Pentoxifylline as adjunctive therapy in cognitive deficits and symptoms of schizophrenia: A randomized double-blind placebo-controlled clinical trial.

BACKGROUND: Due to the inflammatory factors in the pathophysiology of schizophrenia, Pentoxifylline, as anti-inflammatory medication, seems to improve the symptoms of schizophrenia. This study aims to evaluate the efficacy of Pentoxifylline as an adjunctive therapy on cognitive deficits and symptoms of schizophrenia. METHODS: This randomized double-blind placebo-controlled clinical trial was conducted on 52 patients diagnosed with chronic schizophrenia. All patients were divided into two, treatment and control groups. They received a 400 mg dose of Pentoxifylline and the placebo in the treatment and control groups, respectively, twice a day for 8 weeks. Then, they were tested with the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS), Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST), digit span, Stroop test, and Rey Auditory and Verbal Learning Test at baseline and the end of the weeks 4 and 8. Data analysis was done by Kolmogorov-Smirnov test, t-test, Mann-Whitney test, chi-square test, and generalized estimating equation model. RESULTS: After analyzing the data, it was revealed that the positive symptoms of PANSS, the number of errors in the incongruent Stroop test, and reaction time in the congruent Stroop test were significantly lower in the treatment group (p < 0.05). Moreover, the number of categories of WCST was significantly higher in the treatment group (p < 0.05). There was no statistically significant difference in other parameters between the control and treatment groups (p > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: As evidenced by the results of this study, Pentoxifylline can help alleviate schizophrenia cognitive deficits and can reduce psychotic symptoms. Therefore, it can potentially be useful for schizophrenia treatment.

Experiencing Pain or Orgasm with Color Synesthesia: A Rare Case in a Young Previously Healthy Male.

Objective: Synesthesia is a unique experience with an unclear mechanism. The clinical condition usually presents when a sensation stimulates other senses. While more than 150 types of synesthesia have been reported; however, some types are considered uncommon, and co-occurrence of these rare types of synesthesia are rare. In the present report, we described a case of synesthesia with experience of pain and orgasm in color. Method : A 31-year old healthy male presented with visual equity changes during orgasm. In addition, he described a color-pain sensation every time he experienced severe chest pain during his childhood. None of these sensations negatively affected his daily or sexual life. Based on the patient's history, a possible diagnosis of synesthesia was made and further clinical evaluations were performed. Results: The patient did not have any color vision abnormalities or problems in solving Hooper visual organization test, bells test, Rey complex figure test, card sorting test, and Trail making tests. The Brief Male Sexual Inventory did not reveal any sexual dysfunction. Therefore, regarding the patient's experiences without any visual disturbance and absence of any underlying diseases, the diagnosis of synesthesia was made. Conclusion: The present report demonstrates coexistence of a rare form of synesthesia as orgasm to color with specific pain to color synesthesia. In contrast to previous reports, our case demonstrated color orgasm as a type of synesthesia that might not negatively affect sex life in men.

Effects of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors on DNA damage in patients with depression.

BACKGROUND: The relationship between depression and increased oxidative stress is well known. DNA damage by oxidation factors is an important cause of the aging process in psychiatric disorders. AIMS: Owing to the scarcity of human studies and high inconsistencies in studies of the effects of antidepressants on DNA damage, the current study was undertaken to investigate the effects of depression and its treatment on DNA damage. METHODS: In a 15-week open-label study of citalopram (n = 25) and sertraline (n = 20), levels of DNA damage were measured by comet assay, proinflammatory (Interlukin-6 (IL-6)) and oxidative DNA damage (8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG)) markers by ELISA, and gene expression of base excision repair enzymes (8-oxoguanine glycosylase (OGG1) and poly (ADP)-ribose polymerase-1 (PARP1)) by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction in healthy control patients (n = 14), with depression at the baseline and the same patients after week 15. RESULTS: DNA damage, 8-OHdG, IL-6 and expression of PARP1 were elevated in patients with depression compared with the healthy controls (p < 0.001). Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) therapy could significantly reduce the depression score (p < 0.01), DNA damage (p < 0.001), as well as 8-OHdG and IL-6 (p < 0.0001). Nevertheless, the expression of PARP1 and OGG1 showed no significant changes after treatment. CONCLUSIONS: This is the first study on the effect of SSRIs on the DNA damage and some of the repair enzymes in depression. Based on the results, depression can cause increased DNA damage. This damage is followed by activation of compensatory mechanisms whereby the expression of DNA damage repair enzymes is elevated. Finally, the treatment of psychiatric disorder by antidepressants can lower the level of oxidative DNA damage.

Temperament and character personality profile and affective temperaments in self-poisoning nonlethal suicide attempters.

Involvement of personality traits in susceptibility to suicidal behaviour has attracted considerable research interest over the past decades. This study was motivated by reports that emotionality may play a potentially confounding role in the association between the personality profile and suicidal behaviour. We assessed the association between personality traits, as measured using the Temperament and Character Inventory (TCI), and suicidal behaviour, while controlling for the effects of Affective Temperaments, measured using the Temperament Evaluation of the Memphis, Pisa, Paris and San Diego auto-questionnaire (TEMPS-A) in a sample of 140 consecutive self-poisoning nonlethal suicide (SNS) attempters admitted to the Emergency Toxicology Clinic, comparing them with a sample of 140 age and sex matched healthy controls. After controlling for Affective Temperaments, the temperament dimension of Novelty Seeking (NS) and the character dimensions of Self-directedness and Self-transcendence remained significantly associated with SNS attempts. NS, in particular, was most consistently and uniquely associated with suicidal behaviour. The present study conveys the difficulty in disentangling the personality profile of SNS attempters from their emotionality. We conclude that the risk associated with certain personality traits is often entirely mediated by Affective Temperaments and few dimensions independently contribute to the risk of self-poisoning nonlethal suicidal behaviour.

Assessment of the immune system activity in Iranian patients with Major Depression Disorder (MDD).

BACKGROUND: Major Depression Disorder (MDD) is a common disorder with prevalence of 15% among men and up to 25% among women. In recent years the association of immune system alterations and MDD has been investigated. Assessments of immunologic and inflammatory responses in these patients enhance our knowledge of the etiology and pathogenesis of this disease. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the changes in immunoglobulin and cytokine serum levels and lymphocyte subsets in patients with MDD. METHODS: We studied 37 adult patients with MDD, diagnosed based on DSM-IV diagnostic criteria, and 15 healthy controls matched with the patients. Plasma concentration of interleukin-4 (IL-4), IL-10, TNF alpha, and IFN gamma were measured by ELISA and serum immunoglobulins by SRID. Total number of NK cells (CD16 and CD56), B cells (CD19), and T cells (CD8, CD4, and CD3) were determined by flow cytometry. RESULTS: We found no significant differences in plasma concentration of IL-4, IL-10, TNF-alpha, IFN-gamma, and immunoglobulins as well as total number of NK cells, B cells, and T cells between major depressed patients and healthy control subjects. CONCLUSION: We conclude that in our patients, there were no significant differences in immune system activity between MDD patients and controls.