Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

The Implementation Of Alternative Pain Control Methods By Dental Hygienists, Alejandra Valadez Rodriguez

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

As a dental hygienist, it is important to understand new concepts and techniques that can contribute to a more comfortable setting for patients who experience dental anxiety. Alternative pain control methods can assist in alleviating patient anxiety, therefore, providing a more efficient and relaxed clinical atmosphere for both patient and clinician. Some of the methods discussed are: guided imagery, deep breathing, muscle relaxation, hypnosis, acupressure, essential oil diffusion, audio distraction, and visual stimuli. After reviewing the literature the researcher found that dental anxiety affects patient compliance, their overall health, and willingness to attend regular dental visits. The purpose of this …

Probing The Nature Of Deficits In The ‘Approximate Number System’ In Children With Persistent Developmental Dyscalculia, S Bugden, Daniel Ansari

Brain and Mind Institute Researchers' Publications

In the present study we examined whether children with Developmental Dyscalculia (DD) exhibit a deficit in the so-called 'Approximate Number System' (ANS). To do so, we examined a group of elementary school children who demonstrated persistent low math achievement over 4 years and compared them to typically developing (TD), aged-matched controls. The integrity of the ANS was measured using the Panamath (www.panamath.org) non-symbolic numerical discrimination test. Children with DD demonstrated imprecise ANS acuity indexed by larger Weber fraction (w) compared to TD controls. Given recent findings showing that non-symbolic numerical discrimination is affected by visual parameters, we went further and …

A Quantitative Comparison Of The Hemispheric, Areal, And Laminar Origins Of Sensory And Motor Cortical Projections To The Superior Colliculus Of The Cat., Blake E Butler, Nicole Chabot, Stephen G Lomber

Brain and Mind Institute Researchers' Publications

The superior colliculus (SC) is a midbrain structure central to orienting behaviors. The organization of descending projections from sensory cortices to the SC has garnered much attention; however, rarely have projections from multiple modalities been quantified and contrasted, allowing for meaningful conclusions within a single species. Here, we examine corticotectal projections from visual, auditory, somatosensory, motor, and limbic cortices via retrograde pathway tracers injected throughout the superficial and deep layers of the cat SC. As anticipated, the majority of cortical inputs to the SC originate in the visual cortex. In fact, each field implicated in visual orienting behavior makes a …

Neuropsychological Effects Of Pomegranate Supplementation Following Ischemic Stroke, John A. Bellone

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Polyphenols are compounds found in fruits and vegetables that have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Mounting evidence suggests that dietary polyphenol intake can reduce the detrimental effects of various disease processes, and pomegranates have frequently been examined because of their particularly high polyphenol content. Since stroke induces both oxidative stress and inflammation and is currently the leading cause of long-term disability in the U.S., we sought to determine whether dietary supplementation with polyphenols could enhance cognitive recovery in individuals who had suffered an ischemic stroke. We administered polyphenols via 2 POMx pills containing polyphenols derived from pomegranates equivalent to the content …

An Examination Of African Americans' Utilization Of Health Care, Brittany Powell

Dissertations

The study examined the relationship between perceptions of discrimination, social support, quality of health care received, and utilization of health care services among African Americans. Data was analyzed from 99 African American respondents that completed either an online or paper questionnaire. The responses demonstrated significant relationships existed between discrimination and quality of health care as well as social support and utilization of health care. Results concluded that the more discrimination one perceives, the lower quality of health care they are to expect, and therefore they are less likely to utilize services. However, the data also reflected that even in the …

Gender Role Identification, Sexual Orientation, And Disordered Eating In Young Adults, Natalie Perkins

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

Young adults are at a significantly high risk for eating disorders. Existing research is lacking in what factors can contribute to this disorder; however, there is some that suggests that self-identification with masculine and feminine gender roles can contribute to an individual’s risk for disordered eating. Research investigating disordered eating in sexual minorities is particularly slim. The current study sought to examine the relationship between gender role identification, sexual orientation, and disordered eating, as well as the roles that anxiety and depression have in disordered eating development. In our sample (n = 437, 73.6% female, 76.7% white, 87.6% heterosexual), participants …

