J L Pais-Ribeiro

Publications of J L Pais-Ribeiro

• Neuropsychological predictors of quality of life in focal epilepsy.

  Authors: Rute F Meneses, J L Pais-Ribeiro, António Martins da Silva, Anna Rita Giovagnoli

  Seizure : the journal of the British Epilepsy Association. 02/2009;

  Spontaneous complaints of outpatients with focal epilepsy often stress the relationship between cognitive deficits and Quality of Life (QOL). Consequently, the aim of the present study was to findSpontaneous complaints of outpatients with focal epilepsy often stress the relationship between cognitive deficits and Quality of Life (QOL). Consequently, the aim of the present study was to find the best neuropsychological predictors of QOL in individuals with focal epilepsy, in order to guide their ambulatory health care. A sample of 71 Portuguese patients was studied: 40 female, 47 married, with a mean age of 37.48 years (S.D.=11.79, 16-62), mean education of 7.93 (S.D.=4.05, 3-17), and focal epilepsy of moderate severity. A Socio-demographic and Clinical Questionnaire, the SF-36 v1, the Cognitive Functioning Scale from the ESI-55, a Seizure Control scale (items from the Liverpool Seizure Severity Scale), and several neuropsychological tests were used. Semantic Fluency was the only predictor of Physical Functioning, Role Functioning - Physical, and Mental Health; I.A. Test predicted Bodily Pain; and Attentive Matrices predicted General Health, Vitality, and Role Functioning - Emotional. The Mental Component of the SF-36 v1 was predicted by Attentive Matrices, and the Physical Component was predicted by Semantic Fluency. Cognitive Functioning was predicted by the Token Test. Social Functioning and Seizure Control presented no statistically significant correlation with the neuropsychological indicators used. These results underscore the importance of cognitive performance to the QOL of individuals with focal epilepsy, supporting the systematic screening of cognitive performance in this population. Additionally, they suggest cognitive rehabilitation has the potential to improve these individuals' QOL.

• Quality of life is a primary end-point in clinical settings.

  Authors: J L Pais-Ribeiro

  Clinical nutrition (Edinburgh, Scotland). 03/2004; 23(1):121-30.

  The objective of this review is to present and discuss the quality of life (QOL) construct, more specifically the QOL in the field of health and disease also designated as health-related quality ofThe objective of this review is to present and discuss the quality of life (QOL) construct, more specifically the QOL in the field of health and disease also designated as health-related quality of life (HRQOL). QOL is an everyday language concept with a relatively short history in the health field. It became a principal end-point in health care as a consequence of the development of patients' rights movements. It is important for clinical, economic and political decisions. There is no gold standard way to measure QOL and the existence of a huge number of measures and related QOL concepts makes it difficult to discuss QOL. This means that many times we are using the same expression "QOL" but we are not talking about the same thing. So we submit that it is important to keep looking for the good construct and the good measure. The reason why we decide to evaluate QOL influences the measures we choose. In general, QOL measures are based on questionnaires that must be short and easy to answer. The interest in these kind of soft measures (in opposition to the traditional hard physiologically or biochemically oriented measures) is growing fast.