Psychiatry and Psychology Commons^™

Beyond Screening In Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis: A Domain-Standardized, Measure-Flexible Framework For Comprehensive Neuropsychological Assessment, Etiane Navarro

Archives of Assessment Psychology

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a multisystem neurodegenerative disorder in which cognitive, behavioral, language, and social-cognitive changes may occur across clinical phenotypes, including the ALS-frontotemporal spectrum. Neuropsychological assessment is important for characterizing nonmotor manifestations and identifying changes relevant to autonomy, everyday functioning, and clinical management. This systematic review examined literature identified through APA PsycINFO, PubMed, Google Scholar, and supplementary searching to characterize neuropsychological domains, measures, phenotype-related findings, and disease-specific limitations relevant to comprehensive assessment. Two hundred records underwent title and abstract screening, 150 reports were reviewed in full text, and 61 resources were retained for synthesis. ALS-specific screening instruments, including …

The Role Of Resilience Among Emergency Medical Service Personnel And Its Relationship With Their Adaptive Performance In Riyadh-Saudi Arabia., Abdullah Alabdali, Majed Althagafi, Malak Alharbi, Amera Almutere, Alanoud Almawzan, Nourh Aljaber, Reem Muafa

Internet Journal of Allied Health Sciences and Practice

Purpose: Healthcare workers, particularly Emergency Medical Services (EMS) personnel, are frequently exposed to traumatic physical and psychological events. EMS personnel regularly encounter critical incidents that challenge their resilience, adaptive performance, and overall quality of life. Understanding the factors that support resilience is essential to maintaining workforce well-being and performance. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 348 EMS personnel employed by the Saudi Red Crescent Authority (SRCA) in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, between September 2020 and October 2021. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire assessing resilience, adaptive performance, coping mechanisms, and demographic variables. Results: EMS personnel demonstrated higher resilience levels …

Relationship Identification Between Triggers And Changes In The Brain And The Overall Human Electrophysiology During Migraines, Dominic Sandell, Jonah Dematto, Gianpiero Lara, Jasmine Rosales, Legacy Wilson, Zachary Young

Discovery Day - Daytona Beach

One of the most common neurological conditions in the world is migraines; nearly 1/4th of the working population suffers from this condition and exhibits a large variety of triggers. The current treatment method for migraine uses few different medications for all migraines, regardless of triggers. Our hypothesis is that there is a specific relationship between the triggers of migraines and the electrical changes in the brain during migraines. It is known that electrical activity in the brain occurs during migraines; it is unclear whether these changes differ across triggers. The study incorporates two different data collection methods: electrophysiological tests (Electroencephalogram …

The Effect Of Cerebellar Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation On Anxiety, Shivangi Bhardwaj

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Anxiety is one of the most prevalent mental health disorders in the U.S. Individuals of all ages are affected by anxiety. Therefore, research into anxiety and its potential treatment has constantly been an area of interest. Newer approaches to managing anxiety include non-invasive stimulation techniques, such as Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS), because of its accessibility and effectiveness. Past tDCS work typically focused on regions in the frontal lobe. However, tDCS over the cerebellum has not received as much attention compared to the cerebrum, despite recent work demonstrating cerebellar involvement in emotion processing. Thus, a better understanding of how cerebellar …

Diabetter Together: Outcomes Of A Randomized Controlled Trial Evaluating A Peer Mentor Behavioral Intervention For Young Adults With Type 1 Diabetes During The Transfer From Pediatric To Adult Care, Marisa E Hilliard, Charles G Minard, Samantha A Carreon, Wendy L Levy, Sarah K Lyons, Randi Streisand, Tricia S Tang, Siripoom V Mckay, Sridevi Devaraj, Barbara J Anderson

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Objective: Transition between pediatric and adult health care is complex, with high risk for loss to follow-up and suboptimal health outcomes for young adults with type 1 diabetes. This trial evaluated the efficacy of DiaBetter Together, a 12-month strengths-based behavioral intervention delivered by trained peer mentors. The intervention aimed to help young adults navigate the transfer process to promote optimal glycemic outcomes, shorten time to adult care follow-up, and improve psychosocial outcomes.

