2024
Psychological Resilience of Mental Health Workers During the Russia-Ukraine War: Implications for Clinical Interventions.
Kang H, Fischer I, Vus V, Kolyshkina A, Ponomarenko L, Chobanian A, Esterlis I, Pietrzak R. Psychological Resilience of Mental Health Workers During the Russia-Ukraine War: Implications for Clinical Interventions. The Primary Care Companion For CNS Disorders 2024, 26 PMID: 39441963, DOI: 10.4088/pcc.24m03761.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsMental health workersPsychological resilienceHealth workersDistress scoresClinical interventionsMental health symptomsGreater resilienceAssociated with greater resilienceWar-related exposuresWork-related stressorsConvenience samplePsychosocial characteristicsHealth symptomsMeaning in lifeOccupational stressorsPresence of meaning in lifeOccupational stressSocial connectednessPromote resiliencePsychiatric resilienceGreater levelsInterventionScoresSocial relationshipsAuthor affiliationMicroglia-mediated neuroimmune suppression in PTSD is associated with anhedonia
Bonomi R, Hillmer A, Woodcock E, Bhatt S, Rusowicz A, Angarita G, Carson R, Davis M, Esterlis I, Nabulsi N, Huang Y, Krystal J, Pietrzak R, Cosgrove K. Microglia-mediated neuroimmune suppression in PTSD is associated with anhedonia. Proceedings Of The National Academy Of Sciences Of The United States Of America 2024, 121: e2406005121. PMID: 39172786, PMCID: PMC11363315, DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2406005121.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsPTSD groupPrefrontal-limbic circuitsNeuroimmune responseAssociated with anhedoniaPosttraumatic stress disorderPositron emission tomography brain imagingTranslocator protein availabilityBrain immune functionAnhedonic symptomsStress disorderPeripheral immune dysfunctionPTSDGroup differencesSeverity of symptomsPsychiatric diseasesTranslocator proteinBrain imagingAdministration of lipopolysaccharideSymptomsMicroglial markersLPS-induced increaseCompared to controlsImmune functionSickness symptomsAnhedoniaHelping the Helpers: Mental Health Challenges of Psychosocial Support Workers During the Russian-Ukrainian War
Kang H, Fischer I, Esterlis I, Kolyshkina A, Ponomarenko L, Chobanian A, Vus V, Pietrzak R. Helping the Helpers: Mental Health Challenges of Psychosocial Support Workers During the Russian-Ukrainian War. Disaster Medicine And Public Health Preparedness 2024, 18: e95. PMID: 38829179, DOI: 10.1017/dmp.2024.68.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsPsychosocial support workersPosttraumatic stress disorderAssociated with greater oddsPresence of meaning in lifeMeaning in lifeSuicidal ideationMental health challengesGreater oddsMental healthLow optimismSupport workersHealth challengesMental health problemsCorrelates of burnoutPromote social connectednessStress disorderPsychosocial characteristicsGreater distressWar exposureGeneral populationHealth problemsSocial connectednessBurnoutOddsSocial relationships
2023
Perceived mental health of psychosocial support professionals in Ukraine
Kang H, Esterlis I, Chobanian A, Boriak O, Pietrzak R, Vus V. Perceived mental health of psychosocial support professionals in Ukraine. Psychiatry Research 2023, 326: 115320. PMID: 37352745, DOI: 10.1016/j.psychres.2023.115320.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchSuicidal Thoughts and Behaviors in Older U.S. Military Veterans: Results From the National Health and Resilience in Veterans Study
