Needs and preferences for psychological interventions of people with motor neuron disease

Background: There is a lack of knowledge about what factors may impede or facilitate engagement in psychological interventions in people with motor neuron disease (pwMND) and how such interventions can be adapted to best meet the needs of this population. Objectives: To explore the needs and preferences of pwMND with respect to psychological interventions, and how best to adapt such interventions for pwMND. Methods: A series of semi-structured interviews (n = 22) and workshops (n = 3) were conducted with pwMND (n = 15), informal caregivers of pwMND (n = 10), and MND healthcare professionals (n = 12). These explored preferences and concerns that would need to be considered when delivering a psychological intervention for pwMND. Three areas were explored: (i) perceived factors that may hinder or facilitate pwMND engaging with psychological interventions; (ii) ways in which such interventions could be adapted to meet the individual needs of pwMND; and (iii) views regarding the main psychological issues that would need to be addressed. Workshops and interviews were audio recorded and transcribed and thematic analysis was used to inductively derive themes. Findings: Data could be classified within four overarching themes: unfamiliar territory; a series of losses; variability and difficulty meeting individual needs; and informal support. Conclusions: Flexibility, tailoring interventions to the individual needs of pwMND, and encouraging autonomy are key attributes for psychological interventions with pwMND. Psychological interventions such as Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) could be acceptable for pwMND if adapted to their specific needs

Crop Updates 2001 - Lupins

This session covers twenty six papers from different authors: INTRODUCTION, 1. Introduction, Dr Mark Sweetingham LUPIN RESEARCH AND INDUSTRY DEVELOPMENT, Agriculture Western Australia VARIETIES 2. Lupin variety performance: Are you making the most of it? Bevan J. Buirchell, Agriculture Western Australia 3. Adaption of restricted-branching lupins in Western Australia, Bob French and Laurie Wahlsten, Agriculture Western Australia 4. Isolated microspore culture of lupin for production of doubled haploids, Dr Janet Wroth, Dr Kirsty Bayliss and A/Prof. Wallace Cowling, Plant Sciences, Faculty of Agriculture, The University of Western Australia NUTRITION 5. Banding manganese fertiliser below the seed increases seed yields of narrow-leafed lupins, R.F. Brennan, Agriculture Western Australia 6. Residual value of manganese fertiliser for lupin grain production, R.F. Brennan, Agriculture Western Australia AGRONOMY 7. Lupin seeding density, Miles Dracup, Agriculture Western Australia, Nick Galwey, University of Western Australia and Bob Thomson, University of Western AustraliaPESTS AND DISEASES 8. Anthracnose in lupins – understanding the risk, Moin Salam, Art Diggle, Geoff Thomas, Mark Sweetinghamand Bill O’Neill, Agriculture Western Australia 9. Implications of the ‘green bridge’ for viral and fungal disease carry-over between seasons, Debbie Thackray, Agriculture Western Australia and Centre for Legumes in Mediterranean Agriculture 10. Insect pest development in WA via the ‘green bridge’, Kevin Walden, Agriculture Western Australia 11. Lupin anthracnose – seed infection thresholds, Geoff Thomas, Agriculture Western Australia 12. Identification and characterisation of resistance genes to Phomopsis blight in narrow-leafed lupin, M. Shankar1, M.W. Sweetingham1&2 and W.A. Cowling1&3 , 1Co-operative Research Centre for Legumes in Mediterranean Agriculture, 2Agriculture Western Australia, 3Plant Sciences 13. Plant disease diagnostics, Dominie Wright and Nichole Burges, Agriculture Western Australia 14. Detection of strains of Phomopsis exhibiting species preference in lupins, M. Shankar, 1Co-operative Research Centre for Legumes in Mediterranean Agriculture and M.W. Sweetingham, Agriculture Western Australia 15. Potential alternate host for the lupin anthracnose pathogen, Geoff Thomasa, Hu’aan Yangb, Mark Sweetinghamab and Ming Pei Youa, aAgriculture Western Australia, bCooperative Research Centre for Legumes in Mediterranean Agriculture WEEDS 16. Wild radish – the implications for our rotations, Dr David Bowran, Centre for Cropping Systems 17. Competitiveness of wild radish in a wheat – lupin rotation, Abul Hashem, Nerys Wilkins, and Terry Piper, Agriculture Western Australia 18. Population explosion and persistence of wild radish in a wheat-lupin rotation, Abul Hashem, Nerys Wilkins, Aik Cheam and Terry Piper, Agriculture Western Australia 19. Inter-row knockdowns for profitable lupins, Paul Blackwell, Agriculture Western Australia, Miles Obst, Mingenew 20. Is it safe to use 2,4-D Ester 80% pre-sowing when furrow sowing lupins? Andrew Sandison, Elders Ltd QUALITY AND MARKET DEVELOPMENT 21. Lupin protein – what we know, Bill O’Neill, Agriculture Western Australia 22. Foliar N application increases grain protein in lupins, Bob French and Laurie Wahlsten, Agriculture Western Australia 23. Can lupin grain protein be increased with Flexi-N? Cameron Weeks, Erin Hasson, Mingenew-Irwin Group and Luigi Moreschi, CSBP futurefarm 24. Putting a value on lupin use in the aquaculture industry: a fishy business? Brett D. Glencross, Fisheries WA, Fremantle Maritime Centre, Fremantle 25. Selection for thinner seed coats and pod walls in lupins, Jon Clements, Centre for Legumes in Mediterranean Agriculture and Miles Dracup, Agriculture Western Australia 26. Assessing the nutritional benefit of Australian sweet lupin (Lupinus angustifolius) in human foods, Ramon Hall (SPIRT PhD scholar), Stuart Johnson, Madeleine Ball, Deakin University, Melbourne, Sofia Sipsas and David Petterson, Agriculture Western Australi

