Structure and features of psychopathological symptoms in forced migrants and internally displaced persons.

OBJECTIVE: Aim: To study the structure and characteristics of psychopathological symptoms in FM who left Ukraine as a result of the full-scale armed aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine, and internally displaced persons, in a comparative aspect. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Materials and Methods: Examination was performed in compliance with the principles of biomedical ethics, based on informed consent. Research was provided on the basis of the Ternopil Regional Clinical Psychoneurological Hospital. Inclusion criteria were women who were forced to leave the territory of Ukraine as a result of hostilities after February 24, 2022, and who left for temporary residence in the territory of the Republic of Poland (Poland) (FM), and women who were temporarily relocated within Ukraine in connection with connection with hostilities (IDP). Exclusion criteria from the study were presence of language disorders, pronounced cognitive disorders, severe somatic condition. The examination was organized by the method of a semi-structured clinical interview according to the developed by us protocol and was conducted remotely. During the examination, depressive, anxiety-phobic, asthenic and dyssomnic disorders, addictive behavior and symptoms of PTSDwere identified and verified. Statistical and mathematical processing a was carried out using Fisher's exact test. RESULTS: Results: The data we obtained indicate a significant spread of psychopathological symptoms in FM and IDP. CONCLUSION: Conclusions: FM and IDP are characterized by a high incidence of psychopathological symptoms. The most frequent were: depressed mood (FM - 67.2%, IDP - 58.5%), feelings of anxiety and fear (FM -52.5%, IDP - 43.6%), obsessive thoughts (FM - 58.9 %, IDP - 49.5%).

Prodromal period of psychosis: diagnostic criteria.

OBJECTIVE: Aim: To study the psychopathological mechanisms of the development of the prodromal stage of psychosis in order to identify risk factors for the formation of psychosis. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Materials and Methods: In this research 137 patients with newly diagnosed psychosis were examined: 65 patients with a diagnosis of paranoid schizophrenia; 72 patients - with a diagnosis of acute polymorphic psychotic disorder. RESULTS: Results: According to the analysis of symptoms using the PANSS, the absence of signs of an anxious state, conceptual disorganization of thinking, emotional withdrowal are reliable signs of PPP in PS, and unusual thought content, absence of signs of stereotyped thinking, tension, anxiety, and hallucinations are reliable signs of PPP in APPD. According to the analysis of symptoms using the SOPS, unusual thought content/delusional ideas, bizarre thinking, social anhedonia, suspiciousness/persecutory ideas, decrease in expressiveness of emotions are reliable signs of PPP in PS, and bizarre thinking, impaired tolerance to normal stress, sleep disturbance, perceptual abnormalities/hallucinations, trouble with focus and attention are reliable signs of PPP in APPD. CONCLUSION: Conclusions: In the process of studying the clinical-psychopathological and pathopsychological aspects of the development of the PPP, a number of risk factors for the formation of psychosis were identified. We found that he most important diagnostic signs of PPP in PS patients are: stereotyped thinking, social isolation, disorganizational thinking disorders, passive-apathetic social detachment, suspiciousness. The most informative prodromal symptoms of HP in PS patients are: conceptual disorganization of thinking, bizzare thinking, social isolation, suspiciousness/persecutory ideas, reduced expression of emotions.

FEATURES OF AFFECTIVE SYMPTOMS IN COMBATANTS WITH NON-PSYCHOTIC MENTAL DISORDERS THAT HAVE SUFFERED FROM COVID-19.

OBJECTIVE: The aim: To establish the level of anxiety and depressive disorders and the impact of covid-19 on affective pathology in combatants with non-psychotic mental disorders who have suffered from COVID-19 in a comparative aspect. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Materials and methods: 252 male combatants with non-psychotic mental disorders who suffered from COVID-19 were clinically examined using HRDS and HARS scales. RESULTS: Results: A lower prevalence of anxiety or fear was found in combatants who did not have COVID-19: 70.5% vs. 80.8%; low mood - 55.3% vs. 66.7%; emotional lability - 44.7% vs. 58.3%; irritability - 40.9% vs. 55.0%; emotional sensitivity - 53.0% vs. 71.7%; dulling of emotions - 6.8% vs. 6.7%; anhedonia - 77.3% vs. 83.3% of patients, rapid fatigue - 51.5% vs. 65.8%, feelings of guilt, futility, anxiety or fear - 78.0% vs. 87.5%, dissomnia - 47.0% vs. 61.7%; inability to concentrate and make decisions - 25.8% vs. 43.3%; thoughts of death or suicide - 25.0% vs. 35.8% pessimism - 21.2% vs. 31.7%, low self-esteem - 21.2% vs. 31.7%, unstable appetite and weight loss-17.4% vs. 24.2%. The overall HDRS depression score in combatants with non-psychotic mental disorders who did not have COVID-19 was also significantly lower: 15.29±4.16 points vs. 18.05±4.29 points. Similar patterns were found for indicators of anxiety on the HARS scale: 20.52±7.14 points vs. 24.53±6.69 points. CONCLUSION: Conclusions: Combatants with non-psychotic mental disorders are characterized by high levels of depressive and anxiety disorders. COVID-19 disease aggravates the course of affective pathology in combatants with non-psychotic mental disorders and increases the incidence of their depressive and anxiety symptoms.

