Psychiatry and Psychology Commons^™

Vascular Risk Factors And 1-Year Cognitive Change Among Individuals With Traumatic Brain Injury, Andrea L. C. Schneider, Katherine Hunzinger, Benjamin L. Brett, Danielle K Sandsmark, Sonia Jain, Xiaoying Sun, Raquel C. Gardner, Geoffrey T. Manley, Ramon Diaz-Arrastia, Lindsay D. Nelson, Patrick Belton, Shawn Eagle, Shankar Gopinath, Ramesh Grandhi, C. Dirk Keene, Vijay Krishnamoorthy, Christine Mac Donald, Michael Mccrea, Randall Merchant, Pratik Mukherjee, Laura B. Ngwenya, David Okonkwo, Claudia Robertson, David Schnyer, Sabrina R. Taylor, John K. Yue, Ross Zafonte

Department of Exercise Science Faculty Papers

IMPORTANCE: Traumatic brain injury (TBI) and vascular risk factors are associated with cognitive impairment, but it is unknown if individuals with vascular risk factors experience worse cognitive outcomes after TBI.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate cognitive function among patients with TBI with vs without comorbid preinjury vascular risk factors.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: This prospective cohort study examined individuals with TBI enrolled in the Transforming Research and Clinical Knowledge in TBI (TRACK-TBI) Study between February 26, 2014, and August 8, 2018, with a 1-year follow-up. Analyses were conducted February 26, 2024, to May 29, 2025.

EXPOSURES: Vascular risk factors (ie, hypertension, diabetes, …

Does Change In Faith Maturity Reflect Maturation? Establishing Strict Measurement Invariance For The Faith Maturity Scale Across Time, Hiroki Matsuo, Tyler Greenway, Grant B. Morgan, Sarah A. Schnitker

University Faculty Publications and Creative Works

Despite its early focus on religious development and faith maturation, the psychology of religion and spirituality field underutilizes longitudinal designs; work is needed to reduce barriers to the longitudinal study of the processes by which faith matures. As a first step, the present study examines the invariance structure of the Faith Maturity Scale across three time points to assess the reliability and structure of the scale over time. The confirmatory factor analytic method was used to examine data from 572 college students. Configural, metric, scalar, and residual/strict models were tested. Findings support the full strict residual longitudinal invariance model, providing …

The Impact Of Mindfulness Therapy To Reduce Disruptive Behavior In High School, Wendy Peters

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The aim of this project was to determine the impact and effectiveness of Gina Biegel’s mindfulness techniques for stressed teens method on adolescent anxiety and the disruptive symptoms that lead to high school adolescents being assigned to detention. This project described a quantitative correlational design research project that investigated a small adolescent sample size, with a goal of decreasing the number of local high school adolescent students who are repeat detention offenders, by implementing Gina Biegel’s mindfulness techniques for stressed teens method on those high school adolescents who were assigned to detention. This was achieved by collecting demographic data from …

Improving The Screening And Management Process For Mental Health Disorders And Health Risk Behaviors In College-Age Students: A Quality Improvement Project, Brooke L. Styslinger

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Manuscripts

Establishing a standardized electronic screening process for mental health disorders and health risk behaviors is crucial for early identification and intervention before poor outcomes occur. This quality improvement project addresses a gap in care relating to screening practices in a college health services office which primarily relied on a provider-based interview screening processes in students reporting for care. Pre-implementation data showed providers most often screened for Major Depressive Disorder (MDD), alcohol use, and drug use, with inconsistent screening for Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) or tobacco/vaping use. Follow-up screening form administration was also inconsistent, only given 3.3% of the time for …

The Impact Of Gender, Training Year, Medical Specialty And The Covid-19 Pandemic On Resident Wellness, Sara Beachy, Jessica Luzier, Chantel Weisenmuller, Kathleen Bors, Mary Ann Maurer, Amna Anees, Tiffany Lasky, Lisa Calderwood

Department of Family & Community Medicine Faculty Papers

INTRODUCTION: Data are limited as to which factors most strongly impact medical trainees' well-being, and few studies have assessed trainee's wellness at multiple time points during the COVID-19 pandemic. Additionally, much research has not taken an intersectional approach to understanding the ways in which different facets of a resident's identity impact their wellness. Thus, more person-centred, probability-driven statistical approaches that can produce distinct heterogenous groups of individuals are warranted to understand the way in which different identities are associated with resident wellness scores.

