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An evidence-based review of the current surgical treatments for chronic low-back pain: rationale, indications, and novel therapies

J Neurosurg Spine. 2025 Feb 7:1-12. doi: 10.3171/2024.9.SPINE24580. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: This review analyzes the current surgical strategies and management modalities for chronic low-back pain (CLBP). In this study, the authors provide a structured review of the current state of surgical treatments for CLBP, including the rationale for surgery, indications, and novel therapies.

METHODS: An extensive review of the literature on the surgical management of CLBP was performed using the MEDLINE, Cochrane, Google Scholar, Embase, and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials databases from March 1993 to May 2024. Terms used in the search were (“low back pain/surgery” [MeSH] AND “chronic” AND “lumbar”) and (“chronic” AND “low back pain” AND “lumbar spine” AND “surgery”). The search produced 1951 articles, of which 167 were removed as duplicates, leaving 1784 for screening. Of these, 1593 articles were excluded, and 191 were retrieved to evaluate eligibility. After this evaluation, 76 articles were included in the review. No statistical analysis was performed.

RESULTS: This structured review revealed a range of surgical interventions available for CLBP. These interventions included fusion, stabilization, posterior interspinous devices, and nonoperative management, such as intensive rehabilitation and cognitive behavioral therapy. The evidence suggests that although spinal fusions are not superior in terms of Oswestry Disability Index function or pain level, they do outperform nonoperative management without intensive rehabilitation therapy. This finding is significant because it highlights the potential of surgical strategies to complement other treatments, such as pharmacological and noninterventional procedures, in managing CLBP.

CONCLUSIONS: The current evidence strongly advocates for a comprehensive approach to the management of CLBP. Patients with CLBP should be evaluated for surgical approaches when anatomical causes have been identified and multidisciplinary strategies have been implemented. It is reassuring to note that emerging multimodal strategies are beginning to complement neurosurgery care, and they should be integrated into the treatment plan as more substantial evidence becomes available. This emphasis on a multidisciplinary approach underscores the importance of considering all available strategies in CLBP management.

PMID:39919297 | DOI:10.3171/2024.9.SPINE24580

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Urban-Rural Differences in the Association Between Internet Use Trajectories and Depressive Symptoms in Chinese Adolescents: Longitudinal Observational Study

J Med Internet Res. 2025 Feb 7;27:e63799. doi: 10.2196/63799.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Internet use exhibits diverse trajectories during adolescence, which may contribute to depressive symptoms. Currently, it remains unclear whether the association between internet use trajectories and depressive symptoms varies between urban and rural areas.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to investigate the association between internet use trajectories and adolescent depressive symptoms and to explore variation in this association between urban and rural areas.

METHODS: This longitudinal study used 3-wave data from the 2014-2018 China Family Panel Study. Weekly hours of internet use and depressive symptoms were measured using self-reported questionnaires. Latent class growth modeling was performed to identify the trajectories of internet use. Multivariable logistic regressions were used to examine the association between internet use trajectories and depressive symptoms, stratified by rural and urban residence.

RESULTS: Participants were 2237 adolescents aged 10 to 15 years at baseline (mean age 12.46, SD 1.73 years). Two latent trajectory classes of internet use were identified: the low-growth group (n=2008, 89.8%) and the high-growth group (n=229, 10.2%). The high-growth group was associated with higher odds of depressive symptoms (OR 1.486, 95% CI 1.065-2.076) compared to the low-growth group. In the stratified analysis, the association between internet use trajectories and depressive symptoms was significant solely among rural adolescents (OR 1.856, 95% CI 1.164-2.959).

CONCLUSIONS: This study elucidates urban-rural differences in the associations between trajectories of internet use and adolescent depressive symptoms. Our findings underscore the importance of prioritizing interventions for rural adolescents’ internet use behaviors to mitigate negative effects on their mental health.

PMID:39919294 | DOI:10.2196/63799

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Comparison of dosimetric variability in the cervical spine between carbon fiber and titanium instrumentation

J Neurosurg Spine. 2025 Feb 7:1-9. doi: 10.3171/2024.10.SPINE24584. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: Carbon fiber instrumentation has gained popularity in spine oncology for its radiographic advantage of reduced artifact on imaging. With its increased use in patients who undergo radiation therapy, the dosimetric accuracy of postoperative radiation with carbon fiber constructs compared to classic titanium instrumentation becomes an important question. The purpose of this study was to compare the dosimetric accuracy of postoperative radiation in carbon fiber-instrumented versus titanium-instrumented cadaveric cervical spines after corpectomy.

