[Are risk factors in prenatal and perinatal period important for develompent of schizophrenia?] / Jsou rizikové faktory v prenatálním a perinatálním období dulezité pro vznik schizofrenie?

OBJECTIVE: Schizophrenia is an important psychical disease of multifactorial origin and not yet clear etiology. In prenatal and perinatal period some potential risk factors for schizophrenia are taken into consideration. DESIGN: Case-control study of 815 subjects, 407 cases and 408 controls was performed in 2013 to 2015. METHODS: In this study environmental and genetic risk factors were evaluated including potential risk factors of prenatal and perinatal period. RESULTS: Statistically important difference was found in child-birth done by cesarean section (p = 0.009) and in patients with schizophrenia were 15.7% complications in the course of childbirth (p < 0.001). Hypoxia, passed umbilical cord were the most frequent complications. In prenatal period premature childbirth, injury and psychical complications were the most frequent. On the other hand difference in weight and length of newborns, breast feeding and infection during pregnancy were found not statistically important. CONCLUSION: In this study statistically important diference were found in way of carrying childbirth and in some complications during pregnancy and delivery. Influence of infection during pregnancy and influence of weight and length of newborn were not demonstrated.

[Loneliness in the elderly as a social and medical problem]. / Osamelost starých lidí jako sociální a medicínský problém.

The proportion of elderly people in the Czech population is increasing. Old age is often associated with loneliness, which significantly leads to a medical institutionalization. In addition to that, depression, dementia, and alcohol abuse may occur as a result and cause of further deterioration. We describe a case of a woman who has spent substantial part of the last five years of her life being hospitalized at departments of psychiatry, neurology, and internal medicine respectively. Social factors played an important role in this development. The vicious circle of loneliness, depression, and institutionalization of elderly people may be overcome in several ways, e.g. by an adequate physical, mental, and social activity, self-education, psychotherapy, outpatients nursing care, and an early diagnostics and treatment of depression.

Comorbidity of parkinsonism and schizophrenia in a patient treated with clozapine.

Clozapine is the least likely anti-psychotic to induce extrapyramidal symptoms (EPS). We present a surprising case of a woman schizophrenic patient treated with clozapine suffering from EPS. Single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) revealed a low density of presynaptic dopamine transporters in our patient's brain. A comorbid diagnosis of Parkinson's disease in schizophrenia was confirmed in this way. This helped us to find a proper therapeutic strategy for our patient.

Costs and outcomes of risperidone treatment in schizophrenia in the Czech Republic.

The increasing cost of pharmaceuticals in the Czech Republic has led to restrictions on the prescription of more expensive atypical antipsychotics. The aim of the study was to compare the costs and outcomes of using risperidone versus classical neuroleptics in treatment of schizophrenia in order to see if there was any cost advantage in restricting use of more recent antipsychotics. Sixty-seven patients (39 women) with a mean age of 34.6 years (S.D. = 9.74) suffering from schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder were treated with risperidone while 67 patients (39 women) with the same diagnoses with a mean age of 35.7 years (S.D. = 9.91) received standard neuroleptics. Yearly direct medical costs and outcomes (indicated by the average Global Assessment of Functioning score) were assessed retrospectively in an open, intent-to-treat study by abstracting psychiatric outpatient charts. The outcomes were not significantly different between the treatment groups while the risperidone treatment was significantly more expensive than the therapy with standard neuroleptics. This result which appears to be inconsistent with the literature was caused by the cheap labor force in the Czech Republic. The difference between the followed treatments in the direct costs will probably become insignificant in the future when the country's economy will be more developed.

Antiepileptic drugs in schizophrenia: a review.

The first choice group of psychotropic agents in schizophrenia is neuroleptics. However, this treatment is not effective in all patients and with every symptom. We summarize papers published on the role of antiepileptic drugs in treatment-resistant schizophrenia. We have searched the computer database system MEDLINE for relevant articles including reviews, reports of drug studies and case histories. Antiepileptic drugs can change symptoms of schizophrenia by their action on GABA-ergic neurotransmission or via anti-glutamatergic mechanisms. High doses of adjunctive benzodiazepines reduce positive symptoms, anxiety, and agitation. Carbamazepine is effective in affective symptoms of schizophrenia and influences violent behavior in psychotic patients. Its anti-kindling action may represent a promising treatment strategy for some patients with chronic course of schizophrenia. Valproate treatment leads to a decrease in positive symptoms as well as hostility. Lamotrigine is expected to influence the positive, negative, affective, and cognitive symptoms of schizophrenia. New antiepileptics (e.g., gabapentin, oxcarbazepine, topiramate, vigabatrin) present a promise as potential adjuncts to neuroleptic treatment in resistant symptoms of schizophrenia.

Costs and outcomes of use of amitriptyline, citalopram and fluoxetine in major depression: exploratory study.

BACKGROUND: The increasing cost of pharmaceuticals in the Czech Republic has led to the restriction on prescriptions of expensive new antidepressants. The aim of the study was to compare the costs and outcomes of using amitriptyline, citalopram and fluoxetine in the treatment of major depression. METHODS: Ninety patients (69 women) with a mean age of 44.5 years (S.D. = 14.3) suffering from major depression were treated with amitriptyline (N = 31), citalopram (N = 29) and fluoxetine (N = 30). Direct medical costs and effectiveness (indicated by the number of hospitalization-free days) were assessed in a prospective, open, intent-to-treat study. RESULTS: Neither cost nor effectiveness were significantly different among the treatment groups. CONCLUSION: Amitriptyline treatment is not less expensive nor more effective than citalopram or fluoxetine therapies. There is no advantage in restricting patients from treatment with SSRIs, which have fewer adverse effects and a decreased risk of a lethal overdosage in comparison with tricyclic antidepressants.