Few studies have examined the self-perceptions of autistic adults. This study aimed firstly to investigate domain-specific self-concepts and global self-esteem in autistic adults. The second aim was to examine associations between autism self-appraisals, perceived social support and global self-concept and self-esteem. The third was to determine which domains of self-concept were most closely associated with selfesteem. Participants included 71 autistic adults aged 18-70 years and 65 age, sex and education matched typically developing individuals. Participants completed an online survey of autism characteristics, global self-esteem and domain-specific self-concepts (i.e. likeability, task accomplishment, power, giftedness, invulnerability, and morality), self-appraisals about autism, and perceived social support. Autistic participants reported significantly lower power and global self-esteem than typically developing individuals after controlling for autism characteristics. More positive self-appraisals about autism (i.e. greater perceived benefits and lower helplessness) were significantly related to better global self-concept and self-esteem. Global self-esteem was significantly and positively associated with perceptions of giftedness, emotional resilience and power. These findings suggest that autistic adults may perceive themselves as having a low sense of power in their relationships and have negative global perceptions of their self-worth. However, those able to find positive meaning or benefits associated with autism are likely to have more positive global self-perceptions. This study provides new insights into how autistic adults perceive themselves which may guide the focus of psychosocial interventions that seek to recognize and promote unique talents and emotional resilience.

A transition from traditional problem-based clinics to the Sports Medicine and Reconditioning Team (SMART) clinic model was completed by January 2009 at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune. The SMART clinic model allows for more patients to be seen and enhances coordinated care between providers. The objective of this research is to show the advantages of implementing a training room team approach for the care of musculoskeletal injuries in active duty members by comparing the number of patients seen, the number of limited duty (LIMDU) periods, the number of physical evaluation boards (PEBs), and the percentage of orthopedic referrals. Electronic medical records for patients seen at sports medicine clinics between January 1, 2007 and December 31, 2010 were reviewed. Naval Hospital Camp Lejeune provided a database of patients placed on LIMDU and PEB from 2007 through 2010. Fifty-eight and twenty-four percent more encounters occurred in 2009 and 2010, respectively, than that in 2007. The percentage of LIMDU referred for PEB in 2010 was reduced to 9% compared to that in 2007. In conclusion, the SMART clinic model allows for more patients to be seen and a reduction in the percentage of patients recommended for PEB from LIMDU.

No abstract

No abstract

Summary: Purpose:The role of quantitative magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in evaluation of childhood epilepsy remains poorly defined, with minimal published data. Previous work from our center questioned the specificity of hippocampal asymmetry (HA) in an outpatient group whose epilepsy was defined by using clinical and interictal data only. By using childhood volunteer controls and defining epilepsy syndromes using video-EEG monitoring, we readdressed the utility of HA in differentiating mesial temporal lobe epilepsy (MTLE) from other partial and generalized epileptic syndromes in children.Methods: Seventy children were enrolled; entry criteria were age younger than 18 years with predominant seizure type recorded on video-EEG telemetry with volutnetric MRI in all cases. Thirty healthy child volunteers had volumetric MRI. Epilepsy syndrome classification was according to ILAE.Results: Control data revealed symmetric hippocampi, mean smallernarger ratio of 0.96 (0.95-0.97,95% CI) with no gender or rightneft predominance. Overall 23% of patients had significant HA. Mean hippocampal ratio for MTLE was 0.78 (95% CI, 0.70-0.86), significantly lower than controls and from all other epilepsy syndromes. HA was highly specific (85%) to the syndrome of MTLE. Other potential epileptogenic lesions were found in 27 (39%) patients, lowest yield in frontal and mesial temporal syndromes. Dual pathology was present in 10% of patients. There was no significant association between HA and risk factors. Conclusions:In this study, we found that HA in children with a well-defined epilepsy syndrome is highly sensitive and specific for MTLE. Whether this will correlate with surgical outcome, as in adults, is the subject of ongoing study.