Psychiatry and Psychology Commons^™

A 3-Month Interdisciplinary Process Drama Program To Build Social Skills In Pre-Schoolers With Asd: A Feasibility Study, Lorie G. Richards, Heidi Woolley, Xan S. Johnson, Pamela Mathy, Stacy Manwaring, M. Raby, Penelope Caywood, W. Wilde, L. Thornton

Occupational Therapy Collection

Objectives:

• To test the feasibility and effect of an interdisciplinary process drama program targeting social skill development in 3-5 year-old children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) characteristics
• To develop a paradigm for testing brain-behavior relationships related to social skills in these children using EEG and testing its ability to detect intervention-related changes.

Background: Social skill deficits are a hallmark cause of disability in ASD. Such disability is of critical concern given the rising prevalence (1 in 54 Utah children) of ASD. [1] As children learn through social experiences, difficulty in social interactions can limit development and ability to succeed …

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 …

Autonomic Response In Autism Spectrum Disorder: Relationship To Social And Cognitive Functioning, Michelle A Patriquin, Elizabeth M Hartwig, Bruce H Friedman, Stephen W Porges, Angela Scarpa

Staff and Researcher Publications

Individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) may exhibit chronic autonomic nervous system (ANS) hyperarousal (e.g., lower respiratory sinus arrhythmia and higher heart rate) compared to their typically developing peers, reflecting a chronic biological threat response. The sustained nature of this cardiac threat suggests tonic nervous system perception of threat in safe contexts. Herein, the cardiac literature in adult and child populations with ASD is reviewed and placed within a continuum of functioning in order to inform the relationship between cardiac response and functioning in ASD. Findings from this review support the relationship between chronic autonomic hyperarousal and emotional and behavioral …

Pilot Gwas Of Caries In African-Americans Shows Genetic Heterogeneity, E. Orlova, J. C. Carlson, M. K. Lee, E. Feingold, D. W. Mcneil, R. J. Crout, R. J. Weyant, M. L. Marazita, J. R. Shaffer

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Background

Dental caries is the most common chronic disease in the US and disproportionately affects racial/ethnic minorities. Caries is heritable, and though genetic heterogeneity exists between ancestries for a substantial portion of loci associated with complex disease, a genome-wide association study (GWAS) of caries specifically in African Americans has not been performed previously.

Methods

We performed exploratory GWAS of dental caries in 109 African American adults (age > 18) and 96 children (age 3–12) from the Center for Oral Health Research in Appalachia (COHRA1 cohort). Caries phenotypes (DMFS, DMFT, dft, and dfs indices) assessed by dental exams were tested for association …

Shared Genetic And Environmental Influences On Fear, Anxiety, Posttraumatic Stress, And Brain Morphometry, Chelsea Sawyers

Theses and Dissertations

Anxiety disorders (ADs) and stress-related disorders are some of the most common psychiatric disorders in the United States. Like other c0mplex psychiatric illness, genetics and neuroimaging research has focused on understanding their underlying neurobiology. Areas within the fear-network play important roles in threat perception, fear conditioning/learning, cognitive processing, and modulation of fear responses including contextual modulation and extinction and have been implicated in ADs as well as stress disorders such as posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The primary gap in the current search for underlying biological mechanisms is in whether biomarkers associated with disorders share genetic influences with the disorders they …

Implementation Of The National Asthma Guidelines In A Residential Pediatric Clinic, Patricia A. Foster-Staples

Dissertations

Abstract

Purpose: Foster care children admitted to residential facilities are a unique and vulnerable group, many presenting with undiagnosed or poorly managed asthma. The alarming rate of residents admitted to a particular residential primary care clinic with a diagnosis of asthma led to the project question: “Based on record reviews, does staff education about the importance of utilizing the national guidelines for asthma education influence the implementation of such guidelines in a residential pediatric clinic?” The purpose of this quality improvement project was to implement a systematic process to influence practice change. The project was conducted over a period …

Parent-Reported Problematic Sleep Behaviors In Children With Comorbid Autism Spectrum Disorder And Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, Katharine C Reynolds, Michelle Patriquin, Candice A Alfano, Katherine A Loveland, Deborah A Pearson

Staff and Researcher Publications

Background: Sleep problems are frequent and well documented in children with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD), children with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and children with internalizing problems, however limited work has examined sleep problems in children presenting with comorbid ASD/ADHD. In healthy children, sleep problems negatively impact social, emotional, and academic functioning. The current study sought to examine diagnostic severity as predictors of sleep problems in children with comorbid ASD/ADHD. Additionally, the association between sleep and "real-life" functional domains (i.e., intellectual functioning, academic achievement, and executive functioning) were assessed.

