New antibodies neutralize resistant bacteria

Peer-Reviewed Publication

UNIVERSITY OF COLOGNE

 

IMAGE: 

CRYO-ELECTRON MICROSCOPE RECONSTRUCTION OF THE BINDING OF A HUMAN ANTI-PCRV FAB ANTIBODY (YELLOW) TO A PCRV PENTAMER (BLUE) OF THE TYPE III SECRETION SYSTEM (T3SS) OF PSEUDOMONAS AERUGINOSA. THE ANTIBODY BINDING LEADS TO AN INHIBITION OF THE T3SS, WHICH IS AN IMPORTANT VIRULENCE FACTOR OF P. AERUGINOSA.
 

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CREDIT: CSSB/BIAO YUAN

A research team has discovered antibodies that could lead to a new approach to treating acute and chronic infections with the bacterium Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Due to its numerous resistance mechanisms, P. aeruginosa is associated with high morbidity and mortality and can cause complicated infections and dangerous cases of sepsis in severely ill patients. The team of scientists from the University of Cologne, University Hospital Cologne, the Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research in Braunschweig and University Hospital Hamburg-Eppendorf isolated the antibodies from immune cells of chronically ill patients and described their binding mechanisms. The study ‘Discovery of highly neutralizing human antibodies targeting Pseudomonas aeruginosa’ was published in the renowned scientific journal Cell.

Antibiotic-resistant bacteria are a crucial health concern worldwide not only to infected people, but also to our healthcare systems in general. Infections with the bacterium P. aeruginosa in particular are a threat due to numerous resistance mechanisms, often leading to complicated infections of the lungs and dangerous sepsis, especially in severely ill patients. In addition, the pathogen can permanently colonize organs such as the lungs, where it promotes progressive tissue damage. Often, so-called last-resort antibiotics must be used to treat infected patients, as the standard treatments no longer work. New therapeutic approaches are therefore urgently needed to ensure effective treatment for infections with multi-resistant pathogens such as P. aeruginosa in the future.

In their study, the researchers therefore investigated whether the approach of isolating broadly neutralizing human antibodies, which has been successful for viral infections, could also be used for the development of new therapies against bacterial infections. “Many of the therapeutic antibodies that are already being used against viruses have been isolated and developed from infected, recovered or vaccinated individuals,” said lead author Dr Alexander Simonis, resident physician at the Infectiology Department of Department I of Internal Medicine and head of the BMBF-funded junior research group ‘Immunotherapies against bacterial infections’ at the UoC’s Center for Molecular Medicine Cologne.

The research team isolated highly effective antibodies against this pathogen from immune cells of patients with cystic fibrosis who were chronically infected with P. aeruginosa. These antibodies block an important virulence factor of the bacterium, the so-called type III secretion system, which plays an important role especially in severe infections with P. aeruginosa. In extensive experiments using cell cultures and animal models, the researchers were able to show that the newly developed antibodies are as effective against the bacterium as conventional antibiotics. However, since the activity of these antibodies is independent of the mechanisms of action and resistance of antibiotics, these so-called pathoblockers can also – in contrast to many conventional antibiotics – work on highly resistant bacteria.

“The findings and the experimental approaches can also be transferred to other bacterial pathogens and thus represent a promising new approach for the treatment of infections with multi-resistant bacteria," concluded the last author of the study, lecturer (Privatdozent) Dr Jan Rybniker, physician at the Infectiology Department of Department I for Internal Medicine and head of the ‘Translational Research Unit – Infectious Diseases’ at University Hospital Cologne and the UoC’s Center for Molecular Medicine Cologne.

The study was conducted with funding from the Clinician Scientist Programme of the UoC’S Faculty of Medicine, the Career Advancement Program of the Center for Molecular Medicine Cologne as well as from the funding measure ‘Young Researchers Groups in Infection Research’ by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research, which has supported Dr Simonis since May 2022 with a junior research group.

