Menstrual health and genital hygiene status in adolescent girls and young women with cerebral palsy.

Menstrual health and genital hygiene behavior in patients with cerebral palsy (CP) is underrecognized, undertreated, and negatively affects quality of life. The aim of this case-control study is to compare menstrual health and genital hygiene behaviors in adolescent girls and young women with CP to a healthy women control group. Participants were invited to study via social media tools between August 2021 and February 2022. The study included 74 adolescent girls and young women with CP and 89 healthy women. Menstrual status with semi-structured questions, menstrual symptoms with "Menstrual Symptom Questionnaire (MSQ)," genital hygiene behavior with "Genital Hygiene Behavior Scale (GHBS)" were evaluated. The control group scored significantly higher on the MSQ sub-dimensions of "negative effects somatic complaints" (r = 0.396; p < .001), "menstrual pain" (r = 0.287; p < .001), "coping methods" (r = 0.291; p < .001), and total score (r = 0.395; p < .001), as well as the GHBS sub-dimensions of "awareness of abnormal findings" (r = 0.270; p = .001) and "menstrual hygiene" (r = 0.495; p < .001) and total score (r = 0.393; p < .001). People with CP had worse genital hygiene behavior, had less menstrual symptoms, and behaved differently about the menstruation symptoms. This study focused on adolescent girls and young women with CP who cannot easily express their own experiences and concerns, emphasized that their needs should be identified by determining their menstrual health and genital hygiene behaviors.Clinical Registration Name, Registration Number, Registration Date: Menstrual Health and Genital Hygiene Status in Cerebral Palsy and NCT04985045, August 2,2021.

"His heart is hardening, but his BRAIN is softening": Life experiences of adolescents using psychoactive substances: A qualitative study.

PURPOSE: The aim of the research was to portray the life experiences of adolescents using psychoactive substances with regard to their substance use. DESIGN AND METHODS: This study was carried out in a descriptive phenomenological design, which is a qualitative research method. A purposeful sampling method, was used. The sample consisted of 15 adolescents who were treated for a history of substance use. The data were collected by the face-to-face individual interview method. A personal information form and a semi-structured interview form were used to collect data. The content analysis approach proposed by Graneheim and Lundman was used in the analysis of the data. Data were analyzed using the N-VIVO-10 Pro-package program. RESULTS: Four main themes and thirteen sub-themes were determined: experiences before substance use (sub-themes: life before substance use, predisposing factors for substance use), experiences during substance use (sub-themes: symptoms of addiction, problems caused by substance use, family attitude to substance use, the meaning attached to substances) and experiences of the treatment process (sub-themes: motivation, difficulties experienced during treatment, the need for support, treatment results), prevention recommendations (sub-themes: for peers, for families, for society). CONCLUSIONS: Many individual, family and social risk factors had an effect on the adolescents starting to use the substances. They were exposed to negative physical, mental, economic, social and life experiences. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: Nurses working with adolescents who use substances can implement nursing interventions such as prevention activities, counselling, health education, coping and strengthening self-esteem in individual and school based interventions.

Alexithymia Is Associated With Internalizing Disorders in a Clinical Adolescent Outpatient Sample.

ABSTRACT: The aim of this study was to investigate alexithymic traits in an adolescent clinical sample with internalizing and externalizing disorders. The study group consisted of 125 adolescents aged between 12 and 17 years who applied at our outpatient unit and diagnosed with an internalizing or externalizing disorder. The healthy control group consisted of 53 adolescents with no psychiatric disorder. All subjects fulfilled the Alexithymia Questionnaire for Children (AQC). Total AQC scores were higher in the study group than in the control group. When we divided the study group into two groups as internalizing and externalizing disorders, total AQC scores, AQC-difficulty identifying feelings, and AQC-difficulty describing feelings were significantly higher in the internalizing disorder group than in the externalizing disorder group. AQC-externally oriented thinking scores were significantly higher in the externalizing disorder group than in the internalizing disorder group. In future research, it would be useful to further increase understanding of alexithymia and its association with psychiatric disorders in adolescence.

