The Effects of Virtual Reality on Motor Functions and Daily Life Activities in Unilateral Spastic Cerebral Palsy: A Single-Blind Randomized Controlled Trial

Aim: This study was designed to investigate the effects of virtual reality (VR) through Kinect on both gross and fine motor functions and independence in daily living activities in children with unilateral spastic cerebral palsy (USCP). Materials and Methods: This study was designed as a single-blind, randomized, controlled trial. Sixty children with USCP were randomized and split equally between the VR intervention group (10 females and 20 males with a mean age of 10.5 ± 3.62 years) and the traditional occupational therapy (TOT) intervention group (13 females and 17 males with a mean age of 10.06 ± 3.24 years). Both groups were evaluated in terms of motor functioning via the Bruininks-Oseretsky Test of Motor Proficiency-Short Form (BOTMP-SF) and were assessed in accordance with independence in daily activities via the WeeFunctional Independence Measure (WeeFIM). Interventions were conducted for 8 weeks with the main objective of improving motor functions and independence in daily activities. Results: Total motor functions and total independence in daily lives in both groups improved after 8 weeks of intervention. A comparison between groups revealed significantly greater improvements in both gross and fine motor functions and daily activities in the VR group than in the TOT group (P < 0.001). Conclusion: The Kinect-based VR intervention approach is important to improving motor functions and independence in daily activities of children with USCP.

The impact of occupation-based problem-solving strategies training in women with breast cancer

BACKGROUND

By identifying the occupations of women with breast cancer who have performance problems, to examine the impact of the application of occupation-based problem-solving strategies (OB-PSS) training on cancer-related fatigue, depression, and quality of life.

METHODS

The study comprises 22 women outpatients in the clinic. Socio- demographic and Clinical Features Information Collection Form, Canadian Occupational Performance Measure (COPM), Cancer Fatigue Scale (CFS), Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), The European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Core Quality of Life Questionnaire C-30 and BR23 (EORTC QOL-C30 - EORT QOL-BR23) tests have been applied to survivors. OB-PSS training was conducted on a face-to-face basis once a week for 6 weeks.

RESULTS

When activity distribution results in accordance with the performance areas are studied, women with breast cancer were seen to suffer problems mostly in their most productive areas (housework management). As a means of solving these performance problems, they developed adaptive strategies like including additional new steps to these activities. Statistically meaningful results have been obtained between measurements before and after the treatment process through all tests (p < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONS

OB-PSS provides positive gains in women with breast cancer in terms of a reduction in the degree of cancer-related fatigue and depression, and a progress in performance and satisfaction levels particularly in activities where performance problems are experienced and an improvement in quality of life. OB-PSS training could be used as an appropriate rehabilitation approach for coping with problems in women' life with breast cancer.

Internet use patterns and Internet addiction in children and adolescents with obesity

BACKGROUND

There are no data regarding the Internet addiction (IA) rates and patterns in youth with obesity.

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to explore the prevalence and patterns of IA in children and adolescents with obesity. The relationship between IA and body mass index (BMI) was also investigated.

METHODS

Study includes 437 children and adolescents with age ranging from 8 to 17 years: 268 with obesity and 169 with healthy controls. The Internet addiction scale (IAS) form was administered to all participants. The obesity group also completed a personal information form including Internet usage habits and goals. Linear regression analysis was utilized to assess the contributions of Internet use habits and goals to BMI in the obesity group and IAS scores to BMI in both groups.

RESULTS

A total of 24.6% of the obese children and adolescents were diagnosed with IA according to IAS, while 11.2% of healthy peers had IA (p < 0.05). The mean IAS scores for the obesity group and the control group were 53.71 ± 25.04 and 43.42 ± 17.36, respectively (p < 0.05). The IAS scores (t = 3.105) and spending time more than 21 h week^-1 on the Internet (t = 3.262) were significantly associated with increased BMI in the obesity group (p < 0.05). Other Internet habits and goals were not associated with BMI (p > 0.05). The IAS scores (t = 8.719) were also found to be associated with increased BMI in the control group (p < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

The present study suggests that obese children and adolescents were found to have higher IA rates than their healthy peers, and the results indicate an association between IA and BMI.

