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Biomedical subjects

Rebecca Barnett

Publications and source records attributed to Rebecca Barnett.

4 recordsLinked to original sources

A matched comparison study of medical and psychiatric complications and anesthesia and analgesia requirements in methadone-maintained liver transplant recipients.

Approximately 85% of patients receiving methadone maintenance therapy (MMT) for opiate dependence in the United States are infected with hepatitis C virus (HCV). MMT is significantly underrepresented in most liver transplant programs, but the number of patients receiving MMT is increasing and few data are available to guide treatment. We evaluated MMT in our program (27 pretransplant and 10 posttransplant cases) for medical and psychiatric complications and anesthesia and analgesia requirements. After transplant, 10 patients receiving MMT were compared with a matched control group of 19 patients who were not receiving MMT and not dependent on opiates. Fewer patients receiving MMT retained a spot on the transplant waiting list (65%) than patients not receiving MMT (80%); 30% of patients receiving MMT pretransplant used heroin, cocaine, or marijuana, and more than 25% were lost to follow-up. Liver disease according to mean Child-Turcotte-Pugh (CTP) score and transplant waiting times was similar between the 2 groups. Patients receiving MMT required significantly more intraoperative anesthesia and postoperative analgesia (mean fentanyl 3,175 microg/d, SD = 2,832; intravenous morphine 67.86 mg/d, SD = 38.84, respectively) compared with patients not receiving MMT (mean fentanyl 1,324 microg/d, SD = 1,122; intravenous morphine 12.17 mg/d, SD = 10.24, respectively). More patients receiving MMT had severe recurrent HCV infection (60%) and worse survival (60%) versus patients not receiving MMT (21% and 78.9%, respectively). Follow-up times did not differ between groups (MMT: mean 4.19 years, median 1.15 years, SD = 7.6; non-MMT: mean 2.68 years, median 2.19 years, SD = 1.73). Finally, patients receiving MMT required an average methadone dose increase of 60% from pretransplant to posttransplant. Postoperative analgesia guidelines are described. Posttransplant, 20% of patients receiving MMT used alcohol or illicit drugs. Data do not support withholding the provision of liver transplantation to patients receiving MMT, but larger, well-controlled studies are warranted.

Adult↗

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, combined type: better executive function performance with longer-term psychostimulant medication.

OBJECTIVE: Executive function deficits are evident in primary school-age children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, combined type (ADHD-CT) and are possibly improved by longer-term psychostimulant medication. In contrast, a substantial subgroup of children with ADHD-CT become symptomatic despite longer-term psychostimulant medication use. We investigated the hypothesis that better executive function performance is associated with the use of longer-term psychostimulant medication in primary school-age children with ADHD-CT who are again symptomatic of ADHD-CT, despite its use. METHOD: A cross-sectional study of 40 primary school-age psychostimulant medication-naïve children with ADHD-CT, 26 with symptomatic ADHD-CT and treated with psychostimulant medication, and 26 control children without ADHD-CT was conducted. Nonverbal tasks of executive function were compared across the three groups. RESULTS: The longer-term psychostimulant medication-treated group had a better executive function performance, despite being symptomatic for ADHD-CT, than the psychostimulant medication-naïve group. CONCLUSION: Improved executive function may be a marker of psychostimulant medication effect in children with ADHD-CT treated in the longer term. This improvement may not correlate with that of the ADHD-CT symptoms. Longitudinal studies are required.

Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity↗

Characteristics of parent- and child-reported anxiety in psychostimulant medication naïve, clinically referred children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, combined type (ADHD-CT).

OBJECTIVE: Anxiety is a frequent comorbid condition in referred primary school-age children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, combined type (ADHD-CT), yet there has been relatively little systematic research of the nature of this comorbid anxiety. We describe the characteristics of parent-reported child anxiety disorders and child-reported anxiety disorders in primary school-age children with ADHD-CT. METHOD: A cross-sectional study of 75 clinically-referred psychostimulant medication naïve children with ADHD-CT examining separately parent and child reports of anxiety, defined categorically and dimensionally. A two-year follow up of 12 children with parent-reported child anxiety and 12 children with child-reported anxiety was also completed. RESULTS: There was no significant association between the child and parent reports of anxiety. Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), separation anxiety disorder (SAD), specific phobia (SpPh) and social phobia (SoPh) were the most common anxiety disorder diagnoses reported by parents and children. Two-year follow-up data revealed no decrease in the parent report but a significant decrease in the child report of anxiety disorders. CONCLUSIONS: The dissonance between the parent report of child anxiety and the child report of anxiety, emphasizes the importance of careful and thorough clinical assessment of the child's perspective. The nature of parent-reported child anxiety and children's self-report of anxiety requires further systematic research.

Anxiety Disorders↗