METHODS: Two cadaveric specimens underwent two-level corpectomy using either titanium or carbon fiber instrumentation. Dosimeter chips were placed circumferentially around the constructs to calculate the dose of radiation to surrounding areas. The cadavers underwent one round of radiation with their respective constructs, and the dose of radiation was calculated and compared to the measured dose in each chip. After the first round of radiation, the instrumentation was switched between cadavers and the radiation therapy was repeated. The difference between the calculated and measured dose in carbon fiber versus that in titanium instrumentation in each cadaveric model was subsequently compared.

RESULTS: There was a significant difference in the dosimetry calculated at the area of the spinal cord dorsal to the corpectomy cage, with 68% less variability between the calculated and measured dose in the carbon fiber construct compared to that of the titanium construct. The mean variation of the measured dose at the spinal cord was 7.73% in titanium versus 4.6% in carbon fiber (p = 0.024, 1-tail; p = 0.048, 2-tail). There was also 30% less variability between the measured and calculated dose in the carbon fiber construct at the dosimeter chips lateral to the spinal cord, with a mean variation in the carbon fiber-instrumented cadaver of 4.94% compared to 6.45% with titanium (p = 0.01, 1-tail; p = 0.02, 2-tail). When all the dosimeters were combined without the control group, there was a statistically significant 14.5% difference in the mean variation of the calculated versus measured doses between the carbon fiber-instrumented cadavers versus titanium-instrumented cadavers (4.8% vs 5.5%, respectively; p = 0.015, 1-tail; p = 0.03, 2-tail).

CONCLUSIONS: There is less variation in the calculated versus measured doses of radiation therapy in carbon fiber instrumentation compared to titanium instrumentation. This suggests improved radiation therapy delivering accuracy and complication avoidance in carbon fiber-instrumented spines.

PMID:39919293 | DOI:10.3171/2024.10.SPINE24584

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ChatGPT for Univariate Statistics: Validation of AI-Assisted Data Analysis in Healthcare Research

J Med Internet Res. 2025 Feb 7;27:e63550. doi: 10.2196/63550.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: ChatGPT, a conversational artificial intelligence developed by OpenAI, has rapidly become an invaluable tool for researchers. With the recent integration of Python code interpretation into the ChatGPT environment, there has been a significant increase in the potential utility of ChatGPT as a research tool, particularly in terms of data analysis applications.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to assess ChatGPT as a data analysis tool and provide researchers with a framework for applying ChatGPT to data management tasks, descriptive statistics, and inferential statistics.

METHODS: A subset of the National Inpatient Sample was extracted. Data analysis trials were divided into data processing, categorization, and tabulation, as well as descriptive and inferential statistics. For data processing, categorization, and tabulation assessments, ChatGPT was prompted to reclassify variables, subset variables, and present data, respectively. Descriptive statistics assessments included mean, SD, median, and IQR calculations. Inferential statistics assessments were conducted at varying levels of prompt specificity (“Basic,” “Intermediate,” and “Advanced”). Specific tests included chi-square, Pearson correlation, independent 2-sample t test, 1-way ANOVA, Fisher exact, Spearman correlation, Mann-Whitney U test, and Kruskal-Wallis H test. Outcomes from consecutive prompt-based trials were assessed against expected statistical values calculated in Python (Python Software Foundation), SAS (SAS Institute), and RStudio (Posit PBC).

RESULTS: ChatGPT accurately performed data processing, categorization, and tabulation across all trials. For descriptive statistics, it provided accurate means, SDs, medians, and IQRs across all trials. Inferential statistics accuracy against expected statistical values varied with prompt specificity: 32.5% accuracy for “Basic” prompts, 81.3% for “Intermediate” prompts, and 92.5% for “Advanced” prompts.

CONCLUSIONS: ChatGPT shows promise as a tool for exploratory data analysis, particularly for researchers with some statistical knowledge and limited programming expertise. However, its application requires careful prompt construction and human oversight to ensure accuracy. As a supplementary tool, ChatGPT can enhance data analysis efficiency and broaden research accessibility.

