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Articles 1 - 22 of 22
Full-Text Articles in Medicine and Health Sciences
Exploring The Effects Of Christian Worldviews On Heart Rate, Stress, And Adjustment After Loss In Bereaved Individuals, Emma Radini Ratnavel
Exploring The Effects Of Christian Worldviews On Heart Rate, Stress, And Adjustment After Loss In Bereaved Individuals, Emma Radini Ratnavel
Honors Scholar Theses
The objective of this study is to investigate the correlation between Christian values, perceptions of God, and physiological stress, assessed through heart rate, among individuals who are experiencing grief due to the loss of a loved one. Previous studies have analyzed various physiological effects on the body. There are very few studies that examine the correlation between Christian values and heart rate in bereaved participants. To explore these topics further, this study analyzes 59 undergraduate students who have recently lost a loved one, identify as a Christian, and are at least 18 years old. The participants' perceptions of God and …
Regaining Effort-Based Food Motivation: The Drug Methylphenidate Reverses The Depressive Effects Of Tetrabenazine In Female Rats, Deanna Pietrorazio
Regaining Effort-Based Food Motivation: The Drug Methylphenidate Reverses The Depressive Effects Of Tetrabenazine In Female Rats, Deanna Pietrorazio
Honors Scholar Theses
Tetrabenazine (TBZ), a vesicular monoamine transporter type 2 (VMAT-2) inhibitor, depletes dopamine and induces motivational deficits and other depressive symptoms in humans. Methylphenidate (MPH) is a dopamine transport blocker that is used to enhance motivational function. Previous studies have shown that in male rats, TBZ induces a shift in effort-related choice such that a low-effort bias is induced. In male rats this occurs at a dose range of 0.75-1.0 mg/kg TBZ, and this effect is reversible with co-administration of MPH. Recent studies have shown that females need a higher dose of TBZ (2.0 mg/kg) to show the low-effort bias. The …
The Disproportionate Impact Of Covid-19 On Women, Ava Stallone
The Disproportionate Impact Of Covid-19 On Women, Ava Stallone
Honors Scholar Theses
The impact of COVID-19 is placing a large strain on women. This can be seen through reports of mental health and financial concerns. Women are more vulnerable to COVID-19 related economic effects due to existing gender inequalities, which in turn may also have a negative effect on mental health. Through this study gender disproportion is looked at between mental health and COVID-19 financial concerns among women and men. The aim is to asses how COVID-19 financial concerns may be contributing to stress, anxiety, and depression. It is hypothesized that; women will report worse mental health and greater economic concerns than …
Development Of A Binge-Like Eating Animal Model Using Foods Of Varying Palatability: Effects Of The Catecholamine Uptake Blocker Lisdexamfetamine, Ariba Memon
Honors Scholar Theses
Binge Eating Disorder (BED) is a psychiatric disorder that is characterized by the consumption of an excessive amount of food in a short period of time despite not being hungry. Numerous animal models have been developed that can induce binge-like eating behavior through limited access to a highly palatable food. One such model utilizes Cadbury’s milk chocolate that is very successful in inducing binge-like eating behavior in both male and female rats. Lisdexamfetamine (LDX), a d-amphetamine prodrug and the only FDA approved pharmaceutical treatment for BED, has been shown to significantly reduce chocolate consumption in the chocolate binge-like animal model. …
Assessing Rat Behavioral Response To Novelty, Neha Mathew
Assessing Rat Behavioral Response To Novelty, Neha Mathew
Honors Scholar Theses
The hippocampus is the part of the brain that is involved in memory and navigation. Neurons in the hippocampus, known as place cells, fire in specific locations within this region of the brain as the subject navigates through their environment. As these cells fire, they create a map-like representation of this environment. However if the environment is altered in any way, the place cell firing pattern is adjusted to incorporate this new information. This adjustment will inevitably cause subjects to take more time to complete their task. The goal of our testing was to assess how various manipulations, both spatial …
Spirituality As A Moderator Between Ptss And Cardiovascular Reactivity, Kriti Sharda
Spirituality As A Moderator Between Ptss And Cardiovascular Reactivity, Kriti Sharda
Honors Scholar Theses
Posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) can be distressing and produce robust cardiovascular symptoms, such as increased heart rate and blood pressure, which have been implicated in higher risk of developing cardiovascular disease (CVD). Identifying factors that may reduce symptoms may suggest therapeutic strategies. One such potential factor is spirituality, given that spirituality is associated with both reducing PTSS and with preventing or improving CVD. We sampled 63 young college women who indicated being exposed to unwanted sexual contact. We asked them to write about their experience while we took heart rate (HR), systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) …
