Psychiatric and Mental Health Commons^™

The Efficacy Of Ketamine In Adult Patients With Obsessive Compulsive Disorder With Symptoms Refractory To Standard Of Care Treatment., Brooke Thornton

Capstone Showcase

First line pharmacologic treatments for adult patients with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) involve selective serotonin/norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SSRI/SNRIs). These drug classes often fail to deliver timely relief of symptoms as well as maintain longevity of symptom recurrence. This research analyzed the use of ketamine in adult patients suffering with OCD for the purposes of more efficacious management of symptoms. Although ketamine demonstrated a timelier relief of symptoms in some small clinical studies, its effects were ultimately unable to be sustained long term. Additionally, a wide range of adverse effects including dissociation, and rebound symptoms were observed. As a result, large …

Mechanisms Of Value-Biased Prioritization In Fast Sensorimotor Decision Making, Kivilcim Afacan-Seref

Dissertations and Theses

In dynamic environments, split-second sensorimotor decisions must be prioritized according to potential payoffs to maximize overall rewards. The impact of relative value on deliberative perceptual judgments has been examined extensively, but relatively little is known about value-biasing mechanisms in the common situation where physical evidence is strong but the time to act is severely limited. This research examines the behavioral and electrophysiological indices of how value biases split-second perceptual decisions and the possible mechanisms underlying the process. In prominent decision models, a noisy but statistically stationary representation of sensory evidence is integrated over time to an action-triggering bound, and value-biases …

Memantine: Can It Be Used To Treat Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder?, Austin Brown, Katherine Liu, Pul Lee, Rachel Muhlenkamp, Manoranjan D'Souza

Pharmacy and Wellness Review

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by impairment in social, behavior and communicative skills. The current therapy for ASD only targets the associated symptoms such as aggression, self-harming acts or temper tantrums but not the core symptoms of social dysfunction. The pathology of ASD is not fully understood. Interestingly, imaging studies in ASD patients have reported abnormal high levels of glutamate in certain brain regions that play an important role in social interaction and communication. Thus, it has been hypothesized that medications attenuating glutamate transmission may be used as treatment for some of the core symptoms of …

A Review Of The Guidelines And Treatment Options For Major Depressive Disorder In Adolescents, Stacy Henthorne, Joy Hoffman, Albert Bui, Sarah Kradel, Suzanne M. Lifer, Mary Ellen Hethcox

Pharmacy and Wellness Review

Major depressive disorder (MOD) is a disease often underdiagnosed in adolescents. For adolescents in particular, MOD can have far-reaching implications on developmental, social and emotional functioning. Unfortunately, few guidelines detail consistent means by which to evaluate and treat these patients; significantly more information exists that solely pertains to the adult population. Governing bodies such as the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (AACAP) and Resource for Advancing Children's Health (REACH) recommend that primary care physicians be diligent in their psychiatric analyses and follow-ups with young patients who may be experiencing MOD. Both psychotherapy and medications, either as monotherapy or …

Antidepressant Therapy: A Review Of Current Treatment Options And A Glance At The Future, Brittany Dye, Stacy Henthorne, Molly Kulp, Tristan Maiers, Zachary Crawford, Erin Petersen

Pharmacy and Wellness Review

Depression and anxiety disorders are two of the most common mental illnesses experienced by people within the United States, affecting 6.7 percent of the adult population per year. This article will focus on one specific type of depression, major depressive disorder (MDD), characterized by two or more weeks of depressed mood and/or decreased interest in normally enjoyed activities. Depression complicates treatment of other disease state(s), making successful treatment of depression essential in the management of a patient's overall health. This review will evaluate the pathophysiology, antidepressant treatment, and new approaches to treatment, specifically vortioxetine, for MDD.

Probiotic Administration As An Adjuvant Therapeutic Treatment For Anxiety, Depression, And Cognitive Impairment Among Hypothyroid Patients, Erin R. Gorman

Selected Honors Theses

Hypothyroidism is a form of thyroid dysfunction that occurs when the thyroid gland does not make and secrete enough thyroid hormones to regulate certain processes in the body. Because thyroid hormones take part in many bodily functions, hypothyroidism can cause a large range of symptoms. Current research indicates that some strains of probiotics have beneficial effects on certain neurological and inflammatory diseases, leading to the impression that they can be used therapeutically for effective treatment of different mental health issues such as anxiety, stress, depression, and impaired memory. Because hypothyroidism often leads to such mental symptoms, it may be possible …

Prefrontal Corticotropin-Releasing Factor (Crf) Neurons Act Locally To Modulate Frontostriatal Cognition And Circuit Function., Sofiya Hupalo, Andrea J Martin, Rebecca K Green, David M Devilbiss, Craig W Berridge

