Zombies vs. Anxiety: An Augmentation Study of Prescribed Video Game Play Compared to Medication in Reducing Anxiety Symptoms

2018 ◽  
Vol 49 (5) ◽  
pp. 553-566 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matthew T. Fish ◽  
Carmen V. Russoniello ◽  
Kevin O’Brien
Keyword(s):  
Trait Anxiety ◽  
Video Game ◽  
Repeated Measures ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Intervention Group ◽  
Medium Effect ◽  
Mild Depression ◽  
Depressive Symptomology ◽  
Medium Effect Size ◽  
The One

Objective. Anxiety is a typical reaction to stress and when uncontrolled, clinical anxiety disorders may develop. Traditional anxiety interventions have established efficacy; however, they are often costly and stigmatizing. This study examined prescribed casual video game (CVG) play added to an SSRI prescription in reducing symptoms of anxiety compared to a two-medication treatment group. Materials and methods. We used data from a larger study examining depression and CVGs. The Quick Inventory of Depressive Symptomology screened participants for depression using a score of ≥ 5 (mild depression). Participants chose to participate in the alternative (n = 30) or traditional (n = 24) group. Alternative group participants were prescribed CVG play four times per week for 30-45 minutes over a one-month period. Traditional intervention group participants were prescribed a second medication. The State-Trait Anxiety Inventory was used to test hypotheses. Results. Repeated-measures ANOVA demonstrated a significant decrease in state anxiety scores after the one-month prescription and a medium to large effect for the alternative group. Trait anxiety results did not demonstrate significance; however, the group had a medium effect size. Conclusion. Clinicians should consider these non-stigmatizing and low-cost CVGs as a feasible intervention for patients who wish not to take additional medication.

The Effect of Tailored E-mails in the Workplace

AAOHN Journal ◽  
2009 ◽  
Vol 57 (8) ◽  
pp. 313-319 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tracey L. Yap ◽  
L. Sue Davis ◽  
Donna M. Gates ◽  
Annette B. Hemmings ◽  
Wei Pan
Keyword(s):  
Repeated Measures ◽  
Comparison Group ◽  
Small Sample Size ◽  
Intervention Group ◽  
Small Sample ◽  
Medium Effect ◽  
Comparison Groups ◽  
Medium Effect Size ◽  
Quasi Experimental ◽  
The Impact

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact tailored e-mail messages, based on participants' identified needs, have on intentional physical activity. A quasi-experimental design (two groups, repeated measures) in a population of manufacturing workers (73 employees from two distribution plants of a multi-national manufacturer) was used. Significant differences were found between contemplation-staged participants in the intervention and the comparison groups. In the intervention group, 53.3% of the workers moved forward, as opposed to 19.2% in the comparison group (medium effect size = 0.353). Although both the intervention group and the comparison group increased their number of steps, the comparison group's improvement was most likely attributed to a Hawthorne effect. These results are highly promising given the small sample size and limited “dose.” The intervention is one most industries could feasibly implement. Such efforts have the potential to significantly impact public health.

A randomised controlled trial comparing the effectiveness of different electric breast pumps (Preprint)

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mabel Qi He Leow ◽  
Peter Kay Chai Tay ◽  
Azaizah Binte Mohamed Afif ◽  
Boh Boi Wong ◽  
Lester Chee Hao Leong
Keyword(s):  
Randomised Controlled Trial ◽  
Repeated Measures ◽  
Controlled Trial ◽  
Dropout Rate ◽  
Estimating Equation ◽  
Medium Effect ◽  
Medium Effect Size ◽  
Breast Pump ◽  
Randomised Controlled ◽  
The Impact

BACKGROUND Electric breast pump could be more effective than manual pumps or hand expression of milk. OBJECTIVE This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of current electric breast pumps, which have additional functions such as massage and ability to vary the rate and pressure. The study will also evaluate the impact of electric pump on breast engorgement, which is a common postpartum complication. METHODS A three-group randomised controlled trial (RCT) will be conducted on Mothers who are breastfeeding and using breast pumps. Adult Mothers who are 21-39 years old will be included. We propose a medium effect size of 0.40 for the study. Taking into account of about 20% dropout rate, 180 participants will be recruited (60 in each group). In addition, 120 control participants who are not using breast pump or not breastfeeding will be recruited. Data collection will include baseline maternal data and clinical data, quantity of expressed milk and duration taken, complications of breast pumping/feeding, and psychosocial data. Quantitative outcomes will be analysed using STATA, using univariate analyses, Pearson’s correlations, generalised estimating equation and two-way ANOVA repeated measures. RESULTS Na CONCLUSIONS Na CLINICALTRIAL Not required

scholarly journals Engineering Preparatory Programs: Students’ Academic Motivation

