Digital Commons Network^™

The Legacy Of Racism And Covid-19, Adedayo Okanlawon

MEDI 9331 Scholarly Activities Clinical Years

This perspective piece discusses the interplay between Covid-19, the legacy of racism in America, and their synergistic effects on the black community. Personal racially charged experiences in conjunction with notable stories of injustice in medicine are used to set the stage. The pandemic's disparate impact on black communities are then discussed with suggestion on how to mitigate these issues.

Octadecyl Chain-Bearing Pegylated Poly(Propyleneimine)-Based Dendrimersomes : Physicochemical Studies, Redox-Responsiveness, Dna Condensation, Cytotoxicity And Gene Delivery To Cancer Cells, Partha Laskar, Sukrut Somani, Margaret Mullin, Rothwelle J. Tate, Monika Warzecha, Deborah Bowering, Patricia Keating, Craig Irving, Hing Y. Leung, Christine Dufès

School of Medicine Publications and Presentations

Stimuli-responsive nanocarriers have become increasingly important for nucleic acid and drug delivery in cancer therapy. Here, we report the synthesis, characterization and evaluation of disulphide-linked, octadecyl (C18 alkyl) chain-bearing PEGylated generation 3-diaminobutyric polypropylenimine dendrimer-based vesicles (or dendrimersomes) for gene delivery. The lipid-bearing PEGylated dendrimer was successfully synthesized through in situ two-step reaction. It was able to spontaneously self-assemble into stable, cationic, nanosized vesicles, with low critical aggregation concentration value, and also showed redox-responsiveness in presence of a glutathione concentration similar to that of the cytosolic reducing environment. In addition, it was able to condense more than 70% of DNA at …

Case Series: Resolution Of Vertigo Symptoms In Patients With Eustachian Tube Dysfunction Following Eustachian Tube Dilation., Macaulay A. Ojeaga Jr., Vincent Honrubia

MEDI 9331 Scholarly Activities Clinical Years

Abstract

Objective/hypothesis: This study aims to demonstrate that Eustachian Tube Dilation is a safe and effective treatment for patients with Eustachian tube dysfunction suffering from vertigo.

Study design: A retrospective chart review.

Methods: This case series analyzes the medical records of 5 patients who underwent Eustachian tube dilation for chronic vertigo secondary to Eustachian tube dysfunction. The charts of patient initial, perioperative, and post-operative clinical encounters were reviewed. Patients’ age and demographic information were also reviewed.

Results: A total of 5 patient encounters were investigated. The cohort included one male and four females. The average age of patients evaluated was …

Loss-Of-Function Genomic Variants Highlight Potential Therapeutic Targets For Cardiovascular Disease, Jonas B. Nielsen, Oren Rom, Ida Surakka, Sarah E. Graham, Wei Zhou, Tanmoy Roychowdhury, Lars G. Fritsche, John Blangero, Joanne E. Curran, Juan M. Peralta

School of Medicine Publications and Presentations

Pharmaceutical drugs targeting dyslipidemia and cardiovascular disease (CVD) may increase the risk of fatty liver disease and other metabolic disorders. To identify potential novel CVD drug targets without these adverse effects, we perform genome-wide analyses of participants in the HUNT Study in Norway (n = 69,479) to search for protein-altering variants with beneficial impact on quantitative blood traits related to cardiovascular disease, but without detrimental impact on liver function. We identify 76 (11 previously unreported) presumed causal protein-altering variants associated with one or more CVD- or liver-related blood traits. Nine of the variants are predicted to result in loss-of-function of …

Treating Ms After Surviving Pml: Discrete Strategies For Rescue, Remission, And Recovery Patient 1: From The National Multiple Sclerosis Society Case Conference Proceedings, Nidhiben Anadani, Megan Hyland, Roberto A. Cruz, Robert Lisak, Kathleen Costello, Eugene O. Major, Yasir Jassam, Ethan Meltzer, Thomas C. Varkey, Matthew S. Parsons

School of Medicine Publications and Presentations

A 38-year-old woman with MS receiving natalizumab presented to the neurology clinic with the complaint of a new neurologic symptom.

Treating Ms After Surviving Pml: Discrete Strategies For Rescue, Remission, And Recovery Patient 2: From The National Multiple Sclerosis Society Case Conference Proceedings, Roberto A. Cruz, Nick Hogan, Jayne Sconzert, Megan Sconzert, Eugene O. Major, Robert P. Lisak, Esther Melamed, Thomas C. Varkey, Ethan Meltzer, Andrew Goodman

School of Medicine Publications and Presentations

No abstract provided.

