Digital Commons Network^™

Optimizing Medication Querying Using Ontology-Driven Approach With Omop: With An Application To A Large-Scale Covid-19 Ehr Dataset, Xiaojin Li, Yan Huang, Licong Cui, Shiqiang Tao, Guo-Qiang Zhang

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Efficient querying for medication information in Electronic Health Record (EHR) datasets is crucial for effective patient care and clinical research. To address the complexity and data volume challenges involved in efficient medication information retrieval, we propose an ontology-driven medication query (ODMQ) optimization approach, leveraging the Observational Medical Outcomes Partnership (OMOP) Common Data Model (CDM). Integrating semantic ontology structures from the OMOP CDM can help enhance query accuracy and efficiency by broadening the scope of relevant medication terms like drug names, National Drug Codes, and generics, resulting in more comprehensive query outcomes than traditional methods. ODMQ significantly reduces manual search time …

A Web-Based Interface For Visualizing And Documenting Seeg Strategic Planning (Wisp): Development And Qualitative Evaluation, Wei-Chun Chou, Johnson P Hampson, Antarr T Byrd, Samden D Lhatoo, Guo-Qiang Zhang, Shiqiang Tao

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

WISP stands as an efficacious solution to the challenges associated with Stereoelectroencephalography (SEEG) strategic planning, offering lightweight and interactive web interfaces for rendering multiple brain views. These interfaces facilitate collaborative engagement among care team members across various disciplines during patient case conferences and SEEG strategic planning sessions. Moreover, WISP incorporates a collaborative electrode and electrode group library, serving as a standardized repository of knowledge. The application enables seamless conversion of case conference outcomes and SEEG plans into images and PDF files, with transmission to Electronic Health Record (EHR) systems through a customized HL7 engine. The initial assessment findings demonstrate WISP …

Patients With Floaters: Answers From Virtual Assistants And Large Language Models, Gloria Wu, Weichen Zhao, Adrial Wong, David A Lee

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

OBJECTIVES: "Floaters," a common complaint among patients of all ages, was used as a query term because it affects 30% of all people searching for eye care. The American Academy of Ophthalmology website's "floaters" section was used as a source for questions and answers (www.aao.org). Floaters is a visual obstruction that moves with the movement of the eye. They can be associated with retinal detachment, which can lead to vision loss. With the advent of large language model (LLM) chatbots ChatGPT, Bard versus virtual assistants (VA), Google Assistant, and Alexa, we analyzed their responses to "floaters."

METHODS: Using AAO.org, "Public …

First-Line Stent Retriever Versus Contact Aspiration Or Combined Technique For Endovascular Therapy Of Posterior Cerebral Artery Occlusion Stroke: The Plato Study, Thanh N Nguyen, Mohamad Abdalkader, Muhammad M Qureshi, Patrik Michel, Davide Strambo, Daniel Strbian, Christian Herweh, Markus A Möhlenbruch, Silja Räty, Marta Olive-Gadea, Marc Ribo, Marios Psychogios, Urs Fischer, Anh Nguyen, Joji B Kuramatsu, David Haupenthal, Martin Köhrmann, Cornelius Deuschl, Jordi Kühne Escolà, Jelle Demeestere, Lieselotte Vandewalle, Shadi Yaghi, Liqi Shu, Volker Puetz, Daniel P O Kaiser, Johannes Kaesmacher, Adnan Mujanovic, Dominique Cornelius Marterstock, Tobias Engelhorn, Piers Klein, Diogo C Haussen, Mahmoud H Mohammaden, Isabel Fragata, Bruno Cunha, Hend Abdelhamid, Michele Romoli, Francesco Diana, Pekka Virtanen, Kimmo Lappalainen, Jessica Jesser, Judith Clark, Stavros Matsoukas, Johanna T Fifi, Sunil A Sheth, Sergio Salazar-Marioni, João Pedro Marto, João Nuno Ramos, Milena Miszczuk, Christoph Riegler, Sven Poli, Khouloud Poli, Ashutosh P Jadhav, Shashvat M Desai, Volker Maus, Maximilian Kaeder, Hesham E Masoud, Neil Suryadareva, Maxim Mokin, James E Siegler, Italo Linfante, Guilherme Dabus, Negar Asdaghi, Vasu Saini, Christian H Nolte, Eberhard Siebert, Thomas R Meinel, Charlotte S Weyland, Uta Hanning, Lukas Meyer, Raul G Nogueira, Peter A Ringleb, Simon Nagel

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: The optimal reperfusion technique in patients with isolated posterior cerebral artery (PCA) occlusion is uncertain. We compared clinical and technical outcomes with first-line stent retriever (SR), contact aspiration (CA), or combined techniques in patients with isolated PCA occlusion.