Cross-cultural adaptation, reliability, and validity of the Turkish version of the Cancer Fatigue Scale in patients with breast cancer

Background/aim: The Cancer Fatigue Scale (CFS) was developed to evaluate the severity of fatigue in patients with breast cancer. The aim of this study is to translate and culturally adapt a Turkish version and investigate the validity and reliability of the CFS in Turkish patients with fatigue symptoms. Materials and methods: Eighty participants completed the Turkish version of the CFS for breast cancer and the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Core Questionnaire ″Core 30″ (EORTC QLQ-C30). Test-retest reliability was evaluated by repeating the CFS with a 7-day interval. Results: The CFS demonstrated high test-retest reliability (ICC = 0.95) and good internal consistency (Cronbach′s alpha = 0.74) for all domains. The Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin measure of sampling adequacy was found to be 0.819, which is considered to be satisfactory (>0.5). Correlations between domains of CFS physical and EORTC physical (r: 0.77), CFS cognitive and EORTC cognitive (r: 0.70), and CFS physical and EORTC fatigue (r: 0.80) were found to be significant. Conclusion: The Turkish version of the CFS is a reliable and valid instrument to assess physical, effective, and cognitive dimensions of fatigue. The CFS may be used to evaluate the severity of fatigue in Turkish-speaking breast cancer patients.

The Assessment of a Drama Therapy Process for Patients with Severe Psychiatric Patients

Introduction

Drama therapy is a useful therapy method for improving the life quality of psychiatric patients. Drama therapy is a rehearsal of everyday life. In this therapy method, clients actively join the creative process in order to better understand their life experiences.

Objectives

Drama therapy may improve patients’ ego functions, psycho-social and self-expression abilities, problem-solving skills, real-life adaptations and contribute to patient's psychiatric treatment.

Aim

The main aims were to examine the curative effects of drama group therapy and the effects of drama therapy on functionality in psychiatric patients.

Method

The study was performed at the Istanbul University Faculty of Medicine. Patients were referred from the Psychiatry Polyclinic of this university to Art Therapy and Rehabilitation Program. Drama therapy is an applied drama-based art group therapy. The 10 subjects in our study, ranged from 20 to 50 years old. This therapy group gathered once a week for a ninety minute session. Subjects continued their medical care and received psychotherapy throughout the 24-week study. The therapy plan included an introduction, a warm-up session, a drama therapy work and a sharing session. Patients were assessed in pre and post-treatment with Global Assessment of Functioning and Wilcoxon Signed Ranks Test was used for statistical analysis. Yalom's Group Curative Factors Scale was applied.

Result

There was a significant decrease in loss of functioning (P < .05). In Group Curative Factors, the means of hope, identification, group cohesion and altruism were determined high.

Conclusion

Our study demonstrates that drama therapy has positive effects on patients with severe psychiatric patients.

Disclosure of interest

The authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.

Investigation of hand function among children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder with upper extremity trauma history

BACKGROUND

The present study was designed to compare hand function in autistic children with history of upper extremity trauma with that of autistic children those who do not have history of trauma.

METHODS

The study group included total of 65 children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and was divided into 2 groups: children with trauma history (Group I) and control group (Group II) (Group I: n=28; Group II: n=37). Hand function was evaluated with 9-Hole Peg Test and Jebsen Hand Function Test. Somatosensory function was evaluated using somatosensory subtests of Sensory Integration and Praxis Test. Results were analyzed with Student's t-test and Mann-Whitney U test using SPSS version 20 software.

RESULTS

Hand function and somatosensory perception test scores were statistically significantly better in children without upper extremity trauma history (p<0.05). When association between hand function tests and upper extremity somatosensory perception tests was taken into account, statistically significant correlations were found between all parameters of hand function tests and Manual Form Perception and Localization of Tactile Stimuli Test results (p<0.05).

CONCLUSION

Autistic children with upper extremity trauma history had poor somatosensory perception and hand function. It is important to raise awareness among emergency service staff and inform them about strong relationship between somatosensory perception, hand function, and upper extremity trauma in children with ASD in order to develop appropriate rehabilitation process and prevent further trauma.

BURNOUT AND OCCUPATIONAL PARTICIPATION AMONG TURKISH DENTAL STUDENTS

The aim of the present study was to investigate the prevalence of burnout and occupational participation limitation among dental students in a dental school in Turkey. Four hundred fifty-eight dental students (females=153; males=305) were included in the study. The age range varied from 17-to-38 years. Maslach Burnout Inventory-Student Version (MBI-SV) and Canadian Occupational Performance Measure (COPM) were used to gather data. Descriptive analyses, t-test, and Kruskall-Wallis test for independent groups were used for data analyses. The results indicated that 26% of all the students have burnout in terms of emotional exhaustion (25%), cynicism (18%), and academic efficacy (14%). The results showed that burnout is statistically significant in relation to demographics (p<0.05). Twenty-four percent of the students showed considerably decreased occupational performance and satisfaction scores, which suggested occupational participation limitations. Occupational performance and satisfaction scores were inversely correlated with emotional exhaustion and cynicism, while directly correlated with reduced academic efficacy (p<0.05). The results of the present study indicates that burnout and occupational participation limitation can be seen among dental students. Students with burnout may also have occupational participation limitation. Enriching dental education programs with different psychological strategies may be useful for education of healthy dentists and improve the quality of oral and dental health services.

