Publications by authors named "Megan Halvorson"

Objective: Evaluate the effectiveness of a digital home monitoring program for infants with cleft palate with or without cleft lip (CP ± L), compared to monitoring through in-person clinic visits.

Design: Retrospective cohort study.

Setting: One metropolitan pediatric hospital.

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This case report describes a full-term infant with a cleft palate who experienced malnutrition because of the delayed introduction of a cleft-adapted bottle and identifies potential areas for improvement in clinical practice. The infant's weight for age z-score at birth was 0.05 and dropped to -1.

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Article Synopsis
  • A study assessed pain sensitivity in individuals with urologic chronic pelvic pain syndrome (UCPPS) versus healthy controls and those with other chronic pain conditions using computer-controlled pressure stimuli on a non-painful area (thumbnail bed).
  • Results indicated that individuals with UCPPS (n = 153) had an intermediate level of pain sensitivity—less sensitive than others with mixed chronic pain (n = 35), but more sensitive than healthy individuals (n = 100).
  • Increased pain sensitivity in UCPPS participants correlated with higher clinical pain severity and more painful body areas outside the pelvic region, suggesting that central nervous system mechanisms may play a role in amplifying pain.
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Until recently, the predominant pathology of chronic pelvic pain conditions was thought to reside in the peripheral tissues. However, mounting evidence from neuroimaging studies suggests an important role of the central nervous system in the pathogenesis of these conditions. In the present cross-sectional study, proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (H-MRS) of the brain was conducted in female patients with urologic chronic pelvic pain syndrome (UCPPS) to determine if they exhibit abnormal concentrations of brain metabolites (e.

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Quantitative sensory testing (QST) can provide useful information about the underlying mechanisms involved in chronic pain. However, currently available devices typically employed suffer from operator-dependent effects, or are too cumbersome for routine clinical care. This paper presents the design and initial validation of a novel automated pressure-pain type QST platform, termed the multi-modal automated sensory testing (MAST) system.

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