Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Cognition disorders – Endocrine aspects'

[Truncated abstract.] Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the most common form of dementia world-wide accounting for more than two thirds of all dementia cases. AD is characterised by the presence of extracellular amyloid plