Leandro Fernandes Malloy-Diniz

The Rey Auditory-Verbal Learning Test: applicability for the Brazilian elderly population

OBJECTIVE The Rey Auditory-Verbal Learning Test is a widely recognized test in neuropsychological literature to evaluate learning and memory. This paper presents the performance of six age groups of Brazilian elderly on the Rey Auditory-Verbal Learning Test. METHOD A version of the test was developed with a list of high-frequency one-syllable and two-syllable concrete Portuguese substantives. Two hundred and twenty-three subjects of both genders were allocated to 6 age groups (60-64, 65-69; 70-74; 75-79; 80-84 and 85-89 years old) and tested with the Rey Auditory-Verbal Learning Test. RESULTS Educational level and age had a positive and a negative correlation, respectively, with performance on the Rey Auditory-Verbal Learning Test. Women performed significantly better than men. Our results were similar to those found for the Rey Auditory-Verbal Learning Test English version, across similar age ranges. CONCLUSION Our results suggest that the Brazilian Portuguese Rey Auditory-Verbal Learning Test adaptation was adequate and applicable for evaluating the memory capacity of Brazilian subjects, across similar age and educational levels.

Decision-making impairment is related to serotonin transporter promoter polymorphism in a sample of patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder.

OBJECTIVE Decision-making impairment is an important feature of some psychiatric disorders, such as attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and substance-use disorders, and is associated with dysfunction of the fronto-subcortical circuit, mainly the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC). Several data reports support significant correlations between decision-making impairment and the serotonin system. Thus, this neurotransmission system may be a major step in some cognitive features, particularly in OCD because serotonin is associated with this disorder. Therefore, the serotonin transporter promoter polymorphism (5-HTTLPR) may be related to the modulation of these cognitive characteristics. In a sample of Caucasian OCD patients, we explored the link between decision-making and the 5-HTTLPR. METHOD We used the Iowa Gambling Task (IGT) to measure decision-making in 49 OCD patients, according to the DSM-IV criteria. All patients were submitted to Y-BOCS, BDI, BAI, the Raven Progressive Matrices, the Continuous Performance Task, and the Trail Making Test. We grouped S- and/or Lg-carriers in view of the fact that these act in a nearly dominant way. RESULTS On IGT, S- and/or Lg-carriers had significantly lower scores on the third, fourth, and fifth blocks. These findings were confirmed after adjusting for clinical and cognitive variables. DISCUSSION Inconclusive findings about the link between OCD and 5-HTTLPR may be better elucidated by studying OCD subgroups that could be more related in some genetic characteristics. Based on our study, low performance on IGT is associated with S- and/or Lg-carriers. CONCLUSION Our results corroborate the hypothesis that the pattern of neuropsychological functioning observed in previous studies may constitute a biological marker or heritable endophenotype of OCD.

Brazilian Portuguese version of the Iowa Gambling Task: transcultural adaptation and discriminant validity

OBJECTIVE The Iowa Gambling Task is a neuropsychological task developed in English, most widely used to assess decision-making. The aim of this work was to adapt the Iowa Gambling Task to Brazilian Portuguese, compare it with the original version and assess its validity. METHOD We assessed 75 Brazilian adults divided into three groups: 1) 25 healthy volunteers holding the Proficiency Certificate in English tested using the English version of the Iowa Gambling Task; 2) 25 healthy volunteers who did not speak or read English tested using the Iowa Gambling Task-Portuguese; 3) 25 Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder subjects tested with the Iowa Gambling Task-Portuguese. RESULTS No difference between groups 1 and 2 was observed. Nonetheless, we found significant differences between Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder subjects and the other 2 groups on blocks 3, 4, 5, and on net score. CONCLUSION Our results are similar to those previously described in the literature concerning adults without neuropsychiatric diseases. Since those two versions were equivalent and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder subjects performed significantly worse than healthy volunteers we can conclude that the adaptation of the Iowa Gambling Task to Brazilian Portuguese is valid and can be used for research purposes in the Brazilian context.

Is the 5-HTTLPR polymorphism associated with bipolar disorder or with suicidal behavior of bipolar disorder patients?

