Background Schizophrenia is a multifactorial disease involving interactions between genetic and environmental factors. Vitamin D has recently been linked to many metabolic diseases and schizophrenia. Vitamin D plays essential roles in the brain in the context of neuroplasticity, neurotransmitter biosynthesis, neuroprotection, and neurotransmission. Vitamin D receptors are demonstrated in most brain regions that are related to schizophrenia. However, very few studies in the literature examine the effects of 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25OHD) on schizophrenia symptoms. Methods This study aimed to examine the effects of vitamin D replacement on positive, negative, and cognitive symptoms of schizophrenia. Serum 25OHD levels of 52 schizophrenia patients were measured. SANS and SAPS were used to evaluate the severity of schizophrenia symptoms, and the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test: CV4 was used for cognitive assessment. The study was completed with 40 patients for various reasons. The patients whose serum 25OHD reached optimal levels after vitamin D replacement were reevaluated with the same scales in terms of symptom severity. The SPSS 25 package program was used for statistical analysis. The Independent-Samples t-test was used to examine the relationship between the variables that may affect vitamin D levels and the vitamin D level and to examine whether vitamin D levels had an initial effect on the scale scores. Results The mean plasma 25OHD levels of the patients was 17.87 ± 5.54. A statistically significant relationship was found only between the duration of sunlight exposure and 25 OHD level (p < 0.05). The mean SANS and SAPS scores of the participants after 25OHD replacement (23.60 ± 15.51 and 7.78 ± 8.84, respectively) were statistically significantly lower than mean SANS and SAPS scores before replacement (51.45 ± 17.96 and 18.58 ± 15.59, respectively) (p < 0.001 for all). Only the total attention score was significantly improved after replacement (p < 0.05). Conclusion The data obtained from our study suggest that eliminating the 25OHD deficiency together with antipsychotic treatment can improve the total attention span and positive and negative symptoms in schizophrenia. The 25OHD levels should be regularly measured, replacement should be started when necessary, and the patients should be encouraged to get sunlight exposure to keep optimal 25OHD levels.

No abstract

No abstract

Objective: This study aimed to analyze differences in temperament, character, personality characteristics and eating attitudes between the patients seeking bariatric surgery for the treatment of obesity and the general population. Method: The candidates for bariatric surgery were assessed pre-operatively using the Temperament-Character Inventory (TCI) and Personality Belief Questionnaire (PBQ) for personality characteristics, and the Eating Attitudes Test (EAT) for their eating behavior. Results: The candidates for bariatric surgery had higher scores on the Impulsivity and Compassionate sub-dimensions of the TCI, whilst the score on the Self sub-dimension was lower than in the controls. No significant differences were found between patients and controls in the subscales of the Personality Belief Questionnaire. The candidates for bariatric surgery were found to have more impaired eating habits. Discussion: This study demonstrates that certain personality characteristics may both cause obesity and may be effective in the treatment method used to treat obesity. Taking into account the personality characteristics of patients and assessing their eating patterns when determining therapeutic approaches to obesity, including bariatric surgery, may be beneficial in achieving effective, long-term results in weight control. In patients scheduled for bariatric surgery for the treatment of obesity, providing individualized psychiatric support to develop their impulsivity-related self-control skills may enhance the success of obesity treatment.