Prevalence of ictal injuries in functional (psychogenic nonepileptic) seizures: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVE: Ictal injuries have long been considered typical signs of epileptic seizures. However, studies have shown that patients with functional seizures (FS)-also named psychogenic nonepileptic seizures-can also present these signs, misleading physicians and delaying a correct diagnosis. This systematic review aimed to assess the prevalence of injuries from FS. METHODS: A literature search was performed in PubMed, Embase, LILACS (Latin American and Caribbean Health Sciences Literature), Scopus, Web of Science, PsycINFO, Google Scholar, OpenGrey, and ProQuest. Observational studies were included. The risk of bias was assessed using the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) checklist for studies reporting prevalence data. RStudio was used for meta-analyses. Cumulative evidence was evaluated according to Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) criteria. RESULTS: From the 2607 identified records, 41 studies were included in the qualitative synthesis, and 28 were included in meta-analyses. A meta-analysis of 13 studies, including 1673 individuals, resulted in an overall lifetime prevalence of injuries due to FS per person of 25% (95% confidence interval [CI] = 19%-32%, I2 = 88%). Considering a limited period (video-electroencephalographic [VEEG] monitoring days), a meta-analysis of 13 studies, including 848 individuals, resulted in an injury prevalence due to FS per person of .7% (95% CI = 0%-3%, I2 = 73%). Also, a meta-analysis of eight studies, including 1000 individuals, resulted in a prevalence of injuries per FS of .1% (95% CI = 0%-.98%, I2 = 49%). The certainty in cumulative evidence assessed by GRADE was rated "very low" for lifetime prevalence of injuries per person, "low" for prevalence per person during VEEG monitoring, and "moderate" for prevalence per number of FS. SIGNIFICANCE: Overall pooled lifetime prevalence of injuries due to FS per person was 25%. In comparison, the prevalence of injuries per person during VEEG monitoring and per functional seizure was .7% and .1%, respectively. [Correction added on 07 October 2023, after first online publication: In the preceding sentence, 'consecutively' was corrected to 'respectively'.] The evidence of the occurrence of injuries due to FS breaks the paradigm that epileptic seizures can cause injuries but FS cannot.

Predictors of meaningful improvement in quality of life after temporal lobe epilepsy surgery: A prospective study.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate prospectively the independent predictors of a minimum clinically important change (MCIC) in quality of life (QOL) after anterior temporal lobectomy (ATL) for drug-resistant mesial temporal lobe epilepsy related to hippocampal sclerosis (MTLE-HS) in Brazilian patients. METHODS: Multiple binary logistic regression analysis was performed to identify the clinical, demographic, radiologic, and electrophysiologic variables independently associated with MCIC in the Quality of Life in Epilepsy-31 Inventory (QOLIE-31) overall score 1 year after ATL in 77 consecutive patients with unilateral MTLE-HS. RESULTS: The overall QOLIE-31 score and all its subscale scores increased significantly (p < 0.0001) 1 year after ATL. In the final logistic regression model, absence of presurgical diagnosis of depression (adjusted odds ratio [OR] 4.4, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.1-16.1, p = 0.02) and a complete postoperative seizure control (adjusted OR 4.1, 95% CI 1.2-14.5, p = 0.03) were independently associated with improvement equal to or greater than the MCIC in QOL after ATL. The overall model accuracy for MCIC improvement in the QOL was 85.6%, with a 95.2% of sensitivity and 46.7% of specificity. SIGNIFICANCE: These results in Brazilian patients reinforce the external validation of previous findings in Canadian patients showing that presurgical depression and complete seizure control after surgery are independent predictors for meaningful improvement in QOL after ATL, and have implications for the surgical management of MTLE patients.

