Biomedical subjects

Andrzej Czernikiewicz

Publications and source records attributed to Andrzej Czernikiewicz.

9 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2005

[Premorbid adjustment and quality of life in schizophrenia].

UNLABELLED: The Premorbid Adjustment Scale by Cannon-Spoor (PAS) is a rating scale which was designed to evaluate the degree of achievement of developmental goals at each of several periods of a subject's life before the onset of schizophrenia. AIM OF THE STUDY: The evaluation of PAS in schizophrenic patients. MATERIAL AND METHODS: In this study premorbid adjustment level was correlated with QOL (Quality of Life Scale (QLS) by Henrichs) in a group of 120 subjects that fulfilled ICD-10 criteria for schizophrenia. CONCLUSION: This study supported that poor premorbid adjustment can be manifested by poorer QOL among schizphrenics, especially, the lower adjustment in adolecscence, the poorer QOL.

Adult↗

PubMed2004

[The relationship between quality of life of schizophrenic patients and clinical parameters of psychosis].

The aim of this study was an analysis of relationship between the quality of life of schizophrenic patients and clinical parameters (positive symptoms, negative symptoms, symptoms of depression, time from start of treatment, total time of all hospitalizations). The research was carried out on 120 in- and out-patients (from 19 to 65 years of age) who fulfilled ICD-10 and DSM-IV criteria for schizophrenia. They were in a stable state of improvement during actual treatment. The following instruments were used: Quality of Life Scale--QLS (Heinrich et al., 1984), Calgary Depression Scale--CDS (Addington et al., 1990), Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale--BPRS (Overall, Gorham, 1962)--short form to assess positive symptoms, Brief Negative Symptoms Assessment--BNS. The basic statistical method used was correlation analysis between measurable variables with Pearson's index (P). In investigated group the quality of life correlates essentially with negative symptoms (P = -0.838), positive symptoms (P = -0.350), total time of all hospitalizations (P = -0.371), but there is not correlation between the quality of life and symptoms of depression and time from start of schizophrenia treatment. This study shows that the improvement of quality of life of schizophrenic patients is possible by effective treatment mainly negative symptoms, also positive symptoms and shortening of hospitalizations. It seems that QLS is less sensitive to changes in symptoms of depression.

Adult↗

PubMed2002

[Mental disorders in the course of lyme borreliosis and tick borne encephalitis].

BACKGROUND: Lyme borreliosis is a chronic, multisystem disease, of prolong course with three consecutive stages, caused by a tick-transmitted spirochete Borrelia burgdorferi. Tick Borne Encephalitis (TBE) is neuroinfection caused by Tick Borne Encephalitis Virus (TBEV). OBJECTIVE: We evaluated the occurrence of psychiatric manifestations in the early phase of borreliosis-erythema migrans and neuroboreliosis as well as in its late phase--in arthritis and in the Tick-Born Encephalitis. The aim of the study was to single out the most frequent psychiatric symptoms and psychopathological syndroms and to determine their dynamics. METHODS: The study was carried out between 1999 and 2000 and comprised 174 patients of the Department of Psychiatry and Department of Infectious and Neuroinfectious Diseases of Medical Academy in Bialystok. Seventy seven patients diagnosed with arthritis, 20 with neuroborreliosis, 26 with skin manifestation-erythrema migrans and 51 with KZM participated. All subjects underwent psychiatric evaluation twice--during hospitalization and six month after discharge. Mental status examinations included general psychiatric examination and battery of scales and tests: Mini Mental State Examination, Beck Depression Inventory, Hamilton Depression Rating Scale, Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale, Reitan's Trail Making Test, Choynowsky Memory Scale, Symptoms Inventory and neuropsychological testing. RESULTS: Both in the course of TBE and Lyme borreliosis the majority of patients experienced psychiatric problems in the acute phase of disease as well as in the late phase--3, 6 months after the onset of the disease. The most common psychiatric manifestations were depressive disorders--episodes of depression or organic mood disorders, and cognitive deficits which manifest themselves as mild cognitive disorder or dementia. CONCLUSION: Psychiatric assessment is important in early stage of kzm and borreliosis but first of all after termination of acute symptomatology.

Borrelia burgdorferi↗

PubMed2002

[Is dehydration an ethical problem?].

In the paper, issues connected with chronic dehydration were discussed from the point of view of medical ethics. Rudimentary definitions concerning the issues were mentioned. An attempt was made at analysing critically the views on chronic voluntary dehydration as a possible form of causing death. Some pathophysiological and psychopathological aspects were discussed. "The pyramid" of physician doubts were presented.

Dehydration↗

PubMedDate not supplied

[Comparison of subjective and objective quality of life in a group of schizophrenic patients].

