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1.
Clin J Oncol Nurs ; 28(3): 281-286, 2024 May 17.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38830245

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Adults with cancer experience a significantly higher level of anxiety compared with the general population. Anxiety is reported at diagnosis and throughout the cancer trajectory, and it is particularly heightened at the initiation of infusion treatments. In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated anxiety levels in patients receiving cancer treatments. OBJECTIVES: This evidence-based practice project evaluated the feasibility and effectiveness of using medical-grade weighted blankets to reduce anxiety in patients with cancer receiving the first two infusion treatments in the ambulatory setting. METHODS: Patients completed a modified version of the Visual Analog Scale for Anxiety to self-report anxiety pre- and postimplementation. Patients and nurses completed feasibility surveys. FINDINGS: Patients reported reduced anxiety after using a weighted blanket and described weighted blankets as comforting and soothing. More than 90% of surveyed patients agreed or strongly agreed that the blanket was comfortable, not too heavy, and easy to put on, and did not interfere with nursing care or their own activities. Nurses valued the ease of use and adherence to infection control standards.


Subject(s)
Anxiety , COVID-19 , Neoplasms , Oncology Nursing , SARS-CoV-2 , Humans , Anxiety/prevention & control , Female , Male , Neoplasms/psychology , Middle Aged , Adult , Oncology Nursing/methods , Aged , Ambulatory Care , Pandemics , Aged, 80 and over , Infusions, Intravenous
2.
Syst Rev ; 13(1): 131, 2024 May 14.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38745201

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: The current paradigm of competency-based medical education and learner-centredness requires learners to take an active role in their training. However, deliberate and planned continual assessment and performance improvement is hindered by the fragmented nature of many medical training programs. Attempts to bridge this continuity gap between supervision and feedback through learner handover have been controversial. Learning plans are an alternate educational tool that helps trainees identify their learning needs and facilitate longitudinal assessment by providing supervisors with a roadmap of their goals. Informed by self-regulated learning theory, learning plans may be the answer to track trainees' progress along their learning trajectory. The purpose of this study is to summarise the literature regarding learning plan use specifically in undergraduate medical education and explore the student's role in all stages of learning plan development and implementation. METHODS: Following Arksey and O'Malley's framework, a scoping review will be conducted to explore the use of learning plans in undergraduate medical education. Literature searches will be conducted using multiple databases by a librarian with expertise in scoping reviews. Through an iterative process, inclusion and exclusion criteria will be developed and a data extraction form refined. Data will be analysed using quantitative and qualitative content analyses. DISCUSSION: By summarising the literature on learning plan use in undergraduate medical education, this study aims to better understand how to support self-regulated learning in undergraduate medical education. The results from this project will inform future scholarly work in competency-based medical education at the undergraduate level and have implications for improving feedback and supporting learners at all levels of competence. SCOPING REVIEW REGISTRATION: Open Science Framework osf.io/wvzbx.


Subject(s)
Education, Medical, Undergraduate , Learning , Education, Medical, Undergraduate/methods , Humans , Clinical Competence , Competency-Based Education/methods
3.
Vaccines (Basel) ; 12(3)2024 Mar 04.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38543903

ABSTRACT

Although the COVID-19 pandemic has caused the need for the largest mass vaccination campaign ever undertaken to date, African, Caribbean, and Black (ACB) populations have shown both a disproportionately high degree of negative impacts from the pandemic and the lowest willingness to become vaccinated. This scoping review aims to investigate low vaccine uptake in ACB populations relative to public health in high-income countries. A search was conducted in MEDLINE(R) ALL (OvidSP), Embase (OvidSP), CINAHL (EBSCOHost), APA PsycInfo (OvidSP), the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (OvidSP), the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews (OvidSP), the Allied and Complimentary Medicine Database (Ovid SP), and the Web of Science following the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) framework for scoping reviews, supplemented by PRISMA-ScR. Theoretical underpinnings of the intersectionality approach were also used to help interpret the complexities of health inequities in the ACB population. The eligibility criteria were based on the population, concept, context (PCC) framework, and publications from 2020-19 July 2022 which discussed vaccine uptake amongst ACB people in high-income countries were included. Analysis was carried out through thematic mapping and produced four main themes: (1) racism and inequities, (2) sentiments and behaviors, (3) knowledge and communication, and (4) engagement and influence. This study has contributed to the identification and definition of the issue of low vaccine uptake in ACB populations and has illustrated the complexity of the problems, as vaccine access is hampered by knowledge, psychological, socioeconomic, and organizational barriers at the individual, organizational, and systemic levels, leading to structural inequities that have manifested as low vaccine uptake.