Research design and methods: Using a single-site randomized clinical trial design, we compared the 12-month intervention to usual care among n = 100 young adults aged 17-25 years …

Loss Of Pleasure (Anhedonia): A Sex-Dependent, Cross-Species Consequence Of Unpredictable Signals To The Perinatal Brain, Anna M. Zhou, Madison R. Tetzlaff, Laura M. Glynn, Curt A. Sandman, Hal S. Stern, Tallie Z. Baram, Elysia Poggi Davis

Psychology Faculty Articles and Research

Reward seeking is an essential component of human behavior. Anhedonia (reduced motivation for and pleasure in reward) is a core feature of several mental illnesses. Early life adversity associates with later impairments in reward behaviors and related psychopathology; however, specific aspects of early adversity that lead to disrupted reward behaviors are unknown. Capitalizing on evidence that unpredictable signals to the developing brain constitute adversity and influence neurodevelopment, we examined whether exposure to perinatal unpredictable maternal signals associated with diminished reward responsivity, and probed causality using experiments in mice. We analyzed a longitudinal human study (N=158 mother/child dyads) and a …

Editorial: Emerging Treatment Approaches For Substance Use Disorders, David Martinez Garza, Ilya O. Blokhin, Jonathan Brett, Ihsan Salloum

School of Medicine Publications

No abstract provided.

Social Phobia, Coping Strategies, And Socio-Demographic Associations Among Late Adolescents: A Cross-Sectional Study, Ezhilan B U, Jesymol Joy, Smitha Chandrashekarappa Dr.

Digital Journal of Clinical Medicine

Background: Adolescence is a transitional period from childhood to adulthood, often marked by psychological challenges such as social anxiety, also known as social phobia. It is characterized by excessive fear of social interactions and can lead to impaired functioning or depression. Globally, its prevalence ranges from 6-10% in developed countries and 10-44% in developing countries. Coping strategies play a crucial role in managing social phobia, varying by individual characteristics. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of social phobia, identify coping strategies, and evaluate their association with socio-demographic factors among late adolescents.

Methodology: A cross-sectional study was conducted …

Mapping Dna Methylation Signatures To Identify Epigenetic Variation Across Subcortical Regions Of The Human Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Brain, Hongyu Li, Yujing Liu, Yiming Shi, Jiawei Wang, Tuan P Nguyen, Yuhan Xie, Wangjie Zheng, Youshu Cheng, Dianne A Cruz, Jennifer L Modliszewski, Rosemarie Terwilliger, Alexa-Nicole Sliby, José Jaime Martínez-Magaña, Janitza L Montalvo-Ortiz, John D Roache, Lynnette A Averill, Stacey Young-Mccaughan, Paulo R Shiroma, Bertrand R Huber, David A Lewis, Jill Glausier, Paul Holtzheimer, Matthew J Friedman, Jing Zhang, Alan L Peterson, Chadi G Abdallah, Amir Valizadeh, Xinyu Zhang, Ke Xu, John H Krystal, Ronald S Duman, Hongyu Zhao, David L Corcoran, Douglas E Williamson, Matthew J Girgenti

Staff and Researcher Publications

Background: Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a mental disorder that may occur in the aftermath of severe psychological trauma. Epigenetic changes in the brain may play a critical role in understanding the neurobiology of PTSD by linking environmental traumatic stress exposure to lasting alterations in gene expression that shape neuronal function.

