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Biomedical subjects

David Watson

Publications and source records attributed to David Watson.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources
PubMed2003

Measuring fatigue severity in primary care patients.

OBJECTIVE: We developed a new instrument to measure fatigue that synthesized information from existing instruments. METHODS: 35 candidate items and 4 formats for a new fatigue scale were obtained from 15 previously developed instruments. A new scale was developed using factor analysis on a data set of 409 primary care patients and validated on a sample of 816 additional subjects. RESULTS: Different formats for obtaining information about a given fatigue item gave similar results. The new 11 item scale contained four subscales: cognitive, fatigue, energy and productivity. Correlations between the four subscales ranged from.49 to.66. Patients with a higher fatigue score were much more likely to have lower health status, greater depression and more somatic symptoms. CONCLUSION: This new instrument may be useful in primary care and epidemiological studies to screen and monitor patients for fatigue severity and type.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2003

Further investigation of the obsessive-compulsive inventory: psychometric analysis in two non-clinical samples.

The obsessive-compulsive inventory [OCI; Psychol. Assessment 10 (1998) 206-214] is a self-report measure of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) intended for use with both clinical and non-clinical samples (). Two reports support its convergence with established measures of OCD and its assessment of specific symptom subtypes (e.g., checking and washing). The current studies investigate the OCI factor structure in two non-clinical samples. Based on correlational analyses and complementary factor analyses, Study 1 results indicate that five subscales, rather than the seven rationally derived ones, best capture the structure of symptoms measured by the OCI. These findings were replicated in Study 2. Based on these analyses, we offer suggestions for revising the original subscales into these five empirically derived subscales that closely resemble structures proposed in the current OCD literature.

Adult↗
PubMed2003

Investigating the construct validity of the dissociative taxon: stability analyses of normal and pathological dissociation.

Research has suggested the existence of a pathological dissociative taxon. However, relatively little is known about this taxon. This study examined the 2-month retest stability of this taxon--together with other measures of dissociation and the Big Five--in a sample of 465 undergraduates. Contrary to expectation, taxon scores were only modestly stable and were substantially less stable than the other measures, including continuous indicators of dissociation. Furthermore, most individuals who were identified as taxon members at one assessment were classified as nonmembers at the other. These results challenge the existence of a pathological dissociative taxon. More generally, these data demonstrate that statistically identified taxa need to be explicated through the normal process of construct validation.

Adult↗
PubMed2003

Efficacy and safety of darbepoetin alfa in anaemic patients with lymphoproliferative malignancies: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study.

This phase 3, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study was designed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of darbepoetin alfa in anaemic patients with lymphoproliferative malignancies. Patients (n = 344) with lymphoma or myeloma received darbepoetin alfa 2.25 microg/kg or placebo s.c., once weekly for 12 weeks. The percentage of patients achieving a haemoglobin response was significantly higher in the darbepoetin alfa group (60%) than in the placebo group (18%) (P < 0.001), regardless of baseline endogenous erythropoietin level. However, increased responsiveness was observed in patients with lower baseline erythropoietin levels. Darbepoetin alfa also resulted in higher mean changes in haemoglobin than placebo from baseline to the last value during the treatment phase (1.80 g/dl vs 0.19 g/dl) and after 12 weeks of treatment (2.66 g/dl vs 0.69 g/dl). A significantly lower percentage of patients in the darbepoetin alfa group received red blood cell transfusions than in the placebo group (P < 0.001). The efficacy of darbepoetin alfa was consistent for patients with lymphoma or myeloma. Improvements in quality of life were also observed with darbepoetin alfa. The overall safety profile of darbepoetin alfa was consistent with that expected for this patient population. Darbepoetin alfa significantly increased haemoglobin and reduced red blood cell transfusions in patients with lymphoproliferative malignancies receiving chemotherapy.

Aged↗
PubMed2002

Towards more chemically robust polymer-supported chiral catalysts for the reactions of aldehydes with dialkylzincs.

N-Methyl-alpha,alpha-diphenyl-L-prolinol derivatives with para-bromo substituents in one or both of the phenyl rings are easily bound to crosslinked polystyrene beads containing phenylboronic acid residues using Suzuki reactions. When the products were used as catalysts for the reactions of aldehydes with diethylzinc in toluene at 20 degrees C, the alcohols were produced in chemical yields >90% and with ees of upto 94%. The better of the two supported catalysts gave ees only 0-9% lower than those obtained with the corresponding soluble catalyst. One of the supported catalysts was recycled successfully nine times.

Alcohols↗
PubMed2002

Antenatal supplementation of antioxidant vitamins to reduce the oxidative stress at delivery--a pilot study.

