Validation of the Polish Version of the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression in patients with epilepsy

Depressive symptoms in children and adolescents with epilepsy and primary headache: a cross-sectional observational study

Background

The primary aims of our cross-sectional observational study were: (i) to determine the prevalence of depressive symptoms in children and adolescents with epilepsy compared to controls and (ii) to explore the difference in depressive symptoms in patients with epilepsy only and those with epilepsy and primary headache as a comorbidity. The secondary objective was to explore parental stress levels.

Methods

68 pediatric patients aged 6-18 years (44 with epilepsy only and 24 with epilepsy and headache) and 50 controls were recruited. Depressive profile and parental stress were assessed using Children's Depression Inventory, Second Edition (CDI-2) and Parenting Stress Index-Short Form (PSI-SF).

Results

The group with epilepsy showed significantly high depressive symptoms and parental stress compared to controls. The patients with headache in comorbidity experienced more depressive symptoms than those with epilepsy only.

Conclusion

Depressive symptoms are more prevalent in patients who have comorbid epilepsy and primary headache; therefore, the neurological/psychological mechanisms underlying this condition should be further investigated. The simultaneous presence of epilepsy, headache and depressive symptoms impacts the quality of life of patients and their parents, increasing parental stress and family management.

The Association of the Oral Microbiota with the Effects of Acid Stress Induced by an Increase of Brain Lactate in Schizophrenia Patients

The altered cerebral energy metabolism central to schizophrenia can be linked to lactate accumulation. Lactic acid is produced by gastrointestinal bacteria, among others, and readily crosses the blood-brain barrier, leading to the brain acidity. This study aimed to examine the association of the oral microbiota with the effects of acid stress induced by an increase of brain lactate in schizophrenia patients. The study included patients with a diagnosis of acute polyphasic psychotic disorder meeting criteria for schizophrenia at 3-month follow-up. Results: Individuals with a significantly higher total score on the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale had statistically significantly lower lactate concentrations compared to those with a lower total score and higher brain lactate. We observed a positive correlation between Actinomyces and lactate levels in the anterior cingulate cap and a negative correlation between bacteria associated with lactate metabolism and some clinical assessment scales. Conclusions: Shifts in the oral microbiota in favour of lactate-utilising bacterial genera may represent a compensatory mechanism in response to increased lactate production in the brain. Assessment of neuronal function mediated by ALA-LAC-dependent NMDA regulatory mechanisms may, thus, support new therapies for schizophrenia, for which acidosis has become a differentiating feature of individuals with schizophrenia endophenotypes.

Bone Metabolism in Patients Treated for Depression

BACKGROUND

Depression and osteoporosis are severe public health problems. There are conflicting findings regarding the influence of depression on bone metabolism. The aim of the presented study was to compare bone turnover markers and vitamin D levels between patients treated for depression and healthy controls.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

We determined a concentration of osteocalcin, carboxy-terminal telopeptide of type I collagen (β-CTX), 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25OHD) and 1,25(OH)₂D₃ in 99 patients, aged 46.9 ± 11 years, treated for depression, as well as in 45 healthy subjects. Depressive status was determined with the Hamilton Depression Scale (HDRS).

RESULTS

In patients treated for depression, we demonstrated significantly lower osteocalcin concentrations (p < 0.03) and higher concentration of β-CTX (result on the border of significance; p = 0.08). Those relationship were stronger in women. The level of 25OHD and 1,25(OH)₂D₃ did not differ significantly between the examined groups. We observed a negative correlation between the 25OHD and HDRS score after treatment in all patients treated for depression and in subgroups of women and subjects with recurrent depression.

CONCLUSIONS

Our results indicate that depression is related to disturbances in bone metabolism, especially in women and patients with recurrent depression, suggesting its role in context of osteoporosis development.

Monitoring And Managing Depression In Adolescents With Epilepsy: Current Perspectives

Epilepsy is associated with a significantly increased risk of developing depressive disorder during adolescence. On the other hand, depression is highly detected in adolescents with epilepsy. These findings highlight the importance of early identification and proper management of comorbid depression in adolescent age. The prevalence of depressive disorders in adolescents with epilepsy ranges between 8 and 35% and is higher than the general population of the same age. The relationship between epilepsy and depression is complex and potentially bidirectional, thereby suggesting a common underlying pathophysiology. Furthermore, failure to detect and treat depressive disorder mostly in adolescence could lead to several negative implications such as an increased risk of suicidal ideation or behavior and poor quality of life. A number of methods are available to detect depressive disorder, such as psychiatric or psychological assessments, structured or semi-structured interviews, and self-report screening tools. Thus, physicians should be able to regularly screen depressive symptoms in youths with epilepsy. Recently, the NDDI-E-.Y inventory has been developed from the adult NDDI-E, and has been validated in many countries. NDDI-E-Y has showed reliable validity, being a brief screening tool (12 items) that can be easily included in routine epilepsy care. The first step to be considered for the management of depressive disorder in adolescents with epilepsy is to consider potential reversible causes of anxiety and depression (i.e., a new AEDs; seizure control). Secondly, great attention has to be given to the education of the child/adolescent and his/her family, trying to improve knowledge about epilepsy as well as to decrease parental stress and improving the child's sense of competence. Pharmacological treatment should also be considered in adolescents diagnosed with depression.

Validation of the Chinese version of the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression in adults with epilepsy

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to validate the Chinese version of the 17-item Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (C-HRSD-17) for use in adult patients with epilepsy (PWE).

METHODS

A consecutive sample of Chinese adult PWE from a tertiary hospital was examined using the C-HRSD-17 and the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI) Plus Chinese Version 5.0.0.

RESULTS

A total of 191 PWE completed the assessment of depression. According to the MINI, thirty patients (15.7%) had current major depressive disorder (MDD). The Cronbach's α coefficient for the C-HRSD-17 was 0.832. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis showed an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.983 (95% CI = 0.968-0.998). With a cutoff score of 9, the C-HRSD-17 demonstrated the best psychometric properties, with a sensitivity of 96.7%, a specificity of 93.8%, a positive predictive value (PPV) of 74.4%, and a negative predictive value (NPV) of 99.3%.

CONCLUSION

The C-HRSD-17 proved to be a valid and reliable assessment tool, with a cutoff score of 9 for screening of current MDD in Chinese adult PWE.