Fischer I, Nichter B, Aunon F, Feldman D, Levy B, Esterlis I, Pietrzak R. Suicidal Thoughts and Behaviors in Older U.S. Military Veterans: Results From the National Health and Resilience in Veterans Study. American Journal Of Geriatric Psychiatry 2023, 31: 844-852. PMID: 37211498, PMCID: PMC10731861, DOI: 10.1016/j.jagp.2023.04.013.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsPast-year suicidal ideationUS military veteransSuicidal ideationLifetime suicide plansSuicide planNational HealthMilitary veteransSuicide intentVeterans StudySuicide attemptsSuicidal thoughtsRepresentative prevalence estimatesMajor depressive disorderLifetime suicide attemptsU.S. military veteransOlder military veteransDepressive disorderPrevalence estimatesLifetime historyProtective factorsSuicide riskPhysical healthLifetime suicideVeteransSelf-report measuresInvestigating CNS distribution of PF‐05212377, a P‐glycoprotein substrate, by translation of 5‐HT6 receptor occupancy from non‐human primates to humans
Sawant‐Basak A, Chen L, Lockwood P, Boyden T, Doran A, Mancuso J, Zasadny K, McCarthy T, Morris E, Carson R, Esterlis I, Huang Y, Nabulsi N, Planeta B, Fullerton T. Investigating CNS distribution of PF‐05212377, a P‐glycoprotein substrate, by translation of 5‐HT6 receptor occupancy from non‐human primates to humans. Biopharmaceutics & Drug Disposition 2023, 44: 48-59. PMID: 36825693, DOI: 10.1002/bdd.2351.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsNon-human primatesBrain penetrationPositron emission tomographyReceptor occupancyUnbound concentrationsPre-clinical evidenceVivo brain penetrationConcentration-dependent increaseP-glycoprotein substratesPlasma ECsP-gpAlzheimer's diseaseEmission tomographyRat BBBTarget engagementCumulative evidenceDependent increaseTransporter substratesCNS distributionBBBRatsDiseasePrimatesSpecies differencesHumans
2022
The metabotropic glutamate receptor 5 as a biomarker for psychiatric disorders
Asch R, Hillmer A, Baldassarri S, Esterlis I. The metabotropic glutamate receptor 5 as a biomarker for psychiatric disorders. International Review Of Neurobiology 2022, 168: 265-310. PMID: 36868631, DOI: 10.1016/bs.irn.2022.10.007.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsPsychiatric disordersMetabotropic glutamate receptor 5Positron emission tomography studyGlutamate receptor 5Utility of PETEmission tomography studiesPromising therapeutic targetStress-related disordersNumerous psychiatric disordersTreatment trialsGlutamate neurotransmissionGlutamate systemMGlu5 expressionSubtype 5Treatment responseMood disordersRole of mGlu5Receptor 5Therapeutic targetPsychiatric conditionsMGlu5Tomography studySubstance useTrauma disordersDisordersDifferences in Quantification of the Metabotropic Glutamate Receptor 5 Across Bipolar Disorder and Major Depressive Disorder
Holmes S, Asch R, Davis M, DellaGioia N, Pashankar N, Gallezot J, Nabulsi N, Matuskey D, Sanacora G, Carson R, Blumberg H, Esterlis I. Differences in Quantification of the Metabotropic Glutamate Receptor 5 Across Bipolar Disorder and Major Depressive Disorder. Biological Psychiatry 2022, 93: 1099-1107. PMID: 36764853, PMCID: PMC10164841, DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2022.10.018.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsMajor depressive disorderMetabotropic glutamate receptor 5Glutamate receptor 5MGluR5 availabilityBipolar disorderPositron emission tomographyHC groupDepressive disorderReceptor 5Emission tomographyHealthy control individualsPossible treatment targetsGlutamate transmissionBD depressionTreatment strategiesBD groupMGluR5Depressive symptomsNovel treatmentsCognitive alterationsTreatment targetsSynaptic plasticityControl individualsAccurate diagnosisSignificant negative correlationImaging synaptic density in depression
Holmes SE, Abdallah C, Esterlis I. Imaging synaptic density in depression. Neuropsychopharmacology 2022, 48: 186-190. PMID: 35768568, PMCID: PMC9700860, DOI: 10.1038/s41386-022-01368-4.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsMagnetic resonance imagingPositron emission tomographySynaptic restorationSynaptic densityAdministration of ketamineMajor depressive disorderUnderstanding of depressionSynaptic alterationsSynaptic involvementDepressive disorderMonoamine systemsPreclinical workTreatment resistanceEffective treatmentDendritic spinesResonance imagingEmission tomographyHeterogeneous disorderDepressionDisordersMore researchInitial studyGliaKetamineBoutonsMultimodal neuroimaging of metabotropic glutamate 5 receptors and functional connectivity in alcohol use disorder
