Foreign Accent Syndrome After COVID 19 Infection: A Case Report.

ABSTRACT: Foreign accent syndrome (FAS) is an extremely rare disorder characterized by the appearance of speech changes that are perceived by the speaker and listeners as an acquired foreign accent. It still remains a poorly understood condition. Three main types of FAS have been reported in the medical literature as neurogenic, psychogenic, and mixed type. Psychogenic FAS includes all cases of FAS in which an organic cause has not been identified and a clear psychological factor has been identified after careful clinical, neurological, and neuroradiological examination. Although the COVID-19 epidemic, which has been ongoing since February 2020, primarily manifests itself with upper respiratory tract infection findings, it is seen that it also causes a wide range of neurological and psychiatric signs and symptoms. In this study, a 42-year-old female patient who started to have speech disorder after COVID-19 infection is presented in the light of clinical history, diagnosis, and differential diagnosis literature findings.

Metabolic Effects of Antidepressant Treatment.

INTRODUCTION: This study aimed to investigate body measurements, glucose-insulin metabolism, and lipid profile in patients with anxiety and depressive symptoms and also the effects of antidepressant drugs on these metabolic parameters. METHODS: The study included 40 outpatients and 32 healthy controls. The patients received antidepressant treatment (sertraline, escitalopram, fluoxetine, and venlafaxine) for 8 weeks. Body measurements were performed, and lipid, fasting blood glucose, and insulin levels were measured before and after treatment in patients and once in healthy controls. Insulin resistance was evaluated using the homeostasis model assessment (HOMA) index. RESULTS: Body mass index was higher in patients than in healthy controls, and there was no change in patients after treatment. In patients, high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol levels increased owing to the antidepressant treatment. Insulin level and HOMA index had a tendency to decrease with the treatment in patients and were similar to those of healthy controls before the treatment; however, they became lower than those of healthy controls after the treatment. There was an increase in waist circumference and total and HDL cholesterol levels, whereas there was a decrease in fasting blood glucose levels with treatment in patients using escitalopram. There was no change in body measurements and biochemical and hormone values in patients using fluoxetine, sertraline, and venlafaxine. There was an increase in weight, body mass index, and waist circumference after treatment in patients with depression; however, there was no change in patients with anxiety. CONCLUSION: In patients with psychiatric disorders having anxiety and depressive symptoms, metabolic changes independent of drugs and the metabolic effects of drugs are present.

Relationship between orexin A and childhood maltreatment in female patients with depression and anxiety.

OBJECTIVE: Childhood maltreatment leads to neuroendocrine changes, which may be associated with an increased vulnerability for psychopathology, such as depression and anxiety in later life. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between childhood maltreatment and orexin A levels in patients with depression and anxiety. The study consisted of 27 female outpatients who presented with depressive and/or anxiety symptoms, and 27 healthy female controls. Childhood trauma history was assessed using the childhood trauma questionnaire (CTQ-28) in patients and controls. Serum levels of orexin and cortisol were measured in all subjects. There were positive correlations between serum orexin levels and CTQ total score and between orexin levels and some CTQ subscale scores, such as physical and emotional neglect, in patients. Orexin levels in patients with a positive history of physical and emotional neglect were higher than those in patients with a negative history of them. In the controls, there was a positive correlation between emotional neglect score and serum orexin level. There were no differences in serum levels of orexin and cortisol between patients and controls. Orexin levels may be associated with childhood maltreatment per se, rather than psychopathology, such as depression or anxiety.