Treatment efficacy of tDCS and predictors of treatment response in patients with post-traumatic stress disorder.

BACKGROUND: Although transcranial direct stimulation (tDCS) has been proposed as an alternative treatment option for various psychiatric disorders, there is inconsistent information regarding the treatment effects of tDCS for patients with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). This study aimed to investigate the tDCS efficacy and identify predictors of treatment response to tDCS in patients with PTSD. METHOD: Fifty-one patients received 10 sessions of tDCS involving the position of the anode over the F3 area and cathode over the F4 as a condition of 2.0 mA and 20 min duration. Digit span test and 10 questionnaires (Clinician-Administered PTSD Scale (CAPS), Cognitive Emotion Regulation Questionnaire (CERQ), Multidimensional Experiential Avoidance Questionnaire (MEAQ), etc.) were used to measure tDCS effects on PTSD symptoms and identify predictors of response to tDCS. RESULTS: 1) 50.9 % of patients had a significant reduction in the frequency and severity of PTSD symptoms, 2) PTSD-related symptoms such as depression, anxiety, rumination, and quality of life were significantly improved, 3) baseline scores on rumination and digit span test significantly predicted treatment response to tDCS. LIMITATIONS: This study was open design without a sham control group. Also, the patients' medications were not controlled. CONCLUSION: This study highlighted the efficacy of frontal tDCS for the treatment of patients with PTSD and identified rumination and digit span as favorable predictive factors for the outcomes of tDCS.

Low adherence to upfront and extended adjuvant letrozole therapy among early breast cancer patients in a clinical practice setting.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence and causes of early discontinuation and non-adherence to upfront and extended adjuvant letrozole therapy in breast cancer patients. METHODS: Adherence was assessed using medical charts and longitudinal pharmacy records of 609 patients who initiated adjuvant letrozole between January 2002 and April 2011. A Cox proportional hazards regression model was adopted to identify potential predictors of non-adherence. RESULTS: The overall adherence rate after 1 year of therapy was 79.5%, with cumulative rates declining to 63.7% after 3 years and 57.1% after 5 years. A significantly lower rate of adherence in the extended adjuvant group was observed compared with the upfront adjuvant group (49.0 vs. 72.5%, p < 0.001). Adverse events (50.4%) were the major cause of early discontinuation, with musculoskeletal pain (73.2%) being the single most cited reason. Additional factors correlating with non-adherence in the upfront adjuvant group included a delay in initiation of adjuvant hormone therapy, breast-conserving surgery, calcium supplements, bisphosphonate therapy and concomitant medication for co-morbidity. CONCLUSIONS: We observed that approximately 57% of patients fully adhered to letrozole therapy over a 5-year treatment period, and that the adherence to extended letrozole was meaningfully lower than the upfront adjuvant letrozole in a clinical practice setting.