The Developmental Participation Skills Assessment: Development and Content Validation.

Purpose: The Developmental Participation Skills Assessment (DPS) is designed to assist clinicians who work with hospitalized infants in thoughtfully and accurately identifying infant readiness and the capacity for an infant's participation during caregiving interactions as well as offering an opportunity for the caregiver(s) to reflect upon the experience. Non-contingent caregiving impairs an infant's autonomic, motor and state stability which interferes with regulation and negatively impacts neurodevelopment. By providing an organized way to assess readiness for care and capacity to participate in care, the infant may experience less stress and trauma. The DPS is completed by the caregiver following any caregiving interaction. Methods: Following a literature review, the development of the DPS items were extrapolated from well-established tools to achieve the most evidence-based criteria. Following item inclusion generation, the DPS went thru five phases of content validation: (a) Initial tool development and use by five NICU professionals as part of their developmental assessment. Expansion of the use of the DPS to include three more hospital NICUs within the health system (b) Item adjustment and use as part of a bedside training program at a Level IV NICU (c) Focus group of professionals using the DPS provided feedback and scoring was added (d) Pilot of DPS by multidisciplinary focus group in a Level IV NICU (e) Feedback form sent to 20 NICU experts and content of DPS finalized with reflective portion added. Main Outcome Variable: The establishment of an observational instrument, the Developmental Participation Skills Assessment, provides a means for identifying infant readiness, assessing the quality of infant participation, and prompting clinician reflective processing. Results: A total of 50 professionals across the Midwest (4 OT, 2 PT, 3 SLP, 41 nurses) utilized the DPS as a part of standard practice throughout the phases of development. Assessments were completed on both full-term and preterm hospitalized infants. Professionals within these phases utilized the DPS with infants within a wide range of adjusted gestational ages from 23 weeks to 60 weeks (20 weeks post term). Infants ranged in severity from breathing room air to being intubated on a ventilator. After all phases of development and expert panel feedback, with an additional 20 neonatal experts, the final result was the formation of an easy-to-use observational tool for assessing infant readiness prior to caregiving, participation during caregiving, and stability following caregiving. In addition, there is the opportunity for the clinician to reflect following the caregiving interaction in a concise, consistent way. Conclusion: Identifying readiness, and assessing the quality of the infant's experience while also prompting clinician reflection following the experience has the potential to reduce toxic stress for the baby and promote mindfulness and contingency in caregiving.

Understanding context: A concept analysis.

AIMS: To conduct a concept analysis of clinical practice contexts (work environments) in health care. BACKGROUND: Context is increasingly recognized as important to the development, delivery, and understanding of implementation strategies; however, conceptual clarity about what comprises context is lacking. DESIGN: Modified Walker and Avant concept analysis comprised of five steps: (1) concept selection; (2) determination of aims; (3) identification of uses of context; (4) determination of its defining attributes; and (5) definition of its empirical referents. METHODS: A wide range of databases were systematically searched from inception to August 2014. Empirical articles were included if a definition and/or attributes of context were reported. Theoretical articles were included if they reported a model, theory, or framework of context or where context was a component. Double independent screening and data extraction were conducted. Analysis was iterative, involving organizing and reorganizing until a framework of domains, attributes. and features of context emerged. RESULT: We identified 15,972 references, of which 70 satisfied our inclusion criteria. In total, 201 unique features of context were identified, of these 89 were shared (reported in two or more studies). The 89 shared features were grouped into 21 attributes of context which were further categorized into six domains of context. CONCLUSION: This study resulted in a framework of domains, attributes and features of context. These attributes and features, if assessed and used to tailor implementation activities, hold promise for improved research implementation in clinical practice.

Criteria to Identify a Potential Deceased Organ Donor: A Systematic Review.

