Growing professional exchange between Eastern and Western European countries increases the possibilities for international postgraduate training courses and by that satisfying the need for rapid and facilitation of travel and migration in the enlarged European Union increase achieving high standards. The purpose of this study was to evaluate a summer school program that trained young Eastern European psychiatrists and to assess the impact of the program on their professional development and future activities.

We evaluated the training effect of the first 3 years of the Berlin Summer School with respect to (1) the participants' satisfaction with the topics, quality and originality of the presentations, and (2) long-term effects and implications for their professional career. All participants (N = 43) filled out anonymously the evaluation form at the end of each summer school. An evaluation of long-term effects was carried out 2 years later with a questionnaire that was sent via e-mail to all former participants.

Participants were most satisfied with practical topics such as “how to prepare a paper”, “how to evaluate a paper”, or “how to participate in a congress.” The appreciation of the presented topics and the appreciation of courses increased in each consecutive summer school. All summer school participants reported that the course had some influence on their future career, and one fifth of the participants felt that their professional development was influenced “a lot”.

Although limited to 1 week of intensive training, a summer school program can have a longer lasting positive influence on the professional development of the participants. Participants felt that particularly the training of practical skills improved their research performance. Former participants founded an independent multicentric and multinational research group and supported national courses that were organized similar to the Berlin Summer School.

The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence and factors influencing depression in PD patients in a cross-sectional outpatient clinic - based Polish patients sample.

One hundred consecutive PD patients were included in this study; 35 of them fulfilled DSM-IV criteria for Major Depression and its severity was assessed with Montgomery–Asberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS). A structured interview and a neurological examination, including Hoehn and Yahr scale (H–Y), Schwab–England disability scale, II, III, IV parts of Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS), and Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) were performed. The parameters obtained were analysed between the depressed and non-depressed PD patients.

The prevalence of depression in PD in Polish population was established at the level of 35%. PD patients with depression scored significantly higher in all UPDRS scales (except for the subscale of clinical fluctuation) and in H–Y scale. PD with depression was also associated with longer PD duration, higher doses of L-dopa equivalents, patients' age, general impairment of daily living in Schwab and England disability scale, lower MMSE and higher clinical fluctuations. However, those six differences were insignificant.

Depression prevalence rate among PD patients in Polish population is slightly lower than in most of other published studies. This may result from strict selection criteria, use of specific outcome measures and restricted criteria for depression that were applied.

To compare the efficacy and safety of amisulpride and olanzapine in subjects with schizophrenia and comorbid depression in a randomised double-blind trial.

Eighty-five adult patients fulfilling DSM-IV criteria for schizophrenia and presenting a depressive episode were randomised to amisulpride (200–600 mg/day) or olanzapine (5–15 mg/day) for 8 weeks. Primary efficacy variables were change in Calgary Depression Scale (CDS) score and Clinical Global Impression (CGI) of Change. Safety was monitored by adverse event reporting and determination of extrapyramidal function and metabolic variables.

The mean change from baseline of CDS score was –6.84 in the amisulpride group and –7.36 in the olanzapine group. 65.9% and 61.5% of subjects, respectively, were considered “much” or “very much” improved. No significant inter-group difference in effect size was observed. The frequency of adverse events was low and emergence of extrapyramidal symptoms was not seen. Four patients in the olanzapine group developed abnormal triglyceride levels. Mean weight gain was 1.45 and 0.5 kg, respectively, in the olanzapine and amisulpride groups.

Amisulpride and olanzapine are effective in patients with schizophrenia and comorbid depression. Tolerance of both drugs was acceptable, although use of olanzapine was associated with a trend toward greater metabolic side-effects [19].

To see if patient satisfaction with psychotropics (PSP) could be used as a patient-oriented outcome variable in the evaluation of PSP drugs in clinical epidemiological studies, relationships between PSP, clinical status, QoL, compliance and the type of antipsychotic were analyzed. Elements of validation of PSP were also assessed.