Smart K, Worhunsky PD, Scheinost D, Angarita GA, Esterlis I, Carson RE, Krystal JH, O'Malley SS, Cosgrove KP, Hillmer AT. Multimodal neuroimaging of metabotropic glutamate 5 receptors and functional connectivity in alcohol use disorder. Alcohol Clinical And Experimental Research 2022, 46: 770-782. PMID: 35342968, PMCID: PMC9117461, DOI: 10.1111/acer.14816.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsMetabotropic glutamate 5 receptorsDefault mode networkFunctional magnetic resonance imagingReceptor availabilityPositron emission tomographyAUD groupFunctional connectivityReceptor positron emission tomographyResting-state functional magnetic resonance imagingNetwork-level functional connectivityBrain connectivityWeeks of abstinenceGlobal functional connectivityAlcohol use disorderMagnetic resonance imagingFMRI outcomesHealthy controlsSupervised abstinencePET resultsUse disordersSynaptic plasticityResonance imagingBrain regionsEmission tomographyOrbitofrontal cortexImaging the effect of ketamine on synaptic density (SV2A) in the living brain
Holmes SE, Finnema SJ, Naganawa M, DellaGioia N, Holden D, Fowles K, Davis M, Ropchan J, Emory P, Ye Y, Nabulsi N, Matuskey D, Angarita GA, Pietrzak RH, Duman RS, Sanacora G, Krystal JH, Carson RE, Esterlis I. Imaging the effect of ketamine on synaptic density (SV2A) in the living brain. Molecular Psychiatry 2022, 27: 2273-2281. PMID: 35165397, PMCID: PMC9133063, DOI: 10.1038/s41380-022-01465-2.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsKetamine's therapeutic effectsMajor depressive disorderTherapeutic effectPositron emission tomographyPosttraumatic stress disorderHealthy controlsSynaptic connectionsSynaptic vesicle protein 2APost-synaptic mechanismsEffects of ketamineDiscovery of ketamineNon-human primatesAntidepressant effectsDepressive disorderSingle administrationSynaptic densityPsychiatric disordersDepression severityKetamineEmission tomographyTerminal densityLiving brainStress disorderRobust reductionDissociative symptoms
2021
Lower prefrontal cortical synaptic vesicle binding in cocaine use disorder: An exploratory 11C‐UCB‐J positron emission tomography study in humans
Angarita GA, Worhunsky PD, Naganawa M, Toyonaga T, Nabulsi NB, Li C, Esterlis I, Skosnik PD, Radhakrishnan R, Pittman B, Gueorguieva R, Potenza MN, Finnema SJ, Huang Y, Carson RE, Malison RT. Lower prefrontal cortical synaptic vesicle binding in cocaine use disorder: An exploratory 11C‐UCB‐J positron emission tomography study in humans. Addiction Biology 2021, 27: e13123. PMID: 34852401, PMCID: PMC8891080, DOI: 10.1111/adb.13123.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsCocaine use disorderAnterior cingulate cortexRecent cocaine useSynaptic densityMedial orbitofrontal cortexPrefrontal cortexCocaine useOrbitofrontal cortexUse disordersVentromedial prefrontal cortexPositron emission tomography scanPositron emission tomography studyEmission tomography scanSynaptic vesicle glycoprotein 2AHealthy control subjectsVolume of distributionEmission tomography studiesAcute cocaineControl subjectsTomography scanCocaine exposurePreclinical studiesHC subjectsDendritic spinesLifetime cocaine useLower synaptic density is associated with psychiatric and cognitive alterations in obesity
