Recent smell loss is the best predictor of COVID-19 among individuals with recent respiratory symptoms

In a preregistered, cross-sectional study we investigated whether olfactory loss is a reliable predictor of COVID-19 using a crowdsourced questionnaire in 23 languages to assess symptoms in individuals self-reporting recent respiratory illness. We quantified changes in chemosensory abilities during the course of the respiratory illness using 0-100 visual analog scales (VAS) for participants reporting a positive (C19+; n=4148) or negative (C19-; n=546) COVID-19 laboratory test outcome. Logistic regression models identified univariate and multivariate predictors of COVID-19 status and post-COVID-19 olfactory recovery. Both C19+ and C19- groups exhibited smell loss, but it was significantly larger in C19+ participants (mean±SD, C19+: -82.5±27.2 points; C19-: -59.8±37.7). Smell loss during illness was the best predictor of COVID-19 in both univariate and multivariate models (ROC AUC=0.72). Additional variables provide negligible model improvement. VAS ratings of smell loss were more predictive than binary chemosensory yes/no-questions or other cardinal symptoms (e.g., fever). Olfactory recovery within 40 days of respiratory symptom onset was reported for ~50% of participants and was best predicted by time since respiratory symptom onset. We find that quantified smell loss is the best predictor of COVID-19 amongst those with symptoms of respiratory illness. To aid clinicians and contact tracers in identifying individuals with a high likelihood of having COVID-19, we propose a novel 0-10 scale to screen for recent olfactory loss, the ODoR-19. We find that numeric ratings ≤2 indicate high odds of symptomatic COVID-19 (4<10). Once independently validated, this tool could be deployed when viral lab tests are impractical or unavailable

Paroxysmal Kinesigenic Dyskinesia as the Presenting and Only Manifestation of Multiple Sclerosis after Eighteen Months of Follow-Up.

Other than tremor, movement disorders are uncommon in multiple sclerosis. Among these uncommon clinical manifestations, paroxysmal kinesigenic dyskinesia is the most frequently reported. It is characterized by episodic attacks of involuntary movements that are induced by repetitive or sudden movements, startling noise or hyperventilation. The diagnosis is essentially clinical and based on a good observation of the attacks. It is very easy to misdiagnose it. We describe the case of a young female patient who presented paroxysmal kinesigenic dyskinesia as the first and only clinical manifestation of multiple sclerosis, with no recurrence of attacks nor any other neurologic symptom after eighteen months of follow-up

Contrast-associated transient cortical blindness: three cases with MRI and electrophysiology findings.

Transient cortical blindness (TCB) is a rare but striking complication following contrast agent injection. TCB might be secondary to a direct toxicity of the contrast agent, leading to an osmotic disruption of the blood-brain barrier (BBB), with a preferential involvement of the posterior circulation and occipital cortex. We report a series of three patients with contrast medium-associated TCB (intra-arterial injection of non-ionic contrast agent during diagnostic cerebral angiography for two of them and coronary angioplasty for the other one). In two patients, the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was unremarkable; in the other patient, typical MRI findings were observed, with FLAIR hyperintensities in the right occipital cortex and decreased apparent diffusions coefficient (ADC). Interestingly, this patient also presented posterior rhythmic epileptiform activities on electroencephalogram during the first 36 h. Visual evoked potentials (VEPs) showed normal retinal potential, but a massive destructuration of the later potentials of the cortical origin. To our knowledge, this is the first time that VEPs acquired during TCB are reported. We discuss these findings with respect to the pathophysiology of TCB

Preserved motor skill learning in acute stroke patients.

Recovery is dynamic during acute stroke, but whether new motor skills can be acquired with the paretic upper limb (UL) during this recovery period is unknown. Clarifying this unknown is important, because neurorehabilitation largely relies on motor learning. The aim was to investigate whether, during acute stroke, patients achieved motor skill learning and retention with the paretic UL. Over 3 consecutive days (D1-D3), 14 patients practiced with their paretic UL the CIRCUIT, a motor skill learning task with a speed/accuracy trade-off (SAT). A Learning Index (LI) was used to quantify normalised SAT changes in comparison with baseline. Spontaneous motor recovery was quantified by another task without SAT constraint (EASY), by grip force (GF), and the Box and Blocks test (BBT). In patients, CIRCUIT LI improved 98% ± 66.2 (mean ± SD). This improvement was similar to that of young healthy individuals (n = 30) who trained with a slightly different protocol for 3 consecutive days (83.8% ± 58.8%). Generalisation of SAT gains to an untrained circuit was observed in both groups. From D1 to D3, stroke patients improved their performance on EASY, while changes in GF and BBT were heterogeneous. During acute stroke, patients retained SAT gains for a motor skill learned with the paretic UL in a manner similar to that of healthy individuals. These results demonstrate acute stroke patients achieved motor skill learning and retention that exceeded paretic UL improvements explained by spontaneous recovery

