Objectives: The objectives of this study were to determine the prevalence of sleep paralysis (SP) in medical students from the University of Buenos Aires (UBA). Materials and Methods: An ad hoc questionnaire based on the diagnosis of SP and a demographic survey was electronically presented to students of Internal Medicine at the School of Medicine of the UBA. The respondents answered both questionnaires using Google Forms®. Results: The prevalence of SP was 40.7% (95% CI 33.5-47.8). A higher percentage of the respondents (76%) reported experiencing SP-related anxiety. An association between self-perceived quality of sleep and the incidence of SP was found (χ2: 12.712, P = 0.002). The highest frequency was hypnopompic SP (55.55%), and the highest percentage (55.4%) suffered from SP less than once every 6 months. Most respondents (59.5%) reported having started with SP symptoms after 18 years of age, and the highest percentage (66.2%) had exacerbated their symptoms at college. The frequency of the Incubus phenomenon was 14.5% (95% CI 6.2-23). Most respondents (70.8%) denied the association of SP with religious or paranormal beliefs. Conclusion: SP is highly prevalent in medical students and is associated with poor sleep habits and perceived poor sleep quality. Clinicians should be aware of this parasomnia to avoid a misdiagnosis of psychosis and inform sufferers of the nature of SP.
BACKGROUND: Catatonia is a cluster of motor features present in multiple psychiatric and clinical diseases. It may be confused with delirium because both entities are classified according to the type and degree of psychomotor activity. The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition, criteria for catatonia secondary to medical conditions exclude comorbid catatonia and delirium; besides, there have been increasing reports about a comorbid presentation. This study aimed to describe the prevalence of comorbid catatonia and delirium, the therapeutic response to lorazepam, and the clinical characteristics of patients with an earlier diagnosis of delirium. METHODS: A total of 120 consecutive patients at a university hospital with an earlier diagnosis of delirium were evaluated using the Delirium Scale (confusion assessment method for the intensive care unit) and the Bush-Francis Catatonia Rating Scale for catatonia. In cases of a positive diagnosis of catatonia or catatonia/delirium, a therapeutic trial with intramuscular lorazepam was performed. FINDINGS: Thirty-one patients (26%) were positive for both catatonia and delirium, and 8 patients (7%) had catatonia. Sixty-six patients (55%) were positive only for delirium, and 5 patients (4%) were negative for delirium and catatonia. Lorazepam tests were applied on 22 patients. One in 9 patients with catatonia/delirium responded positively to lorazepam. Patients with catatonia had a 60% positive response rate. CONCLUSIONS: This is the first study on lorazepam use in catatonia-delirium patients; however, further studies are needed to determine the safety and efficacy of lorazepam in these patients. Catatonia and catatonia/delirium are underdiagnosed in inpatient wards and should be routinely assessed in patients with an altered mental status.
Catatonia , Delirium , Humans , Catatonia/diagnosis , Catatonia/drug therapy , Catatonia/epidemiology , Lorazepam/therapeutic use , Inpatients , Prevalence , Comorbidity , Hospitals , Delirium/diagnosis , Delirium/drug therapy , Delirium/epidemiology
El suicidio en adolescentes representa una problemática de salud de suma importancia en la sociedad. El presente trabajo analiza los factores de riesgo asociados a la conducta suicida, sus correlaciones fisiopatológicas y su tratamiento con carbonato de litio. Los factores de riesgo asociados incluyen: el estrés, las crisis vitales propias de la población de estudio, y factores externos como el uso de pantallas y consumo de medios de comunicación. A su vez, las patologías psiquiátricas de base, en especial el trastorno depresivo mayor, se relacionan de manera positiva con conductas suicidas en adolescentes. Las conductas suicidas estarían vinculadas con cambios morfológicos y moleculares en el sistema nervioso. Los estados proinflamatorios mediados principalmente por la enzima glucógeno sintasa quinasa 3 beta (GSK3 ), se observarían con mayor frecuencia en sujetos con conductas suicidas. A su vez, la disminución de la expresión del factor neurotrófico derivado del cerebro (BDNF) a nivel central predispondría a mayor incidencia de suicidio. La alteración del tono serotoninérgico central sería otro factor de riesgo de suicidio en adolescentes. Las alteraciones serotoninérgicas se vincularían con conductas suicidas de tipo violentas, agresivas e impulsivas, con alta prevalencia en población adolescente. El presente trabajo muestra que el efecto anti-suicida del litio estaría mediado por la inhibición de la GSK3 , como así también por el aumento del tono serotoninérgico. De esta forma el litio disminuiría el estado proinflamatorio central, generaría un aumento de BDNF (con incremento de la supervivencia neuronal), con la subsecuente modulación de la respuesta serotoninérgica. Dada la alta prevalencia de suicidio en dicha población, es necesario contar con opciones terapéuticas eficaces y seguras, respaldados por ensayos clínicos que respalden su uso.
