Primary Spontaneous Pneumothorax: Surgery for the First Occurrence? An Early Experience from Nepal

Background: Primary spontaneous pneumothorax (PSP) is a common thoracic surgical emergency affecting otherwise healthy young individuals. Its treatment options range from observation to surgery in the form of video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS). Surgery, generally reserved for recurrence, is gradually being utilized for certain patients presenting with PSP for the first time. In this study, we aim to report our experience of VATS in the surgical management of first episodes of PSP. Methods: A retrospective review of prospectively maintained data on all the patients undergoing surgical management during the first presentation of PSP, over a period of 10 years, was done. Results: Over the period of 10 years, out of 95 patients who underwent thoracoscopic bullectomy for pneumothorax, a total of 42 patients had presented with PSP for the first time. Most (54%) were aged 20–40 years, with male predominance (83%); right-sided (69%); commonest symptom was shortness of breath (83.3%) with a median duration of symptoms of 5.9 days. Apical bullae were the commonest computed tomographic finding (88%). Majority of the patients underwent VATS via three ports, and multiple apical bullae were the most common intraoperative findings. Four patients (9.5%) had an air leak postoperatively, managed conservatively. Average intensive care unit stay was 23 hours; average chest tube duration was 3.6 days; and the average hospital stay was 8.2 days. There was no 30-day mortality and no recurrences were noted during a median follow-up of 2 years. Conclusion: Our initial experience with surgery for the first episode of PSP has been shown to be safe and effective. Larger and more robust studies with longer follow-ups would be necessary to better delineate the role of surgery in such patients.

Comparison of serum kynurenine pathway metabolites between patients with first-episode and recurrent major depressive disorder / 四川精神卫生

BackgroundThe pathogenesis of depression remains not fully understood， and previous studies have suggested that the kynurenine pathway （KP） plays an important role in the pathogenesis of major depressive disorder. ObjectiveTo study the difference in serum KP metabolites level between patients with first-episode and recurrent major depressive disorder， and to testify the correlation between KP metabolites level with the severity of depressive symptoms， so as to provide references for the prevention of recurrence. MethodsA total of 136 patients with major depressive disorder who attended the outpatient clinics of the Affiliated Brain Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University from November 2016 to December 2018 and met the diagnostic criteria of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders， fifth edition （DSM-5） diagnostic criteria were included， including 62 patients in the first-episode group and 74 patients in the recurrent group. Meanwhile， 60 healthy subjects were included as control group. All patients were assessed by Hamilton Depression Scale-17 item （HAMD-17）， and serum concentrations of tryptophan （TRP）， kynurenine （KYN） and kynurenic acid （KYNA） were measured by liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry （LC-MS/MS）. Then the correlation of HAMD-17 total score and individual item scores with the levels of KP metabolites was tested using partial correlation coefficient. ResultsCompared with the control group， the first-episode group and recurrent group showed a marked decline in TRP concentration （t=-3.044， -4.477， P<0.05 or 0.01） and an increase in KYN/TRP ratio （t=2.343， 3.644， P<0.05 or 0.01）， with significant differences. The KYNA concentrations （t=2.490， 2.636， P<0.05 or 0.01） and KYNA/KYN ratio （t=2.894， 2.616， P<0.01） in first-episode group and control group were notably elevated compared to recurrent group， with statistical difference. Partial correlation analysis in patients with first-episode major depressive disorder demonstrated that KYN/TRP ratio was positively correlated with the HAMD-17 anxiety/somatization factor score （r=0.261， P<0.05）， and KYNA/KYN ratio was negatively correlated with HAMD-17 total score and block factor score （r=-0.286， -0.282， P<0.05）. In patients with recurrent major depressive disorder， KYN/TRP ratio was positively correlated with HAMD-17 anxiety/somatization factor score （r=0.280， P<0.05）. ConclusionKP metabolites in serum differ between first-episode and recurrent major depressive disorder patients， and patients with recurrent episodes experience severe KP metabolite abnormalities. Therefore， KP metabolites are considered to be potential biomarker candidates to assist clinicians in the diagnosis and recurrent prediction of major depressive disorder. ［Funded by National Key Research and Development Program Precision Medicine Research Project （number， 2016YFC0906300）］

