[Depression in men with testosterone deficiency]. / Depressiya u muzhchin s defitsitom testosterona.

OBJECTIVE: Clinical assessment of depression in men with testosterone deficiency to improve differential diagnosis of this type of depression. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Thirty-seven men (mean age 50.1±9.08 years) with depressive episode and testosterone level ≤12.1 nmol/l were included in the main group. Depressive episode was diagnosed based on ICD-10 criteria (F-32). Additional assessment of physical and psychometrics parameters was evaluated. Forty men (mean age 42.3±10.53 years) with depression based on ICD-10 criteria (F32, F33) and testosterone level >12.1 nmol/l were included in the comparison group. RESULTS: Symptoms of depression in men with testosterone deficiency were less severe and led to less functional disturbance. There were some clinical differences in symptoms and syndromes. Single-episode course with manifestation at a later age was more typical for the main group while the comparison group was mostly characterized by recurrent episodes manifesting at an earlier age. CONCLUSION: Depression in men with testosterone deficiency has a number of differences that must be taken into account when diagnosing and choosing treatment tactics.

[Combat-related posttraumatic stress disorder: the historical evolution of concept from «irritable heart syndrome¼ to «psycho-organic disorder¼. Biological aspect]. / Boevoe posttravmaticheskoe stressovoe rasstroistvo: ot «sindroma razdrazhennogo serdtsa¼ do «psikhogenno-organicheskogo rasstroistva¼. Biologicheskii aspekt.

OBJECTIVE: To study a role of traumatic brain injury (TBI) in the development of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in ex combatants. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Eighty-seven ex combatants were studied. The duration of follow-up was 15-18 years. The diagnosis was established in accordance with ICD-10 criteria. Patients were stratified by diagnosis into main group (PTSD) and comparison group (organic brain injury with reduced symptoms of PTSD). A psychopathological method and a battery of questionnaires and scales, including those adapted for assessment of consequences of combat trauma, were administered. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: Clinical presentations of both groups in posttraumatic period show the similarity and homogeneity of posttraumatic disorders in these groups. In the future, the pathogenetic role of TBI severity appears more clearly, which, depending on the severity, leads to the formation of an organic lesion of the brain or performs only a pathoplastic role, giving some features to the clinical picture of PTSD. It was found that the more severe the injury, the greater the likelihood of PTSD transition to organic brain damage. It is emphasized that PTSD treatment is a continuous, long-term, complex and graded process that includes pharmacotherapy, psychopharmacotherapy, psychotherapy, psychosocial interventions.

[Does alcohol influence the cognitive functions of schizophrenic patients?] / Vliiaet li alkogolizatsiia na kognitivnye funktsii bol'nykh shizofreniei?

AIM: To establish an effect of alcohol dependence on the cognitive functions of patients with schizophrenia. MATERIAL AND METHODS: One hundred patients with paranoid schizophrenia were examined. Half of them had a co-occurring diagnosis of alcohol dependence syndrome. Memory, attention, thinking were studied. Comparisons were made between groups, depending on the presence of the addictive disorder. RESULTS: Attention and short-term memory are at the low border of normal values in both groups. No significant between-group differences were found. In Benton test, errors characteristic of schizophrenia were more frequent in the main group. 'Organic' errors were prevalent in the control group. Mild thinking disorders of organic type were significantly more frequent in the main group. CONCLUSION: Co-occurring alcohol dependence does not significantly influence intelligence but significant organic stigmas contribute to the structure of the cognitive profile of patients. The prevalence of organic disturbances in the structure of thinking in patients with co-occurring alcohol abuse was revealed. The best indicators of attention were demonstrated by patients with attack-like schizophrenia without substance abuse. This suggests that the influence of the alcohol factor differs in continuous and attack-like progressive schizophrenia.

[Is syndrome of embodied presence a rare psychopathological phenomenon?] / Sindrom voploshchennogo prisutstviia - redkoe psikhopatologicheskoe obrazovanie?

The literature review addresses the history, clinical presentations, prevalence, differentiation with similar conditions and concepts explaining the development of a rare phenomenon named embodied presence. The authors state that this syndrome is not exclusively rare though it is rarely diagnosed in clinical practice due to the lack of the unified approach to its clinical identification.

[The influence of urethral stricture disease and urethroplasty on anxiety and depression in men].

INTRODUCTION: The relationship of surgical treatment of urethral stricture and such mental deviations as anxiety and depression is still poorly understood. Particularly, there is no reliable data on how mental status is associated to surgical treatment of the urethral stricture and its efficacy. AIM: to study the indicators of anxiety and depression in patients with urethral stricture before and after surgery. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The prospective study involving 30 men aged 20-74 years with urethral stricture of various etiologies and localizations was conducted. The validated questionnaires, HADS-1 and HADS-2 were used to evaluate anxiety and depression, lower urinary tract symptoms (I-PSS-QoL), erectile dysfunction (IIEF-5) before and 3 and 6 months after surgery. RESULTS: Almost all patients with urethral stricture before surgery had an increased level of anxiety and depression, which in 70% cases decreased to normal values by 6 months after successful surgery. Clinically, these changes correlated with the improvement of lower urinary tract symptoms. The restoration of erectile function in patients by 6 months was less pronounced, though it had no influence on the resolution of anxiety/depression. CONCLUSION: The determination of psycho-emotional status in patients with urethral stricture before and after urethroplasty should be as important for the evaluation of the efficiency of surgical treatment, as the resolution of lower urinary tract symptoms and restoration of sexual function.