METHODS: A latent profile analysis was conducted using institutional data from resident surveys administered from 2019 to …

Data-Driven Approach To Dynamic Resting State Functional Connectivity In Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder: An Enigma-Pgc Ptsd Study, Carissa W Tomas, Jacklynn M Fitzgerald, C Lexi Baird, Courtney C Haswell, Chadi G Abdallah, Michael Angstadt, Justin T Baker, Hannah Berg, Jennifer U Blackford, Josh Cisler, Andrew S Cotton, Judith K Daniels, Nicholas D Davenport, Richard J Davidson, Terri A Deroon-Cassini, Seth G Disner, Wissam El Hage, Negar Fani, Jessie L Frijling, Evan M Gordon, Daniel W Grupe, Xiaofu He, Ryan Herringa, David Hofmann, Ashley A Huggins, Ahmed Hussain, Jonathan Ipser, Neda Jahanshad, Tanja Jovanovic, Milissa L Kaufman, Yoojean Kim, Anthony King, Saskia B J Koch, Sheri Koopowitz, Amit Lazarov, Lauren A M Lebois, Isreal Liberzon, Shmuel Lissek, Antje Manthey, Geoffrey May, Katie A Mclaughlin, Laura Nawijn, Steven M Nelson, Yuval Neria, Jack B Nitschke, Bunmi O Olatunji, Miranda Olff, Matthew Peverill, Yann Quidé, Orren Ravid, Kerry Ressler, Marisa Ross, Lauren E Salminen, Kelly Sambrook, Chiahao Shih, Anika Sierk, Scott R Sponheim, Dan J Stein, Jennifer Stevens, Thomas Straube, Benjamin Suarez-Jimenez, Paul M Thompson, Nic J A Van Der Wee, Steven J A Van Der Werff, Sanne J H Van Rooij, Mirjam Van Zuiden, Dick J Veltman, Robert R J M Vermeiren, Henrik Walter, Xin Wang, Hong Xie, Xi Zhu, Sigal Zilcha-Mano, Christine L Larson, Rajendra Morey

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) have been associated with aberrations in brain networks in the absence of a given cognitive demand or task, called resting-state networks. Prior work has focused on disruption in the static functional connectivity (FC) among specific regions constrained by a priori hypotheses. However, dynamic FC, an approach that examines brain network characteristics over time, may provide a more sensitive measure to understand the network properties underlying dysfunction in PTSD. Further, using a data-driven analytic approach may reveal the contribution of other larger network disturbances beyond those revealed by hypothesis-driven …

Sirt5 Inhibition Impairs Mitochondrial Metabolism And Enhances Venetoclax-Induced Elimination Of Acute Myeloid Leukemia Cells, Moran Wang, Ruiqi Zhu, Donald Small, Lan Lin, Li Li, Shengling Ma, Linghui Xia, Shanshan Luo, Wenjuan He, Jianming Yu, Junying Li, Ruowen Wei, Ao Zhang, Wei Shi, Yu Hu

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Metabolic reprogramming is a key focus of targeted therapies in acute myeloid leukemia (AML). The mitochondrial sirtuin SIRT5 removes succinyl groups from specific lysines and impacts cell metabolism, but its role in AML tumorigenesis has not been extensively explored. A recent study highlighted that SIRT5 regulates AML cell activity by modulating glutamine metabolism, but its molecular targets in AML remain unclear. This study aims to identify the substrates of SIRT5 in AML. It was found that a total of 83 proteins with 121 lysine (K) residues showed increased succinylation after SIRT5 knockdown, as determined by succinylome analysis of MOLM-13 cells. …

Safety And Efficacy Of Deep Tms For Adolescent Depression Based On Large Real-World Data Analysis, Yiftach Roth, Aron Tendler, Gaby S Pell, Teejay Tripp, Philip Yam, Dianne Dekeyser, Mah Mekolle, Jayson Tripp, Aaron J Dahl, Owen S Muir, Carlene M Macmillan, Kevin R Rosi, Steven A Harvey, Teresa Poprawski, Kevin M Kinback, Oluremi Adefolarin, Alexander Rohr, Mark E Blair, Diana Ghelber, Raymond Y Cho, Hannah R Kelly, Raymond C Garcia, Amita Jha, Richard A Bermudes, Colleen A Hanlon

