Serum High-Sensitivity C-Reactive Protein Is Associated with Postoperative Psychiatric Status in Patients with Empty Nose Syndrome

Many patients diagnosed with empty nose syndrome (ENS) later develop mental illness. The literature addressing biomarkers associated with postoperative psychiatric status is limited. This study aimed to assess the association between high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) and psychiatric status after surgery in ENS. We recruited patients with ENS undergoing endonasal submucosal implantation. Their pre- and postoperative psychiatric status was evaluated using the Beck depression inventory-II (BDI-II) and the Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI). Serum hs-CRP was analyzed one day before and one year after surgery. Of the 43 patients enrolled, all subjective measurements had improved (symptom scores decreased) significantly by the third month postoperatively and remained plateaued till 12 months. Those with preoperative hs-CRP levels > 2.02 mg/L were likely to remain depressive 1 year postoperatively. The regression model showed that a preoperative hs-CRP level > 2.02 mg/L was significantly correlated with postoperative depression in patients with ENS (odds ratio, 19.9). Hs-CRP level seems to be a feasible predictor of surgical outcome regarding improved depression in patients with ENS. Patients with higher preoperative hs-CRP levels should be monitored closely after surgery.

A-68 Neuropsychological Predictors of Seizure Freedom in Patients Undergoing Stereotactic Laser Ablation of the Hippocampus (SLAH) for Refractory Epilepsy

Objective Presurgical cognitive and psychiatric status can serve as predictors of surgical outcomes; however, there are no studies that assess the predictive nature of cognitive factors and psychiatric illness on seizure freedom following stereotactic laser ablation, a novel, minimally invasive surgical approach, of the hippocampus (SLAH). Therefore, this study aimed to assess whether neuropsychological factors were associated with long-term postoperative outcome, defined as time maintaining continuous postoperative seizure freedom (Engel Class I outcome persistently after surgery), after mesial temporal laser ablation surgery. Method Forty-one patients (Age M = 37.5 ± 12.6; 61% female; 63% left mesial temporal ablation; 37% right mesial temporal ablation) were selected from retrospective data collection of epilepsy surgery outcomes following mesial temporal laser ablation. Patients were assessed with a presurgical neuropsychological battery as part of Phase I work-up. Results Wilcoxon rank-sum tests revealed there were no significant differences between groups (seizure free and non-seizure free) across presurgical intellectual functioning, (seizure free M = 37.6; non-seizure free M = 40.6; p = 0.31), verbal memory (p = 0.59), visual memory (p = 0.39), and language composite scores (p = 0.87). There was also no significant difference in presurgical mean depression scores (p = 0.81). Conclusions There were no significant differences between groups in presurgical cognitive and psychiatric predictors on seizure outcomes; however, sample size is a limitation. Further investigations are needed given that cognitive and psychiatric predictors may be associated with SLAH outcomes. Additionally, these findings add to the absence of literature on cognitive and psychiatric predictors in SLAH.

Five-Year Psychosocial Impact of Living in Postdisaster Prefabricated Temporary Housing

Objective: This study aims to evaluate the long-term impact of living in postdisaster prefabricated temporary housing on social interaction activities and mental health status. Methods: A total of 917 adult residents in a coastal town, whose residences were destroyed by the tsunami caused by the Great East Japan Earthquake (GEJE), were enrolled for the assessment held 5 y after the disaster. They answered questions about their experience and consequence of living in prefabricated temporary housing after the disaster. Their present scores on 5 types of self-reported measures regarding the psychosocial or psychiatric status and their present and recalled social interaction activities were cross-sectionally collected. Results: A total of 587 (64.0%) participants had a history of living in prefabricated temporary housing, while the other 330 (36.0%) had not. The prevalence of social interaction activities significantly decreased after the GEJE. However, the experience of living in prefabricated temporary housing did not adversely affect the subsequent social interaction activities or mental conditions of the participants 5 y after the disaster. Conclusions: Living in postdisaster prefabricated temporary housing may not negatively impact subsequent psychosocial conditions or social interaction activities 5 y later.

Five-year Psychosocial Impact of Living in Post-Disaster Prefabricated Temporary Housing

Objective: This study aims to evaluate the long-term impact of living in post-disaster prefabricated temporary housing on social interaction activities and mental health status. Methods: A total of 917 adult residents in a coastal town, whose residences were destroyed by the tsunami caused by the Great East Japan Earthquake (GEJE), were enrolled for the assessment held five years after the disaster. They answered questions about their experience and consequence of living in prefabricated temporary housing after the disaster. Their present scores on five types of self-reported measures regarding the psychosocial or psychiatric status and their present and recalled social interaction activities were cross-sectionally collected. Results: A total of 587 (64.0%) participants had a history of living in prefabricated temporary housing, while the other 330 (36.0%) had not. The prevalence of social interaction activities significantly decreased after the GEJE. However, the experience of living in prefabricated temporary housing did not adversely affect the subsequent social interaction activities or mental conditions of the participants five years after the disaster. Conclusions: Living in post-disaster prefabricated temporary housing may not negatively impact subsequent psychosocial conditions or social interaction activities five years later.