Methods: This international case-control study was conducted at 30 sites in Europe and North America and included consecutive patients with isolated PCA occlusion presenting within 24 hours of time last seen well from January 2015 to August 2022. The primary outcome was the first-pass effect (FPE), defined as expanded Treatment in Cerebral Infarction (TICI) 2c/3 on the first pass. Patients treated …

Management Protocol For Uncomplicated Peritonsillar Abscess: Standardizing Care And Improving Emergency Medicine Resident Confidence., John Casey, Scott Keidel, Marissa Kudo, Miriam Chan

Medical Education Articles

INTRODUCTION: A peritonsillar abscess (PTA) is a frequent reason for a visit to the emergency department. As there are no current published guidelines for medical versus surgical management, attending physicians vary among management tendencies, generating uncertainty among resident physicians. This project established a standard of care for managing patients with PTA and provided clear management guidelines to the emergency department, in collaboration with the otolaryngology department, at a community academic hospital.

METHODS: Pre- and post-interventional, anonymous surveys were given to assess resident physician confidence in the management of PTA. A proposed management protocol was developed based on existing literature and …

A Systematic Review Of Infant Mental Health Prevention And Treatment Programs, Megan M Hare, Taylor D Landis, Melissa L Hernandez, Paulo A Graziano

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Although many prevention and treatment programs exist for children and families, there have been no reviews specifically examining their impact on infant mental health at the program level. Therefore, the purpose of the current review was to a) systematically examine prevention and treatment programs targeting infant mental health outcomes (i.e., internalizing problems, externalizing problems, social-emotional development, trauma) or the parent-infant relationship/ attachment in children from pregnancy to 2 years; b) classify each program by level of empirical support; and c) highlight strengths and identify gaps in the existing literature to inform future mental health intervention science. From over 121,341 publications …

Impact Of Covid-19 On Nationwide Pediatric Complicated Sinusitis Trends Throughout 2018–2022, Gianna Rosamilia, Kyung Hyun Lee, Soham Roy, Catherine Hart, Zhen Huang

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Objectives: To describe and analyze the trends of pediatric sinusitis cases from 2018 to 2022 across the country utilizing the Pediatric Hospital Information System (PHIS) database focusing on volumes, socioeconomics, and severity of cases.

Study design: Retrospective Cohort Study.

Methods: A retrospective cohort study using the Pediatric Health Information System (PHIS) database, which consists of 50 children's hospitals was performed. Regions were defined according to PHIS guidelines. We evaluated percentage of sinusitis cases demographic and socioeconomic information and subgrouped by region throughout 2018-2022.

Results: In all regions there were a greater number of sinusitis cases post-COVID compared to pre-COVID, with …

Saint Paul, The Apostle, And The Gastaut-Geschwind Syndrome, Leonardo Cruz De Souza, Guilherme Nogueira Mendes De Oliveira, Leandro Boson Gambogi, Ana Paula Gonçalves, Antônio Lúcio Teixeira

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

The interface between epilepsy and religiosity has been a long-standing matter of debate. Epilepsy has affected several religious leaders throughout history. Hyperreligiosity may be observed in patients with temporal lobe epilepsy as a component of the so-called Gastaut-Geschwind syndrome which involves other behavioral and personality traits such as hyposexuality, viscosity, philosophical concerns, sense of personal destiny, hypergraphy, emotionality, and irritability. Saint Paul, the Apostle, probably had temporal lobe epilepsy. He was a genius man of intellectual excellence and refined culture, whose life and writings exerted a decisive influence on Western history. The current paper investigates the elements of Gastaut-Geschwind syndrome …

An Interactive Information Visualization System For Temporal Queries In A Large-Scale Covid-19 Ehr Dataset (Covid-Sphere): Development And Qualitative Evaluation, Yan Huang, Shiqiang Tao, Wei-Chun Chou, Licong Cui, Guo-Qiang Zhang, Xiaojin Li

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

COVID-SPHERE is a self-service web application designed to advance clinical research informatics by facilitating secondary use of Electronic Health Records (EHR) for COVID-19 research. The system employs a flexible EHR concept framework that defines hierarchical concepts and ontologies, enabling clinical researchers to build complex temporal queries through an intuitive, single-click interface without requiring database expertise. Our method dynamically generates MongoDB queries in real-time and offers interactive, faceted visualizations to analyze longitudinal patient activities and integrated health records, supporting both individual patient analysis and population-level research. Hosted on a server managing over 5 TB of data encompassing 30 billion health records …

