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PubMed2000

Evaluation of a tobacco and alcohol use prevention program for Hispanic migrant adolescents: promoting the protective factor of parent-child communication.

BACKGROUND: Interventions designed to prevent tobacco and alcohol use targeting high-risk adolescents are limited. In addition, few studies have attempted to improve parent-child communication skills as a way of improving and maintaining healthy youth decision-making. METHODS: A total of 660 Hispanic migrant families participated in a randomized pre-post control group study that was utilized to determine the impact of the intervention on parent-child communication. Both treatment and attention-control groups of youth were exposed to an eight-session culturally sensitive program presented by bilingual/bicultural college students. Parents jointly attended three of the eight sessions and participated in helping their child complete homework assignments supporting the content of each session. The content of the treatment intervention included (1) information about tobacco and alcohol effects, (2) social skills training (i.e., refusal skills), and (3) the specific development of parent-child communication skills to support healthy youth decisions. RESULTS: Significant intervention by household size interactions for both parent and youth perceptions of communication were found indicating that the treatment was effective in increasing communication in families with fewer children. Based on the effect size and the previously established relationship between communication and susceptibility to tobacco and alcohol use, it was determined that the intervention effect could be translated into a future 5 to 10% decrease in susceptibility for these smaller families. CONCLUSIONS: A culturally sensitive family-based intervention for migrant Hispanic youth was found to be effective in increasing perceived parent-child communication in families with fewer children. It is expected that increases in this important protective factor will lead to later observed decreases in tobacco and alcohol use.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1995

Lindane inhibition of gap junctional communication in myometrial myocytes is partially dependent on phosphoinositide-generated second messengers.

The ability of environmental contaminants to modulate gap junctional communication between uterine smooth muscle cells is generally unknown, despite recognition that myometrial gap junctions may play a role in synchronizing uterine contractions during parturition. The present study tested the hypothesis that the organochlorine pesticide lindane (gamma-hexachlorocyclohexane) inhibits gap junctional communication in myometrial myocytes due to the release of phosphoinositide-dependent second messengers. The effect on gap junctional communication by lindane was tested in cultured rat myometrial smooth muscle cells by monitoring transfer of the fluorescent dye Lucifer yellow. A rapid, concentration-dependent, but reversible inhibition of dye transfer was noted with 4-min exposures, and inhibition was complete with 10 microM lindane. Lindane also stimulated the production of the Ca(2+)-releasing species inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate which peaked at 5 min (100 pmol/mg protein) and remained elevated after a 15-min exposure. To examine the possible inhibitory role of Ca2+ on gap junctions, the Ca2+ ionophore 4-br-A23187 was used. Although A23187 also inhibited gap junctional communication, inhibition was not complete even at concentrations that appeared cytotoxic (70% inhibition at 2 microM A23187). Cells were then loaded with the Ca2+ chelator BAPTA-AM, which blocked the lindane-induced rise in calcium, and dye transfer experiments with lindane were repeated in Ca(2+)-free medium. Inhibition of dye transfer was still complete under these conditions, showing that increased intracellular calcium was not required for lindane-induced inhibition of gap junctional communication. Subsequently, 10 microM lindane was shown to produce a sustained increase in protein kinase C (PKC) activity (31, 17, and 15 pmol of PKC peptide phosphorylated/min/mg protein for 2-, 5-, and 10-min exposures, respectively). Known activators of PKC, 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol 13-acetate (TPA) and 1,2-dioctanoyl-sn-glycerol, abolished gap junctional communication at nanomolar concentrations. Although use of the PKC inhibitor staurosporine failed to reverse lindane's inhibitory action, depletion of PKC activity through prolonged exposure to TPA partially reversed lindane's effect. This suggests that PKC activation potentiates but does not solely mediate lindane's inhibitory action on gap junctional communication.

Animals↗
PubMed2006

Informing about diagnosis, relapse and progression of disease--communication with the terminally III cancer patient.

