Neurotrophic and synaptic effects of GnRH and/or GH upon motor function after spinal cord injury in rats.

Thoracic spinal cord injury (SCI) profoundly impairs motor and sensory functions, significantly reducing life quality without currently available effective treatments for neuroprotection or full functional regeneration. This study investigated the neurotrophic and synaptic recovery potential of gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) and growth hormone (GH) treatments in ovariectomized rats subjected to thoracic SCI. Employing a multidisciplinary approach, we evaluated the effects of these hormones upon gene expression of classical neurotrophins (NGF, BDNF, and NT3) as well as indicative markers of synaptic function (Nlgn1, Nxn1, SNAP25, SYP, and syntaxin-1), together with morphological assessments of myelin sheath integrity (Klüver-Barrera staining and MBP immunoreactivity) and synaptogenic proteins (PSD95, SYP) by immunohystochemistry (IHC) , and also on the neuromotor functional recovery of hindlimbs in the lesioned animals. Results demonstrated that chronic administration of GnRH and GH induced notable upregulation in the expression of several neurotrophic and synaptogenic activity genes. Additionally, the treatment showed a significant impact on the restoration of functional synaptic markers and myelin integrity. Intriguingly, while individual GnRH application induced certain recovery benefits, the combined treatment with GH appeared to inhibit neuromotor recovery, suggesting a complex interplay in hormonal regulation post-SCI. GnRH and GH are bioactive and participate in modulating neurotrophic responses and synaptic restoration under neural damage conditions, offering insights into novel therapeutic approaches for SCI. However, the intricate effects of combined hormonal treatment accentuate the necessity for further investigation that conduce to optimal and novel therapeutic strategies for patients with spinal cord lesions.

Additional booster doses in patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia induce humoral and cellular immune responses to SARS-CoV-2 similar to natural infection regardless ongoing treatments: A study by ERIC, the European Research Initiative on CLL.

Profound immune dysregulation and impaired response to the SARS-CoV-2 vaccine put patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) at risk of severe COVID-19. We compared humoral memory and T-cell responses after booster dose vaccination or breakthrough infection. (Green) Quantitative determination of anti-Spike specific antibodies. Booster doses increased seroconversion rate and antibody titers in all patient categories, ultimately generating humoral responses similar to those observed in the postinfection cohort. In detail, humoral response with overscale median antibody titers arose in >80% of patients in watch and wait, off-therapy in remission, or under treatment with venetoclax single-agent. Anti-CD20 antibodies and active treatment with BTK inhibitors (BTKi) represent limiting factors of humoral response, still memory mounted in ~40% of cases following booster doses or infection. (Blue) Evaluation of SARS-CoV-2-specific T-cell responses. Number of T-cell functional activation markers documented in each patient. The vast majority of patients, including those seronegative, developed T-cell responses, qualitatively similar between treatment groups or between vaccination alone and infection cases. These data highlight the efficacy of booster doses in eliciting T-cell immunity independently of treatment status and support the use of additional vaccination boosters to stimulate humoral immunity in patients on active CLL-directed treatments.

Changes in neuroinflammatory markers and microglial density in the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex of the C58/J mouse model of autism.

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a diverse group of neurodevelopmental conditions with complex origins. Individuals with ASD present various neurobiological abnormalities, including an altered immune response in the central nervous system and other tissues. Animal models like the C58/J inbred mouse strain are used to study biological characteristics of ASD. This strain is considered an idiopathic autism model because of its demonstrated reduced social preference and repetitive behaviours. Notably, C58/J mice exhibit alterations in dendritic arbour complexity, density and dendritic spines maturation in the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex (PFC), but inflammatory-related changes have not been explored in these mice. In this study, we investigated proinflammatory markers in the hippocampus and PFC of adult male C58/J mice. We discovered elevated levels of interferon gamma (IFN-γ) and monocyte chemoattractant protein 1 (MCP-1) in the hippocampus, suggesting increased inflammation, alongside a reduction in the anti-inflammatory enzyme arginase 1 (ARG1). Conversely, the PFC displayed reduced levels of TNF-α and MCP-1. Microglial analysis revealed higher levels of transmembrane protein 119 (TMEM119) and increased microglial density in a region-specific manner of the autistic-like mice, particularly in the PFC and hippocampus. Additionally, an augmented expression of the fractalkine receptor CX3CR1 was observed in the hippocampus and PFC of C58/J mice. Microglial morphological analysis shows no evident changes in the hippocampus of mice with autistic-like behaviours versus wild-type strain. These region-specific changes can contribute to modulate processes like inflammation or synaptic pruning in the C58/J mouse model of idiopathic autism.

