SEARCH · PubMed Health

Results for “Awareness”

Explore indexed PubMed citations for clinical trials, systematic reviews and public health research. Read source abstracts and follow each citation to its original PubMed record.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 181 records · Page 10Linked to original sources

PubMed1980

Evaluating community awareness of a community mental health center.

To assess community awareness of a community mental health center, a telephone survey was conducted, using a random stratified sample. In order to provide comparative analyses, two other mental health agencies were included in the study. Five specific issues were addressed: (a) the percentage of the population that was aware of the agencies, (b) inter-agency comparisons, (c) heterogeneity of awareness levels among geographic areas, (d) the relative merit of different sources of information, and (e) the relationship between awareness and demographic factors. The results indicated relatively high levels of awareness for the three agencies (X = 57%). There were, however, significant differences in awareness levels between agencies and between geographic areas. The source of information cited most often by respondents was the newspaper; in addition, there was an effect for the primary agency's storefront office. Sex, education, and family size had significant but weak correlations with the amount of accurate information a respondent possessed. The results provided substantive answers to the agency's concerns as well as methodological guidelines for future evaluations of community awareness.

Awareness↗

PubMed1995

The role of EMG awareness in EMG biofeedback learning.

Underlying most research on biofeedback learning is a theoretical model of the processes involved. The current study tested a prediction from the Awareness Model: High initial EMG awareness should facilitate response control during EMG biofeedback training. Seventy-two undergraduates were assessed for forehead EMG awareness by asking them to produce target responses from 1.0 to 5.0 microV every 15 s for 16 trials. Based on this assessment, two groups (high and low awareness) were trained for 64 trials to produce these target levels with either EMG biofeedback, practice (no feedback), or noncontingent EMG feedback. A transfer task was identical to the initial assessment. During training, the biofeedback group deviated less from target than the practice and noncontingent groups. The biofeedback group was the only group to improve from initial EMG awareness activity. During transfer, only the low awareness biofeedback group remained below initial EMG awareness level. These findings can be interpreted in terms of the Two-Process Model.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1989

Awareness and treatment of hypercholesterolemia: results of the first survey of the MONICA Project Augsburg.

In the first survey of the MONICA project Augsburg (1984/1985), awareness and treatment of hypercholesterolemia was determined on a two-stage cluster sample of 5069 25-64 year old citizens (participation 79.6%). Hypercholesterolemia was defined according to the Conference of the European Atherosclerosis Society (EAS) and of the National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP). Awareness (elevated lipid levels found during the last 12 months), and drug and dietary treatment were determined by an interview. The awareness was low and varied between 4 and 24% in the different age-sex groups with no significant differences between sexes, with one exception: The awareness in women aged 55-64 years with cholesterol levels greater than or equal to 300 mg/dl was 38% and differed significantly from that found in men in the same age group (21%). Older participants showed a higher degree of awareness than younger; in men the awareness was independent from the cholesterol level, in women those with higher levels showed a better awareness than those with lower levels (results from a logistic regression analysis for cholesterol levels greater than or equal to 240 mg/dl). The use of lipid-lowering drugs was low in the study population (2% in men, 1% in women). The drug treatment of hypercholesterolemia was low and in no age-sex group higher than 7%, despite the definition of hypercholesterolemia; the dietary treatment was not higher than 20%. In conclusion it is shown, that there is a great need for the identification and management of hypercholesterolemia in the examined population in Southern Germany.

Adult↗

PubMed2004

Awareness of osteoporotic patients.