Methods: We examined 1,065,750 DNA methylation (DNAm) sites from 171 donors including neurotypical controls and PTSD and major depressive disorder (MDD) cases across 6 regions implicated in the fear circuitry of the brain. We performed RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) to examine changes in gene expression and linked these changes to …

A Caveat Regarding The Unfolding Argument: Implications Of Plasticity, Viknas N. O'Reilly-Shah, Alessandro Maria Selvitella, Aaron Schurger

Psychology Faculty Articles and Research

The unfolding argument in the neuroscience of consciousness posits that causal structure cannot account for consciousness because any recurrent neural network (RNN) can be “unfolded” into a functionally equivalent feedforward neural network (FNN) with identical input–output behavior. Subsequent debate has focused on dynamical properties and philosophy of science critiques. We examine a boundary condition on the unfolding argument for RNN systems with rapid plasticity in their connection weights. We demonstrate through rigorous mathematical proofs that rapid plasticity negates the functional equivalence between the RNN and the FNN. Our proofs address history-dependent plasticity, dynamical systems analysis, information-theoretic considerations, perturbational stability, complexity …

Determinants Of Corporal Punishment And Severe Physical Punishment In Egypt: A Mixed-Methods Analysis For Child Protection Policy, Marwa Moustafa Nassef

Theses and Dissertations

Corporal punishment (CP) and severe physical punishment (SPP) remain a major public health, child rights, and child protection policy concern. In Egypt, despite legislative reforms, survey-weighted analysis of the 2021 Egypt Family Health Survey (EFHS) 2021 (CAPMAS, 2022) reveals prevalence rates of 60.5% for CP and 27.4% for SPP among children aged 1–14 (author’s calculations using EFHS-2021, n=7623), yet evidence distinguishing the determinants of routine corporal punishment from escalation to severe physical punishment remains limited in low- and middle-income contexts. Guided by Bronfenbrenner’s ecological framework, this mixed-methods study identifies key drivers of CP and its escalation to SPP among Egyptian …

Fentanyl Mediated Distortions Of Phasic Dopamine Release Dynamics Encoding Natural Reward And Aversive Processing In The Mammalian Mesolimbic Circuit, Oliver P. Culver Iv

MUSC Theses and Dissertations

Mu opioid receptor (MOR) agonists are recognized to disinhibit tonic dopamine (DA) in the ventral striatum (VS), contributing to opioid addiction and euphoria. However, MOR agonists can also inhibit non-drug reward-seeking, and disrupt conditioned responding to aversive stimuli, a phenomenon not readily explained by tonic DA disinhibition. We hypothesized that this effect could be due in part to disruption of phasic DA responses to conditioned stimuli (CS) which critically shape and maintain behaviors during naturalistic reward and aversive processing. Because MOR effects on CS-evoked phasic DA are largely unexamined, we conducted in vivo fiber photometric recordings in water-deprived male and …

Relaxation Activities And The Effects Of Sleep Quality On High-Achieving Females, Kaitlynn Cusipag

InnovateHER Meeting 2026

The overall goal of this study was to help improve the sleep quality of high-achieving female high school students. This study’s goal was to determine whether the difficulty of crossword puzzles and coloring pages had an impact on sleep quality and stress levels. Sleep is crucial for the well-being and daily performance of teenagers

What Is Screen Apnea And How Does It Affect You?, Kristi M. Soileau

New Orleans Dental Association News

Screen apnea is a modern epidemic of significant proportions. Research suggests that nearly 80% of people unconsciously alter their breathing, often holding their breath or breathing shallowly, while working on digital devices. This subtle shift in respiration, sometimes called “email apnea,” can place the body into a low-grade stress response without being noticed by the individual at the screen. When breathing becomes restricted from poor posting or content anxiety, the nervous system enters into a sympathetic response, much as it interprets signs of threats to that person. The resultant physiological response may be exhibited by muscle tension, mental fog, increased …

In School Age Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Does Academic Achievement And Social Development Improve In Inclusive Classroom Environments?, Ashley A. Macquaid

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a developmental disorder characterized by difficulties in social skills, communication, and sensory processing 1. ASD affects approximately 1 in 100 children internationally 2. With the growing prevalence, classroom inclusivity of individuals with autism has emerged as a priority in education. However, current literature presents a range of positive and negative factors without clear indication of effective classroom placement for students' specific needs. This research aims to determine if inclusive classroom environments improve academic achievement and social development for school-age children with ASD. A systematic search on PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane databases yielded studies published between …

