Jan Jaracz

Post‐stroke quality of life and depression

Background: Studies on the determinants of the quality of life (QOL) after stroke bring differing results depending on the applied concept of QOL. This may lead to confusion about the contribution of various factors to the post-stroke QOL. Objective: The aim of the study was: (i) to investigate functional and psychological QOL in the individuals after the first ischemic stroke; (ii) to identify the most important correlates of QOL; and (iii) to examine the significance of depression among the other possible predictors of QOL. Methods: A hospital-based sample of 72 stroke patients was followed up to 6 months after stroke onset. QOL was assessed using the Polish version of the Quality of Life Index and the Sickness Impact Profile. A multiple regression procedure was performed to examine relationships between QOL and the study variables. Results: In spite of good recovery, the psychological and functional QOL of the examined patients was impaired, although the negative impact of stroke was greater on the objective QOL than on the subjective QOL. Stroke-related impairment, depression, functional disability and marital status predicted 80% of the variance in the functional QOL. Emotional support, depression and functional disability explained 38% of the variance in psychological well-being. Conclusions: Depression and physical disability were the most important predictors of QOL after stroke since their impact on QOL was more robust in comparison to the remaining variables. For improving QOL, a comprehensive care for patients aimed at reducing physical dependence and ameliorating depressive symptoms could be recommended.

Creative thinking deficits in patients with schizophrenia: neurocognitive correlates.

Abstract The aim of this study was to investigate selected measures of creativity in schizophrenic patients and their relationship with neurocognitive executive functions Forty-three inpatients with paranoid schizophrenia who were in symptomatic remission (a total of 60) and 45 healthy control participants were included. Creativity was assessed using the Barron-Welsh Art Scale (BWAS) and the inventiveness part of the Berlin Intelligence Structure Test (BIS). Executive functions were measured by means of the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST). Schizophrenic patients gave responses on the BWAS, had lower total score on the BIS and in the figural test, and performed worse on all domains of the WCST compared with control subjects. Their lower scores on the BIS correlated with lower scores on the WCST. Our results indicate that remitted schizophrenic patients perform worse on selected measures of creativity than healthy subjects and that executive dysfunctions may partially explain these deficits.

Unexplained Painful Physical Symptoms in Patients with Major Depressive Disorder: Prevalence, Pathophysiology and Management

Patients with major depression often report pain. In this article, we review the current literature regarding the prevalence and consequences, as well as the pathophysiology, of unexplained painful physical symptoms (UPPS) in patients with major depressive disorder (MDD). UPPS are experienced by approximately two-thirds of depressed patients. The presence of UPPS makes a correct diagnosis of depression more difficult. Moreover, UPPS are a predictor of a poor response to treatment and a more chronic course of depression. Pain, in the course of depression, also has a negative impact on functioning and quality of life. Frequent comorbidity of depression and UPPS has inspired the formulation of an hypothesis regarding a shared neurobiological mechanism of both conditions. Evidence from neuroimaging studies has shown that frontal-limbic dysfunction in depression may explain abnormal pain processing, leading to the presence of UPPS. Increased levels of proinflamatory cytokines and substance P in patients with MDD may also clarify the pathophysiology of UPPS. Finally, dysfunction of the descending serotonergic and noradrenergic pathways that normally suppress ascending sensations has been proposed as a core mechanism of UPPS. Psychological factors such as catastrophizing also play a role in both depression and chronic pain. Therefore, pharmacological treatment and/or cognitive therapy are recommended in the treatment of depression with UPPS. Some data suggest that serotonin and noradrenaline reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs) are more effective than selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) in the alleviation of depression and UPPS. However, the pooled analysis of eight randomised clinical trials showed similar efficacy of duloxetine (an SNRI) and paroxetine (an SSRI) in reducing UPPS in depression. Further integrative studies examining genetic factors (e.g. polymorphisms of genes for interleukins, serotonin transporter and receptors), molecular factors (e.g. cytokines, substance P) and neuroimaging findings (e.g. functional studies during painful stimulation) might provide further explanation of the pathophysiology of UPPS in MDD and therefore facilitate the development of more effective methods of treatment.

The prevalence of antipsychotic polypharmacy in schizophrenic patients discharged from psychiatric units in Poland.

