Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Hormone Effects On Fmri And Cognitive Measures Of Encoding: Importance Of Hormone Preparation, C. E. Gleason, T. W. Schmitz, T. Hess, R. L. Koscik, M. A. Trivedi, M. L. Ries, C. M. Carlsson, M. A. Sager, S. Asthana, S. C. Johnson

Brain and Mind Institute Researchers' Publications

We compared fMRI and cognitive data from nine hormone therapy (HT)-naive women with data from women exposed to either opposed conjugated equine estrogens (CEE) (n = 10) or opposed estradiol (n = 4). Exposure to either form of HT was associated with healthier fMRI response; however, CEE-exposed women exhibited poorer memory performance than either HT-naive or estradiol-exposed subjects. These preliminary findings emphasize the need to characterize differential neural effects of various HTs. ©2006AAN Enterprises, Inc.

Activation Of Brain Regions Vulnerable To Alzheimer's Disease: The Effect Of Mild Cognitive Impairment, S. C. Johnson, T. W. Schmitz, C. H. Moritz, M. E. Meyerand, H. A. Rowley, A. L. Alexander, K. W. Hansen, C. E. Gleason, C. M. Carlsson, M. L. Ries, S. Asthana, K. Chen, E. M. Reiman, G. E. Alexander

Brain and Mind Institute Researchers' Publications

This study examined the functionality of the medial temporal lobe (MTL) and posterior cingulate (PC) in mild cognitive impairment amnestic type (MCI), a syndrome that puts patients at greater risk for developing Alzheimer disease (AD). Functional MRI (fMRI) was used to identify regions normally active during encoding of novel items and recognition of previously learned items in a reference group of 77 healthy young and middle-aged adults. The pattern of activation in this group guided further comparisons between 14 MCI subjects and 14 age-matched controls. The MCI patients exhibited less activity in the PC during recognition of previously learned items, …

Altered Placental And Fetal Expression Of Igfs And Igf-Binding Proteins Associated With Intrauterine Growth Restriction In Fetal Sheep During Early And Mid-Pregnancy., Barbra De Vrijer, Meredith L Davidsen, Randall B Wilkening, Russell V Anthony, Timothy Regnault

Paediatrics Publications

The insulin-like growth factors (IGFs) are postulated to be altered in association with the development of intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR). The present studies examined placental and fetal hepatic mRNA concentration of components of the IGF system at two time points (55 and 90 d gestational age, dGA; Term 147 dGA) in a hyperthermia (HT)-induced sheep model of placental insufficiency-IUGR. Maternal plasma insulin and IGF-I were constant at 55 and 90 dGA and were unaffected by treatment. Umbilical vein insulin concentrations tended to be reduced at 90 dGA following HT exposure. Caruncle IGF-I mRNA was increased at 90 dGA in HT …

Environmental Equity Is Child's Play: Mapping Public Provision Of Recreation Opportunities In Urban Neighbourhoods, Jason Gilliland, Martin Holmes, Jennifer D. Irwin, Patricia Tucker

Geography & Environment Publications

This paper examines the spatial distribution of recreational opportunities for children and youth in a mid-sized Canadian city (London, Ontario), in relation to the socioeconomic status of neighbourhoods and estimated local need for publicly provided recreation spaces. Public recreation facilities (N = 537) throughout the city were identified, mapped and analysed in a geographic information system. To explore potential socio-environmental inequities, neighbourhoods (N = 22) were characterized by socioeconomic and environmental variables, an index of neighbourhood social distress, a neighbourhood play space needs index, and measures of the prevalence and density of recreational opportunities. The results of the …

Structural Mri Discriminates Individuals With Mild Cognitive Impairment From Age-Matched Controls: A Combined Neuropsychological And Voxel Based Morphometry Study, Mehul A. Trivedi, Allison K. Wichmann, Britta M. Torgerson, Michael A. Ward, Taylor W. Schmitz, Michele L. Ries, Rebecca L. Koscik, Sanjay Asthana, Sterling C. Johnson

