Search

Dim light melatonin onset (DLMO) is considered the most reliable marker of the circadian rhythm phase in humans. DLMO may moderately correlate with sleep onset and sleep offset time. There are no sufficient data about the correlations between DLMO and clinical scales assessing sleep quality and daytime symptoms of poor night sleep. The aim of the study was to determine the association between DLMO and basic sleep parameters from actigraphy and sleep diaries, as well as the association between DLMO and the following insomnia clinical scales: the Athens Insomnia Scale (AIS), Insomnia Severity Index (ISI), Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS), and chronotype questionnaires: Morningness–Eveningness Questionnaire (MEQ) and Composite Scale of Morningness (CSM). Participants of the study were healthy volunteers. Sleep parameters were measured by sleep diaries and actigraphy, and the following clinical scales: the AIS, ISI, and ESS, and chronotype questionnaires: MEQ and CSM. DLMO was calculated based on plasma melatonin concentration. The blood samples were collected hourly at five time points between 20:00 and 00:00 during the session in dim red light (<50 lux). Melatonin concertation was determined by LC-MS/MS. Twenty-one volunteers participated in the study. DLMO was calculated in 12 participants. There was a significant correlation between DLMO and ISI (r = 0.60, p = 0.038) and ESS (r = 0.61, p = 0.034). The correlation coefficient between the DLMO and the AIS was also high, however insignificant (r = 0.57, p = 0.054). There were no significant correlations between DLMO and chronotype scales MEQ and CSM. DLMO did not correlate with sleep onset and sleep offset; however, DLMO correlated with the Sleep Fragmentation Index (SFI) (r = 0.67, p = 0.017). DLMO is associated with poorer sleep maintenance, a stronger feeling of insomnia, and sleepiness during the day. Simultaneously, chronotype pattern and circadian rhythm parameters do not correlate with DLMO. Biological circadian rhythm does not reflect the real-life sleep–wake rhythm, indicating that the lifestyle is more often disconnected from the biological clock. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim. The aim of the study was to compare the subjective mental state of patients in an ongoing episode of depression and in remission (clinical group) and the group without depressive disorders and other mental disorders in their life so far (non-clinical group) in the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. Material and methods. During the first economic shutdown in Poland (March 12, 2020-May 3, 2020), using an anonymous online survey, we assessed the subjective mental state of 2,284 people in three groups: with an ongoing depressive episode - 265 patients, in remission - 574 patients, and without mental disorders (including depression) - 1,445 people. Results. The outbreak of the pandemic had a negative impact on the subjective mental state of the respondents. In the group with depression, stress of varying intensity was experienced by 98.11% of the respondents, in the group in remission by 93.9%, and in the group without depression in the past by 93.43%. Depressed mood was declared by 51.32% of depressed patients, 21.60% of patients in remission and 11.97% of patients without mental disorders. Daily anxiety attacks occurred in 46.42% of patients with depression, in 20.21% of patients in remission and 5.88% of respondents in the non-clinical group. Conclusions. The results of the survey show that patients with an ongoing episode of depression and remission subjectively felt worse than the non-clinical group in the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in Poland. At the same time, previously healthy people also reported unusual intensification of anxiety and depressive symptoms. For this reason it is important to continue the comprehensive treatment of people with depressive disorders and to simultaneously prevent mental disorders in the non-clinical population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effects of acetylsalicylic acid (ASA) on mood disorders (MD) and on inflammatory parameters in preclinical and clinical studies have not yet been comprehensively evaluated. The aim of this study was to systematically summarize the available knowledge on this topic according to PRISMA guidelines. Data from preclinical and clinical studies were analyzed, considering the safety and efficacy of ASA in the treatment of MD and the correlation of inflammatory parameters with the effect of ASA treatment. Twenty-one studies were included. Both preclinical and clinical studies found evidence indicating the safety and efficacy of low-dose ASA in the treatment of all types of affective episodes in MD. Observational studies have indicated a reduced risk of all types of affective episodes in chronic low-dose ASA users (HR 0.92, 95% CI: 0.88, 0.95, p < 0.0001). An association between ASA response and inflammatory parameters was found in preclinical studies, but this was not confirmed in clinical trials. Further long-term clinical trials evaluating the safety and efficacy of ASA in recurrent MD, as well as assessing the linkage of ASA treatment with inflammatory phenotype and cytokines, are required. There is also a need for preclinical studies to understand the exact mechanism of action of ASA in MD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim. The presented study is aimed at determining the subjective psychological reaction to the outbreak of pandemic in healthcare workers and is part of a wider research project covering successive waves of increasing number of SARS-CoV-2 infections during the COVID-19 pandemic in Poland. Method. 664 respondents completed the anonymous online questionnaire in the period from March 12, 2020 to May 3, 2020. This is the period of the first lockdown in Poland. Data were collected using the snowball method (employees passed the questionnaire over the Internet to subsequent groups of employees in subsequent healthcare units). Results. The outbreak of pandemic had varying impact on the well-being of 96.7% of respondents. Subjectively perceived stress of varying intensity was reported by 97.3% of them, low mood was reported in 19.0%, and anxiety in 14.1% of the respondents. These results and other features of the psychological reaction (including sleep problems) to overload in healthcare workers may indicate mental deterioration in the first weeks of pandemic. Conclusions. The results obtained in the study group may encourage further analyzes of healthcare workers' mental state and contribute to discussion on the COVID-19 pandemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Alcohol addiction is one of the most common health problems. Long-term consumption of high doses of ethanol leads to numerous adaptive changes in the central and peripheral nervous systems, most notably a decrease in the activity of inhibitory GABAergic pathways and an increase in the activity of excitatory glutamatergic pathways. Up to half of patients may develop alcohol withdrawal syndrome (AWS) when they stop drinking alcohol. This article contains the recommendations of the Polish Psychiatric Association and the Pharmacotherapy Section of the Polish Society for Addiction Research for the pharmacotherapy of AWS. This paper presents the aetiopathogenesis, neurotransmitter and receptor mechanisms, symptoms and diagnostic criteria of AWS, medications used in the treatment of alcohol withdrawal syndromes, management of uncomplicated and complicated alcohol withdrawal syndromes, and discusses the management of special populations. First-line drugs in the management of AWS are benzodiazepines (BDZ). Most studies have not shown a superiority of any BDZ in the treatment of AWS. The decision to choose a formulation should be based on its pharmacokinetic properties, comorbidities, and the patient's current condition. The most commonly used BDZs are diazepam, lorazepam, oxazepam, and clorazepate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]