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aharon Gero ◽  
Gershon Abraham
Keyword(s):  
High School Students ◽  
Academic Motivation ◽  
Medium Effect ◽  
School Students ◽  
Engineering Programs ◽  
12Th Grade ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Preparatory Programs ◽  
Medium Effect Size ◽  
The One

Engineering preparatory programs (EPPs) offer candidates who have not attained adequate achievements during their secondary education an opportunity to improve their chances to be accepted to undergraduate engineering programs. In light of the importance of academic motivation in EPPs, this study characterized the motivational factors for studying engineering in students attending an EPP in Israel. Forty students took part in the study which utilized quantitative tools. The findings indicate that the students were primarily motivated by interest in studying engineering (intrinsic motivation) and by recognition of their inherent value (identified regulation). However, a comparison of the Relative Autonomy Index to the one of excelling 12th grade students majoring in engineering reveals a significant difference between the two groups. This gap, in favor of the high school students, is characterized by a medium effect size.

scholarly journals The effect of curcumin ointment on knee pain in older adults with osteoarthritis: a randomized placebo trial

2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Neda Jamali ◽  
Mohsen Adib-Hajbaghery ◽  
Alireza Soleimani
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Placebo Group ◽  
Pain Intensity ◽  
Knee Pain ◽  
Repeated Measures ◽  
Intervention Group ◽  
Medium Effect ◽  
Absolute Difference ◽  
Placebo Trial ◽  
The Mean

Abstract Background Some studies have shown the effect of oral administration of curcumin on knee pain. However, limited studies are available on the effect of topical curcumin. This study aimed to investigate the effect of curcumin ointment on knee pain in older adults with osteoarthritis. Methods This double-blind randomized placebo trial was conducted on 72 older adults with knee pain associated with osteoarthritis. The subjects were randomly assigned into an intervention and a placebo group to apply either curcumin 5% ointment or Vaseline ointment twice daily for 6 weeks. Using a Visual Analog Scale, the severity of knee pain was measured at the beginning of the study, at the end of the fourth and sixth week. Data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential methods. Results The mean baseline knee pain intensity was not significantly different between the two groups (P = 0.15). The mean pain intensity was significantly lower in the intervention group than in the placebo group at the third measurement (P = 0.02). The repeated-measures analysis showed that over time, the curcumin significantly decreased the mean pain intensity in the intervention group (P = 0.001). The mixed model showed an absolute difference of 1.133 (i.e. 11.33 mm) score which signifies a medium effect size and that the patient in the intervention group achieved the minimal clinically important difference. Conclusion Topical administration of curcumin 5% ointment can significantly reduce knee pain in older adults with knee osteoarthritis. Curcumin ointment can be used as an alternative treatment in older adults with knee pain associated with osteoarthritis. Trial registration Retrospectively registered in the Iranian Registry of Clinical Trials (IRCT) (IRCT20100403003618N6, 2019-03-08), https://en.irct.ir/trial/37155

scholarly journals Infants’ preference for speech is stable across the first year of life: Meta-analytic evidence

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cécile Issard ◽  
Sho Tsuji ◽  
Alejandrina Cristia
Keyword(s):  
Meta Analysis ◽  
The Other ◽  
Medium Effect ◽  
First Year ◽  
Strength Of Preference ◽  
Medium Effect Size ◽  
Vocal Quality ◽  
The One ◽  
First Year Of Life ◽  
Effect Of Age

Previous work suggested that humans’ sophisticated speech perception abilities stem from an early capacity to pay attention to speech in the auditory environment. Previous studies have therefore tested if infants prefer speech to other sounds at a variety of ages, but provided contrasted results. In this paper, we make the hypothesis that speech is initially encoded similarly to other natural or vocal sounds, and that infants tune to speech during the first year of life as they acquire their native language. To test this hypothesis, we conducted a meta-analysis of experiments testing speech preference in infants, sorting experiments by whether they used native or foreign speech on the one hand, and vocal or non-vocal, natural or artificial sound on the other hand. Synthesizing data from 775 infants across 38 experiments, we found a medium effect size, confirming at the scale of the literature that infants reliably prefer speech over other sounds. However, this preference was not significantly moderated by the language used, nor vocal quality, or naturalness of the competitor. Strinkingly, we found no effect of age: infants showed the same strength of preference throughout the first year of life. Speech therefore appears to be preferred from birth, even to other natural or vocal sounds. These results suggest that speech is processed in a specific way by an innate dedicated system, dictinct from other sounds processing.

scholarly journals Interplay of hippocampal volume and hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis function as markers of stress vulnerability in men at ultra-high risk for psychosis

