Pub Date : 2023-05-08DOI: 10.21926/obm.neurobiol.2302168
Katherine Zerebiec, Magalie E. Carey, N. Kolb, Tracy Lamoy, D. Dubey, M. Hehir
A 46-year-old, previously healthy woman presented via telemedicine with 14 months of progressive asymmetrical weakness, numbness, paresthesias and tremors. History and clinical exam findings suggested a peripheral etiology resembling a variant CIDP presentation. Electrodiagnostic testing identified only one motor nerve with signs of demyelination; the remainder of motor and sensory nerves were unable to be evoked. MRI showed diffuse enhancement of the trigeminal nerve and cauda equina. CSF revealed albuminocytologic dissociation. The patient was treated empirically with methylprednisolone for a clinically suspected variant of CIDP, more specifically a nodo-paranodopathy. Two weeks after initiation of steroid treatment, cerebrospinal fluid and serum yielded antibodies to contactin-1 which coincided with our clinical suspicion for an autoimmune nodo-paranodopathy, which is known to be refractory to IVIG. Rituximab was added given the patient’s severe presentation at the time of diagnosis. The autoimmune nodo-paranodopathies are treatable, even in the case of a severe presentation. Lack of clinician awareness and delay in diagnosis can be detrimental as in the case of our nearly paralyzed patient. It is important to raise awareness of the disease, its presentation and therapeutic management since early diagnosis and correct treatment is paramount for neurological recovery.
{"title":"Case Report of a Severe Presentation of Anti-Contactin-1 Nodopathy","authors":"Katherine Zerebiec, Magalie E. Carey, N. Kolb, Tracy Lamoy, D. Dubey, M. Hehir","doi":"10.21926/obm.neurobiol.2302168","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21926/obm.neurobiol.2302168","url":null,"abstract":"A 46-year-old, previously healthy woman presented via telemedicine with 14 months of progressive asymmetrical weakness, numbness, paresthesias and tremors. History and clinical exam findings suggested a peripheral etiology resembling a variant CIDP presentation. Electrodiagnostic testing identified only one motor nerve with signs of demyelination; the remainder of motor and sensory nerves were unable to be evoked. MRI showed diffuse enhancement of the trigeminal nerve and cauda equina. CSF revealed albuminocytologic dissociation. The patient was treated empirically with methylprednisolone for a clinically suspected variant of CIDP, more specifically a nodo-paranodopathy. Two weeks after initiation of steroid treatment, cerebrospinal fluid and serum yielded antibodies to contactin-1 which coincided with our clinical suspicion for an autoimmune nodo-paranodopathy, which is known to be refractory to IVIG. Rituximab was added given the patient’s severe presentation at the time of diagnosis. The autoimmune nodo-paranodopathies are treatable, even in the case of a severe presentation. Lack of clinician awareness and delay in diagnosis can be detrimental as in the case of our nearly paralyzed patient. It is important to raise awareness of the disease, its presentation and therapeutic management since early diagnosis and correct treatment is paramount for neurological recovery.","PeriodicalId":74334,"journal":{"name":"OBM neurobiology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-05-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"46072619","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-04-28DOI: 10.21926/obm.neurobiol.2302167
I. Danilov, S. Mihailova
This expanded conference paper reports the results of a psychophysiological research study on shared intentionality conducted in 24 online experiments with 405 subjects (208 recipients and 197 contributor-confederates). In this research, we created a bioengineering system for assessing shared intentionality in human groups by modeling mother-neonate dyad properties in subjects during solving unintelligible multiple-choice puzzles. In this model, only the mother (contributor-confederate) knows the correct stimulus and shares this knowledge with the neonate (participant-recipient). The bioengineering system induced interpersonal dynamics in the subjects by stimulating their interactional synchrony, emotional contagion and neuronal coherence. The system collected data by confronting recipients' performance in "primed" and "unprimed" conditions of confederates. These informed contributors knew correct responses only in the "primed" condition and confidently responded on "primed" items. Specifically, in 13 online experiments in mother-child dyads, evidence showed a recipients' performance increase of 48-394%, P-value < 0.001 (62 recipients and 54 confederates) in the “primed” condition of confederates; and in 7 experiments in primary group adults, it showed a performance increase of 143-300%, P-value < 0.002. In experiments in the secondary group, evidence showed a recipients' performance increase only with the UL3 items (a translation of an unfamiliar language, 20 recipients from 41 subjects in experiment No.12). In 3 experiments in 207 secondary group subjects, non-semantic tasks–SL3 (synthetic language) and US3 (two-color unintelligible symbols)–did not stimulate the effect. We also analyzed data confronting the outcome of recipients' performance in the "primed" condition and random value (possible recipients' responses by chance). Comparing the outcomes of these two data-collecting methods and the sample size of the experiments allow for discussing the research method's validity and reliability. The article also shows four factors' domains that contribute to shared intentionality magnitude.
