Experiences of JCU MBBS graduates in remote northern Australian towns: preliminary findings

Over 65% of all James Cook University (JCU) medical graduates practise outside of major cities (compared to 20% of all Australian clinicians), including 5% who choose to practice in remote northern Australian towns such as Mount Isa, Darwin, and Palm and Thursday Islands. Many remote towns have high proportional Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander populations. Little is known about the challenges and pressures for Australian doctors practising in remote locations; including community expectations around advocacy and leadership roles for graduates from Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander cultures

The Feasibility of School District Reorganization in the Upper Kittas County

The purpose of this study is to determine if there is a need for reorganization in the Upper Kittitas County. If reorganization is deemed necessary, this study will propose a plan by which this reorganization can be carried out

Intellectual, neurocognitive, and academic achievement in abstinent adolescents with cannabis use disorder

The active component of cannabis, delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), has a long half-life and widespread neurocognitive effects. There are inconsistent reports of neurocognitive deficits in adults and adolescents with cannabis use disorders (CUD), particularly after a period of abstinence

Neuropsychological Findings in Pediatric Maltreatment: Relationship of PTSD, Dissociative Symptoms, and Abuse/Neglect Indices to Neurocognitive Outcomes

Maltreated (n=38), maltreated+posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD)(N=60), and control youth (N=104) underwent comprehensive neuropsychological testing. The two maltreated groups performed significantly lower on IQ, Academic Achievement, and nearly all of the neurocognitive Domains than controls. Maltreated+PTSD performed significantly worse than maltreated youth without PTSD on a task in the Visuospatial Domain that assessed higher-order visuoconstructive abilities. No group differences were evident on the Fine-Motor Domain. PTSD diagnosis duration negatively correlated with the Visuospatial, and dissociation negatively correlated with the Attention Domain. Cumulative lifetime maltreatment types experienced negatively correlated with Academic Achievement. Sexual abuse negatively correlated with Language and Memory functions after controlling for other maltreatment types. These data support the adverse effects of maltreatment on neuropsychological functions in youth, and suggest that all child protective services identified youth should be comprehensively examined for the integrity of their neuropsychological functioning and academic skills, regardless of the presence or absence of mental health symptoms

Neuropsychological findings in childhood neglect and their relationships to pediatric PTSD

Although child neglect is the most prevalent form of child maltreatment, the neurocognitive effects of neglect is understudied

Influence of Analysis Technique on Measurement of Diffusion Tensor Imaging Parameters

We compared results from various methods of analysis of diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) data from a single data set consisting of 10 healthy adolescents

The Superior Longitudinal Fasciculus in Typically Developing Children and Adolescents: Diffusion Tensor Imaging and Neuropsychological Correlates

The relationship between superior longitudinal fasciculus microstructural integrity and neuropsychological functions were examined in 49 healthy children (range: 5–17 years) using diffusion tensor imaging. Seven major cognitive domains (intellegience, fine-motor, attention, language, visual-spatial, memory, executive function) were assessed. Data analyses utilized correlational methods. After adjusting for age and gender, fractional anisotropy and axial diffusivity values in the superior longitudinal fasciculus were positively correlated with executive functions of set-shifting; while left superior longitudinal fasciculus fractional anisotropy values correlated with attention and language. Apparent diffusion coefficient values in the left superior longitudinal fasciculus negatively correlated with inhibitory control. In the left arcuate fasciculus, fractional anisotropy correlated with IQ and attention; while radial diffusivity values negatively correlated with IQ, fine-motor skills, and expressive language. Findings from this study provide an examination of the relationship between superior longitudinal fasciculus integrity and children’s neuropsychological abilities that can be useful in monitoring pediatric neurological diseases

Posterior structural brain volumes differ in maltreated youth with and without chronic posttraumatic stress disorder

Abstract Magnetic resonance imaging studies of maltreated children with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) suggest that maltreatment-related PTSD is associated with adverse brain development. Maltreated youth resilient to chronic PTSD were not previously investigated and may elucidate neuromechanisms of the stress diathesis that leads to resilience to chronic PTSD. In this cross-sectional study, anatomical volumetric and corpus callosum diffusion tensor imaging measures were examined using magnetic resonance imaging in maltreated youth with chronic PTSD ( N = 38), without PTSD ( N = 35), and nonmaltreated participants ( n = 59). Groups were sociodemographically similar. Participants underwent assessments for strict inclusion/exclusion criteria and psychopathology. Maltreated youth with PTSD were psychobiologically different from maltreated youth without PTSD and nonmaltreated controls. Maltreated youth with PTSD had smaller posterior cerebral and cerebellar gray matter volumes than did maltreated youth without PTSD and nonmaltreated participants. Cerebral and cerebellar gray matter volumes inversely correlated with PTSD symptoms. Posterior corpus callosum microstructure in pediatric maltreatment-related PTSD differed compared to maltreated youth without PTSD and controls. The group differences remained significant when controlling for psychopathology, numbers of Axis I disorders, and trauma load. Alterations of these posterior brain structures may result from a shared trauma-related mechanism or an inherent vulnerability that mediates the pathway from chronic PTSD to comorbidity