Related Articles

Objectives:

The objective of this study is to translate and validate the International Restless Leg Syndrome Study Group rating scale (IRLS) in Hindi language.

Materials and Methods:

Thirty one consecutive patients diagnosed of Restless Leg Syndrome (RLS) were included in the study. Control group comprised of 31 subjects not having any symptom of RLS. The scale was procured from MAPI research trust; and, permission for the translation was sought. The translation was done according to the guidelines provided by the publisher. After translation, final version of the scale was applied in both the groups to find out the reliability and clinical validity.

Results:

RLS group had a predominance of females, and they were younger than the male counterparts (Age=36.80 ± 10.46 years vs 45.18 ± 8.34 years; t=2.28; P=0.03). There was no difference in the mean age between groups (RLS=39.77 ± 10.44 years vs Non RLS=38.29 ± 11.29 years; t=-0.53; P=0.59). IRLS scores were significantly different between both groups on all items (P<0.001). Translated version showed high reliability (Cronbach's alpha=0.86). IRLS scores were significantly different between both groups on all items (P<0.001).

Conclusion:

Hindi version of IRLS is reliable and a clinically valid tool that can be applied in Hindi speaking population.

Earlier studies conducted among migraineurs have shown an association between migraine and restless legs syndrome (RLS). We chose RLS patients and looked for migraine to exclude sample bias.

Materials and Methods:

99 consecutive subjects of idiopathic RLS were recruited from the sleep clinic during four months period. Physician diagnosis of headache and depressive disorder was made with the help of ICHD-2 and DSM-IV-TR criteria, respectively. Sleep history was gathered. Severity of RLS and insomnia was measured using IRLS (Hindi version) and insomnia severity index Hindi version, respectively. Chi-square test, one way ANOVA and t-test were applied to find out the significance.

Results:

Primary headache was seen in 51.5% cases of RLS. Migraine was reported by 44.4% subjects and other types of ‘primary headaches’ were reported by 7.1% subjects. Subjects were divided into- RLS; RLS with migraine and RLS with other headache. Females outnumbered in migraine subgroup (χ2=16.46, P<0.001). Prevalence of depression (χ2=3.12, P=0.21) and family history of RLS (χ2=2.65, P=0.26) were not different among groups. Severity of RLS (P=0.22) or insomnia (P=0.43) were also similar.

Conclusion:

Migraine is frequently found in RLS patients in clinic based samples. Females with RLS are prone to develop migraine. Depression and severity of RLS or insomnia do not affect development of headache.

Background:

A computer-assisted interview, the Global Mental Health Assessment Tool-validation (GMHAT/PC) has been developed to assist general practitioners and other health professionals to make a quick, convenient, yet reasonably comprehensive standardized mental health assessment. GMHAT/PC has been translated into various languages including Hindi. This is the first study conducted in India, using the Hindi version GMHAT/PC of the series of studies assessing its validity in different cultures.

Aim:

The study aims to assess the feasibility of using a computer assisted diagnostic interview by health professionals and to examine the level of agreement between the Hindi version GMHAT/PC diagnosis and psychiatrists’ ICD-10 based clinical diagnosis.

Design:

Cross-sectional validation study.

Setting:

Psychiatric clinic of a General Hospital and an out patient (Neurology) clinic in the Teaching General Hospital in Jaipur, India.

Materials and Methods:

All consecutive patients attending the psychiatric out patient clinic were interviewed using GMHAT/PC and psychiatrists made a diagnosis applying ICD-10 criteria for a period of six weeks. A small sample of subjects was interviewed in a similar way in a Neurology clinic for four weeks.

Results:

The mean duration of interview was under 17 minutes. Most patients were pleased that they were asked about every aspect of their mental health. The agreement between psychologists’ GMHAT/PC interview diagnoses and psychiatrists’ clinical diagnoses was excellent (Kappa 0.96, sensitivity 1.00, and specificity 0.94).

Conclusion:

GMHAT/PC Hindi version detected mental disorders accurately and it was feasible to use GMHAT/PC in Indian settings.

