Influences of Patient Sociodemographics on Cancer Information Received Through the First 9 Months of Treatment

This study evaluates the amount and change of information cancer patients report receiving related to disease, diagnostic tests, treatments, physical care, and psychosocial resources over 9 months of treatment. Information received by newly diagnosed, stages II–IV cancer patients receiving treatment (N?=?139) at baseline, 4, and 9 months is examined through a two-stage latent growth model. Each information-received category was modeled with latent variables of intercept and slope. Random intercept and slope factors are then regressed on multiple sociodemographic covariates. The mean amount of information received does not change over time, but significant inter-individual variability was observed. Age (younger) and marital status (married) are significantly associated with a higher total amount of information received while education (less) and race (African-American) are significantly associated with slower declines of information received over time. While the mean amount of information cancer patients receive is relatively constant over the course of treatment for the first 9 months, the level and rate of information received is somewhat varied based on patient characteristics. Healthcare professionals need to be aware of the varying amounts of information received by patients and ensure that the amount is consistent with the patient’s individual needs.     

Psychological dysregulation during adolescence mediates the association of parent-child attachment in childhood and substance use disorder in adulthood

Objective: This prospective study tested the hypothesis that psychological dysregulation in mid-adolescence (age 16) mediates the association between parent-child attachment in late childhood (age 10–12) and development of substance use disorder (SUD) in adulthood (age 22). Method: The Youth Attachment to Parents Scale (YAPS) was developed in 10–12-year-old boys and girls (N?=?694) at baseline residing in western Pennsylvania. Psychological dysregulation was measured by the neurobehavior disinhibition trait. Substance use was assessed at ages 10–12, 12–14, 16 and 19. SUD was diagnosed at age 22 using the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM Disorders. The mediation of parent-child attachment and SUD by neurobehavior disinhibition was tested separately for mothers and fathers while controlling for baseline substance use. Results: Psychological dysregulation mediates the association between attachment to mothers and SUD, and partially mediates the association between attachment to fathers and SUD. Significant mediation effects remains after controlling for baseline substance use. Conclusion: Optimal prevention of SUD should include ameliorating both psychological dysregulation predisposing to SUD and quality of the parent-child relationship.     

Another evidence for pressure transfer mechanism in incomplete partition two anomaly via enlarged vestibular aqueduct

A female patient with unilateral enlarged vestibular aqueduct (EVA) demonstrated scala vestibuli dilatation on that side while on the contralateral side both vestibular aqueduct and scala vestibuli were normal. This important radiological finding demonstrates that modiolar defects (hence ‘cystic apex’) observed in Incomplete partition-II is due to pressure transfer via EVA during embryological development. Therefore, it supports the previous histopathological ideas radiologically. Depending on the patency of EVA, variety of modiolar defects may arise.     

Does stress mediate the development of substance use disorders among youth transitioning to young adulthood?

Background: Stress is a well-documented factor in the development of addiction. However, no longitudinal studies to date have assessed the role of stress in mediating the development of substance use disorders (SUD). Our previous results have demonstrated that a measure called Transmissible Liability Index (TLI) assessed during pre-adolescent years serves as a significant predictor of risk for substance use disorder among young adults. However, it remains unclear whether life stress mediates the relationship between TLI and SUD, or whether stress predicts SUD. Methods: We conducted a longitudinal study involving 191 male subjects to assess whether life stress mediates the relationship between TLI as assessed at age 10–12 and subsequent development of SUD at age 22, after controlling for other relevant factors. Results: Logistic regression demonstrated that the development of SUD at age 22 was associated with stress at age 19. A path analysis demonstrated that stress at age 19 significantly predicted SUD at age 22. However, stress did not mediate the relationship between the TLI assessed at age 10–12 and SUD in young adulthood. Conclusions and scientific significance: These findings confirm that stress plays a role in the development of SUD, but also shows that stress does not mediate the development of SUD. Further studies are warranted to clarify the role of stress in the etiology of SUD.