162 patients (only men) had been investigated. They are divided into two groups according to age and local war in which they had got taking part: first group - the participants of Afghanistan's war (84 men, middle age 46,3±1,38), and second one - the participants of local war in Chechnya (78 men, middle age 32,7±1,54).

We used Leonhard's questionnaire to reveal the character's accentuation and second edition of International headache classification to determine headache type.

It seems that 113 patients suffer from cephalgia. Another 49 was a control. During the investigation of headache syndrome structure we have shown that most often patients suffer from posttraumatic headache (PH) - 61 men, and tension-type of headache (TTH) - 33 men.

The number of men having got 18 and more in one or several scales of Leonhard's questionnaire is reliable more in the first group both for PH (85,7% and 69,2%) and TTH (85,7% and 68,9%). There were no differences between headache subgroups. But in patients from control group (without headache) the expression of personality changes did not increase during the age (69,6% in first group, 73,1% in second). So chronic pain may be a risk factor for decompensation of personality changes.

1. 1. Whether patients with personality disorders of borderline and antisocial type have a specific pattern of neurocognitive deficits.

2. 2. Whether impulsivity measured with clinical rating scales is related with performance on neuropsychological tests of risk taking which is sensitive to ventrofrontal cortex lesions.

20 patients and their age, sex and IQ matched controls participated in the study. Each patient and control was administered validated clinical rating scales in order to:

1. 1. Ascertain the diagnosis with respect to DSM-IV criteria (Structured Clinical Interview for DSM: Personality Disorder.

2. 2. Obtain a measure of clinical impulsivity (Barratt Impulsiveness scale).

3. 3. Ascertain the presence of heritable personality traits (Dimensional Aspects of Personality Pathology Disorder-Basic Questionnaire).

4. 4. Exclude other major psychiatric disorders (Clinical Psychopathology Rating Scale).

They were administered National Adult Reading Test (NART) to estimate IQ.A battery of neuropsychological tests of memory and executive function specifically sensitive to frontal (dorsal or ventral) or temporal lobe damage were administered from Cambridge Automated Neuropsychological Test battery (CANTAB).

On Neuropsychological testing patients fared poorly on tests sensitive to planning and risk taking compared to controls. Patients had high mean scores on Barratt impulsiveness scale. the high scores were associated with performance on Tower of London, Bechara test and paired associated learning. Impulsivity was associated with anxiousness and rejection traits of DAPP-BQ. There was a co-relation between some basic dispositional traits of DAPP-BQ with performance on Bechara, Gambling and Paired Associated Learning tests.

Personality disordered patients show broad range of neurocognitive deficits on test s sensitive to frontal cortex.

The aim of this research is to test this question that are there specific personality characters that lead to addiction?

Method research is causative-comparative (Ex post facto). 153 addicted people and 153 nonaddicted people were randomly selected and MoKoly's Characterlogy Inventory (MCI) was administered on them.The inventory assess personality based on eight characters: sanguine, indifferent, nervous, indolent, indignant, passionate, sentimentee, amorphous.

Findings showed addicted people are much more indifferent, sanguine and passionate than nonaddicted people.

In regard to people with these characters are much more at risk, they should be trained with special plans and be cared so that tendency to addiction in them decrease or control.

To study the peculiarity of emotional and volitional spheres in preschool children with speech pathology.

250 children aged from 2 to 7 years old with speech pathology were examined. the following kinds of speech disorders were educed: impressive speech disorders - 9,2 %, expressive speech disorders - 31,2%, mixed speech disorders - 59,6 %. Due to the seriousness of the speech disorders the children were divided into 3 groups.

The educed disorders develop in the following psychopathological syndromes: neurotic, autism-like, hyperdynamic. in 62% of children with impressive speech disorders the autism-like syndrome was marked, and in 38 % both the autism-like and the hyperdynamic syndromes. in 74 % of children with expressive speech disorders the hyperdynamic syndrome was marked and in 26 % the neurotic syndrome. All the 3 syndromes were educed in children with mixed speech disorders however if in the structure of speech disorder a sensorial component prevailed then the autism-like syndrome was found. with the predominance of a motor component there were both hyperdynamic and neurotic syndromes. Direct dependence of intensity of these syndromes on seriousness of speech disorders was educed.

The results of the research show, that children with speech pathology at preschool age have already the disorders of emotional and volitional spheres which influences the development of the personality of a child and contributes to the reinforcement of negative forms of reaction.

In Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD), pharmacotherapy is used for the treatment of specific BPD pathology facets, such as cognitive-perceptual, affective, or impulsivity symptoms. Due to the polymorphic phenomenology of the disorder, different classes of drugs are used, e.g., antipsychotics, antidepressants, or mood stabilizers.

To evaluate the up-to-date evidence of drug treatment efficacy for BPD.

A systematic review and metaanalysis of randomised controlled trials was done. All randomised comparisons of drug vs. placebo, drug vs. drug, or drug vs. a combination of drugs in adult BPD patients were eligible for inclusion. Outcomes comprised BPD core pathology as depicted by DSM criteria, associated pathology, i.e., depression and anxiety, general measures of overall psychopathology severity and mental health status, tolerability, and adverse effects. with support of the Cochrane Collaboration, a thorough search was conducted to identify both published and unpublished trials. the findings were scrutinized by two reviewers independently.

Twenty-six trials were included, investigating first- and second-generation antipsychotics, mood stabilizers, antidepressants, and omega-3 fatty acids.

Findings indicate beneficial effects for all classes of drugs investigated, and suggest mood stabilizers and second-generation antipsychotic agents as first-line treatments for BPD due to their efficacy in the treatment of different domains of BPD and associated pathology. However, psychotherapeutic treatment should clearly be targeted at predefined specific symptoms.

Growing evidence points to the conclusion that biological factors do predispose some individuals towards violent behavior. Contemporary research suggests that serotonin is a neurotransmitter associated with expressed aggression, challenging the concept of a person's knowledge of right or wrong and the free will to choose between the two.

Thorough research of the main databases (Medline, Embase, Psychinfo), and web search engines such as Goggle, Lycos for relevant studies, agencies and organizations, interested in neurotransmitter, serotonin (5-HT), aggression, hostility, violence and violent behaviour issues.

The neurotransmitter serotonin (5-HT) has been implicated in the modulation of aggression in animals and humans. the 5-HT system seems to be involved in either the performance or the termination of aggressive behaviours. So although an association with serotonin and aggression appears to be present, it isn't clear the way of this association or the expression of the interplay of the genes with the individuals’ environment. Genes and environment appears to be in a dynamic interplay that concludes in the observed behaviour.

A longstanding dogma that aggression and serotonergic activity are inversely related has to be abandoned in light of many new findings. Trait and state aggression are differentially regulated by the 5-HT system and different 5-HT receptors seem to be involved. We are still far from understanding the complex role played by the serotonergic system in the modulation of a complex set of behaviors like aggression.

To evaluate prevalence rate of suicidal ideation among Italian elderly and to investigate possible socio-demographic and psychopathological features of suicide attempters in a population-based study.

461 subjects (mean age 85 years; 52.9% women; 49.2% widow) were interviewed using the Revised Cambridge Examination for Mental Disorders in the Elderly. the presence of suicidal ideation was assessed by the Scale for Suicide Ideation. the association between suicidal ideation and its correlates was analysed by Logistic Regression Model estimating Odds Ratios and 95% Confidence Intervals (OR, 95%CI).

Eighteen (3,8%) persons refused to answer to questions concerning suicide thoughts. Only one participant declared to have attempted suicide (a 92 years-old men, widow, living on his own and complaining about depressive feelings). Overall suicidal ideation prevalence was 7.3%: wish to die (3.8%) and not worth living (13%). Gender, age, education, marital and socio-economic status were similar in subjects with and without suicidal ideation. Subjects with suicidal ideation had fewer family contacts, were less satisfied of their general health status and had a higher number of depressive and anxiety symptoms. However, when all these conditions were tested in the same model, only depressive symptoms were still significantly associated with suicidal ideation (OR, 95%CI=9.6, 3.3-27.9).

The worldwide aging of the population deserves attention to psycho-geriatric medicine. Study on suicide in late-life are of interest to detect elderly at risk and to emphasize this increasing phenomenon.

Diogenes syndrome is the combination of severe self-neglect, domestic squalor, social withdrawal, a tendency to hoard excessively, and refusal of help, in elderly patients.

To report a case of Diogenes’ syndrome underlying the impact of pathological hoarding behaviour in the quality of life of the patient. to discuss the pathological hoarding behaviour (syllogomania) in the context of this specific behavioural disorder.

Case study and review of the literature.

The subject of this case study is a 78-year-old man with Diogenes syndrome. Hoarding behaviour is the major presentation symptom in this case, along with domestic squalor and social withdrawal. He has marked obsessive personality traits, no insight for his morbid condition and an attitude of refusal of treatment.

