Dissociative experiences in patients with epilepsy

ABSTRACT A few studies have explored dissociative experiences in epilepsy patients. We investigated dissociative experiences in patients with epilepsy using the dissociative experiences scale (DES). Ninety-eight patients with epilepsy and sixty healthy controls were enrolled in this study. A sociodemographic questionnaire and the Dissociative Experiences Scale (DES), Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI) were administered to the participants. The DES scores were significantly higher for the patients with epilepsy than the healthy individuals. The number of individuals with pathological dissociation (DES ≥ 30) was higher in the epilepsy group (n = 28) than in the control group (n = 8). Also, higher levels of dissociation were significantly associated with frequency of seizures, but were not associated with duration of epilepsy and age at onset of the disorder. These findings demonstrate that patients with epilepsy are more prone to dissociation than controls. The high rate of dissociative experiences among patients with epilepsy suggest that some epilepsy-related factors are present.

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Brain Volumetric Changes and Cognitive Functions in Epileptic Patients

QJM ◽

10.1093/qjmed/hcaa054 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 113 (Supplement_1) ◽

Author(s):

A A Ashour ◽

A M A Nassef ◽

E M Awad ◽

A M Hazzou ◽

M A Nada ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Cognitive Functions ◽

Brain Volume ◽

Control Group ◽

Healthy Controls ◽

Whole Brain ◽

Significant Difference ◽

Epileptic Patients ◽

Generalized Epilepsy ◽

Patients With Epilepsy ◽

And Control

Abstract Background Epilepsy is a serious common neurological disorder that can affect any age. Cognitive functions are highly prevalent in patients with epilepsy and is more likely to occur in patients with idiopathic generalized epilepsy (IGE). Associations were found between cognitive functions and brain volume loss in patients with epilepsy. Objective This work was carried out to assess the volumetric changes in brain of epileptic patients to use it as a biomarker for cognitive dysfunction in adult and adolescent patients with epilepsy. Patients and Methods A case control study was conducted to include 61 patients, 20 of which diagnosed with idiopathic generalized epilepsy (IGE), 21 with temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) and 20 with frontal lobe epilepsy (FLE) who were selected from the epilepsy outpatient clinic in Ain Shams university hospitals along with 23 age and sex matched healthy controls. Both cases and control groups were subjected to Magnetic resonance imaging MRI brain volumetry and detailed cognitive testing. An informed consent was taken from each adult patient, guardian of adolescent patient and healthy control. Results Statistically significant difference in comprehension subcategory of the Wechsler adult intelligence scale (WAIS) between patients with IGE and healthy controls denoting poorer social judgment in the IGE group. The IGE group also showed poorer performance in digit symbol subcategory of the same test denoting worse psychomotor speed and sustained attention. Also, significant difference in similarities subcategory was found between TLE group and control group denoting poorer abstract thinking among the TLE group. The IGE and TLE groups also showed lower attention and concentration than control group in the mental control subcategory of the Wechsler memory scale (WMS) yet failed to show superiority over each other. No statistically significant difference was found on comparing the whole brain volume between cases and control groups. A statistically significant direct relationship was found between the arithmetic subcategory of WAIS and the whole brain volume of the patients among the patients of the FLE group. Conclusion Patients with IGE had worse psychomotor speed, sustained attention and concentration than healthy controls in addition to poorer social judgment. Also, patients with TLE showed lower attention and concentration together with poorer abstract thinking despite normal IQ. The study also concluded that increased whole brain volume in patients with frontal lobe epilepsy is associated with better mathematical problem solving.

