We identified two definitions of lithium response, one dichotomous and the other continuous, with moderate to substantial inter-rater agreement and reliability. Accurate phenotypic measurement of lithium response is crucial for the ongoing ConLiGen pharmacogenomic study.}, language = {en} } @article{LeutritzvanBraamPreisetal.2023, author = {Leutritz, Anna Linda and van Braam, Lara and Preis, Katharina and Gehrmann, Andrea and Scherf-Clavel, Maike and Fiedler, Katrin and Unterecker, Stefan and Kittel-Schneider, Sarah}, title = {Psychotropic medication in pregnancy and lactation and early development of exposed children}, series = {British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology}, volume = {89}, journal = {British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology}, number = {2}, doi = {10.1111/bcp.15533}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-318954}, pages = {737 -- 750}, year = {2023}, abstract = {There is still limited knowledge about alterations of blood concentrations of psychotropic drugs during pregnancy, the transfer of psychotropic drugs into breastmilk and the effects on exposed children. We investigated changes in concentrations of psychopharmacological medication during pregnancy and lactation in serum and breastmilk at different time points in a naturalistic sample of 60 mothers and observed the development of the exposed children in the first 12 months. We found a decrease in serum concentrations from the first to the second trimester of amitriptyline, duloxetine, escitalopram, quetiapine and sertraline. Citalopram stayed rather stable during pregnancy, sertraline levels interestingly increased again from the second to the third trimester. High concentration-by-dose ratios in breastmilk were found for venlafaxine as well as lamotrigine, low for quetiapine and clomipramine. Similarly, clomipramine and quetiapine showed low milk/serum-penetration ratios. Regarding the birth outcome measures in children, we found no significant differences between in utero exposed compared to nonexposed newborns. There were no significant differences in the development in the first 12 months. Psychotropic medication in the peripartum needs a balancing of risks and benefits and a continuous therapeutic drug monitoring can be a guidance for clinicians to monitor drug alteration patterns, which are likely to occur due to physiological pregnancy-associated changes in pharmacokinetics. Accordingly, therapeutic drug monitoring can optimize a medication in pregnancy and lactation with the lowest effective dose.}, language = {en} } @article{KopfGloecknerAlthenetal.2023, author = {Kopf, Juliane and Gl{\"o}ckner, Stefan and Althen, Heike and Cevada, Thais and Schecklmann, Martin and Dresler, Thomas and Kittel-Schneider, Sarah and Reif, Andreas}, title = {Neural responses to a working memory task in acute depressed and remitted phases in bipolar patients}, series = {Brain Sciences}, volume = {13}, journal = {Brain Sciences}, number = {5}, issn = {2076-3425}, doi = {10.3390/brainsci13050744}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-313509}, year = {2023}, abstract = {(1) Cognitive impairments such as working memory (WM) deficits are amongst the most common dysfunctions characterizing bipolar disorder (BD) patients, severely contributing to functional impairment. We aimed to investigate WM performance and associated brain activation during the acute phase of BD and to observe changes in the same patients during remission. (2) Frontal brain activation was recorded using functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) during n-back task conditions (one-back, two-back and three-back) in BD patients in their acute depressive (n = 32) and remitted (n = 15) phases as well as in healthy controls (n = 30). (3) Comparison of BD patients during their acute phase with controls showed a trend (p = 0.08) towards lower dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC) activation. In the remitted phase, BD patients showed lower dlPFC and ventrolateral prefrontal cortex (vlPFC) activation (p = 0.02) compared to controls. No difference in dlPFC and vlPFC activation between BD patients' phases was found. (4) Our results showed decreased working memory performance in BD patients during the working memory task in the acute phase of disease. Working memory performance improved in the remitted phase of the disease but was still particularly attenuated for the more demanding conditions.