The Association Between Mood and Anxiety Disorders With Perioperative Outcomes Following Radical Cystectomy.

OBJECTIVE: To identify associations between preoperative psychiatric diagnoses and perioperative outcomes after RC. METHODS: The Florida Inpatient Data File was used to identify patients who underwent RC from 2013 to 2019. ICD-10 codes for a mood or anxiety disorder were identified and analyzed as a 3-level variable: neither, one of these, or both. Outcomes included inpatient mortality, non-home discharge, in-hospital complications, and length of stay. Mixed-effects logistic regression (accounting for clustering within hospitals) and negative binomial regression models were utilized. RESULTS: We identified 4396 RC patients, including 306 (7.0%) with a mood disorder and 389 (8.8%) with an anxiety disorder. After multivariable adjustment, there was no significant association between mood and/or anxiety disorders with mortality or the presence or number of in-hospital complications. However, a mood or anxiety disorder was significantly associated with increased odds of non-home discharge (OR 1.60, 95% CI 1.20-2.14) and longer length of stay (IRR 1.13, 95% CI 1.07-1.19); these associations were also increased among patients with both mood and anxiety disorder diagnoses (non-home discharge OR 2.66, 95% CI 1.61-4.38; length of stay IRR 1.12, 95% CI 1.01-1.24). CONCLUSION: Patients with mood and/or anxiety disorders undergoing RC had longer length of stay and increased odds of discharge to a non-home facility despite similar risks of perioperative complications. These data suggest an opportunity for perioperative intervention to address these disparities in postoperative outcomes. However, further work is needed to determine the underlying causes of these differences and to develop effective interventions.

Surgical Approaches in Psychiatry: A Survey of the World Literature on Psychosurgery.

Brain surgery to promote behavioral or affective changes in humans remains one of the most controversial topics at the interface of medicine, psychiatry, neuroscience, and bioethics. Rapid expansion of neuropsychiatric deep brain stimulation has recently revived the field and careful appraisal of its 2 sides is warranted: namely, the promise to help severely devastated patients on the one hand and the dangers of premature application without appropriate justification on the other. Here, we reconstruct the vivid history of the field and examine its present status to delineate the progression from crude freehand operations into a multidisciplinary treatment of last resort. This goal is accomplished by a detailed reassessment of numerous case reports and small-scale open or controlled trials in their historical and social context. The different surgical approaches, their rationale, and their scientific merit are discussed in a manner comprehensible to readers lacking extensive knowledge of neurosurgery or psychiatry, yet with sufficient documentation to provide a useful resource for practitioners in the field and those wishing to pursue the topic further.

Preparación psicológica para la intervención quirúrgica: revisión sistemática de la literatura / Psychological preparation for surgery: systematic review of the literature

Resumen El objetivo de este artículo de revisión fue examinar y analizar la eficacia de los tipos de preparación psicológica empleados en los últimos ocho años para disminuir el estrés, la ansiedad y otras emociones de los pacientes ante un procedimiento quirúrgico. Método: Se realizó una revisión de literatura sobre la preparación psicológica en diferentes intervenciones quirúrgicas. Se realizó una búsqueda en la base de datos Medline y SCielo, utilizando las palabras clave: «psychological preparation for surgery¼ «psychological intervention and surgery¼ y se delimitó la búsqueda con las palabras «clinical trials¼ y «randomized controlled trial¼. Los criterios de inclusión fueron: ensayos clínicos controlados aleatorizados con resultados relacionados con la eficacia de la reducción del estrés, ansiedad y otras emociones. Se encontraron 17 ensayos clínicos que cumplieron los criterios de inclusión en la base de datos PubMed. En base de datos SciELO solo se encontraron dos estudios. Los datos nos mu estran que las tendencias en preparación psicológica se han enfocado más a los procedimientos como la cirugía electiva, cirugía pediátrica, procedimientos con agujas, cirugías de corazón, cirugías para el cáncer y para la cirugía bariátrica. Sin embargo, la perspectiva de estas investigaciones tal vez pudiera centrarse en las enfermedades crónica degenerativas y con más estudios mejorados metodológicamente.

