Return to work and work-related disability among AML survivors.

Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is an aggressive, acute-onset hematological malignancy. Greater use of intensive chemotherapy (IC), supportive care, and stem cell transplantation have led to an increasing number of long-term survivors. Few studies have examined employment issues among AML survivors and to our knowledge, no study has examined the long-term effects of treatment on return to work. This study is the first to utilize a validated measure of work-related limitation and productivity (WLQ-16) to assess the long-term effects of AML treatment on employment rates, work-related limitations, and overall productivity. We examined RTW issues in 111 adult AML 1-year survivors after conventional IC. We found that, over time, the number of employed survivors increased (to 54% by 36 months) while the number of unemployed, retired, and sick leave patients decreased. Among those employed, the majority were employed full time. Employed individuals reported few work-related limitations and productivity loss scores were low, ranging from 3.47% at 18 months to 2.34% at 36 months. These data suggest that, over time, over half of AML survivors who underwent IC regain social, emotional, cognitive, and physical function sufficient to RTW with few limitations.

Gender impact on transcranial magnetic stimulation-based cortical excitability and cognition relationship in healthy individuals.

OBJECTIVE: We sought to determine whether cortical excitability, measured via transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), is associated with cognition in healthy individuals and whether gender and education have an impact on this relationship. METHODS: Fifty-four healthy individuals (31 males, mean age = 41.94, SD = 21.98; 23 females, mean age 48.57; SD = 22.84) underwent TMS to assess their resting motor threshold (RMT) and the Repeatable Battery for the Assessment of Neuropsychological Status (RBANS) to assess cognition. Multiple regression analyses were conducted to assess the association between RMT, education, gender and cognition. RESULTS: The multiple regression model revealed a significant association between RBANS Total Index Score and RMT in the female group (B = 0.624, ß = 0.602, P = 0.001) and not the male group (B = 0.048, ß = 0.034, P = 0.858). CONCLUSION: This study demonstrated that lower cortical excitability is associated with better global cognition in healthy female and not male individuals. RMT could be further studied as a tool to better personalize brain stimulation protocols that aim at enhancing cognition.

Infectious mononucleosis - not always a benign condition: a case report of infectious mononucleosis-associated acute acalculous cholecystitis.

Infectious mononucleosis is typically a self-limited viral infection of adolescence and early adulthood that resolves in a period of weeks, causing no major sequelae. We describe a case of a healthy 18-year-old female diagnosed with infectious mononucleosis who also presented with right upper quadrant abdominal pain, moderate transaminitis, and cholestatic biochemistry. An ultrasound revealed acute acalculous cholecystitis, generally a condition seen in the context of critical illness. Further investigating emergency department patients with infectious mononucleosis is often not indicated, but may be important for those who present atypically.

Intranasal delivery of antipsychotic drugs.

Antipsychotic drugs are used to treat psychotic disorders that afflict millions globally and cause tremendous emotional, economic and healthcare burdens. However, the potential of intranasal delivery to improve brain-specific targeting remains unrealized. In this article, we review the mechanisms and methods used for brain targeting via the intranasal (IN) route as well as the potential advantages of improving this type of delivery. We extensively review experimental studies relevant to intranasal delivery of therapeutic agents for the treatment of psychosis and mental illnesses. We also review clinical studies in which intranasal delivery of peptides, like oxytocin (7 studies) and desmopressin (1), were used as an adjuvant to antipsychotic treatment with promising results. Experimental animal studies (17) investigating intranasal delivery of mainstream antipsychotic drugs have revealed successful targeting to the brain as suggested by pharmacokinetic parameters and behavioral effects. To improve delivery to the brain, nanotechnology-based carriers like nanoparticles and nanoemulsions have been used in several studies. However, human studies assessing intranasal delivery of mainstream antipsychotic drugs are lacking, and the potential toxicity of nanoformulations used in animal studies has not been explored. A brief discussion of future directions anticipates that if limitations of low aqueous solubility of antipsychotic drugs can be overcome and non-toxic formulations used, IN delivery (particularly targeting specific tissues within the brain) will gain more importance moving forward given the inherent benefits of IN delivery in comparison to other methods.

What Do We Know about Individuals Who Are Assessed as Being at Moderate Risk for Future Fracture in Canada?

OBJECTIVE: We examined what was known about individuals in Canada who were assessed as being at moderate risk for future fracture. METHODS: A scoping review was conducted. Eligible articles were Canadian studies published from 2010 onwards reporting on primary data that included patients at moderate risk for future fracture. We limited the search to Canada as fracture risk categorization is unique to each country. Studies were identified by searching relevant databases. Two reviewers independently reviewed titles and abstracts to determine each study's eligibility. General information about each study, demographic information about the moderate risk groups (including tool used to determine moderate risk (Fracture Risk Assessment Tool (FRAX), Canadian Association of Radiologists and Osteoporosis Canada (CAROC)), and outcomes (number of patients: recommended treatment, prescribed treatment, initiating treatment, persisting with treatment after six months, who re-fractured, who died) were documented. RESULTS: We identified 1193 papers which were further screened for eligibility. Of the 1193 identified, 7 were eligible for the review but only 4 articles contained demographic or outcome data on moderate risk patients. In one study, 1.8% of moderate risk patients died over a mean 5.3 years of observation and in three studies, the risk of fracture was 5.9% over a median of 3 years of follow-up, 8.3% over a mean of 5.4 years, and 14.7% over 10 years of follow-up. CONCLUSION: There is a wide knowledge gap in the literature concerning individuals who are assessed as moderate risk for future fracture in Canada.