Meyerson Phenomenon as a Component of Melanoma in situ

Meyerson phenomenon (MP) is characterized by a symmetrical area of erythema and scales encircling a central lesion, which is most commonly a banal melanocytic nevus. Herein, we describe an unusual case with MP representing an eczematized response to a melanoma in situ and review the literature covering this entity. A 56-year-old man presented with a 6-month history of a pruritic, pigmented lesion on the trunk. The patient had no other significant medical history and no notable family history of similar lesions. Physical examination revealed an irregular, hyperpigmented plaque, 1 cm in diameter, with a surrounding halo of erythematous, scaly areas on the right abdominal region (Figure 1, a). On dermatoscopical examination, an irregular, broadened pigment network, radial streaming, and a focal blue-white veil, encircled by a homogenous, erythematous zone was observed (Figure 1, b). Based on clinical and dermatoscopical findings, a presumptive diagnosis of MP occurring on an early melanoma was made and the lesion was excised with a 5 mm safety margin. Histopathological examination of the excised material revealed a central intraepidermal atypical, confluent melanocytic proliferation with angular, hyperkeratotic, and irregular nuclei and a prominent fixation artifact around the cells (Figure 1, c). Human melanoma black (HMB-45) immunostaining highlighted the confluence of the neoplastic melanocytic proliferation. Lymphohistiocytic infiltration with melanophages was also identified in the upper dermis. An interesting feature was the presence of subacute spongiotic dermatitis around the melanocytic lesions (i.e. parakeratosis, serum/crusting, spongiosis, lymphocyte exocytosis, and acanthosis). Immunohistochemical staining with the Langerhans cell marker, CD1a, revealed an increased cell population in the perilesional, erythematous halo (Figure 1, d). A diagnosis of MP existing on melanoma in situ was established with clinical and histopathological findings. No recurrence of the eczematized components or melanocytic lesions was identified despite 1-year follow-up. Also called halo dermatitis and halo eczema, MP presents as an eczematized, perilesional plaque around various lesions, mainly of banal melanocytic nevi (1). Occurrence of halo dermatitis around a melanocytic nevus was first described by Meyerson in 1971. Other cutaneous disorders with MP include those of dysplastic nevus, melanoma, seborrheic keratosis, stucco keratosis, nevus sebaceous, dermatofibroma, vascular malformations, nevus flammeus, molluscum contagiosum, basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, and keloid formation (2-7). History of atopy and atopic dermatitis is observed in a subset of patients, which was absent in our case. Rarely, patients with Behçet's disease, severe sunburn, and cessation of interferon therapy have also been associated with this entity. MP is described to be more frequent in young males and has a tendency to occur in summer. As far as we are aware, there are only two cases of melanoma with features of MP in the literature. Rodin et al. presented a case report showing features of MP around a melanoma in situ arising on a dysplastic nevus (8). By way of comparison, a pre-existing precursor dysplastic nevus was not identified in our case. Dermatoscopic features including scar-like depigmentation and negative pigment network also differed from our case which featured a broadened pigment network, radial streaming, and blue-white veil. The other case report was of a 50-year-old man, presenting with an atypical melanocytic lesion several years in duration showing an erythematous halo (9). Histopathological examination was consistent with a Clark level 2 superficial spreading melanoma, which was cured with excision with no recurrence despite long-term follow-up. As far as we are aware, our case report is the first to describe de novo melanoma in situ without dermal invasion or a precursor dysplastic nevus. The etiopathology of MP is unclear; however it is considered to be immune-mediated. Up-regulation of intercellular adhesion molecule-1 on keratinocytes and dermal endothelial cell surfaces has been shown, suggesting the involvement of adhesion molecules in pathogenesis (10). We hypothesize that increased Langerhans cell population, as observed in our case, results in a delayed immune response reminiscent of an eczematous process in MP. Excision of the central lesion has been reported to precipitate the resolution of dermatitis, as in our case, in which recurrence of the erythematous, scaly eruption was not observed after removal of the central lesion despite a 1-year follow-up period. Some authors recommend pre-treatment of the lesion with topical corticosteroids to suppress the eczematous process in the adjacent skin. Coexistence of MP around a melanocytic nevus (Meyerson nevus) with halo nevus and progression of Meyerson nevus to halo nevus has also been reported. We suggest that melanoma may occur as a component of MP, and careful dermatoscopic examination is essential to differentiate between pigmented lesions with a perilesional erythematous halo.

An evaluation of the difficulties and attitudes mental health professionals experience with people with personality disorders

INTRODUCTION

Working with people with a personality disorder (PD) can arouse strong feelings, and cause difficulties as well as different attitudes among mental health workers (MHWs). While attitudes towards people with PD and the difficulties experienced by MHWs have been previously investigated, the reciprocal relationship between the two has not been thoroughly investigated.

