Social interaction following severe closed head injury

SynopsisThis paper describes research which sought to investigate and describe the interpersonal relationships and vulnerability to psychiatric disturbance in severely closed head injured subjects. The head injured subjects were severely injured, with mild or extremely severely injured individuals being excluded from this study. Self-report by the injured individual was compared with relatives' reports. Fifteen head injured people were individually matched with non-head injured people from the general population who acted as controls. Each subject nominated one ‘close other’ for comparative interview. The dependent variables included interpersonal relationships, non-psychotic psychiatric disturbance and behavioural change.The head injured group differed significantly from the control group in the quantity of interaction but not in the perceived quality of interaction. The groups differed significantly on behavioural change. No significant difference was found between responses given by the head injured and their ‘close other’ compared with the controls. Deficient quantity of interpersonal relationships and greater vulnerability to psychiatric disorders was shown in this sample. Further research on the assessment of long-term social outcome and psychiatric stability in the head injured could assist in the improved long-term rehabilitation of the survivors.

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Long-term Outcomes in Adolescents and Adults with a Cleft Lip and/or palate: Esthetics, Employment and Functioning

10.21203/rs.3.rs-166715/v1 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Cassandra Alighieri ◽

Evelien D'haeseleer ◽

Kim Bettens ◽

Katrien Bonte ◽

Hubert Vermeersch ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Quality Of Life ◽

Well Being ◽

Self Report ◽

Control Group ◽

Older Individuals ◽

Significant Difference ◽

Adolescents And Adults ◽

The Impact

Abstract Background. To date, there seems to be no consensus on the long-term quality of life outcomes in patients living with a cleft of the lip and/or palate (CL/P) with regard to well-being and functioning. Some studies report a substantial influence of having a cleft while other studies report no influence of living with a cleft. The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of living with a CL/P on esthetics, employment and functioning in Dutch-speaking adolescents and adults with a CL/P. Methods. 30 Patients with a CL/P (19 men and 11 women) were included in the study. The mean age of the participants was 26.93 years (SD = 11.688 years, range = 15 – 66 years). An age and gender matched control group was included consisting of 30 participants (19 men and 11 women) without a CL/P with a mean age of 26.87 years (SD = 11.729 years, range = 16-67 years). Esthetics, employment and functioning were assessed using different standardized self-report questionnaires. Results. No statistically significant difference in educational level, employment, monthly net income, marital status and having children was found between participants with and without a CL/P. In addition, the quality of life scores did not differ between the two groups. Within the group of individuals with a CL/P, the findings revealed that the proportion of participants who reported an influence of the CL/P on daily functioning, general well-being, social contacts, family life, applying for a job, work, education and leisure time differed by age. Older individuals experienced more influence of their CL/P compared to younger individuals. With regard to esthetics, the findings revealed that participants without a CL/P were less satisfied with the appearance of their jaws compared to participants with a CL/P. Conclusion. In general, the findings of our study revealed no significant differences between adolescents and adults with and without a CL/P with regard to employment and functioning. Considering age within the group of participants with a CL/P, however, the results demonstrated that older individuals were more likely to experience a negative impact of their cleft on well-being and functioning. These findings suggest that older individuals with a CL/P might benefit from additional socio-emotional support, for example peer contacts and support groups or psychological guidance. Longitudinal research on this topic is highly needed to determine possible fluctuations in the impact of living with a CL/P.

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Long-term treadmill training ameliorates endothelium-dependent vasorelaxation mediated by insulin and insulin-like growth factor-1 in hypertension

Journal of Applied Physiology ◽

10.1152/japplphysiol.01062.2014 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 119 (6) ◽

pp. 663-669 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

Yi-Yuan Lin ◽

Shin-Da Lee ◽

Chia-Ting Su ◽

Tsung-Lin Cheng ◽

Ai-Lun Yang

Keyword(s):

