[The relationship between immunological and psychopathological characteristics in patients with focal epilepsy depending on the profile of interhemispheric asymmetry]. / Vzaimosvyaz' immunologicheskikh i psikhopatologicheskikh kharakteristik u bol'nykh fokal'noi epilepsiei v zavisimosti ot profilya mezhpolusharnoi asimmetrii.

OBJECTIVE: To identify the possible influence of cellular immunity parameters and neurobiological variables (frequency of seizures of various semiotics and their severity) on comorbid psychopathological symptoms depending on the profile of interhemispheric asymmetry in patients with focal forms of epilepsy. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The study included 92 patients with epilepsy (38 men, 54 women, mean age 38.7+8.45 years). Focal temporal lobe epilepsy was diagnosed in 36 patients, focal frontal lobe epilepsy in 16 patients, and temporal-frontal lobe epilepsy in 40 patients. For each type of seizure, severity was assessed according to the National Seizure Severity Scale (NHS3). The mental status of patients was assessed using the SCL-90 self-report questionnaire. The Annette scale was used to assess the profile of interhemispheric asymmetry. The number of different clusters of lymphocytes was studied, including the number of T-lymphocytes (CD3+), T-helpers (CD3+CD4+), T-cytotoxic (CD3+CD8+), T-NK (natural killers CD3+CD16+CD56+), B-lymphocytes (CD3-CD19+), as well as immunoregulatory index (CD4/CD8 ratio). In order to identify any possible relationships between neurobiological and immune variables, on the one hand, and the SCL-90 constructs, on the other hand, a separate correlation analysis of Spearman ranks within the left-handed group and the right-handed group was carried out. RESULTS: We revealed the differences between groups of patients with epilepsy with right and left profiles of hemispheric asymmetry regarding the relationship between the frequency of seizures, their severity and accompanying psychopathological variables, on the one hand, and between immunity indices and psychopathological constructs, on the other hand. It has been established that neurobiological and immune variables in left-handers can determine the psychopathological structure of the comorbid mental disorder. CONCLUSION: Prediction of concomitant psychopathological syndromes in patients with epilepsy on the basis of clinical data and data on immunity is quite possible, but only in left-handed patients.

[Personality traits as risk factors for the development of cognitive impairment and affective symptoms in patients with COVID-19]. / Osobennosti lichnosti kak faktory riska razvitiya kognitivnykh narushenii i affektivnoi simptomatiki u perenesshikh COVID-19.

OBJECTIVE: To identify possible associations between premorbid personality traits and cognitive impairment and affective symptoms in patients who have recovered from COVID-19. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The study included 30 people with the so-called post-COVID syndrome. The diagnosis of COVID-19 was previously confirmed by laboratory tests in each patient. The control group included 15 healthy individuals. The Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale was used to assess depression and anxiety. Cognitive function was assessed using the Verbal Fluency Test (VF), the Montreal Cognitive Scale (MOCA), and the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST). The Munich Personality Test (MRT) and the Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-26) were used to assess premorbid personality characteristics. Multiple stepwise regression analysis was used as the main statistical method to identify the relationship between premorbid personality constructs and cognitive test results and affective and anxiety symptoms. RESULTS: The presence of frustration tolerance in the personality structure reduced the number of incorrect answers (beta coefficient -0.811) in WCST and decreased the delay in responses with positive reinforcement (-0.630), and also reduced the level of depression (-0.465). Extraversion decreased the MOCA test score (-0.675) and increased the percentage of perseverative incorrect answers on the WCST test (0.573). The constructs of adherence to social norms and propensity to isolate lowered the final MOCA score (beta coefficients are -0.725 and -0.527, respectively). The esoteric tendencies construct decreased the latency of positive and negative reinforcement responses in WCST (-0.441 and -0.528, respectively). The severity of alexithymia was positively correlated with depression (beta 0.577), while neuroticism was positively correlated with anxiety (0.737). CONCLUSION: Low levels of frustration tolerance and esoteric tendencies have negative effects on cognition in COVID-19 survivors, while high levels of these constructs are protective against cognitive decline and depression.

[The role of premorbid personality in the genesis of psychopathological symptomatology in patients with organic anxiety-depressive disorder, schizophrenia and endogenous depression]. / Rol' lichnosti premorbidnogo perioda v geneze psikhopatologicheskoi simptomatiki u bol'nykh organicheskim trevozhno-depressivnym rasstroistvom, shizofreniei i endogennoi depressiei.

OBJECTIVE: The current study has been performed in order to find the influence of premorbid personality traits on psychopathological symptomatology in patients with endogenous depression (ED), schizophrenia and organic anxiety-depressive disorder (OADD). MATERIAL AND METHODS: 191 patients (57 with OADD,93 with schizophrenia and 41 with ED) were included into study. The Munich personality test (MPT) and Toronto alexithymia scale (TAS) were used for the evaluation of premorbid personality; the SCL-90 - for the assessment of psychopathological structure. The multiple regression analysis has been used for the assessment of relationships between premorbid personality constructs and psychopathological status separately in each diagnostic group. RESULTS: The SCL-90 scores were maximal in ED and schizophrenia patients and minimal in OADD patients (p<0.047). Comparison of premorbid personality constructs revealed the maximal values of neuroticism and motivation in ED (p=0.005), rigidity, extraversion and esoteric tendencies in schizophrenia (p<0.007) and frustration tolerance, tendency to isolation and alexithymia in OADD (p<0.02). Regression analysis revealed the positive dependence of anxiety and depression on alexithymia score (TAS-26) (p<0.002) and negative dependence on frustration tolerance in ED and schizophrenia patients (p<0.016). The negative dependence of anxiety Zung scale score on frustration tolerance in OADD patients also has been observed (p=0.003). The rigidity construct has not stochastically significant relationships neither with anxiety, nor with depression in none diagnostic group. CONCLUSION: The analysis revealed the predominance of certain personality constructs in each of the diseases, with a universal negative effect of alexithymia and a positive effect of frustration tolerance in anxiety-depressive disorders of any etiology.