Acceptance and commitment therapy for people living with motor neuron disease : an uncontrolled feasibility study

Background: Motor neuron disease (MND) is a fatal, progressive neurodegenerative disease that causes progressive weakening and wasting of limb, bulbar, thoracic and abdominal muscles. Clear evidence-based guidance on how psychological distress should be managed in people living with MND (plwMND) is lacking. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) is a form of psychological therapy that may be particularly suitable for this population. However, to the authors' knowledge, no study to date has evaluated ACT for plwMND. Consequently, the primary aim of this uncontrolled feasibility study was to examine the feasibility and acceptability of ACT for improving the psychological health of plwMND. Methods: PlwMND aged ≥18 years were recruited from 10 UK MND Care Centres/Clinics. Participants received up to 8 one-to-one ACT sessions, developed specifically for plwMND, plus usual care. Co-primary feasibility and acceptability outcomes were uptake (≥80% of the target sample [N=28] recruited) and initial engagement with the intervention (≥70% completing ≥2 sessions). Secondary outcomes included measures of quality of life, anxiety, depression, disease-related functioning, health status and psychological flexibility in plwMND and quality of life and burden in caregivers. Outcomes were assessed at baseline and 6 months. Results: Both a priori indicators of success were met: 29 plwMND (104%) were recruited and 76% (22/29) attended ≥2 sessions. Attrition at 6-months was higher than anticipated (8/29, 28%), but only two dropouts were due to lack of acceptability of the intervention. Acceptability was further supported by good satisfaction with therapy and session attendance. Data were possibly suggestive of small improvements in anxiety and psychological quality of life from baseline to 6 months in plwMND, despite a small but expected deterioration in disease-related functioning and health status. Conclusions: There was good evidence of acceptability and feasibility. Limitations included the lack of a control group and small sample size, which complicate interpretation of findings. A fully powered RCT to evaluate the clinical and cost-effectiveness of ACT for plwMND is underway

