Thesis--Washington State University. / eContent provider-neutral record in process. Description based on print version record. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis--Washington State University. / Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Ph. D.) -- University of Texas at Dallas, 2006. / Includes vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 136-142)

Thesis (M Arch)--Montana State University--Bozeman, 2010. / Paging varies. Typescript. Chairperson, Graduate Committee: Zuzanna Karczewska. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 2-8).

Thesis (D.N. Sc.)--Catholic University of America. / Typescript. eContent provider-neutral record in process. Description based on print version record. Bibliography: leaves 106-109.

Thesis (D.N. Sc.)--Catholic University of America. / Typescript. Bibliography: leaves 106-109.

Thirty-six subjects participated in a restricted environmental stimulation technique (REST) study investigating the psychophysiological effects of flotation. Subjects floated for one hour under differing expectations regarding duration of a float session and the physical properties of the environment that was to follow. EMG and two measures of cardiac activity (T-wave amplitude and heart rate) were recorded for the entire session; however, EMG was dropped as a variable due to an excessive noise-to-signal ratio. It was found that neither durational expectations nor beliefs about a dissimilar environment had any significant effects on the patterns of response of the two remaining variables. Subjects did show a significant within-subjects trend when considered as a whole group. Further research in the area of cardiovascular and muscle activity patterns in the flotation tank is suggested. / Arts, Faculty of / Psychology, Department of / Graduate

The GABAergic system in adult sensory cortex is affected by sensory deprivation, but little is known about how this predominant inhibitory system is affected during ontogeny. The present study investigates developmental effects of whisker trimming on GABAa receptors in rat barrel cortex. Rats trimmed for 6 wk beginning at birth and adulthood showed similar decreases in [3H]muscimol binding in deprived relative to non-deprived barrels, suggesting absence of a critical period.

The ability to navigate with limited vision is a skill that is often employed in our daily lives. Navigating without vision to a remembered target has previously been studied. However, not much is known about the attention required to perform blind navigation. We examined the effect of aging and presence of obstacles on the attentional demands of blind navigation. We evaluated reaction time, navigation errors and average walking speed in an 8 meter walking path, with or without obstacles, in the absence of vision. Results showed that older participants had increased reaction time and increased linear distance travelled as opposed to young participants, that obstacles increased reaction time and decreased average walking speed in all participants, and that emitting the reaction time stimulus early in the trial increased the linear distance travelled. Interpretation of the results suggests that aging and presence of obstacles augments the attentional demands of blind navigation.

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