SUMMARY

Goldberg's GHQ was translated into Hindi. An emphasis was made to have the language of common use. The reliability of GHQ Hindi version (GHQ-H) was tested by translation - retranslation method and split-half method using the scores of 500 patients attending psychiatric out-patient department and 500 normal subjects. The tool was found to be sensitive and reliable. The tool differentiates normal population (mean score 4.9) from the patient population (mean score 30.64) statistically (p < 0.01) indicating a high validity. Details of methodology are described and its subsequent use is advocated.

Background:

In today's ultra competitive environment, students face more stress than ever – be it related to studies, examination, peer, teachers or parent's pressure. Stress is the “wear and tear” our bodies experience as we adjust to our continually changing environment. On one hand, stress compels us to action. However, it can result in feelings of rejection, anger, and depression, leading to health problems such as headaches, upset stomach rashes, insomnia, ulcers, high blood pressure, heart disease, and stroke.

Materials and Methods:

A cross-sectional questionnaire-based survey of 100 randomly selected students each from Medical College Engineering College and 50 Nursing College was done. For reliability, anonymity and confidentiality were maintained. Stress was measured by using stress measurement scale having 24 Yes/No questions. The questionnaire was in English and Hindi so that language would not be problem.

Results:

Stress as an entity is universally present among students of all three streams, irrespective of age, sex, and other variables. Students in all three streams have shown denial to existence of problems, with maximum among nursing students. Medical and Engineering students had stress level of such a degree that requires clinical attention, while none of the nursing students belonged to this category.

Conclusions:

There is attitude among students of turning a blind eye toward existing stress which is a serious problem and may be harbinger of serious mental and psychosocial problems.

Context:

Despite of there being a pressing need to gauge impulsivity scores, there is no behavioral instrument in India to assess the impulsivity in adolescents. No earlier studies have been done in India to access impulsivity in adolescents. Even in western countries, no study has been done in rural setting to access impulsivity, although segment of rural population is small in western nations with major population residing in urban areas.

Aims:

To translate BIS-11A into Hindi from English in a culturally sensitive manner and to do preliminary study in rural and urban areas.

Settings and Design:

First translation of BIS-11 (as it is meant for adults) and cultural substitution resulted in Hindi adult version. Adolescent version was derived from adult version by replacing adult activities with adolescent activities.

Materials and Methods:

BIS-11 English version was translated into Hindi and a back translation was made. As BIS-11 was developed for adults, answering some of the questions poses challenges for adolescents, so to be used with adolescents, questions that do not fit into adolescent age group were substituted keeping in view the activities of adolescents. Besides, questions that were not suitable as per the Indian culture were modified. Initially, these changes were made hypothetically by discussion among the authors and later a group of 48 school students were interviewed about the questions. Based on the interviews of students a final version was prepared. Translation, back translation, cultural substitution -hypothetically, and in school by discussion were carried out. The questionnaire was given to 120 urban high school students (in Jaipur, northern India) and 50 rural students (at Kanota, 25 km from Jaipur, northern India) and the scores were calculated as per the scoring method provided with original BIS-11.

Statistical Analysis:

T-test (two-tailed, two sample unequal variance, i.e., type 3) was used.

Results:

T-test (two-tailed, two sample unequal variance, i.e., type 3) found no significant difference between impulsivity scores of adolescents of urban and rural areas t 0.05(2)1 = 0.57, |t| < t 0.05(2)1, P > 0.05, P = 12.706. There were no gender related differences either.

Conclusions:

As impulsivity can lead to suicide and is implicated for substance abuse in disorders like Schizophrenia, it is important that culturally sensitive impulsivity studies are done in India on a large scale keeping in view the large size of population. Standardization of the BIS11-A Hindi version is being taken up. The work on Hindi version also generates necessity for other tasks if BIS-11(Hindi version) is to be used widely. Work on psychometric properties of Hindi version of BIS-11 A is being taken up. There is a need to devise a quick way to calculate impulsivity scores keeping in view the large population of India (1 billion out of which at least 33% is Hindi speaking, Census Survey of India, 2001). Besides, BIS-11A needs to be developed for other regional languages in India as there is a high-linguistic diversity in India.

