Psychotic disorders in the diagnostic stability of a Portuguese ward - Diagnostic retrospective analysis / Trastornos psicóticos en la estabilidad diagnóstica de un barrio portugués - Análisis retrospectivo diagnóstico

ABSTRACT Objectives: Psychiatric diagnosis is based on clinical manifestations, resulting from patients' internal state, their life situation, the evolution of their condition and the response to our interventions. There are currently few objective data which help to establish the diagnosis which is why this is based on diagnostic criteria such as the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM). The DSM defines entities by their diagnostic stability, however there are several causes of variability as categorised by Spritzer et al. (1987): subjects variance (changing in patients), occasions variance (different episodes), information variance (new information) and observation variance (different interpretations). This paper aims to determine the diagnostic stability of patients with Psychotic Disorders among patients readmitted to our Psychiatric Unit. Methods: Retrospective analysis of the diagnoses of patients with Psychotic Disorders who had been readmitted to our unit. We analysed data from the last 12 years - 5422 admission episodes with 507 patients with a relevant diagnosis in this period. Results: Psychiatric diagnosis does evolve over time, nevertheless some diagnostic groups show a relatively significant stability over time - Bipolar Disorder and Schizophrenia with 69% and 77% stability, respectively. Diagnosis such as Depressive Psychosis and Drug-induced psychosis show a significantly lower stability (8% and 21%, respectively). Conclusions: Knowing our own reality can make us aware that a cross-sectional view of patients can be insufficient and only time can determine a clear diagnosis. This study may help us to understand how psychotic disorders evolve.

RESUMEN Objetivos: El diagnóstico psiquiátrico se basa en las manifestaciones clínicas, consecuencia del estado interno del paciente, de su situación vivencial, de la evolución de su enfermedad y de la respuesta a nuestras intervenciones. Actualmente, existen pocos datos objetivos que ayudan a establecer el diagnóstico por lo que éste se basa en criterios diagnósticos como el Manual Diagnóstico y Estadístico de los Trastornos Mentales (DSM). La DSM define diagnósticos por su estabilidad, sin embargo, existen varias causas de variabilidad caracterizadas por Spritzer et al. (1987): variación en el sujeto (cambio en el paciente), variación ocasional (diferentes episodios), variación en la información (nueva información) y variación en la observación (diferentes interpretaciones). Este trabajo pretende evaluar la estabilidad diagnóstica de los pacientes con Trastornos Psicóticos reinternados en nuestro internamiento psiquiátrico. Métodos: Análisis retrospectivo de los diagnósticos de los pacientes con Trastornos Psicóticos con reingresos en nuestro servicio. Se analizaron datos de los últimos 12 anos - 5422 admisiones con 507 pacientes con diagnóstico de interés en ese período. Resultados: El diagnóstico psiquiátrico se altera con el tiempo, sin embargo, algunos grupos revelan una mayor estabilidad a lo largo del tiempo - Perturbación Afectiva Bipolar y Esquizofrenia con el 69% y el 77%, respectivamente. Los diagnósticos como la depresión psicótica y la psicosis tóxica, revelan una estabilidad significativamente menor (8% y 21% respectivamente). Conclusiones: Conocer nuestra realidad nos hace conscientes de que una mirada transversal a los enfermos puede ser insuficiente y sólo el tiempo puede determinar un diagnóstico claro. Este trabajo puede ayudarnos a entender cómo evolucionan las enfermedades psicóticas.

Psychotic disorders in the diagnostic stability of a Portuguese ward - Diagnostic retrospective analysis.

OBJECTIVES: Psychiatric diagnosis is based on clinical manifestations, resulting from patients' internal state, their life situation, the evolution of their condition and the response to our interventions. There are currently few objective data which help to establish the diagnosis which is why this is based on diagnostic criteria such as the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM). The DSM defines entities by their diagnostic stability, however there are several causes of variability as categorised by Spritzer et al. (1987): subjects variance (changing in patients), occasions variance (different episodes), information variance (new information) and observation variance (different interpretations). This paper aims to determine the diagnostic stability of patients with Psychotic Disorders among patients readmitted to our Psychiatric Unit. METHODS: Retrospective analysis of the diagnoses of patients with Psychotic Disorders who had been readmitted to our unit. We analysed data from the last 12 years - 5422 admission episodes with 507 patients with a relevant diagnosis in this period. RESULTS: Psychiatric diagnosis does evolve over time, nevertheless some diagnostic groups show a relatively significant stability over time - Bipolar Disorder and Schizophrenia with 69% and 77% stability, respectively. Diagnosis such as Depressive Psychosis and Drug-induced psychosis show a significantly lower stability (8% and 21%, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Knowing our own reality can make us aware that a cross-sectional view of patients can be insufficient and only time can determine a clear diagnosis. This study may help us to understand how psychotic disorders evolve.