Growth Factor ◽

Insulin Receptor ◽

Treadmill Training ◽

Control Group ◽

Insulin Like Growth Factor ◽

Hypertensive Rats ◽

Protein Levels ◽

Significant Difference ◽

Nos Inhibitors

Dysfunction of insulin and insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) is associated with the pathophysiology of hypertension. The influence of long-term exercise on vascular dysfunction caused by hypertension remains unclear. We investigated whether long-term treadmill training improved insulin- and IGF-1-mediated vasorelaxation in hypertensive rats. Eight-week-old male spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) were randomly divided into sedentary and exercise (SHR-EX) groups. The SHR-EX group was trained on a treadmill for 60 min/day, 5 days/wk, for 8 wk. Wistar-Kyoto rats (WKY) were used as the normal control group. After training, aortic insulin- and IGF-1-mediated vasorelaxation was evaluated in organ baths. Additionally, the roles of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K), nitric oxide synthase (NOS), and aortic protein expression were examined in the three groups. Compared with sedentary SHR and WKY groups, insulin- and IGF-1-mediated vasorelaxation was significantly enhanced to a nearly normal level in the SHR-EX group. After endothelial denudation, blunted and comparable vasorelaxation was found among the three groups. Pretreatment with selective PI3K and NOS inhibitors attenuated insulin- and IGF-1-mediated vasorelaxation, and no significant difference was found among the three groups after the pretreatment. The aortic protein levels of the insulin receptor (IR), IGF-1 receptor (IGF-1R), insulin receptor substrate-1 (IRS-1), and endothelial NOS (eNOS) were also significantly increased in the SHR-EX group compared with the other two groups. These results suggested that treadmill training elicited the amelioration of endothelium-dependent insulin/IGF-1-mediated vasorelaxation partly via the increased activation of PI3K and NOS, as well as the enhancement of protein levels of IR, IGF-1R, IRS-1, and eNOS, in hypertension.

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Hearing Aid Review Appointments: Attendance and Effectiveness

American Journal of Audiology ◽

10.1044/2021_aja-21-00004 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 1-9

Author(s):

Rebecca J. Bennett ◽

Erin Kosovich ◽

Steff Cohen ◽

Cara Lo ◽

Kevin Logan ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Cohort Study ◽

Hearing Aid ◽

Self Report ◽

Control Group ◽

Attendance Rates ◽

Management Skills ◽

Factors Associated ◽

Appointment Attendance ◽

Significant Difference ◽

Travel Distances

Purpose This study aimed to (a) identify participant factors associated with hearing aid review (HAR) appointment attendance, (b) investigate whether the completion of self-report survey identifying hearing aid–related problems affects HAR appointment attendance, and (c) investigate whether hearing aid problems and hearing aid management deficiencies are adequately addressed during HAR appointments. Method A prospective cohort study of adult hearing aid owners recruited from a single hearing clinic in Western Australia. Potential participants were invited to an annual HAR appointment via postal letter. The invitation included a paper-based self-report survey evaluating either (a) hearing aid problems, (b) hearing aid management skills, or (c) hearing aid outcomes, depending on which intervention/control group the potential participants were assigned to, and a reply paid addressed envelope. Two months later, potential participants were sent all three paper-based self-report surveys, irrespective of whether they had attended or not attended an HAR appointment. Results (a) There was no significant difference in gender or source of funding for hearing services between HAR appointment attendees and nonattendees. HAR nonattendees lived a greater distance from their clinic and were younger than attendees. (b) Survey completion did not influence HAR appointment attendance rates. (c) A significant reduction in individuals' self-reported hearing aid problems was recorded following the attendance at the HAR appointment. No significant changes in hearing aid management skills or overall hearing aid outcomes were detected. Conclusions Long travel distances may be a barrier to attendance at review appointments. HAR appointments appear to be effective in improving hearing aid problems.

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Resisting Everything except Temptation: Evidence and an Explanation for Domain–specific Impulsivity

European Journal of Personality ◽

10.1002/per.841 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 26 (3) ◽

pp. 318-334 ◽

Cited By ~ 54

Author(s):

Eli Tsukayama ◽

Angela Lee Duckworth ◽

Betty Kim

Keyword(s):

Interpersonal Relationships ◽

Control Strategies ◽

Self Control ◽

Self Report ◽

Special Interest Groups ◽

Target Domain ◽

Domain Specific ◽

Impulsive Behaviour ◽

Report Measure

We propose a model of impulsivity that predicts both domain–general and domain–specific variance in behaviours that produce short–term gratification at the expense of long–term goals and standards. Specifically, we posit that domain–general impulsivity is explained by domain–general self–control strategies and resources, whereas domain–specific impulsivity is explained by how tempting individuals find various impulsive behaviours, and to a lesser extent, in perceptions of their long–term harm. Using a novel self–report measure, factor analyses produced six (non–exhaustive) domains of impulsive behaviour (Studies 1–2): work, interpersonal relationships, drugs, food, exercise and finances. Domain–general self–control explained 40% of the variance in domain–general impulsive behaviour between individuals, reffect = .71. Domain–specific temptation ( reffect = .83) and perceived harm ( reffect = −.26) explained 40% and 2% of the unique within–individual variance in impulsive behaviour, respectively (59% together). In Study 3, we recruited individuals in special interest groups (e.g. procrastinators) to confirm that individuals who are especially tempted by behaviours in their target domain are not likely to be more tempted in non–target domains. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