OBJECTIVES: To systematically review the global published literature defining a potential deceased organ donor and identifying clinical triggers for deceased organ donation identification and referral. DATA SOURCES: Medline and Embase databases from January 2006 to September 2017. STUDY SELECTION: All published studies containing a definition of a potential deceased organ donor and/or clinical triggers for referring a potential deceased organ donor were eligible for inclusion. Dual, independent screening was conducted of 3,857 citations. DATA EXTRACTION: Data extraction was completed by one team member and verified by a second team member. Thematic content analysis was used to identify clinical criteria for potential deceased organ donation identification from the published definitions and clinical triggers. DATA SYNTHESIS: One hundred twenty-four articles were included in the review. Criteria fell into four categories: Neurological, Medical Decision, Cardiorespiratory, and Administrative. Distinct and globally consistent sets of clinical criteria by type of deceased organ donation (neurologic death determination, controlled donation after circulatory determination of death, and uncontrolled donation after circulatory determination of death) are reported. CONCLUSIONS: Use of the clinical criteria sets reported will reduce ambiguity associated with the deceased organ donor identification and the subsequent referral process, potentially reducing the number of missed donors and saving lives globally through increased transplantation.

Patient, Treatment, and Health Care Utilization Variables Associated with Adherence to Metabolic Monitoring Practices in Children and Adolescents Taking Second-Generation Antipsychotics.

OBJECTIVE: Children and adolescents with a range of psychiatric disorders are increasingly being prescribed atypical or second-generation antipsychotics (SGAs). While SGAs are effective at treating conduct and behavioural symptoms, they infer significant cardiometabolic risk. This study aims to explore what patient, treatment, and health care utilization variables are associated with adherence to Canadian Alliance for Monitoring Effectiveness and Safety of Antipsychotics in Children (CAMESA) metabolic monitoring guidelines. METHOD: A retrospective chart review of 294 children and adolescents accessing a large outpatient psychiatry setting within a 2-year study period (2014-2016) was conducted. Baseline and follow-up metabolic monitoring, demographic, treatment, and health care utilization variables were then assessed over a 1-year period of interest. RESULTS: Metabolic monitoring practices did not adhere to CAMESA guidelines and were very poor over the 1-year observation period. There were significant differences between children (ages 4-12 years, n = 99) and adolescents (ages 13-18 years, n = 195). In adolescents, factors associated with any baseline metabolic monitoring were a higher number of psychiatry visits (odds ratio [OR], 1.2; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.10 to 1.41), longer duration of contact (OR, 14; 95% CI, 2.31 to 82.4), and use of other non-SGA medications (OR, 3.2; 95% CI, 1.17 to 8.94). Among children, having an emergency room visit (OR, 3.4; 95% CI, 1.01 to 11.71) and taking aripiprazole (OR, 7.4; 95% CI, 2.02 to 27.45) increased the odds of receiving baseline metabolic monitoring. CONCLUSION: Findings from this study highlight the need for better metabolic monitoring for children and adolescents taking SGAs. Enhanced focus on opportunities for multidisciplinary collaboration is needed to improve the quality of care offered to this population.

Clinician Perceptions of the NICU Infant Experience: Is the NICU Hospitalization Traumatic?

OBJECTIVE: Infants cared for in a newborn intensive care unit (NICU) experience pain, parental separation, and stress that may approach toxic levels, thus are potentially traumatic. Lack of accepted clinical terminology to describe the infant experience may result in under appreciation of NICU hospitalization on infant and family outcomes. This study explored NICU clinician perceptions of the infant experience and how the terms trauma/traumatic would impact their clinical roles and practices. STUDY DESIGN: Semistructured focus group interviews and thematic analysis were used to describe professionals' perceptions of the infant's experience and terminology. Focus groups were organized by professional role, including NICU leadership, physicians, nurses, and ancillary providers. RESULT: Six themes emerged from the qualitative analysis: at our mercy, trauma defined and redefined, and now you have broken them too, perceptions of NICU experience change over time, trauma in the NICU: whose trauma is it, and not knowing the infant and family experience. CONCLUSION: While recognizing potentially toxic infant stress levels, clinicians are reluctant to describe the NICU infant experience as traumatic. Hesitations relate to clinicians' personal concerns that they may be seen as agents of trauma and the impact for families if the NICU experience was described as traumatic by clinicians.

Chronic Sorrow in Parents of Children with a Chronic Illness or Disability: An Integrative Literature Review.

