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1
MILANI, GIADA. "The role of clinical neuropsychology in neuromotor rehabilitation." Doctoral thesis, Università degli studi di Ferrara, 2022. http://hdl.handle.net/11392/2485757.
Full textAbstract:
L'ictus e la sclerosi multipla (SM) sono condizioni di disabilità cronica, che comprendono deficit motori, cognitivi e psicologici, quindi una scarsa qualità della vita correlata alla salute (HRQoL). Attraverso un approccio biopsicosociale multidisciplinare, il focus del presente lavoro è quello di esplorare i potenziali benefici delle tecnologie e degli interventi basati sulla plasticità in un contesto di riabilitazione clinica.
In questa tesi discuto i risultati preliminari sugli effetti della stimolazione cerebellare transcranica a corrente continua (ctDCS) combinata con il Task-Oriented Circuit Training nella SM: quest'ultimo ha migliorato l'equilibrio, la mobilità e il funzionamento esecutivo, ma la tDCS cerebellare non ha potenziato gli effetti dell'allenamento. L'ansia e la depressione non hanno mostrato cambiamenti significativi, sebbene i pazienti percepissero una migliore HRQoL mentale dopo il trattamento.
È presentato inoltre un protocollo di studio nella SM con l'obiettivo di testare l'efficacia della Video Game Therapy rispetto all'allenamento con piattaforma di equilibrio. La nostra aspettativa è di rilevare con la VGT un effetto più significativo su mobilità, equilibrio, dual-task e componente psicologica.
Inoltre, vengono esposti i dati di pazienti con ictus subacuto sottoposti ad Action Observation Training. Tutti i pazienti hanno migliorato la funzione motoria; tuttavia, il deficit di attenzione, la gravità dell'ictus e l'ansia/depressione sono predittori significativi per l'incremento nel funzionamento senso-motorio. I pazienti con deficit di attenzione hanno descritto un livello inferiore di coinvolgimento e una minore accuratezza negli esercizi computerizzati interattivi utilizzati per mantenere la concentrazione durante il training. Il trend dell’accuratezza mostra un miglioramento sostenuto fino alla 3° settimana e poi un calo, forse a causa di una diminuzione del coinvolgimento nel training.
Nei pazienti affetti da malattie croniche è necessario mantenere nel tempo una certa continuità nel trattamento multidisciplinare per ridurre l'impatto sulla malattia. Attraverso la Stroke Impact Scale, abbiamo dimostrato che la disabilità e la HRQoL sono migliorate dopo la riabilitazione indipendentemente dal tipo di trattamento, ma si sono deteriorate 6 anni dopo l'ictus, ad eccezione dei domini di memoria e capacità di pensiero, emozioni e comunicazione. La gravità dell'ictus, il sesso maschile e l'età avanzata sono fattori che hanno influenzato il punteggio totale. Il punteggio alla SIS-16 (solo domini fisici), la presenza di deficit sensoriale e il setting del paziente erano fattori legati a SIS-16 alla fine della riabilitazione e dopo 6 mesi.
Durante il COVID-19 il servizio di riabilitazione è stato interrotto/limitato e le modalità di intervento sono cambiate. Per contenere il contagio, è stato proposto un programma di teleriabilitazione in un campione di pazienti con disabilità fisiche, che mostrano un buon livello di fattibilità e accettabilità, nonostante i limiti tecnologici. L'età, la riserva cognitiva e la resilienza risultano predittori di soddisfazione con la teleriabilitazione. Restano da definire le linee guida per il lavoro in modalità remota, nonché una formazione del personale e dei pazienti e la creazione di piattaforme digitali adeguate.
Questi studi presentano il limite della piccola dimensione campionaria e della mancanza di dati neurofisiologici quantitativi; inoltre sono stati condotti anche durante la pandemia, comportando difficoltà organizzative e risultando fattore confondente dei dati raccolti.
In conclusione, gli studi confermano che la presenza di disturbi cognitivi o dell'umore oltre ad influenzarsi a vicenda possono avere un forte impatto sul processo di riabilitazione e sul suo esito finale; da qui l'importanza del ruolo del neuropsicologo nel setting neuroriabilitativoStroke and multiple sclerosis (MS) are chronic disability condition, comprising motor, cognitive and psychological deficit, thus a poor health-related quality of life.Through a multidisciplinary biopsychosocial approach, the focus of the present work is to explore the potential benefits of plasticity-based technologies and interventions in a clinical rehabilitation setting. Studies described below confirm that the presence of cognitive or mood disorder besides influencing each other’s may greatly impact the process of rehabilitation and its final outcome. In this thesis I discuss preliminary results on the effects of combined cerebellar transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (ctDCS) with Task-Oriented Circuit Training in MS: the latter effectively ameliorated balance, mobility and executive functioning, but cerebellar tDCS did not boost training effects. Anxiety/depression did not show significant changes, although patients perceived a better mental HRQoL after treatment. We also present, in MS, a study protocol with the aim to test the efficacy of Video Game Therapy compared with balance platform training. Our expectancy is to detect a more significant effect on mobility, balance and dual-task through VGT, besides an improvement in the psychological component. Moreover, I presented data of subacute stroke patient who underwent Action Observation Training. All patients improved motor function; however, attention deficit, stroke severity and anxiety/depression are significant predictor for increment of sensorimotor functioning. Patients with attention deficit described a lower level of engagement and a lower mean accuracy of interactive computerized exercises used to maintain concentration during the training. With regards to accuracy, trends showed sustained improvement up to the 3° week and then decayed – perhaps due to a decrease in involvement of the training. In chronic diseases patients, it is essential to maintain a certain continuity in the multidisciplinary treatment over time due to reduce the impact on illness. Through the Stroke Impact Scale, we showed that Disability and HR-QoL improved after rehabilitation independently of type treatment, but deteriorated 6 years after stroke, except for Memory and Thinking Ability, Emotions and Communication domains. Stroke severity, male gender and older age are all factors that influenced total score. Baseline SIS-16 (only physical domains), presence of a sensory deficit and patient's setting were factors related to SIS-16 at the end of rehabilitation and after 6 months. During COVID-19, rehabilitation service has been interrupted or limited and the modalities of intervention have inevitably changed. To contain the contagion, was proposed a telerehabilitation program in a sample of patients with physical disabilities, which show a good level of feasibility and acceptability, despite some technology challenges. Age, cognitive reserve, and resilience were significant predictors of satisfaction with telerehabilitation. However, since the COVID-19 is still present, it remains to be set out practical guidelines on how to work with remote modality, as well as a staff and patient training and creation of adequate digital platforms. These studies, besides the limit of the small sample size and lack of quantitative neurophysiological data, were carried out also during the pandemic, involving organizational difficulties, as well as being a confounding factor of data collected. In conclusion, this thesis highlights the relation between cognitive and motor processes and raise several practical implications for designing effective rehabilitation programs, that impact also in mood and HRQOL. Of note, intervention must be encompasses not only physical activity but address all aspects of everyday life, including cognitive functioning, psychological well-being and social participation; hence the importance of the role of the neuropsychologist in the neurorehabilitation setting.
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Kwiatkowski, Maja Anna. "Effects of methamphetamine on prenatally exposed children in Cape Town: cognition and intrinsic functional brain connectivity." Master's thesis, University of Cape Town, 2015. http://hdl.handle.net/11427/13717.
Full textAbstract:
Methamphetamine use among pregnant women is an increasing problem in South Africa. The aim of this cross-sectional exploratory study was to examine the possible neurotoxic effects of prenatal methamphetamine exposure (PME) on cognition and the developing brain in a sample of affected children in Cape Town, South Africa. Thus, this is a two-part study: the first part examines the effects of PME on neuropsychological outcomes, and the second part examines the effects of PME on intrinsic functional brain connectivity. Children with PME (n = 23) and unexposed controls (n = 22) completed a battery of neurocognitive assessments, and a smaller sub-sample (n = 36; 19 children with PME, 17 unexposed controls) also underwent resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (RS-fMRI). Independent samples t-tests revealed that children with PME scored significantly more poorly on measures of IQ, learning and memory, confrontation naming, visual-motor integration, and fine motor co-ordination, when compared to controls. Hierarchical regression analyses confirmed that PME has a significant effect on cognitive performance, and that this effect largely withstands the effects of potentially confounding sociodemographic and anthropometric variables. Independent component analyses revealed significant betweengroup differences in functional brain networks detected in task-free RS-fMRI in children with PME. Specifically, there is evidence for compromised connectivity within and between the basal ganglia network and default mode network in children with PME. Overall, the findings contribute to the small but growing literature on the cognitive effects of PME. The current study is the first to document preliminary evidence indicating aberrant intrinsic functional brain connectivity in children with PME, and suggests that further investigation of potential associations between particular neurocognitive deficits and such aberrant connectivity might be warranted.
