scholarly journals THE POWER OF HABITS: EVALUATION OF A MOBILE HEALTH SOLUTION FOR THE MANAGEMENT OF NARCOLEPSY

2021 ◽  
Vol 1 ◽  
pp. 3081-3090
Author(s):  
Wiktoria Staszak ◽  
Danielly de Paula ◽  
Falk Uebernickel
Keyword(s):  
Mobile Health ◽  
Chronic Conditions ◽  
Poor Quality ◽  
Self Monitoring ◽  
Future Studies ◽  
Quality Sleep ◽  
Sleep Condition ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Brain ◽  
Chronic Sleep

AbstractMobile health, or mHealth, solutions offer great potential in the area of self-monitoring of chronic conditions, where most of the day-to-day management of the condition is done at home by the patient or their caregivers. Narcolepsy is a chronic sleep condition caused by an orexin deficiency in the brain resulting in its inability to regulate sleep cycles, causing poor quality sleep during the day and problems with wakefulness during the day. This paper set out to investigate whether Habitual, an app for tracking symptoms, daily habits and medication adherence for people with narcolepsy could increase their sense of empowerment. Ten participants were asked to test the app during a period of 30 days, after which they were asked to answer a survey to investigate whether their perception of their empowerment towards the management of narcolepsy had changed. Although using the app for only 30 days provides a very limited understanding of the impact of Habitual, this study shows positive indication for future mHealth solutions for the management of narcolepsy. Future studies should test the openness to using an app for the management of narcolepsy with a wider cohort.

scholarly journals Is There a Link between Oropharyngeal Microbiome and Schizophrenia? A Narrative Review

2022 ◽  
Vol 23 (2) ◽  
pp. 846
Author(s):  
Stanislas Martin ◽  
Audrey Foulon ◽  
Wissam El Hage ◽  
Diane Dufour-Rainfray ◽  
Frédéric Denis
Keyword(s):  
Periodontal Disease ◽  
Research Team ◽  
Oral Microbiome ◽  
Oral Microbiota ◽  
Future Studies ◽  
The Subject ◽  
The Moment ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Brain

The study aimed to examine the impact of the oropharyngeal microbiome in the pathophysiology of schizophrenia and to clarify whether there might be a bidirectional link between the oral microbiota and the brain in a context of dysbiosis-related neuroinflammation. We selected nine articles including three systemic reviews with several articles from the same research team. Different themes emerged, which we grouped into 5 distinct parts concerning the oropharyngeal phageome, the oropharyngeal microbiome, the salivary microbiome and periodontal disease potentially associated with schizophrenia, and the impact of drugs on the microbiome and schizophrenia. We pointed out the presence of phageoma in patients suffering from schizophrenia and that periodontal disease reinforces the role of inflammation in the pathophysiology of schizophrenia. Moreover, saliva could be an interesting substrate to characterize the different stages of schizophrenia. However, the few studies we have on the subject are limited in scope, and some of them are the work of a single team. At this stage of knowledge, it is difficult to conclude on the existence of a bidirectional link between the brain and the oral microbiome. Future studies on the subject will clarify these questions that for the moment remain unresolved.

scholarly journals The Physiological Aspects, Technique and Monitoring of Slaughter Procedures and their Effects on Meat Quality – A Review

2019 ◽  
Vol 19 (4) ◽  
pp. 857-873
Author(s):  
Karol Borzuta ◽  
Dariusz Lisiak ◽  
Piotr Janiszewski ◽  
Eugenia Grześkowiak
Keyword(s):  
Meat Quality ◽  
Electric Fields ◽  
Mechanical Damage ◽  
Control Methods ◽  
Future Studies ◽  
Cerebral Neurons ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Brain ◽  
Prevailing View ◽  
Scientific Achievements