PMID:39919289 | DOI:10.2196/63550

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Should pediatric patients with isolated skull fractures be admitted, transferred, or discharged from the emergency department, and what are the economic consequences? Original series, systematic review of the literature, and a proposed admission protocol

J Neurosurg Pediatr. 2025 Feb 7:1-7. doi: 10.3171/2024.11.PEDS24279. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: Pediatric head trauma is a common reason for emergency department (ED) referrals. Skull fractures are the most common imaging findings in the setting of pediatric trauma. Ample literature negates the necessity of hospitalization for neurologically intact children with isolated skull fractures (ISFs) and when nonaccidental injuries (NAIs) are not suspected. Despite this evidence, in many centers these children are still admitted for observation. The authors performed a retrospective analysis of the outcomes of children admitted with ISFs. A literature review of studies of children with ISFs was also performed. The objective of this study was to assess the necessity of admission of children with ISF.

METHODS: A retrospective single-center analysis was performed, based on the electronic referral database of a tertiary pediatric hospital. Pediatric patients (< 18 years old) with a linear skull fracture on CT were included. Patients with additional traumatic intracranial findings on imaging (bleeding, pneumocephalus, edema, etc.) were excluded, as were patients with depressed, open, or displaced fractures. A systematic literature review of the Medline and PubMed databases was performed.

RESULTS: Two hundred fifty-eight children met the criteria between 2019 and 2022. Eighty-one percent sustained a fall. Other mechanisms of injury included blunt-force trauma and road accidents, and 10.5% had an unclear mechanism. Most children had parietal fractures (56.3%), followed by occipital fractures and others. Sixteen percent suffered from chronic illnesses. No cases of growing skull fractures were noted. None of the children needed neurosurgical intervention. Moreover, none needed a follow-up CT scan. Three patients were transferred from a first-tier hospital to the authors’ institution, none because of neurosurgical concerns. Other than these 3 patients, all other children were admitted to a pediatric ward for 24-hour observation and subsequently discharged. NAI was highly suspected in 7.1% of children (3/42) suffering from chronic illnesses as opposed to 1.4% (3/216) of healthy children. This difference was not statistically significant (p = 0.056). The literature review yielded 680 papers. After screening for relevance, language, etc., 8 original series with 5823 patients remained. One patient (0.017%) was operated on, but probably not for ISF. The cost difference between discharge from the ED and admission ranged between $520 and $4291 (US dollars). None of the children discharged from the ED returned for hospitalization.

CONCLUSIONS: In this original cohort, none of the children had a change in management following their admission. None needed neurosurgical intervention. In children with linear ISFs, a short ED observation should be considered, followed by discharge based on neurological status. A proposed ED discharge protocol is presented.

PMID:39919277 | DOI:10.3171/2024.11.PEDS24279

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Data-Sharing Statements Requested from Clinical Trials by Public, Environmental, and Occupational Health Journals: Cross-Sectional Study

J Med Internet Res. 2025 Feb 7;27:e64069. doi: 10.2196/64069.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Data sharing plays a crucial role in health informatics, contributing to improving health information systems, enhancing operational efficiency, informing policy and decision-making, and advancing public health surveillance including disease tracking. Sharing individual participant data in public, environmental, and occupational health trials can help improve public trust and support by enhancing transparent reporting and reproducibility of research findings. The International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE) requires all papers to include a data-sharing statement. However, it is unclear whether journals in the field of public, environmental, and occupational health adhere to this requirement.

OBJECTIVE: This study aims to investigate whether public, environmental, and occupational health journals requested data-sharing statements from clinical trials submitted for publication.

METHODS: In this bibliometric survey of “Public, Environmental, and Occupational Health” journals, defined by the Journal Citation Reports (as of June 2023), we included 202 journals with clinical trial reports published between 2019 and 2022. The primary outcome was a journal request for a data-sharing statement, as identified in the paper submission instructions. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was conducted to evaluate the relationship between journal characteristics and journal requests for data-sharing statements, with results presented as odds ratios (ORs) and corresponding 95% CIs. We also investigated whether the journals included a data-sharing statement in their published trial reports.

RESULTS: Among the 202 public, environmental, and occupational health journals included, there were 68 (33.7%) journals that did not request data-sharing statements. Factors significantly associated with journal requests for data-sharing statements included open access status (OR 0.43, 95% CI 0.19-0.97), high journal impact factor (OR 2.31, 95% CI 1.15-4.78), endorsement of Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials (OR 2.43, 95% CI 1.25-4.79), and publication in the United Kingdom (OR 7.18, 95% CI 2.61-23.4). Among the 134 journals requesting data-sharing statements, 26.9% (36/134) did not have statements in their published trial reports.

