{"id":71,"date":"2023-02-27T20:20:00","date_gmt":"2023-02-27T20:20:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/totesa.website\/student\/?page_id=71"},"modified":"2023-02-28T02:04:58","modified_gmt":"2023-02-28T02:04:58","slug":"significant-projects","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/sites.wp.odu.edu\/shutchins\/academics\/significant-projects\/","title":{"rendered":"Significant Projects"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Mock Research Report for Introduction to Technical & Scientific Writing:<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Diagnosis & Treatment of Endometriosis<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I put a lot of personal thought and immense amounts of work ethic into this research report. I personally was diagnosed with Endometriosis in 2019 after several years of misdiagnosis, and was finally able to have laparoscopic surgery to help treat my disorder. I believe that perseverance makes you stronger, and this personal attribute allowed me to fuel my academic drive by pursing a positive side to my story, and that is to help others.<\/p>\n\n\n

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INTRODUCTION<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

It is indisputable that the need for research on Endometriosis has increased in recent years, as not much research has been done at this point in time. Women everyday are still suffering the consequences of scarce research on Endometriosis diagnosis and treatment. Research is necessary for the women suffering from this disease in our communities so that they may be able to live normal pain-free lives in the future with better diagnosis and treatment options. Endometriosis is a complicated disease with still many unsolved questions about its etiology and pathophysiology, and it is vital to gain a better understanding of these through future research. The current standards for diagnosis and treatment are currently near inadequate, and the focus of this research is to use non-invasive techniques to diagnose and treat women with Endometriosis and improve patients quality of life .<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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  1. BACKGROUND<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    Endometriosis is an estrogen-dependent disease that causes debilitating pain and affects about 6-10% of reproductive-age(1). This disease can not only affect the female reproductive organs like the uterus and ovaries, but also metastasize to other areas such as abdominopelvic organs. In addition, some cases of Endometriosis may also be associated with infertility in some women. The cause of Endometriosis infertility is still debated, but most likely due to oxidative stress and adenomyosis, both of which negatively affect hormonal productivity and metastasis of the disease (2). Most importantly, women suffering from endometriosis will have a 7-9 year delay in diagnosis on average (3) due to the lack of or ineffective early diagnosis techniques and negative experiences with treatment or physicians, which may result later on in poor quality of life for patients.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    The methods used to diagnose Endometriosis in this study were non-invasive techniques consisting of two separate clinical trials. The first diagnostic method was used to test the efficacy of utilizing ultrasonography to diagnose Endometriosis. This trial was done by radiology technicians in the gynecology department completing continued hands-on advanced skills training. This trial was evaluated biannually over a five year period. The second diagnostic method was used to test the efficacy of structured MRI reports compared to unstructured reports. This trial was reviewed biannually by physicians in the department over a five year period. It was predicted that this method would be most beneficial due to being of non-invasive nature and the most available option for diagnosis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    METHODOLOGY<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
      \n
    1. TREATMENT<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

      The methods used to treat Endometriosis in this study utilized GnRH agonists with add-back therapy and consisted of two separate clinical trials as well. The first treatment method used was to test the efficacy of 400 mg Elagolix daily over a six month period. The second treatment used was to test the efficacy of 200 mg Elagolix daily over a twelve month period. The research methods for treatment were used over different time periods in order to avoid severe adverse effects such as Bone Mass Density Loss. It was predicted this hormonal therapy would have the least negative effect on Endometriosis related symptoms due to the fact that Elagolix consists of no estrogen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        \n
      1. RESULTS & FINDINGS<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

        The results of the experiment I conducted will have 4 different results, as there were 4 separate trials. First, the results found for the ultrasonography diagnosis trial showed that continuous training in ultrasonography observation skills and technique will improve technician\u2019s ability to detect or deep-endometrial lesions (4). Secondly, the results found for the MRI diagnosis trial showed that physicians will be more satisfied with structured MRI reporting rather than unstructured MRI reports (5). As for the treatment results, the clinical trial using GnRH agonists with add-back therapy for six months showed very promising results, as it was the most beneficial in avoiding adverse side effects with Bone Mass Density Loss (3). Lastly, the results of the clinical trial using GnRH agonists with add-back therapy for twelve months showed to be the most beneficial to women with severe stages of Endometriosis, and showed positive results in treating chronic pain in women with severe Endometriosis (3).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