Statistical Learning In Specific Language Impairment And Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Meta-Analysis, Rita Obeid, Patricia J. Brooks, Kasey L. Powers, Kristen Gillespie-Lynch, Jarrad A. G. Lum

Publications and Research

Impairments in statistical learning might be a common deficit among individuals with Specific Language Impairment (SLI) and Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Using metaanalysis, we examined statistical learning in SLI (14 studies, 15 comparisons) and ASD (13 studies, 20 comparisons) to evaluate this hypothesis. Effect sizes were examined as a function of diagnosis across multiple statistical learning tasks (Serial Reaction Time, Contextual Cueing, Artificial Grammar Learning, Speech Stream, Observational Learning, and Probabilistic Classification). Individuals with SLI showed deficits in statistical learning relative to age-matched controls. In contrast, statistical learning was intact in individuals with ASD relative to controls. Effect sizes did …

Dementia In Prison: An Argument For Training Correctional Officers, Rachele Vogel

Graduate School of Professional Psychology: Doctoral Papers and Masters Projects

Dementia is a significant public health problem that is occurring behind bars. However, the number of inmates suffering from this disease is unknown (Feczko, 2014). Current research has exposed a serious gap in correctional health care for older adults, and correctional institutions are being encouraged to make changes to better address the needs of this population (Fellner, 2012; OIG, 2016; Williams, Stern, Mellow, Safer, & Greifinger, 2012b). The purpose of this paper is to bring awareness to the aging problem behind bars and respond to the identified need for additional training for custodial staff (correctional, parole, and probation officers). Training …

Symptoms, Contributing Factors, And Screening For Perinatal Mood And Anxiety Disorders In U.S. Latinas: A Literature Review, Jennifer N. S. Massie

Master's Projects and Capstones

This literature review was conducted to gather the published information on the topic of perinatal mood and anxiety disorders in the Latina population in the United States. Academic databases were searched for articles published between 2005 and 2016. 60 articles were considered, and a final sample of 36 articles and websites was included in this review.

Evidence suggests that Latina women in the perinatal period (pregnant and up to one year postpartum) in the United States of America tend to have a higher risk and incidence of perinatal mood and anxiety disorders than White women, and a higher risk and …

Relationship Science And Interventions: Where We Are And Where We Are Going, Kieran T. Sullivan, Erika E. Lawrence

Psychology

Relationship distress and divorce often have profound effects on couples and their children. Relationship science has long sought to prevent and alleviate relationship distress; this chapter is a summary of many important recent developments in the field. Ongoing challenges in studying and assisting intimate relationships are also discussed.

Spatial Attention To Social Cues Is Not A Monolithic Process, Samuel M. Harding, Ty W. Boyer, Bennett I. Bertenthal

Psychology: Faculty Presentations (2009-2022)

Social stimuli are a highly salient source of information, and seem to possess unique qualities that set them apart from other well-known categories. One characteristic is their ability to elicit spatial orienting, whereby directional stimuli like eyegaze and pointing gestures act as exogenous cues that trigger automatic shifts of attention that are difficult to inhibit. This effect has been extended to non-social stimuli, like arrows, leading to some uncertainty regarding whether spatial orienting is specialized for social cues. Using a standard spatial cueing paradigm, we found evidence that both a pointing hand and arrow are effective cues, but that the …

A Trial-By-Trial Window Into Sensorimotor Transformations In The Human Motor Periphery., Chao Gu, Daniel K Wood, Paul L Gribble, Brian D Corneil

Brain and Mind Institute Researchers' Publications

UNLABELLED: The appearance of a novel visual stimulus generates a rapid stimulus-locked response (SLR) in the motor periphery within 100 ms of stimulus onset. Here, we recorded SLRs from an upper limb muscle while humans reached toward (pro-reach) or away (anti-reach) from a visual stimulus. The SLR on anti-reaches encoded the location of the visual stimulus rather than the movement goal. Further, SLR magnitude was attenuated when subjects reached away from rather than toward the visual stimulus. Remarkably, SLR magnitudes also correlated with reaction times on both pro-reaches and anti-reaches, but did so in opposite ways: larger SLRs preceded shorter …

