No significant relationships.

There is no doubt that the symptoms of depression is the loss of appetite and loss the ability to taste food. However there is unanswered question how depression disorder impact different preferences of food tastes, which was sought to be explored in this study.

were to evaluate changes in characteristics of food tastes in patients with depressive disorder and healthy controls; and to find the association with clinical expression of depressive severity.

74 patients with depressive disorder (according DSM-V, MINI 6.0.0) and 38 healthy controls, 18 to 55 age old, were included into this study. The subjects were interviewed using the sociodemographic and the food sensory questionnaires. The severity of depression was rated using Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS).

There were significantly more patients with depressive disorder in comparison to healthy controls preferred non-spicy taste of food (66.2 % vs. 47.4 % respectively, p=0.025) and non-sour taste of food (66.2% vs 50.0 %, respectively, p=0.015), without significant differences in preference of salty and sweet food tastes. Among study patients with depressive disorder, the majority (71.6%) suffered from moderate severe depression, 23 % - severe depression and 5.4 % had mild severity depression. The preferences of tastes of the food (sour, sweet, salty, spicy) were independent of the severity of the depressive disorder (p>0.05)

Patients with depressive disorder prefer non-spicy and non-sour food tastes, without differences in salty and sweet foods; it have found independent of the severity of the depressive disorder.

The current COVID-19 pandemic brings social isolation to our daily lives that may elevate depression. The impact of major depressive disorder (MDD) on social cognitive functioning is far from understood, but essential for prevention and treatment of this neuropsychiatric condition.

Our aim was to examine (i) whether face tuning is lower in depression; and (ii) how it is related to other cognitive abilities (such as perceptional organization). Furthermore, we intended to clarify gender impact on face tuning in MDD, as twice more females are affected.

Using a recently developed paradigm, the Face-n-Food task, we examined face tuning in 26 patients with MDD and 26 person-by-person matched controls. The advantage of non-face images is that its single elements do not promote face processing.

Strikingly, MDD individuals showed intact face tuning. As sex ratio in our patient sample was about 2:1 (as in MDD population in general), we recruited additional male patients and found that MDD male patients were as good as female patients. Yet, while face tuning in MDD patients showed a significant correlation with perceptual organization abilities, in controls, it was linked with social cognition.

The outcome suggests that the origins of aberrant social functioning in MDD lie in maladaptive cognitive schemas rather than in a lack of sensitivity towards social signals per se. To elucidate neural circuits involved in face tuning in MDD, a magnetoencephalography (MEG) study with the Face-n-Food images is currently under progress.

No significant relationships.

The covid-19 virus pandemic is another risk factor not only for the lives of older people, but also for their mental health, as the threat is immediate and intense.

The aim of the study was to investigate depression during the pandemic in a population of elderly people over 65 years of age living in the Greek countryside.

The research was synchronous and was conducted in the autumn of 2020 in Crete. The sample of the study was random and consisted of 200 elderly users of services of the Health Center of the Municipality of Phaistos, Crete. The Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS-15) was used to conduct the study in combination with 24 questions related to pandemic perceptions.

40.5% of the sample were men and 59.5% were women. The mean age was 75.70 years (SD ± 6.29). The mean value of GDS-15 was found to be 5.97 (SD, 3.07), while the comparison of depressive symptoms showed that women, lonely people and the elderly with chronic health problems are more vulnerable to the development of depressive symptoms. In relation to covid-19 and depressive symptoms, there was a positive correlation with twelve factors (p <, 05) with the most important being the fear for their family health, sleep disorder, loneliness and inability to deal with the virus.

The research showed moderate depressive symptoms, while a clear effect of the pandemic due to Covid-19 was found on the emotional mood of the elderly, a fact that makes their psychosocial support necessary.

No significant relationships.

Bupropion is a NDRI antidepressant with action on both serotonin and nicotinic receptors. Endocrine and sexual adverse effects are very rare and hence very unlikely to cause hyperprolactinemia. We report a case of a patient who developed galactorrhoea following Bupropion augmentation of Escitalopram. A 24 yr old unmarried nulliparous female was brought with complaints of low mood, loss of interest, decreased concentration in studies from 20 days. She was also reported to be smoking cigarettes since 2 years with occasional alcohol use. There was no menstrual abnormalities nor any use of regular medication. On MSE there was depressed affect with negative cognition and occasional death wishes with normal perception. HAM-D Score was 17-19. She was started on Escitalopram 10 mg/day and Clonazepam 0.5 mg/day. Depressive symptoms improved and 2 weeks later Bupropion 150 mg/day was added as anti-craving and for augmentation owing to residual depressive symptoms.