The clinical symptoms and neurocognitive impairment of first-episode deficit and nondeficit subtype of schizophrenia / 中华行为医学与脑科学杂志

Objective:To ulteriorly explore the differences of psychotic symptoms and neurocognitive between patients with first-episode deficit subtype of schizophrenia (FDS) and patients with first-episode nondeficit subtype of schizophrenia (FNDS).Methods:From January 2021 to September 2021, a total of 88 first-episode treatment-naive schizophrenia were recruited from the Mental Health Center of West China Hospital and divided into FDS group( n=44) and FNDS group( n=44) according to the schedule for the deficit syndrome (SDS), and 44 healthy subjects were included as healthy control group (HC group, n=44). Positive and negative syndrome scale (PANSS) was used to assess psychotic symptoms of patients and Wechsler adult intelligence scale, trail making test and logic memory test were used to evaluate intelligence quotient and neurocognitive function of all subjects.SPSS 22.0 was used for statistical analysis, and independent samples t-test and one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) were used to compare variables that met normal distribution, while the Mann-Whitney U test and Kruskal-Wallis H test were used to compare variables that did not meet normal distribution. Results:(1) There were significant differences in psychotic symptoms between the FDS group and the FNDS group.Compared with the FNDS group, the FDS group had higher total score of PANSS ((95.95±16.82) vs (88.39±16.29)), negative symptoms ((27.57±7.52) vs (16.57±5.76)) and anergastic reaction ((13.43±3.82) vs (7.00(5.00, 9.00)), and lower positive symptoms scores ((21.95±6.88) vs (25.41±6.07)), activation ((8.00(5.00, 9.00) vs (9.27±3.47)), depression ((5.50(4.00, 9.00) vs (8.00(6.00, 12.00)) and supplementary item ((13.60±4.17) vs (17.30±5.39))(all P<0.05). (2) There were differences in neurocognitive functions between FDS group and FNDS group, and which in FDS and FNDS group were worse than that in HC group.Spatial memory (block design test: (23.70±11.05) vs (31.72±11.49)) and information processing speed (digit symbol test: (38.38±15.85) vs (47.97±14.99)) of FDS group were significantly lower than those of FNDS group(both P<0.05). Intelligence quotient, information processing speed and spatial memory of FDS group and FNDS group were lower than those of HC group(all P<0.05). Conclusion:FDS patients has more severe negative symptoms and anergastic reaction, and exit worse information processing speed and spatial memory dysfunction than FNDS patients.This unique pattern of impairment suggests that information processing speed and spatial memory may be important classification indicators for differentiating the deficit subtype of schizophrenia in the early stage.

Lifetime cannabis use and childhood trauma increase risk of psychosis in carriers of CNR1 genetic variants: findings from the STREAM study

Objectives: Gene-environment interactions increase the risk of psychosis. The objective of this study was to investigate gene-gene and gene-environment interactions in psychosis, including single nucleotide variants (SNVs) of dopamine-2 receptor (D2R), N-methyl-d-aspartate receptor (NMDAR), and cannabinoid receptor type 1 (CB1R), lifetime cannabis use, and childhood trauma. Methods: Twenty-three SNVs of genes encoding D2R (DRD2: rs1799978, rs7131056, rs6275), NMDAR (GRIN1: rs4880213, rs11146020; GRIN2A: rs1420040, rs11866328; GRIN2B: rs890, rs2098469, rs7298664), and CB1R (CNR1: rs806380, rs806379, rs1049353, rs6454674, rs1535255, rs2023239, rs12720071, rs6928499, rs806374, rs7766029, rs806378, rs10485170, rs9450898) were genotyped in 143 first-episode psychosis patients (FEPp) and 286 community-based controls by Illumina HumanCoreExome-24 BeadChip. Gene-gene and gene-environment associations were assessed using nonparametric Multifactor Dimensionality Reduction software. Results: Single-locus analyses among the 23 SNVs for psychosis and gene-gene interactions were not significant (p > 0.05 for all comparisons); however, both environmental risk factors showed an association with psychosis (p < 0.001). Moreover, gene-environment interactions were significant for an SNV in CNR1 and cannabis use. The best-performing model was the combination of CNR1 rs12720071 and lifetime cannabis use (p < 0.001), suggesting an increased risk of psychosis. Conclusion: Our study supports the hypothesis of gene-environment interactions for psychosis involving T-allele carriers of CNR1 SNVs, childhood trauma, and cannabis use.