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Elevation of inflammatory S100A8/S100A9 complexes in intracranial aneurysms

Journal of NeuroInterventional Surgery ◽

10.1136/neurintsurg-2019-015753 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 12 (11) ◽

pp. 1117-1121

Author(s):

Antonius Mattheus de Korte ◽

René Aquarius ◽

Thomas Vogl ◽

Johannes Roth ◽

Ronald H M A Bartels ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Vessel Wall ◽

Primary Outcome ◽

Control Group ◽

Healthy Controls ◽

Activated Macrophages ◽

Related Factors ◽

Aneurysm Wall ◽

Healthy Control ◽

Insight Into

BackgroundInflammation-related factors might give further insight into the pathophysiology of vessel wall inflammation and intracranial aneurysm (IA) rupture. One of these factors is the protein complex S100A8/A9, which is released by neutrophils, monocytes, and activated macrophages and is known for its role in cardiovascular disease.ObjectiveTo determine if venous S100A8/A9 levels in patients with a ruptured IA (rIA) or unruptured IA (uIA) are elevated compared with a control group. Second, to assess differences between venous and intra-aneurysmal S100A8/A9 levels of rIA and uIA patients.MethodsA prospective case study was performed between June 2016 and May 2017 in patients harboring a ruptured or unruptured saccular IA. Primary outcome measures were individual S100A8/A9 serum concentrations as measured in venous and intra-aneurysmal blood samples during endovascular treatment. Venous serum S100A8/A9 concentrations from a healthy control group served as a reference.ResultsWe included 16 patients with either a rIA or uIA and 47 healthy controls. Venous S100A8/A9 concentrations were higher in aneurysm patients (rIA and uIA) than those of healthy controls (P≤0.001). S100A8/A9 concentrations were higher in intra-aneurysmal samples than in venous samples of rIA patients (P=0.011). This difference was not found in uIA patients (P=0.054). Intra-aneurysmal S100A8/A9 levels were higher in rIAs than in uIAs (P=0.04).ConclusionsVenous S100A8/A9 levels are elevated in patients with both rIAs and uIAs compared with healthy controls and likely represents aneurysm wall inflammation. S100A8/A9 causes macrophage-induced inflammation and degeneration of the vessel wall which might explain higher intra-aneurysmal S100A8/A9 levels found in rIAs than in uIAs.

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Study of the Relationship between Microbiome and Colorectal Cancer Susceptibility Using 16SrRNA Sequencing

BioMed Research International ◽

10.1155/2020/7828392 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 2020 ◽

pp. 1-17 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

Wanxin Liu ◽

Ren Zhang ◽

Rong Shu ◽

Jinjing Yu ◽

Huan Li ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Colorectal Cancer ◽

Gut Microbiota ◽

Cancer Susceptibility ◽

Precancerous Lesions ◽

Bacterial Community Composition ◽

Intestinal Flora ◽

Control Group ◽

Healthy Controls ◽

Healthy Individuals

A lot of previous studies have recently reported that the gut microbiota influences the development of colorectal cancer (CRC) in Western countries, but the role of the gut microbiota in Chinese population must be investigated fully. The goal of this study was to determine the role of the gut microbiome in the initiation and development of CRC. We collected fecal samples of 206 Chinese individuals: 59 with polyp (group P), 54 with adenoma (group A), 51 with colorectal cancer (group CC), and 42 healthy controls (group HC).16S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) was used to compare the microbiota community structures among healthy controls, patients with polyp, and those with adenoma or colorectal cancer. Our study proved that intestinal flora, as a specific indicator, showed significant differences in its diversity and composition. Sobs, Chao, and Ace indexes of group CC were significantly lower than those of the healthy control group (CC group: Sobs, Chao, and Ace indexes were 217.3 ± 69, 4265.1 ± 80.7, and 268.6 ± 78.1, respectively; HC group: Sobs, Chao, and Ace indexes were 228.8 ± 44.4, 272.9 ± 58.6, and 271.9 ± 57.2, respectively). When compared with the healthy individuals, the species richness and diversity of intestinal flora in patients with colorectal cancer were significantly reduced: PCA and PCoA both revealed that a significant separation in bacterial community composition between the CC group and HC group (with PCA using the first two principal component scores of PC1 14.73% and PC2 10.34% of the explained variance, respectively; PCoA : PC1 = 14%, PC2 = 9%, PC3 = 6%). Wilcox tests was used to analyze differences between the two groups, it reveals that Firmicutes (P=0.000356), Fusobacteria (P=0.000001), Proteobacteria (P=0.000796), Spirochaetes (P=0.013421), Synergistetes (P=0.005642) were phyla with significantly different distributions between cases and controls. The proportion of microorganism composition is varying at different stages of colon cancer development: Bacteroidetes (52.14%) and Firmicutes (35.88%) were enriched in the healthy individuals; on the phylum level, the abundance of Bacteroidetes (52.14%-53.92%-52.46%–47.06%) and Firmicutes (35.88%-29.73%-24.27%–25.36%) is decreasing with the development of health-polyp-adenomas-CRC, and the abundance of Proteobacteria (9.33%-12.31%-16.51%–22.37%) is increasing. PCA and PCOA analysis showed there was no significant (P<0.05) difference in species similarity between precancerous and carcinogenic states. However, the composition of the microflora in patients with precancerous lesions (including patients with adenoma and polyp) was proved to have no significant disparity (P<0.05). Our study provides insights into new angles to dig out potential biomarkers in diagnosis and treatment of colorectal cancer and to provide scientific advice for a healthy lifestyle for the sake of gut microbiota.

