There is abundant evidence that free radicals are involved in membrane pathology in the central nervous system and that they may play a role in neuropsychiatric disorders, including schizophrenia. In this study, we investigated erythrocyte superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase activities as antioxidant enzymes, malondialdehydes as a sign of lipid peroxidation, and reduced glutathione levels in schizophrenic patients. Activities of superoxide dismutase and levels of malondialdehyde in erythrocytes were greater in all patients (n=48) and in patients with acute (n=16) and chronic schizophrenia (n=32) (p<0.001 for all patients and chronic patient group; p<0.05 for acute patient group). The activities of glutathione peroxidase were lower in patients (p<0.05 for all patients and acute patient group; p=0.051 for chronic patient group) compared with the control group. Mean erythrocyte reduced glutathione was lower in patients than in controls (p<0.05). In the patient group, erythrocyte superoxide dismutase activity was positively correlated with scales and duration of disease and erythrocyte malondialdehyde concentration. These data reveal that antioxidative defense mechanisms might be impaired in schizophrenic patients.

Attention defi cit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a neurobehavioral disorder characterized by pervasive inattention and/or hyperactivity-impulsivity. It has been suggested that ADHD symptoms are associated with restless legs syndrome (RLS), which is a neurological condition that is defi ned by an irresistible urge to move the legs. Increasing evidence suggests iron deficiency may underlie common pathophysiological mechanisms in subjects with ADHD and with RLS. To further defi ne the relationship between iron defi ciency and RLS in children and adolescents with ADHD, we evaluated 87 ADHD subjects: 79 boys and 8 girls with age 9.3 ± 2.5 years (6-16 years). Various psychopathologies and the severity of the ADHD symptoms and serum ferritin levels were assessed. Diagnosis of RLS was made according to the International RLS Group criteria. The patients were evaluated for the iron defi ciency (ferritin < 12 ng/ml). RLS was found in 29 (33.3%) of the 87 ADHD subjects. Parentand teacher-rated behavioral and emotional problems and the severity of ADHD symptoms were not signifi cantly different between ADHD subjects with RLS and those without RLS (n = 58). The rate of iron defi ciency was signifi cantly higher in ADHD subjects with RLS (n = 6, 20.7%) when compared with ADHD subjects without RLS (n = 1, 1.7%, p = 0.005). Our results showed that depleted iron stores might increase the risk of having RLS in ADHD subjects. Iron defi ciency, which is associated with both ADHD and RLS, seems to be an important modifying factor in the relationship between these two conditions. restless legs syndrome; attention defi cit hyperactivity disorder; iron defi ciency; ferritin; dopamine

These findings, unlike those of the Western studies, demonstrate that PPP is not uniform in different populations.

Domestic violence is passed from one generation to the next, and it affects not only the victim but also the psychological states of the witnesses, and especially the psychosocial development of children. Studies have reported that those who have been the victim of or witnessing violence during their childhood will use violence to a greater extent as adults in their own families. This research examines the relationships between a history of childhood physical abuse, likelihood of psychiatric diagnoses, and potential for being a perpetrator of childhood physical abuse in adulthood among women who received psychiatric treatment and in the healthy population from Turkey. Estimates of the prevalence of childhood physical abuse vary depending on definition and setting. The frequency of witnessing and undergoing physical abuse within the family during childhood is much higher in the psychiatrically disordered group than the healthy controls. Childhood physical abuse history is one of the major risk factors for being an abuser in adulthood. The best indicator of physically abusing one's own children was found to be as physical abuse during the childhood period rather than psychiatric diagnosis. There is a large body of research indicating that adults who have been abused as children are more likely to abuse their own children than adults without this history. This is an important study from the point of view that consequences of violence can span generations. Further studies with different risk factor and populations will help to identify different dimensions of the problem.

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