Depressive manifestations in patients with seizures after alcohol withdrawal

Depressive manifestations in patients with seizures after alcohol withdrawal

 

Authors

 

R.S. Achuvakov

State Budgetary Healthcare Institution of the Republic of Bashkortostan “Republican Clinical Psychotherapeutic Center” of the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Bashkortostan, Ufa, Bashkortostan, Russian Federation; Federal State Budgetary Educational Institution of Higher Education “Bashkir State Medical University” of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation, Ufa, Bashkortostan, Russian Federation

N.R. Tulbaeva

State Budgetary Healthcare Institution of the Republic of Bashkortostan “Republican Clinical Psychotherapeutic Center” of the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Bashkortostan, Ufa, Bashkortostan, Russian Federation

L.R. Bakirov

Federal State Budgetary Educational Institution of Higher Education “Bashkir State Medical University” of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation, Ufa, Bashkortostan, Russian Federation

D.Kh. Afzaletdinova

Federal State Budgetary Educational Institution of Higher Education “Bashkir State Medical University” of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation, Ufa, Bashkortostan, Russian Federation; State Budgetary Healthcare Institution of the Republic of Bashkortostan “Republican Clinical Psychiatric Hospital”, Ufa, Bashkortostan, Russian Federation

E.R. Kunafina

Federal State Budgetary Educational Institution of Higher Education “Bashkir State Medical University” of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation, Ufa, Bashkortostan, Russian Federation

V.E. Alekhin

Federal State Budgetary Educational Institution of Higher Education “Bashkir State Medical University” of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation, Ufa, Bashkortostan, Russian Federation

A.R. Asadullin

Federal State Budgetary Educational Institution of Higher Education “Bashkir State Medical University” of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation, Ufa, Bashkortostan, Russian Federation; Federal State Budgetary Educational Institution of Higher Education “Saratov State Medical University named after V.I. Razumovsky” of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation, Saratov, Russian Federation

 

https://doi.org/10.26617/1810-3111-2025-1(126)-39-45

 

Journal: Siberian Herald of Psychiatry and Addiction Psychiatry. 2025; 1 (126):  39-45.

 

Abstract

Background. Alcohol withdrawal syndrome (AWS) is an acute, life-threatening condition that occurs in individuals who regularly use alcohol and suddenly stop drinking it. One of the most dangerous manifestations of this syndrome is seizures, which can lead to death and have long-term negative consequences. Also, one of the important comorbid disorders in alcoholism is depressive disorders, which in turn aggravate the clinical picture and can lead to suicide. Objective. To determine the relationship between depressive manifestations in the post-abstinence period and seizures in the structure of AWS. Materials and Methods. In 2019-2023 a continuous screening of patients with alcohol dependence who underwent inpatient treatment (7-14 days of stay, post-abstinence period) was conducted at the Republican Clinical Narcological Dispensary (Republic of Bashkortostan). All participants underwent a neurological examination to rule out severe neurological pathology. Based on the screening materials, a comparative cross-sectional study of patients with alcohol dependence, accompanied by seizures after alcohol withdrawal, and without them was conducted. Using the inclusion, non-inclusion and exclusion criteria, a general study sample of patients (n=399) with a diagnosis: Mental and behavioral disorders due to alcohol use, dependence syndrome (ICD-10 code F10.2) was formed. The patients were divided into two groups: the main group (n=108) ‒ patients with seizures during the period of AWS, the comparison group (n=291) ‒ patients without seizures. The Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS) was used to assess the severity of depression at the time of admission and changes in the severity of the condition as a result of therapy. Data analysis was carried out using software IBM SPSS Statistics 26. The normality of distribution of quantitative variables was assessed using the Shapiro-Wilk criterion. The Mann-Whitney U-test was used to compare two independent populations. Results. In patients with seizures in the structure of the AWS, the average score on the MADRS scale was statistically significantly (p=0.0001) 3.66 points higher than in the comparison group. A relationship with individual depressive symptoms, such as objective and subjective signs of depression, inner tension, impaired concentration, anhedonia, and pessimistic thoughts, was determined. Conclusion. In patients with seizures in the structure of the AWS in the post-abstinence period, statistically significantly (p=0.0001) more pronounced depressive symptoms were found than in patients without seizures.

 

Keywords: alcohol, withdrawal syndrome, seizures, depression, dependence.

 

Article (pdf)

 

Contacts

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Materials  

For citation: Achuvakov R.S., Tulbaeva N.R., Bakirov L.R., Afzaletdinova D.Kh., Kunafina E.R., Alekhin V.E., Asadullin A.R. Depressive manifestations in patients with seizures after alcohol withdrawal. Siberian Herald of Psychiatry and Addiction Psychiatry.2025; 1 (126): 39-45. https://doi.org/10.26617/1810-3111-2025-1(126)-39-45

 

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