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Distinct effects of over-general autobiographical memory on suicidal ideation among depressed and healthy people

BMC Psychiatry ◽

10.1186/s12888-020-02877-6 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 20 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Wen Jiang ◽

Guangtao Hu ◽

Jingxuan Zhang ◽

Ken Chen ◽

Dongni Fan ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Risk Factors ◽

Suicidal Ideation ◽

Autobiographical Memory ◽

Childhood Trauma ◽

Study Data ◽

Path Model ◽

Control Group ◽

Healthy Controls ◽

Healthy Individuals ◽

Healthy Control

Abstract Background Childhood trauma and over-general autobiographical memory (OGM) are crucial risk factors of suicide. This study aimed to investigate whether suicidal ideation was predicted by one’s childhood trauma and OGM and the mechanism of OGM underlying suicidal ideation in depression patients and healthy controls. Methods A total of 180 depression patients and 176 matched healthy individuals were recruited in this study. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, and Pearson’s correlation coefficient was obtained. Path analysis was conducted to test a meditational model. The multigroup comparison was applied to find differences between groups. Results Significant differences were detected between depression patients and healthy controls with respect to childhood trauma, OGM, suicidal ideation, and suicidal behavior. OGM was positively correlated with both current and worst-point suicidal ideation in the depression group and significantly correlated with worst-point suicidal ideation in the healthy control group. The path model showed that childhood trauma had a direct impact on the current suicidal ideation directly, and an indirect influence through OGM and worst-point suicidal ideation. Multigroup analysis further demonstrated that OGM affected and mediated the current suicidal ideation due to childhood trauma in depression patients, whereas only worst-point suicidal ideation was affected in healthy controls. Conclusions The OGM mediates suicidal ideation in depression patients, but only affects the worst-point suicidal ideation in the healthy controls. As it is one of the major risk factors of suicidal ideation in depression, amelioration of OGM might be an useful method to reduce or prevent suicidal ideation in depression patients.

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FREQUENCY ANALYSIS OF SINGULAR FIRST-PERSON PRONOUNS AND VERBS IN THE UTTERANCES OF SCHIZOPHRENIA PATIENTS AND HEALTHY CONTROLS. A RESEARCH REPORT

Lingua Posnaniensis ◽

10.2478/linpo-2013-0006 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 55 (1) ◽

pp. 87-98

Author(s):

Monika Obrębska

Keyword(s):

