Browsing by Author "Robb, Sheri L."

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    Active Music Engagement and Cortisol as an Acute Stress Biomarker in Young Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplant Patients and Caregivers: Results of a Single Case Design Pilot Study
    (Frontiers in Psychology, 2020-11) Holochwost, Steven J.; Robb, Sheri L.; Henley, Amanda K.; Stegenga, Kristin; Perkins, Susan M.; Russ, Kristen A.; Jacob, Seethal A.; Delgado, David; Haase, Joan E.; Krater, Caitlin M.; Medicine, School of Medicine
    This paper reports the results of a single case design pilot study of a music therapy intervention (the Active Music Engagement, or AME) for young children undergoing hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HCST) and their caregivers. The primary aims of the study were to determine feasibility/acceptability of the AME intervention protocol and data collection in the context of HCST. Secondary aims were to examine caregivers’ perceptions of the benefit of AME and whether there were changes in child and caregiver cortisol levels relative to the AME intervention. Results indicated that the AME could be implemented in this context and that data could be collected, though the collection of salivary cortisol may constitute an additional burden for families. Nevertheless, data that were collected suggest that families derive benefit from the AME, which underscores the need for devising innovative methods to understand the neurophysiological impacts of the AME.
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    Adolescent/Young Adult Perspectives of a Therapeutic Music Video Intervention to Improve Resilience During Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplant for Cancer
    (Oxford Academic, 2020-02) Haase, Joan E.; Robb, Sheri L.; Burns, Debra S.; Stegenga, Kristin; Cherven, Brooke; Hendricks-Ferguson, Verna; Roll, Lona; Docherty, Sharron L.; Phillips, Celeste; School of Nursing
    This empirical phenomenology study reports adolescents/young adults (AYA) experiences of the therapeutic music video (TMV) intervention arm of a randomized controlled clinical trial (Children's Oncology Group; COG-ANUR0631; R01 NR008583) during hospitalization for a hematopoietic stem cell transplant. A purposive subsample of 14 AYA were interviewed using a broad open-ended data-generating question about their TMV intervention experiences. At the end of each interview, we also asked AYA for suggestions on how to improve the TMV. Analysis of the narrative data resulted in four theme categories: (a) An Interwoven Experience of the Transplant and TMV Intervention; (b) TMV as a Guided Opportunity for Reflection, Self-Expression, and Meaning-Making; (c) Telling My Story: The Work of Deriving Meaning; and (d) A Way to Overcome the Bad Side of Cancer. AYA suggestions for improving the TMV are also summarized. Findings provide insight into ways the TMV supports AYA efforts to overcome distress and challenges by providing opportunities to reflect on what is meaningful, connect with others, and explore/identify personal strengths. Findings also inform our understanding about how the TMV may have functioned (i.e., mechanisms of action) to bring about significant change in AYA self-reported outcomes (i.e., positive coping, social support, and family function) for this trial.
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    Can Music Touch the Heart? Commentary on the Benefits of Music Listening for People Living With Heart Failure
    (Elsevier, 2020-07) Fleming, Renée; Robb, Sheri L.; School of Nursing
    Popular literary tradition depicts the heart as the seat of human emotion, and evidence of this is everywhere. We speak of music touching our heartstrings, we talk of having a change of heart, we place our hands over our hearts when we sing the national anthem. Of course, we know today that mental and emotional activity is centered in the brain, but can music actually affect our hearts? Is there medical and scientific evidence of music's effects on heart health?
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    Cortisol as an Acute Stress Biomarker in Young Hematopoietic Cell Transplant Patients/Caregivers: Active Music Engagement Protocol
    (Mary Ann Liebert, 2020-05-11) Russ, Kristen A.; Holochwost, Steven J.; Perkins, Susan M.; Stegenga, Kristin; Jacob, Seethal A.; Delgado, David; Henley, Amanda K.; Haase, Joan E.; Robb, Sheri L.; Medicine, School of Medicine
    Objective: Primary aims of the proposed protocol are to determine the feasibility/acceptability of the active music engagement intervention protocol during hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) and clinical feasibility/acceptability of the biological sample collection schedule. Design: The authors propose a single-case, alternating treatment design to compare levels of child and caregiver cortisol in blood and saliva collected on alternating days, when the dyad receives and does not receive AME sessions. Included are the scientific rationale for this design and detailed intervention and sample collection schedules based on transplant type. Setting/Location: Pediatric inpatient HSCT unit. Subjects: Eligible participants are dyads of children 3-8 years old, hospitalized for HSCT, and their caregiver. Children with malignant and nonmalignant conditions will be eligible, regardless of transplant type. Intervention: AME intervention is delivered by a board-certified music therapist who tailors music-based play experiences to encourage active engagement in, and independent use of, music play to manage the inter-related emotional distress experienced by children and their caregivers during HSCT. Dyads will receive two 45-min AME sessions each week during hospitalization. Outcome Measures: Eight collections of blood (child) and saliva (child/caregiver) will be performed for cortisol measurement. The authors will also collect self-report and caregiver proxy measures for dyad emotional distress, quality of life, and family function. At study conclusion, qualitative caregiver interviews will be conducted. Results: Planned analyses will be descriptive and evaluate the feasibility of participant recruitment, cortisol collection, planned evaluations, and AME delivery. Analysis of qualitative interviews will be used to gain an understanding about the ease/burden of biological sample collection and any perceived benefit of AME. Conclusions: Behavioral intervention studies examining biological mechanisms of action in pediatric transplant populations are rare. Findings will provide important information about the feasibility/acceptability of collecting cortisol samples during a high-intensity treatment and advance understanding about the use of active music interventions to mitigate child/caregiver distress during the transplant period.