The purpose of this study was to describe translation of five measures (physical activity, acculturation, discrimination, self-efficacy, and depression) from English into Hindi using the committee translation method, focus group, and think-aloud interviews. Two South Asian Indian (SAI) immigrant bilingual translators and a moderator reached consensus on 93 of 102 items, using the committee method. Discrepancy in nine items was resolved with a focus group conducted with five bilingual SAI immigrants. Ten other bilingual SAI immigrants participated in think-aloud interviews to assess understanding and interpretation of the questions. More than 10 additional changes were made following the think-aloud interviews. Sequential use of multiple translation techniques improved translation with culturally acceptable language, thereby maintaining equivalence with original versions.

Background

We determined the diagnostic accuracy of the Edinburgh Claudication Questionnaire (ECQ) in 1st generation Black African-Caribbean UK migrants as previous diagnostic questionnaires have been found to be less accurate in this population. We also determined the diagnostic accuracy of translated versions of the ECQ in 1st generation South Asian UK migrants, as this has not been investigated before.

Methods

Subjects were recruited from the Ethnic-Echocardiographic Heart of England Screening (E-ECHOES) study, a community based screening survey for heart failure in minority ethnic groups. Translated versions of the ECQ were prepared following a recognised protocol. All participants attending screening between October 2007 and February 2009 were asked to complete the ECQ in the language of their choice (English, Punjabi, Bengali, Urdu, Hindi or Gujarati). Subjects answering positively to experiencing leg pain or discomfort on walking were asked to return to have Ankle Brachial Pressure Index (ABPI) measured.

Results

154 out of 2831 subjects participating in E-ECHOES (5.4%) were eligible to participate in this sub-study, for which 74.3% returned for ABPI assessment. Non-responders were younger than participants (59[9] vs. 65[11] years; p = 0.015). Punjabi, English and Bengali questionnaires identified participants with Intermittent Claudication, so these questionnaires were assessed. The sensitivities (SN), specificities (SP), positive (PPV) and negative (NPV) predictive values were calculated. English: SN: 50%; SP: 68%; PPV: 43%; NPV: 74%. Punjabi: SN: 50%; SP: 87%; PPV: 43%; NPV: 90%. Bengali: SN: 33%; SP: 50%; PPV: 13%; NPV: 73%. There were significant differences in diagnostic accuracy between the 3 versions (Punjabi: 83.8%; Bengali: 45%; English: 62.2%; p < 0.0001). No significant differences were found in sensitivity and specificity between illiterate and literate participants in any of the questionnaires and there was no significant different difference between those under and over 60 years of age.

Conclusions

Our findings suggest that the ECQ is not as sensitive or specific a diagnostic tool in 1st generation Black African-Caribbean and South Asian UK migrants than in the Edinburgh Artery Study, reflecting the findings of other diagnostic questionnaires in these minority ethnic groups. However this study is limited by sample size so conclusions should be interpreted with caution.

SUMMARY

The type and severity of daytime symptoms reported by insomnia sufferers may vary markedly. Whether distinctive daytime symptom profiles are related to different insomnia diagnoses has not been studied previously. Using profile analysis via multidimensional scaling, we investigated the concurrent validity of ICSD-2 insomnia diagnoses by analysing the relationship of prototypical profiles of daytime symptoms with a subset of ICSD-2 diagnoses, including insomnia associated to a mental disorder, psychophisiological insomnia, paradoxical insomnia, inadequate sleep hygiene, idiopathic insomnia, obstructive sleep apnea and restless legs syndrome. In a sample of 332 individuals meeting research diagnostic criteria for insomnia (221 women, Mage=46 yrs.), the profile analysis identified four prototypical patterns of daytime features. Pearson correlation coefficients indicated that the diagnoses of insomnia associated to a mental disorder and idiopathic insomnia were associated with a daytime profile characterized by mood disturbance and low sleepiness; whereas the diagnoses of psychophysiological insomnia and inadequate sleep hygiene were related to a profile marked by poor sleep hygiene, daytime tension and low fatigue. Furthermore, whereas paradoxical insomnia was consistently associated to lower daytime impairment, insomnia associated to a mental disorder was related to the most severe daytime impairment. This classification of insomnia sufferers along multiple defining dimensions provides initial validation for two basic insomnia subtypes, with a presumably distinct aetiology: insomnia characterized mainly by an “internal” component, and a “learned” insomnia. Research to determine which dimensions are critical for inclusion or differential weighting for defining a general typological system for insomnia sufferers is warranted.

