Other Psychiatry and Psychology Commons^™

Higher Sexual Excitation Is Associated With An Increase In Sex-Linked Substance Use In Women With A History Of Unwanted Sexual Contact, Harper R. Jones, Tierney K. Lorenz

Center for Brain, Biology, and Behavior: Faculty Publications

Survivors of unwanted sexual contact have an increased likelihood of using substances in sexual situations, which puts them at heightened risk for intoxication-related harms. Separately, research has indicated that women may intentionally use substances in sexual situations to either enhance pleasure (i.e., increase sexual excitation) and/or reduce sexual anxiety or shame (i.e., reduce sexual inhibition), a phenomenon termed sex-linked substance use (SLSU). A predominant assumption in the literature is that women with unwanted sex histories are more likely to disengage during sex, suggesting greater inhibition-related SLSU; however, there is little prior research directly examining if women who have unwanted sex …

Pre–Post Intervention Exploring Cognitive Function And Relationships With Weight Loss, Intervention Adherence And Dropout, Amanda N. Szabo-Reed, Laura E. Martin, Cary R. Savage, Richard A. Washburn, Joseph E. Donnelley

Center for Brain, Biology, and Behavior: Faculty Publications

Objective: To evaluate the association between baseline cognitive function, intervention dropout, adherence and 3-month weight loss (WL) when controlling for confounding demographic variables.

Methods: 107 (Mage = 40.9 yrs.), BMI in the overweight and obese range (BMI = 35.6 kg/m2), men (N = 17) and women (N = 90) completed a 3-month WL intervention. Participants attended weekly behavioral sessions, comply with a reduced calorie diet, and complete 100 min of physical activity (PA)/wk. Cognitive function tasks at baseline included Flanker (attention), Stroop (executive control) and working memory, demographics, body weight and cardiovascular fitness were assessed at baseline. Session attendance, adherence …

Concussion-Related Disruptions To Hub Connectivity In The Default Mode Network Are Related To Symptoms And Cognition, Heather C. Bouchard, Kate L. Higgins, Grace Amadon, Julia M. Laing-Young, Arthur C. Maerlender, Seima Al-Momani, Maital Neta, Cary R. Savage, Douglas H. Schultz

Center for Brain, Biology, and Behavior: Faculty Publications

Concussions present with a myriad of symptomatic and cognitive concerns; however, the relationship between these functional disruptions and the underlying changes in the brain are not yet well understood. Hubs, or brain regions that are connected to many different functional networks, may be specifically disrupted after concussion. Given the implications in concussion research, we quantified hub disruption within the default mode network (DMN) and between the DMN and other brain networks. We collected resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging data from collegiate student-athletes (n = 44) at three timepoints: baseline (prior to beginning their athletic season), acute post-injury (approximately 48 hours …

The Impact Thinking Framework: A Process For Adbancing Research-To-Ractice Initiatives In Neuroaesthetics, Susan Magsamen, Tasha L. Golden, Catriona A. Towriss, Joy Allen

Faculty Works

Neuroaesthetics research explores brain, body and behavioral responses to engagement with the arts and other aesthetic sensory experiences. Evidence indicates that such experiences can help address various psychological, neurological and physiological disorders, and that they can support mental and physical well-being and learning in the general population. The interdisciplinary nature of this work contributes to its impact and promise; however, it also creates challenges as various disciplines approach and define research and practice in varied ways. Recent field-wide reports have noted that a consensus translational framework is needed to support further neuroaesthetics research that can deliver meaningful knowledge and interventions. …

Manydogs Project: A Big Team Science Approach To Investigating Canine Behavior And Cognition, Daniela Alberghina, Emily E. Bray, Daphna Buchsbaum, Sarah- Elizabeth Byosiere, Julia Espinosa, Gitanjali E. Gnanadesikan, C.-N. Alexandrina Guran, Elizabeth Hare, Daniel J. Horschler, Ludwig Huber, Valerie A. Kuhlmeier, Evan L. Maclean, Madeline H. Pelgrim, Bryan Perez, Dana Ravid-Schurr, Liza Rothkoff, Courtney L. Sexton, Zachary A. Silver, Jeffrey R. Stevens

Center for Brain, Biology, and Behavior: Faculty Publications

Dogs have a special place in human history as the first domesticated species and play important roles in many cultures around the world. However, their role in scientific studies has been relatively recent. With a few notable exceptions (e.g., Darwin, Pavlov, Scott, and Fuller), domestic dogs were not commonly the subject of rigorous scientific investigation of behavior until the late 1990s. Although the number of canine science studies has increased dramatically over the last 20 years, most research groups are limited in the inferences they can draw because of the relatively small sample sizes used, along with the exceptional diversity …

