Measuring the social interactions of people with traumatic brain injury and their communication partners: The adapted Kagan scales

Background: Considerable attention has been given to the nature of communication impairments of individuals with TBI (Coelho, 2007 Coelho, C. A. 2007. Management of discourse deficits following traumatic brain injury: Progress, caveats, and needs. Seminars in Speech & Language, 28(2): 122–135.  [Google Scholar]; Ylvisaker, Turkstra, & Coelho, 2005 Ylvisaker, M., Turkstra, L. S. and Coelho, C. 2005. Behavioral and social interventions for individuals with traumatic brain injury: A summary of the research with clinical implications. Seminars in Speech & Language, 26: 256–267. [Crossref], [PubMed] , [Google Scholar]). However, there have been few data focusing on the way communication partners deal with the often distressing sequelae of TBI.

Aims: This study reports inter- and intra-rater reliability of the Adapted Measure of Support in Conversation (MSC) and Measure of Participation in Conversation (MPC) for TBI interactions.

Method & Procedures: The MSC and MPC were adapted to reflect theoretical models of cognitive-communication support for people with TBI. A total of 10 casual and 10 purposeful TBI interactions were independently rated by two raters to establish inter-rater reliability and by one rater on two separate occasions to determine intra-rater reliability.

Outcomes & Results: Excellent inter-rater agreement was established on the MSC (ICC?=?0.85–0.97) and the MPC (ICC?=?0.84–0.89). Intra-rater agreement was also strong (MSC: ICC?=?0.80–0.90; MPC: ICC?=?0.81–0.92). Over 90% of all ratings scored within 0.5 on a 9-point scale.

Conclusions: This is the first scale to measure the communication partner during TBI interactions. It shows promise in evaluating communication partner training programmes.     

Standard of Care for Neuropsychological Monitoring in Pediatric Neuro‐Oncology: Lessons From the Children's Oncology Group (COG)

As the mortality of pediatric cancers has decreased, focus on neuropsychological morbidities of treatment sequelae have increased. Neuropsychological evaluations are essential diagnostic tools that assess cognitive functioning and neurobiological integrity. These tests provide vital information to support ongoing medical care, documenting cognitive morbidity and response to interventions. We frame standards for neuropsychological monitoring of pediatric patients with CNS malignancy or who received cancer‐directed therapies involving the CNS and discuss billing for these services in the United States in the context of clinical research. We describe a cost‐effective, efficient model of neuropsychological monitoring that may increases access to neuropsychological care. Pediatr Blood Cancer © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Utility of bilateral acoustic hearing in combination with electrical stimulation provided by the cochlear implant

Abstract

Objective: The aim of the study was to quantify the benefit provided by having access to amplified acoustic hearing in the implanted ear for use in combination with contralateral acoustic hearing and the electrical stimulation provided by the cochlear implant. Design: Measures of spatial and non-spatial hearing abilities were obtained to compare performance obtained with different configurations of acoustic hearing in combination with electrical stimulation. In the combined listening condition participants had access to bilateral acoustic hearing whereas the bimodal condition used acoustic hearing contralateral to the implanted ear only. Experience was provided with each of the listening conditions using a repeated-measures A-B-B-A experimental design. Study sample: Sixteen post-linguistically hearing-impaired adults participated in the study. Results: Group mean benefit was obtained with use of the combined mode on measures of speech recognition in coincident speech in noise, localization ability, subjective ratings of real-world benefit, and musical sound quality ratings. Conclusions: Access to bilateral acoustic hearing after cochlear implantation provides significant benefit on a range of functional measures.     

Verfügbarkeit,Performanz und Funktionalität telemetrisch übertragener Daten im Rettungsdienst

Background

Treatment of acute coronary syndrome and stroke in a prehospital setting benefits from telemedical procedures. This study investigates the availability and performance of telemedical data transfer and audiocommunication of different providers in an urban ambulance service using a commercial system.

