Quality of life and its health and occupational determinants among hospital-based nurses during the COVID-19 pandemic.

BACKGROUND: Nurses worldwide were exposed to increased levels of occupational stress during the COVID-19 pandemic which could have hindered their level of health-related quality of life (HRQoL). OBJECTIVES: This project investigated HRQoL level in nurses during the COVID-19 pandemic and its health and occupational predictors. METHODS: A cross-sectional design was adopted and targeted full-time nurses in Jordan. Study collected data included demographics, 12-item Short Form health survey (SF-12) to measure HRQoL, Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire (NMQ), nurses' evaluation of work conditions during COVID-19, and Depression Anxiety Stress Scale (DASS21). Data was analyzed descriptively to summarize main outcome measures and using multiple linear regression model to identify factors significantly associated with HRQoL. RESULTS: In total 245 nurses successfully completed the survey, 39.6% were males with a mean age of 35±6 years. Participant SF-12 scores were 65.94±17.85 for physical component and 50.09±19.36 mental component. The statistical model significantly explained 53.2% of variance in HRQoL (r2 = 0.534, F = 57.849, p < 0.001). Better sleep quality self-evaluation was significantly associated with higher HRQoL levels, while increased levels of depression, musculoskeletal pain, and financial burden on family were significantly associated with worse HRQoL level. CONCLUSION: Jordanian nurses' HRQoL level was relatively low during COVID-19. Sleep quality, mental health status, musculoskeletal health status, and financial status were identified as factors possibly influenced HRQoL among nurses during the COVID-19 pandemic. Nurses' quality of life along with their mental and physical health should be considered by healthcare administrators in the remaining period of COVID-19 and in future similar emergencies.

Effect of Physical Activity and Exercise on the Level of COVID-19 Antibodies and Lifestyle-Related Factors among Vaccinated Health Science Center (HSC) Students: A Pilot Randomized Trial.

A vaccine is a type of medicine that increases immunity and the number of antibodies (IgM and IgG) when injected into the body, preparing it in case of an actual viral infection. It has been shown in several studies that there is a significant relationship between physical activity and vaccination. Furthermore, it has been documented that physical activity can play a major role in reducing stress. Evidence also shows the existence of a relationship between immunity, vaccine response, and sleep duration. To investigate the effects of physical activity on the level of COVID-19 antibodies and lifestyle-related factors, Health Science Center (HSC) students who had taken the third dose of the vaccine and had no prior infection of the COVID-19 virus were investigated. To serve the purpose of this study, an anti-SARS-CoV-2 test was applied by taking a blood sample from the students. The Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) questionnaires and the Borg's 15-point scale were given to the participants to fill out. The study utilized a two-arm randomized control research design in which 40 participants were randomly assigned into one of two groups, either the control group (n = 20) or the treatment group (n = 20). All tests and assessments were performed before and after intervention for both groups. The control group walked less than 5000 steps every day for one month with a 20 min rest during the exercise session, while the treatment group walked more than 12,000 steps every day for the same time and exercise task session. The students' steps were monitored using an Apple watch. There was a significant decrease in the IgG antibody level in the treatment group compared to the control group (p < 0.001). The IgM antibody level of all groups did not show any significant difference before starting the intervention. However, there was a significant (p < 0.05) decrease in the IgM level of the treatment group after treatment compared to before treatment. Moreover, there was a significant decrease in the treatment group's stress level and sleep disruption, indicating better sleep quality, compared to the control group (p < 0.035). The levels of IgG and IgM did not improve for the treatment group. However, the treatment group improved their stress level and sleep disruption. Therefore, further rigorous research is needed to investigate vaccine efficacy among more physically active people.

Chronic Treatment With Hydrogen Sulfide Donor GYY4137 Mitigates Microglial and Astrocyte Activation in the Spinal Cord of Streptozotocin-Induced Diabetic Rats.

Long-term diabetic patients suffer immensely from diabetic neuropathy. This study was designed to investigate the effects of hydrogen sulfide (H2S) on peripheral neuropathy, activation of microglia, astrocytes, and the cascade secretion of proinflammatory cytokines in the streptozotocin (STZ)-induced peripheral diabetic neuropathy rat model. STZ-induced diabetic rats were treated with the water-soluble, slow-releasing H2S donor GYY4137 (50 mg/kg; i.p.) daily for 4 weeks. Antiallodynic/antihyperalgesic activities were evaluated using different tests and histopathological changes and the expression of proinflammatory cytokines in the spinal cord were examined. GYY4137 treatment produced neuroprotective effects in the spinal cord of diabetic animals and modulated their sensory deficits. The treatment decreased allodynia (p < 0.05) and mechanical hyperalgesia (p < 0.01) and restored thermal hyperalgesia (p < 0.001) compared with diabetic rats. The treatment decreased the microglial response and increased astrocyte counts in spinal cord gray and white matter compared with untreated diabetic rats. Proinflammatory cytokines were reduced in the treated group compared with diabetic rats. These results suggest that H2S has a potentially ameliorative effect on the neuropathic pain through the control of astrocyte activation and microglia-mediated inflammation, which may be considered as a possible treatment of peripheral nerve hypersensitivity in diabetic patients.

Cognitive Assessments Used in Occupational Therapy Practice: A Global Perspective.

