EEG alpha band characteristics in patients with a depressive episode within recurrent and bipolar depression

BACKGROUND: The search for biological markers for the differential diagnosis of recurrent depression and bipolar depression is an important undertaking in modern psychiatry. Electroencephalography (EEG) is one of the promising tools in addressing this challenge. AIM: To identify differences in the quantitative characteristics of the electroencephalographic alpha band activity in patients with a depressive episode within the framework of recurrent depression and bipolar depression. METHODS: Two groups of patients (all women) were formed: one consisting of subjects with recurrent depressive disorder and one with subjects experiencing a current mild/moderate episode (30 patients), and subjects with bipolar affective disorder or a current episode of mild or moderate depression (30 patients). The groups did not receive pharmacotherapy and did not differ in their socio-demographic parameters or total score on the Hamilton depression scale. A baseline electroencephalogram was recorded, and the quantitative characteristics of the alpha band activity were analyzed, including the absolute spectral power, interhemispheric coherence, and EEG activation. RESULTS: The patients with recurrent depressive disorder demonstrated statistically significantly lower values of the average absolute spectral power of the alpha band (z=2.481; p=0.042), as well as less alpha attenuation from eyes closed to eyes open (z=2.573; p=0.035), as compared with the patients with bipolar affective disorder. CONCLUSION: The presented quantitative characteristics of alpha activity are confirmation that patients with affective disorders of different origins also display distinctive electrophysiological features which can become promising biomarkers and could help separate bipolar depression from the recurrent type

CAUSES AND CONSEQUENCES OF DEPRESSION IN THE PERCEPTION AMONG THE REPRESENTATIVES OF ETHNIC GROUPS IN SIBERIA

Исследователи признают необходимость рассматривать депрессию как мультифакториальное расстройство. Проблема вклада различных факторов в этиологию депрессии связана с убеждениями пациентов о причинах депрессии и характере ее последствий для человека.Цель: выявить общие тенденции и различия в убеждениях о причинах и последствиях депрессии, особенности взаимосвязей убеждений о причинах и последствиях депрессии у представителей этнических групп Сибири.Использован опросник «Убеждения о депрессии: причины и последствия» (А. Бек). В исследовании принимали участие представители традиционных народов Сибири: алтайцы, коряки, ительмены, чукчи, якуты, тувинцы.Выявлено, что психосоциальные причины рассматриваются как более вероятные причины депрессии во всех этнических группах, «клинических» и «диспансеризации». Большинство респондентов групп «диспансеризации» в отличие от клинических групп считают, что вероятными причинами депрессии наряду с психосоциальными могут быть причины различных категорий. Представители «Якутов» рассматривают в качестве возможных традиционные причины депрессии. Мало вероятными причинами депрессии считают «Алтайцы» и «Тувинцы» органические и биомедицинские причины. Раскрыто психологическое содержание психосоциальных причин депрессии, как наиболее вероятной категории причин депрессии у респондентов этнических групп Сибири.Последствия депрессии, связанные с личностными, социальными и положительными изменениями считаются более вероятными в группах «диспансеризации», чем в «клинических» группах. Представители «Тувинцев» не считают, что их расстройство окажет влияние на них, как на личность, а также они, как и «Алтайцы», уверены в стабильности их социальных связей. Установлены особенности взаимосвязей причин и последствий депрессии в этнических группах.The researchers acknowledge the need to consider depression as a multifactorial disorder. The problem of the contribution of various factors in the etiology of depression is associated with beliefs of patients about causes of depression and the nature of its consequences for the individual.Objective: to identify common trends and differences in beliefs about the causes and consequences of depression, especially of the relationships between beliefs about causes and consequences of depression in ethnic groups of Siberia.The questionnaire “Beliefs about depression: causes and consequences” (A. Beck) is used. In the study the representatives of the traditional peoples of Siberia: Altai, Koryak, Itelmen, Chukchi, Yakuts, Tuvinians participated.There is revealed that psychosocial reasons are considered as more likely causes of depression among all ethnic groups, “clinical” and “medical examination”. The majority of respondents of the groups “clinical examination” in contrast to the clinical teams believes that the probable causes of depression along with psycho-social reasons can be of different categories. Representatives of the “Yakutiya” considered as the traditional possible causes of depression. Few possible reasons of depression are considered “Altai” and “Tuva” organic and biomedical causes. There is revealed the psychological content of the psycho-social causes of depression, as the most likely categories of causes of depression among the respondents of ethnic groups of Siberia.Consequences of depression related to personality, social and positive changes are more likely in groups of “clinical examination” than “clinical” groups. Representatives of the “Tuva” does not believe that their disorder will impact on them as a person, and they, as well as “Altai”, are confident in the stability of their social relations. The peculiarities of interrelations of the causes and consequences of depression in ethnic groups are fixed

