RE: Kim Leigh N., et al. Pilot study: The Queen Square Screening Test for Visual Deficits in Dementia.

IntroductionThere is limited research on the visual deficits found in dementia. The Queens Square Screening Test for Visual Deficits (QS test) is designed to screen for changes in visual processing. Our study aimed to validate this test and examine the types of visual processing deficits found in dementia.MethodsWe assessed the QS test in participants with dementia, mild cognitive impairment (MCI), and healthy controls. Participants were recruited from the Neurology and Geriatrics departments of a tertiary hospital over 3-months. Cognitive impairment was measured using the Rowland Universal Dementia Assessment Scale (RUDAS).ResultsTwenty-six patients were examined. There were no statistically significant differences in age, gender, English fluency, and education between the three groups. Participants with dementia (n=8, mean RUDAS 17.5/30) scored 51.4/71 on the QS test, compared to 60.7/71 in MCI (n=7, mean RUDAS 25.0/30) and 64.6/71 in controls (n=11, mean RUDAS 27.4/30). The mean scores for each subset of the QS test for dementia, MCI and normal cognition, respectively, were: early visual processing – 19.6/25, 22.4/25, 23.7/25; object perception – 5.6/11, 7.9/11, 8.7/11; space perception – 11.4/14, 11.1/14, 12.4/14; face perception – 4.4/8, 6.4/8, 7.0/8; reading – 10.4/13, 12.9/13, 12.8/13.ConclusionIn this pilot study, the QS test was markedly abnormal in dementia but did not differentiate between MCI and normal cognition. Our findings suggest that deficits in early visual processing, reading, and the perception of objects and faces are common in dementia. Understanding the types of visual difficulties may improve the care of patients with dementia.

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Utility of Olfactory test as screening tool for COVID-19: A pilot study

10.1101/2020.09.03.20187294 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Pragyanshu Khare ◽

Atul Munish Chander ◽

Kanhaiya Agrawal ◽

Satyam Singh Jayant ◽

Soham Mukherjee ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Pilot Study ◽

Preliminary Data ◽

Screening Test ◽

Screening Tool ◽

Healthy Controls ◽

Olfactory Test ◽

Smell Test ◽

Variable Sensitivity ◽

Novel Coronavirus ◽

Smell Function

Loss of smell function (Anosmia) is reported to be associated with novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection. The present study was designed to evaluate the effectiveness of an indigenously developed prototype smell test to identify/diagnose asymptomatic COVID-19 positive individuals. A panel of five different odorants belonging to Indian household with unique and mutually exclusive odor were used to develop prototype kit to test the hypothesis. The developed prototype kit was tested at 2 centers (N=49 and 34) with slight modifications. Simultaneously, the kit was also tested on 55 (N=35 and 20) healthy controls. Our results indicate that otherwise asymptomatic COVID-19 positive individuals were having quantifiable deficit in smell sensation. Interestingly, the variable sensitivity of different odorants was observed in different patients. None of the healthy controls reported difficulty in sensing any of the odorant, whereas, some of healthy controls did misidentify the odorants. Overall, the present study provides a preliminary data that loss in smell sensation for various odorants can be exploited as a quick and affordable screening test to identify infected cases among at risk individuals.

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International Normalized Ratio as a Screening Test for Assessment of Anticoagulant Activity for Patients Treated With Rivaroxaban or Apixaban: A Pilot Study

Frontiers in Pharmacology ◽

10.3389/fphar.2019.01177 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 10 ◽

Author(s):

Fanny Ofek ◽

Dana Barchel ◽

Nofar Perets ◽

Tomer Ziv-Baran ◽

Ahmad Mahajna ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Pilot Study ◽

Screening Test ◽

Anticoagulant Activity ◽

International Normalized Ratio

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Pulse Oximetry and Congenital Heart Disease Screening: Results of the First Pilot Study in Morocco

International Journal of Neonatal Screening ◽

10.3390/ijns6030053 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 6 (3) ◽

pp. 53

Author(s):

Nadia El Idrissi Slitine ◽

Fatiha Bennaoui ◽

Craig A. Sable ◽

Gerard R. Martin ◽

Lisa A. Hom ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Congenital Heart Disease ◽

Heart Disease ◽

Pilot Study ◽

Pulse Oximetry ◽

Screening Test ◽

Congenital Heart ◽

False Negative ◽

University Hospital ◽

Critical Congenital Heart Disease ◽

Negative Case

Congenital heart disease (CHD) is the most common congenital malformation. Diagnosis of critical congenital heart disease (CCHD), the most severe type of congenital heart disease, in a newborn may be difficult. The addition of CCHD screening, using pulse oximetry, to clinical assessment significantly improves the rate of detection. We conducted a pilot study in Morocco on screening neonates for critical congenital heart disease. This study was conducted in the maternity ward of Mohammed VI University Hospital of Marrakesh, Morocco, and included asymptomatic newborns delivered between March 2019 and January 2020. The screening of CCHD was performed by pulse oximetry measuring the pre- and post-ductal saturation. Screening was performed on 8013/10,451 (76.7%) asymptomatic newborns. According to the algorithm, 7998 cases passed the screening test (99.82%), including one inconclusive test that was repeated an hour later and was normal. Fifteen newborns failed the screening test (0.18%): five CCHD, five false positives, and five CHD but non-critical. One false negative case was diagnosed at 2 months of age. Our results encourage us to strengthen screening for CCHD by adding pulse oximetry to the routine newborn screening panel.

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