Neurocysticercosis presenting as bipolar disorder: a case report

Neurocysticercosis is the most common neuro-parasitosis caused by the larval stage of Taenia solium. The most common manifestations include seizures and hydrocephalus. Psychiatric abnormalities are relatively rare but depressive symptoms are frequent in patients with neurocysticercosis. However, mania as a presentation is relatively rare. Pregnancy and the postpartum period are relatively vulnerable times and they can lead to reactivation of existing neurocysterci lesions. We are discussing the case of a 23-year-old female patient with neurocysticercosis leading to the reactivation of lesions in the peripartum and postpartum period leading to bipolar affective disorder. Improvement in the patient was seen with a combination of antipsychotics, antihelmintics, antiepileptics and steroids, along with improved radiological signs of neurocysterci lesions. Although neurocysticercosis is a common illness, its prevalence presenting as a manic episode is merely 2.6% and, hence, missed easily. Therefore, it is important to rule out organic aetiology in patients even with a classic presentation of bipolar affective disorder and those having any other neurological symptoms and signs.

The cost of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) in China: a multi-center cross-sectional survey based on hospitals

BackgroundObsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is considered a very debilitating disorder with severe loss of quality of life and income.AimsThis study estimates the quality of life and economic consequences of OCD in China.MethodsThe research team interviewed 639 patients with OCD in 13 hospitals in 12 cities in China. The direct method was used to get the direct cost of OCD. Indirect costs associated with OCD were estimated using the human capital approach. Linear regression analysis was conducted for quality of life and generalised linear model analysis was conducted for total cost. Sensitivity analysis was used to analyse the uncertainty of total cost.ResultsThe mean quality of life score for OCD was 52.78 (20.46). The annual total cost of OCD per capita was 24 503.78 (95% CI: 22 621.53 to 26 386.03) renminbi (RMB) (US$3465.88 (95% CI: US$3199.65 to US$3732.11)). The annual cost of OCD in China was estimated to be 37.74 billion (95% CI: 34.95 billion to 40.53 billion) RMB (equal to US$5.34 billion (95% CI: US$4.94 billion to US$5.73 billion)). Sensitivity analysis showed that the total annual cost of OCD in China was between 23.15 billion RMB (US$3.27 billion) and 370.00 billion RMB (US$52.33 billion). Worse social function status, more psychiatric symptoms and higher Yale Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale (Y-BOCS) score were associated with worse quality of life. The numbers of clinic visits and hospitalisations, socioeconomic status, education, Y-BOCS scores and age were found to be significantly associated with total cost.ConclusionsOCD is associated with low quality of life and high costs in China. The findings call for concerted efforts to improve services for patients with OCD.Improvements may include early detection and diagnosis, the provision of evidence-based treatments and relapse prevention strategies.

CUMS and dexamethasone induce depression-like phenotypes in mice by differentially altering gut microbiota and triggering macroglia activation

BackgroundAlthough the link between gut microbiota and depression has been suggested, changes of gut microbiota vary largely among individuals with depression.AimsExplore the heterogeneity of microbiota–gut–brain axis and new pathogenic characteristics in murine models of depression.MethodsAdolescent female mice were randomly divided into control (CON) group (n=10), chronic unexpected mild stress (CUMS) group (n=15) and dexamethasone (DEX) group (n=15). Mice in the DEX group were gavaged twice a day with 0.2 mg/kg of DEX for 5 weeks, whereas CON mice were given the same amount of solvent. Mice in the CUMS group were exposed to stressors. After behavioural evaluations, all mice were sacrificed for harvesting tissues and blood samples. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was conducted for measuring levels of corticosterone (CORT) and interleukin-1β (IL-1β) in sera, whereas levels of protein expression in colon and hippocampal tissues were examined by western blot. Faecal microbial communities were analysed by sequencing 16S rDNAs.ResultsMice in CUMS and DEX groups exhibited severe depression-like behaviours. Compared with CON mice, CUMS-exposed mice showed a significant increase in both α and β diversity. Prevotellaceae and Desulfovibrio were enriched, whereas Bacilli were decreased in the faeces of mice in the CUMS group. DEX-treated mice had a decrease in the abundance of Clostridium XVIII. Levels of occludin in colon tissue of DEX-treated mice were reduced. Relative to mice in the CON and CUMS groups, DEX-treated mice contained higher serum levels of CORT and IL-1β. Compared with CON mice, mice in the DEX and CUMS groups had higher levels of IL-1β in sera and lower levels of glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), Nestin, Synapsin-1 and P2Y12 receptor in the hippocampus.ConclusionsChanges of gut microbiota diversity, intestinal integrity and neuroinflammation in the brain contribute to CUMS-induced depression, whereas pathobionts and excessive immunosuppression with damaged neuronal synapses is a basis of the DEX-induced depression.

