Evaluation of macrolinguistic aspects of the oral discourse in patients with Alzheimer's disease.

INTRODUCTION: Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a degenerative syndrome that impairs cognitive functioning, including speech and language. Discourse can be used to analyze language processing, which is organized into microlinguistic and macrolinguistic dimensions. OBJECTIVES: To identify the occurrence of changes in the macrolinguistic dimension of oral discourse in AD patients. Design: This was developed as a cross-sectional study. Setting: Outpatient clinic of the Behavioural Neurology Division of São Paulo Federal University. PARTICIPANTS: 121 elderly patients, with ≥ 4 years of education, divided into AD and comparison groups. MEASUREMENTS: The subjects were asked to create a narrative based on seven figures that made up a story. The macrolinguistic aspects of the narratives were analyzed. RESULTS: The performance of the AD group was inferior to that of the comparison group on content-related, no-content-related complete and incomplete propositions as well as macropropositions, main information units, appropriated local and global coherence, cohesive devices and all subtypes, cohesive errors and some of their subtypes. Global coherence, macropropositions and ellipsis subtype of cohesive devices were the variables that best differentiated the groups. CONCLUSIONS: Changes were observed in most aspects of the macrolinguistic dimension of oral discourse in patients with AD.

Migraine is frequent in children and adolescents with neurofibromatosis type 1.

BACKGROUND: Despite the high prevalence of headache in patients with neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1), little data exist regarding the classification and characterization of headaches experienced by these patients. This paper describes a study of headache in patients with NF1 compared with healthy controls. METHODS: In this transversal study, participants (aged 4-19 years) were classified into two groups: NF1 patients or control subjects. The diagnosis of NF1 was performed according to the diagnostic criteria of the National Institutes of Health Consensus Conference, and the headache diagnosis was performed according to the diagnostic criteria of the International Classification of Headache Disorders, Second Edition. All participants underwent physical and neurologic evaluation and completed a detailed headache questionnaire. RESULTS: The comparison of 50 patients with NF1 and 50 age-matched controls revealed that the complaint of headache was significantly more frequent in the NF1 group than in the control group (CG) (62% vs 14%, χ(2)(1) = 22.4; P < 0.001). Migraine was significantly more frequent in patients with NF1 than in the CG (54% vs 14%, χ(2)(1) = 17.82; P < 0.001). No differences were found between the two groups regarding the use of simple analgesics (NF1: 14% vs CG: 5%, χ(2)(1) = 1.18; P = 0.276). CONCLUSIONS: Children and adolescents with NF1 are prone to migraines. Complaints of headache are very frequent in this population.

Speech and orofacial apraxias in Alzheimer's disease.

BACKGROUND: Alzheimer's disease (AD) affects not only memory but also other cognitive functions, such as orientation, language, praxis, attention, visual perception, or executive function. Most studies on oral communication in AD focus on aphasia; however, speech and orofacial apraxias are also present in these patients. The aim of this study was to investigate the presence of speech and orofacial apraxias in patients with AD with the hypothesis that apraxia severity is strongly correlated with disease severity. METHODS: Ninety participants in different stages of AD (mild, moderate, and severe) underwent the following assessments: Clinical Dementia Rating, Mini-Mental State Examination, Lawton Instrumental Activities of Daily Living, a specific speech and orofacial praxis assessment, and the oral agility subtest of the Boston diagnostic aphasia examination. RESULTS: The mean age was 80.2 ± 7.2 years and 73% were women. Patients with AD had significantly lower scores than normal controls for speech praxis (mean difference=-2.9, 95% confidence interval (CI)=-3.3 to -2.4) and orofacial praxis (mean difference=-4.9, 95% CI=-5.4 to -4.3). Dementia severity was significantly associated with orofacial apraxia severity (moderate AD: ß =-19.63, p= 0.011; and severe AD: ß =-51.68, p < 0.001) and speech apraxia severity (moderate AD: ß = 7.07, p = 0.001; and severe AD: ß =8.16, p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Speech and orofacial apraxias were evident in patients with AD and became more pronounced with disease progression.

