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No description available.

Self-injurious behavior (SIB) is a disorder that is typically associated with clinical syndromes, genetic diseases, or mental retardation. However, recent studies indicate that SIB can develop in the general population and may be more prevalent than previously reported. The purpose of this dissertation was to identify psychological, experiential and physiological correlates of SIB in university undergraduate students. Prior to formal data collection, we prescreened potential participants by collecting information on self-injurious behavior from a large number of undergraduate students enrolled in psychology classes. The prescreening revealed that 16% of the students had engaged in self-inflicted wounding at some point in their lives. Men were more likely to burn themselves whereas women preferred cutting. These findings were replicated in a second screening. Subsequent research was focused on a subset of the prescreen population. In Study 1, a questionnaire was used to gathered baseline information on mental health and life histories of undergraduates who engaged in SIB (n = 24) as well as non-injuring undergraduate controls (n = 25). The stress hormone, cortisol, was also examined by collecting saliva samples under baseline conditions and assaying for cortisol levels. Our findings revealed that undergraduates with a history of SIB had significantly more psychological problems (e.g. depression, anxiety, emotional problems, and traumatic experiences) than controls. Preliminary evidence suggested that cortisol level might be a significant predictor of SIB status. In Study 2, a similar questionnaire was administered to 91 undergraduate participants as phase I of the study. In phase 2, a subset of undergraduates was exposed to a modified Trier Stress Test (i.e. public speaking and mental arithmetic tasks) to examine the stress response system. Questionnaire results from Study 2 confirmed our previous findings. Participants who engaged in SIB were significantly more depressed and anxious, and had experienced more emotional problems, and traumatic experiences than controls. However, SIB status was unrelated to baseline cortisol, and there were no group differences in reaction to the stress test. These findings indicate that self-injurious behavior is present at significant levels in college students and is strongly associated with psychological problems.

Benzodiazepines (BZs) are widely used in the treatment of anxiety and sleep disorders. However, unwanted side effects, such as sedation, motor impairment, and the potential for physical dependence and tolerance, can hinder their use in the clinic. Elucidating the GABAA receptor subtypes underlying these behavioral effects can facilitate the development of an anxiolytic pharmacotherapy with enhanced clinical utility and reduced unwanted side effects. Subtype selective compounds were used to investigate the underlying receptor mechanisms involved in the observable behavioral effects of BZs. In addition, the receptor mechanisms involved in BZ physical dependence and tolerance were also investigated. In addition to observable behavioral effects and motor impairment (MAP and FRR) of BZs, novel categories of observable sedation (sleep posture, moderate sedation, and deep sedation) have been included. Acutely, sleep posture is likely mediated by α2/3GABAA receptors while α1GABA A receptors may mediate deep sedation associated with BZs. The motor impairing effects observed with the MAP and FRR tasks likely involve an interaction of GABAA receptors containing α1, α2, and α3 subunits. The receptor mechanisms underlying tolerance and physical dependence associated with chronic alprazolam administration were investigated. Tolerance developed rapidly to deep sedation, which is likely mediated by α1GABA A receptors, while sleep posture, which is thought to be mediated by α2/3GABAA receptors, persisted throughout chronic treatment. Motor impairment measured by the MAP and FRR tasks also developed tolerance at a similar rate as deep sedation, further suggesting a role for α1GABA A receptors in these behaviors. Substitution tests were conducted to investigate physical dependence and cross-tolerance. Results suggest physical dependence developed following chronic alprazolam treatment. In addition, α1GABAA receptors likely play a role in physical dependence. Withdrawal effects following substitution tests with zolpidem and NEP-581 precluded the determination of cross-tolerance.

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No description available.

No description available.

<p> Short-term longitudinal study of mother-infant feeding interactions is rare in the infant obesity, growth, eating disorder, and attachment research. Beginning at birth through 3 months of age, this case-study replication series utilized archival data of 12 mother-infant pairs videotaped during weekly bottle-feeding sessions in their homes. Measures included infant weight and length and amount of food ingested. Videotapes were scored according to five infant and nine maternal observed feeding behaviors scaled on the Interaction Rating Scale - Feeding Ratings, a global measure of mother-infant feeding interactions. Study hypotheses proposed that the more optimal the mothers&rsquo; or infants&rsquo; behaviors, the larger the weight or BMI of the infant or the more food the infant ingested at a feeding session. Spearman rank-order correlation time-point analyses on 69 feeding observations showed statistically significant relationships. All combined infant behavior ratings as well as specific infant behavior ratings of State Rating, Physical Activity, and Gaze Behavior were significantly related to larger infant weight or infant BMI. Regarding maternal behavior ratings, statistically significant negative correlations were found between Persistence in Feeding and infant weight, Contingent Vocalization and BMI, and Gaze Behavior and amount of food ingested. These results have implications for further theorizing about the early antecedents of pediatric obesity in particular, but also for the development of caregiver-infant attachment in general.</p>

<p>In Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), social and emotional dysfunction has been interpreted as a secondary consequence of the broad impact of amygdala and fear circuitry dysregulation. However, research in social neuroscience has uncovered a number of neural systems involved in attachment and emotional regulation that may be impacted by trauma. One example is the Default Mode Network (DMN), which is implicated in human beings&rsquo; sense of self and ability to connect with others. </p><p> This qualitative study explored the impact of physical and emotional traumata on the structures and functions of the DMN. The goal was to determine if dysregulation of the DMN could account for aspects of the psychological and social dysfunction found in PTSD. This study explored the following two questions: 1. What does the research literature tell us about the role of the DMN? 2. How does trauma impact DMN functioning? </p><p> The DMN has been associated primarily with autobiographical recall, self-referential processing, social cognition, prospection, and moral sensitivity. The DMN appears to support internal reflective capacity, further maintaining and connecting self-functions and social cognition. Trauma results in internetwork rigidity, as well as overall reductions in DMN activity, volume, and connectivity. These objective changes result in a Traumatized Resting State (TRS), characterized by increased Salience Network connectivity and reductions in Central Executive functioning. Studies suggest that a TRS develops in reaction to acute trauma, even before the development of PTSD, and may continue despite the stabilization of other networks. Overall, DMN incoherence significantly disrupts core psychosocial processes. </p>

<p> The observation that the hippocampus is required for memory and spatial navigation has led to extensive study of the hippocampal neural circuit. Past research has focused on established patterns of hippocampal neural activity, such as the classic place cell code and the theta network pattern. However, we still have only a preliminary understanding of how the hippocampus performs cognitive functions. This may be the case because there still remain unknown yet fundamental patterns of hippocampal neural activity. </p><p> To investigate this possibility, we recorded neural activity in the hippocampus of rats engaged in a spatial memory task. In this thesis I describe four previously unidentified patterns of hippocampal neural activity: (1) spatially specific neural firing that is more active when animals are at rest, (2) a &sim;200 ms network pattern that is associated with spatial firing at rest, (3) spatially specific, transient neural firing at the time of behavioral transitions between movement and rest, and (4) a high frequency (65-140 Hz) network pattern that entrains neural firing throughout the hippocampus. I postulate that these patterns of activity have essential roles in complex hippocampal functions. </p>