Therapeutic effects of risperidone combined with olanzapine on first-episode schizophrenia in 30 patients / 中国基层医药

Objective:To investigate the clinical efficacy of risperidone combined with olanzapine in the treatment of first-episode schizophrenia and its effects on serum homocysteine level and cognitive function.Methods:Sixty patients with first-episode schizophrenia who received treatment in Yiwu Mental Health Center from May 2017 to May 2018 were included in this study. They were randomly assigned to receive either olanzapine (control group, n = 30) or olanzapine and risperidone (observation group, n = 30) treatment. All patients received 4 weeks of treatment. We compared serum homocysteine level, cognitive function, and clinical efficacy between the two groups. Results:There was no significant difference in serum homocysteine level pre-treatment between the two groups ( P > 0.05). Serum homocysteine level post-treatment was significantly lower in the observation group than in the control group [(13.59 ± 2.61) mmol/L vs. (15.83 ± 2.58) mmol/L, t = 3.34, P < 0.05). There were no significant differences in the scores of each cognitive function item pre-treatment between the two groups (all P > 0.05). The scores of each cognitive function item post-treatment in the observation group was (15.06 ± 2.28) points, (21.18 ± 3.26) points, (44.39 ± 4.42) points, (40.63 ± 6.27) points, which were significantly superior to those in the control group [(13.31 ± 2.04) points, (19.26 ± 3.07) points, (42.43 ± 2.07) points, (44.19 ± 5.86) points, t = 3.13, 2.34, 2.12, 2.27, all P < 0.05]. The total improvement rate was significantly higher in the observation group than in the control group [93.33% (28/30) vs. 70.00% (21/30), χ2 = 5.45, P < 0.05). Conclusion:Risperidone combined with olanzapine is highly effective on first-episode schizophrenia. The combined therapy can reduce serum homocysteine level and improve cognitive function.

Effects of group interpersonal psychotherapy on cognitive and social function in patients with first-episode schizophrenia / 四川精神卫生

ObjectiveTo explore the effects of group interpersonal psychotherapy （IPT） on cognitive and social function in patients with first-episode schizophrenia， and to provide references for appropriate psychological treatment for the patients. MethodsA total of 62 patients with first-episode schizophrenia who met the diagnostic criteria of International Classification of Diseases， tenth edition （ICD-10） and were admitted to the Third People's Hospital of Foshan from January to December 2021 were selected as the study objects. And patients were divided into study group and control group according to random number table method， each with 31 cases. Both groups were treated with risperidone for 8 weeks， based on this， study group received group IPT. Before and after 8 weeks of treatment， Positive and Negative Syndrorne Scales （PANSS）， Wisconsin Card Sorting Tests （WCST） and Personal and Social Performance Sale（PSP） were adopted to assess the patients' psychiatric symptoms， cognitive function and social function. ResultsAfter 8 weeks of treatment， there was no significant difference in PANSS scores between the two groups （t=0.296， P>0.05）. The WCST total number of responses in the study group was larger than that in the control group， the number of perseverative errors and non-perseverative errors were smaller than those in the control group， and PSP score of the study group was higher than that of the control group， with statistically significant differences （t=0.398， 2.609， 0.523， 0.381， P<0.05 or 0.01）. ConclusionGroup IPT may have no significant efficacy on alleviating the symptoms of patients with first-episode schizophrenia， but it may help improve the cognitive and social function in patients.