Abstract The aim of this review article was to examine and analyze the effectiveness of the types of psychological preparation used in the past 8 years to decrease stress, anxiety and other emotions of patients before a surgical procedure. Method: A literature review on psychological preparation was carried out in different surgical procedures performed. A search was conducted on the basis of Medline and SciELO data, using the keywords: "psychological preparation for surgery" "psychological intervention and surgery" and the search was delimited with the words "clinical trials" and "randomized controlled trial". Inclusion criteria were randomized controlled trials regarding the effectiveness of reducing stress, anxiety and other emotions results. Seventeen clinical trials that met the inclusion criteria in the PubMed database were found. SciELO database in only two studies were found. The data show that trends in psychological preparation have focused more elective procedures such as surgery, pediatric surgery, needle procedures, heart surgery, cancer surgeries and bariatric surgery. However, the prospect of this research could perhaps focus on degenerative and more methodologically improved chronic disease studies.

Fiabilidad y validez de la versión española de la escala de evaluación de la ansiedad prequirúrgica pediátrica modified Yale Preoperative Anxiety Scale / Reliability and validity of the Spanish version of the modified Yale Preoperative Anxiety Scale

Introducción y objetivo. Minimizar el estrés preoperatorio y aumentar la cooperación del niño durante la inducción de la anestesia es uno de los objetivos más importantes de los programas perioperatorios. La escala modified Yale Preoperative Anxiety Scale fue desarrollada para evaluar la ansiedad preoperatoria de los niños. El propósito de este estudio fue traducir al español y validar las propiedades psicométricas de esta versión en español. Material y métodos. La traducción al español de la escala se realizó siguiendo la guía de la Organización Mundial de la Salud. Durante la inducción de la anestesia, se grabaron 81 niños de 2 a 12 años. Dos observadores evaluaron las grabaciones de forma independiente. Se valoró el índice de validez de contenido. Se calculó el índice Kappa ponderado para medir el acuerdo interobservadores y se determinó el coeficiente de correlación de Pearson con la escala de comportamiento Induction Compliance Checklist. Resultados. La versión en español de la escala obtuvo un índice de validez de contenido elevado (0,91-0,98). La fiabilidad se evaluó con el índice Kappa ponderado, revelando un acuerdo interobservadores de 0,54 a 0,75. La validez concurrente fue elevada (r = 0,94; p < 0,001). Conclusiones. Son necesarias herramientas estandarizas y válidas para evaluar las intervenciones que se realizan para reducir la ansiedad del niño que va a ser operado. La versión en español de la modified Yale Preoperative Anxiety Scale evaluada en este estudio ha mostrado buenas propiedades psicométricas de fiabilidad y validez (AU)

Introduction and objective. To minimise preoperative stress and increase child cooperation during induction of anaesthesia is one of the most important perioperative objectives. The modified Yale Preoperative Anxiety Scale was developed to evaluate anxiety. The aim of this study was to translate into Spanish, and validate the psychometric properties of the Spanish version of this scale. Material and methods. The Spanish translation of the scale was performed following the World Health Organisation guidelines. During induction of anaesthesia, 81 children aged 2 to 12 years were recorded. Two observers evaluated the recordings independently. Content validity index of modified Yale Preoperative Anxiety Scale Spanish version was assessed. Weighted Kappa was calculated to measure interobserver agreement, and the Pearson correlation between the Induction Compliance Checklist and the modified Yale Preoperative Anxiety Scale was determined. Results. The Spanish version obtained high content validity (0.91 to 0.98). Reliability analysis using weighted Kappa statistics revealed that interobserver agreement ranged from 0.54 to 0.75. Concurrent validity was high (r = 0.94; P < .001). Conclusions. Validated assessment tools are needed to evaluate interventions to reduce child preoperative anxiety. The Spanish version of the modified Yale Preoperative Anxiety Scale evaluated in this study has shown good psychometric properties of reliability and validity (AU)

Neurosurgery for mental disorders: a review.

