Prenatal serotonin and neonatal outcome: brief report

The purpose of the present study was to determine the relationships between prenatal serotonin levels and other biochemical values during pregnancy as well as their relationships to neonatal biochemical and behavioral variables. To address that question, the pregnant women were divided into the top and bottom tertiles based on their serotonin levels at 20 weeks gestational age

NEUROSYPHILIS - THE WHITE MATTER DISINTEGRATION? - TWO CASE REPORTS

Background: There is evidence for neurosyphilis being associated with the central nervous system vasculitis involving medium and small vessels. As the hemispheric white matter is the major target of these vascular alterations the white matter axonal and myelination disruption may be observed employing measure for the rate of water molecule diffusion. High apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) correspond to unimpeded water diffusion and indicating white matter disintegration. Case reports: In a retrospective study exploringcentral nervous system magnetic resonance (MR) images of two subjects presenting with neurosyphilis the ADC values were found to be increased as related to normal values being accompanied with normal appearing white matter of hemispheres Conclusions: Applying ADC analysis to evaluate the brain in patients with neurosyphilis may reveal undetectable changes and explain the scale of abnormalities that occur in CNS. The increased mean ADC valuesin the normal appearing white matter of the hemispheres may correlate with neuropsychoatric symptomatology in syphilis

BENZODIAZEPINES IN COMBINATION WITH ANTIPSYCHOTIC DRUGS FOR SCHIZOPHRENIA: GABA-ERGIC TARGETED THERAPY

Antipsychotics are a key intervention strategy in pharmacotherapy of schizophrenia. However, benzodiazepines are often prescribed to control sleep disturbances, anxiety or behavioural disinhibition. There is clinical evidence for the beneficial effect of the combined treatment of antipsychotics and benzodiazepines resulting in more favorable treatment outcome in schizophrenia with regard to positive and negative symptoms. This clinical phenomenon seems to be associated with the GABA-ergic activit ythat is believed to be disrupted in the schizophrenia and direct benzodiazepines effect on GABA-A receptors. In the brain there are both excitatory and inhibitory neurotransmitters which cooperate between themselves maintaining the proper functioning of the brain. GABA neurons carry inhibitory signals that help keep brain activity at optimal levels of operation, Glutamate, on the other hand, carry excitatory signals. As the interplay between these two exists they keep the dopamine levels in the average levels. The disruption of GABA-ergic transmission in schizophrenia may induce alternations in dopaminergic neurotransmission providing no inhibitory effect to the central glutamate activity, resulting in the rise of the dopamine levels being associated with psychosis precipitation. Benzodiazepines are believed to reduce presynaptic dopamine release at the mesolimbic level and delay postsynaptic adaptation of dopaminergic neurons to antipsychotics potentiating the action of antipsychotics in resistant schizophrenia. Benzodiazepines also act on mesocortical regions where antipsychotics are less effective and where there is a particular sensitivity to stress. This association is particularly useful in resistant patients or in patients with severe anxiety with or without intolerance to antipsychotics. Improvement concerns anxious symptoms but also positive symptoms (hallucinations, delirium and dissociative syndrome) and negative (social withdrawal, affect flattening). As the available studies are limited there is some clinical evidence that the use of antipsychotic drugs with addition of benzodiazepines can provide better general outcome in ill patients than antipsychotics administration alone

A inserção de angolanos no mercado de trabalho e formação profissional brasileira na cidade de Criciúma

Monografia apresentada para a obtenção do grau de Bacharel em Administração, no Curso de Administração – Linha de Formação Específica em Administração de Empresas da Universidade do Extremo Sul Catarinense – UNESC.A imigração atingiu, no mundo, um ponto fundamental no desenvolvimento das relações entre os países e, em especial, significativa importância na América Latina. Os movimentos de populações em nível internacional podem beneficiar tanto o país de origem quanto o país de destino, proporcionando ingressos de recursos econômicos aos primeiros e recursos humanos aos segundos. Nesse contexto, o objetivo do estudo é compreender de que forma ocorre o processo de integração social no mercado de trabalho e formação superior dos estudantes angolanos residentes na cidade de Criciúma. A pesquisa foi de caráter exploratório e descritivo como meios de investigação a pesquisa de campo e bibliográfica. Foram utilizados dados primários e secundários coletados por meio de questionário aplicado via google forms com estudantes angolanos matriculados na Universidade do Extremo Sul Catarinense, e fontes bibliográficas. A análise dos dados foi com abordagem qualitativa. A qualidade de ensino, o desenvolvimento do país e o dinamismo da cultura Brasileira são fatores que levam a mobilidade estudantil. A busca do mercado de trabalho a existência da oferta e a demanda de trabalho oferecido, não foi fácil, sendo estrangeiro, enfrentando um ambiente onde a dinastia é percorrida na influência da cultura e da educação de diferentes regiões

