Self-rated physical and psychosocial health in a cohort of young adults with juvenile idiopathic arthritis.

OBJECTIVE: To explore self-rated physical and psychosocial health in a cohort of young adults with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) 18.3 years after symptom onset, make comparisons with population-based data, and illuminate possible predictors of self-rated health. METHODS: Of a baseline cohort of 84 patients with JIA, 55 (65.5%) answered the self-administered questionnaires of the Health Assessment Questionnaire (HAQ), the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) of pain, fatigue, and illness, the Medical Outcomes Study 36-item Short Form Health Survey (SF-36), and the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-30). Telephone interviews were conducted with 51/55 patients. Population-based norm-data of SF-36 were used for comparison. RESULTS: Significantly impaired physical health but no difference in psychosocial health was found as compared to the general Norwegian population. The level of education was significantly higher whereas no difference was found in employment status as compared to norm-data. Pain was a significant correlate of the education level. Predictors of physical impairment were physical disability and pain, whereas psychiatric distress and female sex were predictors of mental ill-health. CONCLUSION: Physical disability does not seem to have a negative influence on the patients' functioning psychosocially.

A longitudinal follow-up study of physical and psychosocial health in young adults with chronic childhood arthritis.

OBJECTIVE: The aim was to describe physical and psychosocial health status in a second follow-up of a cohort of patients with chronic childhood arthritis, to compare results from the present study with the first follow-up, and to explore the course of physical and psychosocial functioning from baseline. METHODS: At a median of 18.3 years after symptom onset 55 patients answered the self-administered questionnaires Health Assessment Questionnaire Disability Index (HAQ-DI), Visual Analogue Scales (VAS) of pain, fatigue and illness, and General Health Questionnaire (GHQ) 30-item version. Results from the current study were compared to first follow-up median 8.7 years after symptom onset, and the course of physical and psychosocial function from baseline was discussed. RESULTS: At second follow-up, 38% reported HAQ-DI above 0 indicating physical disability, 22% had a GHQ-30 score in the clinical range indicating psychiatric distress, and fatigue seemed to be an overarching aspect of the health status. Pain was an important correlate of physical disability at first and second follow-up. At second follow-up psychiatric distress was a significant correlate of pain and fatigue, indicating a relation to disease severity. The association between psychosocial functioning and chronic family difficulties observed at first follow-up is not evident at second follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: The favourable physical and psychosocial outcome reported at first follow-up seems to persist. However, arthritis-related ill-health is still evident in a considerable proportion of the patients, indicating a constant impact of the disease on every-day life of the individual.

Prevalence and correlates of disruptive behavior in patients in Norwegian nursing homes.

BACKGROUND: Although Behavioral and Psychological Symptoms of Dementia (BPSD) increase with increasing dementia severity, and institutionalization of an individual with dementia is often caused by behavioral symptoms, relatively few studies have explored the prevalence of BPSD in nursing homes. OBJECTIVE: To study the prevalence and correlates of agitation in residents with dementia, in Norwegian nursing homes. METHODS: This study has taken place in dementia wards in four Norwegian nursing homes. To measure agitation in residents with dementia we used the Cohen-Mansfield Agitation Inventory (CMAI), consisting of 29 agitation items. Dementia stage was measured by Functional Assessment Staging (FAST). RESULTS: Two hundred and eleven patients (71% female) were included in the study: mean (SD) age 85.5 (8.4), FAST 4.7 (2.1), CMAI total sumscore 39.5 (12.6). Dementia was present in 167 (79%) subjects. Among those with dementia, weekly occurrence of at least one CMAI item (i.e. a score of 3 or higher) occurred in 75.4% (95% CI 68.4-81.4). Six of the items occurred at least weekly in 20% of the residents with dementia, and 11 of the items, including physical aggression, occurred in less than 5% of the residents. Agitation was associated with more severe dementia (p = 0.001), but not with age and gender. CONCLUSION: Symptoms of agitation were common, but may nevertheless be lower compared to findings in other geographical areas. Further studies are warranted to test this hypothesis, and if confirmed, to explore possible causes for such differences.

