Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Mental and Social Health Commons

Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Articles 1 - 12 of 12

Full-Text Articles in Mental and Social Health

Antidepressants Versus Placebo For Generalized Anxiety Disorder: A Systematic Review And Meta-Analysis, Katarina Kopcalic Jul 2023

Antidepressants Versus Placebo For Generalized Anxiety Disorder: A Systematic Review And Meta-Analysis, Katarina Kopcalic

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Objectives: To assess the efficacy and acceptability of antidepressants compared to placebo among adults with a primary diagnosis of generalized anxiety disorder (GAD). Methods: Five electronic databases and 2 trial registries were searched to identify studies for inclusion. The risk of bias version 1 tool was used to assess the risk of bias. A random-effects meta-analysis was conducted using RevMan web. Results were presented using forest plots. Results: 38 studies (12,570 participants) were included. Very low-quality evidence showed a benefit for antidepressants over placebo in the rate of treatment response (RR, 1.39: 95% CI: 1.27, 1.52) and no differences in …


Role Of The Default-Mode Network During Narrative Integration In Major Depressive Disorder, Darren Ri-Sheng Liang Aug 2022

Role Of The Default-Mode Network During Narrative Integration In Major Depressive Disorder, Darren Ri-Sheng Liang

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

How brain activity is synchronized across individuals during narrative comprehension has previously been characterized by functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) in healthy and patient populations. To our knowledge, there has been limited investigation as to how it is affected by major depressive disorder (MDD). We addressed this issue with fMRI through examination of inter-subject synchronization in the default mode network (DMN), brain structures which have previously been implicated in MDD pathology. Twenty-two patients with MDD and 20 matched control participants listened to Intact versus Scrambled versions of an auditory narrative; these experimental conditions differed in the degree of temporal integration …


Evaluating The Impact Of A Safe Exercise Training Workshop On Knowledge And Self-Efficacy To Manage Dysfunctional Exercise Among Eating Disorders Clinicians At Alsana Eating Disorders Center, Danika A. Quesnel Jun 2022

Evaluating The Impact Of A Safe Exercise Training Workshop On Knowledge And Self-Efficacy To Manage Dysfunctional Exercise Among Eating Disorders Clinicians At Alsana Eating Disorders Center, Danika A. Quesnel

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Engaging in dysfunctional exercise (DEX) is detrimental to eating disorders (EDs) prognosis, although common amongst clients. Though nutritionally supported exercise can improve ED treatment outcomes, without negatively impacting weight restoration, clinicians remain hesitant to address DEX, perhaps due to a lack of information and training. The current study examined the effects of a Safe Exercise at Every Stage (SEES) training on clinician knowledge and self-efficacy in managing DEX in ED treatment. Eating disorders clinicians completed measures before (n = 96) and after (n = 44) SEES training to assess their knowledge and self-efficacy around treating DEX, with a …


The Functional And Structural Consequences Of Aberrant Microglial Activity In Major Depressive Disorder, Jasmine D. Cakmak Sep 2021

The Functional And Structural Consequences Of Aberrant Microglial Activity In Major Depressive Disorder, Jasmine D. Cakmak

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a highly debilitating neuropsychiatric illness which has been linked with increases in both peripheral and central inflammation, as well as with changes in connectivity. Although countless studies have investigated these two topics, the relationship between neuroinflammation and functional/structural connectivity has not been explored. Using [18F]FEPPA PET imaging, we measured translocator protein-related (TSPO) microglial activity in the subgenual anterior cingulate cortex (sgACC) and insula and confirmed significantly increased [18F]FEPPA uptake in depressed patients (N=12) compared to healthy controls (N=23). Using a seed-based ROI analysis of fMRI data, we found that patients show …


Effects Of A Pregnancy Lifestyle Intervention On Emotion Regulation In Infants Responding To A Toy Removal Task At One-Year Of Age, Mollie Manley May 2020

Effects Of A Pregnancy Lifestyle Intervention On Emotion Regulation In Infants Responding To A Toy Removal Task At One-Year Of Age, Mollie Manley

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Poor infant emotion regulation (ER) has been linked with increased psychopathological risk in infancy and childhood. The Developmental Origins of Health and Disease Hypothesis suggests the prenatal period as the earliest point of intervention, where fetal exposure to healthy lifestyle changes can promote optimal ER in infancy. Infant electroencephalography (EEG; n=13) and heart rate variability (HRV; n=18) were measured at rest and in response to a toy removal task, to determine the ER of infants whose mothers participated in a nutrition and exercise intervention during pregnancy. Results demonstrated positive left frontal alpha asymmetry at rest (0.08± 0.66) and in response …


In Search Of Psychiatric Kinds: Natural Kinds And Natural Classification In Psychiatry, Nicholas Slothouber Oct 2019

In Search Of Psychiatric Kinds: Natural Kinds And Natural Classification In Psychiatry, Nicholas Slothouber

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

In recent years both philosophers and scientists have asked whether or not our current kinds of mental disorder—e.g., schizophrenia, depression, bipolar disorder—are natural kinds; and, moreover, whether or not the search for natural kinds of mental disorder is a realistic desideratum for psychiatry. In this dissertation I clarify the sense in which a kind can be said to be “natural” or “real” and argue that, despite a few notable exceptions, kinds of mental disorder cannot be considered natural kinds. Furthermore, I contend that psychopathological phenomena do not cluster together into kinds in the way that paradigmatic natural kinds (e.g., chemical …