Granulomatosis With Polyangiitis In A Pediatric Male, Florentino Saenz Rios, Sandhya Devaraj, Giri Movva, Hari Movva, Quan D. Nguyen

School of Medicine Publications and Presentations

Significant eosinophilia is a prominent feature in Churg-Strauss syndrome but has not been described in granulomatosis with polyangiitis (GPA) in a pediatric patient. We present a biopsy case that confirmed granulomatosis with polyangiitis with significant eosinophilia > 30% on the initial presentation. Etiologies that could account for eosinophilia were excluded during workup. The patient's presentation of pulmonary alveolar hemorrhage, conjunctivitis arthritis, high-titer cytoplasmic antineutrophil, PR3-ANCA antibodies, and cytoplasmic antibodies (cANCA) was consistent with a clinical picture of atypical GPA in a pediatric patient. This case presents a rare opportunity not only due to GPA’s low incidence in the pediatric population but …

Role Of Nutraceuticals In Covid-19 Mediated Liver Dysfunction, Mohammed Sikander, Shabnam Malik, Anyssa Rodriguez, Murali M. Yallapu, Acharan S. Narula, Sanjaya K. Satapathy, Vijian Dhevan, Subhash C. Chauhan, Meena Jaggi

School of Medicine Publications and Presentations

COVID-19 is known as one of the deadliest pandemics of the century. The rapid spread of this deadly virus at incredible speed has stunned the planet and poses a challenge to global scientific and medical communities. Patients with COVID-19 are at an increased risk of co-morbidities associated with liver dysfunction and injury. Moreover, hepatotoxicity induced by antiviral therapy is gaining importance and is an area of great concern. Currently, alternatives therapies are being sought to mitigate hepatic damage, and there has been growing interest in the research on bioactive phytochemical agents (nutraceuticals) due to their versatility in health benefits reported …

Current Available Computer-Aided Detection Catches Cancer But Requires A Human Operator, Florentino Saenz Rios, Giri Movva, Hari Movva, Quan D. Nguyen

School of Medicine Publications and Presentations

Introduction: This study intends to show that the current widely used computer-aided detection (CAD) may be helpful, but it is not an adequate replacement for the human input required to interpret mammograms accurately. However, this is not to discredit CAD’s ability but to further encourage the adoption of artificial intelligence-based algorithms into the toolset of radiologists.

Methods: This study will use Hologic (Marlborough, MA, USA) and General Electric (Boston, MA, USA) CAD read images provided by patients found to be Breast Imaging Reporting and Data System (BI-RADS) 6 from 2019 to 2020. In addition, patient information will be pulled …

Protein Kinase D1 Regulates Metabolic Switch In Pancreatic Cancer Via Modulation Of Mtorc1, Sonam Kumari, Sheema Khan, Radhiki Sekhri, Hassan Mandil, Stephen Behrman, Murali M. Yallapu, Subhash C. Chauhan, Meena Jaggi

School of Medicine Publications and Presentations

BACKGROUND: Protein kinase D1 (PKD1) is a serine–threonine kinase that regulates various functions within the cell. Herein, we report the significance of PKD1 expression in glucose metabolism resulting in pancreatic cancer (PanCa) progression and chemo-resistance.

METHODS: PKD1 expression in PanCa was investigated by using immunohistochemistry. Functional and metabolic assays were utilised to analyse the effect of PKD1 expression/knockdown on associated cellular/molecular changes.

RESULTS: PKD1 expression was detected in human pancreatic intraepithelial neoplasia lesions (MCS=12.9; P < 0.0001) and pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma samples (MCS=15, P < 0.0001) as compared with faint or no expression in normal pancreatic tissues (MCS= 1.54; P < 0.0001). Our results determine that PKD1 enhances glucose metabolism in PanCa cells, by triggering enhanced tumorigenesis and chemo-resistance. We demonstrate that mTORC1 activation by PKD1 regulates metabolic alterations in PanCa cells. siRNA knockdown of Raptor or treatment with rapamycin inhibited PKD1-accelerated lactate production as well as glucose consumption in cells, which confirms the association of mTORC1 with PKD1-induced metabolic alterations.