Predicting Narcissism Through Social Media, Cameryn Freglette, Melanie Palomares

Caravel Undergraduate Research Journal

The objective of this study was to assess if narcissism can be predicted through social media behaviors such as frequency of posts, posting selfies, and social media presence on a variety of platforms. This study was conducted through a questionnaire related to social media use and a brief assessment from the Narcissistic Personality Inventory (NPI- 16). Results indicated that social media use per day was significantly different between people who post selfies and those who do not. Participants that scored higher for narcissism used social media less but posted significantly more selfies. Results were not significant in predicting narcissism through …

Evaluating Spect Neuroimaging In Psychiatric Diagnosis: A Critical Review And Proposed Randomized Controlled Study, Kiley Carter

Senior Honors Theses

Mental illness affects a substantial proportion of adults in the United States, yet psychiatric diagnosis remains subject to diagnostic variability. Single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) is a neuroimaging technique that measures cerebral blood flow and has been proposed as an adjunctive tool for psychiatric evaluation. Existing literature reports group-level perfusion patterns associated with certain psychiatric conditions, suggesting potential utility in diagnosing complex or treatment-resistant cases. However, critics of SPECT emphasize the absence of randomized controlled data demonstrating improved patient outcomes. To address this gap, a prospective randomized controlled trial comparing standard psychiatric care with SPECT-guided evaluation is proposed. The proposed …

Prefrontal Engagement In Cognitive Flexibility Across Paradigms, Katarina Kalajzic

Honors Scholar Theses

Cognitive flexibility is an executive function that involves dynamically adapting behavior in the face of changing environmental circumstances to achieve a particular goal. Disrupted in numerous psychiatric disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease, schizophrenia, OCD, and depression, the neural correlates of cognitive flexibility are not well understood. However, the prefrontal cortex (PFC) is strongly implicated in executive function and attentional control processes. Thus, we sought to examine the neural circuitry involved in distinct cognitive flexibility tasks – the attentional set-shifting task and the probabilistic 2-armed bandit task. Through optogenetic suppression, we targeted pyramidal neurons of the rodent medial prefrontal cortex, an …

Feasibility Of Assessing Dietary Patterns And Anxiety In College Students: A Pilot Study Using Nutrition Questionnaires, Gad-7, And Asq, Kylie Ford

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Anxiety is highly prevalent among college students representing a significant public health concern. Research indicates that dietary patterns may influence mental health outcomes; however, the practicality of collecting comprehensive dietary and psychological data in college populations remains unclear. This pilot study assessed the feasibility of evaluating dietary patterns and anxiety using self-report instruments. Participants completed the Nutrition and Eating Habit questionnaire, the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7), and the Anxiety Sensitivity Questionnaire (ASQ). Although twenty-one students were recruited, survey completion rates were low, with only seven participants completing the nutrition questionnaire necessary to calculate the Dietary Inflammatory Index (DII). Descriptive analyses …

Handgrip Strength, Handgrip Endurance And Bmi: A Comprehensive Approach To Health Assessment Among The General Population Of Madikeri, Dr Asha S. Das, Dr Ravikiran Kisan, Dr Suhas Y. Shirur, Dr Narasimha Rai K, Dr Sanjay Bhagoji

Digital Journal of Clinical Medicine

Introduction: Being physically fit is essential for lowering the risk of illness and enhancing longevity. While Body Mass Index (BMI) is frequently used to evaluate body composition, Hand Grip Strength (HGS) and Hand Grip Endurance (HGE) are important indicators of general well-being. Goal: To assess BMI, HGS, and HGE and ascertain how they correlate in a selected group of subjects. Methods: Fifty participants between the ages of 20 and 40 years participated in a comparative cross-sectional study at the Department of Physiology, Kodagu Institute of Medical Sciences, Madikeri. Participants were divided into three BMI groups after anthropometric measurements were taken. …

Non-Diabetic Kidney Disease In A Patient With Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: A Diagnostic Challenge, Nikhil R, Mahabaleshwar Mamadapur , Assistant Professor, Harshwardhan S Patil