Neurosurgical interventions date back to ancient civilization, 5100 BC through a practice known as trephination. Due to past abuse and ethical considerations, neurosurgical interventions in psychiatry remain a controversial issue. This article aims to review the different surgical techniques and their current application in the treatment of psychiatric disorders. The U.S Food and Drug Administration (FDA) gave its approval for vagal nerve stimulation (VNS) for the management of treatment-resistant depression in 2005 and deep brain stimulation (DBS) for refractory obsessive-compulsive disorders (OCD) in 2009. These invasive but non destructive techniques represent the future of neurosurgery for mental disorder.

Psychiatric co-morbidity is associated with increased risk of surgery in Crohn's disease.

BACKGROUND: Psychiatric co-morbidity, in particular major depression and anxiety, is common in patients with Crohn's disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC). Prior studies examining this may be confounded by the co-existence of functional bowel symptoms. Limited data exist examining an association between depression or anxiety and disease-specific endpoints such as bowel surgery. AIMS: To examine the frequency of depression and anxiety (prior to surgery or hospitalisation) in a large multi-institution electronic medical record (EMR)-based cohort of CD and UC patients; to define the independent effect of psychiatric co-morbidity on risk of subsequent surgery or hospitalisation in CD and UC, and to identify the effects of depression and anxiety on healthcare utilisation in our cohort. METHODS: Using a multi-institution cohort of patients with CD and UC, we identified those who also had co-existing psychiatric co-morbidity (major depressive disorder or generalised anxiety). After excluding those diagnosed with such co-morbidity for the first time following surgery, we used multivariate logistic regression to examine the independent effect of psychiatric co-morbidity on IBD-related surgery and hospitalisation. To account for confounding by disease severity, we adjusted for a propensity score estimating likelihood of psychiatric co-morbidity influenced by severity of disease in our models. RESULTS: A total of 5405 CD and 5429 UC patients were included in this study; one-fifth had either major depressive disorder or generalised anxiety. In multivariate analysis, adjusting for potential confounders and the propensity score, presence of mood or anxiety co-morbidity was associated with a 28% increase in risk of surgery in CD (OR: 1.28, 95% CI: 1.03-1.57), but not UC (OR: 1.01, 95% CI: 0.80-1.28). Psychiatric co-morbidity was associated with increased healthcare utilisation. CONCLUSIONS: Depressive disorder or generalised anxiety is associated with a modestly increased risk of surgery in patients with Crohn's disease. Interventions addressing this may improve patient outcomes.

Cognitive function and anxiety before and after surgery for asymptomatic unruptured intracranial aneurysms in elderly patients.

BACKGROUND: The prevalence of patients with asymptomatic unruptured intracranial aneurysms (UIAs) will likely increase as the general population ages. The goal of the present study was to prospectively assess cognitive function and anxiety before and after surgical repair of asymptomatic UIAs in patients ≥ 70 years. METHODS: A total of 28 patients ≥ 70 years with UIAs underwent cognitive testing using the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-Revised, Wechsler Memory Scale (WMS), and the Rey-Osterrieth Complex Figure test (ROCF) 1 month before and 1 month after surgery. All patients also underwent anxiety testing at these time points using the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory. RESULTS: Group-rate analysis demonstrated that the performance intelligence quotient (IQ) and ROCF recall trial scores were significantly increased postoperatively, whereas there were no postoperative differences in verbal IQ, WMS, and ROCF copy trial scores. State anxiety scores were significantly decreased postoperatively, but there was no change in trait anxiety scores. Furthermore, a significant negative correlation was observed between changes in state anxiety scores and preoperative verbal IQ, performance IQ, and WMS. None of the patients developed postoperative cognitive functional impairments as demonstrated by event-rate analysis. CONCLUSIONS: Surgical treatment of UIAs does not impair cognitive function and results in improvement in state anxiety in elderly patients.

Amygdalar GABAergic-rich neural grafts attenuate anxiety-like behavior in rats.

