Validation in French of the Montreal Cognitive Assessment 5-Minute, a brief cognitive screening test for phone administration.

BACKGROUND: The prevalence of cognitive impairment and dementia is high and steadily increasing. Early detection of cognitive decline is crucial since some interventions can reduce the risk of progression to dementia. However, there is a lack of manageable scales for assessing cognitive functions outside specialized consultations. Recently, the MoCA-5min, a short version of the Montreal Cognitive assessment (MoCA), phone-administered, was validated for screening for vascular cognitive impairment. The aim of the present study was to validate the MoCA-5min in French in diverse clinical populations. METHODS: The Cantonese version of the MoCA-5min was adapted for French language. Healthy volunteers and patients with possible or established cognitive impairment (Alzheimer's disease or related disorders, Parkinson's disease, Huntington's disease, type-2 diabetes) participated in the study. The original MoCA and the MoCA-5min were administered, by phone, with a 30-day interval. Alternate forms were used to reduce learning effects. RESULTS: The scores of the original MoCA and MoCA-5min correlated significantly (Spearman rho=0.751, P<0.0001, 95% confidence interval 0.657 to 0.819). Internal consistency was good (Cronbach alpha=0.795). The area under the ROC curve was 0.870 and the optimal cut-off value for separating patients with and without cognitive impairment with the MoCA-5min was≤27 with 87.32% sensitivity and 76.09% specificity. Interrater and test-retest reliability were adequate. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrates that the French version of the MoCA-5min is a valid and reliable scale for detecting cognitive impairment in different clinical populations. It is administrable by phone and thus suitable for remote assessment as well as for large-scale screening and epidemiological studies.

[First trends of change in mortality by suicide in Nord-Pas-de-Calais since VigilanS]. / « Premières analyses de mortalité par suicide en Nord-Pas-de-Calais depuis l'implantation de VigilanS ¼.

INTRODUCTION: In terms of suicide prevention, population-based prevention devices often struggle to demonstrate an effect in terms of reducing suicidal acts of suicide, often focusing on the evolution of the number of suicide attempts, on time too short to statistically interpret changes in mortality. The consolidated figures for mortality in France are provided by the CepiDC with a delay of approximately three years. We therefore had to try to work with an approximation of the phenomenon, and we tested the proxy value of the enumeration of corpses, body examinations and medico-legal autopsies for suicide by the forensic doctors of the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region in France. In parallel, we conducted a comprehensive mortality study for 2016 in the VigilanS cohort. METHOD: By measuring the evolution of the number of body lifts for suicide by the Department of Forensic Medicine of the region, for the 3 years before VigilanS (2012-2014) compared to the 3 years since VigilanS (2015-2017). The deaths of patients of the VigilanS cohort were identified by calling the city halls of birth and domicile of all patients integrating the device in 2016. The cause of death was then characterized by contact of the attending physician. RESULTS: We observe an average decrease in suicide mortality of 9.9% (-12% for men, +0.3% for women). The exhaustive analysis of suicide mortality in the VigilanS cohort in 2016 found 19 deaths, of which 14 by suicide, or 0.4% of patients. This observed mortality rate in the VigilanS cohort in 2016 is significantly below the expected threshold in the literature (1 to 2% in the year following TS). CONCLUSION: It seems possible to reach the 2020 target for a 10% decrease in suicidal behavior in industrialized countries by 2020. The VigilanS device could therefore be protective in terms of suicide mortality.

[An example of post-discharge monitoring after a suicide attempt: VigilanS]. / Un exemple de système de veille post-hospitalière des suicidants : VigilanS.

