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To develop and evaluate the validity and reliability of the Street Food and Beverage Tool (SFBT).
Design:
This methodological study contains two phases: a) tool development, which involves conducting a systematic review followed by expert evaluation of the items, the creation of a Nutritional Healthfulness Index (NH), and pilot testing; and b) evaluation of the Tool’s Validity and Reliability: Content validity was judged by an external technical group, which evaluated the adequacy and pertinence of each tool item. Construct validity was evaluated around schools by testing the hypothesis: In high-income areas, there will be greater availability of healthy food and beverages at street food outlets (SFOs), as measured by the NH-index. Inter-rater and test-retest reliability were assessed outside subway stations. Pearson’s correlation, Cohen’s kappa, and Content validity Indexes were used for reliability and validation. A multinomial regression model was used to estimate construct validity.
Setting:
Mexico City, Mexico.
Subjects:
80 SFOs at subway station exits and 1,066 around schools from diverse income areas.
Results:
The SFBT content validity index was satisfactory. The construct validity of the NH-index indicated higher values in higher-SDI areas. The NH-index showed a positive linear correlation between raters and across the first and second evaluations. The majority of item availability (>60%) showed moderate to strong kappa values for inter-rater and test-retest reliability.
Conclusions:
The SFBT is a reliable and valid tool for assessing the availability of foods and beverages. Compared to other tools, it can measure the nutritional quality of SFOs expressed as an NH-index.
I present the case of a 58-year-old patient who developed frequent, unpredictable and prolonged suicidal impulsivity (more than 8 years of evolution) after one year of suffering a traumatic brain injury, with very serious suicide attempts in the context of very brief periods of dysthymia and no history of mental illness or any other accompanying psychopathology.
Throughout this admission, a progressive dehospitalization has also been carried out, with afternoon outings in the company of his wife or son up to a full weekend.
Objectives
Shortly before, frequent “déjà vu” crises had also begun. Additional imaging tests (CT and cranial MRI) had been performed privately, which had been normal, and an EEG with sleep deprivation had been requested, but the patient had not attended.
For 8 years he had started various successive antidepressant treatments that had always been ineffective or had produced agitation, which was diagnosed as akathisia, after a week of treatment. In a single previous hospital admission, with the initial diagnosis of major depressive disorder finally ruled out, he was discharged apparently asymptomatic, and was readmitted after making three new successive serious attempts at self-lysis a week after discharge.
Methods
Throughout this hospitalization (37 days), a practically invariable mental state is observed from the first day in which only rambling thoughts with very limited content stand out, with permanent and apparently credible criticism regarding previous self-harming behaviors, without appearance of new impulses or self-harming behaviors and reporting a significant decrease in the frequency and emotional impact of “déjà vu” type crises, which are now limited to the moment of waking up in the afternoon, after a brief nap, and occasionally.
Results
He was discharged from the hospital with the diagnosis of post-concussive syndrome (ICD 10-F0.78.2) and remains stable for the moment (one month later) in improvement, maintaining anxiolytic and antidepressant treatment, as well as anticonvulsants, and pending continuation of the study for part of neurology.
Conclusions
We think that this case shows how, within the immense etiological variety of suicidal behavior, there may be a cause conditioned exclusively by brain damage.
Empathy is an essential skill in the doctor-patient relationship since it contributes to improve aspects of health care and patient satisfaction. Nevertheless, burnout research projects have been developed in recent years.
Objectives
To examine the predictive capacity that empathy has on burnout syndrome in health professionals.
Methods
A non-experimental, cross-sectional design was proposed. The type of study was correlational-descriptive since it was sought out to explore a functional relation through the prognosis of a criterion variable. Sample: 200 (100 female and 100 male).
Results
First, the variance of cognitive and Affective Empathy was dug out in the emotional exhaustation criterion scale. Results accounted for 15% of variability in emotional exhaustation. (Corrected R 2 = .15, F = 17,56, p = 0,00). The best predictor of emotional exhaustation refers to Cognitive Empathy. (B = -.27, p = 0.00). It does not seem that Affective Empathy acts as a predictor variable of Emotional Exhaustation. (Table 1).Table 1
Multiple linear regression analysis considering Emotional Exhaustation as a criterion.
