Systematic review of cognitive sequelae of non-central nervous system cancer and cancer therapy.

PURPOSE: The aim of this review is to provide an updated overview of chemotherapy-related cognitive impairment (CRCI) in patients with cancer outside central nervous system (CNS), its incidence and prevalence, the cognitive pattern in neuropsychological studies, neuroimaging findings, and the relationship between chemobrain and aging. Methodological limitations of studies are also discussed. METHODS: This review was guided by the PRISMA statement. The MEDLINE and Scopus databases were employed to search articles about CRCI in non-CNS cancer patients published from January 2004 to September 2019. Two types of research were reviewed: prospective studies addressing the effects of chemotherapy on cognition and systematic reviews about factors related with CRCI, also as neuroimaging findings and current available treatments. RESULTS: Fifty-nine studies meeting the criteria were analyzed: 47 were longitudinal studies on cancer and cognition and 12 were reviews on risk factors, neuroimaging, and treatment. The majority of studies find cognitive impairment in patients with cancer treated with chemotherapy. The body of the literature on breast cancer is the most abundant, but there are also studies on colorectal, testicular, and lung cancer. Neuroimaging studies show changes in structure and activation in patients undergoing chemotherapy. Non-pharmacological treatment is effective for improving cognition and quality of life. CONCLUSIONS: The occurrence of CRCI during the course of treatment in people with different types of cancer is frequent. Some risk factors have been identified, but CRCI is a complex phenomenon, with mediating factors related to cancer and treatment and moderating factors related with lifestyle and health. IMPLICATIONS FOR CANCER SURVIVORS: This review highlights the importance of recognizing that this cognitive dysfunction is frequent, mild to moderate in nature but with great impact on quality of life.

Bizygomatic width and personality traits of the relational field / Ancho bizigomático y rasgos de personalidad del campo relacional

SUMMARY: The bizygomatic width when compared to the bigonial width (WD) has been proposed as a craniofacial marker of some social and personality traits, such us self-reliance or the ability to express emotions. However, no studies have examined the association between WD and psychopathic traits, as happens with other craniofacial variables such us the facial width-to-height ratio (fWHR). In a sample of 70 adults (male and female) we took measures of the bizygomatic and the bigonial arches. Subjects performed self-assessment tests to evaluate their self-reliance, their alexithymia and emotional expressiveness and their coldheartedness or callousunemotional. Results showed a significant relationship between WD and self-reliance, emotional expression and alexithymia, and a tendency towards significance with general psychopathic scores. Additionally, we found a modificatory effect of the variables sex and age when analyzing the influence of the WD on the Factor 3 - "Coldheartedness" of the Psychopathic Personality Inventory-Revised (PPI-R), where this effect diminished depending on the subject's sex and age. Results suggested that the WD seem to be a good marker to be taken into consideration in further research that examines craniofacial traits and personality traits of the socio-emotional field.

RESUMEN: La anchura bicigomática en comparación con la anchura bigonial (WD) se ha propuesto como marcador craneofacial de algunos rasgos sociales y de personalidad, como la independencia/gregarismo o la capacidad de expresión emocional. Sin embargo, ningún estudio ha examinado la asociación entre la WD y los rasgos psicopáticos, como ocurre con otras variables craneofaciales, como la ratio anchura / altura facial (fWHR). En una muestra de 70 adultos (hombres y mujeres) tomamos medidas de los arcos bizigomático y bigonial. Los sujetos realizaron pruebas de autoevaluación para evaluar la capacidad de incorporarse al grupo, la alexitimia y la expresividad emocional, y la frialdad o la insensibilidad emocional. Los resultados mostraron una relación significativa entre WD con independencia/gregarismo, expresión emocional y alexitimia, así como una tendencia hacia la significación con la psicopatía en general. Adicionalmente, encontramos un efecto modificador de las variables sexo y edad al analizar la influencia de la WD en el Factor 3 - "Coldheartness" del Inventario de Personalidad Psicopática-Revisado (PPI-R), donde este efecto disminuye según sexo y edad. Los resultados sugieren que el WD parece ser un buen marcador para tener en cuenta en futuras investigaciones que examinen los rasgos craneofaciales y los rasgos de personalidad del campo socioemocional.

Perceived needs and health-related quality of life in people with schizophrenia and metabolic syndrome: a "real-world" study.