Frequency Analysis ◽

Negative Symptoms ◽

Paranoid Schizophrenia ◽

Research Report ◽

Control Group ◽

First Person ◽

Healthy Controls ◽

Healthy Individuals ◽

Personal Pronouns ◽

Positive Type

Abstract The purpose of this article is to present the results of a frequency analysis of first-person pronouns and verbs in utterance texts of schizophrenia patients and healthy controls. Method: The study involved 130 hospitalized psychiatric patients diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia and 130 healthy individuals. As a result of the study, the largest corpus to date of marked utterance texts of schizophrenic patients in the Polish language was obtained. The ratio of the number of singular first-person personal pronouns and verbs to the total number of personal pronouns and verbs used in any particular text was calculated and was then averaged for each of the four studied groups: a group of patients with positive schizophrenia symptoms, a group of patients with negative schizophrenia symptoms, a control group for the patients with positive symptoms, and a control group for the patients with negative symptoms. Results: The highest mean was found for the group of patients with positive schizophrenia symptoms, and the lowest for the group of healthy individuals. This difference was found to be statistically significant. Conclusion: The “egocentric orientation” and difficulty in defining one’s own identity experienced by psychotic patients, especially those with the positive type of schizophrenia, are reflected in their lexical choices.

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Risk Model Assessment in Early-Onset and Adult-Onset Schizophrenia Using Neurological Soft Signs

Journal of Clinical Medicine ◽

10.3390/jcm8091443 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 8 (9) ◽

pp. 1443

Author(s):

Chen ◽

Tsai ◽

Lin ◽

Lu ◽

Tan ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Early Onset ◽

Risk Model ◽

Age At Onset ◽

Control Group ◽

Model Assessment ◽

Healthy Controls ◽

Onset Age ◽

Adult Onset ◽

Early Onset Schizophrenia ◽

Neurological Soft Signs

Age at onset is one of the most important clinical features of schizophrenia that could indicate greater genetic loadings. Neurological soft signs (NSS) are considered as a potential endophenotype for schizophrenia. However, the association between NSS and different age-onset schizophrenia still remains unclear. We aimed to compare risk model in patients with early-onset schizophrenia (EOS) and adult-onset schizophrenia (AOS) with NSS. This study included 262 schizophrenia patients, 177 unaffected first-degree relatives and 243 healthy controls. We estimated the discriminant abilities of NSS models for early-onset schizophrenia (onset age < 20) and adult-onset schizophrenia (onset age ≥ 20) using three data mining methods: artificial neural networks (ANN), decision trees (DT) and logistic regression (LR). We then assessed the magnitude of NSS performance in EOS and AOS families. For the four NSS subscales, the NSS performance were greater in EOS and AOS families compared with healthy individuals. More interestingly, there were significant differences found between patients’ families and control group in the four subscales of NSS. These findings support the potential for neurodevelopmental markers to be used as schizophrenia vulnerability indicators. The NSS models had higher discriminant abilities for EOS than for AOS. NSS were more accurate in distinguishing EOS patients from healthy controls compared to AOS patients. Our results support the neurodevelopmental hypothesis that EOS has poorer performance of NSS than AOS. Hence, poorer NSS performance may be imply trait-related NSS feature in EOS.

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Oxidative Stress Biomarkers as a Predictor of Stage Illness and Clinical Course of Schizophrenia

Frontiers in Psychiatry ◽

10.3389/fpsyt.2021.728986 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 12 ◽

Author(s):

Dariusz Juchnowicz ◽

Michał Dzikowski ◽

Joanna Rog ◽

Napoleon Waszkiewicz ◽

Anna Zalewska ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Oxidative Stress ◽

