Search

The purpose of this study was to quantify head motion between isometric erector spinae (ES) contraction strategies, paradigms, and intensities in the development of a neuroimaging protocol for the study of neural activity associated with trunk motor control in individuals with low back pain. Ten healthy participants completed two contraction strategies; (1) a supine upper spine (US) press and (2) a supine lower extremity (LE) press. Each contraction strategy was performed at electromyographic (EMG) contraction intensities of 30, 40, 50, and 60% of an individually determined maximum voluntary contraction (MVC) (±10% range for each respective intensity) with real-time, EMG biofeedback. A cyclic contraction paradigm was performed at 30% of MVC with US and LE contraction strategies. Inertial measurement units (IMUs) quantified head motion to determine the viability of each paradigm for neuroimaging. US vs LE hold contractions induced no differences in head motion. Hold contractions elicited significantly less head motion relative to cyclic contractions. Contraction intensity increased head motion in a linear fashion with 30% MVC having the least head motion and 60% the highest. The LE hold contraction strategy, below 50% MVC, was found to be the most viable trunk motor control neuroimaging paradigm.

BackgroundNo guidelines currently exist that represent a standardization of care for Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID) on an inpatient service. Unique features of this diagnosis (e.g., sensory sensitivity contributing to involuntary emesis) suggest that established protocols that were developed for anorexia nervosa might be less effective for adolescents with ARFID. To inform improved inpatient medical stabilization and care for these patients, we first provide an overview of clinical characteristics for patients with ARFID who presented to a pediatric hospital for inpatient eating disorder care. We use these descriptives to outline the rationale for, and executions of, modifications to an inpatient protocol designed to flexibly meet the needs of this clinical population.MethodsChart review with descriptive statistics were conducted for patients who had received an ARFID diagnosis from March 2019 to March 2023 (N = 32, aged 9-23). We then present a case series (n = 3) of adolescents who either transitioned to a novel adjusted protocol from an original standard of care on the inpatient service, or who received only the standard protocol.ResultsThe sample was aged M(SD) = 15.6 (3.3) years, 53% male, and a majority (69%) presented with the ARFID presentation specific to fear of negative consequences. On average, patients had deviated from their growth curve for just over two years and presented with mean 76% of their estimated body weight. Of those requiring nasogastric tube insertion during admission (n = 8, 25%), average duration of tube placement was 15 days. From within this sample, case series data suggest that the adjusted protocol will continue to have a positive impact on care trajectory among adolescents admitted for ARFID including improved weight gain, reduction of emesis, and improved food intake.ConclusionsFindings demonstrate the likely need to tailor established medical inpatient protocols for those with ARFID given different symptom presentation and maintenance factors compared to patients with anorexia nervosa. Further research is warranted to explore the longer-term impact of protocol changes and to inform standardization of care for this high priority clinical population across care sites.

The application of digital technologies to better assess, understand, and treat substance use disorders (SUDs) is a particularly promising and vibrant area of scientific research. The National Drug Abuse Treatment Clinical Trials Network (CTN), launched in 1999 by the U.S. National Institute on Drug Abuse, has supported a growing line of research that leverages digital technologies to glean new insights into SUDs and provide science-based therapeutic tools to a diverse array of persons with SUDs. This manuscript provides an overview of the breadth and impact of research conducted in the realm of digital health within the CTN. This work has included the CTN's efforts to systematically embed digital screeners for SUDs into general medical settings to impact care models across the nation. This work has also included a pivotal multi-site clinical trial conducted on the CTN platform, whose data led to the very first "prescription digital therapeutic" authorized by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of SUDs. Further CTN research includes the study of telehealth to increase capacity for science-based SUD treatment in rural and under-resourced communities. In addition, the CTN has supported an assessment of the feasibility of detecting cocaine-taking behavior via smartwatch sensing. And, the CTN has supported the conduct of clinical trials entirely online (including the recruitment of national and hard-to-reach/under-served participant samples online, with remote intervention delivery and data collection). Further, the CTN is supporting innovative work focused on the use of digital health technologies and data analytics to identify digital biomarkers and understand the clinical trajectories of individuals receiving medications for opioid use disorder (OUD). This manuscript concludes by outlining the many potential future opportunities to leverage the unique national CTN research network to scale-up the science on digital health to examine optimal strategies to increase the reach of science-based SUD service delivery models both within and outside of healthcare.