The prevalence of screened trichotillomania in medical students of Saint-Joseph University.

OBJECTIVES: Our study aims to determine the prevalence of trichotillomania among medical students. Furthermore, we aim to determine the perception of trichotillomania in this population. METHODS: Our study is a cross-sectional study that aims to determine the prevalence and the perception of trichotillomania among medical students in, compared to a control population. The control population were non-medical students in the same university. The participants filled a questionnaire online, followed by a psychiatric assessment if needed to confirm the diagnosis. The questionnaire contained three parts that consist of demographic data, diagnostic criteria and two perception questions respectfully. All the individuals that had a positive questionnaire refused to undergo a psychiatric assessment. Consequently, our study is limited to the screening of trichotillomania. RESULTS: In total, 489 answers were recorded. The prevalence of trichotillomania in the general population was estimated at 2.2% (N=11). A total of 215 medical students and 274 controls filled the form. The prevalence of trichotillomania in medical students was 0.9% (N=2), whereas in the control population, the prevalence was estimated at 3.3% (N=9). The difference was statistically insignificant (P=0.123). Among medical students, all the positive questionnaires were females. In the control population, seven of them were females and two of them were males. In total, the sex ratio would be 4.5 females for one male when both populations are combined. All the individuals that had a positive questionnaire either refused to undergo a psychiatric assessment or did not answer call-backs. Regarding the perception of trichotillomania, almost three quarters of the responders think that it is due to anxiety. There was a statistical difference between the medical students and the control population regarding the answer to the proposition "It is a psychiatric disease". Medical students (76.7%) tend to believe that more than the others do (48.9%) with a p-value less than 0.00001. In addition, the same difference is found when comparing medicals students that took psychiatric courses (86.2%) to those that did not (59.7%) with a p-value at 0.0001. Almost all students think trichotillomania is treatable. CONCLUSION: The prevalence of trichotillomania among medical students is 0.9%. Medical students are not more or less affected by trichotillomania than other students. A screening tool must be considered for this disease, considering the lack. Medical students with psychiatric knowledge know more about trichotillomania than others. For this reason, awareness campaigns regarding this disease must be done to increase general knowledge.

Spirituality and the quality of life of cancer patients: An antidepressant effect.

OBJECTIVES: Cancer is the second leading cause of mortality in the world, and represents an economic, social and psychological burden. Scientific studies have focused on psychosocial coping mechanisms of patients and on factors improving their quality of life. Thus, the aim of the present study is to analyze the influence that spirituality would have on the quality of life of Lebanese cancer patients and to identify whether the influence on quality of life is mediated through a decreased depression. METHODS: This is a cross-sectional study targeting cancer patients in the hemato-oncology department of the Hôtel-Dieu de France Hospital (Beirut, Lebanon). It is based on a questionnaire composed of three parts: EQ-5D-5L, PHQ-9, and FACIT-Sp-12. Likewise, a control group suffering from chronic diseases and treated in the hospital was questioned. Univariate and multivariate analysis were conducted to assess the relationship between the different questionnaires for controls and for cancer patients. RESULTS: Thirty-nine cancer patients and eight control patients were questioned. In the univariate analysis, there was no relationship between depression and spirituality nor for spirituality and quality of life. After controlling for depression, an inverse correlation between quality of life and spirituality was shown. CONCLUSIONS: Our study is a pilot study which for the first time investigates the implication of depression in a "spirituality-quality of life" association. There is no clear association of spirituality with quality of life. In fact, the physical and psychological burden of chronically ill patients could exceed and render insignificant a possible impact of spirituality on quality of life.

Beneficial role of simvastatin in experimental autoimmune myositis.

OBJECTIVE: Statins have immunomodulatory potential in autoimmune diseases but had not been studied as a disease-modifying agent in inflammatory myopathies. The objective of this study is to assess the effect of simvastatin in an experimental model of autoimmune myositis in mice on muscle strength and histopathology. METHODS: Four groups of mice (n = 5 per group) were selected for experimentally induced myositis. Mice were immunized with 1.5 mg myosin in complete Freund's adjuvant weekly for two times and injected with 500 ng pertussis toxin twice immediately after each immunization. From day 1 before immunization to 10 days after the last immunization, mice were treated with oral simvastatin (10 or 20 or 40 mg/kg) diluted in DMSO. The control group mice were injected with complete Freund's adjuvant weekly for two times and did not receive treatment. Non-immunized mice (n = 5 per group) were treated either with simvastatin (5 mg/kg or 20 mg/kg or 40 mg/kg of simvastatin diluted in DMSO) or with DMSO. RESULTS: Inflammation was observed in myositis groups with positive myositis-specific antibodies. Muscle strength dropped significantly after immunization. Immunized simvastatin 20 mg/kg treated group had significantly higher muscle strength versus non-treated myositis mice and versus other simvastatin doses. Besides, a trend toward higher serum Th17 percentage population was found in immunized non-treated mice, versus immunized simvastatin- treated mice, without significant difference. CONCLUSION: Simvastatin at 20 mg/kg decreases the severity of myositis in experimental autoimmune myositis and is a candidate of being a disease-modifying agent in inflammatory myopathies.