Correlation between serum VEGF level and clinical symptoms in patients with first-episode drug-naive schizophrenia of different genders / 中华行为医学与脑科学杂志

Objective:To investigate the level of serum vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and its correlation with clinical symptoms in patients with first-episode drug-naive schizophrenia patients of different genders.Methods:From January 2016 to October 2019, a total of 81 first-episode drug-naive schizophrenia patients(patient group, 41 male, 40 female) and 64 healthy controls (control group, 40 male, 24 female) were included in this study.The serum level of VEGF was detected with flow cytometric bear array (CBA). Positive and negative symptom scale (PANSS) was used to evaluate the relevant clinical symptoms of patients.SPSS 22.0 software was used for statistical analysis.Independent sample t-test and nonparametric test were used for comparison between groups.The relationship between VEGF and clinical variables was analyzed by Pearson correlation analysis and Spearman correlation analysis. Results:The level of serum VEGF in the patient group was significantly lower than that in the control group(148.08(75.89, 208.61)pg/mL, 179.94(99.14, 318.41)pg/mL, Z=-2.20, P=0.028). The total PANSS score((82.71±17.30), (73.45±16.36), t=2.473, P=0.016)and cognitive score((7.88±3.36), (6.23±2.81), t=2.402, P=0.019) in male patients were higher than those in female patients.There was a negative correlation between VEGF level and PANSS negative symptom score in the patient group( r=-0.228, P=0.041), as well as significant negtive correlation between VEGF level and cognitive score in male patients( r=-0.425, P=0.007). Conclusion:The level of serum VEGF is reduced in first-episode patients with schizophrenia, which influences their negative symptom. Moreover, the decline in serum VEGF level is implicated in cognitive impairments in male patients with first-episode schizophrenia.

Impact of duration of untreated psychosis on remission in first-episode schizophrenia in Thailand: a cohort study

ABSTRACT Background: To scale up the services for first-episode schizophrenia in Thailand, it is essential to understand to what extent health care-seeking is delayed, and how much the delay affects the treatment outcome. Objectives: To investigate the duration of untreated psychosis (DUP) and its impact on remission in first-episode schizophrenia across the country. Methods: 276 outpatients with a first-episode schizophrenia were followed for 6 months and assessed whether they fulfilled the criteria for remission at the follow-up. The proportion of those achieving remission was compared by the DUP. The impact of DUP on remission was estimated in multivariate analyses. Results: At the follow-up, 83% (71/86) of patients who had met the criteria for symptomatic remission at the baseline achieved enduring remission, whereas 63% (119/190) of patients who had not met the criteria for symptomatic remission at baseline met it at the follow-up. The shorter the DUP, the higher the proportion of those who achieved symptomatic or enduring remission at the follow-up. The impact of DUP on symptomatic remission appeared to be significant after controlling for other factors influencing remission. Conclusion: Since the DUP would influence remission of patients with schizophrenia, early detection and intervention services should be provided in Thailand.

Evaluation of relationships between presence of adhesio interthalamica and cannabis use in first-episode psychosis: a magnetic resonance imaging investigation

ABSTRACT Recent studies suggested that cannabis use influences on the emergence of psychosis by disrupting neurodevelopmental processes that occur during adolescence and early adulthood and which are reflected on brain anatomical changes detectable with MRI. However, no MRI studies have investigated whether intrauterine neurodevelopmental abnormalities also interact with later cannabis use to influence on psychosis risk. We investigated differences between first-episode psychosis (FEP) patients with history of cannabis use (FEPC+, n=28), FEP subjects without cannabis use (FEPC-, n=78) and healthy controls (n=80) in regard to the frequency of absent or short Adhesio Interthalamica (AI), a well-established marker of intrauterine neurodevelopment. The FEPC+ subgroup had a significantly lower prevalence of absent AI than FEPC- subjects, as well as a lack of a significantly shorter AI length compared to controls (as found in FEPC- subjects). These preliminary results show that psychosis subjects with cannabis use present a low rather than high frequency of absent AI, suggesting that fixed intrauterine neurodevelopmental abnormalities may not be associated with cannabis use later in life to influence on the emergence of psychosis. This is consistent with a view that multiple different etiological processes may lead to similar clinical presentations in patients with FEP.

