Publications by Melinda J Barker

Publications by authors named "Melinda J Barker"

J Paediatr Child Health

January 2013

The study compares two hearing screening programs for infants in NICUs: a stand-alone program and one integrated with a universal newborn hearing screening (UNHS) program.
Results indicate that the UNHS program had significantly higher capture and follow-up rates compared to the NICU-only program, suggesting better overall outcomes.
The findings suggest that incorporating NICU screening within a broader UNHS framework is more effective, highlighting issues with high loss to follow-up and the limitations of the stand-alone model.

J Int Neuropsychol Soc

May 2005

Twenty long-term benzodiazepine users, who had been off the medication for an average of 42 months, were tested against two matched controls (one with anxiety, one without).
Results showed that long-term use is linked to reduced verbal memory, motor skills, and nonverbal memory, with these issues lasting beyond 6 months after stopping the drug.
Nonverbal memory issues may not be entirely due to benzodiazepine use, as anxiety levels in participants could also be a contributing factor.

Arch Clin Neuropsychol

April 2004

Long-term benzodiazepine use raises questions about cognitive impairment and recovery after withdrawal, prompting a meta-analysis to explore these issues.
Results suggest that while many cognitive functions improve after stopping benzodiazepines, users still display significant impairments compared to non-users.
The study indicates a potential for recovery in cognitive function post-withdrawal, but warns that full restoration may not occur within six months and some deficits could be permanent or take longer to resolve.

CNS Drugs

March 2004

Benzodiazepines are widely used, but there is limited research on their impact on cognitive functioning after long-term use, leading to mixed findings and methodological issues.
A systematic review analyzed 13 studies, categorizing neuropsychological tests into 12 cognitive domains, to assess the effects of prolonged benzodiazepine use on cognitive performance using meta-analysis.
Results showed that long-term users had significant cognitive impairments compared to controls, with a mean weighted effect size of -0.74, indicating that benzodiazepine use negatively affects cognitive functioning across all examined domains.