Depression, Anxiety and Stress Reduction in Medical Education: Humor as an Intervention

Background: In recent years there has been a growing appreciation of the issues of quality of life and stresses involved in medical training as this may affect their learning and academic performance. Objective of the study was to explore the effectiveness of humor when used as intervention in large group teaching over negative emotions amongst students. Method: The present Interventional, Randomized control trial study was carried out on medical students of 4th Semester of RMCH, Bareilly, which has total 90 students. Using simple random sampling lottery method the whole class was divided in two groups-A and B consisting of 45 students each. Group A as control group and Group B experimental group. In first and last lecture of both groups Dass-21 was used as measuring scale, for depression, anxiety and stress and results were compared to see the effect of humor on these three negative emotions. Result: Comparison of Severe and Extremely severe Stress: In Group A 40.54% in class -1 increased to 47.54% in class- 4, while in group B initial 13.15 % was reduced to 0 % (highly significant). Anxiety: In group A, after Class 1 -57.45% increased to 61.11% after class 4, while in group B, after class 1- 23.68% reduced to 2.27% only (highly significant). Depression: In group A, after Class 1 - 40.53% & 41.66 % after class 4 (not significant), while in group B, after class 1- 18.41% reduced to 0% (highly significant). Conclusion: In present study humor was found to be very effective intervention in relieving students on their negative emotions of depression, anxiety and stress to a larger extent. Further research would justify the use of humor as an effective teaching aid in medical education

Subjects in Difference: Walter Benjamin, Frantz Fanon, and Postcolonial Theory

This essay aims to rethink historical difference in light of Walter Benjamin’s formulation of mimesis and Frantz Fanon’s phenomenology of difference. Divided into three parts, the essay engages Dipesh Chakrabarty’s account of historical difference, considers how an understanding of mimesis might safeguard against some of the philosophical pitfalls within Chakrabarty’s formulation, and revisits Fanon for an explication of a theory of mimesis and difference that may be the grounds for a renewed understanding of historical difference. The essay makes a case for the relevance of Frankfurt School dialectics for postcolonial problematics

On Finitude: Life and Death Under Neoliberalism

Essay in contemporary Indian photography, for Fotofest 201

Investigational Pregabalin Effect on Sleep in Patients with Neuropathic Pain and Sleep Maintenance Disturbance: A Multicentric Study

Objective: Our goal is to research how Pregabalin affects sleep maintenance in a group of neuropathic pain patients. Method and Material: A cross-sectional study including a sample of 600 patients was carried out. Patients with a neuropathic pain diagnosis were selected from three hospitals in Gandhinagar. After a medical professional diagnosed the patients with neuropathic pain, they were given a detailed description of the study's approach and asked for their informed consent. Subjects who are open to participating in the study and meet the inclusion and exclusion requirements. The demographic baseline evaluation and PSQI score were completed during Visit-01. After Visit-01, patients began receiving Pregabalin. After approximately 30 days from the date of enrolment, the patient was being monitored. The PSQI score was evaluated 30 days later. The Independent Ethics Committee (IEC) approved the PSQI Questioner and Informed Consent form after reviewing them. SPSS was used to statistically analyze the data (p < 0.05). Results: To evaluate variations in the distribution of "sleep disturbances vs. Sleep maintenance" (PSQI), we looked at the PSQI by time point. By using two-tailed paired t-tests, PSQI were compared for baseline and intervention conditions. Pregabalin treatment pre- and post-treatment were shown to differ significantly. Discussion: Sleep disturbances are prevalent characteristics of neuropathic pain that are well-known and well-documented. Patients with Neuropathic Pain had statistically significant improvements in sleep maintenance in the current investigation. Conclusion: The data presented here show that Pregabalin improves sleep quality in patients being treated for neuropathic pai