fMRI Supports the Sensorimotor Theory of Motor Resonance

The neural mechanisms mediating the activation of the motor system during action observation, also known as motor resonance, are of major interest to the field of motor control. It has been proposed that motor resonance develops in infants through Hebbian plasticity of pathways connecting sensory and motor regions that fire simultaneously during imitation or self movement observation. A fundamental problem when testing this theory in adults is that most experimental paradigms involve actions that have been overpracticed throughout life. Here, we directly tested the sensorimotor theory of motor resonance by creating new visuomotor representations using abstract stimuli (motor symbols) and identifying the neural networks recruited through fMRI. We predicted that the network recruited during action observation and execution would overlap with that recruited during observation of new motor symbols. Our results indicate that a network consisting of premotor and posterior parietal cortex, the supplementary motor area, the inferior frontal gyrus and cerebellum was activated both by new motor symbols and by direct observation of the corresponding action. This tight spatial overlap underscores the importance of sensorimotor learning for motor resonance and further indicates that the physical characteristics of the perceived stimulus are irrelevant to the evoked response in the observer

Psychosocial work factors and burnout : a study of a working general population and patients at a stress rehabilitation clinic

Background The psychosocial work environment affects our health (e.g., sick leave and mortality rates). Research on psychosocial work factors and burnout has focused on specific workplaces or occupations and rarely evaluated in the general population or used longitudinal designs. In Sweden, the diagnosis of exhaustion disorder (closely related to burnout) is a common cause for sick leave. The effects of psychosocial work environments on the process of returning to work has not been studied in this specific patient group. The overall aims of this thesis were to (1) assess the level of burnout in a working general population and investigate the importance of psychosocial work factors and sex on burnout, and (2) study reduction of sick leave and experiences of returning to work in burnout patients, with special attention towards psychosocial work factors. Methods An occupationally active subset (n=1000) of the 2004 Northern Sweden MONICA survey was used in a cross-sectional study. A five-year follow-up of this population was also performed (n=626). Level of burnout was measured using the Shirom Melamed Burnout Questionnaire (SMBQ). Burnout patients were studied for the second thesis aim. A cohort of 117 patients from the REST project was investigated using a baseline questionnaire and sick leave data at two-year follow-up. Grounded Theory was used for an in-depth interview and analysis of 12 employed patients. Results Cross-sectional results from the working general population showed that women have higher levels of burnout than men. In both sexes, work demands, work control, and job insecurity were associated with burnout levels. Among women, education, socioeconomic position, work object, and working hours were also important. Work factors in combination with situational life factors explained about half the difference in burnout level between women and men. Longitudinal results show that burnout levels decrease with age in both sexes, although the changes occur at an earlier age for men. A constant job strain, increased job insecurity, and a worsened economic situation are related to an increase in burnout level. When studying risk factor accumulation, each additional risk factor exposure increases the burnout level. In burnout patients, low work control and use of covert coping towards supervisors and workmates predicts unchanged sick leave levels after a twoyear period. Borderline significance was found between work overcommitment and reduced sick leave. Both personal resources and external support are described as important factors when regaining the ability to work. Perceived validation, insights into the situation and adaptive coping skills increase the chance of regaining the ability to work. External support, particularly from the workplace, is also important. Conclusion There are links between psychosocial work factors and burnout levels in a working general population and sick leave levels in burnout patients. Socioeconomic position and working conditions are important for the level of burnout among working women. In the working population, age differences occur between the sexes; women reduce their burnout levels later in life than men. In the burnout patient population, coping patterns and control at work predict sick leave levels after two years. Both internal resources and external support are important when burnout patients describe the process of regaining the ability to work. The workplace and the work environment are important in preventing working people from becoming burned out and in easeing return to work after sick leave. A person’s coping pattern is also important in reduction of sick leave

Caries treatment in Swedish adults : effectiveness, costs and equity. A 4-year follow-up study of data from the Swedish national dental health register