The serotonin transporter gene has a 44 bp insertion/deletion polymorphism within the promoter region (5‐HTTLPR) with two allelic forms, the long (L) and the short (S) variants. Association between the low‐activity S variant and bipolar disorder (BPD) has been shown but its replication has not been consistent. It has also been described as an association between the S allele and suicidal behavior. Since suicidal behavior is a rather frequent event in BPD, an important question is whether suicidality, instead of bipolarity itself, could be related to S allele. We assessed 351 subjects (167 bipolar inpatients and 184 healthy controls). Diagnosis was conducted by a psychiatrist using a structured interview (MINI‐PLUS), according to DSM‐IV criteria. Suicidal behavior was assessed using a semi‐structured instrument and a review of medical records. Genotyping of the 5‐HTTLPR was performed using PCR. There were 77 patients with a history of previous suicide attempts. Bipolar patients and healthy controls showed comparable genotypic and allelic frequencies. Patients carrying the S allele made violent suicide attempts more frequently (χ2 = 20.2; P = 0.0001) and made more suicide attempts (t = 2.6; P = 0.01). We were able to show an association between the S allele and suicidal behavior but not with BPD. Our data suggest that a phenotypic stratification, taking into account the suicidal behavior history, is of pivotal importance when performing association studies between BPD and 5‐HTTLPR genotypes, which could explain previous contradictory results.

Neuropsychological assessment of impulsive behavior in abstinent alcohol-dependent subjects

OBJECTIVE Poor impulse control is thought to be one of the characteristics of alcohol addiction. The capacity to remain abstinent may be linked to cognitive bias related to three dimensions of impulsivity: motor, non-planning, and attentional impulsivity. The aim of this study was to evaluate the neuropsychological profile related to these impulsivity dimensions in alcohol-dependent patients within 15 -120 days of abstinence. METHOD We compared 31 alcohol-dependent patients to 30 matched healthy controls regarding their performances on the Continuous Performance Task, the Iowa Gambling Test, and the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test, each of which is thought to tax primarily one of the three dimensions of impulsivity just outlined. RESULTS When compared to controls, alcohol-dependent patients presented more commission errors on the Continuous Performance Task; made more disadvantageous choices on the Iowa Gambling Test; and made more perseverative errors on the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test. There was no significant correlation between performance on these tests and the length of abstinence. CONCLUSIONS These results suggest that deficits related to motor, non-planning and attentional components of impulsivity exist in alcohol-dependent patients, in the period immediately after acute alcohol withdrawal. These results may help guide interventions designed to prevent the risk of relapse in alcohol-abstinent patients.

Tradução e adaptação cultural da Barratt Impulsiveness Scale (BIS-11) para aplicação em adultos brasileiros

OBJECTIVES: The objective of this study was to translate, make transcultural adaptation and assess the semantic, idiomatic and literal equivalence of the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale (BIS-11). METHODS:This scale assesses the presence of impulsive manifestations from the theoretical model proposed by Ernst Barratt. Firstly, the BIS-11 original version in English was translated to Portuguese by six bilingual researches. After this, was made the back-translation to English by a translator that was born in United States. Then, the three versions (original, translated and back-translated) were assessed by a specialists committee which made and analyze and comments about the process and then we reach the final translated version of BIS-11. The original and translated version of BIS-11 was applied in two samples from general population with proficiency both in English and Portuguese. This method was adopted to assess the literal, semantic e idiomatic equivalence of these versions by mean of correlation analyses. CONCLUSION: The final results of quantitative analyses show that the final version of BIS-11 is satisfactory.

Depressive symptoms increase the risk of progression to dementia in subjects with mild cognitive impairment: systematic review and meta-analysis.

There is a long‐standing debate in the literature whether depressive symptoms increase the risk of dementia in older with mild cognitive impairment (MCI). We aim to conduct a meta‐analysis of studies that evaluated the risk of dementia in subjects with MCI and depressive symptoms compared with subjects with MCI and no depressive symptoms.

The 5-HTTLPR polymorphism, impulsivity and suicide behavior in euthymic bipolar patients

BACKGROUND Suicide behavior is very frequent in Bipolar Disorder (BD) and they are both closely associated with impulsivity. Furthermore they are, impulsivity, BD and suicide behavior, associated with serotonergic function, at least partially, under genetic determinism and somewhat associated with the serotonin transporter gene polymorphism, the 5-HTTLPR. We aimed to assess different impulsivity components in BD sub-grouped by suicidal attempt and healthy controls. We hypothesized that the non-planning/cognitive impulsivity, could be more closely associated with suicidal behavior. We further associated 5-HTTLPR genotypes with neuropsychological results to test the hypothesis that this polymorphism is associated with cognitive impulsivity. METHOD We assessed 95 euthymic bipolar patients sub-grouped by suicidal attempt history in comparison with 94 healthy controls. All subjects underwent a laboratory assessment of impulsivity (Continuous Performance Test and Iowa Gambling Test). Furthermore the genotyping of 5-HTTLPR was performed in all subjects. RESULTS We found that bipolar patients are more impulsive than healthy controls in all impulsivity dimensions we studied. Furthermore bipolar patients with a suicide attempt history have a greater cognitive impulsivity when compared to both bipolar patients without such a history as well when compared to healthy controls. No association was found between 5-HTTLPR genotypes and neuropsychological measures of impulsive behavior. LIMITATIONS The sample studied can be considered small and a potentially confounding variable - medication status - was not controlled. CONCLUSION A lifetime suicide attempt seems associated with cognitive impulsivity independently of the socio-demographic and clinical variables studied as well with 5-HTTLPR genotype. Further studies in larger samples are necessary.