Clearance Of Neutrophils From Ich-Affected Brain By Macrophages Is Beneficial And Is Assisted By Lactoferrin And Cd91, Xiurong Zhao, Shun-Ming Ting, Guanghua Sun, Jesus Bautista Garrido, Lidiya Obertas, Jaroslaw Aronowski

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Within hours after intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) onset, masses of polymorphonuclear neutrophils (PMNs) infiltrate the ICH-affected brain. After degranulation involving controlled release of many toxic antimicrobial molecules, the PMNs undergo rapid apoptosis and then are removed by phagocytic microglia/macrophages (MΦ) through a process called efferocytosis. Effective removal of PMNs may limit secondary brain damage and inflammation; however, the molecular mechanisms governing these cleanup activities are not well understood. We propose that scavenger receptor CD91 on myeloid phagocytes especially in presence of CD91 ligand, LTF (lactoferrin, protein abundant in PMNs), plays an important role in clearance of dead apoptotic PMNs (ANs). …

The Feasibility Of Health Professional Student Delivered Social Visits For Stroke Survivors With Loneliness, Jason Burnett, Jordan Broussard, Bronson Ciavarra, Louisa Smitherman, Mary Li, Emma Thames, Sharon Zachariah, Grace Kim, Rachel Pijnnaken, Hannah Zeller, John Halphen, Sean I Savitz, Namkee Choi, Jennifer E S Beauchamp

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Objectives: To examine the feasibility of a social phone call program to address social isolation and loneliness in stroke survivors.

Materials and methods: We paired 14 lonely community-living stroke survivors with 14 health professional students for 6-weekly unstructured social phone calls. Feasibility data and measures of social isolation, loneliness and other psychosocial metrics were collected pre- and post-intervention. Students journaled following each unstructured call to capture the informal conversation and their sentiments.

Results: Sixty-two percent of the targeted sample was interested. Fourteen eligible and interested participants were enrolled. The 13 (93%) participants completing all calls and surveys were an average …

"Bricolage" As Comparative Research Method For Critical Legislative Innovation, Marie-Claire Belleau

FIU Law Review

Comparative law incentivize imagination to create new solutions to social problems intrinsically linked to different parts of the world. It consists in the analysis of multiple legal solutions revealed by research. Meanwhile, the understanding of the documentation put forward is influenced by the social, cultural, linguistic, political, and economic context where it evolved in the first place. Consequently, the interpretation of those elements leads to varying results. In response to this reality, we offer a modest comparative methodology rooted in creativity inspired by the concept of “bricolage” for the purpose of legislative innovations. In light of some descriptive examples pertaining …

Heritage Languages In The Irish Primary School Context: Teachers’ Views And Practice In The Area Of First Language Maintenance In Bilingual Pupils, Suzanne Mccarthy

Doctoral

This research set out to explore the reality for current Irish primary school teachers working with children who speak a language other than English or Irish in the home context. The study sought to investigate teachers’ views on bilingualism and heritage languages, to examine their practice and experiences around support for heritage language (HL) inclusion in the classroom, and to consider any potential differences in teachers’ views and practice depending on the age of the children they teach.

Attention-Aware With Stacked Embedding For Sentiment Analysis Of Student Feedback Through Deep Learning Techniques, Shanza Zafar Malik, Khalid Iqbal, Muhammad Sharif, Yaser Ali Shah, Amaad Khalil, M. Abeer Irfan, Joanna Rosak-Szyrocka

Research Outputs: 2025-Present

Automatic polarity prediction is a challenging assessment issue. Even though polarity assessment is a critical topic with many existing applications, it is probably not an easy challenge and faces several difficulties in natural language processing (NLP). Public polling data can give useful information, and polarity assessment or classification of comments on Twitter and Facebook may be an effective approach for gaining a better understanding of user sentiments. Text embedding techniques and models related to the artificial intelligence field and sub-fields with differing and almost accurate parameters are among the approaches available for assessing student comments. Existing state-of-the-art methodologies for sentiment …

Cementocyte-Derived Extracellular Vesicles Regulate Osteoclastogenesis And Osteoblastogenesis, Eiji Nemoto, Jiajun Li, Yukihiko Sakisaka, Kentaro Maruyama, Shigeki Suzuki, Kaixin Xiong, Hiroyuki Tada, Taichi Tenkumo, Satoru Yamada