The scientists are now planning to further develop the antibodies and to test them in clinical trials. In the long term, they plan to use the antibodies as part of a new therapeutic approach, especially in acute and severe infections with P. aeruginosa. According to the researchers, the antibodies also offer the possibility to protect patients with an increased risk of P. aeruginosa infections – especially in intensive care units or in the case of cancer – by means of passive immunization.

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JOURNAL

Cell

DOI

10.1016/j.cell.2023.10.002 

METHOD OF RESEARCH

Experimental study

SUBJECT OF RESEARCH

Animals

ARTICLE TITLE

Discovery of highly neutralizing human antibodies targeting Pseudomonas aeruginosa

ARTICLE PUBLICATION DATE

1-Nov-2023

POLITICAL ECOLOGY

As climate impacts accelerate, finance gap for adaptation efforts at least 50% bigger than thought

Reports and Proceedings

UNEP DIVISION OF PUBLIC COMMUNICATION AND INFORMATION

• Finance needs of developing countries now 10-18 times as big as international public finance flows
• Growing gap results from rising adaptation needs and faltering adaptation finance
• Failure to enhance adaptation has huge implications for losses and damages

Nairobi, 2 November 2023 – Progress on climate adaptation is slowing on all fronts when it should be accelerating to catch up with rising climate change impacts and risks, according to a new United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) report.

Released ahead of the COP28 climate talks taking place in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, the Adaptation Gap Report 2023: Underfinanced. Underprepared – Inadequate investment and planning on climate adaptation leaves world exposed finds that the adaptation finance needs of developing countries are 10-18 times as big as international public finance flows – over 50 per cent higher than the previous range estimate.

"Today’s Adaptation Gap Report shows a growing divide between need and action when it comes to protecting people from climate extremes. Action to protect people and nature is more pressing than ever," UN Secretary-General António Guterres said in his message on the report. “Lives and livelihoods are being lost and destroyed, with the vulnerable suffering the most.”

"We are in an adaptation emergency. We must act like it. And take steps to close the adaptation gap, now," he added.

As a result of the growing adaptation finance needs and faltering flows, the current adaptation finance gap is now estimated to be US$194-366 billion per year. At the same time, adaptation planning and implementation appear to be plateauing. This failure to adapt has massive implications for losses and damages, particularly for the most vulnerable.

 “In 2023, climate change yet again became more disruptive and deadly: temperature records toppled, while storms, floods, heatwaves and wildfires caused devastation,” said Inger Andersen, Executive Director of UNEP. “These intensifying impacts tell us that the world must urgently cut greenhouse gas emissions and increase adaptation efforts to protect vulnerable populations. Neither is happening.”

“Even if the international community were to stop emitting all greenhouse gases today, climate disruption would take decades to dissipate,” she added. “So, I urge policymakers to take heed of the Adaptation Gap Report, step up finance and make COP28 the moment that the world committed fully to insulating low-income countries and disadvantaged groups from damaging climate impacts.”

 Finance, planning and implementation waning

After a major update over previous years, the report now finds that the funds required for adaptation in developing countries are higher – estimated to be in a plausible central range of US$215 billion to US$387 billion per year this decade.

The modelled costs of adaptation in developing countries are estimated at US$215 billion per year this decade and are projected to rise significantly by 2050. The adaptation finance needed to implement domestic adaptation priorities, based on extrapolation of costed Nationally Determined Contributions and National Adaptation Plans to all developing countries, is estimated at US$387 billion per year. 

Despite these needs, public multilateral and bilateral adaptation finance flows to developing countries declined by 15 per cent to US$21 billion in 2021. This dip comes despite pledges made at COP26 in Glasgow to deliver around US$40 billion per year in adaptation finance support by 2025 and sets a worrying precedent.

While five out of six countries have at least one national adaptation planning instrument, progress to reach full global coverage is slowing. And the number of adaptation actions supported through international climate funds has stagnated for the past decade.

Innovative ways to deliver finance essential

Ambitious adaptation can enhance resilience – which is particularly important for low-income countries and disadvantaged groups – and head off losses and damages.