Bupropion induced Galactorrhoea

Cross-sectional

Within 2 weeks of starting Bupropion, she reported with complaint of galactorrhoea. Prolactin level came out to be 28.67 ug/L. Brain imaging was also reported to be normal. Escitalopram was stopped and substituted with Mirtazapine 7.5 mg/day, continued for a week. There was no improvement, hence Mirtazapine and Bupropion were discontinued and started on Sertraline 25 mg/day. Galactorrhoea started reducing within next 4-5 days and completely subsided within a week of stopping Bupropion.

Bupropion has action on serotonin receptors which might be hypothesized as cause. Also, it is a potent CYP2D6 inhibitor, causing increase levels of Escitalopram.

No significant relationships.

Polycystic ovary syndrome(Pcos) disease significantly decreased quality of life for women. Mental health is one of the components affecting the quality of life of these patients that attention to it is necessary to improve their quality of life.

The present study was conducted to determine The effect of Motivational Interview Based on WhatsApp on the Psychological Domains of Quality of Life in Infertile Women with PCOS.

This randomized controlled clinical trial enrolled 60 Infertile Women with PCOS from the city of Sari-Iran in 2020. Participants were assigned to MI and control groups using block randomization. The intervention group received 5 weekly of MI online via WhatsApp. While the control group received only routine care. The psychological Domains score of quality of life in these individuals was measured using the quality of life questionnaire of polycystic ovary syndrome(MPCOSQ) before and after the intervention. Then, the data were entered into the SPSS software, version 25 and were analyzed using descriptive statistics, chi-square test, t-test, and repeated measures analysis of variance.

No significant difference was observed between the two groups before the intervention mean The Psychological Domains scores (p>0.05). After the intervention, mean (SD) of The Psychological Domains score was 34.8 (11.8) in the intervention group and 30.7 (11.6) in the control.No significant Increasing in the mean between the two groups. The effect size(0.35) was calculated.

The results of the study showed that motivational interviewing is effective in improving the quality of life of women with pcos.

No significant relationships.

Anorexia nervosa (AN) is a complex condition with high comorbidity.

This study aims to verify whether patients with AN are more aggressive towards themselves than towards others; namely, we measure the levels of autoaggressive/aggressive ideation, negative emotions regarding self/others, as well as self-harm behavior.

10 female patients with AN (2 of them also had bulimia nervosa) and 20 female participants of the control group were presented with Structured Interview, Rosenzweig Picture-Frustration Test (P‐F), Thomas-Kilmann Conflict Mode Instrument, Buss-Durkee Hostility Inventory, I-structural Test of Ammon, Boyko Communication Aggression Inventory, Boyko Self-directed Emotion Accumulation Inventory (BSEAI). Mann-Whitney U-test and Pearson’s correlation coefficient were used.

There were no significant differences in aggression levels between groups. However, patients with AN showed less extrapunitive reactions: blaming others, requiring others to resolve the situation (P-F, р=0.013) and more intropunitive reactions: self-blame, feeling responsible/guilty for the situation (P-F, р=0.031). AN patients had more self-directed negative emotions and impulses (BSEAI, р=0.01), more self-harm behavior (see table 1). There were no correlations between autoaggression and aggression scales in the control group, but there were 9 correlations between them in the AN group (p<0.05, r>0.76).

Patients with AN are more inclined to self-blame, negative ideas about themselves, self-harm behavior, but have the same aggression level as the control group. The interconnection of aggression and autoaggression is different in patients with anorexia nervosa compared to the control group.

No significant relationships.

Mood destabilization and induced manic episodes are well-known phenomenon under antidepressant medications. However, even with a cautious introduction of antidepressants, it’s important to be aware of possible pharmacological interactions. Terbinafine is a known inhibitor of CYP2D6, a major hepatic metabolizer of a full list of antidepressant medications, and so capable of raising their serum levels and potentiating their side effects.

