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Biomedical subjects

P L Appleton

Publications and source records attributed to P L Appleton.

8 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1999

Stress and avoidance in Pseudoseizures: testing the assumptions.

Twenty women and 10 men with Pseudoseizures were matched by age and gender with an epilepsy- and a healthy-control group. In response to clinical and research evidence of a relationship between Pseudoseizures and the experience of stress, it was hypothesised that people with Pseudoseizures would perceive their ongoing lives as more stressful, and use more avoidant and distancing coping, and less problem-focused coping, than people in the two control groups. Using the Perceived Stress Scale (Cohen et al., J. Health Soc. Behav. 24, 1983, 385-396) and the Ways of Coping, revised version (Folkman and Lazarus, Manual for Ways of Coping Questionnaire, Consulting Psychologist Press, Paola Alto, CA, 1988) the study found that people with Pseudoseizures: (1) perceived their ongoing lives as significantly more stressful; (2) were significantly more likely to use a maladaptive (escape-avoidant) coping strategy; and (3) were significantly less likely to use an adaptive (planful problem solving) approach to coping than healthy controls. The study findings indicate that people with Pseudoseizures experience lives as stressful as do people with epilepsy, and are likely to employ maladaptive coping responses. Implications for diagnosis, intervention and future research are discussed.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMed1998

In vitro cultivation and developmental cycle in culture of a parasitic dinoflagellate (Hematodinium sp.) associated with mortality of the Norway lobster (Nephrops norvegicus) in British waters.

Dinoflagellates are common and often important parasites of aquatic organisms, but their developmental cycles are poorly known and have not been established in in vitro culture. The parasitic dinoflagellate (Hematodinium sp.) associated with mortality of the Norway lobster (Nephrops norvegicus) in British waters has been cultivated in vitro in 10% foetal calf serum in a balanced Nephrops saline. In culture the parasite undergoes a characteristic cycle of development. Circulating sporoblasts from the host's haemolymph in vitro generate 2 kinds of flagellated uninucleate dinospore, macrospores and microspores, either of which will, after 5 weeks in fresh medium, germinate to produce multinucleate unattached filamentous trophonts. These trophonts multiply by fragmentation and growth and may be serially subcultured in this form, at 2 week intervals, indefinitely. If not subcultured, the filamentous trophonts give rise to colonies of radiating filaments ('gorgonlocks') which subsequently attach to the substratum to form flattened web-like 'arachnoid' multinucleate trophonts. Arachnoid trophonts become arachnoid sporonts when they synthesize trichocysts and flagellar hairs and may give rise to secondary arachnoid sporonts or to dinospores which initiate a new cycle.

Animals↗
PubMed1997

Beyond child development centres: care coordination for children with disabilities.

A specific model of care coordination for children with disabilities is described, comprising parental empowerment, a defined client population, individual tailoring of service based on assessment of need, inter-agency collaboration beyond existing team boundaries, continuity of named professional contact across transitions important to families, and a named care coordinator. The first stages of local implementation of the model are described for children with a disability making the transition into nursery school provision. Qualitative findings from interviews with families and care coordinators are presented, and the possibility of care coordinators providing a Named Person function is examined.

Case Management↗
PubMed1997

Depressive symptoms and self-concept in young people with spina bifida.

Examined self-reported depressive symptoms in 72 young people with spina bifida, ages 9 to 18:11, and matched able-bodied comparison subjects, using the Dimensions of Depression Profile for Children and Adolescents (Harter & Nowakowski, 1987). Independent variables included gender, self-perceptions (including physical appearance), and perceived social support. Young people with spina bifida were at greater risk of depressive mood, low self-worth, and suicidal ideation. Girls, independent of disability, were at greater risk of depressive mood, low self-worth, and self-blame. Multiple regression analyses suggest that global self-worth serves as a mediating variable for the effect of physical appearance self-concept on depressed mood (particularly in young people with spina bifida), and that perceived parental social support has a direct effect on depressed mood (particularly in girls).

Adolescent↗
PubMed1995

Impact of functional severity on self concept in young people with spina bifida.

This study examines the relationship between medical and functional severity of disability and levels of self esteem and self concept in 79 young people with spina bifida. Greater feelings of global self worth and of self esteem in physical appearance were associated with greater severity of disability. This was only in part an effect of lower IQ among the most disabled young people. Many of the least disabled had marked impairment of self esteem. Analysis of the impact of individual aspects of disability confirmed the association between increased self esteem in physical appearance and global self worth, and diminished functional ability. Academic self ratings, however, were higher in the less disabled. Hydrocephalus and continence appeared to have minimal effect on self esteem. The relationship between severity of disability in spina bifida and self concept is complex and mediated by a range of factors. It is incorrect to assume that the psychological impact is less in the mildly disabled young person.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1994

The self-concept of young people with spina bifida: a population-based study.

Seventy-nine young people with spina bifida were given a psychological, medical, carer and occupational therapy assessment. 79 matched able-bodied young people received the psychosocial interview. The disabled group felt themselves to be less competent in academic, athletic and social aspects of self-concept, less supported by classmates, equally supported by parents and friends and more supported by teachers than the able-bodied group. Disabled subjects did not discount the importance of any area of personal-social functioning, and experienced greater discrepancies between competence and importance in most academic, athletic, social and physical appearance aspects of self-concept. Disabled girls assigned very high importance to physical appearance. Physical appearance was more strongly associated with general self-esteem than any other area of self-concept.

Adolescent↗