Psychiatric symptoms may contribute to poor quality of life in adolescents with migraine.

BACKGROUND: The impact of migraine on quality of life (QOL) can be aggravated by other comorbid factors. The aim of the present study was to assess the differences in the QOL of adolescents with chronic migraine, episodic migraine, and healthy adolescents, and whether the differences in QOL among the diagnostic groups were associated with the presence of self-reported psychiatric symptoms, such as depression and anxiety. METHODS: A total of 157 adolescents (aged 15-19 years old) were included in the study. Fifty patients had episodic migraine, 56 patients suffered from chronic migraine, and 51 healthy adolescents were controls. All of the participants responded to a detailed headache questionnaire, the Medical Outcomes Trust 36-Item Short-form Health Survey, the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory and the Beck Depression Inventory. RESULTS: Chronic migraine patients showed a significantly lower QOL than the control subjects in five dimensions of the Medical Outcomes Trust 36-Item Short-form Health Survey, and lower QOL than the episodic migraine patients in four dimensions. High levels of self-reported depressive symptoms were associated with lower QOL in five dimensions and high levels of self-reported anxiety were associated with lower QOL in four dimensions. CONCLUSIONS: The QOL of adolescent migraine sufferers may be aggravated not only by migraine but also by other factors, such as anxiety and depressive symptoms, which may contribute to the poor QOL in adolescents suffering from migraine.

Microlinguistic aspects of the oral narrative in patients with Alzheimer's disease.

BACKGROUND: Alzheimer's disease (AD) is characterized by memory loss and cognitive impairment. Phonological, syntactic, semantic and discursive aspects of language may also be affected. Analysis of micro- and macrolinguistic abilities of discourse may assist in diagnosing AD. The aim of this study was to identify changes in the discourse (lexical errors and syntactic index) of AD patients. METHODS: 121 elderly subjects narrated a story based on a seven-figure picture description. RESULTS: Patients with AD presented more word-finding difficulties, revisions and repetitions, and the syntactic index was lower than controls. CONCLUSION: Performance in microlinguistics at the lexical and syntactic levels was lower than expected in participants with AD.

Audiological findings in aphasic patients after stroke.

OBJECTIVE: To outline the audiological findings of aphasic patients after cerebrovascular accidents. METHODS: This is a cross-sectional study performed between March 2011 and August 2012 in the Speech, Language, and Hearing Pathology Department of the Universidade Federal de São Paulo. A total of 43 aphasic subjects (27 men) were referred for audiological evaluation after stroke, with mean age of 54.48 years. Basic audiological evaluation tests were performed, including pure tone audiometry, speech audiometry (speech recognition threshold and word recognition score), immittance measures (tympanometry and contralateral acoustic reflex), and transient otoacoustic emissions. RESULTS: Sensorineural hearing loss was prevalent (78.6%). Speech recognition threshold and word recognition score were not obtained in some patients because they were unable to perform the task. Hearing loss was a common finding in this population. CONCLUSION: Comprehension and/or oral emission disruptions in aphasic patients after stroke compromised conventional speech audiometry, resulting in the need for changes in the evaluation procedures for these patients.

Analysis of word number and content in discourse of patients with mild to moderate Alzheimer's disease.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is characterized by impairments in memory and other cognitive functions such as language, which can be affected in all aspects including discourse. A picture description task is considered an effective way of obtaining a discourse sample whose key feature is the ability to retrieve appropriate lexical items. There is no consensus on findings showing that performance in content processing of spoken discourse deteriorates from the mildest phase of AD. OBJECTIVE: To compare the quantity and quality of discourse among patients with mild to moderate AD and controls. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was designed. Subjects aged 50 years and older of both sexes, with one year or more of education, were divided into three groups: control (CG), mild AD (ADG1) and moderate AD (ADG2). Participants were asked to describe the "cookie theft" picture. The total number of complete words spoken and information units (IU) were included in the analysis. RESULTS: There was no significant difference among groups in terms of age, schooling and sex. For number of words spoken, the CG performed significantly better than both the ADG 1 and ADG2, but no difference between the two latter groups was found. CG produced almost twice as many information units as the ADG1 and more than double that of the ADG2. Moreover, ADG2 patients had worse performance on IUs compared to the ADG1. CONCLUSION: Decreased performance in quantity and content of discourse was evident in patients with AD from the mildest phase, but only content (IU) continued to worsen with disease progression.

