scholarly journals Examining the Potential Synergistic Effects Between Mindfulness Training and Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria Eleni Eleftheriou ◽  
Emily Thomas
Keyword(s):  
Clinical Symptoms ◽  
Synergistic Effects ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Preliminary Evidence ◽  
Therapeutic Benefit ◽  
Therapeutic Interventions ◽  
Great Promise ◽  
Present Moment ◽  
Great Success

Mindfulness-based interventions and psychedelic-assisted therapy have been experimentally utilised in recent years as alternative treatments for various psychopathologies with moderate to great success. Both have also demonstrated significant post-acute and long-term decreases in clinical symptoms and enhancements in well-being in healthy participants. These two therapeutic interventions share various postulated salutogenic mechanisms, such as the ability to alter present-moment awareness and anti-depressive action, via corresponding neuromodulatory effects. Recent preliminary evidence has also demonstrated that psychedelic administration can enhance mindfulness capacities which has already been demonstrated robustly as a result of mindfulness-based interventions. These shared mechanisms between mindfulness-based interventions and psychedelic therapy have led to scientists theorising, and recently demonstrating, synergistic effects when both are used in combination, in the form of potentiated therapeutic benefit. These synergistic results hold great promise but require replication in bigger sample groups and better controlled methodologies, to fully delineate the effect of set and setting, before they can be extended onto clinical populations.

scholarly journals Primary Prevention of Dementia: An Ethical Review

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-10
Author(s):  
Dorothee Horstkötter ◽  
Kay Deckers ◽  
Sebastian Köhler
Keyword(s):  
Synergistic Effects ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Ethical Review ◽  
Medical Risk ◽  
Medical Risk Factors ◽  
Societal Challenges ◽  
Dementia Prevention ◽  
Health Related ◽  
Personal Level

Dementia poses important medical and societal challenges, and of all health risks people face in life, dementia is one of the most feared. Recent research indicates that up to about 40% of all cases of dementia might be preventable. A series of environmental, social, and medical risk-factors have been identified and that should be targeted from midlife onwards when people are still cognitively healthy. At first glance, this seems not merely advisable, but even imperative. However, these new developments trigger a series of new ethical questions and concerns which have hardly been addressed to date. Pro-active ethical reflection, however, is crucial to ensure that the interests and well-being of those affected, ultimately all of us, are adequately respected. This is the goal of the current contribution. Against the background of a concrete case in primary dementia prevention, it provides a systematic overview of the current ethical literature and sketches an ethical research agenda. First, possible benefits of increased well-being must be balanced with the burdens of being engaged in particularly long-term interventions for which it is unclear whether they will ever pay out on a personal level. Second, while knowledge about one’s options to maintain brain health might empower people, it might also undermine autonomy, put high social pressure on people, medicalize healthy adults, and stigmatize those who still develop dementia. Third, while synergistic effects might occur, the ideals of dementia prevention might also conflict with other health and non-health related values people hold in life.

scholarly journals An International Commentary on Dysphagia and Dysphonia During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Dysphagia ◽  
2022 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anna Miles ◽  
Jackie McRae ◽  
Gemma Clunie ◽  
Patricia Gillivan-Murphy ◽  
Yoko Inamoto ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Healthcare Workers ◽  
Vaccine Development ◽  
Clinical Symptoms ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Primary Data ◽  
International Expert ◽  
Travel Restrictions ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Health And Well Being

AbstractCOVID-19 has had an impact globally with millions infected, high mortality, significant economic ramifications, travel restrictions, national lockdowns, overloaded healthcare systems, effects on healthcare workers’ health and well-being, and large amounts of funding diverted into rapid vaccine development and implementation. Patients with COVID-19, especially those who become severely ill, have frequently developed dysphagia and dysphonia. Health professionals working in the field have needed to learn about this new disease while managing these patients with enhanced personal protective equipment. Emerging research suggests differences in the clinical symptoms and journey to recovery for patients with COVID-19 in comparison to other intensive care populations. New insights from outpatient clinics also suggest distinct presentations of dysphagia and dysphonia in people after COVID-19 who were not hospitalized or severely ill. This international expert panel provides commentary on the impact of the pandemic on speech pathologists and our current understanding of dysphagia and dysphonia in patients with COVID-19, from acute illness to long-term recovery. This narrative review provides a unique, comprehensive critical appraisal of published peer-reviewed primary data as well as emerging previously unpublished, original primary data from across the globe, including clinical symptoms, trajectory, and prognosis. We conclude with our international expert opinion on what we have learnt and where we need to go next as this pandemic continues across the globe.

