Medical Specialties Commons^™

A New Measure For End Of Life Planning, Preparation, And Preferences In Huntington Disease: Hdqlife End Of Life Planning, Noelle E Carlozzi, E A Hahn, S A Frank, J S Perlmutter, N D Downing, M K Mccormack, S Barton, M A Nance, S G Schilling, Hdqlife Site Investigators And Coordinators

Rowan-Virtua School of Osteopathic Medicine Departmental Research

BACKGROUND: Huntington disease is a fatal inherited neurodegenerative disease. Because the end result of Huntington disease is death due to Huntington disease-related causes, there is a need for better understanding and caring for individuals at their end of life.

AIM: The purpose of this study was to develop a new measure to evaluate end of life planning.

DESIGN: We conducted qualitative focus groups, solicited expert input, and completed a literature review to develop a 16-item measure to evaluate important aspects of end of life planning for Huntington disease. Item response theory and differential item functioning analyses were utilized to examine …

Mlk Book Read 2018 (Research Materials), Holy Cross Libraries

Library Resources for Campus Events

A bibliography of resources available through the Holy Cross Libraries which provide additional information related to the MLK Winter Book Read, based on the best-seller “The Immortal LIfe of Henrietta Lacks” by Rebecca Skoot.

Trauma Treatment For Children In The Child Welfare System, The Rees-Jones Center For Foster Care Excellence

White Papers and Policy Briefs

Children involved in the child welfare system almost universally have experienced trauma, and many have experienced complex trauma. Research has shown that early intervention, treatment, and positive caregiving can reduce damage to the brain caused by trauma. Children coming into care should be screened to determine their trauma histories and related symptoms. Based on the outcomes of screenings and assessments, trauma-specific, evidence-based treatments or interventions should be provided.

For questions about this publication or others, please email [email protected]

childrens.com/fostercare

The Effects Of A Cognitive Training Program For Cognitively Intact Older Adults, Caroline Kinskey

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Cognitive training is a term used to describe programs that provide guided practice on tasks requiring different cognitive abilities such as memory or language. It is assumed that regular practice will improve or maintain functioning in a particular cognitive domain (e.g., memory) and those results will generalize beyond the context of training. Results have been mixed in the existing literature that has evaluated the potential benefits of cognitive training on cognitive and emotional functioning in cognitively intact older adults. This study investigated the effectiveness of a cognitive training program for older adults with no to very minimal cognitive decline. Nine …

Teaching Third-Year Medical Students To Address Patients’ Spiritual Needs In The Surgery/Anesthesiology Clerkship, Holly G. Atkinson, David Fleenor, Susan M. Lerner, Edward Poliandro, Joseph Truglio

Publications and Research

Introduction: Despite many patients wanting physicians to inquire about their religious/spiritual beliefs, most physicians do not make such inquiries. Among physicians who do, surgeons are less likely than family and general practitioners and psychiatrists to do so.

Methods: To address this gap, we developed a 60-minute curriculum that follows the Kolb cycle of experiential learning for third-year medical students on their surgery/anesthesiology clerkship. The session includes definitions of religion/spirituality, an overview of the literature on spirituality in surgery, a review of the FICA Spiritual History Tool, discussion of the role of the chaplain and the process of initiating a chaplain …

Breathing New Life: Investigating Ways To Improve The Mental Health Of People Living With Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease In Western Australia, Tina Phan

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Anxiety and depression are common comorbidities in people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), contributing to greater morbidity and mortality in an already vulnerable population. Despite the prevalence, few recommendations exist in global management guidelines for the detection and treatment of these comorbidities, reflecting the limited literature available on effective strategies for dealing with mental health issues in COPD populations. There is promising evidence that cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) improves mental health outcomes in people with COPD. However, investigational studies have commonly reported participants’ lack of transport, lack of time and illness as barriers to recruitment and successful completion. This …

Shared Genetic And Environmental Influences On Fear, Anxiety, Posttraumatic Stress, And Brain Morphometry, Chelsea Sawyers

