Neurotoxicity of crack cocaine exposure: evidence from a systematic review of in vitro and in vivo studies.

Several studies suggest that crack cocaine users exhibit higher prevalence of both psychiatric and psychosocial problems, with an aggressive pattern of drug use. Nevertheless, few experimental studies attempted to verify the neurotoxicity after crack cocaine exposure, especially when compared with other routes of cocaine administration. This systematic review aimed to verify whether in vitro and/or in vivo crack cocaine exposure is more neurotoxic than cocaine exposure (snorted or injected). A search was performed in the PubMed, EMBASE, Scopus, Web of Science, and LILACS databases for in vitro and in vivo toxicological studies conducted with either rats or mice, with no distinction with regard to sex or age. Other methods including BioRxiv, BDTD, Academic Google, citation searching, and specialist consultation were also adopted. Two independent investigators screened the titles and abstracts of retrieved studies and subsequently performed full-text reading and data extraction. The quality of the included studies was assessed by the Toxicological data Reliability assessment Tool (ToxRTool). The study protocol was registered with the Prospective Registry of Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO; CRD42022332250). Of the twelve studies included, three were in vitro and nine were in vivo studies. According to the ToxRTool, most studies were considered reliable either with or without restrictions, with no one being considered as not reliable. The studies found neuroteratogenic effects, decreased threshold for epileptic seizures, schizophrenic-like symptoms, and cognitive deficits to be associated with crack cocaine exposure. Moreover, both in vitro and in vivo studies reported a worsening in cocaine neurotoxic effect caused by the anhydroecgonine methyl ester (AEME), a cocaine main pyrolysis product, which is in line with the more aggressive pattern of crack cocaine use. This systematic review suggests that crack cocaine exposure is more neurotoxic than other routes of cocaine administration. However, before the scarcity of studies on this topic, further toxicological studies are necessary.

The impact of botulinum toxin type A in the treatment of drooling in children with cerebral palsy secondary to Congenital Zika Syndrome: an observational study.

OBJECTIVE: The main aim of this study was to determine the impact of botulinum toxin A (BTX-A) on severity and frequency of drooling in children with Cerebral Palsy (CP) secondary to Congenital Zika Syndrome (CZS). METHODS: This is a prospective longitudinal observational study including 23 children who received bilateral injections of BTX in the parotid and submandibular glands. The Thomas-Stonell & Greenberg Drooling Severity and Frequency Scale was applied by a multidisciplinary team including Speech, Language and Hearing professionals. The Global Impression of Improvement (GII) Scale was also applied to assess parents' subjective perceptions of therapeutic response. Swallowing was assessed using Doppler ultrasonography. Univariate logistic regression was used to analyse differences between responders and non-responders. RESULTS: Participant age varied from 27 to 38 months (mean 31.78, SD = 2.61) all presented with Gross Motor Function Classification System (GMFCS) V. Drooling Severity and Frequency Scale scores ranged from 7 to 9 points (median = 9) prior to BTX administration and from 4 to 6 (median = 6) after. Pre- and post-treatment reduction in drooling severity occurred (Z = -3.746; p < 0.001). No cases of drooling worsening were reported. Only two subjects presented adverse effects attributed to BTX administration. Correlation was only confirmed with GII. DISCUSSION: This article presents the safe and positive impact of BTX-A administration guided by anatomical references described in the literature, even on children with microcephaly. Further studies are needed to facilitate the use of Doppler ultrasonography as a tool to characterize changes in sensory processing and motor response following intraoral input in children with CP.

Apendicite aguda em pacientes acima de 50 anos / Acute appendicitis in patients over 50

De 1.672 apendicectomias, foram realizadas 59 (3,52%) em pacientes com idade superior a 50 anos. A incidência no sexo masculino (74,67%) foi superior à do sexo feminino (25,4%). Somente um caso (1,79%) näo tinha dor abdominal como sintoma ou sinal clínico. Náuseas e/ou vômitos (64,40%), febre (59,32%) e sinal de Blumberg (43,37%) foram os outros principais sintomas e/ou sinais. Rx do abdômen foi anormal em 62,27% dos pacientes radiografados. Leucocitose acima de 10.000/mm3 ocorreu em 66,00% de 50 exames realizados. Complicaçöes pós-operatórias sucederam em 33,89% dos casos e 10,16% obituaram. Utilizou-se anestesia geral em 84,740% dos atos cirúrgicos e locorregional (raque ou peridural) em 15,25%. Incisäo paramediana foi realizada em 85,440% das cirurgias. O achado cirúrgico de apendicite simples foi de 27,11%, complicada com peritonite localizada em 52,540% e com peritonite generalizada em 20,33% dos casos. Concluem que a dor abdominal raramente está ausente; o Rx do abdômen e o leucograma säo de utilidade para o diagnóstico destes pacientes, ao contrário dos achados de outros autores. Morbidade e mortalidade säo maiores em comparaçäo com os casos ocorrendo em pacientes com menos de 50 anos