Poor Agreement Between Two Commonly Used Measures of Shame- and Guilt-Proneness.

This study sought to assess the agreement between commonly used measures of shame- and guilt-proneness, the Test of Self-Conscious Affect-3 (TOSCA-3), representing scenario measures, and the Personal Feelings Questionnaire-2 (PFQ-2), representing checklist measures. To overcome the limitations of the widely used correlation analysis, the 2 measures were compared by the Bland-Altman method. We administered both measures at once to the same sample of 138 graduate students (67.39% were female; median age = 27 years). A randomly selected sample of 46 students repeated the procedure 8 weeks later. We tested how well our data fit the hypothesized measurement models, analyzed internal consistency of measures, evaluated their repeatability, and analyzed the agreement between them. To account for the different ranges, both measures' scores were expressed as the percentages of their maxima. The observed data fit the proposed models well. Both measures showed good internal consistency and repeatability. In the shame domain, TOSCA-3 exceeded PFQ-2 scores by 22.32% on average (49.81, -5.13%; 95% limits of agreement), and even more in the guilt domain, by 38.4% (67.75, 8.20%). Our results question the often-assumed congruence of the shame domains assessed by scenario and checklist measures.

Transplantation Psychiatry: an Overview.

Psychiatric consultation and evaluation is an important part of candidate selection for organ transplantation. Psychiatric assessment of patients undergoing transplantation procedure is done in pre- and post-transplantation periods, each one having its specifics. In the pre-transplantation period it is crucial to assess the patient's therapeutic adherence and the ability of understanding the treatment. The main prediction factor for short and long-term success is medical compliance for which thorough clarification of psychosocial support is needed. Symptoms of psychological exhaustion due to physical illness should be distinguished from psychiatric disorders. If a patient has a history of psychiatric illness, the risks of exacerbation or recurrence of a disease need to be evaluated. Pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamics of psychotropic drugs resulting from to organ failure should be considered when deciding on treatment. Psychiatric assessment of the organ donor aims to clarify the psychological suitability and motivation. There are specific aspects of liver, kidney, heart and lung transplantation to keep in mind. Understanding psychosexual development is particularly important to children, before transplantation, as is the assessment of every family member. The consultation concludes with an overall evaluation of the patient's psychosocial strengths and limitations and recommended interventions to optimize the candidacy for transplantation. In the post-transplantation period potential psychological problems or psychiatric disorders must be identified and treated accordingly, in addition to psychiatric side effects of immunosuppressive therapy. The use of psychotropic drugs in the post-transplantation period requires knowledge of medication interactions. Overall, psychiatrists perform multiple roles in the transplantation team. The psychiatrists' goals are to meet the psychological needs of both patients and potential donors, evaluate candidates and to help other medical experts on the team with understanding underlying psychological mechanisms triggered by serious medical conditions and procedures. Finally, the most important purpose is optimal organ recruitment and recovery.

Takotsubo cardiomyopathy after the first electroconvulsive therapy regardless of adjuvant beta-blocker use: a case report and literature review.

Takotsubo cardiomyopathy (TC) is a rare complication of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), an effective and safe treatment for severe cases of depression and psychosis. There are reports on 16 patients who developed TC after ECT, and these were predominantly female patients treated with antidepressants for depressive disorder. We describe a case of a 40-year-old male patient, with a history of schizophrenia and heavy caffeine and nicotine use, treated for acute psychotic episode with haloperidol and clozapine. Propranolol was administered because of clozapine-induced tachycardia. After 8 weeks without therapeutic response, the patient was referred for standard ECT procedure, which included premedication and bifrontotemporal stimulation. Two hours later, the patient experienced gastric pain and had increased troponin and natriuretic peptide levels and ST-elevation. After inotrope and anticoagulant treatment and replacement of antipsychotics, the patient remained stable. Contrary to common opinion, previous adrenergic blockade in this patient did not prevent TC occurrence. TC pathophysiology remains unclear although it has been related to the burst of norepinephrine neurons. Psychosis has also been associated with catecholamine dysfunction, and excessive psychological stress with long-term norepinephrine dysfunction. Animal models have shown that ECT, clozapine, and nicotine and caffeine use could considerably increase catecholamine levels. Clinical understanding of rare cardiac ECT complications could improve early recognition of patients at risk for TC and ensure safe ECT protocols.

