Emotional, inflammatory, and genetic factors of resilience and vulnerability to depression in patients with premenopausal breast cancer: A longitudinal study protocol.

BACKGROUND: Psychosocial stress and depressive disorder have been associated with cancer as putative contributors to worse prognosis. On the other hand, cancer diagnosis is a recognised life event that can contribute to distress and depressive states. Humoral and cellular inflammation can promote depressive disorder by means of decreased monoamine synthesis, glutamate neurotoxicity, neurogenesis and neuroplasticity, dysregulated hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, and glucocorticoid resistance. This protocol objectives are to observe the interactions between psychosocial variables and biochemical and immunological biomarkers in a longitudinal, prospective design; to identify inflammation-related depression endophenotypes in breast cancer patients and to understand if early diagnosed and treated depression in this population will translate in better inflammation status and better global prognosis. METHODS: Prospective observational cohort, composed by 100 consecutive premenopausal patients, diagnosed with non-distant metastatic breast carcinoma and with no history of major psychopathology or other organic illness. The participants will have an in-person assessment in three different moments, along illness treatment and follow-up, with respect to cytometric, immunologic, and psychosocial parameters and will be tested for depression vulnerability and resilience inflammation-related functional genetic polymorphisms. Additionally, at years 5 and 10 post enrollment, patients`medical records will be assessed. As a control cohort, all patients excluded due to psychiatric history or past psychiatric treatments will have their clinical records assessed at years 5 and 10 after admission. All the data will be managed with the SPSS® software. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: This study is an original longitudinal cohort of breast cancer premenopausal patients, with a comprehensive approach to psychosocial, clinical, inflammatory, and genetic variables. It expects to provide evidence regarding the links between genetic, cytometric, immunologic, and psychosocial factors, their potential contribution to the pathophysiology of depressive disorder, breast cancer course, progression, and prognosis. It may further contribute with data to better efficacy of the psycho-oncological interventions. TRIAL REGISTRATION: National Commission of Data Protection (CNPD) 13413/2017; Ethics Committee of IPOP project code CI-IPOP81/2017.

Effectiveness of vortioxetine in patients with major depressive disorder and co-morbid generalized anxiety disorder in routine clinical practice: A subgroup analysis of the RELIEVE study.

BACKGROUND: Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) is commonly co-morbid with major depressive disorder (MDD) and is associated with greater functional impairment and poorer treatment outcomes than MDD alone. However, studies on treatment with drugs for depression in patients with MDD and co-morbid GAD are limited. AIMS: To examine the effectiveness of vortioxetine treatment in patients with MDD and co-morbid GAD in a subgroup analysis of the real-world RELIEVE study. METHODS: The analysis included outpatients diagnosed with MDD and co-morbid GAD who initiated vortioxetine treatment at their physician's discretion in the 24-week, observational RELIEVE study. Primary outcome was patient functioning (Sheehan Disability Scale (SDS)) after 12 and 24 weeks of vortioxetine treatment; secondary outcomes included depression severity (9-item Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9)), cognitive symptoms (5-item Perceived Deficits Questionnaire - Depression (PDQ-D-5)) and cognitive performance (Digit Symbol Substitution Test (DSST)). RESULTS: Overall, 180 patients with MDD and co-morbid GAD were included in the analysis. Following vortioxetine initiation, clinically significant improvements in patient functioning (SDS total score) were observed at week 12 (least-squares (LS) mean reduction from baseline, 7.5 points), sustained through week 24 (9.2 points) (both p < 0.0001). LS mean PHQ-9, PDQ-D-5 and DSST scores improved by 7.9, 4.8 and 7.4 points at week 24, respectively (all p < 0.0001 vs baseline). Adverse events were reported by 33.9% of patients (most commonly nausea, 13.3%). CONCLUSIONS: In routine clinical practice, vortioxetine was associated with clinically meaningful, sustained improvements in functioning, and depressive and cognitive symptoms, in patients with MDD and co-morbid GAD. CLINICAL TRIALS REGISTRY NAME AND IDENTIFIER: Real-life Effectiveness of Vortioxetine in Depression (RELIEVE) (NCT03555136) https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03555136.

