Positive aspects of caregiving in schizophrenia: A review

Schizophrenia is a severe mental illness which is associated with significant consequences for both the patients and their relatives. Due to chronicity of the illness, the relatives of patients of schizophrenia have to bear the main brunt of the illness. Studies across the world have evaluated various aspects of caregiving and caregivers such as burden, coping, quality of life, social support, expressed emotions, and psychological morbidity. In general the research has looked at caregiving as a negative phenomenon, however, now it is increasingly recognised that caregiving is not only associated with negative consequences only, also experience subjective gains and satisfaction. This review focus on the conceptual issues, instruments available to assess the positive aspects of caregiving and the various correlates of positive aspects of caregiving reported in relation to schizophrenia. The positive aspect of caregiving has been variously measured as positive caregiving experience, caregiving satisfaction, caregiving gains and finding meaning through caregiving scale and positive aspects of caregiving experience. Studies suggests that caregivers of patients with schizophrenia and psychotic disorders experience caregiving gains(in the form of becoming more sensitive to persons with disabilities, clarity about their priorities in life and a greater sense of inner strength), experience good aspects of relationship with the patient, do have personal positive experiences. Some of the studies suggest that those who experience greater negative caregiving experience also do experience positive caregiving experience.

Assessment scales for delirium: A review

Over the years many scales have been designed for screening, diagnosis and assessing the severity of delirium. In this paper we review the various instruments available to screen the patients for delirium, instruments available to diagnose delirium, assess the severity, cognitive functions, motoric subtypes, etiology and associated distress. Among the various screening instruments, NEECHAM confusion scale and delirium observation scale appear to be most suitable screening instrument for patients' in general medical and surgical wards, depending on the type of rater(physician or nurse). In general, the instruments which are used for diagnosis [i.e., confusion assessment method(CAM), CAM for intensive care unit(CAM-ICU), Delirium Rating Scale-revised version(DRS-R-98), memorial selirium assessment scale, etc. ] are based on various Diagnostic and Statistical Manual criteria and have good to excellent reliability and fair to good validity. Among the various diagnostic instruments, CAM is considered to be most useful instrument because of its accuracy, brevity, and ease of use by clinicians and lay interviewers. In contrast, DRS-R-98 appears to be a comprehensive instrument useful for diagnosis, severity rating and is sensitive to change and hence can be used for monitoring patients over a period. In the ICU setting, evidence suggests that CAM-ICU and Nursing Delirium Screening Scale had comparable sensitivities, but CAM-ICU has higher specificity. With regard to assessment of delirium in pediatric age group, certain instruments like Pediatric Anesthesia Emergence Delirium scale and pediatric CAM-ICU has been designed and have been found to be useful.

Gender differences in caregiving among family- caregivers of people with mental illnesses

All over the world women are the predominant providers of informal care for family members with chronic medical conditions or disabilities, including the elderly and adults with mental illnesses. It has been suggested that there are several societal and cultural demands on women to adopt the role of a family-caregiver. Stress-coping theories propose that women are more likely to be exposed to caregiving stressors, and are likely to perceive, report and cope with these stressors differently from men. Many studies, which have examined gender differences among family-caregivers of people with mental illnesses, have concluded that women spend more time in providing care and carry out personal-care tasks more often than men. These studies have also found that women experience greater mental and physical strain, greater caregiver-burden, and higher levels of psychological distress while providing care. However, almost an equal number of studies have not found any differences between men and women on these aspects. This has led to the view that though there may be certain differences between male and female caregivers, most of these are small in magnitude and of doubtful clinical significance. Accordingly, caregivergender is thought to explain only a minor proportion of the variance in negative caregiving outcomes. A similar inconsistency characterizes the explanations provided for gender differences in caregiving such as role expectations, differences in stress, coping and social support, and response biases in reporting distress. Apart from the equivocal and inconsistent evidence, there are other problems in the literature on gender differences in caregiving. Most of the evidence has been derived from studies on caregivers of elderly people who either suffer from dementia or other physical conditions. Similar research on other mental illnesses such as schizophrenia or mood disorders is relatively scarce. With changing demographics and social norms men are increasingly assuming roles as caregivers. However, the experience of men while providing care has not been explored adequately. The impact of gender on caregiving outcomes may be mediated by several other variables including patient-related factors, socio-demographic variables, and effects of kinship status, culture and ethnicity, but these have seldom been considered in the research on gender differences. Finally, it is apparent that methodological variations in samples, designs andassessments between studies contribute a great deal to the observed gender differences. This review highlights all these issues and concludes that there is much need for further research in this area if the true nature of gender differences in family-caregiving of mental illnesses is to be discerned.

