Comorbidity of Adult Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder in Bipolar and Unipolar Patients.

INTRODUCTION: The co-occurrence of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in affective disorder patients is considerably high. The aims of the present study were to search for the frequency and impact of ADHD co-occurrence on the clinical features of affective disorders and to examine the relationship between the dominant affective temperaments and ADHD. METHODS: In total, 100 patients with bipolar disorder (BD), 100 patients with major depressive disorder (MDD), and 100 healthy controls (HC) were included. All diagnoses were assigned according to DSM-IV-TR criteria. The Adult Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Self-Report Scale (ASRS); Wender Utah Rating Scale (WURS); and Temperament Evaluation of Memphis, Pisa, Paris, and San Diego Autoquestionnaire (TEMPS-A) were applied to all participants. RESULTS: The percentage of BD patients meeting the criteria for a diagnosis of current ADHD was 48% compared with the percentage of MDD patients and HCC subjects, i.e., 25% and 12%, respectively. ADHD was significantly more frequent in bipolar adults than in not only HC but also depressive patients. In the BD group, patients with a comorbid ADHD diagnosis had significantly more suicidal history than those without ADHD. The scores of the temperament traits, namely depressive, cyclothymic, irritable, and anxious, were significantly higher in subjects with ADHD in all groups, including in HC. CONCLUSION: The most important findings of the present study were the observations that (1) the frequency of ADHD is considerably high among bipolar patients; (2) the frequency of suicide attempts is high in the bipolar patient group with comorbid ADHD; and (3) depressive, cyclothymic, irritable, and anxious temperaments are significantly associated with ADHD comorbidity in bipolar and depressive patients as well as in HC. The high comorbidity and chronic course of ADHD and its possible negative influence on the course of both disorders increase the importance of screening for adult ADHD.

Alexithymia and anxiety sensitivity in Turkish depressive, anxiety and somatoform disorder outpatients *.

Objective. To assess the relations between anxiety sensitivity, and dimensions of alexithymia in somatoform, anxiety and depressive disorder patients. Methods. The sample consisted of 124 patients with the diagnosis of depressive, anxiety, or somatoform spectrum disorders (DSM-IV). Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20), 16-item Anxiety Sensitivity Index (ASI), Hamilton Depression (HDRS), and Anxiety (HAS) scales were used. Results. The total sample (n=124) was divided into three diagnostic categories. There was one Depression Group (n=69). Due to small sample sizes, diagnoses in anxiety and somatoform spectrum disorders were combined in two relatively larger Anxiety (n=42) and Somatoform Groups (n=13) for statistical purposes. No statistically significant difference was found in the TAS-20 total or subscale scores between the three diagnostic groups. In all three diagnostic groups, there was a strong and significant positive correlation between ASI and TAS-20 total scores. In all three groups, there was a significant positive correlation between TAS-20 Factor 1 and ASI. In the Depression and Somatoform Groups, ASI scores were found to be significantly positively correlated with scores on TAS-20 Factor 2. Conclusion. This study reveals that alexithymia does not differentiate depressive, anxiety, or somatoform disorders, yet suggests a functional relation with anxiety sensitivity on a subscale basis.

[Charles Bonnet syndrome: a case presentation]. / Charles Bonnet Sendromu: Bir Olgu Sunumu.

Charles Bonnet syndrome comprises the triad of visual hallucinations, visual sensory deprivation, and preserved cognitive status. This paper discusses a case diagnosed as Charles Bonnet syndrome, involving visual hallucinations secondary to bilateral primary optic atrophy. An 80-year-old female with normal cognitive functions in the presence of primary optic atrophy and visual hallucinations was diagnosed with Charles Bonnet syndrome. The patient, having had poor vision since childhood, had lost it totally in the last year. Her vision had not improved following cataract operations in both eyes 6 months previously. Her vision was at the level of hand movements. In biomicroscopic examination, bilateral pseudoaphakia was found. Since fundus examination showed bilateral primary optic atrophy in the presence of visual hallucinations, a psychiatric consultation was requested. In her psychiatric examination, she had had hallucinations for the last two years, first elementary and then complex in character. Her cognitive functions were normal with no pathology in her neurologic examination. Routine investigations and neuroradiologic examinations were normal. She had no past history of any personal or familial psychiatric or systemic physical disorder. She was given olanzapine 5 mg daily and was followed up. This syndrome, defined as visual hallucinations in the presence of preserved cognitive functions and deprived vision, requires further research.