This exploratory study was aimed at evaluating the current status of global occupational therapy practice on the use of assessments for clients with cognitive impairments and providing recommendations for ongoing evidence. We targeted international occupational therapy clinicians working with clients experiencing neurocognitive impairments. 323 occupational therapists from a wide range of clinical practice areas participated in the study. A large number of therapists used noncognitive specific assessments with a focus on functional approaches. The most commonly used standardized assessments were the COPM (56.7%), followed by MMSE (54.2%) and MoCA (45.5%), while the nonstandardized assessments were clinical observation (38.4%) and generic ADL assessment (34.1%). The use of main assessments was significantly different across world regions (p < 0.05), as were the reasons for choosing them (p < 0.05). The occupational therapists' use of assessment tools with clients suffering from neurocognitive impairments is inconsistent across the globe. The identification of international best practices for selecting and implementing proper outcome measures is warranted. It is essential to promote the development of an occupational therapy initiative to support the use of appropriate assessments at the international levels to facilitate consistent best practice.

The Cognitive Functions in Adults with Chronic Pain: A Comparative Study.

Background. Several studies have reported an association between chronic pain and reduction of cognitive abilities of adults living in Western cultures. No literature could be found on the relationship between chronic pain and cognition among Middle Eastern adults. Objective. To compare four of the most commonly reported cognitive domains [memory, attention, processing speed, and executive functioning] among Middle Eastern adults with and without chronic pain. Methods. This matched group comparative study included 69 community residing and functionally independent Middle Eastern adults. Forty participants had chronic pain and 29 were pain-free. We administered five standardized cognitive assessments that are independent of culture and language to measure variable tasks of memory, attention, processing speed, and executive functioning. The study was conducted in a rehabilitation research setting with a controlled environment. Results. Evidence of decreased cognitive processing was found in patients with chronic pain. The chronic pain participants performed significantly worse than the pain-free participants on the cognitive measures of long-term memory, selective attention, processing speed, and executive functioning. Conclusion. The effect of Middle Eastern culture on the cognitive abilities of patients with chronic pain was negligible. Despite the wide variations between Eastern and Western cultures, the performance of our Middle Eastern participants in this study was consistent with performance of Western adults reported in previous studies.

Finger position alters the median nerve properties within the carpal tunnel: a pre-post MRI comparison study.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to compare the properties of the median nerve and the flexor retinaculum within the carpal tunnel with Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) under two conditions: (a) fingers extended, and (b) fingers in an isometric squeeze grip. METHODS: Thirty-Four volunteers participated in this experimental study. The flexor retinaculum and median nerve characteristics were measured during both conditions using MRI. RESULTS: The isometric squeeze grip condition resulted in significant palmar bowing of the flexor retinaculum (t = 7.67, p<.001), a significant flattening-ratio of the median nerve (t = 4.308, p<.001), and no significant decrease in the cross-sectional area of the median nerve (t = 2.508, p = 0.017). CONCLUSION: The isometric squeeze grip condition resulted in anatomical deformations within the carpal tunnel, possibly explained by the lumbrical muscles incursion into the carpal tunnel during finger flexion.

Comparison of remedial and compensatory approaches in memory dysfunction: a comprehensive literature review.

ABSTRACT Memory is a cognitive process of information storage and retrieval that is essential to performing daily functional activities efficiently. Occupational therapists regularly help individuals with memory impairment to manage their memory deficits. The purpose of this paper was to review the main memory strategies and instructional methods used to improve or manage memory. Studies were identified by searching for the relevant literature published between 1980 and 2007 through the use of several databases with the inclusion criteria that the study must identify at least one specific memory rehabilitation method with an outcome measure representative of the specific method. The reviewed studies included three reviews, 10 randomized control trials, 17 quasi-experimental studies, and five single subjects' designs. The results suggest that there is empirical evidence to support the effectiveness of certain remedial and compensatory memory rehabilitation methods with healthy populations, but weaker evidence can be identified for the memory-impaired populations. In general, remedial methods are effective in lab settings with primarily healthy populations, yet effectiveness in daily activities is less clear. Compensatory methods are generally more efficient than remedial ones and more easily generalized to daily activities, even with memory-impaired populations.

'Show me, don't tell me'; is this a good approach for rehabilitation?

OBJECTIVE: To assess the possible memory advantages of the subject-performed task (SPT) and experimenter-performed task (EPT) encoding method in rehabilitation settings. DESIGN: Controlled quasi-experimental trial. SETTING: University research laboratory and community setting. SUBJECTS: Eighteen stroke survivors and 18 age-, education- and gender-matched controls. INTERVENTION: Participants were instructed to study three lists of 20 action phrases (such as 'ring the bell') by either reading, performing or observing others perform the tasks for later memory assessment. MAIN MEASURE: After the phrases had been studied, verbal and written memory tests were implemented and responses were recorded. RESULTS: The memory performance of stroke survivors and control groups was significantly better under the SPT method (mean (SD) 7.95 (2.7)) and EPT method (mean (SD) 7.95 (2.5)) relative to the baseline verbal task method (mean (SD) 4.2 (1.9)), (P<0.001 ANOVA). Participants also remembered functional tasks better than clinical tasks (P<0.001 ANOVA). CONCLUSION: Encoding by the SPT and EPT methods are significantly more effective than receiving verbal instructions. The SPT and EPT encoding methods show promise and therapists may be able to use them in the clinic to facilitate the memory performance of stroke survivors.