Operational Stress Injuries: Impact on Family Mental Health and Well-being

This study was part of a larger scoping review and environmental scan conducted for Veterans Affairs Canada on the effects of operational stress injuries (OSIs) on the mental health and wellbeing of Veterans’ families. This paper focuses broadly on the relationships between combat (and/or deployment more generally), OSIs (primarily post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)), and the family. Based on the scoping review, the paper finds that existing research investigates the impacts of a Veteran’s OSI on the family, but also how various aspects of the family (such as family functioning, family support, etc.) can impact a Veteran living with an OSI.

Operational Stress Injuries: Impact on Family Mental Health and Well-being

This study was part of a larger scoping review and environmental scan conducted for Veterans Affairs Canada on the effects of operational stress injuries (OSIs) on the mental health and wellbeing of Veterans’ families. This paper focuses broadly on the relationships between combat (and/or deployment more generally), OSIs (primarily post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)), and the family. Based on the scoping review, the paper finds that existing research investigates the impacts of a Veteran’s OSI on the family, but also how various aspects of the family (such as family functioning, family support, etc.) can impact a Veteran living with an OSI.

Miten sotilasjohtaja johtaa palautumista ja jaksamista? : Tulenjohtoaliupseerin toimintamahdollisuudet palautumisen ja jaksamisen edistämiseksi

Sotilaan toimintakykyyn ja sen ylläpitoon liittyy monia eri tekijöitä. Sotilasjohtajan yksi tärkeimmistä tehtävistä on pitää huoli omien alaisten toimintakyvystä ja joukkonsa suorituskyvystä. Tämän tutkimuksen tavoitteena oli selvittää, millä konkreettisilla vaikutuskeinoilla tulenjohtoaliupseeri johtaa alaistensa palautumista ja jaksamista. Palautumista ja jaksamista käsiteltiin toimintakyvyn psyykkisen ja sosiaalisen osa-alueen kautta. Tutkimuksessa haluttiin myös selvittää, miten tulenjohtoaliupseerin alaiset kokevat palautumisen ja jaksamisen johtamisen. Päätutkimuskysymys on seuraava: 1. Miten tulenjohtoaliupseeri vaikuttaa alaistensa palautumiseen ja jaksamiseen? Päätutkimuskysymyksen lisäksi apuna käytettiin kahta alatutkimuskysymystä: a. Mitä konkreettisia vaikutuskeinoja tulenjohtoaliupseerilla on johtaa alaistensa palautumista ja jaksamista? b. Kokevatko ryhmän jäsenet, että tulenjohtoaliupseeri johtaa heitä palautumaan ja jaksamaan? Tutkimus suoritettiin vastaajille teetetyn kyselyn pohjalta, johon vastasi 12 varusmiestä. Kaikki kyselyyn vastanneet olivat miehiä, 19–20-vuotiaita ja sotilasarvoltaan tykkimiehiä tai korpraaleja. Tutkimuksen aineisto saatiin kyselystä ja se analysoitiin sisällönanalyysin avulla. Tutkimuksen viitekehyksessä ovat palautuminen, jaksaminen sekä sotilaan toimintakyvyn psyykkinen ja sosiaalinen osa-alue. Tutkimustulosten perusteella voidaan todeta, että tulenjohtoaliupseeri kykenee vaikuttamaan alaistensa psyykkiseen ja sosiaaliseen palautumiseen sekä jaksamiseen tehokkaimmin säätelemällä heidän lepoaikaansa, keskustelemalla ja ylläpitämällä ryhmähenkeä. Lisäksi ravinnon ja nesteen saannista sekä fyysisestä kunnosta huolehtiminen, ovat tärkeitä tekijöitä palautumisen ja jaksamisen edistämisessä. Johtopäätöksinä voidaan todeta, että tulenjohto-aliupseeri on tärkeässä osassa alaistensa toimintakyvyn säilyttämisessä ja oman ryhmänsä suorituskyvyn ylläpidossa. Tutkimuksen tärkeimmät lähteet olivat Jarmo Toiskallion teokset sotilaspedagogiikasta, Jukka Alavillamon yleisesikuntaupseerikurssin diplomityö Sotilaan toimintakyky, Niina Valtasen kandidaatintutkielma Stressin sekä fyysisen ja psyykkisen toimintakyvyn vaikutus johtajaan sekä Yhdysvaltain armeijan Combat and Operational Stress Control Manual for Leaders and Soldiers.

