Lebanon

Lebanon is a western Asian country with an area of 10 452 km2 and a population of around 4 million (excluding the 10 million Lebanese immigrants worldwide). It has approximately 60 psychiatrists, mostly concentrated in the capital, Beirut, although a trend for decentralisation is currently observed. The number of psychiatrists is steadily increasing as postgraduate training centres have been established during the past decade. There are, however, few sub-specialists, owing to a lack of adequate training programmes.

Lebanon

Lebanon is a western Asian country with an area of 10 452 km² and a population of around 4 million (excluding the 10 million Lebanese immigrants worldwide). It has approximately 60 psychiatrists, mostly concentrated in the capital, Beirut, although a trend for decentralisation is currently observed. The number of psychiatrists is steadily increasing as postgraduate training centres have been established during the past decade. There are, however, few sub-specialists, owing to a lack of adequate training programmes.

Clinical correlations of one-carbon metabolism abnormalities

1. Ninety psychiatric inpatients with a DSM III diagnosis of schizophrenia, mania, or major depression were studied. 2. Upon admission/transfer to the Clinical Studies Unit, and prior to discharge, measurements of symptom severity (BPRS, Ham-D, Young's Mania Scale) and blood samples were obtained. 3. Erythrocytes from these paired (admission and discharge) blood samples were assayed for methionine adenosyltransferase (MAT) activity and phosphatidylcholine (PC) content. 4. Comparisons were made between the changes in MAT Vmax, or % PC, and changes in symptom severity. 5. For the majority of the patients (79.3% of the schizophrenics; 84.6% of the depressives; and 93.8% of the manics), clinical improvement was associated with a "normalization" of enzyme activity. The association between changes in % PC and clinical response did not achieve significant correlation.

Sodium-potassium, magnesium, and calcium ATPase activities in erythrocyte membranes from manic-depressive patients responding to lithium

Erythrocyte membrane Na+-K+ adenosine triphosphatase (ATPase), Mg2+ ATPase, and Ca2+ ATPase activities were compared among 23 euthymic manic-depressive patients responding to lithium therapy and 24 healthy controls. The two groups were similar in age, sex composition, body mass index, and community background. No significant differences were noted in mean ATPase activities between the two groups. However, plasma lithium concentration correlated positively with Na+-K+ ATPase and Mg2+ ATPase activities within the patient group, and six patients with plasma lithium levels in the range of 0.85-1.2 mM had Na+-K+ ATPase activities 62% greater than the control group mean. Possible biochemical mechanisms for the effects of lithium therapy on erythrocyte membrane functions are discussed.