AbstractThe aim of the paper was a review of the scientific achievements in physiological stunning and slaughtering mechanisms, control methods of consciousness and their effect on meat quality. Special attention was paid to neurophysiological phenomena that accompany the process of depriving consciousness before animal deaths using mechanical, electrical and gas stunning methods. These mechanisms are associated with cerebral hypoxia or ischemia or depolarization, acidification and the destruction of cerebral neurons. Such effects can be caused by shock waves, bleeding, electric fields, reduction or arrest of the circulation of blood in the brain, high CO2 level or low O2 level in inhaled air or by the mechanical damage of neurons. Some of the stunning methods cause immediate and some gradual consciousness loss. An important factor in the animals’ slaughtering process is the estimation of their consciousness level before bleeding. The indicators of consciousness during mechanical, electrical and gas stunning are discussed within this paper. It is pointed out that at least 2 indicators should be used when estimating animals’ consciousness after stunning, e.g. phonic and clonic limb movements and lack of breathing. Ten indicators to control the consciousness were described. The effect of stunning on meat quality is also discussed. It was found that the impact of this process on the quality is not clear. However, the prevailing view is that electric stunning causes effusions and blood haemorrhages in meat. Whereas gas stunning with a CO2 mixture diminishes the risk of PSE meat. Despite numerous scientific research on the slaughter process there is still deficiency in knowledge on losing consciousness mechanisms and feeling pain. It might be useful to extend the knowledge concerning neurotransmitters and use of magnetic resonance in future studies.

100 Highly Cited Interventional Studies on Mobile Health: a Bibliometric Analysis (Preprint)

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Arefeh Ameri ◽  
Farzad Salmanizadeh ◽  
Sareh Keshvardoost ◽  
Kambiz Bahaadinbeigy
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Treatment Adherence ◽  
Mobile Health ◽  
Mental Health Disorders ◽  
Mobile Technologies ◽  
Future Studies ◽  
Health Disorders ◽  
Number Of Citations ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Highly Cited

BACKGROUND Advances in mobile communication technologies in the field of health have led to numerous relevant studies. One of the criteria indicating the quality of the previously published studies is the number of citations. Therefore, investigating the features of highly cited articles and identifying the most frequently used mobile technological interventions can be important in developing future studies. OBJECTIVE This study aimed at identifying 100 cited interventional articles on mobile health. METHODS The database employed in this study was the Web of Science, which without limitations was analyzed in September 2019 to identify 100 highly cited interventional studies in the field of mobile health. The identified studies were classified based on the number of citations, year of publication, country of the first author, type of disease, and use of mobile technology. RESULTS A great majority of the studies in the field of interventional mobile health focused on obesity (n=18), addiction (n=15), diabetes (n=11) and mental health disorders (n=11), respectively. Many studies employed mobile technologies to promote lifestyle (weight loss and increased physical activity) (n=21), disease control (n=19), and treatment adherence (n=18). The mean number of citations per study was 140±94. The most cited study was in the category of viral disease treatment adherence (n=679), and the most cited articles were published in 2012. CONCLUSIONS Among the reviewed 100 studies, many of the interventional studies regarding mobile health focused on obesity, addiction, diabetes and mental health disorders. Text messaging service was used as intervention in most of the studies. Thus, future studies may focus on the use of mobile interventions for less reported diseases and investigate the impact of various mobile technologies on disease prevention, control, and treatment. CLINICALTRIAL Non applicable

scholarly journals The impact of music on the bioelectrical oscillations of the brain

2018 ◽  
Vol 25 (2) ◽  
pp. 101-106
Author(s):  
Domantė Kučikienė ◽  
Rūta Praninskienė
Keyword(s):  
Spectral Analysis ◽  
Chronic Conditions ◽  
Population Studies ◽  
Disorders Of Consciousness ◽  
Healthy Population ◽  
Psychiatric Diseases ◽  
Clinical Practices ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Brain

In this article we conclude the main scientific studies into the changes in the bioelectrical brainwave activity that occur while listening to music. A brainwave spectral analysis, derived from findings of electroencephalograms, is a powerful tool to obtain deep and objective insights into the effects of music on the brain. This capacity is being investigated in various contexts. Starting with a healthy population, studies also seek to determine the impact of music in such conditions as disorders of consciousness, psychiatric diseases, and chronic conditions, as well as to further explore the role of music for rehabilitation purposes. Supplemental investigations in this field are needed not only to deepen the knowledge of general neurophysiology of listening to music, but also to possibly open new perspectives for its broader use in clinical practices.

scholarly journals Same Brain, Different Look? – the Impact of Scanner, Sequence and Preprocessing on Diffusion Imaging Outcome Parameters

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ronja Thieleking ◽  
Rui Zhang ◽  
Maria Paerisch ◽  
Kerstin Wirkner ◽  
Alfred Anwander ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Data Acquisition ◽  
Diffusion Imaging ◽  
Brain Regions ◽  
Clinical Diagnostics ◽  
Future Studies ◽  
Neuroimaging Data ◽  
Age Range ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Brain ◽  
Healthy Participants

