Evaluating social rehabilitation of aggression for persons with Acquired Brain Injury: a systematic review.

PURPOSE: Social rehabilitation of aggression following an Acquired Brain Injury (ABI) is critically important for persons with ABI due to increased vulnerability of criminal behaviour related to post-injury changes in functioning. This review presents findings from studies that evaluated aggression interventions in both community and forensic populations of people with ABI. METHODS: We searched PsycINFO, EMBASE, SocINDEX, CINAHL and Medline databases for studies published between 1st January 2000 and 15th October 2023. RESULTS: There were 15 studies (14 community-based, one forensic) that met inclusion criteria. Pharmacological management (6) was largely ineffective and anger management interventions (6) presented with inconsistent effectiveness. Emotion regulation (1) may be effective for externalised aggression. Both mindfulness and transcranial direct current stimulation (1) were effective, and the results of a forensic peer group approach (1) were not tested for statistical significance. There was variability in the measurement of aggression, injury severity, and cognitive impairment. CONCLUSIONS: Whilst community interventions for aggression in persons with ABI are prevalent, findings for effectiveness have been mixed and there is a paucity of evaluated interventions in forensic samples. Further research is needed to unravel the complex interplay of factors contributing to aggression and develop effective social rehabilitation for persons with ABI.

Social rehabilitation is critical following an Acquired Brain Injury (ABI) due to increased risk of displaying challenging behaviours, such as aggression, that may significantly reduce an individual's quality of life.The current review highlights a lack of suitable interventions targeting aggression for individuals with ABI that account for injury-related impairments which impact capacity to engage in intervention.Findings emphasise the need to develop appropriate and relevant social rehabilitation interventions for aggression in ABI populations, particularly forensic populations, to prevent negative outcomes.

Evaluating patient immunocompetence through antibody response to pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine using a newly developed 23 serotype multiplexed assay.

Assessing T-cell independent antibody response to polysaccharide vaccines is crucial for diagnosing humoral immune deficiencies. However, immunocompetence criteria based on S. pneumoniae vaccination remain unclear. We evaluated IgG antibody vaccine response in healthy individuals to establish interpretive criteria. Pre- and 4-week post-vaccination sera were collected from 79 adults. Antibody concentrations to PNEUMOVAX 23 serotypes were measured using a multiplexed platform. Immunocompetence was determined by fold increase in post-vaccination response, percentage of serotypes achieving 4- or 2-fold antibody ratio, and post-vaccination concentration ≥ 1.3 µg/mL. Immunogenicity varied widely across the 23 serotypes (26.6% to 94.9% for ≥4-fold increase, 51.9% to 98.7% for ≥2-fold increase). Immunocompetence based on historic criteria of ≥4-fold increase in antibody ratio to ≥70% of serotypes was low (72.2%), but increased to 98.7% with criteria of at least a 2-fold increase and/or post-vaccination concentration ≥ 1.3 µg/mL. Current criteria for assessing immunocompetence may be overly stringent and require updating.

A phase 3 randomised double-blind placebo-controlled trial of mirtazapine as a pharmacotherapy for methamphetamine use disorder: a study protocol for the Tina Trial.

BACKGROUND: There are no approved pharmacotherapies for methamphetamine use disorder. Two preliminary phase 2 randomised controlled trials have found mirtazapine, a tetracyclic antidepressant, to be effective in reducing methamphetamine use. The proposed Tina Trial is the first phase 3 placebo-controlled randomised trial to examine the effectiveness and safety of mirtazapine as an outpatient pharmacotherapy for methamphetamine use disorder. METHODS: This is a multi-site phase 3 randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled parallel trial. Participants are randomly allocated (1:1) to receive either mirtazapine (30 mg/day for 12 weeks) or matched placebo, delivered as a take-home medication. The target population is 340 people aged 18-65 years who have moderate to severe methamphetamine use disorder. The trial is being conducted through outpatient alcohol and other drug treatment clinics in Australia. The primary outcome is measured as self-reported days of methamphetamine use in the past 4 weeks at week 12. Secondary outcomes are methamphetamine-negative oral fluid samples, depressive symptoms, sleep quality, HIV risk behaviour and quality of life. Other outcomes include safety (adverse events), tolerability, and health service use. Medication adherence is being monitored using MEMS® Smart Caps fitted to medication bottles. DISCUSSION: This trial will provide information on the safety and effectiveness of mirtazapine as a pharmacotherapy for methamphetamine use disorder when delivered as an outpatient medication in routine clinical practice. If found to be safe and effective, this trial will support an application for methamphetamine use disorder to be included as a therapeutic indication for the prescription of mirtazapine. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Australian and New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry ACTRN12622000235707. Registered on February 9, 2022.

