Mike Bock

Researchers have discovered further evidence of paternal transmission bias in psoriatic disease, according to a study published in Arthritis Care & Research.

Significantly more individuals with a first-degree relative affected with psoriatic disease reported an affected father (57%), compared with an affected mother (43%). Self-reported family history was obtained from 849 Canadian adults who reported a first-degree relative affected with either cutaneous psoriasis without arthritis (PsC) or psoriatic arthritis (PsA). A total of 532 (63%) reported an affected parent, and 23 probands reported that both parents were affected. The researchers found significantly more fathers with psoriatic disease than mothers: 289 (57%) of 509 discordant pairs vs. 220 (43%) of 509 discordant pairs, respectively (P = .003).

The paternal transmission bias did not reach statistical significance in PsC probands (P = .20), but the proportion of paternal PsC–proband PsA pairs (161 [75%] of 214 paternal transmissions) was significantly larger (P = .02) than maternal PsC–proband PsA pairs (103 [64%] of 161 maternal transmissions).

“If PsA is considered a more severe form of psoriatic disease than PsC alone, this finding suggests that there is a greater chance of an increase in disease severity when psoriatic disease is transmitted by an affected male compared to an affected female,” wrote the investigators, led by Remy A. Pollock of Toronto Western Hospital.

Read the full article here: (Arthritis Care Res. 2015 [doi:10.1002/acr.22625]).

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Researchers have discovered further evidence of paternal transmission bias in psoriatic disease, according to a study published in Arthritis Care & Research.

Significantly more individuals with a first-degree relative affected with psoriatic disease reported an affected father (57%), compared with an affected mother (43%). Self-reported family history was obtained from 849 Canadian adults who reported a first-degree relative affected with either cutaneous psoriasis without arthritis (PsC) or psoriatic arthritis (PsA). A total of 532 (63%) reported an affected parent, and 23 probands reported that both parents were affected. The researchers found significantly more fathers with psoriatic disease than mothers: 289 (57%) of 509 discordant pairs vs. 220 (43%) of 509 discordant pairs, respectively (P = .003).

The paternal transmission bias did not reach statistical significance in PsC probands (P = .20), but the proportion of paternal PsC–proband PsA pairs (161 [75%] of 214 paternal transmissions) was significantly larger (P = .02) than maternal PsC–proband PsA pairs (103 [64%] of 161 maternal transmissions).

“If PsA is considered a more severe form of psoriatic disease than PsC alone, this finding suggests that there is a greater chance of an increase in disease severity when psoriatic disease is transmitted by an affected male compared to an affected female,” wrote the investigators, led by Remy A. Pollock of Toronto Western Hospital.

Read the full article here: (Arthritis Care Res. 2015 [doi:10.1002/acr.22625]).

[email protected]

Researchers have discovered further evidence of paternal transmission bias in psoriatic disease, according to a study published in Arthritis Care & Research.

Significantly more individuals with a first-degree relative affected with psoriatic disease reported an affected father (57%), compared with an affected mother (43%). Self-reported family history was obtained from 849 Canadian adults who reported a first-degree relative affected with either cutaneous psoriasis without arthritis (PsC) or psoriatic arthritis (PsA). A total of 532 (63%) reported an affected parent, and 23 probands reported that both parents were affected. The researchers found significantly more fathers with psoriatic disease than mothers: 289 (57%) of 509 discordant pairs vs. 220 (43%) of 509 discordant pairs, respectively (P = .003).

The paternal transmission bias did not reach statistical significance in PsC probands (P = .20), but the proportion of paternal PsC–proband PsA pairs (161 [75%] of 214 paternal transmissions) was significantly larger (P = .02) than maternal PsC–proband PsA pairs (103 [64%] of 161 maternal transmissions).

“If PsA is considered a more severe form of psoriatic disease than PsC alone, this finding suggests that there is a greater chance of an increase in disease severity when psoriatic disease is transmitted by an affected male compared to an affected female,” wrote the investigators, led by Remy A. Pollock of Toronto Western Hospital.