AIM: The aim of this study is a comparison of subjective and objective quality of life in schizophrenic patients. METHODS: The research was carried out on 120 in- and out-patients (from 19 to 65 years) who fulfilled ICD-10 and DSM-IV criteria for schizophrenia. The quality of life was assessed by means of two instruments: Quality of Life Scale (QLS, Heinrichs et al. 1984), Self-Report Quality of Life Measure for People with Schizophrenia (SQLS, Wilkinson et al. 2000). The basic statistical methods used were: correlation analysis between measurable variables with Pearson's index (P), t-Student test, analysis of variance, factor analysis. RESULTS: In the investigated group there is no correlation between subjective and objective quality of life. Sex does not influence a correlation between these variables. Subjective and objective quality of life correlate with each other only in out-patients' group (P = -0.386). The factor analysis of SQLS distinguished 7 factors: mood; everyday activities, side effects connected with movement; side effects- others; support; interpersonal contacts; others; this division differs completely from a division on subscales. The factor analysis of QLS distinguished 3 factors: intrapsychic functioning; social functioning; functioning in roles; this division is similar to a division on subscales. CONCLUSIONS: It seems that in the schizophrenic patients' group using subjective and objective ways to assess the quality of life determines a difference of the obtained results. Only the subjective measurement fulfills the assumption of quality of life definition, that is why the usefulness of QLS in assessing quality of life is rather restricted.

Activities of Daily Living↗

PubMedDate not supplied

[Clinical and neuropsychological correlates of proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy detected metabolites in brains of first-episode and schizophrenic patients].

OBJECTIVE: This study examined 1H MRS detected metabolite levels (in left frontal, temporal lobes and thalamus) and clinical and cognitive features of patients with first-episode and chronic schizophrenia. METHOD: We studied 31 first-episode patients (group 1) and 17 chronic patients (group 2) with ICD-10 diagnosis of schizophrenia (and 13 healthy subjects). Patients were also assessed by the means of PANSS, CGI, Calgary scales and WCST, TMT, Stroop tests. RESULTS: We did not observe statistically significant differences in metabolite levels between group 1 and 2. We observed only a trend toward higher Cho level in temporal lobe in group 2 and lower NAA level in group 1. When comparing with the control group we observed a significantly higher Cho level in the frontal lobe (group 1,2) (p < 0.05). We observed a trend toward lower NAA levels in the frontal lobe (group 1,2), and lower NAA level in the temporal lobe (group 1). Patients with chronic schizophrenia performed significantly worse in WCST, TMT and Stroop tests (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: These results suggest, that abnormalities in metabolite levels in frontal and temporal lobes are present at the onset of disease and don't progress over time. The cognitive dysfunction is more prominent in chronic patients.

Acute Disease↗

PubMedDate not supplied

[The effectiveness of psychoeducation in schizophrenic and depressive patients--preliminary report].

UNLABELLED: Earlier studies suggest that psychoeducation as a form of psychosocial care is of value in improving the patient's attitude towards mental illness as well as in reducing and delaying the relapse rates of both--psychotic and depressive disorders. AIM: The aim of this study was the evaluation of influence of psychoeducation on clinical symptoms, quality of life and drug attitude in schizophrenic and depressive patients. METHOD: 52 patients, aged 18-50 years, hospitalized in the Department of Psychiatry of Medical Academy in Białystok, were involved in the study. They were randomly assigned into 2 groups: on medication without psychoeducation (12 schizophrenics, 12 depressive patients) and on medication and psychoeducation (16 schizophrenics and 12 depressive patients). The patients were assessed by means of BPRS, BNS, IMHC 2000, Raskin/Covi Scale, DAI-10. The assessment was performed twice--shortly after admission and before discharge from the hospital. RESULTS: The patients in both groups showed improvement in symptoms and in quality of life. Patients on psychoeducation changed their drug attitude positively significantly more often. CONCLUSION: Knowledge about the positive influence of medication on psychiatric symptoms helps to improve compliance and improves the course of disease.

Adult↗

PubMedDate not supplied

[Schizophrenia--neurodevelopmental and neurodegenerative theory revisited].

The paper presents a critical review regarding the pathogenesis of schizophrenia. The neurodevelopmental theory which is now mostly recognized, needs some explanations, some elements of neurodegenerative theory are revisited. The developmental factors are confirmed as important in the pathogenesis of schizophrenia, but still it is unclear, how relatively subtle early damage causes so heavy thinking and emotional distortion like schizophrenia. There is also lack of evidence for neurodegeneration. Neuroimaging studies show the evidence for progression of brain abnormalities but at the same time there is no progression in neurocognitive disorders. Most likely late developmental disorders interfere with early brain damage, which leads to a neurocognitive disorder and clinical symptoms of schizophrenia.

Brain↗

PubMedDate not supplied

[Duration of untreated psychosis in first-episode schizophrenia: clinical and cognitive correlates].

OBJECTIVE: Duration of untreated psychosis (DUP) is associated with poor premorbid functioning and poor outcome in patients with schizophrenia. The authors determined whether the duration of untreated psychosis was associated with severity of clinical symptoms and neurocognitive functioning in patients with first-episode schizophrenia. METHOD: A total of 30 first-episode patients were evaluated by means of WCST, Vocabulary, Arithmetic, Block Design, attention and verbal fluency tests. RESULTS: The mean duration of untreated psychosis was 31.3 weeks. The group was divided on the basis of median duration of untreated psychosis (10 weeks) to short and long DUP group. There were no significant differences between the groups in results of clinical symptoms and neurocognitive functioning. There were no correlations between severity of clinical symptoms and neurocognitive functioning with duration of untreated psychosis. CONCLUSIONS: In the group of patients with first-episode schizophrenia, the duration of untreated psychosis is not associated with severity of clinical symptoms and neurocognitive functioning.

Adult↗