Resedent Study- Reducing Sedentary Behaviour May Slow Cognitive Decline In Older Adults With Mild Cognitive Impairment: A Pilot Study, Kirsten B. Dillon Jul 2019

Resedent Study- Reducing Sedentary Behaviour May Slow Cognitive Decline In Older Adults With Mild Cognitive Impairment: A Pilot Study, Kirsten B. Dillon

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Physical activity (PA) has been shown to slow down dementia. Unfortunately, older adults spend most of their day in sedentary behaviours (SB). Breaking up prolonged bouts of sitting with intermittent bouts of light intensity PA may reduce glycemic variability in the brain; potentially mitigating cognitive decline. This study investigated how interrupting SB with 10 min bouts of light intensity PA 3x a day would affect mild to moderate cognitive impairment progression (primary outcome) in older adults residing in an assisted living facility. Participants (n=25) were assigned in clusters into a two arm 10-week single site pilot randomized controlled trial. Secondary …


White Matter Inflammation And Executive Dysfunction: Implications For Alzheimer Disease And Vascular Cognitive Impairment, Alexander Levit Nov 2018

White Matter Inflammation And Executive Dysfunction: Implications For Alzheimer Disease And Vascular Cognitive Impairment, Alexander Levit

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

White matter integrity is crucial to healthy executive function, the cognitive domain that enables functional independence. However, in the ageing brain, white matter is highly vulnerable. White matter inflammation increases with age and Alzheimer disease (AD), which disrupts the normal function of white matter. This may contribute to executive dysfunction, but the relationship between white matter inflammation and executive function has not been directly evaluated in ageing nor AD. White matter is also particularly vulnerable to cerebrovascular disease, corresponding with the common presentation of executive dysfunction in vascular cognitive impairment (VCI). Thus, white matter may be an important substrate by …


Cannabinoid Transmission In The Basolateral Amygdala Modulates Prefrontal Cortex And Ventral Hippocampal Activity, Brian J. Pereira Oct 2018

Cannabinoid Transmission In The Basolateral Amygdala Modulates Prefrontal Cortex And Ventral Hippocampal Activity, Brian J. Pereira

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

The cannabinoid system is important for maintaining neuron-to-neuron communication within the mammalian brain. One of the most commonly used substances to alter the cannabinoid system is cannabis. Individuals who are exposed to cannabis report having dissociable effects; both positive and negative. High amounts of THC have been commonly associated with the negative effects of cannabis, whereas CBD can be used to counter these. Pre-clinical evidence suggests that the combination of the two compounds can produce a therapeutic benefit for individuals who are susceptible to the effects of THC. The present study investigates whether the combination of THC+CBD can prevent electrophysiological …


Role Of The Dorsal Striatum In Learning And Decision Making, Nole M. Hiebert May 2018

Role Of The Dorsal Striatum In Learning And Decision Making, Nole M. Hiebert

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

The striatum, the input region of the basal ganglia, has been shown to mediate many cognitive functions. The striatum itself can be functionally segregated into dorsal (DS) and ventral striatum (VS). For more than 60 years, DS has been reported to mediate stimulus-response learning, though evidence has been accruing pointing to a role in decision making. These literatures have been growing independently and an aim of this thesis was to bridge these two bodies of knowledge. We directly investigated the role of DS in stimulus-response learning versus decision making using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) in patients with Parkinson’s disease …


Cal And Magi Pdz Protein Regulation Of Crfr1 And 5-Ht2ar Trafficking And Signaling, Maha Mahmoud Hammad Aug 2016

Cal And Magi Pdz Protein Regulation Of Crfr1 And 5-Ht2ar Trafficking And Signaling, Maha Mahmoud Hammad

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

PDZ (PSD95/Disc Large/Zona Occludens) domain-containing proteins are scaffolding proteins that play important roles in regulating the activity of G protein-coupled receptors. Corticotropin Releasing Factor Receptor 1 (CRFR1) and Serotonin 2A Receptor (5-HT2AR) are two GPCRs that are commonly associated with mental disorders. Both receptors also contain a class I PDZ-binding motif at the carboxyl terminal tail. In the first chapter, we investigate the effects of CAL (CFTR-associated ligand) on regulating the trafficking and signaling of CRFR1. We demonstrate a role for CAL in inhibiting CRFR1 endocytosis, cell surface expression, and CRF-mediated ERK1/2 signaling via the CRFR1 PDZ-binding motif. …


Effects Of Methamphetamine On Sexual Behavior, Karla S. Frohmader Oct 2011

Effects Of Methamphetamine On Sexual Behavior, Karla S. Frohmader

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Methamphetamine (Meth) is a highly addictive psychostimulant associated with enhanced sexual desire, arousal, and sexual pleasure. Moreover, Meth abuse is frequently linked with the practice of sexual risk behavior and increased prevalence of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV). Currently, the neurobiological basis for this drug-sex nexus is unknown. Moreover, there is a lack of studies investigating the effects of Meth on sexual behavior and more importantly, compulsive sex-seeking behavior, under controlled experimental settings in animal models. First, using immuhistochemistry for mating- and Meth-induced neural activation it was demonstrated that Meth administration in male rats activates neurons in brain regions of the …