Rowan-Virtua School of Osteopathic Medicine Departmental Research

The PFC and extended frontostriatal circuitry support higher cognitive processes that guide goal-directed behavior. PFC-dependent cognitive dysfunction is a core feature of multiple psychiatric disorders. Unfortunately, a major limiting factor in the development of treatments for PFC cognitive dysfunction is our limited understanding of the neural mechanisms underlying PFC-dependent cognition. We recently demonstrated that activation of corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) receptors in the caudal dorsomedial PFC (dmPFC) impairs higher cognitive function, as measured in a working memory task. Currently, there remains much unknown about CRF-dependent regulation of cognition, including the source of CRF for cognition-modulating receptors and the output pathways modulated …

Pharmacotherapy For Impulsivity-Hyperactivity Behaviors In Autism Spectrum Disorder, Jenna Katnis

Physician Assistant Scholarly Project Posters

Hyperactivity is a shared behavior with ASD and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Medications such as Methylphenidate (MPH) and α 2-a adrenergic receptor agonists are used to modify hyperactivity behavior in ADHD and thus have been used as management in ASD. A review of literature was done to evaluate the use of medications typically used for ADHD in the use of ASD. The databases searched included PubMED, PsycINFO, Cochrane, and Clinical Key. After reviewing the literature, it was found that both MPH and 2-a adrenergic receptor agonist have a potential role in pharmacotherapy for ASD. MPH may be slightly more …

Oxcarbazepine Overdose In A Polysubstance Related Suicide, Melissa Beals, Robert J. Krumsick, C. Clinton Frazee Iii, Lindsey J. Haldiman, Uttam Garg

Posters

Introduction
Oxcarbazepine is a derivative of carbamazepine that is used primarily in the treatment of epilepsy, and experimentally as a mood-stabilizer in adjunctive therapy for the treatment of bipolar disorder. Oxcarbazepine is converted through oxidation to its pharmacologically active metabolite 10-OH-Carbazepine, which is thought to be responsible for most of the anticonvulsant action of the drug. Adverse effects of oxcarbazepine are generally dose-dependent and may include fatigue, somnolence, dizziness, diplopia, nystagmus, and ataxia. Additive sedative effects have been noted when oxcarbazepine is used in combination with other CNS depressionproducing medications. Furthermore, oxcarbazepine and 10-OH-Carbazepine are powerful CYP2C19 inhibitors, potentially increasing …

Resting-State Functional Connectivity In Youth With Gender Dysphoria, Felix L. Garcia

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Current developmental models of gender identity and gender dysphoria (GD) lack sex-specific profiles of brain function that differentiate between typically-developing and cross-gender identified youth, as postulated by models like the unified theory of the origins of sex differences (Arnold, 2009) and the neurobiological theory of the origins of transsexuality (Swaab & Garcia-Falgueras, 2009). Previously, investigators have used brain imaging modalities such as Resting-State functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (R-fMRI) to demonstrate differences in resting-state functional connectivity (RSFC) between typically-developing male and female youth, and between typically-developing and GID-diagnosed youth. In the present pilot study, I used R-fMRI to investigate differences in …

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder: Review Of Dsm Criteria And Functional Neuroanatomy, Cornelius W. Thomas

Marshall Journal of Medicine

The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) criteria for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) consist of over twenty possible symptoms that can be divided into six broad categories. These categories correlate with specific brain networks that regulate emotions, behaviors, and autonomic function. Normal functioning of these networks depends on two key regions; the prefrontal cortex and the amygdala. The prefrontal cortex provides top-down executive control over amygdala, whereas the amygdala is critical for threat detection and activation of the ‘fight or flight’ response. Events that trigger extreme and/or prolonged fear can cause persisting dysregulation within the prefrontal-amygdala circuit; resulting …

The Psychosocial Impact Of Vaginal Delivery And Cesarean Section In Primiparous Women, Ples Liana, Romina M. Sima, Delia Carp, Camelia Alexandroaia, Denisa O. Balalau, Anca D. Stanescu, Octavian G. Olaru

Journal of Mind and Medical Sciences

The aim of this study was to identify how the method of delivery and birth experience interfere with maternal psychological status early after puerperium. We conducted a prospective study on 148 women after puerperium from November 2017 to January 2018 in Bucur Maternity Hospital. Women that delivered vaginally mobilized in the first 6 hours in 73.7% of the cases, but for cesarean section after 12- 24 hours in 43.6% of the cases. Women described good support from the obstetrician in 58.1% of the cases. 90.5% of the women reported that the method of delivery did not have an impact on …

