One consensual depression diagnosis tool to serve many countries: a challenge! A RAND/UCLA methodology.

OBJECTIVE: From a systematic literature review (SLR), it became clear that a consensually validated tool was needed by European General Practitioner (GP) researchers in order to allow multi-centred collaborative research, in daily practice, throughout Europe. Which diagnostic tool for depression, validated against psychiatric examination according to the DSM, would GPs select as the best for use in clinical research, taking into account the combination of effectiveness, reliability and ergonomics? A RAND/UCLA, which combines the qualities of the Delphi process and of the nominal group, was used. GP researchers from different European countries were selected. The SLR extracted tools were validated against the DSM. The Youden index was used as an effectiveness criterion and Cronbach's alpha as a reliability criterion. Ergonomics data were extracted from the literature. Ergonomics were tested face-to-face. RESULTS: The SLR extracted 7 tools. Two instruments were considered sufficiently effective and reliable for use: the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale and the Hopkins Symptoms Checklist-25 (HSCL-25). After testing face-to-face, HSCL-25 was selected. A multicultural consensus on one diagnostic tool for depression was obtained for the HSCL-25. This tool will provide the opportunity to select homogeneous populations for European collaborative research in daily practice.

Which DSM validated tools for diagnosing depression are usable in primary care research? A systematic literature review.

INTRODUCTION: Depression occurs frequently in primary care. Its broad clinical variability makes it difficult to diagnose. This makes it essential that family practitioner (FP) researchers have validated tools to minimize bias in studies of everyday practice. Which tools validated against psychiatric examination, according to the major depression criteria of DSM-IV or 5, can be used for research purposes? METHOD: An international FP team conducted a systematic review using the following databases: Pubmed, Cochrane and Embase, from 2000/01/01 to 2015/10/01. RESULTS: The three databases search identified 770 abstracts: 546 abstracts were analyzed after duplicates had been removed (224 duplicates); 50 of the validity studies were eligible and 4 studies were included. In 4 studies, the following tools were found: GDS-5, GDS-15, GDS-30, CESD-R, HADS, PSC-51 and HSCL-25. Sensitivity, Specificity, Positive Predictive Value, Negative Predictive Value were collected. The Youden index was calculated. DISCUSSION: Using efficiency data alone to compare these studies could be misleading. Additional reliability, reproducibility and ergonomic data will be essential for making comparisons. CONCLUSION: This study selected seven tools, usable in primary care research, for the diagnosis of depression. In order to define the best tools in terms of efficiency, reproducibility, reliability and ergonomics for research in primary care, and for care itself, further research will be essential.

What research agenda could be generated from the European General Practice Research Network concept of Multimorbidity in Family Practice?

BACKGROUND: Multimorbidity is an intuitively appealing, yet challenging, concept for Family Medicine (FM). An EGPRN working group has published a comprehensive definition of the concept based on a systematic review of the literature which is closely linked to patient complexity and to the biopsychosocial model. This concept was identified by European Family Physicians (FPs) throughout Europe using 13 qualitative surveys. To further our understanding of the issues around multimorbidity, we needed to do innovative research to clarify this concept. The research question for this survey was: what research agenda could be generated for Family Medicine from the EGPRN concept of Multimorbidity? METHODS: Nominal group design with a purposive panel of experts in the field of multimorbidity. The nominal group worked through four phases: ideas generation phase, ideas recording phase, evaluation and analysis phase and a prioritization phase. RESULTS: Fifteen international experts participated. A research agenda was established, featuring 6 topics and 11 themes with their corresponding study designs. The highest priorities were given to the following topics: measuring multimorbidity and the impact of multimorbidity. In addition the experts stressed that the concept should be simplified. This would be best achieved by working in reverse: starting with the outcomes and working back to find the useful variables within the concept. CONCLUSION: The highest priority for future research on multimorbidity should be given to measuring multimorbidity and to simplifying the EGPRN model, using a pragmatic approach to determine the useful variables within the concept from its outcomes.

Correlation between denervation activity and compound muscle action potential amplitude in hereditary motor and sensory neuropathy I and II.

