Publications by authors named "L M Wolters"

Anxiety and obsessive-compulsive disorders have a significant negative impact on youth. Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) is recommended and established as effective first-step treatment, but persistent symptoms and non-response are common. Intensive psychological treatments deliver more or longer sessions over a shorter time span, with fewer session gaps.

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Article Synopsis
  • The study evaluated the cost-effectiveness of two devices for patent foramen ovale (PFO) closure—CARDIOFORM and AMPLATZER—compared to medical therapy alone from the perspective of U.S. payors.
  • Using a Markov model, researchers simulated a cohort of 1,000 patients over five years, analyzing costs and health outcomes related to complications and recurrent strokes.
  • Results showed that CARDIOFORM not only saved over $1.3 million but also improved effectiveness by providing more quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs) and reducing strokes compared to both AMPLATZER and medical therapy.
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The word-frequency distributions children hear during language learning are highly skewed (Zipfian). Previous studies suggest that such skewed environments confer a learnability advantage in tasks that require the learner to discover the units that have to be learned, as in word-segmentation or cross-situational learning. This facilitative effect has been attributed to contextual facilitation from high frequency items in learning lower frequency items, and to better learning under the increased predictability (lower entropy) of skewed distributions.

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Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), characterized by recurring obsessions and compulsions, affects 1-3% of the childhood population, often leading to severe impairment and reduced quality of life. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is well-documented as first choice treatment for pediatric OCD. Traditionally delivered face-to-face CBT has limitations in terms of accessibility, availability, and quality of delivery.

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