Purpose
Among other non-motor symptoms, theory of mind (ToM), the ability to recognize, understand and infer others’ mental states, beliefs, intents and wishes, has been shown to deteriorate during the course of Parkinson’s disease (PD). It has been speculated that ToM impairments could be related to cognitive deficits in PD. However, the current state of literature suggests that there is heterogeneity regarding the involvement of cognitive functioning in the relationship of PD and ToM. The study aimed to measure affective ToM abilities and cognitive performance in a sample of PD patients, to explore the link between affective ToM abilities and cognitive status, and to examine the impact of PD on affective ToM through the mediator effect of cognitive performance.
Patients and methods
Sixty-five patients diagnosed with idiopathic PD and 51 healthy controls matched for age, gender and educational level completed a visual affective ToM task (Reading the Mind in the Eyes – RMET), cognitive performance was evaluated with Montreal Cognitive Assessment, and psychiatric symptoms were measured with BPRS-E (Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale).
Results
Affective ToM abilities were preserved in early PD patients, declining as the disease progressed. Deficits in cognitive functioning predicted deficiencies in affective ToM. Although attention (AT), executive functions (EF) and visuospatial abilities (VSA) together mediated the relationship between PD and affective ToM, only VSA impairment had a specific negative impact on affective ToM. Moreover, 41% of the total effect of attention and executive functions on affective ToM was mediated by visuospatial skills.
Conclusion
Cognitive performance may have an impact on the relationship between PD and affective ToM through the involvement of VSA. The influence of AT and EF in this relationship appears to be also exerted by PD patients’ VSA.
Postpartum depression is a frequent psychiatric condition in new mothers from our region. These results outline the critical role of mother's profile of personality which in a particular context of perinatal events could result in an increased likelihood of postpartum depression requiring a multidisciplinary approach.
Patients with severe COVID-19 experience high-stress levels and thus are at risk for developing acute stress disorder (ASD) and/or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The present study aims to search for correlations between psychiatric response to stress and coping strategies among individuals with acute vs. remitted COVID-19. Ninety subjects with COVID-19 were included in the study, divided into two samples by disease category. Our focus was analysing the perceived stress intensity according to NSESSS and PCL-C-17 scales, and coping strategies with COPE-60. High NSESSS scores were found in 40% of acute patients, and 15.6% of remitted patients had high PCL-C-17 scores fulfilling the criteria for PTSD. We found a negative correlation between stress level and disease category. Acute patients used significantly more engagement and emotion-focused coping methods, but less disengagement types of coping than patients in the remitted phase. Remitted patients under high stress levels are prone to use disengagement and emotion-focused coping strategies. In conclusion, remitted COVID-19 patients experience lower levels of stress and use less emotion-focused strategies, except among those who developed PTSD post-COVID-19 infection, presenting with high-stress levels and using more disengagement and emotion-focused types of coping strategies.
The current study aimed to investigate the rate of postpartum depression and its correlation with both state and trait anxiety. A cross-sectional study was performed on 80 mothers monitored in the Ambulatory of "Bega" Obstetrics Clinic from Timisoara. The presence of depression was assessed with the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale, using a cut-off ≥ 10. State anxiety was assessed using the Beck Anxiety Inventory and anchored visual analogue scales. Trait anxiety was dimensionally assessed using the Karolinska Scale of Personality (KSP). More than half of recruited mothers presented a global score significant for postpartum depression (N = 43, 53.8%). Both perspectives of anxiety, as a state (p < 0.001) and as personality traits (e.g. p = 0.003 for psychic anxiety), were significantly correlated with postpartum depression. Furthermore, the levels of worry related to self-perceived health status of both mother and infant were significant in mothers with postpartum depression. We can conclude that postpartum depression was a highly-frequent psychopathological phenomenon among mothers from this sample set. In addition, both state and trait anxiety were common co-occurring clinical features.
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