Decline in word-finding: The objective cognitive finding most relevant to patients after mesial temporal lobe epilepsy surgery.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to investigate the following: i) the objective impairment in neuropsychological tests that were associated with the subjective perception of cognitive function decline in Brazilian patients who underwent mesial temporal lobe epilepsy (MTLE) surgery and ii) the predictive variables for those impaired objective neuropsychological tests. METHODS: Forty-eight adults with MTLE (27 right HS and 23 male) were divided according to their perception of changes (Decline or No-decline) of cognitive function domain of the QOLIE-31 questionnaire applied before and 1year after the ATL. The mean (SD) of changes in the raw score difference of the neuropsychological tests before and after the ATL was compared between Decline and No-decline groups. Receiver Operating Characteristic curves, sensitivity, specificity, and predictive values were used to assess the optimum cutoff points of neuropsychological test score changes to predict patient-reported subjective cognitive decline. KEY FINDINGS: Six (12.5%) patients reported a perception of cognitive function decline after ATL. Among the 25 cognitive tests analyzed, only changes in the Boston Naming Test (BNT) were associated with subjective cognitive decline reported by patients. A reduction of ≥8 points in the raw score of BNT after surgery had 91% of sensitivity and 45% specificity for predicting subjective perception of cognitive function decline by the patient. Left side surgery and age older than 40years were more associated with an important BNT reduction with overall accuracy of 91.7%, 95% predictive ability for no impairment, and 75% for impairment of cognitive function. SIGNIFICANCE: Impairment in word-finding seems to be the objective cognitive finding most relevant to Brazilian patients after mesial temporal lobe epilepsy surgery. Similar to American patients, the side of surgery and age are good predictors for no decline in the BNT, but shows a lower accuracy to predict its decline. If replicated in other populations, the results may have wider implications for the surgical management of patients with drug-resistant MTLE.

Variables associated with physical health-related quality of life in Parkinson's disease patients presenting for deep brain stimulation.

Deep brain stimulation (DBS) benefits Parkinson's disease (PD) patient's quality of life specially in domains as mobility, activities of daily living (ADL) and bodily discomfort (BD), but little is known about the variables associated with these HRQOL domains in patients presenting for DBS. The objective is to evaluate variables associated with of HRQOL in a Brazilian sample of PD patients presenting for DBS treatment, specifically in the domains related with motor symptoms. In a cross-sectional study of 59 PD patients evaluated at outpatient Unit for Movement Disorders, multiple linear regression analysis was performed to identify independent variables associated with mobility, ADL and BD domains of the 39-item Parkinson's disease questionnaire (PDQ-39). UPDRS III "on" scores, duration of the disease, age, presence of comorbidities and anxiety and depressive symptoms quantified by hospital anxiety and depression scale (HADS), were the independent variables. In our results, HADS scores were independently associated to mobility domain: ß coefficient 1.36 (95 % CI 0.55-2.15) and BD domain: ß coefficient 1.57 (95 % CI 0.67-2.48). UPDRS III "on" scores were independently associated to mobility domain: 0.42 (95 % CI 0.03-0.81). The model of each multiple linear regression analysis explains 25 % of the mobility domain variability (p < 0.01) and 24 % of the BD domain variability (p < 0.01). Psychiatric symptoms were at least as relevant to quality of life as motor symptoms in PD patients presenting for DBS treatment. The effect of treating these psychiatric symptoms on patients' HRQOL deserves further investigation.

Validation of diagnostic tests for depressive disorder in drug-resistant mesial temporal lobe epilepsy.

