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Biomedical subjects

R J Butler

Publications and source records attributed to R J Butler.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1994

Neuropsychological investigation of amateur boxers.

Amateur boxing is faced with criticism over the potential damage the sport inflicts on those who participate. The most sensitive measure of early neurological dysfunction is neuropsychological investigation. Ten studies employing such assessments on 289 amateur boxers are reviewed. The forms of analysis undertaken include controlled comparison with other sportsmen, of both active and former boxers, detailed pre- and post-bout analysis, analysis of the influence of within-boxing variables, length of career, level of competition and prospective longitudinal investigation. Amateur boxers were found to exhibit no signs of neuropsychological dysfunction in any analysis. However some trends emerged suggesting a long career in amateur boxing might reduce fine motor reactions, although such findings are within the normal range and do not represent central neuropsychological functioning. Thus amateur boxing does not appear to expose individuals to neurological dysfunction.

Arousal↗
PubMed1994

Children's notions about enuresis and the implications for treatment.

Children with nocturnal enuresis (n = 50) completed a range of measures designed to elicit their attitudes and perceptions regarding the problem prior to any treatment intervention. The measures included belief over aetiology, perceived impact on lifestyle, self image, estimates of parental tolerance and implications of becoming dry. Treatment consisted of the body worn enuresis alarm (9), with children followed up for 16 weeks. Child measures were related to outcome measures and a model linking presence of implications, negative self image and belief in incomplete learning of bladder control emerged as important predictors of treatment outcome. The implications of this result are discussed with reference to the clinical context.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMed1994

Pulsatile release of arginine vasopressin (AVP) and it's effect on response to desmopressin in enuresis.

A response to desmopressin spray is only seen in a proportion of children with enuresis. To investigate whether response is related to nocturnal levels of arginine vasopressin (AVP) 35 children with enuresis, aged 8 to 14 years, had plasma AVP measurements overnight before entering a double blind randomised, placebo controlled crossover study to assess their response to evening treatment with desmopressin spray. There was no significant difference seen between nocturnal AVP levels obtained from children who responded to desmopressin and those who did not. Frequent sampling in six children demonstrated a pulsatile pattern of secretion for AVP. This has implications for studies of nocturnal AVP levels, and questions the validity of using infrequent measurements of AVP to assess it's secretion.

Administration, Inhalation↗
PubMed1993

The Maternal Tolerance Scale and nocturnal enuresis.

The Maternal Tolerance Scale has consistently proved valuable in predicting those mothers who prematurely withdraw their children from treatment for nocturnal enuresis. This study sought to replicate the original work in examining the structure of the scale with an independent group of mothers. The results show the scale to have cross validity, although it appears weighted towards measuring intolerance rather than tolerance. A factor analysis produced 6 factors and these are discussed with regard to possible pathways leading to the development of intolerance.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1993

Establishing a dry run: a case study in securing bladder control.

Relapse following treatment with an enuresis alarm is not uncommon with nocturnal enuresis (Bollard, 1982). This paper illustrates how one boy struggled to reduce dependence on the alarm and how visualization finally provided the means whereby awareness of bladder signals was achieved.

Child↗
PubMed1993

A prospective controlled investigation of the cognitive effects of amateur boxing.

Eighty six amateur boxers underwent a series of neuropsychological assessments on three occasions--pre bout, immediate post bout and follow up within two years; 31 water polo players and 47 rugby union players acted as controls. The neuropsychological tests were selected as being sensitive to subtle cognitive dysfunction and formed part of a battery of other neurological and ophthalmic assessments. No evidence of neuropsychological dysfunction due to boxing was found, either following a bout or a series of bouts at follow up. None of a range of parameters including number of previous contests, recovery from an earlier bout, number of head blows received during a bout and number of bouts between initial assessment and follow up, were found to be related to changes in cognitive functioning.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1990

The child's construing of nocturnal enuresis: a method of inquiry and prediction of outcome.

Fifty-five children with nocturnal enuresis were engaged in a structured interview prior to treatment with the body-worn alarm. The interview sought to understand how children make sense of the experience and examines the implications for becoming dry. Successful treatment outcome was found to be associated with the child both construing bedwetting psychologically, and indicating no resistance to change. The importance of establishing the child's attitude to bedwetting prior to treatment is stressed.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1990

The body-worn alarm in the treatment of childhood enuresis.

Two studies examined the effectiveness of the body-worn alarm in out-patient treatment of childhood nocturnal enuresis. The first involved 40 children, previously untreated by conditioning methods, treated with either the body-worn alarm or the traditional pad and bell alarm. The second study compared the body-worn alarm with modified dry-bed training with 48 children previously resistant to treatment. Results of both studies indicated the body-worn alarm was as effective as other methods in terms of the proportion of children successfully treated and was superior with respect to rapidity of response and consumer appeal. Such findings indicate that the body-worn alarm could become the treatment of choice for nocturnal enuresis.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1989

An audit of blood component therapy in a Canadian general teaching hospital.

As part of a quality assurance program a retrospective audit of transfusion practices for packed red blood cells, fresh frozen plasma and albumin was undertaken with predetermined criteria in a general teaching hospital. Of 520 transfusion episodes with 1218 units of packed red blood cells given to 297 patients 88% were considered appropriate; of 106 episodes with 405 units of fresh frozen plasma given to 83 patients 90% were deemed appropriate; and of 187 episodes with 320 units of albumin given to 99 patients 64% were considered appropriate. The results of this audit, when compared with those of other surveys of blood use in a similar population, suggest that pretransfusion approval of requested components would reduce the number of inappropriate transfusions.

Blood Transfusion↗
PubMed1988

A comparison of two approaches to the treatment of nocturnal enuresis and the prediction of effectiveness using pre-treatment variables.

This study compared the effectiveness of the enuresis alarm alone with a brief version of Dry Bed Training in treating 74 enuretic children. Both procedures were equally effective, and in the total sample a better response to treatment was predicted by the child's report of being teased by siblings. Maternal anger was associated with a greater drop-out rate.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1979

The evolution of a token economy programme for female chronic schizophrenic patients.

Token economy programmes are becoming an increasingly familiar sight in British psychiatric hospitals, yet many remain inflexible and prone to breakdown after a period in operation. This paper describes the evolution of a token economy for female chronic schizophrenic patients, where the nursing staff with minimal 'psychological' support and in dealing with a programme free of research constraints, aimed to increase the therapeutic potential of the system. The major developments arose from the need: (i) to extinguish the emergence of undesirable behaviour; (2) to develop a more individualized approach to treating patients' problems; (3) to keep consistent adequate records; (4) to re-establish contact with the community and (5) to cater for patients' varied responses to treatment.

Aftercare↗
PubMed1979

An analysis of individual treatment on a token economy for chronic schizophrenic patients.

Fifty-one individually designed treatment programmes carried out over a 22 month period on a token economy ward for 12 female chronic schizophrenic patients were analysed. Level of withdrawal was found to be a critical factor in patients' response, both in terms of the rate and extent of improvement during the treatment stage, and presence or absence of deterioration during 'weaning' and follow up. No difference in response between type of behavioural problem and methods of treatment or weaning were found.

Adult↗