Osteoporosis has recently been recognized as a major public health problem by some governments and health care providers. Despite significant progress in knowledge about osteoporosis, public awareness is required for effective management if precautions are to be taken. The aim of this study was to evaluate the educational status of osteoporotic individuals, and their awareness about the disease and sources of information. We also aimed to compare the variables between the geographical regions of the country, since significant differences exist in socioeconomic status and lifestyle within the same cultural context. This multicenter study was carried out in eight cities located in six different geographical regions between September 2001 and January 2002. To our knowledge, this is the first multicenter study in Turkey evaluating the relationship between awareness of osteoporotic patients and other variables such as educational level and economic factors. Ten centers took part in this study and consecutive patients with either femoral or lumbar T-scores below -2.5 SD were enrolled into the study group. Bone mineral density was measured using dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA). Patients were interviewed using a questionnaire on past medical history, education, awareness about their disease and risk factors for osteoporosis. A total of 540 women (93.8%) and 36 men (6.3%) were included in the study. Fifty-four percent of patients declared that they were aware of osteoporosis. With regard to sources of information, 56.8% of patients reported physicians as the main source of information. Awareness of the patients was negatively correlated with age (P=0.025, r=-0,94) but positively correlated with education (P=0.0001, r=0.327), level of physical activity (P=0.001, r=143), calcium intake (P=0.005, r=119) and modern clothing style (P=0.0001, r=309). Educational status of the patients was negatively correlated with BMI (P=0.0001, r=-283) and positively correlated with physical activity (P=0.0001, r=268), modern clothing style (P=0.0001, r=600) and smoking (P=0.0001, r=273). Regional comparison of female patients demonstrated that significant differences exist in terms of educational status, clothing style, smoking, level of physical activity, calcium intake, and knowledge about osteoporosis. As a result, education has profound effects on awareness about osteoporosis and many aspects of human behavior, such as calcium intake, physical activity, clothing style and smoking. Significant disparities may be observed between the geographical regions of the same country.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1999

On the relation between brain potentials and the awareness of voluntary movements.

We investigated the relation between neural events and the perceived time of voluntary actions or the perceived time of initiating those actions using the method of Libet. No differences were found in either movement-related potentials or perceived time of motor events between a fixed movement condition, where subjects made voluntary movements of a single finger in each block, and a free movement condition, in which subjects chose whether to respond with the left or the right index finger on each trial. We next calculated both the readiness potential (RP) and lateralised readiness potential (LRP) for trials with early and late times of awareness. The RP tended to occur later on trials with early awareness of movement initiation than on trials with late awareness, ruling out the RP as a cause of our awareness of movement initiation. However, the LRP occurred significantly earlier on trials with early awareness than on trials with late awareness, suggesting that the processes underlying the LRP may cause our awareness of movement initiation.

Adult↗

PubMed2003

Awareness of the side effects of possessed medications in a community setting.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate in a community setting the extent of and parameters related with awareness of side effects of medications by health consumers. METHODS: We performed in-house interviews in an entire community. The population of the community of Chalki, Greece, was surveyed. Detailed information was recorded on all medications possessed by each individual. The main outcome measure was awareness of medication side effects. RESULTS: A total of 1079 medications were recorded among 279 subjects. Among 180 subjects for whom direct information was available, and who possessed at least one medication only 47 (26%) were aware of the side effects of at least one of their medications. Side effects awareness was more frequent in subjects who had experienced some adverse event themselves (76%), in those with completed university education (67%), ex-smokers (46%), housewives (45%), and never married adults (41%) and was less frequent in more permanent island residents (odds ratio 0.76 per 10% of lifetime spent in the island) and economic immigrants (0%). Side effects awareness existed for only 8% of the possessed medications and was more frequent when an adverse event had been experienced (54%), for medications not provided locally initially (28%), and for medications for joint and musculoskeletal problems (15%). Awareness rates were unrelated to availability of prescription, specialist involvement, or follow-up by a physician concerning the specific medication. CONCLUSIONS: Awareness of side effects was infrequent in this community setting and was determined mostly by live experiences of adverse events and social parameters. There is a need to improve the dissemination of adequate safety information among consumers in the ambulatory use of pharmaceuticals.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2003

Associations among awareness of prognosis, hopefulness, and coping in patients with advanced cancer participating in phase I clinical trials.

