Contribution of the μ-opioid receptor system to affective disorders in temporal lobe epilepsy: A bidirectional relationship?

OBJECTIVE Affective disorders are frequent comorbidities of temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE). The endogenous opioid system has been implicated in both epilepsy and affective disorders, and may play a significant role in their bidirectional relationship. In this cross-sectional study, we investigated the association between μ-opioid receptor binding and affective disorders in patients with TLE. METHODS Nine patients with TLE and depression/anxiety underwent $^{11}$ C-carfentanil positron emission tomography (CFN PET) and neuropsychiatric assessment, including the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale and the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule. The normalized CFN PET scans were compared with those of 26 age-matched healthy controls. Correlation analyses with affective symptoms were performed by region of interest-based analysis focusing on the limbic circuit and orbitofrontal cortex. RESULTS We observed widely reduced CFN binding potential (BP) in bilateral frontal lobes and striata in patients with TLE compared to healthy controls. In the TLE group, more severe anxiety and negative affect were associated with decreased CFN BP in the posterior cingulate gyrus. SIGNIFICANCE In patients with TLE, interictally reduced binding in the opioid system was associated with higher levels of anxiety and negative affect. We speculate that seizure-related agonist-driven desensitization and downregulation of opioid receptors could be a potential underlying pathomechanism

Prevalence, associated factors and outcomes of pressure injuries in adult intensive care unit patients: the DecubICUs study

Funder: European Society of Intensive Care Medicine; doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100013347Funder: Flemish Society for Critical Care NursesAbstract: Purpose: Intensive care unit (ICU) patients are particularly susceptible to developing pressure injuries. Epidemiologic data is however unavailable. We aimed to provide an international picture of the extent of pressure injuries and factors associated with ICU-acquired pressure injuries in adult ICU patients. Methods: International 1-day point-prevalence study; follow-up for outcome assessment until hospital discharge (maximum 12 weeks). Factors associated with ICU-acquired pressure injury and hospital mortality were assessed by generalised linear mixed-effects regression analysis. Results: Data from 13,254 patients in 1117 ICUs (90 countries) revealed 6747 pressure injuries; 3997 (59.2%) were ICU-acquired. Overall prevalence was 26.6% (95% confidence interval [CI] 25.9–27.3). ICU-acquired prevalence was 16.2% (95% CI 15.6–16.8). Sacrum (37%) and heels (19.5%) were most affected. Factors independently associated with ICU-acquired pressure injuries were older age, male sex, being underweight, emergency surgery, higher Simplified Acute Physiology Score II, Braden score 3 days, comorbidities (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, immunodeficiency), organ support (renal replacement, mechanical ventilation on ICU admission), and being in a low or lower-middle income-economy. Gradually increasing associations with mortality were identified for increasing severity of pressure injury: stage I (odds ratio [OR] 1.5; 95% CI 1.2–1.8), stage II (OR 1.6; 95% CI 1.4–1.9), and stage III or worse (OR 2.8; 95% CI 2.3–3.3). Conclusion: Pressure injuries are common in adult ICU patients. ICU-acquired pressure injuries are associated with mainly intrinsic factors and mortality. Optimal care standards, increased awareness, appropriate resource allocation, and further research into optimal prevention are pivotal to tackle this important patient safety threat

Correction to: Prevalence, associated factors and outcomes of pressure injuries in adult intensive care unit patients: the DecubICUs study

The original version of this article unfortunately contained a mistake

Prevalence, associated factors and outcomes of pressure injuries in adult intensive care unit patients: the DecubICUs study