Read the full article here: (Arthritis Care Res. 2015 [doi:10.1002/acr.22625]).

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Full implementation of the Affordable Care Act has brought change to the hiring needs of medical practices and the health care industry.

While staff turnover and the physician shortage remain the key problems, recruiting a new set of staff members has become the third biggest concern, according to a report from Health eCareers.

To keep in step with the ACA, practices might consider the following staff changes:

• Integrate technologists across the continuum of care.

• Hire more case management professionals.

• Keep hiring more educated nurses.

• Emphasize data.

Data from the Health eCareers’ 2015 Healthcare Recruiting Trends Survey Report came from 565 healthcare employers and recruiters, customers of Health eCareers, who were surveyed in late 2014 and early 2015.

For the full report, click here.

[email protected]

Full implementation of the Affordable Care Act has brought change to the hiring needs of medical practices and the health care industry.

While staff turnover and the physician shortage remain the key problems, recruiting a new set of staff members has become the third biggest concern, according to a report from Health eCareers.

To keep in step with the ACA, practices might consider the following staff changes:

• Integrate technologists across the continuum of care.

• Hire more case management professionals.

• Keep hiring more educated nurses.

• Emphasize data.

Data from the Health eCareers’ 2015 Healthcare Recruiting Trends Survey Report came from 565 healthcare employers and recruiters, customers of Health eCareers, who were surveyed in late 2014 and early 2015.

For the full report, click here.

[email protected]

Full implementation of the Affordable Care Act has brought change to the hiring needs of medical practices and the health care industry.

While staff turnover and the physician shortage remain the key problems, recruiting a new set of staff members has become the third biggest concern, according to a report from Health eCareers.

To keep in step with the ACA, practices might consider the following staff changes:

• Integrate technologists across the continuum of care.

• Hire more case management professionals.

• Keep hiring more educated nurses.

• Emphasize data.

Data from the Health eCareers’ 2015 Healthcare Recruiting Trends Survey Report came from 565 healthcare employers and recruiters, customers of Health eCareers, who were surveyed in late 2014 and early 2015.

For the full report, click here.

[email protected]

In a report published in Hepatology, scientists from the FDA’s Division of Antiviral Products in the Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER) have provided a brief overview of the FDA’s scientific approaches and regulatory processes designed to accelerate the approval of drugs to treat hepatitis C virus (HCV).

The decision to publish the paper was made because of concerns regarding the efficacy of new, interferon- and ribavirin-free regimens that have gained traction in the drug marketplace. Publishing the paper should clear up some concerns that the drugs are not being properly evaluated, the authors write.

“This paper intends to provide increased transparency to various stakeholders about FDA’s scientific approaches and regulatory processes that supported drug development and marketing approval of [direct-acting antiviral agents] for the treatment of hepatitis C,” writes lead author Dr. Poonam Mishra, a deputy director in CDER.

Read the full article in Hepatology (doi:10.1002/hep.27880).

In a report published in Hepatology, scientists from the FDA’s Division of Antiviral Products in the Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER) have provided a brief overview of the FDA’s scientific approaches and regulatory processes designed to accelerate the approval of drugs to treat hepatitis C virus (HCV).

The decision to publish the paper was made because of concerns regarding the efficacy of new, interferon- and ribavirin-free regimens that have gained traction in the drug marketplace. Publishing the paper should clear up some concerns that the drugs are not being properly evaluated, the authors write.

“This paper intends to provide increased transparency to various stakeholders about FDA’s scientific approaches and regulatory processes that supported drug development and marketing approval of [direct-acting antiviral agents] for the treatment of hepatitis C,” writes lead author Dr. Poonam Mishra, a deputy director in CDER.

Read the full article in Hepatology (doi:10.1002/hep.27880).

In a report published in Hepatology, scientists from the FDA’s Division of Antiviral Products in the Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER) have provided a brief overview of the FDA’s scientific approaches and regulatory processes designed to accelerate the approval of drugs to treat hepatitis C virus (HCV).