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Subramoney, Sivenesi. "The effects of racial group membership and cognitive load on empathy and helping behaviour." Master's thesis, University of Cape Town, 2016. http://hdl.handle.net/11427/22949.
Full textAbstract:
Research suggests that people feel more empathy for racial in-group compared to racial outgroup members, and in some circumstances, are more likely to help racial in- than out-group members. Furthermore, there is evidence that cognitive load may also attenuate helping behavior. Research is yet to establish the influence of both racial group membership and cognitive load on empathy and helping, however. In this study, a sample of 104 women (52 Black and 52 White) completed either a Low or a High cognitive load task and then viewed video clips depicting racial in- and out-group members in distress. I measured participants' selfreported empathy, physiological activity, and willingness to help those in distress. The results did not show the expected racial bias in empathic responding, but rather, indicated heightened empathy (seen in both self-reported and physiological responses) for the Black target individual, regardless of participant race. Secondly, although cognitive load did not influence empathic responding, participants in the High Load condition were less likely to offer help than participants in the Low Load condition. Finally, correlation data suggest that racial group membership and cognitive load contributed to the associations between individual differences (i.e., in ethnic identification, motivations to respond without prejudice, and trait empathy), empathic responding, and helping behavior. Overall, the findings contribute to a growing literature on cross-racial empathy, and highlight the complex physiology underlying our empathy for others.
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Lanesman, Talia. "Implementation of an attention training program with children who have sustained traumatic brain injuries in South Africa." Master's thesis, University of Cape Town, 2015. http://hdl.handle.net/11427/13716.
Full textAbstract:
Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is an international public health concern, particularly in lowand
middle-income countries. Children who sustain TBIs typically have attentional
difficulties, which disrupt the development and functioning of other cognitive, behavioural,
and social skills. The aim of this research was to evaluate the efficacy and feasibility of
implementing an attention-training program for children who have sustained moderate-tosevere
TBI in South Africa, and to compare the efficacy of the program in two clinical
samples: children with TBI and children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
(ADHD). Fifteen children aged 6 to 8 who sustained TBIs at least a year before were
recruited to form three groups: a TBI Intervention Group (n=5), a TBI Art Group (n=5)
and a TBI Control Group (n=5). Five children who had been diagnosed with ADHD formed
the ADHD Intervention Group. Children in the two Intervention Groups participated in the
‘Pay Attention!’ program (originally designed to assist children with ADHD) for 45 minutes
twice a week for 12 weeks. All children underwent neuropsychological testing pre- and postintervention
and behavioural data was collected from parents and teachers. Between- and
within-group analyses showed that children in the TBI Intervention group did not show
overall significant improvements in attention. However, children in the ADHD Intervention
Group showed individual attentional improvements on measures of the CPT-II, as well as
secondary gains in verbal memory. Nevertheless, implementing a cognitive rehabilitation
intervention in South Africa is feasible and necessary, despite limited infrastructure and
access to resources. Further research is required to better tailor interventions to the needs of
children with TBIs.
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Meiring, Landi-Chantel. "Prenatal alcohol exposure-related reading and phonological processing deficits mediated by working memory." Master's thesis, University of Cape Town, 2017. http://hdl.handle.net/11427/27661.
Full textAbstract:
Few research studies have investigated the effects of prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) on reading ability and/or on phonological processing. Most published studies have only included measures of single-word reading. This choice means those studies may lack ecological validity in that they might not have adequately captured the real-life reading difficulties experienced by individuals with PAE. Furthermore, only a handful have considered the possible mediating roles of those higher-order cognitive functions (e.g., working memory (WM)) that are known to be affected by PAE. The current research employed an extensive battery of phonological processing measures, as well as a reading test that featured measures of reading accuracy, reading rate, and comprehension. A sample of 159 children between 9 and 14 years of age, with varying degrees of PAE, including heavily exposed children and non- or minimally-exposed controls, were tested. The design also considered the potential for a mediating role of WM on performances on these tests. Overall, results showed performance deficits in children with either fetal alcohol syndrome or partial fetal alcohol syndrome on reading comprehension and on four measures of phonological processing, after control for potential confounders. Additional analyses showed that performance within all five of these reading-related domains were at least partially mediated by WM performance. I discuss these results in the context of previous findings in this literature, and describe their implications for reading interventions in children and adolescents with PAE.
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Amod, Alyssa R. "Stress-induced sex differences in spatial naviagation." Master's thesis, University of Cape Town, 2016. http://hdl.handle.net/11427/22950.
Full textAbstract:
Certain forms of spatial navigation are centered, neuroanatomically, on the hippocampal formation, a brain structure vulnerable to increased levels of the stress hormone cortisol. Although empirical studies have identified a substantial sex difference, in favor of males, on laboratory-based spatial navigation tasks, little research has investigated whether, and how, these sex differences manifest under conditions of psychological or physiological stress. The current study aimed to resolve some of the inconsistencies in the literature, and to investigate the relations between stress and performance in male and female participants. The current study followed a mixed quasi-experimental pretest-posttest design in which men (n = 23) and women (n = 23) were tested on two separate days (the first day under control conditions and the second under stressful conditions). I utilized a novel stress induction paradigm (the Fear Factor Stress Test) that would produce both hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis and autonomic nervous system activity in men and women, and created a spatial navigation virtual environment task that would allow for cue usage of both landmarks and gradients. Participants also completed the Card Rotations Test as an assessment of their mental rotation abilities. I hypothesized that (a) men would perform better on spatial navigation tasks than women on Day 1 (i.e., the control condition) despite the availability of landmark cues, and (b) stress would affect spatial navigation performance in women more than in men. Results suggested that the stressor used was effective in eliciting appropriate responses in both men and women, however women showed smaller cortisol increases than men, relative to baseline. Regarding the navigation task, under unstressed conditions men showed a steeper learning curve than women in an unchanged environment, and performed better than women only when a proximal landmark cue was removed from the environment. Furthermore, findings suggested that acute psychosocial stress enhanced navigational performance in men, but impaired such performance in women. Regarding the mental rotation task, no sex differences were observed under unstressed conditions; however, under the stressed condition men improved in their performance whereas women were relatively unaffected. It appears then that men's spatial ability might, under particular conditions and on particular tasks, be enhanced following exposure to a stressor. Furthermore, the pattern of results observed in the spatial navigation task suggests that the types of navigation-aiding cues in an environment (as well as location of these cues relative to the target) play a significant role in eliciting sex differences in navigational performance following exposure to a psychosocial stressor.
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Carter, Kirsty. "The relationship between childhood attachment, parenting styles and social development in autism spectrum disorder." Master's thesis, Faculty of Humanities, 2019. http://hdl.handle.net/11427/31160.
Full textAbstract:
Although social deficits are a defining feature in Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), not enough is known about the origin and impact of these impairments. Current research agrees that deficits in Theory of Mind (ToM) contribute to the social disconnectedness evident in children with ASD. Furthermore, studies in neurotypical populations have found significant links between attachment security and ToM acquisition, and some have posited parenting behaviours as predictors of social development. Less is known about these construct in children with ASD. This study aimed to form a foundational view of the relationships between parenting style, attachment, and Theory of Mind development in a sample of ASD children compared to a sample of neurotypical children. 80 parent-child pairs were included in the study. The sample was comprised of 40 verbal children with an ASD diagnosis and 40 neurotypical children. Children between the ages of 6 and 16 years were included in the study. Parenting style and attachment were measured using scaled response parent-report questionnaires while ToM was assessed using the University of Cape Town Theory of Mind Battery. ASD diagnoses were confirmed using the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule, Second Edition (ADOS2). Results showed that while both the ASD group and the neurotypical group reported significantly more Authoritative parenting than the other two styles (Authoritarian and Permissive), there was also more of the less positive parenting styles reported in the ASD group. Furthermore, none of the three parenting styles in question were significant predictors of Theory of Mind. The results further indicated that the ASD group reported less secure attachment, and also more insecure attachment (Ambivalent and Avoidant) than the neurotypical group. Attachment classification, specifically insecure attachment, showed to be a significant predictor of Theory of Mind. Associations between parenting style and attachment showed different patterns in the ASD sample compared to the neurotypical sample. Results, limitations, and futher directions were also discussed.
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Gartner, Yvonne. "Immature recall ability in dream reporting with children aged 3-5." Master's thesis, University of Cape Town, 2014. http://hdl.handle.net/11427/13455.