Journal of Dental Sciences

Abstract Background/purpose Cementum shares many properties with bone; however, in contrast to bone, it is not innervated or vascularized and has a limited capacity for remodeling. Osteocytes located in the lacunae-canalicular system of bone tissue play a central role in bone remodeling by communicating with osteoblasts and osteoclasts. Although cementocytes are present in cellular cementum and are morphologically similar to osteocytes, it remains unclear whether they are involved in the dynamic functional regulation of metabolism in cementum. The present study focused on the extracellular vesicles (EVs) secreted by cementocytes and examined their effects on osteoclasts and osteoblasts. Materials and methods …

Pharmacology Of Boldine: Summary Of The Field And Update On Recent Advances, Juan C. Sáez, Justin C. Burrell, Catherine M. Cahill, D. Kacy Cullen, Lakshmi A. Devi, Ryan J. Gilbert, Zachary A. Graham, Vadim J. Gurvich, Leif A. Havton, Ravi Iyengar, Rajesh Khanna, Edmund F. Palermo, Mustafa Siddiq, Carlos A. Toro, Walter Vasquez, Wei Zhao, Christopher P. Cardozo

Chemical and Biochemical Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Over the past decade, boldine, a naturally occurring alkaloid found in several plant species including the Chilean Boldo tree, has garnered attention for its efficacy in rodent models of human disease. Some of the properties that have been attributed to boldine include antioxidant activities, neuroprotective and analgesic actions, hepatoprotective effects, anti-inflammatory actions, cardioprotective effects and anticancer potential. Compelling data now indicates that boldine blocks connexin (Cx) hemichannels (HCs) and that many if not all of its effects in rodent models of injury and disease are due to CxHC blockade. Here we provide an overview of boldine's pharmacological properties, including its …

A Review Of The Roles Of Exosomes In Salivary Gland Diseases With An Emphasis On Primary Sjögren's Syndrome, Yubin Cao, Xianzhen Cui, Liu Liu, Chengchen Duan, Suning Mao, Guanru Wang, Honglin Li, Cheng Miao

Journal of Dental Sciences

Abstract Salivary gland diseases encompass a broad range of conditions, including autoimmune, inflammatory, obstructive, and neoplastic disorders, significantly impacting oral health and overall well-being. Recent research has highlighted the crucial role of exosomes, small extracellular vesicles, in these diseases. Exosomes mediate intercellular communication by transferring bioactive molecules such as proteins, microRNAs, and lipids, positioning them as potential diagnostic biomarkers and therapeutic agents. In primary Sjögren's syndrome (pSS), exosomes derived from Epstein–Barr virus-infected B cells and activated T cells transfer key microRNAs that impair calcium signaling, contributing to glandular dysfunction. Exosome-based biomarkers like Ro/SSA and La/SSB, found in saliva, serum, and …

A Scientometric Study On Research Characteristics And Trends Of Amyloidosis Involving The Oral Cavity, Wei Liu, Cheng Jiang, Xuemin Shen, Yunteng Wu, Jie Wei

Journal of Dental Sciences

Abstract Background/purpose Oral involvement often constitutes the first sign of amyloidosis as a life-threatening disease that can lead to multiple organ impairment. The purpose of this study was to analyze the scientometric characteristics and research trends of amyloidosis involving the oral cavity. Materials and methods All the papers on oral involvement of amyloidosis were comprehensively retrieved from the Scopus database. The years of publication were divided into before 2015 and 2015–2024 in the analysis of research trends. Results There were 2540 relevant papers on amyloidosis involving the oral cavity, with total citations of 73,896 and the h index of 119. …

Flying Through The Air With The Greatest Of Ease? Evaluation Of Glide Capability In Basal Maniraptoran Theropods, Norah Zoller, Kierra Miller, Michael B. Habib, Hans C. Larsson, T. Alexander Deccechi

Annual Research Symposium

Pterosaurs, a lineage of Mesozoic flying archosaurs, include the largest flying animals ever known. Quetzalcoatlus nortropi a Late Cretaceous representative, had a wingspan of over 10 m and likely weighed more than 200 kg. It presents a combination of features (large head, massive wingspan, shoulder height equivalent to an extant giraYe) that has led to ecological interpretations of it as a major predator in the North American Maastrichtian Biome, perhaps second to only Tyrannosaurus rex. Here we examine the probability of that from an energetics perspective. Despite the great wingspan of Quetzalcoatlus, the body length (gleno- acetabular distance) is relatively …

