scholarly journals Symptoms of Depression Change With Olfactory Functions

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Agnieszka Sabiniewicz ◽  
Leonie Hoffman ◽  
Antje Haehner ◽  
Thomas Hummel
Keyword(s):  
Pearson Correlation ◽  
Odor Identification ◽  
Odor Threshold ◽  
Depression Severity ◽  
Symptoms Of Depression ◽  
Olfactory Loss ◽  
Study Results ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Severity Of Depression ◽  
Depression Change

Abstract Olfactory loss is associated with symptoms of depression. The present study, conducted on a large cohort of mostly dysosmic patients, aimed to investigate whether improvement in olfactory performance would correspond with a decrease in depression severity and, if so, to what extent. In 171 participants, we assessed olfactory function and severity of depression before and after an average interval of 11 months, with many patients improving in function. Separate analyses were conducted for a) the whole group of patients and b) the group of dysosmic patients in both classic and Bayesian ways. Student t-test demonstrates that the whole sample improved consistently, especially within the group of dysosmic patients in terms of odor identification, and the dysosmic group also improved in terms of odor threshold and olfactory functions in general. Pearson correlation showed that the increase in olfactory functions corresponded with the decrease in depression severity, particularly in dysosmic patients. To conclude, the present study results indicate that symptoms of depression change with olfactory functions in general and odor identification in particular.

Brief psycho-education for caregivers of persons with first episode psychosis

2018 ◽  
Vol 9 (01) ◽  
Author(s):  
Praful Prabhuappa Kapse ◽  
Manisha Kiran
Keyword(s):  
First Episode Psychosis ◽  
First Episode ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Episode Psychosis ◽  
Study Results ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Quasi Experimental ◽  
Expressed Emotions ◽  
Experimental Group ◽  
Group Family

Caring for the persons with first episode psychosis is challenging and demanding. It may lead to the increased burden, expressed emotions among the caregivers. The numerous studies have shown that high burden and negative expressed emotions among caregivers can lead to early relapse in the patients with first episode psychosis. To evaluate the effects of the brief psychoeducation on the caregivers burden and expressed emotions. A quasi experimental - before and after with control group research design was adopted for the study. A total of 60 caregivers have participated in the study, of which 30 caregivers in experimental group and 30 caregivers in the control group. Family Burden Interview Schedule (Pai and Kapoor, 1981) and Attitude Questionnaire (Sethi et al., 1981) was used to assess caregiver's burden and expressed emotions. At end of the psychoeducation intervention, burden among caregivers and negative expressed emotions of the caregivers have significantly reduced. The positive expressed emotions have been increased. Study results demonstrates the importance of psychoeducation intervention in reducing the burden and negative expressed emotions.

Olfactory Training Using Heavy and Light Weight Molecule Odors

Perception ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 46 (3-4) ◽  
pp. 343-351 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sophia C. Poletti ◽  
Elisabeth Michel ◽  
Thomas Hummel
Keyword(s):  
Molecular Weight ◽  
Olfactory Dysfunction ◽  
Light Weight ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Olfactory Loss ◽  
Short Term Exposure ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Phenyl Ethyl Alcohol ◽  
A Prospective Study ◽  
Olfactory Training

Background Repeated short-term exposure to odors is known to improve olfaction in patients with acquired olfactory dysfunction. The aim was to find out whether differences in molecular weight of odors used for olfactory training influences olfaction. We hypothesized a greater improvement following training with light weight molecule (LWM) odors. Methods A prospective study was performed in patients with posttraumatic (PTOL) and postviral olfactory loss (PVOL). Olfactory training was performed over a period of 5 months. One group ( n = 48) used four odors containing heavy weight molecules (HWM; >150 g/mol) and another ( n = 48) containing LWM (<150 g/mol). Olfaction was tested before and after the training using the Sniffin’ Sticks test. Results Olfactory training was associated with olfactory improvement, with the improvement in PVOL patients being three times greater than that seen in the PTOL group. Compared with LWM training, HWM training was associated with a significantly greater improvement in Phenyl Ethyl Alcohol (PEA) threshold scores in PVOL patients; however, no such improvement could be shown for other subtests or in PTOL patients. Conclusion Overall, training was associated with olfactory improvement. With the exception of threshold scores in PVOL, there were no significant differences between LWM and HWM groups.

