Limbic encephalitis is an inflammatory process of the limbic structures, with polymorphic clinical features, caused by paraneoplastic and nonparaneoplastic conditions and infections. We describe a case of neurosyphilis limbic encephalitis, presenting with reversible Geschwind syndrome (hyperreligiosity and hypergraphia) and mood disorder due to the predominant involvement of left mesial temporal structures in a previously healthy 34-year-old, left-handed woman. Because neurosyphilis can mimic common neuropsychiatric syndromes, it should be included in the differential diagnosis of psychiatric disorders with suspected general medical causes.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMajor depressive disorder is a highly prevalent, chronic and recurring disorder, associated with substantial impairment in cognitive and interpersonal functions. Accumulating evidence suggests that inflammatory processes play an important role in the etio-pathogenesis, phenomenology, comorbidity and treatment of MDD. Suboptimal remission rates and the persistence of cognitive deficits contribute to functional impairment in MDD inviting the need for the development of mechanistically novel and domain specific treatment approaches.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe present study aims at investigating the association between common and rare variants of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA), and increased risk of schizophrenia (SZ) and bipolar disorder (BPD) in a cohort of patients originating from the same Italian population. The distribution of the major European mtDNA haplogroups was determined in 89 patients and their frequencies did not significantly differ from those observed in the Italian population. Moreover, 27 patients with high probability of having inherited the disease from the maternal side were selected for whole mitochondrial genome sequencing to investigate the possible presence of causative point mutations.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBipolar disorder (BD) is a chronic illness that is characterized by recurrent episodes of mania, depression or mixed symptoms. BD has a prevalence of approximately 2-4% in the general population and is associated with a substantial burden in terms of morbidity and mortality. Mania is one of the most difficult to treat manifestations of BD and antipsychotic drugs play a major therapeutic role in this respect.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFVolumetric changes in mood-relevant distributed limbic/paralimbic structures have been reported in the recent literature on the course of mood disorders. Patients with unipolar and bipolar disorders have been found to have smaller hippocampal and anterior cingulate volumes. We examined hippocampal, amygdalar and anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) volumes in female patients with recurrent familial pure depressive disorder (rFPDD).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFUnlabelled: AIMS. To compare, in a "real world" setting, the efficacy and tolerability of two initial duloxetine starting doses: 30 mg once daily (q.d.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFProg Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry
February 2009
The present study is aimed at characterizing the carbon dioxide (CO2) procedure in healthy subjects to achieve reliable provocation of anxiety symptoms. Thirty healthy subjects inhaled in single-blind both compressed air and 7% CO2 mixture. Panic Symptom List (PSLIII-R), Visual Analogue Scale-Anxiety (VAS-A), State Anxiety Inventory (STAI-Y/1), respiratory parameters and skin conductance were measured.
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