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Background Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is among the most disabling neuropsychiatric conditions characterized by the presence of repetitive intrusive thoughts, impulses, or images (obsessions) and/or ritualized mental or physical acts (compulsions). Serotonergic medications, particularly Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs), are the first-line treatments for patients with OCD. Recently, dysregulation of glutamatergic system has been proposed to be involved in the etiology of OCD. We designed this systematic review and meta-analysis to evaluate clinical efficacy of glutamatergic medications in patients with OCD, according to the guidelines of Cochrane collaboration. Method We searched Medline, Scopus, and Cochrane library without applying any language filter. Two of the authors independently reviewed search results for irrelevant and duplicate studies and extracted data and assessed methodological quality of the studies. We transformed data into a common rubric and calculated a weighted treatment effect across studies using Review Manager. Results We found 476 references in 3 databases, and after exclusion of irrelevant and duplicate studies, 17 studies with total number of 759 patients with OCD were included. In the present review we found evidence for several drugs such as memantine, N-acetylcysteine (NAC), Minocycline, L-carnosine and riluzole. Glutamaterigic drug plus SSRIs were superior to SSRI+ Placebo with regard to Y-BOCS scale [standardized mean difference (SMD = − 3.81 95% CI = − 4.4, − 3.23). Conclusion Augmentation of glutamatergic medications with SSRIs are beneficial in obsessive-compulsive patients, no harmful significant differences in any safety outcome were found between the groups.

Background: Dementia constitutes a public health hazard in developing countries. The aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of dementia and its associated factors in older hospitalized patients. Methods: The participants of this cross-sectional study consisted of older patients admitted to medical wards in Rasoul-e Akram hospital in Tehran, Iran. Mini-Mental State Examination, Mini-Cog test, Geriatric Depression Scale, Activities of Daily Living-Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (ADL-IADL) scale, and socioeconomic questionnaires were used. Results: A total of 205 elderly inpatients were included. The mean age was 71.33 ± 7.35 years; 63.4% of the participants had normal cognitive function, while 36.6% had some degree of cognitive impairment. There was a statistically significant relationship between gender, age, number of children, and occupation and the prevalence of dementia. Conclusion: Appropriate cognitive screening of older patients upon admission to hospitals could help identify potential adverse events and enhance the quality of care for patients with comorbid dementia.

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Grief is the physical or mental suffering experienced after a major loss, usually the death of a loved one. It is a universal experience, but sociocultural factors, such as cultural or ethnic identity and religious beliefs predict and shape the expression of grief. The circumstances under which people are experiencing grief during the coronavirus outbreak have adversely affected the grieving process. Unexpected deaths, social distancing rules and visitor restrictions in healthcare facilities have posed a heavier burden on the loss and have heightened the risk of grievers experiencing complicated or persistent grief. This concern led us, as early career psychiatrists (ECPs) from 14 different countries connected by the Early Career Psychiatrists Section of the World Psychiatric Association (WPA), to share our country-specific experiences on the mourning, grief tradition, and burial rites during the COVID-19 pandemic. In this paper, we discuss our experiences, similarities and differences with relation to the: ‘Effect of the pandemic on mourning’, ‘Restrictions and Guideline on burial rites due to the pandemic’, ‘Effect of the pandemic on social support’ and ‘Role of media and telecommunication on mourning practices and burial rites’. We conclude that while telecommunication means have attempted to bridge the gap and provide some form of social connectedness, the total and global effect of the pandemic is yet to be fully seen and understood.

Background: Accurate diagnosis and management of patients with rapidly progressive dementia may be challenging during the COVID-19 pandemic, which has negatively influenced the diagnostic performances, medical resource allocation and routine care for all non-COVID-19 diseases. Case Presentation: We herein present a case of a 57‐year‐old male with rapidly progressive cognitive decline, headache, diplopia, myalgia, unsteady gait, aggression, depression, insomnia, hallucinations and delusions of persecution. COVID-19-associated encephalitis was briefly considered as a differential diagnosis. However, this hypothesis was rejected upon further investigation. A final diagnosis of sporadic Creutzfeldt–Jakob disease was made. Conclusion: A timely and accurate diagnosis of Creutzfeldt–Jakob disease gives patients and their families the chance to receive a good standard of healthcare and avoid extensive evaluations for other conditions.

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