Impact of inquiry-based English teaching through digital applications on primary schoolchildren's reading comprehension and autonomy in pandemic situation

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (S3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ekaterine Pipia ◽  
Irina Chikovani
Keyword(s):  
Academic Performance ◽  
Reading Comprehension ◽  
English Language ◽  
Language Teaching ◽  
English Language Teaching ◽  
Autonomy Development ◽  
Study Results ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Quantitative Manner ◽  
The Impact

Considering the urgency of integrating technologies in the contemporary classrooms, the aim of the presented study has been shaped to outline the impact of inquiry-based English language teaching through digital applications on primary learners’ reading comprehension and autonomy development during a pandemic outbreak of COVID-19. The research context has been designed in a quantitative manner to analyze experiment results and compare control and treatment group learners’ reading comprehension and academic achievement levels as well as to measure primary schoolchildren’s level of autonomy before and after the treatment. The subjects’ autonomy level, curiosity and interest in reading through digital applications before and after the experiment have been evaluated through pre and post-experimental questionnaires. Learning processes of two experimental and two control groups were compared to create four research contexts for the study. Discrepancy between inquiry-based teaching through a digital library and a traditional way of teaching reading has been emphasized in the study results. The obtained data has been analyzed using SPSS to compare the academic performance results. The study revealed that inquiry-based English language teaching through digital applications highly enhanced the primary learners’ academic performance in reading and increased their motivation level to study independently.

scholarly journals Implementing Universal Design for Learning Elements in the Online Learning Materials of a First-Year Required Course

2021 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ben Rearick ◽  
Erica England ◽  
Jennifer Saulnier Lange ◽  
Corey Johnson
Keyword(s):  
Online Learning ◽  
Design Theory ◽  
Universal Design ◽  
Universal Design For Learning ◽  
Learning Objects ◽  
Learning Materials ◽  
Study Results ◽  
Design For Learning ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Accessibility Guidelines

Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is a pedagogical design theory that accounts for variability across and within learners, both in physical classrooms and with online learning materials. Librarians at Washington State University implemented elements reflective of specific UDL checkpoints in a heavily-used LibGuide for a required undergraduate course. Online learning objects create opportunities for meeting UDL’s goals of not only multiple means of representation, but also engagement and action and expression extending beyond the baseline obligation to meet standard accessibility guidelines. We discuss our implementation of UDL elements, changes in LibGuide use before and after the introduction of UDL features, and usability study results, focusing on how students who face learning barriers view UDL. We explain considerations for successfully implementing UDL in online materials and the potential benefits.

scholarly journals THERAPEUTIC ATTEMPTS IN THE APPROACH OF ALEXITHYMIA

2017 ◽  
Vol 64 (1) ◽  
pp. 71-76
Author(s):  
Rodica Mitrea ◽  
◽  
Luana Cezara Tudor ◽  
◽  
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factor ◽  
Emotional Distress ◽  
Clinical Management ◽  
Psychosomatic Disorders ◽  
Study Results ◽  
State Of Mind ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Psychotherapeutic Techniques ◽  
Scale Test ◽  
Age Range

Summary. The study aims to highlight the importance of psychotherapy in the clinical management of patients with psychosomatic alexithymia. Recent research in the psychomedical field concluded that alexithymia presents a risk factor of the psychosocial type, with implications in the appearance of the psychosomatic disorders. This is possible because alexithymic people are unable to fully and properly identify their own emotions and communicate, thus causing a negative emotional tension. Therefore this tension accumulated during negative emotional distress, has a negative reflection in the psychosomatic sphere. Objectives. The objectives set are to increase the capabilities of integrative ego by reducing alexithymia. Methods and materials. They consist in using a cluster of psychotherapeutic techniques of integrative psychotherapy. The techniques role is to help identify their emotions and their verbally externalization, in order to reduce psychological stress. The use of the Toronto alexitymia scale test (TAS) to identify alexithymia in psychosomatic patients is quite helpful in this study. The study was conducted on a sample of 58 people (women and men), in the age range 25-65 years old, with psychosomatic disorders and alexithymia. Results. Study results (shown în graphic) will express differences obtained from Toronto Alexithymia test before and after psychotherapy sessions. Also it will highlight a improved state of mind of the patients who participated in psychotherapy sessions.