GOALS: There is considerable debate concerning prognosis in patients with advanced cancer (advanced cancer patients, ACP), but no one has systematically examined the relationship between awareness of prognosis and hopefulness. In this study, the relationships among awareness of prognosis, hopefulness, and coping were examined in a selected group of ACP. PATIENTS AND METHODS: All subjects were enrolled in phase I trials. Information was obtained from subjects via structured, face-to-face interviews. Subjects provided demographic information, answered questions designed to ascertain their awareness of their prognosis, and completed the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-General instrument (FACT-G). RESULTS: A total of 179 consecutive subjects enrolled in phase I trials were interviewed. Awareness of prognosis was assessed using a semiquantitative scale. Willingness to provide responses to the question was significantly negatively correlated with hopefulness ( r=-0.306, P=0.030). Using items from the FACT-G, hopefulness and coping were positively correlated ( r=0.140, P=0.097). Female subjects were more realistic about their prognosis than men ( b=0.568, P=0.026). More educated patients had higher response rates to the prognosis questions (OR 1.62, P<0.001), and demonstrated a more realistic awareness of prognosis ( b=0.225, P=0.030). Overall, there was a strong association between coping status and responding to the prognosis questions ( P=0.033). Patients who reported being "not at all proud of coping" had a lower response rate than patients who reported better coping. DISCUSSION: Among the ACP who provided responses, many reported an unrealistic view of their prognosis. Having a more accurate view of prognosis in the face of terminal illness was associated with reduced hopefulness, which may be related to a poorer sense of coping. Finally, the prognosis question utilized in the study was problematic, led to a fairly poor response rate, and may be indicative of the many difficulties present in attempting to accurately assess ACPs' perceptions of their prognosis. Other methods, such as in-depth qualitative methods, may lead to more productive inquiry into ACPs' awareness of their prognosis. Further research into the accurate assessment of awareness of prognosis is needed.

Adaptation, Psychological↗

PubMed1989

Awareness of the CS-UCS contingency and classical conditioning of skin conductance responses with olfactory CSs.

The possibility of demonstrating acquisition of classically conditioned responses without awareness of the conditioned stimulus-unconditioned stimulus (CS-UCS) contingency using olfactory stimuli with 58 college student subjects was tested. A classical discrimination delay conditioning paradigm was employed, with electric shock as the UCS and two pleasant odors (perfumes) as the conditioned stimuli (CS+ and CS-). Trial-by-trial measures of skin conductance conditioned responses served as dependent variables. A masking task in the form of an olfactory memory task was employed for the purpose of delaying the onset of awareness of the conditioning contingency. Awareness of the conditioning contingency was assessed by a concurrent and a post hoc measure, and subjects who satisfied both criteria were considered aware of the CS-UCS contingency. Conditioning was observed only in the aware subjects, and only after the onset of awareness of the CS+-UCS contingency. Respiratory activity, measured as a check against possible artifacts, had no effect on the SCR measures. It was concluded that the awareness of the CS-UCS contingency is necessary for acquisition of discriminative conditioned responses in humans, regardless of the sensory modality in which CSs are presented. Sex differences in skin conductance measures and performance on the olfactory memory task were observed.

Adult↗

PubMed2006

The role of perceptual load in visual awareness.

Does awareness depend on attention? This is a fundamental issue for understanding the relationship of attention and awareness, yet previous research provided mixed results. Here, I describe new research that shows that the effects of attention on awareness depend on the level of perceptual load in the attended task. Awareness reports in both the inattentional blindness and change blindness paradigms were found to depend on the extent to which an attended primary task loads attention. Neuroimaging results revealed the involvement of frontoparietal attention network in awareness and transcranial magnetic stimulation experiments confirmed a causal role for frontoparietal activity in awareness. These results clarify the role of attention and associated frontoparietal activity in visual awareness within the framework of load theory of attention.

Attention↗

PubMed2006

Awareness of blood pressure among older adults: a cross-sectional descriptive study.

