Hospital Practices and Research

Abstract Background: Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) often presents with cognitive deficits, including impairments in attention and short-term memory, which can significantly impact patients' quality of life.
Objectives: This study investigated the effectiveness of repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (rTMS) on attention and short-term memory in patients with MDD.
Methods: This study adopted a quasi-experimental, pretest-posttest control group design, conducted in Yazd, Iran, during 2023. A convenience sample of thirty patients, aged 20-50 years, diagnosed with MDD, was recruited and subsequently randomized into either an intervention or a control group (n=15 per group). All participants received antidepressant medication (SSRI); however, the intervention group also underwent ten sessions of 5Hz rTMS at an intensity of 120% of the motor threshold, targeting the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC), while the control group received sham rTMS. Cognitive function, specifically attention and short-term memory, was evaluated using the Wechsler Memory Scale. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS-27, with analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) employed to assess treatment effects.
Results: Participants in the study included 30 individuals with MDD (male and female), with a mean age of 43.65 ± 6.49 years. The findings indicated that rTMS yielded statistically significant changes in attentional and short-term memory performance among these patients (P<0.01). This outcome demonstrates a beneficial impact of rTMS on cognitive domains affected by MDD, providing empirical evidence for its potential therapeutic role.
Conclusion: This study demonstrates that rTMS targeting the DLPFC significantly enhances attention and short-term memory in MDD patients. Consequently, these results suggest rTMS as a valuable adjunctive therapy for mitigating cognitive deficits associated with MDD through its neuromodulatory effects, offering a potential strategy to improve patients' daily functioning and overall quality of life.

Abstract Background: Hospitalization due to any reason or medical condition is associated with fear, anxiety, and depression. Psychological and physiological factors have a significant impact on hospitalization outcomes.
Objectives: Given the functional importance of inflammatory cytokines and studies in previous studies on the relationship between inflammatory cytokines and major depressive disorder, we will focus more on studies on the role of interleukin 2 (IL-2) in the pathophysiology of major depressive disorder in hospitalized patients.
Methods: We used PubMed, Scopus, and Elsevier databases to search for articles from 1999 to 2021, emphasizing the studies of the last five years.
Results: In general, there was no consistent pattern in the observed relationships between cytokine concentrations or changes and clinical signs of significant depression. IL-2 and IL, two receptors in the body, play an essential role in the treatment and the pathophysiology of depression and major depression.
Conclusion: Finally, it can be concluded that hospitalization generally exposes the patient to inflammation. Studies show an increased risk of inflammation following hospitalization of patients, and many studies confirm the association of major depression with inflammatory cytokines and, more concentrated, IL-2.

Abstract Introduction: Suicide is a major challenge to public health worldwide, and self-inflicted burn is one of the most violent suicide methods.
Case Presentation: In this case, a self-inflicted hot oil burn in a male with schizotypal personality and major depressive disorder is reported.
Conclusion: Psychiatric disorders, marital problems, and economic poverty are mentioned as risk factors for self-inflicted burn. Thus, these risk factors should be considered in the management of self-inflicted burn patients.