Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and tic disorder (TD) represent highly disabling, chronic and often comorbid psychiatric conditions. While recent studies showed a high risk of suicide for patients with OCD, little is known about those patients with comorbid TD (OCTD). Aim of this study was to characterize suicidal behaviors among patients with OCD and OCTD.

Three hundred and thirteen outpatients with OCD (n = 157) and OCTD (n = 156) were recruited from nine different psychiatric Italian departments and assessed using an ad-hoc developed questionnaire investigating, among other domains, suicide attempt (SA) and ideation (SI). The sample was divided into four subgroups: OCD with SA (OCD-SA), OCD without SA (OCD-noSA), OCTD with SA (OCTD-SA), and OCTD without SA (OCTD-noSA).

No differences between groups were found in terms of SI, while SA rates were significantly higher in patients with OCTD compared to patients with OCD. OCTD-SA group showed a significant male prevalence and higher unemployment rates compared to OCD-SA and OCD-noSA sample. Both OCTD-groups showed an earlier age of psychiatric comorbidity onset (other than TD) compared to the OCD-SA sample. Moreover, patients with OCTD-SA showed higher rates of other psychiatric comorbidities and positive psychiatric family history compared to the OCD-SA group and to the OCD-noSA groups. OCTD-SA and OCD-SA samples showed higher rates of antipsychotics therapies and treatment resistance compared to OCD-noSA groups.

Patients with OCTD vs with OCD showed a significantly higher rate of SA with no differences in SI. In particular, OCTD-SA group showed different unfavorable epidemiological and clinical features which need to be confirmed in future prospective studies.

Stakeholders from the innovation field in Québec (Canada) have collectively stressed the need to formalize the process for evaluating innovative technologies in the province. In the context of innovation, and more so for non-pharmaceutical technologies where the pace of development is rapid and the lifecycle short, evidence supporting the added value can be limited and uncertainties are common. Therefore, pragmatic approaches are needed to guide recommendations and to assure that the process is rigorous, transparent and fair.

Inspired by international experiences, the Institut national d'excellence en santé et services sociaux (INESSS) has developed a novel framework, where four types of recommendations are possible (introduction, refusal, limited or conditional introduction). The starting point is an evaluation of the technology's added value, for the patient, the population and the healthcare system, and the identification of uncertainties. The value of addressing uncertainty with further research is assessed, based on the value-of-information theory, and the distinct characteristics of medical devices are taken into account (e.g. learning curve effect, irrecoverable costs and incremental innovation). Those elements interact to support the formulation of recommendations by INESSS’ advisory committee.

The development of the framework was an iterative process supported by the use of the preliminary framework for the assessment of several innovative technologies. Challenges with its use were identified, and led to methodological and operational improvements. So far, the experience with the framework is positive and stakeholders confirm its relevance to support fair and reasonable recommendations for innovations.

In the rapidly changing landscape of innovation, HTA has to adapt to the challenges of assessing technologies in a context of promise and uncertainties. The framework developed by INESSS is a tool for supporting timely and fair value-based decision-making, which will benefit the healthcare system, and the patients and population it serves.

The primary aim of the present study was to determine the survival rates and identify predictors of disease duration in a cohort of Huntington's disease (HD) patients from Southern Italy.

All medical records of HD patients followed between 1977 and 2008 at the Department of Neurological Sciences of Federico II University in Naples were retrospectively reviewed and 135 patients were enrolled in the analysis. At the time of data collection, 41 patients were deceased (19 males and 22 females) with a mean ± SD age at death of 56.6 ± 14.9 years (range 18-83).

The median survival time was 20 years (95% CI: 18.3-21.7). Cox regression analysis showed that the number of CAG in the expanded allele (HR 1.09 for 1 point triplet increase, p=0.002) and age of onset (HR 1.05 for 1 point year increase, p=0.022) were independent and significant predictors of lower survival rates.

We believe that these findings are important for a better understanding of the natural history of the disease and may be relevant in designing future therapeutic trials.