Doença de Alzheimer (DA) é caracterizada por prejuízo na memória e em outras funções cognitivas, como a linguagem, que pode ser afetada em todos os aspectos, incluindo o discurso. Tarefa de descrição de figura é considerada uma forma eficaz de obter amostra de discurso cuja característica fundamental é a capacidade de recuperar itens lexicais adequados. Não há consenso nos achados sobre deterioração no desempenho do conteúdo do discurso na fase leve da DA. OBJETIVO: Comparar a quantidade e a qualidade do conteúdo do discurso em pacientes com DA leve, moderada e controles. MÉTODOS: Foi feito um estudo transversal cuja amostra foi composta por indivíduos a partir de 50 anos, de ambos os sexos, com um ou mais anos de escolaridade. Foram divididos em três grupos: controle (GC), DA leve (ADG1) e DA moderada (ADG2) e a eles foi solicitado descrever a "prancha do roubo dos biscoitos". Considerados na análise o número total de palavras completas faladas e o de unidades de informação (UI). RESULTADOS: Não houve diferença significativa entre os grupos. Para o número de palavras, o CG apresentou desempenho significativamente melhor que AD1 e AD2, não houve diferença entre os dois últimos grupos. O GC produziu quase o dobro de unidades de informação em relação ao ADG1 e mais que o dobro do que ADG2. Além disso, o ADG2 apresentou pior desempenho nas UI em comparação ao ADG1. CONCLUSÃO: Foi observado um evidente prejuízo no desempenho quanto à quantidade e ao conteúdo do discurso em pacientes com DA a partir da fase leve. Entretanto apenas o conteúdo continuou a se agravar com a progressão da doença.

Adolescents with chronic migraine commonly exhibit depressive symptoms.

Psychiatric comorbidity in patients with headache contributes to poorer prognosis, chronification of disease, poor response to treatment, increased cost of treatment, and decreased quality of life. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the depressive symptoms in adolescents with chronic and episodic migraines and healthy adolescents. The study was performed between November 2010 and November 2011. All patients completed a detailed headache questionnaire comprising of demographical and clinical data and were instructed to fill out a headache diary over a 2-month period. The subjects ranged in age from 13 to 19 years. To evaluate depression symptoms, all of the subjects were asked to fill out the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI). A total of 137 participants were evaluated; 44 had episodic migraine (EM), 46 had chronic migraine (CM) and 47 were control subjects. Patients with a history of chronic migraine had significantly higher scores on the BDI than the other participants. Patients with chronic migraine had BDI scores that were 8.8 points higher than controls [95 % CI (ß) = 5.0, 12.6] and 5.8 points higher than patients with EM [95 % CI (ß) = 2.2, 9.4]. The main finding of this study was that chronic migraine is strongly associated with depression symptoms, regardless of demographic data. Comorbid depression may increase the total burden of migraine and diagnosis and treatment of depression in adolescents with migraine is likely to result in a better prognosis.

Sleep terrors antecedent is common in adolescents with migraine.

UNLABELLED: Migraines and sleep terrors (STs) are highly prevalent disorders with striking similarities. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of the antecedent of STs by comparing adolescents suffering from migraines with healthy controls in a large consecutive series. METHODS: All patients were subjected to a detailed headache questionnaire and were instructed to keep a headache diary during a two-month period. The age range was 10 to 19 years. The diagnosis of STs was defined according to the International Classification of Sleep Disorders. RESULTS: A total of 158 participants were evaluated. Of these participants, 50 suffered from episodic migraines (EMs), 57 had chronic migraines (CMs) and 51 were control subjects (CG). Participants who had a history of STs had significantly more migraines than participants who did not. CONCLUSIONS: Migraine is strongly associated with a history of STs in the adolescent population independent of demographics and pain intensity.

Neurotuberculosis: an overview.