Theses and Dissertations

Anxiety disorders (ADs) and stress-related disorders are some of the most common psychiatric disorders in the United States. Like other c0mplex psychiatric illness, genetics and neuroimaging research has focused on understanding their underlying neurobiology. Areas within the fear-network play important roles in threat perception, fear conditioning/learning, cognitive processing, and modulation of fear responses including contextual modulation and extinction and have been implicated in ADs as well as stress disorders such as posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The primary gap in the current search for underlying biological mechanisms is in whether biomarkers associated with disorders share genetic influences with the disorders they …

The Effects Of Pre-Pregnancy Tobacco Use On Food Cravings And Weight Gain In Pregnancy, Lauren E. Blau

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Smoking cessation is associated with greater frequency of food cravings, even when controlling for body mass index. Recent studies have indicated similarities between obese women and women who smoke tobacco in mood states and food craving frequency. This is consistent with the common substrate hypothesis, which postulates that shared neural pathways mediate craving across multiple domains, and could explain why it is common for women attempting to quit smoking to gain weight. Smoking cessation prior to pregnancy is strongly encouraged due to the adverse effects of tobacco use on the developing fetus. Studies have shown that women who quit smoking …

Qualitative Case Study Of Needle Exchange Programs In The Central Appalachian Region Of The United States, Stephen M. Davis, Danielle Davidov, Alfgeir L. Kristjansson, Keith Zullig, Adam Baus, Melanie Fisher

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Background

The Central Appalachian region of the United States is in the midst of a hepatitis C virus epi- demic driven by injection of opioids, particularly heroin, with contaminated syringes. In response to this epidemic, several needle exchange programs (NEP) have opened to pro- vide clean needles and other supplies and services to people who inject drugs (PWID). How- ever, no studies have investigated the barriers and facilitators to implementing, operating, and expanding NEPs in less populous areas of the United States.

Methods

This qualitative case study consisted of interviews with program directors, police chiefs, law enforcement members, and PWID …

Emergency Department Visits For Sexual Assault By Emerging Adults: Is Alcohol A Factor?, Allison Tadros, Melinda J. Sharon, Shelley M. Hoffman, Danielle M. Davidov

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Introduction: Emerging adults (18-25 years of age) are at increased risk for sexual assault. There is little Emergency Department (ED) data on sexual assaults that involve alcohol among this population. The purpose of this study was to analyze ED visits for sexual assault and determine if alcohol consumption by the patient was noted.

Methods: This study was a retrospective chart review of patients aged 18-25 presenting to an ED in a college town over a four-year period. Extracted variables included age, gender, delay in seeking care, sexual assault nurse examiner (SANE) evaluation, and alcohol consumption by the patient. For analysis …

Case Study Of The Four-Year Neuropsychological Changes In An Elderly Male With Possible Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy, Patrick Martin

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

Research demonstrates that the brain's response to Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) is variable with age and the effects of TBI on the elderly are a critical and global public health concern, from both a medical and a neuropsychological perspective. Currently, there is scant research on the effects of TBI, including Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE), on the elderly. Specifically, there is a paucity of literature regarding longitudinal neuropsychological changes in elderly post- TBI individuals. This dissertation will present a Single Case Research Design (SCRD) analysis of an elderly individual with possible Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy and the associated neuropsychological changes over 49-months. …

Effects Of Cancer Staging On Maternal Coping And Mother-Child Communication Patterns Among Breast Cancer Survivors, Kevin Michael Lycke

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Few researchers have examined the relationship between earlier stages of breast cancer and its effect on staging of the disease process and the co-occurring coping and communication patterns between mothers and their children. The purposes of this qualitative study with a multiple case study design were to examine (a) coping mechanisms that mothers used to manage the uncertainty of their breast cancer status and (b) the impact of early-stage breast cancer on communication patterns between mothers and their children. The Lazarus and Folkman theory of psychological coping and the McMaster family systems communication theory informed the conceptual framework for the …

Reducing Barriers To Accessing Fistula Repair: Implementation Research In Ebonyi, Pooja Sripad, Emmanuel Nwala, Vandana Tripathi

