Life Sciences Commons^™

Surgical Techniques For Lymphedema Management, Matthew Kayal, Shelley Dicecco

Research Day

Introduction: Lymphedema is known as a debilitating disease where the management plan can require a combination of surgical and conservative treatments. Worldwide, greater than 300 million people suffer from lymphedema. The lymphatic system is responsible for the drainage of fluid from the interstitial tissues and organ systems and is the body’s primary way of managing edema. The aim of this review was to investigate the efficacy of the procedures and the multiple surgical options that exist for the treatment of lymphedema, including the Charles procedure, liposuction or suction-assisted protein lipectomy (SAPL), lymphovenous anastomosis (LVA), and vascularized lymph node transfer (VLNT). …

Benefits Of Preclinical Osteopathic Medical Students' Joining Interprofessional Research Teams, Alexander Rembalsky, Stephanie H. Felgoise

Research Day

Challenge/ Issues: There are few options for interprofessional research experiences that offer medical students the ability to collaborate with clinical psychology doctoral (PsyD) students. While a core principle of osteopathic medicine is holistic care, exposure to psychosocial aspects of medical conditions is limited or unrepresented in the preclinical education years. As an example, the psychosocial aspects and quality of life issues related to kidney dialysis are not discussed in the classroom.

Objectives: The objectives for integrating medical students into a research study on quality of life and psychosocial aspects in persons undergoing kidney dialysis are to: a) have psychology and …

Soft Tissue Chondroma Of The Thumb, Harsha Upadhya, Darshdeep Singh

Research Day

A chondroma is a slow-growing, benign cartilaginous tumor. When a chondroma occurs in soft tissue without any involvement of the surrounding bone, it is known as a soft tissue chondroma which is an especially rare type of malignancy that has a predilection for the hands and feet. A soft tissue chondroma originates from either the synovial sheath of long tendons, para-articular tissues, or paratendinous soft tissues. This type of tumor can often be misdiagnosed as several different pathologies, including but not limited to, a ganglion cyst, osteochondroma, synovial chondromatosis, or even malignant examples such as a chondrosarcoma or synovial sarcoma. …

The Association Between Trauma History And Body Image, Depression, Posttraumatic Stress, And Relationship Satisfaction In Postpartum Women, Kristen Hawk-Purcell, Michelle R. Lent

Research Day

The postpartum period can be a time of significant change and transition. Little is known regarding how a history of trauma may impact functioning during this critical time. The literature is consistent regarding the relationship between trauma and body image-related issues, but this has not been investigated with this population. While posttraumatic stress symptoms are considered a significant public health concern, the association between depression and interpersonal concerns has not been thoroughly explored. The purpose of this observational, cross-sectional study is to explore the relationship between trauma and body image, mood, and relationship satisfaction in postpartum women.

Proposed Methods: English …

Social Media Use, Connectedness, And Depression In Graduate Students, Marisa Gretz, Stephen R. Poteau, Robert A. Ditomasso, Michael B. Roberts

Research Day

This study will examine the relationship between social media use, sense of connectedness, and depression among graduate students. Graduate students are often disconnected from their social supports due to their program's demands; additionally, the risk of depression in this population has been established in the literature. The impact of social media on depression has been investigated, and the results are discrepant. The relationship between a sense of connection, the use of social media, and depression in a graduate student population has not yet been explored. Graduate students at The Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine (PCOM) and other universities studying psychology, …

Inventory Of Cognitive Distortions-Youth Version: The Development And Validation Of A Psychometric Test For The Measurement Of Cognitive Distortions, Kelsey Jones, Robert A. Ditomasso, Susan Panichelli Mindel, Michael B. Roberts

Research Day

Cognitive distortions are systematic biases in an individual’s thinking that maintain a person’s belief in their negative views of themselves or others, even in the presence of contradictory evidence. The Inventory of Cognitive Distortions (ICD), created by Yurica and DiTomasso, provided a template to measure distorted thinking in adults. Currently, there is not a youth measure of cognitive distortions that adequately encapsulates the range of distorted thinking that may be present in youth. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to create and validate a newly designed instrument of cognitive distortions, The Inventory of Cognitive Distortions-Youth Version (ICD-YV), with youth …

The Relationship Between Adhd-Specific Cognitive Distortions And Adult Adhd After Accounting For Clinical Syndromes And Personality Pathology, Carly Gerbi

Research Day

Introduction: Adults with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) experience many difficulties in daily functioning, which are related to the symptoms of the disorder. Psychostimulants, although considered the front-line of treatment for ADHD, are not always effective. On the other hand, psychosocial treatments, particularly cognitive behavioral therapy, is an evidence-based treatment, both in combination with medication as well as a stand-alone treatment for ADHD. It is theorized that some of the symptoms experienced by adults with ADHD result from cognitive distortions. Although, previous studies have identified a preliminary relationship between cognitive distortions and ADHD, which may be accounted for by comorbid disorders; these …

Assessment Of Patient And Employee Mental Health During Covid-19, Lanerica Rogers, Tammy Phillips, Aerial Petty, Gabriana Freire, Carline Denis-Barnes

Research Day

Background: Many individuals in the United States have anecdotally reported a decline in their mental health due to worry and stress over the COVID-19 pandemic. Although much research has been dedicated to populations across the country, patients and employees at community health centers have been overlooked in terms of the effect of pandemic conditions on their mental health. The present study seeks to understand how the mental health of these populations has been impacted and offer recommendations for what can be done to address any unmet mental health needs.

