PRESS-NEWS.org - Press Release Distribution
PRESS RELEASES DISTRIBUTION

Researchers identify PTSD measures for use in traumatic brain injury research

2010-11-19
(Press-News.org) (Boston) - Five U.S. federal agencies recently cosponsored a set of expert work groups to formulate common data elements for research related to psychological adjustment and traumatic brain injury (TBI). Danny G. Kaloupek, PhD, associate professor of psychiatry and behavioral neuroscience at Boston University School of Medicine, chaired the work group on posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Dr. Kaloupek's work at the National Center for PTSD at VA Boston Healthcare helped to guide identification of key PTSD-related characteristics and evidence-based measures that might be used in future research. The results have been published in the November 2010 issue of Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation.

PTSD has an estimated prevalence of approximately 8 percent among U.S. adults, with much higher rates in subpopulations that include combat exposed military personnel. Potential for co-occurrence of psychological trauma and TBI exists because the same types of violent and life-threatening experiences can cause both conditions. In addition, some of the ways that PTSD can affect functioning are similar to the effects of an increasingly recognized condition labeled mild TBI. For these reasons, PTSD-related measures are likely to be relevant for many studies focusing on TBI.

The work group members were experts from across the U.S. selected to provide a wide range of PTSD expertise. Individual members reviewed published evidence and held discussions to determine which characteristics and factors are most important to future research. Eight categories were identified and reviewed including exposure to traumatic stressors, factors that moderate life stress, PTSD symptoms, mental health history, and domains of functioning.

The work group agreed with several previous recommendations on PTSD measurement but also expanded the scope and updated coverage of the evidence. They described common trends such as greater prevalence of PTSD in women than men and elevated risk for PTSD among ethnic minorities in the U.S. They also noted that childhood adversity involving abuse or serious deprivation has increasingly been recognized as an element in the lives of many people who subsequently develop PTSD. The work group was careful to recognize that the scientific advantages associated with a common set of measures must be balanced with the benefits of innovation and emerging evidence. As Dr. Kaloupek comments, "the work group effort contributes to greater integration of knowledge regarding PTSD and TBI, with the ultimate aim of benefiting the lives of those who experience trauma."

### About Boston University School of Medicine

Originally established in 1848 as the New England Female Medical College, and incorporated into Boston University in 1873, Boston University School of Medicine today is a leading academic medical center with an enrollment of more than 700 medical students and more than 800 masters and PhD students. Its 1,246 full and part-time faculty members generated more than $335 million in funding in the 2009-2010 academic year for research in amyloidosis, arthritis, cardiovascular disease, cancer, infectious disease, pulmonary disease and dermatology among others. The School is affiliated with Boston Medical Center, its principal teaching hospital, the Boston and Bedford Veterans Administration Medical Centers and 16 other regional hospitals as well as the Boston HealthNet.

END



ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

Taking a break from osteoporosis drugs can protect bones

2010-11-19
MAYWOOD, Ill. -- Taking time off from certain osteoporosis drugs may be beneficial to bone health, according to a study conducted at Loyola University Health System. Researchers found that bone density remained stable for three years in patients who took a drug holiday from bisphosphonates, a popular class of osteoporosis drugs that can cause fractures in the thigh bones and tissue decay in the jaw bone. "These drugs are potentially harmful when taken for long durations, yet little has been known until now about the length of time osteoporosis patients should go without ...

Al Jazeera helps shape political identity of Arabs, study finds

2010-11-19
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Residents of the Middle East who are heavy viewers of Arab television news networks like Al Jazeera are more likely to view their primary identity as that of Muslims, rather than as citizens of their own country, a new study suggests. Because networks like Al Jazeera are transnational – focusing on events of interest across the region rather than those in any one country – they may encourage viewers to see themselves in broader terms than simply residents of a particular nation, the researchers said. "The goal of these relatively new networks is not ...

Culturally sensitive treatment model helps bring depressed Chinese immigrants into treatment

2010-11-19
A treatment model designed to accommodate the beliefs and concerns of Chinese immigrants appears to significantly improve the recognition and treatment of major depression in this typically underserved group. In a report in the December American Journal of Public Health, a Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) research team describes how their model for screening and assessing patients for depression in a primary care setting increased the percentage of depressed patients entering treatment nearly sevenfold. "Ours is the first study to incorporate a culturally sensitive ...

What factors contribute to the success or failure of software firms?

2010-11-19
PITTSBURGH—Throughout the 1990s and 2000s, news about 20-somethings becoming billionaires from the sale of their software companies flooded the media, giving the impression that a good idea was all it took to succeed in the software industry. Jennifer Shang, an associate professor of business management in the Joseph M. Katz Graduate School of Business, along with colleagues Shanling Li of McGill University and Sandra Slaughter of the Georgia Institute of Technology, investigated what caused software companies to succeed or fail. Their research study, titled "Why Do Software ...

