Afsaneh Rezaei Kalat’s research while affiliated with Mashhad University of Medical Sciences and other places

Anxiety disorders are among the most prevalent mental health conditions globally, and studying their trends helps societies provide better care and prevention plans. The present study aimed to explore the global trend of anxiety disorders and antianxiety medication-related terms using Google Trend analysis and forecast future trends. A Google Trend analysis was performed on specific search terms related to anxiety disorders from June 2005 to August 2023. Curve estimation regression analysis was conducted for the five main categories, and the Expert Modeler in SPSS software was used to model the data. Auto-Regressive Integrated Moving Average was applied for forecasting. Our model for anxiety-related search terms over the internet accurately predicted trends reported by the World Health Organization. The seasonally adjusted model for anxiety-related terms, BNZs, SSRIs, gabapentin, trazodone, and the sum of all drugs estimated changes of 16.8%, − 44.9%, 18.2%, 67.3%, 36.6%, and 16.8% respectively, from August 2023 to January 2030. Searches for anxiety-related terms and medications have shown an increasing trend since 2005. The forecasting model indicates a 16% rise in general anxiety searches from 2023 to 2030, with medication-related terms predicted to increase more rapidly.

Background: Bipolar disorder is considered a psychiatric disease without any effective screening questionnaire to monitor and manage Iranian patients. This study aims to implement a researcher-made questionnaire in the form of educational interactive software for better management of patients with bipolar disorder and prevent further complications. Methods: The present cross-sectional study evaluated the efficacy of psychoeducational-interactive-therapeutic software for patients with bipolar disorder, which is a network-based software providing a researcher-made questionnaire in a planned manner. This software can predict the occurrence of future bipolar episodes for each patient by using artificial intelligence algorithms after the occurrence of two mood episodes as the training phase. The patients with bipolar disorder were asked to use the software for a year and their mood episodes were compared before and after using the software. We evaluate the reliability of the questionnaires in the software with internal consistency using alpha Cronbach test and test-retest analysis. Face validity and content validity were also evaluated. Results: The content validity index of the instrument was 93%, and the Cronbach's alpha coefficient of the whole questionnaire was 0.955. Also, the ICC coefficient for this questionnaire is above 0.70, and the correlation coefficient of the answers in all constructs of the questionnaire is more than 0.8. Thirty male patients with bipolar disorder who experienced four episodes of mood swings per year experienced an average of 2 mood episodes per year following the use of this software. Conclusion: Our Psychoeducational-interactive-therapeutic software is the first Persian language software based on artificial intelligence to monitor clinical symptoms in patients with bipolar disorder, which uses a standard questionnaire to predict the incidence of episodes of depression and mania in these patients.

Objective: The coronavirus 2019 (COVID -19) pandemic had great psychological impact on COVID-19 patients and their families. Relatives of the deceased COVID-19 patients are at risk for complicated grief. Healthcare providers (HCPs) should be able to identify complicated grief cases. The aim of this study was to assess HCP knowledge regarding complicated grief during the COVID-19 pandemic. Method: This cross-sectional study was conducted using an online researcher-made questionnaire. The questionnaire was designed and validated before being used in this study. The questionnaire included demographic questions as well as knowledge about complicated grief and its symptoms, risk factors and management. The link to the questionnaire website was sent to HCP governmental and private sectors. Data was analyzed using the ordinal regression model by the SPSS 16 software. Results: A total of 887 HCPs (69% female and 31% male) participated in this study. Majority of the participants (594, 70%) had fair overall knowledge about complicated grief while 206 (23.2%) participants had poor knowledge. Poor knowledge level about risk factors for complicated grief was observed in 44.3% of the participants. Fair or poor knowledge about prevention and management of complicate grief was observed in 39.2% of participants. Knowledge about complicated grief had a significant positive relationship with female gender (OR: 1.55; 95% CI: 1.15-2.08) and higher education level (OR: 1.86; 95% CI: 1.37-2.54). Conclusion: Knowledge of HCPs about complicated grief was low. There is need for HCP knowledge improvement regarding complicated grief by appropriate education.

Objective: Synesthesia is a unique experience with an unclear mechanism. The clinical condition usually presents when a sensation stimulates other senses. While more than 150 types of synesthesia have been reported; however, some types are considered uncommon, and co-occurrence of these rare types of synesthesia are rare. In the present report, we described a case of synesthesia with experience of pain and orgasm in color. Method: A 31-year old healthy male presented with visual equity changes during orgasm. In addition, he described a color-pain sensation every time he experienced severe chest pain during his childhood. None of these sensations negatively affected his daily or sexual life. Based on the patient’s history, a possible diagnosis of synesthesia was made and further clinical evaluations were performed. Results: The patient did not have any color vision abnormalities or problems in solving Hooper visual organization test, bells test, Rey complex figure test, card sorting test, and Trail making tests. The Brief Male Sexual Inventory did not reveal any sexual dysfunction. Therefore, regarding the patient's experiences without any visual disturbance and absence of any underlying diseases, the diagnosis of synesthesia was made. Conclusion: The present report demonstrates coexistence of a rare form of synesthesia as orgasm to color with specific pain to color synesthesia. In contrast to previous reports, our case demonstrated color orgasm as a type of synesthesia that might not negatively affect sex life in men.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is now of global concern because of its rapid dissemination across the globe. It is unclear whether COVID-19 is as hazardous as previous coronavirus outbreaks, though there are many overlapping similarities between these viruses. An important similar feature includes the virus’s pathogenicity in pediatric populations. Additionally, genetic factors are recognized as important contributors to infectious disease susceptibility. Further understanding of this area can help make sense of the pathogenesis of COVID-19 and the varying clinical spectrums of the disease. The available data suggests that COVID-19 most likely produces mild symptoms in a healthy pediatric population regardless of their age, and recovery appears to occur without serious sequelae in the vast majority. However, the available data regarding the detailed repercussions of COVID-19 in children is very limited. To date, only some theoretical issues could be responsible for the COVID-19 susceptibility in pediatric patients, including a more intact but mature immune system within the respiratory system, possible role of viral interference in pediatric populations that are more often infected with common respiratory viruses, possible role of gut-lung axis, and a respiratory system with different amounts of cellular receptors for COVID-19 virus. Moreover, there is little data available on the genetic risk factors for COVID-19, and future research should aim to cover this gap in knowledge. This chapter aims to summarize the recently published data on the impact of COVID-19 in the pediatric population and to systematically review the available evidence of genetic risk factors for COVID-19.

Introduction Medical university students are more likely to use non-prescribed stimulants, due to the claim that some of these drugs may improve learning abilities and concentration. Side effects of non-prescribed stimulants in healthy young adults are not so far widely studied. The present cross-sectional survey demonstrates the prevalence of stimulants misuse and the characteristics of non-prescribed users among Iranian medical students. Materials and Methods Healthy medical students were asked to fill a validated researcher-administered questionnaire about their previous stimulant use. Both online and printed versions of the questionnaire were available for the students. Results Among 301 medical students, 157 students (52.2%) reported misusing stimulant agents. The most common stimulant was methylphenidate, with a prevalence of 46.5%. Compared to non-users, stimulant users were more likely to smoke (p < .05). Among the non-prescribed users, 31.8% reported being tempted to reuse stimulants, 89.8% were aware of the complications of stimulants before use, and 54.1% reported recommending the stimulants to others. Conclusion The findings of the present emphasize the necessity of focusing on psychoeducational programs for medical students, alongside increasing awareness about possible side effects of stimulants.