[Rational use of psychotropic medications and sedative load in older adults with and without dementia]. / Uso de psicofármacos y carga sedativa en pacientes adultos con y sin demencia.

Sedative drugs use has been associated with more cognitive impairment and increased mortality. Sedative load refers to cumulative exposure to multiple drugs with sedative properties. OBJECTIVE: Describe the use of psychotropic drugs and sedative load in older adults with and without dementia. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional study from 2014-2015 (Sanatorio Trinidad Mitre), in hospitalized patients older than 65 years old. Drugs were classified according to the WHO ATC system. The sedative load of drugs was calculated using the Linjakumpu model. RESULTS: 152 PsD and 35 PcD patients were registered, mean age 80.8±8.42. Polypharmacy was present in 44.39% being higher in patients with dementia than without dementia (62.80% vs 40.13%, p=0.0147). In 40.64% at least one psychotropic/sedative medication was used, greater in PcD (60% vs 36.18%, p=0.0097). The CS was: 1.32±1.59; 2.14 in PcD and 1.13 in PsD (p<0.001). Atypical antipsychotics and benzodiazepines were the most common (51.43 and 40% respectively) in patients without dementias. CONCLUSION: we evidenced a high level of prescription psychotropic or sedative drugs, mostly in patients with dementia. In those, the sedative load was greater. This finding highlights the importance of implementing strategies to optimize sedative drug use among older people.

[Recommendations For The Management Of Spontaneous Intracerebral Hemorrhage During Hospitalization]. / Recomendaciones en el Abordaje del Hematoma Intracerebral Espontáneo Durante la Internación.

Stroke is the leading cause of neurological disability in people over 40 years of age and the fourth leading cause of death in Argentina. In the last ten years, the indexed publications related to the treatment of ischemic stroke were more numerous than those of hemorrhagic stroke. The objective of this material is to provide local and updated recommendations for the management of patients with spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage during hospitalization. For the writing of this manuscript, diferent specialists were convened to form working groups. Ten central topics expressed as epidemiology, initial care, imaging, blood pressure treatment, reversal of antithrombotics, indication for surgery, seizure prophylaxis, prognosis, prevention of complications and resumption of antithrombotics were raised. For each topic, the most frequent questions of daily practice were raised through PICO questions. After a systematic review of the literature, recommendations were generated, evaluated using the GRADE system and agreed between authors and patients.

El accidente cerebrovascular (ACV) constituye la principal causa de discapacidad de origen neurológico en los adultos mayores a 40 años y la cuarta causa de muerte en Argentina. En los últimos diez años las publicaciones indexadas relacionadas al tratamiento del ACV isquémico fueron más numerosas que las de ACV hemorrágico. El objetivo de este material es proporcionar recomendaciones locales y actualizadas del abordaje de pacientes con hematoma intraparenquimatoso espontáneo durante la internación. Para la redacción de este manuscrito se convocó a especialistas en esta enfermedad que conformaron grupos de trabajo. Se plantearon 10 tópicos centrales expresados como epidemiologia, atención inicial, imágenes, tratamiento de la presión arterial, reversión de antitrombóticos, indicación de cirugía, profilaxis anticonvulsivante, pronóstico, prevención de complicaciones y reinicio de antitrombóticos. De cada tópico se plantearon mediante preguntas PICO los interrogantes más frecuentes de la práctica diaria. Luego de una revisión sistemática de la literatura, se generaron recomendaciones evaluadas mediante sistema GRADE y consensuadas entre autores y pacientes.

[Apathy in Parkinson's disease. Impairment in quality of life]. / Apatía en enfermedad de Parkinson. Impacto sobre la calidad de vida.

Apathy is one of the most prominent non-motor symptoms in Parkinson Disease (PD). Its range of prevalence in PD has been estimated in 20 to 45%. The objective of this work is to assess the prevalence of apathy in PD patients, and its relation with depression and executive function impairment. Fifty seven PD patients (54% women), mean age of 68.7 years, and a disease duration of 7.5 years from diagnosis were included. We used the following scales: UPDRS, Hoehn & Yahr, Mini Mental State Examination, the 14-item Apathy Scale (AS), the Beck Depression Inventory, and Trail Making Test versions A and B (TMT), and Parkinson's Disease Quality of Life Questionnaire (PDQL). Apathy was identified in 31.6%; apathy without depression was present in 33.3% of patients. The TMT A and B were abnormal in 66.7% and 83.3% respectively of the apathetic patients vs. 46.2% and 61.5% in non-apathetic patients. Quality of life was impaired in apathetic patients. In our PD sample apathy is highly prevalent, has a great impact on quality of life and it may occur in the absence of depression. The alterations of TMT in apathetic patients contributes to suggest a positive relationship between apathy and the impairment of executive function secondary to the involvement of frontal-subcortical circuits.