Absence of Longer Reorientation Times in Patients Undergoing Electroconvulsive Therapy and Concomitant Treatment with Lithium.

OBJECTIVE: Lithium is a drug of choice in the treatment of bipolar disorder and refractory depressive disorders. However, previous research suggests lithium has a negative cognitive impact in recovery from electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) and a higher risk of delirium, so patients are often required to stop taking lithium before ECT, despite risk of relapse. We studied the cognitive impact of serum lithium levels in patients undergoing ECT. METHODS: This was an observational prospective study. Serum lithium levels, thyroid and biochemical parameters were measured prior to each ECT session. Time elapsed from the anesthetic induction to the electrical stimulus and then to the patients' reorientation was recorded, as well as the motor seizure duration and electroencephalogram (EEG) seizure duration. A statistical analysis using a linear mixed model was run while adjusting for confounding factors. RESULTS: Ten participants underwent a total of 86 ECT sessions (41% right unilateral ultrabrief pulse, and 59% bilateral brief pulse). A negative interaction between lithium levels and reorientation time was found among those doing bilateral brief pulse ECT. No association was observed in patients doing unilateral ultrabrief pulse ECT. No significant relationship was observed between lithium and both motor and EEG-assessed seizure duration. CONCLUSION: This study suggests that low to moderate serum lithium levels (< 0.7 mmol/L) might have no harmful cognitive effects in patients under right unilateral ultrabrief pulse and bilateral brief pulse ECT.

"Psychotic Disorders in the Diagnostic Stability of a Portuguese Ward - Diagnostic Retrospective Analysis".

OBJECTIVES: Psychiatric diagnosis is based on clinical manifestations, resulting from patients' internal state, their life situation, the evolution of their condition and the response to our interventions. There are currently few objective data which help to establish the diagnosis which is why this is based on diagnostic criteria such as the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM). The DSM defines entities by their diagnostic stability, however there are several causes of variability as categorised by Spritzer et al. (1987): subjects variance (changing in patients), occasions variance (different episodes), information variance (new information) and observation variance (different interpretations). This paper aims to determine the diagnostic stability of patients with Psychotic Disorders among patients readmitted to our Psychiatric Unit. METHODS: Retrospective analysis of the diagnoses of patients with Psychotic Disorders who had been readmitted to our unit. We analysed data from the last 12 years - 5422 admission episodes with 507 patients with a relevant diagnosis in this period. RESULTS: Psychiatric diagnosis does evolve over time, nevertheless some diagnostic groups show a relatively significant stability over time - Bipolar Disorder and Schizophrenia with 69% and 77% stability, respectively. Diagnosis such as Depressive Psychosis and Drug-induced psychosis show a significantly lower stability (8% and 21%, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Knowing our own reality can make us aware that a cross-sectional view of patients can be insufficient and only time can determine a clear diagnosis. This study may help us to understand how psychotic disorders evolve.

Peripheral Biomarkers for First-Episode Psychosis-Opportunities from the Neuroinflammatory Hypothesis of Schizophrenia.

OBJECTIVE: Schizophrenia is a disabling disorder of unknown aetiology, lacking definite diagnostic method and cure. A reliable biological marker of schizophrenia is highly demanded, for which traceable immune mediators in blood could be promising candidates. We aimed to gather the best findings of neuroinflammatory markers for first-episode psychosis (FEP). METHODS: We performed an extensive narrative review of online literature on inflammation-related markers found in human FEP patients only. RESULTS: Changes to cytokine levels have been increasingly reported in schizophrenia. The peripheral levels of IL-1 (or its receptor antagonist), soluble IL-2 receptor, IL-4, IL-6, IL-8, and TNF-α have been frequently reported as increased in FEP, in a suggestive continuum from high-risk stages for psychosis. Microglia and astrocytes establish the link between this immune signalling and the synthesis of noxious tryptophan catabolism products, that cause structural damage and directly hamper normal neurotransmission. Amongst these, only 3-hydroxykynurenine has been consistently described in the blood of FEP patients. CONCLUSION: Peripheral molecules stemming from brain inflammation might provide insightful biomarkers of schizophrenia, as early as FEP or even prodromal phases, although more time- and clinically-adjusted studies are essential for their validation.