[Depressive disorders associated with neurocysticercosis: prevalence and clinical correlations]. / Transtornos depressivos associados à neurocisticercose. Prevalência e correlações clínicas.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the frequency and features of psychiatric morbidity in a cross-section of 38 outpatients with neurocysticercosis. METHODS: Diagnosis of neurocysticercosis was established by CT scan, MRI and CSF analysis. Psychiatric diagnoses were made by using the Present State Examination and the Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia. Lifetime version; cognitive state was assessed by Mini-Mental State Examination and Strub & Black's Mental Status Examination. RESULTS: Depression was the most frequent psychiatric diagnosis (52.6%) as shown by PSE. Active disease and intracranial hypertension were associated with higher psychiatric morbidity, and previous history of mood disorders was strongly related to current depression. CONCLUSIONS: Depression syndromes are frequent in patients with neurocysticercosis. The extent to which organic mechanisms related to brain lesions may underlie the observed mental changes is yet unclear, though the similar sex distribution of patients with and without depression, as well as the above mentioned correlations, provide further evidence of the role played by organic factors in the cause of these syndromes. The results of this study are discussed in the light of the data available for other organic psychiatric disorders.

Psychiatric manifestations of neurocysticercosis: a study of 38 patients from a neurology clinic in Brazil.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the frequency and features of psychiatric morbidity in a cross section of 38 outpatients with neurocysticercosis. METHODS: Diagnosis of neurocysticercosis was established by CT, MRI, and CSF analysis. Psychiatric diagnoses were made by using the present state examination and the schedule for affective disorders and schizophrenia-lifetime version; cognitive state was assessed by mini mental state examination and Strub and Black's mental status examination. RESULTS: Signs of psychiatric disease and cognitive decline were found in 65.8 and 87.5% of the cases respectively. Depression was the most frequent psychiatric diagnosis (52.6%) and 14.2% of the patients were psychotic. Active disease and intracranial hypertension were associated with higher psychiatric morbidity, and previous history of mood disorders was strongly related to current depression. Other variables, such as number and type of brain lesions, severity of neuropsychological deficits, epilepsy, and use of steroids did not correlate with mental disturbances in this sample. CONCLUSIONS: Psychiatric abnormalities, particularly depression syndromes, are frequent in patients with neurocysticercosis. Although regarded as a rare cause of dementia, mild cognitive impairment may be a much more prevalent neuropsychological feature of patients with neurocysticercosis. The extent to which organic mechanisms related to brain lesions may underlie the mental changes is yet unclear, although the similar sex distribution of patients with and without depression, as well as the above mentioned correlations, provide further evidence of the part played by organic factors in the cause of these syndromes.

CT scans of cranial tuberculosis.

Tuberculosis of the central nervous system is still an important cause of death or significant neurologic disability. Prompt diagnosis and early treatment are extremely important to reduce its morbidity and mortality. The main forms of intracranial tuberculosis are represented by tuberculous meningitis, meningeal or parenchymal tuberculomas, and tuberculous abscess formation. Sequelae consist of hydrocephalus, calcifications, and areas of encephalomalacia. Less frequent manifestations include tuberculous osteitis of the skull and tuberculous otomastoiditis. Although MR imaging is in general somewhat more sensitive to the detection of cranial tuberculosis, CT is the diagnostic imaging mainstay in many clinical settings to demonstrate the various aspects of cranial tuberculosis on initial presentation and to monitor the evolution of the disease and response to therapy.

Evaluation of 100 patients with dementia in São Paulo, Brazil: correlation with socioeconomic status and education.

One hundred consecutive outpatients with dementia were prospectively studied to investigate the diagnoses of dementing diseases and to correlate these diagnoses with socioeconomic status and with education. Alzheimer disease was the most common cause of dementia (54%), followed by vascular dementia (20%). Eight patients presented with potentially reversible causes of dementia. These frequencies are similar to those reported by case register studies from Western Europe and the United States. We did not find differences in the frequencies of the dementing diseases according to socioeconomic status or education. Alzheimer disease was the most common cause of dementia in all socioeconomic classes. Potentially reversible dementias, vascular dementias, and other secondary dementias were not more frequent in the lower socioeconomic strata. There was a trend to a higher frequency of vascular dementia among patients with less education, but this was not statistically significant.

Psychiatric manifestations of systemic lupus erythematosus: clinical features, symptoms, and signs of central nervous system activity in 43 patients.

Forty-three female inpatients with active systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) were studied by a multidisciplinary team to answer the following research questions: 1) What are the features of the psychopathology in patients with active SLE? and 2) In these patients, what is the relationship between psychiatric disorders and symptoms and signs suggesting activity of SLE in the CNS? Our a priori hypothesis was that, in patients with active SLE, those with psychiatric manifestations would have more symptoms and signs of CNS activity than those without psychiatric manifestations. Psychiatric evaluation consisted of standardized psychiatric instruments and diagnostic criteria. The assessment of SLE systemic and central nervous system (CNS) activity consisted of rheumatologic, neurologic, and ophthalmologic evaluations; serum and cerebral spinal fluid (CSF) analysis; brain computerized tomography (CT); and electroencephalogram (EEG). Twenty-seven patients (63%) presented psychiatric symptoms (Psychiatric Group), and 16 (37%) patients presented no current psychiatric diagnosis (Nonpsychiatric Group). These groups were compared in terms of the above variables. Depressive syndrome was the most frequent diagnosis (44%) followed by delirium (7%) and dementia (5%). Psychiatric symptoms were associated with subjective cognitive impairment (85%) and neurologic abnormality (85%). Widened cortical sulci was the most frequent CT alteration and was equally common in both groups. No statistical difference was found between the 2 groups regarding their general clinical evaluation, serum and CSF exams, or EEG alterations. To determine whether the severity of psychiatric symptoms was related to CNS activity, we divided the 27 patients with psychiatric manifestations into 2 groups: the Major Group--18 patients with major psychopathology, and the Minor Group--9 patients with mild depressive syndromes.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)