Regression Model ◽

Antioxidant Status ◽

Serum Levels ◽

Stress Index ◽

First Episode ◽

Control Group ◽

Healthy Individuals ◽

Related Factors ◽

Reducing Ability

Pro/antioxidant imbalance has been reported in schizophrenia (SZ). However, the results of studies are inconsistent and usually do not include other factors that are highly affected by oxidative stress (OS).This cross-sectional study aimed to determine the serum levels of OS markers and their potential connection with schizophrenia. The total sample comprised 147: 98 individuals with SZ −47 first-episode (FS) and 49 chronic patients (CS)—and 49 healthy individuals (HC) as a control group. The examination included clinical variables and serum levels of antioxidants and oxidative damage products. The significant changes were observed in concentrations of all examined markers, without any specific direction of the pro/antioxidant balance shift between SZ and HC. In the regression model adjusted for cofounders, catalase: OR = 0.81 (95%CI: 0.74–0.88); glutathione peroxidase: OR = 1.06 (95%CI: 1.02–1.10); total antioxidant capacity: OR = 0.85 (95%CI: 0.75–0.98); oxidative stress index: OR = 1.25 (95%CI: 1.03–1.52); ferric reducing ability of plasma: OR = 0.79 (95%CI: 0.69–0.89); advanced glycation end products: OR = 1.03 (95%CI: 1.01–1.04); and advanced oxidation protein products (AOPP): OR = 1.05 (95%CI: 1.03–1.07) turned out to be significant predictors of schizophrenia. In the multiple stepwise regression model, pro/antioxidant status and their interaction with the duration of illness-related factors affected schizophrenia symptoms: positive symptoms (FRAPxKYN), negative (DITYR, FRAP, CAT), general (KYN), and over-all psychopathology (KYNxNFK). The results confirm differences in serum levels of oxidative biomarkers between SZ patients and healthy individuals. The pro/antioxidant status could be considered a predictor of schizophrenia and the factor affects patients' symptom severity.

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Association between age at onset of multiple sclerosis and vitamin D level in Saudi population

International Journal of Community Medicine and Public Health ◽

10.18203/2394-6040.ijcmph20193960 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 6 (9) ◽

pp. 3728

Author(s):

Hossam H. Younis ◽

Abdulrahman H. Alzahrani ◽

Abdulmageed S. Alomar

Keyword(s):

Multiple Sclerosis ◽

Vitamin D ◽

Age At Onset ◽

High Rate ◽

Military Hospital ◽

P Value ◽

Healthy Controls ◽

Saudi Population ◽

Vitamin D Levels ◽

Multiple Sclerosis Patients

Background: Several studies have shown an association between 25-hydroxyvitamin D (Vitamin D) levels and multiple sclerosis (MS). This study aimed to evaluate association between age at onset of Multiple Sclerosis and vitamin D level in Saudi population.Methods: This cross-sectional study was performed in the Neurology Department king Fahd Military Hospital Jeddah in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) included 75 patients with MS and 99 healthy controls group matched for gender and age. Comparing vitamin D measurement in multiple sclerosis patients at the time of diagnosis with healthy controls group.Results: We found no significant association between age at onset of multiple sclerosis and vitamin D level in Saudi population p value (0.723). However we also found that 74.66% of the sample Members who had MS and has a deficient of vitamin D and 83.83% people of the sample members didn’t have MS, but vitamin D was deficient with them.Conclusions: Study has revealed a high rate of vitamin D deficiency in patients with MS and in the controls group, as well Therese no clear relation to MS, Thus Therese no significant association between age at onset of multiple sclerosis and vitamin D level in Saudi population.

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Evaluation of thiol disulphide levels in patients with pulmonary embolism

Turkish Journal of Biochemistry ◽

10.1515/tjb-2019-0259 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 0 (0) ◽

Author(s):

Kamile Yücel ◽

Said Sami Erdem ◽

Ercan Kurtipek ◽

Taha Tahir Bekci ◽

Salim Neşelioğlu ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Pulmonary Embolism ◽