BACKGROUND: Preterm infants are at increased risk of oxidative stress and free-radical mediated diseases partly related to deficient antioxidant state. The purpose of this study was to investigate if maternal supplementation of antioxidant vitamins prior to delivery would reduce the oxidative stress in the mothers and their infants. STUDY DESIGN: A pilot case-control study. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Five mothers at risk of preterm delivery between 30 and 36 weeks were given a daily oral dose of betacarotene 20 mg, vitamin E 167.8 mg and vitamin C 1000 mg until delivery. Plasma levels of MDA and vitamins A, E and beta-carotene were measured prior to treatment in mothers and at delivery in both mothers and neonates. Seven mother-infant pairs comparable in gestation and birthweight acted as controls. RESULTS: In the supplemented group, median maternal plasma MDA at delivery was significantly lower compared to the pretreatment level (1.9 vs. 3.2 micromol/l, p=0.04) and it was also lower than the control group (1.9 vs. 3.65 micromol/l, p<0.001). In the supplemented group, median maternal plasma vitamin E at delivery was significantly higher than the levels prior to treatment (46 vs. 31 micromol/l, p=0.007) in the same group and those at delivery in the control group (46 vs. 30 micromol/l, p=0.03). There was a trend of lower plasma MDA and higher vitamin E at birth in infants born to supplemented mothers, but it did not reach statistical significance. CONCLUSION: A short supplementation of multiple antioxidant vitamins to a small sample of preterm pregnant women reduced the oxidative stress at delivery in mothers and probably in their neonates. Larger studies probably using larger doses are needed to evaluate the efficacy of this strategy.

Administration, Oral↗
PubMed2002

Confirmatory factor analyses of posttraumatic stress symptoms in deployed and nondeployed veterans of the Gulf War.

Confirmatory factor analysis was used to compare 6 models of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms, ranging from 1 to 4 factors, in a sample of 3,695 deployed Gulf War veterans (N = 1,896) and nondeployed controls (N = 1,799). The 4 correlated factors-intrusions, avoidance, hyperarousal, and dysphoria-provided the best fit. The dysphoria factor combined traditional markers of numbing and hyperarousal. Model superiority was cross-validated in multiple subsamples, including a subset of deployed participants who were exposed to traumatic combat stressors. Moreover, convergent and discriminant validity correlations suggested that intrusions may be relatively specific to PTSD, whereas dysphoria may represent a nonspecific component of many disorders. Results are discussed in the context of hierarchical models of anxiety and depression.

Adult↗
PubMed2002

Randomized, dose-finding study of darbepoetin alfa in anaemic patients with lymphoproliferative malignancies.

Darbepoetin alfa is a novel erythropoiesis-stimulating protein with a prolonged serum half-life. This randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, dose-finding study investigated the efficacy and safety of darbepoetin alfa in anaemic patients with lymphoproliferative malignancies who were receiving chemotherapy. Patients were randomized in a 1:2:2:1 ratio to receive darbepoetin alfa 1.0 microg/kg (n = 11), 2.25 microg/kg (n = 22), 4.5 microg/kg (n = 22) or placebo (n = 11), administered subcutaneously once weekly for 12 weeks. No dose increases were allowed during the study. A higher proportion of patients achieved a haemoglobin response (defined as a >/= 2.0 g/dl increase from baseline) in the darbepoetin alfa 1.0 microg/kg (45%), 2.25 microg/kg (55%) and 4.5 microg/kg (62%) groups than in the placebo group (10%; P < 0.01). The mean change in haemoglobin from baseline to week 13 was 1.56 g/dl in the 1.0 microg/kg group, 1.64 g/dl in the 2.25 microg/kg group and 2.46 g/dl in the 4.5 microg/kg group, compared with a mean change of 1.00 g/dl in the placebo group. The overall safety profile of darbepoetin alfa in this study was similar to that of placebo. These results show that darbepoetin alfa effectively and safely increased haemoglobin concentrations in patients with lymphoproliferative malignancies. Confirmative studies at doses of 2.25 and/or 4.5 microg/kg/week in this population are warranted.

Adult↗
PubMed2002

The fetal tele-ultrasound project in Queensland.

The need for access to tertiary centre experts for those living in rural and remote areas of Queensland is well recognised. With an estimated population of 3.3 million people of whom 55% live outside the capital city, Queensland is ideally suited to telemedicine, as it provides a potential opportunity to improve access to specialist care. Congenital fetal abnormalities are the major causes of perinatal morbidity and mortality. With only two Maternal Fetal Medicine Specialists in Queensland located in a major teaching hospital in Brisbane, the opportunity to use videoconferencing technology to develop a tertiary level tele-ultrasound service presented a challenge--that is, to find a technical and clinical solution to enable such a service. We report on some of our practical experiences and difficulties in establishing such a service.

Congenital Abnormalities↗
PubMed2002

General and specific traits of personality and their relation to sleep and academic performance.

Few studies have examined the links between personality variables and sleep and their combined effect on specific real-world outcomes. Participants in this study completed numerous personality, sleep, and performance measures; we examined the associations among these measures. Personality was assessed using the Five-Factor Model. The personality trait of Conscientiousness (especially its facet of Achievement Striving) was a substantial predictor of academic performance. Analyses of the sleep variables revealed three distinct constructs: quantity, quality, and schedule. Sleep quantity showed few interesting correlates. In contrast, sleep quality was associated with greater well-being and improved psychological functioning, whereas sleep schedule (i.e., average rising and retiring times) was significantly related to Conscientiousness, such that conscientious individuals maintain earlier schedules.