In clinical diagnostics and longitudinal studies, the reproducibility of MRI assessments is of high importance in order to detect pathological changes, but developments in MRI hard- and software often outrun extended periods of data acquisition and analysis. This could potentially introduce artefactual changes or masking pathological alterations. However, if and how changes of MRI hardware, scanning protocols or preprocessing software affect complex neuroimaging outcomes from e.g. diffusion weighted imaging (DWI) remains largely understudied. We therefore compared DWI outcomes and artefact severity of 121 healthy participants (age range 19-54 years) who underwent two matched DWI protocols (Siemens product and Center for Magnetic Resonance Research sequence) at two sites (Siemens 3T Magnetom Verio and Skyrafit). After differing preprocessing steps, 3D-fractional anisotropy (FA) maps obtained by tensor fitting were processed with tract-based spatial statistics (TBSS). Inter-scanner and inter-sequence variability of skeletonised FA values reached up to 5% and differed largely in magnitude and direction across the brain. Preprocessing including unringing reduced the Gibbs ringing artefact, and head motion estimates were significantly lower at Skyra. We here demonstrate that DTI outcome measures strongly depend on imaging site and software, and that these biases vary between brain regions. These regionally inhomogeneous biases may exceed and considerably confound physiological effects such as ageing, highlighting the need to harmonise data acquisition and analysis. Future studies thus need to implement novel strategies to augment neuroimaging data reliability and replicability.

The Impact of Missing and Error-Prone Auxiliary Information on Sparse-Matrix Sub-Population Parameter Estimates

Methodology ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 89-99 ◽  
Author(s):  
Leslie Rutkowski ◽  
Yan Zhou
Keyword(s):  
Sparse Matrix ◽  
Small Body ◽  
Auxiliary Information ◽  
Poor Quality ◽  
Quality Data ◽  
Estimation Methods ◽  
Parameter Estimates ◽  
Population Parameter ◽  
Conditioning Model ◽  
The Impact

Abstract. Given a consistent interest in comparing achievement across sub-populations in international assessments such as TIMSS, PIRLS, and PISA, it is critical that sub-population achievement is estimated reliably and with sufficient precision. As such, we systematically examine the limitations to current estimation methods used by these programs. Using a simulation study along with empirical results from the 2007 cycle of TIMSS, we show that a combination of missing and misclassified data in the conditioning model induces biases in sub-population achievement estimates, the magnitude and degree to which can be readily explained by data quality. Importantly, estimated biases in sub-population achievement are limited to the conditioning variable with poor-quality data while other sub-population achievement estimates are unaffected. Findings are generally in line with theory on missing and error-prone covariates. The current research adds to a small body of literature that has noted some of the limitations to sub-population estimation.

Model estimates of the results of diabetes patients using modern glucometers with tri-color technology for displaying test results

2019 ◽  
pp. 81-89
Author(s):  
Larisa Dmitrievna Popovich ◽  
Svetlana Valentinovna Svetlichnaya ◽  
Aleksandr Alekseevich Moiseev
Keyword(s):  
Diabetes Mellitus ◽  
Type 2 Diabetes ◽  
Type 1 Diabetes ◽  
Economic Benefits ◽  
Test Results ◽  
Self Monitoring ◽  
Patients With Diabetes ◽  
The Impact

Diabetes – a disease in which the effect of the treatment substantially depends on the patient. Known a study showed that the use of glucometers with the technology of three-color display of test results facilitates self-monitoring of blood sugar and leads to a decrease in glycated hemoglobin (HbAlc). Purpose of the study: to modeling the impact of using of a glucometer with a color-coded display on the clinical outcomes of diabetes mellitus and calculating, the potential economic benefits of reducing the hospitalization rate of patients with diabetes. Material and methods. Based on data from two studies (O. Schnell et al. and M. Baxter et al.) simulation of the reduction in the number of complications with the use of a glucometer with a color indication. In a study by O. Schnell et al. a decrease of HbA1c by 0.69 percent is shown when using the considered type of glucometers, which was the basis of the model. Results. In the model, the use of a glucometer with a color-coded display for type 1 diabetes led to a decrease in the total number of complications by 9.2 thousand over 5 years per a cohort of 40 thousand patients with different initial levels of HbA1c. In a cohort of 40 thousand patients with type 2 diabetes, the simulated number of prevented complications was 1.7 thousand over 5 years. When extrapolating these data to all patients with diabetes included in the federal register of diabetes mellitus (FRD), the number of prevented complications was 55.4 thousand cases for type 1 diabetes and 67.1 thousand cases for type 2 diabetes. The possible economic effect from the use of the device by all patients with a diagnosis of diabetes, which are included in the FRD, estimated at 1.5 billion rubles for a cohort of patients with type 1 diabetes and 5.3 billion rubles for patients with type 2 diabetes. Conclusion. Improving the effectiveness of self-monitoring, which is the result of the use of glucometers with color indicators, can potentially significantly reduce the incidence of complications in diabetes and thereby provide significant economic benefits to society.

