{"title":"Correspondence: Neuropsychiatric post-acute sequelae of COVID-19.","authors":"Amnuay Kleebayoon, Viroj Wiwanitkit","doi":"10.1007/s00406-023-01586-x","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s00406-023-01586-x","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":11822,"journal":{"name":"European Archives of Psychiatry and Clinical Neuroscience","volume":" ","pages":"269"},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2025-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10022546/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"9131045","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Reham M El-Morshedy, Maha M El-Kholy, Eman M Khedr, Gellan K Ahmed, Esraa Yassin, Marwan N Mohamed
{"title":"A prospective study of the effect of COVID-19 on psychiatric symptoms and sleep problems from infection to 9-month follow-up.","authors":"Reham M El-Morshedy, Maha M El-Kholy, Eman M Khedr, Gellan K Ahmed, Esraa Yassin, Marwan N Mohamed","doi":"10.1007/s00406-023-01755-y","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s00406-023-01755-y","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Diverse psychological consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic have been reported for 6 months after infection. We conducted a prospective study to evaluate the psychological impact of COVID-19 infection in newly diagnosed cases that were followed up at 1, 6, and 9 months after infection. 137 people were recruited and divided into four groups based on the COVID-19 Treatment Guidelines. They were evaluated using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), Post-traumatic stress disorder Checklist for DSM-5 (PCL-5), and Symptom Checklist 90 (SCL-90). We found that 9 months after infection, patients continued to report poor sleep (74.5%), PTSD (78.3%), somatization (17%), anxiety (17%), aggression (5.7%), phobic anxiety (4.7%), psychoticism (1.9%), paranoid (3.8%), and obsessive-compulsive (9.4%) symptoms, as well as depression and interpersonal sensitivity. The most significant risk factors for psychiatric complications were older age, level of education, smoking, hospitalization duration, hypertension, and critical severity. The negative mental health effects of COVID-19 persist after hospital discharge, and many patients continue to experience moderate-to-severe issues that may endure for 9 months. Notably, there was a progressive improvement in these symptoms over that time.</p>","PeriodicalId":11822,"journal":{"name":"European Archives of Psychiatry and Clinical Neuroscience","volume":" ","pages":"99-108"},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2025-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139569982","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Jiajing Chen, Dong Mei Wang, Yang Tian, Rongrong Zhu, Yuqing Li, Lianglun Jia, Fabing Fu, Shanshan Tang, Xiaotao Wang, Li Wang, Xiang Yang Zhang
{"title":"Childhood abuse and craving in methamphetamine-dependent individuals: the mediating role of alexithymia.","authors":"Jiajing Chen, Dong Mei Wang, Yang Tian, Rongrong Zhu, Yuqing Li, Lianglun Jia, Fabing Fu, Shanshan Tang, Xiaotao Wang, Li Wang, Xiang Yang Zhang","doi":"10.1007/s00406-024-01775-2","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s00406-024-01775-2","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Individuals with a history of childhood abuse (CA, including neglect and abuse by caregivers before the age of 18 years) have more severe substance dependence problems than those without a history of childhood abuse. However, whether a history of CA exacerbates craving and the mechanism of this effect remain largely unknown. The aim of this study was to explore the role of alexithymia in the effects of CA on craving in a large sample of methamphetamine-dependent individuals based on latent vulnerability theory. A total of 324 methamphetamine-dependent individuals who met DSM-5 criteria for substance use disorder were recruited. CA, alexithymia, and craving data were collected from the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire, the Toronto Alexithymia Scale-20, and the Obsessive Compulsive Drug Use Scale, respectively. t tests and ANCOVA were conducted to compare variables between the CA and non-CA groups, while partial correlation and mediation analyses were conducted to examine the potential mediating role of alexithymia in the relationship between CA and craving. Abused methamphetamine-dependent individuals reported higher levels of craving and higher levels of alexithymia than those of non-abused methamphetamine-dependent individuals. Alexithymia partially mediated the link between CA and craving, especially the effect of CA on craving frequency was fully mediated by alexithymia. Our findings reveal that a history of childhood abuse has a lasting effect on craving in stimulant-dependent individuals, and alexithymia contributes to some extent to the severity of substance abuse problems in abused methamphetamine-dependent individuals.</p>","PeriodicalId":11822,"journal":{"name":"European Archives of Psychiatry and Clinical Neuroscience","volume":" ","pages":"209-217"},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2025-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140293243","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"All available diagnostic and therapeutic options should be fully exploited in order to quickly identify and optimally treat neuropathic pain in long-COVID.","authors":"Josef Finsterer","doi":"10.1007/s00406-024-01820-0","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s00406-024-01820-0","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":11822,"journal":{"name":"European Archives of Psychiatry and Clinical Neuroscience","volume":" ","pages":"275-276"},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2025-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140850077","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Julian Gutzeit, M Weiß, C Nürnberger, C Lemhöfer, K S Appel, E Pracht, J-P Reese, C Lehmann, M C Polidori, G Hein, J Deckert