This chapter focuses on four crucial situations representing important challenges for physician-patient communication: diagnosis, relapse, progression of disease and terminal illness. The psychological aspects of each situation are discussed and a framework for communication is provided. The aim of the chapter is to invite the oncology clinician to think about these different stages of disease and to support him or her in the communication with the patient. Communication with cancer patients is a difficult task in clinical practice and it is especially challenging when informing about diagnosis and prognosis, when relapse occurs or when the disease is progressing. Physician-patient communication has undergone considerable changes and has become-compared to decades before, when medicine was based on a more paternalistic model of care--a central duty and challenge of the oncology clinician. The following chapter aims to discuss key elements of communication in the above-mentioned specific situations; it is based on our clinical experience as psycho-oncologists and teachers of communication skills training (Razavi and Stiefel 1994; Stiefel and Razavi 1994; Razavi et al. 2003; Berney and Stiefel 2004; Delvaux et al. 2005; Voelter et al. 2005; Bragard et al. 2006).

Communication↗
PubMed2004

[Communication in oncology].

Patient-doctor communication is an essential aspect of coping with cancer. In our "age of communication", information and data transfer often is mistaken for communication. Contrary to analogous or digital information transmission, a message received by the patient may widely differ from the message intended by the doctor. For in human communication, nonverbal and emotional contexts may extensively modify the perception, interpretation and processing of information. Moreover, in modern oncology patient-doctor communication is complicated by a growing incongruence between a patient's disease and his illness experience. To achieve satisfying doctor-patient communication, the setting, content and structure have to be directed towards a specific goal. Empirical data show that key elements and skills of efficient patient-doctor communication can be taught and learned.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMed2004

Communication in ecosystem management: a case study of cross-disciplinary integration in the assessment phase of the interior Columbia Basin Ecosystem Management Project.

Effective communication is essential to the success of collaborative ecosystem management projects. In this paper, we investigated the dynamics of the Interior Columbia Basin Ecosystem Management Project's (ICBEMP) cross-disciplinary integration process in the assessment phase. Using a case study research design, we captured the rich trail of experience through conducting in-depth interviews and collecting information from internal and public documents, videos, and meetings related to the ICBEMP. Coding and analysis was facilitated by a qualitative analysis software, NVivo. Results include the range of internal perspectives on barriers and facilitators of cross-disciplinary integration in the Science Integration Team (SIT). These are arrayed in terms of discipline-based differences, organizational structures and activities, individual traits of scientists, and previous working relationships. The ICBEMP organization included a team of communication staffs (CT), and the data described the CT as a mixed group in terms of qualifications and educational backgrounds that played a major role in communication with actors external to the ICBEMP organization but a minor one in terms of internal communication. The data indicated that the CT-SIT communication was influenced by characteristics of actors and structures related to organizations and their cultures. We conclude that the ICBEMP members may not have had a sufficient level of shared understanding of central domains, such as the task at hand and ways and timing of information sharing. The paper concludes by suggesting that future ecosystem management assessment teams use qualified communications specialists to design and monitor the development of shared cognition among organization members in order to improve the effectiveness of communication and cross-disciplinary integration.

Communication↗
PubMed1985

Effects of patients' socioeconomic status and physicians' training and practice on patient-doctor communication.

To determine characteristics of patients and doctors that are associated with effective communication, patient-doctor communication was studied in 100 ambulatory patients who underwent echocardiography to evaluate previously undefined cardiac problems. As a marker for effective communication, this report examined how often the patient and doctor agreed about basic aspects of care, including symptoms, test results, therapy, and prognosis. Communication between the patient and physician was less effective when the patient was of lower socioeconomic status, as determined by occupation or insurance coverage. Characteristics of physician's training and practice were not significantly associated with better communication. Physicians were unable to predict when their responses would or would not agree with those of their patients. These findings suggest that there is the risk of less effective communication between patients of lower socioeconomic status and their physicians, and that physicians may be unaware that less effective communication is occurring.

Adult↗
PubMed1986

Reversible inhibition of intercellular junctional communication by glycyrrhetinic acid.

Intercellular gap-junctional communication was measured using metabolic co-operation in co-cultures of argininosuccinate synthetase-deficient and argininosuccinate lyase-deficient human fibroblasts. 18-alpha-glycyrrhetinic acid (AGA) was found to inhibit communication by more than 95% at concentrations as low as 2 microM. Concentrations up to 100 microM were not cytotoxic over a period of 2 hours. Communication inhibition was of rapid onset and was readily reversible. Communication remained continuously yet reversibly blocked in cells cultured in the presence of AGA for 20 days. The related compounds 18-beta-glycyrrhetinic acid and carbenoxolone also caused communication inhibition. The effect is probably not mediated via mineralocorticoid or glucocorticoid receptors since aldosterone and glucocorticoids had no effect on communication. AGA thus has properties of a useful inhibitor in the study of intercellular junctional communication.