A lot of research has been directed on wellbeing and disability in many non-communicable disease conditions. In this context, health-related aspects of life and quality of life (QOL) are receiving a lot of focus. Many Quality of Health measures are available, of which World Health Organization Quality of Life (WHOQOL-BREF) is one of the most popular. Translating and adapting this tool is useful in view of research happening in a multicultural arena. Though translations into Hindi and other Indian languages including Tamil and Kannada have been done, a Malayalam version is not available. This paper discusses the steps adopted in this exercise and the challenges in translating WHOQOL-BREF to Malayalam from the original English version.

Background:

There is a growing consensus about the validity of human personality traits as important dispositions toward feelings and behaviors (Matthews, Deary, & Whiteman, 2003).

Materials and Methods:

Here we examine the reliability of the Hindi translation of the Eysenck Personality Questionnaire-Revised Short Form (EPQR-S; Eysenck, Eysenck, & Barrett, 1985), which consists of 48 items that assess neuroticism, extraversion, psychoticism, and lying. The questionnaire was first translated into Hindi and then back translated. Subsequently, it was administered to 202 students (78 men and 124 women) from Banaras Hindu University. The internal consistency of the scale was evaluated.

Results:

The findings provide satisfactory psychometric properties of the extraversion, neuroticism and lie scales. The psychoticism scale, however, was found to be less satisfactory.

Conclusion:

It can be proposed that due to satisfactory internal consistency scores, the EPQRS-H is a reliable scale for the measurement of various personality traits.

Insomnia is the leading sleep disorder in the US; however, diagnosis is often problematic. This pilot study assessed the clinical value of a novel diagnostic insomnia questionnaire. The SleepMed Insomnia Index (SMI) was administered to 543 consecutive patients and 50 normal control subjects during a pilot study. Mean SMI scores were assessed based on subsequent sleep-related diagnoses. The SMI scores for patients with sleep-related disorders were significantly higher than those for the control group (p < 0.001) and highest for the 90 patients comprising the insomnia group. Analysis of the SMI scores from the 90 insomnia patients indicates a high degree of reliability (Cronbach’s alpha: 0.7). These data support our clinical experience with this diagnostic tool which indicates a strong likelihood of disrupted nighttime sleep in patients with high SMI scores. Following further validation, the SMI may prove to be a valuable tool for evaluating sleep disorders, specifically as an aid in the diagnosis of insomnia. The Sleep Matrix is a visual tool that quantifies a sleep complaint by combining scores from the Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS) and the SMI. The SMI measures an insomnia component while the ESS is an accepted measure of daytime sleepiness. The Sleep Matrix visually displays the complexity of the sleep complaint in an effort to differentiate insomnia with differing etiologies from other sleep disorders and measure treatment outcomes. To pilot test the Sleep Matrix, the tool was administered to 90 patients with insomnia and to 22 normal controls. Plots from the insomnia patients were concentrated into the “insomnia zone” while scores from the normal controls were located in the “normal zone” located in the lower left quadrant. Additional research using the Sleep Matrix could provide data that the tool could be utilized to visually aid the clinician in the diagnosis of unknown sleep complaints.

Objective:

The objective of the study was to assess the reliability and validity of the Hindi translation of the Migraine Disability Assessment (MIDAS) and Headache Impact Test-6 (HIT-6) questionnaires.

Materials and Methods:

The study was conducted on the migraine patients. For test–retest reliability, the respondents filled the MIDAS and HIT-6 questionnaires twice, at an interval of three weeks. For validity, the same population of patients filled the headache diary for three months. After three months they filled the MIDAS and HIT-6 questionnaires again. The patients were subgrouped according to their occupation and level of education. The test–retest reliability and validity were calculated by the Pearson correlation coefficient. Internal consistency was calculated using the Cronbach alpha.