Recomendaciones en el abordaje del hematoma intracerebral espontáneo durante la internación / Recommendations for the management of spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage during hospitalization

Resumen El accidente cerebrovascular (ACV) constituye la principal causa de discapacidad de origen neuro- lógico en los adultos mayores a 40 años y la cuarta causa de muerte en Argentina. En los últimos diez años las publicaciones indexadas relacionadas al tratamiento del ACV isquémico fueron más numerosas que las de ACV hemorrágico. El objetivo de este material es proporcionar recomendaciones locales y actualiza- das del abordaje de pacientes con hematoma intraparenquimatoso espontáneo durante la internación. Para la redacción de este manuscrito se convocó a especialistas en esta enfermedad que conformaron grupos de trabajo. Se plantearon 10 tópicos centrales expresados como epidemiologia, atención inicial, imágenes, tratamiento de la presión arterial, reversión de antitrombóticos, indicación de cirugía, profilaxis anticonvulsivante, pronóstico, prevención de complicaciones y reinicio de antitrombóticos. De cada tópico se plantearon mediante preguntas PICO los interrogantes más frecuentes de la práctica diaria. Luego de una revisión sistemática de la literatura, se generaron recomendaciones evaluadas mediante sistema GRADE y consensuadas entre autores y pacientes.

Abstract Stroke is the leading cause of neurological disability in people over 40 years of age and the fourth leading cause of death in Argentina. In the last ten years, the indexed publications related to the treatment of ischemic stroke were more numerous than those of hemorrhagic stroke. The objective of this material is to provide local and updated recommendations for the management of patients with spontaneous intracere- bral hemorrhage during hospitalization. For the writing of this manuscript, diferent specialists were convened to form working groups. Ten central topics expressed as epidemiology, initial care, imaging, blood pressure treatment, reversal of antithrombotics, indication for surgery, seizure prophylaxis, prognosis, prevention of complications and resumption of antithrombotics were raised. For each topic, the most frequent questions of daily practice were raised through PICO questions. After a systematic review of the literature, recommendations were generated, evaluated using the GRADE system and agreed between authors and patients.

[Pseudomigraine with pleocytosis]. / Pseudomigraña con pleocitosis linfocitaria.

The syndrome of transient headache and neurological deficits with cerebrospinal fluid lymphocytosis or pseudomigraine with temporary neurological symptoms and lymphocytic pleocytosis (HaNDL) is a syndrome consisting of recurrent headaches, reversible neurological deficit, lymphocytic pleocytosis in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), variable duration over time and spontaneous resolution. Although several etiopathogenic mechanisms have been suggested (vascular, infectous, immunological and calcium channelopthy), its etiology remains unknown. We describe a 28 year old female, with recurrent migraine with pleocytosis, confusional syndrome and transient neurological deficit. The clinical remission was achieved within two months. Although its etiology remains unknown the differential diagnosis is discussed in order to keep in mind this syndrome.

A new less-invasive and more informative low-dose ACTH test: salivary steroids in response to intramuscular corticotrophin.