          \n
        1. DISCUSSION<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

          The impact of the results\/findings of this research on women with Endometriosis are astonishingly remarkable, as they have all made positive outcomes in clinical trials. I believe that the use of non-invasive techniques will lead to more positive results in patients\u2019 quality of life. In comparison to other studies, the method used for treatment in this study appears to be the most effective in reducing chronic pain and other Endometriosis-related symptoms in comparison to the use of progestins. Upon beginning the research process, I was not expecting the use of progestins to be the less effective hormonal therapy for non-invasive treatment since they are the most used currently and in the past to treat Endometriosis (6) <\/p>\n\n\n\n

          The most advantageous part of the methodology for this research is that it is both the most affordable option for diagnosis and treatment of Endometriosis, and it is also the least risk to the patient in comparison to Laparoscopic surgery to diagnose and ablate Endometriosis in patients. The most prominent limitation of the methodology for this research is that there is still a need for a better understanding of both the pathophysiology and etiology of Endometriosis (7). The lack of knowledge about Endometriosis is the biggest roadblock in the path to finding the best treatment for Endometriosis because it is difficult to treat something you do not understand. This issue has already influence on some research, such as the difficulty finding deep-endometriotic lesions through ultrasonography (4). Another major limitation that has yet to receive a resolution is the immense delay in diagnosis, which is still on average 7-9 years (3)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

          The implications of this research is that non-invasive techniques should prevail over other methods used in order to diagnose and treat Endometriosis. I believe that sing non-invasive techniques for diagnosis makes it easier for patient\u2019s to be diagnosed because not everyone can always afford the laparoscopic surgical option, or some may have to wait a long time until they can afford surgery. This then becomes a negative ripple effect due to patients not being able to be diagnosed so that they may receive treatment because the time spent trying to save money is also lengthened, due to the fact that women living with endometriosis experience economic burdens because of Endometriosis-related pain. This economic burden is also a major factor in why effective treatment is so important, because without effective treatment it not only creates a burden on the patient but society itself from all the women that could under different circumstances be more productive. In all scenarios, it appears that the non-invasive methods will have the greatest positive effect on patient\u2019s quality of life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

          Lastly, there are still a few current research questions that remain in the subject of diagnosing and treating Endometriosis. One of these questions is the etiology and pathophysiology of Endometriosis, or rather in simple terms where does it come from and how does it spread? It is still unknown how endometriosis develops, other than it usually starts at the point of menstruation and that it may be genetic. Endometriosis also has the ability to metastasize like cancer, reaching other areas than just the female reproductive organs, such as around the bowels and even around the lungs in rare cases. Furthermore, the other question at large is if whether or not Endometriosis is related to infertility and how to treat cases of infertility with Endometriosis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