In a 6-month prospective study, 933 schizophrenic outpatients with initiation or change to their antipsychotic treatment were enrolled. Psychiatrists completed five CGI-SCH scales (positive, negative, cognitive, depressive and global), hospitalization, compliance, and prescription variables. Patients completed PSP, EuroQoL scales, sexual function and compliance variables.

A satisfactory structural equation model was obtained showing significant relationships PSP/compliance (coef. = 0.16), QoL/PSP (coef. = 0.37), clinical status/QoL (coef. = 0.61), clinical status/compliance (coef. = 0.09). Patients receiving olanzapine were more satisfied than patients receiving other atypicals (coef. =0 12) and had better clinical status than patients treated with typicals (coef. = 0.08). Evolution of PSP was related to clinical status, QoL, and continuation of treatment (all P < 001). Sensitivity to change of PSP was moderate (effect size = 0.2).

PSP produced consistent results in relation to validated outcome variables. However, a single-item measure was not sufficiently sensitive to change. Multi-item questionnaires evaluating different dimensions are needed.

We conducted a naturalistic, multicenter, 24-hour, nonrandomized, observational study describing for the first time the effectiveness and safety of intramuscular (IM) olanzapine to control agitation and aggression in “real world” patients with psychosis. The data thus obtained was compared with that reported from randomized double-blind clinical trials.

92 patients attending psychiatric emergency settings were enrolled. The study subjects were 44 male and 48 female patients with a mean age of 36.5 ± 12 years and DSM-IV-TR diagnoses of schizophrenia (48.9%), psychotic disorder not specified (23.9%) or bipolar disorder (27.2%). 10 mg IM olanzapine was administered to all patients. An optional second injection was permitted ≥ 2 hours later in line with hospital policy. Evaluations (PANSS-EC and CGI-S) were performed at baseline and 2 and 24 hours following the IM injection.

Two hours after IM olanzapine was administered, a mean decrease of –9.6 in the PANSS-EC from a baseline score of 26.5 was recorded. At the 24-hour endpoint a statistically and clinically significant reduction in the PANSS-EC scores (11.6 ± 5.3) was observed as compared with values at study entry (26.5 ± 5.9) and at 2 hours endpoint (16.9 ± 9.3), which represent a mean decrease of –14.9 and –5.3, respectively.

The present naturalistic study provides naturalistic data on the effectiveness of IM olanzapine in the treatment of acute agitation in patients with schizophrenia or bipolar mania that is in line the data obtained in randomized double-blind clinical trials.

The effect of methylphenidate (MPH) on inhibitory control as assessed by the stop task in children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) could be influenced by task difficulty and may be mediated by attention.

Fifteen children with ADHD performed the stop and the change task after placebo, 0.5 and 1.0 mg/kg MPH in a within-subject design.

Linear-trend analysis showed a similar effect of MPH in both tasks and a stronger effect for inhibitory control than for attention. Furthermore, a correlation was found between blood serum metabolites of norepinephrine and dopamine for attentional measures and inhibitory control measures, respectively.

In children with ADHD MPH could act primarily on inhibitory control, and is not influenced by task difficulty. Also, attention and inhibitory control could have differential pharmacological profiles.

The objective of our study was to evaluate the psychological consequences of real-world AAS use in athletes abusing such agents, in comparison with a placebo and control group of comparable athletes, while correlating the severity of abuse with the side effects observed. The hypothesis tested by the study was that the use of AAS induces a wide range of psychological side effects whose impact and emergence is dependent upon the severity of the abuse.

The study includes a substantial group of AAS abusing athletes and two more groups demographically similar to the first, one composed of athletes not using any substance and a placebo group. All athletes were stratified according to the severity of AAS abuse. Psychometric instruments were applied to all athletes in specific time intervals, dependent to the AAS abusers' regimens, providing us with a final psychological profile that was to be compared to the pre-study profile. All results were comparable (within and between groups) for statistically significant differences and correlated to the severity of the abuse. Homogeneity of all groups was safeguarded by random doping controls, monitoring of drug levels and analysis of all self obtained drugs by method of liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry. All athletes were provided with a common exercise and dietary regime, so common training and nutritional conditions were achieved.

