Mental and Social Health Commons^™

The Correlation Between Traumatic Brain Injury And Incarceration Among Adult Males In The United States, Shadi Shams

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

The United States has one of the largest growing prison populations in the world. A large amount of social and economic resources go towards the cost and maintenance of correctional facilities each year. Additionally, the current correctional programs are insufficient in assisting inmates with getting back to society; especially those with traumatic brain injury (TBI) who often remain undiagnosed and are usually treated unfairly in the prison system instead of receiving the appropriate help. Prior scholarly work has shown that patients in the post-TBI stage are more likely to enter the judicial system. In the recent population-based cohort study, the …

Development Of Schizophrenia In A Genetically Predisposed Individual Following Covid-19, Sung Kang, Jonathan Yuh, Timothy Wong

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

We present a patient who is a 56-year-old female with a psychiatric history of anxiety disorder and a medical history of hypercholesterolemia and hyperthyroidism, who was admitted to the hospital after a witnessed seizure at an inpatient psychiatric facility. This patient’s family history is significant for her mother experiencing unspecified psychotic disorder that required psychiatric hospitalization. Our patient was first admitted to the psychiatric hospital after exhibiting worsening paranoid delusions and hallucinations that began several months prior. The patient had reportedly begun locking herself in the restroom and screaming “get out, they’re spying on me”, referring to her next-door neighbors …

The Virtues Of Osteopathic Manipulative Treatments In Patients With Opioid Use Disorder, Rachel Shmuts, Heather Soled, Kyle Street, David Abend

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

As America continues to face the opioid epidemic, numerous people have made great strides in receiving formal treatment for their opioid use disorder (OUD). This research seeks to examine the effects providing OMT along with traditional OUD pharmacological methods in providing results for patients. By utilizing prior research on OMT techniques, we were able to uncover how effective OMT can be in reducing the time and discomfort associated with seeking opioid recovery. OMT in combination with traditional pharmacology was associated with reduction of somatic pain, higher success with MAT, as well as lowered costs. This research also highlights the importance …

Exploring Risk Factors For Major Depressive Disorder For Female Patients Aged 18 Or Older Living In Ocean County, New Jersey, James Mack

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

Background: The incidence and prevalence of major depressive disorder has been increasing worldwide, in the United States of America, and on a local level. The population of Ocean County, New Jersey, a predominantly Caucasian, female, middle-aged population, may be at increased risk of developing major depressive disorder.

Purpose: To explore the social determinants of health and risk factors for major depressive disorder for female patients aged 18 or older living in Ocean County, New Jersey.

Methods: This literature review mainly used PubMed and Scopus for journal articles and utilized governmental databases for additional population data.

Results: Analyses conducted on social …

Release The Kratom: Post-Acute Withdrawal Syndrome In A 70 Year Old Male, Nardin El-Shammaa, Kyle Street, Narsimha Pinninti

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

Centuries in Eastern medicine.. Kratom has been commonly used for chronic pain and opiate withdrawal symptoms with first reported cases in the United States in the early 2000s. It is a plant that consists of psychoactive alkaloids that target opioid receptors with different affinity. Effects from Kratom are dose-dependent, at lower doses, it acts as a stimulant, while at higher doses produces analgesia and euphoria. Although Kratom is legal and easily accessible over the counter, there have been increasing reports of potential for addiction and toxicity. Cessation of Kratom can result in withdrawal symptoms similar to opiate withdrawal. Here we …

Case Report: Abrupt Psychosis Or Nmda Receptor Encephalitis?, Alexis Dunn, Neelesh Parikh, James Espinosa, Alan Lucerna

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

We report a case of a 46-year-old female who was initially committed to a psychiatric facility for new onset schizophrenia symptoms. She later had an extensive workup in the hospital due to leukocytosis and was believed to have NMDA Receptor Encephalitis as the cause for her new behavioral symptoms. This case report aims to educate EM (emergency medicine) physicians to keep a broad differential diagnosis on patients who present with new onset, unprovoked psychosis later in life.

