The effects of a combined psychotherapy and physiotherapy group treatment program for survivors of torture incarcerated in an adult prison in Kurdistan, Iraq: A pilot study

Introduction: Survivors of torture have high rates of mental health problems and can experience a sequela of physical effects with the most common being persistent pain. Similar to survivors of torture, persons that are incarcerated have high rates of mental health problems, persistent pain and pain-related disability.The purpose of this study is to assess the effect of an interdisciplinary group treatment approach, involving psychotherapy and physiotherapy, with survivors of torture whom are incarcerated in a prison in Kurdistan, Iraq. Methods: A parallel group study design was used to compare a treatment group (n=11) and a wait-list control group (n=16). The treatment group participated in an interdisciplinary treatment service for a total of 10 weekly group sessions for each discipline.The primary outcome measures were symptoms of nociplastic pain, anxiety, depression, and PTSD. Secondary outcome measures evaluated physical functioning, sleep quality, and general self-efficacy. Results: A statistically significant reduction in outcome measure scores was seen in all symptoms measured immediately post-treatment. Discussion and Conclusion: These findings suggest that a culturally and contextually appropriate interdisciplinary group treatment intervention for survivors of torture in a prison could be effective for short-term reductions in symptoms of anxiety, depression, PTSD, persistent pain, and function. The study has limitations including a small sample size, lack of long-term outcome measures, and an inability to isolate effect of each component of care. The study does demonstrate the feasibility of implementing research that follows international research standards and practices within under-researched settings and post-conflict areas

Exon-Level Transcriptome Profiling in Murine Breast Cancer Reveals Splicing Changes Specific to Tumors with Different Metastatic Abilities

In breast cancer patients, tumor metastases at distant sites are the main cause of death. However, the molecular mechanisms of metastasis of breast cancer remain unclear. It is thought that changes occurring at the level of RNA processing contribute to cancer. Alternative splicing (AS) of pre-mRNA, a key post-transcriptional mechanism allowing for the production of distinct proteins from a single gene, affects over 90% of human genes. Such splicing events are responsible for generating mRNAs that encode protein isoforms that can have very different biological properties and functions. A well-studied example is the BCL-X gene, whose two major transcript isoforms produce two proteins having antagonistic functions: the short form (BCL-XS) promotes apoptosis while the long form (BCL-XL) is anti-apoptotic. Moreover, overexpression of BCL-XL has been reported to enhance the metastatic potential of breast tumor cells in patients

PocketPT – A Personalized Therapeutic Game Platform

Consumer gaming platforms such as the Nintendo Wii and Xbox Kinect have been used for therapeutic purposes with varying levels of success. One limitation is the fact that most commercially available video games are designed for the general population and are often overwhelming and difficult for patients to use that present with motor and cognitive impairments as a result of brain injury. Specialized therapeutic medical devices are not only expensive and non-portable, they also make limited use of video games features to better engage and motivate the patient. This study aims to overcome these shortcomings and provide game developers and stakeholders with a more nuanced understanding of how video game technology can be effectively used for physical therapy. A collaborative initiative involving a group of software developers, hardware designers and physical therapists, set out to identify and address the issues that have made the adoption of existing game platforms for therapeutic purposes problematic in a clinical setting. The outcome of this initiative is PocketPT – a personalized therapeutic game platform that provides a therapist designed and configured therapeutic game experience that is customized for a particular patient’s unique presentation. Results from an initial clinical study with participants with brain injuries are reported and discussed

Effects of Speed-Dependent Treadmill training and Rhythmic Auditory-Cued Overground Walking on Gait and Balance Function and Fall Risk in Individuals with idiopathic Parkinson\u27s Disease: A Randomized Controlled Trial