PURPOSE: This study aimed to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HRSD), the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale-Depression subscale (HADS-D) as diagnostic tests for depressive disorder in drug-resistant mesial temporal lobe epilepsy with hippocampal sclerosis (MTLE-HS). METHODS: One hundred three patients with drug-resistant MTLE-HS were enrolled. All patients underwent a neurological examination, interictal and ictal video-electroencephalogram (V-EEG) analyses, and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Psychiatric interviews were based on DSM-IV-TR criteria and ILAE Commission of Psychobiology classification as a gold standard; HRSD, BDI, HADS, and HADS-D were used as psychometric diagnostic tests, and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were used to determine the optimal threshold scores. RESULTS: For all the scales, the areas under the curve (AUCs) were approximately 0.8, and they were able to identify depression in this sample. A threshold of ≥9 on the HRSD and a threshold of ≥8 on the HADS-D showed a sensitivity of 70% and specificity of 80%. A threshold of ≥19 on the BDI and HADS-D total showed a sensitivity of 55% and a specificity of approximately 90%. The instruments showed a negative predictive value of approximately 87% and a positive predictive value of approximately 65% for the BDI and HADS total and approximately 60% for the HRSD and HADS-D. CONCLUSIONS: HRSD≥9 and HADS-D≥8 had the best balance between sensitivity (approximately 70%) and specificity (approximately 80%). However, with these thresholds, these diagnostic tests do not appear useful in identifying depressive disorder in this population with epilepsy, and their specificity (approximately 80%) and PPV (approximately 55%) were lower than those of the other scales. We believe that the BDI and HADS total are valid diagnostic tests for depressive disorder in patients with MTLE-HS, as both scales showed acceptable (though not high) specificity and PPV for this type of study.

How predictable is the erectile function of patients with epilepsy?

INTRODUCTION: Erectile dysfunction (ED) is often reported by patients with epilepsy and may be related to endocrine system abnormalities, side effects of antiepileptic drugs, psychiatric comorbidities, and family or social difficulties. AIMS: This study aimed to identify independent predictor factors for ED in patients with epilepsy. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: the five-question form of the International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF-5). METHODS: Independent predictive factors for ED evaluated by the IIEF-5 questionnaire in 36 patients (mean age: 39 years) with focal epilepsy (mean: 6 seizures/month) were identified by multiple linear regression analysis. RESULTS: Eight (21.1%) patients were asymptomatic. Among the symptomatic patients, 11 (28.9%) had mild dysfunction, 10 (26.3%) had moderate dysfunction, and 9 (23.7%) showed severe ED. The multiple linear regression model including family income (B=0.005; p=0.05), education levels in years (B=0.54; p=0.03), depressive symptoms determined by HADS depression subscale (B=-0.49; p=0.03), and prolactin levels (B=-0.45; p=0.07) showed a moderate association (r=0.64) with the IIEF questionnaire and explained 41% (r(2)=0.41) of its variation. CONCLUSIONS: Erectile dysfunction is highly prevalent in patients with focal epilepsies. Education, depressive symptoms, and prolactin levels can predict erectile dysfunction in up to 41% of patients with epilepsy. This preliminary report justifies further efforts to make a large sample size study to identify independent biomarkers and therapeutic targets for ED treatment in patients with epilepsy.

Role of hormonal levels on hospital mortality for male patients with severe traumatic brain injury.

INTRODUCTION: Changes in hormone blood levels during the acute phase of traumatic brain injury (TBI) have been described in the literature. The objective was to investigate the association among several hormones plasma levels in the acute phase of severe TBI and the hospital mortality rate of male patients. METHODS: The independent association among plasma levels of TSH, LH, FSH, GH, free T4, cortisol, IGF-1 and total testosterone was measured 10 hours and 30 hours after severe TBI and the hospital mortality of 60 consecutive male patients was evaluated. RESULTS: At least one hormonal level abnormality was demonstrated in 3.6-73.1% of patients. The multiple logistic regressions showed a trend for an independent association among hospital mortality and normal or elevated LH levels measured at 10 hours (OR = 3.7, 95% CI = 0.8-16.3, p = 0.08) and 30 hours (OR = 3.9, 95% CI = 0.9-16.7, p = 0.06). Admission with abnormal pupils and a lower Glasgow Coma Score also were independently associated with hospital mortality. CONCLUSION: The hormonal changes are frequent in the acute phase of severe TBI. The hormones plasma levels, excepting the LH, are not highly consistent with the hospital mortality of male patients.

