Digital quantification of soft tissue volumetric changes after scaling and root planning.

BACKGROUND: Monitoring the outcome and evolution of periodontitis treatment requires analyzing changes in the periodontium. However, traditional methods for analyzing volumetric changes in periodontal soft tissues have limitations due to their invasiveness or inaccuracy. The aim of this study was to measure the volumetric changes in periodontal tissues following scaling and root planing treatment using digital methods, such as the superimposition of pre- and post-treatment STL files Material and Methods: The study started with an initial periodontal examination and intraoral scanning. Periodontal treatment was then performed, and at the one-month re-evaluation, the same records were repeated. Finally, the clinical data and STL files of pre- and post-treatment scans were compared. RESULTS: in terms of clinical data, there was a mean decrease in probing depth of 0.34 ± 0.54 mm and a significant decrease in bleeding rate. Digital measurements showed a mean loss in height of 0.196 ± 0.188 mm and width of 0.344 ± 0.338 mm. CONCLUSIONS: Quantifying periodontal tissue changes after scaling and root planing was possible by superimposing STL files. Post-treatment gingival tissue shrinkage occurred in both height and width, which was not visible with conventional recordings.

Scapular notching in reverse shoulder arthroplasty. Relationship with surgeon̈s experience and clinical outcomes. / Notching escapular en las prótesis invertidas de hombro. Su relación con la experiencia del cirujano y con los resultados clínicos.

BACKGROUND: Scapular Notching is a problem frequently seen in Reverse shoulder arthroplasties (RSAs), produced by a collision between the humeral component and the scapula. The main objective of this study is to analyze whether this problem decreases with the surgeons experience. As secondary objectives, assessing whether there is a relationship between its appearance and the clinical and functional outcome of patients. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed 101 patients with 105 RSAs; we analyzed complications, focusing on scapular notching. Main follow-up time was 36 month (12-72). The clinical and functional outcomes were evaluated with the Constant scale and the QuickDash questionnaire. RESULTS: Forty-two patients (40%) had some degree of scapular notching. Of these, 25 patients had grade I, 14 had grade II and 3 had grade III notching. The average postoperative Constant score for the entire series was 60.72. A tendency toward a reduced incidence of notching was observed with increasing numbers of operated cases and experience of the surgeon (p=0.04). In the group of patients who had notching, the average postoperative Constant score was 56, and in the group that developed notching, the average score was 63. Patients with notching had significantly lower pain scores (p=0.012). CONCLUSIONS: Scapular notching is a common problem of RSA. In RSA, the experience of the surgeon reduces the appearance of problems and complications. Scapular notching is related to poorer clinical outcomes with respect to pain.

Atrial Fibrillation and Stroke Risk After Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting Surgery.

Background: The present multicentre study was aimed at determining the effect of preoperative atrial fibrillation (preop-AF) as stroke risk factor in coronary artery bypass graft surgery (CABG) during the perioperative period. Methods: Patients undergoing isolated CABG surgery were enrolled from 21 Spanish centers. Baseline variables related with perioperative stroke risk were recorded and analysed. The Northern New England Cardiovascular Disease Study Group (NNECVDSG) stroke risk schema was used to stratify stroke risk and compare predicted vs observed neurologic outcomes in this study. Results: 26347 patients were enrolled in the study. Prevalence of preop-AF was 4.2%, and was associated significantly with major cardiovascular comorbidities. The stroke rate was 1.38% (365 strokes), and it was slightly higher for patients with preop-AF vs non preop-AF, 1.82% vs 1.36%, p = 0.2. NNECVDSG schema showed good predictive ability calculating the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (c-statistic 0.696; 95% CI 0.668 to 0.723). To investigate the associations of baseline preoperative variables with perioperative CABG-stroke a logistic regression model was performed. Preop-AF impact on perioperative stroke was lower that other variables. Preop-AF did not show an adverse impact in the quartiles groups according to NNECVDSG Stroke Risk Index. Conclusion: Risk of perioperative stroke in isolated CABG surgery patients is not significantly increased by preop-AF.

Global and regional cortical thinning in first-episode psychosis patients: relationships with clinical and cognitive features.