4.
Mar Environ Res ; 189: 106065, 2023 Jul.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-37352823

ABSTRACT

Filter feeding bivalves are useful bioindicators for the detection of biologically available pollutants. We investigated trace metals, metalloids, and pesticides in leaf oyster (Isognomon ephippium) soft tissue and shells and compared them to sediment in five estuaries in northern New South Wales, Australia. Concentrations of Pb, Cr, Mn, Ni, Fe and Al were higher in sediments, whereas Zn, Cd, Ag, Hg, Se and As bioaccumulated in the soft tissue. The amount of Cu, Hg and Ni in the sediment from Tweed and Richmond River estuaries exceeded the Australian national sediment quality guideline values. Only one pesticide, atrazine, was detected in leaf oyster soft tissue. Combinations of six elements in the soft tissue were the best predictors of oyster condition index and shell size, whereas sediment contaminants showed weak relationships. Overall, the bioaccumulation of metals and metalloids increases with leaf oyster size and reduces leaf oyster condition, suggesting these large bivalves are useful bioindicators for pollution in estuarine environments.


Subject(s)
Bivalvia , Environmental Pollutants , Mercury , Metalloids , Metals, Heavy , Ostreidae , Water Pollutants, Chemical , Animals , Metals, Heavy/analysis , New South Wales , Bioaccumulation , Environmental Biomarkers , Australia , Water Pollutants, Chemical/analysis , Geologic Sediments , Environmental Monitoring , Estuaries
5.
Sci Total Environ ; 826: 154061, 2022 Jun 20.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-35231523

ABSTRACT

Leaf oysters (Isognomon ephippium) are large intertidal bivalves that form shellfish reefs. They have a patchy and restricted distribution in estuaries in northern New South Wales, Australia, where the water quality is impacted by a range of anthropogenic stressors from coastal agriculture, urbanisation, industry and recreational activities, along with natural stochastic events such as flooding. Little, however, is currently known about the tolerance of leaf oysters to poor water quality. This study investigated the condition of leaf oyster populations in four estuaries, by assessing the density, size-frequency and condition index. These biological parameters were modelled against habitat water quality parameters including nutrient loads, organic and inorganic carbon, algal biomass, sedimentation and total alkalinity. The water quality assessments were replicated during dry conditions and after rain in two estuaries. Leaf oyster density, size, and body condition significantly differed among the four estuaries. Density ranged from as few as 0.04 oysters per m2 in the heavily impacted Richmond River, up to 267 oysters per m2 in the Tweed River. Overall water quality was also significantly different among the four estuaries, and significant declines in water quality were observed after rain. Distance based linear models revealed significant correlations between biological indicators of leaf oyster reef health and a range of water quality parameters. Leaf oysters with higher condition occur in locations with high dissolved oxygen and salinity levels, whereas low pH and high nutrient run-off were associated with low density and poorer oyster condition. Nevertheless, dense populations were found to persist in areas with pH below 7.9, in high turbidity (over 27 NTU) and areas dominated by fine silt. Their ability to form dense reefs on estuarine soft muddy bottom habitats with low water flow, suggests that leaf oysters could be used to complement rock oysters in future intertidal shellfish reef restoration programs.


