Although high rates of smoking have been reported among psychiatric patients, only a few studies examined the prevalence of smoking in bipolar disorder, and findings are inconsistent. We investigated smoking among bipolar patients.

We examined the prevalence of smoking in of 102 patients that met Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition criteria for bipolar I disorder in Israel and evaluated the relationship between smoking and demographic and clinical data.

Fifty-five of the bipolar patients (53.9%) smoked, with a rate that is 2.36 times higher than among the general population in Israel (22.8%). Significant relationships were revealed between smoking and lifetime history of alcohol dependence/abuse (P = .02), between smoking and history of drug use (P ≤ .01), and between smoking and age of illness onset (P = .04).

The cross-sectional nature of the study and the relatively small sample size preclude generalization of the findings. Nicotine levels were not measured; thus, the information regarding smoking was subjective.

Bipolar patients smoke more than the general population. Bipolar patients that are moderate or heavy smokers are more likely than nonsmokers to consume alcohol and abuse psychoactive substances. Contrary to findings of previous studies, no association was found between clinical variables of bipolar patients and smoking.

Sleep disturbance is common among patients with Parkinson's disease and occurs in approximately two thirds of patients.

The main objective of this study was to examine the prevalence of sleep disturbances in patients with Parkinson's disease in Romania.

To asses risk factors associated with excessive daytime sleepiness and nocturnal sleep disorders.

44 consecutive inpatients with Parkinson's disease (41% females) were included in a study of non-motor symptoms, including sleep disturbances. All participants responded to the Parkinson's Disease Sleep Scale (PDSS), where an overall score below 82 or a score below 5 on a sub-item indicate sleep disturbances. Factors associated with sleep were also investigated, with special emphasis on severity of Parkinson's disease, fatigue, mental health and restless legs syndrome (RLS).

The mean age was 67.8 years (range 35-74); the mean Hoehn and Yahr stage was 2.4 (SD 0.8), and the mean UPDRS part III was 22.6 (SD 11.5). Sleep disturbances were common among patients with Parkinson's disease. While only 17% of the sample had an overall score below 82 on the PDSS, 70% of the patients had a score below 5 on one item. There was no significant association between Parkinson's disease severity and any of the sleep items in the PDSS.

The current findings call for increased awareness of sleep problems in patients with Parkinson's disease, especially focusing on the association with mental health problems, fatigue and RLS.

Social interactions dysfunctions make up core symptoms of many mental disorders and have been extensively studied through cognitive paradigms gathered under the concept of social cognition. Nevertheless, a growing body of literature have demonstrated that motor coordination is an important feature of these human social interactions but has been little studied in the context of mental diseases.

In this study, we propose to compare the processes of inter-agent coordination in healthy and socially impaired clinical populations (e.g. schizophrenia and social phobia patients).

20 schizophrenia and 20 social phobia patients were compared to 20 healthy subjects using an hand-held pendulum paradigm in intentional and unintentional interpersonal motor coordination, with different leadership conditions. All participants had psychopathological and neuropsychological evaluations.

Our results demonstrated that each group of subject was characterised by specific signature concerning interpersonal motor coordination. More specifically, instability of the coordination and temporal delay between patient and controls revealed that schizophrenia impaired intentional coordination but not spontaneous non-intentional coordination whereas social phobia only affected leader conditions.

Taken altogether, these preliminary results give evidence that motor control through motor coordination behaviours is a fundamental part of social interactions deficits in schizophrenia and social phobia. These results lead us to examine if the evaluation of motor coordination during a social interactions could help to discriminate the deficits in social interactions and to propose specific therapy for their rehabilitation.

This research was supported by an Agence Nationale de la Recherche grant (Project SCAD # ANR-09- BLAN-0405-03).