Evaluation of Internet Gaming Disorder, Social Media Addiction, and Levels of Loneliness in Adolescents and Youth with Substance Use.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Substance use and addictive disorders are among the most significant public health concerns, particularly during adolescence. The current study aims to investigate internet gaming disorder, social media addiction, and loneliness levels in adolescents and youths with substance use. Methods: The study group consisted of 93 adolescents and youths aged 15-24 who presented to the Alcohol and Substance Addiction Research and Application Center or the Child and Adolescent Mental Health and Diseases outpatient clinic for substance use. Ninety-one healthy volunteers who did not use substances during any period of their lives participated as a control group. The participants fulfilled the Social Media Addiction Scale (SMAS), Internet Gaming Disorder Scale - Short-Form (IGDS9-SF), UCLA Loneliness Scale (UCLA-LS), and Drug Use Disorders Identification Test - Extended (DUDIT-E). Results: The symptoms of internet gaming disorder were significantly lower in the patient group compared with the control group. Although it was not significant, social media addiction was higher in the patient group than in the control group. The experience of loneliness was significantly higher in the patient group than in the control group. A significant negative correlation was found between treatment motivation and loneliness. Conclusions: School guidance teachers should monitor children who do not have friends or are lonely and be aware of the potential for substance use because it can emerge as a method of coping with the feeling of loneliness among adolescents. In future studies, investigating comprehensive factors contributing to different addictive behaviors may help to clarify the co-occurrence.

Do community-dwelling pregnant women know about pelvic floor disorder?

Our study aimed to assess the knowledge and awareness regarding pelvic floor disorders (PFDs) among pregnant women. We additionally evaluated whether the knowledge of PFDs was different in relation to gestational age, parity, the attendance to an antenatal education (ANE), and history of urinary incontinence (UI) and/or pelvic organ prolapse (POP). A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted in pregnant women from all trimesters of pregnancy. The Prolapse and Incontinence Knowledge Questionnaire (PIKQ) and three questions were used for knowledge and awareness. Two hundred and forty-one women participated in the study. Of them, 18.6% (n = 46) and 3.6% (n = 9) had UI and POP, respectively. The median of the PIKQ-UI and the PIKQ-POP scores were 6 (min-max: 0-11) and 5 (min-max: 0-12), respectively. The median PIKQ-UI and PIKQ-POP scores were higher in women who had attended ANE. There was no significant difference in terms of gestational age, parity, the attendance to ANE, and the history of pelvic floor disorder (p > .05). Knowledge and awareness were low among the women in all trimesters. Education programs involving pelvic floor training should be organized for pregnant women.

Enhancement of lignocellulosic biomass anaerobic digestion by optimized mild alkaline hydrogen peroxide pretreatment for biorefinery applications.

Lignocellulosic energy crops are promising feedstocks for producing renewable fuels, such as methane, that can replace diminishing fossil fuels. However, there is a major handicap in using lignocellulosic sources to produce biofuels, which is their low biodegradability. In this study, the application and the optimization of a lignocellulose pretreatment process, named alkaline hydrogen peroxide, was investigated for the enhancement of methane production from the energy crop switchgrass. Four independent process variables, solid content (3-7%), reaction temperature (50-100 °C), H2O2 concentration (1-3%), and reaction time (6-24 h), and three response variables, soluble reducing sugar, soluble chemical oxygen demand, and biochemical methane potential were used in process optimization and modeling. The optimization was performed by two different approaches as maximum methane production and cost minimization. The optimum conditions for the highest methane production were found as 6.65 wt% solid content, 50.6 °C reaction temperature, 2.94 wt% H2O2 concentration, and 16.05 h reaction time. The conditions providing the lowest cost were 6.43 wt% solid content, 50 °C reaction temperature, 1.83 wt% H2O2 concentration, and 6.78 h reaction time. For maximum methane production and cost minimization, specific methane yields of 338.52 mL CH4/g VS and 291.34 mL CH4/g VS were predicted with 62.4 % and 39.8 % enhancements compared to untreated switchgrass, respectively. Finally, it was found that the predicted methane production for the maximum methane production represents 77 % of the theoretical methane yield and 82.22 % energy recovery.

Elevated neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio in children and adolescents with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder.

