Publications by authors named "Joseph C Punzalan"

Article Synopsis
  • - Notalgia paresthetica (NP) is a sensory neuropathy mainly affecting the mid-to-upper back, causing chronic itching, skin pain, and other abnormal sensations, but it often goes unrecognized and under-diagnosed.
  • - An online survey of 650 dermatologists across 8 countries revealed that itching (pruritus) is the most prevalent symptom in their NP patients, followed by skin sensitivity and hyperpigmentation; pruritus is also considered the most burdensome symptom.
  • - Common treatments for NP include non-medicated skin care, topical corticosteroids, oral antihistamines, and gabapentin or pregabalin, but physicians generally express low satisfaction with these options, primarily due to a
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Article Synopsis
  • - Notalgia paresthetica (NP) is a specific type of neuropathic itch that primarily affects the mid back, but the patient experience and details about the condition are not well understood.
  • - A global online survey called NIRVE focused on the symptom burden of neuropathic itch, revealing that participants with NP typically visited about two healthcare providers before getting correctly diagnosed.
  • - The most frequently reported symptoms among NP patients include itch, numbness, and painful or raw skin, with itch being the most intense symptom experienced.
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Atopic dermatitis (AD) affects 2%-10% of adults worldwide. Occurrence and severity of symptoms and treatment success vary among patients. To determine disease severity, burden, and treatment use and satisfaction in adults with AD.

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Serosorting (i.e., engaging in unprotected sex with partners known to be of the same serostatus) can be a difficult process for men who have sex with men (MSM) who frequently make assumptions about their partners' serostatus.

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An ethnically diverse sample (79.0% men of color) of HIV seropositive (HIV+) men who have sex with men (MSM) with alcohol use disorders from the New York City metropolitan area was recruited from a variety of settings frequented by such men. Data were collected using quantitative assessments and calendar based techniques at the baseline assessment of a longitudinal study assessing the relationship between alcohol and substance use and sexual risk behaviors as well as alcohol use and HIV disease progression.

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Directly addressing HIV medication adherence and substance use together is ideal in light of the research on the complex connections between these two behaviors. This paper describes the development of a pilot program in which a combined motivational interviewing and cognitive behavioral therapy intervention was used to increase adherence to highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) and reduce substance use in HIV-infected adults. The main goals of the pilot study were (1) to confirm the ability to recruit HIV-positive substance users taking HAART; (2) to demonstrate the ability to retain participants over the course of an eight-session intervention; and (3) to examine changes in substance use and HAART adherence from pretreatment to posttreatment.

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The literature on alcohol use has failed to form a consensus on the association between alcohol use and unsafe sex among samples of men who have sex with men (MSM). Although drinking behavior may not be causally related to unsafe sex, it is possible that alcohol use plays a role in sexual scripts. In this paper, we assessed the role that alcohol use plays in the sexual experiences of HIV-seropositive MSM in terms of sexual script theory.

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HIV seropositive (HIV+) gay and bisexual men continue to report unprotected sexual practices. Although numerous research studies have examined the relationship between alcohol use and unsafe sex, few have examined this from a qualitative perspective. In this paper, we examined the impact of alcohol use on stigmatized sexual practices among HIV+ gay and bisexual men with alcohol-use disorders.

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