Ferroportin Q248H mutation, hyperferritinemia and atypical type 2 diabetes mellitus in South Kivu

Background: The ferroportin Q248H mutation is relatively common in sub-Saharan Africa. No previous study examined its relationship with atypical diabetes mellitus (DM) in this area. Objective: To determine the potential interactions between ferroportin Q248H mutation, hyperferritinemia and DM in South Kivu (RDC). Methodology: Presence of ferroportin Q248H mutation and iron status were investigated in diabetic patients (n = 179, age (mean) 57.7 years, CRP (median) 0.16 mg/L) and non-diabetic subjects (n = 86, age 44.5 years, CRP 0.07 mg/L) living in the city of Bukavu. Hyperferritinemia was considered for values greater than 200 and 300 μg/L in women and in men, respectively. Results: The prevalence of ferroportin Q248H mutation [12.1%] was non-significantly higher in diabetics than non-diabetics [14.0% vs. 8.1%, p = 0.17]. Similarly, hyperferritinemia frequency was higher in diabetic patients with Q248H mutation [44.0% vs. 14.3%, p = 0.16] and in mutation carriers [37.0% vs 16.5%, p = 0.001] than in the control groups, respectively. The association between Q248H mutation and DM was nevertheless not significant [adjusted OR 1.70 (95% CI: 0.52-5.58), p = 0.37], whereas hyperferritinemia [OR 2.72 (1.24-5.98), p = 0.01] showed an independent effect after adjustment for age and metabolic syndrome. Conclusions: The present work suggests a potential association between abnormal iron metabolism, ferroportin Q248H mutation and atypical DM in Africans, which may be modulated by environmental factors. © 2013 Diabetes India. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved

Psychopathological states among Congolese health workers during the first wave of COVID-19 pandemic: links with emotion regulation and social support

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic is an unprecedented stressor for frontline healthcare workers, notably increasing acute stress disorder and depression rates. Emotion regulation and social support could be major protective factors against such psychopathological states, but their role has not been explored outside Western contexts. Objective: To assess the association between emotion regulation, social support, acute stress disorder, and depression among healthcare workers directly confronted with the first wave of COVID-19 pandemic in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. Method: A cross-sectional study assessed acute stress disorder, depression, adaptive (i.e. acceptance, positive refocusing, …) and maladaptive (i.e. self-blame, rumination, catastrophizing, …) emotion regulation strategies, social support (instrumental, emotional, and informational levels), as well as self-reported situations and feelings related to COVID-19, in a population of 252 frontline healthcare workers (121 women; 131 men; mean age: 39 ± 11 years old) at the Referral General Hospital of Bukavu. We also explored the relations between these variables through bivariate and multivariate logistic regression. Results: Forty percent of participants presented symptoms of depression, and 16% presented acute stress disorder. In bivariate logistic regression, these psychiatric outcomes were associated with the availability of a COVID-19 protection kit [OR = 0.24 (0.12–0.98)], hostility toward health workers [OR = 3.21 (1.23–4.21)], putting into perspective [OR = 0.91 (0.43–0.98)], self-blame [OR = 1.44 (1.11–2.39)], catastrophizing [OR = 1.85 (1.01–4.28)], blaming others [OR = 1.77 (1.04–3.32)], emotional support [OR = 0.83 (0.49–0.98)], instrumental support [OR = 0.74 (0.28–0.94)], and informational support [OR = 0.73 (0.43–0.98)]. In multivariate logistic regression, hostility [OR = 2.21 (1.54–3.78)], self-blame [OR = 1.57 (1.02-2.11)], rumination [OR = 1.49 (1.11-3.13)] and emotional support [OR = 0.94 (0.65-0.98)] remained significantly associated with psychiatric outcomes. Conclusion: Depression and acute stress disorder were highly prevalent among Congolese healthcare workers during the first wave of the COVID-19 health pandemic. Hostility, self-blame, rumination, and social support were associated with depression and/or acute stress disorder and should be targeted by interventions aiming to support health workers’ wellbeing. HIGHLIGHTS Frontline health workers presented high prevalence of acute stress disorder (16%) and depression (40%) during the first wave of COVID-19 pandemic in the Eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, as they were working in hostile environment without enough protection kits. Acute stress disorder and depression were negatively associated with adaptive emotion regulation and social support; and positively with maladaptive emotion regulation. Intervention aiming to support health workers in pandemics should target emotion regulation and social support