The Mind-Body Problem; Three Equations And One Solution Represented By Immaterial-Material Data, Ion G. Motofei, David L. Rowland

Journal of Mind and Medical Sciences

Human life occurs within a complex bio-psycho-social milieu, a heterogeneous system that is integrated by multiple bidirectional interrelations existing between the abstract-intangible ideas and physical-chemical support of environment. The mind is thus placed between the abstract ideas/ concepts and neurobiological brain that is further connected to environment. In other words, the mind acts as an interface between the immaterial (abstract/ intangible) data and material (biological) support. The science is unable to conceives and explains an interaction between the immaterial and material domains (to understand nature of the mind), this question generating in literature the mind-body problem. We have published in …

Maternal Psychological Distress And Cortsiol, Jenna Schroeder

Grace Peterson Nursing Research Colloquium

Abstract

Background: Previous studies have reported associations between prenatal maternal distress and negative health outcomes for the unborn. There are gaps within this body of knowledge and inconsistencies in the research which make the relevant relationships unclear. If changes in maternal cortisol cause alterations in fetal development, it is important to gain an adequate understanding of how, and if, maternal psychological distress predicts maternal cortisol levels. This study is an integrative literature review that looks at the research investigating a connection between maternal psychological distress and maternal cortisol levels during pregnancy. Lazarus and Folkman’s (1984) Transactional Model of Stress and …

Cortical Thinning And Neuropsychiatric Outcomes In Children Exposed To Prenatal Adversity: A Role For Placental Crh?, Curt A. Sandman, Megan M. Curran, Elyssia Poggi Davis, Laura M. Glynn, Kevin Head, Tallie Z. Baram

Psychology Faculty Articles and Research

Exposure to early life adversity may disrupt the development and maturation of neurons and brain circuits, which, in turn, underlie neurodevelopment and mental illnesses. During fetal life, maternal adversity is conveyed to the developing brain via several molecular signals, including the stress hormone corticotropin releasing hormone (CRH). Employing a large well characterized prospective cohort, we find that fetal exposure to placental-origin CRH levels predicts structural and functional brain outcomes in children. Specifically, elevated placental CRH levels portend thinning of selective cortical regions of exposed individuals, with commensurate cognitive and emotional deficits. Notably, the relations of placental-origin CRH to cortical thinning …

Metabolic Syndrome Among Schizophrenic Patients: A Comparative Cross-Sectional Study In The Middle Belt Of Ghana, Angela Owusu-Ansah, Anto Berko Panyin, Christian Obirikorang, Christian Agyare, Emmanuel Acheampong, Simon Kwofie, Enoch Odame Anto, Emmanuella Nsenbah Batu

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

The study determined the prevalence ofMetS in patients with schizophrenia at the Psychiatric Unit of the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH), Kumasi, Ghana. This comparative cross-sectional study recruited 348 schizophrenic patients comprising 236 antipsychotic-treated and 112 newly diagnosed treatment-na¨ıve patients. The MetS prevalence was assessed based on World Health Organization (WHO), International Diabetes Federation (IDF), and the National Cholesterol Education Programme, Adult Treatment Panel III (NCEP ATP III) criteria. The overall prevalence of MetS was 14.1%, 20.4%, and 23.6% using NCEP ATP III, WHO, and IDF criteria, respectively, compared to 7.8%, 3.9%, and 2.2% reported in the generalGhanaian population.The prevalence …

Penalized Mixed-Effects Ordinal Response Models For High-Dimensional Genomic Data In Twins And Families, Amanda E. Gentry

Theses and Dissertations

The Brisbane Longitudinal Twin Study (BLTS) was being conducted in Australia and was funded by the US National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA). Adolescent twins were sampled as a part of this study and surveyed about their substance use as part of the Pathways to Cannabis Use, Abuse and Dependence project. The methods developed in this dissertation were designed for the purpose of analyzing a subset of the Pathways data that includes demographics, cannabis use metrics, personality measures, and imputed genotypes (SNPs) for 493 complete twin pairs (986 subjects.) The primary goal was to determine what combination of SNPs and …

The Psychology Of Neurofeedback: Clinical Intervention Even If Applied Placebo, Robert T. Thibault, Amir Raz

Psychology Faculty Articles and Research

Advocates of neurofeedback make bold claims concerning brain regulation, treatment of disorders, and mental health. Decades of research and thousands of peer-reviewed publications support neurofeedback using electroencephalography (EEG-nf); yet, few experiments isolate the act of receiving feedback from a specific brain signal as a necessary precursor to obtain the purported benefits. Moreover, while psychosocial parameters including participant motivation and expectation, rather than neurobiological substrates, seem to fuel clinical improvement across a wide range of disorders, for-profit clinics continue to sprout across North America and Europe. Here, we highlight the tenuous evidence supporting EEG-nf and sketch out the weaknesses of this …

