scholarly journals Do prescription rates of psychotropic drugs change over three years from nursing home admission?

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Enrico Callegari ◽  
Jūratė Šaltytė Benth ◽  
Geir Selbæk ◽  
Cato Grønnerød ◽  
Sverre Bergh

Abstract Background In this longitudinal study, we describe how psychotropic drugs (PTDs) are prescribed in nursing home (NH) patients from admission and over a 3-year period, to understand which clinical and environmental factors are associated with PTD prescription. Methods We used data from the Resource Use and Disease Course in Dementia – Nursing Home (REDIC-NH) study, examining physical and mental health, dementia, and PTD prescription during a 3-year period from admission to a NH. Data were collected every six months. At baseline, we included 696 participants from 47 Norwegian NHs. We presented prevalence, incidence, and deprescribing rates of PTD prescriptions for each assessment point. We calculated the odds of receiving PTDs and used a generalized linear mixed model to analyze the variables associated with a change in odds throughout the 3-year period. Results PTD prescriptions were frequent throughout the 3-year period. Antidepressants had the highest prescription rates (28.4%–42.2%). Every PTD category had the highest incidence rate between admission and six months, and antipsychotics had the highest values (49.4%). Deprescribing rates were comparable between assessment points. The odds of antipsychotic prescriptions were lower for older people (OR = 0.96, 95%CI:0.92–0.99, p = 0.023). People with more severe dementia had lower odds of being prescribed sedatives/hypnotics (OR = 0.89, 95%CI:0.85–0.94, p < 0.001). Conclusions PTDs, particularly antidepressants, are widely prescribed over time to NH patients. Older patients are less likely to receive antipsychotics. A higher severity of dementia decreases the odds of being prescribed sedatives/hypnotics. Close attention should be paid to PTD prescriptions during long-term NH stay to avoid prolonged and excessive treatment with these types of drugs. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT01920100.

2019 ◽  
Vol 24 (2) ◽  
pp. 200-208
Author(s):  
Ravindra Arya ◽  
Francesco T. Mangano ◽  
Paul S. Horn ◽  
Sabrina K. Kaul ◽  
Serena K. Kaul ◽  
...  

OBJECTIVEThere is emerging data that adults with temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) without a discrete lesion on brain MRI have surgical outcomes comparable to those with hippocampal sclerosis (HS). However, pediatric TLE is different from its adult counterpart. In this study, the authors investigated if the presence of a potentially epileptogenic lesion on presurgical brain MRI influences the long-term seizure outcomes after pediatric temporal lobectomy.METHODSChildren who underwent temporal lobectomy between 2007 and 2015 and had at least 1 year of seizure outcomes data were identified. These were classified into lesional and MRI-negative groups based on whether an epilepsy-protocol brain MRI showed a lesion sufficiently specific to guide surgical decisions. These patients were also categorized into pure TLE and temporal plus epilepsies based on the neurophysiological localization of the seizure-onset zone. Seizure outcomes at each follow-up visit were incorporated into a repeated-measures generalized linear mixed model (GLMM) with MRI status as a grouping variable. Clinical variables were incorporated into GLMM as covariates.RESULTSOne hundred nine patients (44 females) were included, aged 5 to 21 years, and were classified as lesional (73%), MRI negative (27%), pure TLE (56%), and temporal plus (44%). After a mean follow-up of 3.2 years (range 1.2–8.8 years), 66% of the patients were seizure free for ≥ 1 year at last follow-up. GLMM analysis revealed that lesional patients were more likely to be seizure free over the long term compared to MRI-negative patients for the overall cohort (OR 2.58, p < 0.0001) and for temporal plus epilepsies (OR 1.85, p = 0.0052). The effect of MRI lesion was not significant for pure TLE (OR 2.64, p = 0.0635). Concordance of ictal electroencephalography (OR 3.46, p < 0.0001), magnetoencephalography (OR 4.26, p < 0.0001), and later age of seizure onset (OR 1.05, p = 0.0091) were associated with a higher likelihood of seizure freedom. The most common histological findings included cortical dysplasia types 1B and 2A, HS (40% with dual pathology), and tuberous sclerosis.CONCLUSIONSA lesion on presurgical brain MRI is an important determinant of long-term seizure freedom after pediatric temporal lobectomy. Pediatric TLE is heterogeneous regarding etiologies and organization of seizure-onset zones with many patients qualifying for temporal plus nosology. The presence of an MRI lesion determined seizure outcomes in patients with temporal plus epilepsies. However, pure TLE had comparable surgical seizure outcomes for lesional and MRI-negative groups.