Plasma prevalence of anti-N-methyl-d-aspartate receptor IgG antibodies in early stages of psychosis / Prevalência plasmática de anticorpos IgG antirreceptor N-metil-d-aspartato nos estágios iniciais de psicose

Abstract We investigated the feasibility of including plasma anti-NMDAR antibody screening in the assessment of first-episode psychosis patients in an early intervention programme in the Southern hemisphere. Anti-NMDAR IgG antibodies were assessed by ELISA in 166 patients (64.0% men), 166 matched population-based controls and 76 patients' siblings (30.3% men). Fisher's exact test and ANOVA were performed. Positive anti-NMDAR antibody patients were more often observed in bipolar disorder (10.0%) than schizophrenia (2.4%) or psychotic depression (3.1%), although no significant differences were observed. Our results are not conclusive regarding the inclusion of plasma anti-NMDAR IgG antibodies in differential diagnostic protocols for psychosis.

Resumo Nós investigamos a viabilidade de incluir a pesquisa de anticorpos anti-NMDAR na avaliação de pacientes em primeiro episódio psicótico em um programa de intervenção precoce no Hemisfério Sul. Anticorpos IgG anti-NMDAR foram avaliados por ELISA em 166 pacientes (64,0% homens), 166 controles de base populacional pareados e 76 irmãos (30,3% homens). Foram realizados teste exato de Fisher e ANOVA. Os anticorpos anti-NMDAR positivos foram mais observados no transtorno afetivo bipolar (10,0%) do que na esquizofrenia (2,4%) ou depressão psicótica (3,1%), embora não tenham sido observadas diferenças significativas. Nossos resultados não são conclusivos quanto à inclusão de anticorpos IgG anti-NMDAR no plasma em protocolos de diagnósticos diferenciais para psicose.

Correlation between anhedonia level and cognitive function in patients with first-episode psychosis / 四川精神卫生

ObjectiveTo explore the anhedonia level and its relationship with cognitive function in patients with first-episode psychosis， and to analyze the influencing factors of cognitive function. MethodsA total of 143 first-episode psychiatric patients who met the diagnostic criteria of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders， fifth edition （DSM-5） in the Affiliated Brain Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University from December 2016 to March 2019 were selected. Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale （PANSS） was used to evaluate the patient’s psychiatric symptoms， in which N2 （emotional withdrawal） and N4 （passive/apathetic social withdrawal） were used to assess the anhedonia level， and patients whose （N2+N4） scores beyond 4 were classified into anhedonia group， and those with （N2+N4） scores less than or equal to 4 were classified into non-anhedonia group. Hamilton Depression Scale-24 item （HAMD-24） was used to measure the depressive symptoms， and the MATRICS Consensus Cognitive Battery （MCCB） was used to detect cognitive function. Then the clinical symptoms and cognitive function of two groups were compared， and the influencing factors of cognitive function were screened by multiple linear regression analysis. ResultsThe negative symptom score， general pathological symptom score and total score of PANSS in anhedonia group were significantly higher than those of non-anhedonia group， with statistical difference （P<0.05）. The score of working memory in adolescent subgroup， the scores of information processing speed， attention/alertness and vocabulary learning in adult subgroup of anhedonia group were lower than those of non-anhedonia group， with statistical difference （P<0.05）. Multiple linear regression analysis showed that the anhedonia score and the duration of untreated psychosis were the influencing factors of working memory in adolescent subgroup （P<0.05）. ConclusionPatients with high levels of anhedonia suffer more severe mental symptoms and cognitive impairment， moreover， anhedonia is one of the influencing factors of working memory in adolescents.

