Social support level in relation to metabolic syndrome--results of the SOPKARD study.

Background: Low level of social support is one of the psychosocial cardiovascular risk factors. Moreover, social support level (SSL) has been reported to be associated with components of metabolic syndrome (MS).

Aim: To evaluate the association of SSL with MS in 50- and 60-year-old citizens of Sopot.

[Psychiatric aspects of the irritable bowel syndrome].

Irritable bowel syndrome is one of the most frequent diseases of the gastrointestinal tract. Doctors working in different fields deal with this problem in their everyday practice. The frequency of this disorder is 10-20% in the adult population and it is a frequent cause of work absence.

[Neurosyphilis with its psychopathological implications. Literature review].

The aim of this paper is to present the up to date literature review on neurosyphilis and its psychopathological implications. The authors briefly describe the history of lues, its aetiology with pathomechanisms, epidemiology, clinical aspects with the emphasis on the CNS, coincidence with HIV infection, groups of risk, diagnostic aspects of lues and the therapy. The authors' intention is to stress the importance of lues in clinical differentiation in today's psychiatric practice since it happens to be omitted in the course of the diagnostic process.

[Obsessive-compulsive disorder in a patient with septum pellucidum cyst. Psychiatric and psychologic case study].

The aim of this paper is to introduce the bases of neurobiology, embryology and pathology of one of the important structures of the limbic system-septum pellucidum. The presented patient was diagnosed with a septum pellucidum cyst, OCD and depression. The following diagnostic methods have been applied: Beck Depression Inventory, Ways of Life, Rorschach test, Subscales: Similarities, Comprehension, Digit Span of the Wechsler Intelligence Scale, Long-term Memory Subscale of the Choynowski's Memory Scale, verbal fluence test, Rey Complex Figure, Diagnosis of Brain Damages (Weidlich, Lamberti).

[Subjective and objective assessment of memory functions in patients with schizophrenia treated with olanzapine].

Schizophrenic patients often complain of intellectual functioning impairment. The aim of this survey was to define the subjective memory loss by means of objective tests. The tests were carried out in three steps: before the admission to the clinic, after 6 weeks of hospitalisation, and after approximately 12 months from the beginning of the olanzapine treatment, 36 patients were examined (9 female, 27 male) aged 20-53 (X = 25.

[Effect of olanzapine treatment on cognitive functions in patients with schizophrenia].

Aim: The aim of this study was to assess whether olanzapine treatment results in an improvement of cognitive functions that became impaired by the schizophrenic process.

Method: The correlation of the intensity of schizophrenic symptoms and duration of the disease with the level of cognitive functions were also examined. The schizophrenic patients were examined in three steps: before beginning of olanzapine treatment, after 6 weeks of treatment, and after approximately 12 months since the beginning of the olanzapine treatment, 36 patients were examined (9 female, 27 male) aged 20-53 (X = 25.

[Follow-up study of quality of life and treatment of eating disorder: dynamics of the depressive and anxiety symptoms].

A group of 56 female patients with eating disorders (36 anorexic and 20 bulimic) aged 16-48 (average 23.9) was studied. According to DSM-IV and ICD-10 among anorectic 8 (14.

[Carbamazepine in the treatment in psychiatric disorders based on retrospective clinical study].

Medical records of patient treated in I Department of Psychiatry Medical University of Gdansk in 1996-2000 were analysed. Carbamazepine was used in 383 patients, 209 male and 174 female. Mean age for the whole group 41.

[The trap of addiction--reflections on the substitute of happiness].

This essay is a set of concepts concerning human nature with its intrinsic move towards happiness and positive balance of feelings. One of the methods of obtaining pleasure is the use of psychoactive substances. This infallible method becomes a trap.