}, language = {en} } @article{KittelSchneiderWolffQueiseretal.2019, author = {Kittel-Schneider, Sarah and Wolff, Sarah and Queiser, Kristin and Wessendorf, Leonie and Meier, Anna Maria and Verdenhalven, Moritz and Brunkhorst-Kanaan, Nathalie and Grimm, Oliver and McNeill, Rhiannon and Grabow, Sascha and Reimertz, Christoph and Nau, Christoph and Klos, Michelle and Reif, Andreas}, title = {Prevalence of ADHD in accident victims: results of the PRADA study}, series = {Journal of Clinical Medicine}, volume = {8}, journal = {Journal of Clinical Medicine}, number = {10}, issn = {2077-0383}, doi = {10.3390/jcm8101643}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-193293}, pages = {1643}, year = {2019}, abstract = {Background: Recent research has shown an increased risk of accidents and injuries in ADHD patients, which could potentially be reduced by stimulant treatment. Therefore, the first aim of our study was to evaluate the prevalence of adult ADHD in a trauma surgery population. The second aim was to investigate accident mechanisms and circumstances which could be specific to ADHD patients, in comparison to the general population. Methods: We screened 905 accident victims for ADHD using the ASRS 18-item self-report questionnaire. The basic demographic data and circumstances of the accidents were also assessed. Results: Prevalence of adult ADHD was found to be 6.18\% in our trauma surgery patient sample. ADHD accident victims reported significantly higher rates of distraction, stress and overconfidence in comparison to non-ADHD accident victims. Overconfidence and being in thoughts as causal mechanisms for the accidents remained significantly higher in ADHD patients after correction for multiple comparison. ADHD patients additionally reported a history of multiple accidents. Conclusion: The majority of ADHD patients in our sample had not previously been diagnosed and were therefore not receiving treatment. The results subsequently suggest that general ADHD screening in trauma surgery patients may be useful in preventing further accidents in ADHD patients. Furthermore, psychoeducation regarding specific causal accident mechanisms could be implemented in ADHD therapy to decrease accident incidence rate}, language = {en} } @article{KittelSchneiderKenisScheketal.2012, author = {Kittel-Schneider, Sarah and Kenis, Gunter and Schek, Julia and van den Hove, Daniel and Prickaerts, Jos and Lesch, Klaus-Peter and Steinbusch, Harry and Reif, Andreas}, title = {Expression of monoamine transporters, nitric oxide synthase 3, and neurotrophin genes in antidepressant-stimulated astrocytes}, series = {Frontiers in Psychiatry}, volume = {3}, journal = {Frontiers in Psychiatry}, doi = {10.3389/fpsyt.2012.00033}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-123627}, pages = {33}, year = {2012}, abstract = {Background: There is increasing evidence that glial cells play a role in the pathomechanisms of mood disorders and the mode of action of antidepressant drugs. Methods: To examine whether there is a direct effect on the expression of different genes encoding proteins that have been implicated in the pathophysiology of affective disorders, primary astrocyte cell cultures from rats were treated with two different antidepressant drugs, imipramine and escitalopram, and the RNA expression of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (Bdnf), serotonin transporter (5Htt), dopamine transporter (Dat), and endothelial nitric oxide synthase (Nos3) was examined. Results: Stimulation of astroglial cell culture with imipramine, a tricyclic antidepressant, led to a significant increase of the Bdnf RNA level whereas treatment with escitalopram did not. In contrast, 5Htt was not differentially expressed after antidepressant treatment. Finally, neither Dat nor Nos3 RNA expression was detected in cultured astrocytes. Conclusion: These data provide further evidence for a role of astroglial cells in the molecular mechanisms of action of antidepressants.}, language = {en} } @article{KittelSchneiderFeliceBuhagiaretal.2022, author = {Kittel-Schneider, Sarah and Felice, Ethel and Buhagiar, Rachel and Lambregtse-van den Berg, Mijke and Wilson, Claire A. and Banjac Baljak, Visnja and Vujovic, Katarina Savic and Medic, Branislava and Opankovic, Ana and Fonseca, Ana and Lupattelli, Angela}, title = {Treatment of peripartum depression with antidepressants and other psychotropic medications: a synthesis of clinical practice guidelines in Europe}, series = {International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health}, volume = {19}, journal = {International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health}, number = {4}, issn = {1660-4601}, doi = {10.3390/ijerph19041973}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-262130}, year = {2022}, abstract = {This study examined (1) the availability and content of national CPGs for treatment of peripartum depression, including comorbid anxiety, with antidepressants and other psychotropics across Europe and (2) antidepressant and other psychotropic utilization data as an indicator of prescribers' compliance to the guidelines. We conducted a search using Medline and the Guidelines International Network database, combined with direct e-mail contact with national Riseup-PPD COST ACTION members and researchers within psychiatry. Of the 48 European countries examined, we screened 41 records and included 14 of them for full-text evaluation. After exclusion of ineligible and duplicate records, we included 12 CPGs. Multiple CPGs recommend antidepressant initiation or continuation based on maternal disease severity, non-response to first-line non-pharmacological interventions, and after risk-benefit assessment. Advice on treatment of comorbid anxiety is largely missing or unspecific. Antidepressant dispensing data suggest general prescribers' compliance with the preferred substances of the CPG, although country-specific differences were noted. To conclude, there is an urgent need for harmonized, up-to-date CPGs for pharmacological management of peripartum depression and comorbid anxiety in Europe. The recommendations need to be informed by the latest available evidence so that healthcare providers and women can make informed, evidence-based decisions about treatment choices.}, language = {en} } @article{KittelSchneiderDavidovaKaloketal.2022, author = {Kittel-Schneider, Sarah and Davidova, Petra and Kalok, Miriam and Essel, Corina and Ahmed, Fadia Ben and Kingeter, Yasmina and Matentzoglu, Maria and Leutritz, Anna and Kersken, Katharina and Koreny, Carolin and Weber, Heike and Kollert, Leoniee and McNeill, Rihannon V. and Reif, Andreas and Bahlmann, Franz and Trautmann-Villalba, Patricia}, title = {A pilot study of multilevel analysis of BDNF in paternal and maternal perinatal depression}, series = {Archives of Women's Mental Health}, volume = {25}, journal = {Archives of Women's Mental Health}, number = {1}, issn = {1435-1102}, doi = {10.1007/s00737-021-01197-2}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-268849}, pages = {237-249}, year = {2022}, abstract = {Depression in the perinatal period is common in mothers worldwide. Emerging research indicates that fathers are also at risk of developing perinatal depression. However, knowledge regarding biological risk factors and pathophysiological mechanisms of perinatal depression is still scarce, particularly in fathers. It has been suggested that the neurotrophin BDNF may play a role in maternal perinatal depression; however, there is currently no data regarding paternal perinatal depression. For this pilot study, 81 expecting parents were recruited and assessed at several time points. We screened for depression using EPDS and MADRS, investigated several psychosocial variables, and took blood samples for BDNF val66met genotyping, epigenetic, and protein analysis. Between pregnancy and 12 months postpartum (pp), we found that 3.7 to 15.7\% of fathers screened positive for depression, and 9.6 to 24\% of mothers, with at least a twofold increased prevalence in both parents using MADRS compared with EPDS. We also identified several psychosocial factors associated with perinatal depression in both parents. The data revealed a trend that lower BDNF levels correlated with maternal depressive symptoms at 3 months pp. In the fathers, no significant correlations between BDNF and perinatal depression were found. Pregnant women demonstrated lower BDNF methylation and BDNF protein expression compared with men; however, these were found to increase postpartum. Lastly, we identified correlations between depressive symptoms and psychosocial/neurobiological factors. The data suggest that BDNF may play a role in maternal perinatal depression, but not paternal.