scholarly journals Augmentation of Psychotherapy with Neurobiological Methods: Current State and Future Directions

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-17
Author(s):  
Elisabeth Hertenstein ◽  
Ersilia Trinca ◽  
Carlotta L. Schneider ◽  
Marina Wunderlin ◽  
Kristoffer Fehér ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Exposure Therapy ◽  
Sustained Remission ◽  
Main Concept ◽  
Noninvasive Brain Stimulation ◽  
Future Directions ◽  
Randomized Controlled ◽  
Negative Results ◽  
Current State ◽  
Augmentation Strategies ◽  
Psychotherapeutic Techniques

<b><i>Background:</i></b> Psychotherapy and pharmacotherapy are first-line treatments for mental disorders. Despite recent improvements, only approximately 50% of the patients reach sustained remission, indicating a need for novel developments. The main concept put forward in this systematic review and hypothesis article is the targeted co-administration of defined neurobiological interventions and specific psychotherapeutic techniques. <b><i>Methods:</i></b> We conducted a systematic literature search for randomized controlled trials comparing the efficacy of augmented psychotherapy to psychotherapy alone. <b><i>Results:</i></b> Thirty-five trials fulfilled the inclusion criteria. The majority (29 trials) used augmentation strategies such as D-cycloserine, yohimbine, or sleep to enhance the effects of exposure therapy for anxiety disorders. Fewer studies investigated noninvasive brain stimulation with the aim of improving cognitive control, psychedelic compounds with the aim of enhancing existentially oriented psychotherapy, and oxytocin to improve social communication during psychotherapy. Results demonstrate small augmentation effects for the enhancement of exposure therapy – however, some of the studies found negative results. Other methods are less thoroughly researched, and results are mixed. <b><i>Conclusions:</i></b> This approach provides an open matrix for further research and has the potential to systematically guide future studies.

scholarly journals Carotid Revascularization: Current Practice and Future Directions

2020 ◽  
Vol 37 (02) ◽  
pp. 132-139 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jacob H. Bagley ◽  
Ryan Priest
Keyword(s):  
Carotid Stenosis ◽  
Current Practice ◽  
Stroke Risk ◽  
Carotid Stenting ◽  
First Line ◽  
Future Directions ◽  
Carotid Revascularization ◽  
Randomized Controlled ◽  
First Line Therapy ◽  
Current State

AbstractCarotid stenosis is responsible for approximately 15% of ischemic strokes. Carotid revascularization significantly decreases patients' stroke risk. Carotid endarterectomy has first-line therapy for moderate-to-severe carotid stenosis after a series of pivotal randomized controlled trials were published almost 30 years ago. Revascularization with carotid stenting has become a popular and effective alternative in a select subpopulation of patients. We review the current state of the literature regarding revascularization indications, patient selection, advantages of each revascularization approach, timing of intervention, and emerging interventional techniques, such as transcarotid artery revascularization.

scholarly journals Equine-Assisted Activities and Therapies for Veterans With Posttraumatic Stress Disorder: Current State, Challenges and Future Directions

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 ◽  
pp. 247054702199155
Author(s):  
William R. Marchand ◽  
Sarah J. Andersen ◽  
Judy E. Smith ◽  
Karl H. Hoopes ◽  
Jennifer K. Carlson
Keyword(s):  
Posttraumatic Stress Disorder ◽  
Posttraumatic Stress ◽  
Stress Disorder ◽  
Military Veterans ◽  
Intervention Model ◽  
Future Directions ◽  
Randomized Controlled ◽  
Full Remission ◽  
Current State ◽  
Equine Assisted

Posttraumatic stress disorder is common among military Veterans. While effective treatments exist, many Veterans either do not engage in treatment or fail to achieve full remission. Thus, there is a need to develop adjunctive complementary interventions to enhance treatment engagement and/or response. Equine-assisted activities and therapies (EAAT) are one category of animal assisted interventions that might serve this function. The aim of this article is to review the current state and challenges regarding the use of EAAT for Veterans with PTSD and provide a roadmap to move the field forward. EAAT hold promise as adjunctive complementary interventions for symptom reduction among Veterans with PTSD. Additionally, there is evidence that these approaches may enhance wellbeing in this population. At this time, many gaps in the literature exist and rigorous randomized controlled trials are needed before definitive conclusions can be drawn. The authors of this work provide recommendations as a roadmap to move the field forward. These include standardizing the EAAT nomenclature, focusing mechanism of action studies on the human-horse bond using biological metrics and using a standardized intervention model across studies.