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Stigma and attitudes on epilepsy a study: with secondary school students

Arquivos de Neuro-Psiquiatria ◽

10.1590/s0004-282x2007001000008 ◽

2007 ◽

Vol 65 (suppl 1) ◽

pp. 49-54 ◽

Cited By ~ 16

Author(s):

Brenda A. Reno ◽

Paula T. Fernandes ◽

Gail S. Bell ◽

Josemir W. Sander ◽

Li M. Li

Keyword(s):

Epileptic Seizure ◽

Pairwise Comparison ◽

Control Group ◽

First Year ◽

School Students ◽

Lecture Method ◽

Significant Difference ◽

Appropriate Education ◽

Difference Test

PURPOSE: To evaluate whether an inappropriate attitude towards a person having an epileptic seizure contributes to the stigma found in society and whether an appropriate attitude helps to diminish it in the short term; to perform a long term investigation about information remembered and stigma perception after an educational lecture. METHOD: This study was performed in two steps: Step 1. Students of first year of high school of two schools in Campinas completed a questionnaire including the Stigma Scale of Epilepsy following a seizure demonstration. They were divided into three groups: a) one group had a demonstration of proper attitudes towards someone having an epileptic seizure; b) one group was shown incorrect procedures; c) control group. After the completion of the questionnaire, an educational lecture about epilepsy was given. Step 2: six months later, the questionnaire was re-administered. RESULTS: The comparison between the four groups (step 1 and step 2) show a significant difference (Anova (3,339)=2.77; p=0.042). Pairwise comparison using Fisher's Least-Significant-Difference Test showed a significant difference between the group shown incorrect procedures (step 1) versus step 2, and the control group (step 1) versus step 2, but no difference between the group shown correct procedures (step 1) versus step 2. DISCUSSION: Exhibiting proper attitudes towards a person experiencing an epileptic seizure may cause significant differences among the subjects’ degrees of stigma towards people with epilepsy. It is therefore fundamental that there should be de-stigmatization campaigns provided, to correct information and provide appropriate education.

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What is the impact of methotrexate on liver in patients with juvenile idiopathic arthritis? Results of liver SWE performed in a single centre

Modern Rheumatology ◽

10.1093/mr/roab064 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Vildan Güngörer ◽

Mehmet Öztürk ◽

Mustafa Yasir Özlü ◽

Şükrü Arslan

Keyword(s):

Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis ◽

Shear Wave Elastography ◽

Term Therapy ◽

Control Group ◽

Significant Difference ◽

Group 2 ◽

Long Term Therapy ◽

And Control ◽

The Impact

ABSTRACT Objectives Long-term therapy with low-dose methotrexate (MTX) is widely used in treatment of rheumatic diseases, in children. The purpose of this study was to evaluate liver elasticity in patients with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) who received MTX and compare the results with control group. Methods Liver elasticity was evaluated with shear wave elastography (SWE) technique in 25 patients aged 3–17 years who were followed up with JIA and received MTX and compared with 25 healthy controls of the same age and weight. Factors that had an effect on liver elasticity were examined. Results The mean SWE value of patients was 2.64 ± 2.13 m/s and 24.10 ± 18.50 kPa, whereas 1.83 ± 0.16 m/s and 10.09 ± 1.83 kPa in control group. There was a significant difference in liver elasticity in the patient and control groups. When the patients were evaluated as Group 1 (< 1000 mg) and Group 2 (≥ 1000 mg) according to the cumulative MTX dose, no significant difference was obtained. There was positive correlation between liver elasticity and weekly MTX dose and age. Conclusions Our study revealed that liver elasticity significantly decreased in patients who received MTX when compared with the control group. The elastography technique will be understood better over time and used safely in many areas.