Asch RH, Holmes SE, Jastreboff AM, Potenza MN, Baldassarri SR, Carson RE, Pietrzak RH, Esterlis I. Lower synaptic density is associated with psychiatric and cognitive alterations in obesity. Neuropsychopharmacology 2021, 47: 543-552. PMID: 34294874, PMCID: PMC8674236, DOI: 10.1038/s41386-021-01111-5.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsStress-related psychiatric disordersBody mass indexLower synaptic densitySynaptic densityPsychiatric disordersPsychiatric diagnosisOverweight/obesityNormal-weight individualsNormal-weight participantsSerious medical conditionPositron emission tomographyStress-related psychopathologyDorsolateral prefrontal cortexOverweight/Mass indexWeight participantsWeight individualsHealthy controlsTension/anxietyAssociated symptomatologyMedical conditionsIntervention development effortsObesityCognitive alterationsPsychiatric groupsIn vivo evidence of lower synaptic vesicle density in schizophrenia
Radhakrishnan R, Skosnik PD, Ranganathan M, Naganawa M, Toyonaga T, Finnema S, Hillmer AT, Esterlis I, Huang Y, Nabulsi N, Carson RE, D’Souza D. In vivo evidence of lower synaptic vesicle density in schizophrenia. Molecular Psychiatry 2021, 26: 7690-7698. PMID: 34135473, DOI: 10.1038/s41380-021-01184-0.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsSynaptic vesicle densityHealthy controlsVesicle densityHigh-resolution research tomographySynaptic densitySCZ patientsVivo measuresNovel positron emission tomography (PET) ligandGender-matched healthy controlsCumulative antipsychotic exposurePositron emission tomography (PET) ligandSynaptic spine densityPsychosis symptom severityGray matter volumeJ bindingAntipsychotic exposureSpine densityDisease progressionFrontal cortexOccipital cortexTomography ligandTemporal cortexAnterior cingulateVivo findingsParietal cortexEffect of age on brain metabotropic glutamate receptor subtype 5 measured with [18F]FPEB PET
Mecca AP, Rogers K, Jacobs Z, McDonald JW, Michalak HR, DellaGioia N, Zhao W, Hillmer AT, Nabulsi N, Lim K, Ropchan J, Huang Y, Matuskey D, Esterlis I, Carson RE, van Dyck CH. Effect of age on brain metabotropic glutamate receptor subtype 5 measured with [18F]FPEB PET. NeuroImage 2021, 238: 118217. PMID: 34052464, PMCID: PMC8378132, DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2021.118217.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchMeSH KeywordsAdolescentAdultAgedAged, 80 and overAgingBrain ChemistryFemaleFluorine RadioisotopesFluorodeoxyglucose F18Gray MatterHippocampusHumansMagnetic Resonance ImagingMaleMiddle AgedNeuroimagingOrgan SizePositron-Emission TomographyRadiopharmaceuticalsReceptor, Metabotropic Glutamate 5Young AdultConceptsMetabotropic glutamate receptor subtype 5MGluR5 availabilityMultiple brain regionsTissue lossSubtype 5Association cortexPrimary analysisBrain regionsAge-related molecular changesBrain glutamatergic systemBrain tissue lossNon-significant trendPartial volume correctionPositron emission tomographyBrain mGluR5Effect of ageAge-related declineGlutamatergic systemInverse associationTissue alterationsDistribution volumeEmission tomographyOlder ageCognitive functionExploratory analysisPolygenic risk for traumatic loss-related PTSD in US military veterans: Protective effect of secure attachment style
Asch RH, Esterlis I, Wendt FR, Kachadourian L, Southwick SM, Gelernter J, Polimanti R, Pietrzak RH. Polygenic risk for traumatic loss-related PTSD in US military veterans: Protective effect of secure attachment style. The World Journal Of Biological Psychiatry 2021, 22: 792-799. PMID: 33821766, PMCID: PMC8925016, DOI: 10.1080/15622975.2021.1907721.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsAttachment styleSecure attachment styleRe-experiencing symptomsPolygenic riskAttachment securityPsychological treatmentTraumatic eventsPositive screenPTSDStyle interactionPolygenic risk scoresUS military veteransMilitary veteransNeuroplasticity processesGenetic liabilityStyleSignificant predictorsVeteransUS veteransAssociationPredictorsScreenScoresSeverityRelationshipIdentifying brain networks in synaptic density PET (11C-UCB-J) with independent component analysis
