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Background & Objective: The burden of psychiatric disorders in the developed countries has been identified by the screening questionnaires and standard clinical interviews at a high level, but the epidemiological studies of psychiatric disorders in our country are brief and their numbers are few. Providing essential mental health services to the people requires us to be knowledgeable about the present status of psychiatric disorders in the society. The objective of their research was to carry out the epidemiological study of the psychiatric disorders in the 18 years and above individuals in the urban and rural areas of Golestan province. Materials & Methods: 518 individuals selected through randomized clustered and systematic sampling methods from among the existing families of Golestan province and the schedule for affective disorders and Schizophrenia (SADS) questionnaires completed by the clinical psychologist. The diagnosis of the disorders was based on DSM-IV classification criteria. Results: The results of the study showed that the prevalence of psychiatric disorders in the province is 14.69%, which was 18.14% in the women, and 11.47% in the men. The mood and affective disorders respectively with 7.93 and 4.05% had the higher prevalence in the province. The prevalence of psychiatric disorders in this study was 0.97%, neuro-cognitive disorders 1.16% and dissociative disorders 0.58%. In the group anxiety disorders, panic disorder with 4.05% of had the higher prevalence and in the group of affective disorder, major depression, hypomanic and manic disorder with 1.93. Conclusion: This study showed that 7.53% of individuals that were studied suffered from at least one of the psychiatric disorders. The prevalence of psychiatric disorders in the province among the individuals in the age group of 41-55 years with 13.04%, separated or divorced individuals 50%, residents of urban areas 11.03%, illiterate individuals 12.75% and housewives 13.04% was more than other individuals in the sample. Being aware of this matter reveals the responsibility of the health policy makers and programmers, prevention, treatment and medical education more than before in relation to preparing application and executive plans in Golestan province for mental health.

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Background&Objective: Copper and zinc, two essential trace elements, are neuroactive substances that can be synaptically released during neuronal activity. These metals have been implicated in diseases with neuropathological components, including Alzheimer's disease, Menkes disease, Wilson's disease, Pick's disease, stroke and seizures. Copper and zinc levels in body tissues reflect many physiological and pathological conditions, including dietary factors, hepatic disease, and acute and chronic infections. The purpose of the present study was to examine the plasma levels of copper (Cu) and zinc (Zn) in schizophrenic patients and to compare the Cu/Zn ratios with that of matched healthy subjects. Materials&Methods: Forty patients with schizophrenia (diagnosis were made according to DSM-IV) were sampled along with 50 healthy controls. Exclusion criteria included another concurrent psychiatric disorder, pregnancy, and medical disorders (endocrine, immune, liver cirrhosis, renal) or drugs (anticonvulsants, contraceptives, glucocorticoids) known to affect trace element metabolism. Fasting blood samples were withdrawn from an antecubital vein between 07.00 and 09.00 h. Plasma copper and zinc levels were measured using an atomic absorption spectrophotometer (Perkin Elmer GmbH, Uebelingen, Germany). Two-tailed t test was used to determine statistical differences. All data were analyzed with the computer program, GRAPHPAD software (V2.01+). Results: Mean±SE of sera copper levels in cases and controls were 145±28 and 65±3 µg/dl respectively (P<0.05). Also Mean±SE of sera zinc level in cases and controls were 67±2 and 81±4 µg/dl, respectively (P<0.05). Cu/Zn ratios was 2.07±0.38 and 0.87±0.04 in cases and controls respectively (P<0.05). Conclusion: There was a significant higher Cu/Zn ratio in schizophrenic patients compared to healthy subjects. These results suggest that Cu and Zn may be involved in the pathophysiology of schizophrenia.