Prevalence of internet addiction among college students in the Indian setting:a systematic review and meta-analysis

Background The internet is an integral part of everyone’s life.College going adolescents are highly vulnerable to the misuse of the internet.Aims To estimate the pooled prevalence of internet addiction(IA)among college students in India.Methods Literature databases(PubMed,Web of Science,Scopus,EMBASE,PsycINFO and Google Scholar)were searched for studies assessing IA using the Young Internet Addiction Test(Y-IAT)among adolescents from India,published in the English language up to December 2020.We included studies from 2010 to 2020 as this is the marked era of momentum in wireless internet connectivity in India.The methodological quality of each study was scored,and data were extracted from the published reports.Pooled prevalence was estimated using the fixed-effects model.Publication bias was evaluated using Egger’s test and visual inspection of the symmetry in funnel plots.Results Fifty studies conducted in 19 states of India estimated the prevalence of IA and the overall prevalence of IA as 19.9%(95%CI:19.3%to 20.5%)and 40.7%(95%CI:38.7%to 42.8%)based on the Y-IAT cut-off scores of 50 and 40,respectively.The estimated prevalence of severe IA was significantly higher in the Y-IAT cut-off points of 70 than 80(12.7%(95%CI:11.2%to 14.3%)vs 4.6%(95%CI:4.1%to 5.2%)).The sampling method and quality of included studies had a significant effect on the estimation of prevalence in which studies using non-probability sampling and low risk of bias(total quality score≥7)reported lower prevalence.The overall quality of evidence was rated as‘moderate’based on the Grading of Recommendations Assessment,Development and Evaluation criteria.Conclusions Our nationally representative data suggest that about 20%to 40%of college students in India are at risk for IA.There is a need for further research in the reconsideration of Y-IAT cut-off points among Indian college students.

Comorbidity of bipolar and anxiety disorders:An overview of trends in research

Over the last three decades burgeoning research has shown that anxiety disorder comorbidity is not only highly prevalent in bipolar disorder(BD),but it also adversely impacts the course,outcome,and treatment of BD.The present review provides an overview of the current trends in research on comorbid anxiety and BDs based on prior reviews and meta-analyses(n=103),epidemiological surveys,and large-scale clinical studies.The results reiterated the fact that at least half of those with BD are likely to develop an anxiety disorder in their lifetimes and a third of them will manifest an anxiety disorder at any point of time.All types of anxiety disorders were equally common in BD.However,there was a wide variation in rates across different sources,with most of this discrepancy being accounted for by methodological differences between reports.Comorbid anxiety disorders negatively impacted the presentation and course of BD.This unfavourable clinical profile led to poorer outcome and functioning and impeded treatment of BD.Despite the extensive body of research there was paucity of data on aetiology and treatment of anxiety disorder comorbidity in BD.Nevertheless,the substantial burden and unique characteristics of this comorbidity has important clinical and research implications.

Inhibition of proliferation of retinal vascular endothelial cells more effectively than choroidal vascular endothelial cell proliferation by bevacizumab

