Vitamin B12 deficiency induced psychosis – a case report

Vitamin B12 is one of the most essential vitamins affecting various systems of the body. Cases of neuropsychiatry disorders due to its deficiency are more common in elderly patients with prevalence of 10–20%. The most common psychiatry symptoms reported in the literature associated with vitamin B12 deficiency was depression, mania, psychotic symptoms, cognitive impairment and delirium. Here, we report a case of vitamin B12 deficiency in a 52-year-old male who presented with psychotic features: persecutory delusions, tactile and auditory hallucinations. Patient had neither recorded psychiatry history nor any drug abuse. Medical history includes hypertension, diabetes mellitus and glaucoma. The patient was not a vegetarian. All relevant laboratory evaluations and head CT were normal except vitamin B12. The patient was treated with antipsychotics (risperidone 3 mg/day) and intramuscular vitamin B12. One week after, there was total remission of psychotic symptoms. In the follow-up during the next four months, psychiatry symptoms did not recur at any time. This case reports a rare case of vitamin B12 deficiency induced psychosis. Although there was concurrent administration of an antipsychotic along with vitamin B12, it underlines the importation of evaluation of vitamin B12 and other potential reversible causes of psychosis.

Disclosure of interest

The authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.

Relation between acute and long-term cognitive decline after surgery: Influence of metabolic syndrome

INTRODUCTION

The relationship between persistent postoperative cognitive decline and the more common acute variety remains unknown; using data acquired in preclinical studies of postoperative cognitive decline we attempted to characterize this relationship.

METHODS

Low capacity runner (LCR) rats, which have all the features of the metabolic syndrome, were compared postoperatively with high capacity runner (HCR) rats for memory, assessed by trace fear conditioning (TFC) on the 7th postoperative day, and learning and memory (probe trial [PT]) assessed by the Morris water-maze (MWM) at 3 months postoperatively. Rate of learning (AL) data from the MWM test, were estimated by non-linear mixed effects modeling. The individual rat's TFC result at postoperative day (POD) 7 was correlated with its AL and PT from the MWM data sets at postoperative day POD 90.

RESULTS

A single exponential decay model best described AL in the MWM with LCR and surgery (LCR-SURG) being the only significant covariates; first order AL rate constant was 0.07 s(-1) in LCR-SURG and 0.16s(-1) in the remaining groups (p<0.05). TFC was significantly correlated with both AL (R=0.74; p<0.0001) and PT (R=0.49; p<0.01).

CONCLUSION

Severity of memory decline at 1 week after surgery presaged long-lasting deteriorations in learning and memory.

Studies on the codling moth (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae) response to different codlemone release rates

The response of the codling moth (Cydia pomonella L. (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae)) to different emission values of its main pheromone component, 8E,10E-dodecadien-1-ol (codlemone), was investigated in three field trials conducted in plots without mating disruption treatments. Moth catches obtained in traps baited with pheromone dispensers were correlated with the corresponding codlemone release rates by multiple regression analysis. In a preliminary trial conducted in Lleida (NE Spain), a decreasing trend of captures was observed based on increasing pheromone levels. After this, the pheromone release profiles of the pheromone dispensers were studied, in parallel with the field trials, by residual codlemone extraction and gas chromatography quantification. In the trials carried out in Asturias (NW Spain), a correlation between trap catches and emission levels (within the range from 11 to 1,078 μg/d) was found and fitted a logarithmic model. Captures followed a decreasing linear trend in the range of emission rates from 11 to 134 μg/d. Given that release values comprised between 11 and 67 μg/d did not lead to significantly different catches in traps, this emission range could be considered to develop effective formulations for attraction purposes when mating disruption is not acting in the environment.

Advances in the use of trapping systems for Rhynchophorus ferrugineus (Coleoptera: Curculionidae): traps and attractants

Given the social importance related to the red palm weevil, Rhynchophorus ferrugineus Olivier (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), efforts are being made to develop new control methods, such as the deployment of trapping systems. In this work, the efficacy of a new black pyramidal trap design (Picusan) has been verified in comparison with white and black buckets. In addition, the attractant and synergistic effect of ethyl acetate (EtAc) at different release levels has been evaluated under field conditions. The results show that Picusan traps captured 45% more weevils than bucket-type traps, offering significantly better trapping efficacy. The addition of water to traps baited with palm tissues was found to be essential, with catches increasing more than threefold compared with dry traps. EtAc alone does not offer attractant power under field conditions, and the release levels from 57 mg/d to 1 g/d have no synergistic effect with ferrugineol. Furthermore, significantly fewer females were captured when EtAc was released at 2 g/d. The implications of using EtAc dispensers in trapping systems are discussed.

Chemosterilant bait stations coupled with sterile insect technique: an integrated strategy to control the Mediterranean fruit fly (Diptera: Tephritidae)

During 2008 and 2009, the efficacy of the combination of two Mediterranean fruit fly, Ceratitis capitata (Wiedemann) (Diptera: Tephritidae), control techniques, sterile insect technique (SIT) and a chemosterilant bait station system (Adress), was tested in three crops: citrus (Citrus spp.), stone fruit (Prunus spp.), and persimmon (Diospyros spp.). Two thousand sterile males were released per ha each week in the whole trial area (50,000 ha, SIT area). For 3,600 ha, within the whole trial area, 24 Adress traps per ha were hung (SIT + Adress area). Ten SIT + Adress plots and 10 SIT plots in each of three different fruit crops were arranged to assess Mediterranean fruit fly population densities and fruit damage throughout the trial period. To evaluate the efficacy of each treatment, the male and female populations were each monitored from August 2008 to November 2009, and injured fruit was assessed before harvest. Results showed a significant reduction in the C. capitata population in plots treated with both techniques versus plots treated only with the SIT. Likewise, a corresponding reduction in the percentage of injured fruit was observed. These data indicate the compatibility of these techniques and suggest the possibility of using Adress coupled with SIT to reduce C. capitata populations in locations with high population densities, where SIT alone is not sufficiently effective to suppress fruit fly populations to below damaging levels.

The first account of the mating disruption technique for the control of California red scale, Aonidiella aurantii Maskell (Homoptera: Diaspididae) using new biodegradable dispensers

Semiochemical-based pest management programs have been increasingly used to provide environmentally friendly methods for the control of major insect pests. The efficacy of the mating disruption technique has been demonstrated for several moth pests. Unfortunately, not many experiments on mating disruption to control diaspididae species have been documented. In this work, biodegradable dispensers for mating disruption with increasing pheromone loads were used in order to study the potential of this technique for the control of Aonidiella aurantii Maskell. Field trial results demonstrated that dispensers loaded with 50 mg (a.i.) (20 g ha-1) and 100 mg (a.i.) (40 g ha-1) of sex pheromone were the most suitable, achieving significant reductions in male catches, compared to an untreated plot. In treated plots, virtually a 70% reduction in damage to fruit was recorded. Pheromone release profiles of all the dispensers were also studied under field conditions. We found that emission values >250 microg day-1 were the most suitable. This study suggests a new biodegradable dispenser capable of interfering with normal A. aurantii chemical communication. The use of mating disruption as a control method against A. aurantii is discussed.