Publications by authors named "Varna Jammula"
Objective: The objective of this review is to evaluate the effect of cochlear implants on cognitive function in pediatric patients with hearing loss.
Introduction: Cognitive impairments have been reported in children with hearing loss. This is supported by the auditory scaffolding hypothesis, which describes sound as the basis for processing sequential information.
Falls, particularly among the elderly, are a prevalent and growing healthcare issue in the United States. Individuals who experience falls face heightened morbidity and mortality risks, along with substantial expenses associated with managing any resulting injuries. First responders frequently respond to 911 calls related to falls, with a significant portion of these cases not resulting in hospital or healthcare facility transfers.
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- Financial toxicity, especially linked to unemployment, has a significant impact on cancer survivors, prompting an evaluation of how it relates to patient-reported outcomes (PROs) in individuals with primary CNS tumors (PCNST).
- The study, conducted between September 2016 and December 2019 with 277 participants, revealed that Hispanic individuals faced higher unemployment rates and reported greater functional impairments and reduced health-related quality of life (HRQOL) than employed counterparts.
- Unemployed participants exhibited notably higher levels of depressive (25% vs. 8%) and anxiety symptoms (30% vs. 15%), highlighting the mental health challenges associated with unemployment in this patient group.
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- * Patients with sleep disturbances also experienced a higher overall symptom burden, including significantly more depressive and anxiety symptoms, as well as increased feelings of drowsiness and distress.
- * The findings suggest that addressing sleep disturbances in PBT patients could improve their overall symptom experience and quality of life, highlighting the need for future research on sleep patterns and potential interventions.
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- The study focused on the importance of clinical outcomes assessments (COAs) for patients with malignant glioma, specifically looking at symptoms and functions recommended by the RANO-PRO Working Group.
- Using a cohort of 336 patients from a larger study, researchers analyzed how symptoms like pain and cognitive issues and functions like weakness and ability to work relate to disease progression over time.
- Findings suggest that these COAs are relevant indicators of disease status and may change as the disease progresses, providing vital information for both clinical care and research.
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- Cognitive impairments are common in patients with primary CNS tumors, and traditional neuropsychological assessments are often too lengthy for routine use, prompting the study of the brief Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) during in-person and telehealth visits.
- The study involved 71 adults with CNS tumors who took the MoCA, revealing an average score of 25 in-person and 26 via telehealth, with a notable percentage scoring abnormally; satisfaction surveys indicated healthcare providers found the MoCA useful in both settings.
- Findings demonstrated a correlation between lower MoCA scores and worse symptoms, emphasizing the importance of incorporating both objective cognitive measures and patient-reported outcomes for a comprehensive understanding of patient cognition in neuro-oncology care.
Introduction: Despite an increasing aging population, older adults (≥ 65 years) with primary brain tumors (PBTs) are not routinely assessed for geriatric vulnerabilities. Recent reports of geriatric assessment (GA) in patients with glioblastomas demonstrated that GA may serve as a sensitive prognosticator of overall survival. Yet, current practice does not include routine evaluation of geriatric vulnerabilities and the relevance of GA has not been previously evaluated in broader cohorts of PBT patients.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFCognitive reserve (CR) has been proposed to account for functional outcome differences in brain pathology and its clinical manifestations. The purpose of our paper is to systematically review the effects of CR on cognitive outcomes in individuals with neurodegenerative and structural CNS diseases. We performed a systematic search of PubMed, CINAHL (Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature), and PsychInfo using the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) guidelines.
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- Primary CNS tumors lead to significant symptoms and a poor prognosis, prompting a study on long-term survivors (≥5 years) to evaluate their reported outcomes.
- Data from 248 adult survivors revealed that while 42% reported no moderate-to-severe symptoms, many experienced issues like fatigue and cognitive difficulties, with significant anxiety and depression reported by some.
- The study highlights the need for tailored survivorship care programs, as survivors exhibited diverse symptom experiences regardless of tumor characteristics, indicating ongoing support and research are essential.
Objective: The present study aimed to explore the prevalence of subconcussive head trauma, traumatic brain injury (TBI), potential hypoxic events, and hypoxic brain injury (HBI) in victims of physical intimate partner violence (IPV). The study also aimed to characterize the injury presentation and mechanisms of injury in this population.
Method: A group of 47 female participants with a history of at least one relationship that included physical violence completed a structured interview assessing for subconcussive hits, TBI, and HBI.