In this work analgesic activity of more than 80 derivatives of cage-like amines is investigated. Carbox-, sulfon- and phosphonamides, ureas, sulfonylureas and aminoalcohols. They were got on the basis of stereochemically homogeneous amines (exo- and endo-2-aminomethylbicyclo[2.2.1]hept-5-enes and their saturated analogues, exo-5-aminomethyl-exo-2,3- epoxybicyclo[2.2.1]heptanes, and also sulfolan, deitiforin and amines of adamantane family by comparison to base amines are plugged into the investigated group.

[Figure]

Rigid molecules with «fixed» in space substituents used as models for the study of structure-activity relationship of analgesic activity compounds with their chemical structure.

The investigation of compounds has been carried out on white mise. The acute toxicity (LD50) and analgesic activity («hot plate» method, 55°C) were determined. Explored compounds were entered in a dose equal 1/10 LD50 for 30 minutes prior to testing. Activity of preparations was estimated in % in relation to the control group of animals.

Dependence of analgesic activity on the orientation of substituents in norbornene frame is marked: higher activity for endo-stereoisomers than for exo-form. Analgesic action decreases with disappearance of double bond and increase of number of cycles in carbon frame. The deitiforin derivatives are considerably more active than adamantane analogues.

More than 15 patents of Ukraine are got.

The primary objective will focus the first of all on Group Analysis (GA) as the psychotherapy method and theory of group analysis applied particularly in post-war environments. It outlines in particular a Zagreb Institute for GA Training Programme that took place in Tuzla University Clinical Centre, Department of Psychiatry, in Bosnia-Herzegovina (BH) in response to 1992–1995 war, in helping to train mental health workers in GA to enable them to treat psychological trauma symptoms of war survivors.

In the GA education in the period of 16 years mental health professionals employed in mental health services were involved as well as other care employees as General Practitioners, Family physicians, pediatricians, gynecologists and neurosurgeons, psychologists and special educators.

Trainees in education were from greater part of BH, and from several towns from neighborhoods countries. In this way a new room for mutual exchanges of experiences and establishing of cooperation was created. Idea of group analytic treatment of persons with mental health problems spread out on the whole region of BH through this model of education. The future of GA application as a psychotherapy model in BH confirmed through established models of education which are employed inowadays in Tuzla, Sarajevo and Mostar. The future of GA is provided in activities focused on foundations of the Institute for Analysis in Tuzla.

Training of Bosnia-Herzegovina mental health workers to effectively use GA with enthusiastic help of GA trainers from Institute for GA Zagreb will develop dialogue culture in postwar BH.

Medication adherence problems increase hospitalization, morbidity and mortality in the patients with the diagnosis of schizophrenia. Indicators of poor adherence to a medication regimen are a useful resource for physicians to help identify patients who are most in need for interventions to improve adherence.

The objective of this analysis was to find out whether symptoms and insight would predict the therapeutic alliance in the treatment of schizophrenia.

We proceeded to a transverse survey with 95 patients affected by schizophrenia followed in ambulatory in the psychiatric department D of the hospital Razi in Tunisia.

A little more than half of our patients were not observing. The behavior of observance was positively correlated in the sex: the men were more observant that the women. The clinical shape of the disease, the level of insight, the cognitive state as well as the age of the disease are not connected to the degree of compliance. On the other hand, the positive or negative psychotic symptoms are strongly correlated in the therapist alliance.

The results of this study suggest that simple measures as the psychoeducation for schizophrenics, and control of the psychotic symptoms advance us on the way of improvement of the therapist alliance and consequently the social reintegration of the patient and his quality of life.

Lower baseline BMI has been associated with more rapid cognitive decline in MCI [Cronk B et al., 2010] while data considering risk of progression to an overt dementia is lacking.

To examine the potential relationship between baseline BMI and changes in BMI over time and the risk of MCI-todementia progression.

Fifty four subjects with MCI were observed longitudinally over the period of 24 months. BMI was measured at baseline and yearly. Demographic and clinical (including the presence of concomitant somatic diseases and neuropsychiatric symptoms) data was collected at baseline. After conducting univariate comparisons, factors which p was < 0,15 were entered into multivariate models.

