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Nancy Leblanc

Publications and source records attributed to Nancy Leblanc.

5 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2006

Efficacy of topiramate, valproate, and their combination on aggression/agitation behavior in patients with psychosis.

Topiramate is an antiepileptic drug, recently also used in the treatment of psychiatric diseases. Inasmuch as topiramate and valproate, which are currently used for aggressive behavior, share several pharmacological mechanisms (positive modulatory effect on the GABA activity and negative modulatory effect on glutamatergic neurotransmission), the objective of the present study was to compare the pharmacological effects of topiramate with those of valproate and their combination in patients with psychiatric disorders showing marked aggression and agitation. A retrospective, case-controlled, mirror-image study was carried out in a sample of 45 inpatients affected by schizophrenia, schizoaffective and bipolar disorder, and hospitalized in a maximum-security Canadian psychiatry hospital. Overt Aggression Scale, Agitation-Calmness Evaluation Scale, number and intensity of psychotic episodes, number of episodes of withdrawal from group activities per week, and number of therapeutic isolation per week and of strict surveillance intervention per week were evaluated before and after the treatments. Results indicate that patients treated with topiramate show a decrease in the average score of the Overt Aggression Scale, a decrease of episodes of agitation and of strict surveillance interventions. This effect was similar to the group treated with valproate or with the combination of valproate-topiramate. However, valproate therapy, but not topiramate therapy, decreased the intensity of agitation episodes measured by the Agitation-Calmness Evaluation Scale; valproate and the combination topiramate-valproate decreased the number of psychotic disorganization episodes as well. These results suggest that topiramate could be a valid medicine in the control of aggression in psychosis. Double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled studies need to further assess this pharmacological indication.

Adult↗
PubMed2005

Less money, less care: how nurses in long-term care allocate hours of needed care in a context of chronic shortage.

The average funding of long-term care in Quebec, Canada, currently covers < 70% of the care hours required, which means that 30% of needs are unmet. The aims of this study were to understand how nurses, when they are in a position to do so, assign care hours, which needs are unmet by care dimensions and whether dimensions with unmet needs vary with client profiles. One-hundred-and-four nurses working in long-term care facilities participated in the study. They filled out individual questionnaires containing three case studies in the form of vignettes. When obliged to cut 30% of the care hours, the nurses ensured that treatment and diagnostic methods were done as prescribed and that vital feeding and elimination functions were preserved. However, they made the choice to cut some mobility and personal-care activities and, especially, communication with patients, families and other professionals. In this, they partly follow the theoretical care prioritization approach of Lefebvre and Dupuis, who take into account the degree of discomfort caused by the situation, the problem's place in Maslow's hierarchy of needs and the availability of a solution. Thus, although the choices made by the nurses follow a logical pattern, they could result in medium-term deterioration in the functional autonomy of their older patients. The overall consequences of these decisions are discussed.

Health Care Rationing↗
PubMed2005

Response inhibition after traumatic brain injury (TBI) in children: impairment and recovery.

Children who experience traumatic brain injury (TBI) often show cognitive impairments postinjury, some of which recover over time. We examined the recovery of motor response inhibition immediately following TBI and over 2 years. We assessed the role of injury severity, age at injury, and lesion characteristics on initial impairment and recovery while considering the role of pre-injury psychiatric disorder. Participants were 136 children with TBI aged 5-16 years. Latency of motor response inhibition was measured with the stop-signal task within 1 month of the injury and again at 3, 6, 12, and 24 months. The performance of the TBI participants at each measurement occasion was standardized with 117 children of similar age, but without injury. Residualized latency scores were calculated. Growth curve analyses showed an initial impairment in response inhibition and improvement over the 2 years following injury. Younger TBI patients were initially more impaired although they exhibited greater recovery of response inhibition than did older TBI patients. Longer duration of coma, but not reactivity of pupils or Glasgow Coma Scale score, predicted initial deficit. Lesion characteristics or pre-injury attention deficit hyperactivity disorder did not predict initial impairment or recovery. Replication with longitudinal testing of a comparison group of children sustaining extracranial injury is necessary to confirm our findings.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Living in the community while waiting for an admission in long-term care: satisfaction with a transitional nursing home project.

This qualitative study took place in Quebec City, Quebec, Canada. The main objective was to evaluate satisfaction with a transitional program aimed at keeping seniors in the community while waiting for admission to a public long-term care facility. Semistructured interviews were conducted with 4 types of informants: seniors, family members, facility managers, and hospital or community care coordinators. Results show that satisfaction varies according to groups of informants but seniors are the most satisfied of all.

Aged↗