          References<\/p>\n\n\n\n

            \n
          1. Anastasiu CV, Moga MA, Elena Neculau A, B\u0103lan A, Sc\u00e2rneciu I, Dragomir RM, Dull A-M, Chicea L-M. Biomarkers for the Noninvasive Diagnosis of Endometriosis: State of the Art and Future Perspectives. International journal of molecular sciences. 2020 Mar 4 [accessed 2021 Mar 7]. https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pmc\/articles\/PMC7084761\/<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
          2. Filip L, Duic\u0103 F, Pr\u0103datu A, Cre\u021boiu D, Suciu N, Cre\u021boiu SM, Predescu D-V, Varlas VN, Voinea S-C. Endometriosis Associated Infertility: A Critical Review and Analysis on Etiopathogenesis and Therapeutic Approaches. Medicina (Kaunas, Lithuania). 2020 Sep 9 [accessed 2021 Mar 7]. https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pmc\/articles\/PMC7559069\/ <\/li>\n\n\n\n
          3. Ball E, Khan KS. Recent advances in understanding and managing chronic pelvic pain in women with special consideration to endometriosis. F1000Research. 2020 Feb 4 [accessed 2021 Mar 7]. https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pmc\/articles\/PMC7001750\/ <\/li>\n\n\n\n
          4. Scioscia M, Virgilio BA, Lagan\u00e0 AS, Bernardini T, Fattizzi N, Neri M, Guerriero S. Differential Diagnosis of Endometriosis by Ultrasound: A Rising Challenge. Diagnostics (Basel, Switzerland). 2020 Oct 20 [accessed 2021 Mar 7]. https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pmc\/articles\/PMC7589178\/ <\/li>\n\n\n\n
          5. Barbisan CC, Andres MP, Torres LR, Lib\u00e2nio BB, Torres US, D\u2019Ippolito G, Racy DJ, Abrao MS. Structured MRI reporting increases completeness of radiological reports and requesting physicians’ satisfaction in the diagnostic workup for pelvic endometriosis. Abdominal Radiology. 2021 Feb 24 [accessed 2021 Mar 7]. https:\/\/link.springer.com\/article\/10.1007\/s00261-021-02966-4 <\/li>\n\n\n\n
          6. Reis FM, Coutinho LM, Vannuccini S, Batteux F, Chapron C, Petraglia F. Progesterone receptor ligands for the treatment of endometriosis: the mechanisms behind therapeutic success and failure. Human reproduction update. 2020 Jun 18 [accessed 2021 Mar 7]. https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pmc\/articles\/PMC7317284\/ <\/li>\n\n\n\n
          7. Malvezzi H, Marengo EB, Podgaec S, Azevedo Piccinato C. Endometriosis: current challenges in modeling a multifactorial disease of unknown etiology. Journal of Translational Medicine. 2020 Aug 12 [accessed 2021 Mar 7]. https:\/\/translational-medicine.biomedcentral.com\/articles\/10.1186\/s12967-020-02471-0<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

            Scientific Literary Essay – Cell Biology <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

            What are marine yeasts? Marine yeasts are defined as a type of yeast that who\u2019s habitat exists in an aquatic or marine environment. Many people commonly compare yeasts to being a fungus, which can reproduce rapidly through mitotic cell division with fission, or through meiosis with budding and (Zaky, A., et. Al, 2014). Saccharomyces cerevisiae <\/em>is a type of single celled marine yeast that reproduces by budding. The process of budding is a type of asexual reproduction when an outgrowth or haploid cell of a fungus \u201cbuds\u201d or pinches off two new diploid cells that share the parent cells\u2019 DNA (Zorgo, E. et al., 2013). Saccharomyces cerevisiae <\/em>ends up possessing 16 chromosomes as a result of the budding process (Douzery, E., Snell, E., Bapteste, E., Delsuc, F., Philippe, H., et al., 2004). This result of process is very similar or can be compared to how when starfish lose a leg, they can grow it back, or how humans can have a piece of their liver taken and it will regenerate. In contrast, Schizosaccharomyces pombe <\/em>is a type of unicellular  marine yeast that reproduces by fission. The process of fission is also type of asexual reproduction, but rather than cellular division occurring by diploid cells pinching off a parent cell, fission occurs through mitotic cell division where the parent cell completely divides into two daughter cells that are haploid. The result of the fission process compared to the result of the budding process is significant, as fission results in only three chromosomes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

            There are four broad genus types of marine yeasts that reproduce through either budding or fission, which are Candida, Cryptococcus, Debaryomyces, <\/em>and Rhodotorula. <\/em>The first marine yeast genus type, C. albicans,<\/em> reproduces through asexual reproduction by budding. <\/em>This type of marine yeast is small and unicellular and can be found in places like the digestive tracts of birds (Aryal, S., et al., 2018). In addition, C. albicans <\/em>is also believed to possibly have adapted from Saccharomyces cerevisiae <\/em>which also reproduce by budding (Hernday, A., et al., 2010). The second marine yeast genus type, Cryptococcus, <\/em>is also classified as Saccharomyces cerevisiae <\/em>and reproduces either sexually or asexually by budding (Ogaki, LH., et al., 2016). Cryptococcus<\/em> can also be referred to as the \u201csugar yeast\u201d due to its\u2019 abundance of polysaccharides that are thickly coated around it (McDonald, T., et al., 2012). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