Subjects with MCI who progressed to dementia had lower BMI at baseline (mean values 19,6 vs 22,5; p< 0,001) and were losing more weight over time (mean values of BMI change over 2 years -1,3 vs -6,5; p< 0,001). In multivariate analysis higher baseline BMI remained as a protective factor (OR= 0,6; 95% CI 0,4-0,9) while losing weight over time (OR= 1,3; 95% CI 1,1-1,5) and apathy could be considered as risk factors. Interestingly the presence of apathy was correlated to lower BMI values both at baseline and over time.

Both lower baseline BMI and a tendency for continuing weight lost over time may be factors related to risk of MCI-to-dementia progression. Correlation of nutritional status measured by BMI with apathy merits further exploration.

The essence of the burnout syndrome is defined as an simultaneous occurrence all of the following symptoms: emotional use-up, devalued view on own achievements and the depersonalization. It is most commonly observed in professions that require frequent contact to other people. Exhausting work above self-capabilities, the disability to deal with problems concerning the work environment combined with chronic stress they are considered to cause psychical and physical disorders, manifesting variously, e.g.: headaches, gastric upsets or persistent tiredness. Low self-esteem makes the human find himself incompetent and losing the point on the results of the regular tasks daily performed at a workplace.

The objective of the study was to analyze the desribed above problem among medical students.

The group of 509 students during 2nd, 3rd, 5th and 6th year of study inc. 371 women and 138 men was examined. The poll had been compiled within 22 different questions concerning: establishing new relationships difficulties, tiredness persistence, perceiving and dealing with own problems capability, selfestimation strength or the psychosomatic symptoms presence.

The respondents declared as follows - 50%+:persistent exhaustion right after the morning awakening, 29%: worsened relationship to closest group of family and friends, 21%: void of understanding by the nearest neighborhood, 79%: fear about first steps at the first workplace, 49%: inadequate competences to perform standalone profession tasks.

Although rather a small part of the students fit all three BS symptoms defined above, at some people two of them reach.

Although effective treatment for schizophrenia is available, patient's compliance with treatment prescriptions is notoriously poor. Factors influencing compliance were identified: factors linked to patients, factors depending on the therapeutic relation the clinician and factors due to medications.

To study the relationship between treatment techniques and medication compliance in schizophrenia.

A cross-sectional study of patients with schizophrenia and their parents followed as outpatients in the department of psychiatry D in Razi hospital.

95 patients was recruited punctually. 84 patients (88.5%) were receiving long-acting neuroleptic. Just under half patients (48%) were compliant with their treatment. Almost all observing patients (91%) were receiving long-acting neuroleptic. The average dose of NLP prescribed in patients observing is slightly lower than that of not observed. The number of daily doses of treatment also appeared to influence the adherence behavior. The correlation between adverse events and compliance was statistically significant (p = 0.032).

The management of schizophrenia could be greatly improved by considering the medication related factors leading to non compliance. Medication prescription complexity is important to take under consideration. However, strategies for the improvement of compliance must also take into consideration other factors such us patient-related and interactional factors.

Biomarker studies showed that the diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease (AD) can be done already years before any clinical symptoms appear. Considering the lack of effective treatments, this scientific development becomes problematic in clinical practice.

To examine whether the level of knowledge about AD mediates potential wish for diagnosis to be revealed in a pre-clinical phase.

The Alzheimer's Disease Knowledge Scale (ADKS; Carpenter et al., 2009) has been completed by 68 healthy (with no cognitive impairment) elderly (age 62-75), 49 caregivers (close relatives) of AD patients (age 42-74) and 96 medical students sample. After ADKS completion all participants were presented a leaflet showing possible tests they could underwent (PET-based amyloid imaging, CSF-based amyloid and tau measurements and genetic tests) to establish a possible AD diagnosis in its pre-clinical phase. Attitudes about possible AD disclosure were measured using semi-structured questionnaire.

