Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

The New Normal Of Social Psychology In The Face Of The Covid-19 Pandemic: Insights And Advice From Leaders In The Field, Kim Pong Tam, Angela K. Y. Leung, Sammyh Khan

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

Revisiting the history of social psychology, one noticeable trend is that the agenda of social psychologists is interwoven with events that happen in society and the world (Ross et al., 2010). For example, the Holocaust during World War II stimulated social psychologists’ interest in ethnocentrism, aggression, and obedience, just as increasing globalization became one of the impetuses for investigations into the role of culture in human behaviour, and hence the emergence of cultural and cross‐cultural psychology. Considering its immensity, we believe that the COVID‐19 pandemic will likely be a trigger for profound and consequential changes in social psychology (Khazaie & …

Analyzing Student Experience On Group Work With The Application Of Different Group Allocation Approaches, An Yee Tan

Management and HR

Working as a group can be as challenging as working by oneself. Common issues like ineffective group work, unequal work contribution, and poor communication are believed to be the reasons why many students preferred to work individually. The purpose of this study is to understand if there is a disparity in student experience on group work by implementing different methods of group formation, which are, intentional group formation and random assignment. Topics around team well-being, team communication, and team effectiveness are the main focus of this study. The second emphasis of this study is students’ opinions on whether or not …

Health Literacy Of The Covid-19 Pandemic On The Behavior Of Street Children’S Mothers In Indonesia, Yanti Tayo, Ninis Agustini Damayani, Atwar Bajari, Wawan Setiawan

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

The COVID-19 virus, which is spreading rapidly and massively around the world, is causing panic and fear in everyone; the Indonesian government is taking quick steps to solve the COVID 19 pandemic that is currently happening. What about the fate of street children currently still on the streets working as street singers, beggars, and hawkers? This study aims to see how health literacy possessed by the mothers of street children who are still on the streets during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study uses a qualitative research method with a phenomenological approach. The resource persons in this study were ten mothers …

Assisted Reproductive Technologies And Health-Related Issues Among Women And Children: A Research Review, Laura Maria Corradi

Dignity: A Journal of Analysis of Exploitation and Violence

From their first use in the late 1970s until the mid-1990s, Assisted Reproductive Technologies (ART) gave rise to serious concerns by feminists internationally. Their questions ranged from asking about health risks to ethical and political problems inherent in these technologies. However, over the last 25 years, interest in women’s health which used to be central to feminist theory and politics, progressively decreased and with it concerns about ART. Today, while the medical literature about health risks in ART is increasing, the topic of women’s health in relation to reproductive technologies remains marginal in feminist discourse, social sciences, and the mainstream …

Examining Criteria For Defining Persistent Post-Concussion Symptoms In Children And Adolescents, Grant L. Iverson, Justin E. Karr, Bruce Maxwell, Ross Zafonte, Paul D. Berkner, Nathan E. Cook

Psychology Faculty Publications

Researchers operationalize persistent post-concussion symptoms in children and adolescents using varied definitions. Many pre-existing conditions, personal characteristics, and current health issues can affect symptom endorsement rates in the absence of, or in combination with, a recent concussion, and the use of varied definitions can lead to differences in conclusions about persistent symptoms and recovery across studies. This study examined how endorsement rates varied by 14 different operational definitions of persistent post-concussion symptoms for uninjured boys and girls with and without pre-existing or current health problems. This cross-sectional study included a large sample (age range: 11–18) of girls (n = …

Testing The Use Of A Social Networking App For American Indians Recovering From Addiction, Nicholas Guenzel, Dennis Mcchargue, Hongying Dai

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

Objectives: American Indians (AIs) have higher rates of addiction than most other groups. Social networking mobile apps are growing in popularity but their use has not been studied among AIs specifically. Methods: This paper describes a pilot program in which 27 AIs recovering from addiction were given access to a mobile app to support addiction recovery (Sober Grid) for up to six months. They completed a technology acceptability survey, monthly surveys of cravings, social connectedness, and quality of life, and a follow-up survey. Their use of the app was also tracked. Findings: We found that individuals in the sample often …