Staff and Researcher Publications

Adolescent major depressive disorder (MDD) is a prevalent and serious mental health condition. Pharmacological treatments are commonly used but often have poor tolerability and severe side effects, such as suicidal ideation. Deep transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) is currently cleared treating MDD in individuals 22-86 years old. This post-marketing surveillance study was designed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of using this tool as a treatment for MDD in younger patients. Data were collected from 56 sites, resulting in 1257 patients that met inclusion criteria (e.g. 11-21 years old, H1 coil, 18 Hz or iTBS, treatment-resistant MDD). Treatment was well tolerated …

Lack Of Relationships Between Ketamine Treatment And Peripheral Neurotrophic And Inflammatory Factors In A Randomized Controlled Ketamine Trial Of Major Depressive Disorder, Manivel Rengasamy, Benjamin Panny, Zakary Hutchinson, Anna Marsland, Tessa Kovats, Angela Griffo, Crystal Spotts, Robert H Howland, Meredith L Wallace, Sanjay J Mathew, Shabnam Hossein, Rebecca B Price

Staff and Researcher Publications

Background: Ketamine is a rapid-acting treatment for treatment-resistant depression (TRD), though mechanisms related to ketamine's effects remain unclear. Blood-based neurotrophic and inflammatory factors (NIFs; e.g., brain-derived neurotrophic factor, interleukin-6) have emerged as markers potentially linked to ketamine and ketamine treatment response.

Methods: In this secondary analysis of a randomized controlled trial (RCT), 133 adults with TRD received a single-dose infusion of ketamine (n = 89; 0.5 mg/kg) or saline (n = 44) and provided measures of peripheral blood NIF levels and depression severity across a five-day post-infusion period. Differences between ketamine and saline groups were examined for (1) NIF levels, …

Assessing Medical Decision-Making Capacity: The Importance Of Patient Values., Emilee M. Ertle

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

A medical decision-making capacity (MDC) assessment is the assessment of an individual to determine whether they can make their own medical decisions or if a proxy decision maker must make care decisions on their behalf. These assessments are necessary when individuals experience cognitive impairments which limit their ability to think through complex medical decisions. Best practice for MDC assessments is a growing area of research, with no standard approach to guide assessment planning. The current study builds upon the field’s knowledge of capacity assessments by investigating 1) what methods and measures clinicians utilize in capacity assessments, 2) what factors influence …

Exploring Adverse Childhood Experiences And Bullying Of Children Who Are Deaf Or Hard Of Hearing, Alyson Connelly Ward

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and bullying can lead to psychological distress, causing both short- and long-term health and mental health problems. Children with special healthcare needs (CSHCN), including those who are deaf or hard of hearing (DHH), face a higher risk of ACEs and bullying, which can affect their well-being.

This study builds on existing literature by (a) reviewing ACEs and bullying in CSHCN, especially those who are DHH, and (b) using data from the 2016-2022 National Survey of Children's Health to analyze ACEs and bullying in children who are DHH, DHH+CSHCN, and CSHCN. The literature review found that disability …

High-Gamma And Beta Bursts In The Left Supramarginal Gyrus Can Differentiate Verbal Memory States And Performance, Shennan Aibel Weiss, Nicolás Sawczuk, Daniel Y. Rubinstein, Michael R Sperling, Katrina Wendel-Mitoraj, Päivi Österman, René Dumay-Roscher, Charles B. Mikell, Sima Mofakham, Kelly Coulehan, Petar M. Djuric, Diego Fernandez Slezak, Juan Esteban Kamienkowski

Department of Neurology Faculty Papers

INTRODUCTION: The left supramarginal gyrus (LSMG) contributes to attentional allocation for memory encoding and may also reflect memory state and performance. Given the roles of high-gamma and beta bursts in cognition and memory, this proof-of-concept study investigated whether these signals within the LSMG could classify memory state and performance.

