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OBJETIVO: Investigar a associação entre a presença de sintomas depressivos e a deficiência visual causada por catarata no paciente idoso. MÉTODOS: Vinte e três pacientes com catarata e acuidade visual inferior a 20/200 no melhor olho foram avaliados. As idades variavam de 60 a 93 anos. Antes da cirurgia de catarata e um mês após, os sintomas depressivos foram avaliados pela Escala de Depressão Geriátrica (EDG). RESULTADOS: A cirurgia melhorou a visão para 20/50, ou melhor, em todos os pacientes. Antes e após a cirurgia de catarata foram encontrados 11 (47,82%) e 10 (43,47%) indivíduos com escores indicativos de depressão respectivamente (p=1,0; teste de McNemar). Antes da cirurgia observamos o valor mediano da EDG de 5,0 e após a cirurgia a EDG apresentou o valor mediano de 4,0 (p = 0,012; Wilcoxon pareado). Neste período os sintomas indicativos de depressão diminuíram significativamente, de valores entre 3 a 8 pontos para valores entre 3 a 6 pontos. CONCLUSÕES: Sintomas depressivos são prevalentes e persistentes entre pacientes idosos, entretanto os níveis dos sintomas indicativos de depressão diminuem significativamente com a melhora da visão.PURPOSE: To investigate the association of depressive symptoms with visual impairment caused by cataract in the elderly. METHODS: Twenty-three patients with cataract and visual acuity less than 20/200 were studied. Ages ranged from 60 to 93 years. Before the cataract operation and one month there after the patient's depression was tested using the Geriatric Depression Scale-GDS. RESULTS: The cataract surgery restored visual acuity to 20/50 or better in all patients. Before and after the surgery, 11 (47.82%) and 10 (43.47%) patients had scores indicative of depression, respectively (p=l.0; McNemar test). The average GDS score for all subjects before operation was 5.0 and after the cataract surgery it was 4.0 (p=0.012; paired Wilcoxon). After the operation the subjects' depression symptoms had significantly diminished, from 3 to 8 points before to 3 to 6 points after surgery. CONCLUSION: Depressive symptoms are prevalent and persistent among elderly patients however depression rates decrease with improved visual acuity.

OBJETIVO: Investigar a associação entre a presença de sintomas depressivos e a deficiência visual causada por catarata no paciente idoso. MÉTODOS: Vinte e três pacientes com catarata e acuidade visual inferior a 20/200 no melhor olho foram avaliados. As idades variavam de 60 a 93 anos. Antes da cirurgia de catarata e um mês após, os sintomas depressivos foram avaliados pela Escala de Depressão Geriátrica (EDG). RESULTADOS: A cirurgia melhorou a visão para 20/50, ou melhor, em todos os pacientes. Antes e após a cirurgia de catarata foram encontrados 11 (47,82%) e 10 (43,47%) indivíduos com escores indicativos de depressão respectivamente (p=1,0; teste de McNemar). Antes da cirurgia observamos o valor mediano da EDG de 5,0 e após a cirurgia a EDG apresentou o valor mediano de 4,0 (p = 0,012; Wilcoxon pareado). Neste período os sintomas indicativos de depressão diminuíram significativamente, de valores entre 3 a 8 pontos para valores entre 3 a 6 pontos. CONCLUSÕES: Sintomas depressivos são prevalentes e persistentes entre pacientes idosos, entretanto os níveis dos sintomas indicativos de depressão diminuem significativamente com a melhora da visão. PURPOSE: To investigate the association of depressive symptoms with visual impairment caused by cataract in the elderly. METHODS: Twenty-three patients with cataract and visual acuity less than 20/200 were studied. Ages ranged from 60 to 93 years. Before the cataract operation and one month there after the patient's depression was tested using the Geriatric Depression Scale-GDS. RESULTS: The cataract surgery restored visual acuity to 20/50 or better in all patients. Before and after the surgery, 11 (47.82%) and 10 (43.47%) patients had scores indicative of depression, respectively (p=l.0; McNemar test). The average GDS score for all subjects before operation was 5.0 and after the cataract surgery it was 4.0 (p=0.012; paired Wilcoxon). After the operation the subjects' depression symptoms had significantly diminished, from 3 to 8 points before to 3 to 6 points after surgery. CONCLUSION: Depressive symptoms are prevalent and persistent among elderly patients however depression rates decrease with improved visual acuity.