With this case report we aim to emphasize the importance of cautious usage of Terbinafine when combined with antidepressant medications.

We present a clinical case of an induced first manic episode after the introduction of Terbinafine in a patient under antidepressant medication and a qualitative review on the topic, using PubMed database.

A 66-year-old woman, with an history of Major Depressive Disorder, previously medicated with Venlafaxine 75mg/day and Mirtazapine 30mg/day, was brought to the emergency department because of psychomotor agitation. She also had an history of seasonal fluctuating mood, although never fulfilling the criteria for Bipolar Disorder. At admission, her clinical status was compatible with a manic episode. This episode followed two months after the initiation of Terbinafine for onychomycosis.

There are few studies that have shown antidepressant toxicity mediated by an interaction with Terbinafine. As far as we know this is the first case of induced mania after the introduction of Terbinafine. Therefore, it is important to remind that Terbinafine is a potential interacting agent when combined with psychotropic medications.

Abdominal obesity is currently a growing problem in public health and has a high comorbidity with depressive and anxiety disorders. Obesity significantly decreases life quality, causes disability and decreases life expectancy.

The objective of this study was to examine anxiety and depressive symptoms among women, who received individual or group psychotherapy sessions due to obesity control.

577 women aging from 18 to 65 were examined. Height and weight were measured, Body mass index (BDI) was calculated based on received data. Depressive symptoms were determined with the PHQ-9 questionnaire [Kroenke K, Spitzer RL, Williams JB]. Anxiety symptoms were determined with the GAD-7 questionnaire. The level of social adaptation was examined.

The prevalence of mild depression in our sample of women with obesity was 31.5%, 19.1% - moderate depression, 1% - severe depression, 48.4% had no depression symptoms. Anxiety symptoms were found in 38.2% of examined women, 61.8% showed no anxiety symptoms. Furthermore, when patients were divided into subgroups accordingly to BMI, anxiety was mostly registered among ones with normal BMI. An average correlation between indicators of anxiety and depressive symptoms was identified (r=0,62, p<0,05). Average correlation between indicators of anxiety and depression and the level of social adaptation (r=0,59 and r=0,48 relatively, p<0,05). Anxiety and depressive symptoms’ dependency on BMI was not established.

The received data showed that anxiety and depression have high prevalence among women with obesity. The study will help medical specialists draw attention to high comorbidity between abdominal obesity and anxiety-depressive disorders.

Substance abuse has traditionally been considered as a disease of men. Women were believed to have some kind of immunity in terms of “social inoculation”. However, due to change in societal norms and beliefs, substance use is currently increasing among women also.

To focus on female substance use in India

In India, traditional use of various substances by women during religious festivals is not unknown. Chewing tobacco is a common practice among many women across the country. Cultural use of alcohol has been known in some tribal populations but gradually the use is increasing. There is major difference in pattern of male and female substance use including initiation, progression, recovery and relapse. Women experience greater medical, physiological and psychological impairment and experience loss of control sooner than males. Teatment needs of female substance users is different and requires a gender specific comprehensive strategy which will require medical services, mental health services, services for family and child and employment opportunities.

Currently, there is no Indian policy for women substance use. However, Government of India has started a convergence program which includes National AIDS Control program (NACP), National rural health mission (NRHM) and reproductive or sexually transmitted infection (RTI/STI) to combat some aspects.

India is in great need of a policy or at least a standard operative protocol for management of female substance use disorder which may include screening for substance use disorder for all females accessing health sector, counselling, referral to addiction services, formation of a treating team and after –care.

No significant relationships.

Due to the current global background of the COVID-19 pandemic, mental health is an important factor to be promoted. In spite of the subjectivity of the psychological impact brought by this pandemic, the population has undergone several sudden and meaningful changes in psychic integrity. Therefore, the League of Psychiatry and Mental Health of a Brazilian public university emerges with the aim of complementing the curriculum of Psychiatric Medicine, along with promoting mental health inside and outside the university.

Hold online events and disseminate informative material to help students, mental health professionals and general community interested in the topic.

The League did a member recruitment with academics from different health areas, who prepared and published booklets and folders with informations promoting mental health. And also, promoted speeches on online platforms from May 2020 to October 2020 with psychiatrists, psychologists and renowned professionals in Brazil.

