Traitement des symptômes dépressifs dans le contexte du cancer du sein : comparaison de la thérapie cognitive et de la luminothérapie

Cette thèse doctorale porte sur le traitement des symptômes dépressifs dans le contexte de cancer du sein non-métastatique. Une étude contrôlée randomisée, effectuée auprès de 62 patientes, a comparé les effets de la luminothérapie à ceux d'un traitement plus standard, soit la thérapie cognitive (TC). Pendant huit semaines, 25 patientes ont reçu une thérapie cognitive (TC) individuelle, 26 une luminothérapie (LT) à la maison et 11 ont été assignées à une condition liste d'attente (LA). Le premier objectif visait à comparer les effets de la TC et de la LT à ceux de la LA sur les symptômes dépressifs et sur des variables secondaires (sommeil objectif et subjectif, fatigue, anxiété et qualité de vie) au post-traitement. Le deuxième objectif était de comparer les effets de la TC et la de LT, une fois les participantes de la LA réassignées à l'une ou l'autre des interventions suite à leur période d'attente, au post-traitement, ainsi que 3 et 6 mois plus tard. Les résultats ont révélé que la TC et la LT étaient toutes les deux plus efficaces que la LA pour réduire les symptômes dépressifs au post-traitement et que les gains thérapeutiques de ces deux traitements étaient bien maintenus jusqu'au suivi 6 mois. Toutefois, ce sont les participantes de la TC qui ont montré les plus grandes tailles d'effets, de même que les plus hauts taux de réponse et de rémission. La TC de la dépression et la LT ont semblé peu efficaces pour ce qui est d'améliorer les variables secondaires investiguées. Le troisième objectif visait à explorer les différentes variables susceptibles d'influencer l'efficacité de la TC et de la LT pour réduire les symptômes dépressifs. Il en est ressorti que les patientes plus déprimées et ayant un plus faible niveau d'activation comportementale au pré-traitement ont bénéficié davantage de la TC, alors que les patientes répondant le mieux à la LT étaient celles n'ayant jamais vécu d'épisode dépressif majeur par le passé et ne présentant pas de trouble de l'humeur au pré-traitement. Bien que d'autres recherches soient requises, cette thèse confirme l'efficacité de la TC pour traiter les symptômes dépressifs dans le contexte du cancer du sein et suggère que la LT, sans être aussi efficace que la TC, pourrait être d'une certaine utilité lorsque la TC n'est pas accessible ou désirée par les patientes. La thèse permet également de déterminer chez quelles patientes les deux options de traitement sont les plus efficaces et chez qui la luminothérapie pourrait être particulièrement appropriée comme option de rechange à la TC

Sleep and wake disturbances following traumatic brain injury

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a major health concern in industrialised countries. Sleep and wake disturbances are among the most persistent and disabling sequelae after TBI. Yet, despite the widespread complaints of post-TBI sleep and wake disturbances, studies on their etiology, pathophysiology, and treatments remain inconclusive. This narrative review aims to summarise the current state of knowledge regarding the nature of sleep and wake disturbances following TBI, both subjective and objective, spanning all levels of severity and phases postinjury. A second goal is to outline the various causes of post-TBI sleep-wake disturbances. Globally, although sleep-wake complaints are reported in all studies and across all levels of severity, consensus regarding the objective nature of these disturbances is not unanimous and varies widely across studies. In order to optimize recovery in TBI survivors, further studies are required to shed light on the complexity and heterogeneity of post-TBI sleep and wake disturbances, and to fully grasp the best timing and approach for intervention

Visual fixation in the intensive care unit: a strong predictor of post-traumatic amnesia and long-term recovery after moderate-to-severe traumatic brain injury

Objective: We examined whether visual fixation at 24h of intensive care unit (ICU) admission is superior to the initial Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) score to predict PTA duration and long-term TBI recovery. Design: Two-phase cohort study. Setting: Level I trauma ICU. Patients: Moderate-to-severe TBI discharged alive between 2010-2013. Interventions: None. Measurements and Main Results: Presence/absence of visual fixation at 24h of ICU-admission was determined through standard behavioral assessments in 181 TBI patients and compared to the GCS score to predict PTA duration during hospitalization (Phase 1) and performance on the Glasgow Outcome Scale-Extended (GOS-E) 10-40 months after (n=144; Phase 2a). A subgroup also completed a visual attention task (n=35; Phase 2b) and brain magnetic resonance imaging post-TBI (n=23; Phase 2c). Presence/absence of visual fixation at 24h of ICU-admission showed a sensitivity of 84%, a specificity of 82% and an AUC of 0.87 for the prediction of PTA duration. Visual fixation (AUC=0.85) was also found as performant as PTA (AUC=0.81; difference-between-AUC=0.04; 95%CI:-0.03-0.116; p=0.28) for the prediction of GOS-E scores. Conversely, the GCS score was a poor predictor of both PTA and GOS-E. Even when controlling for age/medication/CT scan findings, fixation remained a significant predictor of GOS-E scores (=-0.29, p<0.05). Poorer attention performance and increased regional brain volume deficits were also observed in participants who could not fixate 24h following ICU-admission versus those who could. Conclusions: Visual fixation within 24h of ICU-admission could be as performant as PTA for predicting TBI recovery, introducing a new variable of interest in TBI outcome research

Moderators of cognitive therapy and bright light therapy effects on depressive symptoms in patients with breast cancer

Background Cognitive therapy (CT) and bright light therapy (BLT) have been found to be effective to treat depressive symptoms in breast cancer patients. No study has investigated the baseline patients’ characteristics that are associated with better outcomes with CT vs. BLT in this population. This study aimed to assess, in breast cancer patients, the moderating role of eight clinical variables on the effects of CT and BLT on depressive symptoms. Methods This is a secondary analysis of a randomized controlled trial conducted in 59 women who received an 8-week CT or BLT and completed questionnaires evaluating depression and possible moderating variables. Results Patients benefited more from BLT when they had no prior history of major depressive disorder, higher depression scores on the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS-D) at baseline, a greater initial preference for BLT, and when they received BLT during spring or summer. Patients benefited more from CT when they had a lower initial preference for receiving CT, higher depression scores on the HADS-D, and seasonal depressive symptoms. Conclusions Although replication is needed, findings of this study suggest the existence of different profiles of patients more likely to benefit from CT and BL

Treatment of depressive symptoms in patients with breast cancer : a randomized controlled trial comparing cognitive therapy and bright light therapy

Objective : This randomized controlled trial (RCT), conducted in patients with breast cancer, aimed to compare the effects of cognitive therapy (CT), bright light therapy (BLT), and a waiting-list control condition (WLC) on depressive symptoms. Method : Sixty-two women were randomly assigned to an 8-week CT (n = 25), BLT (n = 26), or WLC (n = 11). Participants completed the depression subscale of the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS-D), the Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II), and the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS) at pre- and posttreatment (and postwaiting for WLC), as well as 3 and 6 months later. Results : At posttreatment, CT patients had a significantly greater reduction of depressive symptoms than WLC on the HADS-D and the BDI-II. BLT patients had a greater reduction of depressive symptoms than WLC on the HADS-D only. After WLC participants were reassigned to CT or BLT, a superiority of CT over BLT was found on the BDI-II at posttreatment. Patients of both active conditions showed a good sustainment of treatment gains at follow-ups. Conclusions : Although replication with larger samples is needed, these results confirm the efficacy of CT for depression in the context of breast cancer and suggest that BLT could be of some utility when CT is not available or desired