Major depressive disorder represents one of the most common psychiatric diagnosis, and was ranked by World Health Organization as the third cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide, expecting to become the first cause by 2030. The prevalence of depression is higher in women than in men, once the puberty sets. This may be explained by the hormonal fluctuations, estrogen and progesterone, over a woman's lifespan. Some of the women may experience severe mood symptoms during the luteal phase of the menstrual cycles, known as premenstrual dysphoric disorder. In addition, it has been shown that the use of hormonal contraceptives, especially oral contraceptives (OC), may determine an induced depressive disorder. The risk of induced depressive disorder is even higher in women who start an OC treatment during adolescence, mainly because this is the period when the hormonal milieu is developing. Another important period of hormonal fluctuations is after delivery. It is described such as a hormonal ‘withdrawal state’ because in a matter of days postpartum, the hormonal levels decrease down to the levels of a non‑pregnant woman. It is worth to mention that this extreme decreasing of estrogen and progesterone is not enough in order to develop postpartum depression. It has been suggested that postpartum depression may be a consequence to differential activation of estrogen genes. Fortunately, since 2019, Food and Drug Administration approved the first specific hormonal treatment for postpartum depression, represented by brexanolone. The last period of hormonal changes is the transition to menopause, in which depressive symptoms may be determined by day‑to‑day hormonal fluctuations. There is a lot more to explore in this field for future research, regarding if there really is a direct link between the levels of estrogen and progesterone and depressive disorder, and also regarding different hormonal therapies.

Cognitive functions have been investigated across depressed, manic, hypomanic, mixed and euthymic episodes of bipolar disorder, but the stability or the progression of cognitive impairment is still under research. The purpose of the present study was to assess the outcome of cognitive functions in bipolar patients following a depressive episode, after a 6-month period in the absence of mood symptoms. 63 bipolar patients were tested with a battery of neurocognitive tests both at baseline (during an acute depressive episode) and after 6 months of euthymia. The cognitive domains assessed included memory, attention, verbal fluency, processing speed and executive functions. Cognitive performances were compared with those of a control group (40 healthy control subjects), both in depression and in euthymia. Patients scored worse than control subjects in several cognitive domains, both in depression and euthymia. The most impaired cognitive functions were executive functions and verbal memory. Between the two moments of assessment bipolar patients obtained a significant improvement in memory, verbal fluency, attention and information processing speed. Psychomotor speed showed no difference between depression and euthymia. Bipolar patients showed impairment in several cognitive domains during depression. A certain degree of impairment remained even after the remission of the affective episode in relationship with the executive functions. Between depression and euthymia, bipolar patients showed important cognitive improvements.

The balance between physiological, psychological, and environmental factors often shapes human experience. In recent years, research has drawn attention to the gut microbiota as a significant contributor to brain function and emotional regulation. This narrative review examines how changes in gut microbiota may relate to depression. We selected studies that explore the link between intestinal dysbiosis and mood, focusing on mechanisms such as inflammation, vagus nerve signaling, HPA axis activation, gut permeability, and neurotransmitter balance. Most of the available data come from animal models, but findings from human studies suggest similar patterns. Findings are somewhat difficult to compare due to differences in measurement procedures and patient groups. However, several microbial shifts have been observed in people with depressive symptoms, and trials with probiotics or fecal microbiota transplant show potential. These results remain limited. We argue that these interventions deserve more attention, especially in cases of treatment-resistant or inflammation-driven depression. Understanding how the gut and brain interact could help define clearer subtypes of depression and guide new treatment approaches.

Suicide and infanticide are the most severe complications of postpartum disorders such as depression and psychosis. Infanticide is more commonly correlated with a younger age of the mother, economic stress, unemployment and a history of psychiatric disorders. Infanticide may take several forms such as the altruistic infanticide, associated with the subsequent mother’s suicide, may be in relation with acute psychotic symptoms of the mother, or it can occur in cases of fatal maltreatment of an unwanted child. We present the case of a 40 years old women diagnosed with post partum depression (PPD) who committed infanticide after the birth of her seventh child. The patient had a history of psychiatric disorder in relation with previous pregnancies for some of which she sought medical attention but did not follow a constant treatment. The management of the case was a challenging one with an initial cross-sectional diagnosis established upon admission (e.g post-natal depression) and a final one, established comprehensively by the therapeutic team, which included the current episode within the general psychopathological framework alongside with the personality traits and social context.

Introduction: Huntington’s disease is a genetic disorder, also known as an autosomal dominant neurodegenerative disease, that has typical manifestations such as motor disturbances, cognitive decline, and psychiatric symptoms. Neurologists initially classified it as a movement disorder because the diagnosis is primarily based on the presence of extrapyramidal motor symptoms. However, after careful examination of several cases, it was revealed that chorea was only one type of motor dysfunction and that tics and myoclonus were also present. Regarding psychiatric symptoms, studies have shown that patients presenting psychosis-related symptoms have a worse evolution with poor prognosis, and it was concluded that they present distinct clinical, imaging, and biological characteristics. Case presentation: The present case report aims to describe the onset of a particular case of Huntington’s disease, taking into consideration the fact that early psychotic symptoms, very similar to those identified in schizophrenia, could represent indicators of Huntington’s disease onset. An interesting aspect of this case was that our patient had no family history of neurological conditions but had a clinical picture characterized by delusions and hallucinations. These symptoms were considered criteria for schizophrenia. Moreover, chorea motor movements appeared several years after the onset of psychosis, determining the need for the diagnosis to be changed from schizophrenia to Huntington’s disease. Conclusion: We need to point out that psychiatric symptoms could represent the only initial visible change in the clinical picture, being also considered as indicators of Huntington’s disease onset. These features could help patients be easily and faster identified, allowing for proper medical interventions to be provided.

The intestinal barrier has recently gained attention as a contributor to the pathophysiology of depression. This narrative review examines the current literature on blood-based markers of intestinal permeability in patients with depression. A structured search of PubMed and EMBASE was performed. Both recent and older studies were included to capture key mechanisms and theoretical foundations. We focused on zonulin, intestinal fatty acid-binding protein (I-FABP), lipopolysaccharides (LPS), LPS-binding protein (LBP), and soluble CD14 (sCD14). While several studies report altered intestinal permeability markers in individuals with depression, results remain inconsistent. Factors such as small sample sizes and variability in measurement procedures complicate interpretation. In some cases, altered biomarker levels were associated with disease severity or response to antidepressant treatment, suggesting a potential role in patient stratification. However, current evidence does not support their routine use in clinical settings. Further research is needed to clarify their specificity and predictive value in psychiatric populations. Once validated, these markers may help identify inflammation-related depression subtypes and guide more precise treatment strategies.