{"title":"Empirical Evidence of Shared Intentionality: Towards Bioengineering Systems Development","authors":"I. Danilov, S. Mihailova","doi":"10.21926/obm.neurobiol.2302167","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21926/obm.neurobiol.2302167","url":null,"abstract":"This expanded conference paper reports the results of a psychophysiological research study on shared intentionality conducted in 24 online experiments with 405 subjects (208 recipients and 197 contributor-confederates). In this research, we created a bioengineering system for assessing shared intentionality in human groups by modeling mother-neonate dyad properties in subjects during solving unintelligible multiple-choice puzzles. In this model, only the mother (contributor-confederate) knows the correct stimulus and shares this knowledge with the neonate (participant-recipient). The bioengineering system induced interpersonal dynamics in the subjects by stimulating their interactional synchrony, emotional contagion and neuronal coherence. The system collected data by confronting recipients' performance in \"primed\" and \"unprimed\" conditions of confederates. These informed contributors knew correct responses only in the \"primed\" condition and confidently responded on \"primed\" items. Specifically, in 13 online experiments in mother-child dyads, evidence showed a recipients' performance increase of 48-394%, P-value < 0.001 (62 recipients and 54 confederates) in the “primed” condition of confederates; and in 7 experiments in primary group adults, it showed a performance increase of 143-300%, P-value < 0.002. In experiments in the secondary group, evidence showed a recipients' performance increase only with the UL3 items (a translation of an unfamiliar language, 20 recipients from 41 subjects in experiment No.12). In 3 experiments in 207 secondary group subjects, non-semantic tasks–SL3 (synthetic language) and US3 (two-color unintelligible symbols)–did not stimulate the effect. We also analyzed data confronting the outcome of recipients' performance in the \"primed\" condition and random value (possible recipients' responses by chance). Comparing the outcomes of these two data-collecting methods and the sample size of the experiments allow for discussing the research method's validity and reliability. The article also shows four factors' domains that contribute to shared intentionality magnitude.","PeriodicalId":74334,"journal":{"name":"OBM neurobiology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-04-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"46910948","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-04-10DOI: 10.21926/obm.neurobiol.2302166
Ilirjana Zekja, F. Kamberi, R. Bruijn, Tedi Kokuri, E. Asimakopoulou
The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in the worst public health catastrophe in recent history, impacting people's mental health and increasing concern over vaccinations. Between early May and late June 2021, a web-based survey that included higher education institutions from three countries (Albania, Belgium, and Cyprus) was conducted. The purpose was to assess the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the mental health of academic staff, what affects their readiness to get the COVID-19 vaccine, and whether there is a link between the country of residence and readiness to be vaccinated. The short version of the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Score (DASS) questionnaire and a section of questions on vaccination readiness supported by the Health Belief Model were used for data collection. The final study sample was composed of 87 academics, both in Albania (n = 57) and in European Union (EU) countries (n = 30). Females comprised 91.2% of the Albanian participants and 63.3% of the EU countries participants. 89.7% of Albanian participants reported significantly higher proportions of prior COVID-19 (p = 0.001), compared to only 10.3% of EU country participants. Participants from Albania were less likely to vaccinate family members against COVID-19, and there was a significant association between this finding and whether an institution was affiliated with the EU (p = 0.007). In the two study groups, the DASS indicators showed a significant association between stress (p = 0.012) and depression (p = 0.011). The findings indicated that the pandemic affected the academic staff's mental health. When compared to academic staff members working in the EU, Albanian participants exhibited a larger prevalence of moderate-to-extremely severe depression and stress, which had an impact on their intentions to vaccinate against COVID-19. The results are essential to developing mental health coping strategies and approaches for increasing vaccination uptake, especially in developing countries.