PROBLEM: This integrative review aims to synthesize the findings of studies on chronic sorrow in parents, to analyze the findings along three specific research questions, and to identify areas for future research. ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA: Studies of parents, mothers and/or fathers of non-adult children published in peer-reviewed journals that answered the research questions: 1) How does the experience of chronic sorrow differ between mothers and fathers? 2) What factors have been identified to impact the experience of chronic sorrow over time? 3) What strategies by health care providers for helping parents cope with chronic sorrow have been identified to be most and least helpful? SAMPLE: Nineteen studies from a literature search within the databases of CINAHL, MEDLINE, PsycINFO, Psycarticles and SocIndex were included in the review. RESULTS: Findings suggest that mothers experience more intense chronic sorrow compared with fathers. Health care crises and developmental milestones are potent triggers for resurgence of chronic sorrow. Helpful strategies by healthcare providers include providing information, helping to procure respite and being empathetic and compassionate. CONCLUSIONS: Healthcare providers need to understand that chronic sorrow is a normal consequence of having a child with a chronic illness or disability. IMPLICATIONS: Family-centered interventions should be individualized and aimed at providing increased comfort to parents in times of need. Further research that looks at the effectiveness of interventions is needed.

The Why and How of Family-Centered Care.

Although the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education states that neonatal-perinatal medicine fellows must demonstrate an understanding of the emotional impact of admission to the NICU on a family, few curricula are in place to teach this important competency. Family-centered care (FCC) in the NICU is an approach to health care that focuses on decreasing mental and emotional trauma for families while empowering them to reclaim their role as caregivers. FCC is deeply rooted in trauma-informed care and is crucial during transition periods throughout the NICU admission. In this article, we provide a review of FCC and trauma-informed care and how to use these approaches at different stages during an infant's hospitalization. We also discuss parent support networks and how to integrate FCC into an existing NICU practice.

Indicators to measure implementation and sustainability of nursing best practice guidelines: A mixed methods analysis.

Background: The use of best practice guidelines (BPGs) has the potential to decrease the gap between best evidence and nursing and healthcare practices. We conducted an exploratory mixed method study to identify strategies, processes, and indicators relevant to the implementation and sustainability of two Registered Nurses' Association of Ontario (RNAO) BPGs at Best Practice Spotlight Organizations® (BPSOs). Methods: Our study had four phases. In Phase 1, we triangulated two qualitative studies: a) secondary analysis of 126 narrative reports detailing implementation progress from 21 BPSOs spanning four sectors to identify strategies and processes used to support the implementation and sustainability of BPGs and b) interviews with 25 guideline implementers to identify additional strategies and processes. In Phase 2, we evaluated correlations between strategies and processes identified from the narrative reports and one process and one outcome indicator for each of the guideline. In Phase 3, the results from Phases 1 and 2 informed indicator development, led by an expert panel. In Phase 4, the indicators were assessed internally by RNAO staff and externally by Ontario Health Teams. A survey was used to validate proposed indicators to determine relevance, feasibility, readability, and usability with knowledge users and BPSO leaders. Results: Triangulation of the two qualitative studies revealed 46 codes of implementation and sustainability of BPGs, classified into eight overarching themes: Stakeholder Engagement, Practice Interventions, Capacity Building, Evidence-Based Culture, Leadership, Evaluation & Monitoring, Communication, and Governance. A total of 28 structure, process, or outcome indicators were developed. End users and BPSO leaders were agreeable with the indicators according to the validation survey. Conclusions: Many processes and strategies can influence the implementation and sustainability of BPGs at BPSOs. We have developed indicators that can help BPSOs promote evidence-informed practice implementation of BPGs.

Stakeholder Perspectives of Attributes and Features of Context Relevant to Knowledge Translation in Health Settings: A Multi-Country Analysis.

