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Collaborative ResearchPsychiatric and psychological factors play a critical role in managing treatment of many acute and chronic physical illnesses; therefore, the Department of Psychiatry and Psychology has developed close collaborations with the following programs and groups:
Cancer CenterBehavioral Health Research This research within the Cancer Center focuses on behavioral and psychosocial factors related to cancer prevention, including tobacco cessation, exercise, social support, and cancer screening. Examples of NIH funded clinical trials underway are tobacco cessation treatment among Alaska Native pregnant women, and intervention for support persons to help smokers quit. Other projects include assessing barriers to colorectal cancer screening among women, and mother-daughter communication about breast cancer prevention practices. This research involves several outreach efforts to underserved, ethnic populations in rural parts of the United States (e.g., Bethel, Alaska). The goal is to continue to build our partnership and relationship in the Alaska Native communities that we have successfully established over the past five years. The reduction of health disparities among ethnic minorities is a major national health objective. The prevalence of tobacco use in the United States is currently highest among Native American adults and adolescents. Tobacco use is associated with cancer and heart disease, the two leading causes of death in Native American adults. The prevalence rates of smokeless tobacco use (chewing tobacco or snuff), are particularly high among Alaska Natives residing in western Alaska. Doctor Christi Patten and her collaborators are developing culturally-tailored behavioral tobacco cessation treatments for Alaska Native children/adolescents and pregnant women who use tobacco. Recent NIH funding includes an R21 grant from the National Institute on Drug Abuse to develop and pilot test the feasibility of a culturally tailored intervention for pregnant Alaska Native women who use tobacco. Dr. Patten’s research team also focuses on cancer prevention in other Native communities including development of behavioral interventions to modify diet and exercise behaviors. A recent grant funded by the National Cancer Institute will allow Dr. Patten and her team to develop the curriculum and training for Navajo undergraduate students in cancer research. Key Mayo Personnel:
Psycho-Oncology Research This funded research is focused on the identification and treatment of the psychosocial and behavioral factors involved with cancer diagnosis, treatment and prevention. This multidisciplinary research team has recently completed a two-year randomized controlled trial of a structured eight-session intervention designed to improve the quality of life for 103 patients with advanced cancer. Publications from this project have been accepted by the Journal of Clinical Oncology, American Journal of Clinical Oncology, and American Journal of Hospice and Palliative Medicine. A second externally funded, randomized controlled clinical trial is ongoing, which is a six-session intervention, followed by six months of telephone counseling for 124 patients with advanced cancer and their caregivers. We are also participating in a stress management intervention for men diagnosed with prostate cancer that is funded by the Lance Armstrong Foundation and conducted in conjunction with colleagues at Mayo Clinic Jacksonville. Funding has also been obtained from the Brain Tumor Network Program for a cognitive rehabilitation and problem-solving intervention to improve quality of life in patients with primary brain tumors; this research includes colleagues from Mayo Clinic Scottsdale. Other projects include: examining personality factors and their relationship to quality of life in cancer survivors; the effects that receiving patient education materials about cancer diagnosis, treatment, and outcome has on cancer patients; the impact of cancer screening on health behaviors; and how participation in exercise programs may help individuals cope with cancer. Key Mayo Personnel:
Obesity researchObesity is a complex disease with genetic, environmental and psychological determinants. We are members of the NIH funded Minnesota Obesity Center. This research group is participating in several clinical trials funded by the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney (NIDDK) diseases. Foremost we are continuing the four year investigation of the measurement of the 24-hour physical activity level of lean and obese adults when they are weight stable, losing weight, and gaining weight. We published an article in Science in 2005 from this study and have a second RO1 under review at NIDDK. The second ongoing actively funded NIDDK intervention is examining over a three year funding period the pharmacogenomics of gastric function and weight in obesity. Other obesity projects are clinically focused and involve the examination of the role of psychological factors in determining weight loss outcomes, the effectiveness of internet based programs for obesity management, and the identification of psychological factors that are related to successful outcome from bariatric surgery. In 2005 we presented our research findings at the annuals meetings of the North American Association for the Study of Obesity, the Academy of Eating Disorders, and the Society of Behavioral Medicine. Key Mayo Personnel:
Traumatic brain injuryResearchers will follow all people (approximately 100 per year) hospitalized with moderate to severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) through the first two years post-injury, and will follow another cohort of outpatients who complete an evaluation and subsequently receive outpatient rehabilitation and vocational services at Mayo. Goals of the project are to
This project capitalizes on the unique opportunity afforded by the long-standing Rochester Epidemiology Project to examine long-term outcomes in people diagnosed with significant TBI from 1935 to 2000. The Rochester Epidemiology Project provides centralized access to medical diagnoses and medical records for all residents of Olmsted County, Minnesota. This study is designed to investigate factors that create supports or barriers to successful community and vocational re-integration after TBI. Follow-up of a population-based sample of people with TBI, sustained 5 to 20 or more years previously, is done through questionnaire and telephone interviews. Key Mayo Personnel:
Alzheimer's Disease researchThe Mayo Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center (ADRC) is one of 30 disease research centers across the country designated and funded by the National Institute on Aging of the National Institutes of Health. The Mayo ADRC is jointly based in Rochester, Minnesota and Jacksonville, Florida. Mayo Clinic researchers have been very active in describing the clinical features of individuals with Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) and following them longitudinally. This work has been an active area of investigation for numerous Mayo researchers. Another thrust of patient oriented research involves dementia other than Alzheimer’s disease, including frontotemporal dementia (FTD), dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB), primary progressive aphasia (PPA), semantic dementia (SD), corticobasal degeneration (CBD), posterior cortical atrophy (PCA), and vascular dementia (VaD). Drug trials, risk factor analyses, patient management and prognosis research also occurs within this core. Key Mayo Personnel:
Sleep disorders researchMany lines of evidence indicate that narcolepsy is an autoimmune disease. Our aims are to identify antigens, antibodies, MHCII-binding peptides, and T cell receptors associated with DQB1*0602-positive, hypocretin deficient narcolepsy with cataplexy. Results from experiments will be used to select candidate autoantigens for further study. Long-term objectives: This research will lead to diagnostic tests and new treatments for narcolepsy, and the development of animal and computer-based models that will allow us to better study narcolepsy. Key Mayo Personnel:
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