Water Clustering in Polyvinyl Butyral (PVB): Evidenced by Diffusion and Sorption Experiments.

Polyvinyl butyral (PVB) is a transparent amorphous polymer often used to protect fragile surfaces such as glass or photovoltaic panels. The polymer is then packaged in the form of adhesive sheets and bonded to the surfaces. The transport and retention of water in PVB are crucial properties to understand as they modulate the polymer's adhesion properties. In this work, we propose a detailed experimental study of water diffusion and sorption in PVB over a wide range of temperatures and humidity levels in the surrounding atmosphere. Using spectroscopic and gravimetric measurements, our study elucidates how the diffusion coefficient varies with temperature or vapor concentration and provides the activation energy for this process. In addition, dynamic vapor sorption experiments reveal (i) a strong dependence of sorption on hydroxyl group (-OH) concentration and (ii) that the solubility of vapor in PVB decreases with temperature. This enables us to trace the heat of the solution of water in PVB. A comparison of the thermodynamic data obtained with those for water in volume and with the engaged species induced clustering model supports the microscopic view of water organization in PVB in the form of clusters induced by hydrogen bonding.

Beyond forced exhalation: impulse oscillometry as a promising tool for bronchial hyperresponsiveness evaluation.

Introduction: The multiple forced expiratory maneuvers that must be performed during methacholine test require a high degree of collaboration and can lead to fatigue. However, impulse oscillometry (IOS) is a noninvasive test, quick and easy to perform, that does not require effort-dependent maneuvers.Objectives: The primary endpoint was to evaluate the relationship between IOS and spirometry during the methacholine test. The secondary endpoint was to study the predictive value of baseline IOS in the development of bronchial hyperreactivity.Methods: Observational, prospective, cross-sectional study, with recruitment of consecutive patients from the pulmonology department with clinical suspicion of bronchial asthma with negative bronchodilator test and normal FeNO.Results: Twenty-five patients were included, with a mean age of 49 ± 18 years. Thirteen patients (52%) had a positive methacholine test. The correlation between IOS indices and FEV1 was significant (p < 0.05) in all cases. The indices with the highest predictive power were R5-20 and AX. The optimal cutoff points were an increase of greater than 32.96% in R5, greater than 120.83% for X5, an increase of 30.30 [kPa l-1s-1] in R5-20, and an increase of 1.01 [kPa l-1] for AX. Baseline oscillometry demonstrated a strong predictive value in the development of bronchial hyperreactivity, with a sensitivity of 61.5% and a specificity of 91.7%, using the cut-off point of 160.0% for R5.Conclusions: IOS may be a valuable alternative to forced spirometry in detecting bronchial hyperreactivity during the methacholine test, showing a good correlation between both tests.

Translation, cross-cultural adaptation and validation of the Rett syndrome motor evaluation scale (RESMES): Spanish version.

