Burnout, staff support, and coping in Pediatric Oncology.

GOALS OF WORK: The goals of the study were the following: (1) to study the rate of burnout of the staff in Pediatric Oncology and compare it with that of a group of staff in other pediatric specialties, (2) to find out if job satisfaction, role clarity, staff support, and ways of coping are related to the burnout of these two groups, and (3) as a secondary aim, to identify other parameters, i.e., profession, experience, having children, etc., which might affect burnout, staff support, and ways of coping. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study group (n = 58) consisted of the staff of two Pediatric Oncology units and a Bone Marrow Transplantation unit, and the control group (n = 55) consisted of the staff of two Pediatric departments and one Pediatric Orthopedics department. The Maslach Burnout Inventory, the Staff Support Questionnaire, the Shortened Ways of Coping Questionnaire-Revised, and the Social Readjustment Scale were used. MAIN RESULTS: No differences were found in burnout between Pediatric Oncology staff and that of other specialties, the existing staff support, and the ways of coping. Decreased role clarity and wishful thinking, as a way of coping, were positively correlated to emotional exhaustion, whereas a negative correlation of the lack of role clarity existed with personal accomplishment. Not having children and less experience increased burnout in both groups studied. CONCLUSIONS: The hospital management and the heads of departments should be knowledgeable of ways to prevent burnout in their staff. Strategies targeting role clarity and wishful thinking are useful toward this goal.

Mutated alpha-synuclein gene in two Greek kindreds with familial PD: incomplete penetrance?

The G209A mutation in the alpha-synuclein gene has been associated with autosomal dominant PD (ADPD) in a family from Contursi, Italy, and three apparently unrelated Greek families. Several groups around the world failed to identify the G209A mutation in a sizable series of familial and sporadic cases of PD. The authors present two additional Greek families with ADPD associated with the G209A mutation. In both families, asymptomatic carriers older than the expected age at onset were found.

Partial depletion and multiple deletions of muscle mtDNA in familial MNGIE syndrome.

OBJECTIVE: To describe the unique combination of partial depletion and multiple deletions of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) on muscle DNA analysis of three siblings with mitochondrial neurogastrointestinal encephalomyopathy (MNGIE). BACKGROUND: MNGIE is a relatively homogeneous autosomal recessive disorder characterized by gastrointestinal dysmobility, ophthalmoparesis, peripheral neuropathy, mitochondrial myopathy, and altered white matter signal at brain imaging. Muscle multiple mtDNA deletions have been found in about half of the described cases. METHODS: We studied three affected siblings (two were monozygotic twins) born to nonconsanguineous parents. Muscle mtDNA was investigated by quantitative Southern and Slot blot techniques and by PCR analysis. Morphologic confirmation in the muscle tissue was achieved by using in situ hybridization with a mtDNA probe complementary to an undeleted region and by DNA immunohistochemistry. RESULTS: All three patients showed ragged red (RRF) and cytochrome c oxidase-negative fibers, as well as partial deficiency of complexes I and IV. Southern and Slot blot analyses showed mtDNA depletion in all patients. Multiple mtDNA deletions were also detected by PCR analysis. In situ hybridization demonstrated an overall signal weaker than controls, with a relatively higher signal in RRF. Antibodies against DNA showed a decreased cytoplasmic network. CONCLUSIONS: The muscle histopathology and respiratory chain enzyme defects may be accounted for by the decreased mtDNA amount and by the presence of mtDNA deleted molecules; however, relative levels of mtDNA seem to correlate with life span in these patients. The combination of partial depletion and multiple deletions of mtDNA might indicate the derangement of a common genetic mechanism controlling mtDNA copy number and integrity.

Blink reflex in migraine and tension-type headache.

The blink reflex was studied in 19 patients with migraine, 10 patients with tension-type headache, and 30 healthy controls. Significantly lower values of R2 and R2' amplitude and size were found in the migraine group, compared with the healthy control group. The differences were independent of the stimulation side (headache or nonheadache) and highly significant (P<0.001). The abnormalities of R2 and R2' amplitude and size were found only during the headache phase of migraine, being normal between migraine attacks. R1 latency and amplitude were normal in all patients. The blink reflex was normal in all the patients with tension-type headache. Subcutaneous injection of sumatriptan in 10 of the 19 migraineurs, during the headache phase, restored R2 and R2' amplitude and size values to normal. Our findings indicate that the brain stem interneuron part of the blink reflex arc may be diffusely suppressed in migraine, only during the headache phase. Furthermore, blink reflex may be an objective laboratory method to monitor the effectiveness of specific drugs proposed for the treatment of migraine.