Evaluation of a virtual interprofessional oral-systemic health simulation experience in nursing, dentistry, medicine, and pharmacy education.

PURPOSE: The annual teaching oral-systemic health (TOSH) virtual clinical simulation and case study activity exposes interprofessional teams of nurse practitioner, nurse midwifery, dental, medical, and pharmacy students to a virtual clinical simulation experience that uses oral-systemic health as a clinical exemplar for promoting interprofessional core competencies. The present study examines changes in participating students' self-reported interprofessional competencies following participation in virtual TOSH from 2020 to 2022. These findings are also compared to those from in-person TOSH (2019) to examine the equivalence of student outcomes of both the in-person and virtual programs. METHODS: A pre- and post-test evaluation design was used to examine the effectiveness of exposure to the TOSH program on self-reported attainment of interprofessional competencies for participating students using the interprofessional collaborative competency attainment scale. RESULTS: Analysis of pre- and post-surveys demonstrated statistically significant improvement in students' self-rated interprofessional experience competencies following the virtual TOSH program, which aligns with results from the in-person cohorts. Similar findings between the in-person and virtual cohorts indicated no statistically significant difference between the two formats. CONCLUSION: These findings demonstrate the success of TOSH in promoting attainment of interprofessional competencies among future health professionals. We encourage administrators and faculty who lead health professional programs to take advantage of using virtual simulations as an integral component of interprofessional oral health clinical experiences where students from different health professions learn from and about each other in assessing and treating patients across the lifespan.

Synthesis and biological activity of the putative metabolites of the atypical antipsychotic agent tiospirone.

Putative oxidative metabolites of the lead antipsychotic agent tiospirone (1) were synthesized to assist in the identification of the authentic metabolic products found in human urine samples. Thus far, six authentic metabolites have been correlated to the synthetic species. The putative metabolites were further examined in vitro to assess their central nervous system therapeutic potential. SAR analysis of these derivatives indicates that hydroxyl substitution, particularly in the azaspirodecanedione region of the molecule, diminishes the dopamine D-2 affinity of the species without significantly altering the serotonin type-1A and type-2 interactions. In addition, an increase in alpha 1-adrenergic affinity appears to be linked to the attenuation of effects at the dopamine receptors. The biological profile of the 6-hydroxytiospirone metabolite 42 was exemplary in these respects and the in vivo actions of this compound suggest potent antipsychotic potential with a minimal liability for extrapyramidal side effects (EPS). While compound 42 has been unambiguously characterized as an actual human metabolite of tiospirone, the role of 42 in the observed antipsychotic activity of the parent drug, if any, has not yet been determined.

The thieno[3,2-c]pyridine and furo[3,2-c]pyridine rings: new pharmacophores with potential antipsychotic activity.

Two new arylpiperazine derivatives, the 4-(1-piperazinyl)thieno- and -furo[3,2-c]pyridine ring systems, have been synthesized and appended via tetramethylene chains to various imide rings. Target compounds from each series were found to have significant activity in the blockade of apomorphine stereotypy and apomorphine-induced climbing, the Sidman avoidance response, and the conditioned avoidance response. In addition, while potent affinity for serotonin 5-HT1 and 5-HT2 receptors was observed for both the thieno- and furo[3,2-c]pyridine derivatives, the interaction of these molecules with the dopamine D2 receptor was weak. Electrophysiological studies of the lead prototypes from each series, involving compounds 22 and 33, indicate these two molecules have distinctively different effects on dopamine neurons in areas A9 and A10. Despite the similarity these molecules share in their behavioral indices of antipsychotic activity, it is likely that the thieno- and furo[3,2-c]pyridine rings employ different mechanisms to achieve this convergence of biological effects.