Although pulmonary tuberculosis is the most common form of this disease, neurotuberculosis is more severe and presents higher morbidity and mortality. Its diagnosis continues to challenge physicians all over the world. Contributing to this fact is the nonspecificity of its clinical manifestations, the low density of bacilli in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), and the delayed recovery of Mycobacterium tuberculosis through culture techniques. Thus, the diagnosis is largely based on suspicious symptoms, and the prognosis is directly related to the stage of the disease at the beginning of treatment. Even thought there is no consensus regarding the best therapeutic regimen, the WHO recommends using the same regimen used for pulmonary tuberculosis with a longer treatment time. It is important to note that in most cases, the doctor will not have a definite diagnosis at the beginning of the treatment. However, this should not delay the initiation of therapy. A delay in initiating treatment, in most cases, is directly associated with a poor prognosis. This review gives an overview of the current state of the neurotuberculosis research. It covers the epidemiological aspects of the infection, pathogenesis, principal clinical presentations, diagnosis highlighting neuroimaging, where a series of imaging are presented, prognosis, prevention and therapeutic regimens.

Analysis of error type and frequency in apraxia of speech among Portuguese speakers.

Most studies characterizing errors in the speech of patients with apraxia involve English language. OBJECTIVES: To analyze the types and frequency of errors produced by patients with apraxia of speech whose mother tongue was Brazilian Portuguese. METHODS: 20 adults with apraxia of speech caused by stroke were assessed. The types of error committed by patients were analyzed both quantitatively and qualitatively, and frequencies compared. RESULTS: We observed the presence of substitution, omission, trial-and-error, repetition, self-correction, anticipation, addition, reiteration and metathesis, in descending order of frequency, respectively. Omission type errors were one of the most commonly occurring whereas addition errors were infrequent. These findings differed to those reported in English speaking patients, probably owing to differences in the methodologies used for classifying error types; the inclusion of speakers with apraxia secondary to aphasia; and the difference in the structure of Portuguese language to English in terms of syllable onset complexity and effect on motor control. CONCLUSIONS: The frequency of omission and addition errors observed differed to the frequency reported for speakers of English.

Em geral, os estudos sobre os erros cometidos por falantes com apraxia de fala são internacionais. OBJETIVOS: Analisar os tipos e as frequências dos erros presentes na fala de pacientes com apraxia de fala, falantes do português, falado no Brasil. MÉTODOS: Participaram do estudo 20 adultos com apraxia de fala pós acidente vascular cerebral. Os tipos de erros cometidos pelos pacientes foram analisados quantitativa e qualitativamente e suas frequências foram comparadas. RESULTADOS: Observamos a presença de substituição, omissão, ensaio articulatório, repetição, autocorreção, antecipação, adição, reiteração e metatese, respectivamente, de acordo com as maiores médias obtidas. O erro do tipo omissão foi um dos mais frequentes e o erro do tipo adição foi um dos menos frequentes. Estes resultados são diferentes de estudos com pacientes falantes do inglês e podem estar relacionados à diferença de metodologia para a classificação dos tipos de erros; à inclusão de pacientes com apraxia de fala associada à afasia; e à diferença de estrutura da língua Portuguesa em relação à Inglesa, que altera a complexidade da sílaba inicial e seu efeito no controle motor. CONCLUSÕES: A freqüência de ocorrência dos erros de omissão e adição diferiram de sujeitos falantes do inglês.

Prognostic factors predicting a fatal outcome in HIV-negative children with neurotuberculosis.

OBJECTIVE: To identify prognostic factors predicting a fatal outcome in HIV-negative children with neurotuberculosis based on clinical, epidemiological, and laboratory findings. METHOD: The clinical records of all in-patients diagnosed with neurotuberculosis from 1982 to 2005 were evaluated retrospectively. The following prognostic parameters were examined: gender, age, close contact with a tuberculosis-infected individual, vaccination for bacillus Calmette-Guérin, purified protein derivative (PPD) of tuberculin results, concomitant miliary tuberculosis, seizures, CSF results, and hydrocephalus. RESULTS: One hundred forty-one patients diagnosed with neurotuberculosis were included. Seventeen percent of the cases resulted in death. The factors that were correlated with a negative outcome included lack of contact with a tuberculosis-infected individual, negative PPD reaction, coma, and longer hospitalisation time. A multiple logistic regression analysis was performed to identify which of these factors most often resulted in death. CONCLUSION: Coma at diagnosis, lack of tuberculosis contact, and a non-reactive PPD were the most important predictors of fatality in patients with neurotuberculosis.