Assessment Of Simultaneous Alcohol And Cannabis Use And Its Related Consequences And Cognitions In College Students: A Narrative Review, Jennifer L. Shipley, Abby L. Braitman

Psychology Faculty Publications

As rates of students using cannabis continue to rise, simultaneous use of alcohol and cannabis (such that their effects overlap; commonly referred to as simultaneous alcohol and marijuana [SAM] use) is prevalent among college students who use both substances. Although research focusing on SAM use and related cognitions and consequences continues to grow, there are no common established measures, as approaches vary across studies. This narrative review identifies current methods for assessing SAM use and measures of SAM-related consequences and cognitions (motives and expectancies) among college students, evaluates how they were developed, identifies gaps in the literature, and provides recommendations …

Leadership And Environmental Sustainability: An Integrative Conceptual Model Of Multilevel Antecedents And Consequences Of Leader Green Behavior, Hannes Zacher, Clara Kühner, Ian M. Katz, Cort W. Rudolph

Psychology Faculty Publications

Environmental sustainability is a strategic and ethical imperative for organizations, and numerous studies have investigated associations between leadership and employee pro-environmental or “green” behavior. However, these studies have typically focused on leadership styles that conflate leader behavior with its assumed antecedents or consequences. Moreover, the literature on relations between leadership and environmental sustainability constructs is fragmented and in need of systematic integration to effectively guide future research and practice. Accordingly, we pursue three goals in this conceptual paper. First, after a brief review of key insights from extant theoretical and empirical research, we define leadership in the context of environmental …

Mental Workload Modulates The Effects Of Baroreceptor Afferents On Sensorimotor Processing, Xiao Yang, Katie Herberlein, Anthony Reid, Dongfang Jiao, Fang Fang

Psychology Faculty Publications

The heart–brain interaction is the main mechanism for maintaining normative physiological processes, and its dysregulation underlies the somatic symptoms of various mental disorders. Cortical inhibition, triggered by afferent signals from baroreceptor activation, induces systematic variations in sensorimotor responses within a cardiac cycle, with reaction times (RTs) slower at cardiac systole compared to diastole (known as cardiac cycle time effects). However, recent data suggest that baroreceptor afferents not only inhibit simple responses but also facilitate complex sensorimotor responses during cardiac systole. The mental workload that is implicated in complex responses may modulate the cardiac cycle time effects. The current study aimed …

Ethical Decision-Making In Older Drivers During Critical Driving Situations: An Online Experiment, Amandeep Singh, Sarah Yahoodik, Yovela Murzello, Samuel Petkac, Yusuke Yamani, Siby Samuel

Psychology Faculty Publications

The present study examined the impact of aging on ethical decision-making in simulated critical driving scenarios. 204 participants from North America, grouped into two age groups (18–30 years and 65 years and above), were asked to decide whether their simulated automated vehicle should stay in or change from the current lane in scenarios mimicking the Trolley Problem. Each participant viewed a video clip rendered by the driving simulator at Old Dominion University and pressed the space-bar if they decided to intervene in the control of the simulated automated vehicle in an online experiment. Bayesian hierarchical models were used to analyze …

Sleep Disturbances And Psychological Well-Being Among Military Medical Doctors Of The Swiss Armed Forces: Study Protocol, Rationale And Development Of A Cross-Sectional And Longitudinal Interventional Study, Dena Sadeghi-Bahmani, Viola Rigotti, Zeno Stanga, Undine E. Lang, Rebecca K. Blais, Michelle L. Kelley, Serge Brand

Psychology Faculty Publications

Background: Compared to civilians and non-medical personnel, military medical doctors are at increased risk for sleep disturbances and impaired psychological well-being. Despite their responsibility and workload, no research has examined sleep disturbances and psychological well-being among the medical doctors (MDs) of the Swiss Armed Forces (SAF). Thus, the aims of the proposed study are (1) to conduct a cross-sectional study (labeled ‘Survey-Study 1’) of sleep disturbances and psychological well-being among MDs of the SAF; (2) to identify MDs who report sleep disturbances (insomnia severity index >8), along with low psychological well-being such as symptoms of depression, anxiety and stress, but …

Expanding A Behavioral View On Digital Health Access: Drivers And Strategies To Promote Equity, Maura M. Kepper, Lauren A. Fowler, Isabelle S. Kusters, Jean W. Davis, Manal Baqer, Sarah Sagui-Henson, Yunyu Xiao, Adati Tarfa, Jean C. Yi, Bryan Gibson, Kristin E. Heron, Nicole M. Alberts, Marissa Burgermaster, Veronica Njie-Carr, Lisa M. Klesges