scholarly journals Encapsulating Peritoneal Sclerosis: Pathophysiology and Current Treatment Options

2019 ◽  
Vol 20 (22) ◽  
pp. 5765 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rajesh M. Jagirdar ◽  
Andreas Bozikas ◽  
Sotirios G. Zarogiannis ◽  
Maria Bartosova ◽  
Claus Peter Schmitt ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Intestinal Obstruction ◽  
Animal Studies ◽  
Clinical Symptoms ◽  
Treatment Options ◽  
Renin Angiotensin System ◽  
Mtor Inhibitors ◽  
Current Treatment ◽  
Therapeutic Interventions ◽  
Ultrafiltration Failure

Encapsulating peritoneal sclerosis (EPS) is a life-threatening complication of long-term peritoneal dialysis (PD), which may even occur after patients have switched to hemodialysis (HD) or undergone kidney transplantation. The incidence of EPS varies across the globe and increases with PD vintage. Causative factors are the chronic exposure to bioincompatible PD solutions, which cause long-term modifications of the peritoneum, a high peritoneal transporter status involving high glucose concentrations, peritonitis episodes, and smoldering peritoneal inflammation. Additional potential causes are predisposing genetic factors and some medications. Clinical symptoms comprise signs of intestinal obstruction and a high peritoneal transporter status with incipient ultrafiltration failure. In radiological, macro-, and microscopic studies, a massively fibrotic and calcified peritoneum enclosed the intestine and parietal wall in such cases. Empirical treatments commonly used are corticosteroids and tamoxifen, which has fibrinolytic properties. Immunosuppressants like azathioprine, mycophenolate mofetil, or mTOR inhibitors may also help with reducing inflammation, fibrin deposition, and collagen synthesis and maturation. In animal studies, N-acetylcysteine, colchicine, rosiglitazone, thalidomide, and renin-angiotensin system (RAS) inhibitors yielded promising results. Surgical treatment has mainly been performed in severe cases of intestinal obstruction, with varying results. Mortality rates are still 25–55% in adults and about 14% in children. To reduce the incidence of EPS and improve the outcome of this devastating complication of chronic PD, vigorous consideration of the risk factors, early diagnosis, and timely discontinuation of PD and therapeutic interventions are mandatory, even though these are merely based on empirical evidence.

Stuck in an Existential Quagmire: The Role of Perceived True Self-Knowledge in Client Stuckness

2020 ◽  
Vol 39 (5) ◽  
pp. 449-477
Author(s):  
Jane E. M. Carter ◽  
Grace N. Rivera ◽  
Robert W. Heffer ◽  
Rebecca J. Schlegel
Keyword(s):  
Well Being ◽  
Psychological Research ◽  
Preliminary Evidence ◽  
Therapeutic Interventions ◽  
Future Research ◽  
True Self ◽  
Social Psychological Research ◽  
Self Knowledge ◽  
Theoretical Evidence

Introduction: Research suggests that perceived true self-knowledge is important for well-being. However, less discussion exists about how perceived true self-knowledge affects therapy outcomes. We suggest that perceived true self-knowledge may be important when attempting to address client stuckness (i.e., lack of progress in therapy; Beaudoin, 2008). We argue that when clients perceive a lack of true self-knowledge, they are unable to draw upon the true self-concept as a source of meaning. This may hinder therapeutic progress and contribute to client stuckness. Methods: We present theoretical evidence for the role of perceived true self-knowledge in experiences of stuckness. Then, we present case studies of two stuck clients and their therapeutic interventions as preliminary evidence for our model. Results: Direct strategies geared at enhancing true self-knowledge by helping the client construct coherent self-concepts worked for one client, but not for the other. Indirect strategies, grounded in social psychological research, are outlined as a method of enhancing perceptions of true self-knowledge for clients who do not benefit from direct strategies. Discussion: Potential moderators for the effectiveness of direct versus indirect strategies to enhance true self-knowledge are discussed. We then outline promising avenues for future research that include attempts to investigate the prevalence of self-alienation in clinical populations, and the effectiveness of strategies aimed at enhancing perceived true self-knowledge among clients experiencing stuckness.

