by David J Tansey  and Carel W Le Roux

Received: 12 October 2020;  Published: 17 May 2021;  doi: 10.21926/obm.icm.2102017

Oesophageal cancer is the ninth most common cancer and the sixth most common cause of cancer deaths worldwide [1]. Over the past number of years, due to earlier diagnosis and better treatment, we are seeing improvements in the survival rates of oesophageal cancer, with more patients living longer post-esophagectomy surgery. Unintentional weight loss is a common unintended feature seen in patients post-esophagectomy done with curative intent. Many recent studies have demonstrated the links between the pathophysiolog [...]

by Nevin J. Harper  and Will W. Dobud

Received: 21 June 2024;  Published: 07 November 2024;  doi: 10.21926/obm.icm.2404065

Humans are integrally connected to, yet in many ways disconnected from, nature. Across cultures, nature has been celebrated and revered in religion, traditions, rituals and community connectedness. While unfavorable conditions in nature can cause harm, closer contact with nature has been shown to reduce stress, strengthen immune systems, and improve mental health and physical wellbeing. This paper briefly describes outdoor therapies and a range of nature-based interventions assisting practitioners in serving their [...]

by Arnaud Philippot  , Yannick Bleyenheuft  and Anne De Volder

Received: 21 June 2020;  Published: 07 January 2021;  doi: 10.21926/obm.icm.2101002

In a previous study conducted to assess the impact of physical exercise on the symptoms of depression and anxiety in preadolescents in the school environment, which included a subgroup of participants comprising eleven randomly selected teens (aged 9–11) and all enrolled in primary education, it was immediately observed that one participant referred to as Andy was being bullied and teased, and the teachers were completely unaware of this scenario. All the participants of the study were volunteers, and were subjecte [...]

by Mariella Di Stefano  , Sonia Baccetti  , Elio Rossi  , Maria Valeria Monechi  , Barbara Cucca  , Sergio Segantini  , Elisabetta Barbara Cortesi  , Fabio Voller  , Eleonora Fanti  , Alice Berti  and Stefano Bravi

Received: 27 September 2018;  Published: 28 April 2019;  doi: 10.21926/obm.icm.1902029

Background: According to the international literature, users of Complementary Medicine (CM), Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) and Complementary and Integrative Medicine (CIM) are physically more active, less overweight and have healthier lifestyles than the average Tuscan population. Aim: To evaluate the socio-demographic characteristics and lifestyles of patients of CM public clinics in the region of Tuscany and to define their profiles in terms of physical exercise, smoking habits, diet, intake of alc [...]

by Barbara Schmidt  , Teresa Deffner  and Jenny Rosendahl

Received: 11 December 2019;  Published: 28 April 2020;  doi: 10.21926/obm.icm.2002025

Patients in the intensive care unit are confronted with an extreme situation that may cause stress and anxiety. The negative experiences may cause patients to suffer for the long-term after leaving the intensive care unit. One such stressor in the intensive care unit is non-invasive ventilation. Positive therapeutic suggestions under hypnosis can help patients in intensive care to enhance their well-being by helping them to deal with specific stress like being ventilated. The aim of our study is to assess the effec [...]

by Tara T. Lineweaver  , Suneeta Kercood  , Elyse B. Morgan  , Shelby L. Rampone  , Colleen C. Frank  , Scott A. McLuckie  and Mack F. Reed

Received: 27 October 2019;  Published: 07 January 2020;  doi: 10.21926/obm.icm.2001002

Past research suggests that exercise is associated with improved working memory (WM) abilities, and that athletes have better executive functioning and WM skills than non-athletes. However, no studies to date have separated the effects of exercise from the effects of athletic participation when examining WM. This study had three primary goals: (1) to determine whether amateur college athletes have better auditory and visual WM than their non-athlete peers who exercise frequently and whether non-athlete frequent exe [...]

by John R. Holmberg

Received: 31 May 2022;  Published: 14 September 2022;  doi: 10.21926/obm.icm.2203041

The perinatal period represents a unique developmental window for families and an opportunity to reach and engage fathers in research and preventive interventions. The distinctiveness of this period stems from the changes and stressors that parents experience which affect their openness to enroll in interventions (e.g., adaptive parenting, physical and mental health, relationship skills, and economic self-sufficiency) and participate in research. While long understudied, paternal research in the perinatal period ha [...]

by Poppy L.A. Schoenberg  and Katlyn M. Gonzalez

Received: 13 October 2022;  Published: 12 January 2023;  doi: 10.21926/obm.icm.2301005

Chronic inflammatory diseases are the most significant cause of death in the world and entail severe impairment to quality of life. The World Health Organization (WHO) ranks chronic inflammatory diseases as the greatest threat to human health and wellbeing. Inflammation is epicentral to many clinical conditions and symptoms, and it is anticipated that the health, economic, and mortality burdens associated with chronic inflammation will steadily increase in the United States over the next 30 years. An inflammatory m [...]

by Robert J. Hoss  , Lynne M. Hoss  and Dawson Church

Received: 25 January 2022;  Published: 05 July 2022;  doi: 10.21926/obm.icm.2203024