Applying Machine Learning To Neuroimaging Data To Identify Predictive Models Of Reading Disorder (Rd), Spencer Low
Applying Machine Learning To Neuroimaging Data To Identify Predictive Models Of Reading Disorder (Rd), Spencer Low
Honors Scholar Theses
Over the last 20 years, advances in computational neuroimaging and computational power have made it feasible to create predictive models (Woo et al. Nature Neuroscience 2017). Predictive modeling is an approach that uses pattern recognition techniques (machine learning) to develop models using brain data to predict clinical (or educational) outcomes, differential diagnosis and subtyping, and inform development of new treatments (Doyle et al Royal Society 2015, Haynes Neuron 2015, Orrù et al. NBR 2012; Woo et al. Nature Neuroscience 2017). In recent years, machine learning algorithms have been implemented to develop a model (pattern classifier) using neuroimaging data to predict …
Assessing The Effect Of Chronic Dopamine Receptor 2 Blockade As A Potential Model Of Secondary Negative Symptoms In Rats Using The Fr5/Chow Feeding Choice Task, Cyrene Nicholas
Honors Scholar Theses
Haloperidol, a dopamine (DA) D2 receptor antagonist, is an antipsychotic drug which is commonly used to treat schizophrenia and other psychiatric disorders. These disorders are often characterized by elevated striatal dopamine, which is speculated to have a role in producing positive symptoms such as hallucinations, delusions, and paranoia, as well as symptoms related to motivational salience and reward prediction. Individuals with schizophrenia also exhibit negative symptoms, such as amotivation, anergia, fatigue, and apathy among others. While some negative symptoms of schizophrenia are inherent to the pathophysiology, other negative symptoms are hypothesized to be partially induced by chronic exposure to antipsychotic …
Effects Of Lisdexamfetamine And Haloperidol On A Binge-Like Eating Model & Preliminary Investigations Of The Dopaminergic Mechanism Underlying Binge Eating Disorder (Bed), Maxime Braun
Honors Scholar Theses
Binge eating disorder (BED) is a psychophysiological disorder defined as the excessive intake of high-caloric, palatable foods within a short span of time, accompanied by feelings of distress. Animal models of binge-like eating behavior have been developed that give intermittent, limited access to a highly palatable food. Presby et al. (2020) used chocolate as the highly palatable food to induce binge-like eating behavior in rats. Lisdexamfetamine (LDX), a d-amphetamine prodrug and dopamine (DA) uptake inhibitor, is currently used to treat BED in humand. In rats, binge-like eating of chocolate was induced by exposure to unpredictable and limited chocolate access over …
Amygdala And Neocortical Structural Volume Analysis In The Shank3b Mutant Mouse Model Of Autism Spectrum Disorder, Preet Sawhney
Amygdala And Neocortical Structural Volume Analysis In The Shank3b Mutant Mouse Model Of Autism Spectrum Disorder, Preet Sawhney
Honors Scholar Theses
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder that is characterized by abnormal social behavior, deficits in communication, and motor stereotypy. The SHANK3 gene, responsible for the generation of a scaffolding protein that is integral for the development of synapses, has been identified as one of the primary candidate genes implicated in the disorder. Shank3B is the rodent homolog for this gene. Research has shown that when this gene is disrupted in rodent models (e.g., via knock-out (KO)), ASD-like behaviors result. These include deficits in social interaction, increased anxiety, and repetitive self-grooming. The current study aimed to identify a physiological …
Promoting Resilience In Self-Management (Prism): Adverse Childhood Experiences And Impacts On Emotion Regulation, Kasey Ann Macedo
Promoting Resilience In Self-Management (Prism): Adverse Childhood Experiences And Impacts On Emotion Regulation, Kasey Ann Macedo
Honors Scholar Theses
PRISM (Promoting Resilience in Self-Management) is a mindfulness-based intervention that aims to strengthen emotion regulation skills among individuals by employing cognitive behavioral therapy components. The purpose of the current study is to identify the relationship between adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and depression, as well as to examine the changes in emotion regulation strategies of participants by comparing pre and post test data. The participants were voluntarily recruited from the Cornerstone Foundation, a homeless shelter, food pantry, and community center in Vernon, CT. The 13 participants completed PRISM through four weeks of two-hour workshop sessions in a small-group format. Results indicate …
Variables Affecting Latency Of Rats Running On A Maze, Divya Subramanian
Variables Affecting Latency Of Rats Running On A Maze, Divya Subramanian
Honors Scholar Theses
When rats are running on a maze, what factors affect their latency? This project examines how time of day of training and hunger levels of the rats affect how long they take to complete the sessions of a behavioral task. A training day consists of three sessions, each with 20 runs. I hypothesize that the rats’ performance will improve if they are trained later in the day, if they are hungrier, and in successive sessions.