Studying the electrophysiological characteristics of the various types of Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease is important in the understanding of its pathophysiology. The purpose of this study was to identify the frequency of fibrillation potentials and positive sharp waves (FP/PWs) in HMSN I and II and, since they are indices of denervation, to elucidate whether they are correlated with the amplitude of compound muscle action potentials (CMAP). We reviewed the electrophysiological findings of 47 patients who have been studied in our hospital and found to suffer from Charcot-Marie-Tooth polyneuropathy. FP/PW were graded according to a 4-grade scale and the 38 m/sec criterion for motor conduction velocity (MCV) was used for distinction between HMSN I and II subgroups. Seventy percent of HMSN II patients and 81% of HMSN I patients showed fibrillation potentials in the upper or lower limbs. There was no difference in the frequency of FP/PW appearance between the two groups. In the HMSN II group the FP/PW grade correlated with CMAP amplitude in the upper limbs. In both groups there was no correlation between FP/PW grade and MCV. Our findings might indicate that in HMSN I there is a considerable axonal destruction that occurs concurrently with myelin loss.

Fasciculation potentials in healthy people.

The aim of this study was to investigate the fasciculation potentials (FPs) in the small-peripheral muscles of the foot and hand and the possible associated factors, in a healthy population. One hundred-twenty-two normal individuals (65 men and 57 women), aged 17-67 years (mean 39.96, SD=12.76) participated in the study. A special questionnaire consisting of 47 questions was devised as the basic instrument of the interview, which included the Hamilton anxiety rating scale. The extensor digitorum brevis (EDB), the flexor hallucis brevis (FHB) and the first dorsal interosseous (FDI) muscles were studied bilaterally using surface electrodes. In 94 (58 men and 36 women) from 122 participants (65 men and 57 women) FPs were recorded (men 89.2%, women 63.1%, all 77%). The mean FPs per minute and muscle, in all three muscles, was 8.0 (SD=4.6). More FPs were recorded in the muscles of foot than in FDI (p<0.01) and in FHB than in EDB (p<0.001). FPs were correlated to gender, body height and weight and to the score of the Hamilton scale (r2>0.1, p<0.01). The syndrome of benign FPs was observed in 2 men (1.6% of men). These results suggest that FPs are a very common phenomenon in the peripheral muscles of healthy persons.

Sensory nerve conduction studies of the less frequently examined nerves.

The normal values of latency, amplitude and conduction velocity of the sensory nerve action potentials of a group of infrequently or even rarely examined nerves, are reported. A number of preliminary testings was made in order to establish the most appropriate and practical stimulation and recording procedures for the study of the axillary, lateral antebrachial cutaneous, medial antebrachial cutaneous, lateral femoral cutaneous, saphenous, superficial peroneal and medial plantar nerves. The examination techniques and the normal data obtained from their application on 30 healthy subjects, 20 to 36 years of age, at constant skin temperature, are discussed and compared to those already existing in the available literature.

The tendon reflexes in the electrodiagnosis of sciatica.

In order to determine the diagnostic value of the electromyographically tested tendon reflexes (ETR) in lumbosacral radiculopathies, we compared the latency and amplitude of the knee (EKTR) and Achilles tendon reflex (EATR) to their clinical testing and to the EMG and H reflex values in 200 non selected patients (126 men, 74 women) aged 24-68 years (48.6 +/- 9.4). The control group was composed of 50 healthy volunteers (28 men, 22 women) aged 25-60 yrs (44 +/- 8.5). The combined electrophysiological reflex examination was abnormal in 45% of the affected limbs, being the most frequent pathological finding. EMG was abnormal in 34.4% and H reflex in 30.4% of the affected limbs. Furthermore, the EATR taken separately was more sensitive than the H-reflex (42.8% versus 30.4%). Pathological ETR were elicited in a considerable percentage of the clinically normal tendon reflexes (TR): 7.3% of the knee and 14.1% of the Achilles TR. On the other hand 65% of the clinically absent ATR were recorded electrically producing abnormally low and delayed muscle evoked potentials.

Melkersson-Rosenthal's syndrome in four generations.

Melkersson-Rosenthal's syndrome is a rare condition, the hereditary nature of which is still in dispute. A family with seven affected members in four generations is described, which provides further evidence for the genetic basis of the syndrome.