Method: Sleep, internalizing difficulties, intellectual functioning, academic achievement and executive functioning were …

Response Time Scores On A Reflexive Attention Task Predict A Child's Inattention Score From A Parent Report, Erica Suh, Katherine Christensen, Sarah Kamhout, Kahala Thompson, Yoojin Kim, Cooper Hodges

FHSS Mentored Research Conference

● Children with attention deficits have problems with sustained and reflexive attention tasks

● Few studies measure reflexive attention as a component of day-to-day attention in children

● Parents also have valuable insight into children’s behavior

● We want to identify associations between computer-based reflexive attention task performance and parent-rated attention-related problems.

Evaluating Parents' Self-Efficacy For Diabetes Management In Pediatric Type 1 Diabetes., Amy E. Noser, Susana R. Patton, Jason Van Allen, Michael B. Nelson, Mark A. Clements

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

Objective: To examine the factor structure and construct validity of the Maternal Self-Efficacy for Diabetes Management Scale (MSED) in 135 youth ( Mage  = 13.50  ±  1.83 years), with type 1 diabetes mellitus.

Method: The study used exploratory factor analysis (EFA) to examine the factor structure and correlations to examine relationships among MSED factors and select parent and child diabetes-related health behaviors and outcomes.

Results: EFA identified an 11-item three-factor solution (χ 2 (25, n  = 133)  = 40.22, p  < .03, RMSEA = 0.07, CFI = 0.98, TLI = 0.97), with factors corresponding to parents' perceived ability to manage their child's diabetes (MSED-M), problem-solve issues surrounding glycemic control (MSED-P), and teach their child about diabetes care (MSED-T). Correlational analyses revealed significant associations between the MSED-M and MSED-T and parent-reported optimism and youth's diabetes-specific self-efficacy. The MSED-T was also associated with glycated hemoglobin and self-monitoring blood glucose.

Conclusions: Results provide preliminary evidence for the reliability and validity of a three-factor solution of the MSED.

Childhood Obesity: The Role Of The Mental Health Professional, Barry Panzer

NYMC Faculty Publications

This work consists of two major components: understanding the nature of childhood obesity and providing clinical services. Factors responsible for the current epidemic will be outlined, as will the current definition of the disorder. Statistical data regarding the epidemiology of weight disorders in childhood will be provided in order to give a perspective of the problem. Various obesity trajectories and their differential diagnostic and treatment issues will be thoroughly explored. The intervention section intends to help clinicians to evaluate salient factors in assessing the obese child and to identify appropriate goals and treatment methods. The course will provide vital information …

The Influence Of Televised Food Commercials On Children's Food Choices: Evidence From Ventromedial Prefrontal Cortex Activations., Amanda S. Bruce, Stephen W. Pruitt, Oh-Ryeong Ha, J Bradley C Cherry, Timothy R. Smith, Jared M. Bruce, Seung-Lark Lim

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

OBJECTIVE: To investigate how food commercials influence children's food choices.

STUDY DESIGN: Twenty-three children ages 8-14 years provided taste and health ratings for 60 food items. Subsequently, these children were scanned with the use of functional magnetic resonance imaging while making food choices (ie, "eat" or "not eat") after watching food and nonfood television commercials.

RESULTS: Our results show that watching food commercials changes the way children consider the importance of taste when making food choices. Children did not use health values for their food choices, indicating children's decisions were largely driven by hedonic, immediate rewards (ie, "tastiness"); however, children …

Adverse Childhood Experiences, Support, And The Perception Of Ability To Work In Adults With Disability, Sophia Miryam Schüssler-Fiorenza Rose, Jessica G. Eslinger, Lindsey Zimmerman, Jamie Scaccia, Betty S. Lai, Catrin Lewis, Eva Alisic

Psychiatry Faculty Publications

Objective To examine the impact of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and support on self-reported work inability of adults reporting disability.

Participants Adults (ages 18-64) who participated in the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System in 2009 or 2010 and who reported having a disability (n = 13,009).

Design and Main Outcome Measures The study used a retrospective cohort design with work inability as the main outcome. ACE categories included abuse (sexual, physical, emotional) and family dysfunction (domestic violence, incarceration, mental illness, substance abuse, divorce). Support included functional (perceived emotional/social support) and structural (living with another adult) support. Logistic regression was …

National Trends In Off-Label Use Of Atypical Antipsychotics In Children And Adolescents In The United States, Minji Sohn, Daniela C. Moga, Karen Blumenschein, Jeffery C. Talbert

Pharmacy Practice and Science Faculty Publications

The objectives of the study were as follows: to examine the national trend of pediatric atypical antipsychotic (AAP) use in the United States; to identify primary mental disorders associated with AAPs; to estimate the strength of independent associations between patient/provider characteristics and AAP use. Data are from the National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey and the National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey. First, average AAP prescription rates among 4 and 18-year-old patients between 1993 and 2010 were estimated. Second, data from 2007 to 2010 were combined and analyzed to identify primary mental disorders related to AAP prescription. Third, a multivariate logistic …

Depressive Symptoms In Children With Chronic Kidney Disease., Amy J. Kogon, Matthew B. Matheson, Joseph T. Flynn, Arlene C. Gerson, Bradley A. Warady, Susan L. Furth, Stephen R. Hooper, Chronic Kidney Disease In Children (Ckid) Study Group

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

OBJECTIVE: To assess depression in children with chronic kidney disease and to determine associations with patient characteristics, intellectual and educational levels, and health-related quality of life (HRQoL).

