Objective: Adherence problems are a common feature among bipolar patients. A recent study showed that lithium knowledge was the main difference between adherent and non adherents bipolar patients. The Lithium Knowledge Test (LKT), a brief questionnaire, was developed as a means of identifying aspects of patients' practical and pharmacological knowledge which are important if therapy is to be safe and effective. The original English version is validated in psychiatric population, but a validated Portuguese one is not yet available.
Methods: One hundred six patients selected were diagnosed with bipolar disorder (I or II) according to DSM-IV criteria and had to be on lithium treatment for at least one month. The LKT was administered on only one occasion. We analysed the internal consistency, concurrent validity, sensitivity and specificity of the LKT for the detection of the knowledge about lithium treatment of bipolar patients.
Results: The internal consistency, evaluated by Cronbach's alpha was 0.596. The mean of total score LKT by bipolar patients was 9.0 (SD: 0.75) for men and 8.74 (SD: 0.44) for women. Concurrent validity based on plasma lithium concentration showed a significant correlation between the total LKT score and plasma lithium (r = 0.232; p = 0.020). The sensitivity was 84% and specificity was 81%.
Conclusion: LKT is a rapid, reliable instrument which appears to be as effective as a lengthier standard interview with a lithium clinic doctor, and which has a high level of acceptability to lithium patients. We found that the psychometric assessment of the Portuguese version of LKT showed good internal consistency, sensitivity and specificity.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/1745-0179-2-34 | DOI Listing |
Health Sci Rep
January 2025
School of Medicine, Behavioral Science Research Center of Imam Hossein Hospital Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences Tehran Iran.
Background And Aims: This study aimed to compare neurological soft signs (NSSs) in type 1 bipolar disorder (BD), bipolar spectrum (BS) patients, and their unaffected first-degree relatives.
Methods: This descriptive cross-sectional study involved participants referred to the Psychiatric Department of Imam Hossein Hospital. Five groups ( = 25): patients with type 1 BD, patients with BS, unaffected first-degree relatives of the two groups, and a control group were evaluated using the Neurological Evaluation Scale (NES).
Br J Psychiatry
January 2025
Center for Neurobehavioral Genetics, Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, USA; Department of Human Genetics, University of California Los Angeles, USA; and Department of Computational Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, USA.
Background: Accurate diagnosis of bipolar disorder (BPD) is difficult in clinical practice, with an average delay between symptom onset and diagnosis of about 7 years. A depressive episode often precedes the first manic episode, making it difficult to distinguish BPD from unipolar major depressive disorder (MDD).
Aims: We use genome-wide association analyses (GWAS) to identify differential genetic factors and to develop predictors based on polygenic risk scores (PRS) that may aid early differential diagnosis.
BMC Med Imaging
January 2025
Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, AJA University of Medical Science, Tehran, Iran.
Background: Cognitive networks impairments are common in neuropsychiatric disorders like Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), bipolar disorder (BD), and schizophrenia (SZ). While previous research has focused on specific brain regions, the role of the procedural memory as a type of long-term memory to examine cognitive networks impairments in these disorders remains unclear. This study investigates alterations in resting-state functional connectivity (rs-FC) within the procedural memory network to explore brain function associated with cognitive networks in patients with these disorders.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPsychother Psychosom
January 2025
Bipolar Disorder Research Program (PROMAN), Institute of Psychiatry, University of São Paulo Medical School, São Paulo, Brazil.
Introduction: Impairments in social cognition in bipolar disorder (BD) have been extensively described in the last decade but few treatment strategies have been studied to address this issue. This study presents findings from a randomized controlled trial (RCT) investigating the efficacy of metacognitive training for bipolar disorder (MCT-BD) compared to Treatment as Usual (TAU) among individuals with BD in remission. The aim was to determine whether MCT-BD could improve social cognition and overall functioning in this population.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFJ Int Med Res
January 2025
Department of Anesthesiology, Shaanxi Provincial People's Hospital, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China.
Monopolar electrocautery is usually a safe and effective technique used in laparoscopic cholecystectomy and bile duct surgery, but it may lead to adverse consequences, even ventricular fibrillation (VF). Amiodarone is an effective antiarrhythmic drug commonly used in practice to treat ventricular and atrial arrhythmias, but it may induce tachyarrhythmia or even VF. We report a case of VF occurring twice during cholecystectomy.
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