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Biomedical subjects

R H Harrison

Publications and source records attributed to R H Harrison.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2000

Tuberculosis surveillance in immigrants through health undertakings in Western Australia.

SETTING: Tuberculosis Control Program, Western Australia. OBJECTIVE: To assess the effectiveness and efficiency of tuberculosis (TB) surveillance in immigrants. DESIGN: Retrospective descriptive analysis of records of immigrants who first registered with the Tuberculosis Program from January 1994 to December 1995, having entered Western Australia on health undertakings (nonlegal contracts signed by those determined during premigration screening to require post-arrival evaluation). RESULTS: Of 1,344 immigrants on health undertakings for TB in the period, 587 (44%) had findings directly related to TB through pre-migration screening, 69 of whom required treatment for active disease. Another 443 (33%) had chest X-ray changes for which TB could not be excluded. Of the remaining 314 (23%), 172 had poor quality X-rays. Post-arrival assessment and follow-up of the whole group detected four of seven additional cases of active TB, 373 persons (28%) requiring on-going surveillance, 667 (50%) with non-TB conditions and 280 (21%) with normal chest X-rays. CONCLUSIONS: Migrant surveillance for TB in Australia is effective in detecting active disease and identifying a high-risk subgroup requiring further evaluation. Efficiency can be improved and high compliance achieved with simple administrative changes. Routine pre-migration Mantoux testing is inappropriate, and its inclusion in post-arrival assessments should be a national policy decision.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1999

Maternal moods predict breastfeeding in Barbados.

This study was designed to identify psychosocial variables affecting early infant feeding practices in Barbados. The sample included 93 healthy women and infants born at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital who were extensively evaluated 7 weeks, 3 months, and 6 months after birth. Maternal moods were assessed with the Zung Depression and Anxiety Scales and the General Adjustment and Morale Scale. Feeding practices were evaluated using a questionnaire developed for this population. The prevalence of mild depression in this population was 16% at 7 weeks and increased to 19% at 6 months, whereas there were very few cases of moderate-to-severe depression. Disadvantaged environmental conditions, including less information-seeking by the mother, lower family income, and poor maternal health, were closely associated with increased symptoms of depression and anxiety in all women. However, significant predictive relationships between mood and feeding practices remained even when the effects of the home environment were controlled. Specifically, depressive symptoms at 7 weeks postpartum predicted a reduced preference for breastfeeding at current and later infant ages. Conversely, feeding practices did not predict maternal moods at later ages. These findings have important implications for public policy dealing with programs promoting breastfeeding. Early interventions designed to treat mild postnatal depression should be instituted early in the postpartum period to improve the chances for successful breastfeeding.

Adult↗
PubMed1998

Factor structure of the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test: dimensions of deficit in schizophrenia.

The aim of this study was to explore the factorial structure of the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST) and to identify the dimensions of deficit in schizophrenia. WCST scores in patients with schizophrenia and schizophrenia-related psychosis (n = 292), 1st degree relatives of schizophrenic patients (n = 91), and normal controls (n = 141) were subjected to a principal factor analysis followed by orthogonal rotation. This led to 3 factors, perseveration, failure to maintain set, and idiosyncratic sorting. The detected factor structure was found to be invariant across the schizophrenic and control subsamples. Moreover, it replicated previous findings from 2 smaller samples. Only perseverations and, to a lesser degree, idiosyncratic sorting appeared to differentiate schizophrenic patients from comparisons. Only perseveration had good sensitivity and specificity, as well as the most robust significant correlations with estimates of IQ, attention, and other measures of executive functioning. Thus, perseveration appears to be the most diagnostically useful and characteristic WCST feature of schizophrenia.

Adult↗
PubMed1998

Infant feeding practices in Barbados predict later growth.

This longitudinal study was designed to examine reciprocal relationships between feeding practices and infant growth over the first 6 mo of life. The following three hypotheses were tested: 1) early feeding practices predict later infant growth; 2) early infant growth predicts later feeding practices; and 3) these relationships occur after controlling for related background variables. The sample included 226 healthy, well-nourished infants born at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Bridgetown, Barbados. Assessments were made at birth, 7 wk, and 3 and 6 mo of age. Factor analysis of a feeding practices questionnaire for those mothers who attended all three postnatal visits yielded five uncorrelated factors. Three of these factors, preference for breast-feeding, feeding intensity and feeding difficulty, declined with infant age. Two of these factors, father helps and relatives help, increased with infant age. Several background variables, including maternal age, anthropometry and reproductive history, and reliance on outside sources of information were correlated with infant growth. Multivariate analyses confirmed all three hypotheses. The group of feeding practices (particularly the preference for breast-feeding) at 7 wk predicted increases in infant lengths at subsequent ages. Conversely, infant weights at 3 and 6 mo predicted subsequent feeding practices, especially feeding intensity. These reciprocal relationships remained even after statistically controlling for the influence of the background variables. Implications for public policy include the need for comprehensive programs advocating breast-feeding and supporting the general health of mothers and infants.

