It is my great pleasure to welcome you to the second issue of 2019.
In our first article, Benlidayi and colleagues examine the patient’s mood- and disease activity-related psychological burden of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) on caregivers. Caregiver’s depression score was weakly correlated with disease activity variables and moderately correlated with patient’s depression score and caregivers’ comorbidity. Authors conclude that the psychological impact of RA on caregivers appears to be associated with patients’ mood, diseases activity and upper extremity functionality.
Fountoulakis et al. assessed paternal and maternal age as risk factors in mood disorders. The results indicate that advanced paternal age constitutes a risk factor for the development of bipolar disorder in a non-dose-dependent and gender-independent way with index episode of mania. Furthermore, it constitutes a risk factor for the development of unipolar disorder and bipolar disorder with index episode of depression. The study suggests differential effect of advanced parental age depending on the predominant polarity of bipolar disorder.
Huang and colleagues investigated the high rates of depression among inpatients in a Chinese general hospital. It emerged that depression, anxiety and suicidal ideation was observed to be relatively high in inpatients and requires more attention from Chinese clinicians.
Al-Seddik and associates explored cardiovascular events in hospitalised patients with schizophrenia. Patients classified as high cardiovascular risk according to Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease (ASCVD) presented a reduced cardiovascular survival. The authors highlight the importance that ASCVD items should be included in the medical assessment of any patient with severe mental illness.
Cengiz et al. assessed the Orx1 gene variants and its association with major depressive disorder (MDD). The study highlights that certain variants of Orx1 can be associated with MDD development and may affect depressive symptom severity.
Griffiths and co-workers explored the outcomes of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) for depression in a United Kingdom (UK) clinical practice. Their results revealed that UK-based clinical service achieves similar results to those published internationally and that rTMS can have a significant impact on depressive symptoms in patients with treatment-resistant depression.
Yilmaz and colleagues examined the evaluation of plasma agmatine level and its metabolic pathway in patients with bipolar disorder during manic episode and remission period. It emerged that all parameters were increased during manic episode compared to remission period. The results indicate that there may be a relationship between bipolar disorder and agmatine and its metabolic pathway.
Kasper reviewed the choosing among second-generation antidepressant treatments (SGAs) for depression patients with cardiac diseases. It emerges that the major cardiac side effects of SGAs include heart rate increase, postural hypotension and slight prolongation of the intraventricular conduction time and QT interval. On normal dosage of antidepressants, both advanced heart block and ventricular arrhythmias could occur in patients with severe heart disease, together with clinically important loss of myocardial contractile force. The author also reports a cardiovascular safety profile for each class of SGAs and side effects by patients with CVD.
Cipriani and associates aimed to investigate Cotard syndrome and dementia. The authors emphasise that cases of Cotard syndrome involving patients with dementia are reported quite infrequently.
Conzelmann et al. examined the long-term cardiovascular safety of psychostimulants in children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. It can be concluded that in general psychostimulants were safe and no change in blood pressure or heart rate was found.
Finally, Costa and colleagues assessed problematic Internet use and feelings of loneliness. Perceived loneliness was associated with problematic Internet use independent of age and social support. The study underlines the theory that online communication likely engenders feelings of loneliness as it lacks sensory cues and bodily feedback.
Yours sincerely,