Psychology Commons^™

Orexin Signaling During Social Defeat Stress Influences Subsequent Social Interaction Behaviour And Recognition Memory, Darrell Eacret, Laura A. Grafe, Anthony L. Gotter, John J. Renger, Christopher J. Winrow, Seema Bhatnagar

Psychology Faculty Research and Scholarship

Orexins are neuropeptides synthesized in the lateral hypothalamus that influence arousal, feeding, reward pathways, and the response to stress. However, the role of orexins in repeated stress is not fully characterized. Here, we examined how orexins and their receptors contribute to the coping response during repeated social defeat and subsequent anxiety-like and memory-related behaviors. Specifically, we used Designer Receptors Exclusively Activated by Designer Drugs (DREADDs) to stimulate orexins prior to each of five consecutive days of social defeat stress in adult male rats. Additionally, we determined the role of the orexin 2 receptor in these behaviors by using a selective …

The Diagnosis Of Asymptomatic Disease Is Associated With Fewer Healthy Days: A Cross Sectional Analysis From The National Health And Nutrition Examination Survey, Janel Hanmer, Lan Yu, Jie Li, Dio Kavalieratos, Laurel M. Peterson, Rachel Hess

Psychology Faculty Research and Scholarship

Objective

To examine the effect of the diagnosis of asymptomatic disease on health‐related quality of life (HRQoL).

Design

Secondary analysis of a national data set.

Method

We analysed adult participants in the 2011–2012 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) of the civilian non‐institutionalized US general population. Across three asymptomatic diseases (glucose intolerance, hyperlipidaemia, and hypertension), we examined four groups (without disease; with disease but no diagnosis; with disease and diagnosis but no treatment; and with disease, diagnosis, and treatment). For each asymptomatic disease, we examined group differences in self‐rated health (ordinal logistic regression) and Healthy Days outcomes (number of …

Developmental Trends In Sleep During Adolescents' Transition To Young Adulthood, Heejung Park

Psychology Faculty Research and Scholarship

Objective: Poor sleep poses negative health consequences for youth, yet few longitudinal actigraphy studies have examined basic developmental trends in sleep across adolescents’ transition to young adulthood. In this longitudinal actigraphy study, stability of individual differences and trajectories of sleep during and after high school were examined. The degree to which sleep trajectories differed by college attendance status was also studied.

Methods: A total of 343 youth with Asian, Latino, and European American backgrounds completed eight days of wrist actigraphy at two-year intervals in Wave 1(n= 295, M_age= 16.39), Wave 2 (n= …

Resting State Coupling Between The Amygdala And Ventromedial Prefrontal Cortex Is Related To Household Income In Childhood And Indexes Future Psychological Vulnerability To Stress, Jamie L. Hanson, Dustin Albert, Ann T. Skinner, Shutian H. Shen, Kenneth A. Dodge, Jennifer E. Lansford

Psychology Faculty Research and Scholarship

While child poverty is a significant risk factor for poor mental health, the developmental pathways involved with these associations are poorly understood. To advance knowledge about these important linkages, the present study examined the developmental sequelae of childhood exposure to poverty in a multiyear longitudinal study. Here, we focused on exposure to poverty, neurobiological circuitry connected to emotion dysregulation, later exposure to stressful life events, and symptoms of psychopathology. We grounded our work in a biopsychosocial perspective, with a specific interest in “stress sensitization” and emotion dysregulation. Motivated by past work, we first tested whether exposure to poverty was related …

Passive Coping Strategies During Repeated Social Defeat Are Associated With Long-Lasting Changes In Sleep In Rats, Laura A. Grafe, Lauren O’Mara, Anna Branch, Jane Dobkin, Sandra Luz, Abigail Vigderman, Aakash Shingala, Leszek Kubin, Richard Ross, Seema Bhatnagar

Psychology Faculty Research and Scholarship

Exposure to severe stress has immediate and prolonged neuropsychiatric consequences and increases the risk of developing Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Importantly, PTSD develops in only a subset of individuals after exposure to a traumatic event, with the understanding of this selective vulnerability being very limited. Individuals who go on to develop PTSD after a traumatic experience typically demonstrate sleep disturbances including persistent insomnia and recurrent trauma-related nightmares. We previously established a repeated social defeat paradigm in which rats segregate into either passively or actively coping subpopulations, and we found that this distinction correlates with measures of vulnerability or resilience to …

Sex- And Stress-Dependent Effects On Dendritic Morphology And Spine Densities In Putative Orexin Neurons, Laura A. Grafe, Eric Geng, Brian Corbett, Kimberly Urban, Seema Bhatnagar