Results:

A total of 236 migraine patients were screened. Seventy-nine patients fulfilled the inclusion criteria. A total of 69 patients completed the study. The HIT-6 questionnaire was applicable to all the subgroups of patients and had better comprehensibility than the MIDAS. Housewives missed out on the first two questions of the MIDAS and had lower mean MIDAS scores than HIT-6. The test–retest correlation coefficients for the total MIDAS and HIT-6 scores were 0.94 and 0.81, respectively. The correlation coefficients between the total score in the headache diary equivalent and the MIDAS and HIT-6 total score were 0.91 and 0.77, respectively. Cronbach alpha, a measure of internal consistency for the MIDAS questionnaire was > 0.90 at all the compilations. For the HIT-6 questionnaire, it ranged from 0.67 to 0.79.

Conclusion:

The Hindi versions of MIDAS and HIT-6 questionnaires were reliable and valid, but could not be interchanged. HIT-6 had better comprehensibility.

Background:

Informed consent forms are required in all clinical trials which are approved by an independent Ethics Committee before practical use in the trials. However, how much the average subject actually understands of the information contained in these informed consent forms is uncertain.

Aim:

In a cross sectional study, the translated informed consent forms used in psychiatric clinical trials were assessed with respect to their ease of readability.

Materials and Methods:

We analyzed 30 informed consent forms translated from English to Hindi used in multinational and multicentre psychiatric clinical trials sponsored by different sponsors. We examined consent forms for readability scores and factors that might relate to readability.

Results:

The mean readability score for the informed consent forms, determined by the Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level Index (FKGL) was grade levels of 13.66. The ease of readability assessed by the Flesch Reading Ease Score (FRES) was 46.08 suggesting significant complexity of the texts. These values carry even more significance when the average years of schooling for India as a whole are 6.2 years.

Conclusion:

Our results show that the most informed consent forms were too complex to understand by an average adult subject. We suggest reducing this complexity and increasing the ease of readability so those average subjects receive the intended information as exactly as it could be. This can be achieved by few simple measures like improving the deficiencies in translation processes, encouraging the investigators to participate while preparing these forms, and enhanced understanding of the site specific requirements, namely culture, language (dialect), general literacy rate, etc.

PURPOSE

To longitudinally assess the quality of life in maxillectomy patients rehabilitated with obturator prosthesis.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Thirty-six subjects were enrolled in the span of 16 months, out of which six were dropouts. Subjects (age group 20-60 years) with maxillary defects, irrespective of the cause, planned for definite obturator prosthesis, were recruited. The Hindi version of European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer, Head and Neck version 1 of Quality of Life Questionnaire was used before surgical intervention and one month after definitive obturator. Questionnaire includes 35 questions related to the patient's physical health, well being, psychological status, social relation and environmental conditions. The data were processed with statistical package for social science (SPSS). Probability level of P<.05 was considered statistically significant.

RESULTS

The quality of life after rehabilitation with obturator prosthesis was 81.48% (±13.64) on average. On item-level, maximum mean scores were obtained for items problem with teeth (1.87 ± 0.94), pain in mouth (1.80 ± 0.92), trouble in eating (1.70 ± 0.88), trouble in talking to other people (1.60 ± 1.22), problems in swallowing solid food (1.57 ± 1.22) and bothering appearance (1.53 ± 1.04); while minimum scores were obtained for the items coughing (1.17 ± 0.38), hoarseness of voice (1.17 ± 0.53), painful throat (1.13 ± 0.43), trouble in having social contacts with friends (1.10 ± 0.40) and trouble having physical contacts with family or friends (1.10 ± 0.31).

CONCLUSION

Obturator prosthesis is a highly positive and non-invasive approach to improve the quality of life of patients with maxillectomy defects.