Effort-Related Decision Making In Comt Variant Mice: Pharmacological Studies And Genetic Susceptibility To Motivational Dysfunction, Suzanne Cayer
Effort-Related Decision Making In Comt Variant Mice: Pharmacological Studies And Genetic Susceptibility To Motivational Dysfunction, Suzanne Cayer
Honors Scholar Theses
Effort-related decision making tasks in animals can model motivational symptoms in humans, which are a set of symptoms spanning a multitude of neuropsychiatric disorders, such as major depressive disorder and the negative symptoms of schizophrenia. The present studies aimed to evaluate the effort-related effects of the Val158Met polymorphism of human catechol-methyltransferase (COMT), by testing mice carrying either the human COMT Val (n=8) or Met allele (n=8) with Wild-Type control mice (n=15) by using concurrent FR2 and FR4/pellet choice tasks in a touchscreen operant conditioning apparatus. The Val158Met polymorphism has been repeatedly associated with neuropsychiatric disorders, and the Val allele has …
Oscillatory Activity In The Subthalamic Nucleus And Motor Cortex In A Pharmacological Model Of Parkinsonian Tremor, Aileen F. Haque
Oscillatory Activity In The Subthalamic Nucleus And Motor Cortex In A Pharmacological Model Of Parkinsonian Tremor, Aileen F. Haque
Honors Scholar Theses
Parkinson’s Disease (PD) is a motor disorder with symptoms including resting tremor, akinesia, bradykinesia, and rigidity. A major neuropathological feature of PD is degeneration of nigrostriatal dopamine (DA) neurons. The resulting DA depletions lead to the production of severe motor deficits. Pharmacological agents that reduce DA transmission can also induce these motor abnormalities. In addition to the involvement of DA, drugs acting on acetylcholine, namely cholinomimetics, can induce or exacerbate Parkinsonian symptoms. In humans, one of the main motor symptoms associated with PD is resting tremor, occurring at a frequency of 3-7 Hz. This can be modeled in rodents using …
Theta And Learning: Dorsal And Ventral Hippocampal Theta Oscillation Respond Differently To Learning, Gregory N. Newman
Theta And Learning: Dorsal And Ventral Hippocampal Theta Oscillation Respond Differently To Learning, Gregory N. Newman
Honors Scholar Theses
Rhythmic oscillations within the hippocampus are thought to synchronize various subregions during learning, maximizing efficiency of the neural circuits. In rats, the most prominent oscillation is hippocampal theta. Theta is known to be modulated by an animal’s velocity, but it has also been shown to change in response to cognitive demands. To determine if theta is important for learning and memory, EEG recordings were examined for changes in theta related to the decision point of a spatial or non-spatial T-maze task. Additionally, a straight runway served as a control to verify the consistent relationship between velocity and theta during a …
Relationship Between Sensory Sensitivities And Cognitive And Adaptive Abilities In Children With Autism Spectrum Disorders, Laura Pendergast
Relationship Between Sensory Sensitivities And Cognitive And Adaptive Abilities In Children With Autism Spectrum Disorders, Laura Pendergast
Honors Scholar Theses
Sensory sensitivities are widely reported among individuals with ASD. These sensory sensitivities can be classified as over-responsivity, under-responsivity, or seeking of sensory stimulation. Following recent changes in the diagnostic criteria, sensory sensitivities are considered a key feature of the behavioral phenotype of ASDs. Despite their significance, sensory sensitivities have been largely underestimated. Therefore, more research in this area may reveal important information about the influence of sensitivities on functioning, as well as the underlying causes of the symptoms. This study investigated a possible relationship between sensory sensitivities and cognitive and adaptive abilities in children with ASD. The sample included 29 …
The Reversal Effects Of Curcumin, An Herbal Remedy, On The Impairments Induced By Vmat-2 Inhibitor Tetrabenazine, Emily Qian, Samantha E. Yohn
The Reversal Effects Of Curcumin, An Herbal Remedy, On The Impairments Induced By Vmat-2 Inhibitor Tetrabenazine, Emily Qian, Samantha E. Yohn
Honors Scholar Theses
Substantial evidence has shown that dopamine (DA), particularly in the nucleus accumbens (NAc), is involved in behavioral activation and effort-related processes, such as overcoming work related response costs. Interference with accumbens DA transmission through administration of the vesicular monoamine transportor-2 (VMAT-2) inhibitor tetrabenazine (TBZ) produces an alteration of response allocation in the concurrent FR5/chow choice procedure, biasing animals toward the lower effort alternative. It has been suggested that these drug-induced shifts in effort-related choice behavior seen in rodents are analogous to symptoms such as psychomotor retardation, anergia, and fatigue, which can be observed in people with depression and other related …