AIM/QUESTION

This study aims to investigate (1) affective reactions of MHWs to people with personality disorders, (2) the difficulties that MHWs experience while working with these patients, (3) their attitudes towards these patients, and (4) the interaction between these variables.

METHOD

The data for this study were collected through a Personal Information Questionnaire, the Difficulty of Working with Personality Disorders Scale and the Attitudes towards Patients with Personality Disorders Scale from 332 MHWs from several mental health clinics in Turkey, all of whom were experienced in working with people with PD.

RESULTS

The results indicate that the participants described 'difficulty in forming a relationship, understanding the client, and establishing cooperation' among the primary reasons of difficulties. This study also shows that there is a strong relationship between MHWs' feelings of boredom/discontent, guilt/pity and a tendency to display positive behaviours/an inability of establishing borders against people with PD.

DISCUSSION

The findings of this study imply that the level of education, expertise, psychotherapy treatment and clinical supervision of MHWs all affect perceived difficulties and attitudes towards people with PD. It is also noted that among nurses, a higher level of education results in reduced experience of difficulties while working with patients with PD.

IMPLICATION FOR PRACTICE

The results foreground the need for specific skills to be developed in MHWs through theoretical training, case-focused supervision and receiving personal psychotherapy for MHWs.

Is there any effect of oocyte count retrieved in the OPU procedure on pregnancy outcomes?

We aimed to investigate whether the number of oocytes retrieved during ovum pick-up has any effect on pregnancy outcomes when using the gonadotropin-releasing hormone or GnRH long agonist or antagonist protocols. A retrospective study was conducted between 2012 and 2014. The patients were grouped according to the number of oocytes retrieved at ovum pick-up; < 10 oocytes (Group 1), 10-14 oocytes (Group 2) and ≥ 15 oocytes (Group 3). Biochemical pregnancy rates were compared among the three groups. Statistical analysis was performed using one-way ANOVA test for continuous variables and chi-square test for categorical variables. In total, 825 treatment cycles were included in the study. Groups 1, 2 and 3 consisted of 514, 206 and 105 patients, respectively. There was no difference among the three groups regarding biochemical pregnancy rates (22.8%, 28.6% and 28.6%; p = 0.166, respectively). The results of our study suggest that the number of eggs retrieved has no effect on pregnancy outcome in assisted reproductive technology treatment.

Pigmented Bowen's disease of the genitalia masquerading as malignant melanoma

Pigmented Bowen's disease is a rare subtype of in situ squamous cell carcinoma of the skin and mucosa, with a potential risk of invasion and metastasis. It is universally accepted that human papillomavirus (HPV) is the cause of genital Bowen's disease. Herein we report an unusual case of pigmented Bowen's disease of the genital area that clinically simulated malignant melanoma. Accurate diagnosis could only be established after histological examination. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis showed that the lesion harbored HPV 16 DNA. Although pigmented Bowen's disease is rare, it should be considered in the differential diagnosis of all pigmented lesions of the genitalia. This case report highlights the necessity of biopsy and histopathological examination for every suspicious cutaneous lesion.

Neuroimaging and clinical characterization of Sotos syndrome

Sotos syndrome is a well-known overgrowth syndrome characterized by excessive growth during childhood, macrocephaly, distinctive facial appearance and learning disability. This disorder is caused by mutations or deletions in NSD1 gene. The aim of this study is to examine the relationship between the neuroimaging and clinical features of children with Sotos syndrome. Six Turkish children with Sotos syndrome were followed up about 3-7 years. The diagnosis was confirmed with molecular genetic analysis. We identified the pathogenic NSD1 mutation including three novel in all patients. All the patients had a characteristic facial gestalt of Sotos syndrome consisting of triangular face with prominent forehead, frontoparietal sparseness of hair and small nose. However, the degree of psychomotor and intellectual development was variable. Severe learning defect and speech delay were remarkable in two patients. The neuroimaging analysis showed abnormalities in four of six patients including bilateral large ventricles, thinning of the corpus callosum and persistent cavum septum pellucidum et vergae. Typical craniofacial appearance is the primary finding for the diagnosis of the disease even in the infantile period. However, the degree of psychomotor and intellectual development is very variable and does not correlate with the neuroimaging findings.

Tumor-stage mycosis fungoides of the vulva successfully treated with local low-dose radiotherapy

Mycosis fungoides (MF) is the most common type of primary cutaneous T-cell lymphoma. According to the proposed guidelines for MF, skin-directed therapies are the treatment of choice for patients with limited stage disease. We present a case of early-stage MF, who progressed to tumor-stage MF during the postpartum period, showing a solitary ulcerated tumor on the vulva, which was successfully treated with local response-based, low-dose radiotherapy.