Planering och styrning av tandvård på nationell nivå bör baseras på utvärderingar av jämlik fördelning, effektivitet och kostnader. Med inrättandet av tandhälsoregistret vid Socialstyrelsen öppnas möjligheter för studier av tandvårdens processer och resultat. Syftet med studien var att utifrån två identifierade kohorter longitudinellt följa och analysera frekvens och kostnader för ny fyllning eller tandkrona på tidigare restaurerad tand (omgörningar) samt relationen mellan förebyggande tandvårdsåtgärder i relation till reparativ och restaurativ tandvård orsakad av karies. Med hjälp av tandhälsoregistret studerades två kohorter omfattande den vuxna befolkningen. En longitudinell modell användes för uppföljning. I den första kohorten följdes 1 878 887 tänder hos 1 088 923 patienter mellan 42 och 48 månader. I den andra kohorten följdes 1 703 147 patienter under en period av mellan 48 och 54 månader. Fördelning av tandvård för olika åldersgrupper visade att kohorterna var representativa för hela patientgruppen. Fördelning av tandvårdsbesök varierade mellan 140 och 160 räknat per 1 000 invånare trots olika geografiska förutsättningar. Resultaten baserade på den första kohorten visar att 76% av tänderna inte fick någon ytterligare åtgärd med fyllning eller tandkrona under uppföljningsperioden, och att för resterande 24% av tänderna fick 77% endast en ny åtgärd. Det förelåg ingen könsskillnad, däremot skillnader på upp till tre intakta tänder mellan olika regioner. Resultat från den andra kohorten visade heller ingen könsskillnad. De genomsnittliga kostnaderna för reparativa åtgärder på grund av karies ökade gradvis i relation till ökade kostnader för förebyggande åtgärder. Vidare var kostnaderna för reparativa åtgärder lägre ju längre tid som följde mellan förebyggande åtgärder. Det nationella tandhälsoregistret utgör en värdefull källa för forskning om tandvård. Longitudinella registerdata för reparationer och preventiva åtgärder kan användas för att studera effektivitet, kostnader och jämlik fördelning av tandvård. Resultaten har en potential för förbättrad styrning av tandvården.At a national level, planning and management of dental services should be based on assessments of equity, effectiveness and costs. In Sweden, data for the adult population are now accessible through The Swedish dental health register, at The National Board of Health and Welfare. This study, on two large cohorts of Swedish adults, is based on longitudinal follow-up data, retrieved from the Swedish dental health register. The aims were twofold:to assess frequencies and costs of fillings and crowns, including subsequent repair; secondly to study the relationship between preventive and restorative dental treatment. The Swedish dental health register provides data on the adult population which offers a new perspective on public health aspects of management of dental care at the national level. A longitudinal, prospective study model was used to follow-up two large cohorts for over four years. In the first cohort, data on 1,088,923 adult patients were analysed with reference to provision of single crowns and fillings over a period of 42 - 48 months. The second cohort comprised 1,703,147 adult patients:the data were analysed with reference to preventive interventions over a period of 48 - 54 months. Frequencies of distribution of dental care by age group showed that the cohorts were representative for the whole patient group. With respect to equity, the average number of dentist appointments per -1,00o inhabitants for all 21 regions of Sweden was 140 to 160, despite major variations in geographic conditions and population densities. With respect to effectiveness, about 76% of the teeth with index interventions required no additional intervention over four consecutive years of follow-up. For the remaining 24% of the teeth 77% had only one additional intervention. When differences of case -mix were taken into account, the costs of repairs to earlier interventions were basically similar, regardless of age-group.There were no gender differences. However, there were pronounced differences, of up to three intact teeth, among patients from different regions of Sweden. Follow-up of effects of caries prevention showed no gender differences. However, costs for reparative interventions increased with higher costs for preventive treatment. Moreover, the longer the interval between preventive interventions, the lower the costs for reparative interventions.The national dental health register is a potentially valuable source of data for dental research. In this study, longitudinal registry data on restorative and preventive treatment were retrieved and analysed, with reference to efficacy, costs and equity. The results have potential application in improving management of public dental health

Enhanced Capacity to Act : Managers' Perspectives When Participating in a Dialogue-Based Workplace Intervention for Employee Return to Work