OBJECTIVE: To develop a Spanish version of the Rett Syndrome Motor Evaluation Scale (RESMES) for the locomotor function of Rett Syndrome (RTT) using a transcultural methodology. METHODS: The RESMES was cross-culturally adaptated and validated in the Spanish language (RESMES-sp). This study was divided into two well-differentiated phases: 1) a cross-cultural translation and adaptation; 2) psychometric characteristics analysis of the RESMES-sp (reliability, test-retest, construct validity, criteria validity, error measurements). For criteria validity, PAINAD questionnaire, the scoliosis values and PedsQL™, were used. RESULTS: A total of 63 girls and women diagnosed with RTT participated in this validation study. The total value of the RESMES-sp correlates significantly with all its dimensions, with the correlation value oscillating between 0.645 and 0.939. The correlation value with PAINAD ranges between 0.439 and 0.805; the scoliosis values ranges between 0.245 and 0.564; with PedsQOL™ questionnaire, the correlation values range between 0.273 and 0.663 for the PedsQL™ dimensions, and between 0.447 and 0.648 for the total value of PedsQOL™ questionnaire. The reliability values of Crombach's alpha ranged between 0.897 and 0.998 for the intra-observer analyses and between 0.904 and 0.998 for the inter-observer reliability. The SEM showed a value of 2,829, while the MDC90 showed a value of 6601. The Exploratory Factor Analysis showed 6 factors and values of variance of 86.163%. CONCLUSIONS: The Spanish version of the RESMES is a reliable and valid tool for the functional assessment and follow-up of patients with RTT.

Prolonged fixation and post-mortem delay impede the study of adult neurogenesis in mice.

Adult hippocampal neurogenesis (AHN) gives rise to new neurons throughout life. This phenomenon takes place in more than 120 mammalian species, including humans, yet its occurrence in the latter was questioned after one study proposed the putative absence of neurogenesis markers in the adult human hippocampus. In this regard, we showed that prolonged fixation impedes the visualization of Doublecortin+ immature neurons in this structure, whereas other authors have suggested that a dilated post-mortem delay (PMD) underlies these discrepancies. Nevertheless, the individual and/or additive contribution of fixation and the PMD to the detection (or lack thereof) of other AHN markers has not been studied to date. To address this pivotal question, we used a tightly controlled experimental design in mice, which allowed the dissection of the relative contribution of the aforementioned factors to the visualization of markers of individual AHN stages. Fixation time emerged as the most prominent factor globally impeding the study of this process in mice. Moreover, the visualization of other particularly sensitive epitopes was further prevented by prolonged PMD. These results are crucial to disambiguate current controversies related to the occurrence of AHN not only in humans but also in other mammalian species.

Depression and post-traumatic stress symptoms two years post-rape and the role of early counselling: Rape Impact Cohort Evaluation (RICE) study.

Background: Survivors of sexual violence are at higher risk of adverse mental health outcomes compared to those exposed to other interpersonal traumas.Objective: To examine the trajectory of both post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression as well as the role of early counselling over 24 months among rape survivors.Method: The South African Rape Impact Cohort Evaluation (RICE) study enrolled women aged 16-40 years attending post-rape care services within 20 days of a rape incident (n = 734), and a comparison group (n = 786) was recruited from primary health care. Women were followed for 24 months; the main study outcomes were depression and PTSD. Reports of early supportive counselling by the exposed group were also included. The analysis included an adjusted joint mixed model with linear splines to account for correlated observations between the outcomes.Results: At 24 months, 45.2% of the rape-exposed women met the cut-off for depression and 32.7% for PTSD. This was significantly higher than levels found among the unexposed. Although a decline in depression and PTSD was seen at 3 months among the women who reported a rape, mean scores remained stable thereafter. At 24 months mean depression scores remained above the depression cut-off (17.1) while mean PTSD scores declined below the PTSD cut-off (14.5). Early counselling was not associated with the trajectory of either depression or PTSD scores over the two years in rape-exposed women with both depression and PTSD persisting regardless of early counselling.Conclusion: The study findings highlight the importance to find and provide effective mental health interventions post-rape in South Africa.

GSK-3ß orchestrates the inhibitory innervation of adult-born dentate granule cells in vivo.