Brain and Mind Institute Researchers' Publications

Background: Several previous studies have reported that amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI), a significant risk factor for Alzheimer's disease (AD), is associated with greater atrophy in the medial temporal lobe (MTL) and posterior cingulate gyrus (PCG). Method: In the present study, we examined the cross-sectional accuracy (i.e., the sensitivity and specificity) of voxel-based morphometry (VBM) in discriminating individuals with MCI (n = 15) from healthy age-matched controls (n = 15). In addition, we also sought to determine whether baseline GM volume predicted aMCI patients that converted to AD from those that did not approximately 2 years after the baseline visit. …

Suicide In The Northern Territory, 1981–2002, Mary-Anne L. Measey, Shu Qin Li, Robert Parker, Zhiqiang Wang

Aboriginal Policy Research Consortium International (APRCi)

Objective: To examine trends in suicide in the Northern Territory between 1981 and 2002, and demographic and other characteristics of people completing suicide in the Top End region in 2000–2002. Design: Retrospective descriptive analysis of Australian Bureau of Statistics death registration data and data from the NT Coroner’s Office.

Setting and participants: All residents of the NT who completed suicide between 1981 and 2002. Main outcome measures: Changes in the age-adjusted and age- and sex-specific rates of suicide in Indigenous and non-Indigenous NT residents over time; prior diagnosis of mental illness and use of alcohol or other drugs by those …

Paradoxical Facilitation Of Object Recognition Memory After Infusion Of Scopolamine Into Perirhinal Cortex: Implications For Cholinergic System Function., Boyer D Winters, Lisa M Saksida, Timothy J Bussey

Brain and Mind Institute Researchers' Publications

The cholinergic system has long been implicated in learning and memory, yet its specific function remains unclear. In the present study, we investigated the role of cortical acetylcholine in a rodent model of declarative memory by infusing the cholinergic muscarinic receptor antagonist scopolamine into the rat perirhinal cortex during different stages (encoding, storage/consolidation, and retrieval) of the spontaneous object recognition task. Presample infusions of scopolamine significantly impaired object recognition compared with performance of the same group of rats on saline trials; this result is consistent with previous reports supporting a role for perirhinal acetylcholine in object information acquisition. Scopolamine infusions …

Aboriginal And Torres Strait Islander Suicide In Context, Ernest Hunter, Helen Milroy

Aboriginal Policy Research Consortium International (APRCi)

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander suicide has been an issue of national public health and mental health concern for only one decade, having increased dramatically from levels that were very low in the late 1980s to levels of young adult male suicide that are now substantially higher than for the non-indigenous population. In this review the authors socially and historically contextualize these changes, identifying the causal frameworks adopted in developing interventions, and present an explanation in narrative and pictorial form that draws on critical family-centered trauma.

Long-Term Trends In Indigenous Deaths From Chronic Diseases In The Northern Territory: A Foot On The Brake, A Foot On The Accelerator, David P. Thomas, John R. Condon, Ian P. Anderson, Shu Q. Li, Stephen Halpin, Joan Cunningham, Steven L. Guthridge

Aboriginal Policy Research Consortium International (APRCi)

Objective: To examine trends in Northern Territory Indigenous mortality from chronic diseases other than cancer. Design: A comparison of trends in rates of mortality from six chronic diseases (ischaemic heart disease [IHD], chronic obstructive pulmonary disease [COPD], cerebrovascular disease [CVD], diabetes mellitus [DM], renal failure [RF] and rheumatic heart disease [RHD]) in the NT Indigenous population with those of the total Australian population.

Participants: NT Indigenous and total Australian populations, 1977–2001. Main outcome measures: Estimated average annual change in chronic disease mortality rates and in mortality rate ratios. Results: DeathratesfromIHDandDMamongNTIndigenouspeoplesincreased between 1977 and 2001, but this increase slowed after 1990. …

Revisiting The Ethics Of Hiv Prevention Research In Developing Countries, Charles Weijer, Guy Leblanc

Philosophy Presentations

Issues: We present key aspects of our paper, commissioned by UNAIDS in 2005, entitled, “Revisiting the ethics of HIV prevention research in developing countries.” In 2004 and 2005 we witnessed the closure or suspension of three international clinical trials testing tenofovir in the prevention of HIV infection in high risk groups due to the failure to provide free treatment to those who seroconvert during the conduct of the study. We examine critically moral claims for the provision of treatment to those who seroconvert in HIV prevention trials and ask whether it is a matter of moral obligation or moral negotiation? …

Aboriginal Health Workers And Diabetes Care In Remote Community Health Centres: A Mixed Method Analysis, Damin Si, Ross S. Bailie, Samantha J. Togni, Peter H N D'Abbs, Gary W. Robinson

Aboriginal Policy Research Consortium International (APRCi)

Objective: To assess the effect of employing Aboriginal health workers (AHWs) on delivery of diabetes care in remote community health centres, and to identify barriers related to AHWs’ involvement in diabetes and other chronic illness care.

