Prescription Patterns of Anti-dementia and Psychotropic Drugs in People Living With Dementia in China

Pharmacotherapy of dementia is a critical intervention for managing symptoms of and slowing progression of dementia. However, evidence on prescribing patterns of dementia medications and their associated factors in China is lacking. This study aimed to examine prescribing rates of anti-dementia and psychotropic drugs, and investigate factors associated with prescription of anti-dementia drugs and its co-prescription with psychotropic drugs in China. We used data from the Clinical Pathway for Alzheimer’s Disease in China study, an eight-week multi-center registry study that was conducted in tertiary hospitals between Nov 12, 2012, and Jan 31, 2013. Anti-dementia and psychotropic drugs were coded according to the Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical codes. Logistic regressions were performed to examine factors associated with prescription patterns after controlling for demographic and clinical characteristics of people living with dementia and caregivers’ characteristics. A total of 746 participants were included in this study, of which almost 80% of participants were prescribed anti-dementia drugs, and one-third were prescribed at least one psychotropic drug. The concomitant prescription rate of anti-dementia and psychotropic drugs was 24·3%. Logistic regression results showed that first consultation, dementia subtypes, dementia severity, functioning level, and having symptoms of psychosis and apathy were significantly associated with anti-dementia drug prescription. Frontotemporal dementia, worse functioning level, psychosis, agitation, and depression were significantly associated with co-prescription of anti-dementia and psychotropic agents. Practices of dementia prescriptions generally concurred with clinical guidelines in tertiary hospitals in China, while prescription of anti-dementia and psychotropic medications mainly depended on clinical symptoms of patients with dementia.

Multi-center nationwide study on pediatric psychiatric inpatients 2000–2018: length of stay, recurrent hospitalization, functioning level, suicidality, violence and diagnostic profiles

Inpatient treatment is an important part of child and adolescent psychiatric (CAP) care. This nationwide study explores the changes in length of stay, recurrent hospitalization, functioning level, suicidality, violence and diagnoses of CAP inpatients in Finland in 2000, 2011 and 2018. We obtained comprehensive questionnaire data on each study year from 93 to 95% of all CAP wards in Finland. We split the 1276 inpatients into two age groups in each study year: under 13 and 13–18. The median length of stay in inpatient treatment decreased from 82.0 days in 2000 to 20.5 days in 2018 (p < 0.001) and recurrent hospitalization increased from 38 to 46%. General functioning, which was evaluated by the Children’s Global Assessment Scale, deteriorated by an average of six points between 2000 and 2018. Violent threats decreased from 21.5 to 16.6% and violent acts decreased from 26.9 to 20.3%. Suicidal threats decreased from 42.6 to 23.3% in those aged under 13 and remained stable among those aged 13–18. In the 13–18 group, there was an increase in the diagnoses of ADHD, from 5.0 to 16.9% and depression, from 25.1 to 41.7%. However, psychosis decreased from 23.2 to 12.6% in the older age group. In the whole cohort, anxiety disorders increased from 7.6 to 15.6%. The overall picture does not show that CAP inpatients have become more disturbed. While the general functioning of CAP inpatients deteriorated somewhat over the 2000–2018 study period, symptoms of suicidality and violence remained stable or decreased. There was also a continuous increase in short-term treatment.

Working on Cognitive Functions in a Fully Digitalized Multisensory Interactive Room: A New Approach for Intervention in Autism Spectrum Disorders

The feasibility of working on cognitive functions with children and adults with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) inside Multisensory Interactive Rooms (MIRs) has been poorly investigated, even if sensory atypicalities are common in ASD and usual intervention rooms could represent a challenging sensory setting for patients with ASD. We hypothesized that the possibility to calibrate the sensory stimulation offered by this type of environment, able to promote a positive emotional state in patients with ASD, can consequently favor the interaction with the therapist and the motivation towards activities targeting cognitive functions. High- and low-functioning children and low-functioning adolescents/adults underwent five sessions in a fully digitalized MIR, working on sustained attention, selective attention, association, single inhibition, receptive communication, verbalization, and turn. We developed specific protocols calibrated for sensory stimulation and difficulty level based on the characteristics of the participants. We found statistically significant improvements in all functions, except association, in the children’s group. Therefore, a fully digitalized MIR seems suitable for intervention on cognitive functions in ASDs, but further investigations are needed to better address possible differences related to age and functioning level.

