No abstract

We report an adult female who had changes suggestive of encephalomalacia in bilateral temporal and basifrontal region in the magnetic resonance imaging of the brain but presented with psychiatric symptomatology suggestive of psychosis instead of neurological manifestations. Encephalomalacia is softening of the brain tissue which may lead to the brain changes and present with varied clinical manifestations. Most of the cases reported previously were in infants and children and almost all of them were related to neurological disorders. However, cases with psychiatric symptomatology were rarely reported, that too in adults. The authors discussed the psychiatric symptom profile, their management and emphasized the importance of imaging of the brain and its association with psychiatric manifestations.

Introduction: A significant number of quantitative electroencephalogram (qEEG) studies indicate that increased spectral activities distinguish patients with depressive disorder from control subjects. But they did not yield consistent findings in the delta, theta, alpha, or beta bands. Methods: A total of 30 drug-naïve or drug-free subjects with a depressive episode or recurrent depressive disorder were compared with 30 age, sex, education, and handedness-matched healthy controls using qEEG power spectra in six frequency bands (delta, theta, alpha, beta, slow beta, and fast beta) and total activities separately. Spectral analysis was performed on a section of 180 s of qEEG digitized at the rate of 512 samples/s/channel, and absolute powers were log-transformed before statistical analysis. Results: Statistically significant differences between the patients and normal controls were found in the delta and the total bands, while Structured Interview Guide for the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (SIGH-D) score predicted the fast beta spectral power at the left temporal region. In the entire region of the brain, in the theta band, lesser absolute spectral power was found in patients than normal controls, whereas in the fast beta band, it was greater. In other bands, greater powers of spectral activities were found in patients than normal controls consistently in the parietal and occipital regions. Conclusion: Various findings of qEEG absolute power spectra could demonstrate a difference between the patients with depressive disorder and the normal controls independently and efficiently. However, all the differences collectively showed stronger evidence. The findings may steer future studies to differentiate the patients with depressive disorder from controls.

Background: Previous studies assessed the association of sexual dysfunction (SD) in cases of specific organic and psychiatric disorders separately as risk factors of SD, but the extent of association of various disorders in cases of SD was rarely evaluated. This study was conducted to assess almost all types of comorbidities to find out their effects on SD in male patients and to make complete diagnoses. Materials and Methods: All male patients aged between 18 and 60 years reporting with sexual problems to the psychiatry outpatient department were evaluated with Arizona sexual experiences scale (ASEX) for males. Their assessment included detailed medical and psychiatric history including medicine intake, physical and mental status examination. Relevant biochemical investigations were done including sex hormone assessment. Results: Among 104 males diagnosed as cases of SD according to the ASEX scale in 1 year period only 75 patients completed all the biochemical and hormonal assessments. It was observed that 38.67% were diagnosed as SD without any comorbidity, 25.33% had biochemical or hormonal or physical comorbidities, 21.33% had psychiatric comorbidities and 14.67% had psychiatric as well as biochemical or hormonal or physical comorbidities ( n = 75). The severity of SD was higher in the patients with comorbidity and the age of the patients predicted its severity. Conclusion: All cases of SD should be assessed in detail for physical, biochemical, hormonal, and psychiatric comorbidities to treat them holistically. Psychiatrists should play a key role in assessing, diagnosing, treating, and referring them to the appropriate treatment provider.

Background: Previous studies showed the association of female sexual dysfunction (FSD) with various specific organic, psychiatric, and social factors separately, but rarely evaluated the extent of association of various disorders all together in cases of FSD. Aim: This study was conducted to explore the comorbidities associated with FSD from physical, psychiatric, and social perspectives. Materials and Methods: All female patients aged between 18 and 60 years reporting sexual problems to the psychiatry outpatient department were evaluated with Arizona sexual experiences scale for females. Their assessment included detailed medical and psychiatric history including the history of social contributing factors and medicine intake followed by physical and mental status examinations. Relevant biochemical investigations and hormonal assessments were done. Data were analyzed using Pearson correlation coefficients, linear regression analysis, and independent samples t tests. Results: Seventy-three females were diagnosed as cases of FSD according to the Arizona sexual experiences scale in one year. Among them, 1.37% had no comorbidity and the rest 98.63% had psychiatric comorbidities which were combined with physical comorbidities (mostly hypothyroidism, hyperprolactinemia, and abnormal menstrual cycle) in 35.62% cases and social contributing factors (mostly husbands’ substance abuses and various family-related problems) in 32.88% cases. The duration of FSD predicted its severity. Conclusion: The severity of FSD increased with duration. Thus, all cases of FSD should be assessed early in detail for physical, psychiatric, and social contributing factors to treat them holistically. Psychiatrists should play a key role in assessing, diagnosing, treating, and referring them to the appropriate treatment providers.