The role of CYP2D6 and ABCB1 pharmacogenetics in drug-naïve patients with first-episode schizophrenia treated with risperidone.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the role of cytochrome 450 2D6 (CYP2D6) and ABCB1 variants on plasma risperidone concentrations and treatment response in 83 drug-naive patients experiencing a first episode of psychosis. METHODS: All patients were treated with risperidone for 8 weeks. The CYP2D6 genotyping was performed by allele-specific PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis (for alleles *3,*4,*6) and long-distance PCR (for duplications and allele *5), while real-time PCR analysis was used for the ABCB1 G2677T/A and C3435T variants. Plasma concentrations of risperidone and 9-OH risperidone were measured by high-performance liquid chromatography. RESULTS: The number of patients with the CYP2D6 wild type (wt)/wt, wt/mutation (mut) and mut/mut genotype was 43, 32 and 8, respectively. The number of patients with the ABCB1 2677G/G, G/T and T/T variants was 29, 42 and 12, respectively; those with the 3435CC, C/T and T/T variants was 25, 37 and 21, respectively. The CYP2D6 genotype had a strong effect on the steady-state dose-corrected plasma levels (C/D) of risperidone, its 9-OH metabolite and the active moiety, while the ABCB1 2677 T/T and 3435 T/T genotypes has similarly strong effects on the active moiety C/D. The CYP2D6 poor metabolizers had a significantly higher risperidone C/D and active moiety C/D and lower 9-OH risperidone C/D. The ABCB1 3435 T allele and the ABCB1 2667 T-3435 T haplotype carriers were more frequent among subjects without extrapyramidal syndromes. Patients showed significant improvements in positive and general symptoms, but not in negative symptoms. These changes were not related to variations in genetic and drug concentration data. CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest that CYP2D6 and ABCB1 G2677T and C3435T may be useful determinants of risperidone plasma concentrations, but the clinical implications of these associations in relation to treatment response and side-effects remain unclear.

Impact of war trauma and posttraumatic stress disorder on psychopathology in Croatian and German patients with severe mental illness.

AIM: To explore posttraumatic stress symptoms and current psychopathology in a binational sample of Croatian and German participants with severe mental illness. METHODS: We studied 178 inpatients from the Greifswald University (German patients, n=89) and University Hospital Zagreb and Ivan Barbot Neuropsychiatric Hospital (Croatian patients, n=89) with either major depression (n=150), schizophrenia (n=26), or bipolar disorder (n=2). Measurements included Posttraumatic Diagnostic Scale and the Symptom Check List-90-R. Participants were matched according to age, sex, and diagnosis. RESULTS: Croatians reported significantly more war traumatic events (64/82 vs 5/74, chi(2)(1)=77.142, P<0.001) and significantly more Croatians met the criteria for posttraumatic stress disorder (55/89 vs 27/89, chi(2)(1)=17.73, P<0.001). They also suffered from a higher level of psychopathological distress as they scored significantly higher at all Symptom Check List-90-R revised version subscales (P<0.001). The regression models demonstrated that predictors of general psychopathological distress were war trauma (P<0.001), posttraumatic stress disorder (P<0.001), and diagnosis (P=0.01). CONCLUSION: This is the first study comparing the impact of war trauma on psychopathology of participants with severe mental illness between two nations. Our results clearly indicate the importance of trauma assessment in subjects with severe mental illness, particularly in post-conflict settings.

Posttraumatic stress disorder in women--experiences form the Psychiatric Clinic, University Hospital Center Zagreb, Croatia.

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is an anxiety disorder that develops after a severe traumatic event or experience. Lifetime prevalence rate in the European population is 1.9 % and it is higher for women (2.9%) then for men (0.9 %). The aim of this study was to examine rates and sociodemographic and clinical characteristics of women with PTSD who were hospitalized at the Psychiatric clinic of University Hospital Center in Croatia over the years 1990-2007. Data were gathered retrospectively from the medical charts. We found that 67 women were diagnosed with PTSD which is 0.58% of all admissions over these years. Majority suffered from comorbid depression (N = 51) and various somatic conditions, especially malignant gynecological tumors (N = 23). No significant differences were found in distribution of PTSD symptoms in relation to the combat vs. civilian trauma. We found that patients with combat trauma often suffer from comorbid depression, while those with civilian traumas more often reported somatic conditions, especially malignant gynecological tumors. Our institution is a speciality clinic at a tertiary care medical center which tends to accumulate patients with serious forms of the disorder, and therefore our results can not be generalized to other settings involved in working with women with PTSD. Our results indicate that psychiatrists' assessment of female patients should inevitably include lifetime traumatic experiences, and among those with PTSD, special attention should be paid to comorbid depression and malignant tumors.

The comorbidity of diabetes mellitus and psychiatric disorders.