BACKGROUND: The thickness of the cortical mantle is a sensitive measure for identifying alterations in cortical structure. We aimed to explore whether first episode schizophrenia patients already show a significant cortical thinning and whether cortical thickness anomalies may significantly influence clinical and cognitive features. METHOD: We investigated regional changes in cortical thickness in a large and heterogeneous sample of schizophrenia spectrum patients (n=142) at their first break of the illness and healthy controls (n=83). Magnetic resonance imaging brain scans (1.5 T) were obtained and images were analyzed by using brains2. The contribution of sociodemographic, cognitive and clinical characterictics was investigated. RESULTS: Patients showed a significant total cortical thinning (F=17.55, d=-0.62, p<0.001) and there was a diffuse pattern of reduced thickness (encompassing frontal, temporal and parietal cortices) (all p's<0.001, d's>0.53). No significant group×gender interactions were observed (all p's>0.15). There were no significant associations between the clinical and pre-morbid variables and cortical thickness measurements (all r's<0.12). A weak significant negative correlation between attention and total (r=-0.24, p=0.021) and parietal cortical thickness (r=-0.27, p=0.009) was found in patients (thicker cortex was associated with lower attention). Our data revealed a similar pattern of cortical thickness changes related to age in patients and controls. CONCLUSIONS: Cortical thinning is independent of gender, age, age of onset and duration of the illness and does not seem to significantly influence clinical and functional symptomatology. These findings support a primary neurodevelopment disorder affecting the normal cerebral cortex development in schizophrenia.

Impact of severity and type of depression on quality of life in cases identified in the community.

BACKGROUND: The impact of different levels of depression severity on quality of life (QoL) is not well studied, particularly regarding ICD-10 criteria. The ICD classification of depressive episodes in three levels of severity is also controversial and the less severe category, mild, has been considered as unnecessary and not clearly distinguishable from non-clinical states. The present work aimed to test the relationship between depression severity according to ICD-10 criteria and several dimensions of functioning as assessed by Medical Outcome Study (MOS) 36-item Short Form general health survey (SF-36) at the population level. METHOD: A sample of 551 participants from the second phase of the Outcome of Depression International Network (ODIN) study (228 controls without depression and 313 persons fulfilling ICD criteria for depressive episode) was selected for a further assessment of several variables, including QoL related to physical and mental health as measured with the SF-36. RESULTS: Statistically significant differences between controls and the depression group were found in both physical and mental markers of health, regardless of the level of depression severity; however, there were very few differences in QoL between levels of depression as defined by ICD-10. Regardless of the presence of depression, disability, widowed status, being a woman and older age were associated with worse QoL in a structural equation analysis with covariates. Likewise, there were no differences according to the type of depression (single-episode versus recurrent). CONCLUSIONS: These results cast doubt on the adequacy of the current ICD classification of depression in three levels of severity.

Prognostic value of cognitive functioning for global functional recovery in first-episode schizophrenia.

BACKGROUND: It has become widely accepted that cognitive deficits in schizophrenia are related to functional outcome. However, it remains to be seen whether these associations are relevant for predicting which cases will have a global functional recovery. In this study, we attempt to determine whether global functional recovery (integrating social and occupational outcomes) after first-episode schizophrenia (FES) can be predicted by cognitive variables. METHOD: A total of 131 FES patients with functional deficits (n=97) and functional recovery (n=34) as determined at 1-year follow-up were examined. Neuropsychological, sociodemographic, pre-morbid and clinical data at baseline were analysed using independent groups comparisons and a logistic regression method. RESULTS: Sustained attention and negative symptoms emerged as significant predictors of good global functional outcome. Although the model revealed a high accuracy (91%) in the classification of patients with functional deficits, it was unacceptably low (26%) in the classification of patients with global functional recovery. CONCLUSIONS: The limitations found in the prediction of a favourable global functional outcome may well be an indication for a need to address the role of other factors not commonly included in longitudinal studies of long-term outcomes in schizophrenia.

Austrian syndrome: a clinical rarity.

We present a case of classical Austrian syndrome in a 55-year-old man with a history of alcoholism. The rapid destruction in aortic valve cusps caused perforations with severe aortic insufficiency, acute pulmonary edema, and determined an urgent aortic valve substitution with good postoperative evolution. The review of the literature suggests cardiac surgery in this syndrome to improve the poor survival with conservative treatment. We recommend early surgery in these cases because of the fast impairment of the patient and valvular tissue destruction detected in intraoperatory examination.

Pretreatment predictors of cognitive deficits in early psychosis.