Carbenoxolone↗
PubMed1984

Gap-junctional communication compartments in the Drosophila wing imaginal disk.

Using intracellular injection of small fluorescent molecules, we examined the gap-junctional communication properties of cells in the wing imaginal disk of Drosophila. We observed extensive spread of the injected dye between cells in all parts of the wing disk epithelium, but we found that this spread is not uniform. Instead, the cell-to-cell movement of dye is partially restricted at several defined boundaries such that cells on one side of the boundary have a low level of communication with cells on the other side. These communication-restriction boundaries are delineated by bands of cells with a low level of communication, and they subdivide the disk epithelium into a number of "communication compartments." Interestingly, the boundaries of some of these communication compartments appear to be coincident with compartment borders identified in cell lineage studies. Given this striking coincidence, we suggest that gap-junctional communication may play a role in compartment formation, and in controlling the appropriate differentiation of cells within compartments.

Animals↗
PubMed1985

An anterior/posterior communication compartment border in engrailed wing discs: possible implications for Drosophila pattern formation.

Our previous studies have suggested that all the known lineage compartment borders in the wing imaginal disc of Drosophila are coincident with boundaries of reduced gap junctional communication (communication compartment borders). Since engrailed discs have a disrupted anterior/posterior (A/P) lineage border (G. Morata and P. A. Lawrence, 1975, Nature (London) 255, 614-617), it was of great interest to determine if their A/P communication restriction boundary is similarly disrupted. Examination of gap-junction-mediated exchange of small fluorescent molecules between cells in the engrailed wing disc revealed a boundary of restricted communication that appeared to be identical to the wild-type A/P communication restriction boundary. This result suggests that lineage compartments are not required for the formation of A/P communication restrictions. Furthermore, we suggest that perhaps communication compartments are the domains within which information is provided for specifying the formation of lineage compartments.

Animals↗
PubMed1988

Communication of adults with learning disabilities: self and others' perceptions.

This study investigated perceptions of the communication performance of 31 young adults with severe learning disabilities enrolled in a vocational-education program. Communication assessment questionnaires, designed to rate communication skills of these students, were completed by the students themselves and vocational educators. These questionnaires included items in the areas of comprehension, verbal expression, social communication, and problem solving. Overall, the students' perceptions of their own communication performance were remarkably similar to those of the vocational educators. However, students perceived their communicative performance as less problematic than did others. Of the four areas pertinent to communication, students and vocational educators perceived problem solving as most difficult. Implications of these findings are discussed with reference to the development of assessment procedures for adults with learning disabilities.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1987

Inhibition of intercellular communication between mouse hepatocytes by tumor promoters.

Tumor promoters can inhibit gap junction-mediated intercellular communication in cultured cells. Since intercellular communication is thought to be important in normal cellular growth control, inhibition of intercellular communication by tumor promoters may be an important mechanism by which preneoplastic cells escape normal growth regulation and progress towards neoplasia. We have evaluated the effects of tumor promoters on intercellular communication between B6C3F1 mouse hepatocytes in primary culture. "Donor" hepatocytes were labeled with 4 microCi[5-3H]uridine/ml for 4 hr. Nonlabeled "recipient" hepatocytes were then plated onto and cocultured with the labeled donors. Hepatocyte cultures were then treated with either the tumor promoters or the solvent vehicle. After 2-24 hr, the cells were fixed and processed for autoradiography. Intercellular communication between donor and recipient hepatocytes was detected as an increase in autoradiographic grains over recipient cells in contact with donor cells, indicating the passage of labeled nucleotides from donor to recipient hepatocytes. Autoradiographic grains were not observed over recipient hepatocytes not in contact with donor cells thus indicating negligible transfer of labeled nucleotide through the medium. Intercellular communication in untreated and solvent vehicle treated hepatocytes was detected in approximately 80% of the donor-contacting recipients after 8-12 hr culture. Phenobarbital, DDT (1,1-bis(4-chlorophenyl)-2,2,2-trichloroethane), Aroclor 1254, lindane (1,2,3,4,5,6-hexachlorocyclohexane, gamma-isomer), and TPA (12-O-tetradecanoyl phorbol-13-acetate), at noncytotoxic concentrations, significantly decreased hepatocyte intercellular communication in a dose-dependent manner.

