1.Exploration of remote cognitive assessment and rehabilitation guidance
Qichao DING ; Shu ZHOU ; Xiaoying BI
Chinese Journal of Neurology 2023;56(2):220-226
With rapid global growth of the older population, it has been increasingly important for screening, early diagnosis, treatment and daily monitoring of cognitive function in the elderly population. Given the limited effects of pharmacological treatments, cognitive rehabilitation has the potential to improve meaningful outcomes for older people and thus comes into sight. Traditional cognitive assessment and rehabilitation require face-to-face interview, while patients with cognitive impairment are mostly elderly with difficulties in access to medical care, usually needed to be accompanied by caregivers and having other co-morbidities with limited mobility. This contradiction is especially prominent in the context of COVID-19 pandemic, which may even exacerbate cognitive decline of patients. Therefore, remote cognitive assessment and rehabilitation based on information and communication technologies have become new options. This paper introduces the widely used and validated means of remote assessment and its guiding use in cognitive rehabilitation, which can be implemented through the Internet, applications, video and telephone. The advantages of being fast, convenient and geographically agnostic lead to a wider use in large community and safeguard the health of patients with cognitive impairment.
2.Analysis of clinical features and diagnostic indicators of neurosyphilis patients with general paresis of insane
Qichao DING ; Yue LU ; Xu SUN
Journal of Apoplexy and Nervous Diseases 2022;39(6):518-522
Objective To compare the clinical symptoms,laboratory and imaging results of neurosyphilis patients with and without general paresis of insane (GPI),and to analyze the clinical characteristics of patients with GPI and find the indexes that can help to realize early diagnosis.Method A total of 104 patients with neurosyphilis were admitted from the First Affiliated Hospital of Naval Medical University from January 1,2010 to December 31,2021,including 59 patients with GPI and 45 patients without GPI.The demographic data,clinical manifestations,laboratory and imaging results were collected and compared.Result There were significant differences of the cerebrospinal fluid protein,neutrophil count and neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR),the number of patients with limb weakness between these two groups.Cerebrospinal fluid protein≥755 mg/L、NLR ≥ 2.82 and absence of limb weakness were independent risk factors of GPI,and the binary logistic regression model including the risk factors can predict GPI.Conclusion Neurosyphilis patients with GPI often show cognitive decline or/and psychiatric symptoms.NLR≥2.8,cerebrospinal fluid protein≥755 mg/L and clinical symptoms without limb weakness are predictors of GPI.When clinicians find neurosyphilis patients present with such characters,It is suggested to assess their cognitive function and mental symptoms and carry out intervention early,which is helpful to slow down or even reverse the occurrence of cognitive disability in patients with neurosyphilis.
3.Delay in anticoagulation in patients with cerebral venous sinus thrombosis: influencing factors and its effect on outcome
Rui SUN ; Rundong CHEN ; Ge YIN ; Qichao DING ; Wen WU ; Cunxiu FAN ; Xu SUN ; Meng LIANG ; Xiaobei LIU ; Qiang LI ; Xiaoying BI
International Journal of Cerebrovascular Diseases 2022;30(8):577-583
Objective:To investigate the factors associated with delay in anticoagulant therapy in patients with cerebral venous sinus thrombosis (CVST) and its effect on outcome.Methods:Patients with CVST admitted to Changhai Hospital, Naval Medical University from January 2010 to August 2021 were retrospectively enrolled. Patients were divided into early anticoagulation group and late anticoagulation group by the median time interval from first symptom to initiation of anticoagulation. The modified Rankin Scale was used for outcome assessment at 90 d after onset. 0-2 scores were defined as good outcome and 3-6 were defined as poor outcome. Demographic and clinical data were compared for the early versus late anticoagulation group and for the good versus poor outcome groups. Multivariable logistic regression was used to identify independent influencing factors of delay in anticoagulation and the correlation of delay in anticoagulation with poor outcome. Results:A total of 131 patients were included, their age was 40.07±15.11 years old, and 68 (51.91%) were male. Of these, 65 patients (49.62%) were in the early anticoagulation group and 14 (10.69%) were in the poor outcome group. Compared with the late anticoagulation group, the early anticoagulation group had a significantly higher proportion of patients with seizures and brain parenchymal damage as well as higher D-dimer levels on admission, while the proportion of patients with visual impairment/papilloedema was significantly lower (all P<0.05). Compared with the good outcome group, the poor outcome group had significantly higher proportions of patients with seizures, dyskinesia, impaired consciousness, low Glasgow Coma Scale score, and brain parenchymal damage as well as higher D-dimer, total cholesterol and low density lipoprotein cholesterol levels, sites of thrombus involvement were more common in the superior sagittal and straight sinuses, and significantly lower proportions of patients with headache and lower albumin levels on admission (all P<0.05). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that visual impairment/papilloedema (odds ratio [ OR] 0.119, 95% confidence interval [ CI] 0.030-0.473; P=0.002) and brain parenchymal damage ( OR 1.341, 95% CI 1.042-1.727; P=0.023) were independently associated with a delay in anticoagulation treatment, and a delay in anticoagulation treatment ( OR 6.102, 95% CI 1.185-30.504; P=0.030) and D-dimer level on admission ( OR 1.299, 95% CI 1.141-1.480; P<0.001) were the independent predictors of poor outcome in patients with CVST. Conclusions:Visual impairment/papilloedema and absence of brain parenchymal damage on cranial imaging are the independent risk factors for delay in anticoagulation in patients with CVST. The delay in anticoagulation is strongly associated with the poor outcome in patients with CVST.