Tanu's Research Blog
Well-being for HIV-infected patients
Current therapies to prevent viral replication have allowed HIV patients to survive. The new task for medical care providers is in reestablishing their patients into having a fulfilling life.
Expert HIV researchers, nutritionists, psychologists and PLWH need to inquire into the determining conditions of the quality of life among PLWH receiving antiretroviral therapy and resources in order to achieve a better quality of life for the patients and their families.
The six specific areas that need to be focussed are:
Social well-being: Friends, family, work, support networks, diversion and recreation.
Emotional well being: Self esteem, depression, sorrow, self-care, planning of life goals, contentment, adolescence.
Physical well-being: Diet, exercise, sleep, vaccination and game-value.
Sexuality: sexual health, safer sex, pregnancy and contraception.
Treatment: therapy in function, types of treatment, resistance, what are unfavourable events and how to arrange them.
Adherence: importance of medication and adjustment to life, how to rearrange or, to get over circumstances affecting life.
Posted at 01:26AM Sep 21, 2008 by Tanushree Banerjee in General | Comments[0]
Study Indicates Power of HAART to Reduce New Infections
A Canadian study by the BC Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS reveals the substantial impact that increased coverage with HIV therapy could have in reducing HIV transmissions while saving money for health care systems around the globe.
According to the study,an increase in highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) coverage from the current level of 50 per cent among those in medical need, to 75, 90 or 100 per cent, could lead to a decrease in the annual number of individuals newly testing HIV positive by over 30, 50 and 60 per cent respectively.
The study used a novel mathematical model to assess the potential effects of increased treatment coverage with HAART among individuals in need of treatment in British, Columbia, Canada. The model is reflective of the next 25 years.
Posted at 01:13AM Sep 21, 2008 by Tanushree Banerjee in General | Comments[0]
Estimation of hazard of HIV-1 infection in vertically transmitted children using parametric and semiparametric model
In epidemiological studies, the analysis of event-time or survival data aims to describe the risk (hazard) function of event times in a population, the associated survival or cumulative incidence functions, and the effects of covariates on risk. Doubly interval-censored data arise in many studies of disease progression in which the initial event represents disease onset and the end event corresponds to some subsequent event such as death.This type of sampling scheme can result when the originating event is not directly observable but is detected via periodic screening.
For example, it occurs in the study of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infected haemophiliacs whose stored blood samples are screened for evidence of infection with HIV, the virus that causes acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). In these studies, the induction period between infection with HIV and the failure event, onset of AIDS or risk of death, may be doubly censored.A variety of models have been developed for interval-censored data.
In fact, we applied a semiparametric model based on a method proposed by Kim, De Gruttola and Lagakos to the 130 vertically HIV-1-infected cases visiting the Paediatrics clinic in RML Hospital, New Delhi. In addition to Kim's model, we applied a parametric model viz. log-linear model.
Posted at 11:39PM Jun 18, 2008 by Tanushree Banerjee in Research | Comments[0]
HAART Use on Quality of Life
Since the inception of the HIV/AIDS epidemic, different medical outcomes have been examined to assess disease progression and treatment effects. Health related quality of life (QOL) was first introduced into HIV/AIDS research in 1990 to evaluate the effect of antiretroviral therapy on health status and well being, and was then used to document disease burden, track health changes and evaluate health care programs.
Before the era of HAART, population studies have shown that physical health QOL deteriorated with HIV disease progression. Mental health functioning was relatively stable across different stages of disease, but was significantly worse than the general population and patients with other chronic diseases. Use of mono- or combination therapies was insufficient for containing the virus and studies of their use on QOL have yielded inconsistent results, reporting short-term positive or negative effects but no significant long-term impacts.
Even though QOL, a concept encompassing a broad range of physical and psychological characteristics and limitations that describes an individual's ability to function, is increasingly recognized as an important outcome in health care, little is known of the quality of life of children infected with HIV, especially in an era of highly active antiretroviral medications.
We have undertaken a study to assess the impacts of HIV infection and HAART use on QOL among a group of HIV infected and affected children. For further details please refer to the abstract.
