This study was conducted to examine the sequelae of cardiovascular conditioning on locus of control, short-term mood, and psychological well-being. A pre-post test design, with control group, was used to measure the effects of a one month program of aerobic conditioning on adult volunteers. This study also sought to examine ways in which fitness changes covaried with psychological changes, and to describe patterns of change taking place during aerobic conditioning.

In the present study, the Electromechanical Therapeutic Apparatus was examined to determine the extent to which its repeated use can influence intellectual performance and mood state. The Electromechanical Therapeutic Apparatus is a device designed to mildly stimulate the body and brain, while facilitating relaxation. Its three components include a rotating platform-bed; a weak, extremely-low-frequency, external-electric field; and music. In the present study, three groups were contrasted, a music-only group which served as a placebo; a group which combined motion-vestibular stimulation and music; and a group which combined motion-vestibular stimulation and music with an externalelectric field. The sample included 33 randomly selected men and women whose average age was 34.6 years.

Over the past 13 years, I and the other co-leader of the Unforgettables Chorus have observed how direct participation in a chorus designed for individuals with Alzheimer’s disease (AD), a type of dementia, and their caregivers has shown improvement in mood and wellbeing for these participants. The conductors have witnessed remarkable changes in choir participants, but thus far, evidence for the effects of this program has been mostly anecdotal. Previous literature suggests that improved mood is associated with better health outcomes and that music can positively impact quality of life and wellbeing among individuals, including people with dementia. In this mixed-methods study, the primary researcher has conducted qualitative interviews with 10 caregivers of individuals with AD and utilized a validated psychometric tool, the Visual Analog Mood Scale (VAMS), within a study choir of 28 individuals with AD and their caregivers to investigate changes in the context of six choir rehearsals. Qualitative interviews identified several themes, including restoring personal identity, connecting with others in the choir and in the community, “musical carryovers” outside the choir program, benefits conferred by warm-ups and vocal exercises, and positive mood-related and emotional experiences. In a statistical comparison of VAMS scores before and after choir rehearsals, there was a statistically significant change in mood over the course of a choir session (p < 0.001), and the mood scores of all 28 individuals increased at every session. Based on the results of the qualitative interviews and quantitative test results, there is evidence to suggest that this type of choir program is beneficial for the mood and overall wellbeing of individuals with mild to moderate AD and their caregivers. This study demonstrates the clear value of this choral ensemble for people with Alzheimer’s disease and their caregivers. These findings can be used to guide the establishment of similar groups across the world. Future studies in this area could focus on incorporating larger sample sizes and biometric data to complement the results of qualitative analyses.

The aims of the present thesis were two fold. The first aim was to investigate the relationship between self-referential and emotional processing. The second aim was to investigate the extent to which self-referential processing is altered as a function of mood. In order to address these two aims, a variety of behavioural and physiological measures were recorded and a new methodology was employed in the following experimental chapters. The aim of experiment one was to investigate how non-dysphoric and dysphoric individuals evaluate the emotional valence and self-referential content of word stimuli at a behavioural level. A self-positivity bias was identified in non-dysphoric individuals, positive words were rated as self-referential and negative words were rated as non-self-referential. Compared to non-dysphoric individuals, dysphoric individualsâ evaluations of self-reference but not emotional valence were altered. Event-related potentials (ERPs) were employed in experiment two to investigate self-referential processing at a neural level. A two stage model of processing was identified in which, an evaluation of emotional valence was found to occur