The Effects of Eutrophication on Jellyfish Populations in New Jersey Waterways

How this issue in the Mississippi River delta can be used to predict the effects of eutrophication in New Jersey’s waterwaysFall 2011Accompanied by video fil

Comparison of self-reported cognitive difficulties in a national sample of long-term cancer survivors and cancer-naive controls

BACKGROUND: Evidence that long-term cancer survivors (LTCS) experience greater cognitive dysfunction than individuals without cancer is mixed. This analysis of a population-based sample of United States residents compares self-reported cognitive difficulties in LTCS and cancer naive controls (CNC), controlling for psychiatric disorders. METHODS: National Comorbidity Survey-Replication (NCS-R) interviews were conducted in a nationally-representative sample of 9282 people, of whom 5692 were assessed for cancer history. Long-term survivors of adult cancers were defined as individuals who were at least 18 years old at time of diagnosis; greater than 5 years following diagnosis; and with cancer reportedly in remission or cured. Cognitive dysfunction queries included two screening questions and five items drawn than the World Health Organization (WHO) Disability Assessment Schedule 2.0. Psychiatric disorders were identified using the WHO\u27s Composite International Diagnostic Interview. Odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals were obtained from multivariable logistic regression models fit to evaluate the relationship between cancer status (LTCS versus CNC) and cognitive symptoms. RESULTS: Of NCS-R participants, 225 met criteria for LTCS and 3953 for CNC. Long-term cancer survivors and CNC screened positive for cognitive symptoms at a rate of 19.5% and 20.8%, respectively, for the first screen and 16.0% and 16.4%, respectively, for the second. Adjusting for demographic and psychiatric variables, LTCS did not carry increased odds of experiencing cognitive symptoms [(OR) 1.00 (95% CI, .59 to 1.68); (OR) .95 (95 %CI, .57 to 1.59)]. CONCLUSIONS: Self-reported cognitive symptoms are common among LTCS and CNC. LTCS do not report cognitive symptoms with greater frequency

Exploring the Relationship Between Fear of Cancer Recurrence and Sleep Quality in Cancer Survivors

Fear of cancer recurrence (FCR) and sleep disturbance are identified as top psychosocial concerns in cancer survivorship, yet few studies have explored the association between these two factors. Using data from a study of 67 cancer survivors, hierarchical logistic regression models examined the relationships between socio-demographic characteristics, FCR, and sleep disturbance. More than half of survivors reported poor sleep quality; those with some college education and those with higher levels of FCR were at greater risk for poor sleep. These findings provide formative data for oncology social workers to implement interventions that target FCR as a strategy for improving sleep

Individualized Piano Instruction for Improving Cognition in Breast Cancer Survivors

To evaluate the use of individualized piano instruction (IPI) for improving cognition among breast cancer survivors. Six participants were included in an eight-week piano program with three data collection time points at baseline, midpoint, and postintervention. Participants were recruited from the breast cancer clinic of a university cancer center in South Florida. Neurocognitive, psychosocial, and self-report assessments were conducted to determine potential benefits and program feasibility, including the NIH Toolbox® Cognition Battery, the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy (FACT)-Cognitive Function, the FACT-Breast, the Patient Health Questionnaire-9, the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7, and a participant questionnaire. Results related to potential benefits suggest that IPI may significantly improve overall cognition in breast cancer survivors, with fluid cognition showing improvement. In addition, IPI may improve quality of life and self-reported measures of depression and anxiety, with large to moderate effect sizes, respectively. Nurses should explore different treatment options for chemotherapy-related cognitive impairment and consider including IPI in survivorship care plans

A Descriptive Study of Psychiatric Consultations in a Community Primary Care Center

Background: This retrospective chart review study describes on-site psychiatric consultations at a large, urban community primary care center. The referral population, diagnostic reliability of primary care providers (PCPs) and social workers, appropriateness of PCP-initiated treatment, impact of treatment recommendations, and outcomes are examined. Method: Charts of all patients who received psychiatric consultations (N = 78) during an 8-month period (August 1996 to April 1997) were reviewed. Results: Prereferral diagnoses by PCPs matched the psychiatrist's diagnosis based on DSM-IV diagnostic criteria approximately half the time. PCPs initiated psychopharmacology in half the referrals (39/78) and used generally appropriate medications (30/39) based on diagnosis by a psychiatrist, but at subtherapeutic doses (21/39). PCPs tended to continue medications recommended by the psychiatrist. At 1 year, PCPs clearly documented improvement in nearly a third of the consults (24/78). Conclusion: Diagnostic disagreement of caregivers, inadequate PCP psychopharmacology practices, and patient nonadherence are 3 main problems that impede optimal care within the model of psychiatric consultation described in this study