The Scientific Study Of Positive Psychology, Religion/Spirituality, And Physical Health, Kevin S. Masters, Julia K. Boehm, Jennifer M. Boylan, Kaitlyn M. Vagnini, Christina L. Rush

Psychology Faculty Books and Book Chapters

Humans have long been interested in relations among religion/spirituality (R/S), positive psychological constructs, and physical health. Furthermore, many religions attempt to influence behavior through health-related prescriptions about food choices, sexual activity, substance use, and resting. Similarly, positive psychological constructs have been discussed in light of their presumed benefits on both mental and physical health (Ryff & Singer, 1998). However, R/S and positive psychological constructs have only recently become objects of scientific investigation of their associations with physical health.

Internalized Homonegativity And The Mental Health Of Lesbian, Gay, And Bisexual Individuals: An Integrative Treatment Approach, David Kearby

DSW Capstone Projects

Lesbian, gay, and bisexual individuals (LGBI) have a higher rate of mental health disorders than the general population. The mental health disparities experienced by LGBI are positively correlated with higher internalized homonegativity (IH) levels, which impacts their functioning at the unconscious, cognitive, and interpersonal levels. Thus, effective interventions targeting the mental health of LGBI must consider IH's intrapsychic, cognitive, and interpersonal nature. An integrative psychotherapy approach addressing the mental health and IH of LGBI is needed to address the intrapsychic, cognitive, and interpersonal factors at play.

Product one of this capstone is a systematic literature review that identified psychotherapeutic interventions …

Assessing 4-H And Its Circle Of Courage In A Psychiatric Residential Treatment Facility: A Case Study, Elizabeth Steering

Theses and Dissertations--Family Sciences

This 4-H case study takes place in a psychiatric residential treatment facility (PRTF) in Kentucky. The PRTF provides clinical services to youth that are not able to be safely maintained in their homes due to having demonstrated unsafe or harmful behaviors. Youth admitted to the PRTF stay for an average of three to six months while they receive intensive therapeutic and psychiatric care as well as medical treatment and public schooling. The current case study incorporates programming from 4-H, which is the youth development program of the Cooperative Extension System (CES) and the National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA), …

Binge Drinking In College: A Phenomenological Study, Kristin Andrews

Murray State Theses and Dissertations

This phenomenological research study examined the personal experiences, habits, and perceptions of post-secondary students who binge drink. This study was guided by 3 research questions as well as pre-existing research into collegiate binge drinking. The experiences shared by participants showed that despite serious negative outcomes, students binge drink because they feel negatives are far outweighed by the positive social interactions and fun drinking creates. While all of the participants in this study are considered binge drinkers who abuse alcohol, none of the participants considered their drinking to be problematic. The participants shared their intent to stop their current drinking patters …

Effects Of Social Isolation And Adolescent Ethanol Exposure On Adult Drinking And Nicotine Co-Use, Jakob Shaykin

Theses and Dissertations--Psychology

Alcohol use often begins in adolescence and can lead to increased susceptibility to AUD in adulthood. Stress in the form of social isolation during adolescence can also prompt substance use disorders later in adulthood. This thesis determined if exposure to ethanol (EtOH) during adolescence and social isolation alters the trajectory of alcohol and nicotine intake during adulthood. In Experiment 1, adolescent male and female Sprague-Dawley rats were administered intermittent injections of EtOH (2g/kg 20% EtOH, IP) or saline (PND 28-41). EtOH consumption was measured in adulthood (PND 49-55) using a 2-bottle choice procedure where one bottle contained a 0.2% saccharin/15% …

Xylazine Suppresses Fentanyl Consumption During Self-Administration And Induces A Unique Sex-Specific Withdrawal Syndrome That Is Not Altered By Naloxone In Rats, Shailesh N. Khatri, Safiyah M. Sadek, Percell T. Kendrick, Emma O. Bondy, Mei Hong, Sally Pauss, Dan Luo, Thomas E. Prisinzano, Kelly E. Dunn, Julie A. Marusich, Joshua S. Beckmann, Terry D. Hinds Jr., Cassandra D. Gipson

Markey Cancer Center Faculty Publications

Prescription and illicit opioid use are a public health crisis, with the landscape shifting to fentanyl use. Since fentanyl is 100-fold more potent than morphine, its use is associated with a higher risk of fatal overdose that can be remediated through naloxone (Narcan) administration. However, recent reports indicate that xylazine, an anesthetic, is increasingly detected in accidental fentanyl overdose deaths. Anecdotal reports suggest that xylazine may prolong the fentanyl “high,” alter the onset of fentanyl withdrawal, and increase resistance to naloxone-induced reversal of overdose. To date, no preclinical studies have evaluated the impacts of xylazine on fentanyl self-administration (SA; 2.5 …

