Academic literature on the topic 'Brain - psyche -'

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Indiana University, Dept. of Communication and Culture and American Studies, 2005.<br>Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 66-11, Section: A, page: 3842. Adviser: Joan C. Hawkins. Title from dissertation home page (viewed Oct. 10, 2006).

In the past children and adolescents with emotional problems and/or documented evidence of brain damage have often been systematically omitted from samples used for research exploring the elusive topic of learning disabilities. Previous conceptualizations of LD and attempts to define the same may have been premature in forming these exclusionary criteria. The purpose of this study was to employ psycho-educational, neuropsychological and socio-behavioral (Conners Rating Scale) variables in determining if definable subtypes exist within a diverse population of LD and overtly brain-damaged subjects.The 95 subjects selected had been referred for neuropsychological assessment at a large Midwestern medical center. The mean age of the sample was 10.6 yrs.; mean FSIQ = 102. Medically confirmed brain damage was documented for 45% of the sample.Cluster analysis which included behavioral data revealed 4 interpretable clusters. The largest segment (51%) of learners functioned within normal limits on all measures but demonstrated relatively stronger nonverbal than verbal skills. The second group (20%) was within normal limits on all psycho-educational and behavioral measures but demonstrated marked sensory deficits. A third and much smaller group (9%) was distinguished by its younger average age, high percentage of documented brain damage (75%), and clinically elevated levels of inattentiveness. The fourth group (20%) demonstrated both the poorest VIQ and achievement scores as well as significant problems with hyperactivity, inattentiveness, and conduct disorder.For comparison a second cluster analysis based on only psycho-educational and neuropsychological variables was calculated and yielded 2 interpretable clusters. The first subtype was the younger of the 2 groups and demonstrated stronger language skills. The second subtype, the older of the two, showed stronger nonverbal skills. Neither subgroup demonstrated clinically elevated behavioral concerns. The inclusion of behavioral variables within the cluster analysis would thus seem to be an important component in subtyping of subjects with learning difficulties.In neither of the cluster solutions (including or excluding behavior) was a cluster formed consisting exclusively of either BD or LD subjects. Percentages of BD in the analysis which included behavior ranged from 36% of the subjects in Group 2 to 75% of the subjects in Group 3. These findings are supportive of those of Arffa et al. (1989) and contribute to the notion that parallels may exist in cerebral function and/or structure between the LD and BD classifications.<br>Department of Educational Psychology

Les connaissances grandissantes sur l’association entre anomalies du microbiote et du système immunitaire chez les patients présentant des troubles psychiatriques, font de l’axe microbiote-intestin-cerveau un acteur indispensable à étudier. Les objectifs de ce travail de thèse consistent en l’étude du rôle du système immunitaire intestinal dans les troubles psycho-comportementaux. Le premier objectif de caractérisation du système immunitaire muqueux intestinal a été réalisé par une étude clinique dans une population de patientes souffrant d’anorexie. Une surprenante absence de marqueurs inflammatoires et une plus grande fréquence de lymphocytes T régulateurs circulants a été mise en évidence. Notre second objectif a consisté à étudier l’impact du microbiote sur le comportement. Il a été montré que le microbiote fécal de patientes présentant une anorexie mentale sévère entraine une inflammation chez les animaux et des anomalies sur les comportements anxieux lors de tests. Nous avons pu initier un projet de puce mettant en relation des cellules immunitaires et des neurones pour étudier la transduction de signaux inflammatoire, constituant la première preuve de concept de modélisation de la voie nerveuse in vitro de l’axe microbiote-intestin-cerveau. Notre troisième objectif consista à caractériser les atteintes psycho-comportementales dans les phénomènes immuno-pathologiques des maladies inflammatoires chroniques de l’intestin. L’identification d’une très forte prévalence du symptôme aboulie chez des patients