INCloud: integrated neuroimaging cloud for data collection, management, analysis and clinical translations

BackgroundNeuroimaging techniques provide rich and accurate measures of brain structure and function, and have become one of the most popular methods in mental health and neuroscience research. Rapidly growing neuroimaging research generates massive amounts of data, bringing new challenges in data collection, large-scale data management, efficient computing requirements and data mining and analyses.AimsTo tackle the challenges and promote the application of neuroimaging technology in clinical practice, we developed an integrated neuroimaging cloud (INCloud). INCloud provides a full-stack solution for the entire process of large-scale neuroimaging data collection, management, analysis and clinical applications.MethodsINCloud consists of data acquisition systems, a data warehouse, automatic multimodal image quality check and processing systems, a brain feature library, a high-performance computing cluster and computer-aided diagnosis systems (CADS) for mental disorders. A unique design of INCloud is the brain feature library that converts the unit of data management from image to image features such as hippocampal volume. Connecting the CADS to the scientific database, INCloud allows the accumulation of scientific data to continuously improve the accuracy of objective diagnosis of mental disorders.ResultsUsers can manage and analyze neuroimaging data on INCloud, without the need to download them to the local device. INCloud users can query, manage, analyze and share image features based on customized criteria. Several examples of 'mega-analyses' based on the brain feature library are shown.ConclusionsCompared with traditional neuroimaging acquisition and analysis workflow, INCloud features safe and convenient data management and sharing, reduced technical requirements for researchers, high-efficiency computing and data mining, and straightforward translations to clinical service. The design and implementation of the system are also applicable to imaging research platforms in other fields.

Discordance between family report and clinical assessment of suicide attempts: a prospective study from the emergency department

BackgroundDeveloping accurate identification methods for individuals with suicide attempts and providing them with follow-up care and supports can be a vital component of all comprehensive suicide prevention strategies. However, because of the difficulties concerning one’s intentions behind injurious behaviour, identifying suicide attempts is a challenge for families and clinicians.AimsThe aim of this study was to investigate the differences between family report and clinical assessment for suicide attempts in the emergency department (ED).MethodsA total of 148 patients with suspected suicide attempts (SSAs) and 148 family caregivers in the ED were enrolled. The suicide risk module of the Chinese version of the MINI International Neuropsychiatric Interview and the self-report measure were used to assess those with SSA’s suicidal behaviours. The Family Adaptability and Cohesion Evaluation Scales and semi-structured interviews were used to investigate the characteristics of suicide risk and demographics of patients with SSA, as well as the rate and influencing factors of omitted suicide attempts reported by family caregivers.ResultsThe underreporting rate for family reported suicide attempts in the ED was 69.0%. The suicide attempts group indicated lower mean scores on perceptions of family resources, adaptability and cohesion. Patients' suicide risk rating (OR =−1.81, 95% CI: −3.87 to −0.33, p=0.036), family satisfaction (OR =−1.11, 95% CI: −2.29 to −0.06, p=0.048), and caregiver’s age (OR =−1.68, 95% CI: −3.10 to −0.48, p=0.010) might be associated with underreporting by families. If patients committed suicide attempts through a falling injury or medication overdose, their families may have misreported the suicide attempt.ConclusionsThe discordance of suicide attempt records between family report and clinical assessment reveals the limitations of family self-reports when identifying suicide attempts. Interviews and observations, together with information from certain diagnoses, should be combined to accurately identify suicide attempters in the ED.

Association of anxiety-depressive disorders with irritable bowel syndrome among patients attending a rural family practice center: a comparative cross-sectional study