Subject(s)
Ostreidae , Water Quality , Animals , Australia , Estuaries
6.
Mar Pollut Bull ; 173(Pt B): 113113, 2021 Dec.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-34768191

ABSTRACT

Climate change is expected to cause significant changes to rocky shore diversity. This study used outdoor mesocosms to test the predictions that warming and ocean acidification will alter the responses of native Trichomya hirsuta and introduced Mytilus galloprovincialis mussels, and their associated communities of infauna. Experiments consisted of orthogonal combinations of temperature (ambient 22 °C or elevated 25 °C), pCO2 (ambient 400 µatm or elevated 1000 µatm), mussel species (T. hirsuta or M. galloprovincialis), and mussel configuration (native, introduced, or both), with n = 3 replicates. Elevated pCO2 reduced the growth of T. hirsuta but not that of M. galloprovincialis, and warming and pCO2 influenced the infauna that colonised both species of mussels. There was a reduction in infaunal molluscs and an increase in polychaetes; there was, however, no effect on crustaceans. Results from this study suggest that climate-driven changes from one mussel species to another can significantly influence infaunal communities.


Subject(s)
Climate Change , Mytilus , Animals , Hydrogen-Ion Concentration , Seawater , Shellfish
7.
Nat Struct Mol Biol ; 28(6): 512-520, 2021 06.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-34117479

ABSTRACT

Very long chain fatty acids (VLCFAs) are essential building blocks for the synthesis of ceramides and sphingolipids. The first step in the fatty acid elongation cycle is catalyzed by the 3-keto acyl-coenzyme A (CoA) synthases (in mammals, ELOVL elongases). Although ELOVLs are implicated in common diseases, including insulin resistance, hepatic steatosis and Parkinson's, their underlying molecular mechanisms are unknown. Here we report the structure of the human ELOVL7 elongase, which comprises an inverted transmembrane barrel surrounding a 35-Å long tunnel containing a covalently attached product analogue. The structure reveals the substrate-binding sites in the narrow tunnel and an active site deep in the membrane. We demonstrate that chain elongation proceeds via an acyl-enzyme intermediate involving the second histidine in the canonical HxxHH motif. The unusual substrate-binding arrangement and chemistry suggest mechanisms for selective ELOVL inhibition, relevant for diseases where VLCFAs accumulate, such as X-linked adrenoleukodystrophy.


Subject(s)
Fatty Acid Elongases/chemistry , Fatty Acids/metabolism , Adrenoleukodystrophy/enzymology , Animals , Binding Sites , Catalytic Domain , Cloning, Molecular , Coenzyme A/metabolism , Crystallography, X-Ray , Fatty Acid Elongases/antagonists & inhibitors , Fatty Acid Elongases/metabolism , HEK293 Cells , Histidine/chemistry , Humans , Imidazoles/metabolism , Models, Molecular , Protein Binding , Protein Conformation , Recombinant Proteins/chemistry , Recombinant Proteins/metabolism , Sf9 Cells , Spectrometry, Mass, Electrospray Ionization/methods , Structure-Activity Relationship , Substrate Specificity
8.
Res Dev Disabil ; 104: 103692, 2020 Sep.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-32505083

ABSTRACT

Even genetic disorders associated with monogenic aetiologies are characterized by complex and variable risk for poor outcomes, highlighting the need to follow trajectories longitudinally. Here, we investigated the longitudinal relationships between attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and autism spectrum disorder (ASD) symptoms in a population at high risk for both: boys with fragile X syndrome. 59 boys with fragile X syndrome aged 3-10 years old at entry participated in this study, and were followed up one and two years after their first visit. As expected, we found strong relationships over three timepoints for ADHD symptoms (as measured by the parent-rated Conners scale) and ASD symptoms (as measured by the Social Communication Questionnaire [SCQ]). In addition, using structural equation modeling (SEM) we found that ADHD symptoms at time 2 predicted ASD symptoms at time 3, suggestive of a causal relationship. Importantly, these relationships hold when including chronological age at entry to the study, as well as when including severity of impairment as measured by IQ, and their effects on both ASD and ADHD symptoms do not reach significance. This result highlights the need to study outcomes longitudinally and it informs the comorbidity of the two symptom domains in FXS as well as their potential directionality, both of which have been little researched. In addition, our findings may suggest a future need to study how ADHD symptoms and their treatment impact individuals with ASD.


