There are still not enough findings to elucidate how exactly alcohol use impairs cognitive abilities. Some studies have shown that there is a link between alcohol intake and vitamin D levels, but these findings are inconsistent so further research is needed. The aim of this study was to investigate the association between serum vitamin D levels and cognitive impairment in alcohol-dependent individuals. A case-control study was carried out including a total of N = 132 respondents with a medical history of alcoholism, and healthy volunteers. The Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCa) and Addenbrooke’s Cognitive Examination-Revised (ACE-R) screening tools were used for cognitive status assessment and serum vitamin D levels analysis (blood samples of respondents). Significant difference (p = 0.022), was found in vitamin D levels in the alcohol-dependent group with cognitive deficiency 13.7 ± 9.4 (ng/mL), alcohol-dependent group without cognitive deficiency 19.5 ± 11.2 (ng/mL) and healthy controls 19.9 ± 11.1 (ng/mL), respectively. Furthermore, vitamin D levels were significantly different across all groups based on MoCa (p = 0.016) and ACE-R (p = 0.004) scores. All three groups exhibited vitamin D deficiency. A significant correlation was found between vitamin D deficiency and cognitive impairment, but it yielded no significant difference in alcohol-dependent individuals.

Depression symptoms take place recurrently in patients suffering from COPD. This study aims to assess the effects of antidepressant therapy in patients with COPD and a depressive disorder in relation to COPD levels. The study population consisted of N = 87 patients diagnosed with COPD, according to the GOLD criteria, and a depressive disorder. All of the patients were subjected to clinical and psychiatric exploration according to psychiatric assessment instruments, which was followed by SSRI therapy for the duration of 8 weeks. The main methods used were descriptive statistics and analysis of variance. The results showed a different distribution of depressive symptoms at a different stage of COPD by FEV1 (χ² = 30.47, df = 6, p < 0.01) and by mMRC (χ² = 34.6, df = 6, p < 0.01). After the application of SSRIs, there was a significant improvement in HDRS scores in all stages of COPD by FEV1 (χ² = 251.62, df = 9, p < 0.01) and by mMRC (χ² = 919.17, df = 9, p < 0.01). This study contributes to the improvement in the quality of life of patients by the targeted application of SSRI therapy and, therefore, more precise and better overall treatment results.

The relationship between depression and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is not fully understood. The comorbidity rate ranges from 18 to 84%, and depression is closely related to chronic inflammation, which affects how patients and the people around them perceive their condition. This study aims to examine the relationship between the psychophysical and social functioning of COPD patients who have been diagnosed with depression and the therapeutic benefits of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). This prospective study enrolled primary care patients diagnosed with COPD and depression. The entire period of this research was 3 years. The research was conducted at the Primary Health Center, Kragujevac, Serbia, in 87 patients for 8 weeks. The Hamilton Depression Scale (HAM-D) and Questionnaire for Quality of Life and Life Satisfaction Short Form (Q-LES-Q-SF) were used for psychiatric assessment. A positive correlation was found between the psychophysical and social functioning of the participants after 8 weeks of treatment with SSRIs. Based on the value of the phi correlation coefficient (phi = 0.5) obtained using the χ² test, a large influence was observed in terms of life satisfaction and physical health (p < 0.05). In terms of physical functioning by gender, based on the value of the Pearson’s coefficient (r) obtained with the χ² test, it was shown that physical functioning was superior in the female respondents (p < 0.05). Treatment was found to improve depression in COPD after 8 weeks of therapy.