AIM： To evaluate the differential inhibitory effects of bevacizumab on cell proliferation of vascular endothelial growth factor （VEGF）-stimulated choroidal vascular endothelial cells （CVECs） and retinal vascular endothelial cells （RVECs） in vitro.METHODS： VEGF （400 ng/mL） enriched CVECs and RVECs were treated with escalating doses of bevacizumab （0.1, 0.5, 1, 1.5 and 2 mg/mL）. Cell proliferation changes were analyzed with WST-1 assay and trypan blue exclusion assay at 48, 72h and 1wk. Morphological changes were recorded with bright field microscopy.RESULTS： VEGF enriched RVECs showed significantly more decline of cell viability than CVECs after bevacizumab treatment. One week after treatment, RVEC cell proliferation decreased by 29.7%, 37.5%, 52.8%, 35.9% and 45.6% at 0.1, 0.5, 1.0, 1.5 and 2 mg/mL bevacizumab respectively compared to CVEC proliferation decrease of 4.1%, 7.7%, 2.4%, 4.1% and 17.7% （P〈0.05） by WST-1 assay. Trypan blue exclusion assay also revealed similar decrease in RVEC proliferation of 20%, 60%, 73.3%, 80% and 93.3% compared to CVEC proliferation decrease of 4%, 12%, 22.9%, 16.7% and 22.2% respectively （P〈0.05）. The maximum differential effect between the two cell types was observed at bevacizumab doses of 1.0 and 1.5 mg/mL at all time points. RVECs were 22 fold more sensitive （P〈0.01） compared to CVECs （52.8% vs 2.4%） at concentration of 1.0 mg/mL, and 8.7 fold more at 1.5 mg/mL （35.9% vs 4.1%） 1wk after treatment （P〈0.05 respectively）.CONCLUSION： VEGF-enriched RVECs are more susceptible to bevacizumab inhibition than CVECs at clinically used dosage of 1.25 mg and this differential sensitivity between two cell types should be taken into consideration in dosage selection.

Health-care needs of remitted patients with bipolar disorder: A comparison with schizophrenia

AIM To investigate health-care needs and their correlates among patients with remitted bipolar disorder(BD) compared to patients with remitted schizophrenia. METHODS Outpatients with BD(n = 150) and schizophrenia(n = 75) meeting clearly defined remission criteria were included in the study along with their relatives. Diagnostic ascertainment was carried out using the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview. Demographic and clinical details were recorded using structured formats. Residual symptoms were assessed using standardized scales. Health-care needs were assessed on two separate scales. The principal instrument employed to assess health-care needs was the Camberwell Assessment of Need-Research version(CAN-R). To further evaluate health-care needs we felt that an additional instrument, which was more relevant for Indian patients and treatment-settings and designed to cover those areas of needs not specifically covered by the CAN-R was required. This instrument with a structure and scoring pattern similar to the CAN-R was used for additional evaluation of needs. Patients' level offunctioning was assessed using the Global Assessment of Functioning Scale and their quality of life(QOL) using the World Health Organization Quality Of Life-BREF version in Hindi.RESULTS An average of 6-7 needs was reported by patients with BD as well as their relatives. Commonly reported needs were in the areas of economic and welfare needs, informational needs, social needs and the need for treatment. According to the CAN-R, both patients and relatives reported that more than 60% of the total needs were being met. However, over 90% of the needs covered by the additional evaluation were unmet according to patients and relatives. Needs in the areas of economic and welfare-benefits, information, company, daytime activities and physical health-care were largely unmet according to patients and relatives. Total, met and unmet needs were significantly higher for schizophrenia, but the most common types of needs were quite similar to BD. Relatives reported more needs than patients with certain differences in the types of needs reported. Level of patients' functioning was the principal correlate of greater total and unmet needs in both groups. Significant associations were also obtained with residual symptoms and QOL.CONCLUSION The presence of unmet needs in remitted patients with BD was an additional marker of the enduring psychosocial impairment characteristic of the remitted phase of BD.

Comparative effectiveness of quetiapine and haloperidol in delirium:A single blind randomized controlled study

AIM To evaluate the effectiveness of quetiapine and haloperidol in patients of delirium referred to psychiatry consultation liaison services.METHODS The study followed a single blind randomised controlled trial design.Thirty-two patients in the haloperidol group and 31 patients in the quetiapine group were assessed at the baseline and 6 consecutive days.Flexible dosing regimen(haloperidol:0.25-1.25 mg;quetiapine 12.5-75 mg/d) was used.Delirium Rating Scale-Revised-98(DRS-R-98) and mini mental status examination(MMSE) were the primary and secondary efficacy measures respectively.RESULTS Baseline DRS-R-98 severity score and MMSE scores did not differ between the 2 study groups.From baseline to day 6,there was significant reduction in the total DRS-R-98 scores,DRS-R-98 cognitive domain scores,DRS-R-98 non-cognitive domain scores and significant increase in the MMSE scores in both the groups.Both the groups did not differ on any of the assessments in terms of DRS-R98 and MMSE scores.The effectiveness of both the medications was similar in adult and elderly(≥ 60 years) patients.At the end of the trial,68.75% and 67.74% of subjects in the haloperidol and quetiapine group respectively had mean DRS-R-98 scores below 10.By 6th day,12(37.5%) patients in haloperidol group and 9(29.03%) patients in the quetiapine group hadDRS-R98 score of "0" with no significant difference between the two groups(P = 0.47).CONCLUSION Quetiapine is as effective as haloperidol in the management of delirium.