CONCLUSION: This study suggests a novel role of PKD1 as a key modulator of the glucose metabolism in PanCa cells accelerating tumorigenesis …

Consenso Experto En Tiempos De Covid-19: Aplicaciones Del Método Delphi En Materia De Salud [Expert Consensus In Times Of Covid-19: Health Applications Of The Delphi Method], José D. Martínez-Ezquerro, Sonia Maria Ruiz-Cejudo, Alejandra Bustamante-Fuentes, Alvaro Diaz-Badillo, Esperanza M. García-Oropesa, Elena B. López-Sosa, Yoscelina E. Martínez-López, Óscar O. Moctezuma-Chávez, Edna J. Nava-González, Juan Carlos Lopez Alvarenga

School of Medicine Publications and Presentations

La epidemia de COVID-19 ha modificado la cultura de la comunicación. La solución para los problemas de salud puede ser asertiva cuando es consensuada. El método Delphi es una herramienta de consenso que emplea rondas de listas de preguntas para recopilar información del conocimiento de un panel de expertos que analizan planteamientos y posibles soluciones a problemas. Se basa en la premisa de que, con la libertad del anonimato, la inteligencia combinada mejora el juicio individual y captura la opinión colectiva experta. El proceso del método es muy flexible, pues las rondas de preguntas pueden realizarse de manera presencial o …

Gambogic Acid Potentiates Gemcitabine Induced Anticancer Activity In Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer, Elham Hatami, Prashanth K. B. Nagesh, Meena Jaggi, Subhash C. Chauhan, Murali M. Yallapu

School of Medicine Publications and Presentations

Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is the most frequent type of lung cancer accounting up to 80-85% of all lung cancer (LC) cases. Gemcitabine (Gem), a pyrimidine nucleoside antimetabolite, is widely used chemotherapy offering several months survival benefit in patients with NSCLC. The emergence of Gem resistance is a main clinical concern in cancer treatment and thus a continuous demand for development of new therapeutic strategies to improve its antitumor activity. Hence, we report an adjuvant therapeutic regimen based on natural compound, gambogic acid (GA) which has been shown to enhanced Gem induced inhibition of cancer cell growth, arrest cell …

Two-Year Neurocognitive Responses To First Occupational Lead Exposure, Yu-Ling Yu, Lutgarde Thijs, Nelly Saenen, Jesus D. Melgarejo, Dong-Mei Wei, Wen-Yi Yang, Cai-Guo Yu, Harry A. Roels, Tim S. Nawrot, Gladys E. Maestre, Jan A. Staessen, Zhen-Yu Zhang

School of Medicine Publications and Presentations

Objectives Lead exposure causes neurocognitive dysfunction in children, but its association with neurocognition in adults at current occupational exposure levels is uncertain mainly due to the lack of longitudinal studies. In the Study for Promotion of Health in Recycling Lead (NCT02243904), we assessed the two-year responses of neurocognitive function among workers without previous known occupational exposure newly hired at lead recycling plants.

Methods Workers completed the digit-symbol test (DST) and Stroop test (ST) at baseline and annual follow-up visits. Blood lead (BL) was measured by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (detection limit 0.5 μg/ dL). Statistical methods included multivariable-adjusted mixed …

Can Caregivers Trust Information Technology In The Care Of Their Patients? A Systematic Review, Alice Noblin, Barbara Hewitt, Murad Moqbel, Scott Sittig, Lakesha Kinnerson, Vera Rulon

Information Systems Faculty Publications and Presentations

The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) requires that healthcare providers allow patients to engage in their healthcare by allowing access to their health records. Often patients need informal caregivers including family members or others to help them with their care. This paper explores whether trust is a key factor for informal caregivers’ decision to use health information technologies (HIT) including electronic health records (EHR), patient portals, mobile apps, or other devices to care for their patient. Six reviewers conducted a comprehensive search of four literature databases using terms that pertained to a caregiver and trust to …

Sustaining Patient Engagement: The Role Of Health Emotion And Personality Traits In Patient Portal Continuous Use Decision, Murad Moqbel, Mohammed Sajedur Rahman, Sunyoung Cho, Barbara Hewitt

Information Systems Faculty Publications and Presentations

Healthcare providers increasingly rely on technology, such as patient portals, for asynchronous communication with their patients. Even though clinicians have increasingly adopted patient portals to enhance healthcare quality and reduce cost, few patients continue to use this technology. In this paper, we investigate the effect that individuals’ health emotion and personality traits as measured using the five-factor model (FFM) have on patients’ intention to continually use patient portals through the lens of emotional dissonance theory. We collected survey data from 187 patients at a major medical center in the Midwestern United States. After we analyzed the data using structural equation …