The effect of staff training on the use of restraint in dementia: a single-blind randomised controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Use of restraint amongst institutionalised elderly with dementia and problem behaviour not only remains widespread, but also appears to be accepted as inevitable. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to reduce problem behaviour and the use of restraint in demented patients using a staff training program as intervention. METHODS: The study was a randomised single-blind controlled trial and took place in Stavanger, Norway. Four nursing homes were randomised to a control or an intervention group after stratification for size. The intervention consisted of a full day seminar, followed by a one-hour session of guidance per month over six months. The content of the educational program focused on the decision making process in the use of restraint and alternatives to restraint consistent with professional practice and quality care. The primary outcome measures were number of restraints per patient in the nursing homes in one week and agitation as measured with the Brief Agitation Rating Scale (BARS). These were rated before and immediately after the intervention was completed. The assessments were performed blind to design and randomisation group. RESULTS: Clinical and demographic variables did not differ between the intervention and control groups at baseline. After the intervention period, the number of restraints had declined by 54% in the treatment group, and increased by 18% in the control group. The difference between the two groups was statistically significant ( p = 0.013). There was a trend towards higher BARS score in the intervention compared to the control group at follow up ( p = 0.052). CONCLUSION: Although the level of agitated behaviour remained unchanged or increased slightly, the educational program led to a significant reduction of the use of restraint in institutionalised elderly with dementia. These results suggest that educational programs can improve the quality of care of people with dementia.

Can the Harter Self-Perception Profile for Adolescents (SPPA) be used as an indicator of psychosocial outcome in adolescents with chronic physical disorders?

To explore the Harter Self-Perception Profile for Adolescents (SPPA) as an indicator of psychosocial outcome in adolescents with chronic physical disorders, we administered the questionnaire along with other well-established measures of psychosocial outcome (the semistructured Child Assessment Schedule (CAS) interview and the Youth Self Report (YSR) and Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) questionnaires) to one group of diseased adolescents with good psychosocial adjustment (juvenile chronic arthritis, JCA) and one with a high level of psychosocial maladjustment (anorectal anomalies, ARA). The adolescents with ARA had significantly lower scores of global self-worth, school competence, and social acceptance as compared to the adolescents with JCA. However, global self-worth in neither group was impaired as compared with that of the general Norwegian adolescent population. Perceived physical appearance was the single self-concept domain accounting for the variance in global self-worth (R2 = 0.71, p < 0.001). Among the other measures of psychosocial outcome, global self-worth was most strongly related to mood according to the CAS interview (r = -0.53, p < 0.001) and to the YSR internalizing score (r = -0.53, p < 0.001). Our findings indicate that the SPPA has limited ability to identify chronically diseased adolescents with adverse psychosocial outcome.

Patient and parent experiences with health care services in pediatric rheumatology.

The health care received from first admission to a pediatric rheumatology clinic to 9-year follow-up was assessed in 109 patients with chronic inflammatory rheumatic diseases or chronic idiopathic musculoskeletal pain. Ninety-five of the patients had received hospital care after the first admission, of whom 53 patients > or = 18 years, 21 patients < 18 years, and 33 parents of patients < 18 years rated their degree of satisfaction with the health care from 0 to 10. Mean scores of satisfaction with different aspects of care ranged from 6.0 to 9.6. Among patients > or = 18 years, those with idiopathic pain were less satisfied than those with inflammatory rheumatic diseases on the availability of care (mean 6.4 vs. 8.5, p < 0.001), continuity of care (mean 6.5 vs. 8.4, p < 0.001), and empathy of the health care providers (mean 6.7 vs. 7.9, p <0.05). The diagnostic group and the occurrence of remission predicted the level of global satisfaction in patients > or = 18 years. In patients < 18 years, chronic family difficulties predicted patient satisfaction and physical disability and chronic family difficulties predicted parent satisfaction. In conclusion, most parents and patients with inflammatory rheumatic diseases were satisfied with the health care. However, some patients with idiopathic pain had unmet needs for care.

