Sibling voices: The self-reported mental health of siblings of children with a disability

Background: There is increasing interest in the experiences and well-being of siblings growing up with a brother or sister with a disability in Australia. However, research to date has primarily obtained parent reports of sibling adjustment and mental health. Therefore, the aim of the current study was threefold: (1) to report on the mental health of siblings using a self-report version of the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ); (2) to compare sibling mental health with Australian normative data on the SDQ; and (3) to identify socio-demographic and disability characteristics associated with sibling mental health difficulties. Methods: Participants were 52 siblings (aged 10-18 years) of children with varying disabilities. Results: Although siblings reported significantly more emotional and behavioural problems than a normative sample, the majority of siblings reported overall good mental health within the normal range on all SDQ subscales. Approximately 20-30% of siblings were identified as at-risk or in the clinical range for overall difficulties, hyperactivity-inattention, conduct and peer problems; and 15% at-risk or in the clinical range for emotional symptoms and prosocial behaviour. Socio-demographic and disability characteristics were not associated with mental health difficulties. Conclusions: A small proportion of siblings are at risk of emotional and behavioural problems. Implications for future research, policy, and clinical practice are discussed. © 2011 The Australian Psychological Society

A rare coexistence of spinal subdural and subarachnoid hemorrhage as a consequence of anticoagulant administration

A rare coexistence of spinal subdural and subarachnoid hemorrhage as a consequence of anticoagulant administratio

Malignant cerebellar peduncle lesions-rapid progression and poor outcome

Background: Tumors arising from cerebellar peduncle are extremely rare and behave aggressively. The inclusion of these into either cerebellar or brainstem gliomas is contentious. Case Description: We performed clinicopathological review of three patients treated at our institute and surveyed the literature for previous such reported cases. Mean duration of symptoms in our patients was 2 weeks. Subtotal tumor resection was performed in two patients while the third underwent stereotactic biopsy followed by chemoradiotherapy. Histopathology revealed glioblastoma in initial two patients and medulloblastoma Grade IV in the third. The two patients who underwent surgical excision succumbed to the illness within 2 days and a month, respectively. Conclusion: Malignant cerebellar peduncular lesions have poor overall survival despite surgical debulking. It is not confirmed whether these tumors should be considered as cerebellar lesions or brainstem gliomas due to aggressive clinical behavior, and so the ideal line of management is not yet known

Multiple glioblastoma: A diagnostic challenge and controversies in management

Multiple glioblastoma: A diagnostic challenge and controversies in managemen

Study of trends in anthropometric nutritional indices and the impact of adiposity among patients of subarachnoid hemorrhage

Background: Nutritional status and adiposity have not been studied to a significant extent in subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH). The aim of this study was to determine the trends in anthropometric indices and assess their impact on patients with SAH. Methods: We prospectively studied in 56 patients with SAH, the triceps skinfold thickness (TSF), mid-arm circumference (MAC), mid-arm muscle circumference (MAMC), and other factors, and their relationship to clinical vasospasm and mortality. Results: The median MAC decreased significantly from 29.3 cm (interquartile range [IQR] 28-31 cm) at admission to 27 cm (IQR 26-29 cm) at 1-week (P < 0.001). The median TSF decreased significantly from 34 mm (IQR 30-40 mm) at admission to 30 mm (IQR 25-35 mm) at 1-week (P < 0.001). MAMC values did not show a significant change over a week. The patients who developed clinical vasospasm had significantly higher median admission TSF of 40 mm (IQR 35-45 mm), compared to the median admission TSF of 35 mm (IQR 30-40 mm) among those who did not develop vasospasm (P = 0.03). MAMC values did not differ significantly in relation to vasospasm. Patients who expired by 3 months had significantly greater fall in median MAMC values at 1-week (7.7% [IQR 5.2-11.5%]), compared to the fall in median MAMC values at 1-week among those who were alive at 3 months (2.6% [IQR 2.1-6.6%]) [P = 0.03]. However, the fall in TSF values did not differ significantly in relation to mortality. In multivariate analysis, only the admission TSF, Hunt and Hess and Fisher grades had a significant association with vasospasm. This association was independent of other prognostic factors and of each other. Conclusion: Excessive adiposity of patients, measured as an increased TSF value, is significantly associated with clinical vasospasm independent of other prognostic factors, while fall in MAMC, indicating somatic protein catabolism, has some impact on mortality

Is adiposity more than a mere bystander in SAH?

Is adiposity more than a mere bystander in SAH

Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus in Bats, Saudi Arabia

The source of human infection with Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus remains unknown. Molecular investigation indicated that bats in Saudi Arabia are infected with several alphacoronaviruses and betacoronaviruses. Virus from 1 bat showed 100% nucleotide identity to virus from the human index case-patient. Bats might play a role in human infection