Marco Antonio Alves Brasil

Revisão das diretrizes da Associação Médica Brasileira para o tratamento da depressão (Versão integral)

OBJECTIVE Depression is a frequent and chronic condition with high levels of functional disability. Brazilian Medical Association Guidelines project proposed guidelines for diagnosis and treatment of the most common medical disorders. The objective of this paper is to present the original document that originated the abbreviated version available at the electronic address of Brazilian Medical Association. METHODS This paper was based on guidelines developed in other countries and systematic reviews, randomized clinical trials and when absent, observational studies and recommendations from experts. Brazilian Medical Association proposed this methodology for the whole project. RESULTS The following aspects are presented: prevalence, demographics, disability, diagnostics and sub-diagnosis, efficacy of pharmacological and psychotherapeutic treatment, costs and side-effects of different classes of available drugs in Brazil. Planning of different phases of treatment is22 also discussed. CONCLUSIONS Guidelines are a good tool helping clinical decisions and are a reference for an attitude based on levels of evidence.OBJECTIVE Depression is a frequent, recurrent and chronic condition with high levels of functional disability. The Brazilian Medical Association Guidelines project proposed guidelines for diagnosis and treatment of the most common medical disorders. The objective of this paper is to present a review of the Guidelines Published in 2003 incorporating new evidence and recommendations. METHOD This review was based on guidelines developed in other countries and systematic reviews, randomized clinical trials and when absent, observational studies and recommendations from experts. The Brazilian Medical Association proposed this methodology for the whole project. The review was developed from new international guidelines published since 2003. RESULTS The following aspects are presented: prevalence, demographics, disability, diagnostics and sub-diagnosis, efficacy of pharmacological and psychotherapeutic treatment, costs and side-effects of different classes of available drugs in Brazil. Strategies for different phases of treatment are also discussed. CONCLUSION The Guidelines are an important tool for clinical decisions and a reference for orientation based on the available evidence in the literature.

Plasma levels of D-serine in Brazilian individuals with schizophrenia

Changes in D-serine availability in the brain may contribute to the hypofunction of NMDA-glutamate receptors in schizophrenia; however, measurements of blood levels of D-serine in individuals with schizophrenia have not been consistent amongst previous studies. Here we studied plasma levels of D-serine and L-serine in 84 Brazilian individuals with schizophrenia and 75 gender- and age-matched controls. Plasma levels of D-serine and the ratio of plasma D-serine to total serine were significantly lower in individuals with schizophrenia as compared to the control group. Levels of D-serine were significantly and negatively correlated to the severity of negative symptoms of schizophrenia. We also observed that plasma levels of D-serine significantly decreased with aging in healthy controls. Our results suggest that the possible role of D-serine in the pathophysiology of schizophrenia should be further investigated, with possible implications for the drug treatment of this disorder.

Subclinical hypothyroidism: psychiatric disorders and symptoms

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the prevalence of psychiatric disorders and symptoms in patients with subclinical hypothyroidism. METHOD Ninety-four outpatients with at least two elevated serum thyrotrophin levels (> 4 microU/ml) and normal FT4, and 43 euthyroid outpatients, both groups from HUCFF-UFRJ, were evaluated. Psychiatric diagnosis was based on the Structured Clinical Interview Diagnostic for the DSM-IV axis I (SCID-I/DSM-IV), the psychopathological symptoms on Hamilton anxiety and depression scales, and the Beck Inventory. RESULTS Our data showed an increased prevalence of psychiatric disorders in the subclinical hypothyroidism patients when compared to the euthyroid group (45.7% vs 25.6%; p = 0.025), mood disorders being the most frequent. The prevalence of depressive symptoms based on Becks Scale among subclinical hypothyroidism patients was about 2.3 times higher than among euthyroid ones (45.6% vs 20.9%, p = 0.006). Anxiety symptoms were also more frequent among subclinical hypothyroidism patients (87.0% vs 60.5%, p < 0.001), mainly clinical anxiety (44.6% vs 23.3%; p = 0.001). CONCLUSION Our results showed a significant association of subclinical hypothyroidism with psychiatric disorders and an increased frequency of subsyndromic depression and anxiety symptoms in subclinical hypothyroidism in relation to the euthyroid group.