BACKGROUND: Attempted suicide is a major risk factor of further re-attempts and death. Self-harm behaviors are related to multiple causes explaining why it is ineffective to have a single and simple strategy to offer after the clinical assessment in reducing morbidity and mortality. Furthermore, treatment adherence is known to be especially poor in a context where social connection seems compromised and a source of pain. Effective interventions can be divided into two categories: intensive intervention programs (care at home, supported by a series of brief psychotherapy interventions) and case management programs that rely on a "stay in contact" dimension. These programs, initiated by Jerome Motto and its short letters may consist of: (1) sending letters or postcards after discharge of the ER; (2) giving a crisis card that offers a crisis telephone line and a crisis unit for hospitalization if needed, and; (3) placing a phone call at some time distance after the discharge. The aim is to enhance a "connectedness feeling" with the patient. These different strategies have proven to be even more effective in some specific subgroups, highlighting the heterogeneity of this population. Each modality of contact was well accepted and generated a positive involvement of the patients. METHOD: It led to the idea of combining these different strategies in an algorithm built on the specificity of identified subgroups. A randomized controlled trial, named ALGOS was carried out in France to test this algorithm in 2011. The algorithm consisted of: (1) delivering a crisis card for first attempters; (2) giving a phone call for re-attempters to re-assess their situation between the 10th and 21st day after their discharge, and to propose a new intervention if needed, and; (3) in case of an unsuccessful call or a refusal of proposed care, sending personalized postcards for 6 months. All of this was supported with shared information to the general practitioner of the patient. This study was further adapted to routine care in 2015 in the northern departments of France, Nord and Pas-de-Calais (4.3 million people), taking the name of VigilanS. The inclusion consists of sending a form for every patient assessed after a suicide attempt in the two departments to the medical staff of VigilanS in order to provide information about the patient and the context of his suicide attempt. The algorithm has been modified in giving the crisis card to all the patients whether it is a first attempt or not. An information letter, explaining the aim of the monitoring is also given to the patient, and to his general practitioner. The calling staff is composed of 4 nurses and 4 psychologists, all trained in suicidal crisis management. They use a phone platform located in the Emergency Medical Assistance Service (SAMU) of the Nord department on a halftime basis and manage the incoming calls from the patients as well as the outgoing calls towards the patients, their relatives and their medical contacts. A set of 4 postcards (1 per month) can be sent if needed in case of an inconclusive or a failed phone call. CONCLUSION: Built on a monitoring philosophy, VigilanS has further developed a real crisis case management dimension requiring enough time to insure an effective medical supervision and strong networking abilities. A specific time is also needed to take care of all the technical aspects of the organization. This program expertise, designed by Northern departments to prevent suicide, can be shared with other French or even foreign territories.

[Changes in the number of suicide attempts in the NPC region since the start of VigilanS: First estimates]. / Évolutions du nombre de tentatives de suicide dans le Nord-PasdeCalais depuis l'implantation de VigilanS : premières estimations.

BACKGROUND: The implementation of a surveillance program after a suicide attempt (SA) is a very innovative step in the evolution of our system of care. It was interesting to know if we observe a decline in suicide attempts in the region, in particular of recurrences of SA. METHOD: We measured the evolution of the number of suicide attempts before and after implantation of VigilanS, using two types of analysis: a first from the national medical information systems in Medicine-Surgery-Obstetrics (PMSI-MCO) and a second from the collection of the ER stays for SA in the hospitals involved in the VigilanS program. RESULTS: In 2014 (year before start of VigilanS), a total of 10 119 ER stays for SA was observed (5626 women and4463 men); in 2017, the total was 9.230 stays for SA (5047 women and 3 839 men), representing a decrease of 13.5%. The reduction was balanced between men (-14%) and women (-10%). Based on the figures of PMSI, we see an acceleration of the reduction of stay for SA in the Nord-Pas-de-Calais after 2014 (-16% instead of -6%), instead of the two Picardy departments the most comparable which show a degradation of the phenomenon (+13%), and opposed to the Department of the Oise which shows a stable maintenance of the current decline (-12%). CONCLUSION: These two indicators are imperfect, but evolution over three years since the implementation of VigilanS goes in the same direction. We find a uncoupling of a hospital stay in connection with a SA. The intensity of this decline seems correlated to the penetrance of the program.

Effectiveness of a French Program to Prevent Suicide Reattempt (VigilanS).