TECA
Corrected R2
F
B
p
Cognitive Empathy
.15
17,5
-.27**
0,00
Affective Empathy
-.14
.13
The predictive capacity of Empathy in relation to Depersonalization was estimated (Corrected R 2 = .20, F = 25,4, p = 0.00). Cognitive and affective empathy were included as predictor variables and MBI as a criterion variable (Table 2). On one hand, the best predictor of Depersonalization is the Cognitive Empathy. On the other hand, regarding Affective Empathy, it does not act as a predictor of Depersonalization.Table 2
Multiple linear regression analysis considering Depersonalization as a criterion.
TECA
Corrected R2
F
B
p
Cognitive Empathy
.20
25,4
-.32**
0,00
Affective Empathy
-.15
.84
Lastly, the predictive capacity of Empathy in relation to Personal Achievement was figured out. (Corrected R 2 = .19, F = 23,4, p = 0.00). Cognitive Empathy is the best predictor for Personal Fulfillment (Table 3).Table 3
Multiple linear regression analysis considering Personal Fullfilment as a criterion.
TECA
Corrected R2
F
β
p
Cognitive Empathy
.20
25,4
.43**
0,00
Affective Empathy
.00
.96
Conclusions
It was noticed that through a linear multiple regression analysis, the variable that best explains Emotional Exhaustation is Cognitive Empathy. Those results are replicated for Depersonalization and Personal Fullfilment.
Extremely preterm newborns - EPTN (born ≤28 weeks gestational age) are at increased risk of developing autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Demographic and perinatal risk factors associated with ASD risk in EPTN are understudied.
Objectives
(i) In EPTN and born at full-term healthy controls (HC), to characterize the emergence of ASD traits and autistic symptom load at age 18 months; (ii) in EPTN, to identify the influence of perinatal characteristics such as sex and gestational age on autistic symptom load at corrected-age 18 months.
Methods
Observational, longitudinal, prospective, 18-month follow-up study. We recruited a cohort of n=113 EPTN and n=47 HC (the PremTEA cohort); n=57 EPTN and n=42 HC successfully completed the 18-month follow-up visit. We assessed autistic symptom load & risk at 18 months using the M-CHAT-R/F questionnaire. For all EPTN and HC, we collected demographic and perinatal data. Using GLMs, we assessed, in EPTN, the association between demographic/perinatal variables and 18-month autistic symptom levels.
Results
At 18 months, EPTN children showed higher autistic symptom levels than HC (M-CHAT-R/F score, mean (SD) [range] = 2.21 (3.23) [0-12] in EPTN vs. 0.33 (0.57) [0-2] in HC; d=.873, p=.001. In EPTN, we identified differences by gestational age and sex in autistic symptom levels at 18 months (aR2=0.517, p=.006). In particular, female EPTNs born with lower gestational age showed higher autistic symptom load at age 18 months.
Conclusions
Our findings support the need for early screening of ASD symptomatology in EPTN infants, particularly in higher-risk subgroups, such as female patients born with lower gestational ages.
The use of long-acting treatments is a common clinical practice in psychiatry. No disease insight and the risk of treatment discontinuation in a significant portion of our patients, increase the demand for psychiatric emergency and hospital admissions. Treatment adherence must be facilitated, taking into account possible side effects and patient´s subjective satisfaction.
Objectives
-Evaluate the type of long-acting intramuscular treatment in selected patients. -Evaluate the differences in treatment satisfaction between different types of long-acting intramuscular treatments as well as frequency of psychiatric emergency and hospital admissions in the last year.
Methods
We select patients with different severe mental disorders who stay in a Medium Stay Unit, Sociosanitary Community Residence, Supervise house and Residence for the elderly in Albacete (Spain); all of them, with intramuscular neuroleptic treatment (zuclopenthixol dihydrochloride, aripiprazole long acting, palmitate paliperidone monthly, 3-monthly and 6-monthly) at least 1 year.
We evaluate their sociodemographic characteristics, the satisfaction questionnaire with the treatment (TSQM-9) and the rate of psychiatric emergencies and admissions after current intramuscular treatment in last year.
