Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Does Probiotic Supplementation Help Decrease Symptoms In Adults Previously Diagnosed With Major Depressive Disorder?, Alexa Hammock, Hayley Loiselle

Physician Assistant Capstones, 2020-current

Objective: To assess the effect of probiotic supplementation on clinical symptoms of major depressive disorder in adults. Design: Systematic literature review. Methods: Searches were performed on PubMed using the terms “adults with depression and probiotics”. The limits on PubMed were set to include randomized control trials, studies on adults, studies done within the last 10 years, studies done on patients that did not have depression, studies that did not use the Beck Depression Inventory, and studies that focused on other conditions. Results: Three studies were found that met search criteria: Reninghaus et al., Schaub et al., and Chahwan et al. …

The Effect Of A Wellness Curriculum On First Semester Jmu Pa Students, Abigail Larson, Jeanine Aberbook

Physician Assistant Capstones, 2020-current

Physician Assistant (PA) programs are rigorous graduate-level medical programs that achieve a Master’s degree but complete an equal number of credits as a Doctorate degree. They are notorious for triggering high levels of stress pre-matriculation as well as upon matriculation. While this is a well-known topic discussed between students and incoming students, it is an under-researched topic. As a result of the lack of research in physician assistant education regarding implementing a wellness curriculum and the desire to reduce stress, anxiety, and depression symptoms in first semester PA student, the faculty and students at James Madison University (JMU) implemented a …

Ketamine As A Treatment Modality For Treatment-Resistant Depression, Tracy Wulff, Shen Cao

Physician Assistant Capstones, 2020-current

Many recent studies have demonstrated the ability of ketamine, an NMDA receptor antagonist, to produce antidepressant effects that may be effective in helping reduce treatment-resistant major depression. In particular, three double-blinded randomized control trials have been conducted to assess the viability and effectiveness of this medication for treatment. This systematic literature review will analyze these studies and determine if the overall research indicates that ketamine is useful in improving depression as measured by the Montgomery–Asberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS)¹.

Objective: Assess the effectiveness of IV Ketamine in reducing treatment-resistant major depressive disorder as measured by the Montgomery–Asberg …

Evaluation Of Hyperhomocysteinemia In The Progression Of Parkinson's Disease, Marisa A. Ducach, Pritpal S. Saggu

Physician Assistant Capstones, 2020-current

Abstract:

Objective:To assess the prevalence of hyperhomocysteinemia in Parkinson’s Disease (PD) and if this elevated serum level can be used as a predictive biomarker in risk assessment for the progression of cognitive decline in PD.

Design:Systematic Literature Review

Methods:A literature search was conducted through Google Scholar and Pubmed using phrases such as, “Parkinson's Disease”, and “homocysteine”, “Parkinson’s progression. Three articles, measuring serum homocysteine levels and cognitive functioning in PD patients, were selected, analyzed, and compared to assess for a relationship between homocysteine levels and cognitive decline in PD.

Results: Elevated homocysteine levels are associated with worse cognitive …

Mindfulness Based Stress Interventions In Physician Assistant Programs, Lucas Vance

Physician Assistant Capstones, 2020-current

Mindfulness based interventions (MBI) have been used successfully in a variety of venues from the treatment of chronic pain to reducing stress in the workplace. The benefits of MBI programs that have been studied range from self-reported anxiety, depression, and empathy levels to levels of cortisol¹ to amygdala changes seen on magnetic resonance imaging.² MBI programs have been studied in pre-medical, medical, and graduate schools, as well as, nursing programs, and generalized healthcare cohorts.