To determine the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on the mental health of older adults with pre-existing major depressive disorder (MDD). Participants: Participants were 73 community-living older adults with pre-existing MDD (mean age 69 [SD 6]) in Los Angeles, New York, Pittsburgh, and St Louis. Design and Measurements: During the first 2 months of the pandemic, the authors interviewed participants with a semistructured qualitative interview evaluating access to care, mental health, quality of life, and coping. The authors also assessed depression, anxiety, and suicidality with validated scales and compared scores before and during the pandemic. Results: Five themes from the interviews highlight the experience of older adults with MDD: 1) They are more concerned about the risk of contracting the virus than the risks of isolation. 2) They exhibit resilience to the stress and isolation of physical distancing. 3) Most are not isolated socially, with virtual contact with friends and family. 4) Their quality of life is lower, and they worry their mental health will suffer with continued physical distancing. 5) They are outraged by an inadequate governmental response to the pandemic. Depression, anxiety, and suicidal ideation symptom scores did not differ

Age-related cognitive decline, the deterioration in functions such as memory and executive function, is faced by most older adults and affects function and quality of life. No approved treatments exist for age-related cognitive decline. Computerized cognitive training has been shown to provide consistent albeit modest improvements in cognitive function as measured by neuropsychological testing. Vortioxetine, an antidepressant medication, has putative procognitive and proneuroplastic properties and therefore may be able to augment cognitive training. In this placebo-controlled study, the authors tested the cognitive benefits of vortioxetine added to cognitive training for adults age 65 or older with age-related cognitive decline.Methods: After a 2-week lead-in period of cognitive training, 100 participants were randomly assigned to receive either vortioxetine or placebo in addition to cognitive training for 26 weeks. The primary outcome measure was global cognitive performance, assessed by the NIH Toolbox Cognition Battery Fluid Cognition Composite. The secondary outcome measure was functional cognition, assessed by the UCSD Performance-Based Skills Assessment. All participants received motivational messaging and support from study staff to maximize adherence to the training.Results: Participants who received vortioxetine with cognitive training showed a greater increase in global cognitive performance compared with those who received placebo with cognitive training. This separation was significant at week 12 but not at other assessment time points. Both groups showed improvement in the secondary outcome measure of functional cognition, with no significant difference between groups.Conclusions: Vortioxetine may be beneficial for age-related cognitive decline when combined with cognitive training. These findings provide new treatment directions for combating cognitive decline in older adults.

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Objectives This study aimed to examine the relationship between self-reported oral health, oral hygiene practices, and oral human papillomavirus (HPV) infection among women at risk for sexually transmitted infections in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Study design Convenience and referral sampling methods were used in a clinic-based setting to recruit 126 women aged 18–45 years between August–October 2013. Behavioral factors were self-reported. Oral-rinse samples were tested for HPV DNA of two low-risk and 13 high-risk genotypes. Results A higher unadjusted prevalence of oral HPV infection was associated with poorer self-rated overall oral health (p=.001), reporting oral lesions/problems in the past year (p=.001), and reporting a tooth loss not because of injury (p=.001). Higher unadjusted prevalence of oral HPV infection was also associated with two measures of oral hygiene: lower frequencies of toothbrush per day (p=.047) and gargling without toothbrush (p=.037). After adjusting for other factors in multivariable logistic regression models, poorer self-rated overall oral health remained statistically associated with oral HPV infection (p=.042); yet, the frequency of toothbrush per day did not (p=.704). Conclusion Results corroborate the association between self-reported poor oral health and oral HPV infection. The effect of oral hygiene on oral HPV infection remains inconclusive.

Purpose/ Background: Venlafaxine is a commonly used antidepressant with both serotonergic and noradrenergic activity. There are concerns it may prolong the corrected QT interval (QTc), and older adults may be at higher risk for this adverse effect, especially at higher dosages of the medication. Methods/Procedures:In this secondary analysis of a prospective clinical trial, we measured changes in QTc and other ECG parameters in 169 adults aged ≥ 60 with a major depressive disorder treated acutely with venlafaxine extended release (XR) up to 300 mg daily. We examined the relationship of venlafaxine dosage and ECG parameters, as well as the relationship between serum levels of venlafaxine and ECG parameters.Findings/Results: Venlafaxine exposure was not associated with an increase in QTc. Heart rate increased with venlafaxine treatment, while the PR interval shortened, and QRS width did not change significantly. QTc change from baseline was not associated with venlafaxine dosages or