Results
We have selected 57 patients with an average age of 45.86. 78.94% with a diagnosis of schizophrenia, 12.28% with schizoaffective disorder, 5.26% bipolar disorder and 3.5% unspecified psychotic disorder.
We can see in the graphics below that the longer duration of the intramuscular treatment, the greater satisfaction in all the items of the TSQM-9 questionnaire.
31% of the patients with zuclopenthixol dihydrochloride treatment, have gone to psychiatric emergencies and 28% of psychiatric admissions in the last year.18% of the patients with aripiprazole long acting, 17% with paliperidone palmitate long acting-monthly and 12% de 3-monthly have gone to psychiatric emergencies and 15%, 12% and 12% needed psychiatric admissions respectively. Patients with palmitate long acting-monthly have not emergencies or psychiatric admissions in the last year.
Image:
Image 2:
Image 3:
Conclusions
- The longer long acting of the intramuscular treatments, the better patient satisfaction.
- With the longer duration treatment (Palmitate paliperidone LD 6 month), we have lower psychiatric emergencies and hospital admissions.
The American Academy of Pediatrics reports an incidence of 1 in every 54 children (Council on Children with Disabilities, 2021). The unique circumstances surrounding children born in 2020, who have experienced the COVID-19 pandemic since birth, present a distinct set of challenges for their neurodevelopmental well-being. The pandemic has led to reduced opportunities for learning and social interaction, masking mandates, decreased social support for research, and the potential misattribution of Autism Spectrum Disorders ASD symptoms to the effects of social isolation.
Objectives
This study aims to develop such a program for children born during the COVID-19 pandemic (2020-2022).
Methods
All children born in March 2020 were included in the study. The initial assessment involved administering the ASQ-3 to evaluate their development across the specified domains. Diagnostic Evaluation: Among the population, 6% (4 children) displayed concerning signs on the ASQ-3, warranting further diagnostic evaluation by specialized health professionals for possible ASD.
Results
Early Intervention and School Monitoring: Of the remaining 72% (46 children), who did not require diagnostic evaluation, intervention guidelines were provided, both within the school environment and at home. These children were reevaluated after a three-month period. Follow-up in the School Environment: Those children who underwent reevaluation were categorized into three groups: Nine children fell into the “gray” category on the ASQ-3 and were subsequently referred for diagnostic evaluation. Thirty-seven children progressed to the “white” category on the ASQ-3 after receiving intervention guidelines in both school and home settings. The findings of this research underscore the potential impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the neurodevelopment of children born in 2020. 6% of the evaluated population were referred for diagnostic evaluation due to signs of ASD, suggesting a potential association between the pandemic and an increased risk of ASD within this cohort.72% of children who received intervention guidelines demonstrated significant improvements in their neurodevelopment, highlighting the critical role of early intervention and school-based monitoring
Conclusions
Implementing support strategies within educational settings was linked to positive developments in neurodevelopmental outcomes. Consequently, school-based neurodevelopmental monitoring, complemented by cohesive curricular guidelines, emerges as a beneficial approach for enhancing child development outcomes. The ASQ-3, as a structured instrument, proves invaluable in facilitating neurodevelopmental surveillance within educational settings, particularly in contexts with high demand and limited access to specialized care.
Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) is one of the most common mental disorders in adults. Psychotherapies are among the most recommended treatment choices for GAD, but which should be considered as first-line treatment still needs to be clarified.
Objectives
To examine the most effective and accepted psychotherapy for GAD both in the short and long-term, via a network meta-analysis.
Methods
We searched MEDLINE, Embase, PsycINFO, and the Cochrane Register of Controlled Trials – CENTRAL, from database inception to January 1st, 2023, to find randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of psychotherapies for GAD. Eight psychotherapies (behaviour therapy, cognitive-behaviour therapy, cognitive restructuring, psychoeducation, psychodynamic therapy, relaxation therapy, supportive psychotherapy, and third-wave CBTs) were compared with each other and two control conditions (treatment as usual, waiting list). We followed Cochrane standards when extracting data and assessing data quality and used PRISMA guidelines for the reporting. We conducted random-effects model pairwise and network meta-analyses. We assessed risk of bias of individual studies through the second version of the Cochrane’s Risk of Bias tool and used the Confidence in Network Meta-Analysis (CINeMA) to rate certainty of evidence for meta-analytical results. Severity of GAD symptoms and acceptability of the psychotherapies were our outcomes of interest.