2016 ◽  
Vol 47 (3) ◽  
pp. 471-483 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Pruessner ◽  
L. Bechard-Evans ◽  
S. Pira ◽  
R. Joober ◽  
D. L. Collins ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
High Risk ◽  
Repeated Measures ◽  
Automatic Segmentation ◽  
Hippocampal Volume ◽  
Medium Effect ◽  
First Episode ◽  
Stress Vulnerability ◽  
Ultra High Risk ◽  
Medium Effect Size ◽  
Healthy Community

BackgroundAltered hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis function and reduced hippocampal volume (HV) are established correlates of stress vulnerability. We have previously shown an attenuated cortisol awakening response (CAR) and associations with HV specifically in male first-episode psychosis patients. Findings in individuals at ultra-high risk (UHR) for psychosis regarding these neurobiological markers are inconsistent, and assessment of their interplay, accounting for sex differences, could explain incongruent results.MethodStudy participants were 42 antipsychotic-naive UHR subjects (24 men) and 46 healthy community controls (23 men). Saliva samples for the assessment of CAR were collected at 0, 30 and 60 min after awakening. HV was determined from high-resolution structural magnetic resonance imaging scans using a semi-automatic segmentation protocol.ResultsCortisol measures and HV were not significantly different between UHR subjects and controls in total, but repeated-measures multivariate regression analyses revealed reduced cortisol levels 60 min after awakening and smaller left HV in male UHR individuals. In UHR participants only, smaller left and right HV was significantly correlated with a smaller total CAR (ρ = 0.42, p = 0.036 and ρ = 0.44, p = 0.029, respectively), corresponding to 18% and 19% of shared variance (medium effect size).ConclusionsOur findings suggest that HV reduction in individuals at UHR for psychosis is specific to men and linked to reduced post-awakening cortisol concentrations. Abnormalities in the neuroendocrine circuitry modulating stress vulnerability specifically in male UHR subjects might explain increased psychosis risk and disadvantageous illness outcomes in men compared to women.

scholarly journals Comparisons of summer break effect on anthropometric profile, body composition and somatotype between adolescent swimmers and less active adolescents

2019 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
pp. 134-139
Author(s):  
Cesare Altavilla ◽  
Sergio Sellés-Pérez ◽  
Iris Comino-Comino ◽  
Jose Miguel Comeche-Guijarro ◽  
Pablo Caballero-Pérez ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Body Composition ◽  
Effect Size ◽  
Repeated Measures ◽  
Great Increase ◽  
Swimming Activity ◽  
Medium Effect ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Medium Effect Size ◽  
Central Fat ◽  
Anthropometric Profile

Objective: The aim of this study was to compare changes in anthropometric profile, body composition, and somatotype of adolescent swimmers and less active adolescents. Method: We selected 16 swimmers and 8 less active adolescents. The swimmers were divided based on the amount of swimming activity performed per week. A longitudinal study with repeated measures was carried out. The anthropometric profile, body composition, and somatotype were assessed before and after the summer break from swimming activity. Results: Both groups of swimmers showed more changes in anthropometric profile, body composition, and somatotype than the less active adolescents. The very active swimmers showed a higher increase in the sum of the two central skinfolds than peripheral ones (p = 0.018). Both groups of swimmers had a great increase of the percent change in the sum of the two central skinfolds (medium active swimmers: p = 0.006, medium effect size = 0.72; very active swimmers: p = 0.001, medium effect size = 0.64). Conclusions: The fat component seems to be more variable than the muscular and bone component during 55 – 65 days of summer break from swimming activity. The two groups of swimmers showed a preferential accumulation of central fat after the summer break compared to the less active adolescents. The suprailiac and abdominal skinfolds could be used as early predictive measurements to assess changes in body fat.

60 seconds to survival: A pilot study of a disaster triage video game for prehospital providers

2017 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 75-83 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mark X. Cicero, MD ◽  
Travis Whitfill, MPH ◽  
Kevin Munjal, MD ◽  
Manu Madhok, MD, MPH ◽  
Maria Carmen G. Diaz, MD ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Performance Feedback ◽  
Video Game ◽  
Small Sample Size ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Intervention Group ◽  
Small Sample ◽  
School Shooting ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Disaster Training