Eighteen lectures were held on topics such as “Grief in the pandemic and its implications in mental health”; “Preventing suicide in the pandemic”, among others, that had a relevant role for those who were in a vulnerable emotional state at the time. As for publications, a national reach was possible, which served as a source for the cultivation of a good psychic health to face the pandemic.

More than 13.600 people participated in the promoted proposals, In addition to providing positive feedbacks to the League, with the improvement of knowledge in the field of Psychiatry and Mental Health, reaching the proposed objectives.

A diagnosis of infertility is a stressful emotional experience for women, leading to a significant detrimental impact in many domains of life quality.

The aim of this study is to explore the correlation between perceived infertility-related stress and fertility quality of life in affected women.

The study sample comprised 236 women diagnosed with primary infertility, recruited from the Gynecology Obstetrics Clinic, with a mean age of 33.21 years (min 20, max 46) and with a mean duration of conception attempts of 3.24 years (min 1, max 16), assessed by the Fertility Problem Inventory (FPI) and the Fertility quality of life questionnaire (FertiQol).

The mean FPI and FertiQol were 137.23 (SD=29.066) and 65.356 (SD=11.119) respectively. There was a significant negative correlation between perceived infertility-related stress and fertility quality of life (r= -.513; p<0.01). All the subscales of the applied questionnaires showed significant negative correlations, with exception of Need for parenthood and Rejection of childfree lifestyle subscales of FPI and Treatment related quality of life of FertiQol. Furthermore, the total FPI score could significantly predict the total FertiQol score (F=83.386; df=1:234; p<0.01). On the basis of perceived infertility-related stress, a 26.3% variance of fertility quality of life can be explained.

Women diagnosed with primary infertility who experience higher levels of infertility-related stress had a lower level of fertility quality of life.

Characterizing neuroanatomical markers of different stages of schizophrenia (SZ) to assess of how the disorder develops is extremely important for the clinical practice. It still remains uncertain how abnormalities are formed as SZ progresses.

We reviewed and analyzed 113 voxel based morphometry studies on people at risk of or with schizophrenia to assess GM alterations at different stages of the disorder and to functionally characterize these GM variations.

We performed a meta-analysis of voxel-based morphometry studies of genetic and clinical high-risk subjects (g-/c-HR), recently diagnosed (RDSZ) and chronic SZ patients (ChSZ). We quantified gray matter (GM) changes associated with these four conditions and compared them with contrast and conjunctional data. We performed the behavioral analysis and networks decomposition of alterations to obtain their functional characterization.

Compared to previous investigations, results reveal a robust cortical-subcortical, left-to-right homotopic progression of GM loss. The right anterior cingulate is the only altered region in all conditions. Contrast analyses show left-lateralized insular, amygdalar and parahippocampal GM reduction in RDSZ, which appears bilateral in ChSZ. An overlap between RDSZ and ChSZ is observed in the left insula, amygdala, precentral and inferior frontal gyri. Functional decomposition shows involvement of the salience network, with an enlargement of the sensorimotor network in RDSZ and the thalamus-basal nuclei network in ChSZ.

These results can help the research on diagnostic and neuroimaging biomarkers of SZ staging, as well as on the identification of new therapeutics neuroanotomic targets that could be addressed with focused magnetic or non-invasive electric stimulation.

No significant relationships.

A delusion of parasitosis is defined as the fixed, false belief of infestation by invisible organisms or fibrous material of unknown origin. The differential diagnosis is true infection, substance use disorder, dementia or other neuropsychiatric disease.

Our goal was to characterize delusions of parasitosis, classically named Ekbom syndrome, among individuals attending our emergency department (ED).

Over a four-year period (2017-2020), we carried out a retrospective case-register study of patients with DSM-5 Ekbom syndrome attending an ED that provides mental health services to an area of nearly 450.000 inhabitants in Sabadell (Barcelona, Spain).

