Cognitive Impairment in Cerebral Amyloid Angiopathy: A Single-Center Prospective Cohort Study.

Cognitive impairment represents a core and prodromal clinical feature of cerebral amyloid angiopathy (CAA). We sought to assess specific cognitive domains which are mainly affected among patients with CAA and to investigate probable associations with neuroimaging markers and Cerebrospinal Fluid (CSF) biomarkers. Thirty-five patients fulfilling the Boston Criteria v1.

Altered Expression of Neuroplasticity-Related Genes in Alcohol Addiction and Treatment.

Alcohol use disorder's complexity arises from genetic and environmental factors, with alcohol metabolism genes and neurotransmitter pathways being critical. This study aims to analyze synaptic plasticity gene expression changes in individuals with AUD in order to study their contribution to AUD development and to identify potential biomarkers of treatment response. RNA was extracted from whole peripheral blood (20 patients, 10 healthy controls), before and after treatment (Qiagen AllPrep RNA/DNA Mini Kit), and the gene expression of 84 genes related to neuroplasticity was studied using the RT2 Profiler for Human Synaptic Plasticity RT-PCR Array (PAHS-126ZA, Qiagen), comparing AUD patients to control and responders to non-responders.

The Detection of Peripheral Neuropathy by Clinical Scales in Patients Diagnosed With Alcohol Use Disorder.

Introduction Peripheral neuropathy is a well-known manifestation of alcohol overconsumption, but neurophysiological confirmation of peripheral nerve damage is costly and sometimes involves invasive procedures. The aim of this study was to investigate the ability of commonly used clinical scales to detect the presence of neuropathy in patients with alcohol use disorder (AUD). Methods Data were collected retrospectively on 116 patients diagnosed with AUD and treated voluntarily in a detoxification special unit.

Alcohol-related peripheral neuropathy: Clinico-neurophysiological characteristics and diagnostic utility of the neuropathy symptoms score and the neuropathy impairment score.

Alcohol overconsumption is well known to cause damage to the peripheral nervous system, affecting both small and large nerve fibers. The aim of this descriptive study was to investigate peripheral nerve damage, and to correlate clinical, epidemiological and neurophysiological findings, in patients diagnosed with Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD). Ninety alcohol-dependent subjects on inpatient basis were enrolled in this prospective study over a 3-year period.

Gut microbiome in alcohol use disorder: Implications for health outcomes and therapeutic strategies-a literature review.

Alcohol use disorder (AUD) represents a major public health issue which affects millions of people globally and consist a chronic relapsing condition associated with substantial morbidity and mortality. The gut microbiome plays a crucial role in maintaining overall health and has emerged as a significant contributor to the pathophysiology of various psychiatric disorders. Recent evidence suggests that the gut microbiome is intimately linked to the development and progression of AUD, with alcohol consumption directly impacting its composition and function.

Elevated liver enzymes and fasting glucose levels correlate with neuropathy in patients diagnosed with alcohol use disorder independently of the blood thiamine levels.

Aims: Chronic alcohol consumption is well known to cause peripheral neuropathy, affecting both small and large nerve fibers. The aim of this study was to correlate biochemical and neurophysiological findings and investigate possible biomarkers and risk factors for pathogenetic mechanisms of neuropathy in patients diagnosed with alcohol use disorder (AUD).

Methods: Ninety patients diagnosed with AUD were enrolled in this prospective study over a period of 3 years.

Pure small fiber neuropathy in alcohol dependency detected by skin biopsy.

Background: Alcohol overconsumption is well known to cause damage to the peripheral nervous system. The aim of this study was the functional and structural evaluation of the small nerve fibers in alcohol-dependent subjects, with or without symptoms of peripheral neuropathy.

Methods: Twenty-six consecutive alcohol-dependent subjects treated for detoxification voluntarily in the specialized unit of the Athens University Psychiatric Clinic were enrolled in this prospective study over 18 months.

Development and validation of the Schedule for the Assessment of Insight in Alcohol Dependence (SAI-AD): Dimensions and correlates of insight in alcohol use disorder.