Understanding Neighborhood Satisfaction For Individuals With Psychiatric Disabilities: A Mixed Methods Study, Amy Leigh Shearer

Dissertations and Theses

Physical and social characteristics of neighborhoods are important to resident satisfaction for clinical and nonclinical populations. This study draws upon data collected from a sample of 172 individuals with psychiatric disabilities living in 16 supportive housing sites in the Portland, Oregon metropolitan area. Research questions explore the extent to which subjective and objective measures of neighborhood physical and social environments contribute to neighborhood satisfaction for this population. Mixed methods were employed to construct a detailed understanding of the factors that influence satisfaction with one's neighborhood of residence. Predictor variables were neighborhood social climate, neighborhood physical quality, perceptions of safety, crime …

Why Numerical Symbols Count In The Development Of Mathematical Skills: Evidence From Brain And Behaviour, Rebecca Merkley, Daniel Ansari

Brain and Mind Institute Researchers' Publications

Numerical skills measured prior to school entry are predictive of mathematics achievement longitudinally. It is therefore important that young children start school with strong mathematical foundations. Here we review evidence from behavior and neuroimaging that highlights numerical symbol knowledge as a key mediator between informal and formal mathematical competencies. We argue that future research should aim to elucidate cognitive and neuronal mechanisms underpinning the acquisition of symbolic knowledge. Furthermore, multiple aspects of numerical symbol knowledge, such as identification, cardinality, and ordinality, should be emphasized in preschool childcare environments

Rapid Decrement In The Effects Of The Ponzo Display Dissociates Action And Perception., Robert L Whitwell, Gavin Buckingham, James T Enns, Philippe A Chouinard, Melvyn A Goodale

Brain and Mind Institute Researchers' Publications

It has been demonstrated that pictorial illusions have a smaller influence on grasping than they do on perceptual judgments. Yet to date this work has not considered the reduced influence of an illusion as it is measured repeatedly. Here we studied this decrement in the context of a Ponzo illusion to further characterize the dissociation between vision for perception and for action. Participants first manually estimated the lengths of single targets in a Ponzo display with their thumb and index finger, then actually grasped these targets in another series of trials, and then manually estimated the target lengths again in …

Effects Of Material Properties And Object Orientation On Precision Grip Kinematics., Vivian C Paulun, Karl R Gegenfurtner, Melvyn A Goodale, Roland W Fleming

Brain and Mind Institute Researchers' Publications

Successfully picking up and handling objects requires taking into account their physical properties (e.g., material) and position relative to the body. Such features are often inferred by sight, but it remains unclear to what extent observers vary their actions depending on the perceived properties. To investigate this, we asked participants to grasp, lift and carry cylinders to a goal location with a precision grip. The cylinders were made of four different materials (Styrofoam, wood, brass and an additional brass cylinder covered with Vaseline) and were presented at six different orientations with respect to the participant (0°, 30°, 60°, 90°, 120°, …

A Longitudinal Investigation Of Predictors Of The Association Between Age 3 And Age 6 Behavioural Inhibition., Victoria C Johnson, Thomas M Olino, Daniel N Klein, Margaret W Dyson, Sara J Bufferd, C Emily Durbin, Lea R Dougherty, Elizabeth P Hayden

Brain and Mind Institute Researchers' Publications

Children who exhibit elevated levels of the temperament trait behavioural inhibition (BI) across time may be at greatest risk for anxiety. However, little research has investigated the influence of other temperamental traits, particularly positive emotionality (PE), on the continuity of BI in childhood, nor whether parental overprotection influences associations between early and later child BI. To explore whether PE and overprotection shape associations between early and later BI, this longitudinal study of three-year-olds (

Life Balance In Adult Healthy Siblings Of Individuals With Childhood Cancer., Yolanda Williams

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Siblings of children who were diagnosed with cancer in childhood experience significant stress and psychological difficulties as a result of the cancer. Furthermore, the needs of siblings have often been overlooked in the cancer literature, prompting the need for more studies. The purpose of this dissertation is to examine the life balance and social support outcomes of adults who grew up in the household with a sibling that was diagnosed with cancer. The study sample consisted of 120 adult healthy siblings who grew up in a household with a sibling that was diagnosed with cancer prior to age 19. Participants …

