Mental Disorders Commons^™

Using Mathematical Models Of Biological Processes In Genome-Wide Association Studies Of Psychiatric Disorders, Amy Cochran

Biology and Medicine Through Mathematics Conference

No abstract provided.

Computational Modeling Of Contrast Sensitivity And Orientation Tuning In Schizophrenia, Steven M. Silverstein, Docia L. Demmin, James A. Bednar

MODVIS Workshop

Computational modeling is being increasingly used to understand schizophrenia, but, to date, it has not been used to account for the common perceptual disturbances in the disorder. We manipulated schizophrenia-relevant parameters in the GCAL (gain control, adaptation, laterally connected) model (Stevens et al., 2013), run using the Topographica simulator (Bednar, 2012), to model low-level visual processing changes in the disorder. Our models incorporated: separate sheets for retinal, LGN, and V1 activity; gain control in the LGN; homeostatic adaptation in V1 based on a weighted sum of all inputs and limited by a logistic (sigmoid) nonlinearity; lateral excitation and inhibition in …

An Analysis Of Neurogenesis In A Mouse Model Of Chemotherapy Related Cognitive Impairment, Maxwell A. Hennings

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Cancer patients treated with adjuvant chemotherapy often experience cognitive decline following treatment. This phenomenon, often dubbed “chemo brain” or “chemo fog” is usually temporary, but for a subset of survivors, these cognitive impairments can be long-lasting (>10 years) and negatively affect patients’ quality of life, career performance, and social fulfillment. While it is unclear what neurobiological mechanisms underlie chemotherapy related cognitive impairment, the majority of the animal literature has focused on adult neurogenesis. One process important for neurogenesis is the proliferation of new neurons within the dentate gyrus of the hippocampus. It is evident that many chemotherapy agents can …

The Social Progression Of Post -Traumatic Stress Disorder: Post Vietnam And September 11th Attacks, Ellie Mcdonald

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

The Social Progression of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Post-Vietnam and September 11^th Attacks is an examination on the infrastructure of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs’and of the Department of Defense’s lack of clarity and misinformation of the challenges and effects of mental illness within military ranks. Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) made the Diagnostic Statistical Manual (DSM) after Vietnam. Since then, PTSD has been reevaluate numerous times, to properly define it. This research is a comparative analysis of the misconceptions of PTSD as experienced by Vietnam veterans and the first responders of the September 11^th tragedy. My research charts …

Provider Based Interventions To Mitigate Risk For Opioid Pain Medication Abuse Among Adult Patients In A Primary Care Setting, Sheree Lamara Conley-Donaldson

Doctoral Projects

Mental and substance use disorders are predicted to exceed all physical disease processes causing major disability by 2020. Misuse and overdose of opioid pain medications is a significant public health concern in the United States. Approximately 1 in 4 patients receiving prescription opioids in primary care settings struggle with misuse. Half of all opioid prescriptions are written by primary care providers, including nurse practitioners. The purpose of this DNP project was to determine if nurse practitioner providers are implementing evidence-based practice guidelines including screening, brief intervention, and referral to treatment (SBIRT) to mitigate risk of prescription opioid pain medication misuse …

Schizophrenia And Its Effects On An American Family: A Call To Action For The 21st Century, Cynthia Newton Captain

Senior Theses

Our country’s healthcare system is at a moral crossroads. The way we treat those whom we call “the homeless” is deplorable. The majority of the homeless are mentally ill and need treatment. Our country needs to treat those with the severe brain diseases of schizophrenia, schizo-affective disorder, and bi-polar disorder just as we would Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease. Those with severe mental illness, who have no insight into their illness, should not be allowed to dictate their own treatment. If a homeless person is brought to San Francisco General Hospital and is found to be a schizophrenic in psychiatric …

Phenomenological Study Of The Lived Experiences Of Appalachian Spouses Of Combat Veterans With Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, Janice E. Greene

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study was conducted to identify gaps in existing knowledge regarding impacts of combat-related PTSD on the spouse and to gain an understanding of the lived experience of Appalachian Spouses of combat veterans with PTSD. A systematic literature review was conducted to identify research and findings on the impacts of combat-related PTSD on spouses of veterans and a qualitative study was conducted to gain an understanding of the lives of Appalachian spouses of combat veterans with PTSD.