Intrinsic Functional Clustering Of Ventral Premotor F5 In The Macaque Brain, Saloni Sharma, David J. Schaeffer, Kasper Vinken, Stefan Everling, Koen Nelissen

Brain and Mind Institute Researchers' Publications

© 2020 Neurophysiological and anatomical data suggest the existence of several functionally distinct regions in the lower arcuate sulcus and adjacent postarcuate convexity of the macaque monkey. Ventral premotor F5c lies on the postarcuate convexity and consists of a dorsal hand-related and ventral mouth-related field. The posterior bank of the lower arcuate contains two additional premotor F5 subfields at different anterior-posterior levels, F5a and F5p. Anterior to F5a, area 44 has been described as a dysgranular zone occupying the deepest part of the fundus of the inferior arcuate. Finally, area GrFO occupies the most rostral portion of the fundus and …

Effects Of Phase Regression On High-Resolution Functional Mri Of The Primary Visual Cortex, Olivia W. Stanley, Alan B. Kuurstra, L. Martyn Klassen, Ravi S. Menon, Joseph S. Gati

Brain and Mind Institute Researchers' Publications

High-resolution functional MRI studies have become a powerful tool to non-invasively probe the sub-millimeter functional organization of the human cortex. Advances in MR hardware, imaging techniques and sophisticated post-processing methods have allowed high resolution fMRI to be used in both the clinical and academic neurosciences. However, consensus within the community regarding the use of gradient echo (GE) or spin echo (SE) based acquisition remains largely divided. On one hand, GE provides a high temporal signal-to-noise ratio (tSNR) technique sensitive to both the macro- and micro-vascular signal while SE based methods are more specific to microvasculature but suffer from lower tSNR …

Aberrant Maturation Of The Uncinate Fasciculus Follows Exposure To Unpredictable Patterns Of Maternal Signals, Steven J. Granger, Laura M. Glynn, Curt A. Sandman, Steven L. Small, Andre Obenaus, David B. Keator, Tallie Z. Baram, Hal S. Stern, Michael A. Yassa, Elyssia Poggi Davis

Psychology Faculty Articles and Research

Across species, unpredictable patterns of maternal behavior are emerging as novel predictors of aberrant cognitive and emotional outcomes later in life. In animal models, exposure to unpredictable patterns of maternal behavior alters brain circuit maturation and cognitive and emotional outcomes. However, whether exposure to such signals in humans alters the development of brain pathways is unknown. In mother–child dyads, we tested the hypothesis that exposure to more unpredictable maternal signals in infancy is associated with aberrant maturation of corticolimbic pathways. We focused on the uncinate fasciculus, the primary fiber bundle connecting the amygdala to the orbitofrontal cortex and a key …

The Rac-Gef Tiam1 Promotes Dendrite And Synapse Stabilization Of Dentate Granule Cells And Restricts Hippocampal-Dependent Memory Functions, Jinxuan Cheng, Federico Scala, Francisco A Blanco, Sanyong Niu, Karen Firozi, Laura Keehan, Shalaka Mulherkar, Emmanouil Froudarakis, Lingyong Li, Joseph G Duman, Xiaolong Jiang, Kimberley F Tolias

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

The dentate gyrus (DG) controls information flow into the hippocampus and is critical for learning, memory, pattern separation, and spatial coding, while DG dysfunction is associated with neuropsychiatric disorders. Despite its importance, the molecular mechanisms regulating DG neural circuit assembly and function remain unclear. Here, we identify the Rac-GEF Tiam1 as an important regulator of DG development and associated memory processes. In the hippocampus, Tiam1 is predominantly expressed in the DG throughout life. Global deletion of Tiam1 in male mice results in DG granule cells with simplified dendritic arbors, reduced dendritic spine density, and diminished excitatory synaptic transmission. Notably, DG …