{"title":"COVID-19 Mental Health Impact and Readiness to Be Vaccinated Among Medical Academic Staff in Non-EU and EU Countries","authors":"Ilirjana Zekja, F. Kamberi, R. Bruijn, Tedi Kokuri, E. Asimakopoulou","doi":"10.21926/obm.neurobiol.2302166","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21926/obm.neurobiol.2302166","url":null,"abstract":"The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in the worst public health catastrophe in recent history, impacting people's mental health and increasing concern over vaccinations. Between early May and late June 2021, a web-based survey that included higher education institutions from three countries (Albania, Belgium, and Cyprus) was conducted. The purpose was to assess the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the mental health of academic staff, what affects their readiness to get the COVID-19 vaccine, and whether there is a link between the country of residence and readiness to be vaccinated. The short version of the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Score (DASS) questionnaire and a section of questions on vaccination readiness supported by the Health Belief Model were used for data collection. The final study sample was composed of 87 academics, both in Albania (n = 57) and in European Union (EU) countries (n = 30). Females comprised 91.2% of the Albanian participants and 63.3% of the EU countries participants. 89.7% of Albanian participants reported significantly higher proportions of prior COVID-19 (p = 0.001), compared to only 10.3% of EU country participants. Participants from Albania were less likely to vaccinate family members against COVID-19, and there was a significant association between this finding and whether an institution was affiliated with the EU (p = 0.007). In the two study groups, the DASS indicators showed a significant association between stress (p = 0.012) and depression (p = 0.011). The findings indicated that the pandemic affected the academic staff's mental health. When compared to academic staff members working in the EU, Albanian participants exhibited a larger prevalence of moderate-to-extremely severe depression and stress, which had an impact on their intentions to vaccinate against COVID-19. The results are essential to developing mental health coping strategies and approaches for increasing vaccination uptake, especially in developing countries.","PeriodicalId":74334,"journal":{"name":"OBM neurobiology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-04-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"44497749","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-03-31DOI: 10.21926/obm.neurobiol.2301165
I. Testoni, Lorenza Palazzo, Sara Pompele, Ciro De Vincenzo, M. Perardi, L. Ronconi
Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects motor neurons, the nerve cells in the brain and the spinal cord that enable voluntary muscle movement. Managing ALS is complex and increasingly requires informal care, most often by the patient's companions/spouses or children. The COVID-19 pandemic posed additional critical issues, particularly the disruption of home care and the increased time caregivers spent on patient care. One aim of this research was to assess caregivers’ health conditions and to understand how the lockdown has affected their lives and the management of their relatives’ illnesses. Another was to observe whether a psychological support intervention for caregivers’ minor children could indirectly impact caregivers. The study involved Italian participants: 26 caregivers (31% males and 69% females) aged between 20 and 69 years (M = 43.85 years, SD = 10.17). The following variables were measured at t0 and t1: reflective functioning with the Reflective Functioning Questionnaire (RFQ), depression with the Beck Depression Inventory-I (BDI-I), hopelessness with the Beck Hopelessness Scale (BHS) and burden of care with Family Strain Questionnaire (FSQ). At t1 only 18 participants also participated in a semi-structured interview to explore the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, specifically on caregivers of the psychological support participants' children received. The results at t0 showed that caregivers exhibit significant distress symptoms, high stress levels and burden of care. At t1 it was found that the pandemic hurt caregivers' emotions; however, they do not show a worsening but a decrease in hopelessness. The interviews showed that the intervention on their children had a positive effect by allowing containment of the negative effects on well-being. This suggests that it is essential that ALS management also includes a whole-family intervention.
