Although aging is often believed to be linked to cognitive decline, some elderly humans maintain cognitive function that is comparable to young adults (Rowe, J. W. & Kahn, R. L., 1987). In rats, variations in cognitive performance due to age are frequently assessed in tests of spatial abilities such as the Morris water maze (Issa, A. M., Rowe, W., Gauthier, S., & Meaney, M. J., 1990; Quirion, R. et al., 1995; Aubert, I., Rowe, W., Meaney, M. J., Gauthier, S., & Quirion, R., 1995). BIBN 99, a highly specific M2 receptor antagonist, reverses impaired ACh release as well as the cognitive deficits of aged, impaired (AI) rats observed in the Morris water maze (Aubert, I., Rowe, W., Meaney, M. J., Gauthier, S., & Quirion, R., 1995; Quirion, R. et al., 1995). To further characterize the potential benefits of BIBN 99, we tested (AI), aged, cognitively unimpaired (AU) and young (Y) rats in an object recognition task (ORT) and pre-pulse inhibition of acoustic startle (PPI). Both groups of vehicle-treated aged animals demonstrated reduced exploratory activity in the ORT compared to Y vehicle-treated animals. However, pre-treatment with BIBN 99 (0.5mg/kg) increased overall exploration time in AI and AU animals while having no effect in the Y group. In contrast, BIBN 99 had no effect on PPI in any of the groups. While these results are inconclusive concerning support for the potential relevance of BIBN 99 in the treatment of cognitive disorders, further research is warranted.

<p> This dissertation examined correlates of powerlessness, chronic homelessness (more than one-year homelessness), age, and gender, by analysis of the mental health (MH) and substance use (SU) service requests made by 699 people who attended a San Francisco, California homeless outreach event in May of 2005. People without homes (PWH) suffer MH and SU issues at a much higher rate than housed people, yet PWH who acknowledged they experienced MH and SU issues were least likely to request MH and SU services. PWH may have experienced chronic feelings of powerlessness, which resulted from marginalization. These chronic feelings of powerlessness contributed to a person's belief that his or her actions would produce no positive results. The concept of powerlessness may help explain PWH's reluctance to request MH and SU services. The author explored the relationship between chronicity of homelessness and requests for MH and SU services. Analyses showed that non-chronic PWH requested more MH services than those who were chronically homeless. However, this association was not seen when requests for SU services was examined. Additional analysis examining the relationship between service requests, age and gender did not result in significant findings. These findings provided support for the idea that powerlessness was an intrapersonal factor in PWH's choices to request or not request MH and SU services, based upon non-chronic homelessness and theoretically less exposure to powerlessness. These results assist in identifying intrapersonal factors influencing a person's experience in overcoming homelessness, providing an alternative to the current suggestion from the literature that services were unattractive to PWH.</p>

<p> This dissertation will discuss the research question, "What is the experience of providing therapy to sex abusers?" based on the results of a qualitative case study. A literature review will establish the preceding research related to sex abuse treatment. By filling a gap in previous research, this researcher seeks to encourage sex abuse treatment providers by authenticating their experiences, to provide valuable information to educators, as well as to inform legislators, the judiciary, and the general public about sex abuse treatment. Based on nine transcribed and analyzed interviews with providers of sex abuse treatment to adult male sex abusers who abuse children, this researcher discovered five themes and fourteen patterns within the providers' experiences. This study augments awareness of the field of sex abuse treatment as articulated by practicing providers.</p>

<p> This study has two parts: first, the development and execution of an abbreviated focusing-oriented dreamwork (FOD) treatment protocol for those with replicative PTSD nightmares, and second, an interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) of the experience of refugees who participated in the treatment. Participants included five clients from the Vancouver Association for the Survivors of Torture (VAST) who experienced clinically significant PTSD symptoms, including repetitive trauma-related nightmares. As a result of their participation in the FOD treatment, most experienced clinically significant reductions in PTSD symptoms, and their dreams began to change in specific ways, including a shift in the nature of the aggressor, dream ego actions, temporal and setting changes, and reduced fear responses within and after their nightmares. The fear responses in the dream content appear to relate directly to the physiological fight, flight or freeze responses the body initiates in response to threat. For those who are good candidates for the intervention, the FOD protocol appears to break the cycle of fear response and move the dreamer toward more empowered responses within dreaming and upon waking, and positively affect daytime functioning. </p>

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Pacific Graduate School of Psychology, 2002. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 63-03, Section: B, page: 1594. Chair: Amy M. Wisniewski.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Pacific Graduate School of Psychology, 1991. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 65-10, Section: B, page: 5438.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 2008. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 69-05, Section: B, page: 3260. Adviser: Howard Berenbaum. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 86-104) Available on microfilm from Pro Quest Information and Learning.

Thesis (PH.D.) -- Syracuse University, 2004. / "Publication number AAT 3149058."

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Indiana University, Dept. of Psychological and Brain Sciences and the Program in Neural Science, 2006. / "Title from dissertation home page (viewed July 11, 2007)." Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 67-08, Section: B, page: 4743. Adviser: James C. Craig.

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