Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Debt And Stress Amongst Orthodontic Residents, Timothy Renison

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Background: The cost of education to become an orthodontist has increased significantly over recent years which has led to an increase in debt of graduating orthodontists.

Aim: This paper aims to assess whether debt amongst orthodontic residents in North America is associated with their stress levels, attitudes towards debt, financial literacy and mathematics anxiety.

Materials and Methods: Web-based software was used to fabricate a questionnaire, based on previously validated scales, in which respondents were asked questions regarding their debt levels, stress levels, attitudes towards debt, financial literacy and math anxiety.

Results: A total of 101 orthodontic residents completed the online …

Applications Of Hair As A Record Of Systemic Exposure To Cortisol, Jeffrey Matthew Levine

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Hair cortisol content (HCC) is a novel biomarker that uniquely captures retrospective systemic cortisol exposure. This thesis aimed to assess how different hair growth rates effect HCC timelines in Cushing’s and Addison’s patients, investigate the relationship between HCC and age, puberty, sex and BMI in healthy children and adolescents, and assess novel methods to improve cortisol extraction and recovery. Retrospective HCC timelines derived from a 0.75 cm/month growth rate best matched 50% of patients’ medical records rather than the historically assumed 1 cm/month. HCC correlated positively with age (p<0.0001), puberty status (p<0.001), and BMI (p<0.01) in males and females 7-17 years old. Nitrogen evaporation resulted in greater cortisol recovery than air evaporation (p=0.0003), and hair digestion using NaOH resulted in more rapid extraction of cortisol. These results provide incremental improvements to previous methods and assumptions for HCC analysis and elucidate normal HCC changes in children and adolescents.

High Frequency Oscillations Are Phase-Amplitude Coupled In Stress Induced Seizures Following Traumatic Brain Injury, Paul Jung

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) often leads to the development of epilepsy, especially with the occurrence of stressful events. Stressors increase the levels of corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) in the amygdala, which can be damaged by the secondary effects of TBI. It is hypothesized that the activity of CRF receptor type 1 (CRFR₁) in the amygdala is altered post-TBI and supports the generation of epileptiform waves, namely high-frequency oscillations (HFOs). Sprague-Dawley rats were given a moderate TBI and in vivo recordings of the amygdala were taken during the administration of an acute tail pinch stressor. The stressor increased broadband activity …

Neuronal Correlates For Neuroendocrine Habituation To Repeated Stress, Sara Matovic

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

One way that the body actively responds to an impending stressor is by increasing systemic glucocorticoids through the activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. While it is essential for short-term adaptation to stress, the sustained activation of the HPA axis during chronic stress can be detrimental and is linked to stress-related psychiatric conditions such as anxiety and depression. Therefore, it is important that the HPA axis adapts, or habituates, during chronic stress to minimize the negative consequences. Corticotropin releasing hormone (CRH) neurons in the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus (PVN) function to assimilate incoming information from the stress circuitry and …

Resiliency In The Operating Room: Exploring Trainee Stress During Surgery And The Role Of Individual Resilience, Richard Ng

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Surgical trainees experience significant intraoperative stress, which can negatively impact performance and learning. Psychological resilience suggests why some individuals excel despite severe stress. This study explores the relationship between trainee resilience and intraoperative stress. A novel instrument was developed to assess Surgical TRainee Experiences of StresS in the Operating Room (STRESSOR). Focus groups and a literature review identified eight domains of intraoperative stress. STRESSOR was used in a survey of orthopaedic residents in Canada and surgical trainees at Western University. Resiliency was assessed using the 10-item Connor-Davidson Resiliency Scale. 171 responses were received for a 38 percent response rate. The …

Characterizing The Role Of The Neuropeptide Y-Y5r System In Breast Cancer, Jenna Kara

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Studies have demonstrated a correlation between stress and an increased risk of breast cancer. Neuropeptide Y (NPY) is up- regulated in chronic stress and induces proliferation and chemotaxis of 4T1 breast cancer cells via Y5 receptor (Y5R) activation. In the studies performed in this thesis, we characterize NPY-Y5R as a regulatory system that promotes breast cancer metastasis. We compared three cancer cell sublines derived from the same murine mammary fat pad tumour, that greatly differ in metastatic potential (67NR, 168FARN, and 4T1) in addition to a 4T1-Y5R knockdown established in our labs. In this thesis we demonstrate significance of up-regulation …

Stress And Coping In Adults With Type 2 Diabetes Who Initiate Insulin Therapy, Maureen A. Loft

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Type 2 diabetes affects 90% of people who live with this chronic disease. A primary goal of healthcare professionals is to assist patients with Type 2 diabetes to achieve optimal glycemic control to prevent the devastating complications of this disease. Research has demonstrated that optimal glycemic control can minimize or prevent macrovascular complications such as heart attack or stroke and the microvascular complications of retinopathy, nephropathy, and neuropathy. Historically insulin has been one of the last agents to be added in type 2 diabetes despite its efficacy and long term treatment data. Reluctance by both patients and clinicians to add …

Nursing Students' Understanding And Enactment Of Resilience: A Grounded Theory Study, Andrew T. Reyes

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

The purpose of this study was to explore nursing students’ understanding and enactment of resilience. Stress is considered to be a major factor affecting the health, well-being, and academic performance of nursing students. Resilience has been extensively researched as a process that allows individuals to successfully adapt to adversity and develop positive outcomes as a result. However, relatively little is known about the resilience of nursing students. A constructivist grounded theory study design was used. In-depth individual interviews were conducted with 38 nursing students enrolled in a four-year, integrated baccalaureate nursing degree program at a university in Ontario, Canada. Face-to-face …

Calmly Coping: A Motivational Interviewing Via Co-Active Life Coaching (Mi-Via-Calc) Intervention For University Students Suffering From Stress, Rebecca R. Fried

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

The purpose of this semester-long pilot study was to assess the impact of Motivational Interviewing via Co-Active Life Coaching (MI-via-CALC) on the stress management experiences of 30 full-time, English-speaking students aged 17-24 years. Participants’ experiences were assessed quantitatively using the previously validated Perceived Stress Scale and Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (which is divided into Anxiety and Depression scales) at pre-, mid-, and post-intervention. Three one-way, repeated-measures ANOVAs were completed for each scale and statistically significant differences in stress reduction were found for all scales between pre-intervention to mid-intervention, and between pre-intervention to post- intervention; no statistically significant differences occurred …

The Stress Process Model For Community-Dwelling Adults With Mental Disorders, Samantha Davie

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Background: Although stress has been linked to poor mental health outcomes for various populations, less is known about the impact of stress on individuals already diagnosed with mental disorders. Objective: Explore the association between stress and general psychological distress (GPD), using the stress process model. Design: Data were collected in 2011 from community-dwelling adults who have had at least one diagnosed mental disorder for at least one year in their lifetime (n=380), and are cross-sectional in nature. Multivariable linear regression was used to assess the association between stress and GPD, with various psychological resources, such as coping, social support, and …