Teaching communication skills in clinical settings: comparing two applications of a comprehensive program with standardized and real patients.

BACKGROUND: Communication is important for the quality of clinical practice, and programs have been implemented to improve healthcare providers' communication skills. However, the consistency of programs teaching communication skills has received little attention, and debate exists about the application of acquired skills to real patients. This study inspects whether (1) results from a communication program are replicated with different samples, and (2) results with standardized patients apply to interviews with real patients. METHODS: A structured, nine-month communication program was applied in two consecutive years to two different samples of healthcare professionals (25 in the first year, 20 in the second year). Results were assessed at four different points in time, each year, regarding participants' confidence levels (self-rated), basic communication skills in interviews with standardized patients, and basic communication skills in interviews with real patients. Data were analyzed using GLM Repeated-Measures procedures. RESULTS: Improvements were statistically significant in both years in all measures except in simulated patients' assessment of the 2008 group. Differences between the two samples were non-significant. Differences between interviews with standardized and with real patients were also non-significant. CONCLUSIONS: The program's positive outcomes were replicated in different samples, and acquired skills were successfully applied to real-patient interviews. This reinforces this type of program structure as a valuable training tool, with results translating into real situations. It also adds to the reliability of the assessment instruments employed, though these may need adaptation in the case of real patients.

Learning clinical communication skills: outcomes of a program for professional practitioners.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the effects of a communication skills program on professional practitioners' performance and self-confidence in clinical interviewing. METHODS: Twenty-five health professionals took 3 months of basic communication skills followed by 3 months of advanced communication skills. An additional quarter dealt with self-awareness and communication in special situations. Participants' performances were evaluated in clinical interviews with standardized patients before, during and after the program by external observers and standardized patients, using standardized instruments. Participants assessed their own confidence in their communication skills before and after the program. Data were analysed using GLM repeated-measures procedures in SPSS. RESULTS: Basic communication skills and self-confidence improved throughout the 6 months; competencies declined but self-confidence continued to increase 4 months later. Compared with taking no course, differences were statistically significant after the 6 months (external observers only) and 4 months later (external observers and participants). CONCLUSION: The program effectively improved communication skills, although significantly only when assessed by external observers. Four months later, effects were significant in communication skills (external observers), despite the decline and in self-confidence. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: While periodical enrollment in programs for the practice of communication skills may help maintain performance, more knowledge on communication and self-awareness may enhance self-confidence.

[Teaching doctor-patient communication - a proposal in practice]. / O ensino da comunicação na relação médico-doente - uma proposta em prática.

Traditionally, doctor-patient communication was considered a matter of <> and <>, and a topic for informal learning. Recently, studies have shown the importance of communication skills in medical practice. Doctor-patient communication skills, such as knowing how to listen, how to observe, and how to inform are today considered important components of Medical Education, although they are often difficult to integrate in Medical Curricula. In the current work, the authors describe the program of Communication in the Doctor-Patient Relationship, initiated in 2001 in the Medical School of the University of Porto, part of its undergraduate program. Future studies will allow us to assess the effectiveness of the learning and application of these skills in clinical practice.

B-type natriuretic peptide is related to left ventricular mass in hypertensive patients but not in athletes.

A positive correlation has been previously documented between B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) levels and left ventricular mass index (LVMI) in hypertensive patients. We evaluated 8 cycling athletes, 8 healthy age-matched controls; 17 hypertensive patients and 7 age-matched controls. LVMI was significantly higher in athletes and hypertensive patients than in their controls. Plasma levels of BNP in hypertensive patients were significantly higher than in athletes and their age-matched controls. No significant difference was found between athletes and their controls. Cycling athletes had significantly larger LVMI than hypertensive patients and controls, without elevated BNP levels. These results suggest that BNP levels are elevated in patients with increased LVM due to hypertension but not in physiologically increased LVM. Whether elevated BNP levels in athletes is a sign of structural heart disease merits further investigation.