The decision to publish the paper was made because of concerns regarding the efficacy of new, interferon- and ribavirin-free regimens that have gained traction in the drug marketplace. Publishing the paper should clear up some concerns that the drugs are not being properly evaluated, the authors write.

“This paper intends to provide increased transparency to various stakeholders about FDA’s scientific approaches and regulatory processes that supported drug development and marketing approval of [direct-acting antiviral agents] for the treatment of hepatitis C,” writes lead author Dr. Poonam Mishra, a deputy director in CDER.

Read the full article in Hepatology (doi:10.1002/hep.27880).

In a report published in Hepatology, scientists from the FDA’s Division of Antiviral Products in the Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER) have provided a brief overview of the FDA’s scientific approaches and regulatory processes designed to accelerate the approval of drugs to treat hepatitis C virus (HCV).

The decision to publish the paper was made because of concerns regarding the efficacy of new, interferon- and ribavirin-free regimens that have gained traction in the drug marketplace. Publishing the paper should clear up some concerns that the drugs are not being properly evaluated, the authors write.

“This paper intends to provide increased transparency to various stakeholders about FDA’s scientific approaches and regulatory processes that supported drug development and marketing approval of [direct-acting antiviral agents] for the treatment of hepatitis C,” writes lead author Dr. Poonam Mishra, a deputy director in CDER.

Read the full article in Hepatology (doi:10.1002/hep.27880).

In a report published in Hepatology, scientists from the FDA’s Division of Antiviral Products in the Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER) have provided a brief overview of the FDA’s scientific approaches and regulatory processes designed to accelerate the approval of drugs to treat hepatitis C virus (HCV).

The decision to publish the paper was made because of concerns regarding the efficacy of new, interferon- and ribavirin-free regimens that have gained traction in the drug marketplace. Publishing the paper should clear up some concerns that the drugs are not being properly evaluated, the authors write.

“This paper intends to provide increased transparency to various stakeholders about FDA’s scientific approaches and regulatory processes that supported drug development and marketing approval of [direct-acting antiviral agents] for the treatment of hepatitis C,” writes lead author Dr. Poonam Mishra, a deputy director in CDER.

Read the full article in Hepatology (doi:10.1002/hep.27880).

In a report published in Hepatology, scientists from the FDA’s Division of Antiviral Products in the Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER) have provided a brief overview of the FDA’s scientific approaches and regulatory processes designed to accelerate the approval of drugs to treat hepatitis C virus (HCV).

The decision to publish the paper was made because of concerns regarding the efficacy of new, interferon- and ribavirin-free regimens that have gained traction in the drug marketplace. Publishing the paper should clear up some concerns that the drugs are not being properly evaluated, the authors write.

“This paper intends to provide increased transparency to various stakeholders about FDA’s scientific approaches and regulatory processes that supported drug development and marketing approval of [direct-acting antiviral agents] for the treatment of hepatitis C,” writes lead author Dr. Poonam Mishra, a deputy director in CDER.

Read the full article in Hepatology (doi:10.1002/hep.27880).

New research into bipolar I disorder (BPI) suggests the existence of an externalizing disorder subphenotype within BPI with greater severity of mood disorder and possible specific genetic features that differ from standard bipolar, according to a study published in the Journal of Affective Disorders.

Shanker Swaminathan, Ph.D., of Indiana University, Indianapolis, and his associates analyzed a cohort of 2,505 patients with bipolar I, taken from the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) Bipolar Disorder Genetics Initiative over 18 years and split into nonexternalizing and externalizing groups.

They noticed increased severity and frequency of mood disorder symptoms and episodes in the externalizing group, particularly in the early-onset externalizing subgroup. For example, nonsuicidal self-harm was seen in 30.2% of early-onset subjects, compared to 10% of nonexternalizing subjects (and 26% of externalizing subjects as a whole). Rapid switching was seen in 70.6% of early-onset subjects, compared to 48.6% of nonexternalizing subjects (and 62.8% of externalizing subjects as a whole), reported Dr. Swaminathan.

