Prevalence and Associated Factors of Depressive Symptoms in Patients with Myasthenia Gravis: A Cross-Sectional Study of Two Tertiary Hospitals in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

Objectives. This study is aimed at elucidating the prevalence of depression in patients with myasthenia gravis (MG) and examining the risk factors associated with depression. Methods. We evaluated adult patients with MG who were recruited from two tertiary hospitals in the central region (Riyadh) of Saudi Arabia. Data were collected with a two-part standardized questionnaire: the first part included data on sociodemographic and clinical features of MG including disease type and duration, therapies, prednisolone dose, time of the last relapse, previous critical care unit admissions, MG status (controlled, partially controlled, or uncontrolled), and comorbid diseases; the second part included items from the previously validated Arabic version of the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9). Results. In total, 104/150 (69.3%) patients participated (72 females) with a mean age of 38.0±16.0 years. The mean PHQ-9 score was 7.02±6.1. Among all the participants, 27 (26.0%) patients had depression (PHQ‐9≥10). Multiple logistic regression analysis revealed that uncontrolled MG status (OR=12.31, 95%CI=1.13‐133.8, P=0.04) was the only factor independently associated with depression. Collectively, the prevalence of depression among patients of the primary care clinics (PCC) as reported by 5 previous studies across multiple regions of the country was 15.8%. The odds of depression among MG patients were twofold higher than those among PCC patients (OR=2.05, 95%CI=1.30‐3.22, P=0.002). Conclusions. Approximately a quarter of MG patients have depression. Achieving a minimal manifestation or better MG status may decrease the depression rate in these patients

Prevalence and antimicrobial resistance pattern of multidrug-resistant enterococci isolated from clinical specimens

Purpose: Vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) pose an emerging problem in hospitals worldwide. The present study was undertaken to determine the occurrence, species prevalence, antibacterial resistance, and phenotypic and genetic characteristics of VRE isolated in Riyadh hospitals, KSA. Materials and Methods: Two hundred and six isolates of enterococcal species were obtained from clinical samples. The antibiotic susceptibility of isolates and minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) tests for vancomycin and teicoplanin were determined. Molecular typing of VRE isolates was carried out by using pulsed field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) and the resistance genotype was determined by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Results: VRE accounted for 3.9% of the isolates and were detected mostly in urine, wound and blood specimens isolated from ICU, internal medicine and surgical wards. All strains were identified to species level and were found to consist of E. faecalis (69.2%), E. faecium (11.3%), E. avium (2.1%), E. hirae (0.8%), E. casseliflavus (1.3%) and E. gallinarum (1.3%) species. According to the susceptibility data obtained, 8 (3.9%) out of 206 isolates were found to be VRE (MICs > 32 μg/ml). The vanA, vanB and vanC gene fragments of E. faecalis, E. faecium and E. gallinarum were amplified from isolates and were detected. PFGE patterns of the VRE isolates revealed homogenous patterns with dominant clone suggesting that the strains intrinsic resistance is independent. Conclusions: This study shows an emergence of VRE along with increased rate of multidrug-resistant enterococci in the area of the study. Regular surveillance of antimicrobial susceptibilities should be done regularly and the risk factors should be determined

The impact of electronic gaming on upper limb neuropathies among esports athletes

Background The authors aimed to explore carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) among electronic sports (esports) athletes, to compare hand symptoms and their severity between esports athletes and the control group and within the esports athletes, and to study the relationship between esports athletes’ variables. Material and Methods A cross-sectional survey study via telephone with systematic randomized approach was used for esport athletes sampling. Control group were non-esports athletes who do not use computer for prolonged duration. The survey consisted of sports athletes’ characteristics, hand symptoms and functions, and the Boston Carpal Tunnel Questionnaire (BCTQ). The unpaired student’s t-test, Mann-Whitney U test, and χ2 test were utilised for statistical comparison, with p < 0.05. Pearson’s and Spearman’s correlation coefficient tests were used for relationship analyses. Results Eligible participants were 198 out of 229. Compared to control group, esport athletes reported more CTS (p = 0.01), and radiated pain and numbness in their hands (p = 0.05). Males complained of hand symptoms (p < 0.01) and its radiation (p < 0.01) more than females among esports athletes. Higher BCTQ Symptom Severity Scale (BCTQ-SSS) scores were reported for esports athletes who had been playing esports for prolonged periods compared to those who had playing recently (p = 0.003), with a moderate positive correlation (+0.59, p = 0.004). A significant moderate positive correlation was reported for BCTQ Functional Severity Symptoms (BCTQ-FSS) scores in terms of hours of playing (+0.44, p = 0.04). Esports athletes who used armrests and a PC with a controller for gaming reported less hand symptoms and had milder BCTQ scores than those who used a PC with a keyboard/mouse. Generally, esports athletes spend 5–10 h/day on gaming. Conclusions Esports athletes might be at risk of developing upper-extremity nerve compression and CTS. Prolonged playing, hours of playing, type of esports device, and using armrests are possible risk factors

