Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is one of the most common neurodevelopmental disorders. It was once thought to be a disorder affecting only children, but in those undiagnosed in childhood, symptoms do not disappear with age. There is now a growing recognition of the late diagnosis and treatment of adults with ADHD. The first-line drug in pharmacotherapy is methylphenidate, and information about its adverse effects, when used by adults, has not been as extensively described as in children. The aim of this article was to review the literature describing the risks of methylphenidate therapy for adults with ADHD. A total of 19 articles—15 clinical trials and 4 case reports presenting rare side effects resulting from methylphenidate therapy, such as reversible ischemic stroke, myocardial infarction, and psychotic episodes, were analyzed. The analysis from clinical trials included 3458 adult patients with ADHD and described the most common side effects, psychiatric adverse events, effects of methylphenidate treatment on sleep, laboratory results, body mass, and cardiovascular symptoms. Methylphenidate treatment is well tolerated, with side effects described, according to severity, as mild to moderate. We conclude that pharmacotherapy is not risk-free and methylphenidate, due to its side effects, may not be the first drug of choice for every patient.

Sexual dysfunctions in people with schizophrenia are more severe than in the general population and are an important element in the treatment of schizophrenia. The mechanism of sexual dysfunction in patients treated for schizophrenia may be related to the side effects of antipsychotic drugs (hyperprolactinemia, suppression of the reward system), but it may also be related to the pathogenesis of schizophrenia itself. The aim of the study was to present the possibility of using amantadine in the treatment of sexual dysfunction in schizophrenia without the concomitant hyperprolactinemia. In an open and naturalistic case series study, five men treated for schizophrenia in a stable mental state were described. All patients reported a prolonged lack of sexual desire and sexual activity prior to treatment with amantadine. After exclusion of hyperprolactinemia, patients received amantadine 100 mg in the evening. Sexual dysfunction was assessed using subscales of the 14-point Short Form of the Changes in Sexual Functioning Questionnaire (CSFQ-14). On subsequent visits after 1, 2 and 3 months of administration of amantadine, an improvement in sexual functioning was observed in all patients. Although this is only the preliminary report, amantadine may become a new indication for the treatment of sexual dysfunction in schizophrenia patients.

The case of a 72-year-old woman with a history of 40 years of epilepsy and medication-refractory severe depression is described. Despite the chronicity of the present depressive episode, mild MRI pathology and somatic complications, especially pneumonia and drug-induced hyponatraemia, we observed rapid and complete remission of depressive symptoms in the course of ECT. Neither cognitive impairment nor a perceptible influence on the neurological illness was seen, and no increase in seizure threshold has been observed during the course of 2 years maintenance ECT treatment. This article is offered in an attempt to enrich the clinical literature in this field and therefore encourage psychiatrists to consider ECT and MECT as a safe and efficacious option in epileptic patients with major depressive disorder.

Objective: this study aims to comprehensively compare neuropsychological, psychopathological, anthropometric, biochemical, pharmacological, and lifestyle variables between 27 male schizophrenic patients (SZ group) and 30 age- and sex-matched healthy male controls (HC group). Methods: participants underwent a battery of neuropsychological tests including the Trail Making Test (TMT), Stroop Color-Word Interference Test, and Verbal Fluency Test. Psychopathological symptoms in the SZ group were evaluated using the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS). Anthropometric measurements such as body weight, height, BMI, and waist circumference were taken. Biochemical markers measured included fasting glucose, total cholesterol, triglycerides, high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, and fasting insulin. Lifestyle factors were assessed through a questionnaire for the study of views and eating habits of people aged 16 to 65. Results: the HC group outperformed the SZ group in the TMT_A test and the Stroop test, but no significant differences were observed in the TMT_B test or in phonemic fluency tests. No correlation was found between age and PANSS scores within the SZ group. Anthropometrically, the SZ group had higher body weight, waist circumference, and BMI, with no difference in height. Biochemically, the HC group had higher HDL cholesterol levels but lower insulin and insulin resistance indices. Pharmacological assessment showed a more significant impact on body weight among SZ patients taking second-generation antipsychotics. Lifestyle factors such as diet and screen time were comparable between groups, but the SZ group reported longer sleep duration and lower leisure time activity. Conclusions: our study highlights distinct neuropsychological, pharmacological, anthropometric, and biochemical differences between male schizophrenic patients and healthy controls. The results underscore the complexity of schizophrenia and point toward the need for a multi-faceted approach to its management and understanding.

Introduction. The risk of metabolic syndrome in patients with schizophrenia is significantly higher than in the general population. The consequence of this fact is the shortening of life in this group of patients by as much as 20–25%. The search for methods leading to the reduction of metabolic...