Correlation Between Gut Biomarkers And Depression, Jianle Gao

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

The correlation between the gut-microbiota- brain axis and mental state in the context of mental disorders such as Major Depressive Disorder (MDD), Schizophrenia, etc. has been well studied. Production of inflammatory and non-inflammatory metabolites by the gut- microbiota directly and indirectly affects the brain and mood. Therefore, colonization by maladaptive, pro-inflammatory bacteria may cause mood dysregulation and depressive features. Metabolites from these bacteria can be quantitatively analyzed for use as biomarkers of Major Depressive Disorder. Biomarkers studied include: serotonin, dopamine, butyrate, acetate, and propionate.

Infective Endocarditis Secondary To Needle Embolization To The Heart, Tony Elias, David Barsoum, Robert Malak, Veyola Rezkalla, Maziyar Daneshvar, Howard Weinberg, Rafail Beshai

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

Needle embolisms in the heart are very rare, even though the number of intravenous drug users (IVDUs) has increased over the past 10 years.Due to varied symptomology-chest pain, dyspnoea, fever, or asymptomatic, this remains a complex and likely underdiagnosed condition. We describe a 31-year-old female with past medical history of IV drug use who presented to the emergency room with heart palpitations and described it as her “heart feels funny” and shortness of breath. She acknowledged intravenous (IV) heroin use and stated that the last time to use IV drugs was 2 days before coming to the hospital.

To our …

Growing Use Of Xylazine As An Adulterant In Opioids And Its Effects, Oluwapelumi Oluwo

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

Xylazine, according to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), is a non-opioid tranquilizer used in veterinary medicine. Although this drug has not been approved for human use, it can be linked to an increase in opioid overdose deaths due to its role as an adulterant in drugs like fentanyl.

Xylazine was detected in drugs involved in 41% of all opioid-involved unintentional deaths and in 44% of all unintentional overdose deaths with fentanyl involved in the year of 2021 in Philadelphia.

Effect Of The Covid-19 Pandemic On Hpv Vaccination Rates, Jennifer Sepede, Kathy Chen

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

Human papillomavirus (HPV) is a common sexually transmitted infection that potentiates cancer in both males and females. There are over 200 different types of HPV and while some strains, specifically HPV 6 and 11, may result in genital and skin warts, others remain clinically silent. High risk strains, HPV 16 and 18, are most associated with cervical cancer in women. During the COVID-19 pandemic, there was widespread hesitancy and rejection towards vaccination. Similarly, the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) vaccine has also been met with distrust since it’s release. Studies have shown that there is a low vaccination rate due to …

A Meta-Analysis Of The Correlation Between Historical Trauma And Health Outcomes In The Native American Population, Taylen Day

Psychological Science Undergraduate Honors Theses

Native Americans experience significant health disparities such as increased rates of
cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and mental illness. Recent research has suggested that historical trauma may be a contributing factor. This meta-analysis examined the association between historical trauma and health outcomes in Native Americans in the United States and Canada. Data from 14 studies (N = 14,698, 35 effect sizes) examining the physical health, mental health, and substance use domains and using the Historical Loss Scale were collected for analysis. Possible moderating factors were also examined. Overall, a small, significant association (r =.124) was found between historical trauma and health outcomes. …

Chronic Overlapping Pain Conditions And Long-Term Opioid Treatment, Steffani R Bailey, Irina Chamine, John Muench

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

OBJECTIVES: One in 5 people in the United States lives with chronic pain. Many patients with chronic pain experience a subset of specific co-occurring pain conditions that may share a common pain mechanism and that have been designated as chronic overlapping pain conditions (COPCs). Little is known about chronic opioid prescribing patterns among patients with COPCs in primary care settings, especially among socioeconomically vulnerable patients. This study aims to evaluate opioid prescribing among patients with COPCs in US community health centers and to identify individual COPCs and their combinations that are associated with long-term opioid treatment (LOT).

STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective …

Patient With Genital Lymphedema, Pain, And Rash, Cooper R Benson

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

No abstract provided.

Wellness Review 2022, Part 2, Martin Huecker, Brian A. Ferguson, Jacob Shreffler

Journal of Wellness

Introduction: Similar to prior reviews, the Journal of Wellness editors searched the literature from the second half of 2022 for an interesting and impactful selection of publications on wellness in healthcare professionals.

Methods: Editors conducted a standard keyword search in Pubmed, focusing chiefly on large journals, interventional trials, and other prospective research. We included papers published between July 1, 2022 and December 31, 2022.

