scholarly journals A Preliminary Evaluation of the Unified Protocol among Trauma-Exposed Adults with and without PTSD

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (21) ◽  
pp. 11729
Author(s):  
Caitlyn O. Hood ◽  
Matthew W. Southward ◽  
Christian Bugher ◽  
Shannon Sauer-Zavala
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health Treatment ◽  
Psychological Treatment ◽  
Trauma Exposure ◽  
Clinical Severity ◽  
Preliminary Evaluation ◽  
Outpatient Mental Health ◽  
Unified Protocol ◽  
Efficacious Treatment ◽  
Using Data ◽  
Trauma Histories

The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether the Unified Protocol (UP)—a mechanistically transdiagnostic psychological treatment—provides benefit to individuals with a range of trauma histories, psychological difficulties, and diagnostic comorbidity. Using data from a sequential multiple-assignment randomized trial (SMART), this exploratory analysis included a sample of 69 community-recruited adults seeking outpatient mental health treatment. We examined reductions in anxiety and depressive symptoms and changes in aversive and avoidant reactions to intense emotions—the UP’s putative mechanism—first by comparing individuals with and without trauma histories and then specifically among participants with PTSD. Findings suggest that the UP may lead to similar improvements in clinical diagnostic severity, anxiety, and depression among patients with trauma exposure as those without trauma exposure. Roughly half of participants with PTSD demonstrated reductions in PTSD clinical severity, anxiety, depression, and distress aversion, suggesting the UP may be an efficacious treatment for people with PTSD and comorbid conditions.

scholarly journals Botulinum toxin injection changes resting state cerebellar connectivity in cervical dystonia

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Pavel Hok ◽  
Lenka Hvizdošová ◽  
Pavel Otruba ◽  
Michaela Kaiserová ◽  
Markéta Trnečková ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Functional Mri ◽  
Resting State ◽  
Cervical Dystonia ◽  
Botulinum Neurotoxin ◽  
Botulinum Toxin Injection ◽  
Clinical Severity ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Positive Correlations ◽  
Using Data ◽  
The Right

AbstractIn cervical dystonia, functional MRI (fMRI) evidence indicates changes in several resting state networks, which revert in part following the botulinum neurotoxin A (BoNT) therapy. Recently, the involvement of the cerebellum in dystonia has gained attention. The aim of our study was to compare connectivity between cerebellar subdivisions and the rest of the brain before and after BoNT treatment. Seventeen patients with cervical dystonia indicated for treatment with BoNT were enrolled (14 female, aged 50.2 ± 8.5 years, range 38–63 years). Clinical and fMRI examinations were carried out before and 4 weeks after BoNT injection. Clinical severity was evaluated using TWSTRS. Functional MRI data were acquired on a 1.5 T scanner during 8 min rest. Seed-based functional connectivity analysis was performed using data extracted from atlas-defined cerebellar areas in both datasets. Clinical scores demonstrated satisfactory BoNT effect. After treatment, connectivity decreased between the vermis lobule VIIIa and the left dorsal mesial frontal cortex. Positive correlations between the connectivity differences and the clinical improvement were detected for the right lobule VI, right crus II, vermis VIIIb and the right lobule IX. Our data provide evidence for modulation of cerebello-cortical connectivity resulting from successful treatment by botulinum neurotoxin.

Evaluation of LEACHMN under dryland conditions. I. Simulation of water and solute transport

2005 ◽  
Vol 85 (2) ◽  
pp. 223-232 ◽  
Author(s):  
O. O. Akinremi ◽  
Y. W. Jame ◽  
C. A. Campbell ◽  
R. P. Zentner ◽  
C. Chang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Soil Water ◽  
Chloride Concentration ◽  
Preliminary Evaluation ◽  
Retention Data ◽  
Soil Water Retention ◽  
Modified Model ◽  
Water Redistribution ◽  
Fallow System ◽  
Using Data ◽  
Water Transmission

The ability to simulate the dynamics of soil nitrogen under field conditions will aid our understanding of the nitrogen cycle. Our objective was to test the water and solute components of LEACHMN using data obtained from a field lysimeter study conducted on a medium-textured soil in southwestern Saskatchewan, Canada. Our preliminary evaluation of LEACHMN showed that the retentivity and conductivity functions used in this model were not appropriate for our soil as the original model permitted water transmission through the soil profile too rapidly. We, therefore, incorporated the van Genuchten retentivity function into LEACHMN and used the same soil water retention data to generate the van Genuchten parameters. The modified model was able to reproduce changes in water and chloride concentration after minimal calibration. Overall, the value of 0.45 used for the pan coefficient for soil under fallow and 12 mm used for dispersivity produced a realistic estimation of changes in water and chloride within the soil in the 2 yr of the field experiment. The model reproduced soil water redistribution in a fallow system. There was a tendency to under-estimate soil water content during dry periods, mainly as a result of the model’s tendency to over-estimate evaporation. While the centre of mass of chloride was correctly estimated, the model under-estimated the maximum depth of chloride penetration due to a slight tendency to over-estimate evaporation. Based on our statistical and graphical evaluation of LEACHMN, the modified model is adequate for our subsequent nitrate leaching study. Key words: LEACHMN, lysimeter, dryland, water, chloride, nitrate

scholarly journals The Influence of Mindfulness Meditation Versus CBT for Anxiety on Emotional Distress and Attitudes Towards Seeking Mental Health Treatment

