Therapeutic Dance for the Healing of Sexual Trauma: A Systematic Review.

Therapeutic dance has been increasingly used as a treatment modality for sexual trauma, yet its evidence-based efficacy has not yet been catalogued. We therefore conducted a systematic review to summarize the existing evidence for therapeutic dance as an intervention for healing after sexual trauma. We searched 5 major databases to identify intervention studies on the use of therapeutic dance for individuals with histories of sexual trauma. Studies were included based on the following criteria: 1) the study involves individuals who have been exposed to sexual trauma; 2) the study reports on any form of dance as a therapeutic intervention; and 3) the study reports on dance intervention outcomes. A total of 1,686 sources were identified. Of these, 11 articles met eligibility criteria and were assessed. Reported outcomes were extracted and organized into emergent domains. We found that therapeutic dance acts upon three broad domains-affect, self, and interpersonal relationships - and can be delivered in diverse settings. Across the studies, dance showed benefits on outcomes. However, a significant weakness of the current peer-reviewed literature is the lack of robust empirical intervention research on dance therapy. Overall, the emerging literature suggests that therapeutic dance is a potential intervention for those who have experienced sexual trauma. The review findings presented here can be used to inform practitioners and systems of care targeted for those who have been subject to sexual trauma.

Cardiopulmonary Exercise Test Outcomes in Fontan Patients With Right Versus Left Single Ventricle Morphology.

Background: Congenital heart defects (CHDs) palliated with Fontan surgery often result in a functional single ventricle that is either a morphologically right or left ventricle, and much less commonly undefined. Given this departure from normal physiology, especially for systemic right ventricle Fontan patients, our study sought to compare cardiopulmonary exercise test (CPET) results of adult patients with single right ventricle (SRV) and single left ventricle (SLV) morphology. Methods: Of 237 Fontan patients from the Ahmanson/UCLA Adult Congenital Heart Disease Center database, 135 patients met the inclusion criteria and were split into 2 groups: SRV (n = 44) and SLV (n = 91). Data were collected on baseline demographics, cardiac history, and CPET results. The 2 groups were compared using unpaired t-test, Mann-Whitney, or Chi-square test. Results: Regarding baseline demographics, SRV patients underwent CPET at a slightly younger age than the SLV group (26.5 ± 6.2 vs 29.6 ± 8.5 years, P = .03). There were no significant differences in CPET parameters (including peak heart rate, oxygen saturation, and maximum VO2/kg) between the SRV and SLV groups. When evaluated subsequent CPET at 3 to 4 years, there was no difference in CPET peak heart rate, peak oxygen saturation, and maximum VO2/kg between the 2 groups. Conclusions: This single-center retrospective analysis suggests that dominant single ventricle morphology may not be associated with an appreciable difference in exercise performance in adult survivors with a Fontan palliation.

Early Intranasal Vasopressin Administration Impairs Partner Preference in Adult Male Prairie Voles (Microtus ochrogaster).

Research supports a modulatory role for arginine vasopressin (AVP) in the expression of socially motivated behaviors in mammals. The acute effects of AVP administration are demonstrably pro-social across species, providing the justification for an ever-increasing measure of clinical interest over the last decade. Combining these results with non-invasive intranasal delivery results in an attractive system for offering intranasal AVP (IN-AVP) as a therapeutic for the social impairments of children with autism spectrum disorder. But, very little is known about the long-term effects of IN-AVP during early development. In this experiment, we explored whether a single week of early juvenile administration of IN-AVP (low = 0.05 IU/kg, medium = 0.5 IU/kg, high = 5.0 IU/kg) could impact behavior across life in prairie voles. We found increases in fecal boli production during open field and novel object recognition testing for the medium dose in both males and females. Medium-dose females also had significantly more play bouts than control when exposed to novel conspecifics during the juvenile period. Following sexual maturity, the medium and high doses of IN-AVP blocked partner preference formation in males, while no such impairment was found for any of the experimental groups in females. Finally, the high-dose selectively increased adult male aggression with novel conspecifics, but only after extended cohabitation with a mate. Our findings confirm that a single week of early IN-AVP treatment can have organizational effects on behavior across life in prairie voles. Specifically, the impairments in pair-bonding behavior experienced by male prairie voles should raise caution when the prosocial effects of acute IN-AVP demonstrated in other studies are extrapolated to long-term treatment.