Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

The Touchscreen Operant Platform For Testing Learning And Memory In Rats And Mice., Alexa E Horner, Christopher J Heath, Martha Hvoslef-Eide, Brianne A Kent, Chi Hun Kim, Simon R O Nilsson, Johan Alsiö, Charlotte A Oomen, Andrew Holmes, Lisa M Saksida, Timothy J Bussey

Brain and Mind Institute Researchers' Publications

An increasingly popular method of assessing cognitive functions in rodents is the automated touchscreen platform, on which a number of different cognitive tests can be run in a manner very similar to touchscreen methods currently used to test human subjects. This methodology is low stress (using appetitive rather than aversive reinforcement), has high translational potential and lends itself to a high degree of standardization and throughput. Applications include the study of cognition in rodent models of psychiatric and neurodegenerative diseases (e.g., Alzheimer's disease, schizophrenia, Huntington's disease, frontotemporal dementia), as well as the characterization of the role of select brain regions, …

Active Prospective Control Is Required For Effective Sensorimotor Learning, Winona Snapp-Childs, Elizabeth Casserly, Mark Mon-Williams, Geoffrey Bingham

Faculty Scholarship

Passive modeling of movements is often used in movement therapy to overcome disabilities caused by stroke or other disorders (e.g. Developmental Coordination Disorder or Cerebral Palsy). Either a therapist or, recently, a specially designed robot moves or guides the limb passively through the movement to be trained. In contrast, action theory has long suggested that effective skill acquisition requires movements to be actively generated. Is this true? In view of the former, we explicitly tested the latter. Previously, a method was developed that allows children with Developmental Coordination Disorder to produce effective movements actively, so as to improve manual performance …

Skill Learning Strengthens Cortical Representations Of Motor Sequences., Tobias Wiestler, Jörn Diedrichsen

Brain and Mind Institute Researchers' Publications

Motor-skill learning can be accompanied by both increases and decreases in brain activity. Increases may indicate neural recruitment, while decreases may imply that a region became unimportant or developed a more efficient representation of the skill. These overlapping mechanisms make interpreting learning-related changes of spatially averaged activity difficult. Here we show that motor-skill acquisition is associated with the emergence of highly distinguishable activity patterns for trained movement sequences, in the absence of average activity increases. During functional magnetic resonance imaging, participants produced either four trained or four untrained finger sequences. Using multivariate pattern analysis, both untrained and trained sequences could …

Debriefing Simulations: Comparison Of Debriefing With Video And Debriefing Alone, Shelly J. Reed, Claire M. Andrews, Patricia K. Ravert

Faculty Publications

Background: Debriefing as part of the simulation experience is regarded as essential for learning. Evidence concerning best debriefing practices from the standpoint of a student nurse participant is minimal, particularly when comparing debriefing types. This study evaluated the differences in the student experience between two debriefing types: debriefing with video and debriefing without video (debriefing alone). Method: Nursing students participating in an intensive care simulation were randomized into one of the two debriefing types: debriefing with video (n = 32) and debriefing alone (n = 32) following simulation completion. After debriefing was completed, studentswere asked to complete a debriefing experience …

Associations Between Cadmium Exposure And Neurocognitive Test Scores In A Cross-Sectional Study Of Us Adults, Timothy Ciesielski, David C. Bellinger, Joel Schwartz, Russ Hauser, Robert O. Wright

Dartmouth Scholarship

Background: Low-level environmental cadmium exposure and neurotoxicity has not been well studied in adults. Our goal was to evaluate associations between neurocognitive exam scores and a biomarker of cumulative cadmium exposure among adults in the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES III).

Methods: NHANES III is a nationally representative cross-sectional survey of the U.S. population conducted between 1988 and 1994. We analyzed data from a subset of participants, age 20–59, who participated in a computer-based neurocognitive evaluation. There were four outcome measures: the Simple Reaction Time Test (SRTT: visual motor speed), the Symbol Digit Substitution Test (SDST: attention/perception), …

Enriching A Medical Curriculum With Community-Based Public Health Projects: Are There Opportunities For Inter-Professional Learning?, Judy Mullan, Kathryn Weston

Faculty of Science, Medicine and Health - Papers: part A

The University of Wollongong graduate-entry medical course embeds research and critical analysis within the curriculum, concluding with the students designing and undertaking a 12-month regional/ rural community-based research project.

Facilitation Development In The Essentials Of Care Program; Learning About And Leading Change, D Higgs, P Bergin, C Green, J Crisp, K Walsh

Faculty of Science, Medicine and Health - Papers: part A

Abstract of paper presented at the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Conference, Newcastle, Australia, 17-18 October 2013.

An Immersive Work Integrated Learning Experience- Showcasing An Innovative, Experiential Clinical Placement., Lorna Moxham, Susan Liersch, Chris Patterson, Renee Brighton, Terry Froggatt, Ian Butler

Faculty of Science, Medicine and Health - Papers: part A

In May 2013, UOW provided the opportunity for 3rd year student nurses, psychology students and 30 people with severe and enduring mental illness to accompany four mental health nurse academics on a camp.

Language, Reading, And Math Learning Profiles In An Epidemiological Sample Of School Age Children., Lisa M D Archibald, Janis Oram Cardy, Marc F Joanisse, Daniel Ansari

Brain and Mind Institute Researchers' Publications

Dyscalculia, dyslexia, and specific language impairment (SLI) are relatively specific developmental learning disabilities in math, reading, and oral language, respectively, that occur in the context of average intellectual capacity and adequate environmental opportunities. Past research has been dominated by studies focused on single impairments despite the widespread recognition that overlapping and comorbid deficits are common. The present study took an epidemiological approach to study the learning profiles of a large school age sample in language, reading, and math. Both general learning profiles reflecting good or poor performance across measures and specific learning profiles involving either weak language, weak reading, weak …

A Timeline Reflection: Emboldened Learning From My Stories, Angela Brown

Faculty of Science, Medicine and Health - Papers: part A

This paper is a personal reflection on my leadership development using empowerment, enlightenment and emancipation as a reflective framework. Aim and objectives: To reflect on my leadership journey and share some of my leadership stories as examples of opportunities for personal growth. Conclusions: I have experienced a rich and fulfilling leadership journey; others could experience similar paths if they seek and seize the right opportunities. My journey continues. Implications for practice: • Leadership development can be enhanced by an open and responsive attitude to opportunities • A model of reflection can be used to analyse experiences and tell them as …