scholarly journals Relationship Between Teachers Leadership Styles and Students Academic Achievement

2019 ◽  
Vol IV (IV) ◽  
pp. 360-366
Author(s):  
Abdur Rashid ◽  
Roohul Amin ◽  
Shabir Ahmad
Keyword(s):  
Academic Achievement ◽  
Academic Success ◽  
Leadership Styles ◽  
Teacher Leadership ◽  
School Effectiveness ◽  
Pearson Correlation ◽  
Study Results ◽  
Study Population ◽  
The University ◽  
The Relationship

Leadership styles play an important role and position in pedagogical activities and school effectiveness because they play a major role in the learning process. The current study looked at the relationship between teacher leadership styles (including democratic, autocratic, transformational and transactional) and student academic achievement at the university level. Head of the Departments of Social Sciences and Master degree students made up the study population. Twenty-nine Heads of Departments (HODs) and two hundred and six students from five public sector universities in Khyber Pakhtukhawa were selected through simple random and stratified (proportionate) sampling techniques. Data was collected through a questionnaire, the reliability co-efficient of which was 0.72 and 0.82 for HODs and students respectively. The data collected was analyzed using Mean, Standard Deviation and Pearson Correlation. The study results indicate that teacher leadership styles are strongly linked to student academic success

scholarly journals Depressive symptoms and web user experience

PeerJ ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 6 ◽  
pp. e4439 ◽  
Author(s):  
Meinald T. Thielsch ◽  
Carolin Thielsch
Keyword(s):  
Depressive Symptoms ◽  
Mental Disorders ◽  
User Experience ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Drop Out ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
Subjective Perception ◽  
Depression Severity ◽  
Symptoms Of Depression ◽  
The Impact

Background Depression, as one of the most prevalent mental disorders, is expected to become a leading cause of disability. While evidence-based treatments are not always easily accessible, Internet-based information and self-help appears as a promising approach to improve the strained supply situation by avoiding barriers of traditional offline treatment. User experience in the domain of mental problems therefore emerges as an important research topic. The aim of our study is to investigate the impact of depressive symptoms on subjective and objective measures of web user experience. Method In this two-part online study (Ntotal = 721) we investigate the relationship between depressive symptoms of web users and basic website characteristics (i.e., content, subjective and objective usability, aesthetics). Participants completed search and memory tasks on different fully-functional websites. In addition, they were asked to evaluate the given websites with standardized measures and were screened for symptoms of depression using the PHQ-9. We used structural equation modeling (SEM) to determine whether depression severity affects users’ perception of and performance in using information websites. Results We found significant associations between depressive symptoms and subjective user experience, specifically of website content, usability, and aesthetics, as well as an effect of content perception on the overall appraisal of a website in terms of the intention to visit it again. Small yet significant negative effects of depression severity on all named subjective website evaluations were revealed, leading to an indirect negative effect on the intention to revisit a website via impaired content perceptions. However, objective task performance was not influenced by depressiveness of users. Discussion Depression emerges as capable of altering the subjective perception of a website to some extend with respect to the main features content, usability, and aesthetics. The user experience of a website is crucial, especially as it facilitates revisiting a website and thus might be relevant in avoiding drop-out in online interventions. Thus, the biased impression of persons affected by symptoms of depression and resulting needs of those users should be considered when designing and evaluating E-(Mental)-Health-platforms. The high prevalence of some mental disorders such as depression in the general population stresses the need for further investigations of the found effects.

scholarly journals Protocol for a feasibility trial for improving breast feeding initiation and continuation: assets-based infant feeding help before and after birth (ABA)

BMJ Open ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. e019142 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kate Jolly ◽  
Jenny Ingram ◽  
Joanne Clarke ◽  
Debbie Johnson ◽  
Heather Trickey ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Randomised Controlled Trial ◽  
Infant Feeding ◽  
Feasibility Study ◽  
Breast Feeding ◽  
Controlled Trial ◽  
Feasibility Trial ◽  
Study Results ◽  
Service Staff ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Randomised Controlled

