Biological Perspectives: Anti-NMDA Receptor Encephalitis.

Purpose: This article explores the recently recognized anti-NMDA receptor encephalitis, which may produce psychiatric symptoms.

Conclusions: Historically, some patients presenting for psychiatric care may have actually been suffering from anti-NMDA encephalitis; thus, awareness of this disorder may facilitate appropriate treatment.

Treatment Implications: Early diagnosis and aggressive treatment promote better outcomes.

Comparing the effectiveness of video-assisted oral debriefing and oral debriefing alone on behaviors by undergraduate nursing students during high-fidelity simulation.

Complex healthcare, less resources, high-level medical equipment, and fewer available clinical settings have led many health professionals to use simulation as a method to further augment educational experiences for nursing students. While debriefing is recommended in the literature as a key component of simulation, the optimal format in which to conduct debriefing is unknown. This pre- and posttest two-group randomized quasi-experimental design compared the effectiveness of video-assisted oral debriefing (VAOD) and oral debriefing alone (ODA) on behaviors of 48 undergraduate nursing students during high-fidelity simulation.

An overview of the biological and psychosocial context surrounding neurocognition in HIV.

The presence of a psychiatric illness increases the risk of exposure to HIV and disease complications; however, effective treatments have substantially reduced mortality in adults with HIV. Despite such effective treatments, nearly half of adults with HIV experience neurocognitive deficits that can affect job-related and everyday tasks, thus reducing their quality of life. This article provides an overview of the context in which neurocognitive deficits occur in adults with HIV; it also includes implications for treatment and mitigation of such neurocognitive deficits.

Biological perspectives: pain: it's not all in your head.

Neuroanatomy correlates with the psychological changes of pain. Neuroplastic transformation appears in the reduction of gray matter volume, or shrinkage in the top-down cortical areas vital for working memory, problem solving, sequencing and discrimination of different information and cognitive modulation of pain via the descending pain modulatory tracts and control over other cortical areas involved in the emotional perception of pain. These latter areas become more active,thereby intensifying the susceptibility to negative affect associated with pain (Geha & Apkarian, 2006).

Neurological and psychiatric diseases and their unique cognitive profiles: implications for nursing practice and research.

To successfully negotiate and interact with one's environment, optimal cognitive functioning is needed. Unfortunately, many neurological and psychiatric diseases impede certain cognitive abilities such as executive functioning or speed of processing; this can produce a poor fit between the patient and the cognitive demands of his or her environment. Such nondementia diseases include bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, post-traumatic stress syndrome, depression, and anxiety disorders, just to name a few.

Does caregiver well-being predict stroke survivor depressive symptoms? A mediation analysis.

Background And Purpose: Studies suggest that family caregiver well-being (ie, depressive symptoms and life satisfaction) may affect stroke survivor depressive symptoms. We used mediation analysis to assess whether caregiver well-being might be a factor explaining stroke survivor depressive symptoms, after controlling for demographic factors and stroke survivor impairments and problems.

Methods: Caregiver/stroke participant dyads (N = 146) completed measures of stroke survivor impairments and problems and depressive symptoms and caregiver depressive symptoms and life satisfaction.

Assessing and treating forgetfulness and cognitive problems in adults with HIV.

In addition to the immune system, HIV affects the nervous system and the brain, producing neurological sequelae, often resulting in forgetfulness and cognitive problems. These problems can compromise medication adherence, interfere with instrumental activities of daily living such as driving and managing finances, increase dependency, and decrease quality of life. Cognitive problems emerge due to a variety of reasons; likewise, several evidence-based methods to mitigate causes and compensate for cognitive problems can be used alone or in combination.

Do social support, stigma, and social problem-solving skills predict depressive symptoms in people living with HIV? A mediation analysis.

Social support, stigma, and social problem solving may be mediators of the relationship between sign and symptom severity and depressive symptoms in people living with HIV (PLWH). However, no published studies have examined these individual variables as mediators in PLWH. This cross-sectional, correlational study of 150 PLWH examined whether social support, stigma, and social problem solving were mediators of the relationship between HIV-related sign and symptom severity and depressive symptoms.

Reasons why persons living with HIV include individuals in their chosen families.

HIV influences those with the disease as well as their families and social relationships. The chosen families of persons living with HIV (PLWH) provide structure, social support, and security. Our study identified reasons why PLWH included specific individuals in their chosen families (or families of choice).

Biological perspectives: the role of glutamate in schizophrenia and its treatment.

Schizophrenia is a heartbreaking, debilitating, youth-stealing, lifetime disorder for most individuals afflicted with it. While the serendipitous discovery of chlorpromazine 60 plus years ago and the subsequent “discoveries” since have significantly reduced positive symptoms, the devastation of negative/cognitive symptoms continues to ruin lives. Given the cost in lives and dollars that schizophrenia drains out of our society, neuroscientists will continue to explore better approaches to fighting this disorder.

Simulation to enhance care of patients with psychiatric and behavioral issues: use in clinical settings.

Nurses with a medical-surgical clinical focus often care for patients with psychiatric and behavioral issues in acute care hospitals. This article describes how hospital staff and nursing and theater department faculty joined forces to develop realistic simulated psychiatric scenarios for use by practicing nurses.