A wish to AD diagnosis disclosure, independently of the clinical scenario presented (presence of symptoms, close family member suffering from AD) and the group investigated, was higher among those who scored low on ADKS scale. AD relatives, although interested in possible prevention strategies, were highly hesitant about revealing they might have AD themselves.

The level of knowledge about AD may be associated with the decision to undergo diagnostic procedures to establish a pre-clinical diagnosis of AD. Lack of effective intervention probably determines potential patients attitudes.

Stressed workers are more likely to be unhealthy. However relation between professional stress and anxiety and/or depressive disorders remains controversial.

The aims of this study are to assess the degree of professional stress among nurses at the general hospital and to determine correlation between stress and anxiety and/or depressive symptoms.

70 nurses through a random draw according to the specialty had participated. Six medical departments and three surgery departments were selected from eighteen departments. We have used two self-administered questionnaires: the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HAD).

The group mean age of was 33.7 ± 9.1 years.

PSS mean score in our group was 43.2 ± 6.9 and HAD mean score was 17.4 ± 4.2.

13% of nurses had pathological stress level (PSS Score > 50). We also noted that 33% of nurses had anxiety symptoms and 44% had depressive symptoms.

No correlation was found between PSS score and HAD score and between PSS score and the two sub-scales of HAD.

Variables such as female gender (p= 0.003), conflicts with colleagues (p= 0.016) were significantly correlated with high anxiety symptoms.

For depressive symptoms, we found that nurses working in surgery department are more depressed than those in medicine department (p= 0.03).

37% of nurses had criteria of major depressive disorder.

13% of nurses had pathological stress level. Third of them had anxiety symptoms and less than half had depressive symptoms.

Social support enhances a person's ability to cope and adapt to his environment, and has been found to bolster emotional and physical well-being. This may be especially true in collectivist cultures like Singapore and China, where Confucian values have strong influence over the peoples' behaviours. These values impact the way the society perceives mental illness and the way sufferers are supported. Despite cultural similarities, there are important differences between China and Singapore. Singapore is a highly developed country with excellent psychiatric facilities, while China is still developing with limited psychological resources.

To understand how social support impacts on the psychosocial functioning of sufferers with schizophrenia. It sought to examine and elucidate differences between both countries so similar in culture but different in developments.

Structured questionnaires were given to two groups of subjects (Patients and caregivers). Participants were recruited from Singapore and China (Shanghai). A total sample size of 200 participants was collected from both sites. This comprised of 50 patients and 50 primary care givers in each location.

Preliminary results indicated similar psychosocial functioning levels in patients with schizophrenia despite differences in means of social support. Chinese patients received more support from their families while Singaporean patients obtained support from the external environment such as mental health professionals.

In spite of cultural similarities, these sufferers obtained and perceived social support from different sources. More research in cultural psychology is recommended to better understand the relationship between social support and schizophrenia in Asian societies.

Psoriasis is a chronic disease with major importance for society. The extent of impaired functioning of patients with psoriasis is comparable with the extent of impairment of patients with cancer or heart disease. Patients with this illness show the highest intensification of various psychiatric disorders among patients suffering from dermatological diseases.

To estimate the prevalence of sexual dysfunction among patients with psoriasis compared with patients with other chronic dermatological diseases. An attempt to link sexual dysfunction with selected factors.

The study included 32 patients diagnosed with psoriasis. A questionnaire, consisting of four parts, has been used: I- used for the assessment of dermatological condition of patient, II - Questionnaire for the valuation of the indicator of the impact of skin conditions on quality of life (DLQI), III - Beck Scale - for the assessment of depression (BDI), IV - Mell-Krat Scale for the assessment of sexual disorders. Part I has been filled by the interviewer, other - by the tested person independently. The results were compared with the control group (people suffering from other chronic dermatological diseases), matched in terms of sex and age.

