84 research outputs found
Credible knowledge: A pilot evaluation of a modified GRADE method using parent-implemented interventions for children with autism
Abstract
Background
Decision-making in child and youth mental health (CYMH) care requires recommendations that are developed through an efficient and effective method and are based on credible knowledge. Credible knowledge is informed by two sources: scientific evidence, and practice-based evidence, that reflects the "real world" experience of service providers. Current approaches to developing these recommendations in relation to CYMH will typically include evidence from one source or the other but do not have an objective method to combine the two. To this end, a modified version of the Grading Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) approach was pilot-tested, a novel method for the CYMH field.
Methods
GRADE has an explicit methodology that relies on input from scientific evidence as well as a panel of experts. The panel established the quality of evidence and derived detailed recommendations regarding the organization and delivery of mental health care for children and youth or their caregivers. In this study a modified GRADE method was used to provide precise recommendations based on a specific CYMH question (i.e. What is the current credible knowledge concerning the effects of parent-implemented, early intervention with their autistic children?).
Results
Overall, it appeared that early, parent-implemented interventions for autism result in positive effects that outweigh any undesirable effects. However, as opposed to overall recommendations, the heterogeneity of the evidence required that recommendations be specific to particular interventions, based on the questions of whether the benefits of a particular intervention outweighs its harms.
Conclusions
This pilot project provided evidence that a modified GRADE method may be an effective and practical approach to making recommendations in CYMH, based on credible knowledge. Key strengths of the process included separating the assessments of the quality of the evidence and the strength of recommendations, transparency in decision-making, and the objectivity of the methods. Most importantly, this method combined the evidence and clinical experience in a more timely, explicit and simple process as compared to previous approaches. The strengths, limitations and modifications of the approach as they pertain to CYMH, are discussed
The ryanodine receptor leak: how a tattered receptor plunges the failing heart into crisis
Development of a Real-Time PCR for Identification of Brachyspira Species in Human Colonic Biopsies
Background: Brachyspira species are fastidious anaerobic microorganisms, that infect the colon of various animals. The
genus contains both important pathogens of livestock as well as commensals. Two species are known to infect humans: B.
aalborgi and B. pilosicoli. There is some evidence suggesting that the veterinary pathogenic B. pilosicoli is a potential
zoonotic agent, however, since diagnosis in humans is based on histopathology of colon biopsies, species identification is
not routinely performed in human materials.
Methods: The study population comprised 57 patients with microscopic evidence of Brachyspira infection and 26 patients
with no histopathological evidence of Brachyspira infection. Concomitant faecal samples were available from three infected
patients. Based on publically available 16S rDNA gene sequences of all Brachyspira species, species-specific primer sets were
designed. DNA was extracted and tested by real-time PCR and 16S rDNA was sequenced.
Results: Sensitivity and specificity for identification of Brachyspira species in colon biopsies was 100% and 87.7%
respectively. Sequencing revealed B. pilosicoli in 15.4% of patients, B. aalborgi in 76.9% and a third species, tentatively
named ‘‘Brachyspira hominis’’, in 26.2%. Ten patients (12.3%) had a double and two (3.1%) a triple infection. The presence of
Brachyspira pilosicoli was significantly associated with inflammatory changes in the colon-biopsy (p = 0.028).
Conclusions: This newly designed PCR allows for sub-differentiation of Brachyspira species in patient material and thus
allows large-scaled surveillance studies to elucidate the pathogenicity of human Brachyspira infections. One-third of
affected patients appeared to be infected with a novel species
Measurement, Collaborative Learning and Research for Sustainable Use of Ecosystem Services: Landscape Concepts and Europe as Laboratory
The Matching Law: A Tutorial for Practitioners
The application of the matching law has historically been limited to use as a quantitative measurement tool in the experimental analysis of behavior to describe temporally extended patterns of behavior-environment relations. In recent years, however, applications of the matching law have been translated to clinical settings and populations to gain a better understanding of how naturally-occurring events affect socially important behaviors. This tutorial provides a brief background of the conceptual foundations of matching, an overview of the various matching equations that have been used in research, and a description of how to interpret the data derived from these equations in the context of numerous examples of matching analyses conducted with socially important behavior. An appendix of resources is provided to direct readers to primary sources, as well as useful articles and books on the topic
Disrupted Stimulus Control But Not Reward Sensitivity in Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders: A Matching Law Analysis
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