Ulnar Neuropathy at the Elbow in Chronic Alcohol-Dependent Subjects.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the occurrence of Ulnar neuropathy at the elbow (UNE) among alcohol dependent subjects. METHOD: The study sample comprised 99 consecutive alcohol dependent subjects treated for detoxification voluntarily in the specialized unit of the Athens University Psychiatric Clinic in an inpatient basis. RESULTS: UNE was found in 51 subjects (51.5%): in 40.4% on the right side, in 44.6% on the left and in 20.1% on both. Polyneuropathy was diagnosed in 41.4% of the total sample. Statistical analysis showed UNE significantly associated with age of the subjects, age at alcohol dependence onset and duration of alcohol dependence. Was more frequent in men and the probability of UNE was lower in obese subjects. CONCLUSIONS: UNE is frequent among alcohol dependent subjects and they must be instructed to avoid abnormal postures and to protect their elbow while working with the elbows flexed and resting on a hard object.

Alcohol misuse in Greece: a 15-year experience from a specialized outpatient service.

Alcohol use in Greece is traditionally diffused among its population. According to general population surveys, three out of four Greeks aged 12-64 referred to alcohol consumption during the last year and 10% reported at least one episode of alcohol abuse during the last month. Furthermore, the large majority of young people aged 13-18 reported lifetime use of alcohol and 14.8% of them reported more than three episodes of alcohol abuse during the last month. Apparently, cultural factors have influenced the pattern of alcohol consumption and the ensuing alcohol-related problems during the last two decades. The "Athena" Service is an outpatient therapeutic unit for the management of substance misusers and their families. It is a specialized abstinence-oriented service that does not administer substance substitutes; mental health professionals of the service work as a multidisciplinary team. Motivational approaches, individual cognitive-behavioural psychotherapy and family interventions of a systemic orientation are the principal therapeutic techniques applied. Adjunctive medication is prescribed whenever mild to moderate concomitant psychopathology is detected. Support measures such as provisional use of medication, use of antagonistic agents or brief hospitalization can be provided if deemed necessary. No strict time limits are applied regarding treatment duration and discharge from the program. During the period 1998-2013, a total of 1511 individuals with alcohol-related problems addressed the service. The changing pattern of substance misuse over the last fifteen years can be summarized as follows: (a) there is a gradually increasing number of women misusing substances; (b) there is an increasing proportion of young adults reporting multi-substance use with concurrent psychiatric disorders; (c) there is an increasing proportion of young adults regularly using/misusing substances; (d) there is a decreasing proportion of middle-aged individuals presenting with chronic alcohol misuse and dependence, with a long-ago onset and slow development of alcohol-related problems; and (e) the proportion of older age individuals presenting chronic alcohol misuse and dependence with concurrent severe neurological impairments is increasing. Also, detailed information on a sample of 133 individuals who addressed the service for alcohol-related problems during 2012 is given and further discussed. Finally, the need for close monitoring of dangerous alcohol consumption and changing patterns of misuse in times of socio-economic crisis, alongside with an increasing need to provide treatment, is highlighted.

Agomelatine augmentation in obsessive compulsive disorder: a preliminary report.

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is often the anxiety disorder that affects approximately 2% of the population. This disorder is associated with significant morbidity and dysfunction, and is included in the World Health Organization list of the ten most disabling medical illnesses. The therapeutic response of patients with OCD is relatively poor compared with that of other mental disorders. Pharmacological interventions for OCD have focused on modulating primarily serotonin function and secondarily dopamine neurotransmission. Augmentation treatment has been the subject of several studies in treatment-resistant obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD). We hypothesized that medications with a dual action on the melatoninergic and serotoninergic systems may be of use in treatment-resistant OCD. In this open label study we investigated the efficacy and safety of agomelatine augmentation in treatment-resistant OCD. Twelve patients, aged 18-50, fulfilling OCD criteria, having failed to respond to adequate treatment with a Serotonine Reuptake Inhibitor for at least 16 weeks, were assigned to receive agomelatine augmentation. Subjects were assessed with the Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale (Y-BOCS), and were screened for treatment-emergent side effects at baseline and week 16 of treatment. We excluded patients with comorbid psychopathology, serious medical comorbidity, current or past history of substance abuse and severe personality disorders as well as patients receiving psychotherapy in addition to psychopharmacological treatment. Agomelatine augmentation lead to net improvement in Y-BOCS and its obsession and compulsion subscales after 16 weeks of treatment (all p<0.005). Agomelatine augmentation was well-tolerated and none of the patients dropped-out. Treatment-related adverse events were recorded as follows: (n, %): nausea: 1 (8.3%), headache 4 (33.3%), dizziness: 3 (25%) and somnolence: 2 (16.7%). The present case series study has several limitations due to its open-label design and the absence of a placebo or active control group. The small number of patients further limits the impact of our findings. The present case series study showed that a 16 week add-on treatment with agomelatine, achieved on average a 25% improvement in Y-BOCS in refractory to treatment OCD patients; side effects were mild, and none of the patients dropped out throughout the 16-week study period. Agomelatine could be efficacious and well tolerated as an augmenting agent in refractory to treatment OCD. The unique pharmacological profile of agomelatine and its dual action on serotoninergic and melatoninergic receptors may be of interest in this difficult-to-treat illness. Further controlled studies are warranted to explore the efficacy of agomelatine, as well as the potential role of circadian rhythm modulation both in the pathophysiology and treatment of OCD.

