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14 pages, 1095 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Increased Interleukin-6 Levels in Responders with Treatment-Resistant Depression After Bright Light Therapy

by Biljana Kosanovic Rajacic, Marina Sagud, Drazen Begic, Matea Nikolac Perkovic, Ana Kozmar, Dunja Rogic, Alma Mihaljevic Peles, Marija Bozicevic and Nela Pivac

Biomolecules 2025, 15(2), 295; https://doi.org/10.3390/biom15020295 - 16 Feb 2025

Viewed by 1663

Abstract

Treatment-resistant depression (TRD) remains a challenge despite the growing number of interventions. Peripheral interleukin-6 (IL-6) levels have repeatedly been associated with both the presence and response to different treatments in TRD. There is currently no information available on the effects of bright light therapy (BLT) on serum IL-6 levels. This study assessed the effects of BLT on serum IL-6 levels in TRD patients. Serum IL-6 was determined at two points in TRD patients—at baseline and after 4 weeks of BLT—and at a single point in the healthy controls. Depression severity was measured by the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HAMD)-17 and the Montgomery–Åsberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS). The study included 104 females, 54 diagnosed with TRD (median age 52.5) and 50 healthy controls (median age 44.5). At baseline, patients had higher IL-6 levels than the controls. BLT treatment reduced HAMD-17 and MADRS scores. Serum IL-6 levels were not significantly affected by the 4 weeks of BLT. However, when patients were divided according to treatment response, IL-6 levels were increased in responders to BLT. The neuroinflammatory mechanism may be involved in the etiopathogenesis and the treatment of TRD, while changes in serum IL-6 levels may be potential indicators of response to treatment. Full article

(This article belongs to the Collection Feature Papers in Section 'Molecular Medicine')

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16 pages, 750 KiB

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceArticle

Plasma Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor Levels in First-Episode and Recurrent Major Depression and before and after Bright Light Therapy in Treatment-Resistant Depression

by Biljana Kosanovic Rajacic, Marina Sagud, Drazen Begic, Matea Nikolac Perkovic, Anja Dvojkovic, Lana Ganoci and Nela Pivac

Biomolecules 2023, 13(9), 1425; https://doi.org/10.3390/biom13091425 - 20 Sep 2023

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2528

Abstract

Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is implicated in the etiology and treatment response in major depressive disorder (MDD). However, peripheral BDNF concentrations have not been compared across different MDD stages. Bright light therapy (BLT) offers some potential in treatment-resistant depression (TRD), but its effects on BDNF levels are unknown. This study included a cross-sectional analysis of plasma BDNF concentration in females with TRD, unmedicated MDD patients, and healthy controls (HC), and measurements of longitudinal BLT effects on plasma BDNF levels in TRD patients. The present study included 55 drug-naïve, first-episode patients, 25 drug-free recurrent-episode MDD patients, 71 HC participants, and 54 TRD patients. Patients were rated by Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAMD)-17 and the Montgomery–Åsberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS). Patients with TRD received BLT during 4 weeks. The total HAMD-17 and MADRS scores decreased following BLT. All patient groups had lower plasma BDNF than HC, but BDNF levels did not differ between first- and recurrent-episode BDNF patients and TRD patients before or after BLT. However, responders and remitters to BLT had higher post-treatment plasma BDNF concentrations than patients who did not achieve response or remission. The changes in plasma BDNF levels may be candidates for biomarkers of treatment response to BLT in TRD patients. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor in Health and Diseases)

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19 pages, 1432 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Building National Open Science Cloud Initiatives (NOSCIs) in Southeast Europe: Supporting Research and Scholarly Communication

by Milica Ševkušić, Eleni Toli, Katerina Lenaki, Kalliopi Kanavou, Electra Sifakaki, Biljana Kosanović, Ilias Papastamatiou and Elli Papadopoulou

Publications 2022, 10(4), 42; https://doi.org/10.3390/publications10040042 - 8 Nov 2022

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 3827

Abstract

The Horizon 2020 project National Initiatives for Open Science in Europe—NI4OS Europe supports the development of the European Open Science Cloud (EOSC) by integrating 15 countries in Southeast Europe into the governance structure of this new pan-European research environment. Through a qualitative secondary analysis of the data collected during the project, the paper focuses on the main instrument developed by the project with the aim of enabling the integration of the partner countries in the EOSC—a network of national Open Science Cloud Initiatives (NOSCIs)—and explains how the concept of NOSCI and a wide range of related activities, tools, services, and resources foster research and open scholarly communication. The paper has three main sections: the first identifies challenges to scholarly communication in Southeast Europe, the second describes the methodology used to deal with these challenges revolving around the concept of NOSCI, whereas the third presents a set of indicators to track the change generated by project actions and discusses the impact of this methodology and project outputs in the area of scholarly communication. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Toward a New World in Scholarly Communication: The 9th PUBMET2022 Conference on Scholarly Communication in the Context of Open Science)

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19 pages, 1582 KiB

Open AccessReview

COVID-19 and City Space: Impact and Perspectives

by Olivera Lekić Glavan, Nenad Nikolić, Branislav Folić, Biljana Vitošević, Aleksandra Mitrović and Saja Kosanović

Sustainability 2022, 14(3), 1885; https://doi.org/10.3390/su14031885 - 7 Feb 2022

Cited by 27 | Viewed by 7526

Abstract

The pandemic of the COVID-19 disease has radically changed human lifestyle and the usage of living space, especially in cities. With the prolongation of the crisis, the effects of COVID-19 on urban spaces are becoming more noticeable, but the definite changes that can inform approaches to future development, planning, and use of urban space have not yet been determined, as evidenced by the research carried out in this study. The research revealed that there exists the consensus in terms of several new guidelines whose application in design can simultaneously increase the resilience of urban environment to future pandemics and improve the overall quality of city life. These presented guidelines show that we may expect in the future a greater integration of nature-based solutions at various scales of the city, i.e., better ventilated, and naturally lit, more spacious, mixed-use, and flexible buildings surrounded by enlarged, multiplied, and multifunctional open spaces that safely receive the users who are carrying out those activities that were moved from the inner to the outer space. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Frontiers in Design and Planning for Healthy Built Environments)

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