Objective: Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a predominant neurodegenerative disorder and one of the most prevalent forms of dementia, affecting 35 million people worldwide. The neuropathologic characteristics of this disorder show extracellular aggregation of amyloid plaques composed of amyloid-beta (Aβ) peptides and the presence of hyperphosphorylated tau protein leading to the formation of neurofibrillary tangle inside the neurons. Some of the significant clinical presentations of AD patients include memory decline, trouble in speech, personality alterations, gait imbalance, and mood changes. A tremendous core of genetics is involved in the prevalence of AD. The three vital genes such as amyloid precursor protein (APP), presenilin-1 (PSEN1), and presenilin-2 (PSEN2) have a definite association with AD. The objective of this study was to characterize these genes, which are immensely relevant in health-care practices and the formation of personalized medications. Materials and Methods: The characterization of genes has been done using several databases such as the National Center for Biotechnology Information, GeneCards, Human Protein Atlas, tissue expression database, and protein modeling server – Swiss-model. Results: As a result, we got the genomic and subcellular location of genes. Furthermore, we got the expression concentration of proteins in tissues, three-dimensional protein structures using amino acid sequences, string connection with various proteins, features of genes, and the protein encoded by it. Conclusion: We reach the conclusion that protein expression of APP is high in the brain, spinal canal, liver, lungs, and small and large intestine. PSEN1 concentration of expression is high in the brain and spinal, whereas PSEN2 concentration of expression is high in the liver, lungs, brain, and intestine.

[ABSTRACT]  [FULL TEXT]  [PDF]  [Mobile Full text]  [EPub]

Background: Herbicides including paraquat (PQ) have been reported to have deleterious effects on biological systems and normal functioning of the brain, especially regions related to motor functionality and coordination like the cerebrum and substantia nigra resulting in neurodegenerative conditions such as Parkinson's disease. Phoenix dactylifera has high nutritional value and is beneficial in the management and treatment of diverse ailments. Aim: This study assessed the protective properties of Aqueous fruit extract of P. dactylifera (AFPD) on PQ-triggered cortico-nigral neurotoxicity in rats. Neuroprotective properties of AFPD were assessed using beam walking performance (BWP) for motor coordination, oxidative stress biomarkers (Malondialdehyde [MDA], superoxide dismutase [SOD], and glutathione [GSH]) and histological examination (H and E stained) for cytoarchitectural changes. BWP across the study period revealed no motor coordination deficit with PQ exposure. Materials and Methods: Twenty-five rats were categorized into five groups (n = 5); the control was administered 2 ml/kg distilled H₂O, another group received 11.35 mg/kg PQ, another received 11.35 mg/kg PQ + 10 mg/kg L-dopa as reference drug, while two other groups received 11.35 mg/kg PQ + 500 mg/kg AFPD and 11.35 mg/kg PQ + 1,000 mg/kg AFPD, respectively, for 28 days. Results: PQ-treated group revealed oxidative stress by significant elevation of MDA levels and decrease in antioxidant enzymes (SOD and GSH). Remarkable cytoarchitectural distortions were observed with PQ treatment. However, AFPD treatment showed ameliorative properties by a significant decrease in MDA levels and increased SOD and GSH activities. Mild distortion-to-relatively normal neuronal cytoarchitecture relative to the control was also observed with AFPD treatment. Conclusion: AFPD possesses potential neuroprotective properties against PQ-triggered pathological changes in cortico-nigral structures of Wistar rats.

