A qualitative exploration of the experiences of individuals with spinal cord injury participating in a community-based online intervention to support posttraumatic growth.

Purpose: To date, no evidence-based, community-based online group intervention has been designed specifically to enhance posttraumatic growth (PTG), quality of life (QoL), sense of meaning and purpose, and satisfaction with life following a spinal cord injury (SCI). This qualitative study aims to describe participants' experiences of participating in such a program.

Methods: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 17 people with SCI and analysed using a thematic analysis approach.

Co-design of an intervention exploring meaning and purpose after spinal cord injury.

Purpose: Rebuilding a strong sense of meaning and purpose following trauma is a vital contributor to post-traumatic growth and adapting well to a spinal cord injury. This project aimed to develop an intervention that used the concept of post-traumatic growth to foster a stronger sense of meaning and purpose in people with a spinal cord injury.

Methods: Using participatory action research methodology, the intervention was designed in an iterative process with health professionals and people with lived experience of spinal cord injury.

Posttraumatic growth in palliative care settings: A scoping review of prevalence, characteristics and interventions.

Background: Posttraumatic growth refers to positive psychological change following trauma. However, there is a need to better understand the experience of posttraumatic growth in the palliative care setting as well as the availability and efficacy of interventions that target this phenomenon.

Aims: To provide a review of the prevalence, characteristics and interventions involving posttraumatic growth in adults receiving palliative care and to collate recommendations for future development and utilisation of interventions promoting posttraumatic growth.

Serum dihydroceramides correlate with insulin sensitivity in humans and decrease insulin sensitivity in vitro.

Serum ceramides, especially C16:0 and C18:0 species, are linked to CVD risk and insulin resistance, but details of this association are not well understood. We performed this study to quantify a broad range of serum sphingolipids in individuals spanning the physiologic range of insulin sensitivity and to determine if dihydroceramides cause insulin resistance in vitro. As expected, we found that serum triglycerides were significantly greater in individuals with obesity and T2D compared with athletes and lean individuals.

An Exploratory EEG Analysis on the Effects of Virtual Reality in People with Neuropathic Pain Following Spinal Cord Injury.

Neuropathic pain in people with spinal cord injury is thought to be due to altered central neuronal activity. A novel therapeutic intervention using virtual reality (VR) head-mounted devices was investigated in this study for pain relief. Given the potential links to neuronal activity, the aim of the current study was to determine whether use of VR was associated with corresponding changes in electroencephalography (EEG) patterns linked to the presence of neuropathic pain.