Case report: a unique presentation of memantine overdose causing echolalia and hypertension.

BACKGROUND: Since 2003 when memantine was first approved for use in the management of moderate-severe Alzheimer's dementia, its use has become more widespread and is being explored in other diseases like neuropathic pain, epilepsy, and mood disorders. Our case uniquely highlights two important adverse effects in a patient who overdosed on memantine. One is hypertension, which is easy to overlook as a medication side effect. The other is echolalia which is the repetition of words and phrases spoken by another person. It is commonly seen in children with autism spectrum disorder and has been reported in older adults with head injuries, delirium, and neurocognitive disorders. The aim of this patient story is to highlight the importance of medication reconciliation with caregivers and knowledge of adverse drug reactions in patient management. This case report has been presented previously in the form of an abstract at the American Geriatrics Society Presidential poster session in May 2023. CASE PRESENTATION: Our patient is an 86-year-old man with mild dementia and hypertension, who was brought to the emergency department (ED) due to abrupt onset of altered mental status and auditory hallucinations. Investigations including blood work, CT head and an electroencephalogram (EEG) did not reveal an etiology for this change in his condition. Due to elevated blood pressure on presentation, a nicardipine drip was started, and he was given IV midazolam to assist with obtaining imaging. While reviewing medications with his daughter, it was noted that sixty memantine pills were missing from the bottle. Poison control was contacted and they confirmed association of these features with memantine. With supportive care, his symptoms resolved in less than 100 h, consistent with the half-life of memantine. Notably, our patient was started on Memantine one month prior to this presentation. CONCLUSIONS: Hypertensive urgency and echolalia were the most striking symptoms of our patient's presentation. Though hypertension is a known sign of memantine overdose, it can easily be contributed to medication non-compliance in patients with dementia, being treated for hypertension. According to our literature review, this the first case of memantine overdose presenting with echolalia, a sign that is not commonly associated with adverse reactions to medications. This highlights the importance of an early medication review, especially with caregivers of people with dementia.

A Feasibility Study: Testing Whether a Sleep Application Providing Objective Sleep Data to Physicians Improves Patient-Physician Communication Regarding Sleep Experiences, Habits, and Behaviors.

INTRODUCTION: Sleep tracker data have not been utilized routinely in sleep-related disorders and their management. Sleep-related disorders are common in primary care practice and incorporating sleep tracker data may help in improving patient care. We conducted a pilot study to assess the feasibility of a sleep program using the Fitbit Charge 2™ device and SleepLife® application. The main aim of the study was to examine whether a program using a commercially available wearable sleep tracker device providing objective sleep data would improve communication in primary care settings between patients and their providers. Secondary aims included whether patient satisfaction with care would improve as result of the program. METHODS: A prospective, randomized, parallel group, observational pilot study was conducted in 20 primary care clinics in Indianapolis, IN from June 2018 to February 2019. Inclusion criteria included patients over the age of 18, have a diagnosis of insomnia identified by electronic medical record and/or a validated questionnaire, and were on a prescription sleep aid. The study was not specific to any sleep aid prescription, branded or generic, and was not designed to evaluate a drug or drug class. Each primary care clinic was randomized to either the SleepLife® intervention or the control arm. All patients were provided with a Fitbit Charge 2™ device. Only patients in the intervention arm were educated on how to use the SleepLife® application. Physicians in the intervention arm were set up with the SleepLife® portal on their computers. RESULTS: Forty-nine physicians and 75 patients were enrolled in the study. Patients had a mean age of 57 (SD 12.8) years and 61% were female. Mean age of physicians was 47 (SD 10.6) years. Patients showed high rates of involvement in the program with 83% completing all survey questions. Physician survey completion rate was 55%. Only one physician logged into the SleepLife portal to check their patients' sleep status. At the end of the 6-week intervention, patients' composite general satisfaction scores with sleep health management decreased significantly in the intervention arm when compared to controls (p = 0.03). Patients' satisfaction with communication also decreased significantly in the intervention group (p = 0.01). The sleep outcomes, which were calculated on the basis of study questionnaire answers, improved significantly in the intervention group as compared to the control group (p = 0.04). Physician communication satisfaction scores remained unchanged (p = 0.12). CONCLUSIONS: SleepLife® and its related physician portal can facilitate physician-patient communication, and it captures patient sleep outcomes including behaviors and habits. Patients were highly engaged with the program, while physicians did not demonstrate engagement. The study design and questionnaires do not specifically address the reasons behind the decreased patient satisfaction with care and communication, but it was perceived to be a result of physician non-responsiveness. Sleep quality scores on the other hand showed an improvement among SleepLife® users, suggesting that patients may have implemented good sleep practices on their own. Given that it was a feasibility study, and the sample size was small, we were not able to make major inferences regarding the difference between sleep disorder types. Additionally, we excluded patients with a history of alcohol use, substance abuse, or depression because of concerns that they may affect sleep independently. To promote the growth of technology in primary care, further research incorporating results from this study and physician engagement techniques should be included.

