VISIT-TS: A multimedia tool for population studies on tic disorder

Population-based assessment of Tourette syndrome (TS) and other tic disorders produces a paradox. On one hand, ideally diagnosis of tic disorders requires expert observation. In fact, diagnostic criteria for TS explicitly require expert assessment of tics for a definite diagnosis. On the other hand, large-scale population surveys with expert assessment of every subject are impracticable. True, several published studies have successfully used expert assessment to find tic prevalence in a representative population (e.g. all students in a school district). However, extending these studies to larger populations is daunting. We created a multimedia tool to demonstrate tics to a lay audience, discuss their defining and common attributes, and address features that differentiate tics from other movements and vocalizations. A first version was modified to improve clarity and to include a more diverse group in terms of age and ethnicity. The result is a tool intended for epidemiological research. It may also provide additional benefits, such as more representative minority recruitment for other TS studies and increased community awareness of TS

Spatial Relationship between Alcohol Outlet Density and Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs) in the City of St. Louis, Missouri

Over many years, the city of St. Louis has been ranked high in rates of STD diagnoses among other cities of its size in the U.S. In 2004, the city of St. Louis ranked 2nd with 4130 reported Chlamydia cases, 1st with 2440 reported Gonorrhea cases, and 5th with 47 syphilis cases. All rates are 3-7 times those of the State of Missouri and 3.4-6.7 times those of the United States (U.S. Department of Health City of St. Louis, 2005), which show significant pervasive and chronic conditions of STDs in City of St. Louis. A high density of alcohol outlets in the community may increase the level of heavy drinking and intoxication of residents, which may in turn increase the risk of engaging in risky sexual behavior. This project examines whether high density of alcohol outlets is related to a high probability of residents with Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs) in St. Louis City.https://openscholarship.wustl.edu/gis_poster/1161/thumbnail.jp