Association of PIP4K2A Polymorphisms with Alcohol Use Disorder

Background: Alcohol use disorder (AUD) not only influences individuals and families but also has a lasting social impact on communities at the national level. Dopaminergic neurotransmission is involved in excessive alcohol consumption. Phosphatidylinositol-5-phosphate-4-kinase type 2 α (PIP4K2A) plays an important role in the regulation of ascending dopamine pathways. In this study; we determined possible associations between nine polymorphisms in PIP4K2A and AUD in Russian men. Methods: 279 Russian men with AUD were investigated. The control group consisted of 222 healthy men from the general Russian population. Genotyping of DNA samples for nine polymorphic variants of PIP4K2A was carried out by the Applied Biosystems™ QuantStudio™ 5 Real-Time PCR System with use of the TaqMan1 Validated SNP Genotyping Assay (Applied Biosystems; CIIIA). Results: Carriage of the PIP4K2A rs2230469*TT/T genotype/allele was a relative risk factor for developing AUD in men (p = 0.026 and p = 0.0084 accordingly). Moreover; men with AUD had a higher frequency of PIP4K2A rs746203*T allele (p = 0.023) compared to healthy men. Conclusions: For the first time; we demonstrated different PIP4K2A polymorphisms to be associated with AUD presumably due to dopamine system modulation resulting from regulation of the lateral habenula

Protective Effects of Pyruvic Acid Salt Against Lithium Toxicity andOxidative Damage in Human Blood Mononuclear Cells

Purpose: Aim of present work was to study cytoprotective properties of lithium pyruvate, as a prospective pharmacological agent. Pyruvate has a lot of potential benefits due to positive influence on cell metabolism. Lithium is “gold-standard” mood-stabilizer. Combination of both may lead advantages. Methods: Lithium pyruvate was tested as cytoprotector on human blood mononuclears under induced oxidative stress. Cells were obtained from healthy donors and patients with alcoholism. The detection of cell viability, apoptosis and determination of oxidative stress level were conducted by flow cytometry. Results: Lithium pyruvate showed excellent cytoprotective properties in normal and oxidation conditions. This effect was independent from cell donor health status. It was shown on cells from healthy donors and alcoholics patients. Conclusion: Obtained results allow considering lithium pyruvate as potential normothymic agents (mood stabilizer) with excellent cytoprotective properties

Protective Effects of Pyruvic Acid Salt Against Lithium Toxicity andOxidative Damage in Human Blood Mononuclear Cells

Purpose: Aim of present work was to study cytoprotective properties of lithium pyruvate, as a prospective pharmacological agent. Pyruvate has a lot of potential benefits due to positive influence on cell metabolism. Lithium is “gold-standard” mood-stabilizer. Combination of both may lead advantages. Methods: Lithium pyruvate was tested as cytoprotector on human blood mononuclears under induced oxidative stress. Cells were obtained from healthy donors and patients with alcoholism. The detection of cell viability, apoptosis and determination of oxidative stress level were conducted by flow cytometry. Results: Lithium pyruvate showed excellent cytoprotective properties in normal and oxidation conditions. This effect was independent from cell donor health status. It was shown on cells from healthy donors and alcoholics patients. Conclusion: Obtained results allow considering lithium pyruvate as potential normothymic agents (mood stabilizer) with excellent cytoprotective properties

Comparative Characteristics of the Metabolic Syndrome Prevalence in Patients With Schizophrenia in Three Western Siberia Psychiatric Hospitals

