sebind Kumar | Kerala University Of Health Sciences (original) (raw)
Papers by sebind Kumar
Acta Physiologica, 2019
The reproducibility of results gained from animal experiments and their extrapolation to humans a... more The reproducibility of results gained from animal experiments and their extrapolation to humans are intensively discussed. Reporting bias, HARKing (Hypothesizing After the Results are Known) and p-hacking have been identified as major factors contributing to the reproducibility crisis. Hence, greater transparency of animal experimentation is requested by the public as well as by the scientific community. As a potential countermeasure to reduce selective reporting, the German Centre for the Protection of Laboratory Animals (Bf3R) has launched a new preregistration platform for animal studies, the Animal Study Registry (www.animalstudyregistry.org). The registry is free of charge and is designed for exploratory and confirmatory studies in the field of fundamental and preclinical research. The registration form serves as a check list for researchers, helping them to plan their study thoroughly by asking detailed questions concerning study design, methods, statistics, and animal characteristics. With the registration in Animal Study Registry the study receives a digital object identifier (DOI) which marks the study as intellectual property of the researcher. The long embargo period of 5 years is a distinctive characteristic of Animal Study Registry. During the embargo period the visibility of the study is restricted to the title, a short summary, and name of the institution (see Fig. 1). The Bf3R is part of the Federal Institute for Risk Assessment, a scientifically independent federal institution, which guarantees continuity and data security. Registering a study in the Animal Study Registry is a possibility for researcher to show their commitment to transparency and data quality to editors, third party donors, and the general public.
Journal of Emergency Management
There is scant information on early manifestation of trauma due to catastrophic natural events an... more There is scant information on early manifestation of trauma due to catastrophic natural events and its relation with stress-related disorders. The specific objective of this study was to estimate and compare the prevalence of post-traumatic stress and depression on day 3 (D3) and week 6 (W6) following the 2018 flood in Kerala, India. In a cross-sectional study, symptoms of post-traumatic stress and depression were studied at D3 using primary care Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder screen for Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5) (PC-PTSD-5), and then at W6 using PC-PTSD-5, Screening Questionnaire for Disaster Mental Health, PTSD Checklist for DSM-5 (PCL-5), and Becks Depression Inventory. Majority (70 percent) were screen positive at D3 (n = 20) compared with 30 percent at W6 (n = 50), with a decreased frequency of all symptoms. Being PC-PTSD-5 screen positive at W6 was significantly associated with the presence of threat to life, physical injury, ...
International Journal of Dermatology, 2010
Background Delusional Parasitosis (DP) is a relatively uncommon condition wherein there is a fixe... more Background Delusional Parasitosis (DP) is a relatively uncommon condition wherein there is a fixed belief that one is infested with living organisms despite a lack of medical evidence of such infestation. Pimozide has been mooted as specific for the treatment of this condition. Atypical anti-psychotics have received attention in recent years. Methods We describe the clinical features and treatment responses in a retrospective review of 20 cases treated at this department over a 5 year period, and selectively review the literature. Results The majority were treated with atypical anti-psychotics and all subjects who followed up showed varying degrees of clinical improvement irrespective of the anti-psychotic used. Conclusion The evidence for pimozide as first line drug in DP is limited to one small, non-randomized placebo-controlled trial. DP responds well to most anti-psychotics. Prospective randomized trials are needed to clarify optimal treatment of this relatively rare but debilitating condition.
Child abuse & neglect, Jan 7, 2017
Very few studies focus on childhood abuse in developing countries and only a small fraction of su... more Very few studies focus on childhood abuse in developing countries and only a small fraction of such studies explicitly deal with abuse in a school environment. The purpose of this study was to estimate the prevalence of sexual, physical, and emotional abuse in a school environment in a developing country. Abuse history was collected using the International Society for the Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect (ISPCAN) Child Abuse Screening Tool - Children's Institutional Version (ICAST-CI). Demographic variables were also collected. Student supportive measures were provided both during and after the survey. 6682 school attending adolescents in Thrissur, Kerala participated in this cross sectional self report study. One year and lifetime prevalence of physical (75.5%, 78.5%), emotional (84.5%, 85.7%) and sexual (21.0%, 23.8%) abuse was high. Abuse was considered to be present even if an individual item from these three categories was reported. Most abuse was reported as occurring...
Indian journal of psychological medicine
Though common, depressive disorders often remain undetected in late life. To examine the usefulne... more Though common, depressive disorders often remain undetected in late life. To examine the usefulness of Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression (CES-D) for identifying depression among older people. Community resident older people (aged 65 years or more), were evaluated by clinicians trained in psychiatry, as part of a cross-sectional study of late-life depression. Assessments were done in the community. The participants were assigned ICD-10 diagnoses and assessed using Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS) and CES-D. A short version of CES-D with 10 items, translated to the local language Malayalam, was used. The sensitivity and specificity of CES-D was evaluated against ICD-10 clinical diagnosis of depression. The correlation of CES-D and MADRS was assessed using Pearson correlation coefficient. 220 consenting adults from 3 wards of the Panchayath were assessed. On analysis of the Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curve of CES-D scores in relation to clinical ...