            The next marine yeast genus type, Debaryomyces,<\/em> <\/strong>is the most common of the yeasts previously listed and is present in most fermented foods (Al-Qaysi, S. et al., 2017). Debaryomyces <\/em>reproduces asexually through budding also, but the only difference of this genus type from others is that this process occurs multilaterally and are spherical in shape rather than ovoidal like C. albicans <\/em>and Cryptococcus <\/em>(Wrent, P. et al., 2014). Last but not least, the marine yeast genus type, Rhodotorula,<\/em> is another unicellular type of yeast with a distinct orange-red pigment that is commonly found in soil (Wirth, F., et al., 2012). Rhodotorula <\/em>is the only yeast out of the four genus types listed that can reproduce asexually through either budding or fission and are also known for their affinity to produce glycolipids (Lyman, M., et al., 2019). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

            The next four genus types that will be discussed are H. wernickii, K. petricola, A. Pullulans, <\/em>and P. salicorniae <\/em>which are classified as black marine yeasts. <\/em>Listed below is my data table of the findings from the study, \u201cUnconventional cell division cycle from marine-derived yeasts\u201d (Mitchison-Field, L.M.Y., et al., 2019) that compares and contrasts these four genus types. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

            Yeast Type:<\/strong><\/td>Average Cell Cycle Length (min)<\/strong><\/strong><\/td>Average Time Till 1st<\/sup> Bud Appears (min)<\/strong><\/strong><\/td>Buds Produced by Single Mother Cell<\/strong><\/strong><\/td>Replication Pattern<\/strong><\/strong><\/td><\/tr>
            H. werneckii<\/strong><\/td>730 min<\/strong><\/strong>For cells undergoing septation<\/td>253 min<\/strong><\/strong><\/td>28<\/strong><\/strong><\/td>Budding & Fission<\/strong><\/strong>Alternates between both & septation occurs<\/td><\/tr>
            K. petricola<\/strong><\/strong><\/td>499 min<\/strong><\/strong>Highly variable<\/td>110 min<\/strong><\/strong>Can take between 10 to 320 min<\/td>2<\/strong><\/strong><\/td>Budding<\/strong><\/strong>Branch by budding opposite the previous bud<\/td><\/tr>
            A. Pullulans<\/strong><\/strong><\/td>159.5 min<\/strong><\/strong>Highly variable<\/td>159.5 min<\/strong><\/strong>Highly variable<\/td>6<\/strong><\/strong>Did not observe direct correlation with # of buds<\/td>Budding & Nuclear Division<\/strong><\/strong><\/td><\/tr>
            P. salicorniae<\/strong><\/strong><\/td>Continuous cell division<\/strong><\/strong><\/td>N\/A <\/strong><\/strong>Forms 2 hyphae & septa<\/td>2<\/strong><\/strong>Form as hyphae that widen & elongate as they grow<\/td>Spherical Non-Random Budding<\/strong><\/strong> <\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

            It was observed that all four genus types are either uninucleate or only contain one nucleus. In contrast, A. Pullulans <\/em>was the one type that stood out due to the fact that some of its cells may either have no nucleus or are multinucleate, however no multinucleate cells were observed during this study (Mitchison-Field, L.M.Y., et al., 2019). Furthermore, I believe from observing the microscopic images of cells from each genus type provided in the study, that DNA enters the cell prior to pinching off only in the genus type A. pullulans, <\/em>due to the fact that this type of yeast undergoes nuclear division in addition to budding. In regard to the other genus types, there may be evidence that DNA enters the cell after budding is initiated, as another study has observed that budding yeast cells may temporarily overlap their DNA synthesis processes and the separation of chromosomes in order to increase their growth rate (Ivanova, T., et al., 2020).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

            In regard to cell shape, all genus types were moderately variable, two of the genus types, K. petricola <\/em>and P. salicorniae, <\/em>formed distinctive patterns the most among the 4 different marine yeasts. The genus K. petricola <\/em>is spherical in shape and look like marbles, with a pattern that appears geometric from its branches of buds. In addition, the genus P. salicorniae, <\/em>also had a very interesting shape that looks almost like potato wedges due to their septa and have a spider leg pattern from its hyphae that elongate and widen during the budding process. As for the other two marine yeasts, their shapes appeared to be more simplistic and had similar shapes. The genus H. wernickii <\/em>has an oval and somewhat cylindrical shape that looks like a pill or a tic-tac. This marine yeast has somewhat of a pattern in how they form their buds, they protrude at a diagonal and form almost a straight line. In comparison, the genus A. pullulans <\/em>is also somewhat oval like H. wernickii <\/em>but is wider like the shape of a lemon. Furthermore, the pattern of this marine yeast also reminded me of the way a strawberry looks with the tiny green leaves on top from how the buds form from the mother cell.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