[ABSTRACT]  [FULL TEXT]  [PDF]  [Mobile Full text]  [EPub]

Background: Apart from motor manifestations, Parkinson's disease (PD) and associated treatment modalities including DBS are associated with less studied psychiatric and cognitive symptoms. Aim: This study aims to evaluate psychiatric profile, cognition, and quality of life in patients with advanced PD and the effects on STN-DBS on them. Study Design: A prospective, single center, observational study using a direct, structured interview of PD patients. Materials and Methods: All consecutive patients undergoing bilateral STN-DBS between the period June 2017 and December 2019 were evaluated with mini international neuropsychiatric interview (MINI), Addenbrooke's Cognitive Examination (ACE), and PD questionnaire-39 (PDQ-39) before surgery. All these patients were evaluated at 6 weeks postsurgery with MINI and with MINI, ACE and PDQ-39 at 6 months postsurgery. Lead position in magnetic resonance imaging was correlated with psychiatric manifestations. Paired t-test and Wilcoxon sign-rank test were used to study the difference between means. Results: There were a total of 40 cases operated in the study period. There were two patients who had cerebral hemorrhage and two had leads removed due to infection and these patients were excluded from the final analysis. Out of 36 patients, depression was noted in 7 (19.4%), psychosis in 5 (13.8%), anxiety in 10 (27.7%), and suicidal ideation in 2 (5.5%) cases. Postoperatively, 85% of patients with depression, 80% with psychosis, and 80% of patients with anxiety disorders improved. One patient developed new-onset depression and one patient developed visual hallucination. Two patients had acute deterioration in the immediate postoperative period. The patient who developed depression and hallucination had their leads medially located. Mild cognitive decline was noted in verbal fluency which was significant (P = 0.003), and however, there was a significant improvement in quality of life (P = 0.001). Conclusions: Bilateral STN-DBS is a safe and effective therapeutic option and improves psychiatric disorders if the leads are appropriately placed. Although mild cognitive decline occurs, there is overall significant improvement in quality of life.

[ABSTRACT]  [FULL TEXT]  [PDF]  [Mobile Full text]  [EPub]

Aim: The psychological effects of political approaches in our country together with political developments in the world, affect the mental health of society and the individuals who hold it together. When the literature was examined, it became clear that a Psycho-political Safety Scale (PSS) was needed to address the mental health and sense of safety of the individual from a psycho-political perspective. Materials and Methods: This research aims to conduct a validity and reliability study in a wide sample of the PSS. The sample consists of 6420 people from all over Turkey. Results: Analysis revealed that the scale consists of four factors. The first factor “Economy” alone explains 43.7% of the variance, the second factor “Homeland Security” 7.9% of the variance, the third factor “Education” 6.5% of the variance, the fourth factor “Domestic Policy” 6.3% of the variance. These four factors, consisting of a total of 16 items, together explained 64.5% of the total variance. In addition, four factors confirmed PSS in the validating factor analysis. (Chi-square/degree of freedom value: 3.15; Root mean square error of approximation: 0.069; Normed fit index: 0.93; Nonnormed fit index: 0.93; Comparative fix index: 0.96; Goodness of Fit Index: 0.93; Adjusted goodness of fit index: 0.91). The internal consistency coefficient of the scale Cronbach Alpha (α) was found to be, 91. As a result of the studies, it is understood that the scale is valid and reliable. Conclusion: A valid and reliable scale called PSS, which measures the psycho-political safety of individuals psychometrically has emerged.

[ABSTRACT]  [FULL TEXT]  [PDF]  [Mobile Full text]  [EPub]

Aim: Different and changing roles in the lives of the spouses of hemodialysis patients could be perceived as a major stress factor due to their partners' diseases with their emotional burden and certain responsibilities related to the disease. Along with these stressors, people could manifest certain symptoms of depression and anxiety and have difficulty adapting to changing living conditions. The aim of this study is to determine the depression, anxiety and anger levels in spouses of hemodialysis patients. Materials and Methods: The study consisted of 50 spouses whose partners were currently receiving hemodialysis and 50 healthy controls in Istanbul in Turkey. Both groups were matched based on their gender and ages. Participants in the study were asked to complete the Beck Depression Inventory, Beck Anxiety Inventory, Spielberger Trait Anger and Anger Expression Inventory for collecting data. Results: The findings indicated that the treatment process of hemodialysis patients and the disease itself had negative outcomes on the mental health of their spouses. Anxiety, depression, and anger scores were found to be significantly higher among hemodialysis patients' spouses as compared to healthy controls. Conclusion: As a result of these findings, possible psychosocial needs of patients undergoing hemodialysis and their spouses should be evaluated together and psychological support and interventions should be provided for improvement of their stress-coping skills.