OBJECTIVE: Inflammation is reported to play a substantial role in the pathophysiology of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and platelet/lymphocyte ratio (PLR) are inexpensive and potentially interesting biomarkers of inflammation. In this cross-sectional and retrospective study, we investigated the relationship between NLR, PLR and ADHD. METHODS: This study consisted of 100 children and adolescents with ADHD (85 of those receiving psychopharmacological treatment), and 99 physically and mentally healthy children. RESULTS: The mean NLR and PLR were significantly higher in patients than in controls. There was no significant difference between patients who received psychopharmacological treatment for ADHD and patient that did not with regard to NLR and PLR. No associations were found between NLR and PLR and ADHD symptom severity. The significance of NLR is not influenced by medication use, age and sex. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that NLR and PLR may be inflammation biomarkers in children and adolescents with ADHD. Moreover, the significance of NLR is not influenced by medication use, age and sex. Prospective studies that address alterations in NLR and PLR and other pro-inflammatory cytokines following ADHD treatment may provide additional information about the inflammatory mechanisms in ADHD.Key pointsThe mean NLR and PLR were significantly higher in patients than in controls.The significance of NLR is not influenced by medication use, age and sex.No associations were found between NLR and PLR and ADHD symptom severity.Prospective studies that address alterations in NLR and PLR and other pro-inflammatory cytokines following psychopharmacological treatment of ADHD may provide additional information about the inflammatory mechanisms in ADHD.

Psychopathology, quality of life, and related factors in pediatric liver transplantation candidates and recipients.

BACKGROUND: Liver transplantation (LT) has been accepted as a standard treatment of pediatric liver diseases that can progress to end-stage liver disease or lead to acute liver failure. However, there is a lack of studies clarifying quality of life (QoL) and the characteristics and the prevalence of common psychiatric disorders in children before and/or after LT. Thus, this study aimed to investigate QoL and the prevalence of anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in children and adolescents before and after LT and to compare them with healthy controls. METHODS: The study included 30 children aged 5-18 years who were waiting for LT (pTx group) or had undergone LT (Tx group) as the study groups and 20 children for the control group. The PedsQL was used to evaluate QoL, and SCARED, CDI, and the CPTSD-RI were used to evaluate psychopathology. RESULTS: The QoL scores were higher in the control group compared with the study groups in all or most of the dimensions, depending on the reporter. The mean scores of anxiety, depression, and PTSD of the control group were significantly lower than those of the Tx and pTx groups. A significant positive correlation was found between depression, anxiety, and PTSD scores, and a negative correlation was observed between depression, anxiety, and PTSD scores and QoL. CONCLUSION: Waiting for LT and the transplantation process itself seem to be psychologically traumatic for children. Healthcare providers need to be trained to recognize the symptoms of the main psychiatric disorders.

The clinical efficacy of kinesio taping in shoulder disorders: a systematic review and meta analysis.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effects of kinesio taping on shoulder disorders, as a single treatment modality or as conjunction to other treatments. DATA SOURCES: MEDLINE, PEDro (Physiotherapy Evidence Database), The Cochrane Library, Web of Science, Embase and OpenGrey databases were searched for trials published before 5 February 2020. METHODS: This study was conducted in accordance with the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) guideline statement. Randomized controlled trials published in English or Turkish were included. The methodological quality of the studies was assessed with the Physiotherapy Evidence Database scale. For analysis of continuous data, mean differences (MDs) or standardized mean differences (SMDs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were used. The I2 statistics was used to measure the heterogeneity. RESULTS: Fourteen studies were included with 680 participants. Kinesio taping did not produce better results on pain compared to sham (MD by -0.77 (95% CI = -1.77, 0.22), P = 0.13), exercises (MD by -0.51 (95% CI = -1.41, 0.39), P = 0.27), or passive treatments (MD by -0.29 (95% CI = -0.77, 0.19), P = 0.24). Similarly, kinesio taping did not found superior to sham kinesio taping (SMD by -0.01 (95% CI = -0.31, 0.29), P = 0.94), exercises (SMD by 0.41 (95% CI = -0.25, 1.07), P = 0.22), or passive treatments on function (SMD by -0.02 (95% CI = -0.19, 0.15), P = 0.82). There was no significant SMD on range of motion (ROM) by -0.07 (95% CI = -0.47, 0.33, P = 0.74) compared to sham kinesio taping and -0.06 (95% CI = -0.20, 0.09, P = 0.46) compared to passive treatment. Overall, effect size was found small to moderate. CONCLUSION: Despite reported positive effects in some studies, there is no firm evidence of any benefit of kinesio taping on shoulder disorders.