Masitinib for mild-to-moderate Alzheimer's disease: results from a randomized, placebo-controlled, phase 3, clinical trial.

BACKGROUND: Masitinib is an orally administered tyrosine kinase inhibitor that targets activated cells of the neuroimmune system (mast cells and microglia). Study AB09004 evaluated masitinib as an adjunct to cholinesterase inhibitor and/or memantine in patients with mild-to-moderate dementia due to probable Alzheimer's disease (AD). METHODS: Study AB09004 was a randomized, double-blind, two parallel-group (four-arm), placebo-controlled trial. Patients aged ≥50 years, with clinical diagnosis of mild-to-moderate probable AD and a Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) score of 12-25 were randomized (1:1) to receive masitinib 4.5 mg/kg/day (administered orally as two intakes) or placebo. A second, independent parallel group (distinct for statistical analysis and control arm), randomized patients (2:1) to masitinib at an initial dose of 4.5 mg/kg/day for 12 weeks that was then titrated to 6.0 mg/kg/day, or equivalent placebo. Multiple primary outcomes (each tested at a significance level of 2.5%) were least-squares mean change from baseline to week 24 in the Alzheimer's Disease Assessment Scale - cognitive subscale (ADAS-cog), or the Alzheimer's Disease Cooperative Study Activities of Daily Living Inventory scale (ADCS-ADL). Safety for each masitinib dose level was compared against a pooled placebo population. RESULTS: Masitinib (4.5 mg/kg/day) (n=182) showed significant benefit over placebo (n=176) according to the primary endpoint of ADAS-cog, -1.46 (95% CI [-2.46, -0.45]) (representing an overall improvement in cognition) versus 0.69 (95% CI [-0.36, 1.75]) (representing increased cognitive deterioration), respectively, with a significant between-group difference of -2.15 (97.5% CI [-3.48, -0.81]); p<0.001. For the ADCS-ADL primary endpoint, the between-group difference was 1.82 (97.5% CI [-0.15, 3.79]); p=0.038 (i.e., 1.01 (95% CI [-0.48, 2.50]) (representing an overall functional improvement) versus -0.81 (95% CI [-2.36, 0.74]) (representing increased functional deterioration), respectively). Safety was consistent with masitinib's known profile (maculo-papular rash, neutropenia, hypoalbuminemia). Efficacy results from the independent parallel group of titrated masitinib 6.0 mg/kg/day versus placebo (n=186 and 91 patients, respectively) were inconclusive and no new safety signal was observed. CONCLUSIONS: Masitinib (4.5 mg/kg/day) may benefit people with mild-to-moderate AD. A confirmatory study has been initiated to substantiate these data. TRIAL REGISTRATION: EudraCT: 2010-021218-50. CLINICALTRIALS: gov : NCT01872598.

FEATURES OF COPING STRATEGIES IN THE POPULATION DURING QUARANTINE IN CONDITIONS OF EPIDEMIC DANGER.

OBJECTIVE: The aim: The purpose of this study was to examine the most common coping strategies in the population in quarantine settings. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Materials and methods: The study used the following set of methods: a general questionnaire aimed at studying socio-demographic data, living conditions during quarantine, lifestyle during quarantine, the presence of chronic diseases and psychodiagnostic methods: assessment of distress R.Kessler, assessment of the presence of manifestations of anxiety-depressive response GAD-7, depression self-assessment scale PHQ-9, stress-overcoming behavior strategies (E. Heim), as well as mathematical methods for processing the obtained data. RESULTS: Results: Social and psychological characteristics of the examined were investigated, where coping strategies during the quarantine period play a role in the adaptation process and the state of the psychoemotional sphere. Non-adaptive cognitive coping was characterized by the presence of direct strong correlations with high levels of distress and high rates of anxiety and depression. CONCLUSION: Conclusions: Quarantine restrictions are risk factors for mental health deterioration. In these settings, the interaction of stress factors with anti-stress protection components is important, among which coping strategies play a leading role.

"All that glitters is not gold": sialomegaly, xerostomia, and dry eye is not always Sjögren's syndrome.

Although dry mouth, dry eye, and swollen salivary glands are the hallmark manifestations of Sjögren's syndrome (pSS), a wide spectrum of other conditions should be considered for differential diagnosis. The diagnostic challenge is mainly encountered in patients presenting with dry eyes and/or dry mouth, who do not meet the full established classification criteria for pSS. Presented case-based review highlights the relationship between dry eye, parotid swelling, and psychiatric disorders. The obsessive-compulsive disorder may be separately be a cause of dryness symptoms even were not using any psychiatric drugs. The presented review widely discussed this problem and the aim is to shed new light on the interpretation of the dryness symptom and the necessity of individual patient assessment, excluding causes other than pSS before making a final diagnosis and making a decision on the treatment method.

Social and Psychiatric Aspects of the Emigration Problem in Ukraine.

The article presents data on a new scheme of complex treatment and rehabilitation of emigrants with psychogenic, endogenous and organic depressive disorders, as well as the results of comparative analysis of the effectiveness of this scheme, compared to the traditional one. The use of the proposed treatment scheme also allowed to reduce the severity of anxiety, indicators of the severity of psychopathological symptoms, improve the quality of life among emigrants suffering from depressive disorders of different genesis. The received results allow us to recommend the scheme we have developed for implementation in the complex treatment of emigrants suffering from depressive disorders of psychogenic, endogenous, and organic genesis.