[Cognitive dysfunctions in depression - underestimated symptom or new dimension?].

Cognitive deficits constitute an integral part of clinical picture of depression, but often not enough attention has been paid to these deficits, mainly because of the presumption that they are secondary to typical depressive symptoms. It is considered that cognitive impairment is one of the main causes of depressive patients' poor functioning. Cognitive deficits are observed already in the first depressive episode.

[Functional polymorphism of genes inactivating biogenic amines and cognitive deficits in paranoid schizophrenia].

Aim: The aim of the work was to assess relationship between gene polymorphism of enzymes influencing dopaminergic-, serotoninergic, and noradrenergic transfer and cognitive functioning of paranoid schizophrenic inpatients (ICD-10).

Method: The following methods have been used in the study: The Test of Everyday Attention (TEA) and The Visual Object and Space Perception Battery (VOSP), psychiatric scales (SAPS, SANS, BDI) and techniques of genetic engineering (PCR reaction, RFLP and VNTR techniques). Subject groups included 100 schizophrenic patients (57 male) and 50 healthy controls (20 male).

Social cognition and visual perception in schizophrenia inpatients treated with first-and second-generation antipsychotic drugs.

Purpose: Social cognition captures affect recognition, social cue perception, "theory of mind," empathy, and attributional style. The aim of our study was to assess social cognition in schizophrenia inpatients being treated with first-generation antipsychotic drugs (FGAs), n=28 (perphenazine and haloperidol, FGAs) or with second-generation antipsychotic drugs (SGAs), n=56 (olanzapine and clozapine, SGAs).

Subjects And Methods: Eighty-four patients completed the Facial Expression Recognition Test, the Voice Emotion Recognition Test, the Short Recognition Memory Test for Faces, and the Reading the Mind in the Eyes Test.

Attentional and emotional functioning in schizophrenia patients treated with conventional and atypical antipsychotic drugs.

Background: Effectiveness of antipsychotics in treating emotional and cognitive deficits in schizophrenia still remains controversial. The aim of our study was to assess emotional and cognitive functioning in schizophrenic inpatients currently treated with typical antipsychotics (perphenazine, perazine, fluphenazine, and haloperidol) and in another group of schizophrenic inpatients currently on atypical antipsychotics (olanzapine, risperidone, amisulpride, and quetiapine).

Material/methods: One hundred patients with DSM-IV schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorders (39 treated using typical antipsychotics and 61 treated with atypical antipsychotics) under naturalistic treatment conditions, and 50 healthy controls were given the following: Test of Everyday Attention, Facial Emotion Recognition Test, Facial Memory Recognition Test, and "Reading the mind in the eyes" Test.

[Functional polymorphism of genes inactivating catecholamines and emotional deficits in paranoid schizophrenia].

Aim: The aim of our work was to assess qualitatively and quantatively emotional deficits in patients diagnosed with schizophrenia following ICD-10 criteria in early and late stages of the schizophrenic process and the evaluation of the relationship between genes polymorphism of enzymes influencing dopaminergic, serotoninergic, and noradrenergic transfer and emotional functioning of the examined patients.

Method: In our study the following methods have been used: Short Recognition Memory test for Faces (TPRT), Facial Expression Recognition Test (FERT), "Reading the mind in the eyes" Test and psychiatric scales (SAPS, SANS, BDI) and molecular techniques (PCR reaction, RFLP and VNTR techniques). 100 paranoid schizophrenia patients (43 female and 57 man) and 50 healthy controls (30 female and 20 man) were invited to participate in the study.

[Results of a Polish national survey--physician's opinions on the physical health of schizophrenic patients].

Aim: In view of the fact that schizophrenia is a disorder increasing the risk of mortality and development of somatic disturbances, the presented study was undertaken with the aim to analyse to what extent psychiatrists assess the somatic condition of their patients diagnosed with schizophrenia.

Method: The participants of a nationwide study ordered by Bristol-Myers Squibb and carried out by a survey agency were 404 physicians. The study was based on a specially devised questionnaire, administered to doctors in June and July 2009.

Duration of untreated psychosis and proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H-MRS) findings in first-episode schizophrenia.

Background: The duration of untreated psychosis (DUP) is a factor associated with the natural course of schizophrenia and an independent predictor of treatment outcome. Recent studies focus on the effects of DUP on the functioning of the nervous system, but the findings are inconsistent. As proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H-MRS) enables the assessment of signals from chemical compounds in vivo, it seems a useful tool to explore this problem.

The effect of acute ethanol intoxication on salivary proteins of innate and adaptive immunity.

Background: Human salivary proteins: peroxidase, lysozyme, lactoferrin, and IgA, participate in the protection of oral tissues, as well as upper digestive and respiratory tracts, against a number of microbial pathogens. In the current study, we investigated the effect of acute consumption of a large dose of ethanol on representative human salivary proteins of the innate and adaptive immune systems.

Methods: Eight healthy male volunteers drank an average of 2.

N-acetylaspartate (NAA) levels in selected areas of the brain in patients with chronic schizophrenia treated with typical and atypical neuroleptics: a proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H MRS) study.

Background: NAA, marker of neurons integrity and viability, is one of the most important brain metabolites visible in 1H MRS. In most studies of schizophrenia, the decrease of NAA level was observed in the temporal, frontal lobes and in the thalamus. This finding was observed more often among chronic patients, what suggests the influence of disease duration or the effect of neuroleptic treatment.

Relationship between frontal N-acetylaspartate and cognitive deficits in first-episode schizophrenia.