prior to an interaction between self-reference and emotional valence. A self-positivity bias was identified in the ERP component known as the N400. ERP waves were more negative going to self negative and non-self-positive words when compared to self-positive and non-self-negative words. This bias was explained in terms of the semantic mismatch hypothesis. The aim of experiment three was to investigate how the neural processing of self-referential and emotional information is altered as a function of mood. Differences between nondysphoric and dysphoric individuals were identified during the early stages of ii processing in an emotion task. Between group differences were identified during the later stages of processing in a self-reference task, around 400 ms. Skin conductance and heart rate were employed in experiment four to examine autonomic responses during self-referential and emotional processing in healthy individuals. Both decision-making tasks were found to elicit similar physiological responses. These findings were taken to suggest that a large component of self-referential processing involves the processing of emotional information. Finally, the aim of experiment five was to investigate if person-referent processing was altered during the experience of a negative mood. The behavioural and neural responses of non-dysphoric and dysphoric individuals were compared across self-referent and other-referent decision-making tasks. Between group differences were specific to the self-reference task at the behavioural level. However, group differences were identified in both the self-referent and other-referent tasks at the neural level. The results provide partial support for the hypothesis that negative mood is associated with specific impairments in self-referential processing. Overall the results of the present thesis illustrate that the processing of emotional information plays a large role in self-referential decision-making. Furthermore, the N400 was found be involved in this type of decision-making at the semantic level. Negative mood was associated with greater changes in self-referential processing than in other forms of emotional or person-referent processing. In the final chapter, a two stage model is proposed to account for self-referential processing. The implications of this model are discussed in terms of two macro-cognitive theories, interacting cognitive subsystems (ICS) and SPAARs. Finally, the limitations and future directions for developing this line of research are outlined.

Jealousy is understood as a system of physiological, behavioral, and emotional responses, yet few studies have examined these aspects of jealousy simultaneously in infants. Further, jealousy paradigms have not been examined as a potential stressor in infancy and thus typical cortisol reactivity and regulation patterns in response to jealousy paradigms have not been observed. In addition, the contribution of attachment security to infant expressions of jealousy has been vastly understudied. The present study seeks to fill the current gaps in the infant jealousy literature by investigating quantitative and qualitative changes in infant jealousy across the first two years of life. Data was collected longitudinally and mother- infant dyads were asked to participate when infants were 12- months and 24-months of age. Associations between behavioral jealousy responses, baseline EEG activity, stress reactivity and attachment security were examined. Differences in approach behaviors and behavioral arousal were found across conditions and were consistent with previous studies (Hart & Carrington, 2002; Mize & Jones, 2012). Findings relating to EEG activity pointed to a relationship between left EEG asymmetry and global approach behaviors across time. Cortisol reactivity was found to be associated with attachment security but reactive cortisol concentrations compared to baseline cortisol concentrations do not indicate that the paradigm was an effective stressor. Attachment security was found to be associated with proximity behaviors in 12- month olds but not 24-month olds. Finally, a linear regression revealed that attachment security, EEG asymmetry, and cortisol reactivity at 12-months are significant predictors of behavioral jealousy responses at 24-months. Changes in behavioral and physiological measures across time indicate that jealousy continues to develop during the second year of life but may have different underlying processes than the processes that contribute to jealousy expression in 12-month-olds. / Includes bibliography. / Dissertation (Ph.D.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2017. / FAU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Collection