The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate that the integration of dreamwork and Energy Psychology (EP) can enhance outcomes in the treatment of a range of psychological disorders. The therapeutic process often begins with a peeling away of emotional layers until underlying issues surface. When utilizing dreamwork, however, it is possible to begin at a deeper level. Because dreams address salient unresolved emotional conflicts, dreamwork can quickly bring into consciousness previously unconscious emotional issues [...]

by Antonella Ciaramella

Received: 01 January 2020;  Published: 17 March 2020;  doi: 10.21926/obm.icm.2001014

Over the last 30 years, several neuroimaging and neurophysiological experiments have lent support to the neuropsychology of consciousness, and several definitions have followed to describe it. The phenomenological perspective of consciousness facilitates the description of the individual’s awareness experience of internal states (e.g., perception, sensations, emotion, volition, or memories), thus helping us to better understand the relationship between the brain and mind. Although significant research has been aime [...]

by Jean Youngwerth  , Heather Coats  , Amy Jones  , Angela Wibben  , Elizabeth Somes  , Sue Felton  , Ashley Anderson  , Kathleen Flarity  , Kellar Elliot  and Jean Kutner

Received: 17 November 2019;  Published: 14 January 2020;  doi: 10.21926/obm.icm.2001004

The University of Colorado Hospital (UCH) implemented a Creative Arts Therapy (CAT) program offering CAT to hospitalized patients as a component of comprehensive palliative care (PC) services. The objective of this pilot program evaluation study was to evaluate short-term effects of CAT on patient symptoms and patient/family perceptions regarding their experience. The sample included adult patients hospitalized in an academic medical center who were seen by the Palliative Care Consult Service (PCCS) between October [...]

by Jozélio Freire de Carvalho

Received: 10 September 2025;  Published: 10 October 2025;  doi: 10.21926/obm.icm.2504043

Transcutaneous auricular vagal nerve stimulation (taVNS) is a non-invasive method that regulates the autonomic nervous system via electrical stimulation of the auricular branch of the vagus nerve. Recent literature demonstrates that taVNS can decrease systemic inflammation, attenuate emotional disorders, modulate autonomic functions, and facilitate neural plasticity. This review examines the neurophysiological mechanisms of taVNS, including stimulation paradigms (short- and intensive, prolonged), and clinical findi [...]

by Charlotte V. Farewell  , Jessica Walls  , Jamie N. Powers  , Joanne Whalen  , Meredith Shefferman  and Jenn A. Leiferman

Received: 30 June 2021;  Published: 09 September 2021;  doi: 10.21926/obm.icm.2103028

Mind-body interventions have shown promise for improving prenatal mental health. The purpose of this study was to investigate the feasibility of a prenatal mind-body intervention delivered remotely due to COVID-19 and preliminary efficacy with respect to mental health outcomes. This study used a simultaneous mixed methods approach (n = 27). Mixed methods data were collected to evaluate the feasibility and preliminary efficacy of the remotely delivered program (I.e., acceptability, practicality, demand, sustainabili [...]

by Gerhard Litscher

Received: 11 November 2020;  Published: 13 November 2020;  doi: 10.21926/obm.icm.2004043

The Nogier reflex or reflex auriculo-cardiac (RAC) or the dynamic pulse reaction is a physiological phenomenon that is not generally accepted in conventional medicine. Therefore, evidence-based research in this sub-area is important for auricular medicine as it provides appropriate scientific evidence for better acceptance. In this editorial, a RAC measurement based on a modified smartphone registration and analysis is presented. The contribution is intended to stimulate researchers to continue working in this inte [...]

by Victoria M. Dahl  , Alyssa L. Chimiklis  , Sarah Peralta  , Yasmin Siddiqui  and Anil Chacko

Received: 15 August 2024;  Published: 18 March 2025;  doi: 10.21926/obm.icm.2501015

Schools have made commendable efforts to incorporate yoga and mindfulness programs to address the wellbeing of students; however, research on the efficacy of school-based yoga and mindfulness programs is still in its infancy, particularly with school-aged students at risk of developing externalizing disorders. Much of the research has also focused on evaluating interventions implemented by researchers, rather than evaluating those implemented by the school and its staff. The aim of this pilot study was to evaluate [...]

by Jack Deacon  , Clare Northover  , John King  and Chris Irons

Received: 21 September 2021;  Published: 23 November 2021;  doi: 10.21926/obm.icm.2104050

Compassion Focused Therapy (CFT) has increasingly been shown to have a positive impact for people experiencing a range of difficulties, and online self-help formats could provide a way of increasing its accessibility and scalability. This study explored adult participants’ subjective experiences of engaging with online self-compassion training drawn from Compassionate Mind Training (CMT) and CFT. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 15 participants who had completed online self-compassion training, [...]

by Daicia Price  , Yatesha Robinson  , Hurley Riley  , Julie Ribaudo  , Chris Giang  , Todd I. Herrenkohl  and Alison L. Miller

Received: 21 March 2023;  Published: 21 November 2023;  doi: 10.21926/obm.icm.2304055