The report points to a study indicating that the 55 most climate-vulnerable economies alone have experienced losses and damages of more than US$500 billion in the last two decades. These costs will rise steeply in the coming decades, particularly in the absence of forceful mitigation and adaptation.

Studies indicate that every billion invested in adaptation against coastal flooding leads to a US$14 billion reduction in economic damages. Meanwhile, US$16 billion per year invested in agriculture would prevent approximately 78 million people from starving or chronic hunger because of climate impacts.

However, neither the goal of doubling 2019 international finance flows to developing countries by 2025 nor a possible New Collective Quantified Goal for 2030 will significantly close the adaptation finance gap on their own and deliver such benefits.

This report identifies seven ways to increasing financing, including through domestic expenditure and international and private sector finance. Additional avenues include remittances, increasing and tailoring finance to Small and Medium Enterprises, implementation of Article 2.1(c) of the Paris Agreement on shifting finance flows towards low-carbon and climate resilient development pathways, and a reform of the global financial architecture, as proposed by the Bridgetown Initiative.

The new loss and damage fund will also be an important instrument to mobilize resources, but issues remain. The fund will need to move towards more innovative financing mechanisms to reach the necessary scale of investment.

NOTES TO EDITORS

About the UN Environment Programme (UNEP)

UNEP is the leading global voice on the environment. It provides leadership and encourages partnership in caring for the environment by inspiring, informing and enabling nations and peoples to improve their quality of life without compromising that of future generations.

For more information please contact:

News and Media Unit, UN Environment Programme

Warming world, widening gap: climate change’s toll on poverty and inequality in South Africa

Peer-Reviewed Publication

CMCC FOUNDATION - EURO-MEDITERRANEAN CENTER ON CLIMATE CHANGE

Scientific evidence shows that climate change is already negatively affecting inequality and poverty, but the extent to which this happens at the micro-level remains relatively unexplored. Investigating the distributional effects of climate change at the micro-level is particularly relevant in low- or middle-income countries, where vulnerable populations are more susceptible to its impacts.

A new paper published in Environmental Research Letters investigates the relationship between temperature and inequality, poverty and welfare in South Africa at the national and sub-national level and highlights – in addition to the need for climate change adaptation – the co-benefits of decarbonization in reducing socioeconomic disparities among affected communities.

The study was conducted by a team of researchers from CMCC@Ca’Foscari, the strategic partnership between CMCC Foundation and Ca’ Foscari University of Venice, RFF-CMCC European Institute on Economics and the Environment (EIEE) and London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE).

Authors find that the relationship between temperature and inequality and poverty is non-linear, with inequality lowest at moderate temperatures. However, once temperatures increase beyond a certain threshold (15-17°C), the inequality gap among different income groups widens, threatening the livelihood of the most vulnerable communities.

This effect is particularly noticeable for the poorer segments of the population, whose productivity and wages decline as temperatures increase, while the impact on the richer segments is less significant due to their greater adaptive capacity. In particular, agricultural households are more likely to experience an increase in inequality due to warming.

Through projections under multiple warming scenarios, authors find that climate change is expected to reduce average growth and exacerbate inequalities in the future. Comparing the outcomes of the moderate Representative Concentration Pathway scenario (RCP6.0) to a reference scenario without warming they found that, by the end of the century, the Gini coefficient – a statistical measure of economic inequality in a population – in South Africa is expected to increase by 3 to 6 points. This would result in a potential welfare loss of approximately 50% when combined with the impact of warming on GDP (which alone can reach up to 43% by 2100 in South Africa).

Unless climate change policies incorporate inequality in their design, authors conclude, they may have unintended consequences and increase the burden on disadvantaged groups.

Authors’ quotes:

“Climate change not only increases inequality, but increased inequality exacerbates many of the climate change-induced impacts on society through increased exposure and vulnerability. Without strong mitigation efforts – welfare and wellbeing will worsen substantially due to future climate change” says Shouro Dasgupta, a researcher at CMCC, Ca’ Foscari University of Venice, and Visiting Senior Fellow at the Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment, London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE).