Results
We analysed data from 66 RCTs. Effect size estimates on data from 5,597 participants suggest third wave cognitive-behavioural therapies (standardized mean differences [SMDs] =-0.78; 95%CI=-1.19 to -0.37; certainty=moderate), cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT) (SMD=-0.68; 95%CI=-1.05 to -0.32 certainty=moderate), and relaxation therapy (SMD=-0.54; 95%CI=-1.04 to -0.05; certainty=low) reduced generalized anxiety symptoms more than treatment as usual (TAU). Relative risks for all-cause discontinuation signalled no differences compared with TAU for all psychotherapies. When excluding studies at high risk of bias, relaxation therapy lost its superiority over TAU. When considering anxiety severity at three to twelve months after completion of the intervention only CBT remained significantly more efficacious than TAU (SMD=-0.58; 95%CI=-0.93 to -0.23).
Image:
Conclusions
Given the evidence for both acute and long-term efficacy, CBT may represent the reasonable first-line psychological treatment for GAD. Third-wave CBT and relaxation therapy have short-term efficacy and may also be offered. Results from this investigation should inform patients, clinicians, and guidelines. This project is funded by the European Union’s HORIZON EUROPE research programme under grant agreement No 101061648.
Plant growth requires the integration of internal and external cues, perceived and transduced into a developmental programme of cell division, elongation and wall thickening. Mechanical forces contribute to this regulation, and thigmomorphogenesis typically includes reducing stem height, increasing stem diameter, and a canonical transcriptomic response. We present data on a bZIP transcription factor involved in this process in grasses. Brachypodium distachyon SECONDARY WALL INTERACTING bZIP (SWIZ) protein translocated into the nucleus following mechanostimulation. Classical touch-responsive genes were upregulated in B. distachyon roots following touch, including significant induction of the glycoside hydrolase 17 family, which may be unique to grass thigmomorphogenesis. SWIZ protein binding to an E-box variant in exons and introns was associated with immediate activation followed by repression of gene expression. SWIZ overexpression resulted in plants with reduced stem and root elongation. These data further define plant touch-responsive transcriptomics and physiology, offering insights into grass mechanotranduction dynamics.
Elaphostrongylus cervi Cameron, 1931 was identified in six Cervus elaphus hispanicus sampled in Cuenca, central Spain. A total of 23 adult worms were found in the central nervous system with a mean of 3.8. Although E. cervi is reported to be widespread in cervids, this is the first time it has been recorded in Spanish red deer.
Elaphostrongylus cervi produces a subclinical cerebrospinal disease in many wild and domestic ruminants from Europe, North America and New Zealand and has recently been described in Spain. To determine some aspects of its epidemiology, 121 red deer (Cervus elaphus) from central Spain were sampled during 2000. The prevalence (7%) and mean worm burden (3.8 worms per brain) were similar to the values previously recorded in other European areas. The infection was only detected in young deer during the winter. The estimation of larval production in the faeces was not a reliable method of diagnosing E. cervi infection.
