Scielo RSS http://scielo.isciii.es/rss.php?pid=0213-616320130004&lang=es vol. 27 num. 4 lang. es http://scielo.isciii.es/img/en/fbpelogp.gif http://scielo.isciii.es http://scielo.isciii.es/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0213-61632013000400001&lng=es&nrm=iso&tlng=es The year 2013 marks the 75th anniversary of the invention of ECT. This paper provides a translation of the 1938 publication by Cerletti and Bini, with an introduction. The authors thought that it would be helpful, in the debate about ECT, to make accessible to people unfamiliar with Italian the first public account of ECT made by Cerletti and Bini in front of the Royal Medical Academy of Rome in May 1938. The introduction and translated paper refer to the methodical approach to the development of ECT, based on the scientific opinions and technological processes of the time, as well as the drive to provide treatment which is both cheaper and more acceptable to patients. The introduction also comments on changing attitudes to what remains an efficacious treatment. ECT has been wrongly represented as an obsolete, unscientific treatment more akin to a torture than to a therapy: some explanations for this are suggested. http://scielo.isciii.es/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0213-61632013000400002&lng=es&nrm=iso&tlng=es Background and Objectives: While several studies have indicated a link between illicit drug use and the development of psychosis, the confounding role of pre-existing psychiatric illness is unclear. This study controls for this factor to a greater extent than has hitherto been possible, using a retrospective observational matched-cohort design controlling for age, gender, socioeconomic status and prior psychiatric illness. Methods: 592 cases (diagnosed with drug misuse/dependence) and 592 controls (no recorded history of drug misuse/dependence) were drawn from all patients aged 16-44 in 183 practices within the General Practice Research Database (UK). On study entry, cases and controls had never had a psychiatric diagnosis since registering with their practice. The average look-back period was 17.7 years. The main outcome measure was diagnosis of psychosis (including schizophrenia) from study entry onwards. Results: Patients with a drug misuse/dependence diagnosis are significantly more likely to be diagnosed with psychosis than those with no drug misuse/dependence history (RR = 2.10, 95% C.I. = 1.23-3.59) with the relative risk increasing as the definition of psychosis gets narrower. Conclusions: This study has established that, when the confounding presence of previous psychiatric illness is removed, the onset of problematic substance misuse severe enough to warrant primary care consultation is a risk factor for future onset of first-ever psychotic illness. Thus, there is a distinct sub-group of psychotic patients among whom drug misuse/dependence, with no prior psychiatric illness, is a risk factor for the development of psychoses. http://scielo.isciii.es/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0213-61632013000400003&lng=es&nrm=iso&tlng=es Background and Objectives: Deficits in oligodendrocytes have been consistently reported in the brains of patients with schizophrenia and include alterations in the clustering pattern of oligodendrocytes. Recently it has been shown that oligodendrocyte progenitors proliferate in the adult mammalian brain to form oligodendrocyte clusters (OlC). We previously found a deficit of oligodendrocytes in layer 3 of the inferior parietal lobule (IPL) in subjects with schizophrenia with poor insight into disorder. We hypothesized that the number of OlC might be reduced in schizophrenia subjects with poor insight. Methods: Nissl-stained sections from the Stanley "Parietal Collection" from male schizophrenia subjects (n = 24) that have poor, fair, or good insight into their disorder and normal matched controls (n = 24) were studied. The numerical density (Nv) of OlC was estimated in layer 3 of BA 39 and BA 40 by optical disector method. Results: The Nv of OlC was 23% lower in BA 39 and 30% lower in BA40 in the schizophrenia group compared to the control group (p Conclusions: The deficit of OlC may be associated with altered proliferation and/or maturation of oligodendrocyte progenitors in schizophrenia. http://scielo.isciii.es/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0213-61632013000400004&lng=es&nrm=iso&tlng=es Background and Objectives: Nightmares are defined as disturbing mental experiences that generally occur during REM sleep and often result in awakening. Even though about 5% of the general population suffers from nightmares, little is known about seeking professional help in this patient group. Methods: A quota sample of 2019 participants representative for the German population was studied. Results: The findings indicate that every eighth person with frequent nightmares (cutoff: every other week or more often) sought at one time of his/her life for professional help for coping with nightmares. Socio-demographic variables did not correlate with help-seeking behavior. Conclusions: Nightmares are an undertreated condition and future studies should aim at a more throughout understanding why nightmare sufferers rarely seek help for their condition. http://scielo.isciii.es/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0213-61632013000400005&lng=es&nrm=iso&tlng=es Background and Objectives: In clinical practice, the coexistence of delusions and affective symptoms is often observed. The current Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, fourth edition- Text Revision (DSM-IV-TR) accepts the existence of mood disturbances in delusional disorder. Little research has been done regarding this field and prevalence rates are unclear. Our purpose was to review the frequency of affective symptoms in delusional disorder patients and to identify the proportion of these patients that are reported to be treated with antidepressants. Methods: Three electronic databases were searched from 1980 to July 2012: MEDLINE, PsycINFO and PubMed, using the following keywords: delusional disorder, depression, affective illness, antidepressants and paranoia. Results: A high frequency of affective disturbances was found in this population (21-55.8%). In contrast, a low antidepressants prescription rate was shown. When focusing on delusional disorder somatic subtype, a particularly high mood disorder comorbidity rate was described and a good efficacy of antidepressant drugs was reported, in monotherapy or in combination with antipsychotics. Conclusions: A high frequency of comorbid depression in delusional disorder and a low antidepressants prescription rate could be concluded. Further studies are needed to better clarify the role of mood symptoms in clinical practice among delusional disorder patients.