The purpose of this study was to determine if a relationship existed in healthy older adults between two psychological and physiological variables. The conceptual framework suggested that a relationship of psychological and physiological functions would facilitate positive adjustment to the stressors of aging. Life satisfaction represented psychological functioning; body temperature represented physiological functioning; body temperature represented physiological functioning. Because some evidence exists that normal temperature for older adults is lower than 98.6°F, an additional purpose was to determine if the sample had a normal body temperature lower than 98.6°F. Subjects were 174 healthy Caucasians aged 60-97. None were taking antibiotic, phenotiazine, cortisone, or reserpine containing drugs. Life satisfaction was measured using Neugarten's Life Satisfaction Index A (LSIA); body temperature was measured with an IVAC 821 oral electronic thermometer. Subjects rated perceived health on the Health Status Scale (HSS), and enumerated the past year's stressful life events on a modification of Holmes and Rahe's Social Readjustment Rating Questionnaire (SRRQ). Data were collected in winter and summer to determine if body temperature was different based on season. Statistical significance was p = .05. An ANOVA revealed no significant differences between winter and summer groups. The Pearson product-moment revealed no correlation between LSIA and TEMP. LSIA was significantly correlated with HSS and AGE; that is, subjects who were more satisfied with their lives considered themselves healthier, and were younger than other subjects. TEMP was significantly related only to SEX, indicating that females had higher temperatures than males. The mean temperature for all subjects, 98.24°F, was statistically different from 98.6°F, as were winter (98.32°F) and summer (98.17°F) group means. No difference was found between winter and summer mean temperatures, indicating that season of the year did not affect body temperatures in this sample. It was concluded that no psychophysiological relationship was found because body temperature may index only illness, not health. The mean temperature was not clinically different from 98.6°F most likely because these subjects were not taking drugs known to affect body temperature. A recommendation was that nurses evaluate each older client's temperature against his own normal, versus a universal normal.

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We evaluated anthropometric and performance measures which best predict bone mineral density (BMD) in 54 adolescent girls (14.6��0.5y; 22.7��14.0 months past menarche). BMD for the whole body, femoral neck, greater trochanter, lumbar spine (L2-L4), and mid-femoral shaft was assessed using dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA) (Hologic QDR 1000/W). Whole body lean mass and fat mass were derived from the whole body scan. Knee extensor strength and leg power were assessed by isokinetic dynamometry and the Wingate Anaerobic Power Test, respectively. Using simple regression, lean mass was significantly correlated with BMD at all bone sites r=.45-.77; p<0.001), and was more highly correlated with BMD at all sites than was body weight. Maximum leg power was also associated with bone mass at all sites (r=.41-.67; p<0.001) while leg strength correlated significantly with all sites (r=.41-.53; p<0.001) except the lumbar spine. Stepwise regression analyses revealed that 59% of the variance in whole body BMD was predicted by lean mass alone. No other variables, including fat mass, height, months past menarche, leg power, or leg strength, contributed additionally to the regression model. Similarly, lean mass was the only predictor of lumbar spine and femoral shaft BMD (R��=.25, R��=.37, respectively), while femoral neck and trochanteric BMD were best predicted by leg power (R��=.38, R��=.36, respectively). In this group of adolescent girls, lean body mass and leg power independently predicted bone mineral density of the whole body, lumbar spine, femoral shaft, and hip, which may suggest an important role for muscle mass development during growth to maximize peak bone density. / Graduation date: 1997

Graduation date: 1991

The purpose of this study was to examine the participants of the Ball State University Retirees Fitness (BSURF) program in order to determine the role that habitual participation in an exercise program plays on the aging process. The participants of the BSURF program were divided into two groups: those that have been exercising for seven or more years (LT; n=14), and those that have been exercising for six years or less (ST; n=10). Subjects underwent testing on the following variables: BMI, body composition, resting heart rate and blood pressure, blood lipid profile, biceps muscular strength, trunk flexibility, and the Rockport Walk Test. Group differences were determined using an independent t-test. Despite a significant difference in age and duration of participation time between the LT and ST groups, no statistically significant differences in cardiovascular measurements, anthropometric measurements, and body size were seen between the two study groups. The only exception to the positive effects of this exercise program on the aging process is demonstrated by the trunk flexibility data. The ST group was significantly more flexible (27.6 ± 1.51 cm) than the LT group (17.7 ± 2.67 cm). The results of this study suggest that continued participation in the BSURF program enabled the LT group to maintain their physiological functioning. Further, the length of participation by the members of the BSURF program clearly demonstrates significant adherence, and suggests that a program of moderate intensity in combination with a large social aspect may play a role in the exercise adherence of older adults. / School of Physical Education