Enduring Chronic Kidney Disease: An Investigation Of Psychosocial Factors And Life Satisfaction In Older Adults Receiving Dialysis Treatment, Bailee Sobotka

Honors Program: Senior Projects (Public)

Chronic kidney disease is a condition during which the kidneys begin to shut down and no longer filter blood efficiently. Once the disease has progressed far enough, dialysis treatments are mandatory to sustain life. To further understand how older adults receiving dialysis treatments cope with their disease, psychosocial factors were evaluated to investigate possible correlations with life satisfaction using a Life Satisfaction Index Z (LSI-Z). Expected correlations with life satisfaction were sociability, financial satisfaction, importance of spirituality, and activities of daily living scores. Interviews were conducted with 30 dialysis patients and results were analyzed using various statistical measures. Significant correlations …

Mindfulness And Law Enforcement: An Effective Approach To Implementing Mindfulness For First Responders, Gina White

Mindfulness Studies Theses

An increasing number of studies show that people employed as first responders in high trauma service jobs tend to experience a high level of stress, at work and after hours. Studies suggest that constant exposure to job related stress leads to both physical and mental dysregulation. This study looks at the effects of implementing mindfulness tools and techniques to those working in law enforcement. Other works on this topic report mindfulness as a successful tool to increase wellbeing to a broad spectrum of populations. The methodology used in this study was designed specifically for first responders. The data findings were …

Post-Intensive Care Syndrome: Comparison Of Educational Interventions To Educate Parents Of Children Hospitalized In The Pediatric Intensive Care Unit At St. Louis Children’S Hospital, Stephanie A. Esses

Dissertations

Background: Family members of children hospitalized in the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) can develop cognitive, psychological, and physical manifestations of post-intensive care syndrome (PICS). Targeted education to help parents/caregivers recognize the signs and symptoms of PICS may result in better awareness of the syndrome and greater willingness to seek and receive support during their child’s PICU admission.

Objective: to evaluate three targeted PICS educational interventions to increase PICS awareness among parents/caregivers in the St. Louis Children’s Hospital (SLCH) PICU.

Results: A total of 62 parents/caregivers received one of three educational interventions: informational brochures (n=22), scripted informational conversation (n=20), or …

Acetaminophen Associated Neurotoxicity And Its Relevance To Neurodevelopmental Disorders, Seol-Hee Kim

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Autism is a lifelong neurodevelopmental disorder. The etiology of autism still remains unclear due to the heterogeneous and complex nature of the disorder, however synergistic actions between genetic components and environmental factors have been suggested. Acetaminophen (APAP) is one of the most popular over-the-counter drugs that possess antipyretic and analgesic effects. It is considered a relatively safe and effective within therapeutic doses. Recently, early exposure to APAP has been suggested to be one of the underlying cause of autism. Children are often prescribed APAP to lessen fever or irritability after vaccination during the first year, and APAP may adversely affect …

Informational Dichotomy Of The Mind; The Role Of Sexual Neuromodulators, Ion G. Motofei, David L. Rowland

Journal of Mind and Medical Sciences

Many basic physiological mechanisms of sexuality were initially studied on animal subjects and conclusions regarding human subjects extrapolated afterward. These ancestral reflexes are assumed to have ascended during human evolution to the cerebral level, where cognition would intermediate (being an environmental operator) both sexual and mental processes. Accordingly, the study of human sexuality suggests an additional/ particular documentation regarding mental existence and its implication, phenomena that are not characteristic of animals.

In a previously published paper we presented ideas regarding the structural dichotomy of the mind and its subsequent implications to sexuality. In this paper we present a general perspective …

Epigenetic Editing To Validate Findings From Methylome-Wide Association Studies Of Neuropsychiatric Disorders, Robin F. Chan

Theses and Dissertations

DNA methylation is necessary for learning, memory consolidation and has been implicated in a number of neuropsychiatric disorders. Obtaining high quality and comprehensive data for the three common forms of methylation in brain is challenging for methylome-wide association studies (MWAS). To address this we optimized a panel of enrichment methods for screening the brain methylome. Results show that these enrichment techniques approach the coverage and fidelity of the current gold standard bisulfite based techniques. Our MBD-based method can also be used with low amounts of genomic material from limited human biomaterials. Psychiatric disorders have high prevalence and are often chronic …

An Examination Into The Relationship Between Iron Deficiency And Postpartum Depression, Sara A. Burroughs