“Well-informed and community-specific adaptation policies can reduce the negative consequences of excess warming while harnessing the potential benefits of keeping temperature increases to moderate levels,” says Soheil Shayegh, a scientist at RFF-CMCC European Institute on Economics and the Environment (EIEE).

“That climate change is likely to affect not only biophysical systems, but also the economy is now widely accepted. However, less is known on how this economic impact is distributed across different households. We find here for the case of South Africa that global warming will hit poorer households harder, thus leading to an increase in inequality. Climate mitigation is therefore crucial not only from an ecological, economic, but also inequality perspective” says Johannes Emmerling, senior scientist at RFF-CMCC European Institute on Economics and the Environment (EIEE).

For more information:

Dasgupta, S., Emmerling, J., and Shayegh, S. (2023). Inequality and growth impacts of climate change – insights from South Africa. Environmental Research Letters.  https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/ad0448.

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JOURNAL

Environmental Research Letters

DOI

10.1088/1748-9326/ad0448 

ARTICLE TITLE

Inequality and growth impacts of climate change—insights from South Africa

ARTICLE PUBLICATION DATE

2-Nov-2023

 

The influence of media narratives on microplastics risk perception revealed

Peer-Reviewed Publication

PEERJ

In a world increasingly aware of the environmental challenges posed by microplastics, a pioneering study conducted by Ruxandra Malina Petrescu-Mag from Babes-Bolyai University, and published in PeerJ Life & Environment, sheds new light on the impact of media narratives on public perception and awareness of microplastic risks.

Microplastics - tiny plastic particles that pollute both terrestrial and marine ecosystems - have garnered significant scientific, media, and public attention in recent years. However, this study reveals a lack of consensus between the scientific community and the media, particularly when it comes to how the risks associated with microplastics are portrayed and perceived over time.

"The Influence of Media Narratives on Microplastics Risk Perception" addresses a critical need for a better understanding of the social aspects surrounding microplastics, including the factors that influence public awareness and risk perception.

In the quest for answers, the study pursued two primary objectives. Firstly, it investigated whether media narratives had an impact on the awareness of microplastics among the Romanian population. Secondly, it delved into the influence of media narratives on how Romanians perceived the health and environmental risks associated with microplastics. 

In an online survey of 417 respondents from Romania, participants were asked a series of 21 questions designed to gauge their awareness of microplastics, their perception of the health and environmental risks, their exposure to media narratives regarding microplastics, and demographic information. The study then employed binary logistic regression to identify the specific media narratives that played a significant role in influencing awareness and risk perception.

Key findings of the study demonstrated that media narratives play a pivotal role in shaping public awareness. Notably, the media narrative "Microplastics in the sea threaten fish stocks" was found to significantly influence the awareness of microplastics. This means that as the exposure to this narrative increased, so did the awareness of microplastics among the surveyed population. Additionally, the study observed that age had a positive correlation with increased awareness of microplastics, further emphasizing the influence of media in shaping public perception.

Moreover, the perceived health risk associated with microplastics was heavily influenced by the media narrative "Leakage of harmful chemicals from microplastics affects the soil."  These findings underscore the growing importance of media narratives in shaping public awareness and perceptions of environmental and health risks. With the mass media's expanding role in shaping public perception regarding health and environmental issues, this study reaffirms the need for accurate and balanced reporting on microplastics.

The research suggests that providing the public with clear and accurate information on microplastic risks is crucial to combat misinformation and foster informed decision-making. Furthermore, by gaining a better understanding of public perceptions, it becomes possible to design targeted interventions to reduce plastic consumption, ultimately mitigating the risks associated with microplastic pollution, with profound benefits for both human health and the environment.

This study published in PeerJ Life & Environment represents a significant step forward in understanding the dynamics of media narratives on microplastics. It offers a valuable foundation for future research and policymaking, as the world grapples with the increasingly pressing issue of plastic pollution.

