The cost-effectiveness of isavuconazole compared to voriconazole, the standard of care in the treatment of patients with invasive mould diseases, prior to differential pathogen diagnosis in Spain.

Background: Invasive mould diseases are associated with high morbidity, mortality and economic impact. Its treatment is often started prior to differential pathogen diagnosis. Isavuconazole is approved for treatment of invasive aspergillosis (IA) and invasive mucormycosis (IM) when amphotericin-B is not indicated.

Pregabalin for the treatment of patients with generalized anxiety disorder with inadequate treatment response to antidepressants and severe depressive symptoms.

To evaluate the effectiveness of pregabalin in patients with resistant generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) and severe depressive symptoms, we carried out a post-hoc analysis of a multicenter, prospective, and observational 6-month study. We included patients who were at least 18 years old, fulfilled the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th ed. (DSM-IV) criteria for GAD, showed inadequate responses to previous courses of antidepressant treatment, had Montgomery-Asberg Rating Scale scores of at least 35, had not received pregabalin previously, and were prescribed pregabalin upon entry into this study.

Clinical and economic outcomes of adjunctive therapy with pregabalin or usual care in generalized anxiety disorder patients with partial response to selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors.

Background: This study is done to compare the effect of adjunctive therapy with pregabalin versus usual care (UC) on health-care costs and clinical and patients consequences in generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) subjects with partial response (PR) to a previous selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) course in medical practice in Spain.

Methods: Post hoc analysis of patients with PR to SSRI monotherapy enrolled in a prospective 6-month naturalistic study was done. PR was defined as a Clinical Global Impression (CGI) scale score ≥3 and insufficient response with persistence of anxiety symptoms ≥16 in the Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale (HAM-A).

Effectiveness of pregabalin as monotherapy or combination therapy for neuropathic pain in patients unresponsive to previous treatments in a Spanish primary care setting.

Background And Objective: Patients from a previous study of neuropathic pain (NP) in the Spanish primary care setting still had symptoms despite treatment. Subsequently, patients were treated as prescribed by their physician and followed up for 3 months. Since pregabalin has been shown to be effective in NP, including refractory cases, the objective of this study was to assess the effectiveness of pregabalin therapy in patients with NP refractory to previous treatments.

Broadening of Generalized Anxiety Disorders Definition Does not Affect the Response to Psychiatric Care: Findings from the Observational ADAN Study.

Objective: To elucidate the consequences of broadening DSM-IV criteria for generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), we examined prospectively the evolution of GAD symptoms in two groups of patients; one group diagnosed according to DSM-IV criteria and the other, according to broader criteria.

Method: Multicentre, prospective and observational study conducted on outpatient psychiatric clinics. Patients were selected from October 2007 to January 2009 and diagnosed with GAD according to DSM-IV criteria (DSM-IV group) or broader criteria.

The assessment of generalized anxiety disorder: psychometric validation of the Spanish version of the self-administered GAD-2 scale in daily medical practice.

Aim: To psychometrically validate the Spanish version of the self-administered 2-item GAD-2 scale for screening probable patients with generalised anxiety disorder (GAD).

Methods: The GAD-2 was self-administered by patients diagnosed with GAD according to DSM-IV criteria and by age- and sex-matched controls who were recruited at random in mental health and primary care centres. Criteria validity was explored using ROC curve analysis, and sensitivity, specificity and positive and negative predictive values were determined for different cut-off values.

Cultural adaptation and validation of the painDETECT scale into Spanish.

Objective: The aim of this study was to culturally adapt into Spanish and validate the painDETECT questionnaire, a brief self-administered instrument designed to screen the presence of a neuropathic pain component in usual clinical practice.

Methods: The original English painDETECT questionnaire was culturally adapted into Spanish (Spain) by 2 independent translators under supervision of an expert panel. The LANNS, and a pain visual analog scale were administered along with the painDETECT questionnaire to a sample of 252 patients with neuropathic, nociceptive, or mixed pain for at least 3 months.

Post hoc analysis of pregabalin vs. non-pregabalin treatment in patients with cancer-related neuropathic pain: better pain relief, sleep and physical health.

Background And Purpose: A previous study of cancer-related neuropathic pain (NP) found that a 10-fold increase in pregabalin (PGB) use increased patients' satisfaction with treatment. Further research of PGB vs. non-pregabalin (non-PGB) treatment was carried out to assess if the use of more specific NP-targeting drugs, such as PGB, in combined therapy, in patients with cancer-related NP, provides better health outcomes.

Effects of pregabalin on subjective sleep disturbance symptoms during withdrawal from long-term benzodiazepine use.

Aim: To evaluate the effectiveness of pregabalin as a tapering therapy on the subjective sleep quality of patients who underwent a benzodiazepine withdrawal program in routine medical practice.

Methods: Secondary analysis of a 12-week prospective, open noncontrolled study carried out in patients who met DSM-IV-TR criteria for benzodiazepine dependence. Sleep was evaluated with the Medical Outcomes Study Sleep Scale (MOS Sleep Scale).

Changes in seizure severity and quality of life in patients with refractory partial epilepsy.

This 6-month observational, prospective, multicenter study assessed the influence of changes in seizure severity on quality of life in patients with refractory partial epilepsy. Patients (N = 262) diagnosed with partial epilepsy and receiving two antiepileptic drugs as determined by usual clinical practice were enrolled in this study. The primary endpoint was the mean seizure severity score obtained from the Seizure Severity Questionnaire.

Prevalence of neuropathic pain in radiotherapy oncology units.

Purpose: Neuropathic pain (NP) in cancer patients severely impacts quality of life. Radiotherapy (RT) may cause NP, and at the same time, cancer patients visit RT units for pain relief. NP prevalence at these sites and current analgesic treatment should be assessed to improve management.

Prevalence of distal diabetic polyneuropathy using quantitative sensory methods in a population with diabetes of more than 10 years' disease duration.

Objectives: Results of studies on the prevalence of distal diabetic polyneuropathy (DPN) are contradictory. Conventional methods used for the diagnosis of DPN in clinical practice have limited effectiveness. The present study aimed to assess the prevalence of DPN in a population with long-standing diabetes (more than 10 years disease duration) by measuring vibratory, thermal and tactile sensitivities with quantitative sensory devices, as well as their relationship with associated clinical risk factors.

A cost-consequence analysis of pregabalin versus usual care in the symptomatic treatment of refractory low back pain: sub-analysis of observational trial data from orthopaedic surgery and rehabilitation clinics.

Background: low back pain is one of the most common reasons for outpatient consultation in both the primary-care and specialized-care settings. However, few studies have explored the effect of pregabalin in this context.

Objective: to prospectively analyse the effect of adding pregabalin on costs and consequences in the treatment of refractory low back pain in routine medical practice.

Cultural adaptation into Spanish of the generalized anxiety disorder-7 (GAD-7) scale as a screening tool.

Background: Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) is a prevalent mental health condition which is underestimated worldwide. This study carried out the cultural adaptation into Spanish of the 7-item self-administered GAD-7 scale, which is used to identify probable patients with GAD.

Methods: The adaptation was performed by an expert panel using a conceptual equivalence process, including forward and backward translations in duplicate.