{"title":"Coping and Managing ALS Disease in the Family during COVID-19: Caregivers' Perspective","authors":"I. Testoni, Lorenza Palazzo, Sara Pompele, Ciro De Vincenzo, M. Perardi, L. Ronconi","doi":"10.21926/obm.neurobiol.2301165","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21926/obm.neurobiol.2301165","url":null,"abstract":"Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects motor neurons, the nerve cells in the brain and the spinal cord that enable voluntary muscle movement. Managing ALS is complex and increasingly requires informal care, most often by the patient's companions/spouses or children. The COVID-19 pandemic posed additional critical issues, particularly the disruption of home care and the increased time caregivers spent on patient care. One aim of this research was to assess caregivers’ health conditions and to understand how the lockdown has affected their lives and the management of their relatives’ illnesses. Another was to observe whether a psychological support intervention for caregivers’ minor children could indirectly impact caregivers. The study involved Italian participants: 26 caregivers (31% males and 69% females) aged between 20 and 69 years (M = 43.85 years, SD = 10.17). The following variables were measured at t0 and t1: reflective functioning with the Reflective Functioning Questionnaire (RFQ), depression with the Beck Depression Inventory-I (BDI-I), hopelessness with the Beck Hopelessness Scale (BHS) and burden of care with Family Strain Questionnaire (FSQ). At t1 only 18 participants also participated in a semi-structured interview to explore the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, specifically on caregivers of the psychological support participants' children received. The results at t0 showed that caregivers exhibit significant distress symptoms, high stress levels and burden of care. At t1 it was found that the pandemic hurt caregivers' emotions; however, they do not show a worsening but a decrease in hopelessness. The interviews showed that the intervention on their children had a positive effect by allowing containment of the negative effects on well-being. This suggests that it is essential that ALS management also includes a whole-family intervention.","PeriodicalId":74334,"journal":{"name":"OBM neurobiology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-03-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"43487095","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-03-27DOI: 10.21926/obm.neurobiol.2301164
Xiaohui Wang, Shaozhuang Ma, Wenyu Liao
China adopted a “Zero-COVID” policy for nearly three years, making Chinese healthcare workers constantly involved in COVID-19-related work. However, little is known about how involvement in COVID-19-related work shaped Chinese nurses’ burnout. This study explores how nurses’ job demands and job resources are associated with their burnout by considering high and low frequent involvements in COVID-19-related work in China. This study employed a cross-sessional design. Guided by Job Demands-Resources (JDR) model, we developed hypotheses and tested them using regression analysis with a sample of 336 nurses working in four public hospitals in Guangdong, China. Overall sample results revealed: 1) frequency of involvement in COVID-19-related work was related to a higher level of workload; 2) nurses’ burnout was positively associated with workload, emotional demands, and work-family conflict, and negatively associated with a relationship with supervisor, remuneration, and independence of work; 3) emotional intelligence mitigated the positive relationship between workload and burnout. Comparison analysis showed significant differences due to the frequency of involvement in COVID-19 work. In the high-frequency group (N = 108), 1) emotional demands were related to a higher level of burnout, and emotional intelligence moderately accentuates the positive relationship between the two variables; 2) remuneration was related to a lower level of burnout; 3) nurses reported higher levels of workload and relationship with the supervisor. In the low-frequency group (N = 147), independence of work was related to a lower level of burnout; We found some evidence that nurses’ job demands and job resources and their associations with burnout differed due to their frequency of involvement in COVID-19-related work. Implications for policy-making and theoretical contribution are discussed.