2021 ◽  
Vol 50 (4) ◽  
pp. E7
Author(s):  
Arvid Frostell ◽  
Maryam Haghighi ◽  
Jiri Bartek ◽  
Ulrika Sandvik ◽  
Bengt Gustavsson ◽  
...  

OBJECTIVE Isolated nonsyndromic sagittal synostosis (SS) is the most common form of craniosynostosis in children, accounting for approximately 60% of all craniosynostoses. The typical cranial measurement used to define and follow SS is the cephalic index (CI). Several surgical techniques have been suggested, but agreement on type and timing of surgery is lacking. This study aimed to evaluate the authors’ institutional experience of surgically treating SS using a modified subtotal cranial vault remodeling technique in a population-based cohort. Special attention was directed toward the effect of patient age at time of surgery on long-term CI outcome. METHODS A retrospective analysis was conducted on all patients with isolated nonsyndromic SS who were surgically treated from 2003 to 2011. Data from electronic medical records were gathered. Eighty-two patients with SS were identified, 77 fulfilled inclusion criteria, and 72 had sufficient follow-up data and were included. CI during follow-up after surgery was investigated with ANOVA and a linear mixed model. RESULTS In total, 72 patients were analyzed, consisting of 16 females (22%) and 56 males (78%). The mean ± SD age at surgery was 4.1 ± 3.1 months. Blood transfusions were received by 81% of patients (26% intraoperatively, 64% postoperatively, 9% both). The mean ± SD time in the pediatric ICU was 1.1 ± 0.25 days, and the mean ± SD total hospital length of stay was 4.6 ± 2.0 days. No patient required reoperation. The mean ± SD CI increased from 69 ± 3 to 87 ± 5 for patients who underwent surgery before 45 days of age. Surgery resulted in a larger increase in CI for patients who underwent surgery at a younger age compared with older patients (p < 0.05, Tukey’s HSD test). In the comparison of patients who underwent surgery before 45 days of age with patients who underwent surgery at 45–90, 90–180, and more than 180 days of age, the linear mixed model estimated a long-term loss of CI of 3.0, 5.5, and 7.4 points, respectively. CONCLUSIONS The modified subtotal cranial vault remodeling technique used in this study significantly improved CI in patients with SS. The best results were achieved when surgery was performed early in life.


2017 ◽  
Vol 32 (3) ◽  
pp. 225-238 ◽  
Author(s):  
Russell W. Clayton ◽  
Christopher H. Thomas ◽  
Bryan S. Schaffer ◽  
Micheal Stratton ◽  
Ellen Garrison ◽  
...  

Purpose Recent research along with anecdotal evidence suggests that exercise may play a role in mitigating perceptions of work-family conflict (WFC). However, the temporal effects related to this relationship have been ignored. The purpose of this paper is to address this issue by testing for the effects of acute and long-term exercise on the work-family interface. Design/methodology/approach Employed females (N=46) were randomly assigned to a treatment (exercise) or control group (no exercise) and data were gathered at three points in time, over four weeks. Linear Mixed Model processes were conducted. Findings The authors found that there is a statistically significant long-term exercise effect on strain-based work interference with family and family interference with work. Research limitations/implications The sample was restricted to sedentary females, was predominantly white/Caucasian, and held white-collar jobs, limiting the generalizability of the findings. Practical implications Results from the current study suggest that exercise assists individuals in managing the work-family interface. While this is not a broad-sweeping call for all employers to offer on-site exercise facilities, the authors suggest that employers consider offering accommodations to individuals seeking to utilize exercise as a way to reduce WFC and general stress. Originality/value This is the first empirical study that examines the temporal impact of exercise on the work-family interface.


Neurology ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 93 (8) ◽  
pp. e733-e746 ◽  
Author(s):  
Laura De Giglio ◽  
Francesca De Luca ◽  
Flavia Gurreri ◽  
Ilaria Ferrante ◽  
Luca Prosperini ◽  
...  