Turkish translation of the Prolapse and Incontinence Knowledge Questionnaire: validity and reliability.

INTRODUCTION AND HYPOTHESIS: To translate the Prolapse and Incontinence Knowledge Questionnaire (PIKQ) into Turkish and test its validity and reliability. METHODS: The study included 341 women. The translation of the PIKQ, which comprised of the urinary incontinence (PIKQ-UI) and pelvic organ prolapse (PIKQ-POP) sections, was performed in accordance with international recommendations. The Incontinence Quiz (IQ) and the Visual Analog Scale (VAS) were applied to assess the level of knowledge about POP and UI. Psychometric analyses consisted of assessing the following: (1) construct validity by confirmatory factor analysis, (2) criterion and known group validity, (3) internal consistency reliability by the KR-20 coefficient, and (4) test-retest reliability over 1 week with the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC). RESULTS: All fit indices except the Standardized Root Mean Square Residual indicated acceptable fit for the final models. Criterion validity was supported by moderate correlations between the PIKQ-UI and the IQ (rho = 0.679, p < 0.001). There were positive and weak linear correlations between the PIKQ-UI and PIKQ-POP scores and their corresponding perceived knowledge scores (rho = 0.351, p = 0.013 and rho = 0.345, p = 0.014, respectively). The known group validity did not show differences indicating that participants did not have enough knowledge about UI and/or POP even when they had the condition or acquaintance with them (p = 0.852 and p = 0.185, respectively). Reliability was excellent as indicated by the ICCs of 0.91-0.90, and KR-20 of 0.67-0.75 indicated good internal consistency for the PIKQ-UI and PIKQ-POP, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The Turkish version of the PIKQ is a valid and reliable instrument to assess the knowledge of UI and POP.

Trunk position sense, postural stability, and spine posture in fibromyalgia.

This study aimed to investigate trunk position sense, postural stability, and spine posture in women with fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS). Fifteen (15) women with FMS and age- and gender-matched fifteen (15) healthy controls were included. Trunk position sense as indicated by trunk reposition errors (TRE) and spine posture (thoracic and lumbar curvature) was measured with a digital inclinometer. Postural stability [eyes open (EO) and eyes closed (EC) on bipedal stance (BS), EO on monopedal stance (MS), and limits of stability (LOS)] was assessed with a computerized stabilometer (Prokin, TecnoBody S.R.L., Dalmine, 24044 Bergamo, Italy). TRE (p = 0.002) and the angle of thoracic curvature (p = 0.009) were found higher in women with FMS compared to healthy controls; however, the angle of lumbar curvature was similar (p = 0.467). It was seen that women with FMS had higher anterior-posterior sway in EO-BS (p = 0.009) and EC-BS (p = 0.001), ellipse area in EC-BS (p = 0.015), EO-MS of the dominant side (p = 0.021), and EO-MS of the non-dominant side (p = 0.007), and medial-lateral sway in EO-MS of the dominant (DM) side (p = 0.004) and the non-dominant (NDM) side (p = 0.002). Ellipse area in EO-BS (p = 0.054), medial-lateral sway in EO-BS (p = 0.983) and EC-BS (p = 0.290), anterior-posterior sway in EO-MS of the DM (p = 0.059) and the NDM side (p = 0.065), and LOS did not differ between groups (p = 0.274). Women with FMS had poor trunk position sense and postural instability, and alterations in spine posture. Therefore, the training of trunk position sense, postural stability, and posture might be beneficial and, thus, should be considered while planning an optimal treatment.

Post-traumatic stress disorder and health-related quality of life in the siblings of the pediatric bone marrow transplantation survivors and post-traumatic stress disorder in their mothers.