Funder: European Society of Intensive Care Medicine; doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100013347Funder: Flemish Society for Critical Care NursesAbstract: Purpose: Intensive care unit (ICU) patients are particularly susceptible to developing pressure injuries. Epidemiologic data is however unavailable. We aimed to provide an international picture of the extent of pressure injuries and factors associated with ICU-acquired pressure injuries in adult ICU patients. Methods: International 1-day point-prevalence study; follow-up for outcome assessment until hospital discharge (maximum 12 weeks). Factors associated with ICU-acquired pressure injury and hospital mortality were assessed by generalised linear mixed-effects regression analysis. Results: Data from 13,254 patients in 1117 ICUs (90 countries) revealed 6747 pressure injuries; 3997 (59.2%) were ICU-acquired. Overall prevalence was 26.6% (95% confidence interval [CI] 25.9–27.3). ICU-acquired prevalence was 16.2% (95% CI 15.6–16.8). Sacrum (37%) and heels (19.5%) were most affected. Factors independently associated with ICU-acquired pressure injuries were older age, male sex, being underweight, emergency surgery, higher Simplified Acute Physiology Score II, Braden score 3 days, comorbidities (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, immunodeficiency), organ support (renal replacement, mechanical ventilation on ICU admission), and being in a low or lower-middle income-economy. Gradually increasing associations with mortality were identified for increasing severity of pressure injury: stage I (odds ratio [OR] 1.5; 95% CI 1.2–1.8), stage II (OR 1.6; 95% CI 1.4–1.9), and stage III or worse (OR 2.8; 95% CI 2.3–3.3). Conclusion: Pressure injuries are common in adult ICU patients. ICU-acquired pressure injuries are associated with mainly intrinsic factors and mortality. Optimal care standards, increased awareness, appropriate resource allocation, and further research into optimal prevention are pivotal to tackle this important patient safety threat

Neuropsychological impairment in multiple sclerosis: MRI, MRS and clinical correlates

The aim of this thesis was to extend previous studies that have attempted to relate neuropsychological deficits and pathological abnormalities in multiple sclerosis (MS) by using standardised and sensitive neuropsychological tests and improved quantification techniques on MRI. Study 1 Deficits in executive function and the relationship to frontal lesion load as detected on MRI were investigated in 42 MS patients. A battery of neuropsychological tests examining executive skills including computerised tests of planning and spatial working memory was administered to all subjects. Performance on these tests was impaired in the patient group when compared to a group of matched controls but not all executive skills were affected to the same extent. Although a number of executive test scores correlated with the severity of frontal lesion load, it was difficult to disentangle the specific contribution of frontal lobe pathology to the impairment on executive tasks. This study highlights the difficulties in attempting to attribute specific cognitive abnormalities to focal brain pathology in the presence of widespread disease such as in MS. Study 2 Proton MRS was performed in the same group of MS patients and matched controls from Study 1 to examine the biochemical correlates of neuropsychological performance. There was a significant reduction of the NAA/Cr ratio in lesions and/or normal appearing white matter (NAWM) in the patient group compared to the control group. However, there was no association between the MRS abnormalities and neuropsychological deficits in the MS patients. Study 3 13 MS patients were examined with a battery of neuropsychological tests during acute relapse and six weeks later. Their performance was compared to the performance of 10 matched controls. Gd-enhanced MRI was also performed in patients on both occasions. There was evidence that the performance on tests of attention improved in patients whose Gd-enhanced lesion load decreased during the period of the study. This suggests that certain neuropsychological deficits detected during an acute relapse may be reversible. In addition, the improvement in some of the attentional test scores correlated significantly with the improvement in acute lesion load

Brain abnormalities in schizophrenia Evidence from neuropathologically sensitive MRI techniques

Available from British Library Document Supply Centre- DSC:DXN060871 / BLDSC - British Library Document Supply CentreSIGLEGBUnited Kingdo

Mothers' hygiene experiences in confinement centres: A cohort study.