“In every parameter tested, subjects with externalizing disorders show evidence of greater symptomatology, earlier onset, and more impairment. This is true even when care is taken to exclude the direct effects of substances,” the authors wrote.

Read the full article here.

New research into bipolar I disorder (BPI) suggests the existence of an externalizing disorder subphenotype within BPI with greater severity of mood disorder and possible specific genetic features that differ from standard bipolar, according to a study published in the Journal of Affective Disorders.

Shanker Swaminathan, Ph.D., of Indiana University, Indianapolis, and his associates analyzed a cohort of 2,505 patients with bipolar I, taken from the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) Bipolar Disorder Genetics Initiative over 18 years and split into nonexternalizing and externalizing groups.

They noticed increased severity and frequency of mood disorder symptoms and episodes in the externalizing group, particularly in the early-onset externalizing subgroup. For example, nonsuicidal self-harm was seen in 30.2% of early-onset subjects, compared to 10% of nonexternalizing subjects (and 26% of externalizing subjects as a whole). Rapid switching was seen in 70.6% of early-onset subjects, compared to 48.6% of nonexternalizing subjects (and 62.8% of externalizing subjects as a whole), reported Dr. Swaminathan.

“In every parameter tested, subjects with externalizing disorders show evidence of greater symptomatology, earlier onset, and more impairment. This is true even when care is taken to exclude the direct effects of substances,” the authors wrote.

Read the full article here.

New research into bipolar I disorder (BPI) suggests the existence of an externalizing disorder subphenotype within BPI with greater severity of mood disorder and possible specific genetic features that differ from standard bipolar, according to a study published in the Journal of Affective Disorders.

Shanker Swaminathan, Ph.D., of Indiana University, Indianapolis, and his associates analyzed a cohort of 2,505 patients with bipolar I, taken from the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) Bipolar Disorder Genetics Initiative over 18 years and split into nonexternalizing and externalizing groups.

They noticed increased severity and frequency of mood disorder symptoms and episodes in the externalizing group, particularly in the early-onset externalizing subgroup. For example, nonsuicidal self-harm was seen in 30.2% of early-onset subjects, compared to 10% of nonexternalizing subjects (and 26% of externalizing subjects as a whole). Rapid switching was seen in 70.6% of early-onset subjects, compared to 48.6% of nonexternalizing subjects (and 62.8% of externalizing subjects as a whole), reported Dr. Swaminathan.

“In every parameter tested, subjects with externalizing disorders show evidence of greater symptomatology, earlier onset, and more impairment. This is true even when care is taken to exclude the direct effects of substances,” the authors wrote.

Read the full article here.

The Food and Drug Administration has approved Rapamune for the treatment of lymphangioleiomyomatosis (LAM), a rare, progressive lung disease, the agency announced May 28.

LAM primarily affects women of childbearing age and is characterized by abnormal growth of smooth muscle cells that can cause destruction of the lung, limiting the delivery of oxygen to the body.

Courtesy Wikimedia Commons/FitzColinGerald/Creative Commons License

Rapamune (sirolimus) was originally approved in 1999 as an immunosuppressive agent to help prevent organ rejection in patients 13 years and older who were receiving kidney transplants. The drug is available as both a tablet and an oral solution.

In a clinical trial, researchers measured the safety and efficacy of the drug for treatment of LAM by comparing Rapamune with placebo in 89 patients for a 12-month treatment period, followed by a 12-month observation period.

During the 12-month treatment period, the difference in the average decrease in FEV₁ (the rate of change in how much air a person can exhale during a forced breath in 1 second) was approximately 153 mL. After discontinuation of Rapamune, the decline in lung function resumed at a rate similar to the placebo group.

Because there are no available alternatives approved for treatment of LAM, Rapamune received orphan product designation from the FDA, which provides grants for clinical studies on safety and/or effectiveness of drugs used to treat rare diseases such as LAM.

