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Therapeutic Resources (therapeutic + resource)
Selected AbstractsOlfactory Neural Cells: An Untapped Diagnostic and Therapeutic ResourceTHE LARYNGOSCOPE, Issue 4 2002Christopher Perry MBBS, FRACS Abstract Objective This is an overview of the cellular biology of upper nasal mucosal cells that have special characteristics that enable them to be used to diagnose and study congenital neurological diseases and to aid neural repair. Study Design After mapping the distribution of neural cells in the upper nose, the authors' investigations moved to the use of olfactory neurones to diagnose neurological diseases of development, especially schizophrenia. Olfactory-ensheathing glial cells (OEGs) from the cranial cavity promote axonal penetration of the central nervous system and aid spinal cord repair in rodents. The authors sought to isolate these cells from the more accessible upper nasal cavity in rats and in humans and prove they could likewise promote neural regeneration, making these cells suitable for human spinal repair investigations. Methods The schizophrenia-diagnosis aspect of the study entailed the biopsy of the olfactory areas of 10 schizophrenic patients and 10 control subjects. The tissue samples were sliced and grown in culture medium. The ease of cell attachment to fibronectin (artificial epithelial basement membrane), as well as the mitotic and apoptotic indices, was studied in the presence and absence of dopamine in those cell cultures. The neural repair part of the study entailed a harvesting and insertion of first rat olfactory lamina propria rich in OEGs between cut ends of the spinal cords and then later the microinjection of an OEG-rich suspension into rat spinal cords previously transected by open laminectomy. Further studies were done in which OEG insertion was performed up to 1 month after rat cord transection and also in monkeys. Results Schizophrenic patients' olfactory tissues do not easily attach to basement membrane compared with control subjects, adding evidence to the theory that cell wall anomalies are part of the schizophrenic "lesion" of neurones. Schizophrenic patient cell cultures had higher mitotic and apoptotic indices compared with control subjects. The addition of dopamine altered these indices enough to allow accurate differentiation of schizophrenics from control patients, leading to, possibly for the first time, an early objective diagnosis of schizophrenia and possible assessment of preventive strategies. OEGs from the nose were shown to be as effective as those from the olfactory bulb in promoting axonal growth across transected spinal cords even when added 1 month after injury in the rat. These otherwise paraplegic rats grew motor and proprioceptive and fine touch fibers with corresponding behavioral improvement. Conclusions The tissues of the olfactory mucosa are readily available to the otolaryngologist. Being surface cells, they must regenerate (called "neurogenesis"). Biopsy of this area and amplification of cells in culture gives the scientist a "window to the developing brain," including early diagnosis of schizophrenia. The "Holy Grail" of neurological disease is the cure of traumatic paraplegia and OEGs from the nose promote that repair. The otolaryngologist may become the necessary partner of the neurophysiologist and spinal surgeon to take the laboratory potential of paraplegic cure into the day-to-day realm of clinical reality. [source] Borders and Healers: Brokering Therapeutic Resources in Southeast AfricaAMERICAN ANTHROPOLOGIST, Issue 2 2007CLAIRE WENDLAND Borders and Healers: Brokering Therapeutic Resources in Southeast Africa. Tracy J. Luedke and Harry G. West, eds. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 2006. 223 pp. [source] Goal, intervention and outcome of occupational therapy in individuals with psychoses.OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY INTERNATIONAL, Issue 1 2000Content analysis through a chart review Abstract The purpose of the study was to analyse the content of occupational therapy records documenting treatment for individuals with psychoses. A retrospective content analysis of occupational therapy records regarding treatment goals, interventions and outcome was undertaken using a coding scheme, the Template of Occupational Therapy (TOT). Twenty-five occupational therapists chosen at random contributed 64 occupational therapy records, generating 2992 statements. The patients' disorders and functional and activity limitations (n=1723) were comprehensively described. Ability to manage self-care and the home environment, and to engage in a daily occupation, emerged as the prominent treatment goals. The content of the occupational therapy interventions was characterized by descriptions of a wide range of activities, which were used as therapeutic resources. The occupational therapist had a client-centred approach, combining the use of the current activity with the use of herself/himself as a resource. A few statements in the records were interpreted as relating to outcomes of treatment for this patient group. Statements related to outcome were the patients' self-reports and how they were able to manage activities of daily living. This retrospective study was found to be a useful conceptual model for designing studies of evidence-based occupational therapy in mental health. Copyright © 2000 Whurr Publishers Ltd. [source] No differences between group versus individual treatment of childhood anxiety disorders in a randomised clinical trialTHE JOURNAL OF CHILD PSYCHOLOGY AND PSYCHIATRY AND ALLIED DISCIPLINES, Issue 8 2008Juliette M. Liber Background:, The present study compares an individual versus a group format in the delivery of manualised cognitive-behavioural therapy (FRIENDS) for children with anxiety disorders. Clinically referred children (aged 8 to 12) diagnosed with Separation Anxiety Disorder (n = 52), Generalised Anxiety Disorder (n = 37), Social Phobia (n = 22) or Specific Phobia (n = 16) were randomly assigned to individual (n = 65) or group (n = 62) treatment. Method:, Analyses were conducted separately for the intent-to-treat sample and the sample of children who completed treatment. Analyses included chi-square comparisons and regression analyses with treatment format as a predictor. Results:, Forty-eight percent of the children in the individual versus 41% in the group treatment were free of any anxiety disorder at post-treatment; 62% versus 54% were free of their primary anxiety disorder. Regression analyses showed no significant difference in outcome between individual and group treatment. Conclusions:, Children improved in both conditions. Choice between treatments could be based on pragmatic considerations such as therapeutic resources, referral rates, and the preference of the parents and the child. [source] Borders and healers: brokering therapeutic resources in Southeast Africa , Edited by Tracy J. Luedke & Harry G. WestTHE JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL ANTHROPOLOGICAL INSTITUTE, Issue 3 2008Hannah Brown [source] | |||||||||||||