Psychology Faculty Publications

The potential and threat of digital tools to achieve health equity has been highlighted for over a decade, but the success of achieving equitable access to health technologies remains challenging. Our paper addresses renewed concerns regarding equity in digital health access that were deepened during the COVID-19 pandemic. Our viewpoint is that (1) digital health tools have the potential to improve health equity if equitable access is achieved, and (2) improving access and equity in digital health can be strengthened by considering behavioral science-based strategies embedded in all phases of tool development. Using behavioral, equity, and access frameworks allowed for …

All The Better To Hear You With: Using Social Media For Employee Listening, C. S. Ju, E. A. Liguori, N. M. Savage

Psychology Faculty Publications

The article explores the use of social media for employee listening in organizations, highlighting the importance of employee voice and its positive impact on the workplace. It suggests that social media platforms can provide a space for employees to express themselves, share ideas, and connect with others. However, caution is advised when integrating social media into formal workplace decisions and the hiring process due to concerns about fairness, privacy, and discrimination. The article also addresses the challenges faced by minority employees in voicing dissent and the potential for social media to amplify their voices. It recommends consulting the book "Social …

Gaze Transition Entropy As A Measure Of Attention Allocation In A Dynamic Workspace Involving Automation, Zixin Cui, Tetsuya Sato, Austin Jackson, Sampath Jayarathna, Makoto Itoh, Yusuke Yamani

Psychology Faculty Publications

Real-world work environments require operators to perform multiple tasks with continual support from an automated system. Eye movement is often used as a surrogate measure of operator attention, yet conventional summary measures such as percent dwell time do not capture dynamic transitions of attention in complex visual workspace. This study analyzed eye movement data collected in a controlled a MATB-II task environment using gaze transition entropy analysis. In the study, human subjects performed a compensatory tracking task, a system monitoring task, and a communication task concurrently. The results indicate that both gaze transition entropy and stationary gaze entropy, measures of …

Neuroticism Mediates The Association Between Autistic Traits And Choice Reaction Time Among Young Adults, Kassandra De Jesus Cintron, Xiao Yang

Psychology Faculty Publications

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder that influences an individual’s cognitive functions and social interaction. While most studies have focused on children and adolescents diagnosed with ASD, elevated levels of autistic traits in subclinical populations may also influence individuals’ daily functioning. Autistic traits are also linked to the Big Five personality. In particular, neuroticism (emotion instability) has been shown to be positively associated with autistic traits, which may contribute to behavioral symptoms of autistic traits. The present study aimed to investigate the association between autistic symptoms and sensorimotor processing among a subclinical population. One hundred young adults (M …

Sex Differences In The Association Between Cardiac Vagal Control And The Effects Of Baroreflex Afferents On Behavior, Xiao Yang, Jacob Chaney, Aaron S. David, Fang Fang

Psychology Faculty Publications

Background: Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of mortality and disability worldwide. While sex differences in CVD have been well documented, the physiological mechanisms of those sex differences remain unclear. As important components of the cardiovascular system, cardiac vagal control and baroreflex serve as mechanisms of sex differences in CVD and are modifiable factors for gender-specific CVD preventions. Methods: Ninety-four healthy adults (18–44 years of age; M_age = 21.09 years; 46 female) were recruited to complete the assessments of heart rate variability (HRV) at a resting baseline and the cardiac timing effect on an R-wave-locked reaction time (RT) …

Facilitating Thought Progression To Reduce Depressive Symptoms: Randomized Controlled Trial, Shai-Lee Yatziv, Paola Pedrelli, Shira Baror, Sydney Ann Decaro, Noam Shachar, Bar Sofer, Sunday Hull, Joshua Curtiss, Moshe Bar

Psychology Faculty Publications

Background:

The constant rise in the prevalence of major depressive disorder calls for new, effective, and accessible interventions that can rapidly and effectively reach a wide range of audiences. Recent developments in the digital health domain suggest that dedicated online platforms may potentially address this gap. Focusing on targeting ruminative thought, a major symptomatic hallmark of depression, in this study we hypothesized that delivering a digital health-based intervention designed to systematically facilitate thought progression would substantially alleviate depression.

Objective:

The study aims to investigate the efficacy of a novel digital intervention on the reduction of depressive symptoms. This intervention was …