Biomedical subjects

Janet Leathem

Publications and source records attributed to Janet Leathem.

4 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2004

Information provision after mild traumatic brain injury (MTBI): a survey of general practitioners and hospitals in New Zealand.

AIMS: To determine the nature, extent, and quality of information provided by general practitioners (GPs) and hospital emergency departments to people after mild traumatic brain injury (MTBI). METHOD: A survey was distributed throughout New Zealand to a representative sample of GPs and emergency departments (EDs). RESULTS: 244 valid surveys were returned, (229 from GPs and 15 from EDs), giving a return rate of 50.1%. Included with the returned surveys were 145 samples of information that these agencies typically provide after MTBI. Overall, 45.9% of respondents (93.4% of EDs and 42.8% of GPs) provided an information sheet to patients with a confirmed or suspected MTBI. These generally covered signs and symptoms; when to seek medical attention; and advice about pain relief, driving, alcohol, and rest. Of the information sheets provided by EDs, 92.9% had a FRE score of over 61 (the level recommended to be able to be read by 70% of the population), compared to 56% of those provided by GPs. Information sheets ranged in length from half a page to 10 pages, with those provided by EDs generally longer than those provided by GPs (mean 33.6 compared to 12.9 sentences). CONCLUSIONS: Less than half of the GPs who returned questionnaires routinely provided information sheets about head injury and what to expect. Of the sample information sheets that were returned, just under half did not meet the criteria for being able to be read by 70% of the population.

Brain Injuries↗

PubMed2004

The effects of test anxiety, age, intelligence level, and arithmetic ability on Paced Auditory Serial Addition Test performance.

This study investigated the effects of test anxiety, intelligence, arithmetic ability, and age on the Paced Auditory Serial Addition Test (PASAT) performance of 45 participants ages 16 to 54. Level of anxiety as measured by a short form measure of state anxiety and retrospective report during the PASAT appeared to have no significant effect on performance. Intelligence and arithmetic ability, however, together accounted for 46% of the variance on PASAT scores. Although no significant correlation was found between PASAT performance and age, those over 26 years of age performed significantly better on the 2.0 second paced presentation.

Acoustic Stimulation↗

PubMed2003

Questioning the link between PTSD and cognitive dysfunction.

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) has been linked with impairment in cognitive functioning, but anomalies appear to arise on several levels, masking the true nature of the relationship. On one level, there is a blurring of the emotional and physical causes of cognitive dysfunction, especially with memory problems that are similar to those due to neurological disorders. At other levels, problems are evident due to issues such as overgeneralizing from specific populations to the general population, and the use of narrow-focused neuropsychological assessment instruments that neither dissociate among precise memory components nor relate to everyday situations. In this review we highlight methodological problems and concerns, and make suggestions to establish valid links between PTSD and cognitive dysfunction.

Cognition Disorders↗

PubMed1992

Effects of videotaped preparatory information on expectations, anxiety, and psychotherapy outcome.

This study examined whether preparation decreases clients' state anxiety and improves therapy outcome and clarified the relations among preparation, expectations, and state anxiety. Ss were 138 adults referred for outpatient psychotherapy. Half of the Ss viewed an 11-min preparatory videotape, while the control group waited an equivalent period before their 1st appointment. Pre-post measures confirmed that Ss who viewed the videotape had more accurate expectations about psychotherapy and lower levels of state anxiety than the control Ss. However, at 2-month follow-up, the prepared group had significantly better outcomes on only 1 of 10 outcome measures. It is suggested that more powerful designs may be necessary to detect long-term effects of preparation and that the short-term benefits demonstrated warrant further study.

Adolescent↗