Peripheral neuropathic pain is common in patients with peripheral nerve injury and can significantly impact both their function and quality of life. There is a wide variety of non-interventional treatment approaches, including pharmacologic therapy, physical/occupational therapy, modalities (therapeutic, mechanical, thermal, etc.), psychology, and lifestyle modification.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: This study aimed to develop a Brief International Cognitive Assessment for Multiple Sclerosis (BICAMS) tablet application, "iCAMS," and examine equivalency between the original paper-based and the tablet-based assessments.
Methods: This study enrolled 100 participants with physician-confirmed multiple sclerosis (MS). Interrater reliability, parallel forms reliability, and concurrent validity were evaluated by incorporating two test administrators in each session: one scoring participant responses with the original paper assessments and the other with iCAMS.
Objectives: To evaluate prospective and retrospective memory abilities in Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF), Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF), and Operation New Dawn (OND) Veterans with and without a self-reported history of blast-related mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI).
Methods: Sixty-one OEF/OIF/OND Veterans, including Veterans with a self-reported history of blast-related mTBI (mTBI group; n=42) and Veterans without a self-reported history of TBI (control group; n=19) completed the Memory for Intentions Test, a measure of prospective memory (PM), and two measures of retrospective memory (RM), the California Verbal Learning Test-II and the Brief Visuospatial Memory Test-Revised.
Results: Veterans in the mTBI group exhibited significantly lower PM performance than the control group, but the groups did not differ in their performance on RM measures.
Objective: Cognitive impairment (CI) is common in multiple sclerosis (MS). An international consensus committee developed the Brief International Cognitive Assessment for Multiple Sclerosis (BICAMS) to screen for CI commonly seen in MS. BICAMS cut scores would allow clinicians to, efficiently and effectively, identify patients with possible CI and could aid in clinical decision-making.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe assessment of cognitive symptoms following concussion has evolved over the last several decades as a distinct focus in research and an essential component of clinical decision making and management. The aims of this paper are to (1) identify issues related to assessment of postconcussion cognitive functioning and (2) provide a review of common self-report and performance-based measures, including computerized-based assessments (CBAs), and, more traditional, comprehensive neuropsychological evaluations. We conclude that (1) there has yet to emerge one cognitive-symptom measurement method that can be considered the "gold standard" for all settings, (2) the usefulness of cognitive symptoms assessment findings in the clinical management decisions rests a great deal on the background of the practitioner, and (3) cognitive-symptom assessment needs to be considered in the context of a broader evaluation of other postconcussion symptoms.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThis study investigated whether specific peritraumatic emotions differentially predict PTSD symptom clusters in individuals who have experienced stressful life events. Hypotheses were developed based on the SPAARS model of PTSD. It was predicted that the peritraumatic emotions of anger, disgust, guilt, and fear would significantly predict re-experiencing and avoidance symptoms, while only fear would predict hyperarousal.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIt is important to consider ways in which nurses can be protected from experiencing the effects of burnout. This study examined the relationships between leadership style of psychiatric nurse supervisors, work role autonomy, and psychological distress in relation to psychiatric nurse burnout. Eighty-nine psychiatric nurses from Montana and New York hospitals completed an online survey that assessed their work-related experiences.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIntroduction: In recent research, scientists have begun to suspect that birth control pill use could interfere with key mechanisms that play a role when women choose a sexual partner. Many studies have shown that women, particularly during the most fertile days of their menstrual cycle, look for specific physical, psychological, and behavioral characteristics indicative of genetic quality in a short-term partner.
Aims: Analysis of the psychometric properties of the Partner's Masculinity Index (PMI) scale.