Long-term effects of severe acute malnutrition during childhood on adult cognitive, academic and behavioural development in African fragile countries: The Lwiro cohort study in Democratic Republic of the Congo

Introduction Little is known about the outcomes of subjects with a history of severe acute malnutrition(SAM). We therefore sought to explore the long-term effects of SAM during childhood on human capital in adulthood in terms of education, cognition, self-esteem and health-relateddisabilities in daily living. Methodology We traced 524 adults (median age of 22) in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo,who were treated for SAM during childhood at Lwiro hospital between 1988 and 2007(median age 41 months). We compared them with 407 community controls of comparable age and sex. Our outcomes of interest were education, cognitive function [assessed using the Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE) for literate participants, or its modified version created by Ertan et al. (MMSE-I) for uneducated participants], self-esteem (measured using the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale) and health-related social and functional disabilities measured using the World Health Organization Disability Assessment Schedule (WHODAS). For comparison, we used the Chi-squared test along with the Student’s t-test for the proportions and means respectively. Results Compared with the community controls, malnutrition survivors had a lower probability of attaining a high level of education (p < 0.001), of reporting a high academic performance (p= 0.014) or of having high self-esteem (p = 0.003). In addition, ma lnutrition survivors had anoverall mean score in the cognitive test that was lower compared with the community controls [25.6 compared with 27.8, p = 0.001 (MMSE) and 22.8 compared with 26.3, p < 0.001 (MMSE-I)] and a lower proportion of subjects with a normal result in this test (78.0% compared with 90.1%, p < 0.001). Lastly, in terms of health-related disabilities, unlike the community controls, malnutrition survivors had less social disability (p = 0.034), but no difference was observed as regards activities of daily living (p = 0.322). Conclusion SAM during childhood exposes survivors to low human capital as regards education, cognition and behaviour in adulthood. Policy-deciders seeking to promote economic growth and to address various psychological and medico-social disorders must take into consideration the fact that appropriate investment in child health as regards SAM is an essential means to achieve this

Revisiting Konzo Risk Factors in Three Areas Differently Affected by Spastic Paraparesis in Eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo Discloses a Prominent Role of the Nutritional Status—A Comparative Cross-Sectional Study

This comparative cross-sectional study aimed to better understand the respective contributions of protein malnutrition and cassava-derived cyanide poisoning in the development of konzo. We compared data on nutritional status and cyanide exposure of school-age adolescent konzo-diseased patients to those of non-konzo subjects of similar age from three areas in the Eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. Our results show that konzo patients had a high prevalence of both wasting (54.5%) and stunting (72.7%), as well as of cyanide poisoning (81.8%). Controls from Burhinyi and those from Idjwi showed a similar profile with a low prevalence of wasting (3.3% and 6.5%, respectively) and intermediate prevalence of stunting (26.7% and 23.9%, respectively). They both had a high prevalence of cyanide poisoning (50.0% and 63.0%, respectively), similar to konzo-patients. On the other hand, controls from Bukavu showed the lowest prevalence of both risk factors, namely chronic malnutrition (12.1%) and cyanide poisoning (27.6%). In conclusion, cassava-derived cyanide poisoning does not necessarily coexist with konzo outbreaks. The only factor differentiating konzo patients from healthy individuals exposed to cyanide poisoning appeared to be their worse nutritional status. This further suggests that, besides the known role of cyanide poisoning in the pathogenesis of konzo, malnutrition may be a key factor for the disease occurrence