Digital Journal of Clinical Medicine

Background: Diabetic kidney disease (DKD) is the most common cause of end-stage renal disease. However, non-diabetic kidney disease (NDKD) can coexist or mimic DKD, leading to misdiagnosis. Case Presentation: A 46-year-old female with type 2 diabetes presented with vomiting and abdominal pain. Physical examination revealed non-blanching erythematous papules on both lower limbs. Investigations showed uncontrolled diabetes, metabolic acidosis, and active urinary sediment. Absence of diabetic retinopathy prompted renal biopsy, which revealed immune-complex–mediated glomerulonephritis with small-vessel vasculitis. Diagnosis: Immune-complex–mediated glomerulonephritis with small-vessel vasculitis, not consistent with diabetic nephropathy. Management: Supportive care and immunosuppressive therapy were initiated with improvement in renal function. …

Drd2 Rs6276 Polymorphism And Trait Impulsivity In Individuals With Mixed Behavioral And Substance Addictions, Gabriela Zdunek, Remigiusz Recław, Aleksandra Suchanecka, Krzysztof Chmielowiec, Dariusz Larysz, Patryk Ilków, Kinga Łosińska, Jolanta Chmielowiec, Łukasz Jaworski, Anna Grzywacz

Baltic Journal of Health and Physical Activity

Background/Objectives: Impulsivity is a key transdiagnostic trait linked to dysregulated reward processing in both behavioral and substance-related addictions, as recognized in DSM-5. Dopaminergic genes, including DRD2, may modulate individual differences in impulsivity, particularly under conditions of increased addiction vulnerability. This study examined whether the DRD2 Exon 8 rs6276 polymorphism predicts impulsivity levels in men with mixed addictive behaviors compared with healthy controls. Methods: A total of 328 males (128 with mixed behavioral and substance addictions and 200 controls) were assessed. Diagnoses were confirmed using the MINI interview, and impulsivity was measured with the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale (BIS-11). Genotyping of …

Heroes Of Medicine In The Rio Grande Valley: Documentary Interview With Dr. Cynthia Cavazos Gonzalez, Cynthia Cavazos Gonzalez, Raquel Elena Orellana

Heroes of Medicine in the Rio Grande Valley

Cynthia Cavazos Gonzalez PhD is an Associate Professor of Clinical Practice at UTRGV in Edinburg, Texas and she is the clinic director of the UTRGV Psychology training clinic. She completed a doctoral degree in Clinical Psychology from California School of Professional Psychology in Fresno, California. Her doctoral degree is in Clinical Psychology with a major specialization in Neuropsychology and minor specialization in Health Psychology. She completed an APA-accredited pre-doctoral internship at UTMB in Galveston with a major emphasis in hospital consultation, outpatient psychotherapy, and psychological and neuropsychological evaluations with diverse populations. She completed an informal neuropsychology post-doctoral residency in Texas …

The Relationship Between Smartphone Screen Time Duration And Individual Chronotype: A Systematic Literature Review, Diego Sergio Giasia Lumbantobing, Thalia Altamilano Pramudya

Jurnal Epidemiologi Kesehatan Indonesia

The rapid increase in smartphone use over the past decade led to prolonged screen time across age groups, particularly during nighttime hours. Exposure to artificial light and pre-sleep digital activities was associated with circadian rhythm disruption and alterations in individual chronotype. This systematic literature review aimed to synthesize empirical evidence on the relationship between smartphone screen time duration and individual chronotype across all age groups and to identify key moderating factors influencing this association. The review was conducted in accordance with PRISMA 2020 guidelines. Literature searches were performed in PubMed, Scopus, and ScienceDirect for studies published between 2015 and 2025. …

Depression Due To Combined Dexamethasone And Cyproheptadine Abuse For Weight Gain, Sanjana Sateesh, Jatin Kumar, Dhananjay Ardawatia, Kishor M, Shashidhara Kc, Srikanth Ms

Digital Journal of Clinical Medicine

Cyproheptadine, an H1 antihistamine, and Dexamethasone, a long-acting steroid, are often misused in combination for addressing self-perceived body image issues and have become a popular but dangerous ‘weight gain cocktail’, often available over the counter without any prescription. This case describes a 25-year-old man who had self-prescribed the above-mentioned drugs in combination to address his self-perceived lean physique. This resulted in a significant weight gain, followed by an abnormal increase in appetite, which affected his daily life. Upon cessation, it resulted in rebound weight changes, depressive features, along with features of corticosteroid withdrawal, which required multidisciplinary management.