Agomelatine and sertraline for the treatment of depression in type 2 diabetes mellitus.

OBJECTIVE: The present study compared the efficacy of agomelatine and sertraline in the treatment of symptoms of depression/anxiety, diabetes self-care and metabolic control in a sample of depressed patients with non-optimally controlled type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM). METHOD: This was an observational open label study of 40 depressed patients with DM who were randomly assigned to receive either agomelatine or sertraline, and were assessed over a 4-month period for depression, anxiety, self-care, fasting plasma glucose, haemoglobin A1c and body weight. RESULTS: Lower anxiety and depression scores as well as higher self-care scores were measured in the agomelatine group compared with the sertraline group after 4 months of treatment. Although the main effects of treatment on final body weight and fasting plasma glucose were not significant, significantly lower final haemoglobin A1c levels were measured in the agomelatine group compared with the sertraline group. Both antidepressants were well tolerated and none of the patients dropped-out of the study. CONCLUSION: The main finding of the present small pilot study was that agomelatine may be a promising agent in the treatment of symptoms of depression and anxiety as well as in the improvement of health-related behaviours, in depressed patients with type 2 DM possibly offering some advantages over sertraline. However, the lack of a placebo control group limits the generalisability of the findings and warrants further studies.

[The spectrum of Tourette Syndrome and difficulties in differential diagnosis: a case report].

Tourette syndrome (TS) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by early onset motor and vocal tics. TS should be differentiated from various movement disorders. We report the case of a 21 year-old-man who was admitted to our clinic due to treatment resistant cervical dystonia attributed to neuroleptics. During the last five years he had been treated for depressed mood, somatic delusions and aggressive behaviour. He had been given SSRIs and atypical antipsychotics at low doses; six months prior to his admission he had been switched to risperidone. Clinical examination revealed torticollis, motor stereotypies, vocal tics (sniffing, repetition of words), mental koprolalia and obsessive-compulsive symptoms. He complained of repetitive intrusive thoughts of harming his sister and thoughts of a "delusional" nature regarding somatic complaints. The patient was diagnosed as TS and was successfully treated accordingly. The presented case illustrates that TS can mimic other movement disorders. Whether patients with TS are at higher risk of developing dystonia, or tics and dystonia share a common pathophysiological mechanism (dopamine-inhibiting processes are probably involved in both conditions) is still debatable.

Depression, anxiety and general psychopathology in breast cancer patients: a cross-sectional control study.