            Lastly, it was determined by the findings that most of these black yeasts are highly variable in their size and are difficult to compare due to this reason (Mitchison-Field, L.M.Y., et al., 2019). This appears to be dependent mostly on the varying cell cycle durations and their different replication patterns, although they all generally replicate through mitosis. However, it was noted that the genus type H. wernickii <\/em>had the longest cell cycle duration in the study, which had a mean cell cycle length of 730 minutes for cell the undergo septation. The first thing I noticed when comparing the different yeast types on the data table was that H. wernickii <\/em>was the only one out of the four black marine yeasts that replicated by fission in addition to budding. Furthermore, H. wernickii<\/em> also had the greatest number of buds produced by a single mother cell. In contrast, the genus types that produced the least number of buds by a single mother cell were K. petricola <\/em>and A. pullulans. <\/em>Another major comparison that can be observed is that the marine yeast P. salicorniae <\/em>is the only genus type of the four black marine yeasts that continuously undergoes cell division, so it could not be determined what the average cell cycle length is nor what the average time till the first bud appears was. Overall, P. salicorniae <\/em>appeared to be the most complex genus type observed, as part of its replication involves non-random budding. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

            In conclusion, the four black marine yeasts, H. wernickii, K. petricola, A. Pullulans, <\/em>and P. salicorniae <\/em>and their cell cycles compared to Candida, Cryptococcus, Debaryomyces, <\/em>and Rhodotorula <\/em>are fairly similar in their replication forms. In contrast, one thing that was new in the study, \u201cUnconventional cell division cycle from marine-derived yeasts\u201d (Mitchison-Field, L.M.Y., et al., 2019) was that one of the yeast types, P. salicorniae, <\/em>undergoes continuous cell division due to its replication process involving meristematic conversion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

            Works Cited<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

            Al-Qaysi, S.A., 2017. Production, characterization, and antimicrobial activity of Mycocin produced bydebaryomyces HANSENIIDSMZ70238. International Journal of Microbiology<\/em>, 2017, pp.1\u20139. Available at: https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pmc\/articles\/PMC5512030\/ [Accessed December 12, 2021]. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

            Allard, C.A.H., 2019. Cell biology: Marine yeasts deepen the sea of diversity. Current Biology<\/em>. Available at: https:\/\/www.sciencedirect.com\/science\/article\/pii\/S0960982219311844 [Accessed December 12, 2021]. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

            Aryal, S., 2018. Candida albicans- an overview. Microbe Notes<\/em>. Available at: https:\/\/microbenotes.com\/candida-albicans\/ [Accessed December 12, 2021]. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

            Douzery, E.J., 2004. The timing of eukaryotic evolution: Does a relaxed molecular clock reconcile proteins and fossils? Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences<\/em>, 101(43), pp.15386\u201315391. Available at: https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pmc\/articles\/PMC524432\/ [Accessed December 12, 2021]. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

            Hernday, A.D., 2010. Candida albicans. Candida Albicans – an overview | ScienceDirect Topics<\/em>. Available at: https:\/\/www.sciencedirect.com\/topics\/neuroscience\/candida-albicans [Accessed December 12, 2021]. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

            Ivanova, T., 2020. Budding yeast complete DNA synthesis after chromosome segregation begins. Nature Communications<\/em>, 11(1). Available at: https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pmc\/articles\/PMC7210879\/ [Accessed December 12, 2021]. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

            Lyman, M., 2019. The oleaginous red yeast <em>rhodotorula\/rhodosporidium<\/em>: A factory for industrial bioproducts. IntechOpen<\/em>. Available at: https:\/\/www.intechopen.com\/chapters\/65478 [Accessed December 12, 2021]. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

            McDonald, T., 2012. Cryptococcus. Current Biology<\/em>, 22(14). Available at: https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pmc\/articles\/PMC3662492\/ [Accessed December 12, 2021]. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