Este trabalho objetivou avaliar o índice de sintomas depressivos, bem como sua distribuição por gênero e série, dos alunos de um colégio particular, da cidade de Uberaba-MG, no final do segundo e do terceiro ano do Ensino Médio e no 'cursinho pré-vestibular', próximo ao concurso vestibular. Foram avaliados 791 estudantes, utilizando o questionário SRQ-20 - Self Reporting Questionnaire, um instrumento desenvolvido pela Organização Mundial da Saúde com 20 questões, que serve para rastrear e avaliar a ocorrência de transtornos mentais comuns, dentre eles a depressão, na população geral. Foram encontradas duas vezes mais sintomatologia depressiva no sexo feminino e um aumento do indicativo de depressão de acordo com o progresso acadêmico dos sujeitos. Conclui-se que existe a presença de sintomas depressivos em 45,7% da amostra, com maior prevalência de casos no sexo feminino. Foi sugerido acompanhamento psicológico aos alunos. This research has the main objective of evaluating the psychological condition of students at a private high school in the city of Uberaba-MG, Brazil. Evaluations were performed in the end of the second and third grades in high school and prior to doing the exams required to enter college/university. 791 students were evaluated using the SRQ-20 - Self Reporting Questionnaire. This test was devised by the World Health Organization and consists of 20 questions about symptoms and problems commonly seen in people with neurotic disorders. There were twice as many females in the group with symptoms of depression, with an increase of depression as the female students were approaching the university entrance exams. The manifestation of depression symptoms was noticed in 45,7% of the samples with a bigger prevalence of cases among women. The students have been advised to undergo psychological follow-up treatment.

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Purpose: To present photorefractive keratectomy (PRK) results for myopia ranging from -4,00 to - 6,00 diopters performed with the VISX and Summit excimer lasers. Methods: To be eligible for this study, patients had to be 20 to 45 years of age, have -4.00 to -6.00 diopters of myopia and have no more than 1 D of astigmatism. The Summit group was composed of 51 eyes. The baseline preoperative spherical equivalent of myopia was -5.22 ± 0.17 and surgeries were performed with the Excimed UV 200 LA Excimer Laser. In the VISX group, there were 53 eyes and the baseline refractive error was -4.85 ± 0.16 and surgeries were performed with the Twenty/Twenty Excimer Laser. Results: At six-month examination, haze ranged from 0 to 1 (M:0.56 ± 0.07) in the VISX group and from 0 to 3 (M:0.58 ± 0.08) in the Summit group. Uncorrected vision at six months was 20/20 or better in 22% of eyes and 20/40 or better in 83% of eyes in the VISX group. In the Summit group, 25% of eyes were 20/20 or better and 71% were 20/40 or better at the six-month examination. Conclusion: It is reassuring that PRK of patients with -4.00 to -6.00 D of myopia results in acceptable results. Objetivo: Apresentar os resultados obtidos com ceratecto-mia fotorrefrativa (PRK) para a correção de miopia variando de -4,0 a -6,0 dioptrias realizadas com os excimer lasers VISX e Summit. Métodos: Para o estudo foram avaliados os resultados de PRK realizadas em pacientes com idade entre 20 e 45 anos, miopia entre -4,0 e -6,0 dioptrias e astigmatismo até 1,0 dioptria. O grupo operado com o laser da marca Summit era composto de 51 olhos. O equivalente esférico médio pré-operatório era de -5,22 ± 0,17 dioptrias e as cirurgias foram realizadas com o Excimed UV 200 LA Excimer Laser. O grupo operado com o laser VISX, era composto de 53 olhos e o erro refrativo preoperatório era de -4,85 ± 0,16 diop-trias e as cirurgias foram realizadas com o Twenty/Twenty Excimer Laser. Resultados: Exame seis meses após a cirurgia revelou "haze" variando de 0 a 1 (M:0,56 ± 0,07) no grupo VISX e variando de 0 a 3 (M:0,58 ± 0,08) no grupo Summit. Neste mesmo exa-me, acuidade visual sem correção era de 20/20 ou melhor em 22% dos olhos e 20/40 ou melhor em 83% dos olhos no grupo VISX. No grupo Summit, 25% dos olhos tinham visão melhor ou igual a 20/20 e 71% melhor ou igual a 20/40. Conclusão: Ceratectomia fotorrefrativa realizadas em olhos com miopia variando de --4,0 a ¾6,0 dioptrias apresenta re-sultados aceitáveis.