OBJECTIVE: A significant proportion of breast cancer patients experience psychiatric morbidity. The present study compared the psychopathological profile (depression, anxiety and general psychopathology) of Greek women with breast cancer with a group of healthy controls. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Patients (n=109) were recruited from a specialized oncology breast cancer department and healthy controls (n=71) from a breast outpatient clinic. General psychopathology was assessed by the SCL-90-R. The Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS) and the Spielberger State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) were used for assessing depression and anxiety. Demographics and clinical characteristics were also recorded. Data were modeled using multiple regression analysis. RESULTS: The mean age was 54.7±18.1 years for the control group and 51.2±9.5 years for the patient group (p=0.288). Mean scores on SCL-90-R, MADRS and STAI were significantly higher in the cancer group compared to controls (p<0.05). Multiple regression analysis revealed that breast cancer was independently and positively associated with all psychological measures (p<0.05). Regression coefficients ranged from 0.19 (SCL-90-R, psychotism) to 0.33 (MADRS). Lower anger/aggressiveness and anxiety were found in highly educated women; divorced/widowed women scored higher on obsessionality and MADRS compared to married women. Psychiatric treatment was associated with higher scores on somatization, depression, phobic anxiety and general psychopathology. CONCLUSION: Anxiety, depression, and overall psychopathology are more frequent in breast cancer patients compared to controls. Disease makes a larger independent contribution to all psychopathological measures than any other investigated variable. Therefore, breast cancer patients should be closely followed up in order to identify and timely treat any mental health problems that may arise.

[Comorbid anxiety and depression: Diagnostic issues and treatment management].

Epidemiological data show that besides the high prevalence of anxiety and depressive disorders in the general population, comorbidity between the two is a very frequent phenomenon. There is a variety in the clinical presentation of comorbidity. Comorbidity may be present as the full clinical picture of the two syndromes or as limited symptoms from both two syndromes. Anxiety disorders usually are the first manifestation. The impact of comorbidity is reflected in the severity of the disorder, the chronicity and persistency of its course, the more functional impairment and the worse quality of patient's life. There is interplay between several genetic, neurobiological and environmental risk factors leading to comorbidity. Disturbances of the serotoninergic and noradrenergic systems, as well as of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis have been implicated in the pathophysiology of comorbidity. Treatment with novel antidepressants and anxiolytics, as well as psychotherapeutic approaches has proven to be effective for the management of comorbid anxiety and depression.

An open pilot study of tiagabine in alcohol dependence: tolerability and clinical effects.

There is evidence that GABAergic anticonvulsants can be efficacious in the treatment of alcohol dependence and in the prevention of alcohol relapse because these agents act on the substrate that is involved in alcoholism. Tiagabine, a selective GABA transporter1 reuptake inhibitor, may be a promising candidate for the treatment of alcohol-dependent individuals. In this randomized, open pilot study, we aimed to investigate the efficacy and tolerability of tiagabine as adjunctive treatment of alcohol-dependent individuals (N = 60) during the immediate post-detoxification period and during a 6-month follow-up period following alcohol withdrawal. A control non-medicated group of alcohol-dependent individuals (N = 60) was used for comparisons in terms of anxiety and depressive symptoms, craving and drinking outcome. Although a steady improvement in terms of psychopathology, craving and global functioning was observed in both groups throughout the study, subjects on tiagabine improved significantly more compared to the control subjects (P < 0.001). Furthermore, the relapse rate in the tiagabine group was lower than in the control group (7 vs 14.3%). Tiagabine was well tolerated and only a minority of the participants reported some adverse effects in the beginning of tiagabine treatment. Results from this study suggest that tiagabine is a safe and effective medication for the management of alcohol dependence when given adjunctively to a standard psychotherapy treatment. Further studies are warranted before definite conclusions can be reached.

Time-frequency analysis methods to quantify the time-varying microstructure of sleep EEG spindles: possibility for dementia biomarkers?

The time-varying microstructure of sleep EEG spindles may have clinical significance in dementia studies and can be quantified with a number of techniques. In this paper, real and simulated sleep spindles were regarded as AM/FM signals modeled by six parameters that define the instantaneous envelope (IE) and instantaneous frequency (IF) waveforms for a sleep spindle. These parameters were estimated using four different methods, namely the Hilbert transform (HT), complex demodulation (CD), matching pursuit (MP) and wavelet transform (WT). The average error in estimating these parameters was lowest for HT, higher but still less than 10% for CD and MP, and highest (greater than 10%) for WT. The signal distortion induced by the use of a given method was greatest in the case of HT and MP. These two techniques would necessitate the removal of about 0.4s from the spindle data, which is an important limitation for the case of spindles with duration less than 1s. Although the CD method may lead to a higher error than HT and MP, it requires a removal of only about 0.23s of data. An application of this sleep spindle parameterization via the CD method is proposed, in search of efficient EEG-based biomarkers in dementia. Preliminary results indicate that the proposed parameterization may be promising, since it can quantify specific differences in IE and IF characteristics between sleep spindles from dementia subjects and those from aged controls.