Anxiety And Mood Disorders Impacting Physician Opioid Prescribing In The Pediatric Hospital Setting, Candice D. Donaldson, Zeev N. Kain, Louis Ehwerhemuepha, Michelle A. Fortier, Michael T. Phan, Daniel M. Tomaszewski, Sun Yang, William Feaster, Brooke N. Jenkins

Psychology Faculty Articles and Research

This research examined whether pediatric inpatients without an anxiety/mood disorder are more likely to receive opioids in response to pain compared to patients diagnosed with a mental health condition. Research questions were tested using cross-sectional inpatient electronic medical record data. Propensity score matching was used to match patients with a disorder with patients without the disorder (anxiety analyses: N = 2892; mood analyses: N = 1042). Although patients with anxiety and mood disorders experienced greater pain, physicians were less likely to order opioids for these patients. Analyses also disclosed an interaction of anxiety with pain—the pain-opioid relation was stronger for …

Risk Factors Associated With Opioid Use Among African American Faith-Based Populations, Kelsey Christensen Ma, Jannette Berkley-Patton Phd, Alexandria Bauer Phd, Carole Bowe Thompson, Tacia Burgin

Journal of Health Disparities Research and Practice

African Americans (AAs) in the Midwest are more likely to die from an opioid overdose compared to Whites, despite lower rates of use. Little is known about factors related to opioid use among AAs residing in the Midwest, particularly church-affiliated AAs. AAs have the highest rate of church attendance among all racial/ethnic groups, and the Black Church may be an appropriate setting for prevention efforts. The present study sought to better understand factors related to opioid use among Midwestern church-affiliated AAs to inform future faith-based interventions. This study examined predictors of opioid use (ever) using survey data from Taking It …

Interprofessional Experience For Future Education Professionals: School Psychology And Speech-Language Pathology Students, Shari L. Deveney, Brian Mckevitt

Teaching and Learning in Communication Sciences & Disorders

Educational training programs are tasked with addressing potential barriers to interprofessional practice through experiences that promote interprofessional collaborations. The present study of interprofessional experiences (IPE) had both research and pedagogical purposes. The research purpose was to describe graduate student self-perceptions related to interprofessional teaming/collaboration before and after an IPE involving two educational training programs, school psychology and speech-language pathology. The pedagogical purpose was to convey a detailed description of a case-based IPE offered as a course assignment and offer implementation suggestions. Participants in this course-based IPE were 109 students in the school psychology and speech-language pathology graduate programs at a …

Creating A Theoretical Framework To Underpin Discourse Assessment And Intervention In Aphasia, Lucy Dipper, Jane Marshall, Mary Boyle, Deborah Hersh, Nicola Botting, Madeline Cruice

Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

Discourse (a unit of language longer than a single sentence) is fundamental to everyday communication. People with aphasia (a language impairment occurring most frequently after stroke, or other brain damage) have communication difficulties which lead to less complete, less coherent, and less complex discourse. Although there are multiple reviews of discourse assessment and an emerging evidence base for discourse intervention, there is no unified theoretical framework to underpin this research. Instead, disparate theories are recruited to explain different aspects of discourse impairment, or symptoms are reported without a hypothesis about the cause. What is needed is a theoretical framework that …

Schrödinger Filtering: A Precise Eeg Despiking Technique For Eeg-Fmri Gradient Artifact, Gabriel B. Benigno, Ravi S. Menon, Hacene Serrai

Brain and Mind Institute Researchers' Publications

In EEG data acquired in the presence of fMRI, gradient-related spike artifacts contaminate the signal following the common preprocessing step of average artifact subtraction. Spike artifacts compromise EEG data quality since they overlap with the EEG signal in frequency, thereby confounding frequency-based inferences on activity. As well, spike artifacts can inflate or deflate correlations among time series, thereby confounding inferences on functional connectivity. We present Schrödinger filtering, which uses the Schrödinger equation to decompose the spike-containing input. The basis functions of the decomposition are localized and pulse-shaped, and selectively capture the various input peaks, with the spike components clustered at …