Purpose: To explore if and how a dialogue-based workplace intervention with a convergence dialogue meeting can support a return to work process from the managers' perspective. Methods: Individual interviews were conducted with 16 managers (10 women and 6 men) who had an employee on sick leave because of stress-induced exhaustion disorder. The manager and employee participated in a dialogue-based workplace intervention with a convergence dialogue meeting that was guided by a healthcare rehabilitation coordinator. The intervention aimed to facilitate dialogue and find concrete solutions to enable return to work. The interviews were analyzed by the Grounded Theory method. Results: A theoretical model was developed with the core category enhancing managerial capacity to act in a complex return to work process,where the managers strengthened their agential capacity in three levels (categories). These levels werebuilding competence, making adjustments, andsharing responsibilitywith the employee. The managers also learned to navigate in multiple systems and by balancing demands, control and support for the employee and themselves. An added value was that the managers began to take preventive measures with other employees. When sick leave was caused only by personal or social issues (not work), workplace actions or interventions were difficult to find. Conclusions: From the managers' perspective, dialogue-based workplace interventions with a convergence dialogue meeting and support from a rehabilitation coordinator can strengthen managerial competence and capacity to act in a complex return to work process.Published online: 31 July 2020</p

A cost minimization analysis of early correction of anterior crossbite-a randomized controlled trial

OBJECTIVE: Economic evaluations provide an important basis for allocation of resources and health services planning. The aim of this study was to evaluate and compare the costs of correcting anterior crossbite with functional shift, using fixed or removable appliances (FA or RA) and to relate the costs to the effects, using cost-minimization analysis. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: Sixty-two patients with anterior crossbite and functional shift were randomized in blocks of 10. Thirty-one patients were randomized to be treated with brackets and arch wire (FA) and 31 with an acrylic plate (RA). Duration of treatment and number and estimated length of appointments and cancellations were registered. Direct costs (premises, staff salaries, material, and laboratory costs) and indirect costs (the accompanying parents' loss of income while absent from work) were calculated and evaluated with reference to successful outcome alone, to successful and unsuccessful outcomes and to re-treatment when required. Societal costs were defined as the sum of direct and indirect costs. INTERVENTIONS: Treatment with FA or RA. RESULTS: There were no significant differences between FA and RA with respect to direct costs for treatment time, but both indirect costs and direct costs for material were significantly lower for FA. The total societal costs were lower for FA than for RA. LIMITATIONS: Costs depend on local factors and should not be directly extrapolated to other locations. CONCLUSION: The analysis disclosed significant economic benefits for FA over RA. Even when only successful outcomes were assessed, treatment with RA was more expensive. TRIAL REGISTRATION: This trial was not registered. PROTOCOL: The protocol was not published before trial commencement

Health economic evaluations in orthodontics : a systematic review

Background: Economic evaluation is assuming increasing importance as an integral component of health services research. Aim: To conduct a systematic review of the literature and assess the evidence from studies presenting orthodontic treatment outcomes and the related costs. Materials/methods: The literature review was conducted in four steps, according to Goodman’s model, in order to identify all studies evaluating economic aspects of orthodontic interventions. The search covered the databases Medline, Cinahl, Cochrane, Embase, Google Scholar, National Health Service Economic Evaluation Database, and SCOPUS, for the period from 1966 to September 2014. The inclusion criteria were as follows: randomized controlled trials or controlled clinical trials comparing at least two different orthodontic interventions, evaluation of both economic and orthodontic outcomes, and study populations of all ages. The quality of each included study was assessed as limited, moderate, or high. The overall evidence was assessed according to the GRADE system (The Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation). Results: The applied terms for searches yielded 1838 studies, of which 989 were excluded as duplicates. Application of the inclusion and exclusion criteria identified 26 eligible studies for which the full-text versions were retrieved and scrutinized. At the final analysis, eight studies remained. Three studies were based on cost-effectiveness analyses and the other five on cost-minimization analysis. Two of the cost-minimization studies included a societal perspective, i.e. the sum of direct and indirect costs. The aims of most of the studies varied widely and of studies comparing equivalent treatment methods, few were of sufficiently high study quality. Thus, the literature to date provides an inadequate evidence base for economic aspects of orthodontic treatment. Conclusion: This systematic review disclosed that few orthodontic studies have presented both economic and clinical outcomes.There is currently insufficient evidence available about the health economics of orthodontic interventions. Further investigation is warranted