Prevalence of poor psychiatric status and sleep quality among frontline healthcare workers during and after the COVID-19 outbreak: a longitudinal study

Poor psychiatric status and sleep quality were common among frontline healthcare workers (FHWs) during the outbreak of the 2019 novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19), but the change in these mental health outcomes overtime remained unknown. This study compared the psychiatric status and sleep quality of FHWs during and after the COVID-19 outbreak in China. FHWs who volunteered to work in Hubei province (the COVID-19 epicenter) were assessed at baseline during the COVID-19 outbreak and re-assessed when they returned to their place of origin (Liaoning province) after the COVID-19 outbreak. Participants’ psychiatric status and sleep quality were measured with the Symptom CheckList-90 (SCL-90) and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), respectively. A total of 494 FHWs was assessed at baseline and 462 at follow-up assessments. The prevalence of poor psychiatric status was 10.5% at baseline and increased to 14.9% at the follow-up assessment (P = 0.04). The corresponding figures of poor sleep quality at baseline and follow-up assessment were 16.4% and 27.9%, respectively (P < 0.001). Multiple logistic regression analysis found that severe fatigue (p = 0.003, OR = 1.266, 95% CI = 1.081–1.483), poor sleep quality (p < 0.001, OR = 1.283, 95% CI = 1.171–1.405), and history of pre-existing psychiatric disorders (p < 0.001, OR = 5.085, 95% CI = 2.144–12.06) were independently associated with higher odds of poor psychiatric status among the FHWs. Poor psychiatric status and sleep quality were common among FHWs during the COVID-19 outbreak, and the prevalence increased following their volunteer experiences. This suggests a critical need for longer-term psychological support for this subpopulation.

The incidence, clinical significance of depression and its clinical course after a cardac device implantation in patients with severe heart failure

Aim To assess the incidence, clinical significance of depression and the impact of a cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) or cardiac resynchronization therapy-defibrillator (CRT-D) implantation on psychiatric status in patients with heart failure (HF). Methods The prospective, single-center study encompassed 575 consecutive HF patients implanted with a CRT-D or ICD. Finally, the study population consisted of 494 subjects (186 ICD and 308 CRT-D patients), as 81 patients taking antidepressants were excluded from the analysis. All patients underwent psychiatric examination at the time of implantation, and the assessment of psychiatric status was repeated after 3, 6, 12 and 24 months. The study population was divided into 4 groups: Group 1 encompassed 101 (20.4%) patients with persistent depression, Group 2 constituted of 95 (19.2%) patients with depression that developed after ICD/CRT-D implantation, whereas 43 (8.7%) patients with remission of depression comprised Group 3, and Group 4 encompassed 255 (51.6%) patients with never diagnosed depression. Data on long-term follow-up (median 34.1 months) were screened to identify patients who developed a composite endpoint defined as death or hospitalization for decompensated HF. Results The cumulative incidence of depression at the baseline assessment was 39.1%. Depression developed in 95 (27.1%) patients, whereas remission of depression was observed in 43 (29.9%) subjects after ICD/CRT-D implantation. ICD intervention (HR 3.3) and increase in NYHA class by at least one class (HR 2.6) were the independent risk factors for depression development, whereas mitral regurgitation reduction (HR 1.9), as well as improvement in NYHA class by at least one class (HR 2.4) were the independent predictors for depression remission. Patients with persistent depression (Group 1) and those with newly developed depression (Group 2) were at significantly higher risk of a composite endpoint compared to patients in Group 3 and Group 4 (Table 1). Conclusions Depression is a common comorbidity associated with HF, as it affects 4 of 10 HF patients. ICD intervention and HF worsening are the strongest predictors for depression development after ICD/CRT-D implantation. Depression is a strong, independent risk factor of poor outcomes in HF population. Funding Acknowledgement Type of funding source: None

Dopamine agonists and antipsychotics

There can potentially be a number of clinical interactions that could adversely affect patient outcomes in a patient with a prolactinoma and psychiatric disease that might require antipsychotic and dopamine agonist treatment. Dopamine agonists stimulate the dopamine D2 receptor, resulting in a decrease in prolactin (PRL) levels and in prolactinoma size but action on dopamine receptors in the meso-limbic system may rarely cause psychosis and more commonly cause impulse control disorders. The psychiatric benefits of antipsychotic agents involve blocking the D2 and other dopamine receptors but this blockade often also causes hyperprolactinemia. In patients with macroprolactinomas and psychosis, observation, estrogen/progestin replacement, and surgery can be considered in addition to dopamine agonists. In those who require dopamine agonists for PRL and tumor size control, the introduction of antipsychotics may blunt this effect, so that higher doses of the dopamine agonists may be needed. Alternatively, antipsychotics that have less of a blocking effect at the D2 receptor, such as aripiprazole, can be tried, if appropriate. For patients already on antipsychotic drugs who are found to have a macroprolactinoma for which dopamine agonists are required, dopamine agonists can be initiated at low dose and the dose escalated slowly. However, such patients require careful monitoring of psychiatric status to avoid the rare complication of exacerbation of the underlying psychosis. Again, if appropriate, use of antipsychotics that have less of a blocking effect at the D2 receptor may allow lower doses of dopamine agonists to be used in this situation.