The Role Of The Nlrp3 Inflammasome In Alzheimer's Disease, Ethan S. Terman

Undergraduate Research Posters

This study examines the consequences of Alzheimer’s in rat and mice test subjects. The goal is to identify the effects of certain NLRP3 inhibiting drugs and to see if there are any noticeable effects in regards to impeding the pathological development of Alzheimer’s disease. The results are visualized by implementing the immunohistochemical process to identify neurodegeneration in the brain and to assess the expression levels of amyloid beta as an indicator of Alzheimer’s pathology. Other tests are also conducted on these transgenic mice to gauge cognitive functioning levels during the onset of their disease, those being behavior tests, but not …

Implementation Of A Death Anxiety Screening Protocol Specific To Patients With Advanced Cancer In An Outpatient Palliative Care Setting, Olivia M. Sasdi

DNP Projects

Abstract

Background: Recent studies have shown that upwards of 80% of patients with advanced cancer suffer from death anxiety resulting in increased physical and psychological suffering. Despite death anxiety’s ubiquitous nature and negative impact, the literature regarding this condition consistently indicates that it remains under-identified and undertreated in patients with advanced cancer. The “Death and Dying Distress Scale” (DADDS) is a clinically validated tool used to identify, measure, and guide effective treatment modalities for death anxiety specifically in patients with advanced cancer, but is scarcely used routinely in practice. Incorporating this screening tool to be used regularly could improve identification …

Neuroanatomical Correlates Of The Late Positive Potential In Youth With Pediatric Bipolar Disorder, Alessio Simonetti, Marijn Lijffijt, Sherin Kurian, Johanna Saxena, Delfina Janiri, Marianna Mazza, Giulio Carriero, Lorenzo Moccia, Benson Mwangi, Alan C Swann, Jair C Soares

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND: The late positive potential (LPP) could be a marker of emotion dysregulation in youth with pediatric bipolar disorder (PBD). However, the neuroanatomical correlates of the LPP are still not clarified.

OBJECTIVE: To provide cortical and deep gray matter correlates of the LPP in youth, specifically, youth with PBD.

METHODS: Twenty-four 7 to 17 years-old children with PBD and 28 healthy controls (HC) underwent cortical thickness and deep gray matter volumes measurements through magnetic resonance imaging and LPP measurement elicited by passively viewing emotional faces through electroencephalography. T-tests compared group differences in LPP, cortical thickness, and deep gray matter volumes. …

Nourishing The Brain On Deep Space Missions: Nutritional Psychiatry In Promoting Resilience, Nihar N Pathare, Flavia Fayet-Moore, Jennifer A Fogarty, Felice N Jacka, Philip Strandwitz, Gary E Strangman, Dorit B Donoviel

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

The grueling psychological demands of a journey into deep space coupled with ever-increasing distances away from home pose a unique problem: how can we best take advantage of the benefits of fresh foods in a place that has none? Here, we consider the biggest challenges associated with our current spaceflight food system, highlight the importance of supporting optimal brain health on missions into deep space, and discuss evidence about food components that impact brain health. We propose a future food system that leverages the gut microbiota that can be individually tailored to best support the brain and mental health of …

Psychopathy And Insight Within An Incarcerated Population, Courtney Steinorth

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

The clinical construct of psychopathy has been researched extensively relative to incarceration. Cognitive insight has shown to be related to prognosis and treatment outcomes with severe psychopathologies. There has been, however, limited research on both psychopathy and cognitive insight in relation to incarceration. The purpose of the present study was to examine the moderation of cognitive insight levels on rates of incarceration (the number of times someone has been incarcerated in a government detention facility) based on their level of self-reported psychopathic traits. A brief demographic questionnaire, the Beck Cognitive Insight Scale, and the Levenson Self-Report Psychopathy Scale were administered …

Implicit Beliefs About Anxiety And The Relationship With Competitive Anxiety Intensity And Direction, Luca M. Ziegler

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

During the Fall of 2021, 45% of male and 72% of female student-athletes reported overwhelming anxiety at least once a month (NCAA, 2021). In addition to affecting an individual’s well-being, anxiety may negatively impact athletic performance (Edwards & Hardy, 1996). To better understand the impact of anxiety on athletic performance and develop effective interventions, both the intensity and direction of symptoms experienced must be considered. Incremental beliefs have been shown to be related to desirable performance outcomes and increased well-being in various populations (Danthony et al., 2020; Dweck, 2008), and may provide an effective intervention to interpret anxiety as more …