Potential dementia biomarkers based on the time-varying microstructure of sleep EEG spindles.

The time-varying microstructure of sleep EEG spindles may have clinical significance in dementia studies. In this work, the sleep spindle is modeled as an AM-FM signal and parameterized in terms of six parameters, three quantifying the instantaneous envelope (IE) and three quantifying the instantaneous frequency (IF) of the spindle model. The IE and IF waveforms of sleep spindles from patients with dementia and normal controls were estimated using the time-frequency technique of Complex Demodulation (CD). Sinusoidal curve-fitting using a matching pursuit (MP) approach was applied to the IE and IF waveforms for the estimation of the six model parameters. Specific differences were found in sleep spindle instantaneous frequency dynamics between spindles from dementia subjects and spindles from controls.

Mirtazapine improves alcohol detoxification.

The objective of the present study was to determine whether a combined psychotherapeutic-psychopharmacological (with mirtazapine) treatment of collateral anxiety and depressive symptomatology during the post-withdrawal phase of alcoholism facilitates the process of alcohol detoxification, which is a decisive stage in the treatment of alcohol-dependent individuals. For that purpose, the rate of remission of anxiety and depressive symptoms over a 4-week detoxification period was evaluated between two groups: the first group followed a standard detoxification protocol (n = 33) and the second group was assigned to mirtazapine in addition to standard treatment (n= 35). A marked reduction of anxiety and depressive symptoms was demonstrated in both groups. However, patients on mirtazapine improved more and at a faster rate compared to controls. Thus, mirtazapine, used adjunctively to short-term psychotherapy, may help the detoxification process by minimizing physical and subjective discomfort. Consequently, it may improve patient compliance in alcohol detoxification programs and facilitate the initial phase treatment of alcohol abuse dependence.

Alcohol detoxification and social anxiety symptoms: a preliminary study of the impact of mirtazapine administration.

BACKGROUND: Social anxiety disorder is fairly prevalent among alcohol abusing/dependent subjects. The objective of the present study was to investigate: (a) the incidence of social anxiety symptoms in inpatient alcoholics, (b) the effect of alcohol detoxification on these symptoms, and (c) whether a combined psychotherapeutic/mirtazapine treatment during the post-detoxification phase of alcoholism has a greater impact on the aforementioned symptoms than a non-pharmacological approach. METHOD: Social anxiety symptoms were assessed through the Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale (LSAS) following a 4-5-week detoxification period in two groups: group A (n=21) that followed a detoxification protocol of cognitive-behavioral orientation and group B (n=33) that was assigned to mirtazapine in addition to the standard protocol. Concomitant psychopathology was monitored through the HARS and HDRS, and level of functioning through the GAS. RESULTS: A marked reduction of social anxiety symptoms was evidenced in both groups. However, patients on mirtazapine improved significantly more compared to controls. LIMITATIONS: A single measure of social anxiety, i.e., the LSAS was used. Also, a longer follow-up period is needed to ascertain remission of social anxiety symptoms. CONCLUSIONS: The present study found a rather high incidence of social anxiety symptoms in inpatient alcoholics which subsided following alcohol detoxification; moreover, it provides preliminary evidence that a combined psychotherapeutic/mirtazapine treatment (30-60 mg/daily) has a greater impact on the aforementioned symptoms than non-pharmacological treatment alone.

Melatonin response to atenolol administration in depression: indication of beta-adrenoceptor dysfunction in a subtype of depression.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate peripheral beta-adrenoceptor sensitivity in depression by assessing urinary melatonin pre- and post-administration of atenolol. METHOD: Overnight urinary melatonin pre- and post-administration of 100 mg oral atenolol was assessed in 36 depressed subjects and 47 controls. RESULTS: Baseline melatonin was significantly lower in depressed patients than controls (P=0.004). Melatonin following atenolol administration was strongly reduced in both groups (P < 0.0001). This reduction depends on whether the subject is a high or low (cutoff: 0.25 nmol/l) baseline melatonin excretor (P=0.025) and on whether he is depressed being a low excretor (P=0.048). A negative correlation (P=0.007) was found between melatonin decrease after atenolol and the Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale score. CONCLUSION: Atenolol strongly reduces melatonin in depressed and control subjects; this decrease relates inversely to the severity of depressive symptoms. Furthermore, responsiveness to atenolol differs between low melatonin depressed patients and low excretor controls, alluding to beta-adrenoceptor up-regulation in a subtype of depression.