Made available in DSpace on 2016-12-06T17:07:13Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 tatiana dissertacao.pdf: 550127 bytes, checksum: 4bb22f74a452eb8fcb606d7eda042b10 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2006-11-20 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / The emotional pressures provoked by the requirements of the competitive sport take many athletes to exceed the limits of its physical and psychological capacity. Being thus, tools and methods had been perfected to intervine in such emotional phenomena. The profiles of state of mood in psychology reflect in the capacity of an individual to try a set of emotions. Being thus, the study it has for objective to evaluate the profile of mood in athlete of high-income of the masculine sex of the modalities of volleyball n= 59 with average of age of 19,01, and tennis n=69 with average of age 17,01. Specifically to compare the independent 0 variable: sportive modality (volleyball and tennis); time of practical in the high-income (up to 2 years; more than 2 years) and categories of age (young e adult) with the 0 variable dependent of the mood profile (tension depression, anger, vigor, fatigue and mental confusion). The event of this study, the profiles of mood in high-income athlete, was measured from design inferential statistician, averages, shunting line-standard, test t student and MANOVA. Also used measured elementary the interview half-structure, what it allowed flexibility in the analysis from the method of the speech of the collective citizen. When executing the MANOVA, had been verified differences multivariate between the modalities (F=4,289/p=0,001; Hotelling' s Traces = 0,216) and practical time of (F=5,845/p<0,001; Hotelling' s Traces = 0,295) in the vigor. Moreover, interactive effect of the modality and time of practical had been verified in the independent 0 variable (mood profiles) (F=2,943/p=0,01; Hotelling' s Traces = 0,148). The dependent 0 variable mental confusion in analyzes of variance 2x2 of the modality versus time of practical only presented significance in the interaction of the two 0 variable (F= 9,179/p=0,003) around 7% of the variance. In the evaluation of profiles of mood in athlete of volleyball significant alteration in the changeable tension was proven p=0,05 athlete volleyball x time of practical, in the changeable anger n=0,001 athlete of volleyball x category of age. However in the tennis athletes it resulted in significant differences in the depression p=0,001, 0,04 anger and mental confusion 0,02 with bigger averages in the athletes adult and more experienced tennis s; also in the comparison of modality x category of age the depression p= 0,05. In the analysis of the DSC the athletes of voleibol had more frequently pointed vigor and anger, while the athletes of tennis tension and fatigue, corroborating with respect to the complementation of the previous results. He considered himself in the study that the profile of mood of the athletes of voleibol came close to the considered profile iceberg for literature in comparison to the athletes of tennis, confirmed in the multivaried analysis the alteration resulted a significant difference of p=0,01 suggesting that the modality was responsible for 18% of the alteration in the mood profile. One becomes necessary to apply procedurally instrument BRUMS to discriminate with bigger precision the profiles of mood states, for the oscillation that such emotional states if present, not being able to be considered in only application a fixed psychological characteristic. The necessity also exists to take care of with the variability of the delineation of the curve of the graphical standard leading in account the contextual processes throughout the development of the athletes. / As pressões emocionais provocadas pelas exigências do esporte competitivo levam muitosatletas a excederem os limites de sua capacidade física e psicológica. Sendo assim,aperfeiçoaram-se ferramentas e métodos para intervir em tais fenômenos emocionais. Os perfis de estado de humor em psicologia refletem na capacidade de um indivíduo experimentar um conjunto de emoções. Sendo assim, o estudo tem por objetivo avaliar o perfil de humor em atletas de alto-rendimento do sexo masculino das modalidades de voleibol n= 59 com média de idade de 19,01, e tênis n=69 com média de idade 17,01. Especificamente comparar as variáveis