Publications by authors named "Heidelberg R"

Background/objectives: Pediatric oncology patients and families are at risk for increased distress at diagnosis. The New Oncology Program in Psychology (NOPP) aligns psychological care with the established standards of care at diagnosis. This project aimed to evaluate NOPP and understand the differences between caregivers' perceptions of feeling informed and prepared to navigate psychosocial concerns for those who did and did not receive psychological services at diagnosis.

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Tumors of CNS are common in adolescents and young adults (AYAs). As the second leading cause of cancer-related death, CNS tumors in AYAs require improved clinical management. In this review, we discussed the current diagnostic approaches and recommended management strategies for malignant tumors in adult-type (IDH-mutant gliomas) and pediatric-type gliomas (pediatric high-grade gliomas), ependymoma and medulloblastoma, which commonly occur in AYAs.

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Globally, approximately 400,000 youth are diagnosed with pediatric cancer each year. Treatment-related side effects, psychosocial challenges, and frequent school absences may adversely impact learning and the education experience among these youth. Efforts to enhance interagency collaboration between health care settings and community schools are imperative to facilitate school reintegration.

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Objective: The role of transition-focused psychology appointments in managing the transition off therapy is unclear. The objective of this research was to explore caregiver perceived familial distress and the role of psychology in preparing families for transition.

Methods: Fifty-seven caregivers of youth, who finished treatment, completed an online questionnaire through a quality improvement project on experiences of families at transition.

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Complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) is a debilitating disorder that causes significant pain and can decrease the quality of life of affected individuals. This is the first report of CRPS in an adolescent oncology patient, whose symptoms successfully resolved with 3 weeks of intensive, multimodal, and multidisciplinary therapies. She experienced a complete return to pre-CRPS functional status within 10 weeks.

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Objectives: The primary objectives were to (a) identify current published research in electronic health (eHealth) and mobile health (mHealth) interventions for youth undergoing cancer treatment and child, adolescent, and young adult survivors of childhood cancer and (b) critically appraise the current scientific evidence on their effectiveness and efficacy. As an exploratory aim, we identified pediatric cancer patients' and survivors' perceptions, attitudes, and concerns related to eHealth and mHealth interventions.

Methods: A comprehensive search of the literature was performed to identify peer-reviewed journal articles that included the use of mHealth and eHealth interventions among youth receiving active cancer treatment and survivors of childhood cancer through the age range of childhood to young adulthood (mean age 21 years or younger at the time of diagnosis; mean age 39 years or younger at the time of intervention).

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ADHD is a common condition that causes suffering for those affected and economic loss for society at large. The current standard treatment for ADHD includes stimulant medications, which are not effective for all patients, may include side effects, and can be non-medically misused. Z-score neurofeedback (NFB) and heart rate variability (HRV) biofeedback are alternative treatment strategies that have been associated with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) symptom improvement.

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