Indian Journal of Psychiatry, 2015
Depression is the most common mental health problem in late-life. We need more information about ... more Depression is the most common mental health problem in late-life. We need more information about the incidence and prevalence of major and minor syndromes of depression in older people. This will help in service development. To estimate the prevalence of depressive disorders among community resident older people in Kerala, India and to identify factors associated with late-life depression. Two hundred and twenty community resident older subjects were assessed for depression by clinicians trained in psychiatry. They used a symptom checklist based on International Classification of Diseases Tenth Revision (ICD-10) Diagnostic criteria for research for Depression and Montgomery Asberg Depression Rating Scale for assessment of symptoms. A structured proforma was used to assess sociodemographic characteristics and medical history. The point prevalence of depression was estimated. Univariate analysis and subsequent binary logistic regression were carried out to identify factors associated with depression. Prevalence of any ICD-10 (World Health Organization, 1992) depressive episode was 39.1% (95% confidence interval [CI] 32.6-45.9). There was significant correlation between depression and female gender (odds ratio [OR] 2.33; 95% CI 1.07-5.06) and history of a significant life event in the previous year (OR 2.39; 95% CI 1.27-4.49). High prevalence rate of late-life depression is indicative of high burden due to depression among older people in the community. Better awareness among primary care clinicians can result in better detection and management of late-life depression.
International Journal of Dermatology, 2010
Background Delusional Parasitosis (DP) is a relatively uncommon condition wherein there is a fix... more Background Delusional Parasitosis (DP) is a relatively uncommon condition wherein there is a fixed belief that one is infested with living organisms despite a lack of medical evidence of such infestation. Pimozide has been mooted as specific for the treatment of this condition. Atypical anti-psychotics have received attention in recent years.Methods We describe the clinical features and treatment responses in a retrospective review of 20 cases treated at this department over a 5 year period, and selectively review the literature.Results The majority were treated with atypical anti-psychotics and all subjects who followed up showed varying degrees of clinical improvement irrespective of the anti-psychotic used.Conclusion The evidence for pimozide as first line drug in DP is limited to one small, non-randomized placebo-controlled trial. DP responds well to most anti-psychotics. Prospective randomized trials are needed to clarify optimal treatment of this relatively rare but debilitating condition.
Acta Physiologica, 2019
The reproducibility of results gained from animal experiments and their extrapolation to humans a... more The reproducibility of results gained from animal experiments and their extrapolation to humans are intensively discussed. Reporting bias, HARKing (Hypothesizing After the Results are Known) and p-hacking have been identified as major factors contributing to the reproducibility crisis. Hence, greater transparency of animal experimentation is requested by the public as well as by the scientific community. As a potential countermeasure to reduce selective reporting, the German Centre for the Protection of Laboratory Animals (Bf3R) has launched a new preregistration platform for animal studies, the Animal Study Registry (www.animalstudyregistry.org). The registry is free of charge and is designed for exploratory and confirmatory studies in the field of fundamental and preclinical research. The registration form serves as a check list for researchers, helping them to plan their study thoroughly by asking detailed questions concerning study design, methods, statistics, and animal characteristics. With the registration in Animal Study Registry the study receives a digital object identifier (DOI) which marks the study as intellectual property of the researcher. The long embargo period of 5 years is a distinctive characteristic of Animal Study Registry. During the embargo period the visibility of the study is restricted to the title, a short summary, and name of the institution (see Fig. 1). The Bf3R is part of the Federal Institute for Risk Assessment, a scientifically independent federal institution, which guarantees continuity and data security. Registering a study in the Animal Study Registry is a possibility for researcher to show their commitment to transparency and data quality to editors, third party donors, and the general public.
Journal of Emergency Management
There is scant information on early manifestation of trauma due to catastrophic natural events an... more There is scant information on early manifestation of trauma due to catastrophic natural events and its relation with stress-related disorders. The specific objective of this study was to estimate and compare the prevalence of post-traumatic stress and depression on day 3 (D3) and week 6 (W6) following the 2018 flood in Kerala, India. In a cross-sectional study, symptoms of post-traumatic stress and depression were studied at D3 using primary care Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder screen for Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5) (PC-PTSD-5), and then at W6 using PC-PTSD-5, Screening Questionnaire for Disaster Mental Health, PTSD Checklist for DSM-5 (PCL-5), and Becks Depression Inventory. Majority (70 percent) were screen positive at D3 (n = 20) compared with 30 percent at W6 (n = 50), with a decreased frequency of all symptoms. Being PC-PTSD-5 screen positive at W6 was significantly associated with the presence of threat to life, physical injury, ...
