Hawaii medical journal
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Hawaii medical journal · Nov 2009
Case ReportsA case with transient anterolateral wall ballooning syndrome; new variant form of Takotsubo cardiomyopathy?
Proposed to be a new variant form of the left ventricular apical ballooning syndrome or the so-called "Takotsubo cardiomyopathy" the presented case has several clinical characteristics resembling previous reported cases of this particular syndrome except for its unique anterolateral wall akinesis and sparing basal and apical wall motion with preserved left ventricular ejection fraction.
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Hawaii medical journal · Oct 2009
Case ReportsLanguage preference and development of dementia among bilingual individuals.
In bilingual individuals, regression to a primary language may be associated with development of cognitive impairment and increased risk for development of dementia. This report describes two bilingual patients who presented with early symptoms of dementia after regression to their primary language. The results of this study may help clinicians identify aging bilingual patients who are beginning to develop cognitive impairment or dementia and suggest that further studies on the long term cognitive effects of bilingualism and interactions with the aging process are indicated.
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Hawaii medical journal · Aug 2009
Comprehensive Pain Program outcomes evaluation: a preliminary study in Hawai'i.
The aim of this study was to provide a preliminary outcome evaluation of the Comprehensive Pain Program (CPP) that was developed in Hawai'i to treat chronic pain patients. The CPP is a biopsychosocial intervention designed to interrupt the pattern of social isolation and to minimize pain-related depression that contributes to reduced quality of life, poor function, and increased utilization of resources. The CPP consists of a comprehensive pre-treatment screening process and a 12-week Intensive Out patient Program (IOP). ⋯ The CPP demonstrated success in six outcome areas: 1) utilization of healthcare resources, 2) functional capacity, 3) quality of life, and 4) psychological functioning, such as somatization, depression, and anxiety Post-treatment, patients demonstrated statistically significant decreases in somatization, depression, and anxiety, and statistically significant improvement in quality of life. Patient outcomes further showed substantial improvements with regards to functional capacity, as well as significant decreases in the utilization of healthcare resources. In conclusion, the preliminary evaluation of the CPP suggests additional studies with a larger sample size and comparison groups are warranted to further evaluate critical components of the treatment regimen, clinical outcome, and cost-effectiveness.