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Clinical Psychopharmacology and... May 2024: Intramuscular medications are widely used to treat psychomotor agitation (PMA) in uncooperative patients. We evaluated knowledge and attitude towards guidelines and...
OBJECTIVE
: Intramuscular medications are widely used to treat psychomotor agitation (PMA) in uncooperative patients. We evaluated knowledge and attitude towards guidelines and the prescribing patterns in a sample of Italian psychiatrists.
METHODS
: A structured 28-item questionnaire was submitted to psychiatrists of Italian Departments of Mental Health. We considered 8 clinical scenarios of PMA. For comparing two qualitative variables Chi-square tests were performed.
RESULTS
: One hundred thirty-four psychiatrists completed the survey. The use of a monotherapy is significatively higher ( < 0.05) over a dual therapy in all clinical scenarios except PMA due to Mood Disorder and Psychotic Disorders, whereas the use of a polytherapy is significatively higher ( < 0.05) in PMA due to Mood Disorders and Psychotic Disorders. The use of second-generation antipsychotic (SGAs) as monotherapy over first-generation antipsychotics (FGAs) is significantly higher ( < 0.05) in PMA due to Central Nervous System (CNS) stimulants. The use of SGAs over FGAs in polytherapy is significantly higher ( < 0.05) in PMA due to CNS stimulants. Knowledge of guidelines results 67.1% and significatively higher ( < 0.05) among those who prefer SGAs as monotherapy rather than FGAs in PMA due to Intellectual Disability, CNS depressants and Delirium. Knowledge of guidelines results significatively higher ( < 0.05) among those who prefer SGAs rather than FGAs in polytherapy in PMA due to Mood disorders.
CONCLUSION
: This survey reports variation in prescribing patterns for medication used to treat PMA. While SGAs are often prescribed as first choice following the more recent guidelines, FGAs and multi-drug solutions seem to be still a popular solution.
PubMed: 38627085
DOI: 10.9758/cpn.23.1141 -
The Mental Health Clinician Jun 2024Catatonia is a syndrome characterized by psychomotor and behavioral disturbances and is associated with a substantially increased mortality risk in adolescent patients....
INTRODUCTION
Catatonia is a syndrome characterized by psychomotor and behavioral disturbances and is associated with a substantially increased mortality risk in adolescent patients. There is a dearth of published literature describing treatment strategies for pediatric patients with catatonia. This dual-case series will describe the treatment course of 2 adolescent patients with catatonia at our pediatric inpatient psychiatric facility.
CASE SERIES
This case series presents 2 adolescent patients (a 17-year-old male and a 16-year-old female) who initially presented with worsening agitation and paranoia, later developing catatonia. Both patients required long durations of hospitalization and were treated with high-dose lorazepam before requiring the addition of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT).
DISCUSSION
Treatment of pediatric patients with catatonia creates a significant burden on patients, families, and the healthcare system. Treatment with high-dose benzodiazepines is high risk, while ECT is both difficult to access and comes with its own risks. Both patients discussed are transitional age, meaning they will soon be young adults who will continue to require high-level psychiatric care. Psychiatric pharmacists have a large role to play in ensuring safe medication management for these complex patients.
CONCLUSIONS
This case series of 2 adolescent patients with catatonia demonstrates marginal reduction in symptoms with high-dose lorazepam in conjunction with ECT, with minimal side effects. This case series adds to the limited available literature regarding treatment of catatonia in pediatric patients and highlights the need for further study into effective treatment alternatives.
PubMed: 38835818
DOI: 10.9740/mhc.2024.06.215 -
Scientific Reports Nov 2023In this work, we present a promising diagnostic tool for melanoma diagnosis. With the proposed terahertz biosensor, it was possible to selectively and sensitively detect...
In this work, we present a promising diagnostic tool for melanoma diagnosis. With the proposed terahertz biosensor, it was possible to selectively and sensitively detect the early growth response protein 2, a transcription factor with an increased activity in melanoma cells, from a complex sample of cellular proteins. Fundamentally, the sensor belongs to the frequency selective surface type metamaterials and consists of a two-dimensional array of asymmetrically, doubly split ring resonator unit cells. The single elements are slits in a metallic layer and are complemented by an undercut etch. This allows a selective functionalization of the active area of the sensor and increases the sensitivity towards the target analyte. Hereby, specific detection of a defined transcription factor is feasible.
Topics: Humans; Transcription Factors; Melanoma; Gene Expression Regulation; Psychomotor Agitation
PubMed: 38001098
DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-46876-5 -
Forensic Science International Jan 2024Ketamine is primarily used as an anaesthetic or for analgesics in medical treatment, but due to its dissociative and hallucinogenic effects, abuse has increased in the...