AIM: Brief contact interventions (such as letters, green cards, telephone calls or postcards) for reducing suicide reattempt (SR) and suicide have been evaluated since the 1980s, but results have been inconsistent. VigilanS is one of these programs that has benefited patients hospitalized for suicide attempt (SA) after discharge in 2 departments of northern France since 2015. The purpose of this study is to demonstrate its effectiveness in reducing SR. METHODS: Patients exposed to VigilanS in 2016 were recruited from the medical administrative database of the program, and the nonexposed patients from a database of the medico-surgical ward outside the scope of the program. First, a Cox model was used to compare the probability of SR during the 12-month follow-up period between the 2 groups. Second, a propensity score using the variables sex, age, source, SA history and SA method was used to match the VigilanS-exposed and the nonexposed patients. A Cox model propensity score adjusted analysis was reiterated on the matched data. RESULTS: The exposed and nonexposed groups included 3,068 and 3,694 individuals, respectively. In the bivariate analyses, the cumulative probability of SR at 12 months was significantly lower in the exposed group (6.0%, 95% confidence interval (CI): 5.5-6.5%) than in the nonexposed group (16.8%, 95% CI: 15.9-17.7%; p < 0.001). In the Cox model, the hazard ratio of SR was 0.38 in the exposed patients (95% CI: 0.36-0.40, p < 0.001). After matching, the cumulative probability of SR at 12 months was 5.2% in exposed versus 22.2% in nonexposed patients (p < 0.001). In the propensity score-adjusted Cox model, the hazard ratio of SR in the exposed patients was 0.19 (95% CI: 0.14-0.24, p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: The results suggest the effectiveness of this real-life program for reducing SR. However, VigilanS only benefits a portion of the patients hospitalized for SA and therefore could be extended.

[Patient satisfaction regarding further telephone contact following attempted suicide]. / Vécu subjectif du recontact téléphonique après tentative de suicide.

At a time when increasing importance is given to providing satisfaction to the users of health services, it is surprising that this concept has hardly ever been examined in the field of suicide. Although suicide (prevention and management) is an important part of public health, there seems to be little interest in finding out patients' opinions about the healthcare services which are offered to them. Back in 1976, some authors found a link between the risk of suicide and a low level of satisfaction of healthcare. To date, only two studies looking at management of suicidal patients have included an assessment of patient satisfaction (a strong link between dissatisfaction and suicidal risk was found). During the SYSCALL study, which measured the impact of systematic recontacting by telephone on recurrence of suicide, in the weeks following a suicide attempt, we aimed to find out if this procedure and its methods were well-accepted by the patients. When the patients were first recontacted, 13 months after the suicide attempt, and included in our study, we assessed by means of a questionnaire, their experience of being faced with this intervention, and its impact on their future. Of the 605 patients included, 312 were put into the control group, 147 were recontacted at the end of the first month, and 146 at the end of the third month. The rate of repeat suicide attempts in the year following the initial attempt, was significantly lower in the group that was recontacted after one month, than in the control group [12% against 22%; P=0.03]. It would therefore seem that systematic recontacting by telephone one month after attempted suicide may have contributed in reducing the risk of an early repeat suicide attempt. Of the 482 patients whom we managed to contact by 13 months, 254 had filled out the questionnaire about their subjective experience, in writing or by telephone, this making a response rate of 52.7%. Amongst the patients who replied, female patients are over-represented with more of them being recontacted than males, but no difference was found in the psychiatric symptomatology observed when they were assessed and included in the study. On the other hand, we found a higher incidence of mood disorders and suicidal risk in those who were examined at the final assessment at 13 months. A large majority (78.9%) of the patients who were recontacted, considered recontacting as beneficial, 40.4% considered that it had influenced their lives, and 29.4% thought that recontacting had contributed to avoiding them making a further suicide attempt. Out of the patients recontacted, 94.5% had appreciated the person that had recontacted them, and only 8.3% had been disturbed at being recontacted by a different doctor than the one whom they had met in the Emergency department. A majority of them (54.1%) considered that telephoning was the most appropriate method for recontacting, but of those who were not convinced of being recontacted by telephone, 89.5% of them thought that consultation was the best alternative. Finally, around a third of patients would have preferred being recontacted earlier. On closer examination of the 10 recontacted patients who were dissatisfied by being recontacted, we did not find any elements to characterize them, except for a previous history of more suicide attempts in their family. Finally, a majority of the dissatisfied patients would have preferred being notified in advance of the time of recontacting, and half of them thought that recontacting was too late, but they were not disturbed by being contacted by a different doctor. Telephone recontacting and its methods were surprisingly well-accepted by the patients, even though it is intrusive in nature and unusual in France. We think that despite the inevitable bias that is linked to it, the opinion of patients should be sought and developed in the management of patients who have attempted suicide and in the treatment of the suicidal crisis in general. Even though patients' satisfaction rates may improve the quality of treatment, we should bear in mind that listening to, noting down and examining patients' opinions and words, is in itself a useful factor for patients in their quest for improving their health.

Etifoxine impairs neither alertness nor cognitive functions of the elderly: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover study.

