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PSYCHOLOGY
Terry Blumenthal
- with Christopher Turner, NBAT
Neonatal brain injury and schizophrenia: from receptors
to behavior
Awarded $20,000; $10,000 Reynolda campus, $10,000
Health Sciences
Source: WFU Cross-Campus Collaborative
Research Fund
Schizophrenia affects about 3 million in the US alone
and costs around $35 billion annually. Blocking the NMDA
receptor with the experimental drug MK801 can promote
schizophrenic behavior not only in adults but also in
neonatal rats that are allowed to mature to adulthood.
This developmental model has shown that MK801 induces
neuronal death in brain regions known to display pathologies
in schizophrenia (dorsal thalamus, prefrontal, cingulated,
and retrosplenial cortex) though whether such injury
is linked to behavioral changes is not clear. This project
will examine whether MK801 promotes lasting neuronal
loss or if the brain can compensate and maintain neuronal
numbers despite robust apoptosis following postnatal
injury. A critical observation will be whether animals
that show pathologies at the histological level also
show them at the behavioral level. Deficits in sensorimotor
gating are a common symptom in schizophrenia, and a technique
known as PPI (prepulse inhibition) is one simple way
to test it. Normal subjects startled by a loud noise
adapt to it, if it is preceded by a soft noise, but schizophrenics
cannot. This response is species-preserved, found in
nonhuman primates as well as rodents, and disrupted by
NMDA receptor antagonists, like MK801. CCCRS funds will
be used to purchase the PPI apparatus and associated
software to test rat pups, injected with vehicle or MK801
and allowed to mature until P56, for disruption of PPI.
Their brains will be examined for histo-pathological
changes on a region-by-region basis. Once the behavioral
component of the model has been established, it will
present many opportunities for long-term collaborations
and student training.
- A Simple Measure for Studying Gating
Deficits
Awarded $14,000 for the period 7/1/06 to 6/30/07
Source: National Institutes of Health (NIH)
This project seeks to develop a direct, stable, reliable,
quantitative measure of sensory gating in humans
and to determine whether it can detect sensory gating deficits
in clinical
populations. Dr. Blumenthal serves as a consultant
for the studies, which are conducted in the laboratory of
Dr. Neal
Swerdlow at the University of California, San
Diego.
Failures in the normal suppression, or gating,
of sensory information are associated with cognitive disturbances
in schizophrenia and sensory tics and premonitory
urges
that
often precede motor and vocal tics in Tourette’s Syndrome
patients. One laboratory approach to studying deficient gating
uses prestimulus effects on motor events (prepulse inhibition
of startle, or PPI). Another measure, prepulse inhibition
of perceived stimulus intensity, or PPIPSI, is assessed by
a direct report of the perceived intensity of a probe stimulus
in the presence and absence of a prestimulus. Under appropriate
conditions, subjects report that they perceive an intense,
abrupt stimulus – for example, a 118 dB noise burst,
a 40 psi air puff, or a 170 V cutaneous shock – as
less intense, if it is preceded by a weak prepulse. This project aims to establish PPIPSI’s utility in
systematic studies of sensory gating in normal and disordered
populations. Studies will determine: 1) conditions for eliciting
maximal gating effects; 2) test/retest stability; 3) reliability
across experimental settings; 4) generalizability across
sensory modalities; 5) sensitivity in children; 6) the impact
of attentional manipulations; and 7) utility in detecting
deficits in patients with schizophrenia or Tourette’s
Syndrome.
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Testing Sensory Gating in Antisocial
Personality Disorder
Awarded $1,600 for the period 12/1/05 to
7/31/06
Source: WFU Social, Behavioral, and Economic Science Research Fund
Antisocial personality disorder (APD) may be partially based on an inability
to process certain types of information accurately and automatically. Prepulse
inhibition of startle (PPI), a measure of early information processing,
has been found deficient in several clinical disorders, such as schizophrenia
and obsessive-compulsive disorder. To learn more about the underlying physiology,
this study will measure startle and its inhibition by a prepulse in college
students who rate high or low on an APD questionnaire.