Cracking The Code Of Place Value: The Relationship Between Place And Value Takes Years To Master, Pierina Cheung, Daniel Ansari

Brain and Mind Institute Researchers' Publications

Place value, which underlies the meanings of multidigits, encompasses the principle of position and base-10 rules. To understand 65, one needs to know that the digits 6 and 5 occupy different positions and thus represent ordered values of different magnitudes (i.e., the principle of position) and that the value of each position is determined by base-10 rules (i.e., the rightmost position is 100, followed by 101, 102, etc.). Without the principle of position, children cannot construct meanings for multidigits. Previous studies have shown that children do not know the exact value of digit positions until the early elementary school years, …

Psychiatrist Burnout, Irvin Sam Schonfeld, Renzo Bianchi

Publications and Research

We critique a paper published by Summers et al. (2020) and papers in general that, because of flawed methods, arrive at exceedingly high estimates of burnout in psychiatrists and other professionals.

The Psychosocial Well-Being Of Older Adults In Covid-19 And The 'New Normal', Micah Tan, Paulin T. Straughan, William Tov, Grace Cheong, Wensi Lim

ROSA Research Briefs

Early research into COVID-19 has focused predominantly on the immediate and direct physical health effects of the pandemic, as compared to the wider, indirect effects of the pandemic on general well-being brought about by the various measures put in place to contain the virus. In terms of policies, focus has also been placed largely on containment and broad based policies for the entire population. As experts increasingly recognize that the pandemic will be a protracted event (The Straits Times, 2021), however, there is a need for stakeholders to place greater emphasis on the indirect effects of COVID-19 that will likely …

Adhd Performance On Nonverbal Measures Of Set Shifting And Working Memory, S. Hans Stoltzfus

Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)

The relationship between language and cognition is an area of inquiry among many psychologists (Pellicano, 2010; Russel, 1996). The connection between thoughts, verbal language, and nonverbal communication turned researchers towards the relationship between language and executive functioning. Executive functioning (EF) is described as tasks involving working memory, inhibition, and set shifting (Miyake and Friedman (2012)). Despite studies demonstrating the correlation between language deficits and lower executive functioning there is not consensus on the directionality of the relationship (Kuhn, et al 2014; Boting et al., 2017). Data from the Leiter International Performance Scale, Third Edition (Leiter-3) (Roid, et al., 2013) were …

Seeking Control During Uncontrollable Times: Control Abilities And Religiosity Predict Stress During Covid-19, Shi Ann Shuna Khoo, Wei Xing Toh, Hwajin Yang

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

The COVID-19 pandemic has created an urgent need to understand the protective factors that can buffer individuals against psychological distress. We employed a latent-variable approach to examine how control-related factors such as religiosity, self-control, cognitive control, and health locus of control can act as resilience resources during stressful periods. We found that cognitive control emerged as a protective factor against COVID-19-related stress, whereas religiosity predicted a heightened level of stress. These results provide novel insights into control factors that can safeguard individuals' psychological well-being during crises such as a pandemic.

Antecedents Of Borderline Personality Disorder And Antisocial Personality Disorder: An Examination Of Gene X Environment Interactions, Amy L. Medina

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Current thinking suggests that genotypes associated with impulse-control disorders and negative emotionality, such as monoamine oxidase-a (MAOA), interact with negative early environmental factors like childhood maltreatment and develop into the disorders know as Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) and Antisocial Personality Disorder (ASPD). Using existing data from a prospective cohort design study of the consequences of child abuse and neglect, participants (N = 896 represent individuals with documented histories of child abuse and neglect and a matched comparison group that were followed up into adulthood and interviewed. A subsample of 631 participants gave permission for DNA extraction and analyses during …

Understanding The Impacts Of Emerging Infectious Disease (Eid) Media Exposure: The Case Of U.S. Ebola Virus Disease (Evd), Alicia Mason, Kevin Wright, Laura Lambert

Faculty Submissions

Introduction: Using the Extended Parallel Processing Model (EPPM) as a theoretical framework this study examines the impact of Ebola virus disease (EVD) media exposure on U.S. audience perceptions of the threat severity, personal susceptibility, and behavioral intentions to respond to the 2014 Ebola virus disease (EVD) threat.