BACKGROUND: Context is recognized as important to successful knowledge translation (KT) in health settings. What is meant by context, however, is poorly understood. The purpose of the current study was to elicit tacit knowledge about what is perceived to constitute context by conducting interviews with a variety of health system stakeholders internationally so as to compile a comprehensive list of contextual attributes and their features relevant to KT in healthcare. METHODS: A descriptive qualitative study design was used. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with health system stakeholders (change agents/KT specialists and KT researchers) in four countries: Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Interview transcripts were analyzed using inductive thematic content analysis in four steps: (1) selection of utterances describing context, (2) coding of features of context, (3) categorizing of features into attributes of context, (4) comparison of attributes and features by: country, KT experience, and role. RESULTS: A total of 39 interviews were conducted. We identified 66 unique features of context, categorized into 16 attributes. One attribute, Facility Characteristics, was not represented in previously published KT frameworks. We found instances of all 16 attributes in the interviews irrespective of country, level of experience with KT, and primary role (change agent/KT specialist vs. KT researcher), revealing robustness and transferability of the attributes identified. We also identified 30 new context features (across 13 of the 16 attributes). CONCLUSION: The findings from this study represent an important advancement in the KT field; we provide much needed conceptual clarity in context, which is essential to the development of common assessment tools to measure context to determine which context attributes and features are more or less important in different contexts for improving KT success.

Salivary estradiol, interleukin-6 production, and the relationship to substrate metabolism during exercise in females.

Estradiol (E(2)) has been documented to have anti-inflammatory effects on the immune system. Interleukin-6 (IL-6), is classified as a "myokine", and has known metabolic consequences. Thus, the purpose of this study was to determine the effects of menstrual phase and exercise on the interaction of E(2) and IL-6, and the role of IL-6 in substrate metabolism. Ten female subjects completed three separate testing sessions: baseline evaluation, and 1 h of treadmill exercise at 65% of peak [Formula: see text] during both the midfollicular (MF) and midluteal (ML) menstrual phases. Saliva was collected prior to, during, and post-exercise for determination of E(2) and IL-6. Expired gases and an additional saliva sample were collected 30 min post-exercise. No significant differences were observed in any of the measured variables across menstrual phase. Exercise resulted in an acute rise in estradiol and IL-6; however, E(2) was not related to IL-6 at baseline or in response to exercise. IL-6 remained elevated at the end of exercise and was found to be related to energy expenditure from fat, and to total energy expenditure at 60 min, and 30 min post-exercise. No relationships were found between the anti-inflammatory estrogen E(2) and the cytokine IL-6. However, relationships were found between IL-6 and indices of substrate metabolism. Based on the data from the current research, IL-6 likely plays a metabolic role in healthy individuals during exercise when released from the muscle as a result of reduced energy availability, acting as a "myokine", in comparison to inflammation-induced IL-6 release.

Individual and organizational factors of nurses' job satisfaction in long-term care: A systematic review.

BACKGROUND: In long-term care facilities, nurses' job satisfaction predicts staff turnover, which adversely affects resident outcomes. Thus, it is important to develop a comprehensive understanding of factors affecting nurses' job satisfaction in long-term care facilities. OBJECTIVES: To analyze factors associated with job satisfaction among nurses in nursing homes from individual and organizational perspectives utilizing a deductive approach. DESIGN: Systematic literature review SETTING: Nursing homes. PARTICIPANTS: Registered nurses and licensed practical nurses in nursing homes. METHODS: A systematic literature review of seven online databases (EMBASE, CINAHL, PsychINFO, MEDLINE, PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science) to July 23, 2020 was conducted. Studies were included if they examined factors associated job satisfaction in the target population and setting. Decision rules on how to determine factors important to nurse job satisfaction were developed a priori. Two team members independently screened the publications for inclusion, extracted data, and assessed included publications for methodological quality; conflicts were resolved through a consensus process and consultation of the third senior team member when needed. RESULTS: Twenty-eight studies were included. Of these, 20 studies were quantitative, 6 were qualitative, and 2 were mixed methods. Factors associated with job satisfaction were grouped into two categories: individual and organizational. Individual factors significantly associated with job satisfaction were age, health status, self-determination/autonomy, psychological empowerment, job involvement, work exhaustion, and work stress. Individual factors identified as not important or equivocal were gender and experience as a nurse/in aged care. No organizational factors were identified as important for nurses' job satisfaction. Facility ownership, supervisor/manager support, resources, staffing level, and social relationships were identified as equivocal or not important. Findings from qualitative studies identified relationship with residents as an important factor for job satisfaction. CONCLUSIONS/IMPLICATIONS: Factors identified as important to nurses' job satisfaction differ from those reported among care aides in nursing homes and nurses employed in acute care settings, suggesting that there is a need for unique approaches to enhance nurses' job satisfaction in nursing homes.