TELEPSYCHIATRY AND VIRTUAL REALITY IN THE TEATMENT OF PATIENTS WITH INTELLECTUAL AND DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES

Background: Treatment and rehabilitation of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities is a multidisciplinary challenge, which require implementing new attitudes. The use of modern technology solutions like telepsychiatry or virtual reality may be a valuable addition to the traditional methods. Objective: The objective of this review was to explore the usability of new technological solutions in this special population of patients. Methods: The search in the PubMed was conducted using the following terms: (intellectual disability (Title/Abstract) OR developmental disability OR learning disorder (Title/Abstract)) AND virtual reality (Title/Abstract) OR telepsychiatry OR telemedicine OR e-mental health AND English (lang) AND (1995/01/01(PDAT): 2017/07/31(PDAT)). Results: Telepsychiatry may be a useful tool in situations, when the direct access to professional assistance is limited, in solving particular problems like e.g. managing challenging behavior, also to support patients’ parents and for diagnostic and educational purposes. Virtual reality can be a safe and effective method of improving different skills, developing physical fitness, and enriching the ways of spending the leisure time. Conclusions: Using modern technology is a relatively new and promising field in which new ideas may develop to support the already existing services for patients with intellectual and developmental disabilities

BENZODIAZEPINES AS ADJUNCTIVE THERAPY IN TREATMENT REFRACTORY SYMPTOMS OF SCHIZOPHRENIA

Antipsychotics are a key intervention strategy in pharmacotherapy in schizophrenia. However, the benzodiazepines are often prescribed to control sleep disturbances, anxiety or hostile behaviour. There is some evidence supporting the combination therapy with antipsychotics and benzodiazepines providing beneficiary treatment effect to the psychosis in positive and negative symptom domains as well as catatonia or adverse reactions to antipsychotic drugs. In particular, in a population suffering from residual symptoms of schizophrenia, in particular anxiety, emotional flattening, being refractory to approved treatment strategies, benzodiazepines as add-on to antipsychotics seem to be an option. There is rationale for the therapeutic use for long-acting benzodiazepines as the treatment of option with limited literature indicating the use of chlordiazepoxide, and diazepam. The paper reviews the best clinical practice indications for benzodiazepines as the add-on treatment to antipsychotics in schizophrenia

THE ROLE OF HORMONES AND INFLAMMATORY MARKERS IN COGNITIVE FUNCTIONING OF SCHIZOPHRENIC PATIENTS

Background: In the literature we can find evidence that immunological processes are involved the alterations of cognition in schizophrenic patients. Another factor, which may have an impact on cognitive domains in this clinical group are hormones. Objective: The objective of this review was to explore studies, in which the role of both immunological and endocrine factors on cognitive functions in schizophrenia are analyzed. Methods: The search of papers covering this topic in PubMed and Google Scholar was performed. Results: The studies focusing on this co-relation are not numerous. The role such hormones like cortisol, insulin and sex hormones may be important in the immunomodulatory processes influencing cognition in schizophrenia. Conclusions: More studies are necessary to confirm these possible co-relations

DECISION-MAKING IN PANIC DISORDER. PRELIMINARY REPORT

Background: The impaired decision-making with high risk-aversive behavior and elevated impulsivity are reported as a trait feature in anxiety disorders including panic disorder (PD). It is hypothesised that PD patients exhibit difficulties in executive functions which can influence patients behavioural strategies e.g. problem solving, decision making, planning, impulse control. The aim of this study was to asses decision making process, risk-taking and impulsivity in PD patients as compared to healthy controls. Material and methods: Twenty-one psychotropic drug-naïve PD outpatients and 20 healthy subjects matched by age and sex were examined. Cognitive decision-making and risk-taking behaviour was measured with CGT (Cambridge Gambling Task) from CANTAB battery. The PD severity was assessed with Panic and Agoraphobia Scale (PAS). The level of anxiety and depression was assessed with HADS (Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale). Impulsivity was evaluated with the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale, 11th version (BIS-11). Results: There were no statistically significant differences on CGT in PD patients as compared to healthy control. However, having observed more closely, there are some differences between patients and healthy control. PD patients with higher anxiety level in HADS exhibited lower percentages of risky decisions comparing to PD with lower anxiety in HADS. PD patients with higher depression level in HADS demonstrated slowed decision-making when compared to PD patients with low level of depression in HADS. Total impulsivity and its attentional and motor dimensions were significantly higher in panic disorder patients versus healthy controls. Conclusion: There were no statistically significant differences with regard to CGT assessed decision-making between drugnaïve PD patients and healthy controls. The PD patients with higher HADS-D depression level demonstrated slowed decisionmaking as compared to PD patients with low level of depression