            Mitchison-Field, L.M.Y., 2019. Unconventional cell division cycles from marine-derived yeasts. Current Biology<\/em>, 29(20), pp.3439\u20133456. Available at: https:\/\/www.sciencedirect.com\/science\/article\/pii\/S0960982219311005 [Accessed December 12, 2021]. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

            Okagaki, L.H., 2016. Cryptococcus neoformans. microbewiki<\/em>. Available at: https:\/\/microbewiki.kenyon.edu\/index.php\/Cryptococcus_neoformans#Epidemiology [Accessed December 12, 2021]. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

            Wirth, F., 2012. Epidemiology Ofrhodotorula: An emerging pathogen. Interdisciplinary Perspectives on Infectious Diseases<\/em>, 2012, pp.1\u20137. Available at: https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pmc\/articles\/PMC3469092\/ [Accessed December 12, 2021].<\/p>\n\n\n\n

            Wrent, P., 2011. Debaryomyces. Debaryomyces – an overview | ScienceDirect Topics<\/em>. Available at: https:\/\/www.sciencedirect.com\/topics\/biochemistry-genetics-and-molecular-biology\/debaryomyces [Accessed December 12, 2021]. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

            Zaky, A.S., 2014. Marine yeast isolation and industrial application. FEMS Yeast Research<\/em>, 14(6), pp.813\u2013825. Available at: https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pmc\/articles\/PMC4262001\/ [Accessed December 12, 2021]. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

            Research Review Article – Neurotechnology<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

            This summary will be based on the article, \u201cUse of Cannabidiol for the Treatment of Anxiety: A Short Synthesis of Pre-Clinical and Clinical Evidence\u201d. Cannabidiol, or in shorter terms, CBD, is a subcomponent of the Cannabis plant that has recently gotten a lot of attention for its\u2019 major health benefits it has to the future of medicine, as it has been recently legalized in the United States. It has become in many clinical studies what some may call, \u201ca miracle drug\u201d, as it could be a potential treatment for many disorders, such as anxiety, which is what will be focused on in this paper. This article consists of the data suggested by pre-clinical and clinical studies, and evidence of how gender differentiates in anxiety with the use of Cannabidiol as a possible treatment for Anxiety Disorder. Currently in the pharmaceutical world, pharmacotherapies have shown to be associated with adverse effects, thus making it not the best long-term solution for treatment to Anxiety disorders. Studies have shown that CBD may have anxiolytic effects, while also being safe, tolerable, and shows very few adverse effects. Pre-clinical research was conducted on animals of innate fear that were used as models to conduct studies on the effects of CBD in relation to anxiety-like fears. These studies showed that CDB displayed, \u201canxiolytic, antistress, anti-compulsive, and panicolytic-like effects\u201d (Abstract). Research is still ongoing and future research will still be necessary to further prove the validity of the findings and unknown long-term effects. In addition to this, further research will also be needed in relation to the difference in sex and how it is affected by the use of Cannabidiol, as pre-clinical and clinical studies have only conducted research on the effects in males. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