Future roles of artificial intelligence in early pain management of newborns.

The advent of increasingly sophisticated medical technology, surgical interventions, and supportive healthcare measures is raising survival probabilities for babies born premature and/or with life-threatening health conditions. In the United States, this trend is associated with greater numbers of neonatal surgeries and higher admission rates into neonatal intensive care units (NICU) for newborns at all birth weights. Following surgery, current pain management in NICU relies primarily on narcotics (opioids) such as morphine and fentanyl (about 100 times more potent than morphine) that lead to a number of complications, including prolonged stays in NICU for opioid withdrawal. In this paper, we review current practices and challenges for pain assessment and treatment in NICU and outline ongoing efforts using Artificial Intelligence (AI) to support pain- and opioid-sparing approaches for newborns in the future. A major focus for these next-generation approaches to NICU-based pain management is proactive pain mitigation (avoidance) aimed at preventing harm to neonates from both postsurgical pain and opioid withdrawal. AI-based frameworks can use single or multiple combinations of continuous objective variables, that is, facial and body movements, crying frequencies, and physiological data (vital signs), to make high-confidence predictions about time-to-pain onset following postsurgical sedation. Such predictions would create a therapeutic window prior to pain onset for mitigation with non-narcotic pharmaceutical and nonpharmaceutical interventions. These emerging AI-based strategies have the potential to minimize or avoid damage to the neonate's body and psyche from postsurgical pain and opioid withdrawal.

Attributes of context relevant to healthcare professionals' use of research evidence in clinical practice: a multi-study analysis.

BACKGROUND: To increase the likelihood of successful implementation of evidence-based practices, researchers, knowledge users, and healthcare professionals must consider aspects of context that promote and hinder implementation in their setting. The purpose of the current study was to identify contextual attributes and their features relevant to implementation by healthcare professionals and compare and contrast these attributes and features across different clinical settings and healthcare professional roles. METHODS: We conducted a secondary analysis of 145 semi-structured interviews comprising 11 studies (10 from Canada and one from Australia) investigating healthcare professionals' perceived barriers and enablers to their use of research evidence in clinical practice. The data was collected using semi-structured interview guides informed by the Theoretical Domains Framework across different healthcare professional roles, settings, and practices. We analyzed these data inductively, using constant comparative analysis, to identify attributes of context and their features reported in the interviews. We compared these data by (1) setting (primary care, hospital-medical/surgical, hospital-emergency room, hospital-critical care) and (2) professional role (physicians and residents, nurses and organ donor coordinators). RESULTS: We identified 62 unique features of context, which we categorized under 14 broader attributes of context. The 14 attributes were resource access, work structure, patient characteristics, professional role, culture, facility characteristics, system features, healthcare professional characteristics, financial, collaboration, leadership, evaluation, regulatory or legislative standards, and societal influences. We found instances of the majority (n = 12, 86%) of attributes of context across multiple (n = 6 or more) clinical behaviors. We also found little variation in the 14 attributes of context by setting (primary care and hospitals) and professional role (physicians and residents, and nurses and organ donor coordinators). CONCLUSIONS: There was considerable consistency in the 14 attributes identified irrespective of the clinical behavior, setting, or professional role, supporting broad utility of the attributes of context identified in this study. There was more variation in the finer-grained features of these attributes with the most substantial variation being by setting.

Immediate blood pressure-lowering effects of aerobic exercise among patients with chronic kidney disease.

