Factors associated with the revolving door phenomenon in patients with schizophrenia: results from an acute psychiatric hospital in Romania.

Background: The revolving door phenomenon refers to patients with frequent hospital admissions and emerged after deinstitutionalization reforms have been implemented. Schizophrenia is a severe and debilitating mental disorder and has frequently been identified as one of the most prevalent disorders among revolving door patients. Therefore, this research aimed to identify socio-demographic and clinical factors associated with the revolving door phenomenon in patients with schizophrenia.

The Impact of the Ukraine Conflict on the Quality of Life of the Young Population in Romania from a Societal Security Perspective.

Background/objectives: This study examines the perception of young Romanians (aged 18-35) regarding the Ukraine conflict's impact on Romania's national security and quality of life. It focuses on societal security dimensions, analyzing the conflict's regional and international implications, alongside sentiments toward global support for Ukraine.

Methods: Data were collected via structured questionnaires administered to 848 participants in 2024 and 747 in 2022.

Predictive factors and symptom severity spectrum in adult schizophrenia: Potential insights for improved management and adequate care.

Schizophrenia is one of the most disabling psychiatric disorders characterized by positive (hallucinations, delusions, formal thinking disorder) and negative symptoms (anhedonia, lack of speech and motivation). The present study aimed to identify the predictive factors of schizophrenia in adults, and potential differences in the environment of origin, sex, levels of occupational stress, intellectual level, marital status and age of onset of the disease depending on the severity of symptoms using analysis of data collected from 120 patients with a diagnosis of schizophrenia. The study was conducted at the 'Prof.

Psychological Factors Associated with General Quality of Life in the Context of COVID-19 Pandemic: A Cross-Sectional Study on a Multicultural Sample of Romanian Medical Students.

The COVID-19 pandemic had a significant impact on the general quality of life (GQOL) of a large number of individuals, including those in the academic environment. This study investigated GQOL in a sample of 613 Romanian medicine students (81.57% were female; mean age = 21.

Understanding the Patient Landscape: A Ten-Year Retrospective Examination of Electroconvulsive Therapy in Romania's Largest Psychiatric Hospital.

The aim of this analysis was to investigate the socio-demographic and clinical profile, the effectiveness, and the association of pharmacological treatment in patients who underwent electroconvulsive therapy during the last 10 years in the largest psychiatric hospital in Romania. This study includes 249 patients aged between 18 and 73 years old. Recurrent depression was the most frequent diagnosis for which ECT was performed (T = 96, 38.

Clinical and Sociodemographic Correlations with Neurological Soft Signs in Hospitalized Patients with Schizophrenia: A Preliminary Longitudinal Study.

Schizophrenia is a severe, chronic neuropsychiatric disorder characterized by symptoms that profoundly impact behavior, cognition, perception, and emotions, leading to a reduced quality of life and physical impairment. Given the complexity of schizophrenia, there is a pressing need for clinical markers and tools to predict its course, enhance disease staging, facilitate early intervention, improve differential diagnosis, and tailor individualized treatment approaches. Previous studies focused on the relationship between neurological soft signs (NSS) and factors such as age, illness duration, and symptomatology, indicating NSS as state markers improving in parallel with psychotic symptom remission or predicting treatment resistance.

A comprehensive assessment of toxoplasmosis and its dormant impact on psychotic disorders (Review).

Toxoplasmosis is a pathological condition induced by the parasite, (), which has a notable affinity for the cellular components of the central nervous system. Over the decades, the relationship between toxoplasmosis and the development of psychiatric disorders has generated profound interest within the scientific community. Whether considering immunocompetent or immunocompromised patients, epidemiological studies suggest that exposure to may be associated with a higher risk of certain psychiatric disorders.

Alien hand syndrome: Pathophysiology, semiology and differential diagnosis with psychiatric disorders (Review).

Alien hand syndrome (AHS) is an uncommon neurological condition characterized by involuntary, yet seemingly purposeful, movements of a limb, typically an upper extremity, with variable awareness and control by the affected individual. It is associated with a range of peculiar sensations, such as the feeling of limb estrangement, alien control and involuntary mirroring or restraining of movements. AHS indicates a profound disruption in volitional motor control and personal agency.

Depression: A Contributing Factor to the Clinical Course in Myasthenia Gravis Patients.

: The association between myasthenia gravis (MG) and depression is intricate and characterized by bidirectional causality. In this regard, MG can be a contributing factor to depression and, conversely, depression may worsen the symptoms of MG. This study aimed to identify any differences in the progression of the disease among patients with MG who were also diagnosed with depression as compared to those without depression.