Suicide in adolescents represents a critical health problem in society. The present work analyzes the risk factors associated with suicidal behavior, their pathophysiological correlations, and their treatment with lithium carbonate. Associated risk factors include stress, vital crises typical of the study population, and external factors such as the use of screens and consumption of communication media. In turn, primary psychiatric pathologies, especially major depressive disorder, are positively related to suicidal behaviors in adolescents. Suicidal behaviors would be linked to morphological and molecular changes in the nervous system. Pro-inflammatory states mediated mainly by the enzyme glycogen synthase kinase 3 beta (GSK3 ) would be observed more frequently in subjects with suicidal behaviors. In turn, decreased expression of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) at the central level would predispose to a higher incidence of suicide. The alteration of the central serotonergic tone would be another risk factor for suicide in adolescents. Serotonergic alterations would be associated with violent, aggressive and impulsive suicidal behaviors, with a high prevalence in the adolescent population.The anti-suicidal effect of lithium might be mediated by the inhibition of GSK3 , as well as the increase in serotonergic tone. In this way, lithium might decrease the central pro-inflammatory state, generate an increase in BDNF (with increased neuronal survival), and subsequently modify the serotonergic response. Given the high prevalence of suicide in this population, it is necessary to have effective and safe therapeutic options supported by clinical trials that support their use.
Humans , Adolescent , Suicide/prevention & control , Therapeutics/methods , Risk Factors , Lithium Compounds/therapeutic use , Suicidal Ideation
El síndrome de fatiga crónica es una enfermedad caracterizada, principalmente, por la manifestación de la fatiga, el dolor muscular difuso, y alteraciones en el sueño, en un periodo de no menos de 6 meses y que no son explicables por alguna causa. Es llamativo que, luego de un periodo de tiempo de padecer la COVID-19, los pacientes presenten síntomas similares a los hallados en el síndrome de fatiga crónica. A esta afección se la denomino síndrome pos-COVID. Los virus son los principales sospechosos en la aparición de ambos síndromes, estos podrían ocasionar la generación de daño mitocondrial, una neuroinflamación, alteración en el sistema glinfático o la disfunción en el eje hipotálamo-pituitario-adrenal entre otros. Dichos mecanismos serían los implicados en la aparición de los síntomas que padecen los pacientes con estos síndromes. El objetivo de esta revisión literaria es analizar y describir los posibles mecanismos que explicarían la manifestación de los síntomas del síndrome de fatiga crónica en los pacientes que hayan sufrido la COVID-19. Hasta el momento no existen tratamientos totalmente efectivos para erradicar los síntomas en ambos síndromes. Dado el abanico de síntomas que padecen estos pacientes, el enfoque terapéutico debe ser interdisciplinario para tratar de mejorar su calidad de vida.
Humans , Quality of Life , Fatigue Syndrome, Chronic/etiology , Fatigue Syndrome, Chronic/prevention & control , Fatigue Syndrome, Chronic/therapy , Chronic Disease/therapy , Cognition Disorders/therapy , Mitochondrial Diseases/pathology , Diagnosis, Differential , Glymphatic System , Anosmia/therapy , COVID-19/complications
Esta obra abordalas urgencias psiquiatricas, la farmacologia y el Derecho de los pacientes, nos brinda la comprension de los casos clinicos, que un medico debe atender, desarrollandos cuadros del como es importnte, la forma del abordaje al paciente, con palabras concisa y de facil lectura
Male , Female , Humans , Adolescent , Mental Health/education , Mental Health , Mental Health/statistics & numerical data , Mental Health/classification , Mental Health/ethnology , Mental Health/standards , Mental Health/trends
