Increased mortality rate for patients with mental disorders and their shorter lifespan compared to the general public is stated by numerous authors. Services on the Clinic for mental disorders “Dr Laza Lazarević” were reorganized, by introducing intensive care units – level two, i.e. contemporary intensive care of patients was introduced, only without life support. Primary objective of the research was to determine if the introduction of intensive care to the Clinic led to a statistically significant change in the number of fatal outcomes of hospitalized patients. The research was designed as a cross-sectional study and it included 62 patients that have died while being hospitalized at the Clinic for mental disorders “Dr Laza Lazarević” in Belgrade, in 2011 and 2012. Data were collected by retrospective insight in the histories of illnesses and treatment protocols of the Clinic and institutes for pathology and forensic medicine of the Faculty of Medicine in Belgrade. Obtained data were statistically analysed with Student’s T-test and ANOVA test, with a significance level of 0.05. Statistically significant difference was determined in fatalities in 2011 compared to 2012 with p = 0.007, and there were significantly less fatalities in 2012. Statistically significant difference in frequency of fatal outcomes when comparing 2011 to 2012 was determined only when comparing the ward of previous intensive care on one side with the newly established psychiatric intensive care units – level two on the other. High level of significance was determined with p = 0.005. New organizational concept introduced in 2012 has led to more efficient twenty-four-hour care and monitoring of hospitalized patients, suppression of accompanying somatic illnesses which altogether led to a significant reduction of fatal outcomes.

Postavka našeg istraživačkog problema zasniva se na dokazivanju korelacije difuznog oštećenja neuronskih i neneuronskih supkortikalnih struktura oslabljenom vaskularizacijom u dužem premorbidnom periodu sa kliničkom manifestacijom kognitivne disfunkcionalnosti. Glavni cilj našeg istraživanja je vizualizacionim metodama (CT i MRI) dokazivanje atrofije supkortikalnih moždanih struktura i povezavanje sa kognitivnom disfunkcionalnošću po obimu do dementne mnestičke deteoriracije. Istraživanje je sprovedeno u dve istraživane grupe bolesnika na bolničkom lečenju, A i B, koje su istovremeno sebi i kontrola. Obe grupe činilo je po 40 bolesnika oba pola životne dobi od 50 do 70 godina. Rezulati našeg istraživanja su potvrdili da je kognitivno funkcionisanje oštećenjo kod svih bolesnika sa utvrđenom supkortikalnom moždanom ishemijom i redukcijom neuronskih i neneuronskih supkortikalnih struktura dijagnostikovanih vizualizacionim imidžing dijagnostičkim metodama. Disfunkcija kognicije po težini je recipročna psihometrijski potvrđenom obimu supkortikalna atrofije, tj. redukcije moždanih struktura.