The anxiety level of an athlete is important. The serotonin transporter protein is encoded by the SLC6A4 gene. Serotonin is one of the most important members of anxiety metabolism. Serotonin transporter protein plays a role in bringing serotonin back from the synaptic space to the presynaptic neuron. We aimed to determine the genotype and allele distributions of the SLC6A4 promoter L/S polymorphism in football players and compare it with the control group. For this purpose, 20 football players participated in our study. Genotyping was performed by PCR after DNAs were isolated from buccal epithelial cells. When we examined the genotype distributions, the LL, LS and SS were found as 4 (20%), 8 (40%) and 8 (40%), respectively. In the control group, the same genotype number and percentages were determined as 10 (23%), 25 (57%) and 9 (20%), respectively. In terms of genotype distribution, no statistically significant significance was found between the two groups (p = 0.2493). When allelic distributions were examined in the athlete group, the L allele was counted as 16 (40%) and the S allele as 24 (60%). In the control group, the L allele 45 (51%) and the S allele were counted as 43 (49%). When the two groups were compared statistically in terms of allelic distribution, no statistically significant difference was found (p = 0.2423). As a result, LS and SS genotype were co-dominant and at the same time higher than LL genotype. At the same time, when we compared the S allele with the L allele, it was found that the S allele was more in percentage. Studies have found that the S allele is associated with anxiety. Sports psychologist can support athletes with S allele who are prone to anxiety problems. This is the first study to report that S allele is more common than L allele in Turkish football players.

It is suggested that the psychological and emotional reactions that occurred during the COVID-19 pandemic may lead to serious psychiatric disorders in the long run. This study aims to establish the validity and reliability of the COVID-19 Phobia Scale developed for measuring emotions and behaviours related to the COVID-19 pandemic. The sociodemographic form, COVID-19 Phobia Scale developed by the researchers, Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, and Health Anxiety Scale were applied in the study conducted through a web-based survey method. An item-total analysis was performed as the first step of the study that was conducted with 1243 participants. The exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses revealed the final version of the COVID-19 Phobia Scale to comprise four subscales made up of 22 items, where the subscales were termed as Worry, Mood, Reassurance Seeking/Precaution and Avoidance. The internal consistency of the COVID-19 Phobia Scale measured by the Cronbach alpha coefficient was 0.84. A statistically significant positive correlation was found between the COVID-19 Phobia Scale and Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, Health Anxiety Scale. The COVID-19 Phobia Scale is a valid and reliable scale that can be used to measure emotions and related behavioural changes.

Athletic performance is associated with many environmental factors such as inborn genetic factors, nutrition, psychological factors, and education. We aimed to analyze the brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) rs6265 polymorphism, which is an important genetic marker related to psychological factors, in 21 professional female volleyball players and compare it with the control group. Genotyping was assessed by Real-time PCR technique. BDNF rs6265 polymorphism genotypes were calculated as 72% and 28% for GG and GA in volleyball players, respectively. No AA genotype was detected. In the control group, the GG, GA and AA genotype percentages were calculated as 57.8, 36.3 and 5.9, respectively. In the allelic distribution, the percentages in the athlete group were calculated as 86% (36) for the G allele and 14% (6) for the A allele, respectively. In the control group, for the G and A alleles, respectively; it was 76.25% and 23.75%. No statistical significance was found in terms of both genotype distribution (p = 0.407) and allelic frequency distribution (p = 0.218). Our results were in line with data indicating the stress and anxiety-related nature of professional volleyball players. More studies with more athletes and more groups of athletes are needed to understand the effect of these parameters on volleyball players.

The purpose of the research was to develop a fuzzy logic model-based risk assessment tool and to determine the views of health professionals working in community mental health centers concerning this. A methodological method was employed in developing the fuzzy logic model-based risk assessment tool, and the qualitative research method was used to elicit attitudes toward it. In the first stage, the suicide risk assessment tool was developed. In second stage the health professionals used the suicide risk assessment tool for four weeks. Feedback regarding health professionals’ opinions of the suicide risk assessment tool was then elicited handling a semi-structured reportage form, and data were investigate handling descriptive analysis. Health professionals reported powerful aspects making the suicide risk assessment tool a functional, practical, comprehensive, and highly applicable guideline. Participants also recommended the addition to the results screen of a chart showing the course of the suicide risk assessment, and that the reliability and validity of the tool be confirmed. In conclusion, health professionals expressed positive opinions regarding the scope of the suicide risk assessment tool and its measurement of that risk. Following confirmation of its reliability and validity, it may be useful for the fuzzy logic-based suicide risk assessment form to be integrated into and applied in the community health centers system.

The association between nutrition and mental diseases has been extensively studied. Vitamin B12 and folic acid are the main vitamins in the development of the central nervous system. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between vitamin B12 and folic acid levels with depression and anxiety. A total of 150 patients (77 with anxiety and 73 with depression) between 18 and 79 were enrolled. The initial mood state was evaluated using Beck’s Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II) and Beck’s Anxiety Inventory (BAI) for the presence of depression and anxiety, respectively. Venous blood samples were collected after overnight fasting and vitamin B12 and folic acid levels were measured. Serum concentrations of folic acid were significantly lower in patients with depression than those with anxiety (p=0.04). Substantially higher vitamin B12 levels were described in men than females counterparts with severe depression (p=0.049). Additionally, there was a significant inverse correlation between folic acid levels and Beck’s inventory score among patients with severe depression (r=-0.250, p=0.049). Serum levels of vitamin B12 and folic acid could be used as markers that assess anxiety and depression’s therapeutic efficiency.