The systematic review identified 16 qualitative studies conducted between 1988 and 2016 in five countries spanning five wars. Regardless of the country of …

The Experience Of Generalized Anxiety Disorder Through The Lens Of Abraham Lincoln: The Effects Of Mental Health Stigma, Daryl Claude Medina

Senior Theses

Living with generalized anxiety disorder, also known as GAD, in the United States of America is difficult not only for the individual, but also for the people around him or her. Lifestyle changes have to be made, family dynamics need to be adjusted, and last but not least, all relationships must become flexible. In fact, these major life changes are never fixed and must continually adapt to the needs of the individual with generalized anxiety disorder since it is a lifelong medical condition. As with any other mental illness, dealing with generalized anxiety disorder takes great sacrifice in terms of …

Mental Health 101: Teaching Students And Campus Leaders How To Help Those In Crisis, Megan B. Kuhnly

Senior Honors Projects

One in four Americans ages 18 and older live with a diagnosable mental health disorder. Due to this high prevalence it is very likely that everyone will encounter someone dealing with a mental health crisis in his or her lifetime. Many college students will experience a crisis during their four years of study due to the high levels of stress and psychological triggers. However, we are often not taught how to help these individuals and the resources available are not well advertised. This lack of education and awareness leads to many students being forced to suffer alone and their mental …

Psycheducational Manual For Families Of People With Schizophrenia, Shiva Fatemifiroozabadi

Scholarly and Creative Works Conference (2015 - 2021)

Although schizophrenia is a relatively rare mental dysfunction, it causes significant discomforts for the patients and their family. As this mental illness usually starts at the young ages and lingers virtually forever, it affects almost every aspect of patients and their family’s life. Schizophrenia deteriorates the individual’s ability to normally interact with others in multiple settings be it family, workplace, and society.

Moreover, the negative and mainly false perceptions towards this illness among the general public intensifies the problems of schizophrenic patients and their families. This prejudice, combined with the inherent problems of the illness, forms a recipe for disaster …

Links Between Physical And Mental Health: Assessment Of Therapeutic Riding’S Effect On Children With Special Needs, Sabah I. Hasan

Brescia Psychology Undergraduate Honours Theses

This observational study examined the effect of therapeutic riding (TR) on four domains, physical skills, positive values, social skills, and self-identity in children with special needs. Participants were recruited from SARI Therapeutic Riding and were divided, based on observation, into more or less severe diagnosis categories. It was predicted that children with less severe diagnosis would show more of an increase on the four domains, especially physical skills due to TR. Participants were observed using an observational checklist at pre- and post-riding lessons. Results showed non-significant differences in all four domains, however, there was a tendency for scores to increase …

Personality Disorders And Epigenetics, Julie Zaccagnino

Student Writing

Personality Disorders are characterized by chronic and pervasive maladaptive patterns which cause emotional distress to the individual, his/her relationships, and society. The purpose of analysis is to understand the causes of personality disorders. Genetic influence on personality is not a simple cause-and-effect. Several genes have been identified to be associated with personality traits but not cause personality traits. Personality disorders have been also associated with childhood trauma. Evidence in research has shown that childhood maltreatment is marked by DNA methylation of genes which promote glucocorticoid receptors in the synapses of the hippocampus and as well as serotonergic pathways. The conclusion …

Discourses Of Psychiatry And Culture: The Interface Between Western And Traditional Medicine In The Treatment Of Mental Illness, Madeline Molot

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Mental illness is a burden of disease that, in many countries, is neglected; South Africa is no exception. There are many reasons for this, including but not limited to a lack of specialized mental health personnel in primary care settings, a budget that favors South Africa’s communicable disease epidemic, and a continued stigma around mental illness. Whenever discussing the healthcare system in South Africa, however, it is important to note another parallel system of care, one with little to no budget or regulation: that of traditional healing. It is estimated that over 70% of South Africans have at some point …

Journal Of Mind And Medical Sciences: Translational And Integrative Mission, David L. Rowland, Ion G. Motofei

Journal of Mind and Medical Sciences

Initiated four years ago, Journal of Mind and Medical Sciences (J Mind Med Sci.) established the mission to publish papers on mental and medical topics in distinct but closely interrelated domains. The editorial policy especially encourages interdisciplinary and integrative perspectives, being equally focused on basic research and clinical investigations and short reports.