Adverse and traumatic childhood experiences can have profound negative health and mental health consequences across the lifespan. Prevention and early intervention strategies to mitigate such impacts and foster resilience are essential, yet extant approaches often do not consider the systemic nature of trauma exposure, particularly among communities most impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic and historic disinvestment. Addressing the impacts of trauma early in life is critical in order to mitigate their long-term effec [...]

by Michael Lincoln  , Stephen Aichele  , Emma L.M. Clark  , Maggie Dungan  , Ashley Harvey  , Lillian Hoyer  , Yuqin Jiao  , Steffany Josslin  , Frances Russell  and Zeynep Biringen

Received: 12 May 2023;  Published: 27 July 2023;  doi: 10.21926/obm.icm.2303032

Fathers are a historically underrepresented population in developmental research and must be considered for their modern presentation in parenting processes. Emotional Availability (EA) is a construct that captures the parent-child relationship quality and predicts positive outcomes for children. A recently developed intervention, the EA Brief, is a program conceptualized for easy administration that may be utilized to improve father-child dyadic functioning across a range of child ages. The final sample of interes [...]

by Holly Hazlett-Stevens

Received: 26 July 2021;  Published: 23 November 2021;  doi: 10.21926/obm.icm.2104049

Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) is an evidence-based health education program for medical patients with a variety of chronic conditions. MBSR also benefits health care providers themselves, decreasing work-related stress and preventing burnout. The objectives of this study were to describe an abbreviated MBSR curriculum developed for health care providers and to present initial program evaluation data assessing acceptability and outcomes. This program was implemented outside the research context with an o [...]

by Lauren Ferguson  , Justin Cantrelle  and Paul Loprinzi

Received: 06 September 2018;  Published: 17 December 2018;  doi: 10.21926/obm.icm.1804034

Background: The present study evaluates the effects of selective directed forgetting (SDF) and directed forgetting (DF) on subsequent memory retrieval and investigate whether acute exercise can facilitate the effects of SDF. Methods: A four-arm (n=20 per group; N=80; Mage=20 yrs), parallel-group, randomized controlled experiment was employed. The four groups included: 1) exercise plus SDF (Ex+SDF), 2) SDF only (SDF), 3) DF only (DF) and 4) R (remember) only (R). Participants viewed two separate word lists (list 1 a [...]

by Sierra Day  and Paul D. Loprinzi

Received: 27 April 2019;  Published: 04 July 2019;  doi: 10.21926/obm.icm.1903042

Background: The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of acute moderate-intensity exercise on autobiographical episodic memory and semantic memory. Methods: A two-arm, parallel-group randomized controlled intervention was employed. The experimental group engaged in an acute bout of treadmill exercise for 15 minutes (70% of heart rate max), while the control group engaged in a time-matched seated activity. For episodic autobiographical memory, participants recalled as many personal memories of events f [...]

by Sharon Clevenger

Received: 02 April 2020;  Published: 18 May 2020;  doi: 10.21926/obm.icm.2002031

The novel coronavirus COVID-19 is a viral pathogen that first emerged in Wuhan, China in 2002 and has spread to 202 countries (as of March 28, 2020) [1]. Despite the fact that the 2005 SARS-CoV pandemic infected over 8,500 people, and caused over 800 deaths with billions of dollars in economic loss worldwide, as of 2015 there were still no clinically approved antiviral drugs, vaccines or monoclonal antibody therapies to treat SARS-CoV infections [2]. Antiviral medications that have been used to treat or control oth [...]

by Katrina McFerran  , Carmen Cheong-Clinch  , Jennifer Bibb  and TanChyuan Chin

Received: 21 November 2022;  Published: 08 February 2023;  doi: 10.21926/obm.icm.2301013

Lockdowns were a central strategy for managing the outbreak of COVID-19, and Melbourne, Australia had some of the most extensive restrictions globally during 2021. As a result, university students were faced with isolated living and challenging learning experiences. This pilot study occurred during 2021, close to both university assignment due dates and end of semester examinations and some of the longest lockdowns. Seventy-one participants responded to recruitment materials describing using music playlists to mana [...]

by LUTVIJA Hrnjic  , Nina Fry  and Helané Wahbeh

Received: 16 April 2021;  Published: 14 October 2021;  doi: 10.21926/obm.icm.2104034

The growing population of older adults with depression is a significant public health concern, and effective treatments are necessary. Mindfulness meditation intervention offers effective treatment for depression, but little research has been conducted on the older population. This study aimed to evaluate if the combination of the Internet Mindfulness Meditation Intervention (IMMI) plus iMINDr application improves well-being in older adults with depressive symptoms. Potential participants were recruited online. IMM [...]

by Gerhard Litscher

Received: 18 October 2021;  Published: 22 October 2021;  doi: 10.21926/obm.icm.2104037

In the recent past, laser therapy has made immense progress as it is known to change microcirculation, modulate vegetative parameters, and stimulate mitochondrial activity in the human body. This editorial briefly describes a new laser watch prototype (generation 2021), which can be used to perform continuous and simultaneous blood irradiation at the radial and/or ulnar artery of the wrist with different wavelengths of laser light. In a preliminary measurement, the increase in regional oxygen saturation at the croo [...]