Impact Of Peer Relationship And Exposure To Violence On Posttraumatic Stress For Children At Risk For Maltreatment, Aura Ankita Mishra

Open Access Theses

Post-traumatic Stress (PTS) symptomology includes ruminating thoughts and feelings around trauma, inability to feel and express emotions, and avoidance of things related to the traumatic event (American Psychiatric Association, 2000). Children and youth exposed to child maltreatment (abuse and neglect) are at higher risk of experiencing PTS. Extra-familial support, including peer support can reduce post-traumatic stress among youth (Pina et al., 2008). In the present study, Witnessing, Victimization, and Both Witnessing and Victimization due to Exposure to In-Home Violence and Peer Relationship Quality are evaluated as to their relative impact on PTS for children at risk for child maltreatment. Peer …

South Asian Women's Sexual Relationship Power: Examining The Role Of Sexism, Cultural Values Conflict, Discrimination, And Social Support, Chandni D. Shah

Open Access Dissertations

The lack of literature examining sexual experiences of South Asian women in dating relationships has important implications for the healthy development of long lasting romantic relationships. It is important to understand South Asian women’s relationship experiences in the context of power and sexism (interpersonal power framework; Pulerwitz, Gortmaker, & DeJong, 2000) and the role of specific sociopolitical factors (e.g., discrimination). Understanding South Asian women’s experiences of power in a sociopolitical context will help professionals when working with them to develop healthier sexual relationships through therapy outreach, and community programming. I used a correlational, quantitative study to examine the associations between …

Treatment Recidivism In Adolescents With Mental Illness: A Focused Applied Medical Ethnography, Chukwudi C. Ekwemalor

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Background

Treatment recidivism, described as frequent unplanned relapse readmissions, is a national problem predominant in adolescents with mental illness with significant socioeconomic consequences. Adolescents living with mental illness are a sub-culture of adolescence, the critical growth period of developmental and social transition from childhood to adulthood. The main triggers of treatment recidivism in this population are not fully understood from previous studies.

Purpose

The study purpose was to explore treatment recidivism with the following aims:

1. To illuminate treatment recidivism from the perspectives of recidivist adolescents with mental illness.

2. To describe the main factors that contribute to treatment recidivism …

The Perceived Invalidation Of Emotion Scale (Pies): Development And Psychometric Properties, Melissa Jean Zielinski

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Despite the decades that have passed since invalidation was first theorized to causally influence the development of psychopathology (Linehan, 1993), no measures have been designed and statistically validated to index current emotion invalidation. Research on invalidation has thus grown slowly and often used measures that were designed to assess other constructs (e.g., criticism, abuse) or that retrospectively assess childhood invalidation. This series of five studies describes the development and psychometric evaluation of the Perceived Invalidation of Emotion Scale (PIES), a novel measure of emotion invalidation. Items for the PIES were developed using themes from a qualitative investigation of adults’ experiences …

Influences On Self-Care In Women With Heart Failure: A Pilot Study, Joy Corcione

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Background: Heart Failure self-care becomes exceedingly difficult to perform as the disease progresses; therefore social support becomes important in facilitating heart failure self-care. Woman with heart failure represent a significant and growing vulnerable population. Women tend to have lower self-confidence in providing self-care, experience greater negative emotions, decreased social support, experience more adverse psychosocial factors affecting self-care and experience greater psychosocial adversity than do men. Self-care is vital in managing heart failure and social support greatly facilitates self-care behaviors.