Impact of alcohol detoxification on anxiety and depressive symptoms.

Anxiety and depression are frequently encountered 'collateral' symptoms in alcohol abusing subjects. The present study investigated the effect of detoxification on these symptoms over 4-5 weeks of abstinence from alcohol. Psychopathology and global functioning were assessed at baseline and at weekly intervals over this period from 28 alcoholics treated on an inpatient basis. At intake, they displayed high levels of anxiety and depression; also, global functioning was seriously impaired. Following detoxification, scores on all measures of psychopathology were notably reduced. These findings allude to the depression-inducing properties of alcohol, which should be considered in the differential diagnosis of mood symptoms in alcohol abusing individuals.

Melatonin response to clonidine administration in depression: indication of presynaptic alpha2-adrenoceptor dysfunction.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to investigate alpha2-adrenoceptor sensitivity in depression, by using melatonin response to clonidine administration as an index of alpha2-adrenoceptor functioning. METHOD: 35 depressed subjects and 41 healthy controls were assessed for overnight urinary melatonin pre- and post-administration of oral clonidine. RESULTS: Administration of clonidine significantly reduced melatonin concentrations in depressed patients but not in control subjects. LIMITATION: A single oral dose (0.15 mg) of clonidine was administered. CONCLUSIONS: Further indication is provided for presynaptic alpha2-adrenoceptor dysfunction in depression with the application of an alternative pharmacological challenge method.

Functional psychosis in middle-aged people presenting as a long-lasting confusion state: a report of two cases.

Two cases of functional psychosis in middle-aged people are reported. These patients manifested a long-lasting confusion, which eventually resolved. Attention is drawn to the fact that the clinical presentation of psychosis with predominant confusion symptoms is much more frequently encountered than usually believed. This particular clinical feature has been rather underestimated and only vaguely described in the current diagnostic classification systems. This often results in diagnostic perplexity in everyday psychiatric practice and delays the initiation of appropriate treatment. Finally, these reports are briefly discussed in the context of various proposed nosological entities, and the need for more systematic clinical information that would provide guidance on the classification of such psychotic disorders is suggested.

Athens Insomnia Scale: validation of an instrument based on ICD-10 criteria.

OBJECTIVES: To describe and validate the Athens Insomnia Scale (AIS). METHODS: The AIS is a self-assessment psychometric instrument designed for quantifying sleep difficulty based on the ICD-10 criteria. It consists of eight items: the first five pertain to sleep induction, awakenings during the night, final awakening, total sleep duration, and sleep quality; while the last three refer to well-being, functioning capacity, and sleepiness during the day. Either the entire eight-item scale (AIS-8) or the brief five-item version (AIS-5), which contains only the first five items, can be utilized. The validation of the AIS was based on its administration to 299 subjects: 105 primary insomniacs, 144 psychiatric patients and 50 non-patient controls. RESULTS: Regarding internal consistency, for both versions of the scale, the Cronbach's alpha was around 0. 90 and the mean item-total correlation coefficient was about 0.70. Moreover, in the factor analysis, the scale emerged as a sole component. The test-retest reliability correlation coefficient was found almost 0.90 at a 1-week interval. As far as external validity is concerned, the correlations of the AIS-8 and AIS-5 with the Sleep Problems Scale were 0.90 and 0.85, respectively. CONCLUSION: The high measures of consistency, reliability, and validity of the AIS make it an invaluable tool in sleep research and clinical practice.

Sleep spindle incidence dynamics: a pilot study based on a Markovian analysis.

Results are reported, based on 5 healthy subjects, concerning patterns in the dynamics of the sequential arrangement of spindles in human stage 2 sleep. Specifically, the conditional probability of incidence of successive spindle lengths and successive inter-spindle intervals is investigated. The results show that successive spindle lengths may be statistically independent. However, their distribution (histogram) may be similar for two different stage 2 periods, one in the first third and another in the second third of the night sleep record. In contrast to the finding about spindle lengths, results show that successive inter-spindle intervals may not be statistically independent. Furthermore, the overall dynamics of the sequential arrangement of inter-spindle intervals may be similar for the two sleep periods. These findings are discussed in the context of the "sleep maintenance" role of spindles.