The literature reveals high comorbidity of Diogenes syndrome with psychiatric and somatic disorders. Some authors raise the possibility that obsessive-compulsive disorder may be the cause of hoarding rubbish in those cases of Diogenes syndrome in which hoarding exists and cannot be better explained by other psychopathology. other authors hypothesise Diogenes syndrome as a reaction to stress in elderly people with certain personality characteristics or as the end stage of a personality disorder. the ethiopathogeny of Diogenes syndrome remains unclear and there is no consensus about diagnostic criteria. It is a relevant area for future research, contributing for a better comprehension of the differential diagnosis of pathological hoarding behaviour and late life psychopathology.

Although anxiety disorders prevalence and incidence decline in later life, anxiety is a major health problem for the elderly. Epidemiology, neurobiology, and treatment of anxiety disorders are poorly studied in the geriatric population. Nevertheless, anxiety has a high impact on functional status and health-related quality of life.

To underline the significant impact of anxiety in the elderly. to discuss the sub-diagnosis and sub-treatment of late-life anxiety and subclinical symptoms.

Literature Review. MEDLINE and PubMed databases searches for peer-reviewed studies, published between 1998 and 2008, using combinations of the Medline Subject Heading terms anxiety, anxiety disorders and old age.

There are few studies in the literature addressing this topic. Late-life anxiety has a high prevalence and is associated with increased morbidity, mortality, functional impairment, poorer quality of life and significant societal costs. Clinical studies show that most cases of anxiety disorders in late life are undetected and under-treated. Intervention research in late-life anxiety disorders is lacking.

It is extremely important and urgent a more efficacious assessment and management of anxiety disorders in the elderly. It is also fundamental an increased attention to subtreshold anxiety, which will allow an earlier intervention and prevention of new cases of anxiety disorders. Well designed interventions will be capable of reducing the burden, morbidity and incidence of late-life anxiety.

Subjective Memory Complaints (SMC) are common in clinical practice. the clinical significance of these subjective complaints among older individuals is not well understood.

To study and discuss the association between SMC and MCI, underlining the importance of an adequate clinical assessment of SMC in the elderly.

Review of the literature.

There is no consistent definition of SMC in the literature. Some prospective studies showed an association with objective memory impairments, conceptualizing SMC as a Pre-Mild Cognitive Impairment. SMC are also currently considered to be a core feature of Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI). Cross-sectional studies and longitudinal studies showed conflicting results concerning the association between SMC and MCI.

The understanding of the predictive value of SMC in cognitive decline is still poorly understood. It is important to define criteria aimed to increase specificity of memory complaints, allowing an earlier identification of populations with higher risk of MCI. Future research on this complex association is important to identify SMC individuals at increased risk of conversion to MCI and dementia.

The aim of this study is to identify the correlation between mild cognitive impairment (MCI), educational status and intellectual activity in elderly patients.

The study comprises 40 elderly patients diagnosed with MCI. the diagnosis of MCI was established applying to all patients MMSE (Mini Mental State Evaluation). Also a Clock Drawing Test (CDT) was applied. A MMSE score between 28-21points was considered as MCI.

We consider that a patient has intellectual activities if he performs at least one of the following: reading a book or a newspaper, solving puzzles or mind games.

The exclusion criteria were: patients with moderate and severe cognitive impairment and patients with no educational level.

The average of age was 69.65 years. the average of MMSE score was 24.65 points. the correlation between MMSE and CDT is significant at the 0.01 level. the MMSE and CDT scores are smaller as the educational level is lower. 3 subjects have fourth grade education, 17 subjects have eighth grade education, 16 subjects have high-school education and 4subjects have college education. the patients with small scores at cognitive evaluation have no intellectual activity in the present. the intellectual activity is in direct relationship with high educational level; patients with high-school and college education are performing intellectual activities in the present.

Patients with actual intellectual activity have the highest MMSE and CDT scores.

Intellectual activities are protective factors against cognitive impairment.

This paper represents the screening part of a grant PNCDI2 41-057/2007 from the Romanian Ministry of Education and Research.

To describe and then compare the admissions of elderly in the last decade, to see if there have been significant changes regarding both the diagnosis and the number of admissions.

Medical records of patients over 70 years admitted in an acute psychiatric unit in the course of 1997 and 2007 have been reviewed. the number of admissions in elderly patients is compared to the number of admissions in any age. Diagnosis in the elderly between 1997 and 2007 is also compared.

