Le lithium chez le sujet bipolaire âgé

Regarding the burden of mental disorders in elderly patients, including morbidity and mortality, especially by suicide, and impairment of quality of life and functional autonomy, there is a need to take into account special health care needs of elderly persons. In bipolar disorders, lithium tends to be under-prescribed in elderly patients, while it is still a first line choice in guidelines. If it is true that there is a lack of controlled studies on effectiveness of lithium in elderly patients, available data from lithium side effects, especially on renal function, don’t justify this under-utilization. Moreover, anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective effects of lithium may be of particular interest in ageing, in preventing and/or controlling the occurrence of some neurodegenerative process.     

Factors correlated with left ventricular mass in hypertensive patients

Left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) is an independent risk factor in hypertensive patient. THE AIM: Of our study is to evaluate prospectively the relationship between left ventricular mass and clinical, echocardiographical and ambulatory blood pressure data in hypertensive subjects. METHODS: We studied 88 hypertensive patient who underwent clinical and laboratory investigation, echocardiography and 24 hours ambulatory blood pressure monitoring. Correlations were made between these data and left ventricular mass. RESULTS: Clinical data, which correlated well with left ventricular mass, were duration of hypertension, systolic arterial pressure and pulse arterial pressure. In echocardiography left atrial area and left ventricular dysfunction correlated significatively with left ventricular mass. Data from 24 hours blood pressure monitoring as daytime systolic pressure, nighttimes diastolic pressure, ambulatory systolic pressure and ambulatory pulse pressure. CONCLUSION: In hypertensive patient, left ventricular mass correlated well with left atrial dilation and diastolic left ventricular dysfunction. It also correlated with 24 hours ambulatory blood pressure monitoring data.     

Low academic achievement as a predictor of test anxiety in secondary school students

ObjectivesThe present study had two objectives: 1) to examine the differences between students with different levels of academic achievement (low, average and high) in Anxiety/Depression and Test Anxiety; and 2) to test the predictive effect of academic achievement on test anxiety.MethodData were collected in two moments. In time 1, the sample was comprised of 305 students. The students were aged between 15 to 18 years, attending secondary school. The assessment protocol consisted of a Socio-demographic Data Sheet, the Youth Self-Report and the Cognitive Test Anxiety Scale.ResultsStudents with low academic achievement presented higher test anxiety than students with average and high academic achievement. Low academic achievement on time 1 predicted higher levels of test anxiety on time 2 when186 participants remained in the study.ConclusionResults suggest the importance of early psychological intervention with students with low academic achievement, and the relevance of promoting the development of skills that enable students to manage their test anxiety.