Crop Updates 2001 - Lupins

This session covers twenty six papers from different authors: INTRODUCTION, 1. Introduction, Dr Mark Sweetingham LUPIN RESEARCH AND INDUSTRY DEVELOPMENT, Agriculture Western Australia VARIETIES 2. Lupin variety performance: Are you making the most of it? Bevan J. Buirchell, Agriculture Western Australia 3. Adaption of restricted-branching lupins in Western Australia, Bob French and Laurie Wahlsten, Agriculture Western Australia 4. Isolated microspore culture of lupin for production of doubled haploids, Dr Janet Wroth, Dr Kirsty Bayliss and A/Prof. Wallace Cowling, Plant Sciences, Faculty of Agriculture, The University of Western Australia NUTRITION 5. Banding manganese fertiliser below the seed increases seed yields of narrow-leafed lupins, R.F. Brennan, Agriculture Western Australia 6. Residual value of manganese fertiliser for lupin grain production, R.F. Brennan, Agriculture Western Australia AGRONOMY 7. Lupin seeding density, Miles Dracup, Agriculture Western Australia, Nick Galwey, University of Western Australia and Bob Thomson, University of Western AustraliaPESTS AND DISEASES 8. Anthracnose in lupins – understanding the risk, Moin Salam, Art Diggle, Geoff Thomas, Mark Sweetinghamand Bill O’Neill, Agriculture Western Australia 9. Implications of the ‘green bridge’ for viral and fungal disease carry-over between seasons, Debbie Thackray, Agriculture Western Australia and Centre for Legumes in Mediterranean Agriculture 10. Insect pest development in WA via the ‘green bridge’, Kevin Walden, Agriculture Western Australia 11. Lupin anthracnose – seed infection thresholds, Geoff Thomas, Agriculture Western Australia 12. Identification and characterisation of resistance genes to Phomopsis blight in narrow-leafed lupin, M. Shankar1, M.W. Sweetingham1&2 and W.A. Cowling1&3 , 1Co-operative Research Centre for Legumes in Mediterranean Agriculture, 2Agriculture Western Australia, 3Plant Sciences 13. Plant disease diagnostics, Dominie Wright and Nichole Burges, Agriculture Western Australia 14. Detection of strains of Phomopsis exhibiting species preference in lupins, M. Shankar, 1Co-operative Research Centre for Legumes in Mediterranean Agriculture and M.W. Sweetingham, Agriculture Western Australia 15. Potential alternate host for the lupin anthracnose pathogen, Geoff Thomasa, Hu’aan Yangb, Mark Sweetinghamab and Ming Pei Youa, aAgriculture Western Australia, bCooperative Research Centre for Legumes in Mediterranean Agriculture WEEDS 16. Wild radish – the implications for our rotations, Dr David Bowran, Centre for Cropping Systems 17. Competitiveness of wild radish in a wheat – lupin rotation, Abul Hashem, Nerys Wilkins, and Terry Piper, Agriculture Western Australia 18. Population explosion and persistence of wild radish in a wheat-lupin rotation, Abul Hashem, Nerys Wilkins, Aik Cheam and Terry Piper, Agriculture Western Australia 19. Inter-row knockdowns for profitable lupins, Paul Blackwell, Agriculture Western Australia, Miles Obst, Mingenew 20. Is it safe to use 2,4-D Ester 80% pre-sowing when furrow sowing lupins? Andrew Sandison, Elders Ltd QUALITY AND MARKET DEVELOPMENT 21. Lupin protein – what we know, Bill O’Neill, Agriculture Western Australia 22. Foliar N application increases grain protein in lupins, Bob French and Laurie Wahlsten, Agriculture Western Australia 23. Can lupin grain protein be increased with Flexi-N? Cameron Weeks, Erin Hasson, Mingenew-Irwin Group and Luigi Moreschi, CSBP futurefarm 24. Putting a value on lupin use in the aquaculture industry: a fishy business? Brett D. Glencross, Fisheries WA, Fremantle Maritime Centre, Fremantle 25. Selection for thinner seed coats and pod walls in lupins, Jon Clements, Centre for Legumes in Mediterranean Agriculture and Miles Dracup, Agriculture Western Australia 26. Assessing the nutritional benefit of Australian sweet lupin (Lupinus angustifolius) in human foods, Ramon Hall (SPIRT PhD scholar), Stuart Johnson, Madeleine Ball, Deakin University, Melbourne, Sofia Sipsas and David Petterson, Agriculture Western Australi

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for people living with motor neuron disease: an uncontrolled feasibility study

Abstract Background Motor neuron disease (MND) is a fatal, progressive neurodegenerative disease that causes progressive weakening and wasting of limb, bulbar, thoracic and abdominal muscles. Clear evidence-based guidance on how psychological distress should be managed in people living with MND (plwMND) is lacking. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) is a form of psychological therapy that may be particularly suitable for this population. However, to the authors' knowledge, no study to date has evaluated ACT for plwMND. Consequently, the primary aim of this uncontrolled feasibility study was to examine the feasibility and acceptability of ACT for improving the psychological health of plwMND. Methods PlwMND aged ≥ 18 years were recruited from 10 UK MND Care Centres/Clinics. Participants received up to 8 one-to-one ACT sessions, developed specifically for plwMND, plus usual care. Co-primary feasibility and acceptability outcomes were uptake (≥ 80% of the target sample [N = 28] recruited) and initial engagement with the intervention (≥ 70% completing ≥ 2 sessions). Secondary outcomes included measures of quality of life, anxiety, depression, disease-related functioning, health status and psychological flexibility in plwMND and quality of life and burden in caregivers. Outcomes were assessed at baseline and 6 months. Results Both a priori indicators of success were met: 29 plwMND (104%) were recruited and 76% (22/29) attended ≥ 2 sessions. Attrition at 6-months was higher than anticipated (8/29, 28%), but only two dropouts were due to lack of acceptability of the intervention. Acceptability was further supported by good satisfaction with therapy and session attendance. Data were possibly suggestive of small improvements in anxiety and psychological quality of life from baseline to 6 months in plwMND, despite a small but expected deterioration in disease-related functioning and health status. Conclusions There was good evidence of acceptability and feasibility. Limitations included the lack of a control group and small sample size, which complicate interpretation of findings. A fully powered RCT to evaluate the clinical and cost-effectiveness of ACT for plwMND is underway. Trial registration The study was pre-registered with the ISRCTN Registry (ISRCTN12655391)