Emotion has been shown to be lateralized in the brain. This study examines the individual differences influencing the patterns of hemispheric asymmetry in the perception of emotional words. This study explores how individuals’ level of depression and anxiety affects how they perceive emotional words varying in valence and arousal. Participants with a lower level of depression demonstrated more hemispheric asymmetry with a bias toward words presented to the left hemisphere, but participants with a higher level of depression had no hemispheric differences. Participants with a lower level of depression demonstrated a bias toward positive words, but participants with a higher level of depression had no difference in valence. Similarly, participants with a lower level of anxiety had a positivity bias, but participants with a higher level of anxiety had no difference in valence. These findings indicate similarities and differences in emotional perception in depression and anxiety and may represent some of the neurological underpinnings of these disorders. / Department of Psychological Science

Please read the abstract in the section 00front of this document / Dissertation (MA (HMS))--University of Pretoria, 2007. / Biokinetics, Sport and Leisure Sciences / unrestricted

Twenty-four anxiety disorder subjects. 12 simple phobics and 12 panic disorders with agoraphobia, were assessed for physiological response (SCL, HR and EMG) to phobic imagery scripts. Subjects were instructed to image during tape-recorded scripts of standardized neutral (Neutral) and personally relevant fear (Phobic) scripts. All scripts contained both stimulus and response cues; however, subjects were presented four versions of a script which varied in response cue (propositional) content and presentation style: a version presented non-interactively which contained no cognitive cues (meaning propositions), a version presented non-interactively which contained cognitive cues, a version presented interactively which contained no cognitive cues, and a version presented interactively which contained cognitive cues. Both diagnostic groups produced significantly increased HR and SCL in response to Phobic scripts which contained cognitive cues and were presented interactively. Phobic Scripts which contained cognitive cues and were presented non-interactively produced significantly increased arousal only in the panic disorder group as measured by HR. Simple phobics also responded with significantly increased SCL to Phobic scripts presented interactively with no cognitive cues. Neither diagnostic group responded with increased arousal to the Phobic script presented non-interactively with no cognitive cues. Contrary to previous research, these results indicate that subjects with panic disorder with agoraphobia are capable of producing significantly increased physiological arousal in response to phobic imagery. The crucial importance of imagery script content and presentation style are highlighted by the results. Furthermore, the current investigation differed from previous investigations in that the parameters of an actual therapy session were more closely approximated by having the subjects image during script presentation rather than subsequent to script presentation. Finally, frontalis EMG did not prove to be a sensitive measure of anxiety in these subject populations pointing to the need for multiple channels of physiological measurement. Implications for content and methodology of future research studies in this area are discussed. / Ph. D.

Previous investigations have shown the benefits of aerobic dance and bench step training programs. Their main focus has been to examine cardiovascular improvements and caloric expenditure during these activities. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to examine the effects of exercise mode on isokinetic strength, power, and endurance of the quadriceps. Twenty-nine non-smoking, free from history of knee pathology, non-physically active females (20.6 ± 2.8 years, 160.6 ± 4.9 cm, 61.9 ± 16.5 kg) volunteered for this investigation. Non-randomized testing procedures were performed due to the nature of the study. Of the 29 subjects, there were n=11 in the step Aerobic (SA) group, n=8 in the High Impact (HI) group, and n=10 in the Control (CT) group. Subjects were tested twice for quadriceps muscle function utilizing the following isokinetic tests: Peak Torque (PT) , Peak Torque to Body Weight Ratio (PTBW), Average Power (AVP) , and Endurance Ratio (END) on the Cybex 11+ isokinetic machine before and after the 12-weeks of exercise training. / Master of Science

The mirror neuron system consists of a specific class of visuomotor neurons, which fire for both observation and execution of an action (di Pellegrino et al., 1992), as well as showing differences for empathy and gender. Fifty males (M = 25.94) and fifty females (M = 25.48) watched short clips of a hand tapping fingers in a sequence in neutral and emotional settings. Participants were asked to imitate emotions while watching and repeating the finger sequences. A univariate ANOVA discovered significant differences in response times for males and females in the emotion trials, which were eliminated when empathy was included in the analysis. Findings show those higher in empathy are faster at imitation of a motor task in emotional settings. / Includes bibliography. / Thesis (M.A.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2014. / FAU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Collection