There were 13 eligible patients: 7 were diagnosed for the first time and 6 had multiple episodes. Female-to-male ratio was 1.6:1; average age was 56.9. The most common diagnosis was delusional disorder (n=5;8.5%), followed by schizophrenia (n=3;23.1%) and organic disorders (n=2;15.4%). Origin: Africa (n=5;38.5%), South-America (n=4;30.8%) and Spain (n=4;30.8%). Fifty percent showed poor treatment compliance. Antipsychotics used: risperidone (n=8;61.54%), olanzapine (n=4;30.8%). Five patients received antidepressants. Most patients had previously been seen by other medical specialties (internal medicine, dermatology and hematology). ‘’Match box sign’’: 7 patients (53.8%). Cerebral atrophy was present on brain scan in 4 patients. After discharge: acute psychiatric unit (n=7), outpatient appointments (n=4), day hospital (n=1) and 1 to a psychogeriatric unit.

Delusions of parasitosis are rare in our emergency department. The typical patient is a postmenopausal woman, a visitor or immigrant to Spain. Effective treatment requires a focus on cultural, gender, and age aspects, with close cooperation between psychiatry and other relevant specialties.

COVID-19 has changed entire lives. Lockdowns all over the world have resulted in social isolation and whole populations started to live a new social norm.

In this presentation I will discuss the role social media has played in social interactions during lockdown. Mainly if social media use has replaced social face to face interactions. This both in terms of quantity and emotional quality of interactions. I will be using a study we conducted in Malta in this regard.

It seems that social media use has increased during lockdown. To analyse this in Malta we studied a dataset comprising more than 50,000 comments and more than 150,000 interactions that has been extracted from Facebook covering a time span of four months. These months were the first wave of COVID- 19 cases in Malta. We conducted a quantitative and qualitative data analysis to establish the social polarity of the content.

I will discuss how social media has in part replaced the social face to face interactions during COVID- 19 pandemic initial months, and use the results of the study we conducted in Malta as an example.

It would be useful to analyse further the use of social media in the new social norm caused by COVID- 19. Most importantly how it could be used to decrease social isolation effectively and increase psychological wellbeing.

Spanish Governmen declared state of emergency in March 2020 to prevent coronavirus COVID-19 from spreading. During September and October 2020, at Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Unit we have attended patients who presented altered eating behaviors whose onset was during lockdown. We report a series of seven cases of adolescent girls between the ages of 11 and 16, who had no previous history of mental illness. During lockdown, they have presented restriction of food and increased physical exercise, with weight loss. Some of these patients have also presented food binges and purging behaviors.

Review the impact of lockdown on eating behavior, specially on weight loss.

Literature review of scientific papers searching in Pubmed.

There are articles that study the variations in eating habits and exercise ocurred during confinement. Most focus on two trends: on the one hand, increased intake and the tendency to a more sedentary life; on the other hand, the worsening of people with a previous diagnosis of eating disorder. However, there is a third trend for which there are few studies: the new appearance of restrictive eating behaviors, together with increased physical exercise, bingeing and purging. This is the case of the patients we present. These studies describe as a possible cause of these alterations that confinement is a novel situation, which generates stress, social isolation, boredom, anxiety and a feeling of loneliness, which can influence self-concept and eating behaviors.

Lockdown has favored a change in eating habits and exercise. More studies are needed on new-onset eating disorders.

The COVID-pandemic context is characterized by a global ambiguity, reflecting the unexpected onset of pandemic, unpredictability and amplitude of the related dangers, questionability and the side effects of the policy measures used to protect people.

The development of theoretical framework for understanding variability in the reactions to COVID situation and self-regulatory mechanisms.

Conceptualization and analysis of individual psychotherapy cases in the framework of psychodynamic approach.

Five typical patterns of anxiety, defensive functioning and mentalization structures were identified: Paranoial pattern is marked by flooding with persecutory anxiety, exaggerated subjective uncertainty. reflected in chaotic boundlessness, incoherence, fantasies of hostility, splitting and polarization of self and others. Depressive pattern reflects inability to sustain ambiguity due to deficiency of internal supports, overly dependence on others, conformity, obedience to authority and denial of personal standards and individuality. Noogenic pattern refers to negative affective states, generated by the ambiguity, contradictions and ambivalence of information. The means to regulate it include the lowering of the level of psychical functioning, with cognitive simplification, preference for order, routine and predictability. Transgression pattern suggests maniacal fascination with the dissipation of limits, normative restraints and rules, and the triumph of the narcissistic-perfectionist permissiveness. Constructivity pattern consists of the pleasure from explorations and insights, creation of new meanings, creative reappraisal and reconstruction of ambiguous situations.