Although BMT is lifesaving in many childhood diseases, it was found to be related to anxiety, depression, and PTSD in parents, and PTSD, anxiety and overall low self-esteem in siblings. Research on siblings' HRQoL is limited. The aim of this study was to investigate PTSD and HRQoL in siblings (donor and non-donor) of pediatric BMT survivors and PTSD in their mothers, compared to the healthy controls. Thirty-five siblings and their mothers and 35 healthy peers and their mothers were recruited as the study group and as the comparison group, respectively. In children, Child PTSD-Reaction Index for PTSD and PedsQL for HRQoL were used. PTSD Checklist-Civilian Version was used for PTSD in mothers. The study group, both children and mothers, obtained significantly higher PTSD rates than the control group. Children in the study group also reported significantly poorer HRQoL than the control group in all scales. As a novel finding, there was a significant negative correlation between siblings' and mothers' PTSD scores and siblings' PedsQL scores, indicating that PTSD symptoms in siblings and mothers significantly led to impairment in siblings' HRQoL or vice versa. Thus, the identification and treatment of siblings and mothers with PTSD seems imperative.

An investigation of the effects of connective tissue massage in women with migraine: A controlled clinical trial.

INTRODUCTION: To investigate the effects of connective tissue massage (CTM) on pain characteristics, accompanying symptoms, medication usage, disability, sleep quality, psychological status, and quality of life in women with migraine. METHOD: The study was designed as a prospective controlled clinical trial. Women were allocated into the CTM (CTM + education (Ed) program, n = 8) and control groups (only Ed program, n = 8). One session of Ed and 12 sessions of CTM were performed for 4 weeks. They filled out a headache diary, including pain characteristics, accompanying symptoms, and medication usage, for the pre-, during-, and after-treatment periods. Disability, sleep quality, psychological status, quality of life, and disability were evaluated with the Migraine Disability Assessment Scale, the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, and the Headache Impact Test-6, respectively. RESULTS: The CTM group showed a significant change in pain, accompanying symptoms (except vomiting), medication usage, Headache Impact Test-6, and Disability with Migraine Disability Assessment Scale scores compared to the control group (p < 0.05). Only the CTM group showed a significant change over time in all parameters of the headache diary except vomiting (p < 0.05). Only Headache Impact Test-6 and Migraine Disability Assessment Scale scores improved in the CTM group (p < 0.05). DISCUSSIONS: CTM was superior for reducing pain characteristics, accompanying symptoms, medication usage, disability, and improving quality of life. CONCLUSION: CTM may be considered as a non-pharmacological and complementary therapy for migraine.

Effects of Different Exercise Programs on Symptoms, Sleep, and Quality of Life in Patients with Primary Restless Legs Syndrome.

Background: Restless legs syndrome (RLS) is a sensorimotor disorder that can have a significant detrimental impact on the quality of life and sleep. Objectives: Our aim was to examine the effects of aerobic exercise and stretching exercise programs on symptom severity, sleep, and quality of life in patients with primary RLS. Methods: A total of 18 patients between the ages of 22 and 61 were randomly divided into 3 groups as aerobic exercise, stretching exercises, and control. All exercise programs were applied 3 times a week for 8 weeks. Evaluations were performed before and after treatment. Symptom severity of the patients was evaluated by the International Restless Legs Syndrome Study Group Rating Scale, sleep was evaluated with the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index and actigraphy, and quality of life was evaluated with the John Hopkins Restless Legs Syndrome Quality of Life Questionnaire. Recovery status of the patients was determined using the post treatment global change scale. Results: Aerobic exercise and the stretching exercise program were found to be effective in decreasing RLS symptoms (P = 0.025, P = 0.034) and improving subjective sleep quality (P = 0.034, P = 0.025), overall sleep quality (P < 0.001, P = 0.034), and quality of life (P = 0.009, P = 0016). Aerobic exercises were found to be more effective in reducing wake after sleep onset of sleep (P = 0.048), whereas stretching exercises reduced sleep disorders (P = 0.025). Conclusion: Both exercise approaches have been identified as highly effective approaches in patients with RLS. The treatment can be planned according to the choice of the available facilities, patient and clinician preference, and the advantages of the 2 exercise approaches.

