No abstract

No abstract

RATIONALE: Dyspnea and pain are similarly unpleasant sensations that share many characteristics which presumably include similar brain processing. Compared to pain, however, only little is known about the brain processes underlaying dyspnea. Therefore, study 1 examined whether dyspnea and pain are processed by common brain areas by using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), which was complemented by study 2 using a brain lesion approach. METHODS: In study 1, 14 healthy controls underwent conditions of mild and severe resistive load induced dyspnea and mild and severe heat pain while laying in a fMRI−scanner. In study 2, the perception of resistive load induced dyspnea and cold−pressor pain were compared between 4 patients with right−hemispheric insular cortex lesions and 4 matched healthy controls. RESULTS: Besides specific brain activations for either dyspnea or pain in study 1, common activations were found for both sensations in affect−related areas such as the insula, dorsal anterior cingulate cortex, amygdala and medial thalamus. In study 2, lesion patients demonstrated reduced perception for dyspnea and pain, in particular for the affective unpleasantness of both sensations, when compared to healthy controls. CONCLUSIONS: Results of both studies suggest that dyspnea and pain are processed by a common affect−related human brain network with a key role of the insular cortex. This network seems particularly relevant for processing the affective unpleasantness of both sensations. This abstract is funded by: DFG LE 1843/5−1, LE 1843/6−1. Am J Respir Crit Care Med 179;2009:A3692 Internet address: www.atsjournals.org Online Abstracts Issue

No abstract

A random sample of 323 nurses registered in Illinois was used to examine nurses' attitudes toward nurse control over nursing practice. Most supported nurse autonomy, independent practice, and third-party reimbursement, though a fairly sizable minority did not, particularly with regard to independent practice. Regression analyses found that favorable attitudes were associated with a more college-based initial nursing program, a more recent year of initial licensure, a greater attachment to the labor force, and a stronger commitment to a nursing career. Neither family status, current employment situation, nor future career plans had any significant effect.