Subject(s)
Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity , Autism Spectrum Disorder , Autistic Disorder , Fragile X Syndrome , Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity/epidemiology , Autism Spectrum Disorder/epidemiology , Child , Child, Preschool , Comorbidity , Fragile X Syndrome/epidemiology , Humans , Male
9.
Int J Infect Dis ; 80S: S77-S84, 2019 Mar.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-30822544

ABSTRACT

The 2',5' (OASs) are known as mediators of the antiviral response system through activation of the RNA cleavage pathway. Interestingly, we observe OAS1, OAS2 and OAS3 upregulation in a number of gene expression signatures which discriminate active TB from latent TB infection, however their biological role during bacterial infection has not yet been elucidated. We observed that the expression of these genes was associated with pathogenicity and virulence of mycobacteria as infection with Mycobacterium bovis BCG failed to significantly induce OAS expression. Further, we observed that after silencing of these genes, M. tb CFU counts increased significantly 96h post-infection in comparison to the respective controls. Luminex revealed that OAS silencing significantly decreased IL-1ß, TNF-α and MCP-1 and had no effect of IL-10 secretion. We show for the first time that OAS1, 2 and 3 restrict intracellular pathogenic mycobacterial replication and enhance pro-inflammatory cytokine secretion.


Subject(s)
2',5'-Oligoadenylate Synthetase/metabolism , Cytokines/metabolism , Mycobacterium tuberculosis/physiology , 2',5'-Oligoadenylate Synthetase/genetics , Cell Line , Cytokines/genetics , Gene Expression Regulation, Enzymologic/physiology , Gene Silencing , Humans , Mycobacterium bovis , Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha
10.
Food Chem Toxicol ; 127: 280-287, 2019 May.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-30905867

ABSTRACT

Per-and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) are bioaccumulative chemicals of emerging concern. Some PFASs accumulate in seafood, and can contribute to dietary exposure. Previous work has suggested cooking seafood decreases concentrations of neutral organic contaminants, however, previous studies dealing with PFASs have shown conflicting results. In this study, the potential changes of PFAS concentrations as a result of boiling, frying and baking are systematically examined. Blue Swimmer Crab (Portunus armatus), Dusky Flathead (Platycephalus fuscus) and School Prawn (Metapenaeus macleayi) were obtained from near a known PFAS point source and a reference location (affected by diffuse sources). Raw and cooked samples were analysed for commonly found PFASs. Of 23 target analytes, PFOS was the most frequently detected compound. PFOS, PFHxS and PFOA concentrations in School Prawn effectively doubled after boiling, and PFOS increased when Dusky Flathead was baked. There was no significant difference in PFOS concentration when Dusky Flathead was fried, or when the Blue Swimmer Crab was boiled. PFHxS and PFOA concentrations in Blue Swimmer Crab effectively halved after boiling. Increase in PFAS concentrations possibly arise from mass loss during the cooking process. Our data show that cooking does not consistently reduce PFAS concentrations, and cannot mitigate dietary exposure.


Subject(s)
Cooking , Environmental Pollutants/analysis , Fluorocarbons/analysis , Food Contamination/analysis , Seafood/analysis , Animals , Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid/methods , Crustacea , Dietary Exposure , Tandem Mass Spectrometry/methods
11.
J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg ; 156(6): 2098-2107, 2018 12.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-30057184