Literature in Review: Finding several hundred publications, we excluded editorials, reviews, and some smaller, less generalizable papers. A final 25 significant studies focusing on wellness in medical professionals were sorted into the following categories: logistics, creativity …

Rapid Escape Of New Sars-Cov-2 Omicron Variants From Ba2-Directed Antibody Responses, Chang Liu, Piyada Supasa, Muneeswaran Selvaraj, Thushan I De Silva, Megan Plowright, Thomas A H Newman, Hailey Hornsby, Alexander J Mentzer, Donal Skelly, Thomas G Ritter, Nigel Temperton, Paul Klenerman, Eleanor Barnes, Susanna J Dunachie, Optic Consortium, Cornelius Roemer, Thomas P Peacock, Neil G Paterson, Mark A Williams, David R Hall, Elizabeth E Fry, Juthathip Mongkolsapaya, Jingshan Ren, David I Stuart, Gavin R Screaton

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

In November 2021, Omicron BA.1, containing a raft of new spike mutations, emerged and quickly spread globally. Intense selection pressure to escape the antibody response produced by vaccines or severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection then led to a rapid succession of Omicron sub-lineages with waves of BA.2 and then BA.4/5 infection. Recently, many variants have emerged such as BQ.1 and XBB, which carry up to 8 additional receptor-binding domain (RBD) amino acid substitutions compared with BA.2. We describe a panel of 25 potent monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) generated from vaccinees suffering BA.2 breakthrough infections. Epitope mapping shows potent …

Case Series: Continued Remission Of Ptsd Symptoms After Discontinuation Of Prazosin, Christie Richardson, Jonathan Yuh, Jing Su, Martin Forsberg

Rowan-Virtua School of Osteopathic Medicine Departmental Research

Post-traumatic stress disorder is a debilitating chronic illness that affects 6 out of 100 adults after a severe trauma. The alpha-adrenergic antagonist prazosin, which is prescribed off-label for flashbacks and nightmares due to trauma, is often continued indefinitely due to reports of symptoms returning upon discontinuation. There is no standard guidance for a trial of discontinuation of prazosin due to intolerance or side effects. In this case series, three patients are started on prazosin leading to remission of trauma-related symptoms, and symptoms continue to remit after treatment for an average of about 2 years followed by discontinuation of the medication. …

Physician Stress In The Era Of Covid-19 Vaccine Disparity: A Multi-Institutional Survey, Sarah Zahl, Debasis Mondal, David Tolentino, Jennifer A Fischer, Sherry Jimenez

Rowan-Virtua School of Osteopathic Medicine Departmental Research

CONTEXT: Healthcare workers are at a high risk of infection during infectious disease outbreaks, such as the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite the availability of several vaccines against COVID-19, the absence of vaccination in patients and colleagues remains a continuous source of stress in healthcare workers. We conducted a survey of physician preceptors, both MDs and DOs, to explore the impact of differences in the patients' and colleagues' vaccination status on their well-being, stress, and burnout.

OBJECTIVES: The objective of this study is to determine whether exposure to unvaccinated patients and/or colleagues increases stress and burnout in physician preceptors by utilizing a …

Attitudes Toward Personal Health Data Sharing Among People Living With Sickle Cell Disorder, Exemplar For Study Of Rare Disease Populations, Rebecca Baines, Sebastian Stevens, Zainab Garba-Sani, Arunangsu Chatterjee, Daniela Austin, Simon Leigh

Journal of Patient-Centered Research and Reviews

Purpose: Rare conditions are often poorly understood, creating barriers in determining the value treatments can provide. This study explored barriers and facilitators to personal health data sharing among those with one particular group of rare hematologic disorders, ie, sickle cell disorder (SCD) and its variants.

Methods: A single online focus group among those > 18 years of age and living with SCD was conducted. Participants (N = 25) were recruited through a United Kingdom-based SCD charity. Discussions were transcribed verbatim, with data therein analyzed using inductive thematic analysis.