Psychology Faculty Research and Scholarship

We recently found that non-stressed female rats have higher basal prepro-orexin expression and activation of orexinergic neurons compared to non-stressed males, which lead to impaired habituation to repeated restraint stress at the behavioral, neural, and endocrine level. Here, we extended our study of sex differences in the orexin system by examining spine densities and dendritic morphology in putative orexin neurons in adult male and female rats that were exposed to 5 consecutive days of 30-min restraint. Analysis of spine distribution and density indicated that putative orexinergic neurons in control non-stressed females had significantly more dendritic spines than those in control …

Amplification Dynamics Of Platy-1 Retrotransposons In The Cebidae Platyrrhine Lineage, J. M. Storer, J. R. Mierl, S. A. Brantley, B. Threeton, Y. Sukharutski, L. C. Rewerts, C. P. St. Romain, M. M. Foreman, J. N. Baker, J. A. Walker, J. D. Orkin, A. D. Melin, Kimberley A. Phillips, M. K. Konkel, M. A. Batzer

Psychology Faculty Research

Platy-1 elements are Platyrrhine-specific, short interspersed elements (SINEs) originally discovered in the Callithrix jacchus (common marmoset) genome. To date, only the marmoset genome has been analyzed for Platy-1 repeat content. Here, we report full-length Platy-1 insertions in other New World monkey (NWM) genomes (Saimiri boliviensis, squirrel monkey; Cebus imitator, capuchin monkey; and Aotus nancymaae, owl monkey) and analyze the amplification dynamics of lineage-specific Platy-1 insertions. A relatively small number of full-length and lineage-specific Platy-1 elements were found in the squirrel, capuchin, and owl monkey genomes compared to the marmoset genome. In addition, only a few older …

Performing Arts And Performance Anxiety, Jacklyn Sue Bascomb

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Background: Performing arts are a broad view of a range of human activities that occur in front of an audience with the attempt to express human experience and emotion. Performing artists consist of dancers, instrumental musicians, vocal musicians, and drama/comedy or theater/actors. Actors and instrumental musicians participate in tremendous training to provide the emotional story they deliver. Multiple factors contribute to mental and physical stress experienced by a performer. Performance anxiety results from a performer’s fear of an adverse reaction or evaluation of their performance. Performance anxiety can be debilitating with negative effects on a performer’s performance, career, and health. …

Collectivism In Central Appalachia: Educational And Career Implications, Heidi Leigh Creamer

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Individualistic cultures tend to focus on freedom, individuality, and personal autonomy. Mainstream America is found to be a vertical individualistic society, but research has shown there are pockets of collectivistic cultures within the US. Collectivistic cultures, in contrast, tend to focus on family, conformity, and thinking of the group before one’s self. Collectivism arises due to a population’s need to rely on one another for resources. As such, low resource environments are subject to having collectivistic values. Research suggests that collectivism rates are higher in impoverished areas, such as Appalachia. This investigation focused on central Appalachia and the attributes that …

An Assessment Of The Perceptions Of School Professionals Regarding Prenatal Substance Exposure, Aliyah Vicia Mickey

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Children who have been prenatally exposed to drugs are at higher risk of experiencing academic and behavioral difficulties as they become students. Current research is limited on the specific long-term social-emotional, behavioral, and cognitive effects for school-aged children. As these children advance into the schools, they need knowledgeable school professionals and evidence-based interventions that will support their academic and behavioral well-being. The purpose of the current investigation served to gather information regarding school professionals’ experiences, knowledge, and self-efficacy related to prenatal substance exposure of students. The results from the survey indicated school professionals are reporting having general knowledge of facets …

Trauma Sensitive Schools And The Psychoeducational Evaluation, Barbara Jordan

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Exposure to adverse childhood experiences, commonly referred to as ACEs, negatively impacts various physical and psychological aspects of the body and can result in a number of detrimental life outcomes including disease, mental health disorders, and even early death. The negative effects of ACE exposure begin long before adulthood, often resulting in academic and behavioral difficulties for school-aged children. Since school psychologists strive to advocate for the needs of all students, ensure correct special education categorization, and promote trauma-sensitive practices in schools, it is beneficial for them to have knowledge of ACEs and trauma that impact the students they serve. …

Educator Perceptions Of Suspension And Suspension Alternatives, Jori Williams

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Research shows that suspension can have a negative impact on public school students’ academic and behavioral outcomes. To better understand how educators view the impact of suspension and the efficacy of suspension alternatives on student outcomes, 149 public school educators were surveyed from diverse academic departments and programmatic levels in a western North Carolina county. Findings indicate that although participants generally did not perceive suspension to be effective for improving behavioral outcomes, educators were more likely to endorse suspension for students without disabilities compared to students with cognitive or emotional-behavioral concerns. Educators in the survey perceived Social Emotional Learning to …

Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Among Rural Emergency Medical Services Personnel, Nicole Elizabeth Bailey