Design, setting and participants: Three-year follow-up study of 137 Aboriginal people with type 2 diabetes in seven remote community health centres in the Northern Territory.

Main outcome measures: Delivery of guideline-scheduled diabetes services; intermediate outcomes (glycated haemoglobin [HbA1c] and blood pressure levels); number and sex of AHWs at health centres over time; barriers to AHWs’ involvement in chronic illness care.

Results: There was a …

Epilepsy In Indigenous And Non-Indigenous People In Far North Queensland, John Archer, Ruth Bunby

Aboriginal Policy Research Consortium International (APRCi)

Objective: To compare patterns of epilepsy in Indigenous and non-Indigenous people presenting to hospital. Study design: Retrospective cross-sectional survey of individuals admitted to hospital with a diagnosis of epilepsy (1 January 2001 – 31 December 2004); presenting to the emergency department with a seizure (2004); or presenting to the epilepsy clinic (1 September 2002 – 31 March 2005). Setting: Cairns Base Hospital, the major referral centre for Far North Queensland, including Cape York and the Torres Strait, with a population of 230 000 (13% Indigenous). Main outcome measures: Proportion of Indigenous patients presenting for epilepsy; proportion of Indigenous and non-Indigenous …

Representation Of Head-Centric Flow In The Human Motion Complex., Jeroen Goossens, Sean P Dukelow, Ravi S Menon, Tutis Vilis, Albert V Van Den Berg

Brain and Mind Institute Researchers' Publications

Recent neuroimaging studies have identified putative homologs of macaque middle temporal area (area MT) and medial superior temporal area (area MST) in humans. Little is known about the integration of visual and nonvisual signals in human motion areas compared with monkeys. Through extra-retinal signals, the brain can factor out the components of visual flow on the retina that are induced by eye-in-head and head-in-space rotations and achieve a representation of flow relative to the head (head-centric flow) or body (body-centric flow). Here, we used functional magnetic resonance imaging to test whether extra-retinal eye-movement signals modulate responses to visual flow in …

Self-Appraisal Decisions Evoke Dissociated Dorsal-Ventral Ampfc Networks, Taylor W. Schmitz, Sterling C. Johnson

Brain and Mind Institute Researchers' Publications

The anterior medial prefrontal cortex (aMPFC) is consistently active during personally salient decisions, yet the differential contributory processes of this region along the dorsal-ventral axis are less understood. Using a self-appraisal decision-making task and functional magnetic resonance imaging, we demonstrated task-dependent connectivity of ventral aMPFC with amygdala, insula, and nucleus accumbens, and dorsal aMPFC connectivity with dorsolateral PFC and bilateral hippocampus. These aMPFC networks appear to subserve distinct contributory processes inherent to self-appraisal decisions, specifically a dorsally mediated cognitive and a ventrally mediated affective/self-relevance network. © 2005 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

In Search Of The Anglophone Doctor In Jacques Ferron’S Story “Le Petit William”, Vivian C. Mcalister, Christiane I. Mcalister

Surgery Publications

The story of ‘Le Petit William’ (Contes anglais, 1964) is based on Ferron’s experiences as a general practitioner in the Gaspé in 1946. A medical event, use of the maternal left lateral position by a sage-femme to deliver a baby boy, becomes allegory. The sage-femme had learned the technique from a visiting Anglophone doctor. A simple joke, which superficially appears to be the story’s culmination, takes on a sombre political tone when considered in the light of the Latin epigraph. Trips to the Gaspé, a review of the history of obstetrics and speculation are used in this paper to understand …

Injury Profiles Of Indigenous And Non-Indigenous People In New South Wales, Kathleen F. Clapham, Mark R. Stevenson, Sing Kai Lo

Aboriginal Policy Research Consortium International (APRCi)

Objectives: To compare the injury profiles of the Indigenous population in New South Wales with that of the non-Indigenous population.