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniela Aisenberg-Shafran ◽  
Liav Shturm
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Older Adults ◽  
Emotional Distress ◽  
Mental Health Treatment ◽  
Mindfulness Meditation ◽  
Psychological Treatment ◽  
Behavioral Therapy ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Health Treatment ◽  
Before And After

Abstract Older adults often avoid seeking psychological treatment, challenging their ability to adaptively deal with anxiety, stress and depression. The aim of the current study was to compare the effects of a mindfulness intervention vs. cognitive-behavioral-therapy (CBT) on measures of emotional distress and attitudes towards seeking mental-health treatment among older adults. Twenty-four seniors were assigned to: 1) MBIS (Mindfulness-Based Intervention for Seniors); and 2) CBT for anxiety, or to a care-as-usual control group. Attitudes towards seeking psychological treatment, levels of depression, anxiety and worry were measured before and after the interventions. Following the intervention, participants more positively addressed the possibility of utilizing psychological treatment, while no changes were observed in the control group. Interestingly, levels of worry improved only in the MBIS group, and anxiety levels only improved in the CBT group. It seems that attending cognitive group interventions are effective to their focus and positively impact attitudes towards psychological treatment.

Predicting risk of secondary progression in multiple sclerosis: A nomogram

2018 ◽  
Vol 25 (8) ◽  
pp. 1102-1112 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ali Manouchehrinia ◽  
Feng Zhu ◽  
Daniela Piani-Meier ◽  
Markus Lange ◽  
Diego G Silva ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Multiple Sclerosis ◽  
Disease Onset ◽  
Predictive Ability ◽  
Progressive Multiple Sclerosis ◽  
Patient Counselling ◽  
Derivation Cohort ◽  
Efficacious Treatment ◽  
Disability Status ◽  
Using Data ◽  
Worse Prognosis

Objectives: We aimed at designing a nomogram, a prediction tool, to predict the individual’s risk of conversion to secondary progressive multiple sclerosis (SPMS) at the time of multiple sclerosis (MS) onset. Methods: One derivation and three validation cohorts were established. The derivation cohort included 8825 relapsing-onset MS patients in Sweden. A nomogram was built based on a survival model with the best statistical fit and prediction accuracy. The nomogram was validated using data from 3967 patients in the British Columbia cohort, 176 patients in the ACROSS and 2355 patients in FREEDOMS/FREEDOMS II extension studies. Results: Sex, calendar year of birth, first-recorded Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) score, age at the first EDSS and age at disease onset showed significant predictive ability to estimate the risk of SPMS conversion at 10, 15 and 20 years. The nomogram reached 84% (95% confidence intervals (CIs): 83–85) internal and 77% (95% CI: 76–78), 77% (95% CI: 70–85) and 87% (95% CI: 84–89) external accuracy. Conclusions: The SPMS nomogram represents a much-needed complementary tool designed to assist in decision-making and patient counselling in the early phase of MS. The SPMS nomogram may improve outcomes by prompting timely and more efficacious treatment for those with a worse prognosis.

scholarly journals Mental health disorders and utilization of mental healthcare services in United Nations personnel

2020 ◽  
Vol 7 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adam D. Brown ◽  
Katharina Schultebraucks ◽  
Meng Qian ◽  
Meng Li ◽  
Danny Horesh ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
United Nations ◽  
Mental Health Treatment ◽  
Trauma Exposure ◽  
Mental Healthcare ◽  
Healthcare Services ◽  
Mental Health Disorders ◽  
Mental Health Disorder ◽  
Diverse Range ◽  
Health Disorders

Abstract Background United Nations (UN) personnel address a diverse range of political, social, and cultural crises throughout the world. Compared with other occupations routinely exposed to traumatic stress, there remains a paucity of research on mental health disorders and access to mental healthcare in this population. To fill this gap, personnel from UN agencies were surveyed for mental health disorders and mental healthcare utilization. Methods UN personnel (N = 17 363) from 11 UN entities completed online measures of generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), major depressive disorder (MDD), posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), trauma exposure, mental healthcare usage, and socio-demographic information. Results Exposure to one or more traumatic events was reported by 36.2% of survey responders. Additionally, 17.9% screened positive for GAD, 22.8% for MDD, and 19.9% for PTSD. Employing multivariable logistic regressions, low job satisfaction, younger age (<35 years of age), greater length of employment, and trauma exposure on or off-duty was significantly associated with all the three disorders. Among individuals screening positive for a mental health disorder, 2.05% sought mental health treatment within and 10.01% outside the UN in the past year. Conclusions UN personnel appear to be at high risk for trauma exposure and screening positive for a mental health disorder, yet a small percentage screening positive for mental health disorders sought treatment. Despite the mental health gaps observed in this study, additional research is needed, as these data reflect a large sample of convenience and it cannot be determined if the findings are representative of the UN.