Redrawing our borders

2010-11-19
What are borders these days? When travel was local, borders and communities were easy to define, but now our connectivity is more complex. It's time to think of borders differently, according to Northwestern University researchers. To reflect today's reality, they have taken a look at human mobility and redrawn the borders within the United States, showing areas of the country that are most connected. Some of the borders in this new map are familiar, but many are not. The research team, led by professor Dirk Brockmann, used the wealth of data generated by Wheres's George? ...

Assessment tool predicts blood clot risk after plastic surgery

2010-11-19
ANN ARBOR, Mich.—Patients undergoing plastic or reconstructive surgery should receive a risk assessment before their procedure to predict whether they'll develop potentially fatal blood clots in the legs or lungs, according to research at the University of Michigan Medical School. Researchers also found that 1 in 9 patients at highest risk based on that assessment will develop clots if not given clot-preventing medications after surgery. Published in the November 2010 Journal of the American College of Surgeons, the study evaluated the Caprini Risk Assessment Model, a ...

UGA researchers identify key enzyme that regulates the early growth of breast cancer cells

2010-11-19
Athens, Ga. ¬¬-- New University of Georgia research, published this week in the early online edition of the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, has found that blocking the action of an enzyme called GnT-V significantly delays the onset and spread of tumors in mice with cancer very similar to many cases of human breast cancer. When the GnT-V enzyme activity in the cells was increased in mammary gland cells, they increased proliferation and began to take on many characteristics of cancer cells. Using a mouse model of human breast cancer, tumors appeared ...

Study shows importance of exercise for those at special risk for Alzheimer's

2010-11-19
Physical activity promotes changes in the brain that may protect high-risk individuals against cognitive decline, including development of Alzheimer's disease, according to a new study done at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee (UWM). J. Carson Smith, an assistant professor of health sciences, included in the study both people who carry a high-risk gene for Alzheimer's disease, and other healthy older adults without the gene. "Our study suggests that if you are at genetic risk for Alzheimer's disease, the benefits of exercise to your brain function might be even ...

Months of geologic unrest signaled reawakening of Icelandic volcano

Months of geologic unrest signaled reawakening of Icelandic volcano
2010-11-19
Months of volcanic restlessness preceded the eruptions this spring of Icelandic volcano Eyjafjallajökull, providing insight into what roused it from its centuries of slumber. An international team of researchers analyzed geophysical changes in the long-dormant volcano leading up to its eruptions in March and April 2010. In a study published in the Nov. 18 issue of the journal Nature, the scientists suggest that magma flowing beneath the volcano may have triggered its reawakening. "Several months of unrest preceded the eruptions, with magma moving around downstairs in ...

Study: Online undergrads learn well without strong class bond

2010-11-19
College students participating in a new study on online courses said they felt less connected and had a smaller sense of classroom community than those who took the same classes in person – but that didnt keep online students from performing just as well as their in-person counterparts. The study by the University of Nebraska-Lincoln gauged students' perception and performance in three undergraduate science courses that had both online and face-to-face class versions. It found that online students did not feel a sense of cohesion, community spirit, trust or interaction, ...

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:

Study unexpectedly finds living in rural, rather than urban environments in first five years of life could be a risk factor for developing type 1 diabetes

Editorial urges deeper focus on heart-lung interactions in pulmonary vascular disease

Five University of Tennessee faculty receive Fulbright Awards

5 advances to protect water sources, availability

OU Scholar awarded Fulbright for Soviet cinema research

Brain might become target of new type 1 diabetes treatments

‘Shore Wars:’ New research aims to resolve coastal conflict between oysters and mangroves, aiding restoration efforts

Why do symptoms linger in some people after an infection? A conversation on post-acute infection syndromes

Study reveals hidden drivers of asthma flare-ups in children

Physicists decode mysterious membrane behavior

New insights about brain receptor may pave way for next-gen mental health drugs

Melanoma ‘sat-nav’ discovery could help curb metastasis

When immune commanders misfire: new insights into rheumatoid arthritis inflammation

SFU researchers develop a new tool that brings blender-like lighting control to any photograph

Pups in tow, Yellowstone-area wolves trek long distances to stay near prey

AI breakthrough unlocks 'new' materials to replace lithium-ion batteries

Making molecules make sense: A regional explanation method reveals structure–property relationships

Partisan hostility, not just policy, drives U.S. protests

The Journal of Nuclear Medicine Ahead-of-Print Tip Sheet: August 1, 2025

Young human blood serum factors show potential to rejuvenate skin through bone marrow

Large language models reshape the future of task planning

Narrower coverage of MS drugs tied to higher relapse risk

Researchers harness AI-powered protein design to enhance T-cell based immunotherapies

Smartphone engagement during school hours among US youths

Online reviews of health care facilities

MS may begin far earlier than previously thought

New AI tool learns to read medical images with far less data

Announcing XPRIZE Healthspan as Tier 5 Sponsor of ARDD 2025

Announcing Immortal Dragons as Tier 4 Sponsor of ARDD 2025

Reporting guideline for chatbot health advice studies

[Press-News.org] Researchers identify PTSD measures for use in traumatic brain injury research