What Can I Do With a Doctoral Degree in Gerontology? Expanding Your Options

An endless number of career trajectories are possible for gerontologists. With a growing aging population, our skills and areas of expertise are of high value to numerous industries. The purpose of this study is to describe the professional development and career trajectories of alumni of U.S. doctoral gerontology programs obtained through the Gerontology Education Longitudinal Study (GELS). Specifically, the authors examine how professional identification, doctoral program career preparation, and perception of job prospects affect alumni decisions to pursue “traditional” (i.e., academic) versus “nontraditional” (i.e., non-academic) careers. Results from the GELS revealed a fairly even split in the alumni sample of careers in traditional and nontraditional settings. The decision to pursue a traditional versus nontraditional career was not significantly associated with personal identification, doctoral program career preparation, or perception of employment options. These results suggest that the skill set obtained in doctoral gerontology programs is useful and is in demand in a variety of careers; therefore, doctoral programs may want to consider tailoring training to meet students’ future career goals in both academic and non-academic settings.     

Kinetics of Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV) Neutralizing and Virus-Specific Antibodies after Primary Infection with EBV

Prospective studies of antibodies to multiple Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) proteins and EBV neutralizing antibodies in the same individuals before, during, and after primary EBV infection have not been reported. We studied antibody responses to EBV in college students who acquired primary EBV infection during prospective surveillance and correlated the kinetics of antibody response with the severity of disease. Neutralizing antibodies and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) antibodies to gp350, the major target of neutralizing antibody, reached peak levels at medians of 179 and 333 days after the onset of symptoms of infectious mononucleosis, respectively. No clear correlation was found between the severity of the symptoms of infectious mononucleosis and the peak levels of antibody to individual viral proteins or to neutralizing antibody. In summary, we found that titers of neutralizing antibody and antibodies to multiple EBV proteins increase over many months after primary infection with EBV.     

Trends in intraoperative neural monitoring for thyroid and parathyroid surgery amongst otolaryngologists and general surgeons

The role of intraoperative neural monitoring (IONM) in thyroid and parathyroid surgery remains a controversial subject for surgeons regardless of surgical training and background. This study aims to compare usage patterns and motivations behind IONM among otolaryngologist-head and neck surgeons (OTO-HNS) and general surgeons (GS) performing thyroid and parathyroid surgery. The study is a multi-institution survey of 103 otolaryngology and affiliated 103 GS programs in the US. 206 surveys were sent to OTO-HNS and GS academic program directors with a response rate of 44.7 %. Of those who performed thyroid surgery, 80.6 % of OTO-HNS and 48.0 % of GS surgeons reported using IONM. 44.3 % of OTO-HNS and 30.8 % of GS respondents used IONM in all thyroid cases. For thyroid surgery, as surgical volume increased, surgeons were more likely to use IONM more frequently. Fourteen percent (14 %) of the OTO-HNS and 41.7 % of the GS respondents used IONM primarily to locate the RLN. Forty percent (40 %) of the OTO-HNS and 8.3 % of the GS used IONM for medicolegal reasons. The majority of OTO-HNS programs use IONM for thyroid and parathyroid surgery, whereas less than half of GS programs regularly use IONM for these surgeries. Thyroid surgeons, with larger thyroid surgery volume, regardless of discipline, tend to use IONM more. The motivations for using IONM differ significantly between OTO-HNS and general surgeons in that more GS use it for locating the RLN, and more OTO-HNS use it for continuous monitoring of the nerve during resection and for medicolegal purposes.     

Book of the Month—A Report

No valid generalization can be made regarding treatment of cancer of the breast. There is no basis for employing a general policy regarding surgery, irradiation or endocrine therapy; these procedures may be harmful as well as helpful. Each patient should be considered individually and treated according to the biologic behavior of the tumor and the resistance of the host. Until the best method of treatment is established, morbidity should be kept as low as possible.     

Far-field Potentials as a Method of Monitoring Acute and Chronic Spinal Cord Injury

Far-field potentials (FFPs) were studied in monkeys to determine the utility of such responses in evaluating acute and chronic spinal cord injury. Monkeys (Macaca fascicularis) were anesthetized with 70% N₂O 30% O₂, immobilized with pancuronium bromide, and maintained on a respirator. Spinal cord transections were made at level T₃-T₄ and included bilateral dorsal columns or anterolateral columns, right or left hemisection, or central cord lesions. Percutaneous stimulation of both posterior tibial nerves was performed at a frequency of 3 Hz using 3-4 mA for 0.3 msec duration. Potentials were recorded from chronically implanted epidural electrodes (right ear reference) through a 300-3,000 Hz band pass filter. Each far-field potential represents the average of 256 individual responses recorded for a duration of 25 msec before and after cord lesion for up to 8 weeks.

Seven reproducible components in the far-field potential could be identified. Following dorsal column transection all components were reduced in amplitude. After anterolateral column transection only latencies were altered. Right or left hemisections caused both attenuation of component amplitudes and latency alteration. Central cord lesions resulted in no detectable amplitude or latency disturbances. Control records likewise showed no changes. No major alterations, following day 1 posttransection, were observed, attesting to the relative stability of far-field potentials over long periods of time. Far-field potentials therefore may be useful in monitoring spinal cord injury.     

Glycine receptor reduction within segmental gray matter in a rat model of neuropathic pain

Abstract

Glycine is an amino acid neurotransmitter found in the spinal cord and is closely associated with interneurons that modulate afferent activity. We have previously shown that low segmental glycine concentrations or blockade of normal glycinergic activity lowers the threshold for pain thresholds. In addition, intrathecal glycine infusion increases the pain threshold in animal models of neuropathic pain. However, the role of the glycine receptor in neuropathic pain is not clear and is the basis for the current study. Using a unilateral sciatic nerve constriction injury model of neuropathic pain, the strychnine sensitive glycine receptor population was studied using immunohistochemical techniques. Glycine receptors are reduced in number in the dorsal horn bilaterally in injured animals. Glycine and related compounds are potentially valuable agents for treating chronic pain conditions in humans. A better understanding of glycine-receptor interactions should prove valuable as these compounds are studied in greater depth. [Neural Res 1998; 20: 161–168]     

Schizophrenia and the Psychotherapeutic Field

Harry Stack Sullivan, the founder of interpersonal psychoanalysis, was a gay man. His sexuality, far from being an incidental aspect of his life, was integral to his clinical and theoretical innovations. Sullivan was also a path-breaker in dealing with many aspects of gay civil rights that are still at issue today. Sullivan's writings about lust and sexuality have been difficult to understand and relatively ignored. When one decodes Sullivan's neologisms, one can appreciate how he was working toward a radical new formulation of sexuality's place in human living.