Acute sleep deprivation immediately increases serum GDNF, BDNF and VEGF levels in healthy subjects.

Acute sleep deprivation upregulates hippocampal neurogenesis. Neurotrophic factors such as glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF), brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) are mediators of neuronal plasticity and neurogenesis. These neurotrophins are involved in sleep and sleep disorders and are associated with sleep deprivation. In this study, it is aimed to investigate the changes of neurotrophin levels with total sleep deprivation in healthy individuals. Seventeen healthy young adults with a mean age of 19.8 (SD = 1.0) years underwent an experimental protocol consisting of 36 h of total sleep deprivation. Venous blood samples were obtained on Day1 at 09.00, on Day2 at 09.00, and at 21.00. Serum levels of neurotrophins were detected using the ELISA method. The participants were asked to mark the scores corresponding to their subjective energy, happiness, depression, tension levels on the visual analog scale; and sleepiness level on the Epworth Sleepiness Scale; during the course of the study. As a result of 36 h of sleep deprivation, serum GDNF, BDNF, and VEGF levels showed a statistically significant increase compared to the baseline values in the participants included in the study (P < 0.0001). While this increase was evident in 24 h, it continued after 36 h. In parallel, sleepiness levels, subjective depression, and tension levels increased, on the other hand, subjective energy and happiness scores decreased at a statistically significant level at the end of the study compared to basal values (P < 0.0001). The results show that acute sleep deprivation significantly affects and increases serum levels of neurotrophic factors, and it seems that these effects are likely to occur as an immediate response to the stress and disruption caused by sleep deprivation.

[Manic Shift Due to the Use of Bupropion in Bipolar Depression:Two Case Reports]. / Bipolar Depresyonda Bupropiyon Kullanimina Bagli Manik Kayma:Iki Olgu Sunumu.

Bupropion is a selective norepinephrine and dopamine reuptakeinhibitor. It is used in the treatment of depression and nicotineaddiction. When compared to the other antidepressants, bupropion hasa relatively lower risk of triggering shift to hypomania or mania in bipolardepression treatment. Here we report two cases of bipolar depressionpatients with manic shift when bupropion was used as an adjunct tomood stabilizer treatment. The first was a 43-year old female patient.Manic symptoms occurred after bupropion was added to lithium andquetiapine treatment for bipolar disorder (BD) depressive episode.Her manic symptoms regressed rapidly after discontinuing bupropiontreatment. The second patient was a 26-year old male on lithium andvalproate therapy with a BD diagnosis. After bupropion was added tohis treatment for depressive symptoms, psychotic mania ensued and hehad to be admitted to the hospital. Significant improvement was notedshortly after bupropion was discontinued and antipsychotic treatmentwas initiated.

Telomere length and hTERT in mania and subsequent remission

Objective: The findings of telomere length (TL) studies in bipolar disorder (BD) are controversial. The aim of the present study was to detect TL, human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT), and brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in severe mania and subsequent remission. Methods: Twenty-one medication-free male patients and 20 age and gender matched controls were recruited. The patients were followed in the inpatient clinic, and comparisons were made between the same patients in their remission state and controls. Patients received lithium plus antipsychotics during the follow-up period. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction was performed to verify leukocyte TL and whole blood hTERT gene expression levels. Serum BDNF levels were verified by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Results: Compared to controls, manic patients presented shorter telomeres (p < 0.001) whose length increased with treatment (p = 0.001). Patients in the late stages showed shorter TL than those in the early stages and controls (p < 0.001). hTERT gene expression levels were up-regulated in mania and remission compared to controls (p = 0.03 and p = 0.01, respectively). BDNF changes did not reach statistically significant levels. Conclusions: TL and hTERT gene expression might reflect a novel aspect of BD pathophysiology and TL might represent a novel biomarker for BD staging.

Effects of Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors on Macular Ganglion Cell Complex Thickness and Peripapillary Retinal Nerve Fiber Layer Thickness.

PURPOSE: To evaluate macular ganglion cell complex (GCC) thickness and peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) thickness in patients treated with SSRIs. METHODS: The present study included 62 eyes of 31 patients who were using SSRIs and 60 eyes of 30 healthy, age- and gender-matched control subjects. All patients underwent a full ophthalmological examination in which macular thickness, GCC thickness, and peripapillary RNFL thickness were measured using optical coherence tomography (OCT). The Mann-Whitney U test was used to compare the patients' group with the age- and gender-matched control group. Pearson correlation analyses were also performed to assess the relationships between macular thickness, GCC thickness, RNFL thickness, and the duration of SSRI usage. RESULTS: The mean duration of SSRI usage was 29.96 ± 27.19 (range 6-120) months. The foveal thickness was 253.48 ± 22.77µm in the patients' group and 266.60 ± 20.64 µm in the control group; the difference between the groups was statistically significant. In addition, the perifoveal GCC thickness in the inferonasal and inferotemporal quadrant were significantly smaller thinner in the patient group (Mann-Whitney U test, p = 0.021and p = 0.013, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest a relation between SSRIs and decreased retinal GCC thickness and RNFL thickness. Future long-term prospective studies should elucidate the actual effect of SSRIs on GCC and RNFL thickness.

Serum agouti-related protein (AgRP) levels in bipolar disorder: Could AgRP be a state marker for mania?