Severe Vitamin D Deficiency-A Possible Cause of Resistance to Treatment in Psychiatric Pathology.

In the last few years, vitamin D functions have been studied progressively, and along with their main role in regulating calcium homeostasis, the potential function in the nervous system and the link between different psychiatric disorders and vitamin D deficiency have been revealed. The discovery of vitamin D receptors in multiple brain structures, like the hippocampus, led to the hypothesis that vitamin D deficiency could be responsible for treatment resistance in psychiatric diseases. The aim of this study was to analyze the current knowledge in the literature regarding vitamin D deficiency among individuals afflicted with psychiatric disorders and assess the potential therapeutic benefits of vitamin D supplementation.

Topical Cellular/Tissue and Molecular Aspects Regarding Nonpharmacological Interventions in Alzheimer's Disease-A Systematic Review.

One of the most complex and challenging developments at the beginning of the third millennium is the alarming increase in demographic aging, mainly-but not exclusively-affecting developed countries. This reality results in one of the harsh medical, social, and economic consequences: the continuously increasing number of people with dementia, including Alzheimer's disease (AD), which accounts for up to 80% of all such types of pathology. Its large and progressive disabling potential, which eventually leads to death, therefore represents an important public health matter, especially because there is no known cure for this disease.

Quality of Life Predictors in a Group of Informal Caregivers during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

: The informal caregiver's contribution to the wellbeing of dementia patients is critical since these individuals become dependent on others for all daily activities. Our goal was to investigate the dynamics of anxiety, depression, burnout, sleep, and their influence on quality of life over a 6-month period in the context of pandemic distress in a sample of informal caregivers of Alzheimer's patients. : For this prospective, longitudinal study, we conducted a 6-month telephonic survey between 2021 and 2022, administering a series of questionnaires at three timepoints (baseline, 3 months and 6 months) to a group of informal caregivers of patients suffering from dementia due to Alzheimer's disease.

Predictors of Changes in Quality of Life of Patients with Major Depressive Disorder-A Prospective Naturalistic 3-Month Follow-Up Study.

Major depressive disorder (MDD) is one of the leading causes of disease burden worldwide and affected patients frequently report impairments in quality of life (QoL). Therefore, the present research aimed to identify predictors of domain-specific QoL changes in MDD patients following the acute phase of pharmacological treatment (3-month). This study is a prospective, naturalistic, and observational analysis on 150 patients.

Exome sequencing in a Romanian Bardet-Biedl syndrome cohort revealed an overabundance of causal BBS12 variants.

Bardet-Biedl syndrome (BBS), is an emblematic ciliopathy hallmarked by pleiotropy, phenotype variability, and extensive genetic heterogeneity. BBS is a rare (~1/140,000 to ~1/160,000 in Europe) autosomal recessive pediatric disorder characterized by retinal degeneration, truncal obesity, polydactyly, cognitive impairment, renal dysfunction, and hypogonadism. Twenty-eight genes involved in ciliary structure or function have been implicated in BBS, and explain the molecular basis for ~75%-80% of individuals.

Neurological Soft Signs in Schizophrenia, a Picture of the Knowledge in the Last Decade: A Scoping Review.

(1) Background: Neurological Soft Signs (NSS) are subtle neurological abnormalities that are more common in schizophrenia patients than in healthy individuals and have been regularly observed in neuroleptic-naive first-episode patients, supporting the hypothesis that they are an intrinsic component of schizophrenia. (2) Methods: a review of articles published in the last ten years (from January 2013 to January 2023) was carried out on articles published in ScienceDirect and PubMed, by following the PRISMA Statement extension for scoping reviews (PRISMA-ScR), which evaluated the impact of NSS in correlation with the symptomatology, neuroleptic treatment, and the cerebral structural changes of patients with schizophrenia. (3) Results: thirty articles were included, among them twelve included MRI structural evaluation and four studies with a longitudinal design.

Caregiving for Dementia Patients during the Coronavirus Pandemic.

The coronavirus pandemic has had a global impact on both mental and physical health. Caregiving has become more difficult during this time due to the quick spread of this respiratory disease, dread of the unknown, congested hospitals, and many restrictions, particularly for people with multiple comorbidities. We aimed to assess the impact of this pandemic on a group of caregivers of patients with dementia and their needs during this time.