Genetic and environmental factors are important determinants of the athletic performance. Sports genetic determines certain the alleles for the identification of the genes that affect athletic performance. Comprehensive researches, including the biology of mental properties are accumulating due to the improvement of the information of molecular biology. Dopamine is an important neurotransmitter of the dopaminergic system that affects the athlete mentally and psychologically. In this study, our goal is to determine the genotype and allele distributions of the DRD2 rs180047 polymorphism in the cyclists. 19 cyclists and 52 sedentary individuals (controls) participated in our study. Genotyping was carried out by real time PCR (rt-PCR) after DNA was isolated from buccal epithelial cells. In our cohort, AG and GG genotypes were detected as 6 (32%) and 13 (68%), respectively. In the control group, the respective AA, AG and GG genotypes were detected as 9 (17%), 18 (35%) and 25 (48%). No statistically significant difference was detected in terms of genotype distribution between the two groups (p= 0,1107). When allelic distributions were examined, in athlete cohort. A and G allele numbers were counted as 6 (16%) and 32 (84%), respectively. In the control group, same alleles were count as 36 (35%) and 68 (65%). There was no significant difference in the terms of alleles in our study cohort (p=0,0295). In our cohort, GG genotype and the G allele of the DRD2 rs1800497 polymorphism were dominant. Recent studies showed the association of the A allele with addiction. Therefore we hypothesized the association of the related allele and sucess in cyclists. Although we were unable to find statistically significant difference, we suggest to analyse the same polymorphism in athletes with different sport branches to fulfill the role of the given polymorphism.

Present study aims to construct the Western Aphasia Battery in Nepali language. Subjects for this study were 10 Nepali speaking adults in age range of 30 and above, out of which five were healthy and five were aphasics. The cortical quotient (CQ) was not included in the present study as many of our population were illiterate and examining them on the tests of reading and writing was not possible. The current study clearly shows that aphasic patients can be identified and classified into the types of aphasia and also severity of the language deficits can be obtained in terms of the AQ, by using Nepali WAB. The test gives detailed information about oral language abilities which further provides the baseline for therapy plan and recovery.

In this study, we compared the levels of alexithymia in healthy individuals with OCD patients and investigated whether there is a significant difference between them. Furthermore, some of the sociodemographic characteristics of the subjects were also examined to determine whether they had an effect on OCD and alexithymia levels. 40 volunteer OCD patients, 25 of whom were women and 15 men, aged 18-45 years, who were diagnosed at the NP Feneryolu Medical Center of Üsküdar University, Istanbul, and who were randomly selected and living in Istanbul, 40 volunteer healthy individuals, 25 of whom are women and 15 of whom are men and whose ages are between 18 and 45, are attended to this study. Participants were first informed about the privacy of work and personal information. “Sociodemographic Data Form, Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20) and Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale and Symptom List (Y-BOCS)” were applied to all 80 participants in order to collect the data obtained in the study. The data obtained from these scales were subjected to statistical analysis with the SSPS v.21 (Statistical Package for Social Sciences) program. The normality distribution of continuous variables was evaluated according to the occurrence of Skewness-Kurtosis values in the range of -1.5 and +1.5. An independent sample t-test was conducted to compare the scores of healthy controls and OCD patients. Independent sample Mann Whintey U test was performed among the groups in terms of demographic variables. Correlation values between the scores obtained from the scales were analyzed by Pearson correlation analysis because the scores were normally distributed. According to the results of this study; a significant difference was found between the levels of alexithymia of healthy individu als and OCD patients. The levels of alexithymia in OCD patients were significantly higher than those of healthy individuals. Apart from this, there was a significant positive correlation between the difficulty describing feelings scores of OCD patients and the their difficulty identifying feelings scores of the TAS-20 subscales. In addition, a number of suggestions have been added in order to make contribution to the literature of this research which is also included in similar studies. 

In this study, it was aimed to investigate the effects of highbush cranberry ( Viburnum opulus , GILA) fruit extract on blood glucose levels and kidney tissue homogenates of diabetes-modeled rats by injection of Streptozotocin (STZ). Blood glucose levels of rats were measured in tail blood using a glucose meter. Glucose determination was done 48 hours after STZ injection. For this, 32 Wistar albino rats were employed. The rats were divided into 4 groups; Control, STZ, STZ+GILA, and GILA with containing 8 animals each. After 12 weeks, they were sacrificed. During the study periods, blood glucose levels were measured periodically and kidney tissue parameters were measured in their homogenates after sacrificing the rats. The measured parameters were Glutathion (GSH), Malondialdehyde (MDA), and Total Antioxidant Status (TAS). The results obtained from the study were analyzed by using SPSS for Windows software, and p<0.05 was assigned as statistically significant value. The findings of the study showed that GILA consumption could help diabetic people to prevent possible nephropathy due to its potent antioxidant features. 

We aimed to determine the genotype and allele distributions of the serotonin transporter protein gene (SLC6A4) promoter L/S polymorphism in volleyball players and compare it with the previous studies in the literature in this study. For this purpose, 21 volleyball players participated in our study. Genotyping was performed by PCR after DNAs were isolated from buccal cells. The literature review has been done in Google Scholar and PUBMED databases with the keywords and combinations of “sports, athletes, genetics, SLC6A4, sports genetics, polymorphism”. In our cohort, LL, LS and SS genotypes were found in numbers and percentages as 10 (48%), 7 (33%) and 4 (19%), respectively. The respective L and S allele count numbers and percentages were 27 (64%) and 15 (36%). 9 different studies matched our criteria and compared with our findings with literature review. As a result, the low percentage of SS genotype in terms of genotype distribution was common with the previous studies and our findings. The S allele percentage was higher than our results just in one research. Recent studies have shown that the “S” allele is associated with anxiety. Our study was the first report to show that the LL genotype and L allele in volleyball players are higher than the SS genotype and S allele.