<p> Listening to music is an activity that provides a range of physical and psychological benefits (e.g., tension relief, decreased depression) for people across cultures and age groups. Adolescents, specifically, are among the most active consumers of music, and music appears to be a natural coping strategy for this age group. Research suggests that both music and the family context play important roles during the developmental phase of adolescence. Family transitions such as divorce have become increasingly common experiences for adolescents and may have long-lasting negative effects on an adolescent&rsquo;s emotional well-being. However, research regarding music-based interventions for use with adolescents experiencing family conflicts or transitions is limited. Thus, this project involved the creation of a resource manual designed to help mental health professionals implement music-based interventions in their work with adolescents coping with family conflict or parental divorce. The development of the manual was informed by a review of the literature about music therapy, adolescents, and families, as well as by questionnaires completed by three certified music therapists, and this author&rsquo;s own clinical experiences. The data was then integrated and synthesized into a comprehensive resource manual, which was evaluated by three clinicians who are not trained music therapists for its efficacy, relevance, and user-friendliness. Feedback for the manual was collected via an evaluation form. Results indicated that the manual may be a useful supplemental tool for mental health professionals. Strengths, weaknesses, and suggestions for improvement are also discussed. </p>

Research with neurologically impaired patients suggests that temporal order memory (TOM) and item memory (IM) are associated with the frontal lobes and medial-temporal lobes, respectively. Issues concerning the aging of TOM and IM still remain. First, the frontal lobes may show greater age-related decline than posterior portions of the brain and/or the right hemisphere may show greater decline than the left. Second, TOM and IM may or may not be independent, because findings of double dissociations have not been replicated. Third, the relationship between TOM for items in primary vs. secondary memory is unknown. Finally, the mechanisms controlling TOM are poorly understood, partly because many TOM tests maximize working memory demands, thus masking the roles of strategy, sequencing and inhibition. Thirty-two college-age and 32 older participants completed four sets of TOM and IM tests, each of which measured left- or right-hemisphere function (words vs. faces) and maximized or minimized working memory demands. Participants also completed neuropsychological tests of frontal-lobe function. Composite measures of frontal-lobe and medial-temporal-lobe status based on the age-independent performance on additional neuropsychological tests were used to categorize participants as above or below the mean. These composites were used to predict TOM and IM performance, thus measuring their independence. Results showed greater age-related declines in TOM than IM, regardless of whether faces or words were studied, supporting the frontal-lobe hypothesis of aging. The right-hemisphere hypothesis of aging was not supported. IM and TOM were not found to be independent on any of the four sets of tests. However, frontal-lobe status but not medial-temporal-lobe status predicted TOM performance when one or more test item was in primary memory. Frontal-lobe status did not predict IM performance, regardless of whether items were in primary or secondary memory, suggesting that the frontal-lobes may be specifically involved in TOM when information must be held in mind. Correlations between TOM and neuropsychological tests yielded limited support for the theory that cognitive sequencing is involved in TOM.

A growing body of scientific literature suggests that when individuals are asked to write about personally upsetting experiences, significant improvements in physical health are found. However, some attempts to replicate these findings and establish causal relationships between disclosure and health have yielded inconsistent results. Thus, in an effort to implement a narrative therapy utilizing a less typical sample, Pennebaker's self-guided writing therapy was utilized as an intervention for incarcerated women who had experienced traumatic events. Volunteer participants were randomly assigned to either the traumatic (experimental) or trivial topic (control) writing group, and were asked to write on these topics daily for four days. Objective medical utilization data was collected for the 12 weeks pre-intervention through 12 weeks post-intervention, and was supplemented by participant self-report measures. Institutional misconduct data was also collected for this period. No decreases in medical utilization or institutional misconduct were found. However, a significant increase in mental health utilization was demonstrated by the treatment group following the intervention. Implications of these findings and suggestions for future research in this area are discussed.