OBJECTIVES/GOALS: Using a natural canine model of kidney stone disease, we previously identified a pathogenic variant in the uromodulin gene (UMOD) that imparts a dramatic risk for calcium oxalate (CaOx) stones. This study was designed to characterize the effects of the pathogenic variant on uromodulin processing, specifically polymerization and peptide excretion. METHODS/STUDY POPULATION: Uromodulin polymerization status and peptides were measured in random urine samples from CaOx stone-forming dogs with the pathogenic UMOD variant and breed-, sex-, and age-matched healthy control dogs. Polymerization status was determined using an ultracentrifugation protocol and Western blotting in 6 CaOx cases and 3 controls; relative abundance of the polymerizing and nonpolymerizing forms was evaluated. Uromodulin peptide abundances were measured by LC-MS/MS with 4 dogs per group; results were summed to determine total uromodulin peptide excretion for each dog, and individual peptide abundances were calculated as a percentage of the total. Polymerization status and peptides were compared between groups. RESULTS/ANTICIPATED RESULTS: Dogs with the pathogenic UMOD variant had abnormalities in both uromodulin polymerization and peptide processing. The polymerization data showed that the polymerizing form of uromodulin was abundant in all healthy controls but absent or severely reduced in most dogs with the variant. In contrast, nonpolymerizing uromodulin was detected in all dogs with no observed difference between those with and without the variant. The peptidomics data showed that stone-forming dogs with the pathogenic UMOD variant lacked a peptide cleavage site, resulting in the loss of two common peptides that terminate at that site and the presence of longer peptides that span the site. DISCUSSION/SIGNIFICANCE: These findings implicate uromodulin polymerization and peptide processing defects in kidney stone risk. Future studies will define the mechanisms through which these defects affect stone formation, ultimately informing development of novel preventative therapies.
Evaluate the association between provider-ordered viral testing and antibiotic treatment practices among children discharged from an ED or hospitalized with an acute respiratory infection (ARI).
Design:
Active, prospective ARI surveillance study from November 2017 to February 2020.
Setting:
Pediatric hospital and emergency department in Nashville, Tennessee.
Participants:
Children 30 days to 17 years old seeking medical care for fever and/or respiratory symptoms.
Methods:
Antibiotics prescribed during the child’s ED visit or administered during hospitalization were categorized into (1) None administered; (2) Narrow-spectrum; and (3) Broad-spectrum. Setting-specific models were built using unconditional polytomous logistic regression with robust sandwich estimators to estimate the adjusted odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals between provider-ordered viral testing (ie, tested versus not tested) and viral test result (ie, positive test versus not tested and negative test versus not tested) and three-level antibiotic administration.
Results:
4,107 children were enrolled and tested, of which 2,616 (64%) were seen in the ED and 1,491 (36%) were hospitalized. In the ED, children who received a provider-ordered viral test had 25% decreased odds (aOR: 0.75; 95% CI: 0.54, 0.98) of receiving a narrow-spectrum antibiotic during their visit than those without testing. In the inpatient setting, children with a negative provider-ordered viral test had 57% increased odds (aOR: 1.57; 95% CI: 1.01, 2.44) of being administered a broad-spectrum antibiotic compared to children without testing.
Conclusions:
In our study, the impact of provider-ordered viral testing on antibiotic practices differed by setting. Additional studies evaluating the influence of viral testing on antibiotic stewardship and antibiotic prescribing practices are needed.
PEPAdb (Prehistoric Europe's Personal Adornment Database) is a long-term, open-ended project that aims to improve access to archaeological data online. Its website (https://pepadb.us.es) publishes and analyses datasets about prehistoric personal adornment, drawing on the results of various research projects and bibliographic references.
Women with a history of preeclampsia (PE) have a greater risk of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). In turn, pregnancy at high altitude is a risk factor for PE. However, whether women who develop PE during highland pregnancy are at risk of PAH before and after birth has not been investigated. We tested the hypothesis that during highland pregnancy, women who develop PE are at greater risk of PAH compared to women undergoing healthy highland pregnancies. The study was on 140 women in La Paz, Bolivia (3640m). Women undergoing healthy highland pregnancy were controls (C, n = 70; 29 ± 3.3 years old, mean±SD). Women diagnosed with PE were the experimental group (PE, n = 70, 31 ± 2 years old). Conventional (B- and M-mode, PW Doppler) and modern (pulsed wave tissue Doppler imaging) ultrasound were applied for cardiovascular íííassessment. Spirometry determined maternal lung function. Assessments occurred at 35 ± 4 weeks of pregnancy and 6 ± 0.3 weeks after birth. Relative to highland controls, highland PE women had enlarged right ventricular (RV) and right atrial chamber sizes, greater pulmonary artery dimensions and increased estimated RV contractility, pulmonary artery pressure and pulmonary vascular resistance. Highland PE women had lower values for peripheral oxygen saturation, forced expiratory flow and the bronchial permeability index. Differences remained 6 weeks after birth. Therefore, women who develop PE at high altitude are at greater risk of PAH before and long after birth. Hence, women with a history of PE at high altitude have an increased cardiovascular risk that transcends the systemic circulation to include the pulmonary vascular bed.