Long-Term Exogenous Melatonin Treatment Modulates Overall Feed Efficiency and Protects Ovarian Tissue Against Injuries Caused by Ethanol-Induced Oxidative Stress in Adult UChB Rats

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Effects of group stability on aggression, stress and injuries in breeding rabbits

On Swiss rabbit breeding farms, group-housed does are usually kept singly for 12 days around parturition to avoid pseudograviclity, double litters and deleterious fighting for nests. After this isolation phase there is usually an integration of new group members. Here we studied whether keeping the group composition stable would reduce agonistic interactions, stress levels and injuries when regrouping after the isolation phase. Does were kept in 12 pens containing 8 rabbits each. In two trials, with a total of 24 groups, the group composition before and after the 12 days isolation period remained the same (treatment: stable, S) in 12 groups. In the other 12 groups two or three does were replaced after the isolation phase by unfamiliar does (treatment: mixed, M). Does of S-groups had been housed together for one reproduction cycle. One day before and on days 2, 4 and 6 after regrouping, data on lesions, stress levels (faecal corticosterone metabolites, FCM) and agonistic interactions were collected and statistically analysed using mixed effects models. Lesion scores and the frequency of agonistic interactions were highest on day 2 after regrouping and thereafter decrease in both groups. There was a trend towards more lesions in M-groups compared to S-groups. After regrouping FCM levels were increased in M-groups, but not in S-groups. Furthermore, there was a significant interaction of treatment and experimental day on agonistic interactions. Thus, the frequency of biting and boxing increased more in M-groups than in S-groups. These findings indicate that group stability had an effect on agonistic interactions, stress and lesions. (C) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Stress distribution in the cervical region of an upper central incisor in a 3D finite element model

The aim of this study was to evaluate the stress distribution in the cervical region of a sound upper central incisor in two clinical situations, standard and maximum masticatory forces, by means of a 3D model with the highest possible level of fidelity to the anatomic dimensions. Two models with 331,887 linear tetrahedral elements that represent a sound upper central incisor with periodontal ligament, cortical and trabecular bones were loaded at 45º in relation to the tooth's long axis. All structures were considered to be homogeneous and isotropic, with the exception of the enamel (anisotropic). A standard masticatory force (100 N) was simulated on one of the models, while on the other one a maximum masticatory force was simulated (235.9 N). The software used were: PATRAN for pre- and post-processing and Nastran for processing. In the cementoenamel junction area, tensile forces reached 14.7 MPa in the 100 N model, and 40.2 MPa in the 235.9 N model, exceeding the enamel's tensile strength (16.7 MPa). The fact that the stress concentration in the amelodentinal junction exceeded the enamel's tensile strength under simulated conditions of maximum masticatory force suggests the possibility of the occurrence of non-carious cervical lesions such as abfractions.

Low-Intensity Pulsed Ultrasound Accelerates Healing in Rat Calcaneus Tendon Injuries