The psychometric properties and factor structure of the 12 item General Health Questionnaire used in a sample of women of ethnic Indian origin living in the United Kingdom is described. The Cronbach's alpha was 0.89 and the split half reliability was 0.91. Principal component analysis revealed 2 significant components which accounted for 75.2% of variance. The psychometric properties and factor structure of the Hindi and English versions were similar.The psychometric properties and factor structure of the 12 item General Health Questionnaire used in a sample of women of ethnic Indian origin living in the United Kingdom is described. The Cronbach's alpha was 0.89 and the split half reliability was 0.91. Principal component analysis revealed 2 significant components which accounted for 75.2% of variance. The psychometric properties and factor structure of the Hindi and English versions were similar.

Background:

Does cognitive screening rule out impairment of different cognitive functions of older adults in India? This study is an attempt to explore these issues.

Materials and Methods:

Study sample consisted of 89 Mixed version of Mini Mental State Examination and Hindi Mental State Examination (Mixed MMSE) negative older adults aged ≥60 years. Subjects giving informed consent for the study were recruited using inclusion/exclusion criteria from a randomly selected ward of urban Lucknow as consecutive series. Semi-structured proforma of sociodemographic details and Mixed MMSE were administered. Subjects scoring above 23 on Mixed MMSE and not having any significant physical illness in past one year which affects the activity of daily living were considered as normally aging older adults. These normally aging older adults (89) were further assessed on Brief Cognitive Rating Scale to identify level of cognitive functioning on different domains. Appropriate statistical test was used for data analyses using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) 12.0 version.

Results:

Maximum normally aging older adults (51.7%) has mild level of objective dysfunction in “orientation” followed by “concentration” (22.5%). Significantly (P<0.05) higher number of normally aging males had objective dysfunction in “orientation” and in “functioning/self-care” in comparison with females. Similarly, significantly (P<0.05) higher number of subjects aged 70 years or more had subjective dysfunction on “recent and past memory” in comparison with those in 60 to 69 years of age.

Conclusion:

Normally ageing subjects had objective cognitive dysfunction in the areas of “orientation” and “concentration” and “functioning/self care.” It was found in more older adults with increasing age.

Background

The Oxford elbow score (OES) is an English questionnaire that measures the patients' subjective experience of elbow surgery. The OES comprises three domains: elbow function, pain, and social-psychological effects. This questionnaire can be completed by the patient and used as an outcome measure after elbow surgery. The aim of this study was to develop and evaluate the Dutch version of the translated OES for reliability, validity and responsiveness with respect to patients after elbow trauma and surgery.

Methods

The 12 items of the English-language OES were translated into Dutch and then back-translated; the back-translated questionnaire was then compared to the original English version. The OES Dutch version was completed by 69 patients (group A), 60 of whom had an elbow luxation, four an elbow fracture and five an epicondylitis. QuickDASH, the visual analogue pain scale (VAS) and the Mayo Elbow Performance Index (MEPI) were also completed to examine the convergent validity of the OES in group A. To calculate the test-retest reliability and responsiveness of the OES, this questionnaire was completed three times by 43 different patients (group B). An average of 52 days elapsed between therapy and the administration of the third OES (SD = 24.1).

Results

The Cronbach's α coefficients for the function, pain and social-psychological domains were 0.90, 0.87 and 0.90, respectively. The intra-class correlation coefficients for the domains were 0.87 for function, 0.89 for pain and 0.87 for social-psychological. The standardised response means for the domains were 0.69, 0.46 and 0.60, respectively, and the minimal detectable changes were 27.6, 21.7 and 24.0, respectively. The convergent validity for the function, pain and social-psychological domains, which were measured as the Spearman's correlation of the OES domains with the MEPI, were 0.68, 0.77 and 0.77, respectively. The Spearman's correlations of the OES domains with QuickDASH were -0.43, -0.44 and -0.47, respectively, and the Spearman's correlations with the VAS were -0.33, -0.38 and -0.42, respectively.

Conclusions

The Dutch OES is a reliable and valid 12-item questionnaire that can be completed within several minutes by patients with elbow injuries. This Dutch questionnaire was useful as an outcome measure in patients with elbow trauma.

Background and purpose

Insomnia is a common complaint in adults. However, large epidemiologic studies of insomnia involving Asian populations are rarely reported. We performed an epidemiologic study of insomnia in a large Korean adult population.