What's Going On With The Spine? Evaluation Of Alternative Sensorimotor Degeneration Post-Stroke, Sravani Mannuru, Sarvani Uppati, Kelsey Baker

MEDI 9331 Scholarly Activities Clinical Years

Stroke is a leading cause of long-term disability in the United States. Previous research has shown a strong correlation between damage to the corticospinal tract (CST) and motor deficits in post-stroke patients. However, recent research suggests that other sensorimotor pathways (rubrospinal tract, medial reticulospinal tract) are damaged after stroke and may also contribute to motor dysfunction. Here, we will review current research suggesting that alternate sensorimotor pathways are involved in post-stroke motor dysfunction and outline possible avenues for future research.

Green Prescriptions – Prescribing Lifestyle Modification To Combat A Silent Pandemic., Jonathan Guajardo

MEDI 9331 Scholarly Activities Clinical Years

Obesity is a well-known modifiable risk factor that contributes to the development of atherosclerosis. In the Rio Grande Valley, a region located in southern Texas, the rate of obesity rises to 47%, compared to 44% in the US. [4] Obesity is largely driven by poor diet and lack of physical activity and poor compliance/adherence to dietary and physical activity recommendations. [4] We seek to gauge the effect of green prescriptions, prescribed lifestyle modification, on compliance in the RGV population. Selected patients will receive a pre- and post-survey for subjective measures and be given a workout regimen according to exercise history. …

The Role Of Angiogenesis-Inducing Micrornas In Vascular Tissue Engineering, May-Hui Ding, Eloy G. Lozoya, Rene N. Rico, Sue Anne Chew

Health & Biomedical Sciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

Angiogenesis is an important process in tissue repair and regeneration as blood vessels are integral to supply nutrients to a functioning tissue. In this review, the application of microRNAs (miRNAs) or anti-miRNAs that can induce angiogenesis to aid in blood vessel formation for vascular tissue engineering in ischemic diseases such as peripheral arterial disease and stroke, cardiac diseases, and skin and bone tissue engineering is discussed. Endothelial cells (ECs) form the endothelium of the blood vessel and are recognized as the primary cell type that drives angiogenesis and studied in the applications that were reviewed. Besides ECs, mesenchymal stem cells …

Discovery, Validation And Sequencing Of Urinary Peptides For Diagnosis Of Liver Fibrosis—A Multicentre Study, Ayman S. Bannaga, Jochen Metzger, Ioannis Kyrou, Torsten Voigtländer, Thorsten Book, Jesus Melgarejo, Agnieszka Latosinska, Martin Pejchinovski, Jan A. Staessen, Harald Mischak

School of Medicine Publications and Presentations

Background

Liver fibrosis is a consequence of chronic inflammation and is associated with protein changes within the hepatocytes structure. In this study, we aimed to investigate if this is reflected by the urinary proteome and can be explored to diagnose liver fibrosis in patients with chronic liver disease.

Methods

In a multicentre combined cross-sectional and prospective diagnostic test validation study, 129 patients with varying degrees of liver fibrosis and 223 controls without liver fibrosis were recruited. Additionally, 41 patients with no liver, but kidney fibrosis were included to evaluate interference with expressions of kidney fibrosis. Urinary low molecular weight …

Health And Social Correlates Of Dementia In Oldest-Old Mexican-Origin Populations, Silvia Mejia-Arango, Emma Aguila, Mariana López-Ortega, Luis Miguel Gutiérrez-Robledo

School of Medicine Publications and Presentations

Introduction: Substantial gaps in research remain across oldest-old ethnic populations while the burden of dementia increases exponentially with age among Mexican and Mexican American older adults.