Introduction: Disaster triage training for emergency medical service (EMS) providers is not standardized. Simulation training is costly and time-consuming. In contrast, educational video games enable low-cost and more time-efficient standardized training. We hypothesized that players of the video game “60 Seconds to Survival” (60S) would have greater improvements in disaster triage accuracy compared to control subjects who did not play 60S.Methods: Participants recorded their demographics and highest EMS training level and were randomized to play 60S (intervention) or serve as controls. At baseline, all participants completed a live school-shooting simulation in which manikins and standardized patients depicted 10 adult and pediatric victims. The intervention group then played 60S at least three times over the course of 13 weeks (time 2). Players triaged 12 patients in three scenarios (school shooting, house fire, tornado), and received in-game performance feedback. At time 2, the same live simulation was conducted for all participants. Controls had no disaster training during the study. The main outcome was improvement in triage accuracy in live simulations from baseline to time 2. Physicians and EMS providers predetermined expected triage level (RED/YELLOW/GREEN/BLACK) via modified Delphi method.Results: There were 26 participants in the intervention group and 21 in the control group. There was no difference in gender, level of training, or years of EMS experience (median 5.5 years intervention, 3.5 years control, p = 0.49) between the groups. At baseline, both groups demonstrated median triage accuracy of 80 percent (IQR 70-90 percent, p = 0.457). At time 2, the intervention group had a significant improvement from baseline (median accuracy = 90 percent [IQR: 80-90 percent], p = 0.005), while the control group did not (median accuracy = 80 percent [IQR:80-95], p = 0.174). However, the mean improvement from baseline was not significant between the two groups (difference = 6.5, p = 0.335).Conclusion: The intervention demonstrated a significant improvement in accuracy from baseline to time 2 while the control did not. However, there was no significant difference in the improvement between the intervention and control groups. These results may be due to small sample size. Future directions include assessment of the game's effect on triage accuracy with a larger, multisite site cohort and iterative development to improve 60S.

scholarly journals Effects of a Single Physical or Mindfulness Intervention on Mood, Attention, and Executive Functions: Results from two Randomized Controlled Studies in University Classes

Mindfulness ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (5) ◽  
pp. 1282-1293
Author(s):  
Christian Müller ◽  
David Dubiel ◽  
Eleni Kremeti ◽  
Manuel Lieb ◽  
Elisabeth Streicher ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
University Students ◽  
Executive Functions ◽  
Effect Size ◽  
Repeated Measures ◽  
Physical Activity Intervention ◽  
Mindfulness Training ◽  
Medium Effect ◽  
Mindfulness Intervention ◽  
Randomized Controlled Studies ◽  
Medium Effect Size

Abstract Objectives The primary objective of this study was to examine the effects of one-session physical or mindfulness training on university students’ mood, attention and executive functions in two separate randomized studies. Methods Study 1 (physical activity intervention) was implemented in a seminar with 63 and Study 2 (mindfulness intervention) in another seminar with 28 university students. The physical intervention included stretching exercises, balancing tasks, and medium intensity cardiovascular activities. The mindfulness training included yoga exercises, guided attention, and a body scan. In the control conditions, students watched a 15-min fitness or yoga video, respectively. Several mood and attention scales, as well as executive functions were assessed before and after the intervention or control activity. A randomized within-subject cross-over design was applied in both studies. Results Repeated-measures analysis of variance revealed that participants in both intervention conditions reported mood to be more positive, more awake and calmer after the intervention compared to the control conditions. These effects were medium to large (Study 1: eta2 = .08-.30, Study 2: eta2 = .15-.30). Attention scores improved more relative to the control condition after the physical intervention (medium effect size, eta2 = .11). Executive function scores improved more relative to the control condition after the mindfulness intervention (medium effect size, eta2 = .17). Conclusions These results indicate that a short bout (15-min) of physical or mindfulness activity in a university learning setting positively affected dimensions of mood and cognition known to support academic learning.

scholarly journals Fluctuations in National Resilience during the COVID-19 Pandemic

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (8) ◽  
pp. 3876
Author(s):  
Shaul Kimhi ◽  
Yohanan Eshel ◽  
Hadas Marciano ◽  
Bruria Adini
Keyword(s):  
Civil Society ◽  
Effect Size ◽  
Repeated Measures ◽  
Prime Minister ◽  
Medium Effect ◽  
Medium Size ◽  
Large Effect Size ◽  
Medium Effect Size ◽  
The Government ◽  
Time Frames

The current study measured national resilience (NR) in three different time frames during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic in Israel (N = 804). We investigated two main issues: first, the direction and extent of NR changes during the crisis, and second, the predictors of NR. The results show the following: (a) the average NR score declined significantly across the three repeated measures, with a medium-size effect. (b) Three of the four identified NR factors declined significantly across the three measurements: belief in the government and the prime minister (large effect size); belief in civil society; and patriotism (medium effect size); while trust in Israeli national institutions was the lowest and did not weaken significantly. (c) Analyzing the prediction of NR factors indicated that the levels of the three NR factors mainly reflected one’s political attitudes, sense of political and economic threats, rather than health threats. One conclusion concerns the importance of trust in leadership as the most sensitive component in the decline of national resilience following a crisis.

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