Background: Long-term use of Methamphetamine (MA) can impose some deficits by its toxicity on the brain structure and function. It can also alter brain electrical activity and cortico-cortical neural connections. The coherence index of electroencephalography reflects the temporal integration of electrical oscillations between different sites of the brain and could be affected by the chronic use of MA. Objectives: In this study, we aimed to compare quantitative electroencephalography (QEEG) coherence as an index of brain connectivity between methamphetamine users and healthy people. Methods: In this descriptive-analytical study, 18 patients with methamphetamine abstinence and 18 healthy people with no history of psychiatric illness were evaluated. Electroencephalography was recorded during eyes-open and eyes-closed states for each group, and then, the analysis for coherence between different twin electrodes was performed. The evaluation was done on occipital, temporal, frontal, and parietal lobes. Repeated-measures ANOVA and t-test were conducted for statistical analysis (P < 0.05). Results: Coherence differences in frontal, temporal, and occipital lobes were not significant while coherence was significantly different in parietal lobes between the groups (P = 0.03), so that a decrease in C3-CZ electrode coherence in both delta and theta bands in methamphetamine users was significant (P = 0.03 and P = 0.01, respectively). Conclusions: It was revealed that brain coherence could be changed after the chronic use of MA, especially in slow waves. This could be an indicator of structural and functional damage in the neuronal population and show less regional integration in cortical areas in MA users, possibly due to substance toxicity.

Background: Neuropsychiatric disorders are described by their neurological, behavioral, and cognitive symptoms. However, behavioral symptoms may often be overlooked due to the current approach in neurology. Objectives: This study investigated the relationship between behavioral symptoms and cognitive functioning in neurological disorders. The second aim was to predict neurocognitive patterns by behavioral symptoms as independent variables. Methods: Behavioral symptoms were collected based on semi-structured neuropsychiatric interviews with 211 patients admitted to the neuropsychiatry department of Ayatollah Kashani hospital in Isfahan by both a neuropsychiatry fellow and an attending neuropsychiatrist. A neuropsychiatry fellow assessed all patients using the neuropsychiatry unit cognitive (NUCog) assessment tool. We used a generalized linear model (GLM) to indicate the effect of behavioral symptoms on the risk of decline in cognitive domains. Due to the use of all available samples, this study had no age limit, and the patients were 15 to 92 years old. Results: The regression coefficient of NUCog subscale scores for behavioral symptoms using GLM revealed that education level had a positive relationship with the scores of attention (P < 0.001), visuoconstruction (P < 0.001), memory (P < 0.001), executive function (P < 0.001), language (P < 0.001), and the total score of NUCog (P < 0.001). Patients with apathy had lower scores on the memory subscale (P = 0.002) and total NUCog (P = 0.021). Similarly, patients with delusion had lower scores on memory (P = 0.006) and executive function (P = 0.026). There was a negative relationship between agitation and attention (P = 0.049), visuoconstruction (P = 0.015), memory (P = 0.018), executive function (P = 0.005), and total score of NUCog (P = 0.007). Sleep disturbances were accompanied by lower memory scores (P = 0.056) and lower mean NUCog scores (P = 0.052). Visual hallucination was associated with declined performance in attention (P = 0.057). Conclusions: Behavioral assessment can help predict cognitive patterns in patients with neurobehavioral syndromes.

Background: Gender identity is an important part of human identity. It is a personal conception of oneself as male or female. One of the major goals of treatment for individuals with Gender Dysphoria (GD) is to treat comorbid psychological and psychiatric disorders such as personality disorders. The present study aims to investigate demographic characteristics and personality disorders in people with GD seeking gender reassignment therapy in East Azerbaijan Province, Iran. Methods: In this descriptive cross-sectional study, study population consists of all patients with GD referred to the forensic medicine centers in East Azerbaijan province during 2016-2020, of whom 61 (21 males and 40 females) were selected using a convenience sampling method. Their age, gender, educational level, and marital status were recorded and their personality profile was assessed by the Millon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory–III. Results: The frequency (percentage) of Cluster A, B and C personality disorders in males were 0(0%), 9(50%) and 2(11.10%), while in females they were 1(5.56%), 4(22.40%), and 2(11.10%), respectively. The frequency (percentage) of antisocial, obsessive, borderline, avoidant, narcissistic, histrionic, and paranoid personality disorders in males were 4(22.2%), 2(11.10%), 3(16.67%), 0(0%), 0(0%), 2(11.10%), and 0(0%), while in females they were 4(22.20%), 1(5.56%), 3(16.67%), 1(5.56%), 1(5.56%), 2(11.10%), and 1(5.56%), respectively. The prevalence of different clusters (P=0.34) and types (P=0.18) of personality disorders was not significantly different between males and females. Conclusion: Personality disorders are comorbid with GD. They exist in one-third of patients with GD in East Azerbaijan Province. Personality disorders are significantly more prevalent in male patients with GD than in females.

Background: An estimated 25% to 30% of patients presenting to family physicians have psychiatric disorders (PDs). Accurate diagnosis of various PDs requires valid and well-designed screening tools and psychiatric interviews. There is no rapid and low-cost tool for PD screening in primary health care (PHC). Objectives: To determine the validity and psychometric properties of the Iranian Rapid Assessment for Psychiatric Illness Screening Instrument (IRA-PISI) in PHC. Methods: This psychometric study was performed among a convenience sample of 257 outpatients presenting to the first-line health services in Tabriz. Psychiatric interviews via DSM-5 were used as the gold standard. The validation process included the face validity (literature review and expert comments), content validity, estimating the best cutoff point, and measuring the sensitivity and specificity of the questionnaire compared to the psychiatric interview. Temporal and internal reliabilities were measured by test-retest and Cronbach's alpha coefficient, respectively. Results: The final questionnaire consisted of 14 items (with a score range of 14 to 70) after removing seven questions from the initial questionnaire (21 items) during the validation process. The sensitivity and specificity of the questionnaire compared to psychiatric interviews were 83.62% and 75.17%, respectively. The overall relevance and the best cutoff point (score) were 0.91% and 28, respectively. Interclass correlation coefficient (ICC) and Cronbach's alpha coefficient were 96% and 83%, respectively. The ICC of items/questions ranged from 89.3 to 100. Conclusions: The IRA-PISI has appropriate validity and reliability for screening common PDs among outpatients presenting to first-line healthcare providers.