In the last decade the percentage of patients over 70 who enter our unit has increased. with regard to their diagnoses, depressive disorders and the "others" category have decreased, increasing, however, the bipolar disorder, dementia and other psychoses.

Since the population pyramid tends towards older ages, it seems logical that the number of admissions in elderly patients increase, as it has been shown in our research.

The fall in the diagnosis of “others” and the rise of diagnosis such as Dementia, Bipolar disorders and other psychosis might be due to a better diagnosis of these pathologies.

To describe the admissions due to dementia in an acute psychiatric unit in the last decade, in patients aged over seventy.

Medical records of all patients over seventy admitted in an acute unit of a Psychiatric Hospital in 1997 and 2007 are analyzed.

Over the last ten years, the percentage of patients diagnosed with dementia compared to the total number of patients over seventy admitted in this acute unit, has hardly decreased.

Despite the fact that in the last decade neurologists have widespread the use of various drugs in the treatment of dementia, the number of patients admitted to our psychiatric unit, in order to control the accompanying symptoms (delusions, abnormal conduct, etc), remains stable.

Moreover, given the progressive aging of the population and the consequent increase in the number of cases of dementia among the elderly population, perhaps the fact that the number of admissions in the unit has not increased is positive itself.

To describe the characteristics of the admission of those older than 70 in the past year, in an acute psychiatric care unit.

Medical records of all over 70 patients admitted in our unit during 2007 are reviewed to find out their diagnosis, how many are first admissions and their average stay time, and this is compared to general average stay time for this unit.

About 10% of patients admitted to this unit is more than 70. the most frequent diagnosis is depression, followed by bipolar disorder, dementia, psychosis and other diagnoses. Nearly half of all these patients are in their first admission. the average stay of these patients is twice that of the total patients admitted to this unit.

Despite the fact that in some places the number of admissions of elderly patients is not considered enough to justify the creation of specific units, objectively their admissions are frequent and their average stay time is much higher than usual. This is probably both the difficulty of drug treatment and social problems that sometimes hampers their discharging. as the elderly population is increasing, we believe that treating these people in specific units should be reconsidered.

To analyze the characteristics of the admissions of elderly patients in an acute psychiatric unit in recent years, to see if there have been any changes in the number, the average stay or in their referral from the hospital.

Details of all admissions in a psychiatric unit for acute patients aged over 65 since 1999 are collected by means of a computer system. the number of admissions, the average length of stay and where they go when discharged are taken into account.

In recent years the number of patients over 65 entering our unit has remained relatively stable. the average stay time remains high over all the studied years. It is proved that a large number of patients need to be moved to residences or other assistive devices when discharged.

Despite the increase in elderly population, the number of patients over 65 who enter this unit has not significantly increased. their average stay remains always high over the years. It is striking the number of patients who can no longer go home when discharged, once they have been admitted.

In meridional European countries such as Portugal, informal caregivers are almost always close relatives, either key-relatives (those more involved) or not. There are few systematic comparisons between the experience of key-relatives/primary caregivers (PC) and other/secondary caregivers (SC) in psychogeriatrics. We present some preliminary data from the FAMIDEM (Families of People with Dementia) survey.

Non-randomised cross-sectional study comparing two related samples of caregivers (PC versus SC) of 41 patients with DSM-IV dementia from outpatient practices in Lisbon (Portugal). Caregivers’ assessments included: Zarit Burden Interview, Caregiver Activity Survey (CAS), Positive Aspects of Caregiving, GHQ-12, Social Network Questionnaire and Dementia Knowledge Questionnaire.

Patients’ mean age was 78,7 years (SD 7,9). 24 (58,5%) were women and 58,5% had Alzheimer disease.PC were older than SC (p=0,000) and tended to live with the patient (p=0,000). They reported less emocional support (p=0,021) but higher objective burden-CAS (p=0,002). Regarding all other outcome variables, significant differences between groups were not found. Within the global sample, comparing spousals (n=23) and adult children/other relatives (n=59) yielded interestingly different preliminary results, eg higher GHQ-12 levels (p=0,010).

The experience of caregiving is possibly different regarding PC and SC, but further research is warranted in order to define who really is at risk. Being a spouse may be much more determinant, although most spouses are PC as well. for the moment, it seems prudent not to exclude SC from risk assessments. the final FAMIDEM results, even lacking generalizability, will probably provide interesting clues.