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    Developing a Multiple Caregiver Group for Caregivers of Adolescents With Disruptive Behaviors
    (Elsevier, 2017) Oruche, Ukamaka M.; Robb, Sheri L.; Aalsma, Matthew; Pescosolido, Bernice; Brown-Podgorski, Brittany; Burke Draucker, Claire; School of Nursing
    This article describes the development of a 6-week multiple caregiver group intervention for primary caregivers of adolescents diagnosed with Oppositional Defiant Disorder or Conduct Disorder in low-income African American families. The intervention is aimed at increasing the primary caregivers' self-efficacy in managing interactions within the family and especially with child serving educational, mental health, juvenile justice, and child welfare systems. Development of the intervention involved seven iterative activities performed in a collaborative effort between an interdisciplinary academic team, community engagement specialists, members of the targeted population, and clinical partners from a large public mental health system. The intervention development process described in this article can provide guidance for teams that aim to develop new mental health interventions that target specific outcomes in populations with unique needs.
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    Development and Use of a Web-based Data Management System for a Randomized Clinical Trial of Adolescents and Young Adults
    (2011-06) Musick, Beverly S.; Robb, Sheri L.; Burns, Debra S.; Stegenga, Kristin; Yan, Ming; McCorkle, Kathy J.; Haase, Joan E.
    Recent advances in technology provide support for multi-site, web-based data entry systems and the storage of data in a centralized location, resulting in immediate access to data for investigators, reduced participant burden and human entry error, and improved integrity of clinical trial data. The purpose of this paper is to describe the development of a comprehensive, web-based data management system for a multi-site randomized behavioral intervention trial. Strategies used to create this study-specific data management system included interdisciplinary collaboration, design mapping, feasibility assessments, and input from an advisory board of former patients with characteristics similar to the targeted population. The resulting data management system and development strategies provide a template for other behavioral intervention studies.
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    Ensuring Treatment Fidelity in a Multi-site Behavioral Intervention Study: Implementing NIH Behavior Change Consortium Recommendations in the SMART Trial
    (2011-11) Robb, Sheri L.; Burns, Debra S.; Docherty, Sharron L.; Haase, Joan E.
    The Stories and Music for Adolescent/Young Adult Resilience during Transplant (SMART) study (R01NR008583; U10CA098543; U10CA095861) is an ongoing multi-site Children’s Oncology Group randomized clinical trial testing the efficacy of a therapeutic music video intervention for adolescents/young adults (11–24 years of age) with cancer undergoing stem cell transplant. Treatment fidelity strategies from our trial are consistent with the NIH Behavior Change Consortium Treatment Fidelity Workgroup (BCC) recommendations and provide a successful working model for treatment fidelity implementation in a large, multi-site behavioral intervention study. In this paper we summarize 20 specific treatment fidelity strategies used in the SMART trial and how these strategies correspond with NIH BCC recommendations in 5 specific areas: 1) study design, 2) training providers, 3) delivery of treatment, 4) receipt of treatment, and 5) enactment of treatment skills. Increased use and reporting of treatment fidelity procedures is essential in advancing the reliability and validity of behavioral intervention research. The SMART trial provides a strong model for the application of fidelity strategies to improve scientific findings and addresses the absence of published literature illustrating the application of BCC recommendations in behavioral intervention studies.