Transplantation experiments have shown that neurologic deficits may be reversed by engrafting fresh tissue or engineered cells within dysfunctional neural circuitry. In experimental and clinical settings, this approach has provided insights into the pathology and treatment of neurologic diseases, primarily movement disorders. The present experiments were designed to investigate whether a similar strategy is feasible as a method to investigate, and perhaps repair, circuitry integral to emotional disorders. We focused on the amygdala, a macrostructure known to be involved in the expression of anxiety- and fear-related behaviors. GABAergic cell-rich suspensions were prepared from E17 rat lateral ganglionic eminence and engrafted bilaterally into the lateral and basolateral amygdaloid nuclei of young adult rats. After 6 weeks, increased numbers of GABAergic neurons were identified in the vicinity of the graft sites, and electron microscopy provided evidence for functional integration of transplanted cells. Rats with these grafts spent more time in the open arms of the elevated-plus maze, consistent with an anxioloytic-like phenotype. These rats were also less sensitive to the unconditioned anxiogenic effects of light on the acoustic startle response, although fear-potentiated startle was not affected, suggesting that the grafts produced an attenuation of unlearned fear but did not affect acquisition of conditioned fear. Our results raise the possibility that distinct components of emotion can be modulated by strategic neural engraftment.

El problema de las listas de espera. Percepción en adultos mayores del medio urbano / The waiting list problem. Perception of the elderly in an urban environment

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Quality of life in adult patients with primary intracranial arachnoid cysts.

BACKGROUND: Primary arachnoid cysts are benign developmental lesions of arachnoid mater. Arachnoid cysts may be detected due to various neurological symptoms, or they may be encountered as incidental findings of neuroimaging. Consequently, a significant share of the patients seems asymptomatic. There are diverging opinions about the clinical importance of cyst sizes, cyst location and degree of volume reduction after surgery, hence contributing to controversies regarding indications for surgical treatment. We present the first study assessing internationally established parameters of quality of life and mental health in a clinical-outcome analysis of adult patients with arachnoid cysts. METHOD: Ninety-two adult patients with arachnoid cysts who had been referred to our department over the last 16 years were included. Forty-seven patients had undergone surgery and 45 patients had not been operated on. Data for analysis was based on both medical records and questionnaires sent out by mail. Quality of life was assessed by the Short Form 36 Health Survey (SF-36), and mental health was further evaluated by the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS). Seventy-one percent of patients responded to our questionnaires. FINDINGS: There was a great variation in the presenting symptoms, seemingly without any relation to cyst localisation. Patients with arachnoid cysts seem to have a reduced quality of life and a very high prevalence of anxiety compared to a healthy normal population. Men presented lower outcome scores than women. Subjects with symptoms, that we retrospectively labeled biologically comprehensible, tended to have higher quality of life, less anxiety and better subjective symptom relief after surgery. CONCLUSION: Our arachnoid cyst population had a low employment status, decreased quality of life scores and prevalent symptoms of anxiety. We argue that the arachnoid cysts are, in most cases, not directly related to these studied parameters. We speculate that our findings may reflect the demographic characteristics of adults likely of being diagnosed with incidental cysts. A better clinical outcome for patients with biologically plausible symptoms supports a neurobiological approach in the selection of patients suited for surgery.

A prospective evaluation of occult disorders in obstructed defecation using the 'iceberg diagram'.

OBJECTIVE: Surgical treatment of constipation and obstructed defecation (OD) carries frequent recurrences, as OD is an 'iceberg syndrome' characterized by 'underwater rocks' or occult diseases which may affect the outcome of surgery. The aim of this study was to evaluate occult disorders in order to alert the clinician of these and minimize failures. METHOD: One hundred consecutive constipated patients with OD symptoms, 81 female patients, median age 52 years, underwent perineal examination, proctoscopy, anorectal manometry, and anal/vaginal ultrasound. Anorectal physiology and imaging tests were also carried out when indicated, as well as psychological and urogynaecological consultation. Symptoms were graded using a modified 1-20 constipation score. Both evident (e.g. rectocele) and occult (e.g. anismus) diseases were prospectively evaluated using a novel 'iceberg diagram'. The type of treatment, whether conservative or surgical, was also recorded. RESULTS: Fifty-four (54%) patients had both mucosal prolapse and rectocele. All patients had at least two occult OD-related diseases, 66 patients had at least three: anxiety-depression, anismus and rectal hyposensation were the most frequent (66%, 44% and 33% respectively). The median constipation score was 11 (range 2-20), the median number of 'occult disorders' was 5 (range 2-8). Conservative treatment was carried out in most patients. Surgery was carried out in 14 (14%) patients. CONCLUSION: The novel 'iceberg diagram' allowed the adequate evaluation of OD-related occult diseases and better selection of patients for treatment. Most were managed conservatively, and only a minority were treated by surgery.