Dale Dagenbach, see Janine Jennings
William Fleeson
- Integrating Process and Structure in Borderline Personality Disorder
Awarded $283,833 for the period 12/1/11 to 11/30/12
Source: NIH
Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD), often considered chronic and untreatable, is a serious mental illness, associated with severe personal distress, suicidality, interpersonal instability, and significant costs to society. Two problems impede diagnosis and treatment. First, the lack of direct, empirical knowledge about symptom expression levels in either a normal or abnormal population makes it difficult for clinicians to determine whether symptoms qualify for diagnosis, are being effectively treated, or have been reduced to healthy levels. Second, the processes underlying BPD and associated problems are largely unknown. Rather than rely on retrospective questionnaires, this project measures behavior to identify mechanisms. In Aim 1, direct, empirical accounts of symptom frequency, severity, and co-occurrences will be obtained to aid diagnosis, treatment, and termination decisions. Aim 2 tests several hypotheses. Aim 3 investigates the role of interpersonal perception processes in stressors and symptoms, and Aim 4 charts trajectories and transactions of symptom frequency, severity, and contingencies.
R. Michael Furr
- Binge Drinking: Individual Differences in the Capacity to Alter Drinking Patterns
Awarded $13,843 for the period 4/1/11 to 3/31/12
Source: NIH/University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio
Alcohol binge drinking is associated with dangerous levels of intoxication that are costly to both the individual and society. One important mechanism may be "loss of control" after initial consumption. Recent evidence suggests that individuals with reduced serotonin function may experience disproportionate increases in impulsivity after consuming alcohol. This study has three aims: to characterize impulsivity among adult binge and nonbinge drinkers during a simulated alcohol binge and/or L-tryptophan depletion challenge; to use a 12-week contingency management procedure to determine to what extent individual differences in the capacity to reduce drinking are related to the impulsivity responses observed in Aim 1; and to determine to what extent reductions in drinking achieved during contingency management can be maintained across a 3-month follow-up period.
- Impulsivity and Information Processing in Adolescent Cannabis Abuse
Awarded $15,000 for the period 10/1/07 to 8/31/08
Source: NIH
Adolescents experience maturational changes related to reward-seeking, motivation, and self-regulation across multiple domains of behavioral, executive, and physiological functioning. Cannabis has a potentially negative effect on any or all of these developmental processes. Although the effects of its use, such as distorted perception, memory, and problem solving, have been shown in animals and adults, the antecedents and consequences of cannabis use on the developing cognitive, neurophysiological, and behavioral processes during adolescence are poorly understood. This project uses a battery of new technologies to characterize the effects of cannabis use on cognitive processes developing during adolescence—specifically, attention, executive functioning, and impulsive behaviors—compared to controls.
- Impulsivity Models: Behavioral Mechanisms
Awarded $15,081 for the period 4/1/06 to 3/31/07
Source: NIH
This project will advance our understanding of impulsivity
and its role in the development of severe conduct problems.
Two types of objective behavioral measures?rapid-decision
vs. reward-directed?will be compared among three groups
of adolescents with conduct disorder (CD): those without
histories of physical fighting; those with histories
of planning fights; and those who fight impulsively. Experiment
1 uses several task types concurrently to determine
which measures are most sensitive to group differences.
In
Experiment
2, performance feedback (reward, penalty, and combined
reward/penalty) is used to determine which task parameters
improve group discrimination and how each group’s
performance may be differentially modulated by feedback.
In both experiments, behavioral impulsivity performance
will be related to parent, teacher, and self-report
ratings for further validation. These studies will
help to determine
the basic mechanisms of impulsivity and to develop
the objective, replicable measures needed to answer
both
basic and applied research questions. The long-term
goal is to
determine how impulsivity relates to biological mechanisms,
treatment prediction, and outcome. Research focused
on understanding the unique causal pathways that lead
children
to develop patterns of severely antisocial and aggressive
behavior will advance treatment.
- Behavioral Models of Impulsivity: Alcohol
and 5-HT Effects
Awarded $17,699 for the period 4/1/07 to 3/31/08
Source: NIH
These studies aim to determine: (1) the dose-dependent
effects of alcohol and L-tryptophan manipulation on rapid-decision
and reward-directed models of impulsivity; (2) how a biological
state change produced by L-tryptophan manipulation can
moderate vulnerability to the behavioral effects of alcohol;
(3) how different components of impulsivity are differentially
affected by alcohol and L-tryptophan manipulations; and
(4) how baseline responses to these behavioral models relate
to one another and to self-reported measures of impulsivity.
