Increased prevalence of impulse control disorder symptoms in endocrine diseases treated with dopamine agonists: a cross-sectional study.

INTRODUCTION: Impulse control disorders (ICDs) have been described as a side effect of dopamine agonists (DAs) in neurological as well as endocrine conditions. Few studies have evaluated the neuropsychological effect of DAs in hyperprolactinemic patients, and these have reported a relationship between DAs and ICDs. Our objective was to screen for ICD symptoms in individuals with DA-treated endocrine conditions. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A cross-sectional analysis was conducted on 132 patients with pituitary disorders treated with DAs (DA exposed), as well as 58 patients with pituitary disorders and no history of DA exposure (non-DA exposed). Participants responded to the full version of the Questionnaire for Impulsive-Compulsive Disorders in Parkinson's disease (QUIP). RESULTS: Compared with the non-DA-exposed group, a higher prevalence of DA-exposed patients tested positive for symptoms of any ICD or related behavior (52% vs. 31%, p < 0.01), any ICD (46% vs. 24%, p < 0.01), any related behavior (31% vs. 17%, p < 0.05), compulsive sexual behavior (27% vs. 14%, p < 0.04), and punding (20% vs. 7%, p < 0.02) by QUIP. On univariate analysis, DA treatment was associated with a two- to threefold increased risk of any ICD or related behavior [odds ratio (OR) 2.43] and any ICD (OR 2.70). In a multivariate analysis, independent risk factors for any ICD or related behavior were DA use (adjusted OR 2.22) and age (adjusted OR 6.76). Male gender was predictive of the risk of hypersexuality (adjusted OR 3.82). DISCUSSION: Despite the QUIP limitations, a clear sign of increased risk of ICDs emerges in individuals with DA-treated pituitary disorders. Our data contribute to the growing evidence of DA-induced ICDs in endocrine conditions.

Increased risk of impulse control symptoms in Parkinson's disease with REM sleep behaviour disorder.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the frequency of symptoms of impulse control disorders (ICD, namely pathological gambling, compulsive sexual behaviour, compulsive eating and compulsive shopping) and related behaviours (hobbyism, punding, walkabout and dopamine dysregulation syndrome) in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) with and without probable rapid eye movement, sleep behaviour disorder (pRBD). METHODS: Two hundred and sixteen consecutive PD patients, attending two university-based movement disorders clinics, were screened for p-RBD using the RBD Single Question and the RBD Screening Questionnaire (RBDSQ). Current ICDs and related behaviours symptoms were assessed with the Questionnaire for Impulsive-Compulsive Disorders in PD (QUIP)-short form. RESULTS: PD-pRBD patients (n=106/216;49%) had a longer PD duration, a higher Hoehn & Yahr score, a greater levodopa-equivalent daily dose (LEDD), but no difference in dopamine agonist use, compared to PD-without pRBD. A higher proportion of one or more current ICDs and related behaviours symptoms was reported in PD-pRBD compared to PD-without RBD (53% vs28%; p=0.0002). In a multivariate regression analysis accounting for gender, age of onset, PD duration, PD severity, depression score and total and dopaminergic agonist-LEDD, RBD was associated to a relative risk of 1.84 for any ICD or related behaviours symptoms (p=0.01), and to a risk of 2.59 for any ICD symptoms only (p=0.001). Furthermore, PD-pRBD had a more than fourfold risk for symptoms of pathological gambling (relative risk (RR): 4.87; p=0.049) compared to PD-without pRBD. CONCLUSIONS: The present study indicates that RBD is associated with an increased risk of developing symptoms of ICDs in PD. Identifying RBD in PD may help clinicians to choose the best therapeutic strategy. TRIAL REGISTRATION: AU1023 Institutional Ethics Committee.

Sleep improvement with levodopa/carbidopa intestinal gel infusion in Parkinson disease.

