Effects of different indications on electroconvulsive therapy.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of the study is to evaluate how electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) affects treatment-resistant depression, bipolar and schizophrenic patient groups, and suicide attempt histories and to evaluate the relationship between treatment variables and patient outcomes. METHOD: In a retrospective cohort study at the inpatient psychiatry clinic of Çam and Sakura City Hospital between January, 2021, and February, 2023, 103 patients receiving ECT were analyzed. They were categorized into two groups according to indications that suicide risk (n = 76) and resistance to pharmacotherapy (n = 27). RESULTS: The analysis revealed no significant age (p = 0.374) or gender (p = 0.304) differences between groups. However, significant differences emerged in diagnostic distribution (p = 0.027), with the suicide risk group receiving more ECT sessions (13.6 ± 11.2, p = 0.025) and experiencing longer total seizure times (427 ± 325 s, p = 0.023) compared to the treatment-resistant group (8.5 ± 4.7 sessions and 279 ± 115 s, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: ECT's therapeutic application does not differ from demographic variables but is influenced by clinical diagnosis, with suicide risk patients receiving more intensive treatment. These findings highlight the necessity of individualized ECT protocols and suggest that diagnostic considerations are critical in optimizing ECT treatment strategies. Despite its retrospective design, the study underscores the importance of personalized ECT regimens and calls for further prospective research to validate these findings.

OBJETIVO: Evaluar cómo la terapia electroconvulsiva afecta a grupos de pacientes con depresión resistente al tratamiento, trastorno bipolar, esquizofrenia y antecedentes de intentos suicidio, y evaluar la relación entre variables de tratamiento y resultados. MÉTODO: En una cohorte retrospectiva en la clínica de psiquiatría para pacientes internados del Çam and Sakura City Hospital, entre el 01/2021 y el 03/2023, se analizaron 103 pacientes que recibieron terapia electroconvulsiva. Estos se clasificaron en dos grupos según los indicios de riesgo de suicidio (n = 76) y de resistencia a la farmacoterapia (n = 27). RESULTADOS: El análisis no mostró diferencias significativas en cuanto a edad (p = 0.374) y sexo (p = 0.304) entre los grupos. Sin embargo, hubo diferencias significativas en la distribución diagnóstica (p = 0.027), con el grupo de riesgo de suicidio recibiendo más sesiones de terapia electroconvulsiva (13.6 ± 11.2; p = 0.025) y experimentando tiempos totales de convulsión más largos (427 ± 325 segundos; p = 0.023) en comparación con el grupo resistente al tratamiento (8.5 ± 4.7 sesiones y 279 ± 115 segundos, respectivamente). CONCLUSIONES: La aplicación terapéutica de la terapia electroconvulsiva no difiere según las variables demográficas, pero sí se ve influenciada por el diagnóstico clínico, recibiendo los pacientes de riesgo de suicidio un tratamiento más intensivo.

Evaluation of changes in carbonyl stress markers with treatment in male patients with bipolar disorder manic episode: A controlled study.

BACKGROUND: Carbonyl stress, a metabolic state characterized by elevated production of reactive carbonyl compounds (RCCs), is closely related to oxidative stress and has been implicated in various diseases. This study aims to investigate carbonyl stress parameters in drug-free bipolar disorder (BD) patients compared to healthy controls, explore their relationship with clinical features, and assess the effect of treatment on these parameters. METHODS: Patients with a primary diagnosis of a manic episode of BD and healthy controls were recruited. Exclusion criteria included intellectual disability, presence of neurological diseases, chronic medical conditions such as diabetes mellitus and metabolic syndrome, and clinical signs of inflammation. Levels of serum carbonyl stress parameters were determined using high-performance liquid chromatography. RESULTS: Levels of glyoxal (GO) and methylglyoxal (MGO) did not differ between pre- and post-treatment patients, but malondialdehyde (MDA) levels decreased significantly post-treatment. Pre-treatment MGO and MDA levels were higher in patients compared to controls, and these differences persisted post-treatment. After adjusting for BMI and waist circumference, only MDA levels remained significantly higher in patients compared to controls. LIMITATIONS: The study's limitations include the exclusion of female patients, which precluded any assessment of potential gender differences, and the lack of analysis of the effect of specific mood stabilizers or antipsychotic drugs. CONCLUSIONS: This study is the first to focus on carbonyl stress markers in BD, specifically GO, MGO, and MDA. MDA levels remained significantly higher in patients, suggesting a potential role in BD pathophysiology. MGO levels were influenced by metabolic parameters, indicating a potential link to neurotoxicity in BD. Further research with larger cohorts is needed to better understand the role of RCCs in BD and their potential as therapeutic targets.