Impact of an Amaranth-Sorghum Grains Product on Nutrient Intake of Children Aged 6-23 Months in Kiandutu Slums, Thika, Kenya

10.37512/700 ◽  
2020 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Nutrition Education ◽  
Nutrient Intake ◽  
Controlled Trial ◽  
Poor Quality ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Composite Flour ◽  
Monthly Basis ◽  
Sorghum Flour ◽  
Baseline Characteristics ◽  
The Impact

Poor quality complementary foods contribute to undernutrition in children aged 6-23 months. Therefore, there is need to explore foods that will provide adequate nutrients for this age group. This study aimed at determining the impact of a sorghum-amaranth composite flour porridge on nutrient intake of children aged 6-23 months. A randomized controlled trial was conducted at Kiandutu slum, Thika, Kenya. Children in the control group (CG), received a maize-sorghum flour while those in the treatment group (TG) received an amaranth-sorghum flour. The sample size per study group was 73 mother-child pairs. The children in the TG received Kcal 1000 worth of porridge/day while those in the CG received Kcal 266.8/day. Mothers of children in both groups were given nutrition education at baseline, and monthly, for six months. Food intake data was taken at baseline, then monthly for six months. Descriptive statistics were used to describe nutrient intake. Chi square and Mann Whitney U test were was used to compare the baseline characteristics of the two groups and their nutrient intake, respectively. At baseline characteristics of the two groups were similar. On a monthly basis, nutrient intake in the TG was significantly higher for a majority of the nutrients than in the CG. The product can contribute to preventing under-nutrition in children aged 6-23 months.

Drusen in the Peripheral Retina of the Alzheimer’s Eye

2018 ◽  
Vol 15 (8) ◽  
pp. 743-750 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kresimir Ukalovic ◽  
Sijia Cao ◽  
Sieun Lee ◽  
Qiaoyue Tang ◽  
Mirza Faisal Beg ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Peripheral Retina ◽  
Amyloid Angiopathy ◽  
Temporal Region ◽  
Future Studies ◽  
Eye Tissues ◽  
Neuropathological Diagnosis ◽  
Ocular Imaging ◽  
Cerebral Amyloid ◽  
The Brain ◽  
Oil Red O

Background: Recent work on Alzheimer's disease (AD) diagnosis focuses on neuroimaging modalities; however, these methods are expensive, invasive, and not available to all patients. Ocular imaging of biomarkers, such as drusen in the peripheral retina, could provide an alternative method to diagnose AD. Objective: This study compares macular and peripheral drusen load in control and AD eyes. Methods: Postmortem eye tissues were obtained from donors with a neuropathological diagnosis of AD. Retina from normal donors were processed and categorized into younger (<55 years) and older (>55 years) groups. After fixation and dissection, 3-6 mm punches of RPE/choroid were taken in macular and peripheral (temporal, superior, and inferior) retinal regions. Oil red O positive drusen were counted and grouped into two size categories: small (<63 μm) and intermediate (63-125 μm). Results: There was a significant increase in the total number of macular and peripheral hard drusen in older, compared to younger, normal eyes (p<0.05). Intermediate hard drusen were more commonly found in the temporal region of AD eyes compared to older normal eyes, even after controlling for age (p<0.05). Among the brain and eye tissues from AD donors, there was a significant relationship between cerebral amyloid angiopathy (CAA) severity and number of temporal intermediate hard drusen (r=0.78, p<0.05). Conclusion: Imaging temporal drusen in the eye may have benefit for diagnosing and monitoring progression of AD. Our results on CAA severity and temporal intermediate drusen in the AD eye are novel. Future studies are needed to further understand the interactions among CAA and drusen formation.

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