Methods: Respondents included (n = 255) residents from the Midwest and Southern regions of U.S. Participants completed an online survey between 28 October and 3 December 2014 during the height of Ebola-related media coverage.

Results: Findings reveal that increased exposure to EVD media content was associated with increased threat severity and personal susceptibility. …

Female Rats Display Higher Methamphetamine-Primed Reinstatement And C-Fos Immunoreactivity Than Male Rats, Steven T. Pittenger, Shinnyi Chou, Nathan J. Murawski, Scott T. Barrett, Olivia Loh, Juan F. Duque, Ming Li, Rick A. Bevins

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

Methamphetamine (meth) dependence is often characterized by persistent and chronic relapse (i.e., return to drug use). Previous work suggests females may be at greater risk to relapse. In this study, we extended this limited evidence and identified sex-dependent neural substrates related to meth-triggered reinstatement. Male and female Sprague-Dawley rats were implanted with indwelling jugular catheters. Half of the rats were then trained to self-administer meth (0.05 mg/kg/inf); the other half self-administered saline during 21 daily sessions (2 h). Rats were then given 12 extinction sessions. Twenty-four hours after the last extinction session, rats received reinstatement testing. Half of the rats …

Adolescent Healthcare Contacts In The Year Before Suicide: A Case Control Study, Ana Lanier, Jordan Braciszewski, Hsueh-Han Yeh, Gregory Simon, Rebecca Rossom, Frances Lynch, Stephen Waring, Christine Lu, Ashli Owen-Smith, Arbe Beck, Brian Ahmedani

Medical Student Research Symposium

Introduction: Suicide rates among adolescents have risen steadily since 2007, creating a dire need to expand prevention protocols. Healthcare systems have been identified as a key avenue for identification and intervention. To date, no comprehensive analysis has been done to understand adolescent-specific characteristics and healthcare utilization prior to suicide death.

Methods: A case-control study was conducted using records from eight healthcare systems nationwide. Data from 450 subjects aged 10-24 who died by suicide between the years 2000-2013 was matched with 4500 controls based on health system and time period of membership. We examined past-year health diagnoses and patterns of visit …

Chronic Use Of Non-Medical Abdominal Compressors: Medical And Psychological Implications, Sawsan Edriss, Bushra Azom, Manar Edriss, Mustafa Edriss, Ann-Cathrin Guertler, Eva Waineo Md, Diane L. Levine Md

Medical Student Research Symposium

The popularity of waist cinchers, shapewear, abdominal binders, corsets, and waist trainers has increased in the population. Although corsets have been part of western fashion since the 18th century, abdominal compressors remain in style even today. In 2018, sales for shapewear worldwide were estimated at 2.26 billion USD. 1 Despite its popularity, shapewear safety and medical effects have not been widely studied.

In 1968, “Pantygirdle Syndrome” was described, attributing vulvitis, urethritis, and urinary tract infections to materials used from the “pantygirdle”. 2 The article describes that the girdle caused gastrointestinal symptoms with diaphragmatic and stomach displacement causing gastro-esophageal reflux disease …

L-Theanine Prevents Long-Term Affective And Cognitive Side Effects Of Adolescent Δ-9-Tetrahydrocannabinol Exposure And Blocks Associated Molecular And Neuronal Abnormalities In The Mesocorticolimbic Circuitry, Marta De Felice, Justine Renard, Roger Hudson, Hanna J. Szkudlarek, Brian J. Pereira, Susanne Schmid, Walter J. Rushlow, Steven R. Laviolette