Common side effects associated with Rapamune for the treatment of LAM include mouth and lip ulcers, diarrhea, abdominal pain, nausea, sore throat, acne, chest pain, leg swelling, upper respiratory tract infection, headache, dizziness, muscle pain, and elevated cholesterol.

Rapamune is manufactured by Wyeth Pharmaceuticals, a subsidiary of Pfizer.

For more safety information, please visit the FDA website.

[email protected]

The Food and Drug Administration has approved Rapamune for the treatment of lymphangioleiomyomatosis (LAM), a rare, progressive lung disease, the agency announced May 28.

LAM primarily affects women of childbearing age and is characterized by abnormal growth of smooth muscle cells that can cause destruction of the lung, limiting the delivery of oxygen to the body.

Courtesy Wikimedia Commons/FitzColinGerald/Creative Commons License

Rapamune (sirolimus) was originally approved in 1999 as an immunosuppressive agent to help prevent organ rejection in patients 13 years and older who were receiving kidney transplants. The drug is available as both a tablet and an oral solution.

In a clinical trial, researchers measured the safety and efficacy of the drug for treatment of LAM by comparing Rapamune with placebo in 89 patients for a 12-month treatment period, followed by a 12-month observation period.

During the 12-month treatment period, the difference in the average decrease in FEV₁ (the rate of change in how much air a person can exhale during a forced breath in 1 second) was approximately 153 mL. After discontinuation of Rapamune, the decline in lung function resumed at a rate similar to the placebo group.

Because there are no available alternatives approved for treatment of LAM, Rapamune received orphan product designation from the FDA, which provides grants for clinical studies on safety and/or effectiveness of drugs used to treat rare diseases such as LAM.

Common side effects associated with Rapamune for the treatment of LAM include mouth and lip ulcers, diarrhea, abdominal pain, nausea, sore throat, acne, chest pain, leg swelling, upper respiratory tract infection, headache, dizziness, muscle pain, and elevated cholesterol.

Rapamune is manufactured by Wyeth Pharmaceuticals, a subsidiary of Pfizer.

For more safety information, please visit the FDA website.

[email protected]

The Food and Drug Administration has approved Rapamune for the treatment of lymphangioleiomyomatosis (LAM), a rare, progressive lung disease, the agency announced May 28.

LAM primarily affects women of childbearing age and is characterized by abnormal growth of smooth muscle cells that can cause destruction of the lung, limiting the delivery of oxygen to the body.

Courtesy Wikimedia Commons/FitzColinGerald/Creative Commons License

Rapamune (sirolimus) was originally approved in 1999 as an immunosuppressive agent to help prevent organ rejection in patients 13 years and older who were receiving kidney transplants. The drug is available as both a tablet and an oral solution.

In a clinical trial, researchers measured the safety and efficacy of the drug for treatment of LAM by comparing Rapamune with placebo in 89 patients for a 12-month treatment period, followed by a 12-month observation period.

During the 12-month treatment period, the difference in the average decrease in FEV₁ (the rate of change in how much air a person can exhale during a forced breath in 1 second) was approximately 153 mL. After discontinuation of Rapamune, the decline in lung function resumed at a rate similar to the placebo group.

Because there are no available alternatives approved for treatment of LAM, Rapamune received orphan product designation from the FDA, which provides grants for clinical studies on safety and/or effectiveness of drugs used to treat rare diseases such as LAM.

Common side effects associated with Rapamune for the treatment of LAM include mouth and lip ulcers, diarrhea, abdominal pain, nausea, sore throat, acne, chest pain, leg swelling, upper respiratory tract infection, headache, dizziness, muscle pain, and elevated cholesterol.

Rapamune is manufactured by Wyeth Pharmaceuticals, a subsidiary of Pfizer.

For more safety information, please visit the FDA website.

[email protected]

Treximet (sumatriptan / naproxen sodium) has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of acute migraines in pediatric patients, the drug’s manufacturer, Pernix Therapeutics Holdings, announced in a statement.

