Sueli Rossini

Quality of life in patients with narcolepsy: a WHOQOL-bref study

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the perception of Quality of Life (QL) in Brazilian patients with narcolepsy. METHOD 40 adult patients aged between 20 and 72 years (mean=41.55; SD=14.50); (28 F; 12M), with the diagnosis of chronic narcolepsy were followed up at the outpatient clinic (Patient Group). The Control Group was composed of 40 adults. The instrument utilized was the World Health Organization Quality of Life (WHOQOL-BREF). RESULTS The two groups were homogeneous and no difference was found with regards to age, sex, and demographic characteristics. The perception of QL in physical, psychological and social domains showed lower scores in those patients with narcolepsy than in the control group (p<0.05). Concerning physical domain, all the aspects evaluated were significantly impaired, in patient group, including sleep satisfaction (p<0.001); energy for daily activities (p=0.039); capacity to perform activities (p=0.001); and capacity to work (p=0.001). CONCLUSION The perception of QL showed severe impairment in patients with narcolepsy for physical, psychological and social domains.

Women living with HIV/AIDS: sleep impairment, anxiety and depression symptoms

OBJECTIVE To evaluate sleep impairment, symptoms of anxiety and depression, and associations with sleep characteristics of sleep in female HIV/AIDS patients. METHOD 30 female patients with HIV/AIDS were evaluated along with 30 female controls with a mean age of 35.4 years in the study group and 33.1 years in the control group, with: a) the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index; b) the Beck Anxiety Inventory; c) the Beck Depression Inventory. RESULTS Sleep quality was more impaired in AIDS patients than in those with HIV+ or in controls. The AIDS patients showed more symptoms of anxiety. There were associations of sleep impairment with anxiety in HIV+ patients; whereas in AIDS patients associations were found between sleep impairment and depression. CONCLUSION There was sleep quality in the presence of symptoms of anxiety and depression. In HIV+ patients, sleep impairment was associated with anxiety, while in AIDS patients sleep impairment was associated with depression.

Sleep disorders in high school and pre-university students

UNLABELLED Adolescence is a period in which youngsters have to make choices such as applying for university. The selection process is competitive, and it brings distress and anxiety, risk factors for the appearance of sleep disorders. OBJECTIVE To verify the occurrence of sleep disorders in third-year high school and pre-university students. METHOD This cross-sectional descriptive study comprised a sample of 529 students (M=241, F=288) from three public schools, four private schools and two pre-university courses - a middle-class neighborhood in the city of São Paulo - aged between 16 and 19 years old. We used the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) - a standardized questionnaire. RESULTS The participants (52.9%) took about 30 minutes to fall asleep, with an average of 306.4 minutes asleep, moderate daytime sleepiness (n=243, 45.9%) and indisposition (n=402, 75.9%) to develop the activities. The scores (M and F) were similar regarding problems that affect sleep. CONCLUSION The investigated population showed sleep disorders and poor sleep quality.

Executive attention and working memory in narcoleptic outpatients

OBJECTIVE This pioneering study aimed to evaluate executive attention and working memory in Brazilian narcoleptic outpatients. METHODS Narcoleptic group: 19 treated narcoleptic outpatients (13 F; 6 M) (mean age=37.58; SD = 8.93); control group: 19 subjects (15 F; 4 M) (mean age=34.42; SD=12.31). INSTRUMENTS Epworth Sleepiness Scale - Brazilian Portuguese Version (ESS-BR), Victoria Stroop Test (VST), Trail Making Test (TMT) and Letter-Number Sequencing (LNS) of WAIS-III. RESULTS Significant difference at Excessive Daytime Sleepiness (EDS) (p<0.001) and at working memory (p=0.009) with worse results for narcoleptic patients. Patients were slower at VST-1 (p=0.002), VST-2 (p=0.045) and at TMT-A (p=0.016), TMT-B (p=0.006) and B-A (p=0.024). CONCLUSION Narcoleptic patients showed higher degrees of EDS, an impaired executive attention at a temporal level and lower performance in working memory when compared to normal controls.

Chronic insomnia in workers poisoned by inorganic mercury: psychological and adaptive aspects

Insomnia is one of the symptoms of inorganic mercury poisoning (IMP). The objective of this study is to analyze the chief psychological aspects in the adjustment of workers with chronic insomnia associated with IMP. For this purpose the Preventive Clinical Interview and the Ryad Simon Operational Adaptive Diagnostic Scale (Escala Diagnóstica Adaptativa Operacionalizada-EDAO) were utilized. Fifteen subjects with mean age of 40 years (10 males and 5 females) were studied. Nine were diagnosed with High Adaptive Inefficacy, five with Moderate Inefficient Adaptation and only one with Mild Inefficient Adaptation. Impairment occurred in four adaptive sectors: affective relationship, social-cultural, productivity and organic. Adaptive efficiency indicated that in all the 15 subjects studied the adaptive solutions were frustrating and led to psychic suffering and/or environmental conflict confirming the severity of the involvement in chronic IMP.