faisant l’expérience d’une fatigue persistante malgré une maladie intestinale quiescente, fait évoquer des anomalies des structures cérébrales impliquées dans les domaines des valences positives (motivation). Ces éléments ont fait l’objet d’une étude sur le modèle animal de colite inflammatoire induite au DSS, dont l’étude comportementale doit encore être améliorée. L’ensemble de ces éléments alimente l’hypothèse d’une forte implication du microbiote et du système immunitaire intestinal comme unité pouvant modifier pathologiquement le fonctionnement cérébral, et se traduire de manière psycho-comportementale chez les sujets. L’axe microbiote-intestin-cerveau part sa richesse, concentre les espoirs d’une révolution en psychiatrie tant pour le diagnostic, le pronostic, que la thérapeutique<br>Growing knowledge of the association between microbiota and immune system abnormalities in patients with psychiatric disorders makes the microbiota-gut-brain axis an indispensable player to study. This thesis aims to explore the role of the intestinal immune system in psychobehavioral diseases. The first objective of characterizing the intestinal mucosal immune system was achieved through a clinical study of female patients suffering from anorexia. A surprising absence of inflammatory markers and a higher frequency of circulating regulatory T lymphocytes were demonstrated. Our second objective was to study the impact of microbiota on behavior. The fecal microbiota of patients with severe anorexia nervosa has been shown to cause inflammation in animals and abnormalities in test anxiety behavior. We initiated a microarray project linking immune cells and neurons to study inflammatory signal transduction, constituting the first proof-of-concept for modeling the in vitro neural pathway of the microbiota-gut-brain axis. Our third objective was to characterize the psycho behavioral effects of immuno-pathological phenomena in chronic inflammatory bowel disease. They identify a very high prevalence of the symptom abulia in patients experiencing persistent fatigue. However, quiescent bowel disease indicates abnormalities in brain structures involved in positive valence (motivation) domains. These elements have been studied in an animal model of inflammatory colitis induced by DSS, whose behavioral study still needs to be improved. These elements support the hypothesis that the microbiota and the intestinal immune system are strongly implicated as a unit capable of pathologically modifying cerebral functioning and translating into psycho-behavioral effects in subjects. The richness of the microbiota-gut-brain axis raises hopes of a revolution in psychiatry regarding diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment

É recente a preocupação com as experiências dos portadores de tumor cerebral e as de seus familiares. O intenso impacto físico e psicossocial da doença sobre os pacientes e as repercussões em seu meio familiar, as adversidades do tratamento e o prognóstico desfavorável traçam um quadro muito severo, até mesmo em comparação com outros tipos de câncer. Neste contexto, o objetivo do presente trabalho é realizar uma aproximação compreensiva às experiências vividas por pessoas com tumor cerebral e pelos seus familiares. Os colaboradores da pesquisa, pacientes com diferentes diagnósticos de tumor cerebral e seus acompanhantes, freqüentaram sessões de grupo de sala de espera no Ambulatório de Neurocirurgia Oncológica do Hospital das Clínicas da Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirão Preto – USP. Para constituir o material discursivo, base da tarefa compreensiva, sete sessões de grupo foram gravadas em áudio e, posteriormente, transcritas integralmente. A orientação, em questões de método, segue uma perspectiva qualitativa em psicologia fundamentada na fenomenologia e as reflexões sobre o vivido fundamentam-se no pensamento de Maurice Merleau-Ponty. Na compreensão dos relatos analisados, duas questões ganharam evidência. Primeiramente, a de que a experiência do adoecimento para os pacientes, e decerto para os familiares, é marcada pelo sentido de que a vida presente é muito diferente da de outrora. Há como que um choque entre o eu-corpo atual e o eu-corpo passado. Em segundo lugar, é notável a restrição pessoal que marca esta experiência do enfermo. Tal restrição revela-se nas perturbações da motricidade, da linguagem e da sexualidade; nos temores e angústias que o assaltam; nas relações estabelecidas em família, marcadas por uma superproteção que cerceia e pela