Orexigenic and anorexigenic peptides, especially agouti-related protein (AgRP) and leptin, play important roles in the regulation of energy homeostasis in bipolar disorder. AgRP regulates energy metabolism by increasing appetite and decreasing energy expenditure. The resting energy expenditures of patients with manic bipolar disorder are higher than those of controls. Due to the effects of AgRP on energy expenditure and the increased physical activity of manic patients, we hypothesised that serum AgRP levels may be lower in manic patients than in euthymic patients and controls. There was a total of 112 participants, including 47 patients in the manic group, 35 patients in the euthymic group and 30 healthy controls. For this study, serum AgRP, leptin, cholesterol, and cortisol levels were measured and compared between the groups. The serum AgRP, leptin, and cholesterol levels were significantly different between the groups. The serum AgRP levels of manic group were significantly lower than those of euthymic and control groups. The lower serum AgRP levels of manic patients could be indicators of impaired energy homeostasis during manic episodes. Since the serum AgRP levels of manic patients are lower than those of euthymic patients and controls, AgRP could be a state marker for manic episodes.

Telomere length and hTERT in mania and subsequent remission.

OBJECTIVE: The findings of telomere length (TL) studies in bipolar disorder (BD) are controversial. The aim of the present study was to detect TL, human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT), and brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in severe mania and subsequent remission. METHODS: Twenty-one medication-free male patients and 20 age and gender matched controls were recruited. The patients were followed in the inpatient clinic, and comparisons were made between the same patients in their remission state and controls. Patients received lithium plus antipsychotics during the follow-up period. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction was performed to verify leukocyte TL and whole blood hTERT gene expression levels. Serum BDNF levels were verified by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). RESULTS: Compared to controls, manic patients presented shorter telomeres (p < 0.001) whose length increased with treatment (p = 0.001). Patients in the late stages showed shorter TL than those in the early stages and controls (p < 0.001). hTERT gene expression levels were up-regulated in mania and remission compared to controls (p = 0.03 and p = 0.01, respectively). BDNF changes did not reach statistically significant levels. CONCLUSIONS: TL and hTERT gene expression might reflect a novel aspect of BD pathophysiology and TL might represent a novel biomarker for BD staging.

Validation of the semi-structured Psychotic Depression Assessment Scale (PDAS) interview.

OBJECTIVE: Recently, a semi-structured interview dedicated to aid rating on the Psychotic Depression Assessment Scale (PDAS) was developed. Here, we aimed to validate PDAS ratings collected via this semi-structured interview. METHODS: A total of 50 patients with psychotic depression - 34 with unipolar psychotic depression and 16 with bipolar psychotic depression - were recruited for the study. The following aspects of validity were investigated: clinical validity, psychometric validity (scalability), and responsiveness. RESULTS: The PDAS ratings were clinically valid (Spearman's coefficient of correlation between PDAS total scores and Clinical Global Impressions scale - severity of illness ratings=0.66, p<0.001), scalable (Loevinger's coefficient of heterogeneity at endpoint=0.45), and responsive (no participants met the criterion for remission on the PDAS (total score <8) at baseline - at endpoint 74% (95% CI: 60-85) of the participants met this criterion). CONCLUSIONS: The semi-structured PDAS interview provides valid ratings of the severity of psychotic depression.

Peripheral blood mRNA expressions of stress biomarkers in manic episode and subsequent remission.

Theoretical models of the neuroprogressive nature of bipolar disorder (BD) are based on the hypothesis that it is an accelerated aging disease, with the allostatic load playing a major role. Glucocorticoids, oxidative stress markers, inflammatory cytokines and neurotrophins play important roles in BD. The messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) expressions of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), tissue plasminogen activator (tPA), glucocorticoid receptor (GR), heat shock protein 70 (HSP70), tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) were examined in the peripheral blood of 20 adult male, drug-free BD patients during manic and remission periods and in 20 adult male, healthy controls. mRNA expression was measured using the quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). Compared to the controls, the expressions of BDNF and tPA mRNA were down-regulated in mania. In remission, BNDF and tPA mRNA levels increased, but they were still lower than those of the controls. Between mania and remission periods, only the change in mRNA levels of BDNF reached statistical significance. The results suggest that BDNF and tPA may be biomarkers of BD and that proteolytic conversion of BDNF may be important in the pathophysiology of BD. The change in BDNF levels between mania and remission could be adaptive and used to follow the progression of BD.

Alcohol and Psychoactive Substance Use among University Students in Edirne and Related Parameters.

INTRODUCTION: Alcohol and psychoactive substance use and their effects are an important issue among adolescents and young adults. Different results have been reported about the frequency of alcohol and psychoactive substance use among university students in studies conducted both in Turkey and in different places worldwide. METHODS: The frequency of alcohol and psychoactive substance use among Trakya University students (n=1385) and the related parameters were studied cross-sectionally using a self-reporting questionnaire. RESULTS: Alcohol was the most common substance used (30%), followed by tobacco (29.9%) and marijuana (3.1%). The frequency of alcohol and psychoactive substance use was found to be higher among males with higher amounts of pocket money, whose parents experienced more conflict in their relationship, and who belong to families with a higher education and income level. CONCLUSION: The frequency of alcohol and psychoactive substance use among Trakya University students was found to be lower than other regions in Turkey and particularly lower than the levels reported in studies conducted in other countries.

A Case of Acute Psychosis Following Energy Drink Consumption.

Interest in energy drinks is increasing every day. Energy drink consumption is increasing proportionally. Users often utilize these drinks in order to enjoy, have fun and to increase performance and attention. However, consumption of the energy drinks sometimes may also cause adverse physical and psychological consequences. Unwanted physical results are in the more foreground, noticeable and visible but the data about psychological problems caused by energy drinks is accumulated over the years in the literature. In this case report, we describe the case of a young man with no psychiatric history who was hospitalized for psychotic symptoms following excessive consumption of energy drinks.