Ana Sofia Machado

• MD PhD Student
• University of Porto

Introduction Some studies have shown that late-life depression is related to faster cognitive decline and may increase the risk of dementia. Identifying risk and protective factors for dementia is essential to develop preventive interventions. Some literature has suggested that mood disorders (namely depression) are potential modifiable risk factor...

Introduction Depression is one of the most prevalent and incapacitating disease in current times and depressive symptoms have important global functioning implications. The serotonergic and glutamatergic systems are involved in the pathophysiology and treatment of depression. Ketamine is an N-methyl-d-aspartic acid (NMDA) receptor antagonist that h...

Introduction Cannabis is the most commonly used psychoactive drug, particularly among adolescents and young adults. Accordingly, to the European Drug Report 2021, the prevalence of cannabis use is about five times that of other substances, so that last year cannabis use among EU inhabitants aged 15 to 24y is estimated at 19.2 %. Even though most hu...

Introduction Cannabis-induced psychotic disorder (CIPD) is defined by the development of psychotic symptoms during or briefly after intoxication with cannabis or withdrawal from cannabis. The social measures and restrictions implemented following the COVID-19 pandemic might have had an impact on cannabis availability, as suggested by patients from...

Introduction Current evidence contradicts the idea that cannabis-induced psychotic disorder (CIPD) has an overall benign prognosis, with up to half of these patients being with a schizophrenia spectrum disorder later in life. Objectives To characterize sociodemographic and clinical characteristics and treatment plan of inpatients with multiple adm...

The association between drugs of abuse and sexual function is thought to be prehistoric. In our era, science has shed some light on the roles of different neurotransmitters on sexual function. Objective This systematic review aims to summarize the role of drugs of abuse on human sexuality. Methods A systematic review was undertaken, according to...

Introduction The presence of psychotic symptoms is highest during acute episodes of bipolar mania. There is no evidence base regarding the implications of psychosis in the prognosis of bipolar disorder, despite common assumption that their occurrence reflects greater disease severity. Objectives We aim to compare sociodemographic and clinical char...

Introduction Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is considered a gold-standart treatment of severe and treatment-resistant depression. Lack of response to ECT often causes distress in psychiatrists regarding the next therapeutic decisions. Objectives To present a case report of a patient with psychotic depression with partial response to ECT. Methods...

Introduction COVID-19 pandemic and the consequent containment measures have a negative impact on mental health. Simultaneously, the fear of infection can discourage patients from seeking necessary care. Objectives We aim to compare sociodemographic and clinical characteristics of inpatients admitted during the COVID-19 confinement period in Portug...

Introduction Recent studies reported very high cumulative risk for a patient who had cannabis-induced psychosis to be diagnosed with a schizophrenia spectrum disorder. Objectives We aim to compare sociodemographic and clinical characteristics, treatment and discharge plan in cannabis-induced first psychosis episode (CI-FEP) vs. multiple cannabis-i...

Objetivos: El trastorno psicótico inducido por cannabis (CIP) es cada vez más frecuente sin embargo no tiene una intervención terapéutica dirigida ni específica. La CIP puede tener una evolución aguda benigna o evolucionar a un trastorno psicótico funcional crónico como la Esquizofrenia (SZE). A pesar de que los estudios en animales proporcionan ev...

Metabolic, toxic or structural brain changes may present as psychotic symptoms. Organic delusional disorders are characterized by the presence of delusional ideas with evidence of brain dysfunction. Iatrogenesis may be a cause of this dysfunction. We present a case of neuropsychiatric symptoms, including delusional disorder, secondary to the use of...

Autism comprises a complex and heterogeneous spectrum of neurodevelopmental disorders, usually termed autism spectrum disorders (ASD). It is more prevalent in males than females, and genetic and environmental factors are believed to account in similar percentages to the development of ASD. In recent years, the contribution of inflammation and infla...

Background Treatment of Crohn’s disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC) is usually directed at organic aspects of the disease, often disregarding psychosocial factors. A comprehensive strategy including identification of anxiety and depression are possible therapeutic targets to increase quality of life in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). The pre...

Introduction In 1943, Bleuler defined “late-onset schizophrenia” as a form of schizophrenia with onset after the age of 40. Half a century had passed with no consensus on the late psychosis’ terminology, when in 1998 the international late- onset schizophrenia group Consensus proposed a nosology for these disorders: late-onset schizophrenia and ver...