BACKGROUND: Predicting cognitive deficits in early psychosis may well be crucial to identify those individuals most in need of receiving intensive intervention. As yet, however, the identification of potential pretreatment predictors for cognitive performance has been hampered by inconsistent findings across studies. We aimed to examine the associations of functional and clinical pretreatment variables with cognitive functioning after a first psychotic episode. METHOD: One hundred and thirty-one patients experiencing first-episode psychosis were assessed for psychopathology, pre-morbid functioning, duration of illness, age of onset, and family history of psychosis and neurocognitive functioning. Multiple regression analyses were conducted for six basic cognitive dimensions known to be affected in this population: verbal learning, verbal memory, verbal comprehensive abilities, executive functioning, motor dexterity and sustained attention. RESULTS: Pre-morbid functioning was the main predictor for five out of the six basic cognitive domains. Pre-morbid social adjustment difficulties were associated with worse performance in executive functioning, motor dexterity and sustained attention. Academic functioning was associated with verbal comprehension, and verbal learning and memory. Gender, age of onset, duration of untreated psychosis, and family history of psychosis had no or limited value as predictors of neurocognitive outcome. CONCLUSIONS: Poor pre-morbid functioning was related to a worse performance in the six basic cognitive dimensions evaluated; however, this accounted for only a small amount of the explained variance. Cognitive impairment is a prominent feature in patients with early psychosis regardless of favorable prognostic features such as short duration of illness, female gender, later age of onset, and non-family history of psychosis.

Cannabis abuse is associated with decision-making impairment among first-episode patients with schizophrenia-spectrum psychosis.

BACKGROUND: Cannabis use appears to be a risk factor for schizophrenia. Moreover, cannabis abusers show impaired decision-making capacities, linked to the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC). Although there is substantial evidence that first-episode schizophrenia patients show impairments in cognitive tasks associated with the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC), it is not clear whether decision making is impaired at schizophrenia onset. In this study, we examined the association between antecedents of cannabis abuse and cognitive impairment in cognitive tasks associated with the DLPFC and the OFC in a sample of first-episode patients with schizophrenia-spectrum disorders. METHOD: One hundred and thirty-two patients experiencing their first episode of a schizophrenia-spectrum psychosis were assessed with a cognitive battery including DLPFC-related tasks [backward digits, verbal fluency (FAS) and the Trail Making Test (TMT)] and an OFC-related task [the Iowa Gambling Task (GT)]. Performance on these tasks was compared between patients who had and had not abused cannabis before their psychosis onset. RESULTS: No differences were observed between the two groups on the performance of any of the DLPFC-related tasks. However, patients who had abused cannabis before their psychosis onset showed a poorer total performance on the gambling task and a lower improvement on the performance of the task compared to no-abusers. CONCLUSIONS: Pre-psychotic cannabis abuse is associated with decision-making impairment, but not working memory and executive function impairment, among first-episode patients with a schizophrenia-spectrum psychosis. Further studies are needed to examine the direction of causality of this impairment; that is, does the impairment make the patients abuse cannabis, or does cannabis abuse cause the impairment?

Predictors of compliance with psychological interventions offered in the community.

BACKGROUND: This study sought to evaluate the acceptance of two brief psychological interventions for depressed individuals, contacted through a community survey, and to look for predictors of adherence at the patient level. METHOD: The authors used data from the Outcomes of Depression International Network (ODIN) study, which included a randomized controlled trial in which depressed individuals from five European countries, and nine geographical areas were assigned to one of three groups: individual problem-solving treatment, group psychoeducation, or control group. In this analysis, we included all of the individuals who had been assigned to one of the psychological interventions. Compliance with intervention was defined in two different ways. Multiple logistic regression was used to see which variables might predict an individual's compliance with psychological treatment. RESULTS: Psychological intervention was offered to 236 subjects. Treatment was completed by 128 subjects and not by 108 (compliance definition A). Three variables were found to have an effect on compliance A: the presence of a confidant, the use of antidepressant medication during the previous 6 months, and the previous use of any social or health services. On the other hand, 164 subjects had agreed to at least start the treatment, and 72 had not (compliance definition B). The three factors associated with compliance B were presence of a confidant, previous use of services, and the 'desire for change' score. CONCLUSIONS: Social support and previous use of services are the main predictors of compliance with a psychological treatment in depressed individuals from the community. Implications for clinical practice and community programs are discussed.

Personality traits in early phases of panic disorder: implications on the presence of agoraphobia, clinical severity and short-term outcome.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the relations between personality traits using the Big Five model and presence of agoraphobia, clinical severity and short-term outcome in an unbiased clinical sample of never-treated panic disorder patients. METHOD: Panic disorder (PD) patients (n = 103) in the first stages of their illness were evaluated using the Neuroticism-Extraversion-Openness Five Factor Inventory of Personality (NEO-FFI) and were compared with a sample of healthy subjects. Severity was assessed by the Panic Disorder Severity Scale and the Clinical Global Impression Scales. Patients were evaluated after 8 weeks of naturalistic pharmacologic treatment with Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors. RESULTS: Panic disorder patients show more neuroticism than healthy subjects. Patients suffering from agoraphobia are more introverted than controls. Extraversion, in addition to gender and distress, during panic attacks allows to correctly classifying 72% of the cases of agoraphobia. CONCLUSION: Low scores in extraversion contribute to explain the presence of agoraphobia in panic disorder. Personality traits are neither related to clinical severity nor to short-term response to pharmacological treatment.