Altered Trunk Position Sense and Its Relationship With Spinal Posture and Spinal Mobility in Patients With Parkinson's Disease.

INTRODUCTION: Proprioception is significantly affected by dysfunction of the basal ganglia, which play an important role in sensorimotor integration. Parkinson's disease (PD), which is characterized by progressive loss of the dopaminergic neurons of the substantia nigra, leads to a variety of motor and nonmotor symptoms throughout the course of the disease. The aim of this study was to determine trunk position sense and to investigate its relationship with spinal posture and spinal mobility in patients with PD. METHODS: The study included 35 patients with PD and 35 age-matched control subjects. Trunk position sense was determined with "trunk reposition errors." A spinal mouse was used to assess spinal posture and spinal mobility. RESULTS: According to the Hoehn-Yahr rating scale, the majority of the patients were in Stage 1 (68.6%). Trunk position sense was found to be significantly decreased in patients with PD compared with the control group (p < .001) but was not correlated with spinal posture and spinal mobility in patients with PD (p > .05). CONCLUSIONS: This study revealed that trunk position sense was impaired in PD from the early stages of the disease. However, neither spinal posture nor spinal mobility was associated with decreased trunk proprioception. Further research into these relationships in the late stages of PD is needed.

Online Behavioral Addictions Among Adolescents Before and After the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Background The COVID-19 pandemic changed people's lives and created a "new normal." It threatened individuals' mental health owing to reduced physical activity and social interaction, excessive indoor time, financial hardship, and insecurity. Moreover, the risk of online behavioral addiction increased in the general population, particularly among adolescents. The present study examined the differences between the pre-and post-pandemic periods regarding online behavioral addictions in adolescents. Methods The pre-pandemic data were obtained from 175 adolescents (August 2019 to February 2020) (T1). An online survey was sent to these participants to obtain the post-pandemic data (March to September 2022) (T2). Seventy participants completed the online survey (response rate: 40%). The participants completed the Smartphone Addiction Scale (SAS), the Internet Gaming Disorder Scale 9-Short Form (IGDS9-SF), and the Social Media Disorder Scale-Short Form (SMDS-SF) both before and after the pandemic. Results  Before the pandemic, females had significantly higher SMDS-SF scores compared to males (p = 0.005). On the other hand, males had higher IGDS9-SF scores than females before the pandemic (p<.001). Individuals with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) had higher IGDS9-SF scores before the pandemic than those with depressive disorders or other diagnoses (p = 0.004). However, the primary diagnosis was not related to pre-pandemic SAS and SMDS-SF scores. Lastly, there was no significant difference in IGDS9-SF (p = 0.151), SMDS-SF (p = 0.200), or SAS scores (p = 0.413) between pre-pandemic and post-pandemic scores. Conclusion Although the current study did not support this view, in emotionally challenging times, people may spend more time on online activities, which can lead to behavioral addiction. It is important for parents to monitor their children's online activities and provide guidance. More research is needed to compare online behavioral addictions before and after the pandemic.

A comparison of Kinesio taping and external electrical stimulation in addition to pelvic floor muscle exercise and sole pelvic floor muscle exercise in women with overactive bladder: a randomized controlled study.

PURPOSE: To compare the effects of Kinesio taping® (KT) and external electrical stimulation (ES) in addition to pelvic floor muscle exercise (PFME) and sole PFME in women with overactive bladder (OAB). MATERIAL AND METHODS: Patients with OAB were randomly allocated into PFME, PFME + KT, PFME + ES groups. All treatments were carried out for 6 weeks. OAB symptoms with voiding diary and Overactive Bladder-Version8 (OAB-V8), pelvic floor muscle strength (PFMS) with perineometer, quality of life with King's Health Questionnaire (KHQ) were assessed before (BT) and after treatment (AT). AT, the perception of improvement was inquired. RESULTS: AT, OAB symptoms and KHQ scores decreased and PFMS improved in all groups (p < 0.05). The intergroup comparisons revealed a further decrease in voids/day, voids/night, OAB-V8, and some KHQ scores, and a further increase in the perception of improvement in the PFME + KT and PFME + ES groups compared to the PFME group (p < 0.05). In the PFME + ES group, there was a further decrease in numbers of incontinence compared to the PFME group, and in severity measures scores compared to the other groups (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: KT and external ES in addition to PFME were more effective than PFME alone in the treatment of OAB.IMPLICATIONS FOR REHABILITATIONPelvic floor muscle exercise was found to be effective in reducing overactive bladder symptoms and increasing quality of life.Kinesio taping or external electrical stimulation in addition to pelvic floor muscle exercise is more effective in improving overactive bladder symptoms, quality of life, and perception of improvement than pelvic floor muscle exercise alone.Kinesio taping and external electrical stimulation can be used as a complementary application in the treatment of overactive bladder.Pelvic floor muscle exercise, pelvic floor muscle exercise + Kinesio taping, and pelvic floor muscle exercise + electrical stimulation applications should be included in conservative treatment options in patients with overactive bladder to reduce symptoms and cost, and improve quality of life.