Full textAbstract:
The content of dreams of children aged between three and five years old has been the topic of ongoing debate in past dream research. The bulk of this research was conducted by Foulkes (1982, 1999), who concluded that children of this age group experience impoverished dreams with little emotional content, an absence of active self-participation, and a lack of kinematic imagery (i.e., mental representations of movement, activities and interactions). These conclusions were based on the brief and mundane dream reports provided by children during his 1982 longitudinal laboratory study. However, Foulkes’ research did not test the children’s memory skills and ability to narrate an event, and did not compare these to the dream reports the children produced. The importance of memory skills and narrative ability as potential confounds when studying children’s dreams has been postulated in existing literature. In view of the findings of past studies on young children’s dreams and their cognitive capacity for dreaming, the present study re-examined the quantitative and qualitative features of dream reports of children aged three to five years old. The present study included parameters of testing memory skills and narrative ability to analyse whether these confound the dream report findings, and if so, whether one can draw any firm conclusions about dreams based on a dream report provided by the children.
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Stephens, Marina Anne. "Screening for autism spectrum disorders in a developmental clinic in the Western Cape : using the modified checklist for autism in Toddlers (M-CHAT)." Master's thesis, University of Cape Town, 2016. http://hdl.handle.net/11427/20621.
Full textAbstract:
ASD has an estimated prevalence of 1 in 68, making it one of the most common neurodevelopmental disorders in children. Furthermore, its prevalence is increasing; therefore, there is a rising demand for screening tools to help achieve beneficial early diagnosis and intervention outcomes. However, there is a lack of literature around ASD and ASD screening tool validity in South Africa. This thesis adapted and assessed the use of South African English, Afrikaans and IsiXhosa versions of the 23-item Modified Checklist for Autism in Toddlers (M-CHAT) screening tool, for a Western Cape state hospital. The M-CHAT was completed by parents (N=255) of children between the ages of 1.5 and 4.99 years, at the Red Cross Children's Hospital developmental clinic. The demographic variables of Child's Age or Sex, Income and Mothers Education did not significantly affect the M-CHAT scores. Furthermore, on qualitative inspection, neither Home language nor Ethnicity of the child appeared to affect the screening scores. Final M-CHAT scores and high internal consistencies were similar across the three M-CHAT language versions, likely indicating their equivalence in flagging ASD. Even the extended age range (4.01-4.99 years) included in this study, did not appear to affect the M-CHAT scores. The M-CHAT follow-up interview was important in determining the ASD risk outcome. Overall, 67% failed the M-CHAT initially, thus requiring follow-up questioning, and of those, 40% changed their outcome and subsequently passed. Interestingly, filling out the M-CHAT in a first or second language did not affect the percentage requiring the follow-up nor the proportions changing their outcome after follow-up. The items which were poor or good discriminators between those eventually passing or failing overall were investigated. The good discriminating items were not necessarily the same as the originally suggested critical items. Thus, new critical items and the possible removal of unnecessary items for this context may need further investigation. For phase 2, a small subgroup (n=38) filling in the English M-CHAT took part in formal ASD diagnostic assessments, using the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS/ADOS-2). Preliminary investigations into the English M-CHAT's predictive abilities are promising. A cut-off of 3/23 items overall indicates high sensitivity (.84) and adequate specificity (.69). The adapted cut-off of 1/6 critical items results in good sensitivity (.76) and high specificity (.92). The promising results warrant further investigations into the predictive validity of all 3 language versions of the M-CHAT. This thesis takes the first steps in validating the use of the M-CHAT in this low SES context and indicates positive prospects for its future use in state clinics in the Western Cape, and ultimately South Africa.
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Hamilton, Katie. "An exploration of the relationship between autism spectrum disorders, theory of mind and the serotonin transporter promoter length polymorphism." Master's thesis, University of Cape Town, 2014. http://hdl.handle.net/11427/24321.
Full textAbstract:
Includes bibliographical referencesAutism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a highly heritable prevalent pervasive developmental disorder. All cases have deficits in social communication and interaction and in restricted and repetitive behaviours and interests. The mechanisms underlying different clinical presentations remain elusive. Deficits in Theory of Mind (ToM), the ability to understand that others have mental states independent of one's own, have been suggested as a possibly underlying the socia l deficits in ASD. The serotonin transporter promoter length polymorphism (5 - HTTLPR) has been implicated in ASD, and as serotonin is implicated in social functioning more generally, it is possible that 5 - HTTLPR could underlie social functioning in ASD. As such, ToM and 5 - HTTLPR have been implicated in ASD, and specifically as underlying the social deficits typical of this disorder. This protocol assessed core ASD symptoms (i.e. deficits in social communication and interaction, and impairment in restricted and repetitive behaviours and interests) in 69 children with ASD between the ages of 7 and 14 years. The Autism Social Skills Profile, Social Communication Questionnaire, and Repetitive Behavior Scale - Revised assessed these symptoms. 5 - HTTLPR genotypes were established for 55 of these children. ToM was comprehensively assessed in 57 of the children using the University of Cape Town Autism Research Group's Theory of Mind Battery. This protocol is the first is a series of studies assessing the biological bases for social deficits in ASD. One of the main aims was to pilot the use of ASD scales in a local sample. The preliminary analyses assessed the performance of these scales. This data was also used to assess whether the new DSM - 5's merging of social communication and social interaction into a single domain was supported. Study One then assessed for possible relationships between 5 - HTTLPR and cores ASD symptoms, and hypothesised that the 5 - HTTLPR genotype with the most reduced serotonergic transmission woul d relate to increased deficits in social communication and interaction. Study Two explored possible relationships between core ASD symptoms and ToM, and between 5 - HTTLPR and ToM. It was expected that impairment in social communication and interaction would correlation with reduced ToM ability, and that ToM would be most impaired in children with the genotype with the most reduced serotonergic transmission. Preliminary analyses found the scales did not perform well in a local sample. This was likely due to cultural, socio - economic, and educational factors. The bluntness of the scales 13 and broad nature of ASD characteristics likely also contributed. The DSM - 5's diagnostic criteria were supported. Study One and Study Two found no relationships between core ASD symptoms, ToM, and 5 - HTTLPR. Core ASD symptoms were assessed very broadly and it was not possible to establish clear phenotypes for the participants, which likely undermined analyses. At most this protocol showed that broad assessment of core ASD symptoms is not specific enough to reveal relationships to underlying mechanisms, and that ToM and 5 - HTTLPR are not implicated when board measures are used. We emphasise the need for better measures in ASD. We also believe the serotonin system needs to be investigated beyond 5 - HTTLPR in ASD
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Barnes, James. "The neuropsychology of visual imagery and visual hallucinations : fMRI and clinical studies." Thesis, King's College London (University of London), 2000. https://kclpure.kcl.ac.uk/portal/en/theses/the-neuropsychology-of-visual-imagery-and-visual-hallucinations--fmri-and-clinical-studies(1ae3dce5-4be4-48d6-8a93-ea551ec74624).html.
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Wilkison, Claire N. "The Cognitive Neuropsychology of Choice and Decision-Making." University of Cincinnati / OhioLINK, 2017. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ucin1510053529118277.
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Skilbeck, Clive. "An information processing approach to cognitive recovery following closed head injury." Thesis, University of Plymouth, 1991. http://hdl.handle.net/10026.1/2286.
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The aim of this thesis was to investigate cognitive recovery following closed head injury within an information processing approach. Reasons why Clinical Neuropsychology has neglected the potential contribution from experimental psychology were outlined. Relevant head injury variables were reviewed. including the cognitive deficits often associated with such damage and their recovery. A pilot study confirmed that head-injured people, even soon after injury can attempt tasks with a high information processing load. The study covered the first six months post-injury using mild/moderate and severe head-injured subjects (total n=12). the findings indicating slower performance in severe subjects and their greater susceptibility to interference from irrelevant information. The central focus of the thesis was Sternberg's Memory Scanning Paradigm and this was described in detail. The relevant literature was discussed in depth including both general and clinically-relevant studies. Although pertinent studies are scarce, brain damage appears to slow memory scanning speed, differential effects being suggested according to severity of damage. In the main study a sample of head-injured subjects (n=42) was followed-up longitudinally at 1, 3, 6, 12, 24 and 36 months post-trauma. A second patient sample (n=10) was also tested at 24 and 36 months after injury. to allow a long-term follow-up "back-up" in case of excessive drop-out. A control sample (n=10) of normal volunteers was also tested. In addition to memory scanning performance patient subjects were also tested on a number of other clinical memory tests (Rey AVLT, digit span, WMS) and subjective memory questionnaire data were also obtained. Findings pointed to a slowing of memory scanning ability after head injury, the degree of dysfunction being most marked in subjects who had sustained an extremely severe head injury. Evidence of cognitive recovery was noted in some patients beyond 12-24 month post-injury. Significant associations between memory scanning performance and other memory measures were observed and a number of clinical variables were also examained. The findings were discussed in detail and a (primarily attentional) model was proposed to describe memory scanning and its dysfunction in head injury.
