Behavioral Medicine



The Department of Behavioral Medicine strives to improve survival and quality of life of children with chronic/life-threatening illnesses through clinical service, training, and behavioral research.

Clinical Investigation within the Department of Behavioral Medicine focuses on two interrelated areas of clinical investigation: cognitive neuroscience and health promotion in children with cancer, HIV/AIDS, and sickle cell disease.

Cognitive Neuroscience
The goals of our cognitive neuroscience investigations are:

  • to develop more sensitive methods of detecting central nervous system (CNS) damage
  • to minimize treatment-related CNS damage by modifying treatment or protecting the normal CNS
  • to rehabilitate patients who have treatment-related cognitive deficits.

 

Health Promotion
The effectiveness of traditional therapies for cancer, HIV/AIDS, and sickle cell disease and the treatment of the physical and psychological side effects of therapy can be enhanced by the adaptive participation of the patient.

The goals of our health promotion investigations are:

  • to modify patients' behavior so as to facilitate the effectiveness of medical treatment, 
  • to decrease the severity of disease-related and treatment-related side effects, 
  • and to promote healthy lifestyles among patients at all stages of treatment.

 

 

 


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