dependência em relação aos cuidados do outro; e nas experiências com o meio social extra-familiar que despertam vergonha e o ímpeto de se isolar. Quanto aos familiares, a sua experiência é pautada, sobretudo, no esforço para oferecer um cuidado que favoreça o bem-estar da pessoa enferma. Contudo, os cuidadores vivenciam uma intensa carga de preocupações e temores que os levam a uma atitude, por vezes, superprotetora. Ademais, os familiares da pessoa portadora de tumor cerebral também experienciam perdas pessoais e um grande desgaste físico e emocional. Alguns elementos da filosofia de Merleau-Ponty possibilitaram a elaboração e o enriquecimento das compreensões anteriormente destacadas. Somos um corpo dirigido incessantemente para o mundo e este corpo que somos não é o corpo do qual se fala no âmbito do conhecimento biomédico, mas um corpo fenomenal, o corpo vivido. Por conseguinte, nos casos mais graves de tumor cerebral, o movimento da pessoa em direção ao mundo pode ser severamente prejudicado. Destaca-se, ainda, a noção de que são construídas atitudes frente ao adoecimento, ou seja, movimentos do ser no mundo regidos por uma estrutura de conjunto existencial que contém, de maneira essencial, o acontecimento orgânico limitante. Por fim, explorou-se a idéia de que qualquer atitude frente à doença mobiliza todas as dimensões do ser, tendo sido abordadas, mais especificamente, a temporalidade e o ser com o outro na experiência dos colaboradores deste estudo.<br>Preoccupations with the experiences of brain tumor patients and their family members are recent. The disease’ intense physical and psychosocial impact on patients and the repercussions for their family environment, the adversities of treatment and the unfavorable prognosis result in a very serious picture, even in comparison with other types of cancer. In this context, this study aims to understand the experiences of brain tumor patients and their family members. The research collaborators, who were patients with different brain tumor diagnoses and their companions, attended waiting room group sessions at the Oncological Neurosurgery Outpatient Clinic of the University of São Paulo at Ribeirão Preto Medical School Hospital das Clínicas. For the discourse material, which formed the base for the comprehension task, seven group sessions were audio-taped and fully transcribed. A qualitative method was adopted, using a phenomenology-based psychology, while reflections on the experience were based on the ideas of Maurice Merleau-Ponty. In understanding the analyzed reports, two issues stood out. Firstly, for the patients, and definitely for the family members, the sickening experience is marked by the sense that the current life is very different from the past. There is as if it were a shock between the I-current body and the I-past body. Secondly, the patient’s experience is marked by a noticeable personal restriction. This restriction appears in movement, language and sexuality disturbances; in the fears and anguish the patient is attacked by; in the family relations that are established, marked by a limiting overprotection and by the dependence in relation to other persons’ care; and in the experiences with the extra-family social environment, which arouse shame and the urge to get isolated. As to family members, their experience is mainly guided by the effort to offer a care that favors the ill person’s well-being. However, caregivers bear an intense burden of preoccupations and fears that lead to a sometimes overprotective attitude. Furthermore, the brain tumor patient’s family members also experience personal losses and great physical and emotional wear. Some elements in Merleau-Ponty’s philosophy made it possible to elaborate and enrich the comprehensions highlighted above. We are a body that is continuously directed at the world and this body we are is not the body discussed in the field of biomedical knowledge, but a phenomenal body, the lived body. Consequently, in the gravest cases of brain tumor, the person’s movement towards the world can be seriously impaired. Another notion that stands out is the fact that attitudes are constructed towards the sickening, that is, movements of the being in the world that are ruled by an existential structure that essentially contains the limiting organic event. Finally, the idea was explored that any attitude towards the disease mobilizes all dimensions of the being, more specifically temporality and being with the other in the experience of this study’s collaborators.