<p>The research question answered by this qualitative, narrative design study is how some couples maintained continued marital intimacy and well-being after prostate cancer surgery. It was directed to a purposeful, critical, and criterion based sampling of 5 heterosexual participant couples between the ages of 52 and 65 years old, who had been married for an average of 29 years and who experienced the disruption in their marriage of prostate cancer and its surgical remedy. The research question created a frame for evaluating literature which provided a basic understanding of the physiology associated with prostate cancer and its treatment options, while recognizing and giving appropriate voice through semi-structured interviews to the compromising and potentially traumatic effects of that surgery on couples&rsquo; relationships. In addition to the stresses introduced by a prostate cancer diagnosis, a complexity of emotional and physical concerns is realized with existing treatments, often leading to difficult adjustments and long-term consequences. Although extensive volumes of research attest to the vexing interruption to marital intimacy after prostate cancer surgery, there is a lack of direct, narrative inquiry from long-term married couples addressing instead the question of how they prevailed over those profound challenges. This study subsequently positioned itself to the telling of the participants&rsquo; stories, before and after surgery, and to the positive inquiry of how they learned from their lived experiences and demonstrated that learning as resilience, resourcefulness, and a determination to maintain a mutually acceptable level of intimacy and well-being in their enduring marriages. Attributes of a fulfilling marriage were also explored as characterizing a committed and happy long-term relationship which supports wellness of mind, body, and spirit. In addition, inquiry was made into the transpersonal aspects and significance of marital well-being and shared practices which help to sustain it. </p>

All sentient organisms use contextual information to assess the amount of reward associated with a particular behavior. Human beings have arguably evolved the most sophisticated of these mechanisms and are capable of integrating information over a long duration of time to accurately assess the expected outcome of a chosen action. This thesis used electroencephalography (EEG) to measure how the human brain processes rewarding and punishing feedback in a gambling-type game with variable risk and reward. Experiment 1 determined that phase-locked (evoked) and non-phase-locked (induced) electroencephalographic activity share only partially overlapping generators in human mediofrontal cortex. Experiment 2 determined that the magnitude of certain evoked EEG components during reward processing tracked subsequent changes in bets placed in the next round. These results extend the body of literature by assessing the overlap between induced and evoked EEG components and the role of evoked activity in affecting future decision making. / xii, 76 leaves : ill. (chiefly col.) ; 29 cm

L’âge, le génotype et les traumatismes crâniens (TCC) sont trois facteurs de risque majeurs du développement de la maladie d’Alzheimer (MA). Avec une accumulation d’évidences démontrant la persistance d’anomalies cérébrales suite aux plus légers des TCC, qui affichent d’ailleurs la plus haute incidence, il devient impératif de tester l’hypothèse selon laquelle même les commotions cérébrales puissent interagir avec l’âge et les gènes afin de précipiter la neurodégénération. Trente ex-athlètes de haut niveau (âge M = 60 ans), dont la moitié a subi des commotions cérébrales il y a plus de 30 ans, ont été évalués en neuropsychologie, en neuroimagerie multimodale ainsi qu’en génétique. De nombreuses mesures neuroanatomiques, dont l’expansion du volume des ventricules latéraux, se trouvent à corréler avec divers déficits cognitifs (mémoire différée et de reconnaissance) détectés chez les participants commotionnés. D’un intérêt particulier, certains de ces résultats sont modulés par le polymorphisme nucléotidique simple du gène Apolipoprotéine E. Ces résultats appuient l’hypothèse selon laquelle la commotion cérébrale chez de jeunes athlètes serait un facteur de risque de neurodégénération dans le vieillissement normal. / Age, genotype and traumatic brain injury (TBI) are three of the most important risk factors of Alzheimer’s Disease. With a growing body of evidence showing the persistent deleterious effects of the mildest form of TBI, it becomes imperative to test the hypothesis that sports concussion could interact with aging to precipitate neurodegeneration. Thirty former high-level athletes (mean age = 60 yrs), half of them having sustained sports concussion during their young adulthood, underwent neuropsychological, neuroanatomical and APOE genotype examination. Data analysis revealed numerous neurobiological anomalies, such as ventricular enlargement, correlating with cognitive deficits (delayed and recognition memory) in concussed participants. Of particular interest, some neuroanatomical measures were found to be modulated by APOE single-nucleotide polymorphisms. These findings support the idea that sports concussions sustained in early adulthood are a risk factor of neurodegeneration in late adulthood.