Serum Albumin ◽

Antioxidant Defense ◽

Prognostic Markers ◽

Control Group ◽

Healthy Controls ◽

Strongly Correlated ◽

The Novel ◽

Healthy Individuals ◽

Lower Serum

AbstractObjectivesMaintaining the thiol-disulphide balance is essential for antioxidant defense and apoptosis. The study aimed to evaluate of thiol-disulphide levels in patients with pulmonary embolism (PE).MethodsThe study included a total of 97 participants: 48 patients and 49 healthy individuals. Serum native thiol (NT), total thiol (TT) and disulphide (DS) levels (µmol/L) were measured using the novel spectrophotometric method.ResultsWe found significantly lower levels of NT (195.44±83.3 μmol/L), DS (20.42±9.20 μmol/L) and TT (236.26±90.66 μmol/L) in patients with PE compared with the healthy controls (304.42±62.13, 24.33±8.09 and 353.07±63.58 μmol/L respectively). Patients with PE had lower serum albumin levels (3.11±1.03 g/dL) and higher ischaemia modified albumin (IMA) levels (0.82±0.16 g/dL) compared with the controls (3.89±0.52 and 0.67±0.15 g/dL, respectively). Serum albumin levels in patients were strongly correlated with plasma IMA (r=−0.737; p<0.001), NT (r=0.786; p<0.001) and TT levels (r=0.841; p<0.001). Serum NT levels were strongly correlated with serum TT levels (r=0.981; p<0.001) in patients.ConclusionsThis study found lower TT, NT and DS levels in patients with PE than in the control group. Our study revealed that thiol-disulphide homeostasis could be altered during PE and further studies are needed to be used as prognostic markers for hospital mortality.

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The Origin of P-selectin as a Circulating Plasma Protein

Thrombosis and Haemostasis ◽

10.1055/s-0038-1656116 ◽

1997 ◽

Vol 77 (06) ◽

pp. 1081-1085 ◽

Cited By ~ 162

Author(s):

R Fijnheer ◽

C J M Frijns ◽

J Korteweg ◽

H Rommes ◽

J H Peters ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Endothelial Cells ◽

Platelet Count ◽

Endothelial Cell ◽

Cell Activation ◽

Control Group ◽

Healthy Controls ◽

Healthy Individuals ◽

Endothelial Cell Activation ◽

Bone Marrow Aplasia ◽

Thrombocytopenic Purpura

SummaryP-selectin is a 140 kD protein found in the α-granules of platelets and the Weibel-Palade bodies of endothelial cells. On cell activation it is expressed on the cell surface and also secreted into plasma. Whether the circulating soluble P-selectin (sP-selectin) originates from platelets, endothelial cells, or both, is not known. We studied the level of sP-selectin in diseases with different platelet counts, with or without evidence of endothelial cell activation. Endothelial cell activation was confirmed by the detection of sE-selectin and EDl-fibronectin. A significant positive correlation between platelet count and sP-selectin concentration was observed in healthy controls, and in patients with thrombocytopenia due to bone marrow aplasia, or with thrombocytosis (r = 0.85; n = 47; p <0.001). In patients with idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP) the sP-selectin concentration was 110 ± 39 ng/ml (n = 10), compared to 122 ± 38 ng/ml in healthy controls (n = 26). However, their mean platelet count was lower (58 X 109/1 versus 241 X 109/1 in the control group). Accordingly, the levels of sP-selectin expressed per platelet increased to significantly higher levels (2.0 ± 1.2 versus 0.6 ± 0.2 fg/platelet in the control group-; p <0.0001). This suggests increased platelet turnover in patients with ITP. High levels of sP-selectin were found in patients with sepsis (398 ± 203 ng/ml; n = 15) and with thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP; 436 ± 162 ng/ml; n = 12). Compared with patients with ITP, the concentration of sP-selectin per platelet was higher in patients with sepsis (4.8 ± 4.3 fg/platelet; p <0.005) or TTP (17.1 ± 9.5 fg/platelet; p <0.001). Endothelial cells are very likely to be the source in these patients and the presence of endothelial cell activation was confirmed by increased levels of circulating E-selectin and ED 1 -fibronectin.This study suggests that platelets are the major source of circulating sP-selectin in healthy individuals. Endothelial cell activation is associated with an increased sP-selectin concentration per platelet.

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