AIM: The current study was designed to determine the effect of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise on blood pressure responses within the laboratory for 60 min post exercise and in the subsequent 24 h period in patients with chronic kidney disease. METHODS: Twenty-four subjects with stages 2-4 chronic kidney disease (age = 54.5 +/- 15.2 years, body mass index = 32.0 +/- 5.9 kg/m(2)) on antihypertensive medication completed this study. In random counterbalanced order, subjects were asked to either walk for 40 min at 50-60% VO(2peak) (oxygen consumption) or, on a separate day, to sit quietly in the laboratory for the same length of time. Following exercise or the non-exercise period, blood pressure was taken at 10 min intervals for 60 min. Subjects then wore an ambulatory blood pressure monitor for the next 24 h. RESULTS: Systolic blood pressure (mmHg) was reduced by 6.5 +/- 10.8 compared with the pre-exercise baseline value (130.3 +/- 21.1) in the laboratory after exercise and this was greater than after the control period (0.73 +/- 10.3, P < 0.05). Diastolic blood pressure (mmHg) was reduced following exercise (2.5 +/- 6.4) compared with the control period (2.1 +/- 4.9, P < 0.05). The mean 24 h readings did not differ between exercise or non-exercise days. CONCLUSION: Acute aerobic exercise leads to reduced blood pressure for at least 60 min within the laboratory in chronic kidney disease patients.

Enhancing metabolic monitoring for children and adolescents using second-generation antipsychotics.

The prevalence of children and adolescents using second-generation antipsychotics (SGAs) has increased significantly in recent years. In this population, SGAs are used to treat mood and behavioural disorders although considered 'off-label' or not approved for these indications. Metabolic monitoring is the systematic physical health assessment of antipsychotic users utilized to detect cardiovascular and endocrine side effects and prevent adverse events such as weight gain, hyperglycaemia, hyperlipidemia, and arrhythmias. This practice ensures safe and efficacious SGA use among children and adolescents. Despite widely available, evidence-based metabolic monitoring guidelines, rates of monitoring continue to be suboptimal; this exposes children to the unnecessary risk of developing poor cardiovascular health and long-term disease. In this discursive paper, existing approaches to metabolic monitoring as well as challenges to implementing monitoring guidelines in practice are explored. The strengths and weaknesses of providing metabolic monitoring across outpatient psychiatry, primary care, and collaborative community settings are discussed. We suggest that there is no one-size-fits-all solution to improving metabolic monitoring care for children and adolescents using SGA in all settings. However, we advocate for a pragmatic global approach to enhance safety of children and adolescents taking SGAs through collaboration among healthcare disciplines with a focus on integrating nurses as champions of metabolic monitoring.

Barriers and Enablers to Organ Donation After Circulatory Determination of Death: A Qualitative Study Exploring the Beliefs of Frontline Intensive Care Unit Professionals and Organ Donor Coordinators.

BACKGROUND: A shortage of transplantable organs is a global problem. The purpose of this study was to explore frontline intensive care unit professionals' and organ donor coordinators' perceptions and beliefs around the process of, and the barriers and enablers to, donation after circulatory determination death (DCDD). METHODS: This qualitative descriptive study used a semistructured interview guide informed by the Theoretical Domains Framework to interview 55 key informants (physicians, nurses, and organ donation coordinators) in intensive care units (hospitals) and organ donation organizations across Canada. RESULTS: Interviews were analyzed using a 6-step systematic approach: coding, generation of specific beliefs, identification of themes, aggregation of themes into categories, assignment of barrier or enabler and analysis for shared and unique discipline barriers and enablers. Seven broad categories encompassing 29 themes of barriers (n = 21) and enablers (n = 4) to DCDD use were identified; n = 4 (14%) themes were conflicting, acting as barriers and enablers. Most themes (n = 26) were shared across the 3 key informant groups while n = 3 themes were unique to physicians. The top 3 shared barriers were: (1) DCDD education is needed for healthcare professionals, (2) a standardized and systematic screening process to identify potential DCDD donors is needed, and (3) practice variation across regions with respect to communication about DCDD with families. A limited number of differences were found by region. CONCLUSIONS: Multiple barriers and enablers to DCDD use were identified. These beliefs identify potential individual, team, organization, and system targets for behavior change interventions to increase DCDD rates which, in turn, should lead to more transplantation, reducing patient morbidity and mortality at a population level.

