Microglia are key players in the brain’s innate immune response, contributing to homeostatic and reparative functions but also to inflammatory and underlying mechanisms of neurodegeneration. Targeting microglia and modulating their function may have therapeutic potential for mitigating neuroinflammation and neurodegeneration. The anti-inflammatory properties of essential oils suggest that some of their components may be useful in regulating microglial function and microglial-associated neuroinflammation. This study, starting from the ethnopharmacological premises of the therapeutic benefits of aromatic plants, assessed the evidence for the essential oil modulation of microglia, investigating their potential pharmacological mechanisms. Current knowledge of the phytoconstituents, safety of essential oil components, and anti-inflammatory and potential neuroprotective effects were reviewed. This review encompasses essential oils of Thymus spp., Artemisia spp., Ziziphora clinopodioides, Valeriana jatamansi, Acorus spp., and others as well as some of their components including 1,8-cineole, β-caryophyllene, β-patchoulene, carvacrol, β-ionone, eugenol, geraniol, menthol, linalool, thymol, α-asarone, and α-thujone. Essential oils that target PPAR/PI3K-Akt/MAPK signalling pathways could supplement other approaches to modulate microglial-associated inflammation to treat neurodegenerative diseases, particularly in cases where reactive microglia play a part in the pathophysiological mechanisms underlying neurodegeneration.

Individuals with serious mental illness are more affected by emotional reactions, including suicidal behavior due to COVID‐19 and psychosocial consequences of pandemic. The current cross-sectional study aimed to explore the possible association of COVID-19 and suicidal behavior (suicide ideation and attempt) before and during pandemic-associated lockdown in Serbia. We retrospectively reviewed the clinical records of 104 adult psychiatric inpatients admitted at Psychiatric Clinic, University Clinic Center Niš, Serbia, after ending lockdown and compared the obtained results with 181 adult psychiatric inpatients admitted during the same period in 2019 and 2018. Suicide ideation were more frequent in 2020 comparing with 2019 and 2018 (25 vs 12.5%, vs 9.41%; p < 0.05). Around 28% of patients with suicide attempts were exposed daily to the information related to COVID-19 coming from social media, while this frequency was significantly lower, only 7.55% (p < 0.1), among patients with no suicide ideation or attempts. Adjustment disorder was more frequent among patients with suicide attempts in comparison to the patients with suicide ideation (32 vs 11%), especially in patients without suicide ideation and attempts (32 vs 0%, p < 0.001). Of all studied patients with suicide attempts during 2020, 60% were not in the previous psychiatric treatment before admission.

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a prevalent psychiatric disorder that often occurs following war trauma. Despite its high prevalence, there is still a lack of comprehensive understanding regarding the mechanisms underlying its progression and treatment resistance. Recent research has shed light on the biological basis of PTSD, with neuroimaging studies revealing altered brain connectivity patterns in affected individuals. In war contexts, traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a common occurrence and is associated with a high prevalence of PTSD. This study aimed to compare the severity of PTSD and depression in patients with and without a history of TBI to shed light on the impact of comorbid TBI on the presentation of PTSD symptoms. To achieve this goal, a cross-sectional study was conducted involving a sample of 60 outpatients who were diagnosed with both PTSD and Depressive Disorder. The inclusion criteria required participants to meet the diagnostic criteria for both disorders using validated tools. The severities of PTSD and depressive symptoms were assessed using scales that have been widely used and validated in previous research. By utilizing these standardized assessment tools, this study aimed to ensure the reliability and validity of the obtained data. The results of this study revealed that patients with comorbid PTSD and TBI exhibited a significantly higher severity of PTSD symptoms compared to those with PTSD only. Specifically, the comorbid group demonstrated higher ratings of symptom intensity across all symptom clusters. These findings are consistent with previous research that has highlighted the impact of comorbid TBI on the intensity and persistence of PTSD symptoms. When controlling for PTSD severity, no significant differences were observed in the severity of depressive symptoms between the two groups. This suggests that the increased depressive symptoms observed in the comorbid group may be primarily driven by the presence of more intense PTSD symptoms rather than TBI per se. The findings highlight the need for an accurate diagnosis of TBI in individuals with PTSD to guide appropriate treatment interventions. Further research is warranted to delve into the underlying mechanisms that contribute to the interaction between TBI and PTSD and to develop targeted interventions for individuals with comorbid PTSD and TBI.

Introduction: Anhedonia is a psychopathological condition that is defined as the loss of the ability to experience pleasure. It is described as the loss of a fundamental dimension of human experience. The COVID-19 pandemic created the conditions for the development of anhedonia, bringing limitations, less positive experiences, limited planning, human contacts, limited movement and the constantly threatening danger of a bad outcome. Aim: The study aimed to determine the state of anhedonia in the population of medical students during the COVID-19 pandemic and to determine whether there is a difference in the degree of anhedonia in the group of subjects suffering from COVID-19 infection compared to the group of subjects not suffering from COVID-19 infection. Material and methods: The research was conducted using a questionnaire created on the Google platform (Google Forms). The link for the questionnaire was distributed via social media in the period January/February 2022. Total of 191 students from the Faculty of Medicine University of Niš participated in the research. An assessment of the state of anhedonia was performed using the Snaith-Hamilton Pleasure Scale (SHAPS). The statistical significance of the differences between the groups was determined using the Student's t-test. Results: Based on the obtained results, it was concluded that the degree of anhedonia in the subjects is significantly low (score less than 2) for almost all dimensions of satisfaction, except for training, where a slight increase in anhedonia is observed (score is 2.13). Conclusion: The obtained results show that no indicators have been found that show the presence of anhedonia in the student population in the examined period of the COVID-19 pandemic. No differences in the state of anhedonia were found in the group of subjects who suffered from COVID-19 infection compared to students who did not suffer from COVID-19 infection.

Background: The occurrence of COVID-19 led to the rapid development of several vaccines which were distributed around the world. Even though there had been a vast amount of information about both virus and vaccination, this process was potentially related to increased anxiety and thus affected the vaccination process. Objective: The present study examined anxiety levels and body vigilance in subjects reporting for COVID-19 vaccination at different vaccination sites. Methods: Instruments used included general socio-demographic questionnaires and specifically constructed ones such as generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), body vigilance scale (BVS), and coronavirus anxiety scale (CAS). Results: A total of 227 subjects enrolled in the study reported mild GAD and CAS scores and relatively low scores on BVS. When the subjects were divided according to a vaccination site (under supervision and non-supervised), it turned out that subjects vaccinated under supervision were more anxious (higher GAD and CAS) and had their body vigilance increased. Conclusion: In conclusion, there is a need for highlighting the importance of efficient planning and organization of vaccination process, since to a certain extent it is driven by both anxiety and body vigilance.

Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is often comorbid with depression in both the general population and among veterans who have experienced combat trauma. However, there is a lack of studies inquiring into the comorbidity of prolonged PTSD and depression. The network paradigm offers a novel approach to studying this comorbidity via bridge symptom analysis. This study explores the bridge symptoms between depression and prolonged/chronic PTSD in patients diagnosed with both conditions, 10 years after trauma exposure, using network analysis. The sample consisted of 60 male, treatment-seeking veterans (aged 31 to 59) with diagnoses of both depression and PTSD. Bridge nodes detected in the present bridge symptom analysis include reduced sleep, inner tension, poor concentration/concentration difficulties, pessimistic and suicidal thoughts, distressing dreams, restricted range of affects, and agitation. The detected bridge nodes could partially be attributed to the characteristics of the sample, which consisted of patients diagnosed with PTSD comorbid with depression.