Duration of major depressive episodes and sleep architecture: an exploratory study.

Growing evidence supports sleep-wake disruption as a mechanism involved in mood disorders pathogenesis. Duration of depressive episodes varies widely, and longer depressive episodes have been connected to worse outcomes. We aimed to explore if the length of depressive episodes is related to objective modifications of sleep features.

Machine Learning and Criminal Justice: A Systematic Review of Advanced Methodology for Recidivism Risk Prediction.

Recent evolution in the field of data science has revealed the potential utility of machine learning (ML) applied to criminal justice. Hence, the literature focused on finding better techniques to predict criminal recidivism risk is rapidly flourishing. However, it is difficult to make a state of the art for the application of ML in recidivism prediction.

Sleep architecture modifications after double chronotherapy: A case series of bipolar depressed inpatients.

The aim of this study is to objectively evaluate sleep architecture changes of depressed bipolar subjects treated with chronoterapeutics. Eleven depressed bipolar inpatients received 3 cycles of Total Sleep Deprivation, followed by daily light therapy sessions for one week. Polysomnography was performed before and after the treatment.

Relation of QRS Duration to Response to Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy in Patients With Left Bundle Branch Block.

Left ventricular (LV) dyssynchrony (LVdys) is a necessary condition for successful cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT). Despite left bundle branch block (LBBB) representing a reliable surrogate of LVdys, not all LBBB patients will respond to CRT. Our aim was to investigate the relation between QRS duration and LVdys in patients with LBBB who underwent CRT.

Relation of QRS duration to response to cardiac resynchronization therapy.

Left bundle branch block (LBBB) is the most reliable electrocardiographic predictor of responsiveness to cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT). However, not all patients with LBBB will respond to CRT. Our aim was to investigate the interaction between QRS duration, LBBB-type morphology, and the responsiveness to CRT.

Intravenous administration of flecainide or propafenone in patients with recent-onset atrial fibrillation does not predict adverse effects during 'pill-in-the-pocket' treatment.

Background: Pill-in-the-pocket treatment should be prescribed only if the administration of a loading oral dose of flecainide or propafenone has been proved safe in hospital, since major adverse effects have been reported in 5% of patients during in-hospital treatment. However, in emergency rooms, the oral administration of these drugs for the conversion of atrial fibrillation (AF) is very rarely used because it is time consuming. Objective To investigate whether tolerance to intravenous administration of flecainide or propafenone might predict the safety of pill-in-the-pocket treatment-the out-of-hospital self-administration of these drugs after the onset of palpitations-in patients with AF of recent onset.

[Upstream therapy of atrial fibrillation in patients with heart failure].

Experimental data, results of retrospective studies and of small randomized trials suggest an efficacy of upstream therapy of atrial fibrillation (AF) with angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors/angiotensin receptor blockers, statins and n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA). These drugs seem to act by antagonizing the renin-angiotensin system, inflammation, oxidative stress and endothelial dysfunction, all factors that play an important role in the genesis of the substrate of AF and atrial remodeling. However, the recent Italian GISSI-AF study, which is the first large, multicenter, prospective and randomized trial (valsartan vs placebo) dealing with upstream therapy in the secondary prevention of AF, offered negative results.

Current treatment of recurrent vasovagal syncope: between evidence-based therapy and common sense.

Vasovagal syncope is very frequent and benign and the vast majority of subjects do not need any specific treatment, but only reassurance and education. An unknown but small percentage of patients require specific treatment when syncope is very frequent or is responsible for major trauma. For these patients, there are some evidence-based therapies available and some first-line treatments appear to be established.

Successful treatment of electrical storm with oral quinidine in Brugada syndrome.

A patient implanted with a cardioverter-defibrillator for symptomatic Brugada syndrome was referred to our hospital 17 months later because of recurrent shocks due to ventricular fibrillation (VF). Isoprenaline was intravenously infused and prevented VF episodes, but VF recurred after every attempt of drug discontinuation. A total of 34 shocks were recorded over 25 days.

The fusion band in V1: a simple ECG guide to optimal resynchronization? An echocardiographic case report.

Background: Patients with left bundle branch block have a preserved right bundle branch conduction and the efficacy of left ventricular pacing could be explained with the fusion between artificial pulse delivered in the left lateral wall and the spontaneous right ventricular activation. Moreover, the efficacy of left ventricular pacing could be enhanced with an optimal timing between the spontaneous right ventricular activation and the left ventricular pulse.

Case Presentation: We evaluated a patient (male, 47 yrs) with surgically corrected mitral regurgitation, sinus rhythm and left bundle branch block, heart failure (NYHA class III) despite medical therapy and low ejection fraction (25%): he was implanted with a biventricular device.

Antiarrhythmic drugs in patients with recurrent atrial fibrillation: where are we?

In patients with recurrent atrial fibrillation (AF), the hallmark of treatment has long been the use of antiarrhythmic drugs. The following strategies are available: a) any antiarrhythmic treatment; b) out-of-hospital episodic treatment ("pill-in-the-pocket" approach); c) prophylactic antiarrhythmic therapy; and d) hybrid therapy. The following patients with recurrent AF should not undergo any antiarrhythmic therapy: after the first AF episode; patients with rare, hemodynamically well-tolerated and short-lasting (a few hours) AF episodes; patients with perioperative AF, without history of recurrent AF; patients with AF during acute myocardial infarction or other acute diseases, without history of recurrent AF; and "holiday heart" syndrome.

Feasibility and safety of noninvasive pacemaker stress echocardiography with externally triggered stimulation.

The aim of this study was to assess the feasibility and safety of stress echocardiography by triggering an implanted pacemaker through an external stimulator. The implanted pacemaker was set in triggered mode with unipolar sensitivity of <2 mV. The external stimulator, connected to 2 skin electrodes, tracked the implanted pacemaker at increasing rates.

Sexual activity with and without the use of sildenafil: risk of cardiovascular events in patients with heart disease.

The data in the literature on the relationship between sexual activity, with and without the use of sildenafil, and the occurrence of cardiovascular events (ventricular arrhythmias, nonfatal myocardial infarction, stroke and death) have been reviewed in patients with heart disease. To date, only patients with ischemic heart disease (IHD) have been investigated. The prevalence of premature ventricular beats during sexual intercourse is similar to that observed during other daily activities.