Fang XT, Toyonaga T, Hillmer AT, Matuskey D, Holmes SE, Radhakrishnan R, Mecca AP, van Dyck CH, D’Souza D, Esterlis I, Worhunsky PD, Carson RE. Identifying brain networks in synaptic density PET (11C-UCB-J) with independent component analysis. NeuroImage 2021, 237: 118167. PMID: 34000404, PMCID: PMC8452380, DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2021.118167.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsSynaptic densityResting-state functional magnetic resonance imagingSynaptic vesicle protein 2ALevel-dependent signal fluctuationsBrain networksFunctional magnetic resonance imagingMagnetic resonance imagingAge-related changesHealthy controlsResonance imagingRs-fMRIEffects of sexProtein 2AMultiple comparisonsHuman brainAgePotential utilitySexFirst evidenceCovariance patternsThe hidden burden of social anxiety disorder in U.S. military veterans: Results from the National Health and Resilience in Veterans Study
Byrne SP, Fogle BM, Asch R, Esterlis I, Harpaz-Rotem I, Tsai J, Pietrzak RH. The hidden burden of social anxiety disorder in U.S. military veterans: Results from the National Health and Resilience in Veterans Study. Journal Of Affective Disorders 2021, 291: 9-14. PMID: 34022553, DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2021.04.088.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsU.S. military veteransPsychiatric comorbidityPsychiatric disordersSuicidal ideationU.S. veteransAnxiety disordersComorbid psychiatric disordersMilitary veteransLifetime major depressionImportance of screeningPrevalent mental disordersSocial anxiety disorderMental health functioningCurrent suicidal ideationMeasures of functioningPosttraumatic stress disorderLifetime social anxiety disorderIncremental burdenMultivariable analysisPsychiatric morbidityNational HealthRepresentative sampleMajor depressionFunctional impairmentPsychiatric historyPsychological Resilience to the Challenges of Physical Aging in Older U.S. Veterans: Results From the 2019-2020 National Health and Resilience in Veterans Study
Asch RH, Kachadourian L, Southwick SM, Esterlis I, Pietrzak RH. Psychological Resilience to the Challenges of Physical Aging in Older U.S. Veterans: Results From the 2019-2020 National Health and Resilience in Veterans Study. American Journal Of Geriatric Psychiatry 2021, 29: 1280-1285. PMID: 34053836, PMCID: PMC8553809, DOI: 10.1016/j.jagp.2021.04.013.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsPsychological resilienceOlder U.S. veteransVeterans StudySecure attachment stylePhysical health difficultiesU.S. veteransU.S. military veteransRelative importance analysisAttachment securityAttachment styleHealth difficultiesNovel analytic approachMilitary veteransIntervention strategiesMindfulnessStrongest correlateGreater resilienceMultiple regressionResilienceVeteransOlder veteransAnalytic approachRepresentative sampleDifficulty indexScoresAcute cognitive effects of single-dose intravenous ketamine in major depressive and posttraumatic stress disorder
Davis MT, DellaGiogia N, Maruff P, Pietrzak RH, Esterlis I. Acute cognitive effects of single-dose intravenous ketamine in major depressive and posttraumatic stress disorder. Translational Psychiatry 2021, 11: 205. PMID: 33833217, PMCID: PMC8032778, DOI: 10.1038/s41398-021-01327-5.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsPosttraumatic stress disorderExecutive functionStress disorderCognitive functionSingle-dose intravenous ketamineAcute cognitive effectsLarge magnitude improvementsPTSD relativeCognitive measuresCognitive domainsPTSD individualsMemory performanceCognitive effectsYears of educationBaseline performanceCognitive declineHealthy controlsPsychiatric distressCognitive dysfunctionHC individualsHC groupDepressive symptomsMemory 2Subanesthetic doseMajor depressive