STUDY DESIGN: Controlled laboratory study. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effect of low-intensity therapeutic ultrasound on the murine calcaneus tendon healing process. BACKGROUND: Therapeutic ultrasound promotes formation and maturation of scar tissue. METHODS: Calcaneus tendon tenotomy and tenorrhaphy was performed on 28 Wistar rats. After the procedure, the animals were randomly divided into 2 groups. The animals in the experimental group received a 5-minute ultrasound application, once a day, at a frequency of 1 MHz, a spatial average temporal average intensity of 0.1 W/cm(2), and a spatial average intensity of 0.52 W/cm(2) at a 16-Hz frequency pulse mode (duty cycle, 20%). Data for the injured side were normalized in relation to the data from the contralateral healthy calcaneus tendon (relative values). The animals in the control group received sham treatment. After a 28-day treatment period, the animals were sacrificed and their tendons surgically removed and subjected to mechanical stress testing. The parameters analyzed were cross-sectional area (mm(2)), ultimate load (N), tensile strength (MPa), and energy absorption (mJ). RESULTS: A significant difference between groups was found for the relative values of ultimate load and tensile strength. The mean +/- SD ultimate load of the control group was -3.5% +/- 32.2% compared to 33.3% +/- 26.8% for the experimental group (P = .005). The mean tensile strength of the control group was -47.7% +/- 19.5% compared to -28.1% +/- 24.1% for the experimental group (P = .019). No significant difference was found in cross-sectional area and energy absorption. CONCLUSION: Low-intensity pulsed ultrasound produced by a conventional therapeutic ultrasound unit can positively influence the calcaneus tendon healing process in rats. J Ort hop Sports Phys Ther 2011;41(7):526-531, Epub 2 February 2011. doi:10.2519/jospt.2011.3468

Chronic stress disrupts neural coherence between cortico-limbic structures

Chronic stress impairs cognitive function, namely on tasks that rely on the integrity of cortico-limbic networks. To unravel the functional impact of progressive stress in cortico-limbic networks we measured neural activity and spectral coherences between the ventral hippocampus (vHIP) and the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) in rats subjected to short term stress (STS) and chronic unpredictable stress (CUS). CUS exposure consistently disrupted the spectral coherence between both areas for a wide range of frequencies, whereas STS exposure failed to trigger such effect. The chronic stress-induced coherence decrease correlated inversely with the vHIP power spectrum, but not with the mPFC power spectrum, which supports the view that hippocampal dysfunction is the primary event after stress exposure. Importantly, we additionally show that the variations in vHIP-to-mPFC coherence and power spectrum in the vHIP correlated with stress-induced behavioral deficits in a spatial reference memory task. Altogether, these findings result in an innovative readout to measure, and follow, the functional events that underlie the stress-induced reference memory impairments.

The effect of high-fat diet on rat’s mood, feeding behavior and response to stress

An association between obesity and depression has been indicated in studies addressing common physical (metabolic) and psychological (anxiety, low self-esteem) outcomes. Of consideration in both obesity and depression are chronic mild stressors to which individuals are exposed to on a daily basis. However, the response to stress is remarkably variable depending on numerous factors, such as the physical health and the mental state at the time of exposure. Here a chronic mild stress (CMS) protocol was used to assess the effect of high-fat diet (HFD)-induced obesity on response to stress in a rat model. In addition to the development of metabolic complications, such as glucose intolerance, diet-induced obesity caused behavioral alterations. Specifically, animals fed on HFD displayed depressive- and anxious-like behaviors that were only present in the normal diet (ND) group upon exposure to CMS. Of notice, these mood impairments were not further aggravated when the HFD animals were exposed to CMS, which suggest a ceiling effect. Moreover, although there was a sudden drop of food consumption in the first 3 weeks of the CMS protocol in both ND and HFD groups, only the CMS-HFD displayed an overall noticeable decrease in total food intake during the 6 weeks of the CMS protocol. Altogether, the study suggests that HFD impacts on the response to CMS, which should be considered when addressing the consequences of obesity in behavior.

Using mouse dynamics to assess stress during online exams

"Lecture notes in computer science series", ISSN 0302-9743, vol. 9121

Stress induced risk-aversion is reverted by D2/D3 agonist in the rat

Stress exposure triggers cognitive and behavioral impairments that influence decision-making processes. Decisions under a context of uncertainty require complex reward-prediction processes that are known to be mediated by the mesocorticolimbic dopamine (DA) system in brain areas sensitive to the deleterious effects of chronic stress, in particular the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC). Using a decision-making task, we show that chronic stress biases risk-based decision-making to safer behaviors. This decision-making pattern is associated with an increased activation of the lateral part of the OFC and with morphological changes in pyramidal neurons specifically recruited by this task. Additionally, stress exposure induces a hypodopaminergic status accompanied by increased mRNA levels of the dopamine receptor type 2 (Drd2) in the OFC; importantly, treatment with a D2/D3 agonist quinpirole reverts the shift to safer behaviors induced by stress on risky decision-making. These results suggest that the brain mechanisms related to risk-based decision-making are altered after chronic stress, but can be modulated by manipulation of dopaminergic transmission.

