Cognitive behavioural therapy (group) for schizophrenia.

BACKGROUND: Schizophrenia is a disabling psychotic disorder characterised by positive symptoms of delusions, hallucinations, disorganised speech and behaviour; and negative symptoms such as affective flattening and lack of motivation. Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) is a psychological intervention that aims to change the way in which a person interprets and evaluates their experiences, helping them to identify and link feelings and patterns of thinking that underpin distress. CBT models targeting symptoms of psychosis (CBTp) have been developed for many mental health conditions including schizophrenia. CBTp has been suggested as a useful add-on therapy to medication for people with schizophrenia. While CBT for people with schizophrenia was mainly developed as an individual treatment, it is expensive and a group approach may be more cost-effective. Group CBTp can be defined as a group intervention targeting psychotic symptoms, based on the cognitive behavioural model. In group CBTp, people work collaboratively on coping with distressing hallucinations, analysing evidence for their delusions, and developing problem-solving and social skills. However, the evidence for effectiveness is far from conclusive. OBJECTIVES: To investigate efficacy and acceptability of group CBT applied to psychosis compared with standard care or other psychosocial interventions, for people with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder. SEARCH METHODS: On 10 February 2021, we searched the Cochrane Schizophrenia Group's Study-Based Register of Trials, which is based on CENTRAL, MEDLINE, Embase, four other databases and two trials registries. We handsearched the reference lists of relevant papers and previous systematic reviews and contacted experts in the field for supplemental data. SELECTION CRITERIA: We selected randomised controlled trials allocating adults with schizophrenia to receive either group CBT for schizophrenia, compared with standard care, or any other psychosocial intervention (group or individual). DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS: We complied with Cochrane recommended standard of conduct for data screening and collection. Where possible, we calculated risk ratio (RR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) for binary data and mean difference (MD) and 95% CI for continuous data. We used a random-effects model for analyses. We assessed risk of bias for included studies and created a summary of findings table using GRADE. MAIN RESULTS: The review includes 24 studies (1900 participants). All studies compared group CBTp with treatments that a person with schizophrenia would normally receive in a standard mental health service (standard care) or any other psychosocial intervention (group or individual). None of the studies compared group CBTp with individual CBTp. Overall risk of bias within the trials was moderate to low. We found no studies reporting data for our primary outcome of clinically important change. With regard to numbers of participants leaving the study early, group CBTp has little or no effect compared to standard care or other psychosocial interventions (RR 1.22, 95% CI 0.94 to 1.59; studies = 13, participants = 1267; I2 = 9%; low-certainty evidence). Group CBTp may have some advantage over standard care or other psychosocial interventions for overall mental state at the end of treatment for endpoint scores on the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) total (MD -3.73, 95% CI -4.63 to -2.83; studies = 12, participants = 1036; I2 = 5%; low-certainty evidence). Group CBTp seems to have little or no effect on PANSS positive symptoms (MD -0.45, 95% CI -1.30 to 0.40; studies =8, participants = 539; I2 = 0%) and on PANSS negative symptoms scores at the end of treatment (MD -0.73, 95% CI -1.68 to 0.21; studies = 9, participants = 768; I2 = 65%). Group CBTp seems to have an advantage over standard care or other psychosocial interventions on global functioning measured by Global Assessment of Functioning (GAF; MD -3.61, 95% CI -6.37 to -0.84; studies = 5, participants = 254; I2 = 0%; moderate-certainty evidence), Personal and Social Performance Scale (PSP; MD 3.30, 95% CI 2.00 to 4.60; studies = 1, participants = 100), and Social Disability Screening Schedule (SDSS; MD -1.27, 95% CI -2.46 to -0.08; studies = 1, participants = 116). Service use data were equivocal with no real differences between treatment groups for number of participants hospitalised (RR 0.78, 95% CI 0.38 to 1.60; studies = 3, participants = 235; I2 = 34%). There was no clear difference between group CBTp and standard care or other psychosocial interventions endpoint scores on depression and quality of life outcomes, except for quality of life measured by World Health Organization Quality of Life Assessment Instrument (WHOQOL-BREF) Psychological domain subscale (MD -4.64, 95% CI -9.04 to -0.24; studies = 2, participants = 132; I2 = 77%). The studies did not report relapse or adverse effects. AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS: Group CBTp appears to be no better or worse than standard care or other psychosocial interventions for people with schizophrenia in terms of leaving the study early, service use and general quality of life. Group CBTp seems to be more effective than standard care or other psychosocial interventions on overall mental state and global functioning scores. These results may not be widely applicable as each study had a low sample size. Therefore, no firm conclusions concerning the efficacy of group CBTp for people with schizophrenia can currently be made. More high-quality research, reporting useable and relevant data is needed.

Postoperative apnea after pyloromyotomy for infantile hypertrophic pyloric stenosis.

Objective: Infantile hypertrophic pyloric stenosis (IHPS), which causes gastric outlet obstruction and hypochloremic hypokalemic metabolic alkalosis, could pose a risk of postoperative apnea in patients. The aim of this study is to evaluate the incidence of postoperative apnea in babies admitted to a tertiary-level pediatric surgical center in Milano, Italy with diagnosis of IHPS in 2010-2019. The secondary objective is to evaluate the risk factors for postoperative apnea. Methods: This is a single-center, retrospective, observational cohort study. All patients admitted to our institution with diagnosis of IHPS during the study period were enrolled. Demographic and surgical variables, along with blood gas parameters, were obtained from the population. Postoperative apnea was defined as a respiratory pause longer than 15 s or a respiratory pause lasting less than 15 s, but associated with either bradycardia (heart rate <120 per minute), desaturation (SatO2 <90%), cyanosis, or hypotonia. Occurrence was obtained from nursing charts and was recorded as a no/yes dichotomous variable. Results: Of 122 patients, 12 (9.84%) experienced apnea and 110 (90.16%) did not. Using univariate analysis, we found that only postoperative hemoglobin was significantly different between the groups (p=0.03). No significant multivariable model was better than this univariate model for prediction of apnea. Conclusions: Postoperative anemia, possibly due to hemodilution, increased the risk of postoperative apnea. It could be hypothesized that anemia can be added as another apnea-contributing factor in a population at risk due to metabolic changes.

