Death Anxiety in the Context of Religion, Personality and Life Meanings.

Previous studies on the context between death anxiety and religion do not provide any clear evidence regarding "anxiety buffer" function. In this explorative study, death anxiety and attitude to death were determined in the context of mood, personality and meaning of life among groups of Muslims (n = 60) and Christian Protestants (n = 60). Death anxiety and attitude to death were assessed using the Bochum questionnaire for recording death anxiety and attitudes to death. Death anxiety was mild to moderate in our healthy Participants of Muslim and Christian faith. Attitude towards death was therefore much more pronounced among Muslim members than Christians. The influence of religious beliefs on the fear of death does not appear to be direct and linear. Sources that provide meaning in life and emotional stability can contribute to a reduction in death anxiety and a less problematic attitude towards death.

Impairments of Social Interaction in Depressive Disorder.

OBJECTIVE: Despite the numerous findings on the altered emotion recognition and dysfunctional social interaction behavior of depressive patients, a lot of the relationships are not clearly clarified. METHODS: In this pilot study, 20 depressive patients (mean±SD, 38.4±14.2) and 20 healthy subjects (mean±SD, 38.9±15.3) (each in dyads) were videographed. We then analyzed their social interaction behavior and emotion processing in terms of emotion recognition, their own emotional experience, and the expression of emotions under the conditions of a semi-structured experimental paradigm. RESULTS: Patients showed more significant impairment regarding the dimensions of social interaction behavior (i.e., attention, interest, and activity) and their interaction behavior was characterized by neutral affectivity, silence, and avoidance of direct eye contact. This interactive behavioral style was statistically related to depressive psychopathology. There were no differences concerning emotion recognition. CONCLUSION: Impairments of non-verbal and verbal social interaction behavior of depressive patients seem to be less associated with disturbances of basic skills of emotion recognition.

Screening autonomic functions in patients with restless legs syndrome: A case-control study in a tertiary care hospital.

PURPOSE: The clinical importance of autonomic involvement in patients with restless legs syndrome (RLS) remains unclear. To our knowledge, no study has explored the relationship between autonomic dysfunction and disease-related variables in patients with RLS. Therefore, this study aimed 1) to determine the presence of autonomic symptoms in drug-naïve patients with RLS in comparison with healthy controls using Scales for Outcomes in Parkinson's disease-Autonomic (SCOPA-AUT) questionnaire and 2) to evaluate the possible associations of autonomic dysfunction with clinical factors in RLS. METHODS: A total of 70 drug-naïve patients with RLS and 85 healthy volunteers were enrolled. The SCOPA-AUT questionnaire and Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS) scores were used to determine autonomic functions and sleep propensity, respectively. Moreover, the International Restless Legs Syndrome Study Group rating scale was used to evaluate disease severity in the patient group. RESULTS: Compared with the control group, the RLS group had significantly higher subscale scores (gastrointestinal, urinary, cardiovascular, thermoregulatory, pupillomotor, and sexual [women]) and total scores of the SCOPA-AUT questionnaire (p < 0.05). In the patient group, there was a significant correlation between the total scores and subscale scores (gastrointestinal, cardiovascular, and thermoregulatory subscales) of the SCOPA-AUT questionnaire and disease severity. Moreover, ESS was positively correlated with the total scores and subscale scores (urinary, cardiovascular, and pupillomotor) of the SCOPA-AUT questionnaire. CONCLUSION: Disease severity and daytime sleepiness may be related to autonomic dysfunction in RLS. Further studies focusing on autonomic functions in RLS are required to improve management strategies and clinical outcomes. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov. NCT04906486; May 28, 2021.

Evaluation of the Process of Acute Treatment for Depression in Terms of Monitoring Activity and Sleep Efficiency with Actigraphy.

Background: This study aimed to evaluate and follow-up the process of acute treatment for depression in terms of activity and sleep efficiency using actigraphy, and thus increase the opportunities for objective measurement in the monitoring of treatment. Methods: A total of 20 patients with depression, and 22 and age- and gender-matched healthy volunteers were included in the study. All subjects were evaluated using a sociodemographic data form, the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS), and actigraphy for measurement of motor activity and sleep efficiency. Results: The activity levels and sleep efficiency of the controls were significantly higher than the pre-and post-treatment activity levels and sleep efficiency of the patients. After the treatment process, both motor activity and sleep efficiency were found to be significantly increased in the patients. A highly significant negative correlation was found between the HDRS scores and average activity counts for active intervals (r = -0.779, P < .001), and between the HDRS scores and sleep efficiency (r = -0.616, P < .001). On the other hand, a significant negative effect was found between depression and average activity counts for active intervals (RR:0.880; 95% CI:0.782-0.991). Conclusions: Actigraphy is a useful technique for quantifying physical activities and sleep efficiency in depressed patients. Furthermore, it may provide objective follow-up data in assessing the effects of treatment for depression.