An Animal Model Of The Motivational Symptoms Of Depression: Testing The Antidepressant Desipramine On An Effort-Related Choice Task, Samantha L. Collins
An Animal Model Of The Motivational Symptoms Of Depression: Testing The Antidepressant Desipramine On An Effort-Related Choice Task, Samantha L. Collins
Honors Scholar Theses
Patients with depression, schizophrenia, and other related disorders often show effort-related motivational symptoms such as anergia, psychomotor slowing, lassitude, and fatigue. Several studies have indicated that dopamine (DA) within the nucleus accumbens (NAc) is involved in the regulation of effort-related behavior. Interference with NAc DA alters response allocation in effort related choice procedures, biasing animals towards the alterative that can be obtained with minimal effort. Previous studies have shown that administration of the vesicular monoamine transporter-2 (VMAT-2) inhibitor tetrabenazine (TBZ) shifts behavior in rats responding on the FR5/chow choice procedure causing a decrease in lever pressing and a compensatory increase …
Restoring Effort-Related Functions In Models Of Depression Symptoms: Reversing Fatigue Symptoms Induced By Catecholamine Depleting Agent Tetrabenazine With The Adenosine A2a Antagonist Msx-3, Charlotte Freeland
Honors Scholar Theses
Motivational symptoms related to effort expenditure have been associated with major depression and other disorders that afflict millions of individuals worldwide. In an effort to identify potential therapeutic agents and characterize the underlying biochemical mechanisms related to these behaviors, recent research has utilized animal models to study and characterize such behavior. Previous work in the Salamone lab produced evidence that rats with impaired dopamine (DA) transmission show changes in response allocation in tasks that measure effort-related choice behavior, which are characterized by a decrease in selection of the high-effort choice but increased selection of the low-effort alternative. The present work …
Anxiety Symptoms In Individuals With High Functioning Autism, Jane C. Kelleher
Anxiety Symptoms In Individuals With High Functioning Autism, Jane C. Kelleher
Honors Scholar Theses
Research indicates a complicated relationship between anxiety disorders and autism spectrum disorders (ASDs). The current study examined the relationship between anxiety symptoms and ASD in 30 Optimal Outcome (OO) individuals, 33 High Functioning Autism (HFA) individuals, and 34 Typically Developing (TD) individuals. The groups were compared on the K-SADS measure of anxiety symptoms. The HFA group presented greater anxiety than both the OO and TD groups, and the OO and TD groups only differed on one anxiety symptom. Across all three groups, there was a significant association between greater anxiety symptoms and a higher level of social and communicative impairment. …
Diagnosing The Prodromal State Of Alzheimer's Disease, Jennifer Bartkowiak
Diagnosing The Prodromal State Of Alzheimer's Disease, Jennifer Bartkowiak
Honors Scholar Theses
Mild Cognitive Impairment- Amnestic Subtype (MCIa) is a putative prodromal stage of Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) characterized by focal deficits in episodic verbal memory. Less is known about relative deficits in visuospatial learning, although there is ample evidence indicating involvement of the hippocampus in visuospatial learning, as well as hippocampal degeneration in early AD. The aim of this study was to better characterize the components of working memory dysfunction in people with MCIa to increase the ability to reliably diagnose this disease. Fifty-six elderly adults diagnosed with MCIa and 94 healthy elderly completed a hidden maze learning task. Results indicated similar …
History Of Maltreatment And Psychiatric Impairment In Children In Outpatient Psychiatric Treatment, Kerry Gagnon
History Of Maltreatment And Psychiatric Impairment In Children In Outpatient Psychiatric Treatment, Kerry Gagnon
Honors Scholar Theses
There is increasing evidence that childhood victimization and attachment disruptions impact a child’s development. In this study, children and adolescents from an outpatient psychiatric clinic were assessed, measuring history of trauma, history of out-of-home placement, initial diagnoses, and CBCL internalizing and externalizing problem scores. Multiple regression analyses showed that both violent abuse trauma (physical/sexual abuse) and victim trauma (physical abuse/sexual abuse/witnessing domestic violence/witnessing community violence) are prevalent among patients with externalizing severity problems; concluding that diagnosis alone may not account for a history of victimization, but externalizing problem severity does. Overall, the study is consistent with past literature that it …