 

 

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JOURNAL

PeerJ

DOI

10.7717/peerj.16338 

ARTICLE TITLE

The influence of media narratives on microplastics risk perception

ARTICLE PUBLICATION DATE

2-Nov-2023

 

How a climate model can illustrate and explain ice-age climate variability

International team of researchers reveals for the first time a mechanism to explain pronounced climate variability during the last ice age

Peer-Reviewed Publication

MARUM - CENTER FOR MARINE ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES, UNIVERSITY OF BREMEN

 

IMAGE: 

AN INTERNATIONAL TEAM OF SCIENTISTS STUDIED THE NATURAL MULTI-CENTENNIAL CLIMATE VARIABILITY BETWEEN 23,000 AND 19,000 YEARS AGO; CLIMATE MODEL AND PALEO DATA SHOW THAT THIS VARIABILITY WAS PARTICULARLY PRONOUNCED IN THE SUBPOLAR NORTH ATLANTIC. THE PHOTO SHOWS SEA ICE IN THE ARCTIC OCEAN. PHOTO: MARUM – CENTER FOR MARINE ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES, UNIVERSITY OF BREMEN; V. DIEKAMP

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CREDIT: PHOTO: MARUM – CENTER FOR MARINE ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES, UNIVERSITY OF BREMEN; V. DIEKAMP

Although humankind is responsible for the current global climate warming, our planet has constantly been undergoing natural climate fluctuations throughout the past. Possible forcing mechanisms for this variability would have been changes in the brightness of the sun or explosive volcanic eruptions, but also interactions within the atmosphere/ocean/sea-ice system. Experts refer here to external and internal factors influencing the climate system. The duration of such an oscillation, also called variability, can vary considerably. Such climate variability is particularly important in climate research, especially for further improving our understanding of the effects of current anthropogenic climate change. However, with a few exceptions, there has long been a certain lack of clarity about climate oscillations that last for centuries. Dr. Matthias Prange, first author of the study and Earth System modeler at MARUM and the Geosciences Department, explains, “Natural climate variability at time scales of hundreds of years is not yet well understood. For one, there are no observation time series that cover such long time periods. For another, there are only a few records of proxy data with sufficient resolution to shed light at this time scale. It has also been problematic that climate models to date have had great difficulty in depicting natural climate variability at time scales from 100 to 1,000 years.”

Natural climate variability during peak glacial period four times stronger

The models have continued to improve in recent years, however, and the scientists working with Matthias Prange have now been able to use a well-tested climate model to take a closer look at natural climate variability on a time scale of 100 to 1,000 years during the last peak glacial period. Available paleodata from ice and seafloor cores show that the natural climate variability intensified during the period between 23,000 and 19,000 years, and was globally as much as four times stronger than in the present Holocene. It was especially prominent in the North Atlantic. “The fact that we now have climate models that can depict such changes in natural climate variability is a reflection of the great advances in climate modeling, and demonstrates the impressive capabilities of the models,” according to Prange.

Searching for factors for internal forcing

There is no evidence for external forcing for the multi-centennial climate variability. In the search for other causes the scientists turned their attention to possible internal mechanisms. “We used the well-known Community Earth System Model, CESM1.2. for short, which is also used for predictions by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, and fed it with the boundary conditions for the last ice age,” says Prange. “We input the level of greenhouse-gas concentration, the extent of continental ice distribution, and the characteristic orbital parameters for the time.”

Salt and temperature

When the ice age was at its peak and most pronounced, the scientists were able to detect a spontaneous oscillation in the North Atlantic lasting several hundred years, accompanied by fluctuations in the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC). One cycle, in which the AMOC becomes stronger and then weaker, lasts around 400 years. This involves the transport of low-salinity water from the South to the North Atlantic. Along the way it becomes even less saline, so that the seawater becomes lighter and does not sink as effectively into the depths of the North Atlantic. The production of deep water and its transportation toward the South Atlantic therefore becomes weaker.