BACKGROUND: The complexity of schizophrenia lies in the combination of psychiatric, somatic and social needs requiring care. The aim of the study was to compare perceived needs between groups with absence/presence of metabolic syndrome (MetS) and to analyze the relationship between needs, health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and MetS in people with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder. METHODS: A "real-world" cross-sectional study was set up with a comprehensive framework including the following, needs for care (Camberwell Assessment of Need Interview [CAN]), HRQoL (Euro Qol-5D Questionnaire), sociodemographic data, lifestyle habits, psychopathology (Positive And Negative Syndrome Scale [PANSS]), global functioning (Global Assessment of Functioning Scale [GAF]), anthropometric measurements and blood test results were assessed for an outpatient sample (n = 60). RESULTS: The mean number of needs (given by CAN) was identified for both groups. Patients with MetS rated a higher number of needs compared to the group without this condition. Mobility problems (given by EQ-5D) were negatively associated with the number of total and unmet needs. For participants with MetS, HRQoL was related to the number of needs and unmet needs. For people with MetS, positive symptomatology score (given by PANSS) was related to the number of needs and met needs and general symptomatology was associated with total, met and unmet needs. For individuals without MetS, the global functioning score (given by GAF) was significantly inversely related with total, met and unmet needs. CONCLUSIONS: Needs and HRQoL, as well as general symptomatology, were related only in patients with MetS. This has implications for treatment planning at the individual and organizational levels. An analysis of both physical and mental needs could provide a starting point for the extension of facilities in the health care system in order to reach the goal of improving quality of life.

ADHD predominantly inattentive subtype with high sluggish cognitive tempo: a new clinical entity?

OBJECTIVE: The authors investigate differences in the neuropsychological and behavioral profiles of two groups of children with ADHD, one with predominantly inattentive subtype of ADHD (PI) and high sluggish cognitive tempo (SCT; n = 19) and another formed by the rest of the sample (children with ADHD combined subtype and children with PI and low SCT scores; n = 68). METHOD: Instruments included Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children and subtests from Developmental Neuropsychological Assessment, Conners' Continuous Performance Test, Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function, and Achenbach's Child Behavior Checklist for ages 6 to 18. RESULTS: PI with high SCT had fewer problems with sustained attention, and more internalizing problems, anxiety/depression, and withdrawn/depressed behavior, and more executive problems with self-monitoring than the rest of the ADHD sample. CONCLUSION: This study supports revising subtype's criteria and further studying the hypothesis that ADHD with high SCT constitutes a separate clinical entity.

Metabolic syndrome and health-related quality of life in patients with schizophrenia.

The association of metabolic syndrome (MetS) with health-related quality of life (HRQol) in schizophrenia is poorly documented. The relationship between MetS, HRQol and global functioning were examined. For this goal, 76 individuals with schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorder (DSM-IV criteria) were interviewed to obtain sociodemographic data, lifestyle habits, psychopathology (PANSS scale), global functioning (GAF scale), sef-reported quality of life (EQ-5D scale) and the anthropometric measures and blood test results. MetS was defined by the NCEP (2005) criteria. The prevalence of MetS was 36.8%. MetS was directly associated with personal background of dyslipidaemia and diabetes mellitus. Subjects with MetS had greater weight, BMI, waist, blood pressure, triglycerides, fasting glucose and a lower HDL-cholesterol. The MetS is also associated with age, inactive employment status and better self-care. The EQ VAS (visual analogue scale) of EQ-5D shows that subjects with MetS who practice physical activity indicates a better subjctive perception of health, which remarks the necessity of improving healthy lifestyle and an interdisciplinary treatment of the MetS. There is no association between global functioning and HRQol. This is the first study which investigates the relationship between MetS, HRQol and GAF in individuals with schizophrenia in the European context.

Análisis de datos faltantes mediante redes neuronales artificiales / Analysis of missing data artificial neural networks: a simulation study

En los últimos años se ha consolidado el uso de redes neuronales artificiales como complemento a los métodos estadísticos. Sin embargo, no se ha profundizado en el estudio de cómo las redes neuronales artificiales se ven afectadas por la presencia de datos faltantes, ni en el establecimiento de las mejores estrategias para abordarlos durante la fase de análisis estadístico. En nuestro trabajo investigamos la eficacia de diversas técnicas para afrontar los datos faltantes en análisis descriptivos univariantes y en la generación de modelos de clasificación, entre las que se incluyen redes neuronales del tipo perceptrón multicapa y de función base radial. Nuestros resultados sugieren que, en general, para los tipos de imputación que otras técnicas de análisis ampliamente utilizadas cuando existe un nivel de correlación no nulo con otras variables registradas (AU)

In the last years it has been consolidated the use of artificial neural nets as a complement to statistical methods. However, it has not been deeply studied neither how the presence of missing data affects artificial neuronal nets nor the establishment of the best strategies to treat missing data in the stage of statistical analysis. In our work we investigate the effectiveness of different techniques to face missing data in univariant descriptive analysis and in the generation of classification models, including multilayer perceptron and radial basis function neural nets. Our results suggest that, in general, artificial neural nets are more effective in decreasing the imputation error than other broadly used analysis techniques (AU)