Physiotherapy management of functional movement disorders: the patient perspective.

Purpose: People with functional movement disorders (FMD) are commonly seen in neurology clinics. Despite a recent increase in research, no standardised treatment pathway across the UK exists. Currently only a few qualitative studies in FMD with a focus on psychological aspects and diagnosis have been published.

Feasibility and usability of a digital health technology system to monitor mobility and assess medication adherence in mild-to-moderate Parkinson's disease.

Introduction: Parkinson's disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disorder which requires complex medication regimens to mitigate motor symptoms. The use of digital health technology systems (DHTSs) to collect mobility and medication data provides an opportunity to objectively quantify the effect of medication on motor performance during day-to-day activities. This insight could inform clinical decision-making, personalise care, and aid self-management.

Safety and tolerability of adjunct non-invasive vagus nerve stimulation in people with parkinson's: a study protocol.

Background: Parkinson's disease (PD) is the fastest growing neurological condition worldwide. Recent theories suggest that symptoms of PD may arise due to spread of Lewy-body pathology where the process begins in the gut and propagate transynaptically via the vagus nerve to the central nervous system. In PD, gait impairments are common motor manifestations that are progressive and can appear early in the disease course.

Auditory rhythmical cueing to improve gait in community-dwelling stroke survivors (ACTIVATE): a pilot randomised controlled trial.

Background: Gait impairment limiting mobility and restricting activities is common after stroke. Auditory rhythmical cueing (ARC) uses a metronome beat delivered during exercise to train stepping and early work reports gait improvements. This study aimed to establish the feasibility of a full scale multicentre randomised controlled trial to evaluate an ARC gait and balance training programme for use by stroke survivors in the home and outdoors.

Acceptability and deliverability of an auditory rhythmical cueing (ARC) training programme for use at home and outdoors to improve gait and physical activity post-stroke.

Background: Although laboratory studies demonstrate that training programmes using auditory rhythmical cueing (ARC) may improve gait post-stroke, few studies have evaluated this intervention in the home and outdoors where deployment may be more appropriate. This manuscript reports stakeholder refinement of an ARC gait and balance training programme for use at home and outdoors, and a study which assessed acceptability and deliverability of this programme.

Methods: Programme design and content were refined during stakeholder workshops involving physiotherapists and stroke survivors.

Noninvasive vagus nerve stimulation in Parkinson's disease: current status and future prospects.

Introduction: Parkinson's disease (PD) is a common progressive neurodegenerative disorder with multifactorial etiology. While dopaminergic medication is the standard therapy in PD, it provides limited symptomatic treatment and non-pharmacological interventions are currently being trialed.

Areas Covered: Recent pathophysiological theories of Parkinson's suggest that aggregated α-synuclein form in the gut and spread to nuclei in the brainstem via autonomic connections.

Auditory rhythmical cueing to improve gait and physical activity in community-dwelling stroke survivors (ACTIVATE): study protocol for a pilot randomised controlled trial.

Background: Mobility problems are present in 70-80% of stroke survivors and can result in impaired gait and reduced physical activity limiting independent living. Auditory rhythmic cueing (ARC) has been used to provide auditory feedback and shows promise in improving a variety of walking parameters following stroke. The aim of this pilot study is to assess the feasibility of conducting a multi-centre, observer blind, randomised controlled trial of auditory rhythmical cueing (ARC) intervention in home and community settings in North East England.

Metals Coprecipitation with Barite: Nano-XRF Observation of Enhanced Strontium Incorporation.

Coprecipitation can be an effective treatment method for the removal of environmentally relevant metals from industrial wastewaters such as produced waters from the oil and gas industry. The precipitation of barite, BaSO, through the addition of sulfate removes barium while coprecipitating strontium and other alkaline earth metals even when these are present at concentrations below their solubility limit. Among other analytical methods, X-ray fluorescence (XRF) nanospectroscopy at the Hard X-ray Nanoprobe (HXN) beamline at the National Synchrotron Light Source II (NSLS-II) was used to quantify Sr incorporation into barite.

Experiences of people with Parkinson's disease and their views on physical activity interventions: a qualitative systematic review.