METHODS: Using secondary data from 103 epilepsy patients undergoing presurgical iEEG evaluation, we analyzed 141 delayed verbal free recall experiments. Intracranial EEG (iEEG) data, recorded solely from LSMG electrode contacts, were processed to create two-dimensional (2D) tensors of convolved high-gamma (HG), and beta (15-40 Hz) burst activity. Convolutional neural networks (CNNs) …

Use Of Naltrexone For Treating Binge Eating And Food Obsession Related To Trauma: A Case Report And Literature Review, Rebecca K. Hicks, Iram Kingson, Jordan Gaal, Suzanne Holroyd

Marshall Journal of Medicine

Impulse-control disorders, including those related to eating behaviors, are complex conditions with limited pharmacologic treatment options. While naltrexone is primarily used for opioid and alcohol dependence, emerging research suggests it may also be effective in managing a variety of impulse-driven conditions. As a pure opioid antagonist, naltrexone’s mechanism of action involves the inhibition of opioid receptors on dopaminergic neurons involved in the reward pathway of the brain, thereby reducing the reinforcing effects of substances such as alcohol and opioids. Research suggests that through this mechanism of action, naltrexone shows promise in treating impulsive behaviors also driven by the reward pathway, …

Project Evolve: An International Analysis Of Postimmunotherapy Lineage Switch, An Emergent Form Of Relapse In Leukemia, Sara K Silbert, Alexander W Rankin, Chloe N Hoang, Alexandra Semchenkova, Regina M Myers, Elena Zerkalenkova, Hao-Wei Wang, Alexandra E Kovach, Constance M Yuan, Dana Delgado Colon, Loïc Vasseur, Alex Bataller, Samuel John, Kaylyn Utley Lyons, Barbara Friedes, Anna Alonso-Saladrigues, Hisham Abdel-Azim, Estelle Balducci, Ahmed Assim Aljudi, Marie Balsat, D Nathan Biery, Aghiad Chamdin, Bill H Chang, Raymund S Cuevo, Barbara De Moerloose, David S Dickens, Ulrich Duffner, Nicolas Duployez, Firas El Chaer, Michelle Ann Elliott, Gabriele Escherich, Sneha Fernandes, Mandi R Fitzjohn, Zhubin Gahvari, Stephan A Grupp, Rui Rochelle He, Cynthia Harrison, Christopher B Hergott, Emily M Hsieh, Annette S Kim, Dennis J Kuo, Daniel P Larson, Benjamin J Lee, Thibaut Leguay, R Coleman Lindsley, Abhishek A Mangaonkar, Kerstin Mezger, Holly L Pacenta, Jing Pan, Marlie Provost, Latika Puri, Sunil S Raikar, Armando Martinez, Isabella Bristol, Kyle Murphy, Lauren Reiman, Michele Redell, Kelly Reed, Gabrielle Roth-Guepin, Jeremy Rubinstein, Süreyya Savaşan, Kristian Schafernak, Alexandra Stevens, Aimee Talleur, Naomi Torres Carapia, Jacques Vargaftig, Anant Vatsayan, Matthias Wölfl, Liping Zhao, Susana Rives, Vanessa A Fabrizio, Koji Sasaki, Ibrahim Aldoss, Nicolas Boissel, Susan R Rheingold, Kara L Davis, Sara Ghorashian, Elad Jacoby, Alexander Popov, Adam J Lamble, Nirali N Shah

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Lineage switch (LS), defined as the immunophenotypic transformation of acute leukemia, has emerged as a mechanism of relapse after antigen-targeted immunotherapy, which is associated with dismal outcomes. Through an international collaborative effort, we identified cases of LS after a host of antigen-targeted therapies (eg, CD19, CD22, CD38, and CD7), described how LS was diagnosed, reviewed treatment approaches, and analyzed overall outcomes for this form of postimmunotherapy relapse. Collectively, 75 cases of LS were evaluated, including 53 (70.7%) cases of B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL) transforming to acute myeloid leukemia (AML), 17 (22.7%) cases of B-ALL transforming to mixed phenotypic acute …

Anxious Traits Intensify The Impact Of Depressive Symptoms On Stigma In People Living With Hiv, Alexia Koukopoulos, Antonio Maria D'Onofrio, Alessio Simonetti, Delfina Janiri, Flavio Cherubini, Paolo Vassalini, Letizia Santinelli, Gabriella D'Ettorre, Gabriele Sani, Giovanni Camardese

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Background/Objectives: Despite medical advances, stigma remains a major challenge for people living with HIV (PLWH). This study examined clinical, sociodemographic, and psychological predictors of HIV-related stigma, and explored whether affective temperament moderates the impact of depression on stigma.