Practice Patterns and Barriers for Intravenous Thrombolysis: A Survey of Neurologists in Saudi Arabia

Only a small fraction of patients with acute ischemic stroke receive intravenous thrombolysis (IVT). We sought to assess barriers and practice patterns in using IVT for acute ischemic stroke among neurologists in Saudi Arabia. An electronic survey was sent to all neurologists registered with the Saudi Commission for Health Specialties. A total of 148 (77.5%) neurologists responded. The most common reported barriers for IVT administration were delayed presentation to hospitals (82.4%) and unclear time of symptom onset (50.0%). Only 9.9% of neurologists reported strict adherence to the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association guidelines for IVT administration. The most frequently waived criteria were “minor stroke with National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale [NIHSS] < 5” (49.4%) and “seizure at onset” (45.7%). For the extended 3–4.5-hour window, 18.5% of neurologists reported strict adherence to the four exclusion criteria. The most frequently waived criteria were “age older than 80 years” (53.1%) and “history of both diabetes and prior stroke” (42.0%). In conclusion, most neurologists do not adhere to the IVT exclusion criteria. However, little consensus exists regarding which criteria do not interfere with IVT administration. Barriers to IVT administration were identified and require immediate action by healthcare authorities in Saudi Arabia

Magic Number Theory of Superconducting Proximity Effects and Wigner Delay Times in Graphene-Like Molecules

When a single molecule is connected to external electrodes by linker groups, the connectivity of the linkers to the molecular core can be controlled to atomic precision by appropriate chemical synthesis. Recently, the connectivity dependence of the electrical conductance and Seebeck coefficient of single molecules has been investigated both theoretically and experimentally. Here, we study the connectivity dependence of the Wigner delay time of single-molecule junctions and connectivity dependence of superconducting proximity effects, which occur when the external electrodes are replaced by superconductors. Although absolute values of transport properties depend on complex and often uncontrolled details of the coupling between the molecule and electrodes, we demonstrate that ratios of transport properties can be predicted using tables of "magic numbers," which capture the connectivity dependence of superconducting proximity effects and Wigner delay times within molecules. These numbers are calculated easily, without the need for large-scale computations. For normal-molecule-superconducting junctions, we find that the electrical conductance is proportional to the fourth power of their magic numbers, whereas for superconducting-molecule-superconducting junctions, the critical current is proportional to the square of their magic numbers. For more conventional normal-molecule-normal junctions, we demonstrate that delay time ratios can be obtained from products of magic number tables

