Using pictures to evoke spiritual feelings in breast cancer patients: development of a new paradigm for neuroimaging studies.

This study was designed to develop and validate a method for enhancing spiritual feelings, particularly in women who have received a diagnosis of breast cancer. The protocol specifically was developed to be used in functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) studies. Eighteen breast cancer survivors rated pictures for their ability to enhance feelings of spirituality, happiness, and sadness. Results indicate that presenting carefully selected pictures with spiritual content (e.g., nature scenes, people engaged in contemplative behaviors) can effectively enhance spiritual feelings among breast cancer survivors. Future fMRI studies will explore the use of the protocol developed in this study for investigating neural activity during spiritual feelings and states.

Common factors across theories of marriage and family therapy: a modified Delphi study.

The Delphi methodology was used to explore common factors across theories of marriage and family therapy (MFT). Leading clinicians and researchers from the American Family Therapy Academy and select faculty members from MFT training programs accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Marriage and Family Therapy Education were asked to achieve consensus regarding common factors. Respondents were asked to report on commonalities across the various MFT theories, as well as what they personally considered to be the core ingredients of change. A final profile of items was created from the responses. Qualitative interviews were conducted with selected panelists to clarify discrepancies as well as to add meaning to the data. Implications for the training and practice of MFTs as well as direction for future research are discussed.

Acute effects of doxorubicin on human left ventricular systolic and diastolic function.

Although the long-term cardiotoxic effects of cumulative doses of doxorubicin are well established, the short-term effects on cardiac function are uncertain. Therefore we examined the short-term effects of doxorubicin on left ventricular systolic and diastolic function following a total of 56 doses of doxorubicin in 15 patients with normal resting left ventricular function. Resting radionuclide ventriculography was performed 1 hour before and 4 hours after each dose of doxorubicin. Left ventricular ejection fraction increased significantly from 64 +/- 1% to 67 +/- 1% (p less than 0.001) after doxorubicin. In addition, peak ejection rate (p less than 0.005) and peak filling rate (p less than 0.0005) increased significantly following short-term doxorubicin administration. There was no relationship between either the individual or cumulative dose of doxorubicin and the acute ejection fraction, peak ejection rate, or peak filling rate response. Our data suggest that doxorubicin acutely increases left ventricular systolic and diastolic function.

Effect of thymosin alpha one on specific antibody response and susceptibility to infection in young and aged mice.

The antibody response to a variety of antigens has been shown to diminish with age. We investigated the capacity for Thymosin Alpha One (T alpha 1) treatment to augment antibody production in tetanus toxoid (TT) and pneumococcal capsular polysaccharide (PN) inoculated young and old mice. We also measured survival of these immunized mice after aerosol exposure to Streptococcus pneumoniae. As predicted antibody response to TT, but not PN, was significantly reduced in the old animals and T alpha 1 augmented antitetanus antibody in both young and old mice. T alpha 1 did not have an effect on anti pneumococcal antibody production. All mice that had received PN did have an antibody response, yet survival after exposure to the organism was strikingly less in the old animals. Our data support the contention that antibody response to T-dependent antigens (such as tetanus toxoid) falls with aging but can be reconstituted somewhat by thymic factors. Furthermore, for T-independent antigen (such as pneumococcal capsular antigens) the age-related changes are less evident. In the latter situation, the presence of a brisk antibody response after vaccination was not sufficient to prevent pneumonia and death in old animals.

Experimental tumors and aging: local factors that may account for the observed age advantage in the B16 murine melanoma model.

In the B16 murine melanoma model tumor growth has been shown to be slower in animals of advanced age. One feature associated with this slower growth has been prominent fibrosis demonstrated in biopsies of the tumor in older animals. We have performed experiments to examine the fibrotic response in young and old mice. In non-tumor bearing animals the capacity to regain skin strength after surgical laceration and healing by primary intention was greater in old mice. Histologic preparations suggested a more prominent fibrosis at the wound site. The animals who were injected subcutaneously with B16 melanoma and treated with L 3,4-dehydroproline (an inhibitor of collagen synthesis) local tumor growth was significantly enhanced only for the old animals. Although this inhibition of collagen synthesis produced a differential growth enhancement, there remained a significant difference in tumor volume between young and old animals. We conclude that fibrogenesis is an important host defense for containing local tumor growth and that this mechanism is preserved if not enhanced in mice of advanced age. Nevertheless other factors are needed to account completely for the observed age-advantage in the B16 melanoma model.