}, language = {en} } @article{JansonWillekeZaibertetal.2022, author = {Janson, Patrick and Willeke, Kristina and Zaibert, Lisa and Budnick, Andrea and Bergh{\"o}fer, Anne and Kittel-Schneider, Sarah and Heuschmann, Peter U. and Zapf, Andreas and Wildner, Manfred and Stupp, Carolin and Keil, Thomas}, title = {Mortality, morbidity and health-related outcomes in informal caregivers compared to non-caregivers: a systematic review}, series = {International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health}, volume = {19}, journal = {International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health}, number = {10}, issn = {1660-4601}, doi = {10.3390/ijerph19105864}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-275219}, year = {2022}, abstract = {A systematic overview of mental and physical disorders of informal caregivers based on population-based studies with good methodological quality is lacking. Therefore, our aim was to systematically summarize mortality, incidence, and prevalence estimates of chronic diseases in informal caregivers compared to non-caregivers. Following PRISMA recommendations, we searched major healthcare databases (CINAHL, MEDLINE and Web of Science) systematically for relevant studies published in the last 10 years (without language restrictions) (PROSPERO registration number: CRD42020200314). We included only observational cross-sectional and cohort studies with low risk of bias (risk scores 0-2 out of max 8) that reported the prevalence, incidence, odds ratio (OR), hazard ratio (HR), mean- or sum-scores for health-related outcomes in informal caregivers and non-caregivers. For a thorough methodological quality assessment, we used a validated checklist. The synthesis of the results was conducted by grouping outcomes. We included 22 studies, which came predominately from the USA and Europe. Informal caregivers had a significantly lower mortality than non-caregivers. Regarding chronic morbidity outcomes, the results from a large longitudinal German health-insurance evaluation showed increased and statistically significant incidences of severe stress, adjustment disorders, depression, diseases of the spine and pain conditions among informal caregivers compared to non-caregivers. In cross-sectional evaluations, informal caregiving seemed to be associated with a higher occurrence of depression and of anxiety (ranging from 4 to 51\% and 2 to 38\%, respectively), pain, hypertension, diabetes and reduced quality of life. Results from our systematic review suggest that informal caregiving may be associated with several mental and physical disorders. However, these results need to be interpreted with caution, as the cross-sectional studies cannot determine temporal relationships. The lower mortality rates compared to non-caregivers may be due to a healthy-carer bias in longitudinal observational studies; however, these and other potential benefits of informal caregiving deserve further attention by researchers.}, language = {en} } @article{HuebnerWolfgangTheisetal.2022, author = {H{\"u}bner, Theresa and Wolfgang, Tanja and Theis, Ann-Catrin and Steber, Magdalena and Wiedenmann, Lea and W{\"o}ckel, Achim and Diessner, Joachim and Hein, Grit and Gr{\"u}ndahl, Marthe and K{\"a}mmerer, Ulrike and Kittel-Schneider, Sarah and Bartmann, Catharina}, title = {The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on stress and other psychological factors in pregnant women giving birth during the first wave of the pandemic}, series = {Reproductive Health}, volume = {19}, journal = {Reproductive Health}, number = {1}, doi = {10.1186/s12978-022-01493-9}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-300189}, year = {2022}, abstract = {Background The onset of mental illness such as depression and anxiety disorders in pregnancy and postpartum period is common. The coronavirus induced disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and the resulting public policy responses represent an exceptional situation worldwide and there are hints for adverse psychosocial impact, hence, the study of psychological effects of the pandemic in women during hospitalization for delivery and in the postpartum period is highly relevant. Methods Patients who gave birth during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in Germany (March to June 2020) at the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of W{\"u}rzburg, Germany, were recruited at hospital admission for delivery. Biosamples were collected for analysis of SARS-CoV-2 infection and various stress hormones and interleukin-6 (IL-6). In addition to sociodemographic and medical obstetric data, survey questionnaires in relation to concerns about and fear of COVID-19, depression, stress, anxiety, loneliness, maternal self-efficacy and the mother-child bonding were administered at T1 (delivery stay) and T2 (3-6 months postpartum). Results In total, all 94 recruited patients had a moderate concern of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) at T1 with a significant rise at T2. This concern correlated with low to low-medium general psychosocial stress levels and stress symptoms, and the women showed a significant increase of active coping from T1 to T2. Anxiety levels were low and the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale showed a medium score of 5 with a significant (T1), but only week correlation with the concerns about SARS-CoV-2. In contrast to the overall good maternal bonding without correlation to SARS-CoV-2 concern, the maternal self-efficiency correlated negatively with the obstetric impairment caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Conclusion Obstetric patients` concerns regarding SARS-CoV-2 and the accompanying pandemic increased during the course of the pandemic correlating positively with stress and depression. Of note is the increase in active coping over time and the overall good mother-child-bonding. Maternal self-efficacy was affected in part by the restrictions of the pandemic.}, language = {en} } @article{HampfScherfClavelWeissetal.2023, author = {Hampf, Chantal and Scherf-Clavel, Maike and Weiß, Carolin and Kl{\"u}pfel, Catherina and Stonawski, Saskia and Hommers, Leif and Lichter, Katharina and Erhardt-Lehmann, Angelika and Unterecker, Stefan and Domschke, Katharina and Kittel-Schneider, Sarah and Menke, Andreas and Deckert, J{\"u}rgen and Weber, Heike}, title = {Effects of anxious depression on antidepressant treatment response}, series = {International Journal of Molecular Sciences}, volume = {24}, journal = {International Journal of Molecular Sciences}, number = {24}, issn = {1422-0067}, doi = {10.3390/ijms242417128}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-355801}, year = {2023}, abstract = {Anxious depression represents a subtype of major depressive disorder and is associated with increased suicidality, severity, chronicity and lower treatment response. Only a few studies have investigated the differences between anxious depressed (aMDD) and non-anxious depressed (naMDD) patients regarding treatment dosage, serum-concentration and drug-specific treatment response. In our naturalistic and prospective study, we investigated whether the effectiveness of therapy including antidepressants (SSRI, SNRI, NaSSA, tricyclics and combinations) in aMDD patients differs significantly from that in naMDD patients. In a sample of 346 patients, we calculated the anxiety somatization factor (ASF) and defined treatment response as a reduction (≥50\%) in the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS)-21 score after 7 weeks of pharmacological treatment. We did not observe an association between therapy response and the baseline ASF-scores, or differences in therapy outcomes between aMDD and naMDD patients. However, non-responders had higher ASF-scores, and at week 7 aMDD patients displayed a worse therapy outcome than naMDD patients. In subgroup analyses for different antidepressant drugs, venlafaxine-treated aMDD patients showed a significantly worse outcome at week 7. Future prospective, randomized-controlled studies should address the question of a worse therapy outcome in aMDD patients for different psychopharmaceuticals individually.}, language = {en} } @article{GrimmWeberKittelSchneideretal.2020, author = {Grimm, Oliver and Weber, Heike and Kittel-Schneider, Sarah and Kranz, Thorsten M. and Jacob, Christian P. and Lesch, Klaus-Peter and Reif, Andreas}, title = {Impulsivity and Venturesomeness in an Adult ADHD Sample: Relation to Personality, Comorbidity, and Polygenic Risk}, series = {Frontiers in Psychiatry}, volume = {11}, journal = {Frontiers in Psychiatry}, issn = {1664-0640}, doi = {10.3389/fpsyt.2020.557160}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-219751}, year = {2020}, abstract = {While impulsivity is a basic feature of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), no study explored the effect of different components of the Impulsiveness (Imp) and Venturesomeness (Vent) scale (IV7) on psychiatric comorbidities and an ADHD polygenic risk score (PRS). We used the IV7 self-report scale in an adult ADHD sample of 903 patients, 70\% suffering from additional comorbid disorders, and in a subsample of 435 genotyped patients. Venturesomeness, unlike immediate Impulsivity, is not specific to ADHD. We consequently analyzed the influence of Imp and Vent also in the context of a PRS on psychiatric comorbidities of ADHD. Vent shows a distinctly different distribution of comorbidities, e.g., less anxiety and depression. PRS showed no effect on different ADHD comorbidities, but correlated with childhood hyperactivity. In a complementary analysis using principal component analysis with Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition ADHD criteria, revised NEO Personality Inventory, Imp, Vent, and PRS, we identified three ADHD subtypes. These are an impulsive-neurotic type, an adventurous-hyperactive type with a stronger genetic component, and an anxious-inattentive type. Our study thus suggests the importance of adventurousness and the differential consideration of impulsivity in ADHD. The genetic risk is distributed differently between these subtypes, which underlines the importance of clinically motivated subtyping. Impulsivity subtyping might give insights into the organization of comorbid disorders in ADHD and different genetic background.