Cognitive Performance of Brazilian Patients With Favorable Outcomes After Severe Traumatic Brain Injury: A Prospective Study.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to investigate the cognitive performance of patients with favorable outcomes, determined by the Glasgow Outcome Scale, 1 yr after hospital discharge due to severe traumatic brain injury. DESIGN: This was a prospective case-control study. From 163 consecutive adult patients with severe traumatic brain injury included in the study, 73 patients had a favorable outcome (Glasgow Outcome Scale score of 4 or 5) 1 yr after hospital discharge and were eligible for the cognitive evaluation, of which 28 completed the evaluations. The latter were compared with 44 healthy controls. RESULTS: The average loss of cognitive performance among participants with traumatic brain injury varied between 13.35% and 43.49% compared with the control group. Between 21.4% and 32% of the patients performed below the 10th percentile on three language tests and two verbal memory tests, whereas 39% to 50% performed below this threshold on one language test and three memory tests. Longer hospital stay, older age, and lower education were the most important predictors of worse cognitive performance. CONCLUSION: One year after a severe traumatic brain injury, a significant proportion of Brazilian patients with the favorable outcome determined by Glasgow Outcome Scale still showed significant cognitive impairment in verbal memory and language domains.

Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale-Anxiety subscale (HADS-A) and The State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) accuracy for anxiety disorders detection in drug-resistant mesial temporal lobe epilepsy patients.

BACKGROUND: Mesial temporal lobe epilepsy with hippocampal sclerosis (MTLE-HS) is the most prevalent type of surgically remediable epilepsy and highly associated with psychiatric comorbidities. This study aimed to evaluate Hospital anxiety and depression scale-anxiety subscale (HADS-A) and The State-Trait Anxiety Inventory - Trait subscale (STAI-T) accuracy for detection of anxiety disorders in patients with drug-resistant MTLE-HS. METHODS: One hundred three consecutive patients with drug-resistant MTLE-HS were enrolled. Diagnosis was based on the anamnesis, neurological examination, video-electroencephalogram (VEEG) analyses, and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Psychiatric interviews were based on DSM-IV-TR criteria and ILAE Commission of Psychobiology classification as a gold standard; HADS-A and STAI-T were used as psychometric diagnostic tests, and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were used to determine the optimal threshold scores. RESULTS: The areas under the curve (AUCs) were higher than 0.7 (0.6-0.8) for both scales. The STAI-T cutoff point of ˃53 and the HADS-A cutoff point of ˃7 showed both around of 80% (44.4-97.7) sensitivity and 80% (66.9-86.9) and 60% (46.5-68.6) of specificity, respectively. In this sample the prevalence of anxiety disorders was 11.7% and both scales showed a high negative predictive value such as 96% (87.1-99.0) but low positive predictive value such as 30% (22.1-45.2) and 20% (15.0-27.2) respectively. LIMITATIONS: The small number of cases in the diagnostic population; the results are only applied to drug resistant MTLE-HS; the psychiatric diagnosis were not based on a structured psychiatric interview; possible observer bias in 7 illiterate patients; the antidepressant treatment was not controlled. CONCLUSIONS: In MTLE-HS, STAI-T and HADS-A had a similar and low positive predictive value and high negative predictive value. The implications for the HADS-A and STAI-T usefulness for anxiety disorders screening in patients with other epilepsies types deserve further investigations. If replicated in other populations, these findings may have important relevance for the presurgical screening of anxiety disorders in MTLE-HS patients who are candidates to epilepsy surgery.

Predictors of Hospital Mortality and the Related Burden of Disease in Severe Traumatic Brain Injury: A Prospective Multicentric Study in Brazil.