CONCLUSIONS: Over one-third of the public, environmental, and occupational health journals did not request data-sharing statements in clinical trial reports. Among those journals that requested data-sharing statements in their submission guidance pages, more than one quarter published trial reports with no data-sharing statements. These results revealed an inadequate practice of requesting data-sharing statements by public, environmental, and occupational health journals, requiring more effort at the journal level to implement ICJME recommendations on data-sharing statements.

PMID:39919275 | DOI:10.2196/64069

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Single-cell analysis comparing early-stage oocytes from fresh and slow-frozen/thawed human ovarian cortex reveals minimal impact of cryopreservation on the oocyte transcriptome

Hum Reprod. 2025 Feb 7:deaf009. doi: 10.1093/humrep/deaf009. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

STUDY QUESTION: Does the slow-freezing and thawing process have a negative impact on the transcriptome of oocytes isolated from early-stage human follicles compared to fresh controls?

SUMMARY ANSWER: The transcriptional profiles of fresh and frozen/thawed oocytes did not cluster separately, indicating undetectable differences between the two groups when compared to within-donor heterogeneity.

WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADY: Previous studies using histological analysis of follicle morphology, density, and stage distribution in slow-frozen/thawed human ovarian cortex compared to fresh controls showed no differences between the two groups. Clinical cases reported in the past 10 years have demonstrated that transplanted slow-frozen/thawed and fresh ovarian cortex restored normal serum FSH levels and regular menstrual cycles by 5 months. However, the slow-frozen and thawed tissue resulted in lower rates of pregnancies and live births, albeit not statistically significant.

STUDY DESIGN, SIZE, DURATION: We utilized single-cell RNA-sequencing (scRNAseq) of 144 human oocytes isolated from cadaver ovaries obtained from three donors.

PARTICIPANTS/MATERIALS, SETTING, METHODS: Human ovarian cortex from three healthy premenopausal donors 16, 18, and 27 years old was cut into squares measuring 10 × 10 × 1 mm3 and either slow-frozen and thawed or processed fresh. First, using a novel method for isolating live oocytes from primordial and primary follicles, the ovarian cortex squares were fragmented with a McIlwain tissue chopper and enzymatically digested. Next, oocytes were mechanically denuded under a dissection microscope and placed individually into wells containing lysis buffer for scRNAseq. Lysed single oocytes were subjected to library prep using the seqWell PlexWell rapid single-cell RNA protocol. Pooled libraries were subjected to 150-bp paired-end sequencing on the NovaSeq6000 Illumina platform. In total, we sequenced 144 oocytes-24 oocytes isolated fresh and 24 oocytes isolated after slow-freezing and thawing from each of the three donors. Additionally, we performed histological analysis of fresh and frozen/thawed ovarian cortex tissue from all three donors using hematoxylin and eosin staining and analyzed morphology, follicle density, and follicle stage distribution differences between fresh and cryopreserved ovarian cortex.

MAIN RESULTS AND THE ROLE OF CHANCE: The histological analysis revealed no differences in follicle stage distribution or follicle morphology between conditions, with the percentage of normal follicles in fresh and frozen/thawed tissue, respectively, as 86.7% and 91.0% for Donor 1, 91.7% and 92.5% for Donor 2, and 96.1% and 91.1% for Donor 3. The follicle density per mm3 in fresh and frozen/thawed tissue, respectively, was 279.4 and 235.8 for Donor 1, 662.2 and 553.5 for Donor 2, and 55.8 and 71.4 for Donor 3. The difference in follicle density was not statistically significant between fresh and frozen/thawed conditions for Donors 2 and 3, and significant (P = 0.017) for Donor 1. The stromal cell densities in fresh and frozen/thawed tissue, respectively, were 0.014 in both conditions for Donor 1, 0.014 and 0.016 for Donor 2, and 0.013 and 0.014 for Donor 3. There was no statistically significant difference in stromal cell density between conditions in Donor 1 and Donor 3, though it was statistically significant (P ≤ 0.001) for Donor 2. The transcriptional profiles of fresh and frozen/thawed oocytes did not cluster separately, suggesting insignificant differences between the two groups. However, at the group mean level, there was a small shift between the fresh and frozen/thawed oocytes and the shifts were parallel across the three donors. In this comparison, fresh oocytes were enriched for gene ontology terms related to chromosome segregation and mitosis, whereas frozen/thawed oocytes were enriched for terms related to wound response, cAMP signaling, and extracellular matrix organization.

