¬Transcranial direct current stimulation improves sleep quality in patients with insomnia after traumatic brain injury.

INTRODUCTION: Insomnia is a serious problem after traumatic brain injury (TBI) and partially improves via sleeping pills. We investigated the efficacy of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) with a focus on the role of age and gender. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In a randomized double-blind clinical trial, 60 eligible TBI-induced insomnia patients were assigned to real and sham tDCS groups and were treated for three weeks. Sham but not real tDCS took sleeping pills for the first three weeks of the study and then used the placebo until the end of the study. The placebo was used by the real-tDCS group throughout the study. Sleep quality and insomnia severity were respectively evaluated by Pittsburg Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) and Insomnia Severity Index (ISI) at three time points. RESULTS: Real tDCS group reported lower mean ISI and PSQI scores at 3 weeks post treatment onset and maintained this decline for six weeks post treatment onset (P < 0.001). In younger participants and those identified as men, the treatment-induced attenuation of the mean PSQI score was reported higher and more lasting in real than sham tDCS groups. CONCLUSION: Gender and age-specific tDCS protocols may be warranted to optimize the therapeutic effect of tDCS.

Efficacy of intranasal ketamine and midazolam for pediatric sedation: A double-blind, randomized clinical trial.

BACKGROUND: Pediatric patients feel significant fear and anxiety when undergoing surgeries. The ideal drug and its administration route have not been found yet. The aim of this study was to compare the efficacy and safety of intranasal (IN) ketamine and midazolam as premedication in children. METHODS: We studied 71 eligible pediatric patients undergoing elective urologic surgeries, aged 2 to 6 years. The degree of sedation and separation scores was compared between the two groups. Additionally, hemodynamic parameters, before premedication, after induction of anesthesia, and during surgery were documented and compared between two groups. Postoperatively, any side effect was recorded as well. RESULTS: Finally, the data from 71 children were analyzed. Recovery time was significantly longer in group K (ketamine) compared to group M (midazolam); 27.86±4.42 vs 38.19± 6.67 minutes respectively (P=0.01). No significant difference was observed in terms of sedation score between two groups of K & M; 3.29±0.78 vs 3 ±0.71 respectively (P=0.17), and not regarding separation score; 2.51±0.61 & 2.31±0.52 respectively (P=0.01). Vital signs were kept within the physiological limits in both groups with no marked fluctuations. CONCLUSION: To produce sedation in young children, both midazolam and ketamine were effective and safe by IN route.

Electroconvulsive Therapy-Related Anxiety: A Survey in an Academic Hospital in the North of Iran.

BACKGROUND: Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is a medical treatment most commonly used in the most severe psychiatric diseases; however due to unreal anxiety, it is not widely accepted by patients and their families. OBJECTIVES: The present study aimed to investigate the main causes of ECT-related anxiety (ERA) in an academic hospital in the north of Iran. METHODS: In this study, the participants were hospitalized psychiatric patients with proper communication skills. A 12-item questionnaire encompassing four sections (namely ECT side-effects, procedure factors, medical team communication, and familial, social, and economic factors) were filled out by a responsible psychiatric resident through a face-to-face interview. The participants' demographic information, including gender, age, psychiatry disorder, level of education, and history of ECT, were also recorded. RESULTS: In this study, 353 cases were analyzed, among whom 329 patients (93.2%) reported at least one item for ERA, and 143 patients (85.6 %) had the history of ECT. All the participants (100%) had no experience in this regard (P = 0.0001). The most common cause of ERA was ECT-related side effects (70.7%) such as memory impairment (60.4%), disablement (24.9%), and death (14.7%) followed by procedure factors (27.2%), general anesthesia (GA) (73.2 %), and electric current (26.8 %). A significant relationship was observed between gender and the history of ECT with the patients' anxiety reasons (P = 0.0001); however, the other variables, including age (P = 0.72), type of disease (P = 0.144), and the level of education (P = 0.012) had no impact on the results. CONCLUSIONS: In this paper, the main causes of ERA were general anesthesia, memory impairment, and electric current. Obviously, a multidisciplinary approach is required to help these patients to handle their fear and anxiety successfully.

Lidocaine as an Induction Agent for Intracranial Aneurysm Surgery: A Case Series.

INTRODUCTION: Induction of anaesthesia and its associated spikes in blood pressure can cause rupture of an aneurysm during intracranial surgery. Lidocaine can reportedly provide hemodynamic stability when applied before endotracheal intubation. Rapid injection of large doses of lidocaine can cause unconsciousness. CASE PRESENTATION: Lidocaine was applied as the sole anaesthetic for induction and maintenance during aneurysm surgery in four patients undergoing intracranial aneurysm surgery. Blood pressure alteration after induction and during surgery, bleeding, brain laxity, intracranial pressure and extubation time were acceptable. CONCLUSIONS: Although propofol remains a standard agent for such types of surgeries, lidocaine proved equally effective and coupled with its low cost, minimal side effects and omission of other hypnotic agents was a plausible induction agent and a maintenance drug in the selected cases.

Granulomatous mastitis: Presentations, diagnosis, treatment and outcome in 206 patients from the north of Iran.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study is to review the clinical presentations, diagnostic methods, treatment options and outcome of patients with Granulomatous Mastitis (GM). MATERIAL AND METHODS: In a retrospective study, we indentified 206 women who met the required histological criteria of (GM). RESULTS: Thirty eight (18%) of these women had taken antibiotics before their diagnosis of GM. The most common symptoms in remaining 168 symptomatic women were breast mass. The most common ultrasonographic and mammographic finding was large irregular hypo echoic masses and an irregular mass, respectively. As a diagnostic tool, fine needle aspiration (FNA) was performed in 33 (19.5%) and core needle biopsy with or without ultrasound was done in 92 (55%) of patients while successful rate was 13 (39%) and 87 (94.5%), respectively. The remaining 43 (25.5%) of women underwent surgical excisions. Only 6 (3%) patients improved with antibiotics and 200 (97%) of women who did not respond to antibiotics, were treated with steroid and among them 144 (72%) improved. Treatment with combination of methotrexate and steroid was done in 56 (28%) patients and was effective in 40 (71%) of them. Sixteen (8%) patients were treated with a combination of steroid and bromocriptine which was effective in 5 (31%) patients. A wide surgical excision was performed in 11 (5.5%) patients who were nonresponsive to steroid and methotrexate and bromocriptine therapy. CONCLUSION: Our findings indicate that clinical and imaging findings of (GM) have overlapped with malignancy. The best diagnostic method is core needle biopsy. Corticosteroids are in the first line of treatment with a good therapeutic response.