scholarly journals Ablation of STAT3 in the B Cell Compartment Restricts Gammaherpesvirus LatencyIn Vivo

mBio ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 7 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sandeep Steven Reddy ◽  
Hui-Chen Chang Foreman ◽  
Thubten Ozula Sioux ◽  
Gee Ho Park ◽  
Valeria Poli ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
B Cells ◽  
B Cell ◽  
Cell Function ◽  
Acute Infection ◽  
Therapeutic Benefit ◽  
Therapeutic Interventions ◽  
Murine Gammaherpesvirus ◽  
Gammaherpesvirus 68 ◽  
Murine Gammaherpesvirus 68

ABSTRACTA challenging property of gammaherpesviruses is their ability to establish lifelong persistence. The establishment of latency in B cells is thought to involve active virus engagement of host signaling pathways. Pathogenic effects of these viruses during latency or following reactivation can be devastating to the host. Many cancers, including those associated with members of the gammaherpesvirus family, Kaposi’s sarcoma-associated herpesvirus and Epstein-Barr virus, express elevated levels of active host signal transducer and activator of transcription-3 (STAT3). STAT3 is activated by tyrosine phosphorylation in response to many cytokines and can orchestrate effector responses that include proliferation, inflammation, metastasis, and developmental programming. However, the contribution of STAT3 to gammaherpesvirus pathogenesis remains to be completely understood. This is the first study to have identified STAT3 as a critical host determinant of the ability of gammaherpesvirus to establish long-term latency in an animal model of disease. Following an acute infection, murine gammaherpesvirus 68 (MHV68) established latency in resident B cells, but establishment of latency was dramatically reduced in animals with a B cell-specific STAT3 deletion. The lack of STAT3 in B cells did not impair germinal center responses for immunoglobulin (Ig) class switching in the spleen and did not reduce either total or virus-specific IgG titers. Although ablation of STAT3 in B cells did not have a global effect on these assays of B cell function, it had long-term consequences for the viral load of the host, since virus latency was reduced at 6 to 8 weeks postinfection. Our findings establish host STAT3 as a mediator of gammaherpesvirus persistence.IMPORTANCEThe insidious ability of gammaherpesviruses to establish latent infections can have detrimental consequences for the host. Identification of host factors that promote viral latency is essential for understanding latency mechanisms and for therapeutic interventions. We provide the first evidence that STAT3 expression is needed for murine gammaherpesvirus 68 to establish latency in primary B cells during an active immune response to infection. STAT3 deletion in B cells does not impair adaptive immune control of the virus, but loss of STAT3 in B cells has a long-lasting impact on viral persistence. These results indicate a potential therapeutic benefit of STAT3 inhibitors for combating gammaherpesvirus latency and, thereby, associated pathologies.

scholarly journals Long COVID-19 Pulmonary Sequelae and Management Considerations

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (9) ◽  
pp. 838
Author(s):  
Afroditi K. Boutou ◽  
Andreas Asimakos ◽  
Eleni Kortianou ◽  
Ioannis Vogiatzis ◽  
Argyris Tzouvelekis
Keyword(s):  
Clinical Symptoms ◽  
Therapeutic Potential ◽  
Acute Infection ◽  
Rehabilitation Program ◽  
Therapeutic Interventions ◽  
Health Crisis ◽  
Multiple Organs ◽  
Current State ◽  
Pulmonary Manifestations

The human coronavirus 2019 disease (COVID-19) and the associated acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) are responsible for the worst global health crisis of the last century. Similarly, to previous coronaviruses leading to past pandemics, including severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and middle east respiratory syndrome (MERS), a growing body of evidence support that a substantial minority of patients surviving the acute phase of the disease present with long-term sequelae lasting for up to 6 months following acute infection. The clinical spectrum of these manifestations is widespread across multiple organs and consists of the long-COVID-19 syndrome. The aim of the current review is to summarize the current state of knowledge on the pulmonary manifestations of the long COVID-19 syndrome including clinical symptoms, parenchymal, and functional abnormalities, as well as highlight epidemiology, risk factors, and follow-up strategies for early identification and timely therapeutic interventions. The literature data on management considerations including the role of corticosteroids and antifibrotic treatment, as well as the therapeutic potential of a structured and personalized pulmonary rehabilitation program are detailed and discussed.

