EFFECT OF TIANEPTINE ON COGNITIVE FUNCTIONS IN PATIENTS WITH DEPRESSIVE DISORDERS DURING A 3-MONTH OBSERVATION

Objective: The authors put forward the hypotheses that during a three-month treatment with tianeptine in patients with depressive disorders there is an improvement in the short-term memory, reaction time and attention. Subject and methods: 20 patients suffering from depression, were included in the study. During the entire research period all patients were treated with monotherapy with tianeptine. Cognitive function measurements were performed using the Vienna Test System. Results: Our study showed an improvement in the all the assessed functions: patients treated with tianeptine had better performance in tests measuring short term memory and learning processes as well as reaction time and attention. Conlusion: In conclusion, the study shows that tianeptine improves cognitive functions in depressed patients

LIAISON PSYCHIATRY IN POLAND – CAN WE ACHIEVE A SUCCESSFUL HOLISTIC DIAGNOSIS?

Introduction: New decades introduce more and more new medical specialties with the inevitable progress of medical science. This is due to the increasing amount of knowledge, and in opposition to the physical and intellectual faculties of a single man. In contrast to the time of Hippocrates, today one cannot be an expert in every field of medicine. We need to consult with specialists in various fields, in order to properly diagnose the patient. Without this the final diagnosis is often impossible. Subject and methods: The objective of our survey was to check how often psychiatrists use consultation with physicians in other specialties, and whether there is a relationship between the place of work, academic degree, work experience in the profession, and the number of commissioned consultations. It was also important for us whether consultations affect the final diagnosis. Results: Most of the respondents are young doctors, specialists from big cities. They rarely consult with doctors of other specialties - 1/10 cases. However they are skeptical about the opinions of other psychiatrists. In contrast the proctologist and the pathologist are the least frequent groups of specialists who are requested for a consultation by psychiatrists. Specialists consulting the most often are internists and neurologists. Conclusions: The key to a diagnostic success is a holistic view of the patient. It is necessary therefore to develop the most effective cooperation between doctors of various specialties

LIAISON PSYCHIATRY IN POLAND – CAN WE ACHIEVE A SUCCESSFUL HOLISTIC DIAGNOSIS?

Introduction: New decades introduce more and more new medical specialties with the inevitable progress of medical science. This is due to the increasing amount of knowledge, and in opposition to the physical and intellectual faculties of a single man. In contrast to the time of Hippocrates, today one cannot be an expert in every field of medicine. We need to consult with specialists in various fields, in order to properly diagnose the patient. Without this the final diagnosis is often impossible. Subject and methods: The objective of our survey was to check how often psychiatrists use consultation with physicians in other specialties, and whether there is a relationship between the place of work, academic degree, work experience in the profession, and the number of commissioned consultations. It was also important for us whether consultations affect the final diagnosis. Results: Most of the respondents are young doctors, specialists from big cities. They rarely consult with doctors of other specialties - 1/10 cases. However they are skeptical about the opinions of other psychiatrists. In contrast the proctologist and the pathologist are the least frequent groups of specialists who are requested for a consultation by psychiatrists. Specialists consulting the most often are internists and neurologists. Conclusions: The key to a diagnostic success is a holistic view of the patient. It is necessary therefore to develop the most effective cooperation between doctors of various specialties

PSYCHOGENIC SPEECH DISORDER – A CASE REPORT

Background: Conversion (dissociative) disorder is a psychiatric disorder in which somatic symptoms or deficits are present in the absence of a definable organic cause. The etiology of this disorder is not yet fully understood. The most characteristic presentations are: pseudosensory syndromes, pseudoseizures, psychogenic movement disorders and pseudoparalysis. Psychogenic speech disorder is a rare form of conversion (dissociative) disorder. The aim of present case study is to complete the knowledge on this subject. Subject and methods: The article presents a case of a fifty year old woman who developed psychogenic disorder of speech after being degraded to a lower position at work. After excluding organic background of observed symptoms, the diagnosis of conversion (dissociative) disorder was stated and adequate therapy was implemented, within the capabilities of the Ward. Results: Partial remission of presented symptoms was achieved as a result of psychopharmacotherapy and psychotherapy. Conclusions: Before stating the diagnosis of conversion (dissociative) disorder, possible somatic causes of the observed symptoms should be excluded. Special attention should be drawn to the importance of studying the psychological and family context of this case and the patient’s difficulty to understand and accept that produced symptoms might be triggered by a psychogenic factor

SEX-SPECIFIC DIFFERENCES IN COGNITIVE FUNCTIONING AMONG SCHIZOPHRENIC PATIENTS

Background: Cognitive deficits in schizophrenia are regarded by many psychiatrist as an important symptom, which requires appropriate treatment and rehabilitation. There are different conditions, which may have an influence on cognitive impairment in schizophrenic patients. One the factors differentiating subgroups of schizophrenic patients when neuropsychological functioning is analyzed is sex. Subjects and methods: This Review was focused on cognitive functioning of schizophrenic patients of different sexes. In order to achieve this result PubMed was searched using following terms: cognitive functions, schizophrenia, gender differences, sex hormones, memory, attention, neuropsychological, psychopatological symptoms. Results: Most of the analyzed papers reflecting the cognitive differences between men and women suffering from schizophrenia postulate a worse performance in neuropsychological test by male patients. However according to some authors there are no gender differences in cognitive functioning in schizophrenic patients or those differences are not clinically significant. Conclusions: The problem of sex-specific differences in cognitive functioning in patients in schizophrenia needs further investigation