Diabetes mellitus is a chronic disease affecting approximately 6% of the general population. Depression and schizophrenia are often comorbid with diabetes. There are two main ways to explain this phenomenon. Firstly, patients with diabetes mellitus have higher incidence of psychiatric disorders and secondly, antidepressants and antipsychotics may cause metabolic abnormalities. Antidepressants with noradrenergic activity have the highest potential to cause metabolic abnormalities. In schizophrenia, the risk is highest with clozapine and olanzapine pose the highest risk, moderate for risperidone and quetiapine, while ziprasidone and sertindole have not been associated with diabetes. American Diabetes Association and American Psychiatric Association suggested that optimal management of patients with schizophrenia should include baseline assessment on their weight, waist circumference, blood pressure, blood glucose level and lipidogram and family history on obesity, diabetes, dyslipidemia, hypertension and cardiovascular illness. During the first three months, weight gain should be monitored on monthly basis, while biochemical analysis should be performed after the first three months, and then once a year. In patients with significant weight gain, increase of blood glucose level or dyslipidemia, the first intervention should be switch to another antipsychotic. If necessary, a patient should be referred to an endocrinologist and advised on changing their life style.

Associations between MDR1 gene polymorphisms and schizophrenia and therapeutic response to olanzapine in female schizophrenic patients.

Multidrug resistant protein (MDR1) gene, which codes for P-glycoprotein and functions as an efflux transporter in different cells, is widely localized in normal tissues including the gastrointestinal tract, blood cells, biliary tract, kidney and brain and plays a major role in absorption, distribution and elimination of various xenobiotics. Therefore, MDR1 gene variants were proposed as potential susceptibility factors for diseases and as determinants of treatment response to various drugs. We investigated the relationships between exon 21 G2677T and exon 26 C3435T genetic variants of MDR1 gene with susceptibility and treatment response in female schizophrenic patients. The study was conducted in two steps. We first compared allele, genotype and haplotype distributions between 117 female schizophrenic patients and 123 control female subjects. Afterwards, we studied treatment response to olanzapine, in 87 out of 117 previously unmedicated female patients. Overall, we found lower representation of G2677/C3435 haplotype in schizophrenic female patients compared to controls. Test result for linkage disequilibrium between loci was found to be significant. Furthermore, we found significant associations between MDR1 exon 21 G2677T genotypes and treatment response measured with positive PANSS percentage changes, with T allele and TT genotype being associated with significantly better treatment response. A borderline, non-significant statistical association was found between MDR1 exon 26 C3435T genotypes and treatment response, with TT genotype being associated with better treatment response. Our data support functional importance of the MDR1 mutations for the susceptibility and treatment response in female schizophrenic patients.

Clinical significance of a CYP2D6 poor metabolizer--a patient with schizophrenia on risperidone treatment.

A case of a 46-year-old woman with schizophrenia who was treated with risperidone and followed up for 1 year is reported. She was genotyped as a CYP2D6 poor metabolizer (PM): CYP2D6-4*/*6, which was confirmed by a dextromethorphan (DM) test (metabolic ratio = 5.8). Genotypes of ABCB1 (MDR1) were 2677TT and 3435TT. Because risperidone is CYP2D6 and P-glycoprotein substrate, the patient might have been expected to accumulate risperidone and suffer from significant side effects. However, the patient tolerated the drug extremely well. Plasma concentration of risperidone was 73.2 nmol/L and of 9-OH-risperidone was below the limit of quantitation (6.1 nmol/L). Target range of risperidone plus 9-hydroxyrisperidone is 50-150 nmol/L. During the follow-up, patient was continuously taking 3 mg/day of risperidone. Plasma levels of risperidone and 9-OH-risperidone were 70.2 and 18.1 nmol/L, respectively. We repeated a DM test, metabolic ratio was 3.6, thus confirming that the patient remained a PM. Psychopathology was assessed with Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale, and stable remission of illness was achieved over the stated period. No adverse effects were observed or reported by the patient. We conclude that PM phenotype for CYP2D6 does not necessarily have clinical significance in regard to risperidone treatment. DM and risperidone are both CYP2D6 and P-glycoprotein substrates and significant interactions might occur with both drugs, in parallel with the possible impact of ABCB1 and CYP2D6 polymorphic gene variants.

The influence of 5-HT(2C) and MDR1 genetic polymorphisms on antipsychotic-induced weight gain in female schizophrenic patients.

