Timely Yet Long Overdue: Canadian Standards for Long-Term Care Homes.

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic highlighted systemic problems in Canadian long-term care (LTC). While high mortality rates in LTC received significant attention, the pandemic also took an enormous toll on mental health of LTC residents, where mental health conditions, including cognitive disorders, are already much higher than in other community settings. The pandemic resulted in a renewed interest in improving quality of care in LTC and led to the recent development of several National Standards of Canada. The newly available Standards set ambitious targets, but many of the standards are practical and essential to moving beyond a focus on safety and physical needs in LTC and towards one that supports residents as whole persons. While the standards support good mental health indirectly, there is a need to recognize mental health in these settings as a fundamental human right and essential to quality of life, and for this to be reflected in ongoing and future standards development. Ensuring existing and forthcoming National Standards are meaningfully implemented, in whole or in part, will require extensive efforts at multiple levels. The guidance provided by Canadian Standards will shape this transformative process, necessitating aligned federal and provincial investments and policies, and stakeholder engagement to bring about the envisioned high-quality care.

Neuropsychiatric Symptoms After Brain Tumor Resection in Children and Adolescents: A Scoping Review.

BACKGROUND: Brain tumors are one of the most common solid tumors in pediatric populations, with their treatments having significant neuropsychiatric impact. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to review the literature on neuropsychiatric sequelae after surgical resection of brain tumors in children and adolescents. METHODS: Using a scoping method, we reviewed empirical articles describing pediatric patients with brain tumors who underwent partial or total resection and examined major neuropsychiatric domains postoperatively over time. RESULTS: The initial search yielded 15,543 articles. After duplicate removal, abstract screening, and review, 44 articles were included. Cognitive deficits were the most widely studied outcomes and found to be associated with tumor location, operative variables, perioperative complications, treatment types, and psychosocial factors. Cerebellar mutism, or posterior fossa syndrome, commonly co-occurred with emotional and behavioral dysregulation after posterior fossa resections. Depression, anxiety, and somatization were frequently grouped together as "distress," with higher rates among pediatric patients with brain tumor than among healthy peers. Problematic school behaviors, antisocial, and attention-deficit traits were increased; however, several other behaviors (e.g., risky sexual behaviors, substance use) were equal or lower when compared to peers. Posttraumatic stress disorder was highly prevalent and often interfered with social functioning. Delirium, eating disorders, and longer-term outcomes received inadequate attention. CONCLUSION: Identifying risk factors of neuropsychiatric sequelae and their impact after pediatric brain tumor resection is important for prognostication and the development of tailored management strategies for these children and adolescents.

Position Statement for Mental Health Care in Long-Term Care During COVID-19.

COVID-19 has disproportionately impacted older adults in long-term care (LTC) facilities in Canada. There are opportunities to learn from this crisis and to improve systems of care in order to ensure that older adults in LTC enjoy their right to the highest attainable standard of health. Measures are needed to ensure the mental health of older adults in LTC during COVID-19. The Canadian Academy of Geriatric Psychiatry (CAGP) and Canadian Coalition for Seniors' Mental Health (CCSMH) have developed the following position statements to address the mental health needs of older adults in LTC facilities, their family members, and LTC staff. We outlined eight key considerations related to mental health care in LTC during COVID-19 to optimize the mental health of this vulnerable population during the pandemic.

Effectively Caring for Individuals With Behavioral and Psychological Symptoms of Dementia During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly affected the elderly and particularly individuals with Alzheimer's disease and related disorders (ADRD). Behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD) are heterogeneous and common in individuals with ADRD and are associated with more severe illness. However, unlike the cognitive symptoms of ADRD that are usually progressive, BPSD may be treatable. Individuals with BPSD are facing unique challenges during the pandemic due to the inherent nature of the illness and the biological and psychosocial impacts of COVID-19. These challenges include a higher risk of severe COVID-19 infection in individuals with BPSD due to their frailty and medical vulnerability, difficulty participating in screening or testing, and adhering to infection control measures such as physical distancing. Further, biological effects of COVID-19 on the brain and its psychosocial impact such as isolation and disruption in mental health care are likely to worsen BPSD. In this paper, we discuss these challenges and strategies to manage the impact of COVID-19 and to effectively care for individuals with BPSD in community, long-term care, or hospital settings during the pandemic. Despite the ongoing uncertainty associated with this pandemic, we can reduce its impact on individuals with BPSD with a proactive approach.