Measuring disability in early juvenile rheumatoid arthritis: evaluation of a Norwegian version of the childhood Health Assessment Questionnaire.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the reliability, validity, and sensitivity to change of the Norwegian version of the childhood Health Assessment Questionnaire (CHAQ) and to examine the relationship between disability, disease severity, and psychosocial factors in patients with early juvenile rheumatoid arthritis (JRA). METHODS: Physical functioning was assessed by the CHAQ in 109 patients (median age 6.6 years, range 1.0-16.6) with JRA and a median of 4 months' (range 2-23) disease duration. Eighty-three patients were reassessed after a median of 6 months (range 3-21). Psychosocial functioning was assessed by the Child Behavior Checklist (n=39). RESULTS: The internal consistency of the CHAQ was good (Cronbach's alpha=0.83). The test-retest and parent-patient correlations were high [intraclass correlation coefficients 0.85 (n=18) and 0.75 (n=20), respectively, p < 0.001]. The CHAQ correlated moderately with number of tender, swollen and mobility restricted joints, morning stiffness, C-reactive protein, pain, and patients' and physicians' global assessments [correlation coefficients (r) ranging from 0.55 to 0.30, p < 0.01], but weakly with erythrocyte sedimentation rate (r=0.17, NS). The CHAQ also correlated with low levels of social competence (r=-0.49, p < 0.05) and high levels of internalizing behavior problems in the patients (r=0.43, p < 0.01) and low education levels of the mothers (r=-0.31, p < 0.01). Pain (beta 0.45, p < 0.001), number of swollen joints (beta 0.31, p < 0.001), and internalizing behavior problems (beta 0.45, p < 0.01) were predictors of disability. The median CHAQ changed from 0.25 to 0.00 (p < 0.05) in the 41 patients who improved, from 0.31 to 0.85 (p < 0.05) in the 18 patients whose condition was worse, and from 0.50 to 0.59 (NS) in the 24 patients whose condition was unchanged after 6 months. The effect size of the change was small (0.28) in those who improved and moderate (0.54) in those who became worse. CONCLUSION: The Norwegian version of the CHAQ is a reliable and valid instrument for measuring disability in children with early JRA. Pain, joint inflammation, and psychosocial factors are the most important correlates of disability and the CHAQ is sensitive to clinical change.

Outcome and predictive factors in juvenile rheumatoid arthritis and juvenile spondyloarthropathy.

OBJECTIVE: To describe outcome and determine predictive factors in juvenile rheumatoid arthritis (JRA) and juvenile spondyloarthopathy (JSpA). METHODS: Seventy-two children with chronic arthritis were studied on first admission to the pediatric rheumatology clinic and after a mean of 9.7 +/- 1.8 yrs of disease duration. RESULTS: At followup, 53 patients had JRA and 19 had JSpA. Eleven (21%) of the patients with JRA did not meet the criteria for JRA on first admission, and 12 (22%) of 54 children diagnosed as having JRA on first admission were later reclassified as having another disease. Remission occurred in 43 (60%) of the 72 patients with JRA and JSpA. Forty-four patients (60%) reported no disability by the childhood or adult Health Assessment Questionnaire and 18 patients (25%) had developed joint erosions. Disease modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARD) were given to 49 patients (68%) after a median of 0.8 yrs (range 0.2-10.8) disease duration. The patients who developed erosions and disability tended to have started treatment later than those who did not (NS). Active disease 5 years after onset was a predictor of disability in JRA and JSpA (OR 4.5, 95% CI 1.6-12.5). Predictors of joint erosions were long duration of elevated erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) (OR 3.7/yr of elevated ESR, 95% CI 1.9-7.2), long disease duration before first admission (OR 1.5/yr of duration, 95% CI 1.1-2.1), long disease duration before treatment with DMARD (OR 1.8, 95% CI 1.0-3.3), and IgM rheumatoid factor (OR 12 x 10(4), 95% CI 0-1.2 x 10[52]). CONCLUSION: The longterm outcome in JRA and JSpA was more favorable than previously reported. This may be explained by less selection in favor of severely diseased patients and by the use of early aggressive treatment regimes.

Outcome and predictive factors in children with chronic idiopathic musculoskeletal pain.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of the present study was to describe the outcome and determine predictors of persisting chronic idiopathic musculoskeletal pain in children. METHODS: A prospective 9-year follow-up of 37 children with musculoskeletal pain of at least 3 months duration for which no physical origin could be found, was carried out. The study comprised those patients with idiopathic pain in a cohort of 117 first admissions to a pediatric rheumatology clinic; 72 patients with juvenile chronic arthritis (JCA) were used as a comparison group. RESULTS: Twenty-two patients (59%) still had chronic idiopathic musculoskeletal pain at the 9-year follow-up, while 15 patients no longer had pain after a median of 2.1 years (range 0.3-8.9). Compared with the patients with resolved pain, those with chronic pain had a longer disease duration before admission (median 1.4 versus 0.5 years, P < 0.01), more frequent generalised pain (86 versus 47%, P < 0.05), more intense pain (median 4.3 versus 0.5 cm VAS, P < 0.05), a lower parental education level (mean 10 versus 14 years, P < 0.01) and more chronic family difficulties (mean score 4.3 versus 2.9, P < 0.01) on first admission. Predictors of persistent pain were generalised pain on first admission (OR = 84) and a low mother's education level (OR = 0.31 per year of increased education). At follow-up, 16 patients (73%) with persistent chronic pain reported some disability according to the childhood or the adult Health Assessment Questionnaire (CHAQ/HAQ). The patients with chronic pain had as high a pain intensity (median 2.7 versus 2.0 cm VAS, NS), as much disability (median CHAQ/HAQ 0.3 versus 0.3) and as much impact on overall well-being (median 2.9 versus 3.2 cm VAS, NS) as patients with active JCA, but they had more fatigue (median 5.1 versus 1.3 cm VAS, P < 0.05), lower levels of psychosocial functioning (median score 74 versus 80, P < 0.05) and more chronic family difficulties (median score 3.3 versus 2.3, P < 0.001) than the JCA patients. CONCLUSION: Chronic idiopathic musculoskeletal pain in children had an unfavourable outcome in the present study, especially in children with generalised pain and a low parental education level.