Decreasing Delirium Through Music: A Randomized Pilot Trial.

BACKGROUND: Management of delirium in intensive care units is challenging because effective therapies are lacking. Music is a promising nonpharmacological intervention. OBJECTIVES: To determine the feasibility and acceptability of personalized music (PM), slow-tempo music (STM), and attention control (AC) in patients receiving mechanical ventilation in an intensive care unit, and to estimate the effect of music on delirium. METHODS: A randomized controlled trial was performed in an academic medical-surgical intensive care unit. After particular inclusion and exclusion criteria were applied, patients were randomized to groups listening to PM, relaxing STM, or an audiobook (AC group). Sessions lasted 1 hour and were given twice daily for up to 7 days. Patients wore noise-canceling headphones and used mp3 players to listen to their music/audiobook. Delirium and delirium severity were assessed twice daily by using the Confusion Assessment Method for the Intensive Care Unit (CAM-ICU) and the CAM-ICU-7, respectively. RESULTS: Of the 1589 patients screened, 117 (7.4%) were eligible. Of those, 52 (44.4%) were randomized, with a recruitment rate of 5 patients per month. Adherence was higher in the groups listening to music (80% in the PM and STM groups vs 30% in the AC group; P = .01), and 80% of patients surveyed rated the music as enjoyable. The median number (interquartile range) of delirium/coma-free days by day 7 was 2 (1-6) for PM, 3 (1-6) for STM, and 2 (0-3) for AC (P = .32). Median delirium severity was 5.5 (1-7) for PM, 3.5 (0-7) for STM, and 4 (1-6.5) for AC (P = .78). CONCLUSIONS: Music delivery is acceptable to patients and is feasible in intensive care units. Further research testing use of this promising intervention to reduce delirium is warranted.

Mitochondrial Neurogastrointestinal Encephalomyopathy Disease in Three Siblings from Pakistan with a Novel Mutation.

Mitochondrial neurogastrointestinal encephalomyopathy (MNGIE) is a rare multisystem autosomal recessive disorder. The disease is clinically heterogeneous with gastrointestinal symptoms of intestinal dysmotility and cachexia as well as neurological symptoms of ophthalmoplegia, neuropathy, sensorineural hearing impairment, and diffuse leukoencephalopathy being most prominent. MNGIE is caused by mutations in TYMP , a gene that encodes thymidine phosphorylase (TP)-a cytosolic enzyme. Mutations in TYMP lead to very low TP catalytic activity, resulting in dramatically increased thymidine and deoxyuridine in plasma. We describe the clinical, biochemical, and neuroimaging findings of three boys with MNGIE from a Pakistani family with a novel homozygous mutation, c.798_801dupCGCG p. (Ala268Argfs*?), in exon 7 of TYMP .