Objective: The purpose of this study was to compare the prevalence of MetS and the associated sociodemographic, clinical, and pharmacotherapeutic characteristics of patients with schizophrenia in three psychiatric hospitals in the West Siberian region. Methods: Patients with a clinical diagnosis of schizophrenia (ICD-10: F20) and an age between 18 and 60 years were included in the study after giving informed consent. Metabolic syndrome was diagnosed according to the International Diabetes Federation criteria. This research was carried out at three Western Siberian psychiatric hospitals in Kemerovo, Tomsk, and Omsk. The study population included respectively 94, 131, and 91 inpatients with schizophrenia. We carried out schizophrenia symptoms assessment by PANSS, antipsychotic therapy evaluation, anthropometry, and biochemical analysis. Statistical Analysis included the Shapiro–Wilk test, non-parametric Kruskal–Wallis H-test for independent samples, Mann–Whitney U-test for independent samples, the chi-square test, stepwise multiple regression analyses. The level of significance was p < 0.05. Results: The metabolic syndrome prevalence was higher among patients in Tomsk (36.6%), compared with Kemerovo (20.2%, p = 0.008) or Omsk (18.7%, p = 0.004), mainly due to the high prevalence of abdominal obesity, while men from Tomsk were more susceptible to this condition than men from other regions (p < 0.05). Patients from Omsk had the highest severity schizophrenia symptoms according to PANSS, and patients from Tomsk had the lowest severity of positive symptoms according to PANSS. Patients from Tomsk had the minimum duration of antipsychotic therapy compared with the patient from Kemerovo (p = 0.017) and from Omsk (p = 0.000019), but most patients from Tomsk received second-generation atypical antipsychotics, while patients from Omsk received mainly conventional antipsychotics (p = 0.0001). Multiple regression analysis showed that metabolic syndrome associated with schizophrenia duration and body mass index, although the association was not so strong (adjusted R(2) = 0.2435, p < 0.0001). Discussion: The study illustrates that in different psychiatric hospitals within the same region, the prevalence of metabolic syndrome in patients with schizophrenia can vary significantly, which dictates the need to look for opportunities to minimize the risk of its occurrence, taking into account the experience of each hospital

Cortisol and DHEAS Related to Metabolic Syndrome in Patients with Schizophrenia

Background: Both dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEAS) and cortisol are secreted by the adrenal glands and may modulate metabolic syndrome (MetS), which often affects the health of patients with schizophrenia. The relationship between the serum levels of these hormones and MetS has not been established. Purpose: In this pilot study, we investigated the serum levels in schizophrenia patients with and without MetS and compared them with those in healthy volunteers. Patients and Methods: After obtaining informed consent, 110 patients with acute paranoid schizophrenia were recruited directly after admission to the Mental Health Research Institute. The control group consisted of 51 persons reported on questioning to be mentally and somatically healthy. Blood samples to prepare serum were drawn after an 8-h overnight fast during one of the first days of admission. Serum cortisol and DHEAS concentrations were quantified by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Results: A total of 42 patients had MetS and 68 patients were without MetS. The cortisol blood level was significantly (p = 0.012) higher in schizophrenia patients without MetS in comparison to healthy controls, while patients with schizophrenia and a MetS have significantly (p = 0.014) lower DHEAS levels than healthy volunteers. These differences could, however, exclusively be attributed to female participants. Analysis of covariance adjusted for gender and age demon-strated a significant relationship between age and DHEAS levels (F = 9.512, р =0.003). Conclusion: Lower DHEAS serum levels in relationship to MetS become evident in women, but not in men, and have age differences as a confounding factor

Study of early onset schizophrenia:Associations of GRIN2A and GRIN2B polymorphisms

Background: Schizophrenia is a complex mental disorder with a high heritability. Dysfunction of the N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA)-type glutamate receptors may be involved in the pathogenesis of schizophrenia. In this study, we examined the contribution of GRIN2A and GRIN2B (Glutamate Ionotropic Receptor NMDA Type Subunit 2A/2B) polymorphisms to the clinical features of schizophrenia, such as the leading symptoms, the type of course, and the age of onset. Methods: A population of 402 Russian patients with schizophrenia from the Siberian region was investigated. Genotyping of seventeen single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in GRIN2A and GRIN2B was performed using QuantStudio™ 3D Digital PCR System Life Technologies amplifier using TaqMan Validated SNP Genotyping Assay kits (Applied Biosystems). The results were analyzed using Chi-square and the Fisher’s exact tests. Results: We found an association of GRIN2A rs7206256 and rs11644461 and GRIN2B rs7313149 with the early onset (before the age of 18 years old) schizophrenia. We did not reveal any associations of GRIN2A and GRIN2B polymorphisms with leading (positive vs. negative) symptoms or type of course (continuous vs. episodic) of schizophrenia. Conclusions: In the study, we confirmed the involvement of the GRIN2A and GRIN2B genes in the early onset of schizophrenia in a Russian population of the Siberian region