[ABSTRACT]  [FULL TEXT]  [PDF]  [Mobile Full text]  [EPub]

Obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD) is unique among mental illnesses in that its comorbidity with alcohol use disorders (AUD), substance use disorders (SUD), and smoking has been reported to be common in the community but surprisingly less frequent in clinical settings. To better investigate this dual diagnosis, we screened the Medline, PsychInfo, and Scopus databases. We did not apply strict criteria for the selection of articles because this article is a narrative review. Relatively, mild OCD is characterized by a high prevalence of AUD/SUD. Comorbidity becomes less frequent as OCD grows more distressing up to a certain degree of illness severity, above which it rises once more. In contrast, the prevalence of AUD/SUD in anxiety disorders, depression, and bipolar disorder is higher in clinical samples than in the community. The high prevalence of AUD/SUD accompanying OCD in community settings may be accounted for by self-medication, whereas decreasing prevalence in clinical samples may reflect personality traits common among obsessive-compulsive people, such as an elevated sense of harm and risk avoidance. An increase in more severe patients may imply the interplay between impulsiveness and compulsiveness. The distinct symptom dimensions of OCD, such as washing, checking, and having taboo thoughts, may be associated with varying degrees of predisposition to AUD/SUD as well as with different rates for seeking treatment, thus affecting the contradictions in the comorbidity rates of OCD and AUD/SUD. Our search confirms the U-shaped curve model put forward to explain the intricate relationship between OCD and AUD/SUD.

[ABSTRACT]  [FULL TEXT]  [PDF]  [Mobile Full text]  [EPub]

Aim: Most tissues in the body contain cytochrome P450 enzymes, which play an important role in many functions, especially metabolizing drugs and other xenobiotics. The CYP2C9 gene in humans codes for an enzyme called CYP2C9. The goal of this study was to figure out the genotype and allele distributions of the CYP2C9 gene rs1799853 (CYP2C9*2), rs1057910 (CYP2C9*3), rs28371686 (CYP2C9*5) and rs28371685 (CYP2C9*11) polymorphism in our cohort study. Materials and Methods: For this purpose, 19 cross-country skiing athletes took part in our research. After DNAs were extracted from buccal epithelial cells, real-time polymerase chain reaction was used to genotype them. Results: When we looked at the genotype distributions, we found that, the CC genotype was higher than CT and TT genotype for CYP2C9*2. For CYP2C9*3, the AA genotype was higher than the AC genotype and no CC genotype was found. Besides for the CYP2C9*5, only the CC genotype was found. In addition, only the CC genotype was found for CYP2C9*11. For The genotypic and predictive phenotype distribution of CYP2C9 polymorphisms, it was determined that 11 athletes (57.9%) were *1/*1 (extensive metabolizers), and 5 athletes (26.3%) were *1/*2 (intermediate metabolizers). As a poor metabolizer, one athlete *2/*2 (5.3%) and two athlete *2/*3 (10.5%) were determined. Conclusion: This study is the first study investigating the relationship between the CYP2C9 polymorphism in Turkish cross-country skiing athletes.