Treximet has been available for the treatment of acute migraines (with or without aura) in adults since 2008, but is now available for use in children as young as 12 years.

The FDA approved Treximet after long-term safety and pharmacokinetic data, and the results of a phase III safety and efficacy clinical trial, demonstrated a safety profile similar to that of Treximet for adults. The recommended dose for pediatric patients (12 years and older) is a single tablet of Treximet 10/60 mg (sumatriptan 10 mg and naproxen sodium 60 mg) per 24 hours; the maximum recommended dose is 85/500 mg per 24 hours.

“Until now, pediatric migraine sufferers have not had the same number of treatment options, compared to adults, to manage the potentially debilitating effects of acute migraine,” Dr. Merle Lea Diamond of the Diamond Headache Clinic, Chicago, and a consultant to Pernix, said in a statement. “As many as one out of five teens suffers from migraines, and their burden goes well beyond the pain, as migraines can also adversely affect their social growth and their efforts in school.”

[email protected]

Treximet (sumatriptan / naproxen sodium) has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of acute migraines in pediatric patients, the drug’s manufacturer, Pernix Therapeutics Holdings, announced in a statement.

Treximet has been available for the treatment of acute migraines (with or without aura) in adults since 2008, but is now available for use in children as young as 12 years.

The FDA approved Treximet after long-term safety and pharmacokinetic data, and the results of a phase III safety and efficacy clinical trial, demonstrated a safety profile similar to that of Treximet for adults. The recommended dose for pediatric patients (12 years and older) is a single tablet of Treximet 10/60 mg (sumatriptan 10 mg and naproxen sodium 60 mg) per 24 hours; the maximum recommended dose is 85/500 mg per 24 hours.

“Until now, pediatric migraine sufferers have not had the same number of treatment options, compared to adults, to manage the potentially debilitating effects of acute migraine,” Dr. Merle Lea Diamond of the Diamond Headache Clinic, Chicago, and a consultant to Pernix, said in a statement. “As many as one out of five teens suffers from migraines, and their burden goes well beyond the pain, as migraines can also adversely affect their social growth and their efforts in school.”

[email protected]

Treximet (sumatriptan / naproxen sodium) has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of acute migraines in pediatric patients, the drug’s manufacturer, Pernix Therapeutics Holdings, announced in a statement.

Treximet has been available for the treatment of acute migraines (with or without aura) in adults since 2008, but is now available for use in children as young as 12 years.

The FDA approved Treximet after long-term safety and pharmacokinetic data, and the results of a phase III safety and efficacy clinical trial, demonstrated a safety profile similar to that of Treximet for adults. The recommended dose for pediatric patients (12 years and older) is a single tablet of Treximet 10/60 mg (sumatriptan 10 mg and naproxen sodium 60 mg) per 24 hours; the maximum recommended dose is 85/500 mg per 24 hours.

“Until now, pediatric migraine sufferers have not had the same number of treatment options, compared to adults, to manage the potentially debilitating effects of acute migraine,” Dr. Merle Lea Diamond of the Diamond Headache Clinic, Chicago, and a consultant to Pernix, said in a statement. “As many as one out of five teens suffers from migraines, and their burden goes well beyond the pain, as migraines can also adversely affect their social growth and their efforts in school.”

[email protected]

A 3-year study of over 2,000 cancer survivors revealed that information seeking among cancer survivors varied over time and was often contingent on the specific type of cancer.

With the help of the University of Pennsylvania’s Annenberg School for Communication, the investigators, led by Dr. Andy Tan of the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, surveyed cancer survivors diagnosed with colon, breast, or prostate cancer annually from 2006 to 2008. The most frequently reported topic across survivors and over time was seeking information about reducing the odds for cancer recurrence, with 28% of cancer survivors reporting that they had looked for information about recurrence. Twelve percent said that they had looked for information about the risks of their family members getting a different cancer from their diagnosis.