We investigated the relationships between functional genetic variants of the 5-HT(2C) receptor and multidrug-resistant protein (MDR1), coding for P-glycoprotein, and second generation antipsychotic (SDA)-induced weight gain among 108 female schizophrenic patients treated with olanzapine or risperidone for up to 4 months. No significant differences in -759C/T allelic and genotype variants of 5-HT(2C) were found between patients who gained more than 7% of their initial weight compared with those who gained less. Haplotype-based analysis of two MDR1 loci, exon 21 G2677T and exon 26 C3435T, revealed a slightly lower representation of the G2677/C3435 haplotype in the >or=7% group. In the subgroup of patients treated with risperidone, we found borderline overrepresentation of 2677T, significant overrepresentation of 3435T variant and borderline overrepresentation of 2677T/3435T haplotype the >or=7% group, whereas G2677/C3435 haplotype was found to be less represented in the >or=7% group. Our data indicate a nonsignificant role of 759C/T 5-HT(2C) in SDA-induced weight gain, and a stronger influence of the MDR1 G2677T and C3435T polymorphisms on risperidone-induced weight gain in female schizophrenic patients. 3435T and 2677T MDR1 variants, both associated with lower P-gp function, might predispose to higher risperidone accessibility to the brain that would lead to stronger effects, including weight gain.

Association study of olanzapine-induced weight gain and therapeutic response with SERT gene polymorphisms in female schizophrenic patients.

We investigated the relationships between L/S promoter (SERTPR) and l/s intron2 (SERTin2) genetic variants of serotonin transporter (SERT) polymorphisms with olanzapine-induced weight gain and treatment response in 94 female schizophrenic patients treated with olanzapine for up to 3 months. Body mass index (BMI) was calculated for each patient prior to olanzapine administration and 3 months afterwards. To assess and evaluate improvement of clinical psychotic symptoms and therapeutic response to the antipsychotic, all patients were rated using the Positive and Negative Syndrome ScaLe (PANSS). Overall, the presence of S SERTPR allelic variant and SS genotype was associated with significantly higher weight gain in subjects who were non-obese at the time of admission. The presence of L SERTPR variant was associated with significantly better treatment response measured with total PANSS and general PANSS subscale, while the presence of l SERTin2 variant determined better treatment response only in several items. No evidence of linkage disequilibrium between the two loci was found in the sample. These findings identify genetic factors associated with oLanzapine-induced weight gain and treatment response in femaLe schizophrenic patients.

Psychological consequences of rape on women in 1991-1995 war in Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina.

AIM: To explore the short- and long-term psychological consequences of rape on women victims of rape during the 1992-1995 war against Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina. METHODS: The study included 68 women victims of rape and was conducted at the Medical Center for Human Rights, Zagreb, Croatia, from 1992 to 1995. Testimony method and a questionnaire were used to retrospectively obtain the description of rapes and symptoms women suffered immediately after rape and at the time of the study, ie, 11.9-/+2.4 after the trauma. Structured clinical interviews were conducted to diagnose psychiatric disorders that were present at the time of study, according to the third edition of Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. RESULTS: The raped women were Croatian and Muslim (Bosniak) women, residents of Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina. Forty-four of them were raped more than once, 21 were raped every day during their captivity, and 18 were forced to witness rapes. Most of the rapes (n=65) were accompanied by physical torture. The most frequent psychological symptoms felt immediately after the rape were depressiveness (n=58), avoidance of thoughts or conversations associated with the trauma (n=40), and suicidal ideas (n=25). Although none of the women had a psychiatric history before the rape, at the time of study 52 suffered from depression, 51 from social phobia, 21 from posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and 17 had sexual dysfunctions. These disorders were often comorbid. Out of 29 women who got pregnant after rape, 17 had artificial abortion. The decision to have an abortion was strongly predicted by suicidal thoughts and impulses (odds ratio, 25.8; 95% confidence interval, 2.53-263.2). CONCLUSION: War-time rapes had deep immediate and long-term consequences on the mental health of women victims of rapes and their social and interpersonal functioning.

The Influence of Maternal Personality and Risk Factors for Impaired Mother-Infant Bonding on Breastfeeding Duration.