Are neuropsychological changes relevant in subclinical hypothyroidism

INTRODUCTION Neuropsychological changes are still controversial in patients with subclinical hypothyroidism (SH). The objective of this study is to assess these changes. METHOD Cross-sectional study comparing the results of the neurocognitive evaluation of 65 SH patients and 31 individuals without thyroid disease. Subclinical hypothyroidism was defined as at least two elevated serum TSH levels (> 4 microUI/ml) with normal serum free T4 levels (0.9-1.8 ng/dl). The participants underwent the following neuropsychological assessment: Buschkes Selective Reminding Procedure, Rey-Osterrieth Complex Figure Test, Warringtons Recognition Memory Test for Words and Faces, and the Vocabulary subtest of the WAIS-R. RESULTS The groups were similar in regard to mean age, sex and educational level. No neuropsychological change was found in patients with SH when compared with euthyroid individuals. CONCLUSION No difference was observed in the performance of the neuropsychological tests between both groups in regard to the functions studied.

Is Poststroke Depression a Major Depression

Background: Poststroke depression (PSD) is the most common neuropsychiatric consequence of stroke. A large number of studies have focused on the pathogenesis of PSD, but only a few aimed to characterize its psychopathology; these studies yielded results that are difficult to compare because of the different methods utilized. The current study aimed to characterize the symptom profile of PSD in an attempt to better understand the disease and allow a more accurate diagnosis. Methods: The study sample comprised 64 patients divided into three groups: stroke patients without diagnosis of depression (n = 33), stroke patients diagnosed with PSD (PSD group, n = 14) and patients diagnosed with major depression (MD) but with no clinical comorbidity (MD group, n = 17). All patients were diagnosed using the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV Axis I Disorders (SCID-I). The initial diagnostic interview was complemented by the Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE), the Rankin Scale, and four scales for the assessment of the intensity of symptoms of anxiety and depression: the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), the Hospital Anxiety and Depression General Scale (HADS), the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAM-D) and the Hamilton Rating Scale for Anxiety (HAM-A). The Star Plot, a graphical method of data visualization, was used to analyze the results. The t test was used for independent samples (two-tailed analysis). Results: As measured by the BDI, HAM-D and HAM-A scales and HADS depression subscale, the average total scores of symptoms for the sample of patients diagnosed with MD without clinical comorbidity was significantly higher than that of the PSD patients (p < 0.05). Similar results were obtained by plotting the BDI data on Star Plot. The PSD patients showed mild typical depressive symptoms such as less depressed mood, anhedonia, disinterest, guilt, negative thoughts, depreciation, suicidal ideation and anxiety, when evaluated by the HAM-A scale. Moreover, the somatic symptoms of depression did not lead to increased diagnosis of major depression in stroke patients. Conclusions: The results indicate that the PSD clinical picture comprised, in general, symptoms of mild/moderate intensity, especially those considered as pillars for the diagnosis of depression: depressed mood, loss of pleasure and lack of interest. Given the imprecision of boundaries that separate the clinical forms of depression from subclinical and nonpathological forms, or even from the concepts of demoralization and adjustment disorders, we situate PSD in a complex biopsychosocial context in which a better understanding of its psychopathological profile could provide diagnostic and therapeutic alternatives best suited to the difficult reality experienced by stroke patients.

Prevalência de transtorno depressivo maior em centro de referência no tratamento de hipertensão arterial

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the prevalence of major depression disorders in hypertensive patients enrolled in a university reference center for treatment of hypertension and other cardiovascular risk factors. METHODS: Cross-sectional, descriptive study of a representative randomized sample of patients, obtained according to a systematic protocol, among individuals enrolled for continuous treatment at the Hypertension League of Universidade Federal de Goias. The Beck Depression Inventory was administered to detect depressive symptoms, and the Structured Clinical Interview for the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders for diagnostic classification of major depressive disorders. Two groups were formed, one with patients with major depressive disorder, called study group, and another with patients without major depression, called control group. Sociodemographic variables, blood pressure and plasma biochemistry were evaluated at the time of data collection. RESULTS: A total of 285 patients were evaluated and results indicated a 20% prevalence of major depression in the population included in the study. Mean age was significantly lower for the study group, in which female patients were predominant. Regular physical activity was significantly lower among patients in the study group, and higher diastolic blood pressure values as well as cholesterolemia were also found in this group. CONCLUSIONS: These results show a higher prevalence of major depressive disorder among these hypertensive patients, compared with the general population. More attention should be paid to establishing an adequate diagnosis for depressive disorders in hypertensive patients, both in primary care facilities and in outpatient clinics.

Diagnosticando e tratando depressão no paciente com doença clínica

Diagnosing depression in the medically ill is a difficult diagnostic task for several reasons. Although sadness and depressed mood may be indicative of an underlying depressive syndrome, they may also be part of normal adaptation to a life-threatening disease.The somatic and vegetative symptoms included in diagnostic criteria are not specific and may in fact be attributable to hospitalization, treatments or medical illness. Treating depression is also difficult, because of concerns on drug-drug interactions and efficacy and safety of antidepressants in this group. In this Clinical Conference the authors answer questionson: which diagnoses canbemade in medical patients with depressive symptoms; prevalence of depression in different settings; comorbidity mechanisms (physiologicandbehavioral factors) that linkdepression to medical illnesses; and management of depression in this group.