None of the persons belonging to the control or tested group has declared taking advice from a sexologist, despite the presence of sexual dysfunction in both groups (identified by Mell-Krat scale).

The above findings are results of a pilot study and it is needed to confirm them in a larger group of patients.

Depressive symptoms in schizophrenia are important not only because they contribute significantly to the suffering caused by the illness but also because they exacerbate deficits in psycho social functioning and commonly precede attempted and completed suicide.

It is important to define and clinically assess such symptoms accurately as there is now increasing evidence that they can be treated successfully.

The authors assessed the presence and severity of depressive symptoms, as well as their associations with other clinical and socio-demographic measures, in a group of patients with schizophrenia, who were not in a major depressive episode or diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder. And also possible differences in frequency of depressive symptoms in inpatient and outpatient group.

Thirty adult inpatients with schizophrenia and 30 comparison subject with schizophrenia in outpatient treatment were studied. Depressive symptoms were rated primarily with the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale. M.I.N.I. Screen and M.I.N.I were used to screen out other disorders and confirm the diagnosis of schizophrenia. Socio-demographic questionnaire that was used was designed specifically for this study.

Our results indicate significant presence of depressive symptoms in all study subjects. Mean value of total HAM-D score for the whole sample was 15,63±7,724, corresponding to mild depression. Average total score was significantly higher in the subgroup of inpatients (18.97±6,636) compared with (12,3±7,373) in outpatients.

The results indicate significant presence of depressive symptoms in patients diagnosed with schizophrenia. This should probably be reflected in guidelines for evaluation and treatment of these patients.

The growing concern about cannabis use, the most used illicit drug worldwide, has led to an increase in the number of cannabis studies using neuroimaging techniques to determine its effect on brain structure and function.

We conducted a systematic review to assess the evidence of the impact of chronic cannabis use on brain structure and function in adults and adolescents.

Papers published until August 2012 were included from EMBASE, Medline, PubMed and LILACS databases following a comprehensive search strategy and pre-determined set of criteria for article selection. Only neuroimaging studies involving chronic cannabis users with a matched control group were considered.

One hundred and forty-two studies were identified, of which 43 met the established criteria. Eight studies were in adolescent population. Neuroimaging studies provide evidence of morphological brain alterations in both population groups, particularly in the medial temporal and frontal cortices, as well as the cerebellum. These effects may be related to the amount of cannabis exposure. Functional neuroimaging studies suggest different patterns of resting global and brain activity during the performance of several cognitive tasks also in both groups, which may indicate compensatory effects in response to chronic cannabis exposure. The results pointed out methodological limitations among studies and high heterogeneity in the findings.

Chronic cannabis use may alter brain structure and function in adult and adolescent population. Further studies should consider the use of convergent and multimodal methodology, prospective large samples involving adolescent to adulthood subjects, and data-sharing initiatives. Grants: PNSD/2011/050, PNSD2006/101, SGR2009/1435.

Suicidal behaviour represents a main cause of morbidity in patients with bipolar disorder. Researchers estimate that between 25% and 60% of individuals with bipolar disorder will attempt suicide at least once in their lives. Although it remains a controversial issue, several studies have found that patients with bipolar-II disorder have a higher risk of suicide attempt than those with bipolar-I.

To investigate whether bipolar II disorder has different characteristics from bipolar I disorder among suicide attempters.

311 patients suffering from bipolar disorder, hospitalized after a suicide attempt, were interviewed by semi-structured interview, suicide attempt characteristics and a wide range of personality traits relevant to suicidal vulnerability.

There was no significant difference between BP-I and BP-II suicide attempters according to sociodemographic variables. BP-I and BP-II patients did not differ for intent and lethality of suicide attempt for both BP subtypes. There was no significant difference for other characteristics of suicide behavior such as number of previous attempts, age at first suicide attempt, use of violent mean. Personality traits such as impulsivity, aggression, emotional lability, and hopelessness were similar between BP-I and BP-II patients. There was no significant difference between the groups in rates of comorbid substance abuse, anxious disorder or eating disorder.