Materials and methods

After approval of the local ethic committee, the monitor and defibrillation units of two emergency vehicles were equipped with subscriber identity module (SIM) cards from different providers. After initiation by a mobile call, data transmission of static (12-lead ECG) and dynamic (live vital) data from 120 ambulance calls where sent to a physician-staffed call center. The quality of data transfer and functionality were rated using a standardised (5-point scale) questionnaire.

Results

Of 120 trouble-free mobile call data transfers initiated, 117 were included. Transmission of the live vital data were significantly different (p = 0.0327) in quality of live vital data transmission between Telekom (median 2.0; range 1–4, 1 = no technical interference and 4 = teleconsultation impossible [5 = no documentation]) and Vodafone 2.5. Overall, the quality of the live data transmission was acceptable in 83?% of the cases. For the 12-lead ECG, data transmission was possible in 89?% (n = 32, Telekom) and 88?% (n = 36, Vodafone) of all transmissions.

Conclusion

The performance of static and dynamic telemedical data transmission in an urban area were significantly different for the two providers. Data transmission for telemedical use was possible in slightly less than 90?% of cases. Against the background that telemedical applications are being increasingly used, technical requirements to ensure availability and functionality in terms of patients safety are necessary.

     

Evaluation of a P,N‐ligated iridium(I) catalyst in hydrogen isotope exchange reactions of aryl and heteroaryl compounds

We have developed a novel and efficient iridium‐catalyzed hydrogen isotope exchange reaction method with secondary and tertiary sulfonamides at ambient temperatures. Furthermore N‐oxides and phosphonamides have been successfully applied in hydrogen isotope exchange reactions with moderate to excellent deuterium introduction.     

An Examination of Gender Differences in the Association of Adolescent Substance use with Eating and Weight Loss Attitudes

Objective: To assess gender differences in the relationship between eating and weight loss attitudes (EWAs), and 30-day tobacco and alcohol use among adolescents, while controlling for potential confounds (age, country of birth, psychological distress, pubertal development, peer alcohol and tobacco use, and sexual activity). Methods: School students aged between 11 and 17 years (N = 10,273) from high schools in the State of Victoria (Australia) completed surveys in class under conditions of anonymity and confidentiality. Results: The interaction between EWAs and gender was significant for tobacco use but not for alcohol use, indicating that the effect of EWAs on tobacco use, but not alcohol use, vary by gender. Conclusions: Tobacco use was related to EWAs in adolescent females but not males, and this is consistent with the possibility that females use tobacco in an instrumental fashion to control weight. Implications and Contribution: Female adolescents high in eating and weight loss attitudes were more likely to engage in tobacco use. In contrast, eating and weight loss attitudes were not related to male tobacco use. These results point to the potential importance of developing gender-specific approaches towards addressing problematic behaviors in adolescent populations.     

A Mixed-Methods Evaluation of a Community-Based Behavior Change Program to Improve Maternal Health Outcomes in the Upper West Region of Ghana

Background: The Community Benefits Health (CBH) program introduced a community-based behavior change intervention to address social norms and cultural practices influencing maternal health and breastfeeding behaviors in rural Ghana. The purpose of this study was to determine if CBH influenced maternal health outcomes by stimulating community-level support in woman’s social networks.

Methods: A mixed-methods study was conducted to evaluate changes in six antenatal/postpartum care, birth attendance, and breastfeeding behaviors in response to the CBH intervention and to assess how the program was implemented and to what extent conditions during implementation influenced the results.

Results: We found increases in five of the six outcomes in both the intervention and control areas. Qualitative findings indicated that this may have resulted from program spillover. We considered the dose of exposure to program activities and found that women were significantly more likely to practice maternal health behaviors with increased exposure to program activities while controlling for study area and time.

Conclusions: Overall, we determined that exposure to the CBH program significantly improved uptake of three of the six study outcomes, indicating that efforts aimed at increasing communication across women and their social networks may lead to improved health outcomes.