LARGE SCALE DATA: Datasets available on Zenodo.org. DOI: https://zenodo.org/records/13224872.

LIMITATIONS, REASONS FOR CAUTION: In this study, we only sequenced the oocytes isolated from early-stage follicles due to technical challenges collecting and sequencing the somatic cells surrounding the oocytes. Investigating the transcriptomic changes after freezing and thawing in the somatic cells would need to be studied in the future. Additionally, we built RNAseq libraries immediately after thawing focusing on the immediate changes. Investigation of the effects that manifest at later timepoints, either in culture or upon implantation in an animal model, may reveal additional effects of the freeze/thaw process on the transcriptome.

WIDER IMPLICATIONS OF THE FINDINGS: The only clinically approved method of fertility preservation for prepubertal cancer patients and adult patients who cannot delay cancer treatment is ovarian tissue cryopreservation. Investigation of cryopreservation-induced changes in follicles at all stages is critical to further our understanding of the safety and efficacy of using these tissues for fertility preservation in the clinic. Our study is the first to analyze transcriptomic changes between individual fresh and slow-frozen/thawed human oocytes collected from early-stage follicles. To accomplish this, we developed a novel method for dissociating both fresh and frozen/thawed human ovarian cortex to obtain live denuded oocytes from early-stage follicles. Our findings provide insights into the use of cryopreserved tissue and follicles for fertility preservation efforts.

STUDY FUNDING/COMPETING INTEREST(S): This work was funded by National Institutes of Health (NIH) R01HD099402, Career Training in Reproductive Biology (CTRB) Training Grant National Institutes of Health (NIH) T32 to Jordan Machlin, National Institutes of Health (NIH) F31-HD106626 and National Institutes of Health (NIH) T31H-D079342 to Andrea Jones, National Institutes of Health (NIH) T32-GM70449 to D. Ford Hannum, and The Chan Zuckerberg Initiative Grant CZF2019-002428. We have no conflicts of interest to declare.

PMID:39919251 | DOI:10.1093/humrep/deaf009

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Relationships Between Neighborhood Disadvantage, Race/Ethnicity, and Neurobehavioral Symptoms Among Veterans With Mild Traumatic Brain Injury

J Head Trauma Rehabil. 2025 Feb 7. doi: 10.1097/HTR.0000000000001016. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: To examine the relationship between neighborhood disadvantage and severity of vestibular, sensory, mood-behavioral, and cognitive neurobehavioral symptoms among Veterans with a mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI); and whether Veterans in underrepresented racial/ethnic groups with high neighborhood disadvantage experience the most severe symptoms.

SETTING: Outpatient Veterans Health Administration (VHA).

PARTICIPANTS: Veterans with the following data available in the electronic health record (2014-2020): (1) clinician-confirmed mTBI and complete neurobehavioral symptom inventory (NSI) as part of their comprehensive traumatic brain injury evaluation (CTBIE) and (2) area deprivation index (ADI) scores assessing neighborhood disadvantage from the same quarter as their CTBIE.

DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study. Latent variable regression was used to examine unique and interactive relationships between neighborhood disadvantage, race/ethnicity, and neurobehavioral symptoms.

MAIN MEASURES: NSI and ADI national percentile rank.

RESULTS: The study included 58 698 eligible Veterans. Relative to Veterans in the first quintile of ADI national percentile rank, representing those with the least neighborhood disadvantage, Veterans in the ADI quintiles indicating greater neighborhood disadvantage reported more severe vestibular, sensory, mood-behavioral, and cognitive symptoms. The strongest associations between neighborhood disadvantage and neurobehavioral symptoms were observed within the sensory (β = 0.07-0.16) and mood-behavioral domains (β = 0.06-0.15). Statistical interactions indicated that the association between underrepresented racial/ethnic group status (vs. identifying as white, non-Hispanic) and the severity of neurobehavioral symptoms did not differ among those with severe neighborhood disadvantage versus those without.

CONCLUSION: Veterans with mTBI living in more disadvantaged neighborhoods reported more severe neurobehavioral symptoms relative to those in the most advantaged neighborhoods, with the strongest relationships detected within the sensory and mood-behavioral domains. While neighborhood disadvantage and underrepresented race/ethnicity were both independently associated with symptoms, these factors did not interact to produce more severe symptoms. Findings suggest that addressing factors driving socioeconomic disadvantage may assist in mitigating symptoms in this population.