scholarly journals Management of painful spinal lesions caused by multiple myeloma using percutaneous acrylic cement injection

2009 ◽  
Vol 56 (4) ◽  
pp. 153-158 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. Bosnjakovic ◽  
S. Ristic ◽  
M. Mrvic ◽  
A.E. Miljkovic ◽  
T. Vukicevic ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Multiple Myeloma ◽  
Clinical Symptoms ◽  
Visual Analogue Score ◽  
Therapeutic Benefit ◽  
Spinal Lesions ◽  
Needle Position ◽  
Outcome Scores ◽  
Vertebral Bodies

Background and purpose: Spinal lesions with marked destruction are common site of morbidity in patients with multiple myeloma causing serious clinical symptoms. The aim of the study was to evaluate the therapeutic benefit of percutaneous vertebroplasty (PVP) in treating vertebral body lesions in patients suffering from multiple myeloma. Materials and methods: Twenty nine patients (55 vertebral bodies) were treated after complete diagnostic evaluation, preparation and obtaining informed consent. Needle position and acrylic material injection was performed under fluoroscopic guidance. Results: Average visual analogue score dropped from 7.8 before to 2.3 after the intervention. Soft tissue leak was present at 9 treated levels, small epidural cement collection at 5, venous leak at 4 and intradiscal leak at 3 levels without any clinically manifest complications. The effects of PVP were stable in all of the patients at 12 months follow-up. Subjective outcome scores collected through follow-up showed improvement of +1.45 in pain, + 1.15 in ambulation and + 1.23 in medication use. There were recurrence of back pain in 9 patients at non-treated levels due to the new lesions. Conclusion: In our series, PVP of painful lesions caused by multiple myeloma provides immediate and long-term pain relief. The procedure is safe and, despite of the present leakage of cement, may be performed on outpatients basis.

Improving Feeding Outcomes in the NICU: Moving From Volume-Driven to Infant-Driven Feeding

2010 ◽  
Vol 19 (3) ◽  
pp. 68-74 ◽  
Author(s):  
Catherine S. Shaker
Keyword(s):  
Intensive Care Unit ◽  
Dynamic Systems ◽  
Neonatal Intensive Care ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Dynamic Systems Theory ◽  
Feeding Problems ◽  
Care Giving ◽  
Extremely Preterm ◽  
Extremely Preterm Infants

Current research on feeding outcomes after discharge from the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) suggests a need to critically look at the early underpinnings of persistent feeding problems in extremely preterm infants. Concepts of dynamic systems theory and sensitive care-giving are used to describe the specialized needs of this fragile population related to the emergence of safe and successful feeding and swallowing. Focusing on the infant as a co-regulatory partner and embracing a framework of an infant-driven, versus volume-driven, feeding approach are highlighted as best supporting the preterm infant's developmental strivings and long-term well-being.

Intraindividual Variability and Stability of Affect and Well-Being

GeroPsych ◽  
2013 ◽  
Vol 26 (3) ◽  
pp. 185-199 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christina Röcke ◽  
Annette Brose
Keyword(s):  
Age Differences ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Subjective Well Being ◽  
Emotional Experiences ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Regulatory Processes ◽  
Functional Implications ◽  
Methodological Approaches ◽  
Underlying Processes

Whereas subjective well-being remains relatively stable across adulthood, emotional experiences show remarkable short-term variability, with younger and older adults differing in both amount and correlates. Repeatedly assessed affect data captures both the dynamics and stability as well as stabilization that may indicate emotion-regulatory processes. The article reviews (1) research approaches to intraindividual affect variability, (2) functional implications of affect variability, and (3) age differences in affect variability. Based on this review, we discuss how the broader literature on emotional aging can be better integrated with theories and concepts of intraindividual affect variability by using appropriate methodological approaches. Finally, we show how a better understanding of affect variability and its underlying processes could contribute to the long-term stabilization of well-being in old age.

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