Analysis of possible sexual assault or abuse in a 67-year-old female with early dementia post-brain attack.

The case analysis explores an emergency department visit by a 67-year-old female with early dementia post-brain attack, with complaints of possible sexual assault or abuse. This patient resides in a long-term skilled nursing facility. The case outlines the forensic care provided by the Advanced Practice Forensic Nurse (APFN) once medically cleared by the emergency department Advanced Practice Nurse (APN).

Impact of nursing intervention on decreasing substances among homeless youth.

Background: Alcohol use, and in particular, binge drinking, and methamphetamine use is pervasive among homeless youth and remains a social pressure among this vulnerable population. However, there is no compelling evidence that specific interventions for reducing drug and alcohol use are effective for homeless youth.

Objectives: This community-based participatory action pilot study assessed the impact of an intervention study focused on decreasing use of drugs and alcohol among a sample of homeless young adults (N= 154) visiting a drop-in site in Santa Monica, California.

Correlates of hepatitis B virus and HIV knowledge among gay and bisexual homeless young adults in Hollywood.

Homeless gay and bisexual (G/B) young men have multiple risk factors that increase their risk of contracting hepatitis B virus (HBV) and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). This study used baseline information from structured instruments to assess correlates of knowledge to HIV and HBV infection from 267 young (18-39 year old) G/B active methamphetamine, cocaine, and crack-using homeless men enrolled in a longitudinal trial. The study is designed to reduce drug use and improve knowledge of hepatitis and HIV/AIDS in a community center in Hollywood, California.

Impact of nursing intervention on improving HIV, hepatitis knowledge and mental health among homeless young adults.

In a prospective two-group pilot study of a convenient sample of 156 young adults, we assessed improvement in HIV cognitive and transmission knowledge, hepatitis knowledge, and mental health at six-month follow-up. Multiple linear regression analysis revealed higher six-month scores in total HIV/AIDS knowledge, HIV/AIDS cognitive knowledge, HIV transmission knowledge and HBV and HCV knowledge at 6 months in the Hepatitis Health Promotion (HHP) group compared to the Art Messaging (AM) group. Moreover, homeless young participants who reported having significant others in their lives, and excellent or very good health did better than their counterparts.

Recognizing and treating Adult ADHD.

Many adults with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder are undiagnosed. Nurse practitioners should understand the etiology, screening, assessment, diagnosis, and treatment of ADHD in adults.

Truths and myths that influence the sexual decision-making process among young multiethnic college women.

In the United States, half of all new human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) cases are among 13- to 24-year-old women. Heterosexual contact is the primary route of transmission (73%). Young African Americans account for 56% of reported HIV cases.

Medical school selection: impact of dysfunctional tendencies on academic performance.

Purpose: Dysfunctional personality characteristics have a negative impact on the learning process, academic motivation, academic grades and course attendance. They are associated with higher levels of anxiety and negative mood before examinations, a lack of self-confidence and fear of failure, social skills deficits, and personal and social relationship problems. Dysfunctional personality characteristics inhibit interpersonal working relationships and are detrimental to team effectiveness.

Why are young college women not using condoms? Their perceived risk, drug use, and developmental vulnerability may provide important clues to sexual risk.

Background: Young multiethnic college women (YMCW) are at risk for STDs and HIV secondary to high-risk sexual behaviors that are related to developmental issues such as invincibility, low perceived risk, and substance use.

Method: One hundred YMCW on a southern California university campus completed surveys that examined variables that impacted their sexual risk.

Results: The study yielded many significantly correlated variables.

Work, social, and family disabilities of subjects with anxiety and depression.

Background: Functional impairment scales are increasingly used to evaluate subjects with a variety of mental disorders.

Methods: We evaluated the work, social, and family disabilities of 228 subjects with 6 common anxiety and depressive disorders, as assessed by the Sheehan Disability Scale (major depression, panic disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, social phobia, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and mixed anxiety and depression).

Results: Subjects in the 6 diagnostic groups had significantly higher work, social, and family disability scores than control subjects, with the exception of the social phobia and panic disorder subjects' scores for family disability.

Changes in neural circuitry of language before and after treatment of major depression.

Language tasks requiring semantic analysis of word meaning activate distinct brain areas including the anterior cingulate gyrus at about 200 msec after the stimulus onset, the left lateral prefrontal cortex at about 250 msec, and the left temporo-parietal (Wernicke's) area at 500-600 msec. Reading the same words activate the insula around 800 msec and left occipital cortex around 200 msec stronger than the semantic analysis in normal subjects. Many of these brain areas also show abnormal activity in resting state in patients with major unipolar depression.

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder in subjects with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder.

The purpose of this study was to identify subjects with Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) consequent to hallucinations and delusions and the experiences related to psychosis in schizophrenic and bipolar subjects. Schizophrenic and bipolar subjects were given questionnaires in order to evaluate PTSD incidence and symptoms. Subjects with classical types of trauma were excluded.

Allergy in panic disorder patients: a preliminary report(1).

In this study of panic disorder patients, 71.8% were found to have allergies. Compared to the nonallergic subjects, the allergic subjects had more full-blown situational panic attacks and significantly higher scores on 7 of the 14 symptoms in the Hamilton Anxiety Scale.