Publications by authors named "V Vasilevska"
Dysfunctional glial cells play a pre-eminent role in schizophrenia pathophysiology. Post-mortem studies have provided evidence for significantly decreased glial cell numbers in different brain regions of individuals with schizophrenia. Reduced glial cell numbers are most pronounced in oligodendroglia, but reduced astrocyte cell densities have also been reported.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe global impact of SARS-CoV-2 infection has raised concerns about secondary diseases beyond acute illness. This review explores the significance and potential underlying mechanisms of how SARS-CoV-2 infection might elicit an immune response targeting N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptors, and its implications for autoimmune-driven neuropsychiatric manifestations. We identified 19 published case reports of NMDA receptor encephalitis associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection or vaccination by a systematic literature search.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFArticle Synopsis
- The COVID-19 pandemic prompted significant changes in how societies, businesses, and healthcare systems operate, particularly in delivering mental health care.
- This review highlights the rise of digital technologies—like chat bots, online questionnaires, and video games—as tools to provide support and treatment for mental health issues such as depression and anxiety.
- The focus is on how these digital solutions have been integrated for diagnostics, patient monitoring, and treatment, benefiting both the general public and frontline medical workers dealing with mental health challenges.
Article Synopsis
- About 30% of COVID-19 survivors may develop long-lasting symptoms, referred to as post-COVID-19 syndrome (PCS), which include fatigue, cognitive issues, and various physical and psychological complaints.
- There is a call for the development of specialized interdisciplinary outpatient clinics featuring experts from multiple medical fields to better diagnose and manage these patients.
- The research suggests a subgroup of PCS may have autoimmune-related health issues leading to various symptoms, which could be identified through targeted antibody tests and comprehensive clinical assessments.
Background: We recently reported increased levels of neutrophils, monocytes and C-reactive protein (CRP) correlated with symptom severity in acute schizophrenia. Here, we investigated if a similar pattern of innate immune system activation occurs in major depression (MD).
Methods: We assessed differential blood counts, CRP, depression symptoms (HAMD-21) and psychosocial functioning (GAF) in controls (n = 129) and patients with first (FEMD: n = 82) or recurrent (RMD: n = 47) disease episodes of MD at baseline (T0; hospital admission) and after 6-weeks treatment (T6).