Biomedical subjects

L Dunwoody

Publications and source records attributed to L Dunwoody.

6 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2006

Patients with head and neck cancer prefer individualized cognitive behavioural therapy.

Cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT) is a widely practiced and approved form of psychotherapy for many psychosocial difficulties. As the efficacy of CBT is recognized, its demand has increased and today exceeds the availability of qualified practitioners. Therefore, the effectiveness of delivering CBT using less labour-intensive modes than individualised therapy has been explored. These include group therapy, bibliotherapy and computer assisted therapy. Given the UK Government's impetus towards patient choice and involvement in the planning of healthcare, it was thought essential to ascertain the preferred delivery mode of patients with head and neck cancer for a CBT based intervention. Therefore, a small retrospective cohort (n= 28) of patients following treatment for head and neck cancer were sent postal questionnaires to ascertain their preferences on mode of CBT delivery. Simultaneously, the views of accredited cognitive behaviour therapists (n= 14) were determined on the optimal mode of CBT delivery to these patients. Findings indicated that patients preferred the more individualized mode of CBT delivery, namely one-to-one therapy, followed closely by bibliotherapy, with group format being the least preferred option. Professionals concurred with patients, in that one-to-one interaction was considered an optimal mode of CBT delivery, but professionals considered it equal to group therapy.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy↗

PubMed2004

Measuring disability in multiple sclerosis: is the Community Dependency Index an improvement on the Barthel Index?

The Community Dependency Index (CDI) was developed due to concerns that the Barthel Index (BI) was limited as a measure of physical function in community settings. However, no studies have compared the two rating scales within multiple sclerosis (MS). The aim of this study was to determine whether, in a community-based sample of people with MS, the CDI is a better measure than the BI. BI and CDI data were collected from 90 people with MS. Four measurement properties were compared: scaling assumptions (item mean scores, corrected item-total correlations), acceptability (score distributions, floor/ceiling effects), reliability (Cronbach's alpha) and validity (concurrent, discriminant, group differences, relative validity). Both scales satisfied recommended criteria for scaling assumptions (indicating it was legitimate to report a summed score) and internal consistency reliability (alpha > 0.85). The scales were highly correlated (r = 0.96), indicating they measured the same construct. Both scales demonstrated good group differences validity, but the BI was marginally superior. Notable ceiling effects (BI > CDI) were demonstrated for both scales, particularly in those less disabled. This study sample had relatively minor levels of disability, with over 70% still being independently mobile. In this sample of people with MS, the measurement properties of the BI and CDI examined were very similar, suggesting the CDI does not appear to have achieved its goal of better measurement.

Activities of Daily Living↗

PubMed1998

Color or brightness effects on grip strength?

Research into the effects of color on grip strength has produced inconsistent results, but studies show methodological problems, for example, the non-standardised reporting of stimulus colours, differing intertrial rests, and the neglect of warm-up effects. The present study was designed to replicate the 1989 work by Hasson, et al. and also to examine potential brightness effects of stimuli on grip strength. Analysis indicated brightness effects might confound potential to produce Type I errors.

Color Perception↗

PubMed1996

Grip strength and intertrial rest.

This experiment illustrates that the 1991 Montazer and Thomas conclusion that grip strength declines over time is incomplete 15 men performed 4 grip-strength trials with intertrial rests of 120 sec. Analysis showed that performance did not decrease over the 4 trials, on the contrary, the pattern was that of a learning curve, with a significant difference across the 4 trials, i.e., on Trial 1 grip strength was lower than on successive trials. Such a result points to the importance of 'warming-up' the muscle to obtain optimum functioning. Also, subjects should be familiar with the task and the equipment to reduce the chance of a Type I error. Implications for research are discussed.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1993

Thoughts on perceptual influences of colored paper.

Much of the material one reads is in black and white. It is proposed that the color of paper may influence perception and performance on pen-and-paper tasks.

Adult↗

PubMed1991

Methodological consideration in color research.

Color can influence physical and emotional variables, but the evidence is equivocal. Replications are often hampered by inadequate specification of colored stimuli. It is proposed that a standardized method for reporting colored stimuli should be employed to facilitate empirical testing of the effects of color, namely, the CIE chromaticity coordinates x and y or Munsell values, for both allow translation from one to the other.

Color↗