The role of IFNγ in higher brain function: in health and under chronic stress

Tese de Doutoramento em Ciências da Saúde

Stress radiography and posterior pathological laxity of knee: comparison between two different techniques.

Stress radiographs have been recommended in order to obtain a better objective quantification of abnormal compartment knee motion. This tool has showed to be superior in quantifying a posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) lesion compared to clinical or arthrometer evaluation. Different radiographic techniques have been described in literature to quantify posterior pathological laxity. In this study we evaluated the total amount of posterior displacement (PTD) and side to side difference (SSD), before and after surgical reconstruction of PCL or PCL and posterolateral complex (PLC), using two different stress radiography techniques (Telos stress and kneeling view). Twenty patients were included in this study. We found a statistical significant difference about both total PTD and SSD among the two techniques preoperatively and at follow-up, with greatest values occurring using the kneeling view. Although stress radiographies has been introduced to allow an objective quantification of laxity in ligamentous injured knee, we believe that further studies on a large numbers of subjects are required to define the relationship between PTD values, measured with stress knee radiography, particularly using kneeling view, and ligamentous knee injury, in order to obtain a real useful tool in the decision making process, as well as to evaluate the outcome after ligamentous surgery.

Ultramarathon is an outstanding model for the study of adaptive responses to extreme load and stress.

ABSTRACT: Ultramarathons comprise any sporting event involving running longer than the traditional marathon length of 42.195 km (26.2 miles). Studies on ultramarathon participants can investigate the acute consequences of ultra-endurance exercise on inflammation and cardiovascular or renal consequences, as well as endocrine/energetic aspects, and examine the tissue recovery process over several days of extreme physical load. In a study published in BMC Medicine, Schütz et al. followed 44 ultramarathon runners over 4,487 km from South Italy to North Cape, Norway (the Trans Europe Foot Race 2009) and recorded daily sets of data from magnetic resonance imaging, psychometric, body composition and biological measurements. The findings will allow us to better understand the timecourse of degeneration/regeneration of some lower leg tissues such as knee joint cartilage, to differentiate running-induced from age-induced pathologies (for example, retropatelar arthritis) and finally to assess the interindividual susceptibility to injuries. Moreover, it will also provide new information about the complex interplay between cerebral adaptations/alterations and hormonal influences resulting from endurance exercise and provide data on the dose-response relationship between exercise and brain structure/function. Overall, this study represents a unique attempt to investigate the limits of the adaptive response of human bodies.Please see related article: http://www.biomedcentral.com/1741-7015/10/78.

Transobturator surgery for female stress incontinence: a comparative anatomical study of outside-in vs inside-out techniques.

OBJECTIVE To assess the specific risks of injury to neural and vascular structures inherent in two approaches to transobturator surgery for inserting a suburethral sling, i.e. the outside-in (standard technique) and inside-out approaches. MATERIALS AND METHODS The study comprised seven cadavers, providing 14 obturator regions. Five specimens had a tape inserted outside-in on one side, and inside-out on the other; of the remaining two cadavers, one had an inside-out tape and one an outside-in tape, bilaterally. After tape insertion, the cadavers were dissected. Particular attention was paid to the distances between the tape and the deep external pudendal vessels, and between the tape and the posterior branch of the obturator nerve. RESULTS With the inside-out technique, the safety margins were reduced, and the external pudendal vessels and the posterior branch of the obturator nerve were at greater risk of injury. CONCLUSION The two techniques are not equivalent, with a lower risk of injury to vascular and nerve structures with the outside-in technique.