Significant association of close homologue of L1 gene polymorphism rs2272522 with schizophrenia in Qatar.

Introduction: Previous reports have found that polymorphisms in the close homologue of L1 (CHL1) gene located on chromosome 3p26 are associated with schizophrenia among different ethnic populations. The aim of this study was to examine the associations of single nucleotides polymorphisms (SNPs) of the CHL1 gene locus, including rs2055314 (C/T), rs2272522 (C/T) and rs331894 (A/G), with schizophrenia in the Qatari population.

Methods: An association case control study was carried out on 86 Qatari schizophrenic patients from the Psychiatry Hospital, Hammed Medical Corporation, Qatar and 88 Qatari unrelated, healthy, control subjects.

Acute and transient psychotic disorders in a rapidly developing country, State of Qatar.

Background: Little is known about acute and transient psychotic disorders, which is a diagnostic group, introduced with International Classification of Disease, 10th revision. It is an interesting area of research receiving a lot of attention.

Objective: The aim of the study was to find the incidence of acute and transient psychotic disorders in the population and determine its sociodemographic features in the State of Qatar.

Socio-demographic study of obsessive compulsive disorder in Qatar.

Objective: We dedicated our work to study the socio-demographic aspect of obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) patients seeking psychiatric treatment in the outpatient clinic of Hamad General Hospital for a duration of approximately 5 years of continuous follow-up.

Methods: Out of 8878 individual patients who attended the psychiatric outpatient clinic of Hamad General Hospital in Qatar, during the period from August 1996 to December 2001, we reviewed a total number of 348 patients with the diagnosis of OCD (according to International Classification of Diseases-10 diagnostic criteria). We divided them according to their age, sex, nationality, duration of illness, occupation and marital status.

Socio-demographic study of major depression in Qatar.

Objective: To evaluate the socio-demographic characteristics of major depressive disorders in the State of Qatar, which has a high percentage of expatriates.

Methods: Out of 7460 outpatient psychiatric clinic attendees at Hamad Medical Corporation, Doha, Qatar, between November 1993 through December 1998, 2483 patients met the diagnosis of depressive disorder. Prospectively, we interviewed 1114 patients who met the diagnosis of Depressive Episode and Recurrent Depressive Disorder according to International Classification of Disease-10 (major depressive disorder according to Diagnostic and Statistical Manual-IV).

Monitoring Seizure Duration During Electroconvulsive Therapy.

Three alternative monitoring methods for assessing the duration of seizures during electroconvulsive therapy were studied. The mean integrated amplitude of the electroencephalogram, facial muscle electromyogram, and "cuff method" were compared with the reference single-channel unprocessed electroencephalogram in 78 sessions with 17 patients. The measures of seizure duration differed significantly (p < 0.