Alterations of liver function test in patients treated with antipsychotics.

The prevalence of alterations of liver function tests in patients treated with a wide range of antypsychotics is unknown. The aim of this study was to analyze the effects of antipsychotics on liver function tests in a population of schizophrenic outpatients. Concentrations of AST, ALT, GGT, alkaline phosphatase, albumin, and bilirubin were determined in 54 patients fitting DSM-IV criteria of schizophrenia, and the same number of sex- and age-matched healthy subjects. Assessments included the Clinical Global Impression (CGI) and the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) in addition to treatment related variables. Transaminases concentrations were slightly elevated in study patients compared to healthy controls, but without statistical significance. Alkaline phosphatase showed higher values in schizophrenic patients. Albumin and bilirubin were lower in study patients. Liver function tests abnormalities were found in about 10% of schizophrenic patients treated with antipsychotics. Treatment with depot phenotiazines induces alteration in these tests more frequently than treatment with other antipsychotics. PANSS negative subscale scores directly correlated with alkaline phosphatase and inversely correlated with albumin. A substantial number of patients in treatment with antipsychotic drugs present alterations of liver function tests. Both pharmacological and clinical factors could be related with these alterations.

Estimating psychological treatment effects from a randomised controlled trial with both non-compliance and loss to follow-up.

BACKGROUND: The Outcomes of Depression International Network (ODIN) trial evaluated the effect of two psychological interventions for the treatment of depression in primary care. Only about half of the patients in the treatment arm complied with the offer of treatment, prompting the question:'what was the effect of treatment in those patients who actually received it?' AIMS: To illustrate the estimation of the effect of receipt of treatment in a randomised controlled trial subject to non-compliance and loss to follow-up. METHOD: We estimated the complier average causal effect (CACE) of treatment. RESULTS: In the ODIN trial the effect of receipt of psychological intervention (an average of about 4 points on the Beck Depression Inventory) is about twice that of offering it. CONCLUSIONS: The statistical analysis of the results of a clinical trial subject to non-compliance to allocated treatment is now reasonably straightforward through estimation of a CACE and investigators should be encouraged to present the results of analyses of this type as a routine component of a trial report.

Provision of services for people with schizophrenia in five European regions.

BACKGROUND: An increasing diversity of public, voluntary sector and private providers offer services for the mentally ill in the ongoing process of psychiatric reform. Good service description is one important prerequisite for mental health service research. Aims 1) To describe service provision for the mentally ill in five European centres using the European Service Mapping Schedule (ESMS); and 2) to discuss the use of the instrument in describing service provision. METHODS: All services providing care for people with severe mental illness in five European catchment areas (in Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Copenhagen, Denmark; London, UK; Santander, Spain; Verona, Italy) were identified through various sources. The identified services were classified, and service provision was quantified in accordance with the ESMS manual. Descriptive information was obtained. RESULTS: We identified from 10 to 45 different services for catchment areas of between 50,000 (Copenhagen) and 560,000 (Santander) population run by three to 16 providers. They varied in aims, staffing and functioning. Hospital and non-hospital residential services, community-based services, and social support agencies were available in all sites. There was substantial variation across centres in the range, number and activities of services. Collecting comparable data sets on all service types, particularly for day and structured activity services and outpatient and community services required substantial effort. CONCLUSION: Operationalised description of mental health services across Europe is possible but requires further refinement.

Quality of life in patients with schizophrenia in five European countries: the EPSILON study.

OBJECTIVE: To compare subjective quality of life (QOL) and objective QOL indicators in patients with schizophrenia from five European sites: Amsterdam, Copenhagen, London, Santander and Verona. METHOD: A representative sample of 404 patients with schizophrenia, in contact with mental health services, was randomly selected and evaluated with the Lancashire Quality of Life Profile (EU). RESULTS: The level of satisfaction in certain domains, religion, family and social relations appears to be associated with local style of living and culture while work, finances, and safety were more independent from local variations. In addition to the severity of symptoms, frequency of contacts with family, friendship and age appear as predictors of QOL, all of them influenced by the characteristics of the surroundings. CONCLUSION: The centres participating in the study presented differences in subjective measures of QOL, objective indicators and also in service provision and styles of living.