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a worldwide social, economic, and health problem related to premature death and long-term disabilities. There were no prospective and multicentric studies analyzing the predictors of TBI related mortality and estimating the burden of TBI in Brazil. To address this gap, we investigated prospectively: (1) the hospital mortality and its determinants in patients admitted with severe TBI we analyzed in three reference centers; (2) the burden of TBI estimated by the years of life lost (YLLs) due to premature death based on the hospital mortality considering the hospital mortality. Between April 2014 and January 2016 (22 months), all the 266 patients admitted with Glasgow coma scale (GCS), ≤ 8 admitted in three TBI reference centers were included in the study. These centers cover a population of 1,527,378 population of the Santa Catarina state, Southern Brazil. Most patients were male (n = 230, 86.5%), with a mean (SD) age of 38 (17) years. Hospital mortality was 31.1% (n = 83) and independently associated with older age, worse cranial CT injury by the Marshall classification, the presence of subarachnoid hemorrhage in the CT, lower GCS scores and abnormal pupils at admission. The final multiple logistic regression model including these variables showed an overall accuracy for hospital mortality of 77.9% (specificity 88.6%, sensitivity 53.8%, PPV 67.7%, and NPV 81.1%). The estimated annual incidence of hospitalizations and mortality due to severe TBI were 9.5 cases and 5.43 per 100,000 inhabitants, respectively. The estimated YLLs in 22 months, in the 2 metropolitan areas were 2,841, corresponding to 1,550 YLLs per year and 101.5 YLLs per 100,000 people every year. The hospital mortality did not change significantly since the end of the 1990s and was similar to other centers in Brazil and Latin America. Significant predictors of hospital mortality were the same as those of studies worldwide, but their strength of association seemed to differ according to countries income. Present study results question the extrapolation of TBI hospital mortality models for high income to lower- and middle-income countries and therefore have implications for TBI multicentric trials including countries with different income levels.

Luteinizing Hormone and Testosterone Levels during Acute Phase of Severe Traumatic Brain Injury: Prognostic Implications for Adult Male Patients.

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a worldwide core public health problem affecting mostly young male subjects. An alarming increase in incidence has turned TBI into a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in young adults as well as a tremendous resource burden on the health and welfare sector. Hormone dysfunction is highly prevalent during the acute phase of severe TBI. In particular, investigation of the luteinizing hormone (LH) and testosterone levels during the acute phase of severe TBI in male has identified a high incidence of low testosterone levels in male patients (36.5-100%) but the prognostic significance of which remains controversial. Two independent studies showed that normal or elevated levels of LH levels earlier during hospitalization are significantly associated with higher mortality/morbidity. The association between LH levels and prognosis was independent of other predictive variables such as neuroimaging, admission Glasgow coma scale, and pupillary reaction. The possible mechanisms underlying this association and further research directions in this field are discussed. Overall, current data suggest that LH levels during the acute phase of TBI might contribute to accurate prognostication and further prospective multicentric studies are required to develop more sophisticated predictive models incorporating biomarkers such as LH in the quest for accurate outcome prediction following TBI. Moreover, the potential therapeutic benefits of modulating LH during the acute phase of TBI warrant investigation.

Effects of ascorbic acid on anxiety state and affect in a non-clinical sample.

Objective Given that the literature data indicates that ascorbic acid may have an anxiolytic effect, we hypothesized that a single oral administration of ascorbic acid could acutely affect emotional states. Methods The effects of acid ascorbic supplementation on anxiety and other emotional states were evaluated by the State­Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI), and Visual Analogue Mood Scale (VAMS). Immediately before, and 2 hours after receiving a single ascorbic acid dose (1000 mg) or placebo, 142 graduate students were evaluated by the STAI and VAMS in a randomized, double­blind, placebo­controlled trial. Results No changes from basal levels were observed in the STAI state­anxiety or VAMS scores. However, the ingestion of ascorbic acid by the 25% more anxious healthy subjects (women; 14 control and 23 ascorbic acid), as defined by the STAI trait­anxiety scale, produced a significant reduction from baseline anxiety scores in the STAI state­anxiety scale and VAMS anxiety subscale. The study evaluated a small sample with narrow sociodemographic characteristics, composed mainly of healthy young females (> 94%) enrolled in post­graduation courses, without controlling diet, physical activity, and formal psychiatric diagnosis. CONCLUSIONS: Despite the sample size limitation, this study provides the first evidence of an acute anxiolytic effect of ascorbic acid. Broader population studies are required to evaluate the clinical relevance of presented data.