{"title":"How Involvement in COVID-19-Related Work Changed Nurses' Job Demands, Job Resources, and Their Associations with Burnout: Evidence from China <sup><a class=\"tippyShow\" data-tippy-arrow=\"true\" data-tippy-content=\"The results reported in this paper come from the dissertation of the first author, a master graduated from Iscte-IUL (Instituto Universitário de Lisboa) and SMU (Southern Medical University, China) program. An earlier version of this paper was accepted for presentation at the …","authors":"Xiaohui Wang, Shaozhuang Ma, Wenyu Liao","doi":"10.21926/obm.neurobiol.2301164","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21926/obm.neurobiol.2301164","url":null,"abstract":"China adopted a “Zero-COVID” policy for nearly three years, making Chinese healthcare workers constantly involved in COVID-19-related work. However, little is known about how involvement in COVID-19-related work shaped Chinese nurses’ burnout. This study explores how nurses’ job demands and job resources are associated with their burnout by considering high and low frequent involvements in COVID-19-related work in China. This study employed a cross-sessional design. Guided by Job Demands-Resources (JDR) model, we developed hypotheses and tested them using regression analysis with a sample of 336 nurses working in four public hospitals in Guangdong, China. Overall sample results revealed: 1) frequency of involvement in COVID-19-related work was related to a higher level of workload; 2) nurses’ burnout was positively associated with workload, emotional demands, and work-family conflict, and negatively associated with a relationship with supervisor, remuneration, and independence of work; 3) emotional intelligence mitigated the positive relationship between workload and burnout. Comparison analysis showed significant differences due to the frequency of involvement in COVID-19 work. In the high-frequency group (N = 108), 1) emotional demands were related to a higher level of burnout, and emotional intelligence moderately accentuates the positive relationship between the two variables; 2) remuneration was related to a lower level of burnout; 3) nurses reported higher levels of workload and relationship with the supervisor. In the low-frequency group (N = 147), independence of work was related to a lower level of burnout; We found some evidence that nurses’ job demands and job resources and their associations with burnout differed due to their frequency of involvement in COVID-19-related work. Implications for policy-making and theoretical contribution are discussed.","PeriodicalId":74334,"journal":{"name":"OBM neurobiology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-03-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"135891034","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-03-13DOI: 10.21926/obm.neurobiol.2301163
Donatella Ciarmoli, F. Stasolla
Neurodevelopmental disorders represent a cluster of conditions first diagnosed during childhood or adolescence (i.e., including intellectual disability, autism spectrum disorders, motor deficits, and communication deficits). The main characteristic of neurodevelopmental disorders is the presence of a deficit or a delay in the acquisition of skills that may affect different areas of evolution (e.g., cognitive, affective, and motor). These clinical conditions make the child or adolescent passive, isolated, and unable to carry out daily activities. Additionally, challenging behaviors and emotional disruption may be acknowledged. Accordingly, negative outcomes on personal well-being may be recognized. To enhance the well-being of those persons, assistive technology-based interventions (AT) may be useful. Among the new assistive technology are virtual reality, telemedicine, telerehabilitation, serious games, computer-brain interface, and other new technologies aimed at specific rehabilitation objectives. This document aims to give the reader a framework of reference to the literature on the most recent contributions available on the technology-based programs used to improve the well-being of individuals with neurodevelopmental disorders such as: serious games, virtual reality, wearable technologies, and telerehabilitation. The results were argued and several options were outlined. The studies reviewed on the eight classes of new technologies showed the accessibility, effectiveness, and suitability of the implemented technologies to enable adaptive skills for participants with NDD. Some helpful solutions for both future research and practice have been evidenced.
{"title":"New Technologies to Support People with Neurodevelopmental Disorders: A Selective Review","authors":"Donatella Ciarmoli, F. Stasolla","doi":"10.21926/obm.neurobiol.2301163","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21926/obm.neurobiol.2301163","url":null,"abstract":"Neurodevelopmental disorders represent a cluster of conditions first diagnosed during childhood or adolescence (i.e., including intellectual disability, autism spectrum disorders, motor deficits, and communication deficits). The main characteristic of neurodevelopmental disorders is the presence of a deficit or a delay in the acquisition of skills that may affect different areas of evolution (e.g., cognitive, affective, and motor). These clinical conditions make the child or adolescent passive, isolated, and unable to carry out daily activities. Additionally, challenging behaviors and emotional disruption may be acknowledged. Accordingly, negative outcomes on personal well-being may be recognized. To enhance the well-being of those persons, assistive technology-based interventions (AT) may be useful. Among the new assistive technology are virtual reality, telemedicine, telerehabilitation, serious games, computer-brain interface, and other new technologies aimed at specific rehabilitation objectives. This document aims to give the reader a framework of reference to the literature on the most recent contributions available on the technology-based programs used to improve the well-being of individuals with neurodevelopmental disorders such as: serious games, virtual reality, wearable technologies, and telerehabilitation. The results were argued and several options were outlined. The studies reviewed on the eight classes of new technologies showed the accessibility, effectiveness, and suitability of the implemented technologies to enable adaptive skills for participants with NDD. Some helpful solutions for both future research and practice have been evidenced.","PeriodicalId":74334,"journal":{"name":"OBM neurobiology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-03-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"42628393","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
The COVID-19 pandemic has drastically changed our daily lives. One of the sectors most affected was tourism and travel – and, more specifically, cruises, given the prolonged time passengers spend with others within the small spaces of the cruise ship. While finding well-organised entertainment opportunities on cruises is possible, emergency conditions may cause panic. On such occasions, reactions can be highly stressful or even traumatic. This research explores the events and emotions experienced by passengers during a cruise ship quarantined for COVID-19. The empirical materials consist of interviews with 15 passengers. The analyses show four thematic areas: fear of contagion, feelings of discrimination, cooperation between passengers and relationship with the crew. The problems during a cruise ship quarantine presented by the passengers in this study reveal the need for psychological preparation for the crew and security personnel. Finally, we suggest that telemedicine and telepsychology are key elements to improve the efficiency of behavioral control on cruise ships and to mitigate the COVID-19 effects on tourists' well-being during a quarantine.