Background: The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship between N-acetylaspartate (NAA) levels in selected brain regions and cognitive performance in patients with first-episode schizophrenia.

Material/methods: Thirty patients (20 male, 10 female; mean age: 22.5 years) with the diagnosis of first-episode schizophrenia and 19 comparable healthy controls were studied.

[Pre-psychotic states--contemporary diagnostic and therapeutic issues. Part II. The biological markers of the risk of schizophrenia. Therapy of pre-psychotic states].

The authors review the literature on the topic of early identification and intervention in "pre-psychotic" and "pre-schizophrenic" persons. Most of the early intervention programmes include more or less "false positive results". There is still no classic biological marker of schizophrenia available.

[Pre-psychotic states--contemporary diagnostic and therapeutic issues. Part I. Clinical identification of pre-psychotic states].

Early intervention in psychotic disorders, particularly schizophrenia, has been increasingly recognized as important by clinicians. The benefits of early intervention in schizophrenia to patients include prevention of neurobiological changes, minimization of secondary morbidity and prevention of relapse. Other benefits of prepsychotic intervention include the capacity to research the onset phase of psychosis.

[Premorbid adjustment and quality of life in schizophrenia].

Unlabelled: The Premorbid Adjustment Scale by Cannon-Spoor (PAS) is a rating scale which was designed to evaluate the degree of achievement of developmental goals at each of several periods of a subject's life before the onset of schizophrenia.

Aim Of The Study: The evaluation of PAS in schizophrenic patients.

Material And Methods: In this study premorbid adjustment level was correlated with QOL (Quality of Life Scale (QLS) by Henrichs) in a group of 120 subjects that fulfilled ICD-10 criteria for schizophrenia.

[Duration of untreated psychosis in first-episode schizophrenia: clinical and cognitive correlates].

Objective: Duration of untreated psychosis (DUP) is associated with poor premorbid functioning and poor outcome in patients with schizophrenia. The authors determined whether the duration of untreated psychosis was associated with severity of clinical symptoms and neurocognitive functioning in patients with first-episode schizophrenia.

Method: A total of 30 first-episode patients were evaluated by means of WCST, Vocabulary, Arithmetic, Block Design, attention and verbal fluency tests.

[Schizophrenia--neurodevelopmental and neurodegenerative theory revisited].

The paper presents a critical review regarding the pathogenesis of schizophrenia. The neurodevelopmental theory which is now mostly recognized, needs some explanations, some elements of neurodegenerative theory are revisited. The developmental factors are confirmed as important in the pathogenesis of schizophrenia, but still it is unclear, how relatively subtle early damage causes so heavy thinking and emotional distortion like schizophrenia.

[The relationship between quality of life of schizophrenic patients and clinical parameters of psychosis].

The aim of this study was an analysis of relationship between the quality of life of schizophrenic patients and clinical parameters (positive symptoms, negative symptoms, symptoms of depression, time from start of treatment, total time of all hospitalizations). The research was carried out on 120 in- and out-patients (from 19 to 65 years of age) who fulfilled ICD-10 and DSM-IV criteria for schizophrenia. They were in a stable state of improvement during actual treatment.

[The effectiveness of psychoeducation in schizophrenic and depressive patients--preliminary report].

Unlabelled: Earlier studies suggest that psychoeducation as a form of psychosocial care is of value in improving the patient's attitude towards mental illness as well as in reducing and delaying the relapse rates of both--psychotic and depressive disorders.

Aim: The aim of this study was the evaluation of influence of psychoeducation on clinical symptoms, quality of life and drug attitude in schizophrenic and depressive patients.

Method: 52 patients, aged 18-50 years, hospitalized in the Department of Psychiatry of Medical Academy in Białystok, were involved in the study.

[Clinical and neuropsychological correlates of proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy detected metabolites in brains of first-episode and schizophrenic patients].

Objective: This study examined 1H MRS detected metabolite levels (in left frontal, temporal lobes and thalamus) and clinical and cognitive features of patients with first-episode and chronic schizophrenia.

Method: We studied 31 first-episode patients (group 1) and 17 chronic patients (group 2) with ICD-10 diagnosis of schizophrenia (and 13 healthy subjects). Patients were also assessed by the means of PANSS, CGI, Calgary scales and WCST, TMT, Stroop tests.

[Comparison of subjective and objective quality of life in a group of schizophrenic patients].

Aim: The aim of this study is a comparison of subjective and objective quality of life in schizophrenic patients.

Methods: The research was carried out on 120 in- and out-patients (from 19 to 65 years) who fulfilled ICD-10 and DSM-IV criteria for schizophrenia. The quality of life was assessed by means of two instruments: Quality of Life Scale (QLS, Heinrichs et al.

[Is dehydration an ethical problem?].

In the paper, issues connected with chronic dehydration were discussed from the point of view of medical ethics. Rudimentary definitions concerning the issues were mentioned. An attempt was made at analysing critically the views on chronic voluntary dehydration as a possible form of causing death.

[Mental disorders in the course of lyme borreliosis and tick borne encephalitis].

Background: Lyme borreliosis is a chronic, multisystem disease, of prolong course with three consecutive stages, caused by a tick-transmitted spirochete Borrelia burgdorferi. Tick Borne Encephalitis (TBE) is neuroinfection caused by Tick Borne Encephalitis Virus (TBEV).

Objective: We evaluated the occurrence of psychiatric manifestations in the early phase of borreliosis-erythema migrans and neuroboreliosis as well as in its late phase--in arthritis and in the Tick-Born Encephalitis.