Objective: The objective of the review was to synthesize the best available qualitative evidence on the experiences and preferences of people with Parkinson's disease for physical activity, their perceived motivators and barriers to engagement, as well as their views on support mechanisms and behavior change interventions designed to sustain participation.

Introduction: National and international guidelines recommend regular physical activity to improve health and wellbeing and to prevent disease. Research on Parkinson's disease indicates that physical activity programs can be beneficial in addressing both physical symptoms and overall wellbeing.

Nanospectroscopy Captures Nanoscale Compositional Zonation in Barite Solid Solutions.

Scientists have long suspected that compositionally zoned particles can form under far-from equilibrium precipitation conditions, but their inferences have been based on bulk solid and solution measurements. We are the first to directly observe nanoscale trace element compositional zonation in <10 µm-sized particles using X-ray fluorescence nanospectroscopy at the Hard X-ray Nanoprobe (HXN) Beamline at National Synchrotron Light Source II (NSLS-II). Through high-resolution images, compositional zonation was observed in barite (BaSO) particles precipitated from aqueous solution, in which Sr cations as well as HAsO anions were co-precipitated into (Ba,Sr)SO or Ba(SO,HAsO) solid solutions.

The longitudinal impact of a family-based communication intervention on observational and self-reports of sexual communication.

Parents can play a vital role in shaping teenagers' sexual attitudes, behavior, and contraceptive use through communication, however, less is known about how to modify parent-adolescent communication among youth with mental health problems. The impact of a family-based sexual risk prevention intervention on both observational and self-report of parent adolescent sexual communication was examined at 12-months among adolescents with mental health problems. Of the 721 parent- adolescent dyads recruited for the study, 167 videotapes of sexual discussions between parents and adolescent were coded for the family-based intervention and 191 videotapes for the active comparison.

Experiences of people with Parkinson's disease and their views of physical activity interventions: a qualitative systematic review protocol.

This review aims to explore the experiences of people with Parkinson's disease (pwPD) participation in physical activity and their views of interventions designed to engage and sustain engagement. Synthesis of the best available evidence will be used to determine any gaps in the research literature and make recommendations on approaches to increase and maintain engagement in physical activity in pwPD living in a community setting. The specific objectives are to.

Longitudinal falls data in Parkinson's disease: feasibility of fall diaries and effect of attrition.

Background: Identifying causes of falls for people with Parkinson's disease has met with limited success. Prospective falls measurement using the "gold standard" approach is challenging. This paper examines the process and outcomes associated with longitudinal falls reporting in this population.

Temper Loss and Persistent Irritability in Preschoolers: Implications for Diagnosing Disruptive Mood Dysregulation Disorder in Early Childhood.

Disruptive Mood Dysregulation Disorder (DMDD) is a new and controversial child psychiatric disorder characterized by persistent irritability and frequent temper loss. Among the controversies surrounding DMDD is whether the age of onset criterion-that DMDD may not be diagnosed before age 6 years-is justified. This study examined DMDD symptoms and associated patterns of psychiatric comorbidity, behavioral, and family functioning in a sample of 139 preschoolers (ages 4-0 to 5-11 years) admitted to an early childhood psychiatric day treatment program.

Twelve tips for medical students to facilitate a Photovoice project.

Participatory action projects, such as Photovoice, can provide medical trainees with a unique opportunity for community engagement. Through Photovoice, participants with lived experience engage in dialog and capture photographs of community issues. Participants subsequently develop narratives that accompany photos to raise awareness about community needs.

Adverse Events in Very Young Children Prescribed Psychotropic Medications: Preliminary Findings from an Acute Clinical Sample.

Objective: The present study used the Pediatric Adverse Events Rating Scale (PAERS) to provide a systematic assessment of adverse events (AEs) related to psychotropic medication use in a clinical sample of young children attending a specialized, early childhood partial hospital program. Study goals were as follows: 1) To describe the frequency and types of specific psychotropic medication-related AEs experienced by very young children (ages 3-7 years) in an acute clinical sample, and 2) to identify the psychotropic medication(s) and/or class(es) associated with the highest frequency of AEs.