[ABSTRACT]  [FULL TEXT]  [PDF]  [Mobile Full text]  [EPub]

Aims and Objectives: Perception has an important role in managing crisis situations such as pandemics. While studies have been conducted on the risk and stress perceptions of health-care workers, there has not been any study on the stress and risk perceptions of health science students who have not yet started this profession, which was investigated herein. Materials and Methods: Participants (n = 225) reported their physiological changes, the level of perceived stress (PSS) caused by the coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) outbreak, and the evaluations of the risk perception through questionnaire form. Two cut-off scores of the PSS-14 were calculated as low (<M-SD), moderate (>M-SD and <M + SD), and high level (>M + SD) of perceived stress. The correlation between the PSS-14 and risk perception scores was analyzed using Spearman's rho correlation coefficient. The Wilcoxon Signed Rank test was used to evaluate pairwise risky situation comparisons. Two logistic regression was conducted to test the association between PSS-14 scores and appetite routine. Results: Mean PSS was higher among female students. The participants with a high level of perceived stress have a higher difference between the own risk perception and own risk perception referred to others, and there was a difference between own and own referred to others in the items of risk perception for shaking hands, prayer room, protection against disease, and protection against COVID-19 virus. Conclusions: Finally, people's perception of risk could be biased regarding their perceived stress level, and this may lead to not make the right judgments for the risky decisions.

[ABSTRACT]  [FULL TEXT]  [PDF]  [Mobile Full text]  [EPub]

Aims: The aim of this study is to evaluate the relationship between hormonal and psychological processes and eating attitudes, self-esteem, anxiety, and depression levels in postmenopausal women. Materials and Methods: This study was carried out by applying demographic information form, Beck depression, anxiety inventory, Self-Esteem Scale, and eating attitude test to 100 female participants who entered the menopause period. The research method is the relational screening method. Online and face-to-face surveys were administered to the participants. Data obtained from the scales SPSS software version 25.0. analyzed with the program. Results: In 100 menopausal women, 9% were low, 68% moderate, and 23% were at the good material level, body mass index was 14% normal, 61% were slightly obese, 17% were 1^st class obese, and 8% were 2^nd class obese. When the association between menopausal women's eating attitudes and depression levels was investigated, it was shown that there was a moderately negative relationship between the Beck Depression Scale and the eating attitude scale, as well as between the eating attitude and self-esteem. It has been found that there is a high level of positive correlation between the self-esteem and anxiety levels of menopausal women and between eating attitudes and anxiety levels. Conclusion: There is a negative relationship between eating attitude and depression and there is a positive relationship between self-esteem and trait anxiety. Depression, anxiety, nutritional obsessions, and low self-esteem can be seen in women with menopause, and there are relationships among these. For the health and rehabilitation of women with menopause, these parameters should be taken into account and preventive measures should be understood.

[ABSTRACT]  [FULL TEXT]  [PDF]  [Mobile Full text]  [EPub]

Aim: Hypnosis is treated as a state of mind. An individual depending on his/her social and psychological features follows suggestions and applies the requirements concerning time and space. With the advancement in brain-imagining techniques, viewing neuropsychological features of hypnosis has become a possibility. This article investigates the neuropsychological properties of hypnosis. The present study examines the electrophysiological features of the hypnotic minds of healthy individuals. This study aims to detect whether there is a change in and, if yes, in what region of suggestible individuals' minds during hypnosis. Materials and Methods: In this study, 34 highly suggestive individuals were selected out of 150 healthy individuals and were subjected to multidimensional Iowa suggestibility scale inventory and electroencephalogram (EEG). Due to technical problems during EEG, 24 data could be used cleanly. Using a correlational design, 34 healthy, suggestive individuals between the ages of 18–55 were included in the study. These participants have gone through an EEG procedure using the oddball paradigm. EEG and oddball were administered to 17 participants with and without hypnosis. Seventeen participants were administered without and with hypnosis. Twenty-four participants whose data was clear were included in the analyses. Results: When the groups were compared, it was seen that there was no significant difference in P300, P200, and P100 activities. There was also no significant difference in N200 and N100 activities. Conclusions: In this study the authors administered oddball paradigm with hypnosis and without hypnosis. The authors do not report any differences between conditions in terms of enterprise resource plannings. Although there was no statistically significant difference in this experimental design, studies with new and different designs should be continued.

[ABSTRACT]  [FULL TEXT]  [PDF]  [Mobile Full text]  [EPub]