We studied a cohort of 320 body-building, amateur and recreational athletes, of whom 160 were active users of AAS (group C), 80 users administering placebo drugs (group B) and 80 not abusing any substance (Group A). Group C athletes were stratified according to AAS abuse parameters, thus providing us with three subgroups of “light, medium and heavy abuse”. Athletes of groups A and B were included in a “no abuse” subgroup. The psychometric instruments used were the Symptoms Check List-90 (SCL-90) and the Hostility and Direction of Hostility Questionnaire (HDHQ). The psychometric evaluations took place within a time interval of 13 months. Statistical analysis was performed by using the Mann–Whitney/Wilcoxon two-sample non-parametric test (Kruskal–Wallis test for two groups) for data that were not normally distributed and Linear regression analysis was used to ascertain the correlation between severity of use and escalation of side effects.

The study showed a statistically significant increase in all psychometric subscales recorded in group C, and no statistically significant difference in group C and A. There was a significant increase in the scorings of group C for all subscales of SCL-90 and HDHQ. Correlation of abuse severity and side effects showed that there was a statistical significant increase in Δ values of all SCL-90 and HDHQ subscales that escalated from light abuse to medium and heavy abuse/consumption patterns.

The results of the study suggest that the wide range of psychiatric side effects induced by the use of AAS is correlated to the severity of abuse and the force of these side effects intensifies as the abuse escalates.

Anabolic androgenic steroids (AAS) are derived by chemical manipulation of the testosterone molecule. The specified category of drugs produces anabolic, androgenic and psycho-active effects including elevated aggressive, hostile, violent and anti social behavior.

The objective of this case report observational study was to evaluate the possible psychological consequences of AS use in the twin user of each pair, compared with the non-user twin.

We studied two pairs of male monozygotic twins: one pair 24 years old and the other 31 years old, with absolute genome and phenotype similarity. One of the twins of each pair used AAS while the other did not. Both pairs lived in Hellenic provincial towns and followed a common training and nutrition regime. The psychometric instruments used were the Symptoms Check List-90 (SCL-90) and the Hostility and Direction of Hostility Questionnaire (HDHQ). The psychometric evaluations took place within a time interval of 6 months.

The study found high levels of aggressiveness, hostility, anxiety and paranoid ideation in the twins who used AS. The non-user twins showed no deviation from their initial status.

The use of AAS induced several important psychiatric changes in monozygotic twins which were not present in the twin who did not use AAS.

Quetiapine is a novel antipsychotic, which is efficacious in the treatment of positive and negative symptoms in schizophrenia. Research has shown that atypical antipsychotic also reduce the craving and consumption for stimulants and alcohol. Due to Quetiapine's particulars and the promising receptor profile concerning addiction medicine, we set out to examine the tolerability and efficacy concerning relapse prevention of withdrawn alcoholics suffering from craving and affective symptoms.

Our case observations attempted to evaluate nine alcoholics after withdrawal suffering from persisting craving, sleep disorder, excitement, depressive symptoms or anxiety symptoms. The patients were treated with quetiapine as relapse prevention and we followed them up in our outpatient clinic.

Eight out of nine patients were abstinent under quetiapine over a period of 2–7 months. One of these patients relapsed after he stopped taking the preparation at his own initiative after 10 weeks. The ninth patient stopped taking the preparation immediately because of swollen nasal mucosae. All target symptoms disappeared in the patients after an average of (mean ± S.D.) 24.5 ± 18.1 days. The overall tolerability was considered to be very good; however, initial sleepiness appeared in four patients.

Although uncontrolled case observations can only be interpreted with caution quetiapine seems to deserve further investigation and may hold the potential for preventing alcohol relapse in alcoholics suffering from additional above-mentioned symptoms.