OBJECTIVES: To measure the degree that elderly persons are knowledgeable about blood pressure (BP) and hypertension in general and are aware of their own BP in particular and to determine the degree that such knowledge and awareness relates to actual BP readings. DESIGN AND SETTING: A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted at the senior activity centers. METHODS: A convenience sample of 276 men and women between 60 and 75 years completed two BP measurements, cognitive impairment assessments, a 21-item Awareness of Blood Pressure Questionnaire, motivation for health, and personal information. FINDINGS: Individuals indicated much less awareness about their own BP than their self-reported behaviors about their BP would suggest. Of the participants, 74% were aware of their BP, while 90% reported asking about their BP on visits to healthcare providers; 32% of those with isolated systolic hypertension were unaware of their hypertensive status. More than half of the participants had inaccurate knowledge about BP in general and about systolic BP as it related to the aging process. Knowledge of BP and hypertension was higher among people who knew their own BP levels. CONCLUSIONS: The study revealed that one's awareness of BP does not necessarily reflect one's actual BP status. This finding deserves the attention of older adults and healthcare providers who consider patient awareness as fundamental to behavioral change and BP control.

Aged↗

PubMed2006

Neural correlates of error awareness.

Error processing results in a number of consequences on multiple levels. The posterior frontomedian cortex (pFMC) is involved in performance monitoring and signalling the need for adjustments, which can be observed as post-error speed-accuracy shifts at the behavioural level. Furthermore autonomic reactions to an error have been reported. The role of conscious error awareness for this processing cascade has received little attention of researchers so far. We examined the neural correlates of conscious error perception in a functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) study. An antisaccade task known to yield sufficient numbers of aware and unaware errors was used. Results from a metaanalysis were used to guide a region of interest (ROI) analysis of the fMRI data. Consistent with previous reports, error-related activity in the rostral cingulate zone (RCZ), the pre-supplementary motor area (pre-SMA) and the insular cortex bilaterally was found. Whereas the RCZ activity did not differentiate between aware and unaware errors, activity in the left anterior inferior insular cortex was stronger for aware as compared to unaware errors. This could be due to increased awareness of the autonomic reaction to an error, or the increased autonomic reaction itself. Furthermore, post-error adjustments were only observed after aware errors and a correlation between post-error slowing and the hemodynamic activity in the RCZ was revealed. The data suggest that the RCZ activity alone is insufficient to drive error awareness. Its signal appears to be useful for post-error speed-accuracy adjustments only when the error is consciously perceived.

Adult↗

PubMed2001

What can functional imaging reveal about the role of attention in visual awareness?

This review focuses on neuroimaging studies that address the relationship between selective attention, neural activity and visual awareness. Withdrawing attention from particular visual stimuli reduces modality-specific processing in posterior visual cortex, and when attention is fully engaged elsewhere, even highly salient but task-irrelevant stimuli can fail to evoke activity and reach awareness. However, the link between visual attention and awareness extends beyond posterior visual cortex to also encompass regions of parietal and prefrontal cortex. Activity in the posterior visual cortex may be necessary but not sufficient for awareness, without a contribution from frontal and parietal cortex. Consistent with this, enhanced interactions between parietal, frontal and posterior visual cortex are observed as a function of both visual attention and visual awareness; and lesions of parietal cortex disrupt both visual attention and awareness. Taken together, these data suggest that distributed interactions between modality-specific posterior visual cortex and frontoparietal areas subserve both visual attention and visual awareness.

Attention↗

PubMed2000

Awareness during anaesthesia: a prospective case study.