[Clinical and Sociodemographic Characteristics That Affect the Recommendation for Assignment of A Legal Representative in Patients With Bipolar Disorder]. / Bipolar Bozuklugu Olan Hastalara Yasal Temsilci Atanma Önerisini Etkileyen Sosyodemografik ve Klinik Özellikler.

OBJECTIVE: In this study, we aimed to evaluate the clinical and sociodemographic characteristics of patients with bipolar disorder who had been sent to the Forensic Psychiatry Unit by the court in order to determine factors that affected the decision to appoint a legal representative. METHODS: The reports of health council, follow-up outpatient, and hospitalization files of a total of 78 patients with bipolar disorder who had been sent to the Department of Forensic Psychiatry Outpatient Clinic of Bakirköy Mental Health and Neurological Diseases Education and Research Hospital between 1st June 2009-31st December 2011 were examined. Patients had been sent by the court in order to determine whether a legal representative was required. Seventy patients meeting enough to sociodemographic and clinical form were separated as appointment group of legal representative or not and decision variables were compared statistically. RESULTS: Forty-six patients (66%) were recommended assignment of a legal representative. In the patients with bipolar disorder for whom a legal representative was recommended, the presence of other first axis comorbidity, the presence of psychotic episodes, delusions of persecution and reference, hallucinations, the total number of manic and mixed episodes, incidence of alcohol and substance abuse, lifetime total number of attacks, and the total number and duration of hospitalizations were found to be significantly higher. The probability of assignment of a legal representative was increased 11-fold by the presence of first axis comorbidity, 1.3-fold by the number of manic episodes, and 2.2-fold by the number of mixed episodes were specified. CONCLUSION: In the practice of forensic psychiatry, clinicians should focus on the course of the disease, especially the number and frequency of manic or mixed episodes, total number of episodes and hospitalizations, duration of hospitalizations, alcohol and substance use, the presence of episodes accompanied by psychosis with paranoid delusions and hallucinations, and the presence of the other first axis comorbidity in the patient with bipolar disorder for assessment of the decision to appoint a legal representative.

[Neurosyphilis in Psychiatric Settings: Three Case Reports]. / Psikiyatri Kliniginde Nörosifiliz: Üç Olgu Bildirimi.

Syphilis is a generally sexually transmitted and multisystem disease caused by the spirochete Treponema pallidum. All of the organs of the body may be involved during the course of the disease. Neurosyphilis is a clinical form of syphilis with the central nervous system (CNS) involvement. While primarily meningeal and vascular structures are involved in early neurosyphilis, a parenchymal affection of the brain and spinal cord emerges at later stages of neurosyphilis. It presents with symptoms of meningitis, meningovasculitis and parenchymal neurosyphilis (presenting as tabes dorsalis and general paresis). Clinically, it can mimic a variety of psychiatric disorders such as depression, psychosis, mania, delirium, personality changes and dementia. During its progression making presentations similar to many systemic or neuropsychiatric diseases, syphilis is defined as "great imitator". Nowadays, neurosyphilis is a rare disease as a result of the widespread use of antibiotics that must be kept in mind in the differential diagnosis of neurological and psychiatric disorders. In this article, three neurosyphilis cases with different psychiatric presentations are reported and literature relevant to syphilis are reviewed.

Actigraphic Analysis of Patients with Cervical Disc Herniation.

AIM: To analyze the relationship between the severity of pain and sleep disorder using wrist actigraphy in patients with cervical disc herniation (CDH). MATERIAL AND METHODS: Fifty patients with the diagnosis of CDH underwent subjective tests and actigraphic analysis in preoperative period, and at the end of postoperative first week and postoperative first month. The data of the subjective tests and actigraphic analysis were compared. RESULTS: There was a strong and statistically significant negative correlation between the subjective tests of Visual Analog Scale (VAS) for Pain 0-1-2 and the objective parameters of Sleep Onset Latency (SOL) 0-1-2 (rs= -0.798, p=0.009 - rs= - 0.832, p=0.006 - rs=- 0.710, p=0.004). There was a positive correlation between the subjective tests of VAS for Pain 0-1-2 and the objective parameters of Sleep Efficiency (SEF) 0-1-2 (rs=0.721, p=0.006 - rs= 0.768, p=0.001 - rs= 0.748, p=0.001). CONCLUSION: Actigraphy may be used for the evaluation of cervical disc surgery, as an alternative and objective test for sleep disorders.