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Hemberger, Helga Christine. "The neuropsychology of obsessive-compulsive symptoms." Thesis, The University of Sydney, 2007. http://hdl.handle.net/2123/1902.
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Obsessive-compulsive (OC) symptoms occur in a variety of clinical conditions, but the underlying pathogenesis of these symptoms remains elusive. Few neuropsychological investigations have compared idiopathic Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) with patient groups where OC symptoms are acquired. The present study investigated the neuropsychological correlates of OC symptoms in OCD and frontotemporal dementia (FTD), a neurodegenerative illness in which OC symptoms are often acquired. Neuroimaging in OCD has consistently implicated the frontal-striatal-thalamic circuit, particularly the orbitofrontal cortex and basal ganglia. These areas overlap considerably with the sites of cerebral pathology found in FTD. OCD has been associated with a number of neuropsychological deficits, with most consistent findings pointing towards impaired executive function (EF), and less commonly reported deficits in visual memory and visuospatial ability. The neuropsychological hallmark of FTD is deficits in EF. However in both OCD and FTD, the relationship between cognitive deficits and OC symptoms remains unclear. Further, the extent to which OC symptoms are comparable between the groups is ambiguous. Part I of the present study compared 19 OCD subjects to 20 age, education and IQ-matched healthy controls on a battery of neuropsychological tests of all major cognitive domains with emphasis on EF. A measure of Theory of Mind (ToM) thought to be sensitive to orbitofrontal function was also administered. OCD subjects performed worse than controls on a measure of visual memory, visuospatial reasoning and on only one measure of EF. OCD symptom subtypes, as measured by the Obsessive-Compulsive Inventory (OCI), were not correlated with any cognitive deficits. No group differences in ToM were found. It is suggested that prior research has overestimated the severity and significance of EF deficits in OCD. Part II of the study compared 9 FTD participants with 10 matched healthy controls on the same neuropsychological test battery and OC symptom measures. In addition, a measure of compulsive behaviours used in neurological populations was administered to carers. While the incidence of OC symptoms was comparable to reports in previous studies (78%), the OCI was not sensitive in the detection of OC symptoms in FTD. The similarities and differences in OC symptoms between the two patient groups are discussed.
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Hemberger, Helga Christine. "The neuropsychology of obsessive-compulsive symptoms." University of Sydney, 2007. http://hdl.handle.net/2123/1902.
Full textAbstract:
Doctor of Clinical PsychologyObsessive-compulsive (OC) symptoms occur in a variety of clinical conditions, but the underlying pathogenesis of these symptoms remains elusive. Few neuropsychological investigations have compared idiopathic Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) with patient groups where OC symptoms are acquired. The present study investigated the neuropsychological correlates of OC symptoms in OCD and frontotemporal dementia (FTD), a neurodegenerative illness in which OC symptoms are often acquired. Neuroimaging in OCD has consistently implicated the frontal-striatal-thalamic circuit, particularly the orbitofrontal cortex and basal ganglia. These areas overlap considerably with the sites of cerebral pathology found in FTD. OCD has been associated with a number of neuropsychological deficits, with most consistent findings pointing towards impaired executive function (EF), and less commonly reported deficits in visual memory and visuospatial ability. The neuropsychological hallmark of FTD is deficits in EF. However in both OCD and FTD, the relationship between cognitive deficits and OC symptoms remains unclear. Further, the extent to which OC symptoms are comparable between the groups is ambiguous. Part I of the present study compared 19 OCD subjects to 20 age, education and IQ-matched healthy controls on a battery of neuropsychological tests of all major cognitive domains with emphasis on EF. A measure of Theory of Mind (ToM) thought to be sensitive to orbitofrontal function was also administered. OCD subjects performed worse than controls on a measure of visual memory, visuospatial reasoning and on only one measure of EF. OCD symptom subtypes, as measured by the Obsessive-Compulsive Inventory (OCI), were not correlated with any cognitive deficits. No group differences in ToM were found. It is suggested that prior research has overestimated the severity and significance of EF deficits in OCD. Part II of the study compared 9 FTD participants with 10 matched healthy controls on the same neuropsychological test battery and OC symptom measures. In addition, a measure of compulsive behaviours used in neurological populations was administered to carers. While the incidence of OC symptoms was comparable to reports in previous studies (78%), the OCI was not sensitive in the detection of OC symptoms in FTD. The similarities and differences in OC symptoms between the two patient groups are discussed.
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Ma, Po-wing, and 馬寶詠. "Effects of blood pressure on neurocognitive functions." Thesis, The University of Hong Kong (Pokfulam, Hong Kong), 2014. http://hdl.handle.net/10722/209531.
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Prior clinical studies have documented that high blood pressure is one of the prominent risk factors leading to cerebrovascular disease and subsequent cognitive impairment. The present study aims to examine the relationship between blood pressure and brain and cognitive function in a community sample. This study recruited 41 elderly persons aged 60–70. Multiple imaging modalities were adopted to assess white matter microstructure, regional brain volume, and resting-state neural activity while a set of neuropsychological tests was used to assess cognitive function. With blood pressure measured at clinical interview, correlation and regression analyses were performed. Results showed reduced white matter integrity with increased systolic blood pressure in the splenium of the corpus callosum and inferior longitudinal fasciculus in the absence of change in brain volume or neural activity. Also, increased systolic blood pressure was found to be correlated with poorer cognitive performance in information processing speed. The results held significant after controlling age, sex, and education. These observations of the subclinical sample suggest that high blood pressure relates to subtle changes in the brain and cognitive deficits. Blood pressure control, as a relatively modifiable factor, should be taken seriously in community-dwelling elderly.published_or_final_version
Clinical Psychology
Doctoral
Doctor of Psychology
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Buddin, William Howard Jr. "The Validity of the Medical Symptom Validity Test in a Mixed Clinical Population." NSUWorks, 2010. http://nsuworks.nova.edu/cps_stuetd/15.
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Clinicians have a small number of measurement instruments available to them to assist in the identification of suboptimal effort during an evaluation, which is largely agreed upon as a necessary component in the identification of malingering. Green's Medical Symptom Validity Test is a forced-choice test that was created to assist in the identification of suboptimal effort. The goal of this study was to provide clinical evidence for the validity of the Medical Symptom Validity Test using a large, archival clinical sample. The Test of Memory Malingering and the Medical Symptom Validity Test were compared to assess for level of agreement, and were found to agree in their identification of good or poor effort in approximately 75% of cases, which was lower than expected. Scores from the Medical Symptom Validity Test's effort subtests were tested for differences between adult litigants and clinically referred adults. Scores between these groups were different, and it was found that adult litigants obtained scores that were statistically significantly lower than those in the clinical group. Additionally, children were able to obtain results on the Medical Symptom Validity Test subtests that were equivalent to those of adults. Finally, the Wechlser Memory Scales - Third Edition core memory subtests were assessed for their ability to predict outcomes on the Medical Symptom Validity Test Delayed Recognition subtest. This analysis of the adult litigants and adult clinical groups revealed that, collectively, the predictors explained approximately one-third of the variance in scores on the Delayed Recognition subtest. Outcomes from these hypotheses indicated that the Medical Symptom Validity Test was measuring a construct similar to that of the Test of Memory Malingering. Due to the lower than expected level of agreement between the tests, it is recommended that clinicians use more than one measure of effort, which should increase the reliability of poor effort identification. Due to their lower scores the effort subtests, adults similar to those in the adult litigants group can be expected to perform more poorly than those who are clinically referred. Because effort subtest scores were not affected by cognitive or developmental domains, clinically referred children or adult examinees can be expected to obtain scores above cutoffs, regardless of mean age, IQ, or education. Additionally, an examinee's memory will not impact outcome scores on the effort subtests of the Medical Symptom Validity Test. Further research is needed to understand the Medical Symptom Validity Test's ability to accurately identify poor effort with minimal false positives, examine the impact of reading ability on effort subtests, and compare simulators' outcomes to those of a clinical population.
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Germuska, Michael. "Blood oxygen level dependent imaging of cerebral mesostructure." Thesis, University of Oxford, 2013. http://ora.ox.ac.uk/objects/uuid:1c06d624-6336-4a6d-bdb2-243dc40eb32f.