The cyclic process is self-sustained, as the weakening of the AMOC results in less low-salinity water being transported northward again from the South Atlantic. Consequently, salinity in the North Atlantic may increase again, resulting in the production of more deep water. As Matthias Prange explains, “These processes indicate that the multi-centennial climate variability is closely related to differences in the salinity and temperature in the water column.” And although the amplitudes of the variation are low, there are clear effects on the extent of North Atlantic sea ice and on the temperatures in Greenland. “The average annual temperatures there vary by about four degrees Celsius as a result of the AMOC oscillations,” concludes Prange.

Influence of the ice-age multi-centennial climate variability on air temperatures in the North Atlantic region (in degrees Celsius). The temperature differences between the warm and cold phases of climate variability are shown. Also shown is the extent of Arctic sea ice during the warm phase as a blue contour line for February and a green contour line for August. The circles indicate the presence of proxy data from ice cores and ocean sediment cores that demonstrate the multi-centennial variation during the ice-age maximum. The coastlines shown represent conditions during the last ice age, about 20,000 years ago. Graph: MARUM – Center for Marine Environmental Sciences, University of Bremen, M. Prange et al.

CREDIT

MARUM – Center for Marine Environmental Sciences, University of Bremen, M. Prange et al.

High-resolution paleodata

In order to support these findings of the models, the scientists investigated the sea-surface temperatures for that time period. “To do this, we compiled and analyzed all of the high-resolution reconstructions from marine sediments of the North Atlantic," says Dr. Lukas Jonkers, co-author of the study and micropaleontologist at MARUM. “High-resolution here means that the data points of a series average no more than 200 years apart, with no single step greater than 1000 years.” The paleoarchives studied provide evidence for recurring temperature oscillations in the surface waters every 150 to 1000 years during the last glacial maximum, which is consistent with the modelled multi-centennial climate variability with internal forcing mechanisms.

The importance of understanding feedback processes

Recent research findings underscore the importance of detailed study and understanding of feedback processes in the climate system. Matthias Prange emphasizes the need for a deeper understanding of climate variability at various time scales, as this could have ramifications for future climate change that could lead to unexpected and undesirable surprises for societies. These findings are also incorporated into the work of the Cluster of Excellence "The Ocean Floor – Earth’s Uncharted Interface", which is based at MARUM.

 

MARUM produces fundamental scientific knowledge about the role of the ocean and the seafloor in the total Earth system. The dynamics of the oceans and the seabed significantly impact the entire Earth system through the interaction of geological, physical, biological and chemical processes. These influence both the climate and the global carbon cycle, resulting in the creation of unique biological systems. MARUM is committed to fundamental and unbiased research in the interests of society, the marine environment, and in accordance with the sustainability goals of the United Nations. It publishes its quality-assured scientific data to make it publicly available. MARUM informs the public about new discoveries in the marine environment and provides practical knowledge through its dialogue with society. MARUM cooperation with companies and industrial partners is carried out in accordance with its goal of protecting the marine environment.

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JOURNAL

Science Advances

DOI

10.1126/sciadv.adh1106 

ARTICLE TITLE

A multicentennial mode of North Atlantic climate variability throughout the Last Glacial Maximum

ARTICLE PUBLICATION DATE

1-Nov-2023

  

Teenagers are most likely to seek help for anxiety or depression at the start of the school year, says new study

Peer-Reviewed Publication

UNIVERSITY OF NOTTINGHAM

Teenagers are more likely to visit their GP about depression and anxiety at the start of the school year in the autumn, according to new research led by experts from the University of Nottingham.

In recent years there has been an increase in mental health issues and antidepressant prescribing in children and young people, however specialist mental health services in the UK are currently struggling to meet these increased demands.  

Members of a Young Person’s Advisory Group asked whether there are particular periods in the year when adolescents have more mental health issues.

A new study, published in BMJ Mental Health, looked at the anonymised electronic health records from GPs of 5 million people in England over a 13-year period, to determine whether there are seasonal patterns in antidepressant prescribing and consultations for mental health issues in adolescents and young adults.