The typical patterns of experiencing ambiguity that were singled out may have diagnostic and prognostic significance in evaluating the individual resource potential in situations of COVID related dangers and isolation.

Age-related features of alcohol addiction in elderly women (AAEW) have not been studied properly. The WHO classifies 60-75 years as elderly age (‘early old age’), when morphological and physiological functions of all organs and systems fade away, causing severe post-intoxication and withdrawal disorders, giving organic tint to alcohol dependence clinical picture, and rapid onset of alcoholic mental degradation of personality.

To study specific clinical, diagnostic and pathophysiological basis of alcohol dependence in aged women for innovative approaches to AAEW treatment.

Clinical and medical history questioning, international tests and scales to identify alcohol dependence and complications in elderly women. Follow-up monitoring of basic biochemical, clinical, laboratory and electrophysiological findings at treatment runtime.

Multifactorial study and specific gender features in AAEW development allowed to identify abundant dual comorbidity, prevalence, high degree of affective disorders (depression, anxiety, dysphoria) combined with various somatic conditions and diencephalic symptoms in this alcoholic disease pattern. New treatment modality for alcohol dependence in elderly women was proposed and tested; along with classical detoxification and symptomatic therapy, the patients received anxiolytic agent (serotonin receptor stimulator) Buspirone SANDOZ, 5 mg 3 times a day, followed by individually corrected effective dose. The drug stopped anxiety, balanced the mood, causing no addiction. Buspirone was combined with bromine and sodium sulfate transcerebral electrophoresis № 5 and selective psychotherapy.

The proposed integrated therapy for AAEW was proven to be effective by statistical reliability and patient-specific clinical illustrations.

Caffeine is the worldwide most frequently consumed psychostimulant. Its availability is nearly unlimited and in Europe it is not subject to state regulation. n the DSM-5 “caffeine use disorder” is categorized as a possible future disorder that currently needs further study.

To describe clinical evaluation, diagnosis, treatment and evolution of a 24 years old female patient.

A 24-year-old woman admitted to the Dual Pathology Unit with a diagnosis of: unspecified psychotic disorder, mild intellectual disability and borderline disorder. In week 17 of admission, she decided to suspend the medication, with significant improvement. Therapeutic permits increase and Wais-III is repeated, resulting in having a limited intellectual capacity. Two months after being discharged, she was readmitted with manic symptoms. The nursing staff discover that she was drinkiing a large amount of caffeine (up to 4 liters / day). After gradually stopping caffeine intake, she was discharged without psychopharmacological treatment, being able to lead a normalized life, even studying a medium degree. No more incomes were need.

Caffeine produces psychomotor-activating, reinforcing, and arousing effects.

The pattern of caffeine use of patients should be considered in the medical practice. The psychostimulant properties of caffeine are reviewed and compared with those of prototypical psychostimulants able to cause substance use disorders.

Lyme disease (LD) is caused by the spirochete Borrelia burgdorferi (Bb) and has been reported to be associated with various psychiatric presentations.

To report a case with LD and to highlight the importance of differential diagnosis in a first psychotic episode.

Case report and non-systematic review of the literature.

A woman aged 31 was admitted to the psychiatric department, after a car accident with a mortal victim, due to a first psychotic episode with visual hallucinations, disorientation in time and space, persecutory and grandiosity delusions. She had a personal psychiatric history of obsessive-compulsive disorder and no previous admission to an inpatient Unit. On psychotropic drugs the condition failed to improve, and subsequently neurological symptoms developed. EEG abnormalities prompted a lumbar puncture. In the CSF a strong plasma cell reaction with atypical cells was observed. The enzyme immunoassay for Borrelia burgdorferi was positive and after treatment with penicillin the psychiatric and neurological signs and symptoms remitted. Screening assessment followed by a thorough history, comprehensive psychiatric clinical exam, review of systems, mental status exam, neurological exam and physical exam relevant to the patient’s complaints and findings with clinical judgment, pattern recognition and knowledgeable interpretation of laboratory findings facilitates diagnosis. Psychotropics and antibiotics may help improve functioning and prevent further disease progression.

LD is relatively rare, but awareness of the association between LD and neuropsychiatric presentations can improve understanding of the causes of mental illness and result in more effective prevention, diagnosis and treatment.

No significant relationships.