Methods: Prevalence and correlates of dementia among individuals ≥82 years of age were examined using two population-based cohort studies: The Mexican Health and Aging Study (MHAS, n = 1078, 2012) and the Hispanic Established Populations for the Epidemiologic Study of the Elderly (HEPESE, n = 735, 2012-2013). The analytic MHAS and HEPESE samples had an average age of 86.4 and 88.0 years, 1.2 and 1.8 women to men, and 2.7 and 5.1 average years …

Associations Of Cannabis Use Disorder With Cognition, Brain Structure, And Brain Function In African Americans, Marinka M. G. Koenis, Joke Durnez, Amanda Rodrigue, Samuel R. Mathias, Aaron F. Alexander-Bloch, Jennifer Barrett, Gaelle E. Doucet, Sophia Frangou, Joanne E. Curran, John Blangero

School of Medicine Publications and Presentations

Although previous studies have highlighted associations of cannabis use with cognition and brain morphometry, critical questions remain with regard to the association between cannabis use and brain structural and functional connectivity. In a cross-sectional community sample of 205 African Americans (age 18–70) we tested for associations of cannabis use disorder (CUD, n = 57) with multi-domain cognitive measures and structural, diffusion, and resting state brain-imaging phenotypes. Post hoc model evidence was computed with Bayes factors (BF) and posterior probabilities of association (PPA) to account for multiple testing. General cognitive functioning, verbal intelligence, verbal memory, working memory, and motor speed were …

Intraoperative Icg-Nir Fluorescence Angiography Visualization Of Testicular Perfusion In Operations For Testicular Torsion, Colton D. Wayne, Mohammad A. Emran, Leon Smith-Harrison, P. Stephen Almond, Haroon I. Patel, Shannon Koehler

MEDI 9331 Scholarly Activities Clinical Years

Purpose: Indocyanine Green (ICG) near-infrared (NIR) fluorescence angiography is used in assessing testicular perfusion after reduction of testicular torsion to assess tissue viability.

Introduction: Determination of viability of a testicle after reduction of a testicular torsion has been performed by numerous methods including visual assessment, Doppler ultrasound, and cutting the testicular capsule. Each of these has limitations, are not always reproducible, and may involve damage to the testicle and confusion of capsular blood flow for internal perfusion. A possible alternative to these methods is the use of ICG-NIR fluorescence angiography. ICG was FDA-approved in 1959 and has been …

Assessing The Use Of Student-Developed Clerkship Guides For Improving Clerkship Expectations And Experiences: An App-Based Approach., Jose Chavez, Lauren Muenchow, Matthew Hidalgo, Jiyun Lim, Jose Campo Maldonado, Lori Berry, Michael Machiorlatti

MEDI 9331 Scholarly Activities Clinical Years

Background: The transition for medical students from pre-clinical education to the clinical learning environment introduces different expectations, methods of evaluation, and new working conditions. A mobile-friendly web application with clerkship specific information was developed to assess whether clinical preparedness increased among third-year medical students at transitioning to their clinical curriculum.

Objectives: To determine whether medical students’ clinical preparedness increased as they transitioned into clinical rotations by using a mobile-friendly web application that contained information and advice shared by senior medical students that had already completely their rotations.

Methods: Third-year medical students at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley School …

Antibody Fc Glycosylation Discriminates Between Latent And Active Tuberculosis, Lenette L. Lu, Jishnu Das, Patricia S. Grace, Sarah M. Fortune, Blanca I. Restrepo, Galit Alter

School of Medicine Publications and Presentations

Background. Mycobacterium tuberculosis remains a global health problem and clinical management is complicated by difficulty in discriminating between latent infection and active disease. While M. tuberculosis-reactive antibody levels are heterogeneous, studies suggest that levels of IgG glycosylation differ between disease states. Here we extend this observation across antibody domains and M. tuberculosis specificities to define changes with the greatest resolving power.

Methods. Capillary electrophoretic glycan analysis was performed on bulk non-antigen–specific IgG, bulk Fc domain, bulk Fab domain, and purified protein derivative (PPD)- and Ag85A-specific IgG from subjects with latent (n = 10) and active (n = 20) tuberculosis. PPD-specific …

New Technology Add-On Payment (Ntap) For Viz Lvo: A Win For Stroke Care, Ameer E. Hassan

School of Medicine Publications and Presentations

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) recently granted a New Technology Add-on Payment (NTAP) for Viz ContaCT (Viz LVO) by Viz.ai, Inc, an applied artificial intelligence healthcare company.1 This is the first time CMS has reimbursed an artificial intelligence (AI)-based software using this designation. It applies to Viz.ai’s acute ischemic stroke product, Viz LVO, officially known as Viz ContaCT, under which the ICD-10 Procedure Coding System (ICD-10-PCS) procedure code 4A03×5D was established. Viz ContaCT is an AI-based system that creates a parallel alert system whenever it detects a large vessel occlusion (LVO) on a computed tomography angiogram. …