{"title":"Trauma and Distress on a Cruise during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Qualitative Study with Italian and French Tourists","authors":"Adriano Zamperini, Antonella Pittella, Cristina Rizzo, Giulia Marangon, Erika Iacona, I. Testoni","doi":"10.21926/obm.neurobiol.2301162","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21926/obm.neurobiol.2301162","url":null,"abstract":"The COVID-19 pandemic has drastically changed our daily lives. One of the sectors most affected was tourism and travel – and, more specifically, cruises, given the prolonged time passengers spend with others within the small spaces of the cruise ship. While finding well-organised entertainment opportunities on cruises is possible, emergency conditions may cause panic. On such occasions, reactions can be highly stressful or even traumatic. This research explores the events and emotions experienced by passengers during a cruise ship quarantined for COVID-19. The empirical materials consist of interviews with 15 passengers. The analyses show four thematic areas: fear of contagion, feelings of discrimination, cooperation between passengers and relationship with the crew. The problems during a cruise ship quarantine presented by the passengers in this study reveal the need for psychological preparation for the crew and security personnel. Finally, we suggest that telemedicine and telepsychology are key elements to improve the efficiency of behavioral control on cruise ships and to mitigate the COVID-19 effects on tourists' well-being during a quarantine.","PeriodicalId":74334,"journal":{"name":"OBM neurobiology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-03-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"42505649","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-03-03DOI: 10.21926/obm.neurobiol.2301160
Frank M. Mezzacappa, C. Davidson, M. Aizenberg
Glioblastoma (GBM) is malignant, primary intracranial neoplasm associated with poor outcomes. Maximal, safe cytoreduction remains an important component of effective treatment for patients with this disease; however, some patients are not candidates for resection due to comorbid status, tumor location, or other factors. In this review, we aimed to describe minimally invasive surgical techniques that are emerging as important tools for improving safety and efficiency in GBM cytoreduction, including for patients with previously unresectable lesions. Specifically, we aimed to describe the commercially available tubular retractor systems and describe the available data regarding the benefits, risks, and utility of these retractors for patients with GBM. Additionally, we aimed to describe laser interstitial thermal therapy (LITT) and its use in GBM, including a description of the mechanism of action, commercially available systems, the steps in surgical implantation, available outcomes data, and future directions for the technology in this context. Finally, we aimed to review the use of MRI-guided high-intensity focused ultrasound (MRgHIFU) in GBM, including a description of its mechanism and data regarding efficacy in GBM. The availability and use of tubular retractors, LITT, and MRgHIFU provide clinically effective alternative methods for cytoreduction in GBM and are also emerging as important tools for the expansion of treatment to GBM that previously may have been classified as nonresectable. This review will assist in the development of an intimate knowledge of the use and utility of these techniques and is important for clinicians caring for patients with GBM.