BACKGROUND: Sleep disorders are common in patients with advanced Parkinson's disease (PD). Nocturnal akinesia and sleep fragmentation frequently coexist with daytime sleepiness, influencing daytime functioning. Levodopa/carbidopa intestinal gel (LCIG) infusion has been shown to improve motor complications in advanced PD, and preliminary findings suggest that sleep might improve following LCIG infusion. OBJECTIVE: To analyze the impact of LCIG infusion on sleep symptoms and daytime sleepiness in patients with PD. METHODS: Twelve consecutive patients with PD completed the PD-Sleep-Scale-version-2 (PDSS-2) and the Epworth-Sleepiness-Scale (ESS) at baseline and after 2-4 months of LCIG treatment. Activities of daily living, motor symptoms and complications were assessed with the Unified-PD-rating-Scale section II, III, and IV. RESULTS: Nocturnal sleep improved substantially in all patients switched to LCIG infusion. PDSS-2 total score and subscores for 'Disturbed sleep', 'Motor symptoms at night', and 'PD symptoms at night' were significantly reduced. ESS measures of daytime sleepiness also improved. Motor complications and activities of daily living improved significantly with LCIG. CONCLUSION: Subjective measures of sleep quality and daytime sleepiness improve in patients with advanced PD undergoing LCIG infusion. Further studies with a larger number of patients and polysomnographic recordings are needed to confirm the beneficial effect on sleep and clarify the underlying mechanisms.

Effect of iron supplementation in women with chronic cough and iron deficiency.

AIMS: Chronic cough is more frequent and severe in women than in men. Women often have decreased iron stores, because of menses and pregnancies. We investigated if iron deficiency has a role in chronic cough by increasing airway sensitivity to inhaled irritants. METHODS: Twenty-two non-smoking women with chronic unexplained cough and iron deficiency (serum ferritin below 15 ng/ml) were examined in baseline, after 2 months empiric treatment with anti H1-histaminic drug and proton pump inhibitor, and after iron supplementation (330-660 mg iron sulphate tablets daily) for 2 months. Outcome measures were cough visual analogue scale (VAS), and histamine thresholds of the larynx (PC25MIF50, concentration causing 25% in MIF50), bronchi (PC20FEV1) and cough (PC5cough). RESULTS: Mean serum ferritin was 9.3 ng/ml (95% CI 7.7-10.9), 13 patients had mild anaemia. All the patients had laryngeal and cough hyperresponsiveness,12 had also bronchial hyperresponsiveness. Empiric treatment produced no significant effect, whereas iron supplementation improved cough VAS from 4.03 (3.6-4.47) to 2.6 (1.9-3.27), p < 0.0001, PC20FEV1 from 10.04 mg/ml (5.37-18.77) to 22.2 (11.7-41.8), p < 0.001, PC25MIF50 from 3.09 mg/ml (1.9-4.9) to 11.9 (7.3-19.4), p < 0.001 and PC5cough from 2.1 mg/ml (1.2-3.6) to 8.8 (5.2-15.1), p < 0.001. CONCLUSION: In women with unexplained chronic cough unresponsive to targeted treatment, airway and cough hyperresponsiveness may be sustained by iron deficiency. Healthy women with chronic cough should be checked for iron deficiency as iron repletion may resolve such disturbing symptom.

The structured assessment of depression in brain-damaged individuals: translation and validation study of the Italian version.

The aim of this study was to translate the structured assessment of depression in brain-damaged individuals (SADBD) questionnaire into the Italian language, validate, and test reliability and validity of the Italian version. Consecutive patients with stroke were screened in the Department of Neurology, Avogadro University in Novara and the Department of Neurorehabilitation, Maugeri Foundation, Veruno, Italy. Thirty patients were included in the study. The internal consistency ranged between 0.78 and 0.87. The intra-rater test-retest reliability was 0.93 for BDIderived items and 0.82 for HRSD-derived items; while the inter-rater test-retest reliability was 0.94 for BDI-derived items and 0.93 for HRSD-derived items. Correlation between the SADBD diagnosis made by the physician and the nurse was 0.51; correlation between caregiver and physician diagnosis was 0.60. The Italian version of the SADBD was demonstrated to be acceptable, reliable and a valid measure of depression in patients with stroke.

Hypnic headache syndrome: association of the attacks with REM sleep.

We describe the polysomnographic data of two patients with nocturnal headache attacks fulfilling the clinical criteria for hypnic headache syndrome. Two overnight polysomnographic studies were performed in each patient. Four nocturnal headache attacks were captured, all emerging from the REM phase of sleep. Our findings suggest a close relationship between the REM phase of sleep and the appearance of hypnic headache attacks.

Interactions between anticonvulsant and psychoactive drugs.

