Tracking down the footprints of bad paternal relationships in dissociative disorders: A diffusion tensor imaging study.

Preclinical studies indicate that stress early in life can cause long-term alterations in brain development. Studies have shown alterations in the brain functions of patients after experiencing trauma. Our aim is to examine whether the integrity of white matter tracts might be affected in dissociative disorder (DD) patients. A total of 15 DD patients and 15 healthy controls were studied, with the groups matched by age and gender. Diffusion-weighted echoplanar brain images were obtained using a 1.5 Tesla magnetic resonance imaging scanner. Regions of interest were manually placed on directional maps based on principal anisotropy. Apparent diffusion coefficient and fractional anisotropy (FA) values of white matter were measured bilaterally in the anterior corona radiata (ACR) and by diffusion tensor imaging in the genu and splenium of the corpus callosum. Significantly lower FA values were observed in the right ACR of DD patients versus healthy individuals. We also found an association between bad paternal relationships and lower FA in the genu of the corpus callosum in female patients. Alterations in the right ACR suggest that diffusion anisotropy measurement can be used as a quantitative biomarker for DD. Paternal relationships may also affect the brain's microstructure in women with DD.

A pica case confused with renal and bladder stones.

Pica is considered as an eating-nutritional disorder in childhood and is generally analysed within obsessive-compulsive disorders. A 15-year-old female patient was admitted to the urology clinic with nausea, vomiting, and stomach-ache. A 23 x 23 mm opacity was identified in left T-11-12 level in direct urinary graph. Full abdomen ultrasonography was reported to be normal. Later, it was learned that the patient had the habit of eating stone. The patient was diagnosed with obsessive-compulsive disorder following psychiatric consultation, and appropriate treatment was given.

Homocysteine Levels and Oxidative Stress Parameters in Patients With Adult ADHD.

OBJECTIVE: In our study, we aimed to evaluate the plasma homocysteine levels and oxidative stress parameters in patients with adult ADHD (A-ADHD). METHOD: Blood samples were taken from 32 A-ADHD patients and 32 controls enrolled in the study and plasma homocysteine, serum folate, vitamin B12, total antioxidant status (TAS), total oxidant status (TOS), and oxidative stress index (OSI) were determined. Results were compared between the groups. RESULTS: Patients' plasma homocysteine level was significantly lower and serum folate level was significantly higher than the controls. The means of plasma homocysteine and folate levels were statistically significantly different between the groups ( p < .05). However, a statistically significant difference was not detected between groups for mean serum vitamin B12, TAS, TOS, and OSI levels ( p > .05). CONCLUSION: Our study suggests that oxidative balance is not impaired in A-ADHD, and contrary to other psychiatric disorders, homocysteine levels were found to be lower.

Evaluation of oxidative and antioxidative parameters in generalized anxiety disorder.

Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) is a prevalent psychiatric disorder. The exact causes of GAD still unknown, in addition to neurochemical and neuroanatomic disorders, genetic and environmental factors are discussed in etiology. In our study we aimed to evaluate the oxidative metabolism's status and investigate the role of oxidative metabolites in GAD. Blood samples were taken from enrolled subjects in appropriate way and total antioxidant status (TAS), total oxidant status (TOS), and oxidative stress index (OSI) were studied in Harran University Biochemistry Labs. Results were compared between groups. The patients' TOS and OSI levels were significantly higher than control group. The patients' TAS levels were significantly lower than controls'. According to our findings, oxidative stress mechanism might have a role in GAD pathophysiology. In the future, total antioxidants may be used as a biologic marker in GAD etiology but more research is needed.

Abnormalities in event-related potential and brainstem auditory evoked response in children with nocturnal enuresis.

UNLABELLED: To evaluate central nervous system functioning involvement in nocturnal enuresis, P300 and N200 event-related brain potentials and brainstem auditory-evoked potentials (BAER) were assessed in a group of 35 enuretic boys aged 7-9 years. The measurements of enuretic group were compared to those of age and sex matched non-enuretics. P300 latency in the enuretic group was significantly longer than in non-enuretic group (420 ms at parietal scalp (Pz), 414 ms at central scalp (Cz) versus 386 ms at Pz, 376 ms at Cz; P < 0.01 and P < 0.01, respectively). Both enuretic and non-enuretic subjects were divided into three subgroups his age. There was no significant difference in terms of both P300 amplitude and N200 latency and N200 amplitude between non-enuretic age subgroups. But, P300 latency over central scalp in 8 years old non-enuretic subgroup was significantly longer than in 9 years old non-enuretic subgroup (P < 0.01). No significant difference was found in latency and amplitude of P300 and N200 latency between enuretic subgroups. However, N200 amplitude at Cz in 8 years old enuretic subgroup was significantly lower than both in 7 years old enuretic subgroup and in 9 years old enuretic subgroup (P < 0.01 and P < 0.01, respectively). There were significant topographical differences in latency and amplitude of P300 and in N200 latency in enuretic age subgroups, only. There was no significant difference in interpeak latencies I-III, I-V and III-V and wave latencies I, III and V of BAERs between enuretic group and non-enuretic subgroup. Longer interpeak and wave latencies of BAERs were found both in 8 years old enuretic subgroup and 8 years old non-enuretic subgroup. CONCLUSION: Longer P300 latency in primer enuretics compare to non-enuretics is an evidence of a maturational delay of central nervous system functioning.

