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Biomedical subjects

Z Tunca

Publications and source records attributed to Z Tunca.

5 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2001

Tc-99m HMPAO brain perfusion SPECT in drug-free obsessive-compulsive patients without depression.

The aim of this study was to confirm prior results of brain-imaging studies on obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) in a sample of Turkish patients, as a cross-cultural study. Tc-99m HMPAO brain perfusion SPECT imaging was performed in nine drug-free OCD patients without depression and six controls. The patients' Hamilton Depression Rating Scale scores were <16. The severity of obsessive-compulsive symptoms was rated with the Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Rating Scale (YBOCS). Quantitative evaluation of regional cerebral blood flow revealed that right thalamus, left frontotemporal cortex and bilateral orbitofrontal cortex showed significant hyperperfusion in patients with OCD compared with controls. YBOCS scores did not show any correlation with hyperperfusion in regional cerebral blood flow in these areas. Results of this cross-cultural study may support orbitofrontal and thalamic dysfunction in OCD in a sample of Turkish patients.

Adult↗
PubMed2001

The relatively good prognosis of bipolar disorders in a Turkish bipolar clinic.

BACKGROUND: Bipolar affective disorder is considered to be a disabling illness with a relapsing and remitting course resulting in enduring psychosocial consequences. In this study, we aimed to determine the demographic and clinical characteristics of patients with bipolar illness, types of treatment at inpatient and outpatient settings and their outcome. METHOD: Life charts of 61 bipolar outpatients and hospital charts of 47 manic inpatients were retrospectively evaluated regarding the demographics, course of illness and the treatment at both settings. RESULTS: 82.5% of the outpatients were euthymic and 42.5% were on lithium monotherapy at the time of investigation. Psychosocial adjustment was good. High level of education and marital status affected compliance positively. In the outpatient group, 24.2% were bipolar 2 (BP-II): they differed from bipolar 1 (BP-I) patients in having a higher number of lifetime episodes. Females outnumbered males in both settings, 11 had suffered higher numbers of previous episodes, as well as longer stays in hospital. Lithium was the most commonly used agent in acute mania (78.7%); 89.4% of the inpatients received combination treatment, mainly a mood stabilizer with a neuroleptic. Adjunctive neuroleptics decreased from 82.4 to 56.7% after 1995: This resulted in longer lengths of stay in hospital. LIMITATIONS: Data were collected naturalistically in a non-blind fashion. CONCLUSION: Lithium is still the leading mood stabilizer of choice for the acute and maintenance phases of bipolar disorder in our patient population. We submit that family support, high levels of education as well as an in-depth follow-up represented the contributory factors in the good overall outcome.

Acute Disease↗