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Cushing’s disease (CD) is a rare clinical syndrome characterized by chronic exposure to hypercortisolism due to an adrenocorticotropic hormone-secreting pituitary adenoma. The adverse effects of chronic exposure to hypercortisolism on the human brain remain unclear. The purpose of this study was to assess the prevalence of cerebral microbleeds (CMBs) in CD patients and their associations with clinical characteristics.

In this study, 48 active CD patients, 39 remitted CD patients, and 52 healthy control (HC) subjects underwent MRI. CD patients also underwent neuropsychological testing and clinical examinations. The number, locations, and volumes of CMBs were assessed on quantitative susceptibility mapping (QSM) images and with the Microbleed Anatomical Rating Scale. The correlation between CMBs and clinical characteristics was explored.

The prevalence of CMBs among active and remitted CD patients was higher than that among HCs (16.3%, 20.5%, and 3.3%, respectively). Moreover, the age of CD patients with CMBs were much younger than HCs with CMBs. Furthermore, the increased number of CMBs in active CD patients was associated with increased cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) volumes in remitted CD patients.

Chronic exposure to hypercortisolism may be relevant to CMBs and significantly correlated with altered brain volumes in CD.

Chronic exposure to hypercortisolism may be relevant to CMBs and significantly correlated with altered brain volumes in CD.

Preoperative anxiety is a common occurrence among children and is associated with a host of maladaptive postoperative behaviors. Tanshinone I purchase Consequently, increased attention has been placed on interventions to reduce preoperative anxiety and its associated outcomes. Child Life preparation prior to surgery includes evidence-based practices such as age-appropriate distraction and therapeutic play. Virtual reality (VR) is a promising addition to the Child Life toolbox to address anxiety prior to surgery. The current study evaluates the implementation and feasibility of a VR experience, “Doc McStuffins Doctor for a Day Virtual Reality Experience” (DocVR), developed by Disney Junior in collaboration with Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, to target pediatric preoperative anxiety.

The primary aim of this study was to examine the feasibility and efficacy of DocVR for preoperative anxiety. A secondary aim was to improve patient, caregiver, and health care provider satisfaction with the preoperative experience.

In this studyeficial VR experience to relieve pediatric preoperative anxiety and improve satisfaction in the preoperative area. The VR experience resulted in a decrease in overall anxiety and an increase in overall positive affect during the preoperative time. Patients also responded positively to the game, confirming their interest in the content and affirming the quality of the DocVR experience. The positive response to the game indicates that DocVR has the potential to make the overall preoperative experience less anxiety-producing and more comfortable, which leads to improved patient satisfaction. Naturally, improved patient outcomes lead to improved caregiver and health care provider satisfaction.

Caregivers of children with autism spectrum disorder self-report more physical health problems than controls. Sleep disturbances are also more prevalent in caregivers, and are positively associated with physical health problems. The negative impact of caring for a child with ASD on physical health therefore, might occur indirectly via poorer sleep.

Participants, of which n = 43 were caregivers and n = 17 were controls, completed self-report measures of physical health problems and, to capture objective measures of sleep, wore an actigraphy device.

Physical health problems were greater in caregivers, as were subjective reports of disturbed sleep. Objectively, waking after sleep onset (WASO) and average number of awakenings were higher, as was sleep latency, and sleep efficiency was poorer, in caregivers. Total sleep time however, was greater in caregivers, as was time in bed. Physical health problems, while unrelated to actigraphy measures, were positively associated with self-reported sleep disturbances. Caregivers’ increased risk for physical health problems occurred indirectly via greater self-reports of disturbed sleep.

Interventions that help alleviate caregivers’ sleep disturbances might be effective, by reducing physical health problems, for improving quality of provided care, and this might be explored in future research.

Interventions that help alleviate caregivers’ sleep disturbances might be effective, by reducing physical health problems, for improving quality of provided care, and this might be explored in future research.

Parental psychosocial factors are associated with emotional/behavioral problems in children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), but studies investigating their relationships are limited.

To explore the relationships between parents’ perceived social support, parental resilience, parenting self-efficacy, and emotional/behavioral problems in children with ASD, and the mechanism underlying these relationships.

The participants were 289 parents of children with ASD (including fathers and mothers) in China. A survey comprising the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support, Resilience Scale, Parenting Sense of Competence Scale, and Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire was administered.

(1) Parents’ perceived social support, parental resilience, and parenting self-efficacy were significantly associated with emotional/behavioral problems in children with ASD; (2) parental resilience and parenting self-efficacy were found to play a chain-mediating role in the association between perceived social support of parents and emotional/behavioral problems in children with ASD.

It is crucial to improve parents’ perceived social support, parental resilience, and parenting self-efficacy to reduce emotional/behavioral problems in children with ASD.

It is crucial to improve parents’ perceived social support, parental resilience, and parenting self-efficacy to reduce emotional/behavioral problems in children with ASD.