This case highlights …

Morphea With Seronegative Inflammatory Arthritis And Normal Acute Phase Reactants: A Case Report, Balakrishnan Navaneethakrishnan, Mahabaleshwar Mamadapur

Digital Journal of Clinical Medicine

Localised scleroderma, also known as morphea, is an immune-mediated fibrosing disorder that primarily affects the skin and subcutaneous tissues. While traditionally considered purely a cutaneous disease, extracutaneous manifestations (especially inflammatory arthritis) are increasingly being appreciated. The combined presence of morphea and inflammatory arthritis is rare and can be difficult to diagnose, particularly when inflammatory markers and serological testing are non-contributory.

Case Summary : We describe a 41-year-old woman with long-standing biopsy-proven morphea who over 2 years developed chronic, asymmetric inflammatory arthritis of the left wrist and hand small joints. On examination, she had active synovitis with restricted movements of her …

Pseudo-Hallucinations: A Diagnostic Conundrum, Dr Sankram Nayak, Manju Aswath, Vathsalya S. Gowda

Digital Journal of Clinical Medicine

Background:

Pseudohallucinations are vivid, hallucination-like experiences that are internal, recognized as unreal. Distinguishing from true hallucinations remains a diagnostic challenge.

Case-report

33-year-old female with family history of psychosis presented with 10-year duration of delusion of infidelity and auditory experiences, with normal Biopsychosocial functioning. She had multiple psychiatric consultations, diagnosed as paranoid schizophrenia, treated with  various antipsychotics, ECT, current prescription of clozapine(350mg) with clozapine induced seizure.  Reported that her husband was emotionally unavailable. She described the voices in her head which were non-threatening, praising her for having qualities of an ideal-wife.  They were constant companions giving her solace and hence refrained …

Humanity Is Evolving Its Consciousness: The Role Of Archetypal Energies As Guides During An Unfolding Weeding Out And Alignment Process, Carroy U. Ferguson

Psychology Faculty Publication Series

Humanity is evolving its consciousness at individual and collective levels.  Given these seemingly tumultuous times, as of this writing (January 2026), to make such a statement may sound like a strange thing to say.  However, I suggest that if you are alive today and if you are reading these words, these are the very times for which you were born—to assist Humanity as it evolves its consciousness with your unique gifts, whatever they may be.  That is, this period of our individual and collective human being-ness may be characterized as an unfolding period of weeding out and alignment with the …

Unlocking Hope: Mirtazapine's Promise In Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder Treatment, Rebecca K. Hicks, Iram Kingson, Jordan Gaal, Suzanne Holroyd

Marshall Journal of Medicine

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a chronic and debilitating psychiatric condition characterized by intrusive thoughts (obsessions) and repetitive behaviors (compulsions). While selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) are first-line treatments for OCD, a significant proportion of patients remain refractory to these interventions. Mirtazapine, an atypical antidepressant with unique pharmacological properties, has emerged as a potential adjunctive therapy for treatment-resistant OCD. This review synthesizes existing evidence regarding the efficacy and safety profile of mirtazapine in OCD management. We analyze clinical trials, observational studies, and case reports, distinguishing high- vs. low-quality evidence, and discuss mechanisms underlying mirtazapine's therapeutic effects. Additionally, …

Elevated Trna Halves In Olfactory Epithelial Cells Of Patients With Schizophrenia, Justin T. Gumas, Megumi Shigematsu, Karin E. Borgmann-Winter, C. G. Hahn, Yohei Kirino

Computational Medicine Center Faculty Papers

Schizophrenia patients' olfactory epithelial cells contain abundant immune-activating tRNA fragments, linking small RNA biology to inflammation and suggesting avenues for diagnostics.