Difference of olfactory deficit in patients with acute episode of schizophrenia and major depressive episode.

Unlabelled: Aim Olfactory deficits are potential markers of early diagnosis, monitoring progress and predicting outcome in patients with schizophrenia and depression. We aimed to investigate differences in patterns and influencing factors of olfactory deficits between patients with acute episode of schizophrenia and major depressive episode (MDE).

Methods: Fifty-two patients with acute episode of schizophrenia, 75 patients with unipolar MDE and 199 healthy controls were included in this retrospective study.

[Social phobia - the blind spot: infrequently diagnosed, highly complex, and a predictor for unfavourable therapy outcomes?].

Objectives: The objectives of the study were to examine (1) whether patients with social phobia report higher symptom load at the beginning and at the end of treatment and 1 year after treatment; and (2) whether the presence of social phobia is a factor that influences the course of treatment.

Methods: 613 patients from a university hospital for psychosomatic medicine filled out questionnaires assessing symptom load (SCL 90-R, KOPS), physical symptoms, psychological and social impairment (KOPS), and depression (BDI). Social phobia was diagnosed based on a standardized diagnostic interview.