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    Feasibility and Acceptability of Music Imagery and Listening Interventions for Analgesia: Protocol for a Randomized Controlled Trial
    (JMIR Publications, 2022-09-22) Story, Kristin M.; Bravata, Dawn M.; Robb, Sheri L.; Wasmuth, Sally; Slaven, James E.; Whitmire, Leah; Barker, Barry; Menen, Tetla; Bair, Matthew J.; Medicine, School of Medicine
    Background: Chronic pain and access to care are identified as critical needs of the Veterans Health Administration. Music imagery and music listening interventions have shown promise as effective nonpharmacological options for pain management. However, most studies have focused on acute pain, passive music experiences, and in-person delivery. Objective: In this study, we aimed to examine the feasibility and acceptability of 2 music interventions delivered through telehealth for chronic musculoskeletal pain, trial design, and theoretical model before conducting a fully powered efficacy or comparative effectiveness trial. Methods: FAMILIA (Feasibility and Acceptability of Music Imagery and Listening Interventions for Analgesia) is a 3-arm, parallel group, pilot trial. A total of 60 veterans will be randomized to one of the three conditions: music imagery, music listening, or usual care. Aim 1 is to test the feasibility and acceptability of a multicomponent, interactive music imagery intervention (8-weekly, individual sessions) and a single-component, minimally interactive music learning intervention (independent music listening). Feasibility metrics related to recruitment, retention, engagement, and completion of the treatment protocol and questionnaires will be assessed. Up to 20 qualitative interviews will be conducted to assess veteran experiences with both interventions, including perceived benefits, acceptability, barriers, and facilitators. Interview transcripts will be coded and analyzed for emergent themes. Aim 2 is to explore the effects of music imagery and music listening versus usual care on pain and associated patient-centered outcomes. These outcomes and potential mediators will be explored through changes from baseline to follow-up assessments at 1, 3, and 4 months. Descriptive statistics will be used to describe outcomes; this pilot study is not powered to detect differences in outcomes. Results: Recruitment for FAMILIA began in March 2022, and as of July 2022, 16 participants have been enrolled. We anticipate that enrollment will be completed by May 2023. We expect that music imagery and music listening will prove acceptable to veterans and that feasibility benchmarks will be reached. We hypothesize that music imagery and music listening will be more effective than usual care on pain and related outcomes. Conclusions: FAMILIA addresses four limitations in music intervention research for chronic pain: limited studies in veterans, evaluation of a multicomponent music intervention, methodological rigor, and internet-based delivery. Findings from FAMILIA will inform a fully powered trial to identify putative mechanisms and test efficacy.
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    Implementing NIH Behavior Change Consortium Treatment Fidelity Recommendations in a Multi-Site Randomized Controlled Trial of an Active Music Engagement Intervention for Young Children with Cancer and Parents
    (Sage, 2022) MacLean, Jessica A.; Stegenga, Kristin A.; Henley, Amanda K.; Robb, Sheri L.; School of Nursing
    Treatment fidelity is the use of methodological strategies to monitor and enhance reliability and validity of behavioral intervention trials. Despite availability of guidelines and checklists, treatment fidelity remains underreported, hindering evaluation, interpretation, and cross-study comparisons. Treatment fidelity is particularly important for music interventions given the inherent complexity of musical stimuli and flexibility required for tailored delivery. The purpose of this paper is to define and describe treatment fidelity strategies for our trial of a music-based play intervention for young children with cancer and parents grounded in the NIH Behavior Change Consortium Treatment Fidelity Recommendations. We report strategies for all 5 areas: study design, training providers, delivery of treatment, receipt of treatment, and enactment of treatment skills. We also discuss 4 challenges our team encountered, including: (1) standardizing live music delivery, (2) defining boundaries for tailored intervention delivery, (3) managing extended time between participants, and (4) minimizing risk for bias. This paper expands on current fidelity literature and may provide a working model for other investigators examining dyadic and/or active music interventions.
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    Improving recruitment and retention of adolescents and young adults with cancer in randomized controlled clinical trials
    (De Gruyter, 2019-04-11) Docherty, Sharron L.; Crane, Stacey; Haase, Joan E.; Robb, Sheri L.; School of Nursing
    Participation of adolescents and young adults (AYAs) with cancer in randomized clinical trials (RCTs) is necessary to advance treatments and psychosocial programs. Exploring AYAs experiences in an RCT will inform strategies to support recruitment and retention. A qualitative design was used to study the experiences of 13 AYAs in the Stories and Music for Adolescent and Young Adult Resilience during Transplant I (SMART I) trial. Key themes included: Weighing the Pros and Cons; Randomization Preferences; Completing Measures; and Worthwhile Experience. The experiences of AYAs during RCTs can bring insights that inform the design and management of AYA trials. Strategies include improving assent/consent processes, design of electronic interfaces and encouraging researcher flexibility.