{"title":"Minimally Invasive Treatments for Glioblastoma: A Review of Current and Emerging Surgical Technologies","authors":"Frank M. Mezzacappa, C. Davidson, M. Aizenberg","doi":"10.21926/obm.neurobiol.2301160","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21926/obm.neurobiol.2301160","url":null,"abstract":"Glioblastoma (GBM) is malignant, primary intracranial neoplasm associated with poor outcomes. Maximal, safe cytoreduction remains an important component of effective treatment for patients with this disease; however, some patients are not candidates for resection due to comorbid status, tumor location, or other factors. In this review, we aimed to describe minimally invasive surgical techniques that are emerging as important tools for improving safety and efficiency in GBM cytoreduction, including for patients with previously unresectable lesions. Specifically, we aimed to describe the commercially available tubular retractor systems and describe the available data regarding the benefits, risks, and utility of these retractors for patients with GBM. Additionally, we aimed to describe laser interstitial thermal therapy (LITT) and its use in GBM, including a description of the mechanism of action, commercially available systems, the steps in surgical implantation, available outcomes data, and future directions for the technology in this context. Finally, we aimed to review the use of MRI-guided high-intensity focused ultrasound (MRgHIFU) in GBM, including a description of its mechanism and data regarding efficacy in GBM. The availability and use of tubular retractors, LITT, and MRgHIFU provide clinically effective alternative methods for cytoreduction in GBM and are also emerging as important tools for the expansion of treatment to GBM that previously may have been classified as nonresectable. This review will assist in the development of an intimate knowledge of the use and utility of these techniques and is important for clinicians caring for patients with GBM.","PeriodicalId":74334,"journal":{"name":"OBM neurobiology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-03-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"47521930","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-03-02DOI: 10.21926/obm.neurobiol.2301159
Ellen Kuo, Esther Belogolovsky, Sarah L. Fracci, A. Wozniak, Marina G Feffer, Rachel Klauber, Theodote K. Pontikes, E. Meresh
The Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) pandemic has contributed to a co-occurring psychiatric epidemic. Children and adolescents have been particularly impacted, with disruptions in continuity of learning and healthcare. Psychological stressors such as fear of infection, boredom, decreased socialization, supply shortages, and incomplete information have contributed to low mood, irritability, insomnia, and emotional exhaustion. Our study contributes to this research by quantifying the devastating psychiatric toll that the COVID isolation period and virtual schooling had on the mental health of children. The Loyola University Medical Center (LUMC) Consultation-Liaison Psychiatry Service (CLP) (Maywood, IL) designed a study to identify and analyze data regarding the total number of CLP consult requests, patient presentations to the emergency department (ED), and admissions to the Pediatrics floor and Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) during the COVID pandemic. IRB approval was obtained for this retrospective chart review study. ED visits and Pediatric floor/PICU admissions of all pediatric patients (6-18 years old), specifically those related to mental health, were identified using ICD-9 diagnostic coding for the dates of March 2019 through February 2022. The total number of admissions and encounter diagnoses were analyzed and compared between 3 pandemic periods: Pre-pandemic phase (March 2019-February 2020), acute pandemic phase: isolation/virtual schooling (March 2020-February 2021), and chronic pandemic phase: post-isolation/virtual schooling (March 2021-February 2022). During the chronic pandemic phase, ED visits and Pediatric floor/PICU admissions of all pediatric patients were identified via manual chart review of existing CLP patient lists. The total number of admissions, along with diagnoses during encounters, were compared between the 3 periods and psychiatric admissions were further subcategorized into intentional drug overdoses. In the pre-pandemic phase, there were 39,304 total encounters for children (6-18 years), with 11,189 ED-only visits, and 3,043 inpatient admissions. In the acute pandemic phase, total encounters fell to 15,779, with 4,631 ED-only visits, and 2,578 inpatient admissions. Pre-pandemic, 0.55% of all pediatric encounters required psychiatry consults compared to 1.32% after the onset of the pandemic. During the pre-pandemic phase, there were 27 PICU admissions for psychiatric-related conditions (i.e. intentional ingestion) or 4.52% of all PICU admissions. During the acute pandemic period, there were 57 PICU admissions for psychiatric-related conditions or 11.19% of all PICU admissions. Specifically, there was a rise in intentional ingestion cases from 25 prior to the pandemic to 44 after the onset of the pandemic. During the chronic pandemic period, there were 43 PICU admissions for psychiatric-related conditions. Of those 43 admissions, 33 were intentional drug overdoses. Total encounters during this phase were comparab
