Delusional patterns and its pre-morbid personality linkages in Nigeria psychotic patients that attended a community psychiatric rehabilitation centre in Anambra State Nigeria between 2011 -2013

AbstractThe study was on the evaluation of the prevalence of delusional types and their correlations with pre-morbid personalities in psychotic patients that  attended a Community Rehabilitation Centre in Anambra State Nigeria.  Forty participants (27 males and 13 females, age range: 22 – 51 years) were used for the study. DSM IVTR, psychological tests: MMPI, SCL-90R  and clinical observations were used for the diagnosis of the patients  according to the centre policy. Two recording scales designed by the  researchers were used to assign the participants to different types of delusions and pre-morbid personalities. The study design was a  longitudinal survey of special population. Descriptive form of statistics and pearson product moment correlation statistics were used in data analysis. The findings showed that some delusional disorders were more prevalent than others (eg., Delusions of reference, control, persecution and spiritual attack) and the delusion of persecution were more in females than in  males. Similarly pre-morbid personalities of obedience, gentility, loving, responsible, loner and quiet were more prevalent than others in the  participants. Furthermore significant correlations of delusion types and  pre-morbid personalities were also found as well as correlation within the delusion types. Discussions of the study were on the need to increase research as to explain the mechanisms that brought about the findingsand the import of examining gender differences in psychotic delusional behaviours. The need for clinicians to consider the correlations of delusions and premorbid personalities will help in improving treatment of psychotic disorders in Nigeria.Key words: Delusional types, premorbid personalities, psychotic disorders,Rehabilitation centr

Processing Speed Mediates Visual Attention in Patients With Remitted Major Depression

Information processing and attention in psychiatric patients have received limited research interests among neuroscientists. This has further limited clinical interventions in neuropsychological areas of psychiatric disorders. The present study was on processing speed and visual attention in patients with remitted major depression (RMD). Forty two participants were recruited for the study. Twenty one (21) of them were patients with RMD while the other 21 were healthy controls (HC). Four instruments were used to assess processing speed (TMT A and TMT B)  and visual attention (Letter Cancellation TaskS (LCT): Coloured and black-white), while the between group quasi experimental design was used. The findings of the study showed significant differences between RMD and HC on time taken to complete TMT A: F(1,35)=11.01, TMT B: F(1,35)15.50; LCT (coloured) F(1,35)=19.04, LCT (Black-white) F1(1,35)=29.65 at p<0.05 level of testing. Similarly the path model analysis showed that TMT B mediates significantly TMT A (overall processing speed) on time taken to complete LCT (Colored): B=0.62, and LCT (Black and White): B=0.77. The discussion of the study centered on the roles of the ability to shift the task in visual attention search and likely tendency that visual search has common neural circuitry pathway with ability to shift task.

Promotion of healthy nutrition in clinical practice: a cross-sectional survey of practices and barriers among physiotherapists in southeast Nigeria

AbstractBackgroundHealthy diet counselling is an important concept in health promotion. Physiotherapists are well positioned to initiate or support healthy nutrition in addition to physical activity counselling, in routine patient consultation.ObjectiveTo determine the practices about and barriers to diet counselling practices among physiotherapists in Southeast Nigeria.MethodsIn this cross-sectional survey, a total of 140 questionnaires were distributed among physiotherapists.ResultsOverall, 103 physiotherapists responded. Physiotherapists are confident and consider the incorporation of dietary counselling very important and of high priority in their daily clinical work. They, however, assessed and counselled on dietary status opportunistically in patients. Notwithstanding, physiotherapists believed that the diet counselling they give could be effective in helping patients change their unhealthy dieting practices. Patients were also amenable to physiotherapists advocating on diet issues as part of their consultation. Several barriers to incorporating diet counselling into physiotherapy practice were identified, including lack of access to a dietician/health promotion staff/counsellors, lack of proper patient education materials, lack of expertise in relation to dietary risk factors' assessment and management, and uncertainty about what dietary services to provide.ConclusionAlthough physiotherapists consider it important to incorporate diet counselling in their daily clinical practice, development and implementation of strategies to improve physiotherapists' diet counselling knowledge, competence, skills, and practice are warranted