碩士<br>國立陽明大學<br>臨床護理研究所<br>91<br>In the past, the late effects of cancer treatment can’t be observed cause of the low survival rate of childhood cancer. As the survival rate rising, these survivors’ quality of life is gradually valued. Along with the advance of the medical treatment, the childhood brain tumor survivors are also increasing gradually. But, it is complex that brain tumor influence on the function of the central nerve system, the most studies for following up are escape this population of children with brain tumor. So the purposes of this study are to evaluate the neuro-psycho-social health status of the children with brain tumor after treatment, to understand the risk of late effects on the treatment and their biological specialty, furthermore, to evolve the clinical following up tool to track the childhood brain tumor survivors. The adoption of the design of this study is a descriptive survey. It is to investigate 36 5-14- year old children with brain tumor and their caregivers, by using these scales of the personal basic data and history of the disease, Comprehensive Mental Abilities Scale(CMAS), and Childhood Behavior Checklist(CBCL) to collect data. The effect shows, in the aspect of neuro-physiology, the most of these children after treatment suffered with the limitation of body activity, complication of the eyesight and physical strength; In the aspect of mental health, as their cognition ability, the analyzing result intelligence quotient is normal, but two kinds of ability, logic reasons and vision searching are lower than normal scope. These two cent tests of language phrase concept and language gets a goal although within the scope of normal, higher than average value of the norm; The other aspects of the social health, using the form CBCL to exam the behavior of the children, their performance of the ability and the problem of behavior are all belongs to the normal. Their activity participation and social interaction express less in dynamic state and social contact item, and the academic ability expresses the score is in normally the boundary of the scope. The result of this study really puts forward some related and explicit data of the health of these population, let medical treatment teams of childhood brain tumor, employees of nursing, clinical workers, educate related personnel and society understand the long term effects, cause of the disease or the treatment, of the childhood brain tumor. And it also provides concrete suggestions on the caring of their neuro-psycho-social health. How to promote the childhood brain tumor survivors’ quality of life in the future, and to provide the adequacy support to the children and their families which needs a further research. Key Words：childhood brain tumor, survivor, late effect, neuro-psycho-social health

Flow is a mental state characterised by a feeling of energised focus, complete involvement and success when fully immersed in an activity. The dimensions of and the conditions required for flow to occur have been explored in a broad spectrum of situational contexts. The close relationship between flow and peak performance sparked an interest in ways to induce flow. However, any process of flow induction requires a measure to trace the degree to which flow is in fact occurring. Self-reports of the flow experience are subjective and provide ad hoc information. Psycho-physiological measures, such as EEG, can provide objective and continuous indications of the degree to which flow is occurring. Unfortunately few studies have explored the relationships between psycho-physiological measures and flow. The present study was an attempt to determine the EEG correlates of flow under conditions of peak performance. Twenty participants were asked to perform a continuous visuomotor task 10 times. Time taken per task was used as an indicator of task performance. EEG recordings were done concurrently. Participants completed an Abbreviated Flow Questionnaire (AFQ) after each task and a Game Flow Inventory (GFI) after having finished all 10 tasks. On completion, performance times and associated flow scores were standardised where after the sample was segmented into a high flow - peak performance and a low flow - low performance level. Multi-variate analysis of variance (MANOVA) was conducted on the performance, flow and EEG data to establish that a significant difference existed between the two levels. In addition, a one-way analysis of variance between high and low flow data was conducted for all variables and main effects were established. Inter-correlations of all EEG data at both levels were then conducted across four brain sites (F3, C3, P3, O1). In high flow only, results indicated increased lobeta power in the sensorimotor cortex together with a unique EEG pattern showing beta band synchronisation between the prefrontal and sensori-motor areas and de-synchronisation between all other areas, while all other frequencies (delta, theta, alpha, lobeta, hibeta, and gamma) remained synchronised across all scalp locations. These findings supported a theoretical neuropsychological model of flow.<br>Psychology<br>D. Com. (Consulting Psychology)