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Psychological Symptoms in Young Adult Migraineurs

Mediterranean Journal of Social Sciences ◽

10.36941/mjss-2020-0005 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 11 (1) ◽

pp. 42

Author(s):

Turgay Akalin ◽

Aysin Sinal

Keyword(s):

Interpersonal Relationships ◽

Significant Relationship ◽

Psychological Symptoms ◽

Pearson Correlation ◽

Psychological Symptom ◽

Age Groups ◽

Control Group ◽

Migraine Headaches ◽

Significant Difference ◽

Group 2

We aimed to reveal psychological symptoms of young university students (18-25 y/o) with no secondary disease with complaints of migraine headaches. We compared the psychological symptoms with a young control group that did not present headaches and other studies examining migraines in different age groups to determine any similarities. The study consisted of 75 migraine cases; 13 with aura and 62 without aura) and 42 non-headache control subjects. The International Classification of Headache Disorders 3 (ICHD-3) with criteria questions and the Psychological Symptom Research Scale were applied to all participants and SPSS Statistics Program evaluated the data. Findings: 1) In the test of Descriptive Statistics for the Sample of Students, average values of both sexes were taken and found the average values of the migraine groups were higher than control group. 2) The Anova Test found differences in the diagnostic group besides depression (Somatisation p<., others p<.01) with no significant difference in depression (p=0.315). 3)The Pearson Correlation Analysis, found no association between age and psychological symptoms. There’s a significant relationship between psychological symptoms with somatisation (besides paranoid) (p<.05). There’s a significant relationship between depression and other psychological symptoms (p<.05). There’s a significant relationship between anxiety, obsession, interpersonal relationships, psychoticism, paranoia, anger, phobia, additional scale and other psychological symptoms (p<.01). Result: The study demonstrated psychological symptoms in young migraineurs. The average psychological symptoms of both migraine groups were higher than the control group, this showed psychological symptom similarities between young migraineurs and migraine patients of different age groups.

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Effect of a long-term peroral supplementation with sodium selenite and selenium lactate-protein complex on selenium status in goats and their kids

Veterinární Medicína ◽

10.17221/107/2009-vetmed ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 54 (No. 7) ◽

pp. 324-332 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

L. Misurova ◽

L. Pavlata ◽

A. Pechova ◽

R. Dvorak

Keyword(s):

Glutathione Peroxidase ◽

Protein Complex ◽

Sodium Selenite ◽

Selenium Concentration ◽

Selenium Supplementation ◽

Control Group ◽

Glutathione Peroxidase Activity ◽

Significant Difference ◽

Average Activity

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of a long-term peroral selenium supplementation in the form of sodium selenite and selenium lactate-protein complex by comparing selenium concentrations and glutathione peroxidase activity in blood of goats and their kids as well as comparing selenium concentrations in goat colostrums. For the study, a total of 27 clinically healthy pregnant white shorthair goats were used. They were divided to three groups, i.e., the control group (C) without any selenium supplementation, sodium selenite group (E1) and selenium lactate-protein complex group (E2). For four months, experimental goats received 0.43 mg of selenium per animal per day in diet; goats from the control group were given 0.15 mg of selenium per animal per day. At the beginning of the experiment, goats of all groups showed an average selenium concentration of 96 μg/l in whole blood. On the parturition day, samples of first colostrum from goats and heparinized blood from goats and kids were taken. In the control group (C), average blood selenium concentrations of 111.4 ± 33.5 μg/l were observed on the parturition day. In both experimental groups, selenium concentrations were significantly higher (P < 0.05). Average selenium concentration in the sodium selenite group (E1) was 177.2 ± 34.8 μg/l and in the group supplemented with selenium lactate-protein complex (E2) 159.0 ± 28.5 μg/l. Average glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) activity in blood of control goats (C) was 581.9 ± 99.2 μkat/l, in group E1 1 154.6 ± 156.2 μkat/l and in group E2 1 011.6 ± 153.6 μkat/l. GSH-Px activity in experimental groups was significantly higher (P < 0.05) as compared with the control group. Average selenium concentrations in colostrum was in the control group 40.1 ± 12.8 μg/l, in E1 99.0 ± 29.9 μg/l and in group E2 79.0 ± 17.7 μg/l. Colostral selenium concentrations in experimental groups were significantly higher (P < 0.05) as compared with the control group. No significant difference in the monitored parameters was found between experimental groups. In kids of control mothers (kC), average selenium concentrations in blood on the parturition day were 62.4 ± 22.9 μg/l; kids of mothers supplemented with sodium selenite (kE1) showed average selenium levels of 100.0 ± 31.2 μg/l, and the average selenium concentration in kids of mothers receiving lactate-protein complex was 83.4 ± 20.1 μg/l (kE2). Average GSH-Px activity in control kids (kC) was 402.1 ± 153.9 μkat/l. Kids from kE1 showed average activity of GSH-Px 806.1 ± 254.9 μkat/l and kids from group kE2 529.9 ± 119.8 μkat/l. Statistically significant difference (P < 0.05) was found only between kC and kE1 which showed significantly higher selenium concentration and GSH-Px activity. The results of this study confirm that both forms of selenium administered in experimental groups (i.e., sodium selenite and selenium lactate-protein complex) had similar biological effect in goats. However, results obtained in kids indicate a better effect of supplementation with sodium selenite.