PMID:39919249 | DOI:10.1097/HTR.0000000000001016

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The effect of pH on chronic copper toxicity to Ceriodaphnia dubia within its natural pH niche

Environ Toxicol Chem. 2025 Feb 1;44(2):484-496. doi: 10.1093/etojnl/vgae039.

ABSTRACT

The pH of freshwater ecosystems affects bioavailability of various metals to various organisms, including daphnids. Although it is well known that daphnid species show interclonal variation of metal sensitivity, knowledge about interclonal variation of bioavailability effects, such as the pH effect, is scarce. Here, we compared the effect of pH on chronic copper toxicity between two clones of Ceriodaphnia dubia, within its natural pH niche, which we determined to be approximately pH 6.5-8.5 based on existing experimental and biological monitoring data. Using a Bayesian modeling approach, we found that the effect of pH was not statistically significantly different between the two clones (with a credibility > 95%). Overall, we found an approximately threefold decrease in chronic Cu toxicity with increasing pH between pH 6.5 and 8.5, with 7-day 20% effect concentration (EC20) values ranging between 11.0 and 30.9 µg/L dissolved Cu. We then calibrated a preliminary generalized bioavailability model (gBAM) using these data and found a pH-effect slope parameter SpH = -0.247, which is within the range of previously reported values for Daphnia magna (-0.056 to -0.361) and similar to the SpH value of -0.220 used in the “invertebrate gBAM” for bioavailability-based Cu risk assessment under the Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals. The preliminary C. dubia gBAM captured the magnitude of the observed pH effect well (mean of 1.3-fold EC20 prediction error, n = 9). It was also able to accurately predict chronic Cu toxicity in natural waters reported in an independent dataset (mean of 1.4-fold prediction error, n = 6). Also, two D. magna gBAMs (for two clones) and the invertebrate gBAM showed comparable predictive capabilities. Collectively, our work highlights the importance of studying relations between pH and metal bioavailability within the species’ natural niche. It also confirms earlier findings that biological variation of pH-bioavailability relations typically does not have a large impact on predictive capacity of bioavailability models, which is important for regulatory applications.

PMID:39919235 | DOI:10.1093/etojnl/vgae039

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COVID-19 Pandemic-Related Perceived Stress, Insomnia, Depression, and Anxiety Among Rural Primary Care Health Workers: A Mediation Analysis

Prim Care Companion CNS Disord. 2025 Jan 28;27(1):24m03723. doi: 10.4088/PCC.24m03723.

ABSTRACT

Introduction: Mental health of health care workers (HCWs) was affected during the COVID-19 pandemic due to direct handling of suspected and confirmed cases. While neurobiological mechanisms that mediate stress, depression, and anxiety are well established, psychological mechanisms are not.

Objective: To assess (1) the prevalence of anxiety, depression, insomnia, and perceived stress among accredited social health activists, multipurpose health workers, auxiliary nurse midwives, and other certified HCWs of rural areas of Telangana, India and (2) the factors that mediate stress with depression and anxiety.

Methods: A total of 300 HCWs from across 10 primary health centers across 5 districts were selected. All participants self-reported their anxiety, depression, sleep problems, and perceived stress related to the pandemic. Sociodemographic and other relevant data pertinent to the context of stress and the pandemic were also obtained. The survey used translated and validated self report instruments and was conducted during August and September 2021.

Results: The mean (SD) scores on the Insomnia Severity Index, 7-item Generalized Anxiety Disorder scale, Pandemic-Related Perceived Stress Scale of COVID-19, and 9-item Patient Health Questionnaire were 5.94 (5.6), 4.21 (4.5), 21.94 (5.8), and 3.89 (4.8), respectively. Age <35 years and family members being COVID-19 positive were significant predictors of depression and anxiety, respectively. Greater number of family members and COVID-19-positive status were significant predictors of insomnia. While the effect of stress on anxiety was indirect through the mediation of insomnia and depression, the effect of stress on depression was direct as well as through the mediation of anxiety.

Conclusion: The study results highlight the importance of measures to address sleep-related issues in individuals who are experiencing psychosocial stressors to prevent the development of depression and anxiety.

Prim Care Companion CNS Disord 2025;27(1):24m03723.

Author affiliations are listed at the end of this article.

PMID:39919227 | DOI:10.4088/PCC.24m03723