Person: YILMAZ, ONUR
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Mean platelet volume and neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio decrease in patients with depression with antidepressant treatment
Objective: Not only white blood cells but also platelets are being considered in inflammatory reactions from now on. Mean platelet volume (MPV) and neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NLR) have been shown to change in inflammatory diseases like myocardial infarction, stroke and implicated in psychiatric disorders nowadays. Our first aim is to investigate the relation of MPV and NLR with depression and secondly to assess if they change with the treatment of depression. Methods: Forty-nine patients diagnosed with major depressive disorder (MDD) and hospitalized in a university hospital psychiatry inpatient unit retrospectively included in the study. Control group consisted of 48 hospital workers with no known disease. Complete blood count, Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAM-D) and Clinical Global Impression-Severity Scale (CGI-S) scores at admission and at discharge were noted and compared for the patient group. Discussion: MPV of depressed patients was higher than controls. When we look at admission and discharge scores of clinical scales, decrement is statistically significant for both HAM-D and CGI-S. There was decline both in MPV and NLR which were both statistically significant. Conclusion: Decreasing MPV and NLR values with the treatment of depression confirm the involvement of inflammatory processes in the pathophysiology of depression.
Investigation of alexithymia and levels of anxiety and depression among patients with restless legs syndrome.
Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine alexithymia among restless legs syndrome (RLS) patients, compare with healthy controls, and argue the clinical inferences of this relationship. We searched for anxiety and depression and their clinical outcomes among patients and searched whether the results are similar to previous studies. Patients and methods: Eighty-seven RLS patients and 88 age, gender, and educationally matched healthy controls were assessed in Bezmialem Foundation University Hospital. RLS patients and healthy controls were assessed with the Sociodemographic Data Form constructed for the present study, 20-item Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20), Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), and Beck Anxiety Scale (BAS). The patient group was also assessed with the International Restless Legs Syndrome Study Group (IRLSSG) RLS Severity Scale. Results: RLS patients were found to have greater TAS-20, BDI, and BAS scores compared with the control group (P < 0.05). RLS severity score was positively correlated with the scores of anxiety and depression scales. However, no significant relationship was found between scores of IRLSSG RLS scale and TAS-20 total and subscale scores. Conclusion: RLS patients were found to be more alexithymic than healthy controls, whereas no significant relationship was found between RLS severity and levels of alexithymia. Still, alexithymia might be a predictor for early diagnosis and may be considered in the treatment and follow-up of RLS. RLS patients have higher depression and anxiety scores than healthy individuals. Thus, depression and anxiety should be taken into consideration throughout the RLS treatment.
Childhood traumas in patients with bipolar disorder: association with alexithymia and dissociative experiences
Objective: The number of studies investigating the traumatic events experienced during childhood period in patients with bipolar disorder (BD) are limited and to our knowledge no previous study was conducted about alexithymia and dissociative experiences of these patients as well. Besides investigation of childhood traumas and associated dissociative and alexithymic properties, identification of the differences between BD patients with and without childhood trauma (CT) was aimed in this study. Methods: Among the admissions to the psychiatry outpatient clinic, 70 BD patients and 70 healthy control subjects were included into the study. Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV Axis-I Disorders, Dissociative Experiences Scale (DES), Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ) and Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20) were administered. Results: Mean subscale and total scores of patients with BD in both CTQ and TAS-20, and mean DES score were found to be significantly higher than healthy control subjects. Psychopathological acts, number of episodes and suicide attempts were higher in the BD patients with childhood trauma history than that of the BD patients without any history of childhood trauma. Additionally, positive correlations were found between -sexual abuse- and alexithymia total score along with -difficulty identifying feelings- subscale score. Moreoever, mean DES score was also found to be positively correlated with -difficulty identifying feelings- subscale score, -difficulty to describe feelings- subscale score, alexithymia total score, and episode frequency. Conclusion: These results highlight the importance of protective mental health in the treatment of BD and reveal that childhood traumas should be questioned when evaluating patients especially with the diagnosis of BD.