Purpose: The purpose of this pilot study was to gain a deeper understanding about the sources of perceived social support and …

The Associations Among Expressed Emotion, Relationship Satisfaction, Ptsd Symptoms, Alcohol Use, And Depression: A Longitudinal Investigation With A Military Sample, Laci Lee Zawilinski

Dissertations

PTSD in military personnel is highly prevalent and accompanied by elevated rates of additional issues such as depression, problematic alcohol use, and interpersonal relationship problems. Family members and spouses of military personnel have also been shown to be negatively impacted by PTSD symptoms. Previous research has indicated that family members and spouses’ expressed emotion regarding the PTSD patients’ symptoms negatively impacts treatment outcome in civilian populations. However, studies have yet to investigate the effect of expressed emotion on the course of PTSD symptoms and associated problems in military personnel. Therefore, the purpose of the present investigation was to examine the …

Using The Theory Of Planned Behavior To Predict Executives’ Intentions To Hire Psychologists In Federally Qualified Health Centers, Robert M. Tolliver

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Health psychologists with training in integrated care are ideal candidates to work in Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs). However, despite the large documented need for more behavioral health providers in FQHCs, psychologists are underrepresented in this setting compared to other behavioral health professions. The purpose of this study was to: 1) examine the specific beliefs that are most relevant to executives’ intentions to hire psychologists, 2) determine how executives’ perceived control over hiring psychologists varies by several demographic variables, and 3) examine how well the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) predicts executives’ intentions to hire psychologists. Method: Executives (N …

Moderation Analysis Of Bowel Function Among Nutrients And Physical Function Or Depression, As Well As Whether Bowel Function Is Related To Cognition In Older Adults, Jessie Alwerdt

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

As we age, the risk for gut issues, such as smooth muscle tone, may be an underlying indirect or direct cause or risk factor for many age-related issues, such as frailty. Consequences of decreased motility and depleted epithelial barrier may result in nutrient deficiencies that may increase the risk for malnutrition (Brownie, 2006). Further, there is increasing evidence that there is a gut-brain-axis relationship that may influence cognition and mental health issues, such as depression and anxiety. While there are relationships established, the interconnections of these factors have yet to be fully understood.

This dissertation examined several relationships specific to …

Disentangling Representations Of Object And Grasp Properties In The Human Brain, Sara Fabbri, Kevin M. Stubbs, Rhodri Cusack, Jody C. Culham

Brain and Mind Institute Researchers' Publications

No abstract provided.

International Trade Effects Of Regional Economic Integration In Africa: The Case Of The Southern African Development Community (Sadc), Mengesha Yayo, Sisay Asefa

International Journal of African Development

Empirical studies on regional economic integration process in Africa exhibit sluggish progress, and there by limited level of intra-trade. The existing literature in Africa, particularly in the Southern African regional integration bloc, has neglected the effects of regional economic integration dealing with disaggregated data. This study analyzes trade creation and diversion effects of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) using disaggregated data. The investigation estimates an augmented gravity model using panel data and random effect estimator methods applying instrumental variables where needed.

The results show that intra-SADC trade is growing in the fuel and minerals and the heavy manufacturing sectors …

Social Support And Depression Symptomatology Post Injury In Division 1 Athletes, Alyssa Catherine Tiedens

Dissertations and Theses

The way in which an athlete responds to the injury--emotionally, behaviorally, and cognitively--can significantly affect the athlete's mental health in a negative way if not handled appropriately. There are different forms of social support that are known to be helpful with coping during specific stages of injury. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between perceived levels of social support and depression symptomatology post injury in Division 1 collegiate athletes at Portland State University (PSU).

Participants were PSU student athletes (n=115). Variables: social support amount (SSQN), social support satisfaction (SSQS), and depression symptomatology (CESD-R) score. Selected injured …

The Role Of Infectious And Stress-Related Onsets In Myalgic Encephalomyelitis And Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Symptomatology And Functioning, Andrew R. Devendorf, Abigail A. Brown, Leonard A. Jason

DePaul Discoveries

This study examined how the mode of onset for myalgic encephalomyelitis and chronic fatigue syndrome (ME and CFS) impacts patients’ presenting symptomatology. Specifically, this study investigated the differences between the most commonly reported ME and CFS onsets: infectious, stress-related, and a combined infectious and stress-related onset (referred to as ‘combined onset’). Three patient samples were combined and utilized. All participants met Fukuda et al. (1994) criteria and self-reported their illness onset. Analyses showed the infectious group reported the most impairment for general health functioning—which relates to the susceptibility of getting or feeling sick—in comparison to the stress-related group. Meanwhile, both …