The research was led by Dr Ruth Jack from the Centre for Academic Primary Care, Lifespan and Population Health in the School of Medicine at the University of Nottingham.

Information from QResearch* about antidepressant prescribing and mental health events between 2006 and 2019 was used. People were grouped into males and females in three age groups: 14-18 years (adolescents), 19-23 years and 24-28 years.

The first record of depression, anxiety and self-harm, as well as the first antidepressant prescription if (it was a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) ) was included. Antidepressant prescribing, depression and anxiety incidence rates were higher in autumn months for adolescents, but not for the older groups.

Recorded self-harm was lowest in August for adolescents, and relatively stable throughout the year for the other groups. The findings suggest that support for adolescents around mental health issues from GPs and others should be focused during the autumn.

Dr Ruth Jack said: “Our large study of over 5 million people in England shows that teenagers are more likely to visit their GPs for mental health issues in the autumn. Rates started to increase in September, and peaked in November. The start of a new school year can be a particularly difficult time and it’s great that people are seeking help. 

“By understanding the changing demand for services at different times of the year, GPs, teachers and others who support teenagers can make sure there are enough resources and help available when it’s most needed.”

The study was funded by the NIHR School for Primary Care Research.

The paper will be published here on Thursday 2 November.

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JOURNAL

BMJ Mental Health

DOI

10.1136/bmjment-2023-300855 

METHOD OF RESEARCH

Data/statistical analysis

SUBJECT OF RESEARCH

People

ARTICLE TITLE

Seasonal trends in antidepressant prescribing, depression, anxiety and self-harm in adolescents and young adults: an open cohort study using English primary care data

ARTICLE PUBLICATION DATE

2-Nov-2023

Study examines the devastating impact of loneliness on Autistic people

New research has revealed just how acutely Autistic people experience loneliness contradicting the stereotype that they avoid seeking meaningful social relationships

Peer-Reviewed Publication

SWANSEA UNIVERSITY

New research has revealed just how acutely Autistic people experience loneliness contradicting the stereotype that they avoid seeking meaningful social relationships.

Loneliness negatively affects physical and mental health in both neurotypical and neurodivergent individuals and rates of loneliness are up to four times higher in Autistic individuals than their peers. Autistic people also have a greater vulnerability to the negative physical and psychological consequences of loneliness.

However, social environments often act as barriers, making it more difficult for people with higher levels of sensory differences to interact with others.

A new study, which has just been published by journal Autism in Adulthood, investigated Autistic people’s experiences and sought to not only quantify the level of distress associated with loneliness but also to provide a qualitative insight into Autistic adults’ loneliness.

The authors include Dr Gemma Williams, a public health research officer in the School of Health and Social Care.  She said: “In the quantitative part of the study, our results indicate that sensory differences are related with higher loneliness and associated poor mental health in both Autistic and non-Autistic adults. This effect was exacerbated in Autistic adults due to a greater presence of sensory processing differences.”

For the qualitative part of the study, she collated first-hand reports from Autistic adults on intense loneliness and the obstructive role of sensory environments which refute stereotypes about Autistic adults lacking social motivation.

For example, one of the participants explained that where people live can have a big impact on their social interaction. She said: “The cost of transport in the city, it’s really quite expensive and prohibitive for some people. So, especially if people are out of work or in transient work or zero-hour contracts where they don’t know how much or how many hours they’re gonna get from one month to the next.”

During a cost-of-living crisis, meeting up for activities may be out of reach for many individuals, but Autistic people are especially vulnerable as they frequent experience financial inequalities relating not only to a lack of employment opportunities and support but also access to benefits.

Taken together, the research team’s two studies confirm that loneliness is significantly related to feelings of distress and poor mental health in both Autistic and non-autistic adults.

Moreover, experiencing sensory differences in a world that does not accommodate for variant sensory profiles may drive people to become increasingly isolated, contributing to feelings of loneliness.