Together, they may provide evidence that serotonin moderates
alcohol-induced behavioral impulsivity and inform further
exploration of what factors contribute to the individual
differences observed in impulsive behavior after alcohol
consumption. Healthy men and women will be evaluated at
intervals before and after the interventions, and each
will experience all the interventions in a repeated-measures
design. Experiment 1 examines dose effects of alcohol on
behavioral impulsivity. Experiment 2 examines dose effects
of L-tryptophan loading and depletion, which alter central
nervous system serotonin levels. Experiment 3 examines
the interactive effects of alcohol and L-tryptophan.
Eranda Jayawickreme
What are the Real Benefits of Hardship?: Examining Possibilities for Behavior Growth Following Adversity.
Awarded $449,868 for the period 10/1/11 to 9/30/14
Source: Templeton Foundation
Although the theme of strength from adversity is both attractive and central to many works of philosophy, theology, and literature, empirical evidence remains mixed. Beliefs about growth may not be related to meaningful behavior changes and may even lead to negative outcomes. This interdisciplinary project will examine whether and under what conditions adversity leads to psychological and behavioral growth. It will develop a series of studies using innovative prospective designs to identify determinants of behavioral growth and focus on community populations who have experienced severe adversity. The research will provide empirically supported tools to enable people to gain in meaningful ways from their life challenges.
Janine Margaret Jennings
- with Jack Rejeski, Health and Exercise Science
Life DMAQC (Data Management, Analysis, and Quality Control)
Awarded $19,446 for the period 9/1/10 to 8/31/11
Source: NIH/Wake Forest University Health Sciences (WFUHS)
As life expectancy rises, older Americans’ independence has emerged as a major public health priority. Older people who lose mobility are less likely to remain in the county; have higher rates of morbidity, mortality, and hospitalization; and experience poorer quality of life. Several studies have shown that regular physical activity improves physical performance, but definitive evidence that mobility disability can be prevented is lacking. This Phase 3, single-masked, multicenter, randomized controlled trial compares a moderate-intensity physical activity program to a health education program in sedentary older persons at risk for disability. The primary aim is to assess the long-term effects of the interventions on the ability to walk 400m. Secondary aims assess the interventions’ effects on cognitive function; serious fall injuries; persistent mobility disability; major mobility disability or death; disability in daily living activities; and cost-effectiveness. Results will have crucial implications for prevention or delay of major mobility disability and yield valuable information on the efficacy of physical activity for other health outcomes.
- with Dale Dagenbach
SHARP-P
Awarded $81,546 for the period 6/1/08 to 5/31/09
Source: NIH; WFUHS
SHARP aims to test the effects of a physical activity and mental training intervention to prevent various types of cognitive decline observed with aging. In SHARP-P, a pilot program, investigators from the Medical School and the Reynolda campus departments of Health and Exercise Science and Psychology are collaborating to evaluate several questions related to the trial’s feasibility and to examine the independent and combined effects of physical exercise and cognitive training on executive function.
- Memory Training to Enhance Performance in Older Adults with
Mild Cognitive Impairment
Awarded $24,940 for the period 4/1/03 to 3/31/04
Source: WFUHS
The project aims to assess the efficacy of a behavioral intervention
for memory function in older individuals with Mild Cognitive
Impairment (MCI). In collaboration with colleagues, Dr. Jennings
has devised a recollection training procedure that resulted
in dramatic improvements in memory on the training task and
other measures of memory and cognitive function in healthy older
adults. To test the technique's value for MCI, 50 participants
diagnosed with the condition will undergo an assessment battery
of cognitive and memory function tasks and then be randomly
assigned to either recollection training or no-treatment control
conditions to determine the training's benefits. The project
will provide a graduate student stipend for one year.