Comparison of cognitive function in patients with treatment-resistant depression and drug-naive first-episode major depressive disorder / 四川精神卫生

ObjectiveTo explore the differences of cognitive function in patients with treatment-resistant depression and drug-naive first-episode major depressive disorder， and to examine the relationship between severity of clinical symptoms and cognitive function， so as to provide references for prognosis improvement. MethodsFrom November 2016 to December 2019， 119 patients with drug-naive first-episode major depressive disorder and 82 patients with treatment-resistant depression in a hospital in Guangzhou were enrolled， meantime， another 71 healthy individuals recruited from the community were set as healthy control group. Clinical symptoms were assessed using Hamilton Depression Scale-17 item （HAMD-17） and Hamilton Anxiety Scale （HAMA）. Cognitive domains， including speed of processing， working memory， verbal learning and memory， and visual learning and memory were measured with the MATRICS Consensus Cognitive Battery （MCCB）. Multiple covariance analysis was used to compare the differences in cognitive function among three groups. Thereafter， partial correlation analysis was performed within patient groups to explore the relationship of HAMD-17/HAMA score with the four dimensions of MCCB. ResultsThe speed of processing， visual learning and memory scores of treatment-resistant depression group and drug-naive first-episode depression group were lower than those of healthy control group， and the working memory score of the treatment-resistant depression group was lower than that of the healthy control group， with statistical significance （P<0.05 or 0.01）. The speed of processing， visual learning and memory scores of treatment-resistant depression group were significantly lower than those of drug-naive first-episode depression group （P<0.05 or 0.01）. Partial correlation analysis within patient groups found that HAMD-17/HAMA total score had no correlation with the four dimensions of MCCB （P>0.05）. ConclusionCompared with drug-naive first-episode major depressive disorder patients and healthy controls， the impairments of speed of processing， visual learning and memory are more severe in patients with treatment-resistant depression. Moreover， the cognitive function impairment in patients with drug-naive first-episode major depressive disorder and treatment-resistant depression has no correlation with the severity of depressive and anxious symptoms.

Risk factors of malignant arrhythmia and predictive value of late ventricular potential in the patients with first episode depression disorder / 中华行为医学与脑科学杂志

Objective:To explore the risk factors of the incidence of arrhythmia and the prediction of baseline ventricular late potential in patients with first depression episode.Methods:The cohort study was used to observe the relationship between the baseline status of ventricular late potential, the severity of baseline depression symptoms, the extent of remission of depressive symptoms within the treatment duration and arrhythmia incidence in the 3 years progress. For the assessment of the severity of depression symptoms, 17 version of Hamilton depression scale was used to evaluate the baseline ventricular late potential, and DMS lab3.0 ECG platform late potential analysis system was used to determine the assessment (CardioScan 12 NET version). The first depression patients with positive ventricular late potential were followed up for 3 years. The changes of the severity of ventricular late potential and depression symptoms were investigated, and the correlation with the subsequent course of arrhythmia was investigated.SPSS 20.0 software package was used for statistical distraction, chi square test was used for count data, independent samples t test was used for normal distribution measurement data, Mann-Whitney U test was used for non-normal distribution count data, and logistic regression method was used to calculate relative risk( RR). Results:According to the 3-year follow-up of 400 first-episode depression patients, 22.25% (89/400) had malignant arrhythmia. The incidence of malignant arrhythmia was 39.46% (58/147) in ventricular late potential positive group and 12.25% (31/253) in ventricular late potential negative group, and the difference was statistically significant(χ 2=9.578, P<0.01). Logistic regression analysis showed that positive ventricular late potential at baseline (compared with negative ventricular late potential at baseline, RR=10.78, 95% CI=8.34-13.80), having a family history of arrhythmia (compared with no family history of arrhythmia, RR=5.23, 95% CI=2.41-9.85), had a higher severity of depression at baseline (compared with lower severity of depression at baseline, RR=1.73, 95% CI=1.25-2.85), poor first-time efficacy and more repeated hospitalizations (compared with good first-time efficacy and less hospitalizations, RR=1.11, 95% CI=1.04-1.17), and age of onset< 20 (compared with age of onset≥20, RR=1.07, 95% CI=1.02-1.93) were the risk factors of malignant arrhythmia in patients with first-episode depression(all P<0.05). Conclusion:The incidence of arrhythmia is very high in those patients with baseline positive late ventricular potential. Positive late ventricular potential, family history of arrhythmia, younger onset age and poor therapeutic effect were the relative risk of arrhythmia in the patients with depression.