}, language = {en} } @article{GehrmannFiedlerLeutritzetal.2021, author = {Gehrmann, Andrea and Fiedler, Katrin and Leutritz, Anna Linda and Koreny, Carolin and Kittel-Schneider, Sarah}, title = {Lithium medication in pregnancy and breastfeeding — a case series}, series = {Medicina}, volume = {57}, journal = {Medicina}, number = {6}, issn = {1648-9144}, doi = {10.3390/medicina57060634}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-285640}, year = {2021}, abstract = {Lithium salts are the first-line prophylaxis treatment for bipolar disorder in most guidelines. The majority of bipolar women are treated with mood stabilizers at the time they wish to get pregnant. One reason for this is the rising average age at first childbirth, at least in the high-income countries, which increases in general the likelihood of a medication with psychotropic drugs. Previously, lithium exposition during pregnancy was thought to strongly increase the risk of severe cardiac malformation. However, recent studies only point to a low teratogenic risk, so nowadays an increasing number of women are getting pregnant with ongoing lithium treatment. Regarding lithium medication during breastfeeding, there is evidence that lithium transfers to the breastmilk and can also be detected in the infants' serum. The influence on the infant is still a largely understudied topic. Regular monitoring of the infants' renal clearance, thyroid function, and lithium levels is warranted when breastfeeding under lithium exposure. In this case series, we present three case reports of bipolar mothers who were treated with lithium during pregnancy and breastfeeding to add to the scarce literature on this important topic. In short, we strengthen the importance of therapeutic drug monitoring due to fluctuating plasma levels during pregnancy and after birth, and we can report the birth and development of three healthy infants despite lithium medication during pregnancy and breastfeeding.}, language = {en} } @article{GalimbertiDell'OssoFenoglioetal.2012, author = {Galimberti, Daniela and Dell'Osso, Bernardo and Fenoglio, Chiara and Villa, Chiara and Cortini, Francesca and Serpente, Maria and Kittel-Schneider, Sarah and Weigl, Johannes and Neuner, Maria and Volkert, Juliane and Leonhard, C. and Olmes, David G. and Kopf, Juliane and Cantoni, Claudia and Ridolfi, Elisa and Palazzo, Carlotta and Ghezzi, Laura and Bresolin, Nereo and Altamura, A.C. and Scarpini, Elio and Reif, Andreas}, title = {Progranulin Gene Variability and Plasma Levels in Bipolar Disorder and Schizophrenia}, series = {PLoS One}, volume = {7}, journal = {PLoS One}, number = {4}, doi = {10.1371/journal.pone.0032164}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-131910}, pages = {e32164}, year = {2012}, abstract = {Basing on the assumption that frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD), schizophrenia and bipolar disorder (BPD) might share common aetiological mechanisms, we analyzed genetic variation in the FTLD risk gene progranulin (GRN) in a German population of patients with schizophrenia (n=271) or BPD (n=237) as compared with 574 age-, gender-and ethnicity-matched controls. Furthermore, we measured plasma progranulin levels in 26 German BPD patients as well as in 61 Italian BPD patients and 29 matched controls. A significantly decreased allelic frequency of the minor versus the wild-type allele was observed for rs2879096 (23.2 versus 34.2\%, P<0.001, OR: 0.63, 95\% CI: 0.49-0.80), rs4792938 (30.7 versus 39.7\%, P=0.005, OR: 0.70, 95\% CI: 0.55-0.89) and rs5848 (30.3 versus 36.8, P=0.007, OR: 0.71, 95\% CI: 0.56-0.91). Mean +/- SEM progranulin plasma levels were significantly decreased in BPD patients, either Germans or Italians, as compared with controls (89.69 +/- 3.97 and 116.14 +/- 5.80 ng/ml, respectively, versus 180.81 +/- 18.39 ng/ml P<0.001) and were not correlated with age. In conclusion, GRN variability decreases the risk to develop BPD and schizophrenia, and progranulin plasma levels are significantly lower in BPD patients than in controls. Nevertheless, a larger replication analysis would be needed to confirm these preliminary results.}, language = {en} }