Reproductive Health

Female genital fistula is preventable and surgically treatable, but women who lack access to quality health care often live with fistula for many years. For every 1,000 births, an estimated 2.11 women develop fistula in Nigeria and despite the establishment of internationally accredited national fistula centers across the country, the majority of women live with unrepaired fistula. The Population Council, in collaboration with EngenderHealth and the Fistula Care Plus project, conducted implementation research to understand whether a comprehensive information, screening, and referral intervention reduces transportation, communication, and financial barriers to accessing preventive care, detection, and treatment of fistula in Ebonyi …

Reducing Barriers To Accessing Fistula Repair: Implementation Research In Katsina, Pooja Sripad, Emmanuel Nwala, Vandana Tripathi

Reproductive Health

Female genital fistula is preventable and surgically treatable, but women who lack access to quality health care often live with fistula for many years. For every 1,000 births, an estimated 2.11 women develop fistula in Nigeria and despite the establishment of internationally accredited national fistula centers across the country, the majority of women live with unrepaired fistula. The Population Council, in collaboration with EngenderHealth and the Fistula Care Plus project, conducted implementation research to understand whether a comprehensive information, screening, and referral intervention reduces transportation, communication, and financial barriers to accessing preventive care, detection, and treatment of fistula in Katsina …

The Effect Of A Single-Session Group Songwriting Intervention On Grief Processing In Hospice Clinicians, Melissa Deaton

Theses and Dissertations--Music

The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of a single-session group music therapy songwriting session on grief processing in hospice clinicians. The study design was quasi-experimental. Participants were cluster randomized into a control group and a treatment group. The researcher led a 50-minute songwriting session focused on sharing and processing experiences of grief-related stress and burnout in hospice work. Grief processing was measured using a self-report survey for n=25. Overall differences between control and treatment groups were not found to be statistically significant. Significant differences were also not found in treatment score differences for type of …

Inter-Rater Agreement And Validity Of A Tackling Performance Assessment Scale In Youth American Football, Eric Schussler, Richard J. Jagacinski, Susan E. White, Ajit M. Chaudhari, John A. Buford, James A. Onate

Rehabilitation Sciences Faculty Publications

Background: Long term neurologic injury and concussion have been identified as risks from participation in American football. Altering tackling form has been recommended to reduce the risk of neurologic injury caused by head accelerations when tackling. The purpose of this research is to determine the inter-rater agreement and validity of the Qualitative Youth Tackling System (QYTS), a six-item feedback scale to correct tackling form, when utilized by novice and expert raters.

Hypothesis: Experienced raters will have higher levels of agreement with each other and with motion capture when compared to novice raters. Methods: Both novice and experienced raters viewed video …

Testosterone And The Adult Male, Alex Straftis

Calvert Undergraduate Research Awards

Abstract

In the last 15 years, prescription testosterone sales have increased almost threefold. Testosterone is a powerful hormone, which has both physiological and behavioral effects on the adult male. These effects vary over a man’s life course and social ecology. In a natural setting, testosterone reaches a peak during early adulthood, declines gradually over midlife, and has exponential drops after the age of 70. Increasing testosterone, through testosterone replacement therapy (TRT), past early adulthood, is an evolutionary novel circumstance for an adult male. To gauge these effects, and the motivations that initiated them, this study conducted a preliminary text analysis …

Improving Handoffs By Incorporating A Standardized Ipass Section Into The Written Handoff Document, Kristin Streiler, Susamita Kesh

Posters

No abstract provided.

“Just Because A Doctor Says Something, Doesn’T Mean That [It] Will Happen”: Self-Perception As Having A Fertility Problem Among Infertility Patients, Ophra Leyser-Whalen, Arthur L. Greil, Julia Mcquillan, Katherine M. Johnson

Department of Sociology: Faculty Publications

Only some individuals who have the medically defined condition ‘infertility’ adopt a self-definition as having a fertility problem, which has implications for social and behavioral responses, yet there is no clear consensus on why some people and not others adopt a medical label. We use interview data from 28 women and men who sought medical infertility treatment to understand variations in self-identification. Results highlight the importance of identity disruption for understanding the dialectical relationship between medical contact and self-identification, as well as how diagnosis acts both as a category and a process. Simultaneously integrating new medical knowledge from testing and …

Child Sexual Abuse And Prenatal Care: Understanding Screening, Modifications, And Proper Care, Wendy Abbott-Egnor