BackgroundComorbidity of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and psychiatric disorders is common, and the prevalence of at least one psychiatric disorder has been reported as high as 80% among patients with IBS.AimsTo explore the association of anxiety-depressive disorders with IBS and its different subtypes, and to evaluate the associations of lifestyle habits, dietary habits and sleeping quality with IBS.MethodsA comparative cross-sectional study was conducted at the AL-Mahsama Family Practice Center, Ismailia, Egypt. It was carried out between October 2019 and October 2020. Participants were categorised into 175 patients with IBS, diagnosed using the Rome IV criteria, and 175 patients without IBS. A semistructured questionnaire was used to collect data on sociodemographic characteristics, lifestyle habits, dietary habits and sleep quality from both groups. The Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale was used to assess anxiety symptoms, whereas the Beck Depression Inventory Second Edition was used to assess depression symptoms.ResultsThere was a high statistically significant difference between both groups with regard to age, education, occupation and socioeconomic status (SES), being a smoker, being physically inactive, having sleep disturbance and having irregular meals; being either obese or overweight was more reported in the IBS group. There was a high statistically significant difference in the rate of anxiety and depression between patients with and without IBS. Mild, moderate and severe anxiety were reported in 37.1%, 42.9% and 20.0% of patients with IBS while most (80.0%) of the patients without IBS reported mild anxiety. Regarding depression, mild, moderate and severe depression were reported in 60.0%, 14.3% and 25.7% of the patients with IBS while most (82.9%) of the non-IBS participants reported mild depression.ConclusionsThe study shows a significant association between anxiety-depressive disorders and IBS, but no significant associations between anxiety-depressive disorders and IBS subtypes.

Electroconvulsive therapy, catatonia, deep vein thrombosis and anticoagulant treatment: a case report

Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is considered an effective treatment for pharmacotherapy-resistant severe mental disorders. Catatonia is a complex syndrome characterised by important psychomotor disturbances. Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary embolism (PE) are frequent side effects of prolonged immobility in catatonic patients. Therefore, it is important to resolve the catatonia as soon as possible. ECT is the most effective therapy available and is generally considered a safe procedure. Nevertheless, its use in patients with DVT or PE and anticoagulant treatment remains controversial. We describe a case of a woman in her 40s with a previous diagnosis of bipolar disorder and dysfunctional personality traits. She was hospitalised with persecutory and reference delusions, high emotional lability, anxiety, somatisation and regressive conduct. She later developed catatonic symptoms. No progress was achieved after a month of hospitalisation, despite several pharmacological treatments. She suffered multiple complications of prolonged bedding, such as an extensive DVT of the left common femoral, the external iliac and the common iliac veins. ECT was conducted under treatment with bemiparin. After the third administration, she showed improvement. No major bleeding or PE was developed. The safety of ECT while receiving anticoagulant therapy has been documented, though dosage and type of anticoagulant must be considered. Location of DVT (proximal or distal) may be an important topic to take into account. This report provides further evidence about the efficacy and safety of undergoing ECT in the context of concomitant serious medical conditions, such as DVT and anticoagulant therapy administration.

Cut it out or wait it out? Case series of middle fossa arachnoid cysts presenting with psychiatric symptoms and a discussion of the ethics of neurosurgical management

Arachnoid cysts have been linked to neuropsychiatric morbidity. We describe two patients presenting with dissociative and manic symptoms believed to be associated with middle fossa arachnoid cysts. They were managed medically and remitted eventually, but symptoms were resistant. We briefly review the literature to discuss mechanisms by which cysts could cause symptoms and consider whether neurosurgical management would be appropriate. Although neurosurgery can be considered, its role is currently limited by practical and ethical considerations.

Corpus callosum in schizophrenia with deficit and non-deficit syndrome: a statistical shape analysis

BackgroundThe corpus callosum (CC) is the most targeted region in the cerebrum that integrates cognitive data between homologous areas in the right and left hemispheres.AimsOur study used statistical analysis to determine whether there was a correlation between shape changes in the CC in patients with schizophrenia (SZ) (deficit syndrome (DS) and non-deficit syndrome (NDS)) and healthy control (HC) subjects.MethodsThis study consisted of 27 HC subjects and 50 schizophrenic patients (20 with DS and 30 with NDS). 3 patients with DS and 4 patients with NDS were excluded. Three-dimensional, sagittal, T1-spoiled, gradient-echo imaging was used. Standard anatomical landmarks were selected and marked on each image using specific software.ResultsAs to comparing the Procrustes mean shapes of the CC, statistically significant differences were observed between HC and SZ (DS+NDS) (p=0.017, James’s Fj=73.732), HC and DS (p<0.001, James’s Fj=140.843), HC and NDS (p=0.006, James’s Fj=89.178) and also DS and NDS (p<0.001, James’s Fj=152.967). Shape variability in the form of CC was 0.131, 0.085, 0.082 and 0.086 in the HC, SZ (DS+NDS), DS and NDS groups, respectively.ConclusionsThis study reveals callosal shape variations in patients with SZ and their DS and NDS subgroups that take into account the CC’s topographic distribution.