Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Administrative Barriers To Compliance With The 2010 Ncaa Policy On Concussion Management, Tyler Norman

Dissertations

Concussions and concussion management in sport have become a polarizing public health issue. The best concussion assessment practices and “return-to-play” guidelines have been debated in both the scientific arena and in the media. At risk is the health of the athletes when proper diagnosis and treatment are not accurate for this potentially devastating injury.

Recent research estimates that approximately 1.6 – 3.8 million sport-related concussions occur each year in the United States (Brady, 2011), which can lead to chronic disease, swelling of the brain, cognitive impairment, chronic headaches, mood disorders, depression, blurred vision, double vision, cranial hemorrhaging and death if …

Concussion In Student Athletes: Prevention, Assessment, And Recovery, Miriam A. Carroll-Alfano

Dissertations

The research presented in this study examines concussion among athletes from the perspectives of prevention, assessment, and recovery. The first study examines concussion education for high school athletes by surveying 157 collegiate athletes, who primarily attended high school in Illinois and Indiana, about the previous concussion education, including whether they received mandated education, the methods and providers of education, and their ability to name a variety of concussion symptoms. This study finds that despite legislative mandates in these states, 20% of student-athletes continue to report not receiving concussion education in high school, with females more likely to report not receiving …

Training Pediatric Primary Care Providers In Behavior Management Strategies, Kate Burger

Dissertations

Childhood mental health disorders are a significant public health concern in the United States. It is estimated that every year 13 to 20% of children living in the United States experience a mental health disorder (National Research Council and Institute of Medicine, 2009). Despite the clear need for mental health care, less than half (45.6%) of children with one or more emotional, behavioral, or developmental conditions receive treatment from a mental health professional (The National Survey of Children's Health, 2007). There is growing evidence that integrating mental health services into pediatric primary care can result in increased treatment access as …

Beta-Testing Of An Interactive Multimedia Computer Program Of Exposure Therapy For Ptsd, Marie C. Barrett

Dissertations

Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) results in significant impairment for the individual and substantial costs to society. Research indicates that cognitive behavioral psychotherapy (CBT) is the most effective treatment for PTSD and that among CBT treatments, exposure therapy is the treatment technique with the strongest evidence to recommend it for PTSD treatment. Computerized programs that deliver evidenced-based treatments offer a potential solution to barriers that prevent individuals from accessing and completing treatment. The present study evaluates the clinical and practical functionality of a computer-based program designed for the treatment of PTSD. Results indicate that completion of the program is associated with …

Primary Care Physician Delivered Brief Behavioral Intervention For Adult Obesity And Associated Health Conditions, Julia C. Huston

Dissertations

Obesity is a chronic health condition with prevalence rates that have continued to rise steadily over the past 30 years to the point that it has now been declared a global epidemic and a serious public health concern. Obesity is associated with significant physical and economic costs, primarily resulting from co-occurring health conditions that increase the risk of morbidity including type II diabetes, hypertension, dyslipidemia, stroke, coronary heart disease, and respiratory problems. Despite the dissemination of several obesity treatments, including pharmacotherapy, lifestyle modification, and bariatric surgery, the prevalence and severity of obesity continues to rise. Federal guidelines recommend the use …

Incidence Of Head Injury Among Synchronized Skaters: Rates, Risks, And Behaviors, Gretchen L. Mohney

Dissertations

Data regarding risk and rates for head injury and concussion specific to the sport of synchronized skating is absent from literature. This study investigated the rate and risk for head injury and concussion as a function of team level, identified behaviors to include education, neurocognitive baseline screening and protective equipment utilization, and the implementation of return to sport protocols.

An anonymous cross-sectional survey was implemented at the 2018 U.S. Synchronized Skating Championships. Participants were female members of a qualifying team, ages 13 and older, at the intermediate participation level and higher. The survey response rate was 42% (520/1232). Among the …

Mechanisms Of Sleep And The Brain, Doungbagai Leo

Honors Theses

One of the most important homeostatic functions of the brain and body is sleep. This literary review analyzes the genes that are involved in sleep: Clock, Bmal1, Period, and Cryptochrome. It also explains the role of melatonin, GABA, orexin, and melanopsin during sleep regulation. The genes and neurotransmitters influence the suprachiasmatic nuclei and the circadian rhythm that our brain, and every cell of our bodies, have connections to. These connection help to ensure the homeostatic function of our bodies. The analysis of sleep-like states in other animals may show an evolutionary connection of sleep from non-mammals to mammals, but may …

Do Global Diets Affect The Rate Of Type 2 Diabetes?, Demetria Meyer

Honors Theses

The purpose of this study is to determine whether different global diets correlate with the increase in type 2 diabetes rates. Type 2 diabetes is the main diabetes type being looked at due to it being the one that can be maintained primarily by glycemic control, which is controlled by a good diet. Five different countries from different regions will be examined: Brazil, China, Micronesia, Nigeria, and the United States. The diets of these countries will be broken down into smaller pieces, like calories consumed each day and the percentage of macronutrients that make up the calories. Eleven food groups …

Language Profiles Of Children Who Have Experienced Complex Trauma And Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders, Christel G. Ciolino

Masters Theses

Children who experience maltreatment and children with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD) have similar neurological differences and are at risk for language impairments. However, limited research has been conducted to analyze their specific skill sets. To address this limitation, retrospective data from the Children’s Trauma Assessment Center of Southwest Michigan were analyzed. The linguistic profiles of 79 children with histories of varying numbers of traumatic experiences and comorbid FASD statues are compared in the areas of semantics, syntax, pragmatics, and social communication. Individuals had high pass rates on the CELF-5 Screening Test and high overall scores on the Pragmatic Protocol-Revised …