Common Biomarkers Associated with Delirium in Hospitalized Patients with COVID-19 at the Epicentre of Turkish Coronavirus Outbreak: A Case-Control Study.

Introduction: To investigate the differences in biochemical characteristics between Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients with and without delirium in non-intensive care (IC) COVID-19 units was aimed. Methods: This study was designed as an observational, single-centered, and case-control study consisting of 43 delirious patients and matched 45 non-delirious patients admitted to non-IC COVID-19 units. Delirium was diagnosed by a consultant psychiatrist according to the DSM-5 delirium diagnostic criteria. Independent variables such as laboratory tests at the time of admission, clinical features, and patient characteristics were obtained from electronic medical records by researchers. In the primary analyses, binomial logistic regression models were used to investigate the factors associated with delirium, which was identified as the outcome variable. Multivariate logistic models were then adjusted for potential confounding factors, including age, gender, history of neurocognitive disorders and Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI). Results: We observed higher levels of urea, d-dimer, troponin-T, proB-type natriuretic peptide, and CCI in patients with delirium compared to patients without delirium. We also observed lower levels of estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), serum albumin, and O2 saturation and a decrease in the length of stay at the hospital. After adjusting for confounding factors such as gender, age, and comorbidity, we found that urea (adjusted estimate=0.015; 95% Confidence Interval [CI]=0.058-0.032, P=0.039), urea/creatinine ratio (adjusted estimate=0.008; 95% CI=0.002-0.013, P=0.011), and troponin-T (adjusted estimate=0.066; 95% CI=0.014-0.118, P=0.014) were independent biomarkers associated with delirium. Conclusion: Delirium is associated with higher urea levels and urea/creatinine ratios in COVID-19 patients. In addition, the relationship between troponin-T and delirium may help understand the potential link between the brain and the heart in COVID-19. Additional multi-centred studies with larger sample sizes are needed to generalise these results.

Post-COVID-19 Suicide Note: A Case Report of Late Onset Catatonia.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) creates acute and long-lasting infection which results in respiratory, cardiovascular, and neuropsychiatric problems. Etiology of neuropsychiatric manifestations can be associated with immune system response, inflammatory cytokines, and also the stressors which are experienced by patients as feeling the risk of being infected by the virus, economic problems, and social distancing. We aimed to present a case of a 53-year-old patient whose suicide note was found and was admitted with depressive and catatonic symptoms 8 weeks after the recovery from COVID-19. Catatonia was suspected, and he was given lorazepam 1 mg. Shortly thereafter, he was entirely alert, cooperative, and oriented. As an advantage of this case, the patient in our report had not used medications for COVID-19 and so we could exclude the effect of medications to the pathophysiology of post- coronavirus disease symptoms. A wide spectrum of neuropsychiatric manifestations was observed in terms of diagnosis after COVID-19. Catatonia can break out in the post-infectious period as well as in the para-infectious period. There are limitations to figure out the direct invasion of coronavirus and the effect of the systemic inflammation to the central nervous system. Nevertheless, it should be considered that catatonia may be one of the clinical results of COVID-19.