Diretrizes para a neurocirurgia dos transtornos psiquiátricos graves no Brasil: uma proposta preliminar

In the last years we verified a great progress in the neurosciences added to the discovery of new investigation methods, allowing a greater knowledge on the neurobiological foundations of several mental disorders. Simultaneously, there have arisen new and more efficient neurosurgical techniques, less intrusive and, consequently, associated with a lower profile of side-effects. The integration of these effects enables, nowadays, to perform neuroanatomicaly oriented neurosurgical interventions or to influence in specific neuronal circuits whose activity seems abnormal in certain psychiatric disorders. With the advance of research in this area and the better knowledge on the neurobiological substrates involved in the etiopathogenesis of mental disorders, we may expect the discovery of more and more precise targets for neurosurgical procedures. Reciprocally, the results in the treatment using these techniques may confirm or generate new information for the existent models about the pathogenesis of these disorders. Obsessive-compulsive disorder and major depression refractory to conventional treatments are, among others, the psychopathological conditions about which there are more studies regarding the use of functional neurosurgeries. These disorders cause incommensurable pain, deep incapacitation and negative effects to their bearers, with great impact in their conjugal, family, professional and social lives. For the functional neurosurgical treatment of these disorders, which are severe and non-responsive to conventional treatments disorders, there are several stereotactic techniques, which have evolved since the first ‘in-the-open’ interventions up to precise lesions induced at specific regions of the brain, resulting in a considerable degree of efficacy: capsulotomy, cingulotomy, subcaudate tratotomy and limbic leucotomy. These techniques consist in the interruption of neural circuits Guidelines for neurosurgery of severe psychiatric disorders in Brazil: a preliminary proposal Editorial (invited authors)

Quality of life in alopecia areata: A case-control study

Background: Although alopecia areata (AA) is typically seen by medical staff as a benign, not life-threatening cosmetic disease, some studies have found significant impairment in quality of life (QL) in AA patients. There are no studies that assess QL in Brazilian AA patients. Objectives: To evaluate QL in AA patients, using the 36-item Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36). The most affected SF-36 dimensions were compared to two culturally different AA QL studies. Materials and Methods: We performed a case-control study with 37 AA patients and 49 age- and sex-matched volunteer blood donors. The results of a Turkish and a French study were compared to our results. Results: The dimensions social functioning (P = 0,001), role emotional (P = 0,019), and mental health (P = 0,000) scored statistically lower in the AA group in relation to controls, suggesting a worse QL. Incomparison to the Turkish and French studies, we found: (1) On the dimension role emotional, QL was equally impaired; (2) on the dimension social functioning, it was not different than the Turkish study; (3) social life of French AA patients was more affected; and (4) vitality and mental health dimensions were significantly more affected in French and Turkish patients. Conclusions: Impairment in QL in AA patients affected psychological, emotional, and social aspects of theirlives. Despite the scores of SF-36 dimensions varied significantly among different cultural groups, impairment of QL was found in all three studies; thus, we can suppose that these findings are not linked to a specific culture.

Depressão, ansiedade e atividade de doença na artrite reumatóide

OBJECTIVE: to evaluate the prevalence of psychiatric disorders in female patients, diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis and relate this disorder to disease activity. METHODS: sectional trial study with female patients, aged 18 years old or older, diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis (following American College of Rheumatology - ACR criteria), more than six months of disease and incapacity levels II and III. Disease activity was evaluated with DAS 28 (Disease Activity Score-28) (remission up to 2.6/moderate activity 2.6 to 5.1/severe degree over 5.1). Psychiatric evaluation was conducted using SCID protocol; interviews were held to diagnose the presence of depression and anxiety disorders following the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV TR). Statistical analysis included the Kruskal-Wallis test and the Kendall test with a significance level of 95%. RESULTS: In the 107 patients analyzed, 36 subjects (33.7%) presented psychiatric disorders and 71(66.4%) no psychiatric disorders). Disease activity - DAS 28 score results; remission: 6 patients (5.6%); moderate activity: 59 patients (55.1%); severe disease: 42 patients (39.2%). The relationship between psychiatric disorders and disease activity (DAS 28) demonstrated: patients without psychiatric disorders - DAS 28 score: 4.56 and patients with psychiatric disorders, DAS 28 score: 5.43 (p=0.001). CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of depression and anxiety disorders among 107 patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis was 33.7%. Disease activity, evaluated by the DAS 28 score, was higher in the group of patients with psychiatric disorders. No patients with psychiatric disorders were identified in the group in clinical remission.