INTRODUCTION
Ketamine is primarily used as an anaesthetic or for analgesics in medical treatment, but due to its dissociative and hallucinogenic effects, abuse has increased in the past years leading to several drug impaired driving cases.
METHODS
Eight DUID (driving under the influence of drugs) cases involving ketamine from two institutes of legal medicine over a period from January 2021 to January 2023 were evaluated. The cases were compared with regard to psychomotor impairments, adverse effects on driving performance and co-consumption of drugs. Analyses of ketamine were carried out by high performance liquid chromatography with diode array detection (HPLC-DAD). Other drugs of abuse were either detected via liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectromety (LC-MS/MS) and/or gas chromatography with (tandem) mass spectrometry (GC-MS(/MS)).
RESULTS
Ketamine plasma concentrations in a range of approx. 100-1200 ng/mL (mean: 510 ng/mL, median: 370 ng/mL) were detected. Co-consumption of at least one substance was ascertained in all cases. Besides driving impairments, recorded psychomotor impairments of the drivers comprised e.g. dilated pupils, missing or delayed pupil reactions, a slurred or decelerated speech, delayed reaction, lack of concentration, vertigo or agitation.
DISCUSSION
The observed peculiarities were in-line with literature data. However, the assessment and differentiation of ketamine-induced impairments was aggravated due to co-consumption of other drugs of abuse or pharmaceuticals in the herein investigated cases. Nevertheless, in two cases impairments can be attributed mainly to ketamine consumption since the co-consumed substances were only detected in low concentrations.
CONCLUSION
The presented cases provide additional data on psychomotor impairments observed in ketamine-related DUID cases. Limiting factors are co-consumption of substances, unknown habituation to drugs and the limited case number. Nevertheless, the results of this study are comparable with existing literature data. Since the abuse of ketamine has increased in the past years, these data will support forensic casework.
Topics: Humans; Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry; Tandem Mass Spectrometry; Ketamine; Chromatography, Liquid; Substance Abuse Detection; Psychomotor Disorders; Automobile Driving
PubMed: 38064774
DOI: 10.1016/j.forsciint.2023.111905 -
Internal and Emergency Medicine Mar 2024To investigate factors related to the development of hyperactive delirium in patients during emergency department (ED) stay and the association with short-term outcomes....
To investigate factors related to the development of hyperactive delirium in patients during emergency department (ED) stay and the association with short-term outcomes. A secondary analysis of the EDEN (Emergency Department and Elderly Needs) multipurpose multicenter cohort was performed. Patients older than 65 years arriving to the ED in a calm state and who developed confusion and/or psychomotor agitation requiring intravenous/intramuscular treatment during their stay in ED were assigned to delirium group. Patients with psychiatric and epileptic disorders and intracranial hemorrhage were excluded. Thirty-four variables were compared in both groups and outcomes were adjusted for age, sex, Charlson Comorbidity Index, Barthel Index and polypharmacy. Hyperactive delirium that needed treatment were developed in 301 out of 18,730 patients (1.6%). Delirium was directly associated with previous episodes of delirium (OR: 2.44, 95% CI 1.24-4.82), transfer to the ED observation unit (1.62, 1.23-2.15), chronic treatment with opiates (1.51, 1.09-2.09) and length of ED stay longer than 12 h (1.41, 1.02-1.97) and was indirectly associated with chronic kidney disease (0.60, 0.37-0.97). The 30-day all-cause mortality was 4.0% in delirium group and 2.9% in non-delirium group (OR: 1.52, 95% CI 0.83-2.78), need for hospitalization 25.6% and 25% (1.09, 0.83-1.43), in-hospital mortality 16.4% and 7.3% (2.32, 1.24-4.35), prolonged hospitalization 54.5% and 48.6% (1.27, 0.80-2.00), respectively, and 90-day post-discharge combined adverse event 36.4% and 35.8%, respectively (1.06, 0.82-2.00). Patients with previous episodes of delirium, treatment with opioids and longer stay in ED more frequently develop delirium during ED stay and preventive measures should be taken to minimize the incidence. Delirium is associated with in-hospital mortality during the index event.
Topics: Humans; Aged; Length of Stay; Delirium; Psychomotor Agitation; Aftercare; Patient Discharge; Emergency Service, Hospital; Risk Factors
PubMed: 37865623
DOI: 10.1007/s11739-023-03440-3 -
Journal of Affective Disorders Aug 2023Shortly after the first outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, the disease spread rapidly around the world. Previous findings reported an increase in mental health problems...
BACKGROUND
Shortly after the first outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, the disease spread rapidly around the world. Previous findings reported an increase in mental health problems among Chinese medical staff, but there was a lack of research following changes in COVID-19 prevention and control policies.
METHODS
Medical staff were recruited separately in China from 15 to 16 December 2022 (N = 765, wave 1) and from 5 to 8 January 2023 (N = 690, wave 2). All participants completed the assessments of Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7, the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 and the Euthymia Scale. Network analysis was used to explore the relationships between symptoms both within and across depression, anxiety and euthymia.