Design and setting: Descriptive analysis of NSW Health data obtained from the Health Outcomes Information and Statistical Toolkit (HOIST) database. Hospitalisation data were collected for the period 1 July 1999 to 30 June 2003. Mortality data were collected for the period 1 January 1999 to 31 December 2002.

Main outcome measures: Hospitalisation and death rates due to injury by age, sex, injury mechanism and Indigenous status. Rate ratios for comparison between Indigenous and non-Indigenous populations. Results: Rates of death from …

Catm Regulation Of The Benabcde Operon: Functional Divergence Of Two Lysr-Type Paralogs In Acinetobacter Baylyi Adp1., Obidimma Ezezika, Lauren S Collier-Hyams, Haley A Dale, Andrew C Burk, Ellen L Neidle

Health Studies Publications

Two LysR-type transcriptional regulators, BenM and CatM, control benzoate consumption by the soil bacterium Acinetobacter baylyi ADP1. These homologs play overlapping roles in the expression of multiple genes. This study focuses on the benABCDE operon, which initiates benzoate catabolism. At this locus, BenM and CatM each activate transcription in response to the catabolite cis,cis-muconate. BenM, but not CatM, additionally responds to benzoate as an effector. Regulation by CatM alone is insufficient for growth on benzoate as the sole carbon source. However, three point mutations independently increased CatM-activated benA transcription and enabled growth on benzoate without BenM. Two mutations generate variants …

Na+/K+ -Atpase Regulates Tight Junction Formation And Function During Mouse Preimplantation Development., Michelle I Violette, Pavneesh Madan, Andrew J Watson

Obstetrics & Gynaecology Publications

Research applied to the early embryo is required to effectively treat human infertility and to understand the primary mechanisms controlling development to the blastocyst stage. The present study investigated whether the Na(+)/K(+)-ATPase regulates tight junction formation and function during blastocyst formation. To investigate this hypothesis, three experimental series were conducted. The first experiments defined the optimal dose and treatment time intervals for ouabain (a potent and specific inhibitor of the Na(+)/K(+)-ATPase) treatment. The results demonstrated that mouse embryos maintained a normal development to the blastocyst stage following a 6-h ouabain treatment. The second experiments investigated the effects of ouabain treatment …

Task-Dependent Posterior Cingulate Activation In Mild Cognitive Impairment, Michele L. Ries, Taylor W. Schmitz, Tisha N. Kawahara, Britta M. Torgerson, Mehul A. Trivedi, Sterling C. Johnson

Brain and Mind Institute Researchers' Publications

Neuroimaging research has demonstrated that the posterior cingulate cortex (PCC) is functionally compromised in individuals diagnosed with amnestic mild cognitive impairment (MCI), a major risk factor for the development of Alzheimer's disease (AD). In functional MRI studies with healthy participants, this same region is active during self-appraisal (requiring retrieval of semantic knowledge about the self) as well as episodic recognition of previously learned information. Administering both types of tasks to people with MCI may reveal important information on the role of the PCC in recollection. This study investigated fMRI activation in the PCC in individuals with MCI and matched controls …

Reduced Hippocampal Activation During Episodic Encoding In Middle-Aged Individuals At Genetic Risk Of Alzheimer's Disease: A Cross-Sectional Study, Mehul A. Trivedi, Taylor W. Schmitz, Michele L. Ries, Britta M. Torgerson, Mark A. Sager, Bruce P. Hermann, Sanjay Asthana, Sterling C. Johnson

Brain and Mind Institute Researchers' Publications

Background: The presence of the apolipoprotein E (APOE) ε4 allele is a major risk factor for the development of Alzheimer's disease (AD), and has been associated with metabolic brain changes several years before the onset of typical AD symptoms. Functional MRI (fMRI) is a brain imaging technique that has been used to demonstrate hippocampal activation during measurement of episodic encoding, but the effect of the ε4 allelle on hippocampal activation has not been firmly established. Methods: The present study examined the effects of APOE genotype on brain activation patterns in the media[ temporal lobe (MTL) during an episodic encoding task …

The Role Of Radiation Therapy On Medically Inoperable Clinically Localized Non-Small Cell Lung Patients: London Regional Cancer Program (Lrcp) Clinical Experience, Michael Lee, Edward Yu, Robert Ash, Patricia Tai, Larry Stitt, George Rodrigues, Rashid Dar, Mark Vincent, Richard Inculet, Richard Malthaner

Oncology Presentations

Lung cancer is the most frequent cause of cancer death in both men and women in North America. In 2006, an estimated 22,700 Canadians will be diagnosed with lung cancer and 19,300 will die of it (Canadian Cancer Statistics 2006).