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A Prospective Randomized Trial to Assess the Antireflux Effect of Antireflux Mucosectomy in the Porcine Model

Gastroenterology Research and Practice ◽

10.1155/2019/3286738 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 2019 ◽

pp. 1-6

Author(s):

Xuan Li ◽

Weifeng Zhang ◽

Meihong Chen ◽

Shuchun Wei ◽

Xiangyang Zhao ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease ◽

Proton Pump Inhibitor ◽

Porcine Model ◽

Gastroesophageal Junction ◽

Control Group ◽

Potential Efficacy ◽

Significant Difference ◽

Group A ◽

Group B

Background. Both long-term proton pump inhibitor use and surgical fundoplication have potential drawbacks as treatments for chronic gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). Our aim was to investigate the potential efficacy of antireflux mucosectomy (ARMS) in porcine and determine the optimal circumference of resection in relation to gastroesophageal junction (GEJ). Methods. Nine pigs were allocated into the following 3 groups by computerized randomization: group A: control, group B: 1/3 circumference of the esophagus, and group C: 2/3 circumference of the esophagus. We performed mucosectomy with a crescentic mucosal resection at 3 cm above the GEJ and 1 cm below the GEJ. The animals were kept on a liquid diet for 24 h prior to endoscopy. At 6 weeks, animals underwent esophagoscopy, barium radiography, gastric yield pressure (GYP), and gastric yield volume (GYV) determination. Results. The weight of swines has no significant difference, and all pigs had maintained their weight after the procedure. We both found scar formation at the GEJ in group B and C. Compared with group A and B, group C produced significantly higher GYP (24.23±3.42 mmHg, p=0.004) and significantly smaller GYV (2200.0±238.96 mL, p=0.028) after 6 weeks. Barium radiography showed that the width of the cardia was narrower (13.73±1.19 mm, p=0.032) in group C after 6-week postprocedure. Conclusion. Our study demonstrated the potential antireflux effect of ARMS. We also recommend the 2/3 circumference resection of mucosa at 3 cm distance from the GEJ.

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Effects of Long-Term Gentle Handling on Behavioral Responses, Production Performance, and Meat Quality of Pigs

Animals ◽

10.3390/ani10020330 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 10 (2) ◽

pp. 330 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Chao Wang ◽

Yongjie Chen ◽

Yanju Bi ◽

Peng Zhao ◽

Hanqing Sun ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Heart Rate ◽

Meat Quality ◽

Average Daily Gain ◽

Production Performance ◽

Control Group ◽

Carcass Quality ◽

Feed Conversion ◽

Significant Difference

In order to investigate the effect of gentle handling on the behavior, performance, and meat quality of pigs from weaning to slaughter, 144 6-week-old weaned hybrid Min piglets (a native breed) were selected and divided into a handling group (HG: 9 pens × 8 pigs) and a control group (CG: 9 pens × 8 pigs). After 6 weeks of handling, we observed and then evaluated the pigs’ responses to a handler with behavioral scores. Moreover, we measured heart rate and production performance. Three pigs were randomly selected from each of the 18 pens and divided into a handling group (HG: n = 27) and a control group (CG: n = 27), and the HG pigs were given gentle handling until slaughter. Subsequently, we evaluated meat quality and the production performance of six pigs from each group. The results show that AA test (approaching–avoidance test) scores in HG pigs, the number of contacts with the handler and absence of contact with the handler, were significantly higher than in the CG pigs (p < 0.01). The occurrences of avoidance and looking at the handler were lower in the HG than in the CG group (p < 0.01); however, heart rate was not found to be significantly different between the two groups (p = 0.63). No significant difference was found in the average daily gain, average daily feed intake, and feed conversion ratio between the two groups during the two periods (p > 0.05). The b* value was determined 45 min after slaughter, and it was significantly lower in the HG than that in the CG group (p = 0.002). Furthermore, 2 h after slaughter, the L value of the HG group was significantly higher than that of the CG group (p = 0.047), but no difference was observed in carcass quality or other meat quality indicators between the two groups (p > 0.05). The results indicate that gentle handling could reduce pigs’ anxiety and increase their willingness to approach the handler, increasing the intimacy of the pigs and handlers. However, long-term gentle handling had little effect on pig performance, carcass quality, and meat quality.

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