Much scientific research has been conducted to examine the effects of music on the brain and abilities of people. The results have shown a positive correlation between music used in various ways and the abilities and skills of people, especially children. However, the use of music in the general intermediate classroom is lacking. After reviewing scientific research to provide a foundation for the study and synthesizing the five Music Integration Practices, two teachers were interviewed and observed on their use of music in their general intermediate classrooms. The interviews, observation checklists, and anecdotal notes taken by the researcher provide music activities and rationales for the use of music in the classroom, as explained by the participating teachers.

Text in English / The field of neuroscience is increasingly gaining exposure in the leadership domain, where it is now beginning to contribute to research and development. In this study an exploratory investigation of leadership development was undertaken with four primary aims. Firstly, to find out whether exposing participants in managerial positions to cognitive neuroscience knowledge contributes to their development as leaders. Secondly, to explore and illuminate the underlying processes that support such behavioural change. Thirdly, to investigate how behaviour changes in leaders exposed to social cognitive neuroscience knowledge are manifested within an organisational setting. Fourthly, to determine what the perceived impact on the leaders and others are regarding such behaviour changes in a specific organisational context, namely a retail environment. In the study, leaders were exposed to a social cognitive neuroscience workshop over a 5-month period. They were provided with foundational knowledge of social cognitive neuroscience in workshops with two objectives. Firstly, the workshops were intended to enhance their understanding of the brain and cognitive systems underlying thinking and behaviour of the self and others. Secondly, in the workshops the complex interaction between brain systems and subsystems such as the executive and emotional systems were shown to mirror, in a metaphorical way, some of the complex interactions between structures in business organisations. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with a purposive sample of 16 participants, as well as with some their line managers and direct reports. Data were qualitatively analysed by means of content analysis. Findings support the view that gaining social cognitive neuroscience knowledge led to increased self-awareness and an understanding of others. Implicit behavioural change resulted from cognitive and affective changes. Explicit behaviour changes were the result of conscious choice and were supported by both personal and organisational motivational drives. Leaders made behaviour changes at both personal and interactive levels based on their understanding of social cognitive neuroscience. Behaviour changes related to increased emotional regulation, a change in leadership style, an inclusive communication style, cultivating relationships, recognition strategies and strengthening trust. The implemented behaviour changes had a positive impact on participants and their direct reports and related mostly to positive affective changes, growth and development, improved relationships, personal effectiveness and team dynamics. / Psychology / D. Phil. (Consulting Psychology)

Stress-related cognitive changes are still a matter of debate. In some particular neuropathological conditions such as focal ischemia, cognitive functions have been shown to be significantly impaired. These conditions, however, may be improved by some factors such as steroid hormones. The purpose of the current thesis was to assess the structural and functional effects of corticosterone-related experiences on the hippocampus before and after endothelin-1 (ET-1)-induced stroke. We found corticosterone-related experiences enhance the hippocampal recovery, and improve its function in both wet and dryland tasks after ET-1-induced focal stroke. Structural and functional effects of such experiences prior to the focal ischemia in the hippocampus, however, showed that stress, not corticosterone is a strong inhibitor for hippocampal recovery. / xii, 252 leaves : ill. ; 29 cm. --

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Gehirnforschung ist ein naturwissenschaftlicher Forschungsbereich, der sich aus den Disziplinen Anatomie, Embryologie, Physiologie, Pharmakologie und Psychologie entwickelt hat. Gendertheoretisch informierte historische Studien zur Gehirnforschung fokussieren ideologiekritische und diskursanalytische Betrachtungen androzentrischer bzw. sexistischer Körpervorstellungen von der Antike bis zum 21. Jh., welche u. a. die bürgerliche Geschlechterordnung argumentativ gestützt und naturalisiert hatten.