{"title":"Definitions and symptoms of the post-COVID syndrome: an updated systematic umbrella review.","authors":"Julian Gutzeit, M Weiß, C Nürnberger, C Lemhöfer, K S Appel, E Pracht, J-P Reese, C Lehmann, M C Polidori, G Hein, J Deckert","doi":"10.1007/s00406-024-01868-y","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s00406-024-01868-y","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Post-COVID syndrome (PCS) describes a persistent complex of symptoms following a COVID-19 episode, lasting at least 4 to 12 weeks, depending on the specific criteria used for its definition. It is often associated with moderate to severe impairments of daily life and represents a major burden for many people worldwide. However, especially during the first two years of the COVID-19 pandemic, therapeutic and diagnostic uncertainties were prominent due to the novelty of the disease and non-specific definitions that overlooked functional deficits and lacked objective assessment. The present work comprehensively examines the status of PCS definitions as depicted in recent reviews and meta-analyses, alongside exploring associated symptoms and functional impairments. We searched the database Pubmed for reviews and meta-analysis evaluating PCS in the period between May 31, 2022, to December 31, 2023. Out of 95 studies, 33 were selected for inclusion in our analyses. Furthermore, we extended upon prior research by systematically recording the symptoms linked with PCS as identified in the studies. We found that fatigue, neurological complaints, and exercise intolerance were the most frequently reported symptoms. In conclusion, over the past eighteen months, there has been a notable increase in quantity and quality of research studies on PCS. However, there still remains a clear need for improvement, particularly with regard to the definition of the symptoms necessary for diagnosing this syndrome. Enhancing this aspect will render future research more comparable and precise, thereby advancing and understanding PCS.</p>","PeriodicalId":11822,"journal":{"name":"European Archives of Psychiatry and Clinical Neuroscience","volume":" ","pages":"129-140"},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2025-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11799012/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141757892","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Memory loss in patients with long COVID can be due to reduced hippocampal neurogenesis.","authors":"Ali Nouraeinejad","doi":"10.1007/s00406-023-01610-0","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s00406-023-01610-0","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":11822,"journal":{"name":"European Archives of Psychiatry and Clinical Neuroscience","volume":" ","pages":"267-268"},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2025-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10111313/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"9331000","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Anosmia predicts memory impairment in post-COVID-19 syndrome: results of a neuropsychological cohort study.","authors":"Massimiliano Ruggeri, Monica Ricci, Michela Pagliaro, Carmela Gerace","doi":"10.1007/s00406-023-01670-2","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s00406-023-01670-2","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Recovered COVID-19 patients frequently suffer of cognitive disorders. Several etiopathogenetic mechanisms have been considered for the brain complications in COVID-19 but results are uncertain. Amongst them, an olfactory route to SARS-CoV-2 brain infection might explain cognitive and memory disturbances in post-COVID-19 patients, given the cooccurrence of anosmia and possible underlying limbic involvement. The aims of the study are to investigate cognition of patients with post-COVID-19 syndrome, and to find clinical factors predicting cognitive and memory impairments. 18 patients with post-COVID-19 syndrome underwent neuropsychological assessment and evaluation of clinical parameters. Stepwise regression analysis was used between clinical parameters as factors and cognitive global scores as dependent variables. Since only anosmia predicted memory performances, repeated measures ANOVA of memory scores was conducted between anosmic and non-anosmic patients. We found lack of association between clinical parameters and cognitive performances. Only anosmia was a good predictor for memory performances, with anosmic subjects showing a temporo-mesial amnesic profile. Our study shows novel findings of causal association between transient anosmia during COVID-19 and memory disorders with temporo-mesial dysfunction, probably sharing a common pathophysiological mechanism, and suggesting a possible SARS-CoV 2 infection of the limbic brain via the olfactory route. In contrast to previous studies, cognitive dysfunctions were not associated with respiratory distress, comorbidity, and depression.</p>","PeriodicalId":11822,"journal":{"name":"European Archives of Psychiatry and Clinical Neuroscience","volume":" ","pages":"123-128"},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2025-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"10109965","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Erica Fongaro, Royce Anders, Ali Oker, Yasmine Laraki, Margot Eisenblaetter, Sophie Bayard, Delphine Capdevielle, Stephane Raffard
{"title":"Are thoughts and behaviours of individuals with schizophrenia more susceptible to being influenced during pandemic situations? A glimpse provided by the COVID-19 pandemic.","authors":"Erica Fongaro, Royce Anders, Ali Oker, Yasmine Laraki, Margot Eisenblaetter, Sophie Bayard, Delphine Capdevielle, Stephane Raffard","doi":"10.1007/s00406-024-01771-6","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s00406-024-01771-6","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Individuals with psychotic disorders such as schizophrenia may be more vulnerable during pandemics, but research on this topic is limited. This study examined COVID-19 impact on a population affected by schizophrenia during the COVID-19 pandemic. Levels of psychological distress and COVID-19-related behaviours, from the COVID-related Thoughts and Behavioral Symptoms (Cov-Tabs) Scale, were compared between 107 patients with schizophrenia and 70 control participants. Participants with schizophrenia had significantly higher Cov-Tabs scores than non-clinical participants. These results suggest a higher vulnerability in this population, emphasising the need for targeted support and further assessment.