Results: Five primary motivators for sharing health data were identified: improving awareness; knowing …

Oral Health Considerations For Aging Patients Living With Hiv/Aids, Madeleine Daily Dds, Susan Liu Dds, Yuna Park Dds, Mph, Ms, Emily Byington Msw, Ivette Estrada Ma, Mphil, Sunil Wadhwa Dds, Carol Kunzel Phd

The New York State Dental Journal

People living with HIV/AIDS (PLWH) have an increased life expectancy due to advances in antiretroviral therapy. In 1996, the life expectancy for a 20-year old living with HIV was 39-years old; today, it is >70-years old. As life expectancy increases, PLWH are burdened with age-associated comorbidities. This paper reviews the interaction between aging and HIV and how it affects social, physical, and oral health issues. The shift in demographics presents new challenges for clinicians in how to identify, address, and manage these complex manifestations. This review summarizes how to approach HIV-related changes when providing care as a dental clinician.

Worse Postoperative Outcomes And Higher Reoperation In Smokers Compared To Nonsmokers For Arthroscopic Rotator Cuff Repair, Susan G. Wager, Spencer Brown, Michael Gaudiani, Joshua P. Castle, Eric Jiang, Vasilios Moutzouros, Eric Makhni, Stephanie J. Muh

Medical Student Research Symposium

Introduction: Smoking impairs healing potential and is a significant risk factor for complications following orthopaedic surgeries. The purpose of this study was to determine if a cohort of former or current smokers at time of surgery met the minimally clinical important difference (MCID) for Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System Upper Extremity (PROMIS-UE), Depression (PROMIS-D), and Pain Interference (PROMIS-PI) scores in comparison to nonsmokers.

Methods: A retrospective review of patients who underwent rotator cuff repair was performed. Patients who completed preoperative and 6-month postoperative PROMIS scores were included. The MCID was calculated using a distribution technique with a threshold of 0.5 …

Association Of Physical Activity And Screen Time Usage Of Adolescents In Rural Areas Of Mysore., Aakash Pavan Kumar, Nayanabai Shabadi, Bikram Sinha Roy, Anchu R. Nath, Arun Gopi

Digital Journal of Clinical Medicine

Introduction:

In these changing times there have been increased usage of screen device due to more accessibility to both device and the internet and a greater number of children are having reduced physical activity. The purpose of the current study was to determine if screen usage among adolescents (11-17yrs) who live in supportive environments is associated with decreased levels of moderate to vigorous physical activity.

Methods & materials:

A school-based cross-sectional study was conducted in two rural schools of Mysore, Karnataka in February 2023, in 176 students between the age group of 11 – 17yrs. Physical activity and screen …

A Case Of Galeazzi Fracture Subluxation Of Left Forearm In Paediatric Age Group, Sauparna Dey

Digital Journal of Clinical Medicine

A case report of a rare form of fracture- Galeazzi fracture subluxation in paediatric age group. Showing post operative progress of the patient, with a discussion on possible methodology of approaching such fractures. Correct management of the fracture is essential for proper healing and avoiding complications.

A Case Of Obstructed Left Diaphragmatic Hernia, Shikha Agarwal Dr.

Digital Journal of Clinical Medicine

Diaphragmatic hernia is protrusion of abdominal viscera into the chest cavity. Most commonly seen due to congenital defects in the diaphragm, hence causing herniation of abdominal contents including stomach, bowel, pancreas, omentum. Acquired diaphragmatic hernia can be secondary to injury to diaphragm. Patient presents with respiratory distress, due to reduced lung expansion. Early correlation with radiological scans is required for appropriate timely management, to prevent further deterioration of condition.

Advancing Health Equity In The Us Military, James D. Mancuso, John Young, Jennifer Rusiecki, Shauna Stahlman, Natasha Schvey, Toya Randolph, Candy Wilson, Catherine Witkop, Patrick Hyde, Althea Green, Patcho Santiago, Donald Shell, Tracy Sbrocco

Journal of Health Disparities Research and Practice

Eliminating health disparities and achieving health equity are central to US national health objectives and the Military Health System’s “quadruple aim,” which has readiness as its core aim. Because military service members enjoy universal eligibility for health care, it is sometimes assumed that health disparities do not exist in the Department of Defense (DoD). However, while some studies have shown that disparities have been attenuated or eliminated in the DoD, others suggest that significant disparities remain. Reasons these disparities may remain include that universal eligibility for care does not necessarily result in equal to access to care, and that equal …

Mglu5 Inhibition In The Basolateral Amygdala Prevents Estrous Cycle-Dependent Changes In Cue-Induced Cocaine Seeking, Claire M. Corbett, Emily N. D. Miller, Jessica A. Loweth