Update on phase II studies of erythropoietin in acute myocardial infarction. Rationale and design of Exogenous erythroPoietin in Acute Myocardial Infarction: New Outlook aNd Dose Association Study (EPAMINONDAS).

Erythropoietin (Epo) is a hematopoietic hormone produced mainly by the kidneys in response to hypoxia. Recent acquisitions in the fields of hematology, neurology, cardiology, and experimental medicine show cytoprotective, angiogenetic and antiinflammatory effects of Epo. Exogenous erythroPoietin in Acute Myocardial Infarction: New Outlook aNd Dose Association Study (EPAMINONDAS, EudraCTno. 200500485386) is one of four ongoing randomized controlled trials, each testing the effects of Epo in >or=100 patients with STEMI. EPAMINONDAS is a multicenter, prospective, double-blind, placebo-controlled, dose-finding study assessing intravenous moderate doses of human recombinant Epo (epoietin-alpha, 100 or 200 IU/kg/die) versus placebo, given on the first 3 days, in 102 patients with first ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction. Initial dosing is within 12 h of primary percutaneous coronary revascularization. The primary endpoint is infarct size, quantified by CK-MB time-concentration curve, left ventricular wall motion score index, and pattern of contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging. Secondary endpoints are ischemic recurrences, ventricular remodelling, and safety events, assessed in-hospital and at 12 months' follow-up. The results of current phase II studies will help define the safety/efficacy profile of Epo for patients with STEMI.

The differential relationship between mental contamination and the core dimensions of contact contamination fear.

Two types of contamination fear are recognized: contact and mental contamination. Contact contamination appears to be motivated both by harm avoidance and disgust avoidance. This study aimed to examine the relationships between disgust propensity, mental contamination and contact contamination while differentiating between harm avoidance and disgust avoidance in contact contamination. 169 OCD patients completed a set of questionnaires assessing mental contamination, contact contamination, disgust propensity, OCD, anxiety and depression. 1) Contact contamination based on disgust avoidance was more strongly associated with mental contamination and disgust propensity than contact contamination based on harm avoidance; 2) mental contamination significantly predicted contact contamination based on disgust avoidance, while it did not predict contact contamination based on harm avoidance; 3) mental contamination had a significant mediational role in the relationship between disgust propensity and contact contamination motivated by disgust avoidance. Mental contamination plays a role in contact contamination fear when disgust is primarily experienced.

Electrocardiographic features in critical pulmonary embolism. Results from baseline and continuous electrocardiographic monitoring.

BACKGROUND: Pulmonary embolism (PE) afflicts millions of individuals worldwide. Electrocardiography along with chest X-ray and arterial blood gas analysis represent the basic examinations to reinforce the clinical suspicion of PE. We describe the electrocardiographic (ECG) features in a series of patients with PE and a critical clinical presentation. METHODS: We report the ECG findings registered at baseline, 48 hours after admission and on continuous ECG monitoring in 51 patients with PE and critical clinical conditions. RESULTS: At admission, the following parameters were recorded: an S1Q3 pattern in 34 patients, a "septal embolic pattern" in 27, anterior lead T-wave inversion in 8, and a new right bundle branch block in 7. At 48 hours after admission a trend toward a regression of the S1Q3 and "septal embolic" patterns was noted together with evident T-wave inversion in the anterior leads. During continuous ECG monitoring no major arrhythmias were recorded, even in case of cardiopulmonary arrest. CONCLUSIONS: Critical PE induces transient ECG abnormalities reflecting right ventricular overload and/or strain. The patient's clinical status is usually not complicated by major ventricular arrhythmias, not even in case of cardiopulmonary arrest.

Erythropoietin in heart and vessels: focus on transcription and signalling pathways.

Erythropoietin (Epo) is synthesized mainly under hypoxic conditions by renal and extrarenal tissues, including liver, spleen, brain, lung, bone marrow, and reproductive organs. Hypoxia abrogates the degradation of hypoxia-inducible factors (HIF)-1 and -2, that can then bind to the hypoxia response element within the Epo gene, activating its transcription. Receptors for Epo are expressed on cells known to synthesize Epo, but also on cardiomyocytes, cardiac fibroblasts, and endothelial, retinal, gastric, prostate and vascular smooth muscle cells. Epo-receptor binding triggers at least three intracellular signalling cascades: (1) janus tyrosine kinase 2 (JAK2)/signal transducer and activator of transcription 5 (STAT5); (2) phosphatidylinositol-3 kinase (PI3K)/Akt, and (3) RAS/mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK). Epo also enhances nitric oxide (NO) bioavailability through endothelial NO synthase transcription and activation, and exerts antiapoptotic actions through Bcl-2 and Bcl-XL. NO is a powerful vasodilator, insulin-sensitizer, inhibitor of atherothrombosis and apoptosis, and essential for progenitor mobilization. This article is a concise review of recent advances regarding the molecular and cardiovascular effects of Epo.