Childrens Hospital of Eastern Ontario Research Institute, Inc.

Award Will Support Two Fellowships Under Dr. Leanne Ward, Pediatric Endocrinologist-Osteologist and Professor of Pediatrics, University of Ottawa with Focus on Endocrine and Bone Complications of Duchenne WASHINGTON and OTTAWA, ON, Nov. 3, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Parent Project Muscular Dystrophy (PPMD), a US nonprofit organization leading the fight to end Duchenne muscular dystrophy (Duchenne), and Defeat Duchenne Canada, Canada's leading charity fighting to defeat Duchenne, today announced a collaborative research award of $300,000 (USD) in support of two Clinical Fellowships in Duchenne Endocrinology and Bone Fragility. The three-year award will sponsor the extended fellowship of Dr. Kim Phung, as well as new fellow Dr. Rana Halloun, under the guidance of Dr. Leanne Ward, Professor of Pediatrics and Research Chair in Pediatric Bone Disorders at the University of Ottawa. Duchenne is the most common muscular dystrophy in children, affecting approximately one in 5,000 live male births. Duchenne is caused by a change in the dystrophin gene that leads to progressive muscle weakness. A class of medications called corticosteroids ("steroids"), including prednisone, Emflaza (deflazacort), and the newly approved dissociative steroid, AGAMREE® (vamorolone), are used in Duchenne to slow down muscle damage and weakness. Endocrine issues can be common in Duchenne, especially if a person is on steroids. When steroids are taken for an extended period, they change how the body's natural hormones are made and work, leading to issues such as adrenal suppression, delayed puberty, and impaired growth. In addition, people with Duchenne, especially those taking steroids, have weak bones (osteoporosis), putting them at risk for fractures. Under the guidance of Dr. Ward, the award will support the continuation of Dr. Phung's work in clinical research, while also supporting a second fellow, Dr. Rana Halloun from The Ruth Rappaport Children's Hospital in Israel. In 2021, Dr. Phung was awarded a two-year fellowship in pediatric endocrine and bone diseases at the University of Ottawa, with specific focus on endocrine and bone complications of Duchenne. Both Dr. Phung and Dr. Halloun will have specific focus on five areas, including growth and puberty, weight management, adrenal insufficiency, osteoporosis, and sexuality and fertility, among a number of other critically important initiatives pertaining to endocrinology and skeletal health care in Duchenne. Rachel Schrader, MS, APRN, CPNP-PC, PPMD's Vice President of Clinical Care and Education and Lisa McCoy, Defeat Duchenne Canada CEO, explained in a joint statement: "The impact of steroids on Duchenne remains a significant area of focus for the community and our organizations, and we are pleased to partner in the awarding of these fellowships in support of Dr. Ward, Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario (CHEO), and the broader Duchenne community. We are eager to see the progress made under Dr. Ward's leadership in training the next generation of Duchenne endocrinology expert clinician scientists as they tackle issues around growth, puberty, weight management, adrenal insufficiency, bone health, and sexuality and fertility." Dr. Leanne Ward, Research Chair in Pediatric Bone Disorders, University of Ottawa, commented, "This generous fellowship award from PPMD and Defeat Duchenne Canada represents a significant step towards advancing our understanding and management of the multifaceted challenges posed by Duchenne, particularly in the realm of endocrinology and bone health. It's a testament to the collaborative spirit of the Duchenne community and the unwavering commitment of our organizations to improve the lives of those affected by this devastating condition." Dr. Ward recently co-chaired a workshop sponsored by PPMD titled the "Duchenne Endocrine & Osteoporosis Care in an Ever-Changing Landscape" in Ottawa, Canada, on October 26-27, 2023, a follow-up to a global workshop held in April 2023. This follow-up meeting engaged dedicated working groups as part of the Duchenne "OPTIMIZE DMD" Endocrine-Bone Consortium, ignited by the April 2023 meeting in Rome. These groups addressed various aspects of endocrine and bone health, including the impact of early steroid initiation, weight management, prevention of first fractures, growth, testosterone therapy, and addressing issues related to sexuality, fertility, and gender identity. Additionally, Drs. Ward and Phung will co-present at Defeat Duchenne Canada's upcoming 2023 Family Forum hosted in partnership with Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario (CHEO) on November 4th in a presentation titled "All Things Bone & Endo." During this session, Drs. Ward and Phung will delve into the latest developments and crucial topics related to bone health, growth, puberty, and adrenal insufficiency for Duchenne muscular dystrophy. ABOUT DEFEAT DUCHENNE CANADA One in every 5,000 boys is born with Duchenne muscular dystrophy, the most common fatal form of muscular dystrophy. The disease is relentless. It slowly weakens the body's muscles, deteriorating function of vital organs and ultimately - shortens their life. Although there are medical treatments that may help slow its progression, there is currently no cure. Defeat Duchenne Canada is the country's only national charity dedicated to ending Duchenne muscular dystrophy. We have provided leadership in research, advocacy, and support since 1995. We'll continue until a cure is found to ensure our boys can live long and active lives. Join our fight to defeat Duchenne at defeatduchenne.ca. Follow Defeat Duchenne Canada Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn and YouTube. ABOUT PARENT PROJECT MUSCULAR DYSTROPHY Duchenne is a fatal genetic disorder that slowly robs people of their muscle strength. Parent Project Muscular Dystrophy (PPMD) fights every single battle necessary to end Duchenne. We demand optimal care standards and ensure every family has access to expert healthcare providers, cutting edge treatments, and a community of support. We invest deeply in treatments for this generation of Duchenne patients and in research that will benefit future generations. Our advocacy efforts have secured hundreds of millions of dollars in funding and won seven FDA approvals. Everything we do—and everything we have done since our founding in 1994—helps those with Duchenne live longer, stronger lives. We will not rest until we end Duchenne for every single person affected by the disease. Join our fight against Duchenne at EndDuchenne.org. Follow PPMD on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube. SOURCE Parent Project Muscular Dystrophy (PPMD)

Teens and young adults who reduced their social media use by 50% for just a few weeks saw significant improvement in how they felt about both their weight and their overall appearance compared with peers who maintained consistent levels of social media use, according to new research. Teens and young adults who reduced their social media use by 50% for just a few weeks saw significant improvement in how they felt about both their weight and their overall appearance compared with peers who maintained consistent levels of social media use, according to research published by the American Psychological Association. "Adolescence is a vulnerable period for the development of body image issues, eating disorders and mental illness," said lead author Gary Goldfield, PhD, of Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario Research Institute. "Youth are spending, on average, between six to eight hours per day on screens, much of it on social media. Social media can expose users to hundreds or even thousands of images and photos every day, including those of celebrities and fashion or fitness models, which we know leads to an internalization of beauty ideals that are unattainable for almost everyone, resulting in greater dissatisfaction with body weight and shape." However, much of the psychological research on social media, body image and mental health is correlational, according to Goldfield, so it is uncertain whether people with body image and mental health issues spend more time on social media or if social media use leads to greater body image and mental health issues. To better understand the causal effects of reducing social media use on body image, Goldfield and his colleagues previously conducted a pilot study with 38 undergraduate students with elevated levels of anxiety and/or depression. Some of the participants were asked to limit their social media use to no more than 60 minutes per day, while others were allowed unrestricted access. Compared with participants who had unlimited access, participants who restricted their use showed improvements in how they regarded their overall appearance (but not their weight) after three weeks. Due to the small sample size, though, the researchers were unable to conduct a meaningful analysis of the effect of gender. The current experiment, involving 220 undergraduate students aged 17-25 (76% female, 23% male, 1% other) and published in the journal Psychology of Popular Media, sought to expand the pilot study and address the gender limitation. In order to qualify, participants had to be regular social media users (at least two hours per day on their smartphones) and exhibit symptoms of depression or anxiety. For the first week of the experiment, all participants were instructed to use their social media as they normally would. Social media use was measured using a screen-time tracking program to which participants provided a daily screenshot. After the first week, half the participants were instructed to reduce their social media use to no more than 60 minutes per day. At the start of the experiment, participants also responded to a series of statements about their overall appearance (e.g., "I'm pretty happy about the way I look,") and weight (e.g., "I am satisfied with my weight,") on a 5-point scale, with 1 indicating "never" and 5 "always." Participants completed a similar questionnaire at the end of the experiment. For the next three weeks, participants who were instructed to restrict their social media use reduced it by approximately 50% to an average of 78 minutes per day versus the control group, which averaged 188 minutes of social media use per day. Participants who reduced their social media use had a significant improvement in how they regarded both their overall appearance and body weight after the three-week intervention, compared with the control group, who saw no significant change. Gender did not appear to make any difference in the effects. "Our brief, four-week intervention using screen-time trackers showed that reducing social media use yielded significant improvements in appearance and weight esteem in distressed youth with heavy social media use," said Goldfield. "Reducing social media use is a feasible method of producing a short-term positive effect on body image among a vulnerable population of users and should be evaluated as a potential component in the treatment of body-image-related disturbances." While the current study was conducted as a proof of concept, Goldfield and his colleagues are in the process of conducting a larger study to see if reduction in social media use can be maintained for longer periods and whether that reduction can lead to even greater psychological benefits.