RESULTS
Medical staff showed worse anxiety, depression and euthymia at wave 2 than at wave 1. Depression, motor, restlessness and uncontrollable worrying showed high centrality (i.e., strength, expected influence, closeness) at wave 1, but higher at peak. Meanwhile, motor symptoms and restlessness showed the strongest connection between different mental disorders at both wave 1 and wave 2. The network structure was stable over time after the relaxation of the infection policy.
LIMITATIONS
Our participants were not a random sample and the assessments were based on self-reports.
CONCLUSIONS
This study indicated the changes in central and bridging symptoms in medical staff at different stages after lifting of restrictions and the withdrawal of testing requirements, which provided management suggestions for the Chinese government and hospitals, as well as clinical guidance for psychological interventions.
Topics: Humans; COVID-19; Mental Health; SARS-CoV-2; Psychomotor Agitation; Anxiety; Medical Staff; China; Depression
PubMed: 37172655
DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2023.05.013 -
BMC Pediatrics May 2024Agitation/delirium is commonly seen in children after anesthesia, and a proper dose of dexmedetomidine can prevent this complication. This study aimed to investigate the... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis
BACKGROUND
Agitation/delirium is commonly seen in children after anesthesia, and a proper dose of dexmedetomidine can prevent this complication. This study aimed to investigate the effects of different doses of Dexmedetomidine (DEX) on agitation/delirium and other complications in anesthetized children, providing clinical evidence for dose recommendations of DEX.
METHODS
This study was conducted based on the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA). A systematic search was conducted in the Cochrane Library, PubMed, Web of Science, and EMBASE. Two independent researchers performed literature screening, data extraction, and assessed the methodological quality. Data analysis was conducted using R and STATA 16.0.
RESULTS
In the final analysis, 20 randomized controlled trials (RCTs) involving 2521 children were included. The results showed that in comparison to normal saline, 1 µg/kg, 1.5 µg/kg, and 2 µg/kg intranasal DEX significantly reduced the incidence of post-anesthetic emergence agitation in children with the most effective dose being 2 µg/kg (SUCRA = 0.91). Compared with normal saline, 1 µg/kg, 1.5 µg/kg, and 2 µg/kg intranasal DEX reduced patient's need for postoperative analgesia, with the most effective dose being 1.5 µg/kg (SUCRA = 0.78). However, 1 µg/kg DEX performed the best in reducing Pediatric Anaesthesia Emergence Delirium (PAED) Scale score (SUCRA = 0.88).
CONCLUSION
Compared with normal saline, intranasal administration of 2 µg/kg DEX and 1.5 µg/kg DEX are the optimal doses to reduce the incidence of agitation and the need for postoperative pain relief in children under general anesthesia. Given effectiveness and safety, intranasal use of 1 µg/kg DEX appears to be the most effective dosage for anesthetized children.
Topics: Dexmedetomidine; Humans; Administration, Intranasal; Child; Hypnotics and Sedatives; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Parents; Emergence Delirium; Psychomotor Agitation; Postoperative Complications; Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic
PubMed: 38822315
DOI: 10.1186/s12887-024-04832-w -
Translational Psychiatry Jul 2023The anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) has been implicated in attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). More specifically, an appropriate balance of excitatory and...
The anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) has been implicated in attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). More specifically, an appropriate balance of excitatory and inhibitory activity in the ACC may be critical for the control of impulsivity, hyperactivity, and sustained attention which are centrally affected in ADHD. Hence, pharmacological augmentation of parvalbumin- (PV) or somatostatin-positive (Sst) inhibitory ACC interneurons could be a potential treatment strategy. We, therefore, tested whether stimulation of G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) in these interneurons could improve attention or impulsivity assessed with the 5-choice-serial reaction-time task in male mice. When challenging impulse control behaviourally or pharmacologically, activation of the chemogenetic GPCR hM3Dq in ACC PV-cells caused a selective decrease of active erroneous-i.e. incorrect and premature-responses, indicating improved attentional and impulse control. When challenging attention, in contrast, omissions were increased, albeit without extension of reward latencies or decreases of attentional accuracy. These effects largely resembled those of the ADHD medication atomoxetine. Additionally, they were mostly independent of each other within individual animals. GPCR activation in ACC PV-cells also reduced hyperactivity. In contrast, if hM3Dq was activated in Sst-interneurons, no improvement of impulse control was observed, and a reduction of incorrect responses was only induced at high agonist levels and accompanied by reduced motivational drive. These results suggest that the activation of GPCRs expressed specifically in PV-cells of the ACC may be a viable strategy to improve certain aspects of sustained attention, impulsivity and hyperactivity in ADHD.