Lisa Kiang
Physiological Reactivity to Discrimination among African, Asian, and Latin American Youth
Awarded $17,117 for the period 9/20/11 to 9/19/12
Source: American Psychological Foundation
The psychological and emotional consequences of racial discrimination are well understood, but less is known about how such experiences affect physical responses. This study seeks to (1) connect socio-emotional experiences of discrimination to physiological reactivity; (2) differentiate that reactivity by type and severity of the transgression; (3) compare discrimination experiences among African, Asian, and Latin Americans; and (4) examine how reactivity may be moderated by resilience factors, such as ethnic identity.
Wayne Pratt
AREA: Meso-accumbens Serotoenergic Involvement in Appetitive and Consummatory Behaviors
Awarded: $314,128 for the period 2/1/11 to 1/31/14
Source: NIH
Overweight adults constitute 65% of the US population. Obese individuals are at elevated risk for diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, stroke, and certain kinds of cancer, and obesity-related costs are estimated to account for 5-7% of annual medical expenditures, or over $75 billion a year. The causes of the recent epidemic are complex and include genetic predisposition, increasingly sedentary lifestyles, and the proliferation of highly palatable and calorically dense foods. Such diets, commonly high in fat and sugar, promote intake beyond that needed to maintain normal body weight, a tendency that served us well when famine occurred regularly but now contributes to obesity. The only current centrally active drug approved for weight maintenance (sibutramine) is thought to inhibit feeding by promoting brain serotenergic function. Recent work suggests that serotonin receptors in hypothalamic regions, which modulate food intake based on energy need, and in the hindbrain mediate some of these effects. However, promotion of feeding based on the palatable properties of food is thought to be regulated by other brain regions; specifically, the neural reward circuitry that also mediates the addictive properties of drugs of abuse. Using established behavioral pharmacological approaches, this project will test the hypothesis that serotonin receptors in the rat nucleus accumbens and ventral tegmentum regulate food consumption and food-seeking behaviors. Determining the functions of serotonin receptors in this brain motivational circuitry will provide novel information about serotonin’s modulation of motivational behavior that is essential for developing and refining pharmacological treatments for weight control. This project will also train and mentor promising undergraduate and Master’s students in biomedical research.
James Schirillo
Acquisition of Instruments to Measure Visual Bias of
Occluded Auditory Signals in Three-Dimensional Space
Awarded $57,147 for the period 8/1/05 to 7/31/07
Source: NSF
With support from a Major Research Instrumentation award,
the Psychology department will acquire stereovision and audio
equipment that will be placed in an audiometric sound chamber
and configured to produce a 3-dimensional audio-visual environment
to measure the multisensory localization of visually occluded
auditory signals. Its custom design will make it the only one
of its kind in the United States.Multisensory integration is typically studied with2-dimensional
stimuli. Designing experiments in a 3-D environment allows
occluding objects to be added, creating the ecologically
valid condition most encountered in nature. Recent advances
in environmental
acoustics and stereoscopic viewing technology offer an exciting
opportunity to explore how an object’s opacity or transparency
influences the extent to which flashes of light bias the perception
of where a sound burst originates. The project hypothesizes
that an object’s opacity constrains the extent to which
a light can bias the sound’s perceived location. Results may change (1) how psychophysicists model auditory
occlusion in 3-D space; (2) what neuroscientists consider the
type of contextual factors that can influence the receptive
field properties of multisensory neurons; and (3) how engineers
design such environments as cockpits. The equipment will be
used by psychophysicists and neurobiologists at the professional,
graduate, and undergraduate level across the Reynolda and Health
Sciences campuses.
Eric Stone
- Graphic versus numerical presentation of quantitative environmental risk information about unexploded ordinance
Awarded $39,099 for the period 9/1/09 to 8/31/11
Source: NSF
This pilot study will pretest the measures and communication materials used in the main study and lead the data analysis.
- Strategies for Communicating Low-probability Disease Risk to Health Consumers
Awarded $9,055 for the period 9/1/08 to 8/31/09
Source: NIH
Increasing perceptions of colorectal cancer (CRC) risk should motivate screening, yet findings are inconsistent, possibly due to poor communication about disease precursors, probability of occurrence, consequences, and methods to prevent or diminish the threat. Since the likelihood of developing CRC is the most difficult component to convey, this preliminary project will determine whether the standard numerical display of likelihood information decreases motivation to screen. If so, the project will develop and test a clearer and more convincing graphic display.
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