Mitigating Alemtuzumab-Associated Autoimmunity In Ms: A "Whack-A-Mole" B-Cell Depletion Strategy, Ethan Meltzer, Sarah Campbell, Benjamin Ehrenfeld, Roberto A. Cruz, Lawrence Steinman, Matthew S. Parsons, Scott S. Zamvil, Elliot M. Frohman, Teresa C. Frohman

School of Medicine Publications and Presentations

Objective: To determine whether the punctuated administration of low-dose rituximab, temporally linked to B-cell hyperrepopulation (defined when the return of CD19+ B cells approximates 40%-50% of baseline levels as measured before alemtuzumab treatment inception), can mitigate alemtuzumab-associated secondary autoimmunity.

Methods: In this hypothesis-driven pilot study, 10 patients received low-dose rituximab (50-150 mg/m2), a chimeric anti-CD20 monoclonal antibody, after either their first or second cycles of alemtuzumab. These patients were then routinely assessed for the development of autoimmune disorders and safety signals related to the use of dual monoclonal antibody therapy.

Results: Five patients received at least 1 IV infusion of …

Understanding Nanoparticle Toxicity To Direct A Safe-By-Design Approach In Cancer Nanomedicine, Jossana A. Damasco, Saisree Ravi, Joy D. Perez, Daniel E. Hagaman, Marites P. Melancon

School of Medicine Publications and Presentations

Nanomedicine is a rapidly growing field that uses nanomaterials for the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of various diseases, including cancer. Various biocompatible nanoplatforms with diversified capabilities for tumor targeting, imaging, and therapy have materialized to yield individualized therapy. However, due to their unique properties brought about by their small size, safety concerns have emerged as their physicochemical properties can lead to altered pharmacokinetics, with the potential to cross biological barriers. In addition, the intrinsic toxicity of some of the inorganic materials (i.e., heavy metals) and their ability to accumulate and persist in the human body has been a challenge to …

Role Of Tc-Ptp-Mediated Regulation Of Stat1 In Skin Carcinogenesis, Carson Bogatto, Dae Joon Kim

MEDI 9331 Scholarly Activities Clinical Years

STAT1 has been shown to have tumor suppressive or protumorigenic roles in tissues in a context-dependent manner. In this study, we explored the role of TC-PTP in the regulation of STAT1 during skin tumor promotion. We found that the levels of the phosphorylated serine form of STAT1 were increased in TC-PTP overexpressing keratinocytes in response to TPA treatment. Additionally, TC-PTP overexpression decreased TPA-induced proliferation through regulation of STAT1 signaling. These results suggest that positive regulation of STAT1 signaling via TC-PTP can have a protective role towards keratinocytes during tumor promotion. These findings suggest that targeting TC-PTP-mediated regulation of STAT1 signaling …

Assessing Disease Severity Of Diabetic Retinopathy Using Novel Graphical Interpretation Of Flicker Electroretinogram, Anjalee Choudhury, Jonas Moses, Victor Gonzalez

MEDI 9331 Scholarly Activities Clinical Years

Purpose: To assess the clinical value of reporting full-field electroretinogram (eg, flicker ERG) findings graphically to determine the severity of diabetic retinopathy (DR) within an office-based setting.

Methods: Patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus were included and classified into varying degrees of DR based on presence and severity. Flicker ERG responses were recorded and compared between groups.

Results: Between the varying disease stages, significant differences in the mean magnitude and phase values were found. There was also a significant difference between the proportions of the magnitude and phase color-coded frequencies between groups of severity and threat to …

Addressing Neurocognitive Disorders, Dementias, And Alzheimer’S Disease In Colonias Of The Lower Rio Grande Valley: Establishing A Research Foundation Using Promotores, Noe Garza, Marucela Uscamayta-Ayvar, Gladys E. Maestre

School of Medicine Publications and Presentations

Several Texas communities along the Mexican border, including the Lower Rio Grande Valley (LRGV), are home to low-income Hispanic populations, many of whom live in underserved communities known as colonias. These areas have high incidences of neurocognitive disorders, dementia, and Alzheimer’s disease (AD); health care strategies that are culturally and linguistically appropriate for the area are needed. We aim to build capacity to reduce risk, facilitate treatment, and provide caregiver support for affected individuals. However, gaining trust of communities and presenting information about research studies in a way that is culturally appropriate is critical for engagement of underserved communities.

This …