Rowan-Virtua School of Osteopathic Medicine Departmental Research

Drug associated cues are a common relapse trigger for individuals recovering from cocaine use disorder. Sex and ovarian hormones influence patterns of cocaine use and relapse vulnerability, with studies indicating that females show increased cue-induced craving and relapse vulnerability compared to males. In a rodent model of cocaine craving and relapse vulnerability, cue-induced cocaine seeking behavior following weeks of withdrawal from extended-access cocaine self-administration is higher in females in the estrus stage of the reproductive (estrous) cycle (Estrus Females) compared to both Males and females in all other stages (Non-Estrus Females). However, the neuronal substrates and cellular mechanisms underlying these …

The Immunomodulating Effects Of Morphine Dependence And Withdrawal In A Rat Model, Mark Stoll

Annual Research Symposium

Would you like to know what happens to the immune system during opioid drug withdrawal?

The Covid-19 Pandemic And International Students: A Mixed-Methods Approach To Relationships Between Social Media Use, Social Support, And Mental Health, Hyunjin Seo, Yuchen Liu, Husain Ebrahim, Muhammad Ittefaq, Donghwa Chung

School of Communication Studies - Faculty Scholarship

The COVID-19 pandemic and international students: A mixed-methods approach to relationships between social media use, social support, and mental healthThe COVID-19 pandemic has added significant stress to international students in the U.S. who already facemyriad challenges in adjusting to their host country. We used a mixed-method approach combining surveyand interview research involving international students enrolled in undergraduate or graduate programs at aU.S. university to analyze how their social media use and perceived social support and social adjustmentare associated with their sense of mental well-being when taking into account demographic and socialpsychological characteristics. Our findings show that international students spent an …

Emotional Distress, Self-Management, And Glycemic Control Among Participants Enrolled In The Glycemia Reduction Approaches In Diabetes: A Comparative Effectiveness (Grade) Study, Claire J Hoogendoorn, Elizabeth Walker, Dominic Ehrmann, Janet Brown-Friday, Andrea Cherrington

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

OBJECTIVE: We examined emotional distress in relation to metformin adherence, overall diabetes self-management, and glycemic control among adults with early type 2 diabetes (T2DM) enrolled in the GRADE study.

METHODS: Linear regression models examined cross-sectional associations of baseline depression symptoms and diabetes distress with adherence to metformin, self-management, and HbA1c, adjusting for covariates. Cognitive-affective (e.g., sadness) and somatic (e.g., sleep/appetite disturbance) depression symptoms and diabetes distress subscales were also examined.

RESULTS: This substudy of 1,739 GRADE participants (56 % Non-Hispanic White, 18 % Non-Hispanic Black, 17 % Hispanic, 68 % male, mean[SD] age = 57.96[10.22] years, diabetes duration = 4.21[2.81] …

Acoustic Voice And Speech Biomarkers Of Treatment Status During Hospitalization For Acute Decompensated Heart Failure, Olivia M Murton, G William Dec, Robert E Hillman, Maulik D Majmudar, Johannes Steiner, Daryush D Mehta

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

This study investigates acoustic voice and speech features as biomarkers for acute decompensated heart failure (ADHF), a serious escalation of heart failure symptoms including breathlessness and fatigue. ADHF-related systemic fluid accumulation in the lungs and laryngeal tissues is hypothesized to affect phonation and respiration for speech. A set of daily spoken recordings from 52 patients undergoing inpatient ADHF treatment was analyzed to identify voice and speech biomarkers for ADHF and to examine the trajectory of biomarkers during treatment. Results indicated that speakers produce more stable phonation, a more creaky voice, faster speech rates, and longer phrases after ADHF treatment compared …

Ct Colonography Is The Perfect Colorectal Screening Test That Unfortunately Few People Use Yet

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Take-home points

• • Computed tomography colonography (CTC) is the perfect test among the colorectal cancer screening options.
• • The excellent performance of CTC is on par with colonoscopy for both cancers and precancerous polyps, yet without the risks associated with perforation and sedation.
• • CTC presents an opportunity to serve as an important filter and send the small numbers of high-risk lesions for immediate removal while allowing the identification of the few true precursor targets from the large majority of benign polyps.
• • This selective polypectomy strategy at CTC minimizes complications and waste of resources while maintaining advanced neoplasia detection …