independentes: modalidade esportiva (voleibol e tênis); tempo de prática no alto-rendimento (até 2 anos; mais de 2 anos) e categorias de idade (jovens e adultos) com as variáveis dependente do perfil de humor (tensão depressão, raiva, vigor, fadiga e confusão mental). O evento deste estudo, os perfis de humor em atletas de altorendimento, foi mensurado a partir do design estatístico inferencial, médias, desvio-padrão, teste t student e MANOVA. Também utilizadas medidas elementares a entrevista semiestrutura, o que permitiu flexibilidade na análise a partir do método do discurso do sujeito coletivo. Ao executar a MANOVA, foram verificadas diferenças multivariadas entre as modalidades (F=4,289/ p=0,001; Hotellings s Trace = 0,216) e tempo de prática (F=5,845/ p<0,001; Hotelling s Trace = 0,295) no vigor. Além disto, foram verificados efeitos interativos da modalidade e tempo de prática na variável independente (perfis de humor) (F=2,943/ p=0,01; Hotelling s Trace = 0,148). A variável dependente confusão mental na analise de variância 2x2 da modalidade versus tempo de prática apresentou significância somente na interação das duas variáveis (F= 9,179/ p=0,003) em torno de 7% da variância. Na avaliação de perfis de humor em atletas de voleibol evidenciou-se alteração significativa na variável tensão p=0,05 atletas voleibol x tempo de prática, na variável raiva n=0,001 atletas de voleibol x categoria de idade. Contudo nos atletas de tênis resultou em diferenças significativas na depressão p=0,001, raiva 0,04 e confusão mental 0,02 com médias maiores nos atletas tênis adultos e mais experientes; também na comparação da modalidade x categoria de idade a depressão p= 0,05. Na análise do DSC os atletas de voleibol apontaram com maior freqüência vigor e raiva, enquanto os atletas de tênis tensão e fadiga, corroborando para a complementação dos resultados anteriores. Considerou-se no estudo que o perfil de humor dos atletas de voleibol aproximou-se do perfil considerado iceberg pela literatura em comparação aos atletas de tênis, confirmado na análise multivariada a alteração resultou uma diferença significativa de p=0,01 sugerindo que a modalidade foi responsável por 18% da alteração no perfil de humor. Faz-se necessário aplicar processualmente o instrumento BRUMS para discriminar com maior precisão os perfis de estados de humor, pela oscilação que tais estados emocionais se apresentam, não podendo ser considerados em única aplicação uma característica psicológica fixa. Existe também a necessidade de cuidar com a variabilidade do delineamento da curva do gráfico padrão levando em conta os processos contextuais ao longo do desenvolvimento dos atletas.

Data from smartphones and wearable devices provide rich longitudinal information on participants and allow for causal inference for daily exposures and outcomes. However, informative missingness, latent variables, unmeasured confounding, and uneven data collection rates are common in mobile health studies and may introduce bias. In addition, there are likely violations of stationarity, a key assumption for traditional longitudinal methods. To overcome these challenges, we first propose an expectation maximization algorithm to adapt the conventional test for unit root non-stationarity to a context with missing data, and develop a sensitivity analysis for data missing not at random. Using our method, we identify a patient with bipolar spectrum disorder who has a unit root in their daily negative mood score data. We hypothesize the non-stationarity may result from the underlying latent disease states such as mania or depression, and thus we additionally develop a model to identify and control for latent modification and confounding. Specifically, we propose a hidden Markov model for individual causal inference which handles missing data in the outcome through marginalization and multiple imputation. We compare the performance of our proposed model with a frequentist and a Bayesian implementation to a naive approach in a simulation and application to a multi-year smartphone study of bipolar patients. We employ the approach to evaluate the individual effect of digital social activity on sleep duration across different latent disease states. Lastly, we employ functional data analysis methods to summarize overnight wrist actigraph data, to evaluate the role of sleep as a mediator between stress and positive mood. We demonstrate that functional principal component analysis identifies key information about sleep that is otherwise lost using a scalar representation of sleep duration.