Performance of normal adults on Rey Auditory Learning Test: a pilot study.

The present study aimed to assess the performance of healthy Brazilian adults on the Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test (RAVLT), a test devised for assessing memory, and to investigate the influence of the variables age, sex and education on the performance obtained, and finally to suggest scores which may be adopted for assessing memory with this instrument. The performance of 130 individuals, subdivided into groups according to age and education, was assessed. Overall performance decreased with age. Schooling presented a strong and positive relationship with scores on all subitems analyzed except learning, for which no influence was found. Mean scores of subitems analyzed did not differ significantly between men and women, except for the delayed recall subitem. This manuscript describes RAVLT scores according to age and education. In summary, this is a pilot study that presents a profile of Brazilian adults on A1, A7, recognition and LOT subitem.

Audiological findings in aphasic patients after stroke / Achados audiológicos em pacientes afásicos após acidente vascular encefálico

Objective To outline the audiological findings of aphasic patients after cerebrovascular accidents. Methods This is a cross-sectional study performed between March 2011 and August 2012 in the Speech, Language, and Hearing Pathology Department of the Universidade Federal de São Paulo. A total of 43 aphasic subjects (27 men) were referred for audiological evaluation after stroke, with mean age of 54.48 years. Basic audiological evaluation tests were performed, including pure tone audiometry, speech audiometry (speech recognition threshold and word recognition score), immittance measures (tympanometry and contralateral acoustic reflex), and transient otoacoustic emissions. Results Sensorineural hearing loss was prevalent (78.6%). Speech recognition threshold and word recognition score were not obtained in some patients because they were unable to perform the task. Hearing loss was a common finding in this population. Conclusion Comprehension and/or oral emission disruptions in aphasic patients after stroke compromised conventional speech audiometry, resulting in the need for changes in the evaluation procedures for these patients. .

Objetivo Avaliar os achados audiológicos em pacientes afásicos após acidente vascular encefálico. Métodos Trata-se de um estudo transversal, realizado entre março de 2011 e agosto de 2012 no Departamento de Fonoaudiologia da Universidade Federal de São Paulo. Participaram do estudo 43 pacientes afásicos (27 homens) após acidente vascular encefálico, com média de idade de 54,48 anos. Foram realizados testes que compõem a bateria da avaliação audiológica básica: audiometria tonal liminar, logoaudiometria (limiar de reconhecimento de fala e índice percentual de reconhecimento de fala), medidas de imitância acústica (timpanometria e pesquisa do reflexo acústico contralateral) e emissões otoacústicas transitórias. Resultados A perda auditiva neurossensorial foi prevalente (78,6%). Não foi possível obter o limiar de reconhecimento de fala e o índice percentual de reconhecimento de fala em todos os pacientes, pois alguns eram incapazes de realizar a tarefa. A perda auditiva foi um achado comum nessa população. Conclusão As alterações de compreensão e/ou emissão oral apresentadas por estes pacientes afetaram a logoaudiometria convencional e apontam para a necessidade de uso de outros procedimentos de avaliação nessa população. .