COVID-19-Associated Acute Psychotic Disorder-Longitudinal Case Report and Brief Review of Literature.

Even though since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, the literature became more and more abundant on data and hypotheses about the various consequences on people's lives, more clarity needs to be added to the existing information. Besides the stressful experiences related to the COVID-19 pandemic, SARS-CoV-2 infection has been proven to impact brain functioning through direct and indirect pathogenic mechanisms. In this context, we report a case of a patient presenting with a first episode of psychosis following COVID-19.

The Impact of Antipsychotic Treatment on Neurological Soft Signs in Patients with Predominantly Negative Symptoms of Schizophrenia.

Schizophrenia is a complex and incompletely elucidated pathology that affects sensorimotor function and also produces numerous therapeutic challenges. The aims of this cross-sectional study were to identify the profile of neurological soft signs (NSS) in patients with predominantly negative symptoms of schizophrenia (PNS) compared with patients with schizophrenia who do not present a predominance of negative symptoms (NPNS) and also to objectify the impact of treatment on the neurological function of these patients. Ninety-nine ( = 99; 56 females and 43 males) patients diagnosed with schizophrenia according to DSM-V were included; these patients were undergoing antipsychotic (4 typical antipsychotics, 86 atypical antipsychotics, and 9 combinations of two atypical antipsychotics) or anticholinergic treatment (24 out of 99) at the time of evaluation, and the PANSS was used to identify the patients with predominantly negative symptoms ( = 39), the Neurological Evaluation Scale (NES) was used for the evaluation of neurological soft signs (NSS), and the SAS was used for the objectification of the extrapyramidal side effects induced by the neuroleptic treatment, which was converted to chlorpromazine equivalents (CPZE).

The Moderating Role of Emotional Regulation on the Relationship between School Results and Personal Characteristics of Pupils with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder.

This study aimed to explore the possible moderating role of emotional regulation in the relationship between problem-solving ability, visuomotor precision and visuospatial integration on the one hand and school results on the other in pupils with ADHD. A total of 241 pupils with ADHD (study group) and 207 children without ADHD (control group) were included in our research. Specific tests for the evaluation of the problem-solving ability, visuomotor precision, visuospatial integration, and emotional regulation were applied.

Recognition of early warning signs and symptoms - the first steps on the road to Autism Spectrum Disorder diagnosis.

Objective: To identify developmental symptoms reported at firsts doctor visits by parents of children later diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).

Design: Cohort study.

Setting: The study was conducted in the Department of Psychiatry Research of "Prof.

Diagnosis stability and outcome of psychotic episodes in a Romanian group of children and adolescents.

Studies on early onset schizophrenia are limited because of their low prevalence but the reported results stated that early onset is associated with a poorer outcome. The present research analyzed the stability rate of the psychotic-related disorders from childhood to adult life. The study was based on an observational, retrospective, descriptive analysis study.

The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Inpatient Admissions for Psychotic and Affective Disorders: The Experience of a Large Psychiatric Teaching Hospital in Romania.

The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in a global sanitary crisis and, in addition, elicited serious mental health consequences. The utilization of psychiatric hospital-based services acts as an indicator of public mental health. Therefore, this research sought to investigate differences in the numbers and characteristics of inpatient admissions for psychotic and affective disorders at the largest Romanian psychiatric hospital between the period of lockdown (16 March−15 May 2020) and another three corresponding periods: the same year in the pre-lockdown period (16 January−15 March 2020), the immediate post-lockdown period (16 May−15 July 2020), and two years later (16 March−15 May 2022).

Computer-Based Assessment and Self-Report Measures of Executive Functions in High-Functioning Adults with Autism.

This study analyzes the profile of executive functions (EF) in high-functioning adults with autism (HFA), both in terms of performance on four computer-based tasks, as well as how these functions are perceived by the individuals through self-reporting measures. The study included 64 participants: 32 individuals with HFA, and 32 typically developing controls. Four CANTAB tasks were used (assessing spatial working memory, planning, visual memory, and inhibition), as well as a self-reported measure of executive functions (BDEFS) and a scale for the severity of autism symptoms (RAADS-R).

Psychosis Associated with Acquired Porencephaly-Cause or Incidental Finding? Case Report and Review of Literature.

Porencephaly, a rare disease affecting the central nervous system, is represented by a cerebrospinal fluid-filled cavity in the brain. There are two types of porencephalic cavities: congenital and acquired. Porencephaly is mainly associated with neurological and developmental consequences.