Brain and Mind Institute Researchers' Publications

Chronic adolescent exposure to Δ-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) is linked to elevated neuropsychiatric risk and induces neuronal, molecular and behavioral abnormalities resembling neuropsychiatric endophenotypes. Previous evidence has revealed that the mesocorticolimbic circuitry, including the prefrontal cortex (PFC) and mesolimbic dopamine (DA) pathway are particularly susceptible to THC-induced pathologic alterations, including dysregulation of DAergic activity states, loss of PFC GABAergic inhibitory control and affective and cognitive abnormalities. There are currently limited pharmacological intervention strategies capable of preventing THC-induced neuropathological adaptations. L-Theanine is an amino acid analog of L-glutamate and L-glutamine derived from various plant sources, including green tea leaves. L-Theanine has previously been …

A Description Of Covid-19 Lifestyle Restrictions Among A Sample Of Rural Appalachian Women, Michele Staton, Martha Tillson, J. Matthew Webster

Journal of Appalachian Health

Background: COVID-19 has led to swift federal and state response to control virus transmission, which has resulted in unprecedented lifestyle changes for U.S. citizens including social distancing and isolation. Understanding the impact of COVID-19 lifestyle restrictions and related behavioral risks is important, particularly among individuals who may be more vulnerable (such as rural women with a history of substance use living in Appalachia).

Purpose: The overall purpose of this study was to better understand the perceptions of lifestyle changes due to COVID-19 restrictions among this vulnerable group.

Methods: The study included a mixed methods survey with a convenience sample of …

Strategies For Teachers To Promote Physical Activity In Early Childhood Education Settings—A Scoping Review, Toby C. T. Mak, Derwin K. C. Chan, Catherine M. Capio

Health Sciences Faculty Publications

Recent evidence has emphasized the importance of the early childhood years for developing lifelong physical activity patterns. As such, evidence-informed programs that create opportunities for young children to engage in physical activity are needed and education settings present an important context. This review aimed to identify strategies that are implemented by teachers to promote physical activity in early childhood education and care settings. This is a scoping review that followed the framework proposed by the Joanna Briggs Institute. Searches were conducted using the databases of PubMed, SCOPUS, PsycINFO, SPORT Discus, ERIC and Web of Science for publications up to September …

The Multiplicity Of Caregiving Burden: A Qualitative Analysis Of Families With Prolonged Disorders Of Consciousness., Laura E Gonzalez-Lara, Sarah Munce, Jennifer Christian, Adrian M Owen, Charles Weijer, Fiona Webster

Brain and Mind Institute Researchers' Publications

Objective: To understand the multiple and sometimes conflicting roles substitute decision makers (SDMs) of individuals in a vegetative state (VS), minimally conscious state (MCS), or with locked-in syndrome (LIS) perform while caring for a loved one and the competing priorities derived from these roles.Methods: We conducted semi-structured qualitative interviews using a constructive-grounded theory design. Twelve SDMs, who were also family members for 11 patients, were interviewed at two time points (except one) for a total of 21 in-depth interviews.Results: Participants described that caregiving is often the central role which they identify as their top priority …

Sharing Voxelwise Neuroimaging Results From Rhesus Monkeys And Other Species With Neurovault, Andrew S. Fox, Daniel Holley, Peter Christiaan Klink, Spencer A. Arbuckle, Carol A. Barnes, Jörn Diedrichsen, Sze Chai Kwok, Colin Kyle, J. Andrew Pruszynski, Jakob Seidlitz, Xu Feng Zhou, Russell A. Poldrack, Krzysztof J. Gorgolewski

Brain and Mind Institute Researchers' Publications

© 2020 The Authors Animal neuroimaging studies can provide unique insights into brain structure and function, and can be leveraged to bridge the gap between animal and human neuroscience. In part, this power comes from the ability to combine mechanistic interventions with brain-wide neuroimaging. Due to their phylogenetic proximity to humans, nonhuman primate neuroimaging holds particular promise. Because nonhuman primate neuroimaging studies are often underpowered, there is a great need to share data amongst translational researchers. Data sharing efforts have been limited, however, by the lack of standardized tools and repositories through which nonhuman neuroimaging data can easily be archived …