                        Anxiety disorder is defined as persistent excessive feelings of apprehension, fear or worry. This can very much affect the every-day lives of people with this disorder, causing issues with social interactions, financial obligations, and mental stability. Triggers to stimuli can often result in panic attacks and can become debilitating or disruptive as stated in the article, \u201cAnxiety disorders are associated with panic attacks, avoidance behavior, and diminished sense of well-being, leading to troubled relationships, increased rates of unemployment, and elevated risk of suicide\u201d (Introduction, 3). Anxiety disorder can be divided into two subcategories, generalized anxiety disorder or GAD, and social anxiety disorder or phobias. Current treatments for anxiety disorder include mainly selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs), sedatives, nonbenzodiazepines. Research has shown that \u201cpharmacotherapies tend to have adverse effects and low efficacy in only about 40-60% of patients\u201d (Introduction, 4). However, with treatment using Cannabidiol, \u201cCBD demonstrates no potential for abuse or dependence in humans\u201d (Introduction, 38). It is said that \u201canother potential mechanism through which CBD produces anxiolytic effects is due to the action of the endogenous cannabinoid anandamide in the brain\u201d (Introduction, 28). How this occurs is by using CBD, it increases the receptor activity of the CB1 receptor in which anandamide binds to and increases the metabolism of the endocannabinoid, resulting in elevated levels of endocannabinoid signaling. In relation to the effects of anxiety, this allows for the mediation of regulated long-term fear processing (introduction, 25). This may prove to be effective because, \u201cendocannabinoid signaling is part of an endogenous anxiolytic neuromodulatory system, thus inhibition of FAAH activity is a potentially promising therapeutic approach for reducing anxiety-related symptoms\u201d (Introduction, 30). The only demonstrated area of concern in research with CBD was that \u201ca high dose of vaporized CBD produced some intoxicating properties compared with placebo, therefore, CBD may have psychotropic properties in some preparations\u201d (Introduction, 43).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                        In pre-clinical studies, animal models and behavioral test were simulated to examine the anxiolytic effects of CBD in rats. The series of tests conducted were the animal models such as elevated plus-maze (EPM), open field, light-dark test, predator exposure, and behavioral tests such as the Vogal test, classical conditioning, marble burying test, chronic unpredictable stress test, fear and predator exposure tests, and the social interaction test. The EPM findings resulted in indications of, \u201cCBD is an anxiolytic at low and intermediate doses and produces anxiogenic-like effects at higher doses\u201d (Pre-Clinical Studies, 25). These findings were also confirmed in the other animal models. In addition to this finding, \u201cusing the EPM, CBD displays anxiolytic effects similar to diazepam in both mice and rats\u201d (Pre-Clinical Studies, 44). The behavioral test findings included \u201canxiolytic, antistress, anti-compulsive, and panicolytic-like effects in rodents\u201d (Pre-Clinical Studies, 45). Overall it was concluded from the pre-clinical studies that \u201cevidence strongly supports the anxiolytic role of CBD; however, the majority of pre-clinical research has only been conducted using male animals, therefore, these findings need to be replicated using females\u201d (Pre-Clinical Studies, 3,8). In the initial clinical studies conducted in the 1980s for social anxiety disorder (SAD), \u201ca 400 or 600 mg single dose of CBD significantly reduced subjective symptoms of anxiety and decreased cognitive impairment and speech performance discomfort\u201d (Clinical Studies, 15,28). As a result, neuroimaging studies showed that CBD was \u201ceffective in reducing anxiety symptoms in patients with anxiety disorders as PTSD\u201d (Clinical Studies, 54-56). These previous studies however \u201cwith SAD used small sample sizes, did not include placebo controls and did not establish a dose-response relationship between CBD plasma levels and anxiety symptom measurements\u201d (Clinical Studies, 60) in comparison to the ongoing clinical trials being conducted examining the effects of orally administered CBD in controlled doses for the treatment of GAD, SAD, panic disorder, and agoraphobia. In relevance to this conclusion, studies were also done to research the sex differences in anxiety, such as the fact in findings that \u201cthe prevalence rates of anxiety disorders are approximately doubled in females compared with males\u201d. This can make a major difference in outcomes for anxiolytic effects brought on by CBD, due to the involvement of many hormone relating factors in females such as the menstrual cycle, pregnancy, and menopause. This research resulted in emphasizing the need for sex and gender differences to be more closely examined in future studies to decide if the use of CBD will be a sufficient treatment for anxiety disorders. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

                        In conclusion, the main area of focus intended for future research and clinical trials will be towards the inconclusiveness currently found in the sex and gender differences in males and females, due to the differences in effectiveness when CBD is administered for the purpose of anxiolytic effects. In addition to this, the findings of the effectiveness of CBD for anxiety disorders varied from pre-existing and current clinical trials in a number of factors. One of the other main factors that will contribute to future research to measure the validity of findings would be to determine the effectiveness of CBD as a treatment anxiety disorders other than SAD with placebo controlled clinical trials. Lastly would be to find the most appropriate route of administration of CBD for maximum effectiveness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

            Works Cited<\/h5>\n\n\n\n

            Wright, M., Di Ciano, P., & Brands, B. (2020, September). Use of Cannabidiol for the Treatment of Anxiety: A Short Synthesis of Pre-Clinical and Clinical Evidence. Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research<\/em>, 1.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

            Neurological Disorder Research Project – Neuroanatomy<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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