Trial of Prazosin for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder in Military Veterans.

Background: In randomized trials, prazosin, an α-adrenoreceptor antagonist, has been effective in alleviating nightmares associated with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in military veterans.

Methods: We recruited veterans from 13 Department of Veterans Affairs medical centers who had chronic PTSD and reported frequent nightmares. Participants were randomly assigned to receive prazosin or placebo for 26 weeks; the drug or placebo was administered in escalating divided doses over the course of 5 weeks to a daily maximum of 20 mg in men and 12 mg in women.

Behavioral Weight Loss Intervention for Migraine: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

Objective: The objective of this study was to test whether behavioral weight loss (BWL) intervention decreases headaches in women with comorbid migraine and overweight or obesity.

Methods: This randomized, single-blind trial allocated women 18 to 50 years old with 4 to 20 migraine days per month and a BMI = 25.0-49.

Ecological momentary assessment of self-attitudes in response to dietary lapses.

Objective: To examine whether self-attitudes and self-efficacy after dietary lapses relate to lapse frequency or predict risk for lapsing again on the same day.

Method: Adults with overweight/obesity (n = 91) completed ecological momentary assessment for 14 days at the start of a lifestyle modification program. At each survey, participants reported whether they had experienced a dietary lapse, and, if so, reported their self-attitudes (i.

Assessment of a modified technique for air delivery during fluoroscopic-monitored pneumatic intussusception reduction.

Background: Intussusception is one of the most common causes of acute abdominal emergency in children. Image-monitored pressure reduction is the first line of treatment.

Objective: We report on a modified technique of air delivery during fluoroscopic-monitored pneumatic intussusception reductions, and compare it with an established technique.

Relationship between desired weight and eating disorder pathology in youth.

Objective: Individuals with eating disorders (ED), particularly anorexia nervosa (AN), and bulimia nervosa (BN), often wish to reduce their body weight in pursuit of a thin ideal, but no study has examined the relation between desired weight and ED pathology in a clinical population of youth. Given the potential impact of desired weight on normalization of eating patterns and weight restoration, we examined the relation between desired weight and ED pathology in youth with AN or BN.

Methods: Participants were 340 youth presenting to an outpatient ED clinical research program.

The Hierarchical Taxonomy of Psychopathology (HiTOP): A dimensional alternative to traditional nosologies.

The reliability and validity of traditional taxonomies are limited by arbitrary boundaries between psychopathology and normality, often unclear boundaries between disorders, frequent disorder co-occurrence, heterogeneity within disorders, and diagnostic instability. These taxonomies went beyond evidence available on the structure of psychopathology and were shaped by a variety of other considerations, which may explain the aforementioned shortcomings. The Hierarchical Taxonomy Of Psychopathology (HiTOP) model has emerged as a research effort to address these problems.

Pelvic and breast examination skills curricula in United States medical schools: a survey of obstetrics and gynecology clerkship directors.

Background: Learning to perform pelvic and breast examinations produces anxiety for many medical students. Clerkship directors have long sought strategies to help students become comfortable with the sensitive nature of these examinations. Incorporating standardized patients, simulation and gynecologic teaching associates (GTAs) are approaches gaining widespread use.

Feasibility of alcohol screening among patients receiving opioid treatment in primary care.

Background: Identifying and treating problem alcohol use among people who also use illicit drugs is a challenge. Primary care is well placed to address this challenge but there are several barriers which may prevent this occurring. The objective of this study was to determine if a complex intervention designed to support screening and brief intervention for problem alcohol use among people receiving opioid agonist treatment is feasible and acceptable to healthcare providers and their patients in a primary care setting.

Effect of trait anxiety on cognitive test performance in adolescents with and without attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder.

Introduction: Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and anxiety are frequently comorbid disorders associated with different types of abnormal performance on neuropsychological tests. Although some studies have shown that comorbid anxiety alters ADHD test performance, results inconsistently show both improvements and worsening of different abilities, with failures to replicate across different anxiety disorders. Alternatively, trait anxiety may reflect a more stable influence on ADHD test performance than various diagnosable anxiety disorders.

Return to Play Following Anterior Shoulder Dislocation and Stabilization Surgery.

Anterior shoulder instability in athletes may lead to time lost from participation and decreases in level of play. Contact, collision, and overhead athletes are at a higher risk than others. Athletes may successfully be returned to play but operative stabilization should be considered for long-term treatment of recurrent instability.

