Stress coping strategies of Drug and Alcohol Addicted patients in Latvia

It is believed that people are starting to use drugs to cope with stress on a daily basis because they do not see other option. Aim is to discover Drug and Alcohol Addicted patients’ stress coping strategies. We used Demographic questionnaire and “The Ways of Coping” scale. Results shows that there are statistically significant differences between alcohol and drug addicted patients were observed in subscales: Confrontive Coping, Seeking Social Support, Distancing, Self-Controlling and Positive Reappraisal. This study is important because it allows realizing and evaluating the range of stress-coping types of patients with addiction and to compare the result of alcohol and drug addicts.publishersversionPeer reviewe

Treatment Motivation Factor Analysis of Patients with Substance Use Disorders In Latvia

Motivation plays a significant role in treatment of any illness especially for the patients with addiction problems, moreover motivation is a factor which influences patients to look for treatment possibilities, follow instructions of the treatment and particularly make prosperous long term changes. The purpose of this study is to examine the treatment motivation; stages of motivational changes and influencing factors of motivation among patients with substance use disorders in Latvia. Following research tools were used: a demographic questionnaire developed by the study authors, SOCRATES 8A/ 8D questionnaires (Miller & Tonigan, 1996) and “Treatment motivation questionnaire” (Ryan, Plant & O’Malley, 1995). Results of motivation scores in this population tended to be quite high, particularly to Internal Motivation and Help Seeking scale, furthermore average for Internal Reasons and Help Seeking increased during the treatment statistically significantly.publishersversionPeer reviewe

Treatment Motivation Differences between Minnesota and Methadone Program Patients with Substance Use Disorder in Latvia

publishersversionPeer reviewe

Stress Coping of Patients with Substance use Disorder in Latvia

Stress is a part of our everyday life and it plays an important role in causing various diseases. Studies related to aetiology of using pshyhoactive substances have shown that stress is one of strongest factor that provokes the use of addictive substanceswhichemphasizes necessity of research aboutstress copingtypes for patients with addiction. Purpose of study is to examine stress coping among patients with substance use disorders in Latvia.2 research tools were used: a demographic questionnaire and “The Ways of coping scale” (Folkman& Lazarus, 1985). The results show that women use emotion-oriented stress coping. For women who have completed treatment, more specific ways of stress coping are accepting responsibility, escape-avoidance and positive reappraisal. Among men, the dominant stress coping strategy is problem-oriented stress coping. Male patients who have completed treatment use more accepting responsibility and planful problem solving.publishersversionPeer reviewe

Plasma neurofilament light chain as a potential biomarker in Charcot‐Marie‐Tooth disease

BACKGROUND: Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease (CMT) is a chronic, slowly progressing disorder. The lack of specific disease progression biomarkers limits the execution of clinical trials. However, neurofilament light chain (NfL) has been suggested as a potential biomarker for peripheral nervous system disorders. METHODS: Ninety-six CMT patients and 60 healthy controls were enrolled in the study. Disease severity assessment included clinical evaluation with CMT Neuropathy Score version 2 (CMTNSv2). Blood plasma NfL concentrations were measured using the single molecule array (Simoa) NfL assay. RESULTS: The NfL concentration was significantly higher in the CMT patient group than in the controls (p<0.001). Of the CMT patients, ones with type CMTX1 had a higher NfL level than those in the two other analysed subgroups (CMT1A and other CMT types) (p=0.0498). The NfL concentration had a significant but weak correlation with the CMTNSv2 (rs =0.25, p=0.012). In one CMT patient with an extremely elevated NfL level, overlap with chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy was suspected. ROC analysis showed that an NfL concentration of 8.9 pg/mL could be used to discriminate CMT patients from controls, with an area under the curve of 0.881. CONCLUSIONS: Our study confirmed that the plasma NfL concentration is significantly higher in CMT patients than in controls. Plasma NfL concentration was found to significantly, albeit weakly, reflect the clinical severity of CMT. In the future, NfL may be used, either individually or collaboratively, as a biomarker in the clinical context of suspected CMT; however, several issues need to be addressed first

Research on AE Signal Propagation in Helicopter Structural Elements

"jats:p" The paper contains results of experimental research carried out helicopter bench. In order to create an attenuation chart for AE signal amplitude in helicopter fuselage, a number of experiments were performed on the frame and stringers, inside the fuselage. Later helicopter test bench was used to develop defect localization methodology of helicopter structure fatigue damage technical diagnostics. Analysing helicopter structural defects for different helicopters types it is concluded that the joint elements of helicopter tail boom are still exposed to fatigue crack formation. AE method shows highly effective results predicting fracture of helicopter joint elements. Document type: Articl

Plasma neurofilament light chain as a potential biomarker in Charcot‐Marie‐Tooth disease

BACKGROUND: Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease (CMT) is a chronic, slowly progressing disorder. The lack of specific disease progression biomarkers limits the execution of clinical trials. However, neurofilament light chain (NfL) has been suggested as a potential biomarker for peripheral nervous system disorders. METHODS: Ninety-six CMT patients and 60 healthy controls were enrolled in the study. Disease severity assessment included clinical evaluation with CMT Neuropathy Score version 2 (CMTNSv2). Blood plasma NfL concentrations were measured using the single molecule array (Simoa) NfL assay. RESULTS: The NfL concentration was significantly higher in the CMT patient group than in the controls (p<0.001). Of the CMT patients, ones with type CMTX1 had a higher NfL level than those in the two other analysed subgroups (CMT1A and other CMT types) (p=0.0498). The NfL concentration had a significant but weak correlation with the CMTNSv2 (rs =0.25, p=0.012). In one CMT patient with an extremely elevated NfL level, overlap with chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy was suspected. ROC analysis showed that an NfL concentration of 8.9 pg/mL could be used to discriminate CMT patients from controls, with an area under the curve of 0.881. CONCLUSIONS: Our study confirmed that the plasma NfL concentration is significantly higher in CMT patients than in controls. Plasma NfL concentration was found to significantly, albeit weakly, reflect the clinical severity of CMT. In the future, NfL may be used, either individually or collaboratively, as a biomarker in the clinical context of suspected CMT; however, several issues need to be addressed first