Early differential diagnosis of bipolar disorder (BD) and unipolar depression (UD) remains a major clinical challenge, especially during the initial depressive episode. This study aimed to investigate whether cerebellar gray matter volume could serve as a potential neuroimaging biomarker to distinguish BD from UD at an early stage.

Structural MRI data were obtained from 42 patients with BD, 48 patients with UD, and 83 matched healthy controls. The cerebellum was parcellated into 28 lobules and 7 functional networks using the SUIT anatomical and Buckner-Yeo functional atlases. Voxel-based and region-of-interest (ROI) analyses were conducted, and a machine learning model was applied.

Whole-cerebellum analyses revealed that the total cerebellar gray matter volume in UD patients was significantly larger than in BD patients. Voxel-based studies indicated that the regions of Vermis IX, Vermis VI, and Left VI were significantly smaller in the BD group compared to the UD group. ROI-based comparisons showed a significant higher in the volume of gray matter in the limbic network in UD patients compared to BD. Furthermore, the gray matter volume of the limbic network in the dorsal attention network and the default mode network was significantly reduction in BD patients compared to healthy controls. The machine learning model constructed using cerebellar lobules with significant inter-group differences achieved an accuracy of 76.3% and a sensitivity of 83.0%.

Cerebellar gray matter volume may serve as a clinical marker to differentiate the depressive phase of bipolar disorder (after the first manic or hypomanic episode) from unipolar depression.

To identify the most prevalent vestibular dysfunction patterns in idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSNHL) and their potential clinical significance.

A systematic search was conducted in PubMed, SCOPUS, and Google Scholar (October 2024), following Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. Studies assessing vestibular function in SSNHL using the video head impulse test, cervical vestibular evoked myogenic potentials, and ocular vestibular evoked myogenic potentials were included. Exclusion criteria encompassed studies without differentiation of vestibular patterns by patient group, case reports, and those involving bilateral or secondary SSNHL. Data on vestibular test results, sample characteristics, and diagnostic criteria were extracted. A Chi-square test was used to assess the significance of observed vestibular dysfunction patterns (p < 0.05).

Out of 2868 identified studies, eight met the inclusion criteria, comprising 464 SSNHL cases. Vestibular dysfunction was present in 72.4% of cases, with the posterior semicircular canal (PSC), saccule (S), and utricle (U) being the most frequently affected structures. The most prevalent patterns were cochlear (C)-only (27.6%), C + PSC (8.2%), C + S (7.8%), C + U (8%), and C + S + U + PSC (5.8%) with statistical significance. Dysfunction involving all vestibular organs was observed in 5.4% of cases.

SSNHL is frequently accompanied by vestibular dysfunction. Certain vestibulopathy patterns may be linked to the vascular supply of the vestibulocochlear artery and/or the common cochlear artery, supporting the concept of a possible vascular etiology. Further studies are warranted to confirm these associations and their implications for treatment strategies.

Reliable and valid theory-driven measurements that consider the heterogeneity of suicidal ideation are needed to accurately assess suicide risk. A nomological network grounded in emotion regulation may help disentangle the complex and nuanced functions of suicidal ideation that contribute to this risk. In Study 1, a systematic review of self-report questionnaires examined how current tools measure the frequency and intensity of suicidal ideation. Findings identified conceptual and methodological gaps, underlining the need for a new assessment instrument. Study 2 addressed this by developing and initially validating the MEntal states related to Suicidal Ideation Scale (MESIS), designed to evaluate both suicidal ideation and its emotion regulation functions. The MESIS was administered to two non-clinical samples (n = 510 and n = 488; Mage ≈ 28.3 years). Exploratory factorial analyses in the first sample were performed separately for the two sections of the instrument. In the first section, three factors emerged: "Generic Suicidal Ideation", "Specific Suicidal Ideation", and "Death Ideation". In the second section, four factors were identified: "Escape", "Relational","Impact", and "Revenge". Confirmatory factor analyses in the second sample supported these structures. Correlations with external variables suggest good external validity. Findings highlight the utility of the MESIS in supporting theoretical, empirical, and clinical advances elucidating suicidal ideation.

Body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) is a psychiatric condition characterized by obsessive preoccupation with perceived flaws in appearance, causing significant dysfunction in daily life. BDD is often misdiagnosed due to patient concealment and its overlap with other mental health disorders. Increasing clinician awareness can overcome the diagnostic challenges presented by BDD. Early-onset BDD, particularly in adolescents, is associated with an increased risk of comorbidities and suicide. BDD may present with subthreshold symptoms before meeting full diagnostic criteria or before the patient discloses symptoms, creating an opportunity for earlier detection in primary and specialty care. Although first-line treatment consists of cognitive behavioral therapy and serotonin reuptake inhibitors, additional research and therapies are needed as many patients do not achieve full symptom remission. Early recognition and accurate diagnosis of BDD are vital for improving quality of life and optimizing long-term patient outcomes.

Modifiable unhealthy behaviors account for over two-thirds of new cases of noncommunicable diseases. Behavioral risk factor reduction is a potentially cost-effective means to improve long-term health outcomes. Although family serves as a pivotal cornerstone for fostering and maintaining individuals' health, the associations between family health (FH) and the proactive health risk management index (PHRMI) remain unclear.

This study aimed to construct a comprehensive index to measure the PHRMI and examine the mediating effect of health literacy on the association between FH and the PHRMI, as well as the moderating effect of family communication on the associations among the PHRMI, health literacy, and FH.

A cross-sectional questionnaire survey was conducted with 30,044 participants from 34 provinces or regions in China who were recruited using a multistage stratified sampling strategy from June 20, 2023, to August 31, 2023. This study constructed the PHRMI for the general population by encompassing BMI, physical activity (International Physical Activity Questionnaire-Short Form), depression (Patient Health Questionnaire-9), sleep quality (Brief version of the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index), smoking behavior, and drinking behavior. Further, we assessed FH (Short Form of the Family Health Scale), health literacy (Short-Form Health Literacy Questionnaire-4), and family communication (Family Communication Scale-Short Form). In addition, we collected the sociodemographic characteristics of the participants. We used model 4 of the IBM SPSS macro PROCESS to verify the mediating effect of health literacy between FH and the PHRMI, while model 7 was adopted to test the moderated mediation of family communication among the PHRMI, health literacy, and FH.

Higher levels of FH were significantly associated with higher PHRMI levels (β=.710, 95% CI 0.669-0.752). Health literacy significantly mediated the association between FH and the PHRMI (β=.207, 95% CI 0.168-0.245), playing a partial mediating role. Family communication significantly moderated the association between FH and health literacy (β=.117, 95% CI 0.105-0.130). The simple slope analysis showed that higher levels of family communication exacerbated the effects of FH on health literacy. Subsequently, we performed a sensitivity analysis, and the main results aligned with the findings of prior studies. Nevertheless, the subgroup analysis revealed that the mediating effect of health literacy was not significant in the group aged >60 years (β=.066, 95% CI -0.024 to 0.157).

FH can be an important target that appears to be positively linked to proactive health risk management and health literacy. FH promotion for older adults should pay more attention to family or intergenerational communication.