Validity and reliability of the Geriatric Anxiety Inventory in Parkinson's disease*†

Aim: To examine the psychometric properties of a novel anxiety rating scale, the Geriatric Anxiety Inventory (GAI) in Parkinson's disease (PD). Method: The predictive validity of the GAI was tested against the presence of any DSM‐IV anxiety disorders in 58 PD patients using receiver operating curve analysis. The concurrent validity of this scale was also studied against the state half of the Spielberger State Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI). The internal consistency and test–retest reliability of the GAI were also examined. Results: The GAI displayed good concurrent validity against the STAI and the DSM‐IV. It also showed good internal consistency and test–retest reliability. Conclusions: This study suggested that the GAI is an appropriate scale to use in non‐demented PD patients.     

Teenage smoking behaviour following a high-school smoking ban in Chile: interrupted time-series analysis

ObjectiveTo evaluate the effect of a smoking ban in high schools on smoking behaviour among Chilean students.MethodsWe conducted an interrupted time-series analysis, using repeated cross-sectional data from Chile’s school population survey (2000–2011) for high-school students aged 12–18 years and a control group of persons aged 19–24 years. Poisson regression models were used to assess trends in smoking behaviour before and after the policy changes. The outcome measures were self-reported smoking prevalence (any smoking in the past month) and high frequency of smoking (smoking 15 days or more per month).FindingsFrom 2005 to 2011, the prevalence of smoking declined among high-school students by 6.8% per year compared with 3.6% decline per year in the control group. The decline in the target group was 2.9% (95% confidence interval, CI: 0.18 to 5.00) greater. We estimated that 5–6 years after enforcing the law, smoking prevalence among high-school students was 13.7% lower as a result of the ban. The impact of the smoking ban was primarily driven by declines in smoking prevalence among students in grades 8 to 10. The smoking ban did not significantly alter the frequency of smoking.ConclusionThe 2005 school smoking ban reduced smoking prevalence among younger high-school students in Chile. Further interventions targeting older individuals and frequent smokers may be needed.     

Two dimensional Doppler echocardiographic/M mode echocardiographic and phonocardiographic method for study of extracardiac heterograft valved conduits in the right ventricular outflow tract position

Significant concern exists over the long-term results of right ventricular outflow tract repair using heterograft valved conduits. Because these conduits and valves are difficult to image using ultrasound, a serially applicable two dimensional Doppler echocardiographic, M mode echocardiographic and phonocardiographic method for noninvasive investigation was developed and applied in 15 children. The method provides two dimensional echocardiographic imaging of valve contour and motion, as well as M mode and phonocardiographic analysis and quantitative range-gated Doppler information about the timing of flow through the conduit. Conduit diameter in two dimensional echocardiographic images correlated well with known conduit size (r = +0.96). A thickened and stenosed heterograft valve was predicted in two patients before hemodynamic investigation. This new method provides serially obtainable information to aid in the management of children and infants with a valved conduit placed for repair of congenital heart malformations and aids in planning the timing of hemodynamic follow-up studies.