BACKGROUND: Patients who are given general anaesthesia are not guaranteed to remain unconscious during surgery. Knowledge about the effectiveness of current protective measures is scarce, as is our understanding of patients' responses to this complication. We did a prospective case study to assess conscious awareness during anaesthesia. METHODS: 11785 patients who had undergone general anaesthesia were interviewed for awareness on three occasions: before they left the post-anaesthesia care unit, and 1-3 days and 7-14 days after the operation. FINDINGS: We identified 18 cases of awareness and one case of inadvertent muscle blockade that had occurred before unconsciousness. Incidence of awareness was 0.18% in cases in which neuromuscular blocking drugs were used, and 0.10% in the absence of such drugs. 17 cases of awareness were identified at the final interview, but no more than 11 would have been detected if an interview had been done only when the patients left the post-anaesthesia care unit. Four non-paralysed patients recalled intraoperative events, but none had anxiety during wakefulness or had delayed neurotic symptoms. This finding contrasts with anaesthesia with muscle relaxants, during which 11 of 14 patients had pain, anxiety, or delayed neurotic symptoms. After repeated discussion and information, the delayed neurotic symptoms resolved within 3 weeks in all patients. Analysis of individual cases suggests that a reduced incidence of recall of intraoperative events would not be achieved by monitoring of end-tidal anaesthetic gas concentration or by more frequent use of benzodiazepines. INTERPRETATION: The inability to prevent awareness by conventional measures may advocate monitoring of cerebral activity by neurophysiological techniques. However, the sensitivity of such techniques is not known, and in the light of our findings, at least 861 patients would need to be monitored to avoid one patient from suffering due to awareness during relaxant anaesthesia.

Adult↗

PubMed1997

Early probable Alzheimer's disease and awareness context theory.

The purpose of this research was to explore the explanatory value of Awareness Context Theory for social interactional issues in early probable Alzheimer's Disease (AD). Glaser and Strauss's Awareness Context Theory [Glaser and Strauss (1965) Awareness of Dying, Aldine, New York] served as the framework for the analysis of interview data from 14 early probable AD clients and 14 family caregivers, a written autobiographical account, a fictionalized account, observations of a family care-giver focus group, and excerpts that focused on early AD from field notes recorded during two years of participant observation at a specialized AD daycare center and a family caregiver support group. Initial open-ended study questions focused on the experience of early AD from the diverse perspectives represented in the data. After preliminary analysis of data suggesting emergent fit with Awareness Context Theory, questions were refocused to address awareness contexts. Data were coded and analyzed for fit with the theory. Awareness Context Theory provided a useful heuristic for thinking about the nuances and complexities of social interaction in early AD. Attention to awareness contexts should enable health care providers to suggest interventions to improve caregiver-client interactions.

Adaptation, Psychological↗

PubMed2000

Awareness during laryngoscopy and intubation: quantitating incidence following induction of balanced anesthesia with etomidate and cisatracurium as detected with the isolated forearm technique.

STUDY OBJECTIVE: To measure the incidence of awareness during induction of anesthesia with etomidate and fentanyl, and to model its frequency as a function of dose of etomidate. DESIGN: Prospective cohort study. SETTING: Anesthesia department of a university hospital. PATIENTS: 30 ASA physical status I, II, and III patients undergoing elective general surgery. INTERVENTIONS: Patients were assigned to one of three groups of etomidate (0.2 mg/kg, 0.3 mg/kg, 0.4 mg/kg) and received fentanyl (2 microg/kg) and 2 x ED(95) of cisatracurium (0.1 mg/kg). Neuromuscular block was monitored with a peripheral nerve stimulator. Intubation was performed after maximum T(1)-depression. To identify awareness, the isolated forearm technique (IFT) was used. The IFT was performed by prompting the patient every 20 seconds. Only a verified response was considered a positive IFT response. Anesthesia was maintained with isoflurane in oxygen/air and fentanyl. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Maximum neuromuscular block occurred after 352 +/- 96 seconds and intubation was performed 424 +/- 86 seconds after loss of consciousness (LOC). Awareness was dose dependent: 80% of patients receiving 0.2 mg/kg etomidate, 70% of patients receiving 0.3 mg/kg etomidate, and 20% of patients receiving 0.4 mg/kg etomidate had a positive IFT response. Awareness occurred in one patient 3 minutes after LOC, in 65% during laryngoscopy, and in 30% within the following 120 seconds. One patient had explicit recall without finding awareness unpleasant. Hemodynamic parameters did not differ between patients with a positive or a negative IFT response. CONCLUSIONS: The incidence of awareness during bolus induction can be modeled as dose dependent. However, when combining a short-acting induction drug and a delayed-onset neuromuscular blocker, the continuous infusion of the hypnotic drug may prevent awareness during induction.