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: Cardioplegic arrest (CP) and cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) are associated with vasomotor dysfunction of coronary arterioles in patients with diabetes (DM) undergoing cardiac surgery. We hypothesized that DM may up-regulate vasopressin receptor expression and alter the contractile response of coronary arterioles to vasopressin in the setting of CP/CPB. METHODS: Right atrial tissue samples of patients with DM and without (ND) (n = 8 in each group) undergoing cardiac surgery were harvested before and after CP/CPB. The isolated coronary arterioles (80-150 µm) dissected from the harvested right atrial tissue samples were cannulated and pressurized (40 mm Hg) in a no-flow state. The changes in diameter were measured with video microscopy. The protein expression/localization of vasopressin 1A receptors (V1A) and vasopressin 1B receptors (V1B) in the atrial tissue were measured by immune-blotting and immunohistochemistry. RESULTS: The pre-CP/CPB contractile responses of the coronary arterioles to vasopressin were significantly increased post-CP/CPB in both the ND and DM groups. This effect was more pronounced in the vessels from patients in the DM group than that of vessels from patients in the ND group (P < .05). Vasopressin-induced contractile response of the coronary arterioles was inhibited in the presence of the specific V1A antagonist SR 49059 (10-7 M) in both ND and DM vessels (P < .05). The post-CP/CPB protein levels of V1A were significantly increased compared with pre-CP/CPB values in both the ND and DM groups (P < .05), whereas this increase was greater in DM than that of ND (P < .05). Immunohistochemistry staining further indicates that V1B were mainly expressed in the myocardium but not in vascular smooth muscle. CONCLUSIONS: CP/CPB and DM are both associated with up-regulation in V1 receptor expression/localization in human myocardium. Vasopressin may induce coronary arteriolar constriction via V1A. This alteration may lead to increased coronary arteriolar spasm in patients with DM undergoing CP/CPB and cardiac surgery.


Subject(s)
Arterioles/drug effects , Arterioles/surgery , Coronary Artery Bypass/adverse effects , Coronary Vasospasm/chemically induced , Coronary Vessels/drug effects , Coronary Vessels/surgery , Diabetes Mellitus/physiopathology , Vasoconstriction/drug effects , Vasoconstrictor Agents/toxicity , Vasopressins/toxicity , Aged , Arterioles/metabolism , Arterioles/physiopathology , Cardiopulmonary Bypass/adverse effects , Case-Control Studies , Coronary Vasospasm/metabolism , Coronary Vasospasm/physiopathology , Coronary Vessels/metabolism , Coronary Vessels/physiopathology , Diabetes Mellitus/metabolism , Female , Heart Arrest, Induced/adverse effects , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Receptors, Vasopressin/agonists , Receptors, Vasopressin/metabolism , Signal Transduction/drug effects , Up-Regulation
12.
Mol Cell Biochem ; 445(1-2): 187-194, 2018 Aug.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-29305679

ABSTRACT

We have recently found that diabetes is associated with the inactivation of the calcium-activated potassium channels (KCa) in endothelial cells, which may contribute to endothelial dysfunction in diabetic patients at baseline. In the current study, we further investigated the effects of diabetes on coronary arteriolar responses to the small (SK) and intermediate (IK) KCa opener NS309 in diabetic and non-diabetic patients and correlated that data with the changes in the SK/IK protein expression/distribution in the setting of cardioplegic ischemia and reperfusion (CP) and cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB). Coronary arterioles from the harvested right atrial tissue samples from diabetic and non-diabetic patients (n = 8/group) undergoing cardiac surgery were dissected pre- and post-CP/CPB. The in vitro relaxation response of pre-contracted arterioles was examined in the presence of the selective SK/IK opener NS309 (10-9-10-5 M). The protein expression/localization of KCa channels in the harvested atrial tissue samples, coronary microvessels, and primary cultured human coronary endothelial cells were assayed by Western blotting and immunohistochemistry. The relaxation response to NS309 post-CP/CPB was significantly decreased in diabetic and non-diabetic groups compared to their pre-CP/CPB responses, respectively (P < 0.05). Furthermore, this decrease was greater in the diabetic group than that of the non-diabetic group (P < 0.05). There were no significant differences in the total protein expression/distribution of SK/IK in the human myocardium, coronary microvessels or coronary endothelial cells between diabetic and non-diabetic groups or between pre- and post-CP/CPB (P > 0.05). Our results suggest that diabetes further inactivates SK/IK channels of coronary microvasculature early after CP/CPB and cardiac surgery. The lack of diabetic changes in SK/IK protein abundances in the setting of CP/CPB suggests that the effect is post-translational. This alteration may contribute to post-operative endothelial dysfunction in the diabetic patients early after CP/CPB and cardiac surgery.


