Cognitive Psychology Commons^™

Dietary Fatty Acids And The Brain: Mechanisms Behind Neurodegeneration And Neuroprotection, Bianca Kdeiss

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

The impact of dietary fat intake on cognitive function has generated growing interest as the incidence of neurodegenerative disorders continues to increase. No known cures for neurodegenerative disorders exist at this time and available pharmacological treatments are limited in their efficacy. As such, prevention and early detection have been emphasized, particularly in the context of modifiable lifestyle factors, such as diet. Despite a recognized association between dietary fat intake and cognition, limited research exists delineating the impact of different types of fat on cognitive function. In this review, research examining the association between cognition and specific dietary fatty acids—such as …

Effects Of Stress, Sex Differences, And Cognitive Reserve On Cognitive Decline In Healthy Elderly Subjects, Courtney Ray

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Extensive research has been conducted linking stress to increased allostatic load and degradation of various organs over time. In the brain, the hippocampus appears to be particularly vulnerable. This deterioration is manifest clinically by impaired performance on tasks of declarative memory. The Social Readjustment Ratings Scale (SRRS) is an inventory of high intensity psychosocial stressors. This instrument has previously been used to help calculate risk of disease. Using measurements of stressful life events, it may be possible to similarly predict risk of cognitive impairment. To test this, the current study explored the cumulative effect of discreet psychosocial stressors that have …

Lateralization Of Emotion, Reaction Time, And Skin Conductance Responsiveness, Kimberley Erin Rose

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Bilateral presentations of brief (250 ms), unmasked emotional and neutral stimuli were examined in two experiments with primarily female samples. Reaction time and accuracy data were used to measure perception of emotion and skin conductance response (SCR) was used to measure experience of emotion. Both words and pictures were used to account for hemispheric differences in language and visuospatial dominance. Response time was faster to emotional pictures than words. Reaction time and speeded accuracy data did not support right hemisphere hypothesis (RHH) or valence hypothesis (VH) in the expected manner. Data suggested emotion caused greater interference under speeded conditions in …

Development Of A Lung Cancer-Specific Model For Support Group Interest, Laura Testerman

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Despite high levels of both emotional and physical distress and desire for utilization of support group services, lung cancer patients rarely participate in these supportive services. Lung cancer survivors’ interest in and use of supportive psychosocial services remains poorly understood, and Internet-based services may be of particular benefit to this population. The Behavioral Model for Vulnerable Populations, which emphasizes Predisposing (i.e., demographic as well as attitudes about support services), Enabling (i.e., accessibility of services), and Illness (i.e., need for services based on health) factors, was applied to the prediction of survivors’ behavioral intention to participate in face-to-face support groups (F2F) …

Factors That Affect Performance On Executive Functioning After Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting, Sapna Mahesh Patel

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Research suggests that individuals who undergo coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) experience declines in neuropsychological functioning post-operatively. This decline has been observed in up to 80% of patients early after surgery, and in up to 30% of patients after six months. Many studies have examined the potential effects of CABG on neuropsychological functioning in general, and numerous studies have found that executive functions are impaired in particular. However, none have examined what factors contribute to observed executive dysfunction after CABG. This study investigated the role of memory functions on executive functions in a selected sample of patients undergoing CABG. This …

Predicting Long-Term Memory In Adult Brain Injury Patients Using Mr Spectroscopy, Herminia De La Rosa-Trujillo

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Accurate outcome prediction has proven to be somewhat elusive for patients with traumatic brain injury (TBI). The difficulty is due to the sometimes inaccurate methods of prediction currently available. Despite the advances seen in radiological technology, the traditional methods of x-rays, CT scans and MRIs are not always accurately able to predict patient functional outcome. These radiological methods are adequate in determining gross structural anatomical disturbances, however, they unable to detect more diffuse cellular damage believed to be responsible for the functional impairments evidenced in patients sustaining TBI. Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy (MRS) is an imaging technique which measures brain metabolites …

Infant Heart Transplant: Perioperative Indicators Of Neurocognitive Development, Joy Michelle Gardner

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Approximately five to eight births per 1000 in the United States are born with a congenital heart defect (Limperopoulos et al, 1999), the primary defect in 57% is hypoplastic left heart syndrome (Johnston, 1991). A fatal disease twenty years ago, survival has jumped from less than 5% to 91% of infants surviving their one-month birthday due to advances in palliative and transplant procedures (Razzouk et al, 1996). Unfortunately, the decrease in mortality has been unmatched by a decrease in morbidity, which continues to be a major risk factor when undergoing deep hypothermia (du Plessis, 2000). While neurodevelopmental and cognitive dysfunction …

The Addition Of A Dissociation Module To Dialectical Behavior Therapy, René Keres

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT; Linehan, 1993a), a manualized treatment for Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) was developed before the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual - 4th Ed. (DSM-IV, APA, 1994) added dissociative symptoms to the diagnostic criterion for BPD. Hence, the manual (1993b) did not properly address the assessment and treatment of dissociation, a necessity being mandated by the American Psychiatric Association (Oldham et al., 2001) in their treatment guidelines for BPD. Recent studies (Bohus, et al. 2000; Koons et al. 2001) confirm this hypothesis and have shown that DBT is effective with lower levels of dissociation but does not address more …

Examination Of Knowledge And Attitudes About Human Sexuality As Predictors Of Adolescent Sexual Behavior, Diane Waymire

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

This study investigated the variables influencing adolescent sexual behavior. Using cognitive learning theory, social learning theory, and social development as an organizing framework, factors influencing adolescent sexual behavior and the respondent's personal demographics were examined for their contribution to explaining adolescent decision-making about sexual activity.

A convenience sample of high school students from a Riverside county school district provided data for the study. Data was gathered by using a self-administered questionnaire. A total of 55 students from two of the three school sites within the district participated in the study during the winter quarter of 1995.

The findings of the …