[Comparison of premorbid personality and psychopathological structure of some anxiety-affective disorders]. / Sravnenie lichnosti premorbidnogo perioda i psikhopatologicheskoi struktury nekotorykh trevozhno-depressivnykh sostoyanii.

OBJECTIVE: To compare premorbid personality and structure of psychopathological status of organic anxiety-depressive disorder in comparison with endogenous depression and anxiety neurotic disorders. MATERIAL AND METHODS: One hundred and twelve patients, including 57 with organic anxiety-depressive disorder (OADD), 41 with endogenous depression (ED) and 14 with anxiety neurotic disorder (AND) were studied. have been included into the study. The Munich personality test (MPT) and Toronto alexithymia scale (TAS) were used for the evaluation of premorbid personality. Psychopathological structure was assessed with SCL-90. The correlation between premorbid personality and current structure of psychopathological states was studied. RESULTS: OADD patients were characterized by higher scores of frustration tolerance, rigidity and isolation tendency and less expression of neuroticism, esoteric tendencies and motivation compared with ED. In the AND patients, the values of neuroticism and motivation predominated compared with OADD, while the value of frustration tolerance was higher in OADD. A correlation analysis revealed the strong positive relationships of alexithymia, neuroticism and isolation tendency with depression, anxiety, somatization, obsessions and sensitivity in AND group. CONCLUSION: The comparison of correlations between OADD and ED revealed no significant differences. It implies the similarity in the pathogenesis of OADD and ED.

[Music therapy procedures controlled by the brain potentials in treatment of functional disorders]. / Upravliaemye biopotentsialami mozga patsienta muzykal'no-terapevticheskie vozdeistviia v korrektsii funktsional'nykh rasstroistv.

Twenty years ago, the Korsakov's Journal of Neurology and Psychiatry has published the article of Ya.I. Levin 'Brain music in the treatment of patients with insomnia'. This publication was the starting point for an innovative approach to preventing and correcting functional disorders of a person via musical or music-like stimuli that are controlled by the brain potentials of patient's. This approach called 'Music of the brain' is fully consistent with modern ideas about preventive neuroscience as a new field of scientific research at the intersection of neuroscience and preventive medicine. In this review, the authors analyze initial studies on the effects of music on the brain and discuss their limitations. To increase the effectiveness of the approach, a unique combination of musical therapy with the neurofeedback method, the technology of musical neurofeedback, has been developed. Results of the application of developed technology for treatment of human functional disorders are presented, and promising directions for further research are outlined.

[The changes in cognitive impairment in patients with epilepsy during the disease course (on example of executive functions)]. / Dinamika kognitivnogo snizheniya u bol'nykh epilepsiei na protyazhenii bolezni (na primere ispolnitel'skikh funktsii).

AIM: To identify the relationship between executive functions (EF), personality traits and clinical characteristics of disease course. MATERIAL AND METHODS: One hundred and five patients with partial epilepsy, including temporal lobe epilepsy (61%), lobe epilepsy (33%) and other forms (6%), were examined. Mean age of the patients was 30.24±8,67 years. EF were studied using the the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST) in 25 out of 105 patients of the main group. The patients were followed-up after 5.5 years. RESULTS: Correlations between the EF decline and the age, illness duration and disability was found. Seizure remission and its duration have a positive effect on EF indices. There were no correlations with the age at seizure onset, severity of seizures, amount of medications used, psychopathological symptoms and left-handedness. The WCST scores were worse in patients with temporal lobe epilepsy and patients with alexithymia. A follow-up examination showed the relationship between the further EF decline and the left-sided localization of the epileptic focus as well as the absence of seizure remission. No relationship between the EF deficit and antiepileptic treatment was found. CONCLUSION: The EF deficit was observed in all forms of epilepsy, it was correlated with disability of patients, may be aggravated by personality and neurobiological characteristics and increased with the persistence of seizures. Based on the results of the study, the achievement of remission is needed in treatment tactics for epilepsy to preserve cognitive functioning and social well-being of patients.

[Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and current possibilities of its treatment by the method of neurofeedback training].

The article provides an overview of the literature data for the past 10 years on the prevalence, specificity of manifestations and approaches to the treatment of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). The current data on the nature and mechanisms of the method of neurofeedback training (NFBT), as well as the available data on the use of the method for treatment of ADHD are presented. The evaluation of the effectiveness of existing variants of the method in the treatment of ADHD is given, and promising areas for further research are identified.

Monotherapy of epilepsy in women: psychiatric and neuroendocrine aspects.

The aim of the present work was to perform a comparative assessment of the efficacy and safety of traditional and contemporary antiepileptic agents in women of reproductive age. The experimental group consisted of 65 patients, of whom 48 had partial epilepsy and 17 had idiopathic generalized epilepsy. A number of issues were addressed in studies of a larger group of patients (110), including both women (65) and men (45). The following agents were studied: Topamax, valproates, carbamazepine, and barbiturates, all used as monotherapy. Patients' status was evaluated using clinical (neurological, psychiatric), psychometric, neuropsychological, and hormonal parameters. The data led to the general conclusion that Topamax had advantages over the other study agents in the treatment of women with epilepsy.