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Research has shown that 1 in 9 women in prenatal care have a history of childhood sexual abuse. Pregnant women with a history of childhood sexual abuse are at increased risk of depression, somatization, preterm contractions, posttraumatic stress symptomology, and re-traumatization. The purpose of this study was to bridge the gap in literature between research and practice. Data was collected from practitioners regarding the care and treatment of pregnant women with a childhood sexual abuse history. It was hypothesized that screening practices and modification to care and treatment based on practitioner knowledge of prior sex abuse history will vary by …

Diabetes-Related Distress Screening: A Survey Of Primary Care Providers' Knowledge, Attitudes, And Practices In Treating Patients With Difficulty Meeting Glycemic Goals., Michele Patrice Paxton

DNP Projects

A patient with diabetes is two to three times more likely to be depressed than the general population. Furthermore, the combination of diabetes and depression is associated with increased morbidity and mortality. However, research has shown that treatment for depression does not correlate with lower HbA1c levels or a decrease in morbidity and mortality. Recently, a body of evidence has shown that increased HbA1c levels and depression are associated with the emotional burden of managing diabetes. The emotional burden is caused by the constant behavioral and mental demands of managing the disease and the worry and fear of the impending …

The Effects Of Emerging Technology On Healthcare And The Difficulties Of Integration, Skyler J. Pavlish-Carpenter

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Background: Disruptive technology describes technology that is significantly more advanced than previous iterations, such as: 3D printing, genetic manipulation, stem cell research, innovative surgical procedures, and computer-based charting software. These technologies often require extensive overhauls to implement into older systems and must overcome many difficult financial and societal complications before they can be widely used. In a field like healthcare that makes frequent advancements, these difficulties can mean that the technology will not be utilized to its full potential or implemented at all.

Objective: To determine the inhibiting factors that prevent disruptive technology from being implemented in conventional healthcare.

Methods: …

Geographic Disparities In Previously Diagnosed Health Conditions In Colorectal Cancer Patients Are Largely Explained By Age And Area Level Disadvantage, Belinda C Goodwin, Sonja March, Michael J Ireland, Fiona Crawford-Williams, Shu-Kay Ng, Peter D Baade, Suzanne K. Chambers, Joanne F Aitken, Jeff Dunn

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Background: Geographical disparity in colorectal cancer (CRC) survival rates may be partly due to aging populations and disadvantage in more remote locations; factors that also impact the incidence and outcomes of other chronic health conditions. The current study investigates whether geographic disparity exists amongst previously diagnosed health conditions in CRC patients above and beyond age and area-level disadvantage and whether this disparity is linked to geographic disparity in CRC survival.

Methods: Data regarding previously diagnosed health conditions were collected via computer-assisted telephone interviews with a cross-sectional sample of n = 1,966 Australian CRC patients between 2003 and 2004. Ten-year survival …

Enhanced Skeletal Muscle Ribosome Biogenesis, Yet Attenuated Mtorc1 And Ribosome Biogenesis-Related Signalling, Following Short-Term Concurrent Versus Single-Mode Resistance Training, Jackson J. Fyfe, David J. Bishop, Jonathan D. Bartlett, Erik D. Hanson, Mitchell J. Anderson, Andrew P. Garnham, Nigel K. Stepto

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Combining endurance training with resistance training (RT) may attenuate skeletal muscle hypertrophic adaptation versus RT alone; however, the underlying mechanisms are unclear. We investigated changes in markers of ribosome biogenesis, a process linked with skeletal muscle hypertrophy, following concurrent training versus RT alone. Twenty-three males underwent eight weeks of RT, either performed alone (RT group, n = 8), or combined with either high-intensity interval training (HIT+RT group, n = 8), or moderate-intensity continuous training (MICT+RT group, n = 7). Muscle samples (vastus lateralis) were obtained before training, and immediately before, 1 h and 3 h after the final training session. …

The Role Of Adult Day Services In Supporting The Occupational Participation Of People With Dementia And Their Carers: An Integrative Review, Janice Du Preez, J. L. Millsteed, Ruth Marquis, Janet Richmond