Animals↗
PubMed1988

Inhibition of mouse hepatocyte intercellular communication by phthalate monoesters.

A series of straight and branched chain phthalate monoesters were examined for their effects on hepatocyte intercellular communication in male B6C3F1 mouse hepatocytes. Intercellular communication was determined autoradiographically following the passage and incorporation of [5-3H]uridine nucleotides from pre-labelled hepatocytes into non-labelled hepatocytes. Intercellular communication was evaluated in hepatocytes after 8 h treatment of straight and branched chain phthalate esters at sublethal concentrations. Straight chain phthalate monoesters (mono(ethyl)phthalate, mono(n-butyl) phthalate, mono(n-hexyl)phthalate, mono(n-octyl)phthalate, mono(n-nonyl)phthalate and mono(isononyl)phthalate) had no effect on hepatocyte intercellular communication. Branched chain phthalate monoesters that contained an ethylalkyl moiety (i.e. mono(2-ethylpropyl) phthalate, mono(2-ethylbutyl)phthalate, mono(2-ethylpentyl)-phthalate and mono(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate) inhibited intercellular communication. These results show a structure-activity relationship in the ability of phthalate monoesters to inhibit intercellular communication in mouse hepatocytes. Based upon previous correlations between inhibition of intercellular communication in hepatocytes and hepatocarcinogenicity, these data suggest that branched chain phthalate esters may be liver carcinogens in male B6C3F1 mice.

Animals↗
PubMed1993

Cellular communication in the circadian clock, the suprachiasmatic nucleus.

The hypothalamic suprachiasmatic nucleus functions as the circadian clock in the mammalian brain. Communication between the cells of the suprachiasmatic nucleus is likely to be responsible for the generation and accuracy of this biological clock. Communication between many cells of the brain is mediated by action potentials that pass down the axon and cause release of neurotransmitters at the neuronal synaptic junction. Additional mechanisms of cellular communication appear to operate in the suprachiasmatic nucleus. Several lines of evidence point to multiple modes of cellular communication: these include the continuing operation of the clock after Na(+)-mediated action potentials have been blocked, the orchestrated metabolic rhythms of suprachiasmatic nucleus cells prior to synaptogenesis, the entrainment of fetal to maternal rhythms, and the rapid recovery of function after suprachiasmatic nucleus transplants into arrhythmic rodents. Possible alternative means of intercellular communication in the suprachiasmatic nucleus are examined, including calcium spikes in presynaptic dendrites, ephaptic interaction, paracrine communication, glial mediation, and gap junctions. This paper identifies and examines some of the unanswered questions related to intercellular communication of suprachiasmatic nucleus cells.

Action Potentials↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Communication and education about asthma in rural and urban schools.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the quality of communication and education about asthma in Pennsylvania public schools. METHODS: Survey of a stratified random sample of school nurses in rural and urban Pennsylvania public schools (n = 996) concerning communication with school nurses about asthma by physicians and parents, nurses' perceived obstacles to asthma management at school, and utilization of and need for education about asthma. RESULTS: A total of 757 surveys were received (response rate 76%). Thirty-nine percent of school nurses rated their communication with physicians about asthma as either poor or very poor. Urban nurses were significantly more likely to report poor/very poor physician communication (P = .09). Fifty-two percent of the nurses overall (43% rural, 56% urban) also cited lack of communication with parents as an important obstacle to asthma management. Forty-nine percent of school nurses (43% rural, 52% urban) reported attending an asthma education program during the previous year, and 75% (83% rural, 71% urban) expressed interest in additional education. Education about asthma was provided for classroom teachers in 54% of schools (56% rural, 54% urban) and provided for students in 58% of schools (54% rural, 60% urban). CONCLUSIONS: These findings document need for improvement in communication about children's asthma between school nurses and physicians. Although communication appears better in rural relative to urban schools, it is a salient issue in both settings. Study findings also indicate the need for expanded professional education opportunities for school nurses and improved access to appropriate curricular materials for school staff, parents, and students.

Asthma↗
PubMed2007

[Autism and mental retardation: a study of the early social communication].