Subject(s)
Arterioles/drug effects , Cardiopulmonary Bypass , Coronary Vessels/drug effects , Diabetes Mellitus/physiopathology , Heart Arrest, Induced , Potassium Channels, Calcium-Activated/agonists , Aged , Arterioles/metabolism , Arterioles/pathology , Blotting, Western , Case-Control Studies , Coronary Vessels/metabolism , Coronary Vessels/pathology , Endothelial Cells/metabolism , Endothelium, Vascular/drug effects , Endothelium, Vascular/pathology , Female , Heart Atria/metabolism , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Muscle Proteins/metabolism , Potassium Channels, Calcium-Activated/metabolism
13.
Ecology ; 97(4): 929-39, 2016 Apr.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-27220209

ABSTRACT

Ecological theory predicts that positive interactions among organisms will increase across gradients of increasing abiotic stress or consumer pressure. This theory has been supported by empirical studies examining the magnitude of ecosystem engineering across environmental gradients and between habitat settings at local scale. Predictions that habitat setting, by modifying both biotic and abiotic factors, will determine large-scale gradients in ecosystem engineering have not been tested, however. A combination of manipulative experiments and field surveys assessed whether along the east Australian coastline: (1) facilitation of invertebrates by the oyster Saccostrea glomerata increased across a latitudinal gradient in temperature; and (2) the magnitude of this effect varied between intertidal rocky shores and mangrove forests. It was expected that on rocky shores, where oysters are the primary ecosystem engineer, they would play a greater role in ameliorating latitudinal gradients in temperature than in mangroves, where they are a secondary ecosystem engineer living under the mangrove canopy. On rocky shores, the enhancement of invertebrate abundance in oysters as compared to bare microhabitat decreased with latitude, as the maximum temperatures experienced by intertidal organisms diminished. By contrast, in mangrove forests, where the mangrove canopy resulted in maximum temperatures that were cooler and of greater humidity than on rocky shores, we found no evidence of latitudinal gradients of oyster effects on invertebrate abundance. Contrary to predictions, the magnitude by which oysters enhanced biodiversity was in many instances similar between mangroves and rocky shores. Whether habitat-context modifies patterns of spatial variation in the effects of ecosystem engineers on community structure will depend, in part, on the extent to which the environmental amelioration provided by an ecosystem engineer replicates that of other co-occurring ecosystem engineers.


Subject(s)
Ecosystem , Ostreidae/physiology , Animals , Australia , Demography , Estuaries , Stress, Physiological
15.
Front Psychol ; 6: 760, 2015.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-26124729

ABSTRACT

Face processing is a crucial socio-cognitive ability. Is it acquired progressively or does it constitute an innately-specified, face-processing module? The latter would be supported if some individuals with seriously impaired intelligence nonetheless showed intact face-processing abilities. Some theorists claim that Williams syndrome (WS) provides such evidence since, despite IQs in the 50s, adolescents/adults with WS score in the normal range on standardized face-processing tests. Others argue that atypical neural and cognitive processes underlie WS face-processing proficiencies. But what about infants with WS? Do they start with typical face-processing abilities, with atypicality developing later, or are atypicalities already evident in infancy? We used an infant familiarization/novelty design and compared infants with WS to typically developing controls as well as to a group of infants with Down syndrome matched on both mental and chronological age. Participants were familiarized with a schematic face, after which they saw a novel face in which either the features (eye shape) were changed or just the configuration of the original features. Configural changes were processed successfully by controls, but not by infants with WS who were only sensitive to featural changes and who showed syndrome-specific profiles different from infants with the other neurodevelopmental disorder. Our findings indicate that theorists can no longer use the case of WS to support claims that evolution has endowed the human brain with an independent face-processing module.