Adult hippocampal neurogenesis enhances brain plasticity and contributes to the cognitive reserve during aging. Adult hippocampal neurogenesis is impaired in neurological disorders, yet the molecular mechanisms regulating the maturation and synaptic integration of new neurons have not been fully elucidated. GABA is a master regulator of adult and developmental neurogenesis. Here we engineered a novel retrovirus encoding the fusion protein Gephyrin:GFP to longitudinally study the formation and maturation of inhibitory synapses during adult hippocampal neurogenesis in vivo. Our data reveal the early assembly of inhibitory postsynaptic densities at 1 week of cell age. Glycogen synthase kinase 3 Beta (GSK-3ß) emerges as a key regulator of inhibitory synapse formation and maturation during adult hippocampal neurogenesis. GSK-3ß-overexpressing newborn neurons show an increased number and altered size of Gephyrin+ postsynaptic clusters, enhanced miniature inhibitory postsynaptic currents, shorter and distanced axon initial segments, reduced synaptic output at the CA3 and CA2 hippocampal regions, and impaired pattern separation. Moreover, GSK-3ß overexpression triggers a depletion of Parvalbumin+ interneuron perineuronal nets. These alterations might be relevant in the context of neurological diseases in which the activity of GSK-3ß is dysregulated.

YouTube® in Spanish as an information source for patients with autoimmune hepatitis.

INTRODUCTION AND AIM: A large number of patients with autoimmune hepatitis (AH) seek information about their disease on the Internet. The reliability, comprehensiveness, and quality of said information in Spanish has not been studied. Our aim was to describe the characteristics of the information about AH on YouTube®. METHODS: An analytic observational study evaluated videos in Spanish about AH available on YouTube®, describing their general characteristics, viewer engagement, and information sources. Standardized tools were utilized to analyze reliability (DISCERN), comprehensiveness, and overall quality (Global Quality Score [GQS]). RESULTS: One hundred videos were included, 93% of which provided information from healthcare professionals (group 1), and 7% of which reflected patient opinions (group 2). There were differences in the median reliability (DISCERN 4 vs 2, p ≤ 0.05) and comprehensiveness (4 vs 2, p ≤ 0.05) scores between groups, but equal overall quality (GQS 3 vs 2, p = 0.2). Reliability (DISCERN 4; RIC 3-4) and comprehensiveness (4.5; IQR 3-5) were higher in videos by professional organizations, compared with those by independent users, healthcare information websites, and for-profit organizations (DISCERN 3; IQR 2.5-3.5) (p < 0.001). Reliability (DISCERN 2; IQR 1.5-3), comprehensiveness (2; IQR 1.5-2.5), and quality (GQS 2.5; IQR 1.5-3.5) were lower for videos made by for-profit organizations. CONCLUSION: The majority of videos about AH in Spanish on YouTube® have good reliability, comprehensiveness, and quality. Videos created by academic organizations had higher scores, thus their collaboration, with respect to patient opinion videos, is suggested.

YouTube® in Spanish as a source of information for patients with inflammatory bowel disease.

INTRODUCTION AND AIM: The majority of patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) seek information about their disease on the Internet. The reliability, comprehensiveness, and quality of said information in Spanish has not previously been studied. MATERIALS AND METHODS: An analytic observational study was conducted that included YouTube® videos on IBD available in Spanish, describing general characteristics, engagement, and sources. Standard tools for evaluating reliability (DISCERN), comprehensiveness, and overall quality (Global Quality Score, GQS) were employed. RESULTS: One hundred videos were included. Eighty-eight videos consisted of information produced by healthcare professionals (group 1) and 12 included patient opinions (group 2). There were no differences in the median scores for reliability (DISCERN 3 vs 3, p = 0.554) or comprehensiveness (3 vs 2.5, p = 0.768) between the two groups, but there was greater overall quality in the group 2 videos (GQS 3 vs 4, p = 0.007). Reliability was higher for the videos produced by professional organizations (DISCERN 4; IQR 3-4), when compared with healthcare information websites and for-profit agencies (DISCERN 3; IQR 2.5-3.5) (p < 0.001), but the videos with healthcare information website and for-profit sources had a higher quality score (GQS 3 vs 4, p < 0.001). Comprehensiveness scores were similar. CONCLUSION: The majority of YouTube® videos in Spanish on IBD have good reliability, comprehensiveness, and quality. Reliability was greater for the videos produced by professional organizations, whereas quality was higher for those created from healthcare information websites and for-profit agencies.