Depressive disorders in Europe: prevalence figures from the ODIN study.

BACKGROUND: This is the first report on the epidemiology of depressive disorders from the European Outcome of Depression International Network (ODIN) study. AIMS: To assess the prevalence of depressive disorders in randomly selected samples of the general population in five European countries. METHOD: The study was designed as a cross-sectional two-phase community study using the Beck Depression inventory during Phase 1, and the Schedule for Clinical Assessment in Neuropsychiatry during Phase 2. RESULTS: An analysis of the combined sample (n=8.764) gave an overall prevalence of depressive disorders of 8.56% (95% CI 7.05-10.37). The figures were 10.05% (95% CI 7.80-12.85) for women and 6.61% (95% CI 4.92-8.83) for men. The centres fall into three categories: high prevalence (urban Ireland and urban UK), low prevalence (urban Spain) and medium prevalence (the remaining sites). CONCLUSIONS: Depressive disorder is a highly prevalent condition in Europe. The major finding is the wide difference in the prevalence of depressive disorders found across the study sites.

Effects of long-term treatment with antipsychotics on serum leptin levels.

BACKGROUND: Abnormal regulation of the adipocyte-derived hormone leptin could play a role in body weight gain induced by antipsychotics. AIMS: To study the effects of long-term antipsychotic treatment on leptin levels in patients with schizophrenia. METHOD: Serum leptin levels were determined in 59 out-patients with chronic schizophrenia and in the same number of healthy subjects controlled by gender, age and body mass index. RESULTS: Leptin levels did not differ between patients and controls. Leptin levels in patients with schizophrenia correlated with weight gain, even after controlling for current weight, but did not show any association with clinical variables. Antipsychotic class tended to exert different effects over leptin levels (among atypicals, olanzapine induced a greater increase). CONCLUSIONS: Elevation of leptin levels induced by chronic antipsychotic treatment can be attributed to weight gain, but other mechanisms could be involved.

A comparison of needs of patients with schizophrenia in five European countries: the EPSILON Study.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the occurrence of needs of patients with schizophrenia in Amsterdam, Copenhagen, London, Santander and Verona. METHOD: Patients with schizophrenia were interviewed with the Camberwell Assessment of Need. The mean numbers of total, met and unmet needs were compared across the sites. Ratings for individual domains were also examined. Means were adjusted, using multiple regression analysis, to control for patient differences between sites. RESULTS: The highest levels of unmet need were in Amsterdam and London. The number of met needs were similar. Adjusting for patient differences reduced the estimated number of unmet needs and total needs in Copenhagen, but made little difference elsewhere. There were many site differences for individual domains. CONCLUSION: Needs vary between different countries. Unmet needs are greater in large urban areas like London and Amsterdam. Differences in the pattern of individual needs may be partly explained in terms of service provision.

Inferior mesenteric artery aneurysm associated with occlusion of the superior mesenteric and celiac arteries.

We report a case of a large aneurysm of the inferior mesenteric artery that extended from its origin to bifurcation in the left colic and sigmoidal arteries, and was associated with occlusion of the celiac and superior mesenteric arteries in a 64-year-old patient. The diagnosis was made by arteriography. The patient underwent angioplasty and stenting of the superior mesenteric artery before the operation, which consisted of resection of the aneurysm and reimplantation of the left colic and the sigmoidal arteries separately in the aorta. We believe that this is the first reported case managed by angioplasty in combination with surgery, as well as reimplantation of the branches of the inferior mesenteric artery.

Diagnostic Accuracy in the First 5 min of a Psychiatric Interview. Impact of the information given by patients.

BACKGROUND: There is little if any research on the explicit contents delivered by patients in the first minutes of a psychiatric interview. METHODS: In order to study the impact of the first minutes of a psychiatric interview on final diagnosis, we gathered information from the speech during the first 5 min in 162 new psychiatric patients with a checklist including symptoms extracted from the SCAN interview. RESULTS: The area reported most frequently was life events (51.2%). The average of psychiatric symptoms cited was 2.3. An initial suspected diagnosis was done in 126 patients, and in 73 patients (57.9% of those with a suspected diagnosis, 45.1% of the total sample) the initial diagnosis was coincident with the final diagnosis. The initial clinical impression was more accurate in adjustment and 'neurotic' disorders, and less in mood disorders. Those patients who cited more symptoms received a less accurate initial diagnosis. CONCLUSION: Psychiatric patients spontaneously report a low number of symptoms. The accuracy of psychiatric diagnosis in the first minutes of an interview is unacceptably low. However, the role of short psychiatric interviewing as a screening method deserves to be further investigated.