Topics: Male; Mice; Animals; Gyrus Cinguli; Parvalbumins; Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity; Psychomotor Agitation; Impulsive Behavior; Interneurons
PubMed: 37407615
DOI: 10.1038/s41398-023-02541-z -
Pain Physician Mar 2024The central nervous system contains steroid receptors, particularly in the hypothalamic and limbic systems. These systems are responsible for driving certain emotions in... (Observational Study)
Observational Study
BACKGROUND
The central nervous system contains steroid receptors, particularly in the hypothalamic and limbic systems. These systems are responsible for driving certain emotions in humans, especially stress, anxiety, motivation, energy levels, and mood. Thus, corticosteroids may precipitate patients to experience these emotions. Most existing studies report neuropsychiatric side effects after oral or intravenous corticosteroids rather than epidural.
OBJECTIVES
This study examines the neuropsychiatric side effects after epidural steroid injections (ESIs), with a focus on whether certain factors in patients' histories further exacerbate symptomatology.
STUDY DESIGN
Prospective observational cohort study.
SETTING
Fluoroscopy suite at an urban academic teaching hospital.
METHODS
Patients were called 24 hours and one week after their ESIs and asked if they experienced certain neuropsychiatric symptoms more than usual compared to baseline.
PATIENTS
Seventy-four patients undergoing a lumbosacral ESI (interlaminar (ILESI), caudal or transforaminal (TFESI)) were invited to take part in the study the day of his or her procedure.
INTERVENTION/MEASUREMENT
Assessed whether psychiatric history, gender, race, type of ESI, or the number of levels injected affected frequency and duration of neuropsychiatric symptoms at one day and one week after an ESI.
RESULTS
Significantly (P < 0.05) more patients with a psychiatric history experienced restlessness and irritability at day one than those without a psychiatric history. At week one, male gender (IRR 2.29, 95% CI 1.37, 3.83, P = 0.002), ILESI (IRR 7.75, 95% CI 1.03, 58.6, P = 0.047), and 2-level injections (IRR 2.14, 95% CI 1.13, 4.06, P = 0.019) were significantly associated to more total symptoms.
LIMITATIONS
Single center study, reliance on subjective responses from patients, lack of follow-up after one week post-ESI.
CONCLUSION(S)
This study demonstrates that neuropsychiatric symptoms are rare overall after an ESI, though certain factors may influence patients experiencing these symptoms. Restlessness and irritability were more likely to occur one day after an ESI in those with a psychiatric history. Those who had a 2-level injection were more likely to keep experiencing most symptoms by week one, suggesting a possible correlation between corticosteroid dose and neuropsychiatric symptoms.
Topics: Humans; Female; Male; Prospective Studies; Psychomotor Agitation; Anxiety; Adrenal Cortex Hormones; Steroids
PubMed: 38506682
DOI: No ID Found -
Alzheimer's & Dementia : the Journal of... Mar 2024iWHELD is a digital person-centered care program for people with dementia in nursing homes adapted for remote delivery during the COVID-19 pandemic. (Randomized Controlled Trial)
Randomized Controlled Trial
Impact of the iWHELD digital person-centered care program on quality of life, agitation and psychotropic medications in people with dementia living in nursing homes during the COVID-19 pandemic: A randomized controlled trial.
INTRODUCTION
iWHELD is a digital person-centered care program for people with dementia in nursing homes adapted for remote delivery during the COVID-19 pandemic.
METHODS
A 16-week two-arm cluster-randomized controlled trial in 149 UK nursing homes compared iWHELD with treatment as usual (TAU). Primary outcome was the overall quality of life with secondary outcomes of agitation and psychotropic use.
RESULTS
iWHELD conferred benefit to quality of life on the primary (F = 4.3, p = 0.04) and secondary measures of quality of life (F = 6.45, p = 0.01) and reduced psychotropic medication use (χ = 4.08, p = 0.04) with no worsening of agitation. Benefit was seen in participants who contracted COVID-19, those with agitation at baseline, and those taking psychotropic medications.
DISCUSSION
iWHELD confers benefits to quality of life and key measures of well-being, can be delivered during the challenging conditions of a pandemic, and should be considered for use alongside any emerging pharmacological treatment for neuropsychiatric symptoms.
HIGHLIGHTS
iWHELD is the only remote, digital delivery nursing home training programme for dementia care iWHELD improved quality of life in people with dementia and reduced antipsychotic use without worsening of agitation Residents who contracted Covid-19 during the study also experienced benefits from iWHELD iWHELD offers a valuable, pandemic-safe tool for improving dementia care.
Topics: Humans; Aged; Pandemics; Homes for the Aged; Quality of Life; Dementia; COVID-19; Nursing Homes; Patient-Centered Care; Psychomotor Agitation
PubMed: 38116916
DOI: 10.1002/alz.13582