Longer Duration Of Current Episode Research Articles

Sensory Processing Disorders are Associated with Duration of Current Episode and Severity of Side Effects.

ObjectiveLonger duration of untreated illness, longer duration of current episode, and the severity of medication side effects may negatively impact on the perceived disability and psychosocial impairment of patients with major affective and anxiety disorders. Studies also suggested the involvement of sensory perception in emotional and psychopathological processes. The present study aimed to examine the relationship between Sensory Processing Disorders (SPD), duration of untreated illness and current illness episode, and the severity of side effects related to psychoactive medications.MethodsThe sample included 178 participants with an age ranging from 17 to 85 years (mean=53.84±15.55). Participants were diagnosed with unipolar Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) (50%), Bipolar Disorder (BD) (33.7%), and Anxiety disorders (16.3%). They completed a socio-demographic questionnaire, the Udvalg for Kliniske Undersøgelser (UKU), and Adolescent/Adult Sensory Profile (AASP) questionnaire.ResultsLonger duration of current episode correlated with greater registration of sensory input and lower avoidance from sensory input among unipolar patients; with lower registration of sensory input, and higher tendency for sensory sensitivity/avoidance among bipolar participants; with lower sensory sensitivity/avoidance among anxiety participants, respectively. Also, mean UKU total scores correlated with lower sensory sensitivity among bipolar individuals.ConclusionSPD expressed in either hypo/hyper sensitivity may serve to clinically characterize subjects with major affective and anxiety disorders.

Sensory processing disorders, duration of current episode, and severity of side effects in major affective and anxiety disorders

IntroductionLonger duration of untreated illness, longer duration of current episode, and severity of medication side effects may negatively influence the psychosocial functioning in major affective and anxiety disorders. Studies also suggested the involvement of sensory perception in emotional and psychopathological processes.ObjectiveThe objective of this study is to investigate the nature of the association between duration of untreated illness, duration of current episode, and severity of medication side effects.AimsThe study is aimed to examine the relationship between sensory processing disorders (SPD), duration of untreated illness, duration of current illness episode, and the severity of side effects related to psychoactive medications.MethodsThe sample included 178 participants with an age ranging from 17 to 85 years (mean = 53.84 ± 15.55); psychiatric diagnoses were as follow: unipolar major depressive disorder (MDD) (50%), bipolar disorder (BD) (33.7%), and anxiety disorders (16.3%). subjects completed a socio-demographic questionnaire, the Udvalg for Kliniske Undersøgelser (UKU), and Adolescent/Adult Sensory Profile (AASP) questionnaire.ResultsLonger duration of current episode correlated with greater registration of sensory input and lower avoidance from sensory input among unipolar patients, lower registration of sensory input, and higher tendency for sensory sensitivity/sensation avoidance among bipolar participants. In addition? longer duration of current episode correlated with lower sensory sensitivity/avoidance among anxiety participants, respectively. Mean UKU total scores were associated with lower sensory sensitivity among bipolar individuals as well.ConclusionsSPD expressed in either hypo-/hypersensitivity may be used to clinically characterize subjects with major affective and anxiety disorders.Disclosure of interestThe authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.

Electroconvulsive Therapy in Treatment-Resistant Schizophrenia

The clinical features of patients with schizophrenia who respond to electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) are uncertain. There is a longstanding belief that the duration of illness and/or the presence of affective symptoms associate with good prognosis. There is also little information on the nature of symptomatic improvement with this treatment. We examined the demographic and clinical history features associated with response, the symptom profile predictive of response, and the profile of symptomatic improvement. Using a standardized protocol, 253 patients with treatment-resistant schizophrenia were prospectively treated with a combination of ECT and flupenthixol. Of this group, 138 patients (54.5%) met the response criteria. Independence of sex, longer duration of current episode, and greater severity of baseline negative symptoms were predictive of poorer outcome. Duration of illness had weak relations with outcome only among females. There were marked sex differences in other clinical features and symptoms associated with response. In contrast, no sex differences were observed in the nature of symptomatic improvement. Treatment resulted in marked improvement in specific positive symptoms, with an intermediate effect on affective symptoms and no effect or worsening of specific negative symptoms. The findings challenge recommendations that long duration of illness or absence of affective symptoms portends poor response to ECT in patients with treatment-resistant schizophrenia. Sex may play a critical role in determining the features of the illness that predict outcome.

Interface of panic and depression: Clinical and sleep EEG correlates

Four groups of subjects were compared with respect to their clinical and demographic status and electroencephalographic (EEG) characteristics, namely: primary major depressive disorder (PRI MDD); panic disorder (Panic); “Mixed” group comprising patients meeting full syndromal criteria for MDD and panic occuring concomitantly; and normal controls. The “Mixed” (MDD + Panic) patients were characterized by earlier age of onset of psychiatric illness, longer duration of current episode, greater intensity of symptoms, higher impairment of functioning, increased miscellaneous psychopathology, and greater objective stress and anger. With respect to sleep EEG variables, PRI MDD patients were clearly different from the other three groups. The sleep profile of the “Mixed” group occupies an intermediate position between the “pure” Panic and MDD groups. Classification of the “Mixed” patients based on the discriminant function coefficients of the Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia and sleep analysis of the “pure” groups (PRI MDD and Panic) reveals that some patients are classified as true PRI MDD while others are classified as falling somewhere along the PRI-MDD/Panic spectrum. The separation of the PRI MDD from Panic and Normals, however, is clear, suggesting that sleep can be successfully used as a physiological marker in the separation of these conditions.