Psychiatric Disorders and Peer-Victimization in Children and Adolescents With Growth Hormone Deficiency.

In this study, we aimed to investigate psychiatric disorders, bullying/victimization, and quality of life in children and adolescents with idiopathic growth hormone deficiency (GHD). Sixty-one children and adolescents who were diagnosed as having idiopathic GHD were evaluated using a semistructured interview by a child and adolescent psychiatrist. Some 45.9% of the subjects with GHD were diagnosed with at least 1 psychiatric disorder. The most common psychiatric diagnosis was social anxiety disorder (18.3%). Twenty-eight percent of the subjects reported being bullied by their peers. Victimization rates were less frequent in those treated for more than 1 year. Children aged between 6 and 12 years had poorer quality of life and higher anxiety levels than adolescents aged between 13 and 18 years. Due to the higher rates of existing psychiatric disorders, the clinical management of patients with GHD should be conducted with a multidisciplinary approach, in which pediatric endocrinologists and mental health professionals work in coordination.

Psychological State of Parents of Children with Primary Immunodeficiencies During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Background: COVID-19 has affected humanity not only physically but also mentally. It was expected to have impact on high-risk groups such as the immunocompromised patients and parents/caregivers of them. Our study was aimed to investigate the COVID-19 related anxiety, post-traumatic stress levels, and sleep-related parameters of the parents of children with primary immunodeficiency. Methods: Parents of children with primary immunodeficiency and age and gender-matched control group completed questionnaires. Results: Anxiety and post-traumatic stress levels of the study group were found to be significantly higher than the control group. Furthermore, sleep time of the study group was significantly lower than the control group. The subjective sleep quality of the study group was also lower in the study group, but the difference did not reach a significant level. Conclusions: In the ongoing and other possible pandemic processes, professional support for the parents of these children is of great importance.

Evaluation of long-term psychopathology and sleep quality in children and adolescents who presented to a university pandemic clinic with possible COVID-19 symptoms.

OBJECTIVE: The first articles about the impact of COVID-19 infection focused on the physical health and existing well-being of children and adolescents. However, little is known about the long-term effects of the disease itself, especially being infected with the virus and even the possibility of the infection on their mental health. Therefore, this study aimed to examine the long-term psychological effects of the disease. METHOD: The study was designed as cross-sectional quantitative research. For this, the medical records of all 8-18-year-old children who presented to a university pandemic clinic in 2020 with possible COVID-19 symptoms were scanned. One hundred 62 children, with the first presentation date of 6 months ago and earlier, were divided into three groups. Group 1 consisted of children with chronic diseases who were hospitalized at the time of admission and continued to be hospitalized in the follow-up after they were PCR( +; polymerase chain reaction +). Group 2 comprised children without chronic diseases and continued outpatient follow-up after they were PCR(+). Finally, Group 3 was constituted by children with chronic diseases who were hospitalized at the time of admission but were discharged after their test was negative. A control group was also included. RESULTS: It was found that presenting to a pandemic clinic with possible COVID-19 symptoms, being PCR-positive for COVID-19, and being hospitalized with a verified disease posed a significant risk to children for the development of mental disorders, including anxiety, depression, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and sleep disorders. CONCLUSION: Thus, prompt identification of at-risk populations, early intervention, and effective management of diagnosed disorders is necessary. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).