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In this thesis I investigate blood oxygen level-dependent (BOLD) MRI methods of imaging the cerebral blood volume (CBV), mean vessel radius and oxygen extraction fraction (OEF). Through the investigation of these individual techniques a new framework is proposed for the simultaneous measurement of all three parameters, providing a comprehensive assay of the cerebral mesostructure. A new method for the segmentation of blood filled voxels from the sagittal sinus is presented. The implemented method is completely automated and thus removes user bias in voxel selection. The segmentation method is used in a volunteer study to calculate CBV from a hyperoxic challenge according to an existing technique. CBV measurements from this study are found to be significantly overestimated. However, a new derivation of the hyperoxic CBV equation is presented that reveals significant errors in the original method, corresponding to the observed overestimates in CBV. Modelling studies are presented that investigate the discrepancy in reported BOLD MRI measurement of mean vessel size. A significant degree of the variation in the results is found to arise from the noise sensitivity of the analysis methods. This finding is confirmed with experimental data from healthy volunteers that show good agreement with the modelling studies. Comprehensive modelling of the BOLD response to hyperoxia and hypercapnia is used to develop a new framework for OEF calculation. The new method is based on the calibration of the BOLD signal response against a change in intravascular susceptibility. The OEF calculation is extended by introducing a spin-echo readout into the acquisition scheme. This extension of the acquisition scheme provides a further independent probe of the BOLD signal, enabling the simultaneous calculation of the mean vessel size and CBV. The new framework is shown to provide OEF and vessel size estimates over a wider range of physiological parameters, providing greater scope for the clinical implementation of these techniques.
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Meth, Molly Zipporah. "A survey of clinical neuropsychologists: what recommendations do they give to adult patients?" Diss., University of Iowa, 2017. https://ir.uiowa.edu/etd/5812.
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Clinical neuropsychologists assess the cognitive functioning of individuals with a wide range of psychiatric and neurological disorders. They provide feedback to patients that include both conclusions about their diagnosis and prognosis, as well as specific recommendations related to improving their everyday functioning. Despite the importance of this part of the assessment, there has been limited research on the types of recommendations that are provided to patients. The study surveyed 309 clinical neuropsychologists who work with adult patients to address this open question. The results from this research can be used to improve the lives of patients and their family members by informing best practices for what recommendations clinical neuropsychologists should give to patients with specific concerns.
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Caffery, Darren Michael Spiers Mary. "Components of medication management : psychometric properties of the cognitive screen for medication self-management (CSMS) test in older adults /." Philadelphia, Pa. : Drexel University, 2007. http://hdl.handle.net/1860/1556.
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Martin, Christopher. "Investigating the neuropsychology of theory of mind and designing a new test of theory of mind in acquired brain injury." Thesis, University of Hull, 2008. http://hydra.hull.ac.uk/resources/hull:1363.
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In Part 1 the Literature on the Neuropsychology of Theory of Mind (ToM) was investigated in a Systematic Literature Review of scanning and Acquired Brain Injury (ABI) lesion studies. The quality of study methodologies and the tests used to assess ToM were evaluated, and findings about the brain regions implicated in ToM were summarised. The quality of some tests of ToM used in the literature was critiqued due to their failure to tap into all three components of a recent definition of ToM (Stone et al, 2003). The quality of the methodology of studies was also examined. Brain regions implicated in ToM according to the review included the frontal cortices, the temporal poles and the posterior cingulate.In Part 2 an Empirical Paper is presented. Many social problems are often evident after ABI and deficits in ToM have recently been discovered in ABI populations (Milders et al, 2006). ToM deficits may contribute to and help explain social difficulties such as finding social interactions hard. Few tests of ToM are widely used with individuals with ABI. A new video test of ToM was designed and piloted on non-brain injured participants and participants with ABI. There was a correlation with performance on the new test and an existing measure of ToM and participants with ABI scored significantly less highly on both tests of ToM. The new test shows promise and further research with the measure is recommended. The results also highlight the utility of routinely assessing social cognition after ABI.
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Ichimura, Alina K. F. "Clinical Applications of fMRI: An Adaptation of a Standard Neuropsychological Battery." BYU ScholarsArchive, 2008. https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/etd/2174.
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The goal of this study is to advance the utility of functional brain imaging as a tool for the diagnosis and treatment of neurological disorders by creating a statistical database of functional MRI (fMRI) brain activation patterns collected from neurologically and psychiatrically unimpaired subjects. Continuous fMRI scans have been obtained from each subject while s/he performed a variety of cognitive tasks that are commonly found in standard neurological and cognitive assessment batteries. The collected fMRI data has been processed, analyzed, and converted into database which can be used as a reference of reliable indices of normal brain activity patterns for a wide range of cognitive functions.
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Kwan, Kwok-loi Queenie, and 關幗萊. "Neuropsychological status of people abusing substance." Thesis, The University of Hong Kong (Pokfulam, Hong Kong), 2010. http://hub.hku.hk/bib/B45590175.
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Seter, Colette. "To plan or not to plan: An examination of planning in everyday action." Diss., Temple University Libraries, 2013. http://cdm16002.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/ref/collection/p245801coll10/id/245301.
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PsychologyPh.D.
Everyday activities are necessary for independent and productive living, and errors in everyday tasks are associated with a multitude of negative consequences, from increasing stress and frustration to serious safety concerns. Current rehabilitation strategies for improving everyday functioning focus on improving deliberate planning of everyday tasks, however many fundamental questions remain regarding everyday action planning. Few studies have examined both plan formulation and plan execution during everyday task performance, included multiple traditional neuropsychological planning measures, and evaluated competing neurocognitive models of planning in one study. This study addressed several gaps in the literature by examining the extent to which individuals planned before beginning an everyday task and whether planning facilitated performance. Additionally, the study was designed to identify optimal measures of planning abilities and the neurocognitive processes that are crucial for planning skills. A sample of 92 healthy participants completed complex everyday tasks (2x3 Multi-Level Action Test; Buxbaum et al., 1998; Schwartz et al., 1998) as well as a neuropsychological battery consisting of traditional neuropsychological tests of planning (e.g., Tower Test; Delis et al., 2001) and executive functioning (e.g., Haylings Test; Burgess & Shallice, 1997), episodic memory (e.g., WAIS- IV Logical Memory; Wechsler, 2009a), and working memory (e.g., Automated Symmetry Span; Barch et al., 2009). Contrary to hypotheses, deliberate planning prior to a task did not improve performance, traditional neuropsychological measures were not significantly related to naturalistic planning variables, and neither executive functions nor episodic memory were strongly associated with planning skills. The results suggest that investigators must use caution when selecting planning variables for research and when drawing conclusions about everyday functioning from traditional neuropsychological planning measures. Further research is also needed to expand current neurocognitive models of planning to account for performance on complex everyday tasks.
Temple University--Theses
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Yvon, Florence. "Stéréotype de la schizophrénie dans les évaluations en neuropsychologie clinique : étude approfondie des enjeux méthodologiques et pratiques." Thesis, Bordeaux, 2019. http://www.theses.fr/2019BORD0070/document.
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Ce projet doctoral s’inscrit dans le contexte de la réhabilitation psychosociale promouvant la lutte contre la stigmatisation des maladies psychiatriques sévères. Il vise à une meilleure compréhension de la stigmatisation de la schizophrénie au travers de l’étude des composantes du stéréotype et de ses effets sur les performances neuropsychologiques. La revue de la littérature sur la thématique nous amène au constat d’une grande hétérogénéité dans les méthodes d’exploration du stéréotype de la schizophrénie, en partie expliquée par un cloisonnement des recherches entre la Psychiatrie et la Psychologie sociale.Les deux études réalisées visaient à : i) explorer le contenu du stéréotype de la schizophrénie chez les familles et dans la population générale en France ; ii) étudier expérimentalement l’impact de la menace du stéréotype sur les performances cognitives des personnes souffrant de schizophrénie.La première étude montre que le stéréotype de la schizophrénie est plus massivement rejeté par les familles, et notamment dans sa dimension « Dangerosité ». Les résultats suggèrent en outre que la dimension « Incompétence » du stéréotype de la schizophrénie occupe une place centrale, autant chez les familles que dans la population générale. L’intégration de nos résultats dans les modèles développés par la Psychologie sociale nous amène à proposer un modèle du contenu du stéréotype de la schizophrénie, dans lequel les dimensions de dangerosité et d’incompétence du stéréotype prédiraient des patterns spécifiques d’émotions et de comportements discriminatoires.La seconde étude, expérimentale, ne permet pas de mettre en évidence un effet négatif de la menace du stéréotype de la schizophrénie sur les performances exécutives. Cette absence de résultat significatif nous amène à discuter des enjeux méthodologiques dans les designs expérimentaux, en particulier quant à leur application dans la schizophrénie. Ainsi, certains facteurs comme le domaine d’identification, le choix des mesures cognitives et la prise en compte des différentes menaces potentielles apparaissent primordiaux pour les recherches futuresThis doctoral research interests the field of psychosocial rehabilitation, promoting the fight of stigma in severe mental disorders. The objective is to better understand the schizophrenia stigma through the study of stereotype components and its effect on current clinical neuropsychological practice. The review of stigma scientific publishing underlines a great methodological heterogeneity regarding schizophrenia stereotype exploration, that can be explain by the scientific partitioning of Social psychology and Psychiatry research. Consequently our doctoral research was aimed at integrating these two bodies of research to enhance the operationalization of schizophrenia stereotype content and its potential effects on cognitive performances.We conducted two studies aimed at: i) exploring schizophrenia content stereotype in families and the general population in France; ii) investigating the impact of stereotype threat on cognitive performances in schizophrenia.The first study shows that schizophrenia stereotype is more strongly rejected by families, especially in its “Dangerousness” dimension. Results also suggest that “Incompetency” is a core dimension of schizophrenia stereotype, both in families and the general population. The integration of our results with the models of Social psychology leads us to propose a model of schizophrenia stereotype content in which the Dangerousness and Incompetency dimensions would both predict specific patterns of emotions and discriminatory behaviors.The second experimental study failed to show any negative effect of schizophrenia stereotype threat on executive performances. Finally, this failure leads us to discuss the methodological issues of experimental designs, especially regarding their application in schizophrenia. Thus, several factors of interest, like the identification domain, the choice of cognitive measures and the consideration for various potential threats appear to be relevant for future research
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Hotton, Matthew. "The clinical applications of working memory training." Thesis, University of Oxford, 2016. https://ora.ox.ac.uk/objects/uuid:62a7a411-9624-4fc6-9330-3a279013db42.