Accuracy of seizure semiology obtained from first-time seizure witnesses

Abstract Background Little is known of how accurately a first-time seizure witness can provide reliable details of a semiology. Our goal was to determine how accurately first-time seizure witnesses could identify key elements of an epileptic event that would aid the clinician in diagnosing a seizure. Methods A total of 172 participants over 17 years of age, with a mean (sd) of 33.12 (13.2) years and 49.4% female, composed of two groups of community dwelling volunteers, were shown two different seizure videos; one with a focal seizure that generalized (GSV), and the other with a partial seizure that did not generalize (PSV). Participants were first asked about what they thought was the event that had occurred. They then went through a history-taking scenario by an assessor using a battery of pre-determined questions about involvement of major regions: the head, eyes, mouth, upper limbs, lower limbs, or change in consciousness. Further details were then sought about direction of movement in the eyes, upper and lower limbs, the side of limb movements and the type of movements in the upper and lower limbs. Analysis was with descriptive statistics and logistic regression. Results One hundred twenty-two (71.4%) identified the events as seizure or epilepsy. The accuracy of identifying major areas of involvement ranged from 60 to 89.5%. Horizontal head movements were significantly more recognized in the PSV, while involvement of the eyes, lateralization of arm movement, type of left arm movement, leg involvement, and lateralization of leg movement were significantly more recognized in the GSV. Those shown the GSV were more likely to recognize the event as "seizure" or "epilepsy" than those shown the PSV; 78 (84.8%) vs 44 (55.7%), (OR 0.22, p < 0.0001). Younger age was also associated with correct recognition (OR 0.96, P 0.049). False positive responses ranged from 2.5 to 32.5%. Conclusion First-time witnesses can identify important elements more than by chance alone, and are more likely to associate generalized semiologies with seizures or epilepsy than partial semiologies. However, clinicians still need to navigate the witness’s account carefully for additional information since routine questioning could result in a misleading false positive answer

Normative and Equated Data of the Original and Basic Versions of the Montreal Cognitive Assessment among Community Dwelling Saudi Arabians

Introduction. Currently, there are standard and basic versions of the MoCA, the latter designed for those with lower educational achievements. Community-based normative data on these versions of the MoCA from Arabic populations are deficient, and there is little data demonstrating how both scales perform in comparison. We aim to obtain normative performances from both versions and equate the measures of both scales. Methods. Community-based recruitment of healthy volunteers≥18 years of age. Participants underwent testing with both versions. Demographic data was collected with regard to age, gender, years of education, diabetes, and hypertension. Regression analysis was performed to determine significance of variables, and the circle-arc equating method was used to equate the two scores from each scale. Results. 311 participants were included in the study. The mean (sd) age was 45.8 (15.96), females were 184 (59.16%), and the duration of education was 12.7 (5.67) years. The mean scores on the MoCA-A and MoCA-B were 21.47 (4.53) and 24.37 (4.71) (P<0.0001), respectively. Multivariate regression showed significance of age and years of education in both versions (both variables with P<0.0001). Correlation coefficient between the two scales was 0.77 (P<0.0001). The largest equated difference between both MoCA versions was four points in those scoring from 10-20 on the MoCA-A. Conclusion. We present normative data from a large Saudi Arabian community-based sample with two different MoCA tests, and an equating graph is presented to determine the corresponding expected performance between the two scales

Comparison of Performance on the Clock Drawing Test Using Three Different Scales in Dialysis Patients

Background. The clock drawing test (CDT) is frequently used to detect changes in cognition. Multiple scales of varying length have been published to assess performance. The aim of this study is to compare the CDT performance measured by three scales among a sample of nondemented patients on renal dialysis and identify the variables that affect performance. Methodology. This is a cross-sectional study performed at the dialysis unit at King Saud University Medical City. Eighty-nine dialysis patients performed the CDT. The CDT was scored by the methods of Rouleau et al. (RCS 10-point), Babins et al. (BCS 18-point), and the MoCA (MCS 3-point). Regression models were used to determine influencing demographic and dialysis variables. Scores were then correlated, and a combined factor analysis of scale components was done. Results. Females represented 44.6%, the mean (SD) age was 49.99 (15.49) years, and education duration was 10.29 (5.5) years. Dialysis vintage was 55.81 (62.91) months. The scores for the MCS, RCS, and BCS were 2.18 (1.08), 6.67 (3.07), and 11.8 (5.5), respectively, with significant correlation (P<0.0001). In all scales, increasing age was associated with a lower score (each P<0.0001). The scores increased with increasing education (each P<0.0001). Diabetics had a lower score on both the BCS and MCS by 2.56 (SE 1.2) (P=0.035) and 0.71 (P=0.003) points, respectively. However, only age and years of education were significant in the multivariable analysis. In factor analysis, two shared factors appeared between the three scales: hand and number placement and the clock face. Conclusion. Age and education influence the performance on the CDT, and factors diverged into executive and visuospatial components. The MCS is likely to yield useful information but should be interpreted as part of the MoCA