Pathways to adverse pregnancy outcomes: exploring the mediating role of intimate partner violence and depression: results from a South African rape cohort study.

Adverse pregnancy outcomes (APOs) are common occurrences that contribute to negative maternal and child health outcomes. Our aim was to test the hypothesis that trauma exposure and depression are drivers of the better-recognised risk factors for miscarriage, abortion and stillbirths. Our comparative cohort study based in Durban, South Africa recruited women who reported a recent rape (n = 852) and those who had never experienced rape (n = 853), with follow-up for 36 months. We explored APOs (miscarriage, abortion or stillbirth) among those having a pregnancy during follow-up (n = 453). Potential mediators were baseline depression, post-traumatic stress symptoms, substance abuse, HbA1C, BMI, hypertension and smoking. A structural equation model (SEM) was used to determine direct and indirect paths to APO. Overall, 26.6% of the women had a pregnancy in the follow-up period and 29.4% ended in an APO, with miscarriage (19.9%) the most common outcome, followed by abortion (6.6%) and stillbirths (2.9%). The SEM showed two direct pathways from exposure to childhood trauma, rape and other trauma, to APO which were ultimately mediated by hypertension and/or BMI, but all paths to BMI were mediated by depression and IPV-mediated pathways from childhood and other trauma to hypertension. Food insecurity mediated a pathway from experiences of trauma in childhood to depression. Our study confirms the important role of trauma exposure, including rape, and depression on APOs, through their impact on hypertension and BMI. It is critical that violence against women and mental health are more systematically addressed in antenatal, pregnancy and postnatal care.

Epidemiology of ataxia and hereditary spastic paraplegia in Spain: A cross-sectional study.

INTRODUCTION: Ataxia and hereditary spastic paraplegia are rare neurodegenerative syndromes. We aimed to determine the prevalence of these disorders in Spain in 2019. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional, multicentre, retrospective, descriptive study of patients with ataxia and hereditary spastic paraplegia in Spain between March 2018 and December 2019. RESULTS: We gathered data from a total of 1933 patients from 11 autonomous communities, provided by 47 neurologists or geneticists. Mean (SD) age in our sample was 53.64 (20.51) years; 938 patients were men (48.5%) and 995 were women (51.5%). The genetic defect was unidentified in 920 patients (47.6%). A total of 1371 patients (70.9%) had ataxia and 562 (29.1%) had hereditary spastic paraplegia. Prevalence rates for ataxia and hereditary spastic paraplegia were estimated at 5.48 and 2.24 cases per 100 000 population, respectively. The most frequent type of dominant ataxia in our sample was SCA3, and the most frequent recessive ataxia was Friedreich ataxia. The most frequent type of dominant hereditary spastic paraplegia in our sample was SPG4, and the most frequent recessive type was SPG7. CONCLUSIONS: In our sample, the estimated prevalence of ataxia and hereditary spastic paraplegia was 7.73 cases per 100 000 population. This rate is similar to those reported for other countries. Genetic diagnosis was not available in 47.6% of cases. Despite these limitations, our study provides useful data for estimating the necessary healthcare resources for these patients, raising awareness of these diseases, determining the most frequent causal mutations for local screening programmes, and promoting the development of clinical trials.

[Cognitive impairment in the elderly patient with symptomatic severe aortic stenosis. Therapeutic decisions and impact on one-year mortality]. / Deterioro cognitivo en el paciente mayor con estenosis aórtica grave sintomática. Toma de decisiones terapéuticas e impacto sobre la mortalidad al año.