Senior Honors Theses

Postpartum depression is recognized as the most common complication of childbearing; however, its etiology remains fairly undetermined. Many different influences have been hypothesized as to what may cause postpartum depression, including changes in levels of various hormones (such as estrogen and progesterone), a decrease in serotonin, low levels of vitamin D, social factors, and iron deficiency. The lack of strong evidence for one specific cause makes it fairly clear that there are many factors that play a role in the development of postpartum depression. Iron deficiency is one issue that is thought to contribute to the development of postpartum depression …

Positive Allosteric Modulator Of Gabab Receptor Alters Behavioral Effects But Not Afterdischarge Progression Induced By Partial Hippocampal Kindling., L Stan Leung, Miao Jin, Liangwei Chu, Jingyi Ma

Physiology and Pharmacology Publications

Hippocampal seizures decreased the function of GABAB receptors, which may further increase seizure susceptibility and contribute to development of schizophrenia-like behaviors. Recent literature indicates that GABAB receptor agonist may normalize schizophrenia-like behaviors and prevent drug-induced behavioral sensitization. We hypothesized that positive modulation of GABAB receptor function during seizure induction will reduce seizure-induced schizophrenia-like behaviors. Using a partial hippocampal kindling model, afterdischarges were induced after injection of saline or dimethyl sulfoxide (vehicle-kindled rats), or a GABAB receptor positive allosteric modulator CGP7930, at 1 mg/kg i.p. (CGP1-kindled) or 5 mg/kg i.p. (CGP5-kindled). The increase in the primary afterdischarge duration during kindling was …

Structural Dichotomy Of The Mind; The Role Of Sexual Neuromodulators, Ion G. Motofei, David L. Rowland

Journal of Mind and Medical Sciences

The mind (mental function) and sexuality represent two distinct environmental functions, but which are supported within the brain by a common (somatic-autonomic) neurobiological substrate. As a consequence, mental function takes on autonomic characteristics from the sexual-autonomic system (like autonomy, duality), while sexual function takes on features from mental functioning (such as lateralization). In this paper we discuss the lateralized action of two classes of sexual neuromodulators: hormones and pheromones. This process of lateralization is assimilated with the structural dichotomy of the mind.

A relatively similar process but related to informational dichotomy of the mind will be presented in a forthcoming …

The Postfinasteride Syndrome; An Overview, David L. Rowland, Ion G. Motofei, Florian Popa, Vlad D. Constantin, Adriana Vasilache, Ioana Păunică, Cristian Bălălău, Georgeta P. Păunică, Petrisor Banu, Stana Păunică

Journal of Mind and Medical Sciences

As a 5-α reductase inhibitor, Finasteride has proven effective in ameliorating two conditions documented to be androgen dependent, namely male androgenic alopecia and benign prostatic hyperplasia. Therapeutic results are maintained as long as the drug is administered, with treatment cessation generally leading to the return of symptomatology for each condition. In addition, during the therapeutic phase, several adverse effects have been reported, some of which persist long or indefinitely after treatment cessation, known as “post-finasteride syndrome.”

Herein we present and discuss the most common finasteride side effects, along with a psycho-neuroendocrine rationale that could explain the persistence of many adverse …

The Mind Body Problem, Part Three: Ascension Of Sexual Function To Cerebral Level, Ion G. Motofei, David L. Rowland

Journal of Mind and Medical Sciences

Physiologically, the somatic nervous system intervenes in external interaction between the body and environment, while autonomic nervous system ensures the functioning of internal organs. We present in this paper a psycho-physiological perspective suggesting that mental function (somatic in nature, because coordinates environmental interaction) is closer to and more aligned with the physiologic functioning of autonomic nervous system (due to autonomy, duality, etc.). At opposite end, sexual function (autonomic in nature, erection for example being a parasympathetic vasodilatory reflex) seems to be compatible and even dependent by a somatic participation (erectile response is rather induced by environmental stimuli than internal visceral …

Perceptions And Attitudes Of A Sample Of Primary Care Patients Receiving Psychological Care From Their Pcp, Nadine Henzes Gowarty

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

With millions of Americans suffering from a mental health disorder and slightly more than half receiving treatment, the demand for psychological services far outweighs the number of practitioners available to provide direct care. Therefore, the majority of all primary-care visits are based on psychosocial factors; one third of a PCP’s caseloads consist of patients with mental-health problems. Given the fact that PCPs provide comprehensive psychosocial care, it is important to determine the beliefs and perceptions of their patients. Results from this study identified numerous factors that influence the relationship between patients receiving mental health care from their PCP. Specifically, if …