OBJECTIVE: To determine developmental communication profiles in young autistic children with mental retardation. METHODS: A group of 19 autistic children (mean age=43 months) were matched with a group of 11 mentally retarded children (mean age=39 months) on mental age (17,6 months). All of these children were without speech (less than 5 words of vocabulary). Communication skills were assessed with the Guidetti-Tourrette scales (ECSP), French adaptation of the Seibert-Hogan scales. RESULTS: Autistic children displayed a much lower score than mentally retarded children in the 3 functions of early social communication (behavior regulation, social interaction and joint attention). The developmental communication profiles was the same in the 2 groups. DISCUSSION: The results showed evidence of distortion in autistic children development: they displayed important deficits in communication skills, in comparison with cognitive skills. Autistic children mainly displayed requesting gestures: they used adults to help them to reach a goal, instead of regarding them as social partners. However, young children who have mental age less than 18 months mainly use the same functions of communication, with or without autistic trouble. CONCLUSIONS: There is a same developmental sequence in communication skills in young children, with or without autistic trouble.

Autistic Disorder↗
PubMed2005

Communication barriers perceived by older patients and nurses.

This study investigated the communication barriers perceived by older hospitalized patients and nurses in Korea, with the aim of identifying disparities between the two parties. The authors developed a 50-item communication-barrier questionnaire that includes patient, nurse, and environmental factors. One hundred older hospitalized patients and 136 nurses were asked to rate the importance of each communication-barrier item. Nurses and patients were found to perceive the importance of barriers differently: nurses reported higher scores on patient-related communication barriers, whereas patients reported higher scores on the nurse-related barriers. There were significant differences between patients and nurses in 57%, 62%, and 71% of the nurse-, patient-, and environment-related communication barriers, respectively. Based on these findings, it is necessary for nurses to understand older patients' perceptions about communication barriers and acquire better communication skills and attitudes.

Aged↗
PubMed2005

Communication during trauma resuscitation: do we know what is happening?

OBJECTIVE: Verbal communication is essential for teamwork and leadership in high-intensity performances like trauma resuscitation. We evaluated communication during multidisciplinary trauma resuscitation. METHODS: The main trauma room of a level one trauma centre was equipped with a digital video recording system. Resuscitations were consecutively and prospectively enrolled. Patients with revised trauma score (RTS)=12 were resuscitated by a 'minor trauma team' and patients with RTS<12 by a 'major trauma team'. Information transferral from physicians to other team members was evaluated separately for all ABCDE's, according to initiation, audibility and response. The observer was trained and the first 30 video's were excluded. RESULTS: From May 1st to September 1st 2003, 205 resuscitations were included, 12 were lost for evaluation. The 'major trauma team' resuscitated 74 patients (ISS:21.4). Communication was audible in 56% and understandable in 44% during the primary survey. The 'minor trauma team' assessed 119 patients (ISS:7.4). Communication was audible in 43% and understandable in 33%. CONCLUSIONS: Communication during trauma resuscitation was found to be sub optimal. This is potentially harmful for trauma victims. Professionals and institutions should be aware that communication is not self-evident. Introduction of an aviation-like communication feedback system could help to optimise trauma care.

Adult↗
PubMed2005

Communicative skills of general practitioners augment the effectiveness of guideline-based depression treatment.

BACKGROUND: Although good physician communication is associated with positive patient outcomes, it does not figure in current depression treatment guidelines. We examined the effect of depression treatment, communicative skills and their interaction on patient outcomes for depression in primary care. METHODS: In a cohort of 348 patients with ICD-10 depression in primary care, patient outcomes were studied over 3- and 12-month follow-ups. The association of these outcomes with both depression-specific process of care variables and a nonspecific variable-communicative skillfulness of GP-was examined. Patient outcomes consisted of change from baseline in symptomatology, disability, activity limitation days, and duration of the depressive episode. RESULTS: In accordance with treatment guidelines, some main effects of depression treatment were found, in particular on symptomatology, but these remained small (effect size<0.50). A moderate effect was found for treatment with a sedative, which proved to be related to worse patient outcomes at 12 months. An accurate GP diagnosis of depression and adequate antidepressant treatment were associated with better patient outcomes, but only when provided by GPs with good communicative skills. In contrast to the main effects, these interactions were seen on disability and activity limitation days, not on symptomatology. LIMITATIONS: The study is observational and does not permit firm conclusions about causal relationships. Communicative skillfulness of the GP was assessed by patient report only. CONCLUSION: Neither depression-specific interventions nor good GP communication skills seem to be sufficient for optimal patient improvement. Only the combination of treatments according to guidelines and good communication skills results in an effective antidepressive treatment.

Adult↗