Analysis of word number and content in discourse of patients with mild to moderate Alzheimer's disease / Análise do número de palavras e do conteúdo no discurso de pacientes com doença de Alzheimer leve e moderada

Alzheimer?s disease (AD) is characterized by impairments in memory and other cognitive functions such as language, which can be affected in all aspects including discourse. A picture description task is considered an effective way of obtaining a discourse sample whose key feature is the ability to retrieve appropriate lexical items. There is no consensus on findings showing that performance in content processing of spoken discourse deteriorates from the mildest phase of AD. Objective: To compare the quantity and quality of discourse among patients with mild to moderate AD and controls. Methods: A cross-sectional study was designed. Subjects aged 50 years and older of both sexes, with one year or more of education, were divided into three groups: control (CG), mild AD (ADG1) and moderate AD (ADG2). Participants were asked to describe the ?cookie theft? picture. The total number of complete words spoken and information units (IU) were included in the analysis. Results: There was no significant difference among groups in terms of age, schooling and sex. For number of words spoken, the CG performed significantly better than both the ADG 1 and ADG2, but no difference between the two latter groups was found. CG produced almost twice as many information units as the ADG1 and more than double that of the ADG2. Moreover, ADG2 patients had worse performance on IUs compared to the ADG1. Conclusion: Decreased performance in quantity and content of discourse was evident in patients with AD from the mildest phase, but only content (IU) continued to worsen with disease progression.

Doença de Alzheimer (DA) é caracterizada por prejuízo na memória e em outras funções cognitivas, como a linguagem, que pode ser afetada em todos os aspectos, incluindo o discurso. Tarefa de descrição de figura é considerada uma forma eficaz de obter amostra de discurso cuja característica fundamental é a capacidade de recuperar itens lexicais adequados. Não há consenso nos achados sobre deterioração no desempenho do conteúdo do discurso na fase leve da DA. Objetivo: Comparar a quantidade e a qualidade do conteúdo do discurso em pacientes com DA leve, moderada e controles. Métodos: Foi feito um estudo transversal cuja amostra foi composta por indivíduos a partir de 50 anos, de ambos os sexos, com um ou mais anos de escolaridade. Foram divididos em três grupos: controle (GC), DA leve (ADG1) e DA moderada (ADG2) e a eles foi solicitado descrever a ?prancha do roubo dos biscoitos?. Considerados na análise o número total de palavras completas faladas e o de unidades de informação (UI). Resultados: Não houve diferença significativa entre os grupos. Para o número de palavras, o CG apresentou desempenho significativamente melhor que AD1 e AD2, não houve diferença entre os dois últimos grupos. O GC produziu quase o dobro de unidades de informação em relação ao ADG1 e mais que o dobro do que ADG2. Além disso, o ADG2 apresentou pior desempenho nas UI em comparação ao ADG1. Conclusão: Foi observado um evidente prejuízo no desempenho quanto à quantidade e ao conteúdo do discurso em pacientes com DA a partir da fase leve. Entretanto apenas o conteúdo continuou a se agravar com a progressão da doença.

Subjective memory complaints in an elderly sample: a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Community based studies show that neurological or psychiatric symptoms are very frequent among the elderly population, with poor memory complaints being the most common. However, the relationship between poor memory complaints and objective memory performance is unclear. We designed this study to evaluate whether subjective memory complaints (SMC) are associated with objective cognitive performance or depression amongst the elderly Brazilian generation. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was carried out in 114 patients who were 50+, with or without SMC having no obvious cognitive impairment at its baseline (this was screened by the Mini-Mental State Examination with cut-off values adapted according to the subjects' educational background). Subjects were assessed regarding memory difficulty complaints, demographic data and underwent a neuropsychological assessment made up of nine cognitive tests (Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test, Visual Reproduction Test, Logic Memory--History A, Free and Cued Selective Reminding Test, Stroop Test, Digit Span, Digit Symbol, Trail Making Test, fluency tests: naming animals and fruits) and the Geriatric Depression Scale. RESULTS: Twenty-one percent of the subjects had subjective memory complaints. The scores in the cognitive assessment of subjects with SMC did not differ from the scores of subjects without SMC. However, patients with subjective memory complaints had lower scores in the fluency test--category animals and the Geriatric Depression Scale. CONCLUSIONS: These results support the finding from other cross-sectional studies showing that subjective memory complaints are associated with depressive symptoms rather than objective cognitive performance.

Low urinary 6-sulphatoxymelatonin concentrations in acute migraine.