Die Arbeit beschäftigt sich mit der Möglichkeit der Wissensvermittlung für alte Migranten mit Sprachbarrieren. Mithilfe der Grounded Theory, die gleichermaßen als wissenschaftstheoretische Grundlage für die empirische Hypothesen- sowie Konzeptentwicklung als Fazit der Arbeit dienen soll, werden über unterschiedliche Zugänge zum Thema am Beispiel eines gegebenen Projektes, Handlungsansätze für zukünftige Methoden und Forschungsbereiche erschlossen. Zunächst beschäftigt sich die Arbeit mit einer Abhandlung über Kultur(-anthropologie) und die Auswirkungen auf kollektive und individuelle Identität eines Migranten. Der Begriff der Migration wird definiert, die historische Entwicklung der Migration in Deutschland skizziert, um im Anschluss die Lebenssituation in Deutschland lebender Migranten darzustellen. Da es sich bei dieser Arbeit hauptsächlich um in Deutschland gealterte Migranten handelt, schließt sich eine Definition des alten Menschen an, woraus schließlich der Begriff des alten Migranten entwickelt wird. Um pädagogische Mechanismen des Lernens verständlich zu machen, werden Lerntheorien erläutert, woraus sich dann Besonderheiten für das Lernen im Alter unter Berücksichtigung aktueller Konzepte (z.B. Lebenslanges Lernen ) ableiten lassen. Die Identitätsentwicklung der in Deutschland lebenden Migranten wird weiter unter dem Gesichtspunkt des Akkulturationsstresses erörtert. Es werden hirnbiologische Zusammenhänge für die Lebenssituation der alten Migranten erarbeitet, um einerseits individuellen Stress dieser Menschen und andererseits Stress durch Migration als kollektive Erfahrung mit Folgen im Ankunftsland in Einklang zu bringen. Fallbeispiele aus der psychiatrisch-psychotherapeutischen Praxis als pathologisches Endstadium für die Unfähigkeit des Nicht-Lernen-könnens werden eingebracht. Mithilfe einer nicht-experimentellen bundesweiten Erhebung zur Lebenszufriedenheit (FLZ: Fragebogen zur Lebenszufriedenheit) werden theoretische Überlegungen belegt. Dazu werden ferner verfügbare statistische Daten beispielsweise über die Teilnahme an Deutsch- bzw. Integrationskursen sowie Abbruch- und Erfolgsquoten herangezogen. Die Entstehung und Nutzung der Neurodidaktik - eine Verschmelzung der biologischen und pädagogischen Forschung - dient als Überleitung zu pädagogisch-didaktischen Möglichkeiten des informellen Lernens, wobei zuvor formelles und informelles Lernen mit historischen Beispielen (von Platon bis Freire) definiert werden. Der Infokoffer des Projektes Älter werden in Deutschland wird als Beispiel einer praktikablen Möglichkeit unter Berücksichtigung der in der Arbeit bereits genannten kritischen Momente des Lernens für ältere Migranten ausführlich dargestellt und erläutert. Letztlich werden als Fazit Elemente für zukünftige Entwicklungen von Methoden für die Arbeit mit in Deutschland lebenden älteren Migranten dargeboten. Durch diese Arbeit ergeben sich zusätzlich Ansätze zu aktuell gesellschaftlich diskutierten Thema der Integration und das Feld biophysiologischer Untersuchungen an Migranten als weitere Forschungsbereiche. Um beim Leser das Verständnis zu gewährleisten und Zusammenhänge ausreichend und umfassend vermitteln zu können werden im Verlauf der Arbeit Exkurse zu tangierenden Themen, Konzepten und Aspekten geboten.

Anxiety disorders are very common and the primary feature is abnormal or inappropriate anxiety. Fear and anxiety is often mediated by the amygdala, a brain structure rich in substance P (SP) and neurokinin 1 (NK1) receptors. To learn more about how the human amygdala is modulated by fear and anxiety in event-triggered anxiety disorders and to investigate if the SP/NK1 receptor system is affected, regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) ([15O]-water; Study I and II) and the SP/NK1 receptor system ([11C]GR205171; Study III and IV) were studied with positron emission tomography (PET). In Study I we investigated the neural correlates of affective startle modulation in persons with specific phobia by measuring rCBF during exposure to fearful and non-fearful pictures, paired and unpaired with acoustic startle stimuli. Fear-potentiated startle was associated with activation of the affective part of the anterior cingulate cortex and the left amygdaloid–hippocampal area. In Study II short-term drug treatment effects on rCBF in patients diagnosed with social phobia was evaluated, comparing the NK1 receptor antagonist GR205171 to the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor citalopram and placebo. Social anxiety and neural activity in the medial temporal lobe including the amygdala was significantly reduced by both drugs but not placebo. In Study III we investigated if activity in the SP/NK1 receptor system in the amygdala would be affected by fear provocation in individuals with specific snake or spider phobia. Fear provocation was associated with a decreased uptake of the NK1 antagonist [11C]GR205171 in the amygdala, possibly explained by an increase in endogenous SP release occupying the NK1 receptors. Study IV was conducted to explore the resting state NK1 receptor availability in PTSD patients as compared to healthy controls. Increased resting state binding of the tracer [11C]GR205171 in the amygdala of patients with PTSD suggested an increased amount of available receptors. In summary, fear and fear-potentiated startle modulates the human amygdala, possibly through the SP/NK1 receptor system.