INTRODUCTION: Interventional treatment of severe aortic stenosis includes valve replacement by surgery or transcatheter - transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI). In order to make an adequate selection and to rule out patients with little/no therapeutic benefit, it is recommended to assess comorbidities, frailty and cognitive impairment. AIMS: a) To determine the prevalence of cognitive impairment in older patients with severe aortic stenosis; b) to analyse its influence on decision-making (surgery, TAVI or conservative treatment); and c) to analyse its impact on mortality at one year. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Prospective, longitudinal epidemiological study of patients aged 75 years and older with severe aortic stenosis treated by the Heart-Team. VARIABLES: sociodemographic, clinical, cardiological, functional and mental variables; cognitive impairment assessed by applying the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE). RESULTS: We included 300 patients in the study (83.99 ± 4.02 years old; 61.2%, women). Prevalence of cognitive impairment of 15.3%, which was associated with albumin level - odds ratio (OR): 0.082; p = 0.011 - and Barthel (OR: 0.962; p = 0.02) and Lawton (OR: 0.787; p = 0.025) index scores. Surgery was chosen in 24.7% of cases; TAVI in 63.3%; and conservative treatment in 12%. This decision was associated with the score on the Barthel (OR: 0.93; p = 0.012) and Lawton indices (OR: 0.678; p = 0.014), the Short Physical Performance Battery (OR: 0.75; p = 0.037) and the MMSE (OR: 0.691; p < 0.001). Mortality at one year was 14%, and higher in patients with MMSE scores <24 (23.5% vs. 12.8%; p = 0.094). CONCLUSIONS: Cognitive impairment is a very common geriatric syndrome in older patients with severe aortic stenosis that is associated with functional disability in activities of daily living. Cognitive impairment has a high impact on decision-making and appears to be a variable associated with increased mortality.

TITLE: Deterioro cognitivo en el paciente mayor con estenosis aórtica grave sintomática. Toma de decisiones terapéuticas e impacto sobre la mortalidad al año.Introducción. El tratamiento intervencionista de la estenosis aórtica grave incluye el recambio valvular mediante cirugía o vía transcatéter ­implante transcatéter de la válvula aórtica (TAVI)­. Para realizar una adecuada selección y descartar pacientes con escaso/nulo beneficio terapéutico, se recomienda evaluar las comorbilidades, la fragilidad y el deterioro cognitivo. Objetivos. a) Determinar la prevalencia de deterioro cognitivo en pacientes mayores con estenosis aórtica grave; b) analizar su influencia en la toma de decisiones (cirugía, TAVI o tratamiento conservador), y c) analizar su impacto sobre la mortalidad al año. Material y métodos. Estudio epidemiológico longitudinal y prospectivo sobre pacientes de 75 años o más con estenosis aórtica grave atendidos por el Heart-Team. Variables: sociodemográficas, clínicas, cardiológicas, funcionales y mentales; deterioro cognitivo evaluado aplicando el Minimental State Examination (MMSE). Resultados. Incluimos a 300 pacientes en el estudio (83,99 ± 4,02 años; 61,2%, mujeres). Prevalencia de deterioro cognitivo del 15,3%, que se asoció con el nivel de albúmina ­odds ratio (OR): 0,082; p = 0,011­ y las puntuaciones en los índices de Barthel (OR: 0,962; p = 0,02) y Lawton (OR: 0,787; p = 0,025). En el 24,7% de los casos se decidió cirugía; en el 63,3%, TAVI; y en el 12%, tratamiento conservador. Esta decisión se asoció con la puntuación en los índices de Barthel (OR: 0,93; p = 0,012) y Lawton (OR: 0,678; p = 0,014), la Short Physical Performance Battery (OR: 0,75; p = 0,037) y el MMSE (OR: 0,691; p menor de 0,001). La mortalidad al año fue del 14%, superior en los pacientes con puntuaciones en el MMSE menor de 24 (23,5% frente a 12,8%; p = 0,094). Conclusiones. El deterioro cognitivo es un síndrome geriátrico muy frecuente en pacientes mayores con estenosis aórtica grave que se asocia con incapacidad funcional en las actividades de la vida diaria. El deterioro cognitivo tiene un elevado impacto en la toma de decisiones y parece presentarse como una variable asociada a mayor mortalidad.

Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the mental health of the general population and health care workers.