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Working memory is involved in a variety of cognitive tasks, with working memory capacity predicting an individual's ability to process information and focus attention on taskrelated information. Subsequently, recent research has investigated whether working memory capacity can be improved through training and whether improvements generalise to other cognitive, behavioural or emotional domains. This training is typically adaptive in nature, changing in difficulty according to participant ability, and can be completed in the participant's home on a computer, giving it the potential to be an easily accessible intervention for a range of clinical populations. The first paper presents a systematic review evaluating the effectiveness of computerised working memory training for individuals with neurodevelopmental disorders, which are often associated with working memory difficulties. The review found that to date, working memory training has been investigated in four neurodevelopmental disorders: attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder; autism spectrum disorder; intellectual disability and specific learning disorder. The findings indicate that although training appears to produce short-term improvements in the working memory capacity, this does not reliably generalise to other cognitive processes or disorder-specific symptoms. The second paper presents a randomised controlled trial investigating the effects of working memory training for reducing worry in high-worriers. Working memory capacity limitations, and subsequent difficulties in attentional control, are believed to be central to the maintenance of worry. Participants were randomly assigned to complete 15 days of nonadaptive working memory training using a 1-back task, or adaptive working memory training using a n-back task. Training led to improvements in working memory capacity and worry symptoms post-training and at four-week follow-up, with improvements on the adaptive training task significantly correlating with improvements in working memory capacity and worry. These findings are discussed in terms of implications for clinical practice and future research, together with the limitations of the study.
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Butavicius, Marcus A. "Recognition of planar rotated and scaled forms : normalization versus invariant features /." Title page, table of contents and abstract only, 2002. http://web4.library.adelaide.edu.au/theses/09PH/09phb982.pdf.
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Boland, Elaine. "Sleep Disruption in Cognitive and Occupational Functioning in Bipolar Disorder." Diss., Temple University Libraries, 2014. http://cdm16002.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/ref/collection/p245801coll10/id/283354.
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PsychologyPh.D.
Bipolar Disorder is frequently associated with a number of poor outcomes including, but not limited to, a significant impairment in the ability to return to premorbid levels of occupational and psychosocial functioning, often despite the remission of mood symptoms. An extensive line of research has pointed toward deficits in cognitive functioning as playing an important role in this persistent disability, with a number of studies demonstrating the presence of numerous cognitive impairments during the inter-episode period. Also present during affective episodes as well as the inter-episode periods are reports of pervasive sleep disturbance. Sleep disturbance has been associated with the onset of manic episodes and is an oft-reported prodrome of illness onset. Despite the presence of deficits in these two domains of functioning during affective episodes as well as the inter-episode phase, there has been no evaluation of the degree to which these systems may interact to maintain such high rates of functional disability. The current study attempted to integrate these three separate lines of research to examine the role sleep disruption plays in both cognitive and occupational functioning in individuals with bipolar disorder. Seventy-two males and females with bipolar disorder in the euthymic phase (n=24), primary insomnia (n=24) or no psychological or medical diagnoses (n=24) completed a week of prospective assessment of sleep disruption via self-report and actigraphy. At the culmination of the sleep assessment period, all participants were administered a battery of neuropsychological tests of executive functioning, working memory, verbal learning, and attention. Additionally, participants completed self-reports of mood symptoms and current and lifetime occupational functioning. Results were mixed relative to hypotheses. Data supports persistent sleep disturbance among individuals with bipolar disorder when assessed via self-report, but no significant differences were observed compared to controls when assessed via actigraphy. Bipolar participants exhibited significantly poorer performance on measures of verbal learning and working memory, but no other cognitive deficits were observed relative to insomnia and control participants. Bipolar participants had a greater lifetime history of being fired compared to insomnia or control participants, and deficits in executive inhibition and switching were associated with increased lifetime firings across the sample. Sleep disturbance, either subjective or objective, failed to mediate this association. Findings are partially consistent with previous reports of persistent sleep disturbance and cognitive impairment among individuals with BD in the euthymic phase. More research should be conducted to better understand the underpinnings of functional impairment in BD.
Temple University--Theses
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Niklasson, Lena. "22q11 deletion syndrome neuropsychological and neuropsychiatric correlates : a clinical study of 100 cases /." Göteborg : Göteborg University, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 2007. http://hdl.handle.net/2077/7499.
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Clark, Ian Alexander. "A clinical neuroscience investigation into flashbacks and involuntary autobiographical memories." Thesis, University of Oxford, 2013. http://ora.ox.ac.uk/objects/uuid:04f72e37-73fe-4347-8af1-8d8852c05f1b.
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Recurrent and intrusive distressing recollections of trauma are a hallmark symptom of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). The term ‘flashback’ is used in this thesis to refer to vivid, sensory perceptual (predominantly visual images), emotional memories from a traumatic event that intrude involuntarily into consciousness. Furthermore, intrusive image based memories occur in a number of other psychological disorders, for example, bipolar disorder and depression. Clinically, the presence and occurrence of flashbacks and flashback type memories are well documented. However, in terms of the neural underpinnings there is limited understanding of how such flashback memories are formed or later involuntarily recalled. An experimental psychopathology approach is taken whereby flashbacks are viewed on a continuum with other involuntary autobiographical memories and are studied using analogue emotional events in the laboratory. An initial review develops a heuristic clinical neuroscience framework for understanding flashback memories. It is proposed that flashbacks consistent of five component parts – mental imagery, autobiographical memory, involuntary recall, attention hijacking and negative emotion. Combining knowledge of the component parts helped provide a guiding framework, at both a neural and behavioural level, into how flashback memories may be formed and how they return to mind unbidden. Four studies (1 neuroimaging, 3 behavioural) using emotional film paradigms were conducted. In the first study, the trauma film paradigm was combined with neuroimaging (n = 35) to investigate the neural basis of both the encoding and the involuntary recall of flashback memories. Results provided a first replication of a specific pattern of brain activation at the encoding of memories that later returned as flashbacks. This included elevation in the rostral anterior cingulate cortex, insula, thalamus, ventral occipital cortex and left inferior frontal gyrus (during just the encoding of scenes that returned as flashbacks) alongside suppressed activation in the left inferior frontal gyrus (during the encoding of scenes that returned as flashbacks in other participants, but not that individual). Critically, this is also the first study to show the brain activation at the moment of flashback involuntary recall in the scanner. Activation in the middle and superior frontal gyri and the left inferior frontal gyrus was found to be associated with flashback involuntary recall. In the second study, control conditions from 16 behavioural trauma film paradigm experiments were combined (n = 458) to investigate commonly studied factors that may be protective against flashback development. Results indicated that low emotional response to the traumatic film footage was associated with an absence of flashbacks over the following week. The third study used a positive film to consider the emotional valence of the emotion component of the framework. Positive emotional response at the time of viewing the footage was associated with positive involuntary memories over the following week. The fourth study aimed to replicate and extend this finding, comparing the impact of engaging in two cognitive tasks after film viewing (equated for general load). Predictions were not supported and methodological considerations are discussed. Results may have implications for understanding flashbacks and involuntary autobiographical memories occurring in everyday life and across psychological disorders. Further understanding of the proposed components of the clinical neuroscience framework may even help inform targeted treatments to prevent, or lessen, the formation and frequency of distressing involuntary memories.
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O'Connor, Christine A. "The effects of oestrogen and progesterone on outcome following experimental traumatic brain injury in rats /." Title page, table of contents and abstract only, 2004. http://web4.library.adelaide.edu.au/theses/09PH/09pho186.pdf.
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Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Adelaide, Dept. of Pathology, 2004?Includes list of articles published or accepted for publication during the period of PhD candidature. "July, 2004" Includes bibliographical references (leaves 255-293).