Posted at 12:19AM May 07, 2008 by Tanushree Banerjee in Research | Comments[0]
Nutrition and HIV/AIDS
Nutrition plays a crucial role throughout the course of HIV disease. Once infected, malnutrition and HIV work in tandem, creating a classic 'vicious cycle' where each condition worsens the other. The effect of HIV on nutrition begins early in the course of the disease, even before an individual may be aware of the infection. HIV infection enhances the energy requirements due to an increase in resting energy expenditure. In addition, there is a reduction in dietary intake, nutrient malabsorption/loss and complex meatbolic alterations that culminate in the weight loss and wasting that is common in AIDS. On the other hand, pre-existing malnutrition exacerbates the effects of HIV because of immune system is already compromised. malnutrition also increases fatigue, decreases physical activity and the ability to carry out the activities of daily living, thus affecting the patient's quality of life. The various causes of malnutrition in persons with HIV infection are inadequate nutritional intake, poor nutrient absorption and poor nutrient utilization secondary to metabolic alterations.
One of the paper abstracts accepted at the XVII International AIDS Conference is focussing on the advantages of nutrition on improving the overall weight gain of children living with HIV. For further details please refer to the abstract.
Posted at 04:34PM Apr 20, 2008 by Tanushree Banerjee in Research | Comments[0]
One Moment
The XVII International AIDS Conference to be held in Mexico City will be one of the memorable conferences in the 3 years span of my research activities. Not only did three of my paper abstracts received acceptance but at the same time I was offered a full scholarship by the IAS society to attend the conference. The very moment on reading the mail regarding the scholarship I was thrilled as I knew that somewhere I would be able to fulfill that special person's wish. 2008 has proven to be very rewarding in terms of my career and above all my life. My sincere gratitude to all those people who made it possible for me to walk on my decided path and particularly to that one person who has been extremely encouraging and supportive ever since I met him.
Posted at 04:19PM Apr 20, 2008 by Tanushree Banerjee in General | Comments[0]
Children and Adolescents Living with HIV and AIDS
HIV is a global health threat of significance to child and adolescent psychology and psychiatry. The rapidly expanding literature on paediatric AIDS and HIV documents the consequences of the epidemic in the care and development of youth infected by HIV and in the change of risk behaviour among the infected and uninfected. HIV is the prototypical biophysical disease and there is important research at every organizational level from the cellular to the societal.
The psychological effects of HIV infection on children range from mild to devastating. Neurologic and neuropsychological deficits resulting from HIV infection have been well characterized. Emotional or behavioural abnormalities, including social problems, anxiety, depression, and general behaviour problems, have been noted in 12% to 44% of HIV-infected children.
One of the most widespread clinical observations is that HIV-infected children present with high rates of symptoms of attention-deficit disorder and attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). However, few studies on attention deficits in HIV-infected children have found high rates of ADHD in both groups with no association between attention-deficit disorder/ADHD and HIV disease. Therefore one needs to understand the cause of behavioural problems in HIV-infected children for improving their mental health and quality of life.
A research study has thus been carried out to focus on the psychosocial development of the HIV-infected children and to examine the combined influences of HIV and the socio-demographic characteristics on their behaviour. This research provided solid approach for identifying relevant disorders, enhancing medical care and promoting successful adaptations of patients and families.
For further details please refer to this paper.
Posted at 06:36PM Apr 14, 2008 by Tanushree Banerjee in Research | Comments[0]
AIDS 2008
The XVII International AIDS Conference (AIDS 2008), will be held in México City, México from 3-8 August 2008. AIDS 2008 will be the first International AIDS Conference ever held in Latin America. Call for abstracts is available here and the submission deadline is 19th February 2008.
Posted at 12:38PM Feb 02, 2008 by Tanushree Banerjee in General | Comments[0]
My Research
My research work mainly focussed on the vertically transmitted HIV-infected paediatric patients. I have worked extensively with HIV-1-infected children and visited hospitals and care homes to collect data for my research. My research has undertaken exercises on certain problems pertaining to psychiatric disorders in HIV-1-infected children along with the estimation of survival function of doubly censored HIV-1 paediatrics data by using non-parametric, semi-parametric and parametric techniques. The roles of some variables like HAART, sex, age and year of diagnosis in affecting the longevity of survival time have been investigated. Also attempt has been made to evolve a clinical case definition for the diagnosis of AIDS in areas in India where there are limited resources.
Posted at 12:42PM Jan 26, 2008 by Tanushree Banerjee in General | Comments[1]