Abnormal neurobiochemical metabolites in the first / 中南大学学报(医学版)

OBJECTIVES@#To explore the metabolite characteristics in medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) by @*METHODS@#A total of 46 patients with the first-episode schizophrenia (FES), 49 people with clinical high risk (CHR), 61 people with genetic high risk (GHR), and 58 healthy controls (HC) were enrolled. The levels of N-acetylaspartylglutamate+N-acetylaspartate (tNAA), choline-containing compounds (Cho) and myo-inositol (MI), glutamate+glutamine (Glx) in medial prefrontal cortex were measured by single-voxel @*RESULTS@#There were significant differences in Glx, tNAA, and MI concentrations among 4 groups (all @*CONCLUSIONS@#The decreased levels of MI and Glx in the FES patients suggest that there may be glial functional damage and glutamatergic transmitter dysfunction in the early stage of the disease. The compensatory increase of metabolites may be a protective factor for schizophrenia in the genetic individuals.

Psychosocial aspects of first episode depression patients: An observational study

Background: Depressive disorder affects at least 20% of women and 12% of men at some time during their lifetime. Current data suggest that social stressors in the onset of depressive disorder are more relevant to the first few episodes of the illness. Objectives: The main objective of our study is to assess the role of socio-demographic variables and stressful life events in the first episode depressive patients. Materials and Methods: A total of 40 patients with a diagnosis of the first depressive episode were compared with a healthy control group to study the relationship between psychosocial factors and the first episode of depression. Individuals with a psychiatric diagnosis other than depression and those with longstanding medical illness were excluded from the study. Results: The mean age for the study group was 33.1 and that for the control group was 34 and around 85% of patients fall between 18 and 45 years. Among the 40 patients, six were suffering from moderate depression, 20 from severe depression, and the remaining 14 patients were suffering from severe depression with psychotic features. About 97.5% of patients presenting with depression had significant life events of three and above, when compared to normal controls, only 22.5% reported the same. Conclusion: Sociodemographic factors such as female sex, rural residence, and family history of mental illness and substance abuse predispose to depression. The number of life events and accumulated stress scoring predisposes the onset of the first episode of depression. The knowledge of the role of psychosocial factors can be applied for providing support and primary prevention of depression.

Very-late Onset Mania Episode: Case Report and Review of Cases Over 75 Years of Age

Introduction: Bipolar I disorder typically characterized bycycles of depression and mania. Onset after the age of 75 yearsis very rare and the reported incidence of mania is 2/100000,which most often occur due to secondary organic aetiology.Here we are presenting a review and an interesting case oflate-onset first episode mania while evaluating and excludingall other secondary causes of mania.Case Report: 79-year-old male presented with 2 weeks’duration of illness and symptoms was suggestive of a manicepisode. The patient was thoroughly assessed with laboratoryinvestigations and non-contrast computerised tomography(NCCT) brain to find any secondary causes of mania butnothing was significant. Finally, as per tenth revision of theInternational Statistical Classification of Diseases (ICD-10)diagnosis of first episode Mania without psychotic symptoms(F30.1) was made. He was started on Valproate which wasgradually increased up to 750 mg/day and olanzapine 5mg.After 6 weeks, the YMRS score decreased from 32 to 8 and heachieved his premorbid functioning level.Conclusion: This case highlights that primary psychiatryillness can occur at any age but in the geriatric populationbefore finalizing the diagnosis all other secondary causesshould be ruled out. There is a high need for systematicresearch in this area to formulate effective managementguidelines in the geriatric population.

Motif study of brain directed functional network in first-episode schizophrenia / 中国神经精神疾病杂志

Objective To investigate the difference of the motif patterns in brain directed functional network between first-episode schizophrenia patients and healthy controls, and to analysis the alterations of the underlying information flow patterns in patient networks. Methods The resting-state functional MRI data were collected from 44 first-episode schizophrenia patients and 39 healthy controls. The convergent cross mapping approach was employed to measure the causality connections between brain regions, and the directed functional networks were constructed. The calculations of the frequency and probability spectrum of all motif classes were performed at both whole brain and modular connected level. The between-group difference was then calculated. Results Compared with healthy controls, the frequency spectrum values of all motif classes in schizophrenia were significantly reduced (P＜0.05, FDR corrected), the Z scores of frequency spectrum of were decreased in chain-like motifs and increased in loop-like motifs. In the two groups, the probability values were higher at modular level than at whole brain level in two loop-like motifs (P＜0.05). Conclusion The present study revealed a loss in brain directed functional connections and abnormal alterations in the basic information flow patterns in first-episode schizophrenia brain.