Functional Measurement Applied to Engineering Students’ Test Anxiety Judgment for Online and Face-to-face Tests

<p style="text-align: justify;">This study explored the cognitive mechanism behind information integration in the test anxiety judgments in 140 engineering students. An experiment was designed to test four factors combined (test goal orientation, test cognitive functioning level, test difficulty and test mode). The experimental task required participants to read 36 scenarios, one at a time and then estimate how much test anxiety they would experience in the evaluation situation described in each scenario. The results indicate three response styles (low, moderate, and high-test anxiety) among the participants. The orientation and difficulty of each given exam scenario were the most critical factors dictating test anxiety judgments. Only the moderate test anxiety group considered the test mode to be a third relevant factor. The integration mechanism for Cluster 1 was multiplicative, while for Clusters 2 and 3, it was summative. Furthermore, these last two clusters differed in terms of the valuation of the factors. These results suggest that programs that help students to cope with test anxiety need to take into account the valuation and integration mechanism that students use to integrate different information in specific examination contexts, since the way students assess their internal and external circumstances can influence how they deal with evaluative situations.</p>

EEG AND CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM TRANSMITTER ON ATHLETES TRAINING

ABSTRACT Introduction: Modern EEG technology can evaluate the current level of an individual's central functioning after analyzing the frequency of brain waves (II). The A wave (8 ~ 14Hz) of brain waves (EBG) is one of the most important index parameters in diagnosing the brain's central functioning level. Objective: To explore the effects of different training loads on the brain function of elite archers and provide an objective basis for improving the scientific level of archery training. Methods: The effects of EEG information and central nerve transmitters on athletes’ regulation and training were analyzed by testing and statistical methods. Results: Both HL-LLI and LL-HLI stages showed a decreasing trend in EEG complexity. Although the differences between the two stages were not significant all of them were considerably lower than the LL-LLI stage. The number of athletes with central fatigue in both stages showed an increasing trend. Conclusions: Athletes in training also need to focus on recovery after training, which requires a view of scientific training and scientific recovery as an organic whole that cannot be separated. Level of evidence II; Therapeutic studies - investigation of treatment results.

Mindfulness-Based Interventions for People with Schizophrenia: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

(1) Background: There is increasing interest in the practice of mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) to treat people with schizophrenia, as evidenced by the publication of different randomized controlled trials (RCTs). However, no meta-analysis of RCTs has been carried out to date with the exclusive inclusion of this type of interventions. (2) Objective: To analyze empirical evidence regarding the effectiveness of MBIs for the improvement of clinical parameters associated with schizophrenia. Method: A systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted of RCTs published in the databases PsycINFO, PubMed, WOS, and Cochrane Library. (3) Results: A total of 10 articles (n = 1094) fulfilled the criteria for inclusion in the review. The analysis of these studies suggests that MBIs combined with standard interventions are able to generate significant improvements in a variety of clinical schizophrenia-related parameters, such as the intensity of overall symptomatology (g = 0.72), positive symptoms (g = 0.32), negative symptoms (g = 0.40), functioning level (g = 1.28), and awareness of illness (g = 0.65). (4) Conclusions: There is evidence that supports the effectiveness and safety of MBIs for the treatment of people with schizophrenia. The results obtained by MBIs are comparable to those obtained by cognitive-behavioral therapy for psychosis. However, given the heterogeneity of the applied interventions and the methodological limitations found in the reviewed trials, the results should be interpreted with caution.

Assessment

The chapter describes why orchestra students must understand the “what,” “how,” and “why” involved with assessment procedures in order to attain musical success. Examples of how differentiation, which allows every student to receive valuable feedback from the director about strengths and areas for improvement, applies to orchestra assessment are provided. The author discusses how a director can determine when and if assessment is necessary and whether it will prove rewarding, informative, and valid, as it must for students to attain an independent functioning level of lifelong musicianship. Informal and formal orchestra assessment procedures are described in detail. Sample grading rubrics are provided as well.

Examining the Impact of Respondent-Level Factors on Scores on the Supports Intensity Scale – Children's Version

This secondary analysis examined the impact of respondent-level factors on scores on the Supports Intensity Scale–Children's Version (SIS-C) for children and youth with intellectual disability to determine if there were any significant differences in the SIS-C scores by different respondent pairs when considering children's age, intellectual functioning level, and adaptive behavior level. Results indicated whenever a pair of respondents included a teacher or a paraprofessional, the support needs scores were lower than when the pair included a family member. Moreover, there was a significant interaction effect across respondent pairing, child age, and child intellectual functioning levels as well as across respondent pairing, child age, and child adaptive behavior levels. Implications for administration and use of the SIS-C are provided.