Does psychotherapy improve alexithymia? A comparison study among patients with mild or moderate depression

Abstract Background Alexithymia is reported to be a risk factor for depression. Psychotherapy is efficient for treatment of depression. Yet, the effect of psychotherapies on alexithymia is poorly understood. Objectives We aimed to compare Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Existential Psychotherapy (ExP) and Supportive Counseling (SUP) for therapeutic efficacy and effect on alexithymia in depression. Methods There were 22 patients for each patient group. Sessions were performed as eight consecutive weekly and following two monthly boosters. Sixty six healthy controls were added. Prior to the sessions, patients received Sociodemographic Data Form, the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV Axis I Disorders (SCID-1), Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS) and 20-item Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20). The control group received Sociodemographic Data Form, SCID-1 and TAS-20. Patients additionally received HDRS and TAS-20 after their weekly and booster sessions. Results Patients' mean TAS-20 score was greater than of controls, however, it did not have a significant change throughout the study. Mean HDRS scores of ExP and CBT groups were lower than SUP group at the end. Discussion Alexithymia did not improve with psychotherapy. The exception was effect of ExP on externally oriented thinking. Psychotherapies all improved depression. CBT and ExP were more helpful than SUP.

Mean platelet volume and neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio decrease in patients with depression with antidepressant treatment

Abstract Objective Not only white blood cells but also platelets are being considered in inflammatory reactions from now on. Mean platelet volume (MPV) and neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NLR) have been shown to change in inflammatory diseases like myocardial infarction, stroke and implicated in psychiatric disorders nowadays. Our first aim is to investigate the relation of MPV and NLR with depression and secondly to assess if they change with the treatment of depression. Methods Forty-nine patients diagnosed with major depressive disorder (MDD) and hospitalized in a university hospital psychiatry inpatient unit retrospectively included in the study. Control group consisted of 48 hospital workers with no known disease. Complete blood count, Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAM-D) and Clinical Global Impression-Severity Scale (CGI-S) scores at admission and at discharge were noted and compared for the patient group. Discussion MPV of depressed patients was higher than controls. When we look at admission and discharge scores of clinical scales, decrement is statistically significant for both HAM-D and CGI-S. There was decline both in MPV and NLR which were both statistically significant. Conclusion Decreasing MPV and NLR values with the treatment of depression confirm the involvement of inflammatory processes in the pathophysiology of depression.

Incidence of retrorenal colon during percutaneous nephrolithotomy

Objective The aim of this study was to investigate retrorenal colon incidence in percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PNL) interventions made in our clinic. Materials and Methods Clinical data of 804 PNL patients, accumulated over a 7 year period (2006-2012), was surveyed. The patient files were reviewed retrospectively, and only those who had abdominal computed tomography (CT) images before PNL intervention were included in the study. In the CT images, the position of both the ascending and descending colon in relation to the right and left kidneys were evaluated. Results According to our hospital reports, 394 patients with CT images were included in the present study 27 patients (6.9%) had retrorenal colon, of which 18 (4.6%) were on the left side, 4 (1.0%) on the right side and 5 (1.3%) had bilateral retrorenal colons. Colonic perforation complication was seen only in two patients and the colonic perforation rate was 0.3%. These two cases had no CT images. Conclusions PNL, in the process of becoming the standard treatment modality, is a safe and reliable technique for renal stone treatment. Colonic injury should be taken into consideration during PNL interventions of the lower pole of the kidney (especially on the left side) due to the location of retrorenal colon. .

Comparison of SF-36 and WHOQOL-100 in patients with stroke.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Two widely used evaluation tools for the quality of life are the 36-item Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36) and World Health Organization Quality of Life Assessment (100-item version) (WHOQOL-100), however, these tools have not been compared for patients with stroke to date. The specific objectives of this study were: 1) to study the effect of stroke on quality of life (QOL) as measured by the SF-36 and by the WHOQOL-100, and 2) to compare these two instruments. SETTINGS AND DESIGN: Seventy patients who were admitted to the neurology clinic six months after stroke were included in this study. PATIENTS AND METHODS: As a data-collecting device, the SF-36 and WHOQOL-100 scales were used. An additional questionnaire was administered to obtain demographic data. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS: Pearson correlation analysis was performed and Blant-Altman Plots were used. Psychometric analysis was performed. RESULTS: In stroke, the most flustered domains of quality of life were vitality and general health perception fields in the SF-36 and in the WHOQL-100, independence level field, overall QOL and general health perceptions. While there was a fair degree of relationship (r= 0.25-0.50) between general health perceptions, physical, social and mental fields that were similar fields of scales, a fair and moderate to good relationship was found between different fields. Limits of agreement in similar domains of the two instruments were very large. In all four demonstrated Bland-Altman plots, there was agreement of the scales in the measurements of similar fields of quality of life. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrated that both the SF-36 and WHOQOL-100 quality of life scales are useful in the practical evaluation of patients with stroke.

Is the quality of life different in patients with active and inactive tuberculosis?

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to evaluate the quality of life (QOL) in outpatients with active and inactive tuberculosis, and to study the relations between QOL and demographic and socio-cultural chracteristics and variables concerning the disease and depression. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Included in the present study were 196 active and 108 inactive cases who attended Dispensary for Tuberculosis within a one year period, plus 196 healthy controls. In this study, questionnaire form, SF 36 quality of life scale and Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) were used. RESULTS: It was determined that in all fields of QOL, scores of the control group were higher than those of the patient groups. QOL scores in physical and social functionality dimensions of inactive cases were higher than in active cases (p < 0.001 ). As BDI scores increased in active and inactive cases, physical component summary (PCS) and mental component summary (MCS) decreased. As the treatment period increased in active cases, MCS increased. In active and inactive cases, marital status and accompanying diseases have an effect on the decrease of PCS scores (p < 0.05). In patients with tuberculosis, the QOL of men, single, patients with a high level of education and those not having a disease that accompanies tuberculosis were found to be high (p < 0.05). The QOL was negatively correlated with age and BDI, while being positively correlated with monthly income, daily sleep period and treatment period (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: It is stated that in inactive tuberculosis cases, as in active cases, QOL is deformed and demographic-socio cultural chracteristics, depression, daily sleep period, treatment period and accompanying diseases are factors that affect quality of life.