Publications by authors named "Cindy Woo"
Quality assurance (QA) is crucial in longitudinal and/or multi-site studies, which involve the collection of data from a group of subjects over time and/or at different locations. It is important to regularly monitor the performance of the scanners over time and at different locations to detect and control for intrinsic differences (e.g.
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- Patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) often struggle with cognitive issues like memory and concentration that affect their job performance.
- A study involving 36 MDD patients treated with desvenlafaxine found that self-reported cognitive difficulties correlated with work functioning outcomes.
- Significant improvements were observed in cognitive and work-related measures after treatment, highlighting the usefulness of cognitive self-report questionnaires in tracking changes and predicting work performance improvements.
Fatigue and low energy are cardinal symptoms of major depressive disorder (MDD) that have an impact on work functioning. Antidepressants with noradrenergic activity have been hypothesized to improve symptoms of fatigue and low energy. We examined the impact of these symptoms on work functioning in patients with MDD treated with the serotonin and noradrenaline reuptake inhibitor, desvenlafaxine.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: The ability to function at work is impaired in patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) but few clinical trials include occupational outcome assessments. This study examined whether symptom remission following treatment for MDD is associated with work functioning improvement.
Methods: We conducted a secondary analysis of a 12-week randomized clinical trial comparing escitalopram with or without telephone-administered cognitive therapy in employed patients with MDD (N = 86).
Article Synopsis
- * In a study with 36 employed adults with moderate MDD, participants underwent neurocognitive testing and assessments of work performance before and after 8 weeks of treatment with desvenlafaxine, which showed overall improvements in depressive symptoms and functioning.
- * Although there were no direct correlations found between cognitive improvements and enhancements in work performance, those who showed notable neurocognitive gains experienced greater overall improvements in their mental health and job functioning compared to those who did not.
Background And Objectives: A substantial proportion of the disease burden of major depressive disorder (MDD) results from impairments in occupational functioning, including disability and reduced productivity. Accumulating evidence suggests that antidepressants can improve functional as well as symptomatic outcomes in patients with MDD. We examined the treatment effects of newer antidepressants on occupational impairment in MDD, based on a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Burnout - physical or psychological fatigue in the personal, work and client-related work domains - appears to share numerous overlapping characteristics with major depressive episodes. However, whether burnout and depression are in fact separate conditions is still ambiguous. Our aim was to examine burnout in a clinically depressed patient sample.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFDeep brain stimulation (DBS) of the subgenual cingulate gyrus (SCG) is a promising investigational intervention for treatment-resistant depression (TRD), but long-term outcome data are limited. Serial neuropsychological evaluations, using a comprehensive battery, were conducted on four subjects with TRD prior to surgery, and up to 42 months post-operatively. Reliable change methodology suggested general stability and/or select statistically reliable improvement in cognitive abilities over time.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjective: To determine the prevalence and characteristics of clients with depression attending an employee assistance program (EAP).
Methods: Anonymized data were obtained from 10,794 consecutive clients, including 9105 employees, self-referred to PPC Canada, a large, external EAP. Assessment measures included the self-rated nine-item Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9).
Objectives: To evaluate the impact of telephone counseling and educational materials on medication adherence and persistency among members with newly diagnosed depression enrolled in a pharmacy benefit management-sponsored disease management program.
Study Design: Longitudinal cohort observation.
Methods: The study population comprised 505 members with a new or recurrent episode of depression who consented and enrolled in a depression disease management program.