16.
Dev Psychopathol ; 25(2): 365-76, 2013 May.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-23627950

ABSTRACT

Fragile X syndrome (FXS) has a characteristic cognitive "signature" that by late childhood includes core weaknesses in attention and working memory (WM), but their earlier developmental trajectories remain uncharted. Using a combined cross-sectional and prospective longitudinal design, we tested whether early profiles of attention and WM impairment in FXS indicate developmental freeze or developmental change. In Study 1, 26 young boys with FXS and 55 typically developing (TD) boys completed two experimental paradigms designed to assess cognitive aspects of attention and WM, in addition to behavioral indices of inattention and hyperactivity. Study 2 mapped longitudinal changes in 21 children with FXS and 21 TD children. In Study 1, significant weaknesses emerged for boys with FXS, with no substantial improvement over chronological age. Mapping performance against mental age level revealed delay, but it also yielded a similar attention and WM profile to TD boys. In Study 2, longitudinal improvements for boys with FXS paralleled those in TD children. In conclusion, cognitive attention and WM, although delayed in FXS, reveal developmental change, rather than "arrest." Our findings underscore the need for going beyond cross-sectional group comparisons and gross behavioral indices to map cognitive changes longitudinally in developmental disorders.


Subject(s)
Attention , Child Development , Fragile X Syndrome/psychology , Memory, Short-Term , Child , Child, Preschool , Cross-Sectional Studies , Developmental Disabilities/psychology , Humans , Intelligence , Longitudinal Studies , Male , Neuropsychological Tests , Prospective Studies
17.
Am J Intellect Dev Disabil ; 117(2): 103-20, 2012 Mar.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-22515826

ABSTRACT

Basic attentional processes and their impact on developmental trajectories in fragile X syndrome were assessed in a 3-year prospective study. Although fragile X syndrome is a monogenic X-linked disorder, there is striking variability in outcomes even in young boys with the condition. Attention is a key factor constraining interactions with the environment, so it is a perfect candidate to predict trajectories in cognitive and behavioral outcomes. In this study, 48 boys with fragile X syndrome were assessed 3 times over 24 months. Although nonverbal IQ declined, there were significant improvements in nonverbal growth scores and in cognitive attention. In contrast, behavioral difficulties (i.e., autistic symptomatology, hyperactivity-inattention) remained stable over this time frame. Attentional markers in the visual and auditory modalities predicted intellectual abilities and classroom behavior, whereas auditory markers alone predicted autistic symptomatology.


Subject(s)
Attention/physiology , Child Development/physiology , Fragile X Syndrome/epidemiology , Fragile X Syndrome/physiopathology , Acoustic Stimulation , Autistic Disorder/diagnosis , Autistic Disorder/epidemiology , Autistic Disorder/physiopathology , Child , Child, Preschool , Fragile X Syndrome/diagnosis , Humans , Hyperkinesis/diagnosis , Hyperkinesis/epidemiology , Hyperkinesis/physiopathology , Intelligence/physiology , Longitudinal Studies , Male , Neuropsychological Tests , Nonverbal Communication/physiology , Photic Stimulation , Predictive Value of Tests , Prospective Studies
18.
J Affect Disord ; 140(1): 66-74, 2012 Sep.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-22387055

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Some patients with major depression report a restricted range of emotions that may appear to arise as a side-effect of treatment with antidepressants. It is uncertain whether this phenomenon, sometimes called emotional blunting, represents residual symptoms of depression or side-effects of antidepressant treatment. There is currently no adequate instrument to measure this phenomenon. METHODS: A draft questionnaire was developed from patient-derived qualitative data, refined using cognitive interviewing, and administered on three occasions to patients taking antidepressants. Statistical methods including factor analysis were used to reduce the size of the draft questionnaire, and to assess the performance of the resulting Oxford Questionnaire on the Emotional Side-effects of Antidepressants (OQuESA). RESULTS: 207 patients completed the OQuESA on at least one occasion. Their BDI-II scores and self-reported emotional blunting were spread across the possible range. The factor analysis resulted in four dimensions: 'not caring', 'emotional detachment', 'reduction in positive emotions', and 'general reduction in emotions'. The OQuESA appears to be acceptable, valid, and reliable, with sensitivity to change. CONCLUSIONS: The OQuESA offers promise as an effective self-report measure of the symptoms of emotional blunting in patients with depression. It can be used as a clinical tool, to facilitate the identification of patients with the syndrome of emotional blunting. It should also be used in research studies, to advance our understanding of the nature, causes and treatment of this phenomenon.


