The effects of antipsychotic medications on eye movements in schizophrenia

Schizophrenia is the most prevalent mental disorder in the world, affecting approximately one percent of the population. Antipsychotic medications have successfully treated schizophrenic psychotic symptoms for years, however their positive effects on cognitive dysfunction, a core feature of schizophrenia, are inconclusive. Recent studies have shown that improved cognitive functioning is most often associated with the best long-term prognosis. Thus, clarifying the cognitive effects of commonly prescribed antipsychotic medications is pivotal to improving quality of life and long-term care of schizophrenic patients.^ Previous studies on cognitive dysfunction in schizophrenia utilized complex neuropsychological tasks requiring many intact areas of the brain for proper completion. These complexities make interpretation of acquired data difficult. Recently, eye movements have been identified as a more effective surrogate for investigating cognitive functioning. Eye movements are easily measured, require known discrete areas of the brain for processing, and are ubiquitous. They influence what we attend to and process in the brain; thus they are a pivotal aspect of cognitive functioning. This study sought to examine the effects of antipsychotic medications on eye movements in forty-two schizophrenic patients. These patients were divided equally into the three tested medication groups: haloperidol, olanzapine, and aripiprazole. To the extent possible, these groups were further separated into task-impaired and task-nonimpaired subgroups, and again analyzed. Clinical and neuropsychological scales were administered to assess clinical and eye movement changes.^ The results of this study found the olanzapine-treated group exhibited superior cognitive effects to the aripiprazole-treated group, who was superior to the haloperidol-treated group. Furthermore, upon subdivision into cognitively impaired and nonimpaired subgroups, both olanzapine-treated subgroups continued to show improvement, while only the aripiprazole-treated impaired subgroup showed cognitive benefit. The haloperidol-treated nonimpaired subgroup actually demonstrated worsening effects. Interestingly, despite the cognitive decline of some subgroups, the clinical assessment results indicated virtually all subgroups exhibited significant clinical improvement. Hence, careful selection of an antipsychotic medication is crucial, as this study shows some treatments may help whereas others may hinder cognitive functioning in schizophrenia. ^ The results of this study are extremely important given the relationship between cognitive improvement and long-term prognosis in schizophrenia. Finally, and perhaps most importantly, these results indicate that clinical improvement is not necessarily indicative of cognitive improvement. ^

The relationship between supermarket nutrient movements and the mortality rates from fat-associated and non-fat-associated cardiovascular disease: Development of an ecologic method for determining community food patterns

Supermarket nutrient movement, a community food consumption measure, aggregated 1,023 high-fat foods, representing 100% of visible fats and approximately 44% of hidden fats in the food supply (FAO, 1980). Fatty acid and cholesterol content of foods shipped from the warehouse to 47 supermarkets located in the Houston area were calculated over a 6 month period. These stores were located in census tracts with over 50% of a given ethnicity: Hispanic, black non-Hispanic, or white non-Hispanic. Categorizing the supermarket census tracts by predominant ethnicity, significant differences were found by ANOVA in the proportion of specific fatty acids and cholesterol content of the foods examined. Using ecological regression, ethnicity, income, and median age predicted supermarket lipid movements while residential stability did not. No associations were found between lipid movements and cardiovascular disease mortality, making further validation necessary for epidemiological application of this method. However, it has been shown to be a non-reactive and cost-effective method appropriate for tracking target foods in populations of groups, and for assessing the impact of mass media nutrition education, legislation, and fortification on community food and nutrient purchase patterns. ^

Liberation of hope: An ethnographic study of community-based initiatives in Houston, Texas

This is an ethnographic study about the worldview of community-based initiatives in Houston, Texas, and the people who work in them. People who participated in this study recognize that their direct constructive action is at the heart of authentic social change in their minority communities. Through qualitative data analysis, a constellation of relationships and process patterns were found to constitute themselves into the system of the community-based initiative. The predominant patterns identified from the findings in this study are: the pervasiveness of place, the importance of people, unique initiatory patterns, the concrete local sustainability, the ever-present action orientation, the resourceful use of networks and inter-relationships, the significance of church influence, the core sense of spirituality and the essence of hope. These patterns emerged out of the local knowledge, which is acutely sensitive to the elements of history and lived experience, embedded in the distinctive moral and visionary patterns of meaning and expression. Findings from the research reveal that these community-based initiatives are not programs--they are people--people who keep hope alive in their communities and who, by their daily practice, liberate others. ^

Impact of consciousness raising and social liberation on readiness to engage in regular physical activity among adults in Magnolia Park/Lawndale-Wayside, Houston, TX

According to the transtheoretical model, consciousness raising and social liberation are processes used to help individuals progress through the stages of change for a given behavior. This study assessed the impact of these two processes on readiness to engage in regular physical activity among a convenience sample of 35 adults in the Magnolia Park/Lawndale-Wayside area of Houston, TX. The duration of the study was approximately 4 weeks. All pre/post-test data were collected via self-administered surveys available in English or Spanish. Baseline data were used to determine the culturally relevant content of a one-dose intervention consisting of a presentation and dissemination of educational materials as well as a list of local physical activity opportunities. Although the intervention did not improve progression through the stages of change, significant increases were evident among 5 out of 6 processes of change. Based on these results and qualitative data, this study recommended that the Houston Parks and Recreation Department incorporate cultural competency into the design and publication of materials and revise the schedule of available programs (i.e.: increase the number of walking programs) in order to reflect the physical activity preferences of Magnolia Park/Lawndale-Wayside residents.^