Etifoxine hydrochloride (Stresam®), a treatment indicated for psychosomatic manifestations of anxiety, could be an alternative to benzodiazepines. While no impact on alertness and cognitive functions has been proven among youth, data on elderly are lacking. The primary objective of this study was to measure the impact of etifoxine, lorazepam or placebo on alertness in the elderly. The secondary objectives were to evaluate cognitive performances and adverse effects. In this randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind, 3-way crossover design, 30 healthy volunteers aged 65 to 75 years underwent three one-day sessions. After treatment intake, standardized cognitive tests were conducted using the Cambridge Neuropsychological Test Automated Batteries and other psychological tests (Stroop, Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test, Digit Span). The reaction time (RTI) as primary endpoint was analysed using a 3 × 3 latin square variance analysis. A 100-mg dose of etifoxine has no deleterious impact on alertness and causes no cognitive disorders as compared to placebo (RTI: 744 ±â€¯146 ms versus 770 ±â€¯153 ms; p = 1.00). As expected, a 2-mg dose of lorazepam impairs alertness (RTI: 957 ±â€¯251 ms versus placebo; p < 0.0001) and cognitive functions. A similar frequency of adverse events was observed with etifoxine and placebo while their incidence was 3-fold higher with lorazepam, drowsiness being the most frequent adverse event. No serious adverse events were observed. This study demonstrates in the elderly that a single dose of etifoxine does neither impair alertness nor any of the cognitive parameters evaluated. Etifoxine may be a good option when anxiolytic treatment is required, especially in elderly people.

Categorical and dimensional study of the predictive factors of the development of a psychotrauma in victims of car accidents.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to evaluate the predictive factors of the emergence of complete PTSD and subsyndromal PTSD (defined as individuals exposed to a traumatic event with at least one psychopathological impact, such as hyperarousal, avoidance or persistent re-experiencing) following a motor vehicle accident (MVA). METHODS: We recruited 155 adult MVA patients, physically injured and admitted to trauma service, over two years. In the week following the accident, patients were asked to complete questionnaires assessing their social situation (sex, age, marital and employment status, prior MVA or trauma), comorbidity (MINI), distress (PDI) and dissociation (PDEQ) experienced during and immediately after the trauma. An evaluation using the CAPS was conducted six months after the trauma to assess a possible PTSD. RESULTS: At six months, 25.8% of the participants developed subsyndromal symptoms and 7.74% developed complete PTSD. The three symptoms that best discriminated the groups were dysphoric emotion, perceived life threat and dissociation. Logistic regression results showed that the strongest predictor of PTSD was the perceived life threat. In addition, a dimensional approach to the results revealed significant correlations between (1) peritraumatic distress and persistent re-experiencing or hyperarousal and (2) dissociation score and avoidance strategy. The presence of a prior traumatic event reinforces avoidance strategies. CONCLUSIONS: Our results stress that peritraumatic factors (especially the perception of a life threat) are good predictors of PTSD development. A dimensional perspective allows better identification of psychological complications following an MVA.

Validation of the French translation of the agoraphobic cognitions questionnaire.

BACKGROUND: The goal of the present study was to validate the French version of the Agoraphobic Cognitions Questionnaire (ACQ). METHODS: Subjects consisted of 115 patients with panic disorder and agoraphobia, 54 obsessive-compulsive patients and 72 normal controls. Patients were referred for outpatient treatment. They filled in the questionnaire before and after entering treatment. The control group consisted of people taken from the general population. It was matched with the clinical groups on age, sex and education. RESULTS: The ACQ appears to have a constant factor structure across US, Dutch and French samples. Results support the validity of the total score of the ACQ. Patients with panic disorder and agoraphobia scored significantly higher than obsessive-compulsive patients and control subjects. On the ACQ physical concerns subscale agoraphobic patients were significantly different from obsessive-compulsive patients and control subjects. On the social/behavioural subscale agoraphobic patients and obsessive-compulsive patients were significantly different from control subjects. The French translation of the ACQ was found to be stable over an interval of 15 days in the control group. The Cronbach coefficients of both subscales were also satisfactory. These results support the stability and the internal consistency of the questionnaire. In addition, the French translation of the ACQ was sensitive to changes with cognitive-behavioural therapy. CONCLUSIONS: These results support the findings of Chambless and Gracely [Cogn Ther Res 1989;13:9-20]. The ACQ physical concerns subscale is a specific feature for the anxiety status experienced by patients with panic disorder and agoraphobia. The ACQ social/behavioural subscale seems to be a more general feature of anxious patients.