This study examines EEG low frequency characteristics which have been linked to specific cognitive functions such as stimulus encoding and attention during an auditory oddball task in schizophrenia patients and healthy controls. EEG data was recorded from 17 young schizophrenia patients in a stable phase of their illness and 17 healthy controls performing an auditory oddball task. Evoked and induced delta and theta activity, N100, P300 amplitude were computed. Between 200-500 ms after a stimulus was presented, patients displayed significantly reduced P300, less evoked and induced delta and theta activity than controls. We conclude that the well known finding of P300 reduction in schizophrenia can be linked to reductions in delta and theta activity, which are a manifestation of impaired stimulus evaluation, memory retrieval, and a lack of sustained attention.

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Clinical casesCase one A 35-year-old married woman consulted the psychiatry department in February 2010 for depression for the past 1.5 years which had become aggravated during the past 3 months. Using the Montgomery-Åsberg Depression Rate Scale (MADRS) [Montgomery and Åsberg, 1979] the patient scored 25 points and was diagnosed having depression and was prescribed fluoxetine 20 mg/day. After 21 days, the dose was increased to 40 mg/day along with alprazolam 0.5 mg/day for poor treatment response and persistent insomnia. After 2 weeks, she showed significant improvement although she experienced slight nausea and headache. During her subsequent follow up, the dose of alprazolam was reduced to 0.25 mg/day and tapered to complete cessation over the next week, and fluoxetine was continued with excellent therapeutic response.However, in July 2011, she complained of amenorrhea for five consecutive cycles and her serum prolactin level was found to be 25 ng/ml (normal 0-20 ng/ml). The dose of fluoxetine was reduced A new logical insight and putative mechanism behind fluoxetine-induced amenorrhea, hyperprolactinemia and galactorrhea in a case series Somnath Mondal, Indranil Saha, Saibal Das, Abhrajit Ganguly, Debasis Das and Santanu Kumar Tripathi Abstract: With the exception of fluoxetine, all selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) commonly cause hyperprolactinemia through presynaptic mechanisms indirectly via 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT)-mediated inhibition of tuberoinfundibular dopaminergic neurons. However, there is little insight regarding the mechanisms by which fluoxetine causes hyperprolactinemia via the postsynaptic pathway. In this text, analysis of five spontaneously reported clinical cases of hyperprolactinemia resulting in overt symptoms of amenorrhea with or without galactorrhea, were scrupulously analyzed after meticulously correlating relevant literature and an attempt was made to explore the putative postsynaptic pathway of fluoxetine inducing hyperprolactinemia. Hypothetically, serotonin regulates prolactin release either by increasing oxytocin (OT) level via direct stimulation of vasoactitive intestinal protein (VIP) or indirectly through stimulation of GABAergic neurons. The pharmacodynamic exception and pharmacokinetic aspect of fluoxetine are highlighted to address the regulation of prolactin release via serotonergic pathway, either directly through stimulation of prolactin releasing factors (PRFs) VIP and OT via 5-HT 2A receptors predominantly on PVN (neurosecretory magnocellular cell) or through induction of 5-HT 1A -mediated direct and indirect GABAergic actions. Prospective molecular and pharmacogenetic studies are warranted to visualize how fluoxetine regulate neuroendocrine system and cause adverse consequences, which in turn may explore new ways of approach of drug development by targeting the respective metabolic pathways to mitigate these adverse impacts.

Introduction:Tuberculosis is a public health problem in India. The patients of Tuberculosis hide their disease from family, relatives, and community due to the presence of stigma. This study was conducted to assess the knowledge, awareness, and perception regarding social variables of tuberculosis among patients and to associate the awareness with their literacy status.Materials and Methods:Type of study was observational, descriptive, and epidemiological. Study design was cross-sectional. Study setting was general out-patient department of tertiary care hospitals of West Bengal. Sample size was 464 (Four hundred sixty four) patients. The collected data were tabulated, analyzed, and interpreted by proper statistical methods (by percentage and Z test).Results:60.34% of study population was male. More than one third was illiterate (37.93%). Majority (91.38%) had heard about tuberculosis (TB). Correct answer on cause (infection) was responded by 16.81% patients. About 72.41% had heard about TB from an informal contact. The correct response on mode of spread of TB was told by 31.47% patients. About 62.07% correctly answered that cough was the commonest symptom. 82.76% knew about curability of the disease. Isolation of patient (08.62%) and avoidance of sharing of food (06.03%) were reported as preventive measures. The literacy status had a significant influence on awareness about TB.Conclusion:An attempt could be made in future to improve awareness among illiterates to remove myths and misconceptions, to allay the social stigma attached with it, to decrease TB transmission.