The primary purpose of this study was to examine the relationship among levels of trait and state anxiety, self-confidence, arousal and performance of athletes throughout a competition. A secondary purpose was to examine the usefulness of a variety of instruments used to obtain levels of anxiety, self-confidence, arousal, and performance. Trait anxiety was measured by the Sport Competition Anxiety Test (SCAT) (Martens, 1990) and levels of state anxiety and selfconfidence were measured using the Competitive State Anxiety Inventory-2 (CSAI-2) (Martens, 1990). Pre-game and game arousal levels were distinguished by monitoring heart rates via heart rate monitors. Performance of each athlete was evaluated by the head coach. An overall rating or score was determined through the use of a Performance Rating Inventory which was developed specifically for this study.Thirteen members of the Ball State Field Hockey Team, ranging in ages from 18-22 years, agreed to participate in this study. Data was collected for 19 competitions from their regular season schedule. The SCAT was administered to the athletes in a non-competitive environment_ to determine trait anxiety levels. Levels of state anxiety (cognitive and somatic), self-confidence, arousal, and performance were obtained for every competition played.Pearson Product-Moment Correlation was used to determine the relationship among levels of trait and state anxiety and arousal to playing performance. Overall, there was no statistically significant relationships found among these levels. A follow-up analysis examined the data by the three most competitive and three least competitive games of the season. Group means were graphed according to pre-game and game arousal and no significant difference was shown between the two levels of competitiveness. Group means of the three subscales of the CSAI-2 (cognitive, somatic and self-confidence) were also graphed. Cognitive and somatic state anxiety levels were at its highest and self-confidence was at its lowest for the more competitive games and cognitive and somatic state anxiety were at its lowest and self-confidence was at its highest for the least competitive games. As a result of these findings, physiologically the athletes approached both types of games similarly. The difference was in the mental approach which ultimately could of been the difference in a win or a loss. / School of Physical Education

<p> INTRODUCTION: Hypoxia is a potent stimulus that induces neuropsychological and physical impairments in humans. It is documented that ethnic differences exists across various physiological parameters. There appears to be a varying metabolic response across ethnicities, specifically African-Americans and Caucasians. Purpose: To further elucidate physiological and cognitive performance differences between African-American (AA) and Caucasian individuals (CAU) before, during or after hypoxic and normoxic exercise. Methods: Twelve college aged (18-25) apparently healthy African-American (six volunteers) and Caucasian (six subjects) males took part in two trials consisting of normobaric normoxia and normobaric hypoxia (12% oxygen). Each subject cycled at 50% of their altitude adjusted VO2max (-26% of normoxia VO2max) for one hour after a two-hour baseline. Subjects were monitored for cerebral and arterial O2 saturation, as well as the Trail Making Test A and B (TMT) psychomotor performance. Results: Arterial saturation proved to be significantly higher in AA (86.0&plusmn;4.7) compared to CAU (79.5&plusmn;4.8) during the first 60 minutes of exposure to hypoxia at rest (p=0.039), but not during exercise. Cerebral oxygenation to the left frontal lobe was decreased near the conclusion and 30 minutes after normoxic exercise. TMT B data revealed that CAU (79&plusmn;12.7) had faster scores than the AA subjects (98&plusmn;25.1) at all time points and was significantly different at the 115 minute time point of the hypoxic trial (p=0.024). Conclusion: Data suggests that before, during and after normobaric normoxia and hypoxia trial there is a differential response between AA and CAU in regards to arterial and cerebral oxygenation and psychomotor tests.</p>

<p> The purpose of this study was to examine various social and ecological factors that affect adolescents' nervousness and/or depression. Secondary data from the 2011- 2012 California Health Institute Survey were used to examine these factors. Chi-Square analyses were utilized to test if relationships existed between the variables in the data. This study examined race, poverty level, immigration status, physical well-being, safety of environment, and the receipt of psychological/emotional counseling as factors for influencing feelings of nervousness and/or depression among adolescents. Results indicated that adolescents feeling nervous were affected by race, poverty level, environmental safety, and the receipt of psychological/emotional counseling. Feeling nervous did not have a significant association with physical well-being in this study. Furthermore, adolescent depression was affected by race, poverty level, physical well-being, environmental safety, and the receipt of psychological/emotional counseling. Immigration status was not found to be associated with affecting adolescent nervousness or depression. Further research is suggested.</p>

<p> A spinal cord injury (SCI) can be debilitating and research is necessary to examine how patients' quality of life (QOL) can be improved through both psychological and physical remedies. This study's central research question was: Does participation in surfing improve perceptions of quality oflife in an individual with spinal cord injury? By interviewing eight individuals with SCis, the researcher attempted to assess, by means of a qualitative semi-structured interviews, whether participation in surfing activities had a positive impact on the respondents' perceived QOL. Respondents experienced improved QOL as a result of their participation in surfing with the Life Rolls On foundation because they felt supported, independent, relaxed, and exhilarated. Their perceived QOL was improved by the benefits of making friends and feeling like part of a community. It was hypothesized that respondents would report psychological benefits from recreational post-injury physical activities. These findings indicate support for the hypothesis.</p>