Assessing Neurocognition (P300) and Correlating Them to Depression Rating Scales in Patients With Major Depressive Disorder.

BACKGROUND: Major depression is a chronic condition that may affect cognition. Cognitive disturbances may affect clinical scales used to assess the severity of depression. AIMS: To find an association between cognitive disturbance as objectively recorded using event-related potentials (P300) with the Hamilton rating scale for depression (HAM-D) and Montgomery-Asberg depression rating scale (MADRS) in newly diagnosed cases of major depression. METHODS AND MATERIAL: A cross-sectional study with a sample size of 46 diagnosed cases of major depression. The assessment was done using the HAM-D and MADRS. The P300 assessment was done with the auditory oddball paradigm using the Nihon Kohden NCV-SMG-EP system (Tokyo, Japan). STATISTICAL ANALYSIS: Pearson correlation analysis was used to study the association between various parameters of P300 and the HAM-D and MADRS depression rating scales. RESULTS: A significant correlation was found between A21- P300 amplitude Cz and the MADRS score. No significant correlation was seen between other P300 parameters and HAM-D and MADRS scales. CONCLUSIONS: As the results were objectively recorded using various parameters of event-related potentials (P300), cognitive impairment was not significantly associated with depression rating scales i.e., the HAM-D and MADRS scores.

Assessment of Alternative Body Points for Temperature Screening As Precautionary Screening During the Pandemic Using Infrared Thermometry.

BACKGROUND: The recent coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, which swept across the globe in a short period, demonstrated that disease transmission management is a critical step in preventing an outbreak, as is good viral infectious disease screening. Infrared thermography (IRT) has long been considered ideal for screening body temperatures during pandemics. METHODS: Single-centre cross-sectional study with 159 participants. Using infrared thermometry, participants were subjected to temperature measurement twice daily on various sites. This was compared to oral temperature. RESULTS: The findings of the study revealed that infrared thermometry could be utilised as a proxy approach for screening by both individuals and medical professionals when employed at the glabella, cubits, or axillae. CONCLUSION:  Temperature screening is implied as a prophylactic method during pandemics. Owing to contact limitations, oral thermometry cannot be used for mass screening during the pandemic. Infrared thermometry is a noncontact method of temperature screening that can readily be applied for mass temperature screening in congested venues such as airports, shopping malls, places of public convenience, and other similar locations.