Facial Pain Associated With Fibromyalgia Can Be Marked by Abnormal Neuromuscular Control: A Cross-Sectional Study

Background Temporomandibular disorder (TMD) development in fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS) is not yet fully understood, but altered neuromuscular control in FMS may play a role in triggering TMD. Objective The purpose of this study was to verify the association between neuromuscular control and chronic facial pain in groups of patients with FMS and TMD. Design A cross-sectional study was conducted. Methods This study involved an analysis of facial pain and electromyographic activity of the masticatory muscles in patients with FMS (n=27) and TMD (n=28). All participants were evaluated according to Research Diagnostic Criteria for Temporomandibular Disorders and surface electromyography (SEMG). Myoelectric signal calculations were performed using the root mean square and median frequency of signals. Results The data revealed premature interruption of masticatory muscle contraction in both patient groups, but a significant correlation also was found between higher median frequency values and increased facial pain. This correlation probably was related to FMS because it was not found in patients with TMD only. Facial pain and increased SEMG activity during mandibular rest also were positively correlated. Limitations Temporal conclusions cannot be drawn from the study. Also, the study lacked a comparison group of patients with FMS without TMD as well as a control group of individuals who were healthy. Conclusions Altered neuromuscular control in masticatory muscles may be correlated with perceived facial pain in patients with FMS.

Quality of life and sleep in obese adolescents

UNLABELLED Obesity and sleep disorders in adolescence are strongly associated, and they impact both on the health and on quality of life (QL) in this age group. OBJECTIVE To comparatively assess QL and sleep in obese and eutrophic adolescents, who are older than ten years of age. METHODS Cross-sectional study including obese adolescents. This analysis was carried out between August 2009 and August 2010. The Control (eutrophic) Group comprised schoolchildren recruited from State schools in the city of Americana, in São Paulo State, Brazil. Instruments applied included a standardized questionnaire, the Sleep Behavior Questionnaire (SBQ), and the Pediatric QL Inventory (PedsQL TM 4.0). RESULTS The obese adolescents had poorer QL on physical (p<0.001), emotional (p=0.03), and social (p=0.002) functioning domains. A difference in mean psychosocial functioning was found between the groups (p=0.009) with obese subjects having a mean score of 69.5 (±16.0) and in eutrophic individuals of 76.2 (±16.7). A greater number of sleep problems was evident in the Obese Group (p=0.03). CONCLUSIONS The obese adolescents had an impaired QL and a higher frequency of sleep problems compared to the eutrophic subjects.

Psychological assessment in patients with phobic postural vertigo

UNLABELLED Phobic postural vertigo (PPV) is a frequent diagnosis which can be challenging to treat. OBJECTIVE To investigate the presence of psychiatric disturbances in patients with PPV; to assess the psychological status of patients using adaptive diagnosis; to verify possible correlations between severity of psychiatric disturbance and adaptive efficacy. METHOD A total of nineteen subjects were assessed and two instruments applied: the Primary Care Evaluation of Mental Disorders Questionnaire (PRIME-MD) and the Adaptive Operationalized Diagnostic Scale (AODS), and results from both tests were compared. RESULTS Fourteen patients presented with mood disorder and thirteen with anxiety. All patients presented compromised adaptive efficacy. Correlation was found between overall outcome on the PRIME and the AODS (tau= -0.42, p=0.027), Separate analysis revealed correlation between results of the AODS and anxiety disorders (tau= -0.45, p=0.018) but not with mood disorders (tau= -0.36, p=0.054). CONCLUSION Adaptive compromise was observed in individuals with PPV which was shown to be associated to psychiatric disorders.

Quality of sleep and quality of life in adolescents infected with human immunodeficiency virus

OBJECTIVES To assess sleep characteristics of adolescents infected by HIV, and to ascertain whether psychosocial aspects are associated to the quality of sleep. METHODS A cross-sectional study assessing 102 HIV-infected adolescents of both genders, aged between 10 and 20 years-old and 120 Controls. Data collection was performed by applying the Sleep Disturbance Scale for Children, the Epworth Sleepiness Scale, and the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory. RESULTS A sleep disturbance prevalence of 77.4% was found in patients, and a 75% prevalence in controls, and there was correlation between quality of sleep and of life. HIV-infected adolescents scored higher for sleep breathing disorders and had higher prevalence of excessive daytime sleepiness. CONCLUSIONS HIV-infected adolescents had similar quality of sleep compared to healthy adolescents. This may be explained by the steady improvements in daily living as a result of successful anti-retroviral therapy, and by the vulnerability that affects Brazilian adolescents living in major urban centers.

Quality of life and sleep impairment in chronic cocaine dependents

OBJECTIVE To evaluate quality of life (QL) and sleep quality impairment of cocaine chronic dependents in use of cocaine. METHOD 40 patients, chronic cocaine dependents were evaluated (37 M; 3 F), with mean age of 28.92 years, along with 40 controls paired for gender and age. The following instruments were used: a) the semi-structured clinical interview; b) the Brazil Economic Classification; c) the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index; d) World Heath Organization Quality of Life-BREF (WHOQOL-BREF). RESULTS The cocaine dependents showed QL impairment, with deficits in the physical, psychological and social relations domains. Impaired sleep quality was also observed in the cocaine dependents. However, the QL impairment was not directly due to sleep deficit. CONCLUSION Chronic cocaine dependents showed impairment in QL and sleep impairment. However, for the cocaine dependent group, sleep impairment was not regarded as compromising QL probably because cocaine, rather than sleep, was the main factor negatively influencing QL.