The Health Sciences Foundation has assembled a multidisciplinary group around a series of questions about the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the mental health of the general population and specific groups within that population, particularly healthcare workers. In the general population, the most prevalent mental disorders have been anxiety, sleep disorders and affective disorders, primarily depression. There has been a considerable increase in suicidal behavior, especially in young women and men over 70 years of age. There has been an increase in alcohol abuse and nicotine, cannabis and cocaine use. In contrast, the use of synthetic stimulants during periods of confinement has decreased. With regard to non-substance addictions, gambling was very limited, pornography consumption increased significantly and there was an increase in compulsive shopping and the use of video games. Particularly vulnerable groups include adolescents and patients with autism spectrum disorders. Healthcare workers suffered an increase in depression, anxiety and post-traumatic stress, especially those who were exposed during the early stages of the pandemic. Female sex, being a nurse, proximity to patients with COVID-19, working in a rural environment and having previous psychiatric or organic illnesses were some of the most frequently repeated factors in various studies in this population group. The media have shown a good degree of knowledge about these problems and have dealt with them frequently and from the point of view of ethics, crisis situations, such as the one experienced, have triggered not only physical but also moral claudications.

The emotional well-being of Long COVID patients in relation to their symptoms, social support and stigmatization in social and health services: a qualitative study.

BACKGROUND: Long COVID patients have experienced a decline in their quality of life due to, in part but not wholly, its negative emotional impact. Some of the most prevalent mental health symptoms presented by long COVID patients are anxiety, depression, and sleep disorders. As such, the need has arisen to analyze the personal experiences of these patients to understand how they are managing their daily lives while dealing with the condition. The objective of this study is to increase understanding about the emotional well-being of people diagnosed with long COVID. METHODS: A qualitative design was created and carried out using 35 patients, with 17 participants being interviewed individually and 18 of them taking part in two focus groups. The participating patients were recruited in November and December 2021 from Primary Health Care (PHC) centers in the city of Zaragoza (Northern Spain) and from the Association of Long COVID Patients in Aragon. The study topics were emotional well-being, social support networks, and experience of discrimination. All an inductive thematic content analyses were performed iteratively using NVivo software. RESULTS: The Long COVID patients identified low levels of self-perceived well-being due to their persistent symptoms, as well as limitations in their daily lives that had been persistent for many months. Suicidal thoughts were also mentioned by several patients. They referred to anguish and anxiety about the future as well as a fear of reinfection or relapse and returning to work. Many of the participants reported that they have sought the help of a mental health professional. Most participants identified discriminatory situations in health care. CONCLUSIONS: It is necessary to continue researching the impact that Long COVID has had on mental health, as well as to provide Primary Health Care professionals with evidence that can guide the emotional treatment of these patients.

Oral health knowledge of Spanish breastfeeding mothers.

INTRODUCTION: The aim of this study is to evaluate the knowledge of infant oral health in mothers who have breastfeeding for a period longer than 6 months. METHODS: A descriptive, observational and cross-sectional study was carried out in 1126 mothers who had breastfed for more than 6 months, using a validated questionnaire. RESULTS: 57% of the mothers surveyed had a high or very high level of knowledge about oral health during pregnancy and breastfeeding; a statistically significant association (p < 0.05) was found between this and the variables of mother's age, duration of breastfeeding, level of education and previous information received about oral health. CONCLUSIONS: The age of the mothers is positively related to the level of oral health knowledge, the elder the mothers the higher the knowledge. Mothers with a longer duration of breastfeeding beyond 24 months have a higher degree of oral health knowledge compared to the rest of the respondents, while their level of educations was also positively related to their degree of knowledge. There is a direct relationship between mothers having received previous information on oral hygiene and their surveyed degree of knowledge.

Prescription patterns of somatostatin analogs in patients with acromegaly and neuroendocrine tumors.