Substantial evidence points to melatonin as playing a role in the regulation of circadian rhythms, sleep, and headache disorders. The objective of the study was to assess 6-sulphatoxymelatonin (aMT6s) levels in a large consecutive series of patients with migraine, comparing with controls. A total of 220 subjects were evaluated-146 had migraine and 74 were control subjects. Urinary samples were collected into the same plastic container since 8:00 p.m. to 8:00 a.m. of the next day (12-h period) and aMT6s was measured with quantitative ELISA technique. Among patients with migraine, 53% presented pain on the day of the urine samples collection. Their urinary aMT6s concentration was significantly lower than in the urine of patients without pain [14.0 +/- 7.3 vs. 49.4 +/- 19.0; t(143) = -15.1; 95% CI = -40.0 to -30.8; P < 0.001]. There was no significant difference in the aMT6s concentration of patients with migraine without pain on the day of their urine samples collection and controls [49.4 +/- 19.0 vs. 42.5 +/- 27.9; t(140) = 1.7; 95% CI = -1.2 to 14.8; P = 0.094]. To our knowledge, this is the first study to demonstrate reduction in melatonin levels during attacks in episodic and chronic migraine.

Sleep terrors antecedent is common in adolescents with migraine / O antecedente de terror noturno é frequente em adolescentes com migrânea

Migraines and sleep terrors (STs) are highly prevalent disorders with striking similarities. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of the antecedent of STs by comparing adolescents suffering from migraines with healthy controls in a large consecutive series. METHODS: All patients were subjected to a detailed headache questionnaire and were instructed to keep a headache diary during a two-month period. The age range was 10 to 19 years. The diagnosis of STs was defined according to the International Classification of Sleep Disorders. RESULTS: A total of 158 participants were evaluated. Of these participants, 50 suffered from episodic migraines (EMs), 57 had chronic migraines (CMs) and 51 were control subjects (CG). Participants who had a history of STs had significantly more migraines than participants who did not. CONCLUSIONS: Migraine is strongly associated with a history of STs in the adolescent population independent of demographics and pain intensity.

Migrânea e terror noturno (TN) são transtornos de alta prevalência que compartilham muitas similaridades. O objetivo desse estudo foi avaliar a ocorrência do antecedente de TN, comparando adolescentes com migrânea e adolescentes saudáveis. Métodos: Todos os pacientes foram submetidos a um questionário detalhado sobre sua cefaleia e foram instruídos a preencher um diário durante um período de dois meses. A idade dos sujeitos variou entre 10 e 19 anos. O diagnóstico de TN foi definido de acordo com a Classificação Internacional dos Transtornos do Sono. Resultados: Foram avaliados 158 sujeitos. Desses indivíduos, 50 apresentavam migrânea episódica, 57 migrânea crônica e 51 eram controles. Participantes que tinham o antecedente de TN apresentavam significativamente mais crises de migrânea do que aqueles que não tinham. Conclusões: Migrânea esteve fortemente associada ao antecedente de TN na população de adolescentes independentemente de variáveis demográficas e intensidade da dor.

Behavior disorders and subjective burden among caregivers of demented patients.

Many patients with dementia live within the community supported by their family and friends. Majority of patient caregivers suffer from high levels of stress. METHODS: A quasi-experimental study, which compared the effects of nursing interventions on behavior disorders in both patients with moderate to severe dementia and their caregivers, followed over 18 months. The assessments were performed at the outpatient clinic of the Federal University of São Paulo and again at patients' homes with their primary caregiver, after informed consent form. Measurements were performed at baseline and after 18 months (pre and post-test). The instruments used were: The CDR, NPI and NPI-D; Katz Index and FAQ. Simultaneously, caregivers were enrolled onto the Dementia Education Program. RESULTS: The final sample was composed of 31 subjects, having a mean age of 77.4 y.o. (±8 SD). Nursing interventions were effective in reducing some of the behavioral disturbances (Z= -3.1; p=0.002), such as Aggression (Z= -3.7; p<0.001) and anxiety (Z= -2.3; p=0.023). Caregiver distress also reduced upon interventions (Z= -2.2; p=0.030). CONCLUSION: Our results indicate nursing interventions may be effective in reducing the frequency and severity of behavioral disorders and subjective burden among caregivers. Education Programs can improve caregiver burden through conveying information on difficulties related to the disease and how to deal with them.

