The specificity and the affective sign of autobiographical memories in individuals with depressive disorders and alcohol use disorder. / Specyficznosc i znak afektywny wspomnien autobiograficznych u osób z zaburzeniami depresyjnymi oraz zespolem uzaleznienia od alkoholu.

OBJECTIVES: Mental disorders may disrupt autobiographical memory (AM). An example is over general memories - without details, generalized or semantic. This paper assesses the functioning of AM in a depressive episode (DEP) and alcohol use disorder (ALC). METHODS: The study compared two study groups: hospitalized patients with DEPand ALC, and two control groups: people hospitalized for gastroenterological conditions (CON) and healthy individuals (PAN) (N =39 for each group; mean age: 46.0 ± 13.6 years; no differences). The specificity of AM was examined by the Autobiographical Memory Test.Participants rated memories in terms of vividness, affective intensity and sign. RESULTS: DEP and ALC groups recalled fewer specific memories than the control groups (p <0.001 for: all, positive and negative cue words), with the lowest results in DEP. Clinical groups recalled also more negative and less positive memories (p <0.001) than the control groups, with a deficit of positive ones in DEPand an excess of negative memories in ALC. An analysis of non-specific responses revealed that the ALC group recalled more "extended" memories than the CON group (p <0.005) and more "categorical" ones than control groups (p <0.05). The DEP group remembered more "semantic associations" than the PAN group (p <0.001). CONCLUSIONS: The results confirmed the presence of OGM in both clinical groups. ALC disrupts the mechanism of generating specific memories to alesser extent than mood disorders. Moreover, subjects from the clinical groups assess their past more pessimistically than the controls, with a reduced number of positive memories in people with a depressive episode, and probably an increased number of negative ones in people with ALC.

Application of Solution-Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT) in individuals after stroke.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the effects of Solution Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT) in individuals after stroke on self-efficacy, symptoms of depression and anxiety. DESIGN: Randomized controlled trial. SETTING: Clinic of Adult Neurology of Medical University of Gdansk and M. Copernicus Pomeranian Traumatology Centre in Gdansk. SUBJECTS: A total of 62 patients, aged 54.0 ± 9.6 years. INTERVENTIONS: They were randomly assigned to one of the two groups: SFBT participating in 10 therapy sessions and control - not participating in any psychotherapy. MAIN MEASURES: Symptoms of depression and anxiety according to Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, Mini-Mental Adjustment to Cancer (scale originally designed for cancer patients) and Self-efficacy Scale were examined at baseline of the study and later in the same time intervals in both groups. RESULTS: The intensity of depression and anxiety complaints drops in the SFBT group (from 5.0 to 2.0 and 8.0 to 4.0 respectively; both p < .001 Friedman's ANOVA (analysis of variance)) whilst in the control group remains unchanged. In addition to the gradual reduction of destructive attitudes (from 34.5 to 17.0), the increase in the number of constructive attitudes (from 42.0 to 50.5) and increased self-efficacy (from 79.0 to 96.0) was observed after therapy but not in the control group. CONCLUSIONS: The authors suggest SFBT as a simple, beneficial and inexpensive method to manage patients after stroke.

Autobiographical memory and its meaning in selected mental disorders. / Pamiec autobiograficzna i jej znaczenie w wybranych zaburzeniach psychicznych.

This paper presents the general characteristics of the phenomenon of autobiographical memory (AM), the current knowledge of the subject and describes hitherto identified distortions of AM in mental disorders.AM is the part of memory concerning the personal past of an individual. It includes episodic and semantic memories associated with an identity. It affects an activity and structuring of goals, it is set in human experience and emotions and it helps in creating plans. The evolutionary sig-nificance of AM is probably to facilitate short-term goal-oriented behaviors by comparing them with the previous ones. People with AM disorders often have difficulties in social functioning.The disorders of emotional life and affect, which are present in most psychiatric disorders, deform AM. It was confirmed, inter alia, in post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, autism, schizophrenia, and alcohol dependence syndrome. Overgeneral memories (the inability to recall memories that are fully filled with details) being typical of depression, and flashbacks (the involuntary recall of memories which are highly filled with visual-sensory content) being characteristic of PTSD are considered one of the most studied deficiency of AM. The study of AM potentially carries many cognitive and clinical implications. It may facilitate the prediction of the onset of a depressive episode in patients at risk; it can also help to develop psychotherapeutic techniques which are helpful in its treatment, which has in part already taken place. Few studies relate to neurofunctional changes in AM and they need a follow-up.

Hollow mask illusion - is it really a test for schizophrenia? / Czy iluzja wkleslej maski rzeczywiscie jest testem na schizofrenie?

OBJECTIVES: The aim of the study was an assessment of the phenomenon of depth perception in schizophrenic patients compared to healthy subjects. METHODS: We conducted a comparison erroneous assessment of the concave side of the mask as convex, using the popular website presenting rotating Charlie Chaplin's mask. The study was performed in patients hospitalized at the Stanislaw Kryzan Psychiatric Hospital in Starogard Gdanski diagnosed with paranoid and undifferentiated schizophrenia based on ICD-10 criteria and control group matched for age and education; each group included 58 subjects. RESULTS: The correct perception of depth in the hollow mask illusion regards approx. 30% of patients with paranoid and undifferentiated schizophrenia during exacerbation and it is three times higher in this group than in the general population. Except the number of relapses and hospitalization in anamnesis, it shows no correlation with another clinical and demographic data such as: the age of onset, the duration of illness, and results on Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS). CONCLUSIONS: The correct perception of the hollow mask may be potentially one of the subsequent premises for the diagnosis of schizophrenia in doubtful cases. The simplicity and general availability is also an argument for conducting the test.