UBC's Drs. Walter Hardy, Doug Bonn and Ruixing Liang were awarded the 2006 Brockhouse Canada Prize for Interdisciplinary Research in Science and Engineering. A partnership between Dr. Helen Burt's reseach laboratory and Angiotech Pharmaceuticals has earned the 2006 NSERC Synergy Award for Innovation.

Gehirnforschung ist ein naturwissenschaftlicher Forschungsbereich, der sich aus den Disziplinen Anatomie, Embryologie, Physiologie, Pharmakologie und Psychologie entwickelt hat. Gendertheoretisch informierte historische Studien zur Gehirnforschung fokussieren ideologiekritische und diskursanalytische Betrachtungen androzentrischer bzw. sexistischer Körpervorstellungen von der Antike bis zum 21. Jh., welche u. a. die bürgerliche Geschlechterordnung argumentativ gestützt und naturalisiert hatten.

Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) / Posttraumatic epilepsy, the development of temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) following traumatic brain injury, accounts for 20% of symptomatic epilepsy. Reorganization of mossy fibers within the hippocampus is a common pathological finding of TLE. Normal mossy fibers project into the CA3 region of the hippocampus where they form synapses with pyramidal cells. During TLE, mossy fibers are observed to innervate the inner molecular layer where they synapse onto the dendrites of other dentate granule cells, leading to the formation of recurrent excitatory circuits. To date, the molecular mechanisms contributing to mossy fiber sprouting are relatively unknown. Recent focus has centered on the involvement of tropomycin-related kinase receptor B (TrkB), which culminates in glycogen synthase kinase 3β (GSK3β) inactivation. As the neurite outgrowth promoting collapsin response mediator protein 2 (CRMP2) is rendered inactive by GSK3β phosphorylation, events leading to inactivation of GSK3β should therefore increase CRMP2 activity. To determine the involvement of CRMP2 in mossy fiber sprouting, I developed a novel tool ((S)-LCM) for selectively targeting the ability of CRMP2 to enhance tubulin polymerization. Using (S)-LCM, it was demonstrated that increased neurite outgrowth following GSK3β inactivation is CRMP2 dependent. Importantly, TBI led to a decrease in GSK3β-phosphorylated CRMP2 within 24 hours which was secondary to the inactivation of GSK3β. The loss of GSK3β-phosphorylated CRMP2 was maintained even at 4 weeks post-injury, despite the transience of GSK3β-inactivation. Based on previous work, it was hypothesized that activity-dependent mechanisms may be responsible for the sustained loss of CRMP2 phosphorylation. Activity-dependent regulation of GSK3β-phosphorylated CRMP2 levels was observed that was attributed to a loss of priming by cyclin dependent kinase 5 (CDK5), which is required for subsequent phosphorylation by GSK3β. It was confirmed that the loss of GSK3β-phosphorylated CRMP2 at 4 weeks post-injury was likely due to decreased phosphorylation by CDK5. As TBI resulted in a sustained increase in CRMP2 activity, I attempted to prevent mossy fiber sprouting by targeting CRMP2 in vivo following TBI. While (S)-LCM treatment dramatically reduced mossy fiber sprouting following TBI, it did not differ significantly from vehicle-treated animals. Therefore, the necessity of CRMP2 in mossy fiber sprouting following TBI remains unknown.