Mental health law in Cyprus.

The current Law for Psychiatric Care in the Republic of Cyprus was enacted in 1997 with amendments made in 2003 and 2007. The mental health law makes provision for the development and function of Psychiatric Centres for the care of the mentally ill. In contrast to the old Mental Health Law there is a major shift from a custodial approach to community care. Compulsory admissions under the Act, which require a Court Order, are made to a designated secure psychiatric in-patient unit. The protection of patients' human rights is at the core of the Act. The Mental Health Commission, a Supervisory Committee and designated body for the Protection of the Rights of the Mentally Ill, assists in the correct implementation of the Mental Health Law. The Commission has a primarily advisory role but it is actively involved in monitoring the implementation of the Mental Health Law.

Are genetic and sporadic Parkinson's disease patients equally susceptible to develop dementia?

The occurrence of dementia in genetic Parkinson's disease is heterogeneous. The onset and progression of diverse forms of familial Parkinson's disease might be different than that of sporadic disease. Since dementia is an age related process, its risk increases with advanced disease severity and duration. The onset and progression of dementia is expected to vary between genetic forms, which present at diverse ages with different symptomatologies. It seems that genetic Parkinson's disease variants in which Lewy bodies are the prominent pathological hallmark - such as in PARK1, PARK4 and PARK8 - dementia is part of the phenotype. On the contrary, in PARK2 which is not accompanied by Lewy body accumulation, patients do not show a systematic cognitive decline. This review presents information on dementia in genetic forms of Parkinson's disease.

Quality of life after breast cancer surgery with or without reconstruction.

In the modern era, where breast-conserving surgery is a viable alternative to mastectomy, breast cancer patients and their healthcare providers have to consider the issue of quality of life in regards to the type of surgery. The choice of surgical procedure should consider the perceptions of women diagnosed with breast cancer as well as their functional and emotional well-being. A more holistic approach to the patient should be implemented with proper psychological evaluation before and psychological support after the crisis.