ABSTRACT
The aim of the current study was to investigate the characteristics of Greek inmates that were taking regularly benzodiazepines (BZDs) at therapeutic doses, in the high-security prison of Patras, Greece. Three hundred eighty-four prisoners were included in the study. BZD users (BUs, n = 192), compared with non-BZD users (NBUs, n = 192), were significantly more often unemployed before imprisonment; were significantly more often single, divorced, or widowed; were significantly more often on remand; were taking in significantly greater proportions antidepressant and antipsychotic medications; had significantly more often a history of psychiatric hospitalization; and had significantly more often a history of illicit intravenous (IV) drug use. BUs were significantly more often positive on serum antibodies to hepatitis C (anti-HCV), and scored significantly higher on Hamilton's Rating Scale for Anxiety (HAM-A) and Zung's Self-Rating Depression Scale (SDS). Multivariable logistic regression analysis showed that the history of psychiatric hospitalization, history of illicit drug use, history of unemployment, symptoms of anxiety, and anti-HCV positivity were independently associated with BZD use in this prison. Medical and psychiatric interventions focusing on anxiety problems, depression, drug addiction, and HCV in this group of BUs are warranted.
Subject(s)
Anti-Anxiety Agents/administration & dosage , Benzodiazepines/administration & dosage , Prisoners , Adult , Anxiety Disorders/epidemiology , Commitment of Mentally Ill/statistics & numerical data , Greece/epidemiology , Hepatitis C Antibodies/blood , Humans , Logistic Models , Male , Substance Abuse, Intravenous/epidemiology , Unemployment/statistics & numerical dataSubject(s)
Platelet Activation , Stroke/diagnosis , Antigens, CD/analysis , Biomarkers/analysis , Blood Platelets/metabolism , False Negative Reactions , Female , Flow Cytometry , Humans , Immunophenotyping , Male , Middle Aged , P-Selectin/analysis , Platelet Activation/physiology , Platelet Membrane Glycoproteins/analysis , Predictive Value of Tests , Reproducibility of Results , Sample Size , Stroke/physiopathology , Tetraspanin 30ABSTRACT
A patient with two episodes of acute polyradiculoneuropathy (Guillain-Barré syndrome) that both occurred during exacerbation of chronic hepatitis B and separated by a 2-year asymptomatic interval is described. The possible causative relation between the neuropathy and the chronic hepatitis B is discussed.
Subject(s)
Guillain-Barre Syndrome/etiology , Hepatitis B, Chronic/complications , Aged , Antigen-Antibody Complex/blood , DNA, Viral/blood , Guillain-Barre Syndrome/drug therapy , Guillain-Barre Syndrome/therapy , Hepatitis B Antibodies/blood , Hepatitis B Antigens/blood , Hepatitis B virus/isolation & purification , Hepatitis B virus/pathogenicity , Hepatitis B virus/physiology , Hepatitis B, Chronic/drug therapy , Humans , Immunoglobulins, Intravenous/therapeutic use , Immunosuppressive Agents/therapeutic use , Lamivudine/therapeutic use , Liver Function Tests , Male , Prednisolone/therapeutic use , Recurrence , Time Factors , Viremia/complications , Virus ReplicationABSTRACT
Substance use disorders are associated with increased suicidal behavior. The suicidal behavior in patients without a history of illegal substance abuse, who consume benzodiazepines (BZDs) regularly in doses higher than those recommended, has not been previously studied. The aim of this study was to investigate the factors associated with the past history of suicide attempts in high-dose regular BZD users (HDRUs). Fifty-five HDRUs were recruited from inpatient and outpatient psychiatric services, and were compared to 55 psychiatric controls, matched for demographic characteristics and psychiatric diagnoses to HDRUs (Controls A), and to 55 psychiatric controls matched only for demographic characteristics to HDRUs (Controls B). Both control groups were non-BZD users. Patients with previous or current use of illegal substances were excluded. There was a statistically significant difference in the history of suicide attempts, comparing HDRUs (17 attempters, 30.9%) with Controls B (two attempters, 3.6%), while the difference was not significant comparing HDRUs with Controls A (10 attempters, 18.2%). Using logistic regression analysis, it was found that only comorbid borderline personality disorder (BPD), not high-dose BZD use, was independently associated with a history of suicide attempt. The percentage of patients with a history of suicide attempt was significantly higher in HDRUs with comorbid BPD, compared to HDRUs without BPD.
Subject(s)
Anti-Anxiety Agents/administration & dosage , Suicide, Attempted/psychology , Adult , Benzodiazepines , Borderline Personality Disorder/psychology , Case-Control Studies , Data Interpretation, Statistical , Dose-Response Relationship, Drug , Female , Humans , Interview, Psychological , Logistic Models , Male , Marital Status , Odds Ratio , Social Adjustment , Suicide, Attempted/statistics & numerical dataABSTRACT
SUMMARY: Under normal conditions, motor evoked potentials (MEPs) elicited by transcranial magnetic stimulation increase in amplitude if the subject exercises the examined muscle immediately before recording. The authors examined the effect of nonfatiguing exercise on the amplitude of MEPs on 42 psychiatric, medicated inpatients (14 with depression, 14 with schizophrenia, and 14 with mania) compared with 14 healthy control subjects. For each subject, a total of 50 baseline and 50 postexercise MEPs were recorded. The mean (+/- standard deviation) postexercise MEP facilitation, expressed as a percentage of mean baseline values, was significantly lower (p