Examining the Neuropsychiatric Sequelae Postsurgical Resection of Adult Brain Tumors Through a Scoping Review.

BACKGROUND: Improving brain tumor survival rates have drawn increasing focus on neuropsychiatric and psychological outcomes. OBJECTIVE: This review characterizes the literature on neuropsychiatric sequelae after neurosurgical resection of adult brain tumors. METHODS: Using a scoping method, we reviewed articles describing patients with adult brain tumor who underwent partial or total brain resection and examined major neuropsychiatric domains after intervention. RESULTS: The initial search yielded 9903 articles. After duplicate removal, abstract screening, review, and hand searching, 81 articles were found: 63 empirical and 18 nonempirical. Most articles centered on survivorship within the first year. Cognition was most widely studied with a transient worsening during the first month and usually recovery or improvement thereafter. Depression increased in frequency during survivorship and was associated with frontotemporal location, time to survival, quality of life, cognitive and physical parameters, and functional status. Anxiety, independent of depression, related to tumor histology and grading and had a weaker association with cognition and quality of life. Obsessive-compulsive symptoms, psychosis, mania, and delirium received little attention. Most studies did not include preoperative neuropsychiatric assessment, and treatment was poorly addressed. CONCLUSION: This review highlights key gaps, including preoperative and postoperative neuropsychiatric assessment and a short follow-up. A better understanding of postresection neuropsychiatric outcomes can inform our ability to prognosticate and tailor management for patients at risk for these life-impairing conditions.

Association of body mass index with knee cartilage damage in an asymptomatic population-based study.

BACKGROUND: Cartilage changes are an important early finding of osteoarthritis (OA), which can exist even before symptoms. Our objective was to determine the prevalence of knee cartilage damage on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in an asymptomatic population-based cross-sectional study and to evaluate the association of body mass index (BMI) with cartilage damage. METHODS: Subjects, aged 40-79 years, without knee pain (n = 73) were recruited as a random population sample and assessed for BMI (kg/m2), including current BMI (measured), past BMI at age 25 (self-reported) and change in BMI. Knee cartilage was scored semi-quantitatively (grades 0-4) on MRI. In primary analysis, cartilage damage was defined as ≥2 (at least moderate) and in a secondary analysis as ≥3 (severe). We also conducted a sensitivity analysis by dichotomizing current BMI as <25 vs. ≥25. Logistic regression was used to evaluate the association of each BMI variable with prevalent MRI-detected cartilage damage, adjusted for age and sex. RESULTS: Of 73 subjects, knee cartilage damage ≥2 and ≥3 was present in 65.4% and 28.7%, respectively. The median current BMI was 26.1, median past BMI 21.6, and median change in BMI was a gain of 2.8. For cartilage damage ≥2, current BMI had a non-statistically significant OR of 1.65 per 5 units (95% CI 0.93-2.92). For cartilage damage ≥3, current BMI showed a trend towards statistical significance with an OR of 1.70 per 5 units (95% CI 0.99-2.92). Past BMI and change in BMI were not significantly associated with cartilage damage. Current BMI ≥ 25 was statistically significantly associated with cartilage damage ≥2 (OR 3.04 (95% CI 1.10-8.42)), but not for ≥3 (OR 2.63 (95% CI 0.86-8.03)). CONCLUSIONS: MRI-detected knee cartilage damage was highly prevalent in this asymptomatic population-based cohort. We report a trend towards significance of BMI with cartilage damage severity. Subjects with abnormal current BMI (≥25) had a 3-fold increased odds of cartilage damage ≥2, compared to those with normal BMI. This study lends support towards the role of obesity in the pathogenesis of knee cartilage damage at an asymptomatic stage of disease.