Autonomous vehicles and freight traffic: towards better efficiency of road, rail or urban logistics?

2018 ◽  
Vol 58 (1) ◽  
pp. 41-52 ◽  
Author(s):  
Péter Bucsky
Keyword(s):  
Autonomous Vehicles ◽  
Road Transport ◽  
Transport Sector ◽  
Future Directions ◽  
Car Industry ◽  
Level Of Automation ◽  
Current State ◽  
Freight Traffic ◽  
Levels Of Automation ◽  
Private Car

Abstract The freight transport sector is a low profit and high competition business and therefore has less ability to invest in research and development in the field of autonomous vehicles (AV) than the private car industry. There are already different levels of automation technologies in the transport industry, but most of these are serving niche demands and answers have yet to be found about whether it would be worthwhile to industrialise these technologies. New innovations from different fields are constantly changing the freight traffic industry but these are less disruptive than on other markets. The aim of this article is to show the current state of development of freight traffic with regards to AVs and analyse which future directions of development might be viable. The level of automation is very different in the case of different transport modes and most probably the technology will favour road transport over other, less environmentally harmful traffic modes.

Is There A Role For Lifestyle Interventions In Obsessive-Compulsive And Related Disorders?

2019 ◽  
Vol 25 (41) ◽  
pp. 5698-5711 ◽  
Author(s):  
Leonardo F. Fontenelle ◽  
Maiara Zeni-Graiff ◽  
Julliana N. Quintas ◽  
Murat Yücel
Keyword(s):  
Side Effects ◽  
Eating Behaviors ◽  
Lifestyle Interventions ◽  
Partial Hospitalization ◽  
Obsessive Compulsive ◽  
Life Styles ◽  
Current State ◽  
Sexual Side Effects ◽  
Augmentation Strategies ◽  
Compulsive Disorders

Many of the currently available treatments for obsessive-compulsive and related disorders (OCRDs) such as pharmacotherapy augmentation strategies, partial hospitalization programs, deep brain stimulation, and neurosurgery are efficacious for individuals suffering from more severe forms of these conditions. Unfortunately, the application of these treatments in milder forms of illness and subclinical samples, which affect a substantial portion of the population, is not justifiable by their costs (e.g. cognitivebehavioral therapy) and/or potential for side effects (serotonin-reuptake inhibitors associated sexual side effects). As such, there is an urgent need to develop simple yet effective treatments, such as modifiable lifestyle interventions, that can be employed on a broader scale. Here, we review the current state of evidence that supports or refutes the efficacy of lifestyle approaches for OCRDs. We focus on dimensions of lifestyle that are deemed important for cardiovascular diseases; namely, physical activity, stress, sleep, diet and eating behaviors, alcohol consumption, and smoking. Despite the relative scarcity of welldesigned randomized controlled trials targeting unhealthy life styles in OCRDs, we found meditation-based therapies and interventions focusing on eliminating sedentarism to be promising approaches. In the future, these strategies may represent valid alternative for subjects with subthreshold symptoms or at risk for OCRDs or other “compulsive” disorders.

scholarly journals A review of current state and future directions of cotton production in Ethiopia

2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 1880533
Author(s):  
Tiliksew Addis ◽  
Abera Kachi ◽  
Jun Wang
Keyword(s):  
Cotton Production ◽  
Future Directions ◽  
Current State

scholarly journals Olfaction and Aging: A Review of the Current State of Research and Future Directions

i-Perception ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (3) ◽  
pp. 204166952110203
Author(s):  
Jonas K. Olofsson ◽  
Ingrid Ekström ◽  
Maria Larsson ◽  
Steven Nordin
Keyword(s):  
Warning Signs ◽  
Future Directions ◽  
Current State ◽  
Challenging Tasks ◽  
State Of Research ◽  
To Come ◽  
Health Cognition ◽  
Olfactory Abilities ◽  
And Training

Olfaction, the sense of smell, is characterized by a notable age-dependency such that aging individuals are more likely to have poor olfactory abilities. These impairments are considered to be mostly irreversible and as having potentially profound effects on quality of life and food behavior, as well as constituting warning signs of mortality, cognitive dysfunction, and dementia. Here, we review the current state of research on aging and olfaction, focusing on five topics which we regard to be of particular relevance for the field: nutrition and health, cognition and dementia, mortality, environment and genetics, and training-based enhancement. Under each of these headlines, we provide a state-of-the-art overview and discuss gaps in our knowledge which might be filled by further research. Understanding how olfactory abilities are diminished in aging, and how they may be alleviated or recovered, involves a set of challenging tasks for researchers in the years to come.

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