Methods: This cross-sectional observational study included 97 PLWH attending a tertiary infectious disease unit in Rome, Italy. Participants completed a battery of validated psychometric instruments assessing depressive symptoms, anxiety, manic symptoms, mixed affective states, general psychopathology, impulsivity, and affective temperament. HIV-related stigma was evaluated using the Berger HIV Stigma Scale, which measures personalized stigma, disclosure concerns, negative self-image, and concerns …

Understanding The Health And Social Determinants Of Health Needs Of Resettled Afghan Refugees In Houston, Texas, Karissa Chesky, Angelica Garcia, Aaron Pathak, Imran Humza Hanif, Srijana Shrestha, Sophia Banu

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Purpose

Methods

Act With Nmosd: A Targeted, Telehealth-Delivered Mental Health Intervention For Patients & Caregivers, Darcy C. Esiason, Patrick J. Smith, Charles L. Peppers, Emily Wakschal, Leigh Andrews, Chelsi N. Nurse, Hallie M. Kushner, Christopher F. Drescher, Heather Bruschwein, Wendy Erler, Tom Hattrich, Ankita Deshpande, Michael Levy, Thomas P. Leist, C. Virginia O'Hayer

Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior Faculty Papers

PURPOSE: The rare, unpredictable, debilitating nature of neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD) constitutes a unique psychological burden. This single-arm, pilot clinical trial examined the effectiveness of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) tailored to meet the psychological burden of NMOSD, a brief telehealth-delivered intervention, targeting this burden.

METHODS: Forty-three adults with NMOSD (76 % aquaporin-4 seropositive (AQP4+)) in USA, with elevated anxiety and/or depression completed 6-weeks of an experiential talk therapy designed to increase psychological flexibility and valued action, specifically tailored to address the psychological burden of NMOSD: Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) w NMOSD. Patients attended via Zoom, along with …

Providing Evidenced Based Practice Interventions To Direct Care Providers In Long-Term Facilities To Increase Knowledge Of Mental Health Care In Older Adults: An Educational Toolkit, Chelisa Ann Crabtree

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this scholarly project is to increase the knowledge of mental health (MH) care among direct care providers in long-term facilities by developing an educational toolkit focused on evidence-based education and training, with the goal of enhancing staff competencies in MH care, improving the management of residents’ MH needs, and ultimately optimizing care and quality of life. With the increasing number of younger and sicker individuals, particularly those with MH issues, residing in long-term facilities and lack of specialized training for direct care providers which leads to inadequate/complicated care and poor patient outcomes, there is a pressing need …

Factors Associated With Self-Report Symptom Screening Adherence In Pediatric Cancer Patients, L. Lee Dupuis, Emily Vettese, Catherine Aftandilian, Vibhuti Agarwal, Christina Baggott, Scott M. Bradfield, Nicole Crellin-Parsons, David R. Freyer, Kara M. Kelly, Allison A. King, Wade Kyono, Ramamoorthy Nagasubramanian, Etan Orgel, Michael E. Roth, Farha Sherani, Lolie Yu, Allison C. Grimes, Melissa P. Beauchemin, Lisa M. Klesges, George A. Tomlinson, Lillian Sung

School of Medicine Faculty Publications

Introduction: Objective was to describe the association between baseline characteristics and the number of Symptom Screening in Pediatrics Tool (SSPedi) assessments completed over an 8-week period. Methods: This was a sub-analysis of a cluster randomized controlled trial among 10 sites that were randomized to the intervention group. Participants were English- or Spanish-speaking pediatric patients 8–18 years of age newly diagnosed with cancer. Participants were prompted to complete SSPedi three times weekly for 8 weeks. The outcome was the number of SSPedi assessments completed during the 8-week period. Factors associated with the number of assessments were determined using mixed effects Poisson …

Adult Congenital Heart Disease As A Career? Examining Encouraging And Deterring Factors In The Global Achd Survey, Katia Bravo-Jaimes, M. H. D. Osama Srour, Petra Jenkins, Raquel Luna-Lopez, Oktay Tutarel, Geetha Kandavello, Carlos-Eduardo Guerrero-Chalela, Edgar García-Cruz, Judith Ackerman, Amalia Elizari, Miriam Valdez-Ramos, Blanche Cupido, Dominica Zentner, Murad Almasri, Sabrina Phillips, Christopher Mcleod, Luke Burchill, Celia Kamath, Renee Bullock-Palmer, Jonathan Windram

Department of Medicine Faculty Papers

BACKGROUND: There is a global mismatch between the number of adults with congenital heart disease and adult congenital heart disease (ACHD) cardiologists, potentially impacting patient outcomes. This survey explores factors influencing trainees and cardiologists' career choices in ACHD.