Bilateral anterior cingulotomy for refractory obsessive-compulsive disorder: Long-term follow-up results.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the long-term efficacy and adverse cognitive effects of stereotactic bilateral anterior cingulotomy as a treatment for refractory obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Seventeen patients suffering from refractory OCD underwent stereotactic bilateral anterior cingulotomies and were followed for 24 months. The Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale (Y-BOCS), the Clinical Global Impression and other neuropsychological tests were used to assess the efficacy and cognitive changes of cingulotomy. The tests were taken before and 12 and 24 months after surgery. RESULTS: The mean improvement rate of the Y-BOCS score achieved from the baseline was 48%. Eight patients out of 17 met the responder criteria. During the 24-month follow-up, there were no significant adverse effects observed after surgery. CONCLUSIONS: Bilateral anterior cingulotomy was effective for the treatment of refractory OCD, and no other significant adverse cognitive effects on long-term follow-up were found.

Changes in depression and anxiety after resective surgery for epilepsy.

OBJECTIVE: To determine changes in depression and anxiety after resective surgery. METHODS: Data from subjects enrolled in a prospective multicenter study of resective epilepsy surgery were reviewed with the Beck Psychiatric Symptoms Scales (Beck Depression Inventory [BDI] and Beck Anxiety Inventory [BAI]) and Composite International Diagnostic Interview (CIDI) up to a 24-month period. chi2 analyses were used to correlate proportions. RESULTS: A total of 358 presurgical BDI and 360 BAI results were reviewed. Moderate and severe levels of depression were reported in 22.1% of patients, and similar levels of anxiety were reported by 24.7%. Postoperative rates of depression and anxiety declined at the 3-, 12-, and 24-month follow-up periods. At the 24-month follow-up, moderate to severe levels of depression symptoms were reported in 17.6 and 14.7% of the patients who continued to have postoperative seizures. Moderate to severe depression and anxiety were found in 8.2% of those who were seizure-free. There was no relationship, prior to surgery, between the presence or absence of depression and anxiety and the laterality or location of the seizure onset. There were no significant relationships between depression or anxiety at 24-month follow-up and the laterality or location of the surgery. CONCLUSIONS: Depression and anxiety in patients with refractory epilepsy significantly improve after epilepsy surgery, especially in those who are seizure-free. Neither the lateralization nor the localization of the seizure focus or surgery was associated with the risk of affective symptoms at baseline or after surgery.

Lesion topography in capsulotomy for refractory anxiety--is the right side the right side?

OBJECTIVE: A previous report on bilateral capsulotomy in obsessive-compulsive disorder showed common topographic features of lesions in the right-sided internal capsule in all patients responding to the treatment. The aims of the present study were to test if the same region was involved in anxiety patients responding to surgery and to examine whether lesion area and site correlated with adverse events and effect on target symptoms. METHOD: Eleven anxiety patients who had undergone bilateral thermocapsulotomy were examined after 8-23 years. A quantitative MRI evaluation of the lesions within the internal capsule was conducted in three axial planes. RESULTS: None of the eight responders had lesions that corresponded to the earlier reported right-sided anatomical denominator. Four patients out of 11 were rated as having significant clinical symptoms indicating frontal lobe dysfunction. The total sum of the lesion area determined in each of the three anatomical levels did not correlate with the degree of anxiety reduction. However, the lesion area appeared to be related to a rating of executive dysfunctioning, apathy and disinhibition.

Developments in treatment of anxiety disorders: psychotherapy, pharmacotherapy, and psychosurgery.