Methods

A total of 5,000 subjects (2,470 men and 2,530 women) were interviewed by telephone. A representative sample of subjects aged 20 to 69 years was constituted according to a stratified, multistage random sampling method. Insomnia was defined as either any difficulty getting to sleep or getting back to sleep after waking in the night.

Results

More than one fifth (n=1,141, 22.8%) of the 5,000 subjects complained of insomnia, with the prevalence being significantly higher in women (25.3%) than in men (20.2%, p<0.001). Logistic regression revealed that the prevalence of insomnia increased significantly with age (p<0.001), being higher in those aged 60-69 years than in those aged 20-29 years (OR=2.368, 95% CI=1.762-3.182, p<0.001), and was lower in those with a monthly income of >4.5 million Korean won than in those with an income of <1.5 million Korean won (OR=0.689, 95% CI=0.523-0.906, p<0.01).

Conclusions

Insomnia is a common complaint in Korean adults, and its prevalence is similar to that in adults in Western countries.

Background

Prolonged disruption of sleep in animal studies is associated with decreased neurogenesis in the dentate gyrus. Our objective was to determine if insomnia severity in a sample of PTSD and controls was associated with decreased volume in the CA3/dentate hippocampal subfield.

Methods

Volumes of hippocampal subfields in seventeen veteran males positive for PTSD (41 ±12 years) and nineteen age-matched male veterans negative for PTSD were measured using 4 Tesla MRI. Subjective sleep quality was measured by the Insomnia Severity Index (ISI) and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI).

Results

Higher scores on the ISI, indicating worse insomnia, were associated with smaller volumes of the CA3/dentate subfields (r= −.48, p < 0.01) in the combined sample. Adding the ISI score as a predictor for CA3/dentate volume to a hierarchical linear regression model after first controlling for age and PTSD symptoms accounted for a 13 % increase in incremental variance (t= −2.47, p= 0.02).

Conclusions

The findings indicate for the first time in humans that insomnia severity is associated with volume loss of the CA3/dentate subfields. This is consistent with animal studies showing that chronic sleep disruption is associated with decreased neurogenesis and dendritic branching in these structures.

The study was aimed at estimating the joint-rater reliability and applicability of Hindi version of ICD-10 IPDE that was obtained following a standard translation protocol. The instrument was administered to 22 non-psychotic patients by two raters. The average intraclass correlation for each item (0.89), number of criteria met per disorder (0.92) and dimensional scores (0.98) was high. Kappa for definite (0.65-0.78) and probaole personality disorder (PD) (0.78-1.00) and for presence/absence of any PD (0.78) was acceptable. Overall weighted kappa was 0.81 for definite and 0.91 for probable PD. Findings suggest that ICD-10 IPDE (Hindi version) has acceptable joint- rater reliability and applicability in the North Indian Hindi speaking population.

Objective

Disturbances in sleep continuity are common among individuals with major depressive disorder (MDD) and can impact the course of depression and response to treatment. Several studies have examined depressive symptom severity among sleep disordered patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). In contrast little is known about OSA in patients with MDD. The goal of this study was to examine the frequency and predictors of OSA in a sample of individuals with comorbid MDD and insomnia.

Method

Participants were 51 individuals who enrolled in a treatment study on insomnia and depression, met criteria for MDD and comorbid insomnia, and underwent an overnight polysomnography evaluation. An Apnea Hypopnea Index (AHI) ≥15 events per hour was used as a cut-off score for OSA. Regression analyses were conducted to examine clinical and demographic predictors of OSA severity as measured by the AHI.

Results

The results revealed that 39% of the sample met criteria for OSA. The OSA group had significantly higher Body-Mass Index (BMI) scores and a significantly greater proportion of men. Regression analysis revealed that male gender, older age, and higher BMI were significant predictors of OSA severity. Neither depression severity nor insomnia severity were significant predictors.

Conclusion

These findings indicate that the frequency of OSA is higher among individuals with comorbid MDD and insomnia than was previously found among people with either MDD or insomnia alone. In addition, previously identified predictors of OSA (male gender, older age, and high BMI) also apply to this population.