Moderate traumatic brain injury increases the vulnerability to neurotoxicity induced by systemic administration of 6-hydroxydopamine in mice.

Moderate traumatic brain injury (TBI) might increase the vulnerability to neuronal neurodegeneration, but the basis of such selective neuronal susceptibility has remained elusive. In keeping with the disruption of the blood-brain barrier (BBB) caused by TBI, changes in BBB permeability following brain injury could facilitate the access of xenobiotics into the brain. To test this hypothesis, here we evaluated whether TBI would increase the susceptibility of nigrostriatal dopaminergic fibers to the systemic administration of 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA), a classic neurotoxin used to trigger a PD-like phenotype in mice, but that in normal conditions is unable to cross the BBB. Adult Swiss mice were submitted to a moderate TBI using a free weight-drop device and, 5h later, they were injected intraperitoneally with a single dose of 6-OHDA (100mg/kg). Afterwards, during a period of 4weeks, the mice were submitted to a battery of behavioral tests, including the neurological severity score (NSS), the open field and the rotarod. Animals from the TBI plus 6-OHDA group displayed significant motor and neurological impairments that were improved by acute l-DOPA administration (25mg/kg, i.p.). Moreover, the observation of the motor deficits correlates with (i) a significant decrease in the tyrosine hydroxylase levels mainly in the rostral striatum and (ii) a significant increase in the levels of striatal glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) levels. On the whole, the present findings demonstrate that a previous moderate TBI event increases the susceptibility to motor, neurological and neurochemical alterations induced by systemic administration of the dopaminergic neurotoxin 6-OHDA in mice.

Trends in the prescription of clozapine in a psychiatric hospital: a 5-year observational study.

INTRODUCTION: Clozapine is a well-recognized effective treatment for some patients with treatment-resistant schizophrenia (TRS). Although it has potential benefits and approximately 30% of patients have a clinical indication for clozapine use, prescription rates are low. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate clozapine prescription trends over a 5-year period in a tertiary psychiatric hospital. METHODS: In this observational study, data prospectively collected by the Medical and Statistical File Service (Serviço de Arquivo Médico e Estatístico) and the Pharmacy Division of Instituto de Psiquiatria de Santa Catarina between January 2010 and December 2014 were summarized and analyzed by investigators blinded to data collection. The number of 100 mg clozapine pills dispensed by the Pharmacy Division to the inpatient units was the outcome and considered a proxy measure of clozapine prescriptions. The number of occupied inpatient unit beds and the number of patients admitted with F20-F29 (ICD-10) diagnoses during the study period were considered to be possible confounders. RESULTS: A multiple linear regression model showed that time in months was independently associated with an increase in the number of clozapine pills dispensed by the Pharmacy Division (ß coefficient = 15.82; 95% confidence interval 10.88-20.75). CONCLUSION: Clozapine prescriptions were found to have increased during the 5-year period studied, a trend that is opposite to reports from several other countries.

Limited predictive power of hospitalization variables for long-term cognitive prognosis in adult patients with severe traumatic brain injury.