Methods: Survey responses were compiled from patients and employees of the …

A Computer-Based Intervention May Be Effective For Treating Bereavement As Measured By Scores Of Prolonged Grief, Anxiety, Depression, And Cognitive Distortions., Michael Kastelnik, Bradley Michael Rosenfield, Michael B. Roberts

Research Day

Many people suffer from complications due to grieving the death of a loved one, an experience known as bereavement. In addition to the emotional suffering, complications can lead to functional impairment, negatively impacting relationships, work, and health of those who grieve. Although there are evidence-based interventions for bereavements, there are barriers to treatment, including costs and accessibility. Computer-based interventions are empirically demonstrated to overcome these barriers. The present study aims to test the effectiveness of a computer-based single-session treatment for bereavement. It is hypothesized that individuals who complete a computer-based CBT intervention for bereavement will experience a significant decrease in …

Psychological Impact Of Covid-19 On Individuals With Prior Trauma, Marzena Podkalicka, Susan Panichelli Mindel

Research Day

The new coronavirus disease (COVID-19) was first recognized in December 2019 in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China. The World Health Organization Emergency Committee declared the COVID-19 outbreak to be a global health emergency and a pandemic in early 2020. Due to the lack of unequivocally effective methods of treatment for the coronavirus disease, governments enforced nonpharmacological interventions to decrease the transmission of the coronavirus including social distancing, isolation, and shelter in place to stop the spread of COVID-19. The scale of the pandemic, the speed of the spread, and high mortality rate created a sense of panic, stress, and helplessness among …

Often Overlooked Risk Factors Of Suicide In The Transgender Population: A Case Report And Review, Tarik Zeid, Jeremy Castro

Research Day

Transgender people have a gender identity or gender expression that differs from the sex that they were assigned at birth. Of note, the transgender population has been starting to get more attention from the psychiatric community due to the unique circumstances that transgender people have. Personal challenges can include dynamics of family rejection, bigotry, internalized transphobia, being denied proper bathroom assignments and housing access, among many others. This case illustrates the importance of recognizing that the transgender population has particular suicide risk factors that often go overlooked. Though there are many personal challenges and risk factors that may contribute to …

Quantitative Analysis Of Cadaveric Pelvic Lymph Nodes, Brandon Y. Boeur, Matthew P. Kayal, Jade Johnson, Yuhyun Kang, Kelsey Rice, Alicia Schmidt, Shelley Dicecco

Research Day

Introduction: Lymphedema commonly develops as a result of cancer treatments, including surgical removal of lymph nodes (LN). Research suggests there are 500-800 (LN) throughout the body. Deciding how many LN to remove and predicting possible severity of damage can become problematic when the range of LN in one area can vary by 30 LN.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to investigate more precise ranges of pelvic LN within cadaver samples.

Methods: Quantification of LN for number occurred on cadavers simultaneous with DO, PT, and PA students’ dissections. Demographics of the cadavers were 27 female, 16 male, 39 Caucasian, …

Analgesic Effect Of Delta-9-Tetrahydrocannabinol On Patients With Chronic Neuropathic Pain During A Four-Week Period: A Pilot Study, Frederick J. Goldstein, Katherine E. Galluzzi, Madeline Brown, Jennifer Smith, Joseph Lubeck

Research Day

Statement of Purpose, Innovation or Hypothesis: The current US Food & Drug Administration (FDA) approved armamentarium for treatment of neuropathic pain (NP) includes calcium channel alpha-2-delta ligands (gabapentin, pregabalin) and a selective serotonin-norepinephrine re-uptake inhibitor (duloxetine); however, tricyclic antidepressants (amitriptyline) and antiepileptic agents (carbamazepine) have also been employed. Most have limited effectiveness and/or cause intolerable adverse reactions, leading to discontinuation. Neuropathic pain patients have also been treated with opioid analgesics, which have their own attendant risks (e.g., addiction, hyperalgesia, endocrinopathy) and limited efficacy. Delta-9-Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) (dronabinol), C-III, is FDA-approved as an appetite stimulant and antiemetic. Doses ranging from 2.5 mg/day …

Anasam: A Novel Approach To Suds Anamnesis For Medical Students, Mirna Law, Sarah Glisan, Devon Player, Adrienne Fraczkowski, Kaitlyn Blair, Bettina Bernstein

Research Day

Training in substance use disorders and their treatment is important for medical students to develop positive attitudes towards patients struggling with substance abuse. There is substantial evidence demonstrating that physicians in practice fail to recognize a large percentage of patients suffering from substance abuse conditions. Historically, a “negative attitude” of health care providers towards patients struggling with substance abuse may have originated from the lack of recognition of these issues as chronic medical conditions during training. Thus, substance abuse education early in medical training is impactful and should be considered. The proposed curriculum consists of four sessions and aims to …