A selection of articles that focus on psychosocial treatments, pharmacotherapy, and psychosurgery of anxiety disorders are reviewed. While some medications look clearly beneficial or potentially effective in the treatment of anxiety disorders, other compounds seem less promising or not effective. A combination of proven pharmacotherapies and psychotherapies may be the most clinically prudent approach to the treatment of anxiety disorders. Thermocapsulotomy may be an "extreme" option in selected cases of severe nonobsessive anxiety but may carry a significant risk of adverse effects indicative of frontal lobe functioning impairment. In spite of all the research and progress in studying relatively well-defined therapies, many patients suffering from anxiety and depression still use complementary and alternative therapies. The use of alternative and complementary is likely to increase as insurance coverage expands.

Psychoneurological applications of endoscopic sympathetic blocks (ESB).

In addition to more widely and longer known indications of ETS, various neurological disorders and psychologically stressful situations in their worst expressions might be alleviated by the reversible ESB procedure. The patients with social phobia, especially those who have also blushing and/or stage fright type of heart racing, benefit from the ESB. The disturbances of the sympathetic nervous system, e. g. in Parkinson's disease and multiple system atrophy might be alleviated with sympathetic block, especially the extrapyramidal symptoms in these diseases. In migraine, sympathetic surgery has been noted to give some help. The unilateral left-sided block has been effective in long QT-syndrome type arrhythmias. In schizophrenia, the phobic, paranoic or confusional reactions have been tentatively treated by the sympathetic block.

The role of the sympathetic nervous system in anxiety: Is it possible to relieve anxiety with endoscopic sympathetic block?

The function of the autonomic nervous system is divided so that the parasympathetic system spares central nervous system energy and the sympathetic system makes extra energy available and consumes it. The sympathetic nervous system then prepares our body for emergency and it always functions when our conscious or even unconscious mind notices a need for defence or to provide energy. A surgical procedure, where the upper thoracic sympathetic ganglions are ablated, either with cauterization or clamping with metallic clips, has been used to treat sweating of the hands and facial blushing for decades. Instead of ablating large areas of sympathetic trunk, which can cause severe side-effects such as reflex sweating of the body, the surgical procedure is nowadays carried out in a more precise symptom-mediating level of uppermost thoracic sympathetic ganglia. Blushing, hyperhidrosis of palms and head, and trembling are common in social phobia, and they seem to be provoked by the activation of the sympathetic nervous system. Preliminary studies show that some social phobia patients may benefit from the endoscopic sympathetic block (ESB). If the patient with generalized social phobia has not received help with adequate medication or psychotherapy, the ESB may be a new possible treatment of choice.

Capsulotomy for refractory anxiety disorders: long-term follow-up of 26 patients.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of the present study was to evaluate the long-term efficacy and safety of capsulotomy in patients with anxiety disorders. METHOD: Twenty-six patients who had undergone bilateral thermocapsulotomy were followed up 1 year after the procedure and after a mean of 13 years. Primary diagnoses were generalized anxiety disorder (N=13), panic disorder (N=8), and social phobia (N=5). Measures of psychiatric status included symptom rating scales and neuropsychological testing. Ratings were done by psychiatrists not involved in patient selection or postoperative treatment. A quantitative magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) evaluation was conducted to search for common anatomic denominators. Seventeen of the 23 patients who were alive at long-term follow-up were followed up in person, and one was interviewed by telephone; the relatives of these 18 patients were interviewed. RESULTS: The reduction in anxiety ratings was significant both at 1-year and long-term follow-up. Seven patients, however, were rated as having substantial adverse symptoms; the most prominent adverse symptoms were apathy and dysexecutive behavior. Neuropsychological performance was significantly worse in the patients with adverse symptoms. No common anatomic denominator could be found in responders in the analysis of MRI scans. CONCLUSIONS: Thermocapsulotomy is an effective treatment for selected cases of nonobsessive anxiety but may carry a significant risk of adverse symptoms indicating impairment of frontal lobe functioning. These findings underscore the importance of face-to-face assessments of adverse symptoms.