Aripiprazole-induced Hepatitis: A Case Report

Aripiprazole is an atypical antipsychotic that acts as a partial agonist of dopamine type 2 receptors as well as 5-HT1A receptors. It is used in the treatment of schizophrenia and in type 1 bipolar disorder for mania. Because aripiprazole is well tolerated with few side effects it is used off-label in other psychotic disorders. The prevalence of abnormal liver function tests with antipsychotic use is 32%, with clinically significant effects in 4% of cases. No cases of aripiprazole-induced liver injury have been published. We report a 28-year-old female who presented with non-affective first-episode psychosis and who was treated with aripiprazole. Initially she was medicated with 10 mg per day, with an increase to 20 mg per day on the 12th day of hospitalization. Nine days after she became icteric, with nausea and had a vomiting episode. Laboratory analysis revealed a very high level of alanine aminotransferase, and minor to moderately high levels of aspartate aminotransferase, alkaline phosphatase, gamma-glutamyl transferase, and bilirubin. Aripiprazole was tapered and paliperidone was started with the improvement of clinical and laboratory findings.

Predicting Symptomatic and Functional Improvements over 1 Year in Patients with First-Episode Psychosis Using Resting-State Electroencephalography

OBJECTIVE: Although early intervention from the beginning of a psychotic episode is essential for a better prognosis, biomarkers predictive of symptomatic and functional improvement in early psychotic disorders are lacking. This study aimed to investigate whether the spectral power of resting-state electroencephalography (EEG) can be used as a predictive marker of the 1-year prognosis in patients with first-episode psychosis (FEP). METHODS: Twenty-four patients with FEP and matched healthy control (HC) subjects were examined with resting-state EEG at baseline. The symptomatic severity and functional status of FEP patients were assessed at baseline and reassessed after 1 year of usual treatment. Repeated measures analysis of variance was conducted to compare EEG spectral powers across the groups. Multiple regression analysis revealed EEG spectral powers predictive of symptomatic and functional improvement in FEP patients at the 1-year follow-up. RESULTS: Delta band power in the frontal and posterior regions was significantly higher in patients with FEP than in HCs. Higher delta band power in the posterior region predicted later improvement of positive symptoms and general functional status. Lower delta band power in the frontal region predicted improvement of negative symptoms and general functioning after 1 year. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that increased delta absolute power is observed from the beginning of psychotic disorders. Furthermore, decreased delta power in the frontal region and increased delta power in the posterior region might be used as a predictive marker of a better prognosis of FEP, which would aid early intervention in clinical practice.

Long-Term Grey Matter Changes in First Episode Psychosis: A Systematic Review

OBJECTIVE: To determine possible progressive changes of the grey matter at the first stages of the schizophrenia spectrum disorders, and to determine what regions are involved in these changes. METHODS: We searched the literature concerning studies on longitudinal changes in grey matter in first-episode psychosis using magnetic resonance imaging, especially studies with an interval between scans of more than a year. Only articles published before 2018 were searched. We selected 19 magnetic resonance imaging longitudinal studies that used different neuroimaging analysis techniques to study changes in cerebral grey matter in a group of patients with a first episode of psychosis. RESULTS: Patients with first episode of psychosis showed a decrease over time in cortical grey matter compared with a group of control subjects in frontal, temporal (specifically in superior regions), parietal, and subcortical regions. In addition to the above, studies indicate that patients showed a grey matter decrease in cerebellum and lateral ventricles volume. CONCLUSION: The results suggest a decrease in grey matter in the years after the first episode of psychosis. Furthermore, the results of the studies showed consistency, regardless of the methods used in their analyses, as well as the time intervals between image collections.