The journal adheres to the philosophy that high quality, original ideas and information should be readily accessible and freely shared within and amongst the scientific community. Accordingly, J Mind Med Sci. is an online, open access, non-for-profit journal which, because of individual/ private support, has levied no charges …

The Safety And Efficacy Of Ondansetron In The Treatment Of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, Rebecca Stark

Graduate Student Research Symposium

Obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) is a psychiatric disorder characterized by recurrent intrusive thoughts (obsessions) that cause significant anxiety and distress, leading to repetitive behaviors (compulsions) that an individual feels driven to perform. The symptoms of OCD can range from mild to so severe that it can be incapacitating to an individual’s life. Treatment is often prescribed, including both pharmacological and behavioral therapy. Overall, 70% of patients starting treatment experience a significant improvement; however, there is still a portion of patients with severe OCD that do not respond to first and second-line treatment plans. We present the case of a 62-year-old-male …

Eating Disorders: Identifying, Assessing, And Treatment, Valerie M. Miranda

National Youth Advocacy and Resilience Conference

This presentation will address DSM-V criteria for feeding and eating disorders, demographics for eating disorders, long-term medical issues associated with eating disorders, assessment measures for feeding and eating disorders, and resources for the community. Being able to identify, assess, and treat eating disorders within the children and adolescent population is crucial in their long-term physical development and mental health as eating disorders typically begin in mid-adolescence.

Understanding Increasing College Anxiety: The Need For Anxiety Awareness Campaigns, Taylor Mosher

Journalism

The following study investigates national trends toward increasing anxiety among the college student demographic with particular attention paid to the ways in which public awareness campaigns may be implemented as a method for reducing stigma, increasing awareness of anxiety conditions, and connecting students to critical resources.

In order to improve understanding surrounding student anxiety, the following research was conducted in two parts. First, secondary national research was conducted analyzing relevant literature surrounding anxiety trends among college students, the response of universities across the nation, and potential methods by which to relieve student anxiety. Following the conclusion of this research, primary …

Temperament Factors And Dimensional, Latent Bifactor Models Of Child Psychopathology: Transdiagnostic And Specific Associations In Two Youth Samples, Benjamin L. Hankin, Elyssia Poggi Davis, Hannah Snyder, Jami F. Young, Laura M. Glynn, Curt A. Sandman

Psychology Faculty Articles and Research

Common emotional and behavioral symptoms co-occur and are associated with core temperament factors. This study investigated links between temperament and dimensional, latent psychopathology factors, including a general common psychopathology factor (p factor) and specific latent internalizing and externalizing liabilities, as captured by a bifactor model, in two independent samples of youth. Specifically, we tested the hypothesis that temperament factors of negative affectivity (NA), positive affectivity (PA), and effortful control (EC) could serve as both transdiagnostic and specific risks in relation to recent bifactor models of child psychopathology. Sample 1 included 571 youth (average age 13.6, SD = 2.37, range 9.3–17.5) …

Involuntary Competence In United States Criminal Law, Stephen J. Morse

All Faculty Scholarship

This is a draft of a chapter that has been accepted for publication by Oxford University Press in the forthcoming book Fitness to Plead: International and Comparative Perspectives edited by Ronnie Mackay and Warren Brookbanks due for publication in May 2018. It addresses whether the state may forcibly medicate an unwilling defendant or prisoner to restore competence in the criminal process, including competence to stand trial, competence to plead guilty and to waive trial rights, competence to represent oneself, and competence to be sentenced. It begins with a description of the doctrinal and mental health background information and the right …

The Correlation Between Stress And The Development Of Dissociative Identity Disorder, Aviva Soibelman

The Science Journal of the Lander College of Arts and Sciences

Stress is a huge part of life. Our body responds to stress in different ways and most of the times the body overcomes the stress. There are a few incidents when the body is not capable of dealing with the stress and the toll it takes on the brain is undeniable. One result of intolerable stress is Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID) in which biopsychology comes to life, as we see how the body is affected by psychology, and vice versa. The mediators that help the body adapt to stressors become detrimental when a person faces trauma or chronic stress. Glucocorticoids, …