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Background. There are many different haematological malignancy subtypes. Most follow chronic pathways that are uncertain and unpredictable, which may lead to feelings of anxiety and distress. The provision of information can ameliorate such difficulties, but patients are known to have unmet needs in this regard. The aim of this study is to explore experiences of information sharing among patients with chronic blood cancers and the factors impacting this process. Methods. The study is set within a UK cohort of blood cancer patients, where care is provided across 14 hospitals according to national clinical guidelines. Purposive sampling was used to identify expert participants (based on experience), and in-depth qualitative interviews were conducted with 35 patients, 10 with a relative present. The study was intended to inform practice and utilised qualitative description, with thematic content analysis and systematic data coding. Results. Experiences of information sharing varied. Most patients described this positively, but not all. Several barriers and facilitators were identified, which are discussed within five themes: (1) shock affects ability to process information, (2) the importance of time to facilitate information exchange, (3) personal relationships have an impact on meeting information needs, (4) HCP interpersonal skills are central to good information sharing, and (5) communication skills and terminology. Conclusions. Patients with chronic blood cancers prefer to engage in information sharing when they are not in a state of shock, and when they have adequate time to process material that is effectively and sensitively delivered, by HCPs they know and trust. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context: The tandem gait test is a method for assessing dynamic postural control and part of the Sport Concussion Assessment Tool, versions 3 and 5. However, its reliability among child and adolescent athletes has yet to be established. Objective: To examine the test-retest reliability of the single-task and dual-task tandem gait test among healthy child and adolescent athletes. Design: Descriptive laboratory study. Setting: Sports injury-prevention center. Patients or Other Participants: Uninjured and healthy athletes between the ages of 9 and 18 years. Intervention(s): Tandem gait measures repeated 3 times across the period of approximately 1 month. Main Outcome Measure(s): Participants completed the tandem gait test under single-task and dual-task (ie, while simultaneously executing a cognitive task) conditions. Our primary outcome measure was completion time during the single-task and dual-task conditions. We also assessed cognitive accuracy and response rate while participants completed the dual-task tandem gait test. Results: Thirty-two child and adolescent athletes completed the study (mean age = 14.3 ± 2.4 years; females = 16). Single- task tandem gait times were similar across the 3 testing sessions (14.4 ± 4.8, 13.5 ± 4.2, and 13.8 ± 4.8 seconds; P = .45). Dual-task tandem gait times steadily improved across the test timeline (18.6 ± 6.9, 16.6 ± 4.5, and 15.8 ± 4.7 seconds; P = .02). Bivariate correlations indicated moderately high to high agreement from test 1 to test 2 (single-task r= .627; dual-task r= 0.655) and from test 2 to test 3 (single-task r = 0.852; dual-task r = 0.775). Both the single-task (intraclass correlation coefficient; ICC [3,1] = 0.86; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.73, 0.93) and dual-task (ICC [3,1] = 0.84; 95% CI = 0.69, 0.92) conditions demonstrated high reliability across testing sessions. Conclusions: Tandem gait outcome measures demonstrat¬ed high test-retest reliability in both the single- and dual-task conditions. The overall reliability was within the acceptable range for clinical practice, but improvements across tests suggested a moderate practice effect. Tandem gait represents a reliable, dynamic, postural-control test that requires minimal space, cost, and time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The aim of this study was to prospectively examine the association between intracortical inhibition and functional recovery after mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI). Methods: Twenty individuals with mTBI and 20 matched control participants were assessed using transcranial magnetic stimulation, the Attentional Network Test, and gait analysis. Hierarchical linear modeling was used to longitudinally examine potential differences between groups and relationships in the pattern of recovery in cortical silent period (CSP) duration, cognitive reaction time, and single- and dual-task walking speeds across five testing time points. Individuals with mTBI were assessed within 72 h of injury, and again at 1 wk, 2 wk, 1 month, and 2 months postinjury. After initial testing, control participants followed a similar timeline. Results: At the 72-h time point, the group with mTBI had longer reaction time (b = -91.76, P = 0.01), similar single-task walking speed (b = 0.055, P = 0.10), and slower dual-task walking speed (b = 0.10, P = 0.012) compared with control participants. The CSP duration also tended to be longer in individuals with mTBI than controls at the 72-h time point (b = -16.34, P = 0.062). The change is CSP duration over time was not significantly associated with the change in reaction time (b = -0.19, P = 0.47), single-task walking speed (b = 0.0001, P = 0.53), or dual-task walking speed (b < 0.001, P = 0.68). Conclusion: Although cognitive and motor functions were significantly impaired in the mTBI group acutely after injury, levels of intracortical inhibition were not associated with recovery in either functional domain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]