Achievement↗
PubMed2002

Psychiatric patient- and informant-reported personality: predicting concurrent and future behavior.

The authors investigated the criterion and incremental validity of personality reports from psychiatric patients and knowledgeable informants in predicting patient substance use, social and risky behaviors, and psychological distress. Patient and informant reports of patient personality and behavior were collected from an adult psychiatric sample (N = 94). Hierarchical regressions indicated that patient reports of personality accounted for significant variance in both concurrent (17%-42%) and future behavior assessed 1 year later (17%-40%). Informant reports contributed significantly to the prediction of several behaviors and most strongly to social behaviors. Behaviors were predicted equally well by self-reports and informant reports in prospective as in concurrent regressions. Thus, both patient and informant reports of personality contribute importantly to prediction of behavior, and predictive ability is stable across time.

Adult↗
PubMed2002

Global self-esteem in relation to structural models of personality and affectivity.

Three studies examined global self-esteem in relation to structural models of personality and affectivity. In every study, self-esteem was strongly negatively correlated with Neuroticism/Negative Affectivity and moderately to strongly related to Extraversion/Positive Affectivity. Additional findings, however, revealed that self-esteem is better viewed at the lower order level. For instance, global self-esteem correlated -.79 with the Depression facet of the Revised NEO Personality Inventory (P. T. Costa, Jr., & R. R. McCrae, 1992) in Study 3. Moreover, confirmatory factor analyses produced very strong correlations between self-esteem and depression in both Study 2 (r = -.82) and Study 3 (r = -.86). Taken together, the data suggest that global self-esteem measures define one end of a bipolar continuum, with trait indicators of depression defining the other.

Adult↗
PubMed2002

On the temporal stability of personality: evidence for differential stability and the role of life experiences.

The authors investigated the stability of personality and trait affect in young adults. In Studies 1 and 2, young adults were retested on a Big Five personality measure and a trait affect inventory over a 2.5-year and a 2-month period, respectively. Results from Study 1 point to positive mean-level changes; participants scored higher on Extraversion, Openness, Agreeableness, and Conscientiousness at Time 2. Affectively, participants experienced less negative affect and more positive affect at Time 2. Results from both retests provide clear evidence of differential stability. Affective traits were consistently less stable than the Big Five. Other analyses suggest that life events influence the stability of affective traits more than the Big Five.

Adult↗
PubMed1982

Neurotic tendencies among chronic pain patients: an MMPI item analysis.

Previous research has shown chronic pain patients to have elevated scores on the Hypochondriasis (Hs), Depression (D), and Hysteria (Hy) scales of the MMPI. While high scores on these scales are generally considered to reflect neurotic symptomatology and emotional disturbance, their interpretation is more ambiguous within this patient population. Item-level and subscale analyses of these scales and the K scale (a measure of defensiveness) were performed in order to clarify the meaning of these elevated scores. In these analyses a pain group's endorsement of each item was compared with the responses of two control groups, one a general medical patient sample, the other consisting of first year college students. Items showing group endorsement differences of 10% or greater were interpreted as providing significant information about the pain sample. Analysis of the Hs items indicated that a significant portion of the pain group exhibited the vague and diffuse somatic complaining characteristic of hypochondriasis. While the D scale results revealed a considerable amount of depressive symptomatology (such as sleep disturbance, poor self-esteem, apathy, and feelings of unhappiness, anxiety, and dissatisfaction), they did not support the notion that pain patients have the personality characteristics associated with severe depression. Analyses of the Hy and K scales indicated that the pain patients were no more defensive than were either of the control groups, and that their responses did not conform to the classic hysterical pattern.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Emotional inhibition and personality traits: a comparison of women with anorexia, bulimia, and normal controls.

BACKGROUND: Clinical experience has suggested that women with eating disorders (ED) are prone to displace negative feelings about the self onto the body. This study sought to evaluate these clinical observations by examining emotional inhibition and personality traits in women with ED. METHODS: Female inpatients and intensive outpatients diagnosed with anorexia nervosa (N = 14) or bulimia nervosa (N = 11) were compared to women without an ED (N = 31). RESULTS: The results of the study indicate that participants with ED inhibit their expression of both positive and negative emotions, even after controlling for neuroticism. Women with ED also reported higher levels of hostility and neuroticism. In addition, participants with ED were less aware of their inner thoughts and feelings (private self-consciousness) and had a heightened awareness of the thoughts and expectations of others (public self-consciousness). Finally, women with bulimia nervosa reported higher levels of emotional inhibition, neuroticism, public self-consciousness, and hostility when compared to women with anorexia nervosa. CONCLUSIONS: These data suggest that individuals who are not able to identify, and consequently, express their emotions may learn to handle emotional distress, interpersonal conflicts, and unexpressed hostility by turning their expression and lack of insight inward (viz., feeling "fat").

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

The impact of accurate patient assessment on quality of care.

A nurse should be able to undertake and document a comprehensive, systematic and accurate nursing assessment of a patient. A review of the literature demonstrates a clear variation in the levels of assessment. This article examines the evolution of the nursing role and the implementation of assessment tools and looks at the potential for development within the profession.

Clinical Competence↗