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Gregory, Amanda Louise. "Orbitofrontal cortex dysfunction in adolescent psychopathy neuropsychological function, violent behavior, and MRI volumetrics /." Access restricted to users with UT Austin EID Full text (PDF) from UMI/Dissertation Abstracts International, 2001. http://wwwlib.umi.com/cr/utexas/fullcit?p3032405.
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Hajek, Christine A. "Cognitive Outcomes Following Arterial Ischemic Stroke in Children." The Ohio State University, 2012. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1332881238.
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STEED, MARC A. "FACIAL AFFECT RECOGNITION IN BIPOLAR DISORDER: A FUNCTIONAL MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING STUDY." University of Cincinnati / OhioLINK, 2005. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ucin1109353595.
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Grilli, Matthew Dennis. "Imagining a Better Memory: Theoretical and Clinical Implications of the Self-Imagination Effect in Memory." Diss., The University of Arizona, 2012. http://hdl.handle.net/10150/217094.
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Prior research suggests that aspects of self-knowledge are relatively intact in many memory-impaired patients with acquired brain injury. Therefore, cognitive strategies that rely on preserved mechanisms of the self may be particularly effective in this population. The three studies presented in this dissertation investigated the practical utility and mnemonic mechanisms of a novel cognitive strategy designed to capitalize on self-referential processing: self-imagination. Study 1 investigated the effect of self-imagining on cued recall in memory-impaired patients with acquired brain injury and healthy controls. Sixteen patients and sixteen healthy controls intentionally encoded word pairs under four separate conditions: visual imagery, semantic elaboration, other person imagining, and self-imagining. The results revealed that self-imagining enhanced cued recall more than the other encoding conditions in patients and healthy controls. Study 2 was an initial investigation of the effect of self-imagining on free recall. Twenty healthy adults intentionally encoded word pairs under four conditions: self-imagining, a self-descriptiveness task thought to rely on access to semantic information in self-knowledge, an autobiographical memory task requiring retrieval of a self-relevant episodic memory, and a structural processing task. The results demonstrated that self-imagining improved free recall more than the other encoding conditions in healthy adults. Study 3 investigated the effect of self-imagining on free recall in memory-impaired patients with acquired brain injury and healthy controls. Fifteen patients and fifteen healthy controls intentionally encoded personality trait adjectives under five conditions: a self-imagining task, a self-descriptiveness task, an episodic autobiographical memory task, a semantic elaboration task, and a phonemic processing task. The results revealed that the advantage of self-imagining over the other cognitive strategies extended to free recall in patients. Furthermore, the results indicated that the mnemonic benefit of self-imagining was partly attributable to preserved mechanisms associated with the retrieval of semantic information in self-knowledge. The findings from this dissertation indicate that self-imagining is a self-referential cognitive strategy that generates robust and reliable mnemonic improvement in memory-impaired patients with acquired brain injury and healthy controls. Cognitive strategies that involve preserved mnemonic mechanisms of the self, such as self-imagination, may provide a new direction in cognitive rehabilitation.
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Sullivan, Erin. "An Examination of Risk and Resilience Factors Predicting Executive Functioning in Women following Psychological Trauma." Thesis, University of North Texas, 2019. https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc1538680/.
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Psychological trauma may affect higher-order executive functions, which include selective attention, inhibition, and task-switching processes. Difficulty in these executive processes can in turn influence individuals' daily functioning and may also negatively affect the psychological treatment of post-trauma symptoms. Women may be most at risk for developing problems with executive functioning following trauma, consistent with their overall greater risk of developing post-trauma symptoms. Yet, little is understood about the influence of psychological variables, premorbid functioning, and specific trauma factors in determining post-trauma cognitive functioning in women. Additionally, individual variability in susceptibility to psychological distress and neuropsychological deficits following trauma remains an open area of study. The present study investigated the relationship between psychological and trauma factors with neuropsychological outcomes in women with trauma histories as well as individual variability in risk for poor neuropsychological outcomes. In total, 60 participants' data (age M = 29.73, SD = 10.91) were included in analyses. The final sample consisted of 33 community members recruited from the UNT Psychology Clinic and the UNT student body and 27 veterans recruited from the Veterans Affairs North Texas Healthcare System (VANTHCS). Regression and path analysis identified premorbid intellectual functioning as a predictor of better neuropsychological outcomes and anxiety and depression symptoms as risk factors for worse neuropsychological functioning. Person-centered cluster analyses focused on individual differences in outcomes identified three groups differing in psychological distress and neuropsychological functioning. Additional analyses identified differences in trauma exposure, psychological functioning, and neuropsychological performance between subgroups of civilians and veterans and those with and without a history of PTSD.
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Hopps, Joshua. "Pattern and content of neuropsychological referral questions across 25 years of outpatient visits in a hospital-based clinic." Diss., University of Iowa, 2009. https://ir.uiowa.edu/etd/379.
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Much of the practice is clinical neuropsychology is performed in the role of consultant and although the neuropsychologist is dependent upon referrals made from outside sources, relatively little attention has been devoted to the investigation of the referral process. Surveys of clinicians and referral sources have reported breakdowns of referral sources by discipline and general topics of referral questions based on recollection, but direct analysis of referral patterns across the same period has not been undertaken.
The purpose of the study is to document the advancement of neuropsychology from providing psychological testing to establishing itself as a multifaceted discipline with a significant diagnostic purview that is regularly relied upon to contribute to important decisions in the lives of patients. By examining the referral questions rather than neuropsychologists' or referral sources' recollection of referrals, this study expands what is known about referral content and patterns. In an effort to explain question content without relying upon recollection, a coding rubric was designed to capture the breadth of presenting problems and requests seen in the original referral questions.
Two-thousand-six-hundred referral questions were selected from the odd year over the 25 year period from 1983 to 2007, yielding a total of 2600 referral questions. Cochran's Kappa was used to conduct interrater reliability analyses in three stages across the entire rating process. Content analysis showed that 79.1% of all questions had at more than minimal content. The most common request was for assistance with diagnostic considerations, which was present in 66.4% of all cases. Assistance with differential diagnoses was requested in 27.4% of all cases with the majority of these composed of requests for assistance in differentiating between psychiatric and neurological or other medical considerations. There was evidence for a trend over time in the gradual decline of requests for assistance with psychiatric differential diagnosis and requests for the MMPI from 1993 to the present. Memory problems and dementia are the most common presenting problems, although there is evidence of a slight decline in these evaluations beginning in 1997. Requests for specific recommendations, particularly those related to making recommendations regarding treatment planning were found to steadily increase across the sampling period. Limitations and implications for practice were discussed.
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Chlipala, M. Linda. "Organized Semantic Fluency and Executive Functioning in an Adult Clinical Sample and a Community Sample." Thesis, University of North Texas, 2010. https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc30445/.
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The study investigated an organized semantic fluency task, (the Controlled Animal Fluency Task - CAFT) as a measure of executive functioning (EF) in adults, and the relationship with instrumental activities of daily living (IADL). Participants (N = 266) consisted of a clinical sample (n = 142) utilizing neuropsychological assessment data collected at an outpatient psychological center, and a community sample (n = 124). The clinical sample was a heterogeneous mixed neurological group including a variety of health conditions and comorbid anxiety and depression. The CAFT Animals by Size demonstrated a significant positive correlation with Category Fluency (r = .71, n = 142, p < .001) , Animal Fluency (r = .70, n = 142, p < .001), and with other, established neuropsychological measures. The CAFT Animals by Size condition demonstrated a significant moderate negative correlation with IADL for the sample as a whole (r = -.46, n = 248, p < .001), and for the clinical sample (r = -.38, n = 129, p < .001), but not for the community sample. In a hierarchical regression analysis, CAFT Animal by Size explained additional variance in IADL (ΔR2 = .15). In a hierarchical regression analysis predicting IADL with the control variables entered first, followed by Category Fluency, with CAFT Animal by Size entered last, CAFT Animals by Size did not make a significant additional contribution. A stepwise forward regression indicated Category Fluency, education, and Category Switching are better predictors of IADL than CAFT Animals by Size. Normative data for the CAFT were calculated separately for age groups and education levels. Simple logistic regression indicated CAFT Animal by Size was a significant predictor of clinical or community group membership. A second logistic regression analysis indicated the CAFT Animal by Size condition improved the prediction of membership in the clinical versus the community group, compared to the MMSE alone. Applications of the CAFT are discussed.
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Hergert, Danielle C. "The Relationships Among Emotion, Cognitive Dysfunction and Anosognosia in Huntington’s Disease." Scholar Commons, 2017. http://scholarcommons.usf.edu/etd/6860.