OBJECTIVES: Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a main cause of mortality and morbidity. Association studies between hospitalization variables and cognitive impairment after TBI are frequently retrospective, including non-consecutive patients showing variable degrees of TBI severity, and poor management of missing (drop out) cases. METHODS: We assessed prospectively the demographic and hospitalization variables of 234 consecutive patients with severe TBI (admission Glasgow Coma Scale [GCS] ≤8) and determined their independent association with cognitive performance in a representative sample (n = 46) of surviving patients (n = 172) evaluated 3 (±1.8) years after hospitalization. RESULTS: In all, 85% of patients were male and the mean age was 34 (SD ±13) years. The education level was 9 (±4.7) years. As expected, education and age showed a moderately to strong linear relationship with the cognitive performance in 14 of 15 neuropsychological tests (R coefficient = 0.6-0.8). The cognitive test scores were not independently associated with gender, admission GCS, associated trauma, and Marshal CT classification. Admission-elevated blood glucose levels and the presence of sub-arachnoid haemorrhage were independently associated with lower scores on Rey Auditory Verbal Learning retention and Logical Memory-I tests, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: After correction for education and age distribution, the variables that are commonly associated with mortality or Glasgow Outcome Scale including admission pupils' examination, Marshal CT Classification, GCS, and serum glucose showed a limited predictive power for long-term cognitive prognosis. Identification of clinical, radiological, and laboratory variables as well as new biomarkers independently associated with cognitive outcome remains an important challenge for further work involving severe TBI patients.

Psychiatric disorders and health-related quality of life after severe traumatic brain injury: a prospective study.

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a major cause of death and disability and impairs health-related quality of life (HRQOL). Psychiatric disorders have been recognized as major components of TBI morbidity, yet few studies have addressed the relationship between these outcomes. Sample size, selection bias, and retrospective design, are methodological limitations for TBI-related psychiatric studies. For this study, 33 patients with severe TBI were evaluated prospectively regarding demographic, clinical, radiological, neurosurgical, laboratory, and psychosocial characteristics, as well as psychiatric manifestations and HRQOL, 18 months after hospitalization. Psychiatric manifestations were assessed using the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV Axis I Disorders (SCID-I), the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS), and the Apathy Evaluation Scale (AES). HRQOL was determined using the Medical Outcomes Study's 36-item Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36). Following TBI, a significant increase in the prevalence of major depressive disorder (MDD) and generalized anxiety disorder (p=0.02), and a significant decrease in the prevalence of alcohol and cannabinoid abuse (p=0.001) were observed. The most frequent psychiatric disorders following severe TBI were found to be MDD (30.3%), and personality changes (33.3%). In comparison to patients without personality changes, patients with personality changes experienced a decline in general health and impairments in physical and social functioning. Patients with MDD showed impairment in all SF-36 domains compared to non-depressed patients. This prospective TBI-related psychiatric study is the first to demonstrate a significant association between MDD, personality changes, and HRQOL, following severe TBI in a well-defined sample of patients.

Trends in the prescription of clozapine in a psychiatric hospital: a 5-year observational study / Tendência na prescrição de clozapina em um hospital psiquiátrico: estudo observacional de 5 anos

Abstract Introduction Clozapine is a well-recognized effective treatment for some patients with treatment-resistant schizophrenia (TRS). Although it has potential benefits and approximately 30% of patients have a clinical indication for clozapine use, prescription rates are low. Objective To evaluate clozapine prescription trends over a 5-year period in a tertiary psychiatric hospital. Methods In this observational study, data prospectively collected by the Medical and Statistical File Service (Serviço de Arquivo Médico e Estatístico) and the Pharmacy Division of Instituto de Psiquiatria de Santa Catarina between January 2010 and December 2014 were summarized and analyzed by investigators blinded to data collection. The number of 100 mg clozapine pills dispensed by the Pharmacy Division to the inpatient units was the outcome and considered a proxy measure of clozapine prescriptions. The number of occupied inpatient unit beds and the number of patients admitted with F20-F29 (ICD-10) diagnoses during the study period were considered to be possible confounders. Results A multiple linear regression model showed that time in months was independently associated with an increase in the number of clozapine pills dispensed by the Pharmacy Division (β coefficient = 15.82; 95% confidence interval 10.88-20.75). Conclusion Clozapine prescriptions were found to have increased during the 5-year period studied, a trend that is opposite to reports from several other countries.

