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Journal Article 2008; 29(6): 831-836 PubMed PMID: 19112396 Citation  Keywords:  Adolescent, Adolescent Development, Age of Onset, Brain:growth & development, Child, Child Development, Critical Period (Psychology), Humans, Neuronal Plasticity:physiology, Neuropsychology, Schizophrenia:physiopathology, Schizophrenic Psychology,.   

: Schizophrenia is a disorder characterized by delay in neurodevelopment and by a central disorder of recognition (i.e. with generalized cognitive deficit). Connectivity impairments in the areas of the social brain and cerebellum are the "messenger" of abnormal CNS development in schizophrenia. Processes of neuronal reorganization in cortical and subcortical structures, aberrant forms of pruning, sprouting, and myelinization may play a major role in the pathogenesis of a schizophrenic breakdown. Models of neuroplasticity during adolescence can be connected with models of neurodevelopmental vulnerability and models of neurotoxicity to form an integrated approach in order to better understand premorbid adjustment, onset, and course of schizophrenia. The loss of plasticity and aberrant myelinization lead to a deterioration in cognitive functions, social dysfunction and, in individuals with specific genetic vulnerability, to expression of schizophrenia. This article discusses brain development in relation to the diagnosis of schizophrenia and the basic symptoms of childhood schizophrenia (with early and very early onset) and of adolescent schizophrenia....

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Clinical Trial 2008; 29(4): 500-506 PubMed PMID: 18766158 Citation  Keywords:  Adult, Antidepressive Agents:therapeutic use, Cognition:drug effects, Depressive Disorder, Major:drug therapy, Estradiol:blood, Female, Follicle Stimulating Hormone:blood, Humans, Korea, Luteinizing Hormone:blood, Menopause:psychology, Middle Aged, Postme.   

OBJECTIVES: A hypo-estrogenic status, as that occurring with menopause, has been proposed to negatively affect cognitive function in post-menopause women. Nevertheless, little is known about the improvement of cognitive functions during antidepressant treatment in post-menopausal women with major depressive disorder (MDD) and its relation with hormonal changes. Hence, this study aimed to investigate the role of menopausal status including the level of sex hormones on cognitive function during antidepressant treatment.

DESIGN AND SETTINGS: Thirty-nine female patients (n=17 in pre-menopause; n=22 in post-menopause) with MDD based on DSM-IV criteria and who were not on hormonal replacement therapies participated in a prospective, 6-week, open-label naturalistic study. All patients were recruited in a university-based hospital. The Hamilton rating scale for Depression (HAMD), Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS) and the Cognitive Failure Questionnaire (CFQ) were administered at baseline, week 1, week 3, and week 6. Levels of follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH) and estradiol (E2) were collected at baseline visit.

RESULTS: Cognitive functioning improved during antidepressant treatment in the overall sample (P=0.00001). In post-menopausal women, E2 levels were strongly correlated with CFQ scores at each measurement. After controlling for depression severity, E2 levels maintained a significant association with the baseline CFQ scores (regression analysis: beta= -0.55 P=0.010; correlation: R= -0.54). In addition, the reduction of CFQ scores during antidepressant treatment was significantly associated with E2 levels (P=0.021), independently from the improvement of depressive symptoms, which however had a strong effect (P=0.0003). Nevertheless, we failed to find any association of CFQ score with sex hormones in pre-menopausal women.

MAIN FINDINGS: In post-menopausal women, the CFQ scores were correlated with E2 levels and the reduction of CFQ score during antidepressant treatment was also dependent on E2 levels, even controlling for depressive symptoms severity.

CONCLUSION: The present study further supports a crucial role of E2 on the cognitive function in post-menopause women. Moreover, our results suggest that E2 may influence the improvement of cognitive function in post-menopause women with MDD, during treatment with antidepressants....

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Journal Article 2008; 29(3): 320-327 PubMed PMID: 18580852 Citation  Keywords:  Adolescent, Attention:drug effects, Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity:epidemiology, Biomarkers, Central Nervous System Stimulants:therapeutic use, Child, Czech Republic:epidemiology, Discrimination (Psychology):physiology, Form Perception:phys.   

OBJECTIVES: The objective was to make a contribution to deepening the knowledge of the etiopathogenesis of ADHD.

DESIGN: In an association study design, an analysis of polymorphisms of selected genes was conducted in 119 hyperkinetic boys and a control group of boys, aged 7-13. Furthermore several psychologically determined subgroups were identified. A connection between psychological functions (endophenotypes) and genes were looked for.

RESULTS: There was a statistically significant difference found in allelic and genotype frequencies of the TaqI A polymorphism of the DRD2 gene. The frequency of the allele A1 in hyperkinetic boys and the control subjects was 0.26 and 0.15, respectively (p<0.003). A statistically significant occurrence of atypical genotypes (8/10, 7/10 and 10/11) of the DAT1 gene was also found in hyperkinetic boys and a connection between the M235 polymorphism of the angiotensinogene gene and the positive family history of psychiatric illness was found in probands (p=0.031). Significant correlations between the results of some neuropsychological tests and genes for neuro-/immunomodulators (IL-6, TNF-alpha) and the gene for the brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) were found.

CONCLUSION: The study showed a statistically significant prevalence of A1 allele of the DRD gene in the hyperkinetic group. We also found a significantly higher incidence of atypical DAT genotypes in the hyperkinetic group. Furthermore we found significant connections with particular gene polymorphisms which may hypothetically represent a neurodevelopmental risk factor in the etiopathogenesis of the disorder (IL-2, IL-6, TNF-alpha, BDNF). We further found a connection of the M235 polymorphism of the AGT (angiotensinogene) gene to positive family history of psychiatric illness (p=0.031). As for cognitive characteristics, we identified three subtypes with different cognitive performance profiles. This finding shows interindividual variability of cognitive style in the group of hyperkinetic boys....