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Huntington's disease (HD) is a genetic, neurodegenerative disorder that is characterized by motor, cognitive and psychiatric disturbances. Anosognosia, or lack of awareness of symptoms, is commonly observed in neurodegenerative disorders, including HD. Most theories suggest that emotion, executive functioning, and memory play important roles in self-awareness. There is limited research of anosognosia in HD and no theoretical model of how it manifests in the disease. The purpose of this study was to examine Metacognitive Knowledge, or overall beliefs about the self, and Online Awareness, or the ability to predict (Anticipatory Awareness) and evaluate (Emergent Awareness) task performance, in HD. Fifty-six symptomatic HD patients and fifty informants completed the study. Results revealed that those with the best executive functioning and lowest apathy were also better able to report on their symptoms. Those with the best executive functioning and memory and lowest apathy were the best at predicting and evaluating their performance on cognitive tasks. Patient self-report of memory was associated with cognitive performance while self-report of executive functioning and apathy was not. Only informant report of apathy and executive functioning was related to cognitive performance. For both Metacognitive Knowledge and Online Awareness, HD patients tended to have a better awareness of memory than executive functioning. These results suggest that awareness in HD is governed by local monitoring systems rather than a single metacognitive mechanism. It is also consistent with literature that suggests that individuals are least able to evaluate performance on tasks for which they are poorest in skill level, as HD patients tend to have impaired executive functioning and increased apathy with relative sparing of memory.
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Tso, F., and 曹斐. "Longitudinal neurocognitive functions in First-episode psychosis: 24-month follow-up." Thesis, The University of Hong Kong (Pokfulam, Hong Kong), 2002. http://hub.hku.hk/bib/B31227909.
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Testa, S. Marc. "DEPRESSIVE SYMPTOMS IN TEMPORAL LOBE EPILEPSY." University of Cincinnati / OhioLINK, 2001. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ucin997801556.
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Charek, Daniel B. "Differentiating Maximal and Typical Performance Measures: The Impact of Ego Depletion on Measures of Maximal and Typical Cognition." University of Toledo / OhioLINK, 2016. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=toledo1470104098.
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Tolfo, Sarah E. "Construct Validity for the Poreh Nonverbal Memory Test on Participants with Right, Left, and Bilateral Temporal Lobe Epilepsy." Cleveland State University / OhioLINK, 2017. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=csu1491432850050874.
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Scott, James Cobb. "Script generation and multitasking in HIV-1 infection implications for everyday functioning /." Diss., [La Jolla] : [San Diego] : University of California, San Diego ; San Diego State University, 2009. http://wwwlib.umi.com/cr/ucsd/fullcit?p3354893.
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Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of California, San Diego and San Diego State University, 2009.Title from first page of PDF file (viewed June 16, 2009). Available via ProQuest Digital Dissertations. Vita. Includes bibliographical references (p. 118-130).
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Edwards, Melissa. "Combining Select Blood-Based Biomarkers with Neuropsychological Assessment to Detect Mild Cognitive Impairment among Mexican Americans: A Molecular Neuropsychology Approach." Thesis, University of North Texas, 2017. https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc1011830/.
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Mexican Americans face a significant health disparity related to the development of Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) when compared to other ethnic groups. Recent work has documented the utility of utilizing blood-based biomarkers in the detection of amnestic MCI among this population. Efforts to enhance the utility of biomarkers in detecting disease through the inclusion of select neuropsychological measures, an approach termed Molecular Neuropsychology, has shown promise. The present study sought to utilize the molecular neuropsychology approach and examine biobanked serum samples as well as neuropsychological assessments from the Health and Aging Brain among Latino Elders (HABLE) study. Random Forest analyses were conducted to determine the proteomic profile of MCI. Then separate linear regression analyses were conducted to determine the variance accounted for by the biomarkers within the select neuropsychological measures. Trail Making Test Part B was identified as having the least amount of variance and was combined with top five biomarkers within the MCI proteomic profile to create a biomarker-cognitive profile for detecting disease presence. This same method was applied to the amnestic and non-amnestic forms of MCI. The overall biomarker-cognitive profile was shown to be 90% accurate in the detection of MCI, with no significant increase when demographic variables were included into the model. Among amnestic MCI cases, the detection accuracy of the biomarker-cognitive profile was 92% and increased to 94% upon inclusion of demographic variables.
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Hopps, Joshua Altmaier Elizabeth M. Tranel Daniel Thomas. "Pattern and content of neuropsychological referral questions across 25 years of outpatient visits in a hospital-based clinic." Iowa City : University of Iowa, 2009. http://ir.uiowa.edu/etd/379.
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Wheeler, Thomas E. "An examination of the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS) subtests from a neuopsychological perspective." Virtual Press, 1987. http://liblink.bsu.edu/uhtbin/catkey/487343.
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The primary purpose of this study was to determine the kind of neuropsychological information that can be obtained from an investigation of the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS) subtests. Additionally, there was an examination of the shared variance between the WAIS and the Halstead-Reitan Neuropsychological Battery (HRNB). The archival data collected from the files of '220 females and 188 males from a large midwestern medical center were used. They had been originally diagnosed with objective research criteria.All eleven subtests of the WAIS and the HalsteadReitan Neuropsychological Battery were administered to the subjects in the years between 1981 and 1983. Thirteen scores were obtained from the HRNB measures. Statistical analyses of the results made use of the techniques of multiple regression and canonical correlation.The individual WAIS subtests were examined for the neuropsychological information they provided. Globally, three HRNB measures, APHASIA, RHY, AND CAT-TOT contributed significantly to a majority of the regression equations for the WAIS subtests. Their presence suggested that language skills, an auditory attention factor, and a general intellective factor were being tapped (Dean, 1985a).A canonical correlation was computed. The results yielded one significant correlation between the linear components of the WAIS and the HRNB tests. Only canonical variates with weights of +/- .2 were considered large enough for interpretation. The WAIS subtests meeting the .2 criteria included Block Design, Digit Symbol, and Similarities, while the HRNB measures meeting criteria were APHASIA and CAT-TOT. Therefore, it would appear that the significant variables measured the general (g) factor as in Spearman's research (1927). According to the Stewart and Love formula (cited in Pedhazur, 1982), the variability of the WAIS did overlap with the HRNB, and their relationship was symmetrical.This research demonstrated that the measured tasks from the WAIS were a complex of underlying constructs. The verbal portion of the WAIS was shown to be less highly related to the HRNB variables than the performance portion of the scale. The WAIS and HRNB do offer nonredundant information concerning the impaired and unimpaired adult's cognitive functioning.
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Rascovsky, Katya. "Neuropsychological aspects of frontotemporal dementia /." Diss., Connect to a 24 p. preview or request complete full text in PDF format. Access restricted to UC campuses, 2005. http://wwwlib.umi.com/cr/ucsd/fullcit?p3167837.
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Marmolejo-Ramos, Fernando University of Ballarat. "The comprehension of emotions in narrative texts : the role of embodied knowledge." University of Ballarat, 2007. http://archimedes.ballarat.edu.au:8080/vital/access/HandleResolver/1959.17/12824.
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"This work explores how current embodied theories of cognition can account for the comprehension of narrative texts. Theoretically, this thesis develops a framework for the study of narrative text comprehension by linking current advances in embodied theories of cognition, discourse processing, and neurosciences. Experimentally, two experiments are reported in which participants were required to read passages of text implying emotional states. The coherence of critical sentences in relation to the preceding text was manipulated in terms of both the emotional adjectives used and the sensory-motor component. In the first experiment, three tasks were used to index the effect of the manipulations on the critical sentences. The first was an on-line naming task in which response times to name emotional labels which matched the implied emotional state of the texts were recorded. [...] The second experiment used backward masking in the naming task with the aim of providing a more sensitive index of the effect of the text manipulations on on-line processing."Master of Applied Science by research
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VandenBerg, Penny M., and University of Lethbridge Faculty of Arts and Science. "Associative diaschisis and skilled rehabilitation-induced behavioral recovery following focal ischemic infact." Thesis, Lethbridge, Alta. : University of Lethbridge, Faculty of Arts and Science, 2002, 2002. http://hdl.handle.net/10133/207.
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The time course of peri-infarct diaschisis following a focal ischemic infarct and the effects of delayed rehabilitation on behavioral and functional recovery were examined. Intracortical microstimulation (ICMS) was used to derive topographical maps of forelimb representations within the rat motor cortex and ischemia was induced via bipolar coagulation of surface vasculature. At one hour there was a dramatic expansion of reprentations in control but not ischemic animals. A significant loss of forelimb representations within peri-infarct dysfunction indicates the need for immediate administration of therapeutic interventions following an ischemic event. These results indicate that the timing of rehabilitation does not effect functional and behavioral recovery but does support the need for rehabilitative interventions of facilitate these types of recovery.132 leaves : ill. ; 28 cm.