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Background&Objective: The life time prevalence of schizophrenia is estimated about 1%-1.5% in United States and various studies have shown that between 7.8-46.6% of these patients suffer from OCD. The differences in these statistics are partly due to the assessment and treatment methods. The purpose of this study was to measure the frequency of OCD in hospitalized schizophrenic patients. Materials&Methods: The study was cross-sectional. 96 inpatients (56 men and 40 women) with DSM-IV schizophrenia diagnostic criteria were selected from Iran Psychiatry Hospital by simple non-random sampling Results: The age range of the patients were 17-73 with a mean age of 35 ±12.6. The majority of patients (88.5%) suffered from paranoid schizophrenia. 47 patients (49%) were diagnosed to have obsessive-compulsive symptoms on interview. The mean age of schizophrenia onset was 24.7 ±8.8 and the mean age of OCD onset in schizophrenic patients was 20.2 ±6.7. In 8 (17%), the two disorders were began simultaneously and in 20 (20.8%), schizophrenia was started earlier. Conclusion: Obsessive-compulsive symptoms are completely prevalent in schizophrenia. The co morbidity of these two clinical entities has both etiological and therapeutic importance.

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Background and Objective: Schizophrenia is a disorder characterized by a chronic recurrent course. Despite the availability of an ever-expanding range of typical and atypical antipsychotics, a substantial proportion of patients with schizophrenia show a partial or total lack of response to antipsychotic monotherapy. This study was done to evaluate the clinical effects of Ginkgo biloba as an adjunct to the Risperidone and Biperiden in the treatment of chronic schizophrenic patients. Materials and Methods: This randomized clinical trial study was carried out on 60 chronic schizophrenic patients in Sina hospital Shahrekord, Iran during 2009-10. Schizophrenia was diagnosed by DSM-IV-TR criteria. Subjects were randomly divided into intervention and control groups. Two groups were matched according to the age, sex, education, duration of illness. Patients in interventional group received Risperidone up to 6mg/day, Biperiden 4mg/day and Ginkgo biloba 240 mg/day for 12 weeks. The control group received Risperidone up to 6mg/day and Biperiden 4mg/day for 12 weeks. The scales for assessment of positive symptoms (SAPS) and assessment of negative symptoms (SANS) were recorded in prior, 6th and 12th weeks. Data analyzed by using SPSS-15 and student t-test. Results: The mean score of positive symptoms were 55.7±2.1 and 74.4±2.3 in interventional and control groups, respectively (P<0.05) after 12 weeks. The mean score of negative symptoms were 63±1.3 and 69.3±1.8 in interventional and controls, respectivley (P<0.05) after 12 weeks. Conclusion: This study suggested that the use of Ginkgo biloba as an adjunct to Respridone and Biperiden was more effective than Risperidone with Biperiden regimen improving psychological condition of chronic schizophrenic patients.

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Background and Objective: Schizophrenia is a chronic disease associated with considerable impairments to personal life and social functions. Since exercise plays an important role in these problems, this study was done to compare the effect of high-intensity interval training (HIIT) and futsal training on body composition, physical fitness, life quality, and negative symptoms in schizophrenics.
Methods: This clinical trial was performed on 42 male patients with paranoid schizophrenia in Rasht Medical Center in north of Iran during 2017. Patients were randomly assigned into three groups of HIIT (n=15), futsal (n=12) and control (n=15) groups. Data were collected before and after 8 weeks of training using quality of life questionnaire, negative symptoms assessment and some factors of physical fitness tests. HIIT program (high-intensity interval training: HIIT) was held three sessions a week with 70 to 85% of maximal heart rate and futsal training lasted three sessions a week for 40 minutes.
Results: Anaerobic power was significantly more in HIIT and futsal groups in compatre to controls (P<0.05), but anaerobic power was not significantly different between HIIT and futsal groups. Lower limb muscle power was significantly higher in the HIIT and futsal groups compared to control group (P<0.05). Lower limb muscle power was higher in the HIIT group compared to the futsal group (P<0.05). Negative symptoms were significantly lower in HIIT and futsal groups in comparison with control group (P<0.05). The quality of life difference in futsal and HIIT groups was not significant in compared to the controls.
Conclusion: It seems that HIIT is more efficient than futsal exercises, but both types of training improve some factors of physical fitness and alleviate the negative symptoms among schizophrenics.