OBJECTIVE: The intravenous low-dose ACTH test has been proposed as a sensitive tool to assess adrenal function through circulating steroids. The aims of this study were to: (a) find the minimal intramuscular ACTH dose that induced serum and salivary cortisol and aldosterone responses equivalent to those obtained after a pharmacological dose of ACTH; and (b) define the minimum normal salivary cortisol and aldosterone responses in healthy subjects to that dose of ACTH. We also compared the performances of the standard- and low-dose ACTH intramuscular tests to screen patients with known hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal impairments. DESIGN: Rapid ACTH tests were performed in individuals using various intramuscular doses (12.5, 25 and 250 microg) at 2-week intervals. SUBJECTS: Twenty-one healthy volunteers and 19 patients with primary (nine cases) and secondary (10 cases) adrenal insufficiency. MEASUREMENT: Serum and salivary cortisol and aldosterone concentrations were measured at baseline and after ACTH. Serum cortisol > or = 552.0 nmol/l and aldosterone > or = 555.0 pmol/l concentrations at 30 min after 250 microg of ACTH were defined as normal responses. RESULTS: In healthy volunteers cortisol and aldosterone responded to ACTH in a dose-dependent manner. The time to peak in saliva for each steroid was delayed as the dose of ACTH increased. The minimum ACTH dose that produced equivalent steroid responses at 30 min to 250 microg of ACTH (standard-dose test; SDT) was 25 microg (low-dose test; LDT). Saliva collection 30 min after LDT and SDT showed cortisol and aldosterone concentrations of at least 20.0 nmol/l and 100.0 pmol/l, respectively. These values were defined as normal steroid responses. Blunted salivary steroid responses to LDT and SDT were found in all patients with primary adrenal insufficiency. Subnormal salivary cortisol levels in response to LDT and SDT were found in all patients with secondary adrenal insufficiency. In five patients full recovery of adrenal function was demonstrated by both tests after steroid withdrawal. In the follow-up of four patients studied during the recovery period, subnormal SAF response after LDT and normal after SDT was demonstrated. Preservation of the adrenal glomerulosa was found in all the patients with secondary adrenal insufficiency through the normal rise in salivary aldosterone after both LDT and SDT. CONCLUSIONS: Adrenal function can be accurately investigated with simultaneous measurements of salivary cortisol and aldosterone in response to 25 microg of corticotrophin injected into the deltoid muscle. Our data suggest that this may become a useful and relatively noninvasive clinical tool to detect subclinical hypoadrenal states.

Apatía en enfermedad de Parkinson: Impacto sobre la calidad de vida / Apathy in Parkinson's disease: Impairment in quality of life

La apatía es uno de los síntomas "no motores" más importantes de la Enfermedad de Parkinson (EP). Su prevalencia en EP oscila entre 20 y 45%. El objetivo de nuestro trabajo fue establecer la prevalencia de apatía en pacientes con EP y su relación con depresión y trastornos en las funciones ejecutivas. Se evaluaron 57 pacientes con EP (54% mujeres), con una edad promedio de 68.7 años y una duración promedio de enfermedad de 7.5 años. Se utilizaron las siguientes escalas: UPDRS, Hoehn & Yahr, Mini Mental State Examination, Escala de Apatía de 14 ítem (EA), Inventario de Depresión de Beck, Trail Making Test (TMT) A y B y Parkinson's Disease Quality of Life Questionnaire (PDQL). El 31.6% de los pacientes presentaban apatía; en el 33.3% de los apáticos este síntoma se presentó en ausencia de depresión. Alteraciones en el TMT A y B se observaron en 66.7% y 83.3% respectivamente de los pacientes apáticos contra el 46.2% y 61.5% de los no apáticos. La calidad de vida fue afectada en los pacientes apáticos. La apatía en EP es frecuente en esta población, ejerce un impacto negativo sobre la calidad de vida de los pacientes y puede ocurrir en ausencia de depresión. Las alteraciones del TMT en los pacientes apáticos sugerirían una posible relación entre apatía y las alteraciones de las funciones ejecutivas, probablemente por compromiso de circuitos fronto-subcorticales.

Apathy is one of the most prominent non-motor symptoms in Parkinson Disease (PD). Its range of prevalence in PD has been estimated in 20 to 45%. The objective of this work is to assess the prevalence of apathy in PD patients, and its relation with depression and executive function impairment. Fifty seven PD patients (54% women), mean age of 68.7 years, and a disease duration of 7.5 years from diagnosis were included. We used the following scales: UPDRS, Hoehn & Yahr, Mini Mental State Examination, the 14-item Apathy Scale (AS), the Beck Depression Inventory, and Trail Making Test versions A and B (TMT), and Parkinson's Disease Quality of Life Questionnaire (PDQL). Apathy was identified in 31.6%; apathy without depression was present in 33.3% of patients. The TMT A and B were abnormal in 66.7% and 83.3% respectively of the apathetic patients vs. 46.2% and 61.5% in nonapathetic patients. Quality of life was impaired in apathetic patients. In our PD sample apathy is highly prevalent, has a great impact on quality of life and it may occur in the absence of depression. The alterations of TMT in apathetic patients contributes to suggest a positive relationship between apathy and the impairment of executive function secondary to the involvement of frontal-subcortical circuits.