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Journal Article 2008; 29(3): 351-358 PubMed PMID: 18580849 Citation  Keywords:  Adult, Aged, Choice Behavior:physiology, Data Interpretation, Statistical, Depressive Disorder:psychology, Economics, Female, Humans, Impulsive Behavior:psychology, Male, Middle Aged, Neuropsychological Tests, Psychiatric Status Rating Scales, Reward, Ser.   

OBJECTIVES: Depression has been associated with impaired neural processing of reward and punishment. However, to date, little is known regarding the relationship between depression and intertemporal choice (delay discounting) for gain and loss. This examination is potentially important for advances in neuroeconomics of intertemporal choice, because depression is associated with reduced serotonergic activities in the brain.

DESIGN AND SETTING: We compared impulsivity and inconsistency in intertemporal choice for monetary gain and loss between depressive patients and healthy control subjects.

METHODS: We conducted delay discounting tasks for gain and loss in depressed and healthy control subjects. We then quantified impulsivity and inconsistency in the delay discounting with parameters in the q-exponential discount function based on Tsallis' statistics.

RESULTS: We observed that depressive patients were more impulsive and time-inconsistent in intertemporal choice action for gain and loss, in comparison to healthy controls.

MAIN FINDINGS: Depressed patients were more irrational in temporal discounting.

CONCLUSIONS: The usefulness of the q-exponential discount function for assessing the impaired decision-making by depressive patients was demonstrated. Furthermore, biophysical mechanisms underlying the altered intertemporal choice by depressive patients are discussed in relation to impaired serotonergic neural systems....

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Journal Article 2008; 29(3): 379-384 PubMed PMID: 18580845 Citation  Keywords:  Adult, Aggression:physiology, Alpha Rhythm, Analysis of Variance, Crime:psychology, Czech Republic, Electroencephalography, Event-Related Potentials, P300:physiology, Heart Rate:physiology, Humans, Impulsive Behavior:physiopathology, Male, Middle Aged, Ne.   

: Event-Related potentials are a simple non-invasive neurophysiological method enabling to comprehend certain aspects of the cognitive processing of information in humans. The best-known component of Event-Related Potentials is the so-called P3 wave. Alterations in the parameters of P300 wave have been discovered in certain personality disorders and in persons with impulsively aggressive behaviour. The purpose of this study is to investigate the changes of these parameters, especially an amplitude and latency in the place of Pz electrode. We examined 15 persons with the impulsive aggressive behaviour and compared them to a population comparable of normal age, gender and approximate degree of education. We used P300 auditory and a neuropsychological Eysenck IVE battery. The results showed that significantly lower amplitudes had been found in the aggressive impulsive subjects as compared to the control group. No statistically significant differences have been discovered in the latency. These results seem to confirm previous studies....

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Journal Article 2008; 29(1): 71-74 PubMed PMID: 18283271 Citation  Keywords:  Adolescent, Aggression:psychology, Anxiety:psychology, Child, Child Abuse:classification, Child, Preschool, Disabled Children:psychology, Epilepsy, Post-Traumatic:classification, Humans, International Classification of Diseases:classification, Panic Disor.   

: This paper studies the contribution of anxiety in origin of functional behavioural disorders of children. The intense sensing of anxiety attributes to the shaping of one's personality. Adaptation and adjustment, accommodation and assimilation to stressful conditions producing anxiety are analyzed. There are diagnosed reactions of organism to the circumstances of the CAN syndrome and trauma. In these circumstances, a primary perception of reality is at stake that consequently leads to sociopathological features. This paper also provides the authors' opinions of psychoanalytical and behavioural schools on origin of personal decompensation and neurotic disorders. Causes of panic disorder and other diseases, in which a stress trauma plays a role, are considered. For these reasons the authors suggest classifying the CAN syndrome as a separate nosologic unit in the future ICD-11....

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Case Reports 2008; 29(1): 69-70 PubMed PMID: 18283246 Citation  Keywords:  Adult, Depression:therapy, Female, Humans, Pregnancy, Pregnancy Complications:psychology, Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation:adverse effects, Treatment Outcome,.   

: Sir: For women diagnosed with Recurrent depressive disorder, pregnancy poses a major treatment challenge. Apart from antidepressants, the most commonly used biological therapeutical method is ECT (electroconvulsive therapy). We believe that similar efficacy can be achieved using rTMS as a safer option with substantially less side effects. So far, only a few case-reports reporting the use of rTMS for treatment of pregnant patients with depression were published....

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Case Reports 2008; 29(1): 47-50 PubMed PMID: 18283244 Citation  Keywords:  Adolescent, Antipsychotic Agents:therapeutic use, Benzodiazepines:therapeutic use, Electroconvulsive Therapy, Humans, Male, Schizophrenia, Catatonic:drug therapy, Treatment Outcome, Twins, Monozygotic:psychology,.   

: We describe a case of monozygotic (MZ) male twins (14.6 years old) who suffered from a severe form of catatonic schizophrenia. On admission, the principal symptoms of the brothers were stupor, mutism, catatonic posturing, rigidity, negativism, and refusal of food and liquids. They were treated with electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) with no effect (twin A) and almost no effect (twin B). Both twins improved with initiation of olanzapine therapy. Twin B showed a marked improvement by week 2 on a dose of 10 mg daily (qd). Improvement in twin A was seen by week 4 on a dose of 15 mg qd. Twin B was discharged after 8 weeks and twin A after 11 weeks of olanzapine treatment. This appears to be the first report on concordant positive responses to olanzapine in MZ twins with catatonic schizophrenia, as well as, the first report on concordant resistance to ECT....

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