We evaluated hemispheric functions ipsilateral to the side of carotid endarterectomy (CEA) in patients with a severe stenosis in the left or right carotid artery. Assessments took place 1 day before and 3 months after CEA. Only right-handed males were included. Nineteen patients underwent surgery of the left carotid artery and 17 of the right.…

Given the national agenda on chronic disease self-management, the goal of the project described in this brief report was to develop a scale that measured adult perceptions about health but did not focus on a specific condition. The Perception of Health Scale (PHS) is based on earlier work that used the Health Belief Model as a focus. The 15-item…

Purpose: The study aim was to develop a measure of self-reported quality of life (QoL) for people with mild to moderate dementia based on their views--the Bath Assessment of Subjective Quality of Life in Dementia (BASQID). Design and Methods: We developed the measure through multiple stages. Two field tests of the measure (ns = 60 and 150)…

Osteoporosis is a skeletal disease characterized by loss of bone mass and density, which results in an increased risk of fractures. The disease is referred to as the "silent thief," because it is often not until a person falls and breaks a bone that patients and their physicians become aware of weakening bones. An estimated 1.5 million…

The prevalence of suicidal ideation in patients with mild, moderate, and severe atopic dermatitis between the age of 15 to 49 years were 0.21%, 6%, and 19.6%, respectively. In addition, the prevalence of homicide-suicidal ideation in mothers or fathers of patients (aged 0-14 years) with mild, moderate, and severe atopic dermatitis were 0.11%,…

This study examined the impact of various degenerative dementias on access to semantic knowledge and the status of semantic representations. Patients with semantic dementia, primary progressive aphasia, and Alzheimer's disease were compared with elderly controls on tasks of category and letter fluency, with number of words generated, mean lexical…

In a study of the discourse of 100 people with Alzheimer's disease treated for 12 months with donepezil, we observed that, as a group, they used a form of tag, described here as a self-referential tag (SRT), 14 times more frequently than did caregivers. Patients use SRTs to check propositions dependent on episodic memory as in I haven't seen the…

The best HIV prevention programs--those that effect change on a multiplicity of levels by changing knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors and that are sustained over time--are also those that place HIV-positive people at the center of program design, implementation, and evaluation.

Several demographic and psychosocial variables affect assessment and treatment of chronic pain patients. The variables include demographic characteristics, life styles, family constellations, job conditions, financial status, support networks, and leisure activities. In recent years clinics and programs have emerged in a variety of configurations.…

Compared the responses of 496 severely ill adults and 297 healthy persons concerning the threat of loss of life or bodily integrity. Results indicated that ill people expressed more concern with both types of threat. Each type of loss was associated with a different set of psychological states. (JAC)

Obtained data on family caregiver stress from 23 family caregivers before, during, and following respite. Findings suggest that stress was moderated by in-hospital respite program for patients with Alzheimer's disease. Although short-term benefits may be realized for caregivers, in-hospital Alzheimer's respite care may present particular risk for…

An on-line ''word detection'' paradigm was used to assess the comprehension of thematic and transitive verb agreements during sentence processing in individuals diagnosed with probable Alzheimer's Disease (AD, n=15) and Frontotemporal Dementia (FTD, n=14). AD, FTD, and control participants (n=17) were asked to listen for a word in a sentence.…

Objective:: The prevalence of childhood sexual abuse among Latino adult men who have sex with men who live in the US was estimated because a history of childhood sexual abuse increases HIV sexual risk behaviors and other negative health outcomes in adulthood. Method:: The Urban Men's Health Study is a random-digit telephone probability survey of…

Alzheimer's disease, a form of dementia in middle-age and older adults is becoming more evident because of growing numbers of older people and better diagnosis and detection methods. Describes the behavioral and physical symptoms of the disease as well as specific suggestions for care of patients with Alzheimer's disease, including dealing with…

Followed eight male smokers with chronic pulmonary or cardiac disease through a smoking cessation program of gradual nicotine withdrawal, self-management, and relapse prevention. At one year, half remained abstinent, while relapsers smoked substantially less than before treatment. Reductions in carbon monoxide and thiocyanate levels were…