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Diagnostic criteria for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) have undergone multiple revisions over the past few decades which have substantially refined our understanding of PTSD. Upon the publication of DSM-5, occupational exposure is now officially recognized as satisfying criterion A (exposure to a traumatic event) for the diagnosis of PTSD. First responder populations - particularly EMS personnel - have been historically understudied and warrant additional attention. The present study examines PTSD symptomology in a rural EMS population, as well as considering barriers to treatment. A total of 437 participants from West Virginia and western Pennsylvania completed a survey that included demographic …

Who's Your Hoosier? How External Factors Affect Judgement When Choosing Romantic Partners At Indiana Colleges, Amanda Rosenfeld

Undergraduate Honors Thesis Collection

Most of the literature on online dating addresses what makes a profile more desirable. However, little research has been done examining why someone can be drawn to an adverse profile (i.e. a profile containing clear ’red-flag’ traits). This study will analyze how two types of external influence, recommendations provided by a computer algorithm and consensus information provided by peers, interact to affect judgement in the context of using a dating application to choose hypothetical romantic partners. The romantic experience level of each participant will also be analyzed to see if lack of experience moderates how much individuals rely on external …

E-Books: Cognitive And Visual Effects, Hannah Degroot

Undergraduate Honors Thesis Collection

Sight is incredibly important to daily life. One critical use of this sense is reading, which allows people to communicate and learn new things if the reader is able to effectively comprehend what he or she has read. The proliferation of technology has resulted in much of our reading today being done through digital media. Information-presenting screens are found nearly everywhere, including within the education system. While E-books can offer some advantages, their purpose would not be served if they hindered understanding. Additionally, excessive use of technological devices can bring about symptoms of eyestrain. It was hypothesized that E-books are …

The Effects Of Ability Grouping On Kindergarten Students’ Readingachievement, Katie Nauman

Journal of Applied and Educational Research

The number of elementary students in the United States reading at a proficient level is significantly low. Elementary schools in the United States need to increase the number of students reading at the proficient level in order to move towards success in other subject areas, raise graduation rates, increase economic opportunities, and boost the likelihood of favorable long term health. Foundational reading skills, beginning in kindergarten, are an early predictor of future reading proficiency. Homogeneous ability grouping is one instructional strategy that can help students master foundational reading skills. Ability grouping is an educational practice that can be used with …

Lowering The Anxiety Level Of The Participants Of The First Baptist Church, Morganton, Nc, Tyler P. Roach

Doctor of Ministry Projects

This project was developed for the purpose of lowering the anxiety level of the participants of the First Baptist Church, Morganton, NC. It will be accomplished by providing a baseline awareness of their anxiety level and introducing tools to bring their baseline down. The tools used were Bible stories, Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, Family Systems Theory, and centering prayer. The tools were presented in the form of a Friday night and Saturday morning retreat. Data was collected in three different ways. The Beck Anxiety Inventory was used during the retreat to track baseline anxiety. An essay questionnaire was given a month …

Factors Affecting Juvenile Drug Use In Medellín, Colombia, Kendall Miller

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

Evidence shows that peer pressure is a strong indicator of juvenile substance use. Oetting and Beauvais (1986) determined that the Peer Cluster Theory was a common phenomenon in which adolescents tend to share the same opinions on substance use as their friends do, namely that juveniles who had friends that abused substances were likely to abuse substances themselves. The present study sought to determine if this phenomenon was true for adolescents in Medellín, Columbia. Data was collected on participants’ demographics, their opinions of their community, their relationship to their families and friends, how they spend their time each week, and …

Exploring Provider-Patient Interactions With Young Children In The Dental Setting, Kelsey R. Eackles

Capstones and Honors Theses

A key element that must be addressed when striving for good overall health is positive oral health practices that begin early in life (AAPD; 2013, 2014). Unfortunately, two major difficulties are commonly faced by dental providers who try to implement these positive oral health practices in young children: dental fear and behavior management problems. The current study aimed to examine how the natural interactions that occur between a dental provider and child patient may be related to child dental fear and behavior. Dental appointments for 36 children under the age of six years old were examined, and verbal and behavioral …

Mindfulness-Based Meditation And Its Effects On College Students, Jordan Sieja

Senior Honors Theses and Projects

Mindfulness-based meditation is a practice that has been proven to have many physiological and psychological health benefits such as positive lifestyle habits, increased mindfulness, decrease in substance use, decrease in stress, better mood states, and enhanced coping strategies. University students undergo many different types of stressors at one time such as financial instability, identity development, academic pressures, parental expectations, and racial/cultural differences (Kadison & Geronimo, 2004). Intense stress when it is not coped with effectively can lead to many different health problems physically and mentally. The current study evaluates the effects of mindfulness meditation with undergraduate students and it was …