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F Morales Asín

Publications and source records attributed to F Morales Asín.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

[Revalidation and standardization of the cognition mini-exam (first Spanish version of the Mini-Mental Status Examination) in the general geriatric population].

BACKGROUND: The revalidation of the Mini Examen Cognoscitivo (MEC), first Spanish version (1978) of the Mini-Mental Status Examination (MMSE) and documentation of "population-based norms" should clarify the potential confusion induced by later versions of MMSE. METHODS CONTEXT: The Zaragoza Study on the prevalence of dementia and depression in a representative sample of the elderly community (N = 1,080). INSTRUMENTS: MEC-35 and MEC-30 points, and validated, Spanish versions of Geriatric Mental State (GMS), History and Aetiology Schedule (HAS) and Social Status Schedule (SSS). PROCEDURE: a) validation of MEC (standardized lay interviewers) against the gold standard of psychiatric diagnosis (DSM-III-R), two months later; b) "population-based norms" in the "healthy" population, and c) comparison with other MMSE versions. RESULTS: The instrument fulfills criteria of "feasibility", "content", "procedural" and "construct validity". Test-retest reliability: weighted kappa = 0.637. MEC-30 (cut-off point 23/24), sensitivity = 89.8%, specificity = 75.1% (80.8% with the cut-off at 22/23), and ROC curve, AUC = 0.920. The coefficients of individual items were satisfactory and the specificity increases in MEC-35 (83.9%). Other MMSE Spanish versions have not improved these coefficients. "Population-based norms" confirm the hypothesized influence of age and education level. MEC-30 is the version with most comparable results with the MMSE in USA. CONCLUSIONS: The validity of MEC is confirmed in the elderly population, with the same cut-off points recommended in the original standardization. MEC-30 is the best version for international comparisons.

Age Factors↗

[Safety profile of 311C90 (zolmitriptan)].

A bibliographic review of the safety profile of 311C90 or zolmitriptan is performed in the present study showing the large number of clinical trials carried out in both healthy volunteers and patients with migraine. The molecule, a potent, selective agonist for the 5HT1B/1D receptors with central and peripheral activity does not appear to have significant influence on arterial pressure. ECG and Holter ECG studies did not show any alterations in healthy volunteers. In migraine patients, the ECG did not demonstrate ischemic alterations at any of the dosages of zolmitriptan used. In patients who had undertaken treatment for months, the hemogram and biochemical follow up did not show any changes. This new triptan was well tolerated in a wide spectrum of patients and healthy volunteers. Complaints of subjective side effects usually increase according to an increase in dosage. The most frequent adverse effects were nausea and dizziness. Other discomforts are: dryness of the mouth, sensation of heat, paresthesia, asthenia, drowsiness, and dizziness. The sensation of heaviness, tightness or pressure of the throat and chest have also been reported. The adverse effects reported with 5 mg of zolmitriptan are similar to those found with 100 mg of sumatriptan. The adverse side effects are usually mild, last a short time and remit without therapy. Zolmitriptan used together with the other most often used drugs in migraine patients did not show any important clinical interactions. However, it seems reasonable to limit the daily administration of zolmitriptan with monoaminoxidase inhibitors (MAOI-A) since a possible increase of the levels of zolmitriptan and its metabolites may be detected in the presence of one (moclobemide). At a dose of 2.5 mg, zolmitriptan appears to provide the best relationship between benefits and risk.

Dose-Response Relationship, Drug↗

[Chronic paroxysmal hemicrania].

In order to provide an update of clinical, pathogenic, diagnostic and therapeutic aspects of chronic paroxysmal hemicrania (CPH), also known as Sjaastad syndrome, we review the relevant literature. The term CPH was proposed by Sjaastad in 1976. Although continuous and non continuous cases have been described, Sjaastad prefers to use the term "prechronic" for the non continuous form, given that the adjective "chronic" denotes an important defining feature of CPH. CPH, which has been included in International Headache Society classification system since 1988, is much less common than cluster headache. CPH can be defined as pain that mainly affects women, is unilateral, always on the same side, and generally oculo-fronto-temporal. It can appear at any hour of the day or night, can be triggered by various phenomena and is accompanied by dysautonomic phenomena, generally on the same side as the pain, such as red eyes, tearing, nasal congestion and sometimes rhinorrhea. This headache is distinguished by its response to indomethacin therapy. The pathogenesis of CPH is unknown, although it is believed to resemble cluster headache, at least in its final stages (involving the trigeminal vascular system). Differential diagnosis should include cluster headache, SUNCT syndrome, continuous hemicrania and cervical headache, as well as facial neuralgia.

Adult↗

[Clinical diagnosis of Biswanger's disease].

Fifty patients with periventricular hypodense lesions in cerebral CAT (leucoaraiosis) were included in a prospective study. All of them were intensively evaluated considering both the clinical and neuropsychological aspects. Fifteen of these patients were diagnosed of dementia following the criteria proposed by Bennett et al for Binswanger's disease. The group of patients with dementia was compared with the rest of patients with leucoaraiosis from the radiological, semiological and neuropsychological aspects; the incidence of vascular risk factors and the score obtained in the Ischemic Scale were also compared. We found that the patients with dementia have, in the CAT study, more severe periventricular lesions than the rest of patients. We have not found any significative differences in the incidence of vascular risk factors. Deambulation disorders, constructive apraxia and visual-perceptive disorders were the symptoms more strongly related with dementia, even tough only the latter two showed this relationship in the statistical multivariant analysis. Differences in the score of test and scales were highly significant. We think that Bennett's criteria are of great value for the clinical diagnosis of Binswanger's disease.

Aged↗

[Contribution of the set-test to the diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease].

The categoric verbal fluency (colors, animals, fruits and cities) was prospectively evaluated with the set-test in a group of 71 patients with dementia (Alzheimer's disease 38, vascular dementia 19, mixed dementia 2, other dementias 12). In all types of dementia, greater decreases in the categoric verbal fluency were found with greater degrees of severity. However, for equal degree of deterioration, patients with Alzheimer's disease had the smallest scores in the set-test as compared with other types of dementia. 90% of the percentile distribution of patients with Alzheimer's disease had set-test scores below 25. The hypothesis that a set-test score lower than 25 is diagnostic for Alzheimer's disease has a 87% sensitivity and a 67% specificity. It is concluded that in patients with criteria of probable Alzheimer's disease a set-test score lower than 25 supports the diagnosis.

Aged↗

[The set-test for diagnosis of dementia].

The set-test evaluates the verbal fluency in 4 categories: colors, animals, fruits and cities. It has been proposed as a diagnostic aid in dementia in elderly patients. Therefore, we have evaluated its yield in a normative control reference group of 79 individuals and in 56 patients with possible dementia. It had a positive correlation of 73 with minimental test. The cut-off value was 29 in adults an 27 in elderly people. A lower score is indicative of dementia. Sensitivity was 79% and specificity 82%, with 20% of incorrectly classified patients. Considering the short duration of the test, we think that it is very useful for the evaluation of patients with dementia.

Adult↗