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Background: Neurocognitive disorders (NCDs) have a variable decline in cognitive function, while loneliness was associated with cognitive impairment and increased dementia risk. In the present study, we examined the associations of loneliness with functional and cognitive status in patients with minor (mild cognitive impairment) and major NCDs (dementia). Methods: We diagnosed mild NCD (n = 42) and major NCD (n = 164) through DSM-5 criteria on 206 participants aged > 65 years using the UCLA 3-Item Loneliness Scale (UCLA-3) to evaluate loneliness, the activities of daily living (ADL) and the instrumental activities of daily living (IADL) scales to measure functional status, and Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) to assess cognitive functions. Results: In a multivariate regression model, the effect of loneliness on cognitive functions was negative in major (β = −1.05, p < 0.0001) and minor NCD (β = −0.06, p < 0.01). In the fully adjusted multivariate regression model (sex–age–education–multimorbidity–depressive symptoms–antidementia drug treatment), the effect of loneliness remained negative for major NCD and became positive for minor NCD (β = 0.09, p < 0.001). The effect of loneliness on IADL (β = −0.26, p < 0.0001) and ADL (β = −0.24, p < 0.001) showed a negative effect for major NCD across the different models, while for minor NCD, the effect was positive (IADL: β = 0.26, p < 0.0001; ADL: β = 0.05, p = 0.01). Minor NCD displayed different levels of MMSE (β = 6.68, p < 0.001) but not ADL or IADL, compared to major NCD for the same levels of loneliness. MANOVA pill test suggested a statistically significant and different interactive effect of loneliness on functional and cognitive variables between minor and major NCDs. Conclusions: We confirmed the relationships between loneliness and cognitive and functional status in major NCD, observing a novel trend in minor NCD.

Peripartum depression (PPD) is a major complication of pregnancy, and numerous risk factors have been associated with its onset, including dysfunctional coping strategies and insecure attachment styles, both during pregnancy and postpartum. The aim of our study was to investigate the role of coping strategies in mediating the relationship between women’s attachment style and depressive symptomatology in pregnancy and one week after giving birth in a large sample of women (N = 1664). Our hypothesis was that the relationship between anxious and avoidant attachment and depressive symptomatology would be mediated by use of maladaptive coping strategies. The assessment instruments were Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS), Brief Coping Orientation for Problem Experiences (COPE), and Experiences in Close Relationship Scale (ECR). The results indicated that the effect of insecure attachment styles (anxious and avoidant attachment) on antepartum depressive symptomatology was partially mediated by dysfunctional coping styles. Anxious attachment also has an indirect significant effect on postpartum depressive symptomatology through emotional coping; however, avoidant attachment does not seem to be significantly related to postpartum depressive symptoms. Our findings revealed that not only is it important to consider attachment in understanding peripartum depressive symptomatology, but also that coping plays an important role in these relationships. These findings would help a preventive coping-based intervention strategy to enhance the capacity of women with insecure attachment styles to use more adaptive coping during and after pregnancy.

Objective: Recent studies have pointed to neuroinflammation and neurotrophic factors as crucial mediators in the pathophysiology origins of mood disorders. The aim of this review is to assess the potential association between cognitive impairment, brain imaging abnormalities, and inflammatory biomarkers in patients affected by bipolar disorder (BD). Method: Following PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-analyses) guidelines, we systematically searched PubMed, Google Scholar, Scopus, and Web of Science databases, with no year restriction, up until August 2023, for human studies that examined the relationship between inflammatory markers and cognitive impairment in BD patients. Studies based on neuroimaging, such as MRI, DTI, and fMRI, were also included, along with those examining the moderating role of specific inflammatory markers in the alteration of the brain. Results: 59 human clinical studies satisfied the criteria for consideration. Most of the studies reviewed concur that inflammatory state, measured by peripheral blood levels of CRP and cytokines, constitutes an important contributor to cognitive impairment observed in patients with BD. Robust evidence indicates an association between cognitive impairment and CRP, IL-1RA, IL-6, and TNF-a with its receptors, whereas there is no convincing evidence for the involvement of other neuroinflammatory biomarkers. Neuroimaging studies suggest that brain structural/functional abnormalities seen in BD could also be linked to a neuroinflammatory condition. Conclusions: Current data provide evidence of a link between cognitive impairments observed in BD patients and mechanisms of neuroinflammation. Emerging evidence indicates that systemic inflammation might also play an important role in the deterioration of brain structures critical to cognitive functions in patients with BD. The convergence of findings across these studies strengthens our understanding of the complex neurobiological underpinnings of these disorders. Identification of BD specific inflammatory markers may be of assistance for future early therapeutic interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]