PURPOSE: This single-blinded, randomized controlled study examined the immediate effects of interval-based and progressive speed-dependent treadmill training (SDTT) and rhythmic auditory-cued (RAC) overground training protocols on gait and balance function and fall risk in individuals with Parkinson’s Disease (PD). SUBJECTS: Twenty participants with idiopathic PD were randomly assigned into either SDTT (n=10) or RAC (n=10). METHODS AND MATERIALS: Training consisted of 30-minute sessions, 3x/week for 6 weeks. Dependent measures included comfortable and fast gait speed (CGS, FGS), Functional Gait Assessment (FGA), 6-Minute Walk Test (6MWT), Berg Balance Scale (BBS), Rapid Step-Up Test (RST), and NeuroCom Sensory Organization Test (SOT), Motor Control Test (MCT), and Limits of Stability (LOS). ANALYSES: Paired t-test and independent t-tests analyzed within and between group training effects. RESULTS: The within-group training effects revealed statistically significant gains in CGS (p = 0.013), 6MWT (p = 0.007) and FGA (p = 0.003) for the RAC group, and in FGS (p = 0.012), 6MWT (p = 0.027) and FGA (p =0.000) for the SDTT group. Within-group training effects revealed statistically significant improvements in BBS (p = 0.017), RST (p = 0.037) and SOT Composite score (p = 0.049) for the RAC group, and in RST (p = 0.045), LOS Composite- EPE (p =0.046), and SOT Composite score (p =0.019) for the SDTT group. No statistically significant differences in training effects were found between-groups. CONCLUSIONS: These results provide evidence that SDTT and RAC protocols produced significant short-term improvements in gait and balance function in a PD cohort of community ambulators

Distinct Alterations in Chromatin Organization of the Two IGF-I Promoters Precede Growth Hormone-Induced Activation of IGF-I Gene Transcription

Many of the physiological actions of GH are mediated by IGF-I, a secreted 70-residue peptide whose gene expression is induced by GH in the liver and other tissues via mechanisms that remain incompletely characterized but depend on the transcription factor Stat5b. Here we investigate the chromatin landscape of the IGF-I gene in the liver of pituitary-deficient young adult male rats and assess the impact of a single systemic GH injection. Despite minimal ongoing transcription in the absence of GH, both IGF-I promoters appear to reside in open chromatin environments, at least as inferred from relatively high levels of acetylation of core histones H3 and H4 when compared with adjacent intergenic DNA and from enhanced trimethylation of histone H3 at lysine 4. This landscape of open chromatin may reflect maturation of the liver. Surprisingly, in the absence of hormone, IGF-I promoter 1 appears poised to be activated, as evidenced by the presence of the transcriptional coactivator p300 and recruitment of RNA polymerase (Pol) II into a preinitiation complex. By contrast, chromatin surrounding IGF-I promoter 2 is devoid of both p300 and RNA Pol II. Systemic GH treatment causes an approximately 15-fold increase in transcription from each IGF-I promoter within 60 min of hormone administration, leading to a sustained accumulation of IGF-I mRNA. The coordinated induction of both IGF-I promoters by GH is accompanied by hyperacetylation of histones H3 and H4 in promoter-associated chromatin, a decline in monomethylation at lysine 4 of histone H3, and recruitment of RNA Pol II to IGF-I promoter 2. We conclude that GH actions induce rapid and dramatic changes in hepatic chromatin at the IGF-I locus and activate IGF-I gene transcription in the liver by distinct promoter-specific mechanisms: at promoter 1, GH causes RNA Pol II to be released from a previously recruited paused preinitiation complex, whereas at promoter 2, hormone treatment facilitates recruitment and then activation of RNA Pol II to initiate transcription

Abstracts of the 9th International Organisation of Physical Therapy in Mental Health Conference

This book contains the abstracts of the papers presented at the 9th International Organisation of Physical Therapy in Mental Health Conference, Organized by the International Organisation of Physical Therapy in Mental Health and Greek Scientific Section “Physiotherapy in Mental Health” of PanHellenic Physiotherapists’ Association, held on 4–6 May 2022. It is the biannual conference of the International Organization of Physical Therapy in Mental Health (IOPTMH), and we answered with success the question: Physiotherapy in mental health; what’s next? The highly qualified scientific program, the reputable presenters, and the venue altogether form a powerful motivation for both physiotherapists and other mental health professionals to attend this conference. Conference Title: 9th International Organisation of Physical Therapy in Mental Health ConferenceConference Theme: Physiotherapy in mental health; what’s next?Conference Date: 4–6 May 2022Conference Location: Crowne Plaza Athens - City Centre Hotel, 50, Michalakopoulou Str. GR 11528 AthensConference Organizer: International Organisation of Physical Therapy in Mental Health and Greek Scientific Section “Physiotherapy in Mental Health” of PanHellenic Physiotherapists’ AssociationConference Secretariat - Public Relations: Alpha Public Relations and Integrated Marketing S.A., 55, Pytheou Str. GR 11743 Athen