The elderly represents the fastest growing group of the population. It is fair to assume that the portion of old age patients suffering from bipolar disorder will grow in a similar manner. Elderly patients represent approximately 25% of the bipolar population. Summarizing, 5–10% of patients were 50 years of age when they experienced their first manic episode, constituting the subgroup of late onset bipolar disorder (LOBD).
Objectives
The purpose of this case report and literature review is to emphasise the importance of LOBD in old population and to highlight its still sparse-knowledge.
Methods
Descriptive case study and review of literature (Arnold,I. et al. Old Age Bipolar Disorder—Epidemiology, Aetiology and Treatment. Medicina 2021,57,587; Baldessarini et al. Onset-age of bipolar disorders at six international sites. J Affect Disord 2010;121(1-2):143-6).
Results
A 60-year-old woman is brought to the emergency department for evaluation by her family. Over the past 7 days, the patient has become increasingly irritable and argumentative, is sleeping less, is talking faster than usual and has begun to express paranoid concerns about her students “stealing my exam”. The patient is a university professor.
In the assessment interview she is hyperverbal, expansive, and grandiose. The family has also just recently discovered that she has spent a large sum of money on the Internet.
She has no history of psychiatric contact or substance use disorders; however, she has a family history of severe depression.
In the absence of any plausible non-psychiatric condition that could mimic or induce mania, the working diagnosis is bipolar I disorder, most recent episode (MRE) manic with psychotic features.
Image:
Image 2:
Conclusions
The share of older age bipolar disorder will grow constantly in the next decades and further research on this neglected patient group is urgently required.
Women with bipolar disorder often ask their treating clinician for information about family planning, as they are concerned about the impact of their illness on offspring. Pregnancy places additional stress on patients, and physiological changes are particularly acute during postpartum. On the other hand, the risk of abnormalities and teratogenicity from psychotropic drugs is significant. The decision wether resuming or discontinuating lithium is discussed.
Objectives
We present a theoretical review on the topic.
Methods
A bibliographic review is presented.
Results
The choice to continue medication during pregnancy balances the risks of an untreated illness with the risks of medication exposure. Abrupt discontinuation of psychotropic medications is associated with an increased risk for illness recurrence. Women with BD who discontinue their medications before or during pregnancy have a 71% risk of recurrence with new episodes occurring most frequently in the first trimester. Recurrent illness during pregnancy is associated with a 66% increase in the risk of postpartum episodes. Untreated or under-treated BD during pregnancy is associated with poor birth outcomes independent of pharmacotherapy exposure, including preterm birth, low birth-weight, intrauterine growth retardation, small for gestational age, fetal distress, and adverse neurodeve- lopmental outcomes. Women with untreated BD also have behavioral risk factors such as decreased compliance with prenatal care, poor nutrition, and high-risk behaviors. Impaired capacity to function may result in loss of employment, health care benefits, and social support. The biological and psychosocial risks of a BD episode are the justification for the risk of medication exposure.
Fetal exposure to lithium has been associated with an increased risk for cardiac abnormalities. The risk for Ebstein’s anomaly with first trimester exposure is 1 (0.1%) to 2 in 1000 (0.2%), but the absolute risk remains low. Folate supplementation with 5 mg reduces the risk and severity of congenital heart disease. Lithium toxicity causes lethargy, hypotonia, tachycardia, coma, cyanosis, and chronic twitching in the newborn.
Strategies to minimize fetal exposure and maintain efficacy include using the lowest effective dose, prescribing lithium twice daily to avoid high peak serum concentrations, and regular monitoring of lithium serum concentrations. The effective serum concentration must be established before pregnancy. If a therapeutic concentration has not been established, the lithium dose is titrated to a concentration within the therapeutic range. Breast feeding is discouraged in women taking lithium because of the high rate of transmission to the infant.