STUDY DESIGN: Subjects aged 6-17 years from the Chronic Kidney Disease in Children cohort study completed the Children's Depression Inventory (CDI), Wechsler Abbreviated Scales of Intelligence, Wechsler Individual Achievement Test-II-Abbreviated, and the Pediatric Inventory of Quality of Life Core Scales 4.0. Regression analyses determined associations of CDI score and depression status with subject characteristics, intellectual and educational levels, and HRQoL. A joint linear mixed model and Weibull model were used to determine the …

Sleep Assessments In Healthy School-Aged Children Using Actigraphy: Concordance With Polysomnography, Karen Spruyt, David Gozal, Ehab Dayyat, Adrienne Roman, Dennis L. Molfese

Center for Brain, Biology, and Behavior: Faculty Publications

Actigraphic recordings (ACT) are widely used in school children as a less intrusive and more extended approach to evaluation of sleep problems. However, critical assessment of the validity and reliability of ACT against overnight polysomnography (NPSG) are unavailable. Thus, we explored the degree of concordance between NPSG and ACT in school-aged children to delineate potential ACT boundaries when interpreting pediatric sleep. Non-dominant wrist ACT was simultaneously recorded with NPSG in 149 healthy school-aged children (4.1 to 8.8 years old, 41.7% boys and 80.4% Caucasian) recruited from the community. Analyses were limited to the Actiware (MiniMitter-64) calculated parameters originating from 1-min …

History Of Maltreatment And Psychiatric Impairment In Children In Outpatient Psychiatric Treatment, Kerry Gagnon

Honors Scholar Theses

There is increasing evidence that childhood victimization and attachment disruptions impact a child’s development. In this study, children and adolescents from an outpatient psychiatric clinic were assessed, measuring history of trauma, history of out-of-home placement, initial diagnoses, and CBCL internalizing and externalizing problem scores. Multiple regression analyses showed that both violent abuse trauma (physical/sexual abuse) and victim trauma (physical abuse/sexual abuse/witnessing domestic violence/witnessing community violence) are prevalent among patients with externalizing severity problems; concluding that diagnosis alone may not account for a history of victimization, but externalizing problem severity does. Overall, the study is consistent with past literature that it …

A Pilot Study: Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, Sensation Seeking, And Pubertal Changes, Catherine A. Martin, Greg Guenthner, Christopher Bingcang, W. Jackson Smith, Thomas E. Curry, Hatim A. Omar, Mary Kay Rayens, Tom H. Kelly

Pediatrics Faculty Publications

This study was designed to examine the relationship of pubertal changes and sensation seeking (SS) in adolescents with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Patients with current or past histories of uncomplicated stimulant medication use for ADHD between the ages of 11 and 15 (13 ± 1.5) were recruited from a Child Psychiatry and a General Pediatric Clinic. SS was measured using the SS Scale for Children. Pubertal development was measured using Tanner staging, free testosterone, and DHEAS. Subjects and their parent were interviewed with the Diagnostic Interview Schedule for Children (DISC). SS total score was correlated with Tanner stage, free …

Secure Attachments And Peer Relationships : The Effects Of Secure Mother-Child Attachments On Peer Relationships In Pre-School, Cassandra Damlo

Honors Capstones

Capstone submitted as a graduation requirement for the BSU Honors Program.

Children Of Alcoholics: An Update., D Z Lieberman

Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences Faculty Publications

One of four children in the United States lives in a family in which the child is exposed to alcoholism. Children of alcoholics (COAs) are two to ten times more likely to develop alcoholism than non-COAs. This paper reviews studies that have attempted to identify risk factors that mediate the increased vulnerability and the protective factors that moderate the risk. Factors discussed include parental antisocial personality disorder, externalizing behavior, internalizing symptoms, differential response to the effects of alcohol, and positive and negative alcohol-related expectancies. The heterogeneous nature of COAs is emphasized, and some of the challenges related to treatment and …

The Relative Efficacy Of Selected Drugs Upon The Physical Activities And The Attention Span Of A Ten Year Old Brain-Damaged Child, Ruth Elaine Atkinson

Master's Theses

The purpose of this study was to determine the relative efficacy of selected drugs in reducing the hyperactivity end increasing the attention span of a ten-year old child who had been medically diagnosed as having brain damage.

The evaluation of the effects of three drugs, Chlordiazepoxide (librium), Fluphenasine Hydrochloride (Prolixin), Thioridazine (Mellaril), and a combination of Mellaril and Methylphenidate Hydrochloride (Ritalin), was made by a psychiatrist after consideration of (1) written observations of the child’s school activities during a two-hour period, (2) a tabulation of data based on the observations, (3) reports made by the parents and teacher of the …