Introduction: The objectives of this study were to develop a multidimensional, clinician-rated scale that assess impaired insight into illness in patients with alcohol use disorder (AUD) and to examine its reliability, validity and internal structure. Moreover, we investigated the relationships of overall insight and its dimensions with demographic and clinical characteristics in AUD.

Methods: We developed the Schedule for the Assessment of Insight in Alcohol Dependence (SAI-AD), based on scales that has already been used in psychosis and other mental disorders.

Safety of COVID-19 vaccines in multiple sclerosis: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Data are sparse regarding the safety of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) vaccines in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS).

Objective: To estimate (1) the pooled proportion of MS patients experiencing relapse among vaccine recipients; (2) the rate of transient neurological worsening, adverse events, and serious adverse events; (3) the previous outcomes of interest for different SARS-CoV-2 vaccine types.

Methods: Systematic review and meta-analysis of pharmacovigilance registries and observational studies.

Cerebral Amyloid Angiopathy-Related Inflammation: A Single-Center Experience and a Literature Review.

Background: Limited data exist regarding the prevalence of clinical, neuroimaging, and genetic markers among patients diagnosed with Cerebral Amyloid Angiopathy−related inflammation (CAA-ri). We sought to determine these characteristics in patients diagnosed in our center and to summarize available literature published either as single-case reports or small case series (<5 patients). Methods: We reported our single-center experience of patients diagnosed with CAA-ri according to international criteria during a seven-year period (2015−2022), and we abstracted data from 90 previously published cases.

Endocannabinoids and Heart Rate Variability Alterations after Exposure to Prolonged Intensive Physical Exercise of the Hellenic Navy SEALs.

Background: Recent research indicates that both endocannabinoids (eCB) and heart rate variability (HRV) are associated with stress-induced experiences. However, these underlying mechanisms are not elucidated. The present study aims to investigate whether exposure to acute and chronic stress conditions can give rise to measurable changes, both to the peripheral eCB ligands and HRV.

Glycemic variability of acute stroke patients and clinical outcomes: a continuous glucose monitoring study.

Introduction: Glycemic variability (GV) has been associated with worse prognosis in critically ill patients. We sought to evaluate the potential association between GV indices and clinical outcomes in acute stroke patients.

Methods: Consecutive diabetic and nondiabetic, acute ischemic or hemorrhagic stroke patients underwent regular, standard-of-care finger-prick measurements and continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) for up to 96 h.

Gottlieb Burckhardt (1836-1907): 19th-Century Pioneer of Psychosurgery.

Gottlieb Burckhardt was a 19th-century Swiss psychiatrist who introduced the psychosurgical method known as topectomy as a means to relieve the symptoms of aggression and agitation in individuals diagnosed with mental disease. Specifically, he performed topical excision of part of the cerebral cortex on 6 patients with chronic schizophrenia. Most of these patients became more approachable and easier to manage, but they also showed signs of aphasia or seizures, and 2 died soon after the surgery.

New-Onset Psychosis Associated With a Lesion Localized in the Rostral Tectum: Insights Into Pathway-Specific Connectivity Disrupted in Psychosis.

Objective: To investigate pathway-specific connectivity disrupted in psychosis.

Methods: We carried out a case study of a middle-aged patient who presented with new-onset psychosis associated with a space-occupying lesion localized in the right superior colliculus/periaqueductal gray. The study sought to investigate potential connectivity deficits related to the lesion by the use of diffusion tensor imaging and resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging.

Alteration of α-N-acetylgalactosaminidase (nagalase) concentration in alcohol-dependent individuals without liver disease, during the detoxification therapy.

Background: The present study aimed to investigate for the first time, the alteration of α-N-acetylgalactosaminidase (nagalase) concentration in alcohol-dependent individuals without liver disease, before, during and at the end of the detoxification therapy.

Methods: Forty-eight alcohol-dependent individuals without liver disease who were admitted for alcohol detoxification, and eighty-four healthy controls participated in this study. Patients' blood was obtained upon admission, two weeks later and after the completion of the detoxification period (4-5 weeks).