This review considers the relevance of pharmacokinetic interactions between antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) and psychoactive drugs in the treatment of mood disorders in patients with epilepsy. The determination of plasma levels of some of these drugs (mainly the AEDs) has enabled clinicians to evaluate the kinetic modifications during the course of such combined therapies and to adjusting the dosages in cases of subtherapeutic or toxic levels. In general, phenobarbital, phenytoin, and carbamazepine stimulate the catabolic degradation of tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs), and TCAs have an inhibitory effect on the elimination of AEDs. The newer antidepressants that selectively inhibit the reuptake of serotonin (SSRIs), although in different fashions for the different substances (fluoxetine, fluvoxamine, paroxetine) may cause an increase of plasma AED levels through inhibition of the isoenzyme P450 2D6. Similarly, antipsychotics (APs) are more rapidly metabolized when AEDs are co-administered, whereas AED metabolism is scarcely influenced by AP. Finally, plasma levels of tranquilizers are lowered by AED co-therapy. As the concomitant administration of AED and psychoactive drugs becomes increasingly used for treatment of mood disorders in patients with or without epilepsy, therapeutic drug monitoring may be useful in designing correct and rational therapy.

Stroke and depression: clinical features and treatment.

CONCLUSION: Cerebrovascular diseases are associated with a high incidence of depressive disorder, but despite this high level of comorbidity, depression appears to go largely unrecognized and untreated. This problem may have serious consequences as depressive disorder worsens the prognosis eitherquoad vitam orquoad valetudinem, increases medical costs, and delays the return to work or to a normal social functioning. If previous treatments with traditional antidepressants such as TCAs were difficult in these patients because of the known cardiovascular and anticholinergic side effects, new antide-pressants (such as SSRIs, noradrenergic and specific serotonine antidepressants (NaSSAs), noradrenergic reuptake inhibitors (NARIs) may offer therapeutic advantages as they have little or no effect on cardiac conduction, only transient or no effect on orthostatic hypotension, and no effect on cognitive performances.

Lack of association between vigabatrin and impaired cognition.

Of 14 patients with a history of partial epilepsy who received vigabatrin 2 g daily for 6 months, eight were newly diagnosed and received vigabatrin as monotherapy, while the remaining six received vigabatrin in addition to pre-existing treatment with phenobarbitone. Neurophysiological and neuropsychological evaluations, done before and after the therapeutic period, included the Luria-Nebraska neuropsychological battery (LNNB), electroencephalograms (EEGs) and evoked potentials. The results for each item of the test battery at baseline were compared with those after 6 months' treatment. There were no statistically significant differences on the functional scales of the LNNB, the EEG or the evoked potentials. There was a significant improvement (P = 0.01) in the LNNB topographic scales for the right frontal lobe and the motor-sensory area following treatment. These results indicate that vigabatrin has no detrimental effects on cognitive function and may improve function.

[Rubidium chloride in the treatment of major depression]. / Il cloruro di rubidio nel trattamento della depressione maggiore.

The present study evaluated 20 patients (18 females and 2 males: mean age 55 +/- 8.8 years) suffering from major depression who had been treated with 360/720 mg/die rubidium chloride for 60 days. A gradual and significant improvement in depressive symptoms (HDRS and Zung Scale) and anxiety (Stai X1 and HamARS) was reported. Serum levels were not correlated to clinical improvement. Slight adverse effects were also observed (diarrhea and skin rashes). Rubidium chloride showed a marked and rapid anti-depressive action which was particularly evident in relation to mood, anti-conservative ideas, work, occupational interests and psychomotory slowing-down. It is clear that these symptoms represent the most important aspects of the polymorphous depressive syndrome and, in some ways, this improvement should be interpreted as the effective influence of the drug on the biological contest of mood changes.

Clinical outcome and emotional-behavioural status after isolated coronary surgery.

In order to evaluate clinical and psychosocial results of isolated coronary artery by-pass graft (CABG) we studied 626 consecutive patients, mean age 61 +/- 8 years (86% men), in a follow-up (median: 58 months) with a complete questionnaire about cardiosurgical problems (post-operative vital status, angina relapse, infarction, heart failure, PTCA, redo, PM) and psychosocial variables (mood, irritableness, job satisfaction, hobby satisfaction, family relations, sexual activity, general well-being and work status). Global evaluation improvement of psychosocial variables was found in 71% of patients without cardiac events (group A) and 11% of patients with cardiac events (group B); worsening was found in 2% of group A and 1% of group B; no referred variations in 13% and 2% respectively (p < or = 0.05. Interests (in work, hobbies and sexual activities) demonstrate an improvement in 20% (group A) and 2% (group B); worsening in 12% (group A) and 4% (group B); no variations in 51% (group A) and 11% (group B) (p < or = 0.005). Patients reported a well-being evaluation improvement about 66% in the group returning to work without restriction, 13% in those with limitation, 6% no further working; worse or unchanged well-being evaluation was found in 9% of patients returning to work without restriction, 3% with limitation, 3% no further working (p < or = 0.001).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)