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

The increasing numbers of people with dementia places considerable stress on health and aged care services and has resulted in the development of community adult day services. Aim: The aim of this integrative review is to determine the extent to which these services support the occupational participation of people with dementia, and how they impact their primary carers. Method: The mixed-methods appraisal tool (MMAT) was used to identify relevant studies in the period 2011–2016. Results: Nine databases were searched and yielded 16 articles with a variety of research designs for inclusion in the review. Conclusions: Findings …

Exploring The Preparedness Of Novice (Student) Paramedics For The Mental Health Challenges Of The Paramedic Profession: Using The Wisdom Of The Elders, Lisa Holmes

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

This study investigates the preparedness of novice (student) paramedics for the mental health challenges of the paramedic profession and identifies the coping strategies used by veteran paramedics to successfully meet these challenges. The lived experience of veteran paramedics is utilised to provide this important assistance.

Initially, two surveys were developed and administered to 16 course coordinators and 302 students of the 16 accredited undergraduate degree paramedicine courses across Australia and New Zealand, to identify the perceived need (for preparation) within the curriculum. In addition, the anticipations, confidence and fears of novice (student) paramedics, course coordinators and veteran paramedics were also …

Stasi Brainwashing In The Gdr 1957 - 1990, Jacob H. Solbrig, Jacob Hagen Solbrig

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

This thesis examines the methods used by the Ministerium für Staatssicherheit (MfS), more commonly known as the Stasi, or East German secret police, for extraction of information from citizens of the German Democratic Republic for the purpose of espionage and covert operations inside East Germany, as it pertains to the deliberate brainwashing of East German citizens. As one of the most efficient intelligence agencies to ever exist, the Stasi’s main purpose was to monitor the population, gather intelligence, and collect or turn informants. They used brainwashing techniques to control the people of the GDR, keeping the populace paralyzed with fear …

Beyond The End Line - Putting The Mental Health Of Female Athletes First, Katherine Scholten

Honors Projects

Currently one in five adults are affected by mental illness. Student-athletes are a population that is under diagnosed for mental illness. In the world of college athletics, mental pain is as regular as physical pain. Coaches often push their athletes to suffer in silence for the betterment of the team. The NCAA has recognized the importance of mental health in college athletics, yet there is still much work to be done among universities across the country. This document is to serve as a resource and a guide on the effects of mental health among female student athletes and the best …

Hyperhomocysteinemia-Induced Gene Expression Changes In The Cell Types Of The Brain, Erica M. Weekman, Abigail E. Woolums, Tiffany L. Sudduth, Donna M. Wilcock

Sanders-Brown Center on Aging Faculty Publications

High plasma levels of homocysteine, termed hyperhomocysteinemia, are a risk factor for vascular cognitive impairment and dementia, which is the second leading cause of dementia. While hyperhomocysteinemia induces microhemorrhages and cognitive decline in mice, the specific effect of hyperhomocysteinemia on each cell type remains unknown. We took separate cultures of astrocytes, microglia, endothelial cells, and neuronal cells and treated each with moderate levels of homocysteine for 24, 48, 72, and 96 hr. We then determined the gene expression changes for cell-specific markers and neuroinflammatory markers including the matrix metalloproteinase 9 system. Astrocytes had decreased levels of several astrocytic end feet …

Influence Of Dietary Salt Knowledge, Perceptions, And Beliefs On Consumption Choices After Stroke In Uganda, Martin N. Kaddumukasa, Elly Katabira, Martha Sajatovic, Svetlana Pundik, Mark Kaddumukasa, Larry B. Goldstein

Neurology Faculty Publications

Background

Previous research on Uganda's poststroke population revealed that their level of dietary salt knowledge did not lead to healthier consumption choices.

Purpose

Identify barriers and motivators for healthy dietary behaviors and evaluate the understanding of widely accepted salt regulation mechanisms among poststroke patients in Uganda.

Methods

Convergent parallel mixed methods triangulation design comprised a cross-sectional survey (n = 81) and 8 focus group discussions with 7-10 poststroke participants in each group. We assessed participant characteristics and obtained insights into their salt consumption attitudes, perceptions, and knowledge. Qualitative responses were analyzed using an inductive approach with thematic analytic procedures. Relationships …