Methods: Participants were 158 children (118 males; ages 36-95 months, mean=66 months, SD=14.

Comparison of the Lunar Prodigy and iDXA Dual-Energy X-ray Absorptiometers for Assessing Total and Regional Body Composition.

The objective of the study was to assess the agreement of the Lunar Prodigy with the newer Lunar iDXA dual-energy X-ray absorptiometer for determining total body and regional (arms, legs, trunk) bone mineral density (BMD), bone mineral content (BMC), fat mass (FM), lean tissue mass (LTM), total body mass, and percent fat. Ninety-two healthy adult males (n = 36) and females (n = 56) were scanned consecutively on the iDXA and the Prodigy dual-energy X-ray absorptiometers. For iDXA, relative to Prodigy, paired t tests indicated significantly lower estimates for total body and regional BMD and BMC (p < 0.

Sleep Onset and Night Waking Insomnias in Preschoolers with Psychiatric Disorders.

This study examined the nature and prevalence of diagnostically defined sleep disorders, including Sleep Onset Insomnia (SOI) and Night Waking Insomnia (NWI), in a sample of 183 young children admitted to an early childhood psychiatric day treatment program. A semi-structured diagnostic interview, the Diagnostic Infant and Preschool Assessment, was used to assess for sleep and other psychiatric disorders. Daily sleep diaries and the Child Behavior Checklist were also examined.

The development of a diversity mentoring program for faculty and trainees: A program at the Brown Clinical Psychology Training Consortium.

There is a critical need for increasing the diversity representation among clinicians and researchers in academic medicine, including departments of psychiatry and psychology. Mentorship of under-represented groups has been identified as an important way to remediate diversity-related barriers in the field. This paper outlines the early development and pilot implementation of a diversity mentorship program at Brown University.

Reliability and Validity of the Dyadic Observed Communication Scale (DOCS).

We evaluated the reliability and validity of the Dyadic Observed Communication Scale (DOCS) coding scheme, which was developed to capture a range of communication components between parents and adolescents. Adolescents and their caregivers were recruited from mental health facilities for participation in a large, multi-site family-based HIV prevention intervention study. Seventy-one dyads were randomly selected from the larger study sample and coded using the DOCS at baseline.

Problem Based Learning in physiotherapy education: a practice perspective.

Background: Problem Based Learning (PBL) has been integrated into a range of health education curricula; however there is limited research evaluating the application of skills developed through PBL in clinical practice.

Aim: This study aimed to provide evidence of how skills gained through PBL are applied in practice by student physiotherapists, from the perspective of their placement supervisors.

Method: A qualitative one-to-one semi-structured interview methodology was used, purposively recruiting a sample of 10 qualified physiotherapists with experience of placement supervision of students studying on a PBL physiotherapy undergraduate degree.

Learning from "Knocks in Life": Food Insecurity among Low-Income Lone Senior Women.

Building on earlier quantitative work where we showed that lone senior households reliant on public pensions in Nova Scotia (NS), Canada lacked the necessary funds for a basic nutritious diet, here we present findings from a qualitative study involving in-depth interviews with eight low-income lone senior women living in an urban area of NS. Using a phenomenological inquiry approach, in-depth interviews were used to explore lone senior women's experiences accessing food with limited financial resources. Drawing upon Bronfenbrenner's Ecological Systems Theory, we explored their perceived ability to access a nutritionally adequate and personally acceptable diet, and the barriers and enablers to do so; as well in light of our previous quantitative research, we explored their perceptions related to adequacy of income, essential expenses, and their strategies to manage personal finances.

Parental illness encouragement behavior among children with functional gastrointestinal disorders: a factor analysis with implications for research and clinical practice.

The objective of the current study was to assess the factor structure of the Illness Behavior Encouragement Scale (IBES) by Walker and Zeman (1992) among children with functional gastrointestinal disorders (FGIDs). Two hundred seventy nine children (63 % female), and 135 primary caregivers (90.8 % mothers), recruited from a large Midwestern children's hospital completed the IBES, a 12-item measure of parental behavior in response to abdominal pain episodes.