ABSTRACT
Psychological and behavioural interventions may be effective in reducing menopause-related symptoms. This randomized controlled trial aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of Mindfulness-based Stress Reduction (MBSR) in reducing menopause-related symptoms by comparing with an active control group, the menopause education control (MEC). Symptomatic peri-menopausal and post-menopausal women with mild to moderate symptoms were recruited. The primary outcome was overall menopausal symptoms measured by modified Greene Climacteric Scale (GCS). Secondary outcomes include subscales of the GCS perceived stress, mindfulness and health related Quality of Life. All outcome measures were collected at baseline, 2 months (immediately post intervention), 5 and 8 months (3 and 6 months post intervention respectively). Both MBSR (n = 98) and MEC (n = 99) groups reported a reduction in total GCS score at 8 months. Between group analysis show significant symptom score reduction in MBSR group on Anxiety and Depression subscales of GCS. No differences were found between groups on other GCS subscales and majority of the secondary outcome measures. The findings show that menopausal symptoms in both MBSR and MEC significantly reduced over the study period. MBSR show a greater reduction of psychological symptoms of depression and anxiety above active controls but do not reduce other somatic, urogenital and vasomotor symptoms.
Subject(s)
Menopause/psychology , Mindfulness , Patient Education as Topic , Psychotherapy , Stress, Psychological/etiology , Stress, Psychological/therapy , Adult , Female , Humans , Middle Aged , Mindfulness/methods , Patient Compliance , Psychotherapy/methods , Risk Factors , Severity of Illness Index , Socioeconomic Factors , Stress, Psychological/diagnosis , Treatment OutcomeABSTRACT
The study investigated how Putonghua-Cantonese bilingual children differ from monolinguals in their acquisition of speech sound and phonological patterns. Fifty-four typically developing Putonghua-Cantonese bilingual children aged 3;6-6;0 were recruited from nurseries in the North District of Hong Kong. The Hong Kong Cantonese Articulation Test (Cheung et al., 2006) and a Putonghua picture-naming task (Zhu & Dodd, 2000) were used to elicit single-word samples of both languages. Acquisition of speech sound and phonological patterns exhibited by ≥20% of the children in an age group were compared to the normative data on children who were Cantonese native or Putonghua monolingual speakers. The bilingual children demonstrated smaller sound inventory in both languages and more delayed and atypical phonological processes. The atypical patterns could be explained by phonological interference between Putonghua and Cantonese. The findings serve as a preliminary reference for clinicians in differentiating language difference from true speech sound disorders in Putonghua-Cantonese bilingual children in Hong Kong.
Subject(s)
Child Language , Multilingualism , Speech Production Measurement , Speech Sound Disorder/diagnosis , Child , Child, Preschool , Female , Hong Kong , Humans , Male , Speech PerceptionABSTRACT
To support the study of the effects of microgravity on biological systems, our group is developing and testing methods that allow the cultivation of C. elegans and S. cerevisiae in microgravity. Our aim is to develop the experimental means by which investigators may conduct peer reviewed biological experiments with C. elegans or S. cerevisiae in microgravity. Our protocols are aimed at enabling investigators to grow these organisms for extended periods during which samples may be sub-cultured, collected, preserved, frozen, and/or returned to earth for analysis. Data presented include characterization of the growth phenotype of these organisms in liquid medium in OptiCells(TM) (Biocrystal, LTD).
