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Biomedical subjects

J E Owen

Publications and source records attributed to J E Owen.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2002

Association of life events and psychological distress in family caregivers of dementia patients.

Relationships between life events and psychological distress were investigated for 197 dementia caregivers and 218 non-caregivers. Participants indicated which events on the Louisville Older Persons Events Scale they had experienced over the past six months. Life events were then classified as associated or unassociated with care-giving using differences in incidence rates between caregivers and non-caregivers. Primary care-giving stressors and associated life events were most predictive of psychological distress among caregivers. Among non-caregivers, unassociated negative life events were the strongest predictors of depression and life satisfaction. Implications for the assessment of life events and caregiver interventions are discussed.

Caregivers↗
PubMed2001

End of life care and reactions to death in African-American and white family caregivers of relatives with Alzheimer's disease.

Family caregivers for relatives with Alzheimer's Disease (AD) often experience significant stress-related problems in mental and physical health. Patients with AD often survive for protracted periods of time, placing an extensive burden of care on the caregiver prior to the patient's death. The present study addresses ethnic differences in the experience of AD caregivers around the time of their loved one's death, including life-sustaining treatment decisions and reactions to death. The results showed that, in our sample, more patients died in their homes than has been reported for deaths in the United States. African-American and White caregivers differed substantially in their reports of end of life care and subjective reactions to the death. Compared with White caregivers, African-American caregivers were less likely to make a decision to withhold treatment at the time of death, less likely to have their relative die in a nursing home, and reported less acceptance of the relative's death and greater perceived loss. Results suggest that death after AD caregiving deserves further study, and that ethnic differences in end of life care and bereavement may be of particular importance.

Black or African American↗
PubMed2001

Latent growth models of the longitudinal effects of dementia caregiving: a comparison of African American and White family caregivers.

Self-report measures of depression, physical health symptoms, and life satisfaction were collected over a 2-year period from 197 family caregivers of dementia patients and 218 noncaregivers (controls). Latent growth models were used to compare changes across time for African American and White caregivers, with gender, age, and socioeconomic status serving as covariates. Results indicated that White caregivers sustained higher levels of elevated depression and decreasing life satisfaction over time compared with African American caregivers. Both groups of caregivers reported increases in physical symptoms over time. These results indicate worsening difficulties over time for many White caregivers. African American caregivers show more resilience on measures of depression and life satisfaction but are still vulnerable to increases in physical symptoms over time. Implications for additional research and clinical intervention are discussed.

Adult↗
PubMed2000

Evaluating the relationship between pain presentation and health-related quality of life in outpatients with metastatic or recurrent neoplastic disease.

Because cancer pain can in many cases be intermittent, the presence or absence of pain in ambulatory care patients on any given clinic visit may not be an accurate characterization of the impact of pain on functioning or health-related quality of life (HRQOL). The purpose of this study was to describe the relationship between temporal aspects of pain presentation and HRQOL among 187 stage III/IV cancer patients using the Brief Pain Inventory and the EORTC QLQ-C30. A total of 43% of patients reported pain the previous week, with 22% reporting no pain at the time of assessment. Differences between three pain groups (No Pain, Past Pain, and Current Pain) were significant for global HRQOL and five dimensions of HRQOL. Severity of pain was also associated with each dimension of HRQOL. This study highlights the complex relationship between pain presentation and HRQOL. The findings support the continuing need for detailed pain assessments among cancer patients treated in ambulatory care settings. Specifically, standardized, self-report measures of cancer pain that include 'frequency' as well as severity may be the most accurate approach to capture the impact of pain on HRQOL.

Adult↗
PubMed2000

Longitudinal course of behavioral problems during Alzheimer's disease: linear versus curvilinear patterns of decline.

BACKGROUND: Patients with Alzheimer's Disease (AD) are commonly assumed to experience a linear decline in behavioral functioning that parallels progressive cognitive decline. However, some researchers have suggested that specific behavioral problems either decline at different rates or improve in late dementia. METHODS: The present analyses examined 150 AD patients at an initial assessment, 61 of whom were also evaluated annually on two additional occasions. Measures of cognitive impairment and behavioral problems were obtained. RESULTS: Cross-sectional results indicated curvilinear associations between dementia severity and certain behavioral problems (forgetful behaviors, and emotional and impulsive behaviors). Longitudinal analyses further indicated trends for curvilinear rates of behavioral disturbance across time, with some problem areas showing improvement as AD progresses through the most severe stages. CONCLUSIONS: Even though Alzheimer's disease is a progressive dementia characterized by increasing cognitive deterioration, it appears to be inaccurate to expect behavioral functioning to show the same linear decline across time.