Retrospective study, lack of information about number of previous episodes and severity of acute episode of the bipolar disorder.

BP-I and BP-II subtypes have similar features of suicide attempt and personality traits relevant to suicidal risk.

Our batch was composed of 98 patients diagnosed with different forms of multiple sclerosis. The patients with relapsing remitting MS were free of acute neurological deficits during the examination. For every patient we performed neurological examination (EDSS) and the assessment of depression, of anxiety, of daily activities (activities of daily living-ADL and instrumental activities of daily living-IADL) and of the quality of life-score and grade (QOL score and QOL grade).

First we found strong correlations between neurological deficit (measured by EDSS) and HAM-A, HAM-D, ADL, IADL,QOL score and QOL grade (using Pearson method: p= 0.0001 for each. For different levels of EDSS score we tried to correlate HAM-A and HAm-D with ADL, IADL, QOL (score and grade). The correlations were all valid with a stronger connection in the groups with a higher EDSS score.

Anxiety and depression levels grow together with the EDSS score. Anxiety and depression spectrums are interrelated by increasing each other;s level regardless of MS severity.

Cholecystocinine is a neuropeptide which function in cortex has not yet clarified, although its relation with some psychic disorders has been noticed.

The aim of this study was a precise examination of morphology and typography of neurons which contain cholecytocinine in human cortex of inferior parietal lobule.

There were six human brains on which we did the immunocystochemical research of shape and laminar distribution of cholecystocinine immunoreactive neurons on serial sections of supramarginal gyrus and angular gyrus. Morphological analysis of neurons whicha are immunoreactive to cholecystocinine is done on frozen sections using avidin- biotin technique, by antibody to cholecystocinine diluted in proportion 1:6000 using diamine-benzedine.

Neurons that are immunorective to cholecystocinine were found in the first three layers of cortex inferior parietal lobule, and their densest concentration was in the 2nd and 3rd layer. The following types of neurons were found: bipolar neurons, then its fusiform subtype, Cajal-Retzius neurons (in the 1st layer), reverse pyramidal (triangular) and unipolar neurons. The diameters of some types of neurons were from 10 to 28 μm, and the diameters of dendritic arborization were from 80-201 μm.

Regarding the numerous clinical researches, in which it has clearly been evinced about the role of cholecystokinine in pathogenesis of schizophrenia, and according to the findings of the great number of neurons, which are immunoreactive to cholecystokinine in cortex of inferior parietal lobule, it is suggested that cholecystokinine has a significant role in pathogenesis of schizophrenia.

People with mental health conditions are at a high risk to experience occupational restrictions. Involvement in meaningful occupations contributes to health and well-being and appears to be an important component of recovery from mental illness. Today, various services are offered in hospitals; however, there is little evidence for occupation-oriented interventions for in-patient settings.

Development and initial establishment of a short-term intervention program for in-patient setting, targeting to promote everyday functions and participation in daily life of people who experience restrictions in occupational patterns due to mental health conditions.

Investigate initial intervention effectiveness for currently admitted people with psychosis.

The intervention protocol was developed based on theoretical and practical background, participants’ feedback and fidelity registration. Initial intervention effectiveness was evaluated using a small subject design (N= 10). The participants were approached during hospitalization period. They completed the evaluation battery at a base-line, participated in the intervention program as long as they were hospitalized and were re-evaluated at the end of the program.

After development of the intervention protocol with adequate documentation, the program was found to be contributing to the following parameters: number of participated occupations, enjoyment in occupation participation, functional capacity, functioning and schizophrenia symptoms (0.11< ES< 0.36).

The pilot study showed that the occupational issues may be approached with favourable results already during hospitalization. The future research should be directed toward further establishment of the occupation-oriented interventions in order to promote recovery and well-being of people with schizophrenia.