BACKGROUND The term antipsychotic polypharmacy (APP) refers to the concurrent use of two or more antipsychotic drugs in schizophrenia. The aim of this study was to investigate the range of APP in schizophrenic patients discharged from psychiatric units in Poland, and to determine its demographical and clinical correlates. METHODS Data on the pharmacological treatment of 207 patients with a diagnosis of schizophrenia, discharged from six psychiatric hospitals from September-December 2011 were recorded by experienced psychiatrists. Clinical and demographical information was obtained on each patient. The severity of symptoms at admission, and their improvement during hospitalization were assessed using the Clinical Global Impression Scale. RESULTS At discharge, 52.7% of the patients were prescribed one, 42.5% two and 4.8% three antipsychotic drugs (AP). When two AP were applied, it was usually a combination of two second generation antipsychotics (SGA) (46%), or of both first generation antipsychotics (FGA) and SGA (48%). The SGAs olanzapine and risperidone were those most commonly prescribed. Patients treated with two or more AP had a higher number of previous hospitalizations than patients receiving antipsychotic monotherapy. Mood stabilizers were prescribed for nearly one third of the patients, while antidepressants and benzodiazepines were prescribed for fewer than 10%. CONCLUSIONS The prevalence of polypharmacy in Poland is similar to that reported in other countries. This may suggest that, in a substantial proportion of schizophrenic patients clinical response to the antipsychotic monotherapy is unsatisfactory. Further studies focusing on the efficacy and safety of strategies in the treatment of patients with schizophrenia not responding to antipsychotic monotherapy are necessary.

The Biological Rhythms Interview of Assessment in Neuropsychiatry in patients with bipolar disorder: correlation with affective temperaments and schizotypy

Objective: To assess the relationship of biological rhythms, evaluated by the Biological Rhythms Interview of Assessment in Neuropsychiatry (BRIAN), with affective temperaments and schizotypy. Methods: The BRIAN assessment, along with the Temperament Evaluation of Memphis, Pisa, Paris, and San Diego-Autoquestionnaire (TEMPS-A) and the Oxford-Liverpool Inventory for Feelings and Experiences (O-LIFE), was administered to 54 patients with remitted bipolar disorder (BD) and 54 healthy control (HC) subjects. Results: The TEMPS-A cyclothymic temperament correlated positively and the hyperthymic temperament correlated negatively with BRIAN scores in both the BD and HC groups, although the correlation was stronger in BD subjects. Depressive temperament was associated with BRIAN scores in BD but not in HC; conversely, the irritable temperament was associated with BRIAN scores in HC, but not in BD. Several positive correlations between BRIAN scores and the schizotypal dimensions of the O-LIFE were observed in both BD and HC subjects, especially with cognitive disorganization and less so with unusual experiences and impulsive nonconformity. A correlation with introversion/anhedonia was found only in BD subjects. Conclusion: Cyclothymic and depressive temperaments predispose to disturbances of biological rhythms in BD, while a hyperthymic temperament can be protective. Similar predispositions were also found for all schizotypal dimensions, mostly for cognitive disorganization.

A Study of Biological Rhythm Disturbances in Polish Remitted Bipolar Patients using the BRIAN, CSM, and SWPAQ Scales

Background/Aims: The Biological Rhythms Interview of Assessment in Neuropsychiatry (BRIAN) is a novel tool allowing for a complex assessment of biological rhythms. We compared patients with bipolar disorder (BD) and healthy control subjects (HC) using the Polish version of the BRIAN scale. Method: Fifty-four remitted BD patients (17 males and 37 females aged 52 ± 13 years) and 54 healthy control subjects (25 males and 29 females aged 42 ± 14 years) were studied. In addition to the BRIAN scale, the Composite Scale of Morningness (CSM) and the Sleep-Wake Pattern Assessment Questionnaire (SWPAQ) were employed. Results: The Polish version of the BRIAN scale displayed high feasibility and consistency, showing that the patients had greater biological rhythm disturbances than the controls. After regression analysis, significant differences were obtained for the BRIAN subscales activity and predominant chronotype, and for the SWPAQ items quality of night-time sleep and ability to stay awake. We obtained positive correlations between higher BRIAN scores and morningness and eveningness, but the correlations with vigilance and the ability to stay awake (on the SWPAQ) were negative. Conclusions: Using the BRIAN scale, we confirmed the greater disturbances of biological rhythm in Polish remitted bipolar patients, compared with healthy controls. The differences between these 2 groups in sleep-awake patterns were also demonstrated by the SWPAQ scores. In contrast to other studies, we were unable to confirm an evening chronotype as a discriminating factor between remitted bipolar patients and healthy subjects. This can be explained by the older age and the use of lithium by a significant proportion of the patients.

