In patients suffering from depression, neuropsychological deficiencies of attention, memory, psychomotor speed and executive functions are observed.

The aim of this study is to find relationship between selected cognitive functions, and intensity of depression and anxiety as state and trait in depressed patients.

16 Patients meeting the ICD 10 criteria of depressive disorders (F32, F33) were recruited. Patients with mild-to-moderate depression as measured by Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) score were included in the study. The battery of cognitive neuropsychological tests used to assess cognitive functions included: trail making test, part A and B, and Stroop test, part RCNb and NCWd. The intensity of anxiety as state and trait was assessed with the use of the Spielberger State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI). The results were analyzed statistically.

In the examined group no statistically significant relation between the results neuropsychological tests (trail making test, part A and B, Stroop test) and the intensity of depression measured with BDI, and the intensity of anxiety as state and trait, measured with STAI was found. Interestingly a statistically significant relation was found between intensity of depression and intensity of anxiety.

It seems interesting that no co-relation between the clinical symptoms and cognitive functions was found. It may be consistent with some of the observations, according to which a pharmacological treatment of depression causes an improvement in cognitive functioning of the patients which is independent of the clinical improvement.

Cognitive deficits and anxiety are common symptoms in patients suffering from schizophrenia.

The aim of the research was to find a relationship between selected cognitive functions and intensity of anxiety as state and trait in people suffering from schizophrenia.

18 patients (9 women and 9 men) with a diagnose of paranoidal schizophrenia (according to ICD-10) were recruited to the study. The battery of cognitive neuropsychological tests used to assess cognitive functions included: trail making tests, part A and B, and Stroop test, part RCNb and NCWd. The intensity of anxiety as state and trait was assessed by means of the Spielberger State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI).

In the examined group statistically significant relation was found between the results of trail making test, part A and B (measuring psychomotor speed and visual spatial working memory), as well as part RCNb of the Stroop test (measuring reading speed), and the intensity of anxiety as state measured with STAI. Another statistically significant correlation was found between results of trail making test, part A (measuring psychomotor speed) and anxiety as trait measured with STAI. No other significant correlations between results of the applied cognitive tests and anxiety as state and trait were found.

The above correlations between cognitive tests results and intensity of anxiety indicate that there must be a modulating impact of emotions on some of measured cognitive functions. The awareness of these correlations may be important in the process of constructing rehabilitation programmes for patients.

Obesity hypoventilation syndrome is a multifactorial clinical condition developing in obese people. The symptomatology of the disease is dominated by disorders of breathing during sleep, and hypoventilation leading to chronic hypercapnia with underlying metabolic and hormonal disorders leading to complications of the cardiovascular disease.

Here we describe a case of a patient treated for many years because of pulmonary hypoventilation syndrome accompanied by obesity and metabolic syndrome followed by a reduction in blood oxygen tension.

Despite the exacerbation of the underlying disease (parameters on admission 66mmHg pCO2, pO2 29mmHg, SaO2 43%) our patient showed no signs of a mental disorder. Slight short-term memory problems, decreased mood and drive relevant to the degraded state of somatic were present. During the hospitalization, the use of oxygen therapy led to the improvement of blood parameters, however the mental state became more complicated. The patient started to develop symptoms of delirium with a delusional interpretation of reality. Despite administered pharmacotherapy and further improvement in respiratory parameters (at discharge pCO2 62mmHg, pO2 59mmHg, SaO2 89%) the patient's cognitive dysfunctions showed no further improvement and delusions of persecution were still present. This required further psychiatric care alongside with patient's somatic treatment.

A strong link exists between disorders of cognition, and chronic respiratory failure (hypoxia with concomitant hypercapnia). This may be also accompanied by psychiatric symptoms, which may become difficult to treat even if the somatic parameters are successfully improved.

The aim of this paper is to determine the effect of EEG Biofeedback training in order to improve cognitive functions of patients with organic cognitive disorders confirmed in imaging and psychological studies.

Data used in the paper were collected from patients detailed medical history about laboratory tests, imaging, neurological (including EEG) and psychological. the diagnostic tests have been performed as well as set of psychological tests:

Wechsler Intelligence Tests WAIS - R

Trail-Making Test: TMT A, TMT B

With no negative factors certified, the patient was put in the EEG Biofeedback (Brain Feedback III ver. 10.09 - 3D) training session and then was classified to EEG Biofeedback trainings. the trainings took place 3 times a week (10 sessions for 3 minutes, in the left hemisphere).

In the trainings the focus was on the bioelectric activity of beta and delta waves.

The patient performed 52 out of 60 sessions of EEG Biofeedback.

Throughout the whole training the variations could be observed in the beta wave amplitude, which was connected to the variable patient motivation (decreased motivation after hospitalization).

After the set of psychological tests containing psychoorganic tests no improvement of cognitive functions were observed. This result is negatively correlated with the subjective feeling of the patient.

We conducted a preliminary study, despite the progression of beta waves showed no significant effect after 60 training EEG Biofeedback for improvement in cognitive function. We have obtained preliminary results that will be reviewed after a course of 90 sessions.

Chronic respiratory diseases which embrace asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are common conditions in the population. In a large number of cases, they are diagnosed very late. Statistics of deaths, especially in the case of COPD, are underestimated because morbidity and mortality can be affected by other comorbid conditions, for example cardiovascular disease.

The objective of this analysis was to find out the corelation between the psychological distress and social factors in patients with asthma and chronic obstructive lung disease.

A literature analysis on this topic was performed. Asthma and COPD impair not only physical functioning of patients but also affect their psychological state. Mood disorders and cognitive function impairment are more often observed in this group than in the general population. It has been proven that the coexistence of psychological dysfunction significantly worsens the functioning of patients (affects, among others, their work, family and social lives) and has an impact on the course of the treatment of the somatic illness. First of all, patients with cognitive deficits have greater problems in applying treatment recommendations. Accordingly, it seems to be important to pay more attention to the problem of mental disorders in patients with obstructive lung diseases.

There is a clear need for a multidisciplinary approach that will enable prevention, early detection and effective treatment of the psychological disorders in that group of patients.

The authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.

Hormones deregulation is a common feature in schizophrenia. Among the hormones that gained increased interest are sex hormones, thyroid hormones and prolactin. However, the question whether there is an impact of the hormonal disturbances on cognitive functioning of schizophrenia patients is rarely addressed.

To assess the relationship between serum levels of hormones and cognitive abilities in male schizophrenic patients.

In the index group, there were 15 schizophrenia male patients, mean age 36. The control group was formed by 15 healthy volunteers, mean age 36. In the two groups, serum hormones levels were measured and neuropsychological tests were performed. Analysed hormones included thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), luteinizing hormone (LH), follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), estradiol, testosterone, progesterone and prolactin. Cognitive abilities were measured with the following tests: Trail Making Test (TMT) Part A and B, Semantic Category Fluency (SCF), Initial Letter Fluency (ILF) and Stroop Task Part 1 and 2.

The levels of FSH, LH and testosterone were lower in the index group than in the control group (3.01 mIU/mL vs 5.90 mIU/mL; 3.83 mIU/mL vs 5.28 mIU/mL; 2.76 ng/mL vs 4.69 ng/mL; accordingly) while the level of prolactin was higher in the index group (620 uIU/mL vs 118 uIU/mL). Patients performed worse that controls in all neuropsychological tests. The differences in scores of TMT Part B, ILF and Stroop Task Part 2 were found to be statistically significant.

There was no significant relationship between serum level of analysed hormones and performance on cognitive tasks.

The authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.