Conclusions
Treatment decisions for pregnant women with mood disorders must weigh the potential for increased risks of lithium during pregnancy, especially during the first trimester, against its effectiveness at reducing relapse.
The occurrence of psychotic symptoms induced by dopaminergic drugs marks a new phase in the course of Parkinson’s disease (PD). The term drug induced psychosis may be used when other significant psychiatric diseases are excluded in patients with no history of psychosis. The prevalence of dopaminomimetic psychosis varies from 5% to 20%. Therefore, knowledge of the psychopharmacological management of this condition is essential.
Objectives
The purpose of this case report and literature review is to to learn the psychopharmacological management of this not uncommon medical complication.
Methods
Descriptive case study and review of literature
Results
We present the case of a 71-year-old man with a medical history of Parkinson’s disease with partial response to treatment with high doses of levodopa and carbidopa.
He was brought to the emergency department by his family due to the presence of behavioural alterations at home.
The patient reported seeing men in foam trying to harm his family. In a disjointed way in his speech, he links this idea with the delusional belief that he is being watched by electronic devices placed throughout the house. In a variegated manner he links this with a coelotypical type of discourse, however the delusional ideation remains unstructured throughout.
With no previous personal or family history of mental health and ruling out underlying organic conditions, a diagnosis of psychosis secondary to pharmacological treatment for Parkinson’s disease is presumed.
Considering the risks and benefits, it was decided to maintain the anti-Parkinson’s dose in order to avoid worsening the patient’s motor function. Therefore, after reviewing the literature, the best option was to introduce clozapine at low doses, up to 50 mg at night, with the respective analytical control. After a week’s admission, the patient began to improve psychopathologically, achieving an ad integrum resolution of the psychotic symptoms.
Conclusions
Despite the availability of other antipsychotic treatments such as quetiapine or the more recent pimavanserin, clozapine remains the treatment of choice for drug-induced psychosis in Parkinson’s disease.
Denial of pregnancy is the phenomenon where a woman fails to recognize or accept her pregnancy at >20 weeks gestational age. It associates with increased morbidity and mortality of mother and child, and can be classified as non-psychotic or psychotic. There is fewer medical literature regarding the latter, making it difficult to recognize, let alone to treat, since we do not have robust data regarding incidence nor approved interventions or treatment.
Objectives
To describe this unfamiliar entity in order to be able to perform a proper diagnosis and thus prevent possible negative outcomes.
Methods
We present a case report alongside a narrative literature review on the topic.
Results
We report the case of a 39-year-old caucasian woman, foreign, undomiciled, with an advanced pregnancy, who was admitted to a Psychiatry in-patient unit due to psychotic symptoms such as mistrust and delusions. She showed scarce collaboration during assessment and did not give any plausible information about her identity. Her birthplace and prior medical records were therefore unknown. Apparently, she had no family nor social support network. Despite the obvious signs, she did not recognize being pregnant and showed great irritability when asked; her responses ranged from claiming she was suffering from a gastric tumor and making delusional attributions of symptoms clearly related to the pregnancy to partially acknowledging her state but refusing to answer any questions on the matter. Blood work showed no significant abnormalities and obstetric ultrasound revealed a low risk 35 weeks pregnancy.
With an estimated prevalence of 1:475 in general population, denial of pregnancy is not as rare as it may seem. The psychotic variant, however, is rather uncommon. Typically, women with psychotic pregnancy denial have prior history of major mental illness, most frequently schizophrenia, and suffer from extreme psychosocial vulnerability. They usually present previous or anticipated child custody loss, which hampers the process of developing antenatal attachment behaviours. Psychotic denial does not associate with concealing, since these women are mentally detached from the gestation and tend to create delusional explanations to their pregnancy symptoms. Not all of them show complete denial, some being able to acknowledge it, though mostly in an inconsistent way. These patients often fail to seek prenatal care or are noncompliant, they are at greater risk of drug exposure, and some are unable to recognize symptoms of labour, all of which increases the rate of negative outcomes for mother and baby, including neonaticide.