Information seeking increased or decreased over time based on cancer type and gender. For example, breast cancer survivors grew increasingly less likely to seek information about survivorship topics over their survivorship timeframe, but female colon cancer survivors grew more likely to seek information about how to reduce the risk of family members getting colon cancer in later years when compared with female breast cancer survivors.

Clinicians may be advised to provide information at distinct points during the survivorship period to address concerns about cancer recurrence, late effects, and family members’ risks, Dr. Tan and his associates wrote.

Read the full article here: Cancer Epidemiol. Biomarkers Prev. 2015 May 15 (doi:10.1158/1055-9965.EPI-15-0041)

[email protected]

A 3-year study of over 2,000 cancer survivors revealed that information seeking among cancer survivors varied over time and was often contingent on the specific type of cancer.

With the help of the University of Pennsylvania’s Annenberg School for Communication, the investigators, led by Dr. Andy Tan of the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, surveyed cancer survivors diagnosed with colon, breast, or prostate cancer annually from 2006 to 2008. The most frequently reported topic across survivors and over time was seeking information about reducing the odds for cancer recurrence, with 28% of cancer survivors reporting that they had looked for information about recurrence. Twelve percent said that they had looked for information about the risks of their family members getting a different cancer from their diagnosis.

Information seeking increased or decreased over time based on cancer type and gender. For example, breast cancer survivors grew increasingly less likely to seek information about survivorship topics over their survivorship timeframe, but female colon cancer survivors grew more likely to seek information about how to reduce the risk of family members getting colon cancer in later years when compared with female breast cancer survivors.

Clinicians may be advised to provide information at distinct points during the survivorship period to address concerns about cancer recurrence, late effects, and family members’ risks, Dr. Tan and his associates wrote.

Read the full article here: Cancer Epidemiol. Biomarkers Prev. 2015 May 15 (doi:10.1158/1055-9965.EPI-15-0041)

[email protected]

A 3-year study of over 2,000 cancer survivors revealed that information seeking among cancer survivors varied over time and was often contingent on the specific type of cancer.

With the help of the University of Pennsylvania’s Annenberg School for Communication, the investigators, led by Dr. Andy Tan of the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, surveyed cancer survivors diagnosed with colon, breast, or prostate cancer annually from 2006 to 2008. The most frequently reported topic across survivors and over time was seeking information about reducing the odds for cancer recurrence, with 28% of cancer survivors reporting that they had looked for information about recurrence. Twelve percent said that they had looked for information about the risks of their family members getting a different cancer from their diagnosis.

Information seeking increased or decreased over time based on cancer type and gender. For example, breast cancer survivors grew increasingly less likely to seek information about survivorship topics over their survivorship timeframe, but female colon cancer survivors grew more likely to seek information about how to reduce the risk of family members getting colon cancer in later years when compared with female breast cancer survivors.

Clinicians may be advised to provide information at distinct points during the survivorship period to address concerns about cancer recurrence, late effects, and family members’ risks, Dr. Tan and his associates wrote.

Read the full article here: Cancer Epidemiol. Biomarkers Prev. 2015 May 15 (doi:10.1158/1055-9965.EPI-15-0041)

[email protected]

Individuals at high risk for developing schizophrenia showed impairments in reading ability, neurocognition, and mismatch negativity generation, compared with controls, suggesting the development of schizophrenia might be correlated with underlying deficits in generation of mismatch negativity, a study published in Schizophrenia Research showed.

Lead author Ricardo E. Carrión, Ph.D., and his associates examined 34 people at high risk for schizophrenia and 33 healthy subjects from the Recognition and Prevention Program at the Zucker Hillside Hospital in Glen Oaks, N.Y. The investigators collected several measures of neurocognitive function, including reading ability, mismatch negativity (MMN) to pitch, duration, and intensity deviants, and social and role (academic/work) functioning. They found high-risk subjects showed impairments in reading ability, neurocognition, and generation of MMN, compared with the controls. However, simultaneous regression analysis determined that only reduced responses to deviance in sound duration and volume predicted poor social and role functioning, respectively.

