A Computational Model for the Influence of Myelin Excess in Patients with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

The brain is the central organ of stress and controls the adaptation to stressors, while it perceives what is potentially threatening and determines the behavioral and physiological responses. Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a mental health disease in which an individual has been ex-posed to a traumatic event that involves actual or imminent death or serious injury, or threatens the phys-ical integrity of the self or others. The effects on the brain caused by stress for people with PTSD are the main subject of this paper. A literature research was conducted to see how stress affects the brain and how regions of the brain are distorted by an excess of mye-lin, which are formed by oligodendrocytes, in persons with PTSD. The interruptions in connections in the brain are displayed in a dynamic model designed using network-oriented model-ing. The Network-Oriented Modeling perspective is proposed as a way to address complexity. This perspective takes the concept of network and the interactions within a network as a basis for conceptual-ization and structuring of any complex processes. It appears myelin, and the oligodendrocytes which produce the myelin can have altering effects in the brain of patients with PTSD. The fear response is increased significantly and the forming and retrieval of memories is also dis-rupted. The main purpose of this paper is providing insight in what the effects of myelin excess might be for patients with PTSD, and simulating these effects to make these insights easily accessible

A computational model of myelin excess for patients with post-traumatic stress disorder

The brain is the central organ of stress and controls the adaptation to stressors, while it perceives what is potentially threatening and determines the behavioral and physiological responses. Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a mental health disease in which an individual has been exposed to a traumatic event that involves actual or imminent death or serious injury, or threatens the physical integrity of the self or others. The effects on the brain caused by stress for people with PTSD are the main subject of this paper. A literature research was conducted to see how stress affects the brain and how regions of the brain are distorted by an excess of myelin, which is formed by oligodendrocytes, in people with PTSD. Network-Oriented Modeling perspective is proposed as an alternative way to address complexity. This perspective takes the concept of network and the interactions within a network as a basis for conceptualization and structuring of any complex processes. It appears myelin, and the oligodendrocytes which produce the myelin can have altering effects in the brain of patients with PTSD. The fear response is increased significantly and the forming and retrieval of memories is also disrupted. As the effect of myelin is decreased in the model, the effects are also decreased. The main purpose of this paper is providing insight into what the effects of myelin excess might be for patients with PTSD, and simulating these effects to make these insights easily accessible

The Power of Flash Mob Research Conducting a Nationwide Observational Clinical Study on Capillary Refill Time in a Single Day

BACKGROUND: Capillary refill time (CRT) is a clinical test used to evaluate the circulatory status of patients; various methods are available to assess CRT. Conventional clinical research often demands large numbers of patients, making it costly, labor-intensive, and time-consuming. We studied the interobserver agreement on CRT in a nationwide study by using a novel method of research called flash mob research (FMR). METHODS: Physicians in the Netherlands were recruited by using word-of-mouth referrals, conventional media, and social media to participate in a nationwide, single-day, "nineto-five," multicenter, cross-sectional, observational study to evaluate CRT. Patients aged >= 18 years presenting to the ED or who were hospitalized were eligible for inclusion. CRT was measured independently (by two investigators) at the patient's sternum and distal phalanx after application of pressure for 5 s (5s) and 15 s (15s). RESULTS: On October 29, 2014, a total of 458 investigators in 38 Dutch hospitals enrolled 1,734 patients. The mean CRT measured at the distal phalanx were 2.3 s (5s, SD1.1) and 2.4 s (15s, SD1.3). The mean CRT measured at the sternum was 2.6 s (5s, SD1.1) and 2.7 s (15s, SD1.1). Interobserver agreement was higher for the distal phalanx (k value, 0.40) than for the sternum (k value, 0.30). CONCLUSIONS: Interobserver agreement on CRT is, at best, moderate. CRT measured at the distal phalanx yielded higher interobserver agreement compared with sternal CRT measurements. FMR proved a valuable instrument to investigate a relatively simple clinical question in an inexpensive, quick, and reliable manner