Effective noninvasive interventions for insomnia are needed. High-resolution, relational, resonance-based, electroencephalic mirroring (HIRREM™) is a noninvasive, electroencephalography (EEG)-based method to facilitate greater client-unique, autocalibrated improvements of balance and harmony in cortical neural oscillations. This study explores using HIRREM for insomnia. Twenty subjects, with an Insomnia Severity Index (ISI) score of ≥15 (14 women, mean age 45.4, mean ISI 18.6), were enrolled in this randomized, unblinded, wait-list control, crossover, superiority study. Subjects were randomized to receive 8–12 HIRREM sessions over 3 weeks, plus usual care (HUC), or usual care alone (UC). Pre- and post-HIRREM data collection included ISI (primary outcome), and many secondary, exploratory measures (CES-D, SF-36, HR, BP, neurocognitive testing, and VAS scales). The UC group later crossed over to receive HIRREM. ISI was also repeated 4–6 weeks post-HIRREM. All subjects completed the primary intervention period. Analysis for differential change of ISI in the initial intervention period for HUC versus UC showed a drop of 10.3 points (95% CI: −13.7 to −6.9, P < 0.0001, standardized effect size of 2.68). Key secondary outcomes included statistically identical differential change for the crossed-over UC group, and persistence of the effect on the ISI up to > 4 weeks post-HIRREM. Differential change in the HUC group was also statistically significant for CES-D (−8.8, 95% CI: −17.5 to −0.1, P = 0.047), but other exploratory outcomes were not statistically significant. For all receiving HIRREM (n = 19), decreased high-frequency total power was seen in the bilateral temporal lobes. No adverse events were seen. This pilot clinical trial, the first using HIRREM as an intervention, suggests that HIRREM is feasible and effective for individuals having moderate-to-severe insomnia, with clinically relevant, statistically significant benefits based on differential change in the ISI. Effects persisted for 4 weeks after completion of HIRREM. Larger controlled clinical trials are warranted.

Background

Hypnotics have been reported to be associated with dementia. However, the relationship between insomnia, hypnotics and dementia is still controversial. We sought to examine the risk of dementia in patients with long-term insomnia and the contribution of hypnotics.

Methods

Data was collected from Taiwan’s Longitudinal Health Insurance Database. The study cohort comprised all patients aged 50 years or older with a first diagnosis of insomnia from 2002 to 2007. The comparison cohort consisted of randomly selected patients matched by age and gender. Each patient was individually tracked for 3 years from their insomnia index date to identify whether the patient had a first diagnosis of dementia. Cox regression was used to estimate hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs).

Results

We identified 5693 subjects with long-term insomnia and 28,465 individuals without. After adjusting for hypertension, diabetes mellitus, hyperlipidemia, and stroke, those with long-term insomnia had significantly higher risks of dementia (HR, 2.34; 95% CI, 1.92–2.85). Patients with long-term insomnia and aged 50 to 65 years had a higher increased risk of dementia (HR, 5.22; 95% CI, 2.62–10.41) than those older than 65 years (HR, 2.33; 95% CI, 1.90–2.88). The use of hypnotics with a longer half-life and at a higher prescribed dose predicted a greater increased risk of dementia.

Conclusions

Patients with long-term use of hypnotics have more than a 2-fold increased risk of dementia, especially those aged 50 to 65 years. In addition, the dosage and half-lives of the hypnotics used should be considered, because greater exposure to these medications leads to a higher risk of developing dementia.

This case study series investigated a new treatment for paradoxical insomnia patients as there is no standard treatment for this patient group at this time. Four paradoxical insomnia patients had a polysomnography (PSG) sleep study, an unsuccessful brief course of behavioral treatment for insomnia, and then a novel sleep education treatment comprising review of their PSG with video and exploration of the discrepancy between their reported and observed sleep experience. Two patients responded well to sleep education, mainly with improved self-reported sleep onset latency, total sleep time, and Insomnia Severity Index scores; and the other two, who exhibited sleep architecture anomalies, were unresponsive. These findings suggest that sleep education holds promise for some paradoxical insomnia patients. Suggestions for future studies are given.