This study examined the amount and content of children's video game playing in relation with behavioral and academic outcomes. Relationships among playing context, child gender, and parental monitoring were explored. Data were obtained through parent report of child's game play, behavior, and school performance. Results revealed that time spent playing games was related positively to aggression and negatively to school competence. Violent content was correlated positively and educational content negatively with attention problems. Educational games were related to good academic achievement. Results suggest violent games, and a large amount of game play, are related to troublesome behavioral and academic outcomes, but educational games may be related to positive outcomes. Neither gender nor parental monitoring emerged as significant moderators of these effects.

ObjectiveWe aimed in this investigation to study deep brain stimulation (DBS) battery drain with special attention directed toward patient symptoms prior to and following battery replacement.BackgroundPreviously our group developed web-based calculators and smart phone applications to estimate DBS battery life (http://mdc.mbi.ufl.edu/surgery/dbs-battery-estimator).MethodsA cohort of 320 patients undergoing DBS battery replacement from 2002–2012 were included in an IRB approved study. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS 20.0 (IBM, Armonk, NY).ResultsThe mean charge density for treatment of Parkinson’s disease was 7.2 µC/cm2/phase (SD = 3.82), for dystonia was 17.5 µC/cm2/phase (SD = 8.53), for essential tremor was 8.3 µC/cm2/phase (SD = 4.85), and for OCD was 18.0 µC/cm2/phase (SD = 4.35). There was a significant relationship between charge density and battery life (r = −.59, p<.001), as well as total power and battery life (r = −.64, p<.001). The UF estimator (r = .67, p<.001) and the Medtronic helpline (r = .74, p<.001) predictions of battery life were significantly positively associated with actual battery life. Battery status indicators on Soletra and Kinetra were poor predictors of battery life. In 38 cases, the symptoms improved following a battery change, suggesting that the neurostimulator was likely responsible for symptom worsening. For these cases, both the UF estimator and the Medtronic helpline were significantly correlated with battery life (r = .65 and r = .70, respectively, both p<.001).ConclusionsBattery estimations, charge density, total power and clinical symptoms were important factors. The observation of clinical worsening that was rescued following neurostimulator replacement reinforces the notion that changes in clinical symptoms can be associated with battery drain.

This study evaluates self-help and group-based memory training programs to test for their differential impact on memory beliefs and performance. Self-help participants used a manual that presented strategies for name, story, and list recall and practice exercises. Matched content from that same manual was presented by the trainer in 2-hr weekly group sessions for the group-based trainees. Relative to a wait-list control group, most memory measures showed significant gains for both self-help and group-based training, with no significant training condition differences, and these gains were maintained at follow-up. Belief measures showed that locus of control was significantly higher for the self-help and group-based training than the control group; memory self-efficacy significantly declined for controls, increased for group-trained participants, and remained constant in the self-help group. Self-efficacy change in a self-help group may require more opportunities for interacting with peers and/or an instructor emphasizing one's potential for memory change. Keywordsself-help; self-efficacy; memory training; older adultsThe beneficial effects associated with training on mnemonic strategies have been documented repeatedly. In a meta-analysis of 33 studies, training on mnemonic strategies significantly improved memory performance over both control and placebo groups (Verhaeghen, Marcoen, & Goossens, 1992). Most of the studies in the meta-analysis were based on group training programs rather than self-guided interventions. Because group training has had considerable success, it seems reasonable to expect that self-guided training programs teaching mnemonic strategies will also improve memory performance. In fact, it has been speculated that any memory-stimulating activity may lead to memory improvement (Park, Gutchess, Meade, & Stine-Morrow, 2007;Rasmusson, Rebok, Bylsma, & Brandt, 1999). On the other hand, group training may owe some of its success to variables separate from the actual strategies that are learned. In particular, researchers have proposed that the social aspects of group training, the ability to share coping strategies, and the ability to observe others modeling adaptive strategy use may contribute to improvement gains in a group setting . The purpose of this research is to compare a self-guided training approach with a group class, where both conditions were exposed to the same training content. The potential value of an effective self-guided training program makes its development an important research issue. If a self-help approach can produce memory improvements similar to group interventions, memory training becomes more accessible to older adults who may not be able to attend group workshops (Rebok, Carlson, & Langbaum, 2007). Self-help approaches also are much less expensive to administer than comprehensive group training programs that require participants to travel to multiple sessions. Reserving a training location and paying an instructor add to the financial burden of group training. ...

ObjectiveTo investigate the impact of pre-operative deep brain stimulation (DBS) interdisciplinary assessments on post-operative hospitalizations and quality of life (QoL).BackgroundDBS has been utilized successfully in Parkinson’s disease (PD) for the treatment of tremor, rigidity, bradykinesia, off time, and motor fluctuations. Although DBS is becoming a more common management approach there are no standardized criteria for selection of DBS candidates, and sparse data exist to guide the use of interdisciplinary evaluations for DBS screening. We reviewed the outcomes of the use of an interdisciplinary model which utilized seven specialties to pre-operatively evaluate potential DBS candidates.MethodsThe University of Florida (UF) INFORM database was queried for PD patients who had DBS implantations performed at UF between January 2011 and February 2013. Records were reviewed to identify unintended hospitalizations, falls, and infections. Minor and major concerns or reservations from each specialty were previously documented and quantified. Clinical outcomes were assessed through the use of the Parkinson disease quality of life questionnaire (PDQ-39), and the Unified Parkinson’s Disease Rating Score (UPDRS) Part III.ResultsA total of 164 cases were evaluated for possible DBS candidacy. There were 133 subjects who were approved for DBS surgery (81%) following interdisciplinary screening. There were 28 cases (21%) who experienced an unintended hospitalization within the first 12 months following the DBS operation. The patients identified during interdisciplinary evaluation with major or minor concerns from any specialty service had more unintended hospitalizations (93%) when compared to those without concerns (7%). When the preoperative “concern” shifted from “major” to “minor” to “no concerns,” the rate of hospitalization decreased from 89% to 33% to 3%. A strong relationship was uncovered between worsened PDQ-39 at 12 months and increased hospitalization.ConclusionsUnintended hospitalizations and worsened QOL scores correlated with the number and severity of concerns raised by interdisciplinary DBS evaluations. The data suggest that detailed screenings by interdisciplinary teams may be useful for more than just patient selection. These evaluations may help to stratify risk for post-operative hospitalization and QoL outcomes.