Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) is a human incretin hormone derived from the proglucagon molecule. GLP-1 receptor agonists are frequently used to treat type 2 diabetes mellitus and obesity. However, the hormone affects the liver, pancreas, brain, fat cells, heart, and gastrointestinal tract. The objective of this study was to perform a systematic review on the use of GLP-1 other than in treating diabetes. PubMed, Cochrane, and Embase were searched, and the PRISMA guidelines were followed. Nineteen clinical studies were selected. The results showed that GLP-1 agonists can benefit defined off-medication motor scores in Parkinson’s Disease and improve emotional well-being. In Alzheimer’s disease, GLP-1 analogs can improve the brain’s glucose metabolism by improving glucose transport across the blood–brain barrier. In depression, the analogs can improve quality of life and depression scales. GLP-1 analogs can also have a role in treating chemical dependency, inhibiting dopaminergic release in the brain’s reward centers, decreasing withdrawal effects and relapses. These medications can also improve lipotoxicity by reducing visceral adiposity and decreasing liver fat deposition, reducing insulin resistance and the development of non-alcoholic fatty liver diseases. The adverse effects are primarily gastrointestinal. Therefore, GLP-1 analogs can benefit other conditions besides traditional diabetes and obesity uses.

Bullying and substance use are serious public health concerns. The aim of this article is to review empirical studies that examined the association between bullying perpetration and substance use among adolescence in various countries. Research studies that found a correlation between bullying perpetration and substance use in children and adolescents were reviewed. From the search, 7,844 abstracts were identified and 7,795 were excluded. Fifty-four remaining articles were reviewed, and 23 were excluded after full text review. A total of 31 articles, which all met the inclusion criteria, were considered in the review. Findings from the review suggest that children who engaged in bullying are more likely to be involved in alcohol, tobacco, and illicit drug use. Substance use prevention efforts require an examination of peer dynamics and peer relationships. In addition, bullying and substance use prevention require family dynamics and how they may increase the risk of bullying and drugs abuse.

Excessive screen media use exposure is a robust childhood predictor of sedentary behavior. The association between excessive exposure to sedentary behaviors (e.g., screen media use) and motor skills and how this association differs across sociodemographic strata is an important knowledge gap that needs to be addressed. The study aims to investigate the association of motor skills and screen media use in preschool children, taking into account sociodemographic variables, physical activity, and sleep profile. A cross-sectional survey of 926 children from 27 preschools was performed. The main outcome was defined as motor skills assessed using the general motor quotient (GMQ). Independent variables included sociodemographic variables, screen media use, screen habits, physical activity, and sleep duration. Logistic regression models were used to estimate the associations between the children's motor skills and each exposure factor. More than 55 percent of the children ate while watching television and 28 percent spent a long time watching television, playing video games, or using a computer, tablet, or cell phone. Excessive screen media use increased the risk of a low GMQ by 72 percent and inactivity in children increased the odds by 90 percent; sleep duration at night decreased the odds of a low GMQ by 51 percent and daytime sleep decreased the odds by 33 percent. Excessive screen media use has been associated with poor motor skills and increased physical inactivity in children, especially among those with prolonged exposure. Our findings can alert parents to the consequences of excessive screen media use and can motivate policymakers to encourage sports and other health-promotion strategies.

Objectives The therapeutic effects of transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) and transcranial direct current stimulation in patients with major depression have shown promising results; however, there is a lack of mechanistic studies using biological markers (BMs) as an outcome. Therefore, our aim was to review noninvasive brain stimulation trials in depression using BMs. Methods The following databases were used for our systematic review: MEDLINE, Web of Science, Cochrane, and SCIELO. We examined articles published before November 2012 that used TMS and transcranial direct current stimulation as an intervention for depression and had BM as an outcome measure. The search was limited to human studies written in English. Results Of 1234 potential articles, 52 articles were included. Only studies using TMS were found. Biological markers included immune and endocrine serum markers, neuroimaging techniques, and electrophysiological outcomes. In 12 articles (21.4%), end point BM measurements were not significantly associated with clinical outcomes. All studies reached significant results in the main clinical rating scales. Biological marker outcomes were used as predictors of response, to understand mechanisms of TMS, and as a surrogate of safety. Conclusions Functional magnetic resonance imaging, single-photon emission computed tomography, positron emission tomography, magnetic resonance spectroscopy, cortical excitability, and brain-derived neurotrophic factor consistently showed positive results. Brain-derived neurotrophic factor was the best predictor of patients’ likeliness to respond. These initial results are promising; however, all studies investigating BMs are small, used heterogeneous samples, and did not take into account confounders such as age, sex, or family history. Based on our findings, we recommend further studies to validate BMs in noninvasive brain stimulation trials in MDD.