Structural and genomic variation in preterm birth.

Background: Runs of homozygosity (ROH) are consecutive homozygous genotypes, which may result from population inbreeding or consanguineous marriages. ROH enhance the expression of recessive traits.

Methods: We mapped ROH in a case control study of women delivering at term compared with women delivering at or before 34 wk gestation.

Targeted Sequencing and Meta-Analysis of Preterm Birth.

Understanding the genetic contribution(s) to the risk of preterm birth may lead to the development of interventions for treatment, prediction and prevention. Twin studies suggest heritability of preterm birth is 36-40%. Large epidemiological analyses support a primary maternal origin for recurrence of preterm birth, with little effect of paternal or fetal genetic factors.

Prenatal Programming of Infant Neurobehaviour in a Healthy Population.

Background: Identifying the prenatal origins of mental conditions is of increasing interest, yet most studies have focused on high-risk populations and cannot disentangle prenatal and postnatal programming effects. Thus, we examined whether profiles of neurobehaviour indicative of future risk could be identified in healthy 1-3-day-old infants, and examined associations with perinatal risk factors.

Methods: Participants included 627 healthy mothers and term infants from a population-based US cohort.

dbPEC: a comprehensive literature-based database for preeclampsia related genes and phenotypes.

Preeclampsia is one of the most common causes of fetal and maternal morbidity and mortality in the world. We built a Database for Preeclampsia (dbPEC) consisting of the clinical features, concurrent conditions, published literature and genes associated with Preeclampsia. We included gene sets associated with severity, concurrent conditions, tissue sources and networks.

Ecological Momentary Assessment in Eating Disorder and Obesity Research: a Review of the Recent Literature.

Our current understanding of the etiology and maintenance of eating disorders and obesity continues to be far from complete. Similarly, our understanding of determinants of both successful and unsuccessful weight loss surgery is also quite limited. While a number of research methodologies have been applied to these areas, one methodology that has recently seen a rise in popularity is the use of ecological momentary assessment (EMA).

A High Rate of Alternative Diagnoses in Patients Referred for Presumed Clostridium difficile Infection.

Goals: We evaluated a cohort of patients referred to our center for presumed recurrent Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) to determine final diagnoses and outcomes.

Background: As rates of CDI have increased, more patients are diagnosed with recurrent CDI and other sequelae of the infection. Distinguishing symptomatic patients with CDI from those who are colonized with an alternative etiology of diarrheal symptoms may be challenging.

A National Assessment on Patient Safety Curricula in Undergraduate Medical Education: Results From the 2012 Clerkship Directors in Internal Medicine Survey.

Objectives: Patient safety is a cornerstone of quality patient care, and educating medical students about patient safety is of growing importance. This investigation was a follow-up to a 2006 study to assess the current status of patient safety curricula within undergraduate medical education in North America with the additional goals of identifying areas for improvement and barriers to implementation.

Methods: Thirteen items regarding patient safety were part of the 2012 Clerkship Directors in Internal Medicine annual survey.

Placental inflammation is not increased in inflammatory bowel disease.

Background: Women with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) are at increased risk for adverse birth outcomes such as preterm delivery and small for gestational age (SGA) infants. Most recognized cases of fetal growth restriction in singleton pregnancies have underlying placental causes. However, studies in IBD examining poor birth outcomes have focused on maternal factors.

The Skin Cancer Objective Structured Clinical Examination (SCOSCE): A multi-institutional collaboration to develop and validate a clinical skills assessment for melanoma.

Background: Assessing medical students on core skills related to melanoma detection is challenging in the absence of a well-developed instrument.

Objective: We sought to develop an objective structured clinical examination for the detection and evaluation of melanoma among medical students.

Methods: This was a prospective cohort analysis of student and objective rater agreement on performance of clinical skills and assessment of differences in performance across 3 schools.

Sensory symptoms in children with autism spectrum disorder, other developmental disorders and typical development: A longitudinal study.

Sensory symptoms are prevalent in autism spectrum disorder but little is known about the early developmental patterns of these symptoms. This study examined the development of sensory symptoms and the relationship between sensory symptoms and adaptive functioning during early childhood. Three groups of children were followed across three time points from 2 to 8 years of age: autism spectrum disorder, developmental delay, and typical development.