Bio-Inspired Robot Control for Human-Robot Bi-Manual Manipulation

2013 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephen Warren ◽  
Panagiotis Artemiadis
Keyword(s):  
Human Subjects ◽  
Probability Distributions ◽  
Preliminary Evaluation ◽  
Robot Arm ◽  
Cluttered Environments ◽  
Human Arm ◽  
Using Data ◽  
Manual Tasks ◽  
Manual Manipulation ◽  
Arm Coordination

As robots are increasingly used in human-cluttered environments, the requirement of human-likeness in their movements becomes essential. Although robots perform a wide variety of demanding tasks around the world in factories, remote sites and dangerous environments, they are still lacking the ability to coordinate with humans in simple, every-day life bi-manual tasks, e.g. removing a jar lid. This paper focuses on the introduction of bio-inspired control schemes for robot arms that coordinate with human arms in bi-manual manipulation tasks. Using data captured from human subjects performing a variety of every-day bi-manual life tasks, we propose a bio-inspired controller for a robot arm, that is able to learn human inter- and intra-arm coordination during those tasks. We embed human arm coordination in low-dimension manifolds, and build potential fields that attract the robot to human-like configurations using the probability distributions of the recorded human data. The method is tested using a simulated robot arm that is identical in structure to the human arm. A preliminary evaluation of the approach is also carried out using an anthropomorphic robot arm in bi-manual manipulation task with a human subject.

Improving exploration efficiency in frontier basin using CSEM

2020 ◽  
Vol 60 (2) ◽  
pp. 773
Author(s):  
Raghava Tharimela
Keyword(s):  
Saturated Hydrocarbon ◽  
Effective Means ◽  
Preliminary Evaluation ◽  
Related Risk ◽  
Direct Indication ◽  
History Of ◽  
Using Data ◽  
2D Data ◽  
Subsurface Resistivity

In underexplored frontier offshore basins one of the key challenges is to identify areas with the greatest probability of success (Pg) within set budgetary and time constraints. Frontier exploration permits are generally large, with limited geophysical data and limited knowledge of a working petroleum system. Play concepts can be formulated using data at hand but will require augmenting by new datasets. The nature and extent of additional data is generally linked to budgetary constraints and exploration history of the area and will set the strategy to identify and manage key risks before major investment for block development. Often this preliminary evaluation does not address fluid-related risk which has a major impact on assessment of Pg. Seep evaluation could indicate presence of hydrocarbons in the system, but the absence of seeps cannot be a reason to condemn the area. Resistivity is a key attribute that has a reliable relation with hydrocarbon saturation. Subsurface resistivity imaging using the controlled source electromagnetic (CSEM) method, can indicate in situ saturated hydrocarbon accumulations and when correlated with available seismic data, absence of a resistive anomaly at the prospect location is a direct indication of a lack of significant hydrocarbons and associated leads/plays can be downgraded. The presence of a resistive anomaly could mean saturated hydrocarbons or other lithological effects that needs to be further evaluated. CSEM 2D data acquired along key seismic lines covering promising play types can be an effective means of screening the frontier block and identifying areas that should be the focus of further exploration activities.

Antipsychotic type and correlates of antipsychotic treatment discontinuation in the outpatient treatment of schizophrenia

2006 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
pp. 41-47 ◽  
Author(s):  
Josep Maria Haro ◽  
Diego Novick ◽  
Mark Belger ◽  
Peter B. Jones
Keyword(s):  
Antipsychotic Medication ◽  
Multiple Logistic Regression Analysis ◽  
Outpatient Setting ◽  
Mood Stabilizers ◽  
Clinical Severity ◽  
Antipsychotic Treatment ◽  
Medication Discontinuation ◽  
Treatment Naïve ◽  
Loss Of Libido ◽  
Using Data

AbstractAntipsychotic medication maintenance and the factors influencing it were analyzed using data from the SOHO study, a large observational study of the outcomes of antipsychotic treatment for schizophrenia in Europe. A total of 7186 adult patients in the outpatient setting who were initiating or changing their antipsychotic medication and who were prescribed only one antipsychotic after the baseline visit were analyzed. Medication maintenance at 12 months varied with the type of antipsychotic prescribed, being highest with clozapine (79.5%) and olanzapine (77.0%), and lowest with quetiapine (51.4%) and amisulpride (58.2%). Multiple logistic regression analysis demonstrated that the type of antipsychotic prescribed at baseline was the most important predictor of medication maintenance. Alcohol dependency, taking mood stabilizers, compulsory admission or arrest in the previous 6 months, greater clinical severity, and changing antipsychotic medication due to lack of effectiveness at baseline predicted a higher frequency of medication discontinuation in the subsequent 12 months. In contrast, medication maintenance was higher among patients who were treatment naïve at baseline, socially active or who had loss of libido at baseline. The findings from this study should be interpreted conservatively because of its non-randomized observational design.

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