Aged↗
PubMed1992

Randomized study of peritonitis with conventional versus O-set techniques in continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis.

We performed a prospective randomized trial, comparing the incidence of peritonitis between a flush-disconnect (O-System, Baxter, Deerfield, IL) (OS) and a conventional (System II, Baxter) (CS) continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD) method. Sixty consenting patients with no significant physical disabilities who commenced CAPD after May 1987 were entered and followed for a minimum of 12 months. Thirty were placed on the OS system and 30 were placed on CS. Age, gender, and time for training did not differ significantly. The period of observation for OS was 375 months; CS was observed for 430 months. OS patients experienced 28 episodes of peritonitis (13.4 months/patient/episode) compared with 88 (4.9 months/patient/episode) in CS (p less than 0.005). By 6 months, 32% of OS patients had had at least one episode of peritonitis, compared with 62% of CS patients; at 12 months, these figures rose to 48% for OS and 91% for CS (p less than 0.01) patients (Life Table Analysis). The median survival time to first peritonitis episode was 5.1 months in CS and 9.7 months in OS (p less than 0.01). Exit-site infections occurred in 14/30 (46%) of patients on OS and in 13/30 (43%) of CS patients. We conclude that the OS was associated with a significant reduction in the incidence of peritonitis.

Catheters, Indwelling↗
PubMed1990

The treatment of mesangial IgA nephropathy with cyclophosphamide, dipyridamole and warfarin: a two-year prospective trial.

Of 52 patients with mesangial IgA nephropathy, 25 were allocated to treatment with cyclophosphamide (6 months), and dipyridamole and warfarin (2 years) and 27 to no treatment in a randomized prospective 2-year study. At entry, the treated and untreated groups of patients did not differ in mean serum creatinines, urinary protein excretions, quantitative urinary erythrocyte counts or blood pressure readings. At the end of the trial mean (+/- SEM) serum creatinine values had gone from 0.12 +/- 0.01 to 0.13 +/- 0.01 mmol/l (p less than 0.05) in untreated patients and from 0.10 +/- 0.01 to 0.12 +/- 0.01 mmol/l (p less than 0.05) in treated patients. Mean (+/- SEM) log values of urinary erythrocyte (rbc) counts had not changed significantly from 5.47 +/- 0.09 to 5.21 +/- 0.14 log rbc/ml in untreated patients, from 5.45 +/- 0.11 to 5.49 +/- 0.19 log rbc/ml in treated patients. However, in treated patients, mean (+/- SEM) urinary protein excretions decreased from 1.67 +/- 0.35 to 1.15 +/- 0.31 g/24 h (p less than 0.01) whereas in untreated patients urinary protein was unchanged between initial values of 1.76 +/- 0.34 and follow-up at 1.89 +/- 0.45 g/24 h. No significant changes in blood pressure occurred in either group. This study supports the observation that treatment of IgA nephropathy with cyclophosphamide, dipyridamole and warfarin is associated with a reduction of urinary protein excretion but a significant effect on preservation of renal function, at least as determined by serum creatinine values, could not be confirmed over this two-year study.

Adult↗
PubMed1988

Oral and transcutaneous pharmacologic agents in the treatment of impotence.

The pharmacologic treatment of erectile failure is now a reality. However, current agents have major drawbacks. Some require invasive administration, whereas others offer only marginal effect. The use of hormones should be limited to well-documented cases of endocrine dysfunction. Oral and transcutaneous agents remain experimental, but new drugs are under investigation and show early encouraging results.

Administration, Cutaneous↗
PubMed1985

Clinical and morphological aspects of the management of crescentic anti-glomerular basement membrane antibody (anti-GBM) nephritis/Goodpasture's syndrome.