ObjectiveTo test a possible benefit of dalfampridine on information processing speed (IPS), a key function for cognitive impairment (CogIm) in multiple sclerosis (MS).MethodsIn this randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, we included patients with a score on the Symbol Digit Modalities Test (SDMT) under the 10th percentile of the reference value. Patients were randomized in a 2:1 ratio to receive dalfampridine 10 mg or placebo twice daily for 12 weeks. They underwent a comprehensive neuropsychological evaluation at screening (T0), at the end of treatment (T1), and after a 4-week follow-up (T2). The primary endpoint was improvement in SDMT.ResultsOut of 208 patients screened, 120 were randomized to receive either dalfampridine (n = 80) or placebo (n = 40). At T1, the dalfampridine group presented an increase of SDMT scores vs placebo group (mean change 9.9 [95% confidence interval (CI) 8.5–11.4] vs 5.2 [95% CI 2.8–7.6], p = 0.0018; d = 0.60 for raw score; and 0.8 [95% CI 0.6–1] vs 0.3 [95% CI 0.0–0.5], p = 0.0013; d = 0.61 for z scores; by linear mixed model with robust standard error). The improvement was not sustained at T2. A beneficial effect of dalfampridine was observed in the Paced Auditory Serial Addition Test and in cognitive fatigue.ConclusionDalfampridine could be considered as an effective treatment option for IPS impairment in MS.Trial registration2013-002558-64 EU Clinical Trials Register.Classification of evidenceThis study provides Class I evidence that for patients with MS with low scores on the SDMT, dalfampridine improves IPS.


2017 ◽  
Vol 22 (6) ◽  
pp. 784-793 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mona Diegelmann ◽  
Carl-Philipp Jansen ◽  
Hans-Werner Wahl ◽  
Oliver K. Schilling ◽  
Eva-Luisa Schnabel ◽  
...  

Author(s):  
Alexander V. Karaulov ◽  
Natalia I. Ilina ◽  
Natalia Shartanova ◽  
Aleksandr Maslakov ◽  
Luiz Lucio

<b><i>Introduction:</i></b> Allergic rhinitis (AR) is a disease which affects &#x3e;24% of the population in Russia. Triamcinolone acetonide (TAA) is a corticosteroid used for treating AR. This post hoc analysis assesses the efficacy of intranasal TAA in improving perennial AR (PAR) symptom scores over 4 weeks. <b><i>Methods:</i></b> NASANIF (NCT03317015) was a double-blind, parallel-group, multicenter, prospective, non-inferiority, phase III clinical trial in which patients with PAR were randomized (1:1) to receive TAA or fluticasone propionate (FP) over 4 weeks. Our post hoc analysis evaluates weekly change in PAR symptoms using the reflective Total Nasal Symptom Score (rTNSS), overall and for individual symptoms (sneezing, nasal itching, rhinorrhoea, and nasal obstruction). Proportion of patients and time to achieve a ≥50 or ≥75% reduction in rTNSS were assessed. For rTNSS endpoints, a linear mixed-model methodology was used; for time-to-event endpoints, cumulative incidence functions were estimated using the Kaplan-Meier method, in the per-protocol population. <b><i>Results:</i></b> Of 260 patients, 128 each completed the study and were randomized to receive TAA or FP. From baseline to week 4, the changes in total rTNSS were −7.78 (95% CI: −8.1701 to −7.3967; <i>p</i> &#x3c; 0.001) and −7.52 (−7.9053 to −7.1320; <i>p</i> &#x3c; 0.001) for TAA and FP, respectively. Individual symptoms improved significantly from baseline. The proportion of patients achieving ≥50 and ≥75% reductions in total rTNSS was 88.0 and 67.2%, respectively in the TAA group. No significant differences were observed between the TAA and FP in any analyses. <b><i>Conclusions:</i></b> TAA produced effective and prolonged improvement of PAR symptoms over a 4-week treatment period.


2021 ◽  
Vol Publish Ahead of Print ◽  
Author(s):  
C. Barrett Bowling ◽  
Richard Sloane ◽  
Carl Pieper ◽  
Alison Luciano ◽  
Barry R. Davis ◽  
...  

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