Psychosocial outcome in juvenile chronic arthritis: a nine-year follow-up.

OBJECTIVE: To describe the long-term psychosocial outcome in a prospectively followed cohort of patients with juvenile chronic arthritis (JCA), to assess the associations between psychosocial outcome and disease variables and to explore family stressors as predictors of long-term psychosocial and physical outcome. METHODS: Fifty-two patients with JCA were assessed psychosocially at first admission to a pediatric rheumatology clinic and were reassessed 9 years later. Assessment methods included semi-structured psychiatric interviews and standardized parental questionnaires and self-reports. RESULTS: At follow-up, 9 patients (17%) fulfilled the criteria for a psychiatric diagnosis and 8 (15%) had mild to moderate impairment in psychosocial functioning (children's or adult Global Assessment Scale). Mental health and psychosocial functioning were significantly improved from the first hospital admission to follow-up. In patients < 18 years of age (n = 26), psychosocial functioning at follow-up correlated with physical disability according to the Childhood Health Assessment Questionnaire (r = -0.52, p < 0.01). Psychosocial outcome was unrelated to other measures of disease severity. Chronic family difficulties in the disease course predicted psychosocial functioning at follow-up in patients < 18 years old (R2 = 0.22). Chronic family difficulties at disease onset, together with gender and chronic family difficulties in the disease course, predicted psychosocial functioning at follow-up in patients > or = 18 years old (R2 = 0.61). Family stressors were unrelated to the physical outcome. CONCLUSION: The long-term psychosocial outcome was favorable in most of the patients. Psychosocial outcome was predicted by chronic family difficulties, but was not closely related to disease severity at follow-up.

Psychosocial factors in children with idiopathic musculoskeletal pain: a prospective, longitudinal study.

To explore the role of psychosocial factors in the development and persistence of idiopathic musculoskeletal pain (IMP) in children, 23 children with IMP and 52 children with juvenile chronic arthritis (JCA) were compared at first admission to hospital and at 9 y follow-up. Semistructured interviews were performed at both assessments. At first admission, the prevalence of psychiatric diagnoses was high both in patients with IMP and patients with JCA, but patients with IMP more often had pain models, reported more school stress and more often lived with one biological parent. At follow-up, overall psychosocial functioning and level of chronic family difficulties were improved in both groups, but patients with IMP had a higher prevalence of psychiatric diagnoses and more chronic family difficulties and life events than patients with JCA. The persistence of IMP at follow-up was related to pain models, school stress, less parental education and more chronic family difficulties at first admission. Findings support the association between psychosocial factors and childhood IMP.

Effects of cholinergic blockade on language in healthy young women. Implications for the cholinergic hypothesis in dementia of the Alzheimer type.

To investigate the effect of cholinergic blockade on language, 22 healthy young women performed tests of reading, spelling and oral language after a subcutaneous injection of 0.4 or 0.6 mg scopolamine. The results were compared with the performance after 0.6 mg methylscopolamine, which produce no central cholinergic effects. The reading and spelling tests were constructed to evaluate the lexical and phonological strategies for reading and spelling of single words. After scopolamine there were dose-dependent impairments in reading, spelling, verbal fluency and object naming. In 25-60% of the subjects receiving 0.6 mg scopolamine there were clinically significant impairments on tests assessing the lexical and phonological strategies. This pattern is similar to the deficits in reading and spelling observed in patients with dementia of the Alzheimer type. Cholinergic loss may be associated with the language impairments found in dementia of the Alzheimer type.