Journal Club – NUH Psychiatry Research Presentation
Events
23 November, 2017
Date: 23 Nov 2017
Time: 8 – 9 AM
Venue: Seminar Room T09- 04, Level 9, NUHS Tower Block
| Speaker 1 | Dr Iris Rawtaer, Associate Consultant, Dept of Psychological Medicine, NUH |
| Title | In-Home Sensors for Assessment of Cognitive and Psychological Health of Older Adults: A Pilot Study |
| Brief Abstract | Coupled with our rapidly ageing population, large anticipated reductions in adult to elderly support ratio threatens the sustainability of our reliance on the young to monitor changes in cognition. Existing opportunistic community screening programmes for dementia are also heavily dependent on manpower. Using technology to detect cognitive decline is a potentially viable solution. Sensor technology is an approach that is gaining traction. However, existing studies measure gross activity levels as a proxy for cognition. Clinicians doubt the utility of these measures and we need to improve data captured by sensors to yield clinically meaningful information. Our objective was to determine the feasibility of using sensors to detect mild cognitive impairment (MCI), a precursor to dementia. |
| Speaker 2 | Dr Cyrus Ho, Associate Consultant, Dept of Psychological Medicine, NUH |
| Title | Periaqueductal gray (PAG)/rostral ventromedial medulla (RVM) activation in depressed and chronic pain patients with offset analgesia induction |
| Brief Abstract | Despite advances in pain management, chronic pain remains a challenging condition to treat due to its wide diversity and complexity. There is also an inherent lack in elucidation of the various nociceptive mechanisms and how they integrate to facilitate and inhibit pain. Offset analgesia is characterised by a prominent non-proportional reduction in pain perception following a discrete decrease in intensity of the noxious stimulus. The aim of this study was to investigate the activity of periaqueductal gray (PAG)/rostral ventromedial medulla (RVM) and other parts of the pain matrix during offset, baseline and constant heat trials in 3 groups of subjects (healthy, depressed and chronic pain). |
| Chairperson | A/Prof Rathi Mahendran, Associate Professor & Senior Consultant, Dept of Psychological Medicine, NUH |