Review of 17 cases of neurobrucellosis: clinical manifestations, diagnosis, and management.

BACKGROUND: Neurobrucellosis (NB) is a rare, but important complication of brucellosis. The clinical features vary greatly and, in general, tend to be chronic. Many laboratory procedures are usually employed in the diagnosis of NB. Even though the culture method is the gold standard, growth rate is low and time consuming. Thus the rate of sequelae and mortality increase in case of a delay in treatment. Therefore it is necessary to perform serological tests in both serum and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) in suspected patients. In this study we aim to evaluate clinical features, diagnosis, and treatment of patients with NB. METHODS: We enrolled 17 patients diagnosed with NB. Clinical features, cultures, serological tests, additional laboratory findings, and CSF analyses were recorded for all patients. RESULTS: There were 14 female and 3 male patients. Ten patients presented with neuropsychiatric symptoms and signs (aphasia, diplopia, hemiparesis, facial paralysis, tremor, ataxia, depression, personality disorder, and hallucinations). Serum standard agglutination test (SAT) was negative in 4 (23.5%) patients and serum Coombs' test was negative in 2 (11.7%). CSF SAT was negative in 4 (23.5%) patients and CSF Coombs was negative in 3 (17.6%) patients. B. melitensis grew in the blood of 6 (35.2%) patients and in the CSF of 3 (17.6%). Treatment protocol for 11 patients consisted of ceftriaxone, rifampicin, and doxycyline for a period of four weeks, followed by rifampicin and doxycyline for an additional four weeks. The remaining patients were given different treatment combinations. One patient died, mild sequelae was present in another patient and the remaining patients recovered without any sequelae. CONCLUSION: NB should be considered in the differential diagnosis of neurological and psychiatric cases that are encountered in endemic areas for brucellosis. In order to prevent overlooking this diagnosis, Coombs' test should be performed in both CSF and serum.

Quality of life instrument for Turkish people with skin diseases.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: To develop a new, short, self-administrated subjective quality of life (QOL) instrument for Turkish people with skin diseases. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The 11-item questionnaire of QOL instrument was developed from 200 consecutive dermatological patients' replies. The reliability and validity of the instrument was tested on data gathered from 278 patients with skin diseases attending a dermatology outpatient department and 49 normal subjects. Construct validity was assessed by an exploratory factor analyses and comparisons between patients rated severe and not severe, as well as between normal and patient groups. Reliability was assessed from the internal consistency of the scales and the correlations were made between scores from a 7-10-day retest by using intraclass correlation coefficient. RESULTS: Factor analyses found six separate dimensions of QOL involving skin disease: social life, emotional life, daily activity, symptoms, cognitive life and sexual life. In addition, 81.3% of common variance was explained by the above factors, all of which correlated with the scale scores of the instrument. The instrument scales were internally consistent (Cronbach's alpha= 0.77-0.84) and scale scores were reproducible after 7-10 days (ICC = 0.63-0.88). Significantly, correlations between scale scores and physician's assessment of the severity of the skin disease were found. Significant differences between diagnostic groups were observed with higher scores for patients with psoriasis, urticaria and acne than those with eczema in the emotional life domain (P < 0.05). In the sexual life domain, however, the eczema group had higher scores than patients with psoriasis, urticaria or acne (P < 0.01). CONCLUSION: The instrument provides valid and reliable assessments of QOL in Turkish patients with skin disease.

The relationship between potency of oxidative stress and severity of depression.

BACKGROUND: Oxidative stress is one of the suggested mechanisms in major depression. OBJECTIVE: To determine the oxidative and antioxidative status of plasma of patients with major depression and to investigate whether there is a relationship between the potency of oxidative stress and the severity of depression. METHODS: To determine the antioxidative status of plasma, total and individual antioxidant levels which are total antioxidant potential (TAOP), total protein, albumin, uric acid, vitamin C and total bilirubin were measured. To determine the oxidative status, total peroxide level of plasma was measured in patients with drug-free depressive patients and compared with those of controls. Per cent ratio of total peroxide to TAOP was evaluated as oxidative stress index (OSI). RESULTS: Plasma TAOP and individual antioxidant levels were found to be lower in patients with depression than those of controls. On the contrary, the patients had high total plasma peroxide levels. OSI values of the patients were significantly higher than those of controls (P = 0.002), and a significant positive correlation between Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS) and OSI values was found (r = 0.54, P = 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: The patients with major depression are exposed to oxidative stress, and OSI may be useful to reflect the severity of the disease.