PURPOSE: Acromegaly and neuroendocrine tumors are rare diseases that, under certain conditions, can be treated with somatostatin analogs. The aim was to determine the prescription patterns of somatostatin analogs in a group of patients with acromegaly and neuroendocrine tumors affiliated with the Colombian Health System. METHODS: A retrospective study. A cohort of patients from a drug dispensing database that collected all prescriptions of long-acting somatostatin analogs (octreotide, lanreotide, pasireotide). Sociodemographic variables, clinical variables (diagnosis and comorbidities) and pharmacological therapy variables (dose, changes, persistence of use, comedications) were considered. RESULTS: A total of 213 patients were identified, including 139 (65.3%) with acromegaly and 74 (34.7%) with neuroendocrine tumors. There was a predominance of women (58.7%) and a mean age of 59.7 ± 14.5 years. The most commonly used medications were lanreotide autogel (n = 107; 50.2%), octreotide LAR (n = 102; 47.9%) and pasireotide LAR (n = 4; 1.9%). During follow-up, 11.3% of patients experienced modifications of therapy, with a mean duration from the beginning of treatment to the change in medication of 25 ± 15.9 months. A total of 48.9% of the patients with acromegaly and 87.1% of individuals with neuroendocrine tumors received maximum approved doses of the drug. CONCLUSION: Patients with acromegaly and neuroendocrine tumors in Colombia are mainly women and are most frequently treated with lanreotide autogel for acromegaly and with octreotide LAR for neuroendocrine tumors. In addition, a high proportion are managed with maximum doses of long-acting somatostatin analogs.

A pilot randomised controlled trial on the effectiveness of infant massage on the acceptance, commitment and awareness of influence in parents of babies with Down syndrome.

BACKGROUND: The emotional state of parents of babies with Down syndrome affects their babies' development and their parent-child bonding. The aim for this study was to conduct a pilot randomised controlled evaluation of the effect of infant massage on parents of babies with Down syndrome. METHODS: This pilot study compared two groups (intervention and control), each with 16 parents of babies with Down syndrome. Indices of acceptance, engagement and awareness of influence were measured at two different time points (pre-test and after 5 weeks) using the 'This Is My Baby' Interview. The allocation of families to each group was randomised. The experimental group performed infant massage, applied by the parents, for 5 weeks, every day for at least 10 min. The massage protocol was based on the methodology created by Vimala McClure. Parents in the control group received the intervention after completion of the study. RESULTS: The indices of acceptance, commitment and awareness of influence improved in the experimental group and in the control group. The 2 × 2 mixed-model analysis of variance indicates a statistically significant group-by-time interaction for all indices (P < 0.001), which was significantly higher in the experimental group than in the control group. CONCLUSIONS: The application of infant massage, by parents to their babies, improves the rates of acceptance, commitment and awareness of influence of parents of babies with Down syndrome in the short term.

Understanding Severe Asthma Through Small and Big Data in Spanish Hospitals: The PAGE Study.

BACKGROUND: Data on the prevalence of severe asthma (SA) are limited. Electronic health records (EHRs) offer a unique research opportunity to test machine learning (ML) tools in epidemiological studies. Our aim was to estimate the prevalence of SA among asthma patients seen in hospital asthma units, using both ML-based and traditional research methodologies. Our secondary objective was to describe patients with nonsevere asthma (NSA) and SA over a follow-up of 12 months. METHODS: PAGE is a multicenter, controlled, observational study conducted in 36 Spanish hospitals and split into 2 phases: a cross-sectional phase for estimation of the prevalence of SA and a prospective phase (3 visits in 12 months) for the follow-up and characterization of SA and NSA patients. A substudy with ML was performed in 6 hospitals. Our ML tool uses EHRead technology, which extracts clinical concepts from EHRs and standardizes them to SNOMED CT. RESULTS: The prevalence of SA among asthma patients in Spanish hospitals was 20.1%, compared with 9.7% using the ML tool. The proportion of SA phenotypes and the features of patients followed up were consistent with previous studies. The clinical predictions of patients' clinical course were unreliable, and ML found only 2 predictive models with discriminatory power to predict outcomes. CONCLUSION: This study is the first to estimate the prevalence of SA in hospitalized asthma patients and to predict patient outcomes using both standard and ML-based research techniques. Our findings offer relevant insights for further epidemiological and clinical research in SA.