Twenty-two patients with crescentic anti-GBM nephritis or Goodpasture's syndrome with renal impairment were reviewed. All patients were treated with a combination of plasma exchange and immunosuppression. Sixteen patients (73 per cent) showed improvement in renal function (greater than 30 per cent reduction in serum creatinine level) apparently in response to treatment, and nine patients (41 per cent) made long-term recoveries in renal function. The most important features carrying a bad prognosis were total anuria, and/or a very high percentage of glomeruli showing crescents (greater than 85 per cent) in the initial renal biopsy. Some patients with other so-called 'bad' prognostic features, including severely impaired renal function at presentation, oliguria and the need to institute dialysis had unexpected marked improvement in renal function and/or recovered renal function in the long term provided treatment with plasma exchange was begun promptly and maintained for a sufficient period to allow resolution of the disease process. Renal biopsies at the beginning and later proved to be an extremely valuable guide for the progress and outcome of the disease.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1983

Protein composition of urinary casts from healthy subjects and patients with glomerulonephritis.

Urinary casts from 46 healthy volunteers and 60 patients with glomerulonephritis were examined for the presence of Tamm-Horsfall glycoprotein and other proteins. All samples gave immunofluorescence evidence of Tamm-Horsfall protein in casts. Casts from 59 of the patients but only three of the controls contained other proteins in addition (p less than 0.001). Immunoglobulins (IgG, IgM, IgA) were detected in casts from 53 of the patients but none of the healthy volunteers. Examination of urinary casts for immunoglobulins, complement, and fibrin provides a non-invasive method for distinguishing patients with active glomerular disease.

Complement Activating Enzymes↗
PubMed1983

Nucleotide sequence of the lysozyme gene of bacteriophage T4. Analysis of mutations involving repeated sequences.

The nucleotide sequence of the lysozyme (e) gene of bacteriophage T4 and approximately 130 additional nucleotides on each side has been determined. The 5'-end of the gene for internal protein III appears to be located about 70 base-pairs from the 3'-end of the lysozyme gene. Nucleotide sequence analysis of mutant e genes confirmed that three identified hotspots of frameshift mutations are runs of five A nucleotides in the wild-type gene. The endpoints of two deletions are direct repeats of eight base-pairs in the wild-type gene. Two frameshift mutations with high reversion frequencies are duplications of five or seven base-pairs. The cloning and nucleotide sequence determination of the lysozyme gene will facilitate further study of the molecular biology of T4 lysozyme.

Base Sequence↗
PubMed1982

Urinary red-cell morphology during exercise.

Midstream urine samples were examined by phase-contrast microscopy before and immediately after 48 subjects participated in a long-distance run. Minor abnormalities were found in six samples before exercise. Eighteen subjects developed proteinuria and five haematuria on dipstick testing after exercise. Forty-four subjects had increased urinary red-cell counts after exercise; of these, 33 had counts above the normal range (800/ml). In all subjects urinary red cells were dysmorphic both before and after exercise, indicating a glomerular source. Ten subjects developed red-cell casts and 42 showed an increase in hyaline and hyaline-granular casts after exercise. There were modest increases in urinary white-cell counts in 35 subjects but little change in urine pH or osmolality with exercise. This study confirms that urinary red-cell counts commonly increase appreciably after exercise. The dysmorphic appearance of the red cells together with the presence of red-cell casts indicates a glomerular source for this common form of exercise haematuria.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1982

Cadmium telluride detectors in the external measurement of glomerular filtration rate using 99mTc-DTPA (Sn): comparison with 51Cr-EDTA and 99mTc-DTPA (Sn) plasma sample methods.

GFR was determined in 16 patients using an external detector to monitor disappearance of a single injected dose of 99mTc-DTPA (Sn) simultaneously with determinations of GFR using plasma sample methods for 99mTc-DTPA (Sn) and 51Cr-EDTA. Values of GFR were correlated closely between the external determinations of GFR and the plasma sample methods of 51Cr-EDTA and 99mTc-DTPA (Sn) with correlation coefficients of 0.97 and 0.99, respectively. Although the external detector method is apparently accurate, its advantages are as yet insufficient to warrant its adoption as the method of choice for determination of GFR.

Cadmium↗