Approximately 15-20% of NSCLC patients present with early or localized disease.

Surgical resection of T1-2N0 NSCLC remains the treatment of choice for this population, and results in a 5-year survival rate of 50-70%.

Patients deemed medically inoperable have been treated with non-surgical therapies, such as radiation therapy(RT), while some patients have simply been observed without any tumor therapy because of …

Perspectives Of Women With Dementia Receiving Care From Their Adult Daughters, Catherine Ward-Griffin, Nancy Bol, Abram Oudshoorn

Nursing Publications

(Article in English)

Le vécu inhérent à la prestation des soins aux personnes atteintes d’Alzheimer est relativement bien documenté.Toutefois,peu de recherches ont été réalisées du point de vue de la personne souffrant de démence.L’objectif de cette étude, qui s’inscrit dans une recherche qualitative sur les relations mères-filles en contexte de démence,notamment sur le processus de soins,est de recueillir les perceptions et les expériences des mères soignées par leur fille adulte.Guidés par des perspectives féministes et axées sur les étapes de vie,les chercheurs ont mené des entrevues en profondeur et semi-structurées auprès d’un échantillonnage diversifié de 10 femmes non-institutionnalisées et atteintes …

Cyclosporin Versus Tacrolimus For Liver Transplanted Patients, Elizabeth Haddad, Vivian Mcalister, Elizabeth Renouf, Richard Malthaner, Mette S. Kjaer, Lise Lotte Gluud

Surgery Publications

A systematic review of randomized clinical trials (RCT) was undertaken to evaluate the beneficial and harmful effects of immunosuppression with cyclosporin versus tacrolimus for liver transplanted patients. MEDLINE, EMBASE, Cochrane Central and Hepato-Biliary Group Controlled Trials Registers were searched. Using fixed and random effects model, relative risk (RR), values <1 favoring>tacrolimus, with 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated. Of 717 potentially relevant references, 16 RCTs were eligible for inclusion. Mortality and graft loss at 1 year were significantly reduced in tacrolimus-treated recipients (Death: RR 0.85, 95% CI 0.73-0.99; graft loss: RR 0.73, 95% CI 0.61-0.86). Tacrolimus reduced the number of recipients …

Indigenous Suicide In New Zealand, Annette L. Beautrais, David M. Fergusson

Aboriginal Policy Research Consortium International (APRCi)

This article describes patterns of suicide and attempted suicide among the indigenous (Ma ̄ori) population of New Zealand using official data from the New Zealand Health Information Service (NZHIS). The majority of Ma ̄ori suicides (75%) occurr in young people aged <35 years. Rates of suicide are higher among Ma ̄ori males and females aged <25 than in their non-Ma ̄ori peers. Rates of hospitalization for attempted suicides are higher amongst Ma ̄ori males aged 15–24, compared to non-Ma ̄ori. In contrast, suicide is virtually unknown amongst older Ma ̄ori (60 years). This article reviews explanations for the observed rates of suicide in Ma ̄ori, and examines approaches to effective intervention to reduce rates of suicide in young Ma ̄ori.

Short-Term And Working Memory In Children With Specific Language Impairment, Lisa M. D. Archibald

Communication Sciences and Disorders Publications

Investigations of the cognitive processes underlying Specific Language Impairment (SLI) have implicated deficits in the storage and processing of phonological or verbal information. This thesis reports five studies that investigated the role of short-term and working memory in children with SLI. Study 1 demonstrated SLI deficits on measures of verbal working memory, and short-term memory for verbal but not visuospatial information. Study 2 provided evidence that children with SLI perform at age-level on visuospatial working memory measures. Study 3 demonstrated slower processing in the SLI group across domains, as well as verbal storage decrements, with the greatest deficits found for …