</p>","PeriodicalId":11822,"journal":{"name":"European Archives of Psychiatry and Clinical Neuroscience","volume":" ","pages":"163-166"},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2025-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139989675","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Demographic, biochemical, clinical, and cognitive symptom differences between smokers and non-smokers in Chinese older male patients with chronic schizophrenia.","authors":"Wei Li, Ling Yue, Shifu Xiao","doi":"10.1007/s00406-024-01762-7","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s00406-024-01762-7","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Several studies have suggested that smoking may impair cognitive function and worsen psychiatric symptoms in people with schizophrenia, but the results have not been consistent. There have been few studies to date that have examined the effects of smoking in older men with chronic schizophrenia.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>The participants in our study consisted of 167 order Chinese males with chronic schizophrenia and 359 normal control subjects. We split them into smoking and non-smoking groups based on whether or not they smoked. Second, we compared their differences in terms of general demographic characteristics (such as age, education, body mass index, age of illness onset, and course of disease), disease information (such as hypertension, diabetes, and hyperlipidemia), lifestyle factors (such as physical exercise and lunch break), blood biochemical indicators (such as albumin, triglyceride, total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein, low-density lipoprotein and fasting blood glucose), and medication usage (such as clozapine, olanzapine, risperidone, and chlorpromazine). Lastly, a neuropsychological test battery was used to assess their psychiatric and cognitive symptoms, for example, the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) was used to assess their overall cognitive functioning. Their depressive symptoms were assessed by the geriatric depression scale (GDS). Activities of daily living (ADL) were used to assess their ability to lead a daily life, while the positive and negative syndrome scales (PANSS) were used to assess their psychiatric symptoms.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Smokers who develop schizophrenia at older ages had a higher body mass index than non-smokers. We also found that plasma albumin, triglycerides, low-density lipoprotein, and fasting blood glucose concentrations were significantly higher in smokers. In contrast, smokers with schizophrenia also had lower PANSS total scores, negative symptom scores, and general psychopathology scores. A forward stepwise binary logistics regression analysis demonstrated a significant association between negative symptom scores and smoking status (B = 0.112, p < 0.001, OR = 1.119, 95% confidence interval: 1.059-1.181). Correlation analysis was carried out and it was found that the amount of cigarette consumption per day had a negative correlation with plasma albumin level(r = - 0.290, p = 0.004). However, no such association was found in normal controls.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Elderly Chinese men with schizophrenia have a higher percentage of smokers, and although smoking can reduce their plasma albumin levels, it does contribute to the prevention of negative symptoms.</p>","PeriodicalId":11822,"journal":{"name":"European Archives of Psychiatry and Clinical Neuroscience","volume":" ","pages":"193-199"},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2025-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11799016/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140093599","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Johanna Schwarz, Marcus Gertzen, Andrea Rabenstein, Moritz Straßburger, Alana Horstmann, Oliver Pogarell, Tobias Rüther, Susanne Karch
{"title":"What Chemsex does to the brain - neural correlates (ERP) regarding decision making, impulsivity and hypersexuality.","authors":"Johanna Schwarz, Marcus Gertzen, Andrea Rabenstein, Moritz Straßburger, Alana Horstmann, Oliver Pogarell, Tobias Rüther, Susanne Karch","doi":"10.1007/s00406-024-01856-2","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s00406-024-01856-2","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Chemsex describes the use of specific substances (methamphetamine, GHB/GBL, mephedrone, ketamine) which initiate or enhance sexual experiences and is mainly prevalent among men who have sex with men. Many Chemsex users experience somatic complications (for example sexually transmitted diseases) and sometimes adverse sociological, psychological, and neurological symptoms, such as depression, impulse control disorders or hypersexuality. Changes in impulsivity and deficits in executive functions have demonstrated to be associated with addiction and impulse control disorders as well as frontal brain dysfunction and behavioral control deficits. This study aims to explore the effects of neurophysiological correlates of inhibition and decision making in Chemsex users with an EEG paradigm using event-related potentials (N2, P3). 15 Chemsex users and 14 matched control subjects, all of them men who have sex with man, participated in an auditory Go/NoGo/Voluntary Selection EEG paradigm. In addition, clinical data (e.g. regarding depression), demographic information as well as measures of well-being and sexual behavior were collected. The results demonstrated that clinical symptoms, hypersexuality, and sexual risk behavior were more pronounced in Chemsex users compared to non-users. P3 amplitudes did not differ significantly between groups. However, the Chemsex users showed decreased electrophysiological N2 responses in fronto-central brain regions during decision-making, indicating compromised executive function and inhibitory control. The observed impairments may lead to increased risk behavior regarding drug abuse and hypersexuality. Understanding the neurobiological mechanisms can contribute to targeted interventions in order to mitigate the negative consequences of engaging in Chemsex and improve general well-being.</p>","PeriodicalId":11822,"journal":{"name":"European Archives of Psychiatry and Clinical Neuroscience","volume":" ","pages":"227-240"},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2025-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11799082/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141537707","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}