International Journal of Dermatology, 2010
Background Delusional Parasitosis (DP) is a relatively uncommon condition wherein there is a fixe... more Background Delusional Parasitosis (DP) is a relatively uncommon condition wherein there is a fixed belief that one is infested with living organisms despite a lack of medical evidence of such infestation. Pimozide has been mooted as specific for the treatment of this condition. Atypical anti-psychotics have received attention in recent years. Methods We describe the clinical features and treatment responses in a retrospective review of 20 cases treated at this department over a 5 year period, and selectively review the literature. Results The majority were treated with atypical anti-psychotics and all subjects who followed up showed varying degrees of clinical improvement irrespective of the anti-psychotic used. Conclusion The evidence for pimozide as first line drug in DP is limited to one small, non-randomized placebo-controlled trial. DP responds well to most anti-psychotics. Prospective randomized trials are needed to clarify optimal treatment of this relatively rare but debilitating condition.
Child abuse & neglect, Jan 7, 2017
Very few studies focus on childhood abuse in developing countries and only a small fraction of su... more Very few studies focus on childhood abuse in developing countries and only a small fraction of such studies explicitly deal with abuse in a school environment. The purpose of this study was to estimate the prevalence of sexual, physical, and emotional abuse in a school environment in a developing country. Abuse history was collected using the International Society for the Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect (ISPCAN) Child Abuse Screening Tool - Children's Institutional Version (ICAST-CI). Demographic variables were also collected. Student supportive measures were provided both during and after the survey. 6682 school attending adolescents in Thrissur, Kerala participated in this cross sectional self report study. One year and lifetime prevalence of physical (75.5%, 78.5%), emotional (84.5%, 85.7%) and sexual (21.0%, 23.8%) abuse was high. Abuse was considered to be present even if an individual item from these three categories was reported. Most abuse was reported as occurring...
Indian journal of psychological medicine
Though common, depressive disorders often remain undetected in late life. To examine the usefulne... more Though common, depressive disorders often remain undetected in late life. To examine the usefulness of Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression (CES-D) for identifying depression among older people. Community resident older people (aged 65 years or more), were evaluated by clinicians trained in psychiatry, as part of a cross-sectional study of late-life depression. Assessments were done in the community. The participants were assigned ICD-10 diagnoses and assessed using Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS) and CES-D. A short version of CES-D with 10 items, translated to the local language Malayalam, was used. The sensitivity and specificity of CES-D was evaluated against ICD-10 clinical diagnosis of depression. The correlation of CES-D and MADRS was assessed using Pearson correlation coefficient. 220 consenting adults from 3 wards of the Panchayath were assessed. On analysis of the Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curve of CES-D scores in relation to clinical ...
Indian Journal of Psychiatry, 2015
Depression is the most common mental health problem in late-life. We need more information about ... more Depression is the most common mental health problem in late-life. We need more information about the incidence and prevalence of major and minor syndromes of depression in older people. This will help in service development. To estimate the prevalence of depressive disorders among community resident older people in Kerala, India and to identify factors associated with late-life depression. Two hundred and twenty community resident older subjects were assessed for depression by clinicians trained in psychiatry. They used a symptom checklist based on International Classification of Diseases Tenth Revision (ICD-10) Diagnostic criteria for research for Depression and Montgomery Asberg Depression Rating Scale for assessment of symptoms. A structured proforma was used to assess sociodemographic characteristics and medical history. The point prevalence of depression was estimated. Univariate analysis and subsequent binary logistic regression were carried out to identify factors associated with depression. Prevalence of any ICD-10 (World Health Organization, 1992) depressive episode was 39.1% (95% confidence interval [CI] 32.6-45.9). There was significant correlation between depression and female gender (odds ratio [OR] 2.33; 95% CI 1.07-5.06) and history of a significant life event in the previous year (OR 2.39; 95% CI 1.27-4.49). High prevalence rate of late-life depression is indicative of high burden due to depression among older people in the community. Better awareness among primary care clinicians can result in better detection and management of late-life depression.
International Journal of Dermatology, 2010
Background Delusional Parasitosis (DP) is a relatively uncommon condition wherein there is a fix... more Background Delusional Parasitosis (DP) is a relatively uncommon condition wherein there is a fixed belief that one is infested with living organisms despite a lack of medical evidence of such infestation. Pimozide has been mooted as specific for the treatment of this condition. Atypical anti-psychotics have received attention in recent years.Methods We describe the clinical features and treatment responses in a retrospective review of 20 cases treated at this department over a 5 year period, and selectively review the literature.Results The majority were treated with atypical anti-psychotics and all subjects who followed up showed varying degrees of clinical improvement irrespective of the anti-psychotic used.Conclusion The evidence for pimozide as first line drug in DP is limited to one small, non-randomized placebo-controlled trial. DP responds well to most anti-psychotics. Prospective randomized trials are needed to clarify optimal treatment of this relatively rare but debilitating condition.