IntroductionEthnic Malaysian Chinese used to observe the 1-month postpartum confinement period at home and many families would engage a traditional postpartum carer to help care for the mother and newborn. A recent trend has been the development of confinement centres (CCs) which are private non-healthcare establishments run by staff not trained in health care. Concerns about hygiene in CCs arose after infections were reported. We describe the practice of hand hygiene observed in CCs, the availability of resources for hygiene, and the prevalence of health-related problems in CCs.MethodsThis is a cohort study of ethnic Chinese mothers intending to breastfeed their healthy infants. They were recruited post-delivery along with a comparison group who planned to spend their confinement period at home. After their 1-month confinement period, they were contacted for a structured telephone interview about their experience. To avoid any alteration in behaviour, mothers were not told at recruitment that they had to observe hygiene practices. Multiple logistic regression was used to assess the effect of place of confinement on rates of infant health problems.ResultsOf 187 mothers, 88(47%) went to 27 different CCs while 99(53%) stayed at home. Response rates for the 1-month interviews were 88%(CC) versus 97%(home). Mothers in CC group stayed in one to four-bedded rooms and 92% of them had their baby sleeping separately in a common nursery described to have up to 17 babies at a time; 74% of them spent less than six hours a day with their babies; 43% noticed that CC staff had inadequate hand hygiene practices; 66% reported no hand basins in their rooms; 30% reported no soap at hand basins; 28% reported inexperienced or inadequate staff and 4% reported baby item sharing. Among the mothers staying at home, 35% employed a traditional postpartum carer for her baby; 32% did not room-in with their babies, but only 11% spent less than 6 hours a day with their babies. Of mothers who employed traditional postpartum carers, 32% did not know if their carer washed hands after changing diapers and 18% reported that their carer did not. Health problems that were probably related to infection (HPRI) like fever and cough were similar between the groups: 14%(CC) versus 14%(home) (p = 0.86). Multiple logistic regression did not show that CCs were a factor for HPRI: aOR 1.28 (95% CI 0.36 to 4.49). Three mothers reported events that could indicate transmission of infection in CCs.ConclusionWe found unsatisfactory hygiene practices in CCs as reported by mothers who spent their confinement period there. Although we were not able to establish any direct evidence of infection transmission but based on reports given by the mothers in this study, it is likely to be happening. Therefore, future studies, including intervention studies, are urgently needed to establish an appropriate hygiene standard in CCs as well as the best method to implement this standard. Training CC staff with hygiene knowledge so that they can be empowered to contribute to the development of these standards would be important

Improvement of the Ala Wai Canal

The Ala Wai Canal flushes poorly due to its length to width ratio; this, combined with the high nutrient levels discharged into it, causes a persistent problem with water quality. As a result of this study we believe that the most cost effective means of improving the water quality in the Ala Wai Canal is a conventional pumping system. A pipe running the length of the canal fed by an electric powered pump near the entrance will exchange the water sufficiently rapidly so that recreational activities could be conducted in the canal.Office of Environmental Quality Contro

A magnetization transfer imaging study in patients with temporal lobe epilepsy and interictal psychosis

BackgroundFindings from previous neuropathological and neuroimaging studies in patients with epilepsy and interictal psychosis have been inconclusive, and both focal and widespread brain abnormalities have been reported. Thus, further investigation with advanced in vivo magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) techniques, such as magnetization transfer imaging, capable of detecting more subtle brain abnormalities, is warranted.MethodsTwenty patients with temporal lobe epilepsy and interictal psychosis were compared with 20 nonpsychotic patients. Patients were matched with respect to conventional MRI findings. Each group comprised of 10 patients with hippocampal sclerosis (6 left, 4 right) and 10 patients without focal lesions on MRI. A voxel-based analysis was used for the group comparisons.ResultsVoxel-based analysis revealed significant reductions of magnetization transfer ratio (an index of signal loss derived from magnetization transfer imaging) in the left superior and middle temporal gyri in the psychotic patients for the subgroup of patients with no focal lesions on MRI. There were no significant volumetric differences between the psychotic and nonpsychotic patients.ConclusionsFocal cortical magnetization transfer ratio abnormalities in the left temporal lobe unrelated to volume changes can be demonstrated in some temporal lobe epilepsy patients with interictal psychosis. Our findings might reflect subtle neuropathological abnormalities that are undetected by conventional MRI

A participatory, needs-based approach to breastfeeding training for confinement centre

With a focus on traditional practices rather than evidence-based practices, breastfeeding support is sub-optimal in confinement centres (CCs). We used a participatory, needs-based approach to develop a training module for CC staff adopting Kern's six-step approach as our conceptual framework. Of 46 identified CCs, 25 accepted our invitation to a dialogue aimed at establishing relationships and understanding their needs. An interactive training workshop was developed from the dialogue's findings. The workshop, attended by 32 CCs (101 participants), was conducted four times over a four-month period. Questions raised by the participants reflected deficits in understanding breastfeeding concepts and erroneous cultural beliefs. Correct answers rose from 20% pre-test to 51% post-test. Post-workshop feedback showed that participants appreciated the safe environment to ask questions, raise concerns and correct misconceptions. An interview conducted 14 months later showed that while some CCs improved breastfeeding support, others made no change due to conflict between breastfeeding and traditional postnatal practices, which was aggravated by a lack of support due to the COVID-19 pandemic. A participatory approach established a trustful learning environment, helping CCs appreciate the value of learning and adopting new concepts. However, cultural perceptions take time to change, hence continuous training and support are vital for sustained changes. </p