Neuropsychological predictors of response to randomized treatment in obsessive-compulsive disorder

OBJECTIVE To identify neuropsychological predictors of treatment response to cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) and fluoxetine in treatment-naïve adults with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). METHOD Thirty-eight adult outpatients with OCD underwent neuropsychological assessment, including tasks of intellectual function, executive functioning and visual and verbal memory, before randomization to a 12-week clinical trial of either CBT or fluoxetine. Neuropsychological measures were used to identify predictors of treatment response in OCD. RESULTS Neuropsychological measures that predicted a better treatment response to either CBT or fluoxetine were higher verbal IQ (Wechsler Abbreviated Scale of Intelligence) (p=0.008); higher verbal memory on the California Verbal Learning Test (p=0.710); shorter time to complete part D (Dots) (p<0.001), longer time to complete part W (Words) (p=0.025) and less errors on part C (Colors) (p<0.001) in the Victoria Stroop Test (VST). Fewer perseverations on the California Verbal Learning Test, a measure of mental flexibility, predicted better response to CBT, but worse response to fluoxetine (p=0.002). CONCLUSION In general, OCD patients with better cognitive and executive abilities at baseline were more prone to respond to either CBT or fluoxetine. Our finding that neuropsychological measures of mental flexibility predicted response to treatment in opposite directions for CBT and fluoxetine suggests that OCD patients with different neuropsychological profiles may respond preferentially to one type of treatment versus the other. Further studies with larger samples of OCD patients are necessary to investigate the heuristic value of such findings in a clinical context.

Escala de Depressão Pós-natal de Edimburgo para triagem no sistema público de saúde

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the utilization of the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale as a screening tool in the public health system. METHODS The Scale was administered between the 40th and 90th day after delivery to 245 mothers whose delivery occurred at a private maternity hospital located in the municipality of Belo Horizonte, Southeastern Brazil, from 2005 to 2006. All participants were submitted to a structured psychiatric interview (Mini-Plus 5.0), used as gold standard for postpartum depression diagnosis. The scales sensitivity and specificity were calculated, and the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to find the best cut-off point. Students t test was employed to compare numeric variables and chi-square was used for the categorical variables. Reliability was calculated by Cronbachs coefficient á of internal consistency. RESULTS Postpartum depression was diagnosed in 66 women (26.9% of the total sample). No differences were found between women with and without postpartum depression concerning age, level of schooling, number of prior deliveries, and marital status. Using 10 as the cut-off point, the scales sensibility was 86.4, the specificity was 91.1, and the positive predictive value, 0.78. CONCLUSIONS The psychometric properties of the Scale characterize it as a good screening tool for postpartum depression and its disseminated use in Sistema Unico de Saúde (SUS - National Health System) could have positive impacts, with a significant increase in the recognition, diagnosis and treatment of postpartum depression.OBJETIVO: Evaluar la utilizacion de la Escala de Depresion Post-natal de Edimburgo como instrumento de tamizage en el sistema publico de salud. METODOS: La Escala fue administrada entre el 40o y 90o dia de post-parto, a 245 mujeres que tuvieron parto en una maternidad privada en el municipio de Bello Horizonte (MG), entre 2005 y 2006. Las participantes fueron sometidas a una entrevista psiquiatrica estructurada (Mini-Plus 5.0) utilizada como patron-oro para diagnostico de depresion. Fueron calculadas sensibilidad y especificidad de la escala y se utilizo la curva ROC para encontrar el mejor punto de corte. Fue utilizada la prueba t de Stuident para comparacion de las variables numericas y el chi-cuadrado para las variables categoricas. La confiabilidad fue confirmada por el cociente de consistencia interna a de Cronbach. RESULTADOS: Fueron diagnosticadas 66 mujeres con el cuadro depresivo post-parto (26,9% de las muestras). No hubo diferencia entre las mujeres con y sin depresion post-parto con relacion a la edad, escolaridad, numero de partos anteriores y estado civil. Utilizandose el punto de corte de 10, la sensibilidad de la escala fue 86,4, la especificidad 91,1 y el valor predictivo positivo 0,78. CONCLUSIONES: Las propiedades psicometricas de la Escala la caracterizan como un buen instrumento de tamizage de la depresion post-parto y su uso diseminado en el Sistema Unico de Salud podria repercutir positivamente con el aumento significativo en la tasa de reconocimiento, diagnostico y tratamiento de la depresion post-parto.