Photophobia in primary headaches, in essential blepharospasm and in major depression.

Objectives: Although photophobia is a well-known symptom in various disorders, it has rarely been studied explicitly and its definition in a clinical setting can be somewhat elusive. Here, we assessed photophobia with a common psychometric tool in different conditions, in which light intolerance is considered part of the syndrome.

Patients And Methods: A prospective study was undertaken in patients with migraine (MH), cluster headache (CH), tension-type headache (TH), essential blepharospasm (BS) and major depression (MD).

Melancholy as a risk factor for cancer: a historical overview.

In antiquity, physicians related depression or melancholic humour to cancer's pathogenesis. Galen (130-201 AD), sustained that melancholy could give rise to a tumour and his theory was repeated by the Byzantine and Arab physicians. In the 19th century, malignancy and depression became synonymous and people attributed their cancer to sadness.

Alteration in the concentrations of Interleukin-7 (IL-7), Interleukin-10 (IL-10) and Granulocyte Colony Stimulating Factor (G-CSF) in alcohol-dependent individuals without liver disease, during detoxification therapy.

Background: The course of Interleukin-7 (IL-7), Interleukin-10 (IL-10) and Granulocyte Colony Stimulating Factor (G-CSF) was investigated in alcohol-dependent individuals without liver disease in order to ascertain the use of these cytokines as markers for the follow-up testing and the outcome of the detoxification treatment.

Methods: Forty-eight alcohol-dependent individuals were admitted for alcohol detoxification. Blood was obtained upon admission, two weeks later and after the completion of the detoxification period (4-5 weeks).

Total nitric oxide and inducible nitric oxide synthase in alcohol-dependent individuals during detoxification therapy.

Background: The alterations of total nitric oxide (NO) (through total nitrite/nitrate) and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) concentrations were determined in a population of alcohol-dependent individuals without liver disease upon admission for detoxification, two weeks later and after completion of detoxification (4-6 weeks in total).

Materials And Methods: Thirty-eight men and nine women were included in the study. Endogenous nitrite and total nitrite/nitrate concentrations were measured colorimetrically and iNOS concentration was measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).

Increased co-morbidity of depression and post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms and common risk factors in intensive care unit survivors: a two-year follow-up study.

Objective: To investigate the long-term psychological impact of intensive care unit (ICU) hospitalization, as well as to establish risk factors which successfully discriminate patients at higher risk.

Methods: The Medical Outcomes Study Short Form Survey (SF-36), the Center for Epidemiologic Studies for Depression (CES-D), and the Davidson Trauma Scale (DTS) questionnaires were obtained from 48 ICU survivors who were also interviewed and self-reported on several acknowledged risk factors.

Results: A high co-morbidity between depression and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) cases was observed.

Duloxetine versus citalopram and sertraline in the treatment of poststroke depression, anxiety, and fatigue.

The authors sought to determine the relative efficacy and tolerability of duloxetine versus citalopram and sertraline in the treatment of poststroke depression (PSD), anxiety, and fatigue. A group of 60 patients with PSD were assigned to receive duloxetine, citalopram, or sertraline and were assessed over a 3-month period for depression, anxiety, and fatigue. Improvement of depression and anxiety, but not fatigue, was observed in all study groups.

Pregabalin augmentation of antidepressants in older patients with comorbid depression and generalized anxiety disorder-an open-label study.

Objective: The objective of this 12-week open-label study was to evaluate the efficacy, safety, and tolerability of pregabalin as an adjunctive treatment to antidepressants in older patients suffering from depression and comorbid generalized anxiety disorder (GAD).

Methods: The initial sample of this open-label study consisted of 94 older patients fulfilling criteria for depression with comorbid GAD who were treated with antidepressants. Twenty of them who had received antidepressant monotherapy for an adequate time and shown partial response to the antidepressant prescribed, in terms of either anxiety or depressive symptomatology, followed the next phase.