Introduction: Rheumatism has been treated using whole-body cryotherapy (WBCT) since the 1970s. The aim of this study was to assess the efficacy of WBCT as an experimental, adjunctive method of treating depressive and anxiety disorders. Materials and Methods: A control (n=34) and a study group (n=26), both consisting of outpatients 18-65 years old with depressive and anxiety disorders (ICD-10), received standard psychopharmacotherapy. The study group was additionally treated with a series of 15 daily visits to a cryogenic chamber (2-3 min, from -160°C to -110°C). The Hamilton's depression rating scale (HDRS) and Hamilton's anxiety rating scale (HARS) were used as the outcome measures. Results: After three weeks, a decrease of at least 50% from the baseline HDRS-17 scores in 34.6% of the study group and 2.9% of the control group and a decrease of at least 50% from the baseline HARS score in 46.2% of the study group and in none of the control group were noted. Conclusions: These findings, despite such limitations as a small sample size, suggest a possible role for WBCT as a short-term adjuvant treatment for mood and anxiety disorders.

Background: The outbreak of the novel coronavirus COVID-19 that began from March 2020 is yet to be contained. Consequences of the ongoing pandemic may have a negative impact on the mental health of affected individuals. This particularly refers to those quarantined. Since the COVID-19 pandemic is currently one of the biggest health issues worldwide, a higher demand emerges for research concentrating on the worsening of psychological well-being among the general and the quarantined population, as well as on individual coping strategies that may moderate the occurrence of psychopathologies.Method: Data were collected within the first weeks of the COVID-19 pandemic in Poland. Participants represented quarantine (+) and quarantine (–) groups. Quarantine (+) group, different from quarantine (–), consisted of people who experienced it themselves or someone close to them did after contacting an infected individual. To measure psychopathological symptoms a General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-28) was used. For measuring PTSD symptoms, the Impact of Event Scale-Revised (IES-R) was used. This study followed the coping strategies manifested among the participants using the MiniCope questionnaire.Results: A total of 2,036 individuals participated in this study. Quarantine (+) individuals had significantly higher total and subscales GHQ-28 scores (anxiety, insomnia, and somatic symptoms) as well as a higher IES-R arousal score. The quarantine (+) individuals were more likely to use self-distraction as a coping strategy. This research identified positive and negative correlations between presented coping styles and manifested psychopathology.Conclusion: This nationwide study suggests occurrence of negative effects on mental health due to the COVID-19 pandemic and quarantine. It is observed on most of the measured psychopathological symptoms. The present research provides a line of action that should be followed in the future in case of another epidemic and in the event restrictions like quarantine have to be introduced again.

Although the EURODEM study was a milestone in the epidemiology of dementia in Europe and provided several future directions for research, methodological limitations are apparent in a number of European studies on the prevalence of dementia and require particular attention. In particular, a variety of diagnostic instruments requires unification for future studies. On the other hand, given the lack of epidemiological studies from a number of countries and the increasing prevalence of dementia, the need for population-based surveys should be emphasized.

SummaryAim of the study: The purpose of the study was to evaluate the efficacy of the electroencephalogram (EEG)-biofeedback (NF) method in attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) treatment in each of the three basic DSM-IV-TR clinical types. Materials and method: 85 patients aged 6 to 14 years treated in an outpatient department and a day care department (S) were qualified for the EEG-biofeedback therapy, whereas the control group consisted of 30 patients (C) who were treated with methylphenidate. For the purpose of evaluating the efficacy of treatment, a structured interview on the presence of the ADHD symptoms was used. The S group patients participated in 20 NF therapy sessions throughout a six-month period. An analysis of electrophysiological parameters of EEG was additionally conducted in group S -theta/sensorimotor rhythm (SMR) and theta/beta ratios in C3 and C4 channels at three points in time (at the beginning, during and at the end of the EEG-biofeedback therapy).Results: Both types of S and C group therapies significantly reduce (p<0.01) the number of attention deficit, hyperactivity and impulsiveness symptoms in subgroups with attention deficit prevalence and mixed type ADHD. In all ADHD types a significant decrease in values of the examined theta/SMR and theta/beta ratios was noted between sessions 1 and 10. Conclusions:The NF method proved similarly effective to methylphenidate in reducing the number of symptoms in two types of ADHD: ADHD with the prevalence of attention deficit and in mixed type ADHD.

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