Aging↗
PubMed1998

A new approach to the elucidation of complex chromosome rearrangements illustrated by a case of Rieger syndrome.

A patient with a complex chromosome rearrangement and unilateral Rieger syndrome is presented. This rearrangement involves four chromosomes and six breakpoints, one of which is at 4q25, the candidate region for Rieger syndrome. We discuss a novel approach to the elucidation of this case using a multiprobe fluorescence in situ hybridisation method to show rearrangements unpredictable from G banded analysis, and the clear and unambiguous presentation of the karyotype using computer generated colour ideograms.

Abnormalities, Multiple↗
PubMed1998

Comparative effects of schizophrenia and temporal lobe epilepsy on memory.

The goal of this study was to further characterize episodic memory functioning in schizophrenia. This study compared verbal and visual learning and memory performance in (1) patients with schizophrenia (N = 35), (2) patients with temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE; N = 30), and (3) normal controls (N = 25). Results indicated significant memory impairments in patients with schizophrenia and TLE. "Savings" score measures of memory decay showed that the loss of information in schizophrenia and TLE was approximately equal, and quantitatively mild compared to that found in most neurologic groups with memory disorders. The severe difficulty shown by the schizophrenia group on a task of incidental recall suggested that the absence of instructional set added to a vulnerability to memory deficit. In contrast, relatively mildly impaired performance on paired associate learning suggested that patients with schizophrenia benefited from retrieval cues, multiple trials, and short (nonsupraspan) informational loads. Because patients with schizophrenia consisted of a relatively nonchronic sample with a mean IQ of 99.7, their memory disorder could not be attributed to schizophrenic dementia, nor was it accounted for by other potential confounds. Patients with schizophrenia, even those relatively early in the course of illness, have a mild episodic memory disorder.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1998

Preventive therapy for tuberculosis in Western Australia.

SETTING: State Tuberculosis Control Programme, Western Australia. OBJECTIVE: To ascertain baseline information, applicability and efficacy of preventive therapy for tuberculosis (TB) under indirectly supervised treatment in Western Australia. DESIGN: Retrospective analyses of records of persons with TB infection who were prescribed preventive therapy for the period 1993-1996 inclusive, using simple descriptive statistics. RESULTS: Preventive therapy was given to 411 persons after screening for TB due to on-arrival migrant surveillance (269), contact tracing (59), tuberculin surveys (59) and other reasons (24). Six-month isoniazid monotherapy (HMT) was prescribed for 403 and multidrug regimens for the remaining eight. Excepting 34 whose compliance was unknown, varying degrees of treatment non-adherence were found in 90 (24%) of the remaining 369 persons given HMT, including 36 (10%) with under five months of total medication. Minor adverse drug effects occurred in 32 (9%) subjects and contributed to the non-adherence in 23 of these. One person has since developed active TB. CONCLUSIONS: Preventive therapy in Western Australia conformed to generally accepted guidelines. Varying degrees of non-adherence to HMT occurred in 24% of persons, but 90% completed adequate therapy under indirect supervision. Non-adherence is significantly related to adverse drug effects.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1996

Differential effects of prenatal protein malnutrition and prenatal cocaine on a test of homing behavior in rat pups.

The effects of prenatal cocaine exposure and protein malnutrition on orientation to home nest material was assessed in rat pups. Sprague-Dawley dams were fed a diet of low protein content (6% casein), and isocaloric diet of adequate protein content (25% casein, control), or a laboratory chow diet prior to mating and throughout pregnancy. Within each diet group, rats received either cocaine injections (30 mg/kg IP 2 times per week prior to mating and the 30 mg/kg SC daily from day 3 to 18 of pregnancy) or saline injections. All litters were fostered on the day of birth to control mothers fed an adequate diet. On postnatal days 7, 9, and 11, a single pup from each litter (n = 11-15 per treatment) was tested repeatedly in a clean test cage for the rapidity of approach, and level of attraction to their own home (nest) bedding compared with fresh bedding. Prenatal malnutrition and prenatal cocaine exposure each gave rise to independent effects on performance, based upon factor analysis. Prenatal malnutrition, but not prenatal cocaine increased the time taken for rat pups to approach their nest bedding, reduced the time spent on this bedding, decreased the number of entries into the sector containing the home bedding and reduced pup weight. Prenatal cocaine, but not prenatal malnutrition, produced a reduction in activity, but had no effect on pup weight. The lower activity level was most pronounced on postnatal day 7. Surprisingly, interactive effects of prenatal cocaine and prenatal malnutrition were not observed on any behavior examined. Nevertheless, the co-existence of drug addiction and malnutrition in human populations raises the possibility that some of the effects generally attributed to drug exposure may, in fact, be due to malnutrition.

Animals↗