In schizophrenia, deficits are related to impaired MMN generation, suggesting a relationship between early auditory processing and functioning in the stages leading up to illness. Depending on their severity, these dysfunctions “require identification and intervention in order to limit long-term functional disability,” wrote Dr. Carrión of the division of psychiatry research at the hospital and at the Feinstein Institute for Medical Research in Manhasset, N.Y.

“Overall, these findings extend recent studies with adult patients demonstrating a link between MMN amplitudes and functioning, and implicate emerging sensory-processing deficits as prevention targets for functional impairments prior to the onset of psychosis,” wrote Dr. Carrión.

Read the full article here: Schizophr. Res. 2015 (doi:10.1016/j.schres.2015.01.030).

Individuals at high risk for developing schizophrenia showed impairments in reading ability, neurocognition, and mismatch negativity generation, compared with controls, suggesting the development of schizophrenia might be correlated with underlying deficits in generation of mismatch negativity, a study published in Schizophrenia Research showed.

Lead author Ricardo E. Carrión, Ph.D., and his associates examined 34 people at high risk for schizophrenia and 33 healthy subjects from the Recognition and Prevention Program at the Zucker Hillside Hospital in Glen Oaks, N.Y. The investigators collected several measures of neurocognitive function, including reading ability, mismatch negativity (MMN) to pitch, duration, and intensity deviants, and social and role (academic/work) functioning. They found high-risk subjects showed impairments in reading ability, neurocognition, and generation of MMN, compared with the controls. However, simultaneous regression analysis determined that only reduced responses to deviance in sound duration and volume predicted poor social and role functioning, respectively.

In schizophrenia, deficits are related to impaired MMN generation, suggesting a relationship between early auditory processing and functioning in the stages leading up to illness. Depending on their severity, these dysfunctions “require identification and intervention in order to limit long-term functional disability,” wrote Dr. Carrión of the division of psychiatry research at the hospital and at the Feinstein Institute for Medical Research in Manhasset, N.Y.

“Overall, these findings extend recent studies with adult patients demonstrating a link between MMN amplitudes and functioning, and implicate emerging sensory-processing deficits as prevention targets for functional impairments prior to the onset of psychosis,” wrote Dr. Carrión.

Read the full article here: Schizophr. Res. 2015 (doi:10.1016/j.schres.2015.01.030).

Individuals at high risk for developing schizophrenia showed impairments in reading ability, neurocognition, and mismatch negativity generation, compared with controls, suggesting the development of schizophrenia might be correlated with underlying deficits in generation of mismatch negativity, a study published in Schizophrenia Research showed.

Lead author Ricardo E. Carrión, Ph.D., and his associates examined 34 people at high risk for schizophrenia and 33 healthy subjects from the Recognition and Prevention Program at the Zucker Hillside Hospital in Glen Oaks, N.Y. The investigators collected several measures of neurocognitive function, including reading ability, mismatch negativity (MMN) to pitch, duration, and intensity deviants, and social and role (academic/work) functioning. They found high-risk subjects showed impairments in reading ability, neurocognition, and generation of MMN, compared with the controls. However, simultaneous regression analysis determined that only reduced responses to deviance in sound duration and volume predicted poor social and role functioning, respectively.

In schizophrenia, deficits are related to impaired MMN generation, suggesting a relationship between early auditory processing and functioning in the stages leading up to illness. Depending on their severity, these dysfunctions “require identification and intervention in order to limit long-term functional disability,” wrote Dr. Carrión of the division of psychiatry research at the hospital and at the Feinstein Institute for Medical Research in Manhasset, N.Y.

“Overall, these findings extend recent studies with adult patients demonstrating a link between MMN amplitudes and functioning, and implicate emerging sensory-processing deficits as prevention targets for functional impairments prior to the onset of psychosis,” wrote Dr. Carrión.

Read the full article here: Schizophr. Res. 2015 (doi:10.1016/j.schres.2015.01.030).