{"title":"Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Pandemic’s Effect on Child and Adolescent Mental Health: Analysis of Pediatric Intensive Care Unit and Consultation-Liaison Psychiatry Service","authors":"Ellen Kuo, Esther Belogolovsky, Sarah L. Fracci, A. Wozniak, Marina G Feffer, Rachel Klauber, Theodote K. Pontikes, E. Meresh","doi":"10.21926/obm.neurobiol.2301159","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21926/obm.neurobiol.2301159","url":null,"abstract":"The Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) pandemic has contributed to a co-occurring psychiatric epidemic. Children and adolescents have been particularly impacted, with disruptions in continuity of learning and healthcare. Psychological stressors such as fear of infection, boredom, decreased socialization, supply shortages, and incomplete information have contributed to low mood, irritability, insomnia, and emotional exhaustion. Our study contributes to this research by quantifying the devastating psychiatric toll that the COVID isolation period and virtual schooling had on the mental health of children. The Loyola University Medical Center (LUMC) Consultation-Liaison Psychiatry Service (CLP) (Maywood, IL) designed a study to identify and analyze data regarding the total number of CLP consult requests, patient presentations to the emergency department (ED), and admissions to the Pediatrics floor and Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) during the COVID pandemic. IRB approval was obtained for this retrospective chart review study. ED visits and Pediatric floor/PICU admissions of all pediatric patients (6-18 years old), specifically those related to mental health, were identified using ICD-9 diagnostic coding for the dates of March 2019 through February 2022. The total number of admissions and encounter diagnoses were analyzed and compared between 3 pandemic periods: Pre-pandemic phase (March 2019-February 2020), acute pandemic phase: isolation/virtual schooling (March 2020-February 2021), and chronic pandemic phase: post-isolation/virtual schooling (March 2021-February 2022). During the chronic pandemic phase, ED visits and Pediatric floor/PICU admissions of all pediatric patients were identified via manual chart review of existing CLP patient lists. The total number of admissions, along with diagnoses during encounters, were compared between the 3 periods and psychiatric admissions were further subcategorized into intentional drug overdoses. In the pre-pandemic phase, there were 39,304 total encounters for children (6-18 years), with 11,189 ED-only visits, and 3,043 inpatient admissions. In the acute pandemic phase, total encounters fell to 15,779, with 4,631 ED-only visits, and 2,578 inpatient admissions. Pre-pandemic, 0.55% of all pediatric encounters required psychiatry consults compared to 1.32% after the onset of the pandemic. During the pre-pandemic phase, there were 27 PICU admissions for psychiatric-related conditions (i.e. intentional ingestion) or 4.52% of all PICU admissions. During the acute pandemic period, there were 57 PICU admissions for psychiatric-related conditions or 11.19% of all PICU admissions. Specifically, there was a rise in intentional ingestion cases from 25 prior to the pandemic to 44 after the onset of the pandemic. During the chronic pandemic period, there were 43 PICU admissions for psychiatric-related conditions. Of those 43 admissions, 33 were intentional drug overdoses. Total encounters during this phase were comparab","PeriodicalId":74334,"journal":{"name":"OBM neurobiology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-03-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"43766628","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-02-17DOI: 10.21926/obm.neurobiol.2301156
I. Danilov
The article discusses a definition of shared intentionality that reflects recent discoveries for inspiring further translational research in developing bioengineering systems based on human-computer interaction. The child's cognition begins through shared intentionality that occurs in child-caregiver interaction when communication via sensory cues is impossible. There needs to be more knowledge on how it appears. This article argues that shared intentionality is collaborative interactions in which participants share the essential sensory stimulus of the actual cognitive problem. This social bond enables ecological training of the immature organism, starting at the reflexes stage of development, for processing the organization, identification, and interpretation of sensory information in developing perception. In nature, shared intentionality appears in mother-child dyads in increasing interpersonal dynamics due to mechanisms of cell coupling that provide an ecological developmental template. Knowledge about neurophysiological processes occurring during pre-perceptual communication can contribute to advances in bioengineering systems.
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