METHODS: An online, anonymous global survey on demographics, ACHD as a career choice, encouraging and deterring factors assessed via a 5-point Likert scale and open-ended questions on recommending ACHD was distributed through targeted emails and social media. Responses meeting a 75% completion criterion were analyzed using descriptive statistics and thematic analysis.

RESULTS: Among 811 included responses, most were from women (53.5%), aged …

Academic Stress Among Jss High School Students In Mysuru And Chamarajanagar Districts: A Cross-Sectional Study, Lathika R, Dr Sunil Kumar D, Krishnamurthy K V, Dr Rakshitha J

Digital Journal of Clinical Medicine

Background

In today's world, students face academic stress which leading to anxiety, poor performance in academics and many other issues like nervousness, panic attacks and depression mainly derived from grades, parental pressure, and competition between the students. With the above background study aims to estimate the prevalence and assess the associated factors of academic stress among high school adolescents.

Method

A cross-sectional study was conducted to explore the academic stress among JSS high school students of Mysuru and Chamarajanagar districts. A total of 379 were selected through Probability proportional to size (PPS) sampling. Structured questionnaire was used to assess the …

From Heroic Imagination To Belonging-Focused Healing: A Tribute To Philip Zimbardo, Agnieszka Wilczynska

Heroism Science

This article offers a reflective account of the Polish adaptation of the Heroic Imagination Project (HIP), a global educational initiative founded by Philip Zimbardo to promote everyday heroism through psychological awareness. As HIP took root in Poland, we developed a robust infrastructure of certified trainers, academic collaborators, and educational centers, reaching over 250 schools and 800 educators. Grounded in core psychological principles -- such as the bystander effect, social conformity, and prejudice -- the program empowered participants to resist negative social influences and cultivate moral courage. The experience also gave rise to Belonging Focus Therapy (BFT), a psychobiological and sociocultural …

Prenatal Maternal Mood Instability And Child Externalizing Problems: An Ecological Momentary Assessment Study, Sophie G. Srivastava, Curt A. Sandman, Elysia Poggi Davis, Laura M. Glynn

Psychology Faculty Articles and Research

This study examines whether exposure to affect fluctuations during fetal development have implications for child psychopathology. To evaluate maternal mood instability, participants (N = 154) completed Ecological Momentary Assessment (EMA) eight times per day across three days at 15-, 25-, and 35-weeks' gestation, and then at two months postpartum. The EMA measured depressive symptoms (Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale), anxiety (Profile of Mood States), and stress (Perceived Stress Scale). Mood instability was quantified by calculating root mean square of successive differences (RMSSD), which captures both variability and temporal dependency of mood states. When the children were 3 years …

Computational Thinking As A Novel Framework For Enhancing Cognitive Organization In Older Adults With Cognitive Frailty (Letter To The Editor), Daisuke Akiba

Publications and Research

As aging populations grow, especially in high-income nations, the burden of dementia-related care continues to escalate both economically and socially. In response, this article introduces Computational Thinking (CT) as a novel, non-pharmacological framework to support cognitive organization in older adults experiencing cognitive frailty. Though CT has gained traction in fields like PK-16 education, including special education, for enhancing executive function and problem-solving, it has not yet been applied to geriatric- or memory-care contexts. This perspective proposes that CT’s core components (i.e., decomposition, pattern recognition, abstraction, and algorithmic thinking) may align with residual cognitive strengths in mild-to-moderate dementia, offering a strengths-based, …

Human Development, Inequality, And Their Associations With Brain Structure Across 29 Countries, Vicente Medel, Luz M. Alliende, Richard Bethlehem, Jakob Seidlitz, Grace Ringlein, Celso Arango, Aurina Arnatkevičiūtė, Laila Asmal, Mark Bellgrove, Anderson M. Winkler

Human Genetics Publications

Background: The macro-social and environmental conditions in which people live, such as the level of a country’s development or inequality, are associated with brain-related disorders. However, the relationship between these systemic environmental factors and the brain remains unclear. We here aimed to determine the association between the level of development and inequality of a country and the brain structure of healthy adults.

Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study pooling brain imaging (T1-based) data from 145 magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) studies in 7,962 healthy adults (4,110 women) in 29 different countries. We used a meta-regression approach to relate the brain structure …

Clinical Outcomes In Patients With Schizophrenia Treated With Long-Acting Injectable Vs Oral Antipsychotics: A Naturalistic Study, Francesca Bardi, Lorenzo Moccia, Georgios D Kotzalidis, Gianluca Boggio, Andrea Brugnami, Greta Sfratta, Delfina Janiri, Gabriele Sani, Alessio Simonetti

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Background/Objectives: Long-acting injectable antipsychotics (LAIs) represent a significant advancement in the treatment of schizophrenia (SCZ), particularly for improving adherence and long-term outcomes. This study aimed to assess the clinical outcomes of patients receiving atypical LAIs compared to those on various oral antipsychotics over a one-year follow-up in a naturalistic setting.

Methods: Sixty patients with SCZ were subdivided in two groups, those receiving LAIs (n = 25) and those receiving oral antipsychotics (n = 35). The groups were comparable for age, gender, educational attainment, employment status, marital status, smoking habits, and baseline SCZ severity, with no differences …

Screening For Depression And Anxiety In Women With Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome, Nicole M. Bondurant

Dissertations

Background: Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) is a multifaceted endocrine disorder that affects up to 20% of women of reproductive age and is associated with an increased prevalence of psychiatric conditions, particularly depression and anxiety. Despite international guidelines recommending routine screening for these mental health conditions in women with PCOS, consistent implementation in clinical practice remains limited.

Methods: This quality improvement (QI) pilot project aimed to address this gap by developing and implementing a standardized screening protocol for depression and anxiety within a suburban concierge OB-GYN clinic specializing in women’s reproductive and sexual health using validated tools—the Patient Health Questionnaire-8 (PHQ-8) …

A Program Evaluation: Insomnia In Adults With Major Depression Disorder With Cognitive Behavioral Therapy For Insomnia (Cbt-I), Taylor E. Wilson

Dissertations

Abstract

Problem: In 2023, Compass Health Network (CHN) data analysts found that 91% of CHN patients in the United States who have died by suicide reported problems with sleep, which was the highest risk factor for suicide. The objective of this program evaluation project is to evaluate CHN CBT-I effectiveness on patients ‘suicidality by improving their insomnia.

Methods: CHN quality improvement (QI) project used a quantitative method pre/post score design. Quantitative aggregate data was collected on the participants who met the inclusion criteria via retrospective and prospective chart review prior to CHN implementing the intervention. CBT-I clinicians collected PHQ-9, Columbia-Suicide …

The Effects Of A Mindfulness-Based Intervention On Depression And Anxiety In The Long-Covid Population, Rachel Welbel, Elizabeth Rutha, Jeffrey Ording, Douglas Wang, Jana Hirschtick

Journal of Patient-Centered Research and Reviews

Long-COVID is a complicated, post-viral syndrome involving multiple body systems and can present with neuropsychiatric symptoms. Little has been reported about the neuropsychiatric symptoms of long-COVID, and validated treatments do not yet exist. There is prior evidence that mindfulnessbased strategies have been helpful for those with chronic illnesses; shown significant decreases in anxiety, stress, and depression; and enhanced quality of life. In this study, we report on the utility of a mindfulness-based intervention on levels of anxiety and depression in a long-COVID population. Our hospital system founded both a “Covid Recovery Clinic” (CRC) and a “Post-COVID Resilience Program” (PCRP). The …

Resilience And Traumatic Stress Among Latinx English Language Learners: A Cross-Sectional Study Of Students From An Urban School District, Roya Ijadi-Maghsoodi, Sara Rahmanian Koushkaki, Alexandra Klomhaus, Hilary Aralis, Angela Venegas-Murillo, Lauren Marlotte, Sameera Siddiqi, Kungeun Lee, Shirley A De La Cruz, Sheryl Kataoka

Staff and Researcher Publications

Background: Latinx students in the United States can face stressors and structural inequities that can lead to poor academic and mental health outcomes. They comprise 76% of the English Language Learner (ELL) population, yet little is known about the relationship between ELL status and traumatic stress and resilience outcomes among these Latinx students. We sought to see if resilience differs between ELL vs. non-ELL Latinx students, and if traumatic stress risk modifies the association between ELL designation and resilience among Latinx students to inform culturally relevant school resilience interventions and school-wide approaches for this population.

Methods: We analyzed deidentified school …