Overlapping Chronic Pain and Depression: Pathophysiology and Management

Depression and chronic pain commonly coexist. Several biological hypotheses regarding pathophysiology of this phenomenon have been proposed. The role of activation of pro-inflammatory cytokines and abnormal glutamatergic neurotransmission has been widely studied in this context. Malfunction of descending 5-HT and nucleus accumbens (NAc) as well as dopaminergic neurons may also explain overlapping pathophysiology for pain and depression. Data from neuroimaging studies showed alterations in regions involved in pain perception and structures considered as a neural basis of depression. These regions include the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), insular cortex (IC), amygdala, NAc, and prefrontal cortex. Besides their efficiency in depression, antidepressive drugs are also effective in the management of chronic pain. The usefulness of tricyclic antidepressants and serotonin-noradrenaline reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs) in neuropathic pain and functional somatic syndromes (fibromyalgia and irritable bowel syndrome) has been convincingly documented, whereas the superiority of antidepressants from different classes in treatment of painful physical symptoms (PPS) in depression is still a matter of debate.

Is Venlafaxine More Effective than Escitalopram and Nortriptyline in the Management of Painful Symptoms in Patients with Major Depression

BACKGROUND Conflicting data regarding the efficacy of antidepressants of different mechanism of action on unexplained painful physical symptoms (UPPS) in depression have been published so far. OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to compare the impact of escitalopram (ESC), nortriptyline (NOR), and venlafaxine (VEN) on UPPS in patients with major depression. MATERIALS AND METHODS Sixty patients, participants in the GENDEP study, with a diagnosis of depression according to the ICD-10 criteria were randomly assigned to treatment with ESC (10-30 mg, mean dose 15.2, standard deviation [SD]±9.2) or NOR (50-150 mg, mean dose 106.2, SD±8.2). Additionally, 30 patients who were treated with VEN (75-225 mg, mean dose 181.3, SD±8.8) were included. Before inclusion (day 0) and throughout the study (days 14, 28, 42, 56), the severity of pain was monitored using the visual analog scale. RESULTS The patients treated with ESC, NOR, and VEN did not differ in the intensity of pain at days 0, 14, 28, 42, and 56. CONCLUSION Our results do not support the hypothesis suggesting the superiority of VEN over ESC and NOR in the management of UPPS in major depression.

Post-stroke depression – prevalence and risk factors

Post-stroke depression (PSD) is the most common psychiatric complication after stroke. Intensive studies on PSD have been carried out since the mid-1970s. This paper presents a review of the literature on the prevalence and risk factors of PSD. Recent meta-analyses show that depression occurs in about 1/3 of patients after stroke. The risk factors for PSD can be divided into sociodemographic, genetic, connected with health status before stroke and connected with the stroke characteristics. Among sociodemographic factors, more frequent prevalence of PSD was observed in female sex in older age and with lack of social support. A genetic factor of PSD is a family history of depression. Genetic and molecular research revealed an association between PSD and the genes of the serotonin system (mainly the serotonin transporter gene) and with the brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) gene. The most important factors connected with health status before stroke that can predispose to PSD include prior history of depression, diabetes mellitus and smoking. Factors associated with stroke characteristics include stroke severity and recurrence, lesion location, and functional and cognitive impairment. Better knowledge concerning the prevalence and risk factors of PSD can be of help for diagnosis and also for initiating proper treatment and rehabilitation in stroke patients.

Facial emotion recognition in schizophrenia: neuropsychological and psychosocial correlates

Background There is evidence that facial emotion recognition is disturbed in schizophrenic patient’s [1] and is associate with other neurocognitive deficits [2]. Some evidence suggest that affect recognition is an important aspect of psychosocial functioning of patients with schizophrenia [3]. In this study we assessed recognition of facial emotional expression in schizophrenic patients and its relationship with selected clinical and neuropsychological variables as well as with social functioning.