Aqueous Interleukin-6 (IL-6) Level Is a Marker for Treatment Resistance to Bevacizumab in Age-Related Macular Degeneration —Aqueous Cytokines after Bevacizumab

Background: To prospectively evaluate the effect of intravitreal bevacizumab on aqueous levels of interleukin-6 (IL-6) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in patients with exudative age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and to correlate clinical outcomes of patients and aqueous cytokine levels before and after injection. Methods: The study group consisted of 30 eyes from 30 patients with exudative AMD who underwent intravitreal injection of bevacizumab three times at monthly intervals. The aqueous samples prior to the 1st injection (baseline) and 3rd injection were analyzed for VEGF and IL-6 levels, evaluating the effect of 2 doses of intravitreal bevacizumab. Study patients were sub-grouped based upon change in central subfield (CSF) macular thickness on SD-OCT, at 8 weeks. Group 1 included patients (n = 14) with a decrease in CSF thickness greater than 10% from the baseline and were categorized to have “improved”. Group 2 included patients (n = 16) who had a decrease in CSF thickness 10% or less and were considered “treatment-resistant”. Results: There was no statistically significant change in aqueous VEGF and IL-6 levels after intravitreal bevacizumab. In sub-group analysis, in both Groups 1 and 2 patients, aqueous IL-6 levels showed a better correlation with CSF thickness on SD-OCT (r = 0.72 and 0.71, respectively). Conclusions: Data from our study suggest that aqueous IL-6 may be an important marker of treatment response or resistance. Future therapeutic strategies may include targeted treatment against both VEGF and IL-6, in patients who do not respond to anti-VEGF treatment alone.

More than Half of Patients with Schizophrenia Are Receiving Polypharmacy and Co-Prescription of Anxiolytics in Pakistan —Findings from Research on Asian Prescription Pattern in 2016

Objective: Little is known about the prescription pattern of psychotropic drugs for patients with schizophrenia in Pakistan. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the characteristic features of psychotropic drug prescriptions for patients with schizophrenia in Pakistan. Methods: Three centers in Pakistan participated in a large scale collaborative study known as Research on Asian Prescription Pattern (REAP). The 2016 REAP survey included centers from 15 countries in Asia and used a unified research protocol. The design of the study was quantitative and of descriptive epidemiology. Analysis was made on the data collected from three centers i.e., Lahore, Karachi and Islamabad. The data collected in Pakistan were compared with those from other Asian countries. The details of REAP were presented on the homepage of REAP (http://www.REAP.Asia). Results: From Pakistan, 298 patients were included. Patients with schizophrenia in Pakistan received higher rate of antipsychotic polypharmacy and a higher rate of co-prescription of mood stabilizers and anxiolytics when compared with participants from other South Asian countries (India and Bangladesh). Conclusion: The main findings of the study were that a majority of the patients were prescribed antipsychotic polypharmacy drugs in Pakistan. Insufficient training on the use of psychotropic drugs and a lack of treatment guideline are considered to be the major contributing factors. Further education and training on the proper use of psychotropic drugs are recommended to psychiatrists in Pakistan. The guidelines on pharmacotherapy for patients with schizophrenia should also be developed and promoted in Pakistan.

Structural modeling of a typical gas turbine system

This paper presents an approach for the structural modeling and analysis of a typical gas turbine system. This approach has been applied to the systems and subsystems, which are integral parts of a typical gas turbine system. Since a gas turbine system performance is measured in terms of fluid flow ene：rgy transformations across its various assemblies and subassemblies, the performance of such subsystems affects the overall performance of the gas turbine system. An attempt has been made to correlate the associativity of such subsystems contributing to overall gas turbine system functional evaluation using graph theoretic approach. The characteristic equations at the system level as well as subsystem level have been developed on the basi.s of associativity of various factors affecting their performance. A permanent function has been proposed for the functional model of a gas turbine system, which further leads to selection, identification and optimal evaluation of gas turbine systems.