Connecting combat-related mild traumatic brain injury with posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms through brain imaging.

Mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) may share common symptom and neuropsychological profiles in military service members (SMs) following deployment; while a connection between the two conditions is plausible, the relationship between them has been difficult to discern. The intent of this report is to enhance our understanding of the relationship between findings on structural and functional brain imaging and symptoms of PTSD. Within a cohort of SMs who did not meet criteria for PTSD but were willing to complete a comprehensive assessment within 2 months of their return from combat deployment, we conducted a nested case-control analysis comparing those with combat-related mTBI to age/gender-matched controls with diffusion tensor imaging, resting state functional magnetic resonance imaging and a range of psychological measures. We report degraded white matter integrity in those with a history of combat mTBI, and a positive correlation between the white matter microstructure and default mode network (DMN) connectivity. Higher clinician-administered and self-reported subthreshold PTSD symptoms were reported in those with combat mTBI. Our findings offer a potential mechanism through which mTBI may alter brain function, and in turn, contribute to PTSD symptoms.

Exercise training improves HR responses and V˙O2peak in predialysis kidney patients.

PURPOSE: The current pilot and feasibility study was designed to examine the effect of 48 wk of moderate-intensity exercise training and dietary modification on kidney function and vascular parameters in chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients. METHODS: Twenty-one stage 2-4 CKD patients (age, 18-70 yr) were randomly assigned to either the training group (TG, n = 10) or the usual care group (n = 11) for 48 wk. The TG received 48 wk of personal training (3 d·wk for up to 55 min per session at 50%-60% V˙O2peak) and dietary counseling, whereas individuals in the usual care group received standard of care and were instructed not to start a structured exercise program while in the study. V˙O2peak, estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), resting and ambulatory HR, plasma lipids (total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, and triglycerides), and inflammatory markers (high-sensitivity C-reactive protein and interleukin 6) were assessed at baseline and weeks 24 and 48. An independent group's t-test was used to compare glomerular filtration rate slopes between groups, whereas all other data were analyzed with ANCOVA using the baseline value as the covariate. RESULTS: There were no statistically significant differences in any of the parameters at baseline. The 48-wk intervention led to a significant increase in V˙O2peak, reductions in both resting and ambulatory HR, and increases in LDL cholesterol and in TG, but it had no effect on the rate of change of eGFR over time. CONCLUSIONS: A 48-wk exercise training program, primarily focused on aerobic exercise, increases V˙O2peak and favorably alters autonomic function as evidenced by reductions in HR in stages 2-4 CKD patients. The exercise intervention had no effect on kidney function as assessed by eGFR.

Lack of circulating bioactive and immunoreactive IGF-I changes despite improved fitness in chronic kidney disease patients following 48 weeks of physical training.

OBJECTIVE: As known abnormalities exist in the insulin-like growth factor (IGF) system in chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients, the measurement of bioactive IGF-I may provide further insight into the therapeutic potential of long-term exercise training. DESIGN: Patients (N=21) with stages 3 and 4 CKD were recruited from a local nephrology practice in Springfield, MA and randomized into matched treatment and control groups. The treatment group participated in 48 weeks of supervised, progressive exercise training and dietary counseling, while the control group received only usual care. Treadmill testing, anthropometric measurements, and blood samples for analysis of immunoreactive IGF-I, IGF-II, IGFBP-1 and -2, and bioactive IGF-I were taken at baseline, 24 weeks, and 48 weeks. RESULTS: There were no significant differences in any of the components of the IGF system (all p-values>0.05). Immunoreactive IGF-I levels correlated significantly with bioactive IGF-I at baseline (r=0.50, p=0.02) and at 48 weeks (r=0.64, p=0.01). There was a significant interaction between group and time for both VO(2peak) (p=0.03) and total treadmill time (TT) (p<0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Despite improvements in physical performance, a 48-week training program did not affect any of the circulating IGF system measurements. Disparities between these findings and those of other researchers reporting a biphasic response to long-term training may be explained by differences in study groups and exercise programs.