Resumo Introdução Clozapina é um medicamento reconhecidamente eficaz para alguns pacientes com esquizofrenia refratária ao tratamento. Apesar dos seus potenciais benefícios e de sua indicação clínica para aproximadamente 30% dos pacientes, a frequência de prescrição de clozapina é baixa. Objetivos Avaliar a tendência na prescrição de clozapina durante um período de 5 anos em um hospital psiquiátrico. Métodos Neste estudo observacional, dados coletados prospectivamente pelo Serviço de Arquivo Médico e Estatístico e pela Divisão de Farmácia (DF) do Instituto de Psiquiatria de Santa Catarina foram analisados por pesquisadores cegos para a coleta de dados. O número de comprimidos de clozapina 100 mg dispensados pela DF às enfermarias foi considerado a variável dependente e a medida de prescrição de clozapina. Número de leitos de internação ocupados e número de pacientes admitidos com diagnósticos F20-F29 (CID-10) durante o período de estudo foram considerados possíveis confundidores. Resultados Após análise com modelo de regressão linear múltipla, tempo em meses foi independentemente associado com aumento do número de comprimidos de clozapina 100 mg dispensados pela DF (coeficiente β = 15,82; intervalo de confiança de 95% 10,88-20,75). Conclusão Houve um aumento na prescrição de clozapina durante o período de 5 anos estudado, uma tendência oposta à relatada em vários outros países.

Cognitive performance of long-term institutionalized elderly patients with schizophrenia: A case control study.

Cognitive impairment is inherent to the ageing process. Several studies suggest that patients with late-life schizophrenia have more marked cognitive impairment. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to compare the cognitive performance of elderly institutionalized patients with schizophrenia and institutionalized elderly control patients without neurological or psychiatric diseases, matched for age, educational level and institutionalization time. METHODS: The Cambridge Examination for Mental Disorders of the Elderly (CAMCOG) was used to test 10 institutionalized elderly patients with schizophrenia. Results were compared with those of 10 institutionalized control patients with history of Hansen's disease. RESULTS: Patients with schizophrenia showed a worse performance in terms of total CAMCOG score and on its subtests of orientation, language, abstraction, and memory (p≤0.05). Patients with schizophrenia also disclosed a non-significant trend toward lower scores on the MMSE and on calculus. CONCLUSION: Findings demonstrated that schizophrenia was associated to worse cognitive impairment in long-term institutionalized elderly patients compared with institutionalized patients without neurological or psychiatric diseases.

Prejuízo cognitivo é inerente ao processo de senescência. Estudos tem sugerido que pacientes idosos com esquizofrenia apresentam esse prejuízo de maneira mais acentuada. OBJETIVO: O objetivo deste estudo foi comparar o desempenho cognitivo de pacientes idosos com esquizofrenia, institucionalizados, com indivíduos idosos, institucionalizados, sem doenças neurológicas ou psiquiátricas, pareados pela idade, escolaridade e tempo de institucionalização. MÉTODOS: "Cambridge Examination for Mental Disorders of the Elderly" (CAMCOG) foi aplicado em 10 pacientes, institucionalizados, com esquizofrenia, cujo desempenho cognitivo foi comparado ao de 10 indivíduos, institucionalizados, com história de doença de Hansen. RESULTADOS: Pacientes com esquizofrenia apresentaram um pior desempenho na pontuação total do CAMCOG e em seus subitens orientação, linguagem, abstração e memória (p≤0.05). Pacientes com esquizofrenia também apresentaram uma tendência, não significativa, para menor pontuação no MEEM e cálculo. CONCLUSÃO: Nossos achados demonstram que a esquizofrenia está associada a piora do comprometimento cognitivo em pacientes idosos com institucionalização de longa permanência comparados a pacientes institucionalizados sem doenças neurológicas ou psiquiátricas.