Hyperactivity-inattention symptoms in childhood and substance use in adolescence: the youth gazel cohort

BACKGROUND: This study addresses in both genders the relationship between childhood Hyperactivity-inattention symptoms and subsequent adolescent substance use, while controlling for psychiatric comorbidity, temperament and environmental risk factors. METHODS: 916 subjects (421 males, 495 females) aged 7-18 were recruited from the general population and surveyed in 1991 and 1999. Child psychopathology and substance use patterns were evaluated through parent and adolescent self-reports. Multivariate modeling was performed to assess the effects of childhood Hyperactivity-inattention symptoms and other risk factors on adolescent substance use. RESULTS: In males, Hyperactivity-inattention symptoms alone accounted for the risk of subsequent regular cannabis smoking (OR=3.14, p=0.03) and subsequent lifetime use of other drugs including stimulants, opiates, inhalants and sedatives (OR=2.72, p=0.02). In females, Hyperactivity-inattention symptoms did not independently increase the liability to later substance use. In males, the temperament trait activity was a significant predictor of subsequent regular cannabis smoking (OR=2.32, p=0.04). CONCLUSIONS: This survey points to a possible specific link between Hyperactivity-inattention symptoms and subsequent cannabis use and experimentation of harder drugs in males.     

Glucocorticoids reduce alveolar and trabecular bone in mice

Glucocorticoid (GC) treatment is the main cause of secondary osteoporosis. There are some controversies about the relationships between alveolar bone loss and bone loss at the appendicular and axial skeleton.ObjectiveTo assess, in parallel, the effects of GCs on alveolar bone and on the tibia in a mice model.MethodsFive-month-old male Swiss-Webster mice were randomized into two groups. Pellets releasing 5 mg/kg/day of prednisolone or control pellets were subcutaneously implanted for 28 days. After euthanasia, the right tibia and the right hemimandible of each mouse were analyzed by histomorphometry and microcomputed tomography. Alveolar bone consists of a thin slab between the incisor and the molar roots connected with the alveolar processes. A 2D-frontal section was done through the pulp chamber of the first molar and was used to measure the thickness of the alveolar bone slab. A 2D-sagittal section was done through the pulp chamber of the three molars and was used to measure bone volume in the alveolar processes.ResultsAt day 28, thickness and bone volume of alveolar bone were significantly decreased in the GC group (P < 0.05). At the tibia, GCs decreased bone formation with a reduced mineral apposition rate and bone formation rate and a significant decrease in BV/TV and Tb.Th (P < 0.05).ConclusionAlthough the amount of alveolar bone is very low in the mouse, this study shows that GCs can induce an alveolar bone loss in long-term treated animals.     

A study on the abbreviated form of the Eysenck Personality Questionnaire Revised-Abbreviated (EPQR-A) in a student population

The aim of this paper is to examine the short questionnaire of the Eysenck Personality Questionnaire Revised (the Eysenck Personality Questionnaire Revised–Abbreviated [EPQR-A]) among a student population. University students were invited, in groups, to fill in the forms proposed. Three sites were compared, representing a sample of 346 participants (Chambéry = 118 subjects [44 males and 74 females]; Lille = 110 subjects [50 males and 60 females] and Toulouse = 118 subjects [60 males and 58 females]). The three groups of students have comparable scores on the EPQR-A wherever they live (Chambéry, Lille or Toulouse). Moreover, neither the age nor the gender allowed the detection of differences between subjects. Our sample of students is situated in the range of a “normal” group of students. Regarding the internal consistency coefficients, the French version we used of the neuroticism and the extraversion scales of the EPQR-A obtained a satisfactory result. The internal consistency coefficient of psychoticism was rather low (< 70). This unsatisfactory level of internal reliability for the psychoticism is also found in the English version [7]. The four-factor model of the EPQR-A is judged to be an adequate explanation of the data. In the end, self-esteem correlated positively with extraversion and negatively with neuroticism. On the other hand, there is no link between psychoticism and self-esteem.     

Glucocorticoid-Induced Osteoporosis: A Review

Glucocorticoid (GC)-induced osteoporosis is the main cause of secondary osteoporosis. Fractures, which are often asymptomatic, can occur in as many as 50% of patients receiving chronic GC therapy. GCs have direct and indirect effects on bone cells (osteoblasts, osteocytes, and osteoclasts) with a suppression of bone formation and an increased bone resorption. The management of patients exposed to GCs should include the use of the minimal effective dose of GC, general health measures, and adequate intakes of calcium and vitamin D. Bisphosphonates are nowadays largely used in GC-induced osteoporosis and teriparatide has proved its efficiency as well.     

Use of infliximab to treat psoriatic arthritis in HIV-positive patients

Psoriatic arthritis in HIV-positive patients is not only severe, but also raises specific treatment challenges, as immunosuppressant and immunomodulating agents may adversely affect both the course of the HIV infection and the risk of opportunistic infections. TNFalpha antagonists have not been evaluated in patients with HIV infection, which is therefore considered to contraindicate their use. Two HIV-positive patients with psoriatic arthritis unresponsive to methotrexate alone were treated with infliximab (5 and 2 mg/kg, respectively), methotrexate, and antiretroviral drugs. Dramatic improvements in the skin and joint manifestations occurred in both patients. Tolerance was good, after follow-ups of 24 and 50 months, respectively. No opportunistic infections occurred. Viral load remained well controlled and CD4+T-cell counts stable, although both patients required adjustments in their antiretroviral regimens based on close monitoring of these two parameters. HIV infection classically contraindicates the use of TNFalpha antagonists to treat refractory inflammatory joint disease. However, exceptions to this rule can be made in carefully selected patients who have exhausted all other treatment options for their joint disease and who respond well to antiretroviral therapy. Potential long-term effects such as opportunistic infections, malignancies, and loss of HIV control need to be evaluated.     

Thoracic spinal cord compression indicating Wegener's granulomatosis in a patient with a previous presumptive diagnosis of microscopic polyangiitis

Neurological signs are observed in 20-50% of cases of Wegener's granulomatosis consisting of peripheral and cranial neuropathy, and central nervous system involvement during the disease and rarely as initial symptom. We report here a case of thoracic spinal cord compression due to dural masses in a patient with a previous presumptive diagnosis of microscopic polyangiitis indicating Wegener's granulomatosis on histological examination. No other site of involvement was found. Slight clinical improvement was observed under immunosuppressive treatment probably because of spinal cord vessels lesions.