Made available in DSpace on 2016-12-06T17:07:10Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 DISSERTACAO BRUMS.pdf: 775019 bytes, checksum: 748b480fb903374de74c5cc307bedd03 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2006-11-22 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / The overtraining syndrome has relevance throughout the scope of sports, mainly in relation to elite athletes whom search to transcend their limits and to those whom submit to the practical physical activity without specialized orientation. The Brunel Mood Scale, BRUMS, was validated in 2003 for Peter Terry and collaborators in adolescent and adult athletes and non-athletes and was considered an appropriate instrument for evaluation of mood profiles eventually related to the overtraining syndrome. The use of this instrument contributes to the organization and planning of load training and in the stress control in individuals who participate in physical exercises programs. The objective of the present study was to investigate the validity of the Brazilian version of BRUMS in the detection of modified mood states in Brazilian adolescents and adults athletes and non-athletes. The population was composed of adolescent and adult students (aged >18 years) and adolescent and adult athletes (aged 12-17 years), masculine and feminine gender. The sample consisted of 298 persons from both genders (173 males - 58,6% - e 125 females - 41,9%; age: M=18,3, SD=5,1) divided into 4 groups: adult students, adult athletes, adolescent students and adolescent athletes. The instrument was submitted to the translation-back translation method. The BRUMS application was effected before and after following situations: training with moderate loads, competition, normal class, and assessment. The internal consistency of the scale was verified using Cronbach s Alpha Coefficient for each mood state in different situations. Factorial analysis was used for the confirmation of the theoretical factors. The Pearson s Linear Correlation test, controlled by age, was used for verification of the correlation between mood states before and after different situations. The data was interpreted with support to SPSS program - version 11.0. The results showed satisfactory coefficients of reliability. The EFA got 68% of total variance explained for the pretest results and 72% for the post-test results, evidencing that the dimensions in the practical confirmed the theoretical dimensions. The results found for the CFA indicated that the BRUMS is suitable for mood alteration detection. The correlations between the mood states support the conclusion that the BRUMS detects mood states in a different way. Therefore, the results of this study allow for considering that the Brazilian version of the BRUMS presents satisfactory pointers of validity as measure of mood in athletes and non athletes, adolescents and adults. / A síndrome do excesso de treinamento tem relevância no âmbito esportivo, principalmente em relação a atletas de elite que buscam superar seus limites e àqueles que se submetem à prática de atividade física sem orientação especializada. A Escala de Humor de Brunel, BRUMS, foi validada em 2003 por Peter Terry e seus colaboradores em atletas e não atletas adolescentes e adultos e foi considerada apropriada para avaliação de perfis de humor eventualmente relacionados à síndrome do excesso de treinamento. A utilização deste instrumento contribui para a organização e planificação de cargas de treinamento e no controle do estresse em indivíduos participantes de programas de exercícios físicos. O objetivo do presente estudo foi investigar a validade da versão brasileira do instrumento BRUMS na detecção de estados alterados de humor em atletas e não atletas brasileiros adolescentes e adultos. A população foi composta por estudantes e atletas adultos (_ 18 anos de idade) e estudantes e atletas adolescentes (12 a 17 anos), gênero masculino e feminino. A amostra se constituiu de 298 sujeitos de ambos os sexos (173 homens - 58,6% - e 125 mulheres - 41,9%; idade média de 18,3 anos e DP=5,1) divididos em 4 grupos: estudantes adultos, atletas adultos, estudantes adolescentes e atletas adolescentes O instrumento foi submetido ao método tradução-tradução reversa. A aplicação do BRUMS foi feita antes e depois das seguintes situações: treino moderado, competição, aula normal e avaliação. A consistência interna da escala foi verificada utilizando o coeficiente Alfa de Chronbach, para cada estado de humor em diferentes situações. Para a confirmação dos fatores teóricos foi utilizada a análise fatorial. A análise fatorial confirmatória (AFC), aplicada por meio do programa EQS 5.5, averiguou a adequação do modelo encontrado na análise fatorial exploratória (AFE) à organização dos conteúdos dos estados de humor do instrumento BRUMS. Para verificar as correlações entre os estados de humor antes e após as diferentes situações foi aplicado o teste de correlação linear de Pearson, controlado pela idade. Os dados foram tratados com recurso ao programa SPSS - versão 11.0. Os resultados mostraram coeficientes de fidelidade satisfatórios. A AFE obteve 68% de variância total explicada para os resultados pré-teste e 72% para os resultados pós-teste, constatando que as dimensões na prática confirmaram as dimensões teóricas. Os resultados encontrados pela AFC indicaram que o BRUMS é adequado para detecção de alteração de humor. As correlações entre os estados de humor permitiram concluir que o BRUMS detecta os estados de humor de forma diferenciada. Portanto, os resultados deste estudo mostraram que a versão brasileira do instrumento BRUMS apresenta indicadores satisfatórios de validade como medida de humor em atletas e não atletas, adolescentes e adultos.

Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) / Hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis dysfunction is found in heavy alcohol users. Negative urgency is a personality trait reflecting the tendency to act rashly in response to negative emotional states, and is associated with problematic alcohol consumption. The current study examined the relationship between negative urgency and HPA axis functioning following (1) negative mood induction and (2) intravenous alcohol administration among heavy social drinkers (proposed n = 40). I hypothesized the following: (1) Negative mood induction would result in an increase of cortisol release as compared to neutral mood induction; (1a) Negative urgency would be related to increased cortisol release in response to negative mood induction; (1b) Negative urgency would partially mediate the relationship between mood induction and cortisol release; (2) Acute IV alcohol administration would result in increased cortisol levels in the neutral mood condition, but decreased cortisol levels in the negative mood condition; and (2a) Negative urgency would be related to the suppression of cortisol release in the negative mood condition in response to acute IV alcohol administration. Repeated measures analyses of variance, the PROCESS macro, and paired samples t-tests were used to examine study hypotheses. Hypotheses were largely unsupported. Writing mood induction procedures reduced salivary cortisol levels in negative mood (t(35)= 2.49, p= 0.02) and there was a trend decrease in neutral mood (t(35)= 1.87, p= 0.07). Alcohol administration also reduced salivary cortisol levels in both negative mood (t(35)= 3.99, p< 0.01) and neutral mood (t(35)= 2.60, p= 0.01). However, salivary cortisol changes were no different than typical circadian patterns in response to mood induction (t(231)= 0.37, p=0.71) or in response to acute alcohol administration (t(231)= 0.44, p= 0.64). Negative urgency had a trend main effect on salivary cortisol level in response to acute IV alcohol administration, such that those higher in negative urgency were more similar to typical circadian patterns (F(19,28)= 1.59, p=0.13). This could serve as preliminary support for a psychological mechanism for the alcohol sensitivity hypothesis. Overall these findings suggest the current study failed to sufficiently manipulate salivary cortisol levels. Future studies should consider methodological techniques when exploring these relationships, including IV compared to oral alcohol administration, mood compared to stress manipulations, and cortisol compared to other HPA axis biomarkers.

Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) / Epidemiological studies suggest that depression may be an independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease (CVD). Although several possible mediators of this association have been proposed, the precise mechanisms are yet unknown. Accordingly, we examined periodontal disease as a novel mediator of the depression-CVD association, given its separate links with both depression and CVD. Data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) I and its Epidemiologic Follow-up Study (NHEFS) were analyzed. Participants were 3,346 individuals aged 25-74 years free of CVD at baseline (53% female, 16% non-white). Depression was assessed by the, depressed mood subscale of the General Well-Being Schedule Based on the Russell Periodontal Index, periodontal disease (43%) was defined as the presence of four or more periodontal pockets identified by a licensed dentist during an examination. The primary outcome was incident CVD (n=727, 22%), defined as nonfatal or fatal coronary artery disease or cerebrovascular disease, identified during the follow-up period by interviews and death certificate records. All analyses were adjusted for demographic and cardiovascular risk factors. Logistic regression analyses revealed no association between the GWBS depressed mood score and periodontal disease (OR=1.05, 95% CI: 0.96-1.14, p=.24). Cox proportional hazard models revealed that both periodontal disease (HR=1.24, 95% CI: 1.06-1.46, p=.009) and depressed mood (HR=1.08, 95% CI: 1.01-1.17, p=.03) were significant predictors of incident CVD. However, Sobel analyses found that periodontal disease was not a partial mediator of the depressed mood-incident CVD association (t=1.01, p=.31). Overall, these mediation results suggest that (a) both periodontal disease and depressed mood are independent predictors of incident CVD and that (b) the effect of depressive symptoms on incident CVD is not mediated by periodontal disease.