Muitos pacientes com demência vivem na comunidade amparados por suas famílias e amigos. Muitos destes cuidadores sofrem de altos níveis de estresse. MÉTODOS: Estudo quase-experimental, que comparou os efeitos de intervenções de enfermagem nas alterações de comportamento de pacientes com demência moderada a grave, e seus cuidadores, acompanhados por 18 meses. As avaliações iniciais foram feitas no ambulatório de Neurologia do Comportamento da Universidade Federal de São Paulo e as subseqüentes no domicílio do paciente, com o cuidador primário, após consentimento informado. As avaliações foram realizadas na visita inicial e após 18 meses (pré e pós teste). Os instrumentos utilizados foram: CDR, INP e INP-E; Índice de Katz e QAF. Simultâneamente, os cuidadores foram incluídos no Programa de Educação em Demências. RESULTADOS: A amostra final foi composta 31 sujeitos, com idade média de 77,4 (±8 DP). As intervenções de enfermagem foram efetivas na redução de algumas alterações de comportamento (Z= ­3,1; p=0,002), como agressividades (Z= ­3,7; p<0,001) e ansiedade (Z= ­2,3; p=0,023). O estresse do cuidador também foi reduzido (Z= ­2,2; p=0,030). CONCLUSÃO: As intervenções de enfermagem podem ser efetivas na redução da severidade e da freqüência das alterações de comportamento e na sobrecarga subjetiva entre cuidadores. Programas de Educação podem melhorar a sobrecarga dos cuidadores, por oferecer informações acerca das dificuldades relacionadas à doença e como lidarem com elas.

Manifestações da apraxia de fala na doença de Alzheimer / Manifestations of apraxia of speech in Alzheimer's disease

OBJETIVO: Identificar as manifestações práxicas de pacientes com doença de Alzheimer em diferentes estágios da doença e verificar as similaridades entre as suas ocorrências. MÉTODOS: Foram avaliados noventa pacientes com doença de Alzheimer, 30 em cada fase da doença (leve, moderada e grave), por meio dos instrumentos: Escala de Avaliação Clínica da Demência (CDR), Mini-Exame do Estado Mental (MEEM), Avaliação das Atividades Instrumentais de Vida Diária (Índice Lawton) e Protocolo de Avaliação da Apraxia Verbal e Não-verbal. Foram avaliados 66 pacientes do gênero feminino e 24 do masculino, a média da idade foi 80,2±7,2 e da escolaridade foi 4,2±3,5 anos. RESULTADOS: Na fase leve, as proporções de ensaio, repetição e adição foram semelhantes, assim como omissão, substituição e autocorreção. Na fase moderada foram semelhantes: ensaio e repetição, substituição, omissão e adição, e autocorreção. Na fase grave, todas as manifestações se assemelharam, exceto a adição. O erro do tipo adição diferenciou os pacientes em relação às fases da doença. CONCLUSÃO: Os pacientes dos três estágios da doença apresentam diferentes padrões de manifestações práxicas verbais.

PURPOSE: To identify praxic speech manifestations in patients diagnosed with different stages of Alzheimer's disease, and to verify similarities among their occurrences. METHODS: Participants were 90 patients with Alzheimer's, 30 in each stage of the disease (mild, moderate and severe), who were assessed using the following instruments: Clinical Dementia Rating (CDR), Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), Lawton Instrumental Activities of Daily Living, and the Assessment Protocol of Verbal and Orofacial Apraxia. Sixty six female subjects and 24 male subjects were assessed; mean age was 80.2±7.2 years, and mean level of education was 4.2±3.5 years. RESULTS: In the mild stage, the proportions of trial-and-error, repetition and addition were similar, as well as omission, substitution and self-correction. In the moderate stage, the following items were similar: trial-and-error and repetition, substitution, omission and addition, and self-correction. In the severe stage, all manifestations were similar, except addition. The error type addition differentiated the patients regarding the stages of the disease. CONCLUSION: Patients in the three stages of Alzheimer's disease showed distinct patterns of verbal praxic manifestations.