Adult↗

PubMed2002

Victims of awareness.

BACKGROUND: Intraoperative awareness with explicit recall may be followed by long-lasting mental symptoms. However, the average risk for developing mental sequelae after awareness, and the average severity and the duration of symptoms has not previously been illustrated in a consecutive series of awareness cases. METHODS: Nine patients among 18 consecutive, prospectively identified cases of intraoperative awareness with recall could be located after approximately 2 years and agreed to an interview about possible persisting problems. RESULTS: Four of the nine interviewed patients were still severely disabled due to psychiatric/psychological sequelae. All of these patients had experienced anxiety during the period of awareness, but only one had complained about pain. Another three patients had less severe, transient mental symptoms, although they could cope with these in daily life. Two patients denied any sequelae from their awareness episode. CONCLUSIONS: Up to 3 weeks after their unsuccessful anesthetic, repeated information and discussions had been offered. Despite the fact that all patients at that time claimed to be satisfied with this management, and eventually considered no further contacts necessary, this was obviously inaccurate. Therefore, professional psychiatric assessment, treatment and long-term follow-up should constitute standard practice for all patients who have experienced intraoperative awareness.

Adult↗

PubMed2003

Predictors of beer advertising awareness among eighth graders.

AIMS: To identify correlates of beer advertising awareness among adolescents at an age when most initiate use of alcohol. DESIGN: We conducted a cross-sectional analysis of an in-school survey about alcohol advertising. Structural equation modeling was used to test for independent predictors of a latent beer advertising awareness construct, separately among boys and girls. SETTING: Twenty middle schools in South Dakota, USA participated during their spring semester. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 1530 eighth graders. MEASUREMENTS: A latent advertisement awareness variable was derived based on recognition of six masked beer advertisements, knowledge of beer brands and knowledge of beer slogans. Tested predictors included measures of exposure to alcohol advertising in various venues, social norms regarding drinking, drinking beliefs and behavior and gender. FINDINGS: Adolescents with greater exposure to advertisements in magazines, at sporting and music events and on television were more advertisement aware than those with less exposure, as were teens who watch more TV, pay attention to beer advertisements and know adults who drink. Beer advertisement awareness was dramatically higher among boys, and was associated with drinking only among boys. CONCLUSIONS: Each of a variety of advertising venues appears to influence independently the extent to which beer advertising is incorporated into an adolescent's cognitive world. Boys are more likely to be aware of and remember beer marketing, and may be more likely to drink as a result of this awareness than girls.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2002

From phonological therapy to phonological awareness.

Children with speech difficulties often have delayed phonological awareness development and associated literacy problems. Speech-language pathologists (S-LPs) typically use phonological and articulatory approaches in their treatment of such children. However, it is unclear to what extent phonological awareness training, originally designed to promote literacy skills, might also improve children's speech output. This article adopts a psycholinguistic approach to examine the nature and development of phonological awareness and to explore the relationship between phonological awareness training and phonological therapy. The role of phonological awareness in predicting literacy development in children is discussed, and principles for analyzing the psycholinguistic properties of therapy tasks are presented. Phonological awareness cannot be dealt with independently as it is an integral part of articulation and phonological intervention. Further, phonological awareness is a necessary "on-line" skill in the dynamic communication process between therapist and child. Failure to take this into account will result in inappropriately targeted therapy and pragmatic breakdown between the child and S-LP.

Articulation Disorders↗