Subject(s)
Antidepressive Agents/pharmacology , Depressive Disorder, Major/drug therapy , Depressive Disorder, Major/psychology , Emotions/drug effects , Surveys and Questionnaires , Adult , Aged , Aged, 80 and over , Antidepressive Agents/adverse effects , Antidepressive Agents/therapeutic use , Apathy/drug effects , Apathy/physiology , Depressive Disorder, Major/physiopathology , Female , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Reproducibility of Results , Young Adult
19.
J Child Psychol Psychiatry ; 53(6): 641-50, 2012 Jun.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-22211574

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Fragile X syndrome (FXS) is an early diagnosed monogenic disorder, associated with a striking pattern of cognitive/attentional difficulties and a high risk of poor behavioural outcomes. FXS therefore represents an ideal model disorder to study prospectively the impact of early attention deficits on behaviour. METHODS: Thirty-seven boys with FXS aged 4-10 years and 74 typically developing (TD) boys took part. Study 1 was designed to assess visual and auditory attention at two time-points, 1 year apart. Study 2 investigated attention to multimodal information. Both tested attention markers as longitudinal predictors of risk for poor behaviour in FXS. RESULTS: Children with FXS attended less well than mental-age matched TD boys and experienced greater difficulties with auditory compared to visual stimuli. In addition, unlike TD children, they did not benefit from multimodal information. Attention markers were significant predictors of later behavioural difficulties in boys with FXS. CONCLUSIONS: Findings demonstrate, for the first time, greater difficulties with auditory attention and atypical processing of multimodal information, in addition to pervasive global attentional difficulties in boys with FXS. Attention predicted outcomes longitudinally, underscoring the need to dissect what drives differing developmental trajectories for individual children within a seemingly homogeneous group.


Subject(s)
Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity/psychology , Fragile X Syndrome/psychology , Acoustic Stimulation , Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity/diagnosis , Case-Control Studies , Child , Child, Preschool , Fragile X Syndrome/diagnosis , Humans , Male , Photic Stimulation , Prognosis , Prospective Studies , Reaction Time
20.
PLoS One ; 7(12): e52076, 2012.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-23284875

ABSTRACT

Organisms with different life-histories and abilities to disperse often utilise habitat patches in different ways. We investigated the influence of the size of patches of rock (separated by stretches of sand) on the density of pulmonate limpets (Siphonaria spp.) along 1500 km of the linear landscape of the South African coastline. We compared the influence of patch-size on two congeneric species with different modes of development, S. serrata a direct developer, and S. concinna a planktonic developer. We tested the spatial and temporal consistency of the effects of patch-size by sampling 7 independent regions spanning the distributional range of both species of limpets, and by sampling one region at monthly intervals for 1 year. Within each region or month, 4 small patches (<20 m in length) interspersed with the 4 large patches (>60 m in length) were sampled. Across the entire geographic range and throughout the year, there were more of both species of limpets in large patches than in small patches. In most regions, there was greater variability in large patches than small patches. Variability within patches in a single region was similar throughout the year, with greater variability of both species in large than in small patches. We found little influence of the mode of development on the response of limpets to patch-size. Our findings highlight the importance of understanding patterns of distribution of species with respect to habitat heterogeneity in linear landscapes, and contradict the idea that organism mobility at an early ontogenetic stage directly affects habitat use.


Subject(s)
Ecosystem , Gastropoda/growth & development , Animals , Population Density , South Africa
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