Work situation and self-perceived economic situation as predictors of change in burnout - a prospective general population-based cohort study

Background: Sick leave rates due to mental and behavioural disorders have increased in Sweden during the last decades. The aim of this prospective study was to investigate changes in the level of burnout in a working subset of the general population and to identify how such changes relate to changes in work situation and self-perceived economic situation. Methods: A cohort of 1000 persons from a subset of the 2004 northern Sweden MONICA (Multinational Monitoring of Trends and Determinants in Cardiovascular Disease) general population survey was followed over a five-year period (2004-2009). In total, 623 persons (323 women and 300 men) were included in the analysis. Burnout levels were measured at baseline and follow-up using the Shirom Melamed Burnout Questionnaire. Risk factors were assessed at both measuring points. Results: In the whole study cohort, a small (-0.15) but statistically significant reduction in burnout level was found. No differences in change of burnout were found between men and women. Constant strain at work, an increased risk of unemployment, and a perceived worsening of economic situation during the study time period were related to an increased burnout level. An accumulation of these risk factors was associated with increased burnout level. Conclusions: Risk factors in work situation and self-perceived economy are related to changes in burnout level, and special attention should be directed towards persons exposed to multiple risk factors

Work situation and self-perceived economic situation as predictors of change in burnout - a prospective general population-based cohort study

Background: Sick leave rates due to mental and behavioural disorders have increased in Sweden during the last decades. The aim of this prospective study was to investigate changes in the level of burnout in a working subset of the general population and to identify how such changes relate to changes in work situation and self-perceived economic situation. Methods: A cohort of 1000 persons from a subset of the 2004 northern Sweden MONICA (Multinational Monitoring of Trends and Determinants in Cardiovascular Disease) general population survey was followed over a five-year period (2004-2009). In total, 623 persons (323 women and 300 men) were included in the analysis. Burnout levels were measured at baseline and follow-up using the Shirom Melamed Burnout Questionnaire. Risk factors were assessed at both measuring points. Results: In the whole study cohort, a small (-0.15) but statistically significant reduction in burnout level was found. No differences in change of burnout were found between men and women. Constant strain at work, an increased risk of unemployment, and a perceived worsening of economic situation during the study time period were related to an increased burnout level. An accumulation of these risk factors was associated with increased burnout level. Conclusions: Risk factors in work situation and self-perceived economy are related to changes in burnout level, and special attention should be directed towards persons exposed to multiple risk factors

Health economic evaluations in orthodontics: a systematic review

BACKGROUND: Economic evaluation is assuming increasing importance as an integral component of health services research. AIM: To conduct a systematic review of the literature and assess the evidence from studies presenting orthodontic treatment outcomes and the related costs. MATERIALS/METHODS: The literature review was conducted in four steps, according to Goodman’s model, in order to identify all studies evaluating economic aspects of orthodontic interventions. The search covered the databases Medline, Cinahl, Cochrane, Embase, Google Scholar, National Health Service Economic Evaluation Database, and SCOPUS, for the period from 1966 to September 2014. The inclusion criteria were as follows: randomized controlled trials or controlled clinical trials comparing at least two different orthodontic interventions, evaluation of both economic and orthodontic outcomes, and study populations of all ages. The quality of each included study was assessed as limited, moderate, or high. The overall evidence was assessed according to the GRADE system (The Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation). RESULTS: The applied terms for searches yielded 1838 studies, of which 989 were excluded as duplicates. Application of the inclusion and exclusion criteria identified 26 eligible studies for which the full-text versions were retrieved and scrutinized. At the final analysis, eight studies remained. Three studies were based on cost-effectiveness analyses and the other five on cost-minimization analysis. Two of the cost-minimization studies included a societal perspective, i.e. the sum of direct and indirect costs. The aims of most of the studies varied widely and of studies comparing equivalent treatment methods, few were of sufficiently high study quality. Thus, the literature to date provides an inadequate evidence base for economic aspects of orthodontic treatment. CONCLUSION: This systematic review disclosed that few orthodontic studies have presented both economic and clinical outcomes. There is currently insufficient evidence available about the health economics of orthodontic interventions. Further investigation is warranted