One participant described the difficulties she had experienced in making friends: “Sometimes I have trouble having a conversation or to be understood because I don’t have the same thought process. Which makes it weird sometimes and people are wondering ‘what are you saying?’ or ‘I can’t understand what do you mean?’”

Another added: “I’m trying to reach out, I’m trying to find my people, but it all still feels a bit hopeless.”

As sensory differences are especially prevalent in the Autistic community, they may compound other societal, social, and affective factors, ultimately giving rise to higher numbers of loneliness and associated distress.

Dr Williams added: “Our research highlighted how painfully loneliness is often experienced by Autistic adults. We conclude that to enable meaningful and inclusive social interaction, a real societal effort is needed to create spaces that consider the sensory needs of all neurotypes.”

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JOURNAL

Autism in Adulthood

DOI

10.1089/aut.2022.0062 

METHOD OF RESEARCH

Survey

SUBJECT OF RESEARCH

People

ARTICLE TITLE

“I'm Trying to Reach Out, I'm Trying to Find My People”: A Mixed-Methods Investigation of the Link Between Sensory Differences, Loneliness, and Mental Health in Autistic and Nonautistic Adults

ARTICLE PUBLICATION DATE

2-Nov-2023

 

Can acupuncture alleviate certain kinds of chest pain?

Grant and Award Announcement

UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS CHICAGO

Researchers at the University of Illinois Chicago have received a $3.12 million National Institutes of Health grant to study whether acupuncture can alleviate chest pain caused by stable angina. Stable angina is defined as predictable chest pain during exertion or when under mental or emotional stress and is a condition that affects millions of Americans. 

A large body of research has shown that acupuncture can help mitigate many types of chronic pain. But little is known about its effect on ischemic pain, which is caused when the heart isn’t getting enough oxygen, as is the case with stable angina. 

The two-site study will be led by principal investigators Judith Schlaeger, associate professor in the College of Nursing, and Holli DeVon, professor emeritus in the College of Nursing who is also a professor and the Audrienne Endowed Chair in Research at UCLA. Dr. Joan Briller, cardiologist and professor of clinical medicine in the College of Medicine, is co-investigator and content expert.  

In a previous pilot study, the team found that acupuncture reduced pain and improved quality of life for participants. 

Chest pain from stable angina is often the result of cholesterol buildup in the arteries that reduces blood flow to the heart, Briller explained. But many people with stable angina have it for other reasons, such as when the tiny arteries that deliver blood to tissues malfunction and don’t let enough oxygen through. Treating these patients with therapies that are designed to reduce cholesterol-caused blockages often doesn’t work, leaving them with what can be debilitating flare-ups of chest pain. 

“The idea of using acupuncture is a really novel one and it would be terrific if it works,” Briller said. 

Chest pain from angina can significantly reduce a person’s quality of life, causing them to avoid physical activity or potentially stressful situations.

“Having chronic pain, no matter what the cause is, is debilitating and exhausting,” said DeVon, who will be recruiting patients at UCLA in addition to those recruited by Briller and Schlaeger at UIC. “I’m excited to be offering an alternative to patients who have not gotten complete pain relief from medication.”

Schlaeger points out that there is a huge disparity among those who have access to acupuncture in this country, both because acupuncturists tend to practice in wealthier neighborhoods and because the treatment can be costly. Study participants will largely come from medically underrepresented groups who will have access to acupuncture for the first time, as was the case in the pilot study. 

“Participants in the pilot were really delighted to be offered an intervention that they’ve heard about but had been beyond their reach,” Schlaeger said. 

The grant from the National Institute of Nursing Research is funding the four-year study, which will enroll 112 participants who have been diagnosed with stable angina, are experiencing symptoms at least once a week and have been receiving medical treatment for their pain for at least a month. Participants will be randomly assigned to either receive acupuncture twice a week for five weeks or will watch TED Talk videos for roughly two hours each week for five weeks. They will then be followed for three months to determine how long the acupuncture is effective in reducing pain. Participants will be surveyed on their pain levels, symptom control, quality of life and other health indicators throughout the study. 

Written by Emily Stone