IntroductionBreast feeding improves the health of mothers and infants; the UK has low rates, with marked socioeconomic inequalities. While trials of peer support services have been effective in some settings, UK trials have not improved breast feeding rates. Qualitative research suggests that many women are alienated by the focus on breast feeding. We propose a change from breast feeding-focused interactions to respecting a woman’s feeding choices, inclusion of behaviour change theory and an increased intensity of contacts in the 2 weeks after birth when many women cease to breast feed. This will take place alongside an assets-based approach that focuses on the positive capability of individuals, their social networks and communities.We propose a feasibility study for a multicentre randomised controlled trial of the Assets feeding help Before and After birth (ABA) infant feeding service versus usual care.Methods and analysisA two-arm, non-blinded randomised feasibility study will be conducted in two UK localities. Women expecting their first baby will be eligible, regardless of feeding intention. The ABA infant feeding intervention will apply a proactive, assets-based, woman-centred, non-judgemental approach, delivered antenatally and postnatally tailored through face-to-face contacts, telephone and SMS texts. Outcomes will test the feasibility of delivering the intervention with recommended intensity and duration to disadvantaged women; acceptability to women, feeding helpers and professionals; and feasibility of a future randomised controlled trial (RCT), detailing recruitment rates, willingness to be randomised, follow-up rates at 3 days, 8 weeks and 6 months, and level of outcome completion. Outcomes of the proposed full trial will also be collected. Mixed methods will include qualitative interviews with women/partners, feeding helpers and health service staff; feeding helper logs; and review of audio-recorded helper–women interactions to assess intervention fidelity.Ethics and disseminationStudy results will inform the design of a larger multicentre RCT. The National Research Ethics Service Committee approved the study protocol.Trial registration numberISRCTN14760978; Pre-results.

Abstract 278: Diet-Induced Leukocyte Telomere Shortening Correlates with Extent of Atherosclerosis

2014 ◽  
Vol 115 (suppl_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
GENESIO KARERE ◽  
Shifra Birnbaum ◽  
Clint Christensen ◽  
Michael Mahaney ◽  
John VandeBerg ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Telomere Length ◽  
Pearson Correlation ◽  
Single Copy ◽  
Developed Countries ◽  
Primate Model ◽  
Telomere Shortening ◽  
Atherosclerotic Lesions ◽  
Potential Biomarker ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Before And After

Introduction: Cardiovascular disease, the leading cause of death in developed countries, is commonly due to atherosclerosis. Studies have demonstrated association between leukocyte telomere shortening (LTS), extent of atherosclerotic lesions and accelerated cell senescence. Further LTS is associated with dietary intake. However, efforts to link LTS, diet and extent of lesions have been unsuccessful in humans due to difficulties controlling diet in large human population studies. To begin addressing these critical issues, we controlled dietary fat (high-fat, HF) in baboons for 2yrs - a well-developed primate model of human atherosclerosis. This is the first study in primates showing correlation of LTS with both chronic HF diet and atherosclerotic lesions. Hypothesis: We hypothesized that leukocyte telomere length decreased with chronic HF diet in baboons and is correlated with extent of atherosclerotic lesions. Methods and Results: A cohort of pedigreed baboons (n=107; females=46, males=61) was fed a HF diet for 2yrs. Absolute leukocyte telomere lengths (LTL; kb/diploid genome) were quantified by qPCR before and after diet challenge. Total telomere length was calculated by computing the ratio of telomere quantity per single copy gene quantity (baboon LIPG). Mean LTL was significantly shorter after feeding baboons a HF diet for 2 yrs (paired t test, p=0.03). Baboons (n=232) maintained on a low fat diet for 2yrs showed no significant difference in LTL (p=0.47). These findings suggest that a HF diet accelerates LTS. Further we quantified the extent of atherosclerotic lesions in baboons after 2yr HF diet and found that LTL, adjusted for age and sex, were correlated with lesions in descending aorta (Pearson correlation, r=0.19; p=0.03). Interestingly this correlation was significant in females but not in males after adjusting for age (r=0.27, p=0.03). Conclusions: LTS correlates with chronic feeding with a HF diet in baboons, is significantly correlated with arterial lesions and the correlation is sex-specific. These findings suggest that LTS may be a potential biomarker of extent of atherosclerosis.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document