Publications by authors named "Amad A"

Objective: Catatonia is a neuropsychiatric disorder that is associated with a range of medical and psychiatric illnesses. Although many single-center studies have been conducted, uncertainty over the population-based incidence and prevalence of the disorder remains. This study reports on the incidence and prevalence rates of catatonia extrapolated from two large epidemiologic studies in the United Kingdom and United States.

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Background: Functional somatic disorder (FSD) is a prevalent disorder that can be severely disabling for the patient and is associated with major health costs. There are few formalized care programs for these disorders in the country, and their management encounters various difficulties, both in the diagnosis and its announcement and the treatment. Cognitive-behavioural and emotional therapy (CBT) is the standard on psychiatry care, and its efficacy has been demonstrated through several randomised controlled studies on the intensity of physical and psychological symptoms.

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Background: Catatonia, as a transdiagnostic construct, manifests across various psychiatric and non-psychiatric conditions. Understanding how symptom variations impact the catatonia construct and differ across primary diagnoses (schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, unipolar depression, and neurological/metabolic/immunological condition) is essential to refine diagnostic and therapeutic approaches. This study aims to compare the symptom networks and centrality measures of these diagnoses.

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The global economic downturn due to the COVID-19 pandemic, war in Ukraine, and worldwide inflation surge may have a profound impact on poverty-related infectious diseases, especially in low-and middle-income countries (LMICs). In this work, we developed mathematical models for HIV/AIDS and Tuberculosis (TB) in Brazil, one of the largest and most unequal LMICs, incorporating poverty rates and temporal dynamics to evaluate and forecast the impact of the increase in poverty due to the economic crisis, and estimate the mitigation effects of alternative poverty-reduction policies on the incidence and mortality from AIDS and TB up to 2030. Three main intervention scenarios were simulated-an economic crisis followed by the implementation of social protection policies with none, moderate, or strong coverage-evaluating the incidence and mortality from AIDS and TB.

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Background: Catatonia is a highly prevalent syndrome in patients presenting with major neurocognitive disorders (dementia). In this study, we aim to provide a comprehensive description of the clinical and therapeutic aspects of catatonia in patients with dementia.

Method: This descriptive study, conducted between September 2015 and June 2022, collected data from 25 patients diagnosed with dementia, out of 143 patients treated for catatonia in our specialized psychiatry department.

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Article Synopsis
  • - Catatonia is a psychomotor syndrome with various motor and behavioral symptoms, and benzodiazepines are the primary treatment, working for about 70% of patients; however, the reasons for resistance in some cases are still unclear.
  • - Researchers developed machine learning models using clinical evaluations and brain MRI data from 65 catatonic patients to predict responses to benzodiazepine treatment, classifying them into responders and non-responders.
  • - The models showed improved accuracy when incorporating neuroimaging data, identifying key factors—such as the duration of the syndrome and brain volume in specific areas—that help predict which patients are likely to not respond to treatment.
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To avoid the failures in therapy with psychotropic drugs, treatments can be personalized by applying the results of therapeutic drug monitoring and pharmacogenetic testing. The objective of the present single-center observational study was to describe the changes in psychotropic drug management prompted by therapeutic drug monitoring and pharmacogenetic testing, and to compare the effective drug concentration based on metabolic status with the dose predicted using an in silico decision tool for drug-drug interactions. The study was conducted in psychiatry wards at Lille University Hospital (Lille, France) between 2016 and 2020.

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Catatonia is a severe psychomotor syndrome mainly associated with psychiatric disorders, such as mood disorders and schizophrenia. Seasonal patterns have been described for these psychiatric disorders, and a previous study conducted in South London showed for the first time a seasonal pattern in the onset of catatonia. In this study, we aim to extend those findings to a larger national sample of patients admitted to French metropolitan hospitals, between 2015 and 2022, and to perform subgroup analyses by the main associated psychiatric disorder.

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Article Synopsis
  • * In a study involving 18,796 participants, the SSD-12 displayed characteristics of both a 1-factor and a 3-factor structure, with high internal consistency values indicating reliability.
  • * Results showed that higher SSD-12 scores are linked to worse mental health outcomes, like increased depressive symptoms and a greater likelihood of seeking medical help for symptoms attributed to mental health issues rather than physical causes.
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Although the international literature points to a number of benefits from deinstitutionalization, such as limiting coercion, more cost-effectiveness of care systems, and better use of community care, it may be helpful to take a broader perspective on where coercion and institutionalization of people with severe mental illnesses (SMI) and/or substance use disorders frequently occur: in prisons and jails. In this comment, we propose to move beyond the inpatient/outpatient dichotomy.

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Introduction: Basic epidemiological data are rare concerning the activity of specialized forensic psychiatric facilities in France. Here, we investigated the activity of the ten (640 beds) French "units for difficult patients" (unités pour malades difficiles [UMDs]).

Method: We used the Programme de médicalisation des systèmes d'information (PMSI) database to describe the characteristics and evolution of psychiatric hospitalisations in UMDs between 2012 and 2021, as well as the age, sex, and principal diagnoses of the patients hospitalized in these facilities.

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First-episode psychosis (FEP) is defined as the first occurrence of delusions, hallucinations, or psychic disorganization of significant magnitude, lasting more than 7 days. Evolution is difficult to predict since the first episode remains isolated in one third of cases, while recurrence occurs in another third, and the last third progresses to a schizo-affective disorder. It has been suggested that the longer psychosis goes unnoticed and untreated, the more severe the probability of relapse and recovery.

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Background: Catatonia is a neuropsychiatric syndrome associated with both psychiatric disorders and medical conditions. Understanding of the pathophysiology of catatonia remains limited, and the role of the environment is unclear. Although seasonal variations have been shown for many of the disorders underlying catatonia, the seasonality of this syndrome has not yet been adequately explored.

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Objective: Evidence shows that many patients with COVID-19 present persistent symptoms after the acute infection. Some patients may be at a high risk of developing Somatic Symptom Disorder (SSD), in which persistent symptoms are accompanied by excessive and disproportionate health-related thoughts, feelings and behaviors regarding these symptoms. This study assessed the frequency of persistent physical symptoms and SSD and their associated factors in patients with confirmed COVID-19.

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Functional dissociative seizures (FDSs) are clinical events that resemble epileptic seizures but are not associated with abnormal brain electrical discharges or other physiological problems. In this pilot case series, ten adults with FDSs were recruited from our psychiatry department after being referred by a neurologist who made the diagnosis of FDS based on video EEG results. Each subject received ten sessions of cathodal tDCS focused on the right temporoparietal junction.

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Catatonia is a well characterized psychomotor syndrome that has recognizable motor, affective, behavioural and vegetative manifestations. Despite recent demonstration that catatonia is often associated with brain imaging abnormalities, there is currently no consensus or guidelines about the role of brain imaging. In this study, we assessed the feasibility of brain imaging in a series of patients with catatonia in a routine clinical setting and estimated the prevalence of clinically relevant radiological abnormalities.

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