Conclusions
Psychotic denial is a rare diagnosis which should be properly assessed due to its clinical implications and the need to prevent potential negative outcomes for mother and baby.
Anorexia nervosa is a behavioral mental disorder, characterized by body dysmorphia, an intense fear of gaining weight and behaviors that interfere with this, in addition to a restriction of food intake, associated usually with medical complications, even a considerable risk of death.
Several psychotherapeutic approaches have been used along last decades. Until relatively recently, parents have been recognized as part of the problem, but nowadays we involve them into the therapeutic process through family therapy based on a systemic approach, recommended in current published clinical guidelines and research findings, with consistent evidence, as the first-line treatment of patients with anorexia nervosa.
Objectives
A case of a patient with anorexia nervosa, is presented followed by a theoretical review on the topic.
Methods
A case is presented with a bibliographic review.
Results
A 24-yeard-old female was hospitalized for renutrition due to a significant weight loss and multiple physical symptoms. After 4 months without progress, the patient was transferred to the psychiatric ward.
Once there, physical stabilisation was achieved with family therapy and pharmacological treatment, based on progressive administration of Clomipramine, previously assessed by Cardiology, which improved rumination and obsessive behaviour. We conduct daily individual and weekly family interviews, working on family dynamics, emotional regulation strategies and more adaptive ways of communication. Likewise, several lines of action were found in the systemic work: peripheral father; maternal over-involvement; fraternal rivalry; difficulties of interaction between all of them, derived from “the role of the sick person” and intra-family communication around the illness. Finally, showed effectiveness in terms of an improvement in interpersonal relationships, greater assertiveness and an optimistic attitude with an active search for coping strategies.
Conclusions
Historically, parents have been recognized by a causal factor in the pathogenesis of this disorder. Nevertheless, the abolition of the emphasis on family responsibility, motivated by a philosophic and evidence-based, has allowed us to see them as an essential resource in aiding the patient in the improvement process. This parental involvement has resulted in a relevant reduction in morbidity, as well as a significant decrease treatment attrition rates. It has been noted a re-establishment in other individual and family factors such as self-esteem, quality of life, and some aspects of the experiences of caregiving, and behavioral symptoms have been resolved.
Corticosteroids are drugs widely used in clinical practice for their anti-inflammatory and immunosuppressive properties. Despite their beneficial effects, a high association of these drugs with neuropsychiatric adverse effects such as psychosis, mania, depression, delirium or increased risk of suicide, among others, has been observed. We present the case of 54-year-old man who started treatment with hydroaltesone 20 mg/8h after undergoing surgery for a pituitary macroadenoma who began with maniform clinic.
Objectives
To know the prevalence, risk factors and treatment of mania as a side effect of corticosteroid drugs.
Methods
Presentation of the case and review of the available literature on the risk of developing mania after corticosteroid treatment.
Results
Several studies confirm that the incidence of psychiatric adverse effects after the use of corticosteroids is around 6% if we refer to severe reactions; 28% moderate reactions; and 72% if we consider milder reactions. The direct relationship between these drugs and affective symptoms ranges in rates between 1-50% of cases, the most frequent being depression and mania. The risk of mania after treatment with corticosteroids is 4-5 times higher than if we compare it with a group of population not exposed to these drugs. There is a dose-response relationship, increasing the risk from a daily dose of 40 mg/day, with an average duration of symptoms of around 21 days. Female sex seems to be a risk factor in relation to the fact that diseases requiring this type of treatment are more common in this gender. As first-line treatment for mania secondary to corticosteroids, a decrease in treatment dose or its interruption, whenever possible, is proposed. Adjuvant treatment may be required, with atypical antipsychotics being the first choice.
Conclusions
Corticosteroid therapy has a direct dose-response relationship with the presence of psychiatric adverse effects such as mania. Dose and sex have been studied as possible adverse effects. Therefore, the pharmacological treatment of choice consists of a reduction in the dose of corticosteroids administered or withdrawal, if possible, and may be combined with an atypical antipsychotic such as olanzapine, quetiapine or risperidone. Re-evaluation is recommended until complete resolution of the clinical picture and then antipsychotic treatment can be progressively withdrawn.