INTRODUCTION: Throughout the world, in delivery departments having the accreditation "Baby-Friendly Hospital," breastfeeding is encouraged upon delivery. Numerous studies have been carried out to assess the relationship between breastfeeding and socioeconomic, psychosocial, and perinatal factors. AIM: To explore the influence of maternal personality and mother-infant bonding impairment on breastfeeding duration according to the World Health Organization (WHO) recommendations. METHODS: Written informed consent was obtained from mothers whose children were patients in a primary pediatric practice in Croatia. The mothers had stopped breastfeeding, and 303 of them were included in the research. The study was performed using validated instruments for the assessment of personality traits and mother-infant bonding impairment risk factors. Structured questionnaires were used for the examination of basic sociodemographics, breastfeeding duration, and the most common and relevant perinatal factors. RESULTS: Significant positive correlations were found with the personality traits of "openness" and "agreeableness" (p = 0.008, p = 0.002), while "neuroticism" was significantly negatively correlated with breastfeeding duration (p = 0.047). Twin pregnancy was the only perinatal factor influencing the discontinuation of breastfeeding before the end of the 6-month period (p < 0.001). In regression analysis, "anxiety about care" as a bonding impairment remained the most important risk factor influencing the minimally recommended breastfeeding duration (odds ratio [OR] 0.78; 95% confidence interval, 0.65 - 0.94). CONCLUSION: It is important to conduct further studies to explore whether the early identification of at-risk mothers, and the availability of psychological support in the immediate postpartum period, would allow them to benefit from these interventions and, thus, address breastfeeding duration.

[Ethics and organ transplantation]. / Etika i transplantacija organa.

Organ transplantation becomes an accepted method of treatment, being closely accompanied with the development of transplantation ethics. Numerous problems and dilemmas occurring in this process can be grouped as problems connected with confirming death, and ethic dilemmas connected with obtaining and distributing organs. An attempt to overcome a chronic great lack of cadaver donors is made by various creative attitudes that can be applied only if they fulfill ethical criteria. A difficult question of just organ distribution causes many ethical dilemmas. Solution should be sought in the multidisciplinary approach of bioethics with medicine, politics, legislature and sociology.

Association between psychopathology and suicidal behavior in schizophrenia. A cross-sectional study of 509 participants.

BACKGROUND: Suicide in schizophrenia is a serious problem--ideation rates go up to 40%, and approximately one half of patients attempt suicide at least once. The distinction between attempters and ideators is vital in everyday clinical practice. AIM: To explore the association between psychopathology and suicidal behavior in a comparative study of three groups of patients with schizophrenia: suicide ideators, suicide attempters, and subjects without suicide ideation and behavior. METHOD: The study included 509 patients: suicide attempters (n = 159), ideators (n = 180), and a comparative group (n = 170). The clinical assessment consisted of a structured psychiatric interview and an evaluation of sociodemographics, suicidality (SIBQ), psychopathology (PANSS), and depression (CDSS). RESULTS: Suicide attempters were more depressed than ideators, and both groups had higher CDSS scores than the comparative group. The overall contribution of positive, negative, and general PANSS symptoms was not statistically significant enough to differentiate ideators from attempters. A principal component analysis of the PANSS items revealed five components: disinhibition, withdrawal, anxiety and guilt, reality distortion, and disorganization. Two logistic regression analyses showed that suicide ideation or attempt was significantly related to depression, anxiety, guilt, gender, age, and number of previous hospitalizations. Compared to suicide ideators, attempters were more depressed, had a higher number of previous hospitalizations, and lower education. CONCLUSION: The results indicate that clinicians should look for depression, anxiety, and guilt feelings, while positive and negative symptoms seem to be less relevant for suicide assessment in schizophrenia.

Genome-wide expression analysis of peripheral blood identifies candidate biomarkers for schizophrenia.

The aim of this study was to analyze gene expression in blood of patients with newly-diagnosed schizophrenia during their first psychotic episode and subsequent remission. Whole blood samples were obtained from 32 untreated patients presenting with their first psychotic episode suggestive of schizophrenia and 32 age- and gender-matched controls. Using Affymetrix micoarrays, we identified significantly altered expression of 180 gene probes in psychotic patients compared to controls. A subset of four significantly changed genes was further confirmed with QRT-PCR. The following genes were significantly altered in patients: glucose transporter, SLC2A3 (p<0.001) and actin assembly factor DAAM2 (p<0.001) were increased, whereas translation, zinc metallopeptidase, neurolysin 1 and myosin C were significantly decreased (p<0.05). Expression of these candidate markers was also analyzed in a longitudinal study (12-24 months) in 12 patients who achieved full remission. Interestingly, expression of DAAM2 returned to control levels in patients who were in remission after their first psychotic episode, suggesting that its expression correlates with diseases progression and/or response to treatment. In summary, we identified changes of gene expression from peripheral blood which might help discriminate patients with schizophrenia from controls. While these results are promising, especially for DAAM2 whose polymorphic variants have been found significantly associated with schizophrenia, it will be important to analyze larger cohorts of patients in order to firmly establish changes in gene expression as blood markers of schizophrenia.