Specimen type validation and establishment of normal cytokine reference intervals in cerebrospinal fluid.

Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) is a critical body fluid to examine in attempts to discover potential biomarkers for neuroinflammatory and other disorders of the central nervous system (CNS). Serum and/or plasma cytokine levels have been associated with a variety of inflammatory conditions, and some have been shown to be actionable therapeutic targets. Less is known, however, about cytokine levels in CSF. Serum and plasma cytokine testing is widely available in clinical and research laboratories, but cytokine testing in CSF is extremely limited and if performed, accompanied by a disclaimer that it is an unvalidated specimen type. In this study, we validate CSF as a suitable specimen type and determine normal reference intervals for multiple cytokines as well as a soluble cytokine receptor. CSF was validated as a specimen type for testing using a laboratory developed multiplexed cytokine assay previously validated to measure 13 cytokines/markers in serum and plasma. Performance parameters including specimen dilution, specimen interference, linearity and precision were examined. Reference intervals were established using 197 normal and control CSF specimens by non-parametric quantile-based methods. CSF cytokine analysis demonstrated within and between run precision of <10% and < 20% CV, respectively and linearity of ±15% for all analytes throughout the analytical measurement range of the assay. Reference intervals for the 13 cytokines/markers were established from 197 normal and control CSF specimens (78 Male; mean 44.8 y ± 21.7 SD, 119 Female; mean 42.8 y ± 20.3 SD). Cytokine concentrations in CSF from normal donors and controls were less than the lower limit of quantitation of our assay for 6 of the 13 measured cytokines/markers. The chemokine IL8 demonstrated the highest concentration of all analytes measured. CSF demonstrated acceptable performance as a specimen type in our multiplexed cytokine assay. By validating CSF as a specimen type and establishing normal reference intervals for cytokine concentrations in CSF, their potential as biomarkers for infectious, autoimmune and other inflammatory CNS disorders can be more appropriately investigated.

Psychiatrists can save lives with naloxone.

OBJECTIVES: Naloxone is an effective medication used to reverse opioid overdoses. Distributing naloxone directly to those at risk, therefore, reduces the risk of opioid-related deaths. New legislation in Australia means a prescription is no longer required to access naloxone. Whilst acknowledging the benefits of increased access, we aim to evaluate the impact psychiatrists can have on naloxone provision due to their unique position as doctors often working with those who may be at risk. METHODS: Data was recorded on those accessing naloxone from a co-located addiction and mental health service. Descriptive statistics were generated to establish the cohort characteristics, prior knowledge of naloxone and outcome of previously supplied naloxone. RESULTS: Naloxone was dispensed 488 times from 2021 to 2023. 267 people had previously been prescribed naloxone from these sites where 137 (51.3%) were reportedly used in an opioid reversal. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings highlight the importance of community access to naloxone in reducing opioid-related harm. Whilst removing the need for a prescription makes naloxone more accessible, it remains vital that doctors remain involved in this process to broaden the reach of supply to those at risk.

Catheter Event Rates in Medical Compared to Surgical Peritoneal Dialysis Catheter Insertion.

Introduction: How patient, center, and insertion technique factors interact needs to be understood when designing peritoneal dialysis (PD) catheter insertion pathways. Methods: We undertook a prospective cohort study in 44 UK centers enrolling participants planned for first catheter insertion. Sequences of regressions were used to describe the associations linking patient and dialysis unit-level characteristics with catheter insertion technique and their impact on the occurrence of catheter-related events in the first year (catheter-related infection, hospitalization, and removal). Factors associated with catheter events were incorporated into a multistate model comparing the rates of catheter events between medical and surgical insertion alongside treatment modality transitions and mortality. Results: Of 784 first catheter insertions, 466 (59%) had a catheter event in the first year and 61.2% of transitions onto hemodialysis (HD) were immediately preceded by a catheter event. Catheter malfunction was less but infection was more common with surgical compared with medical insertions. Participants at centers with fewer late presenters and more new dialysis patients starting PD, had a lower probability of a catheter event. Adjusting for these factors, the hazard ratio for a catheter event following insertion (medical vs. surgical) was 0.70 (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.43 to 1.13), and once established on PD 0.77 (0.62 to 0.96). Conclusion: Offering both medical and surgical techniques is associated with lower catheter event rates and keeps people on PD for longer.