Browsing by Author "Hickie, IB"

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    Editorial: Immune associated mental illnesses in adolescents and young adults: pathophysiological role and therapeutic perspectives
    (Frontier Media S.A., 2022-03-14) Banati, RB; Rohleder, C; Leweke, FM; Muller, N; Sawa, A; Yolken, RH; Hickie, IB
    The immune system’s role in mental health has been discussed for decades, and immunological responses have been reported for many mental health issues. With the paradigm shift in psychiatry toward person-centered Precision Psychiatry (1), immune-mediated processes, too, are becoming more relevant as the current syndrome-based diagnostic concept fails to provide the necessary guidance in complex and/or treatment-resistant conditions. © 2022 Banati, Rohleder, Leweke, Mueller, Sawa, Yolken and Hickie.
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    Glutathione relates to neuropsychological functioning in mild cognitive impairment
    (Elsevier, 2014-01-01) Duffy, SL; Lagopoulos, J; Hickie, IB; Diamond, K; Graeber, MB; Lewis, SJG; Naismith, SL
    Background Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) represents an at-risk state for Alzheimer's disease in which underlying pathophysiological mechanisms could be delineated. Oxidative stress has been implicated in Alzheimer's disease and can be measured by levels of the antioxidant glutathione. This study aims to assess in vivo levels of glutathione via proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy in patients with MCI and to determine how glutathione relates to cognitive decline. Methods Fifty-four patients with MCI and 41 healthy control subjects underwent proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy in conjunction with medical, psychiatric, and neuropsychological assessments. The concentration of glutathione was measured in the anterior and posterior cingulate, and ratios of glutathione were calculated relative to creatine. Neuropsychological performance was assessed across the domains of processing speed, learning, memory, and executive functions. Results In comparison with control subjects, patients with MCI had significantly elevated ratios of glutathione in the anterior (t = −2.2, P = .03) and posterior (t = −2.9, P = .005) cingulate. Higher levels of anterior cingulate glutathione were related to neuropsychological decrements on tests of executive functions. Elevated posterior cingulate glutathione was associated with poorer memory consolidation. Conclusion This study has shown for the first time that MCI is associated with increased glutathione in the cingulate, which in turn relates to neuropsychological performance. This finding may be indicative of an early compensatory or neuroprotective response, and the role of glial cells and glutathione enzymes requires delineation. Longitudinal studies examining the utility of glutathione as a marker for cognitive decline are now required. © 2014 The Alzheimer's Association
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    Lipopolysaccharide-stimulated interleukin-10 release from neonatal spinal cord microglia is potentiated by glutamate
    (Elsevier, 2011-02-17) Werry, EL; Liu, GJ; Lovelace, MD; Nagarajah, R; Hickie, IB; Bennett, MR
    Interleukin-10 (IL-10) is a cytokine with important endogenous and therapeutic anti-inflammatory effects. Given this, it is of interest to investigate factors that modulate IL-10 levels in the central nervous system. IL-10 is released after lipopolysaccharide (LPS) stimulation of microglia. Microglia also express functional glutamate receptors and in inflammatory conditions are exposed to increased levels of glutamate. The aim of this research, then, is to investigate whether glutamate can modulate lipopolysaccharide stimulation of IL-10 release from neonatal rat spinal cord microglia. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs) were used to quantify IL-10 release from cultured neonatal spinal cord microglia and reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) was used to measure IL-10 mRNA expression. Glutamate (1 mM) significantly increased LPS (1 μg/ml)-stimulated IL-10 release from microglia by 172% (EC50 of 103 μM) and significantly upregulated IL-10 mRNA levels. Glutamate potentiated LPS-stimulated IL-10 release by binding all subtypes of glutamate receptor. These results show that glutamate substantially increases the release of an anti-inflammatory cytokine from neonatal spinal cord microglia activated by a high concentration of LPS. © 2011, Elsevier Ltd.
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    Recommendations for the standardisation of oxytocin nasal administration and guidelines for its reporting in human research
    (Pergamon-Elsevier Science Ltd, 2013-05-01) Guastella, AJ; Hickie, IB; McGuinness, MM; Otis, M; Woods, EA; Disinger, HM; Chan, H; Chen, TF; Banati, RB
    A series of studies have reported on the salubrious effects of oxytocin nasal spray on social cognition and behavior in humans, across physiology (e.g., eye gaze, heart rate variability), social cognition (e.g., attention, memory, and appraisal), and behavior (e.g., trust, generosity). Findings suggest the potential of oxytocin nasal spray as a treatment for various psychopathologies, including autism and schizophrenia. There are, however, increasing reports of variability of response to oxytocin nasal spray between experiments and individuals. In this review, we provide a summary of factors that influence transmucosat nasal drug delivery, deposition, and their impact on bioavailability. These include variations in anatomy and resultant airflow dynamic, vascularisation, status of blood vessels, mode of spray application, gallenic formulation (including presence of uptake enhancers, control release formulation), and amount and method of administration. These key variables are generally poorly described and controlled in scientific reports, in spite of their potential to alter the course of treatment outcome studies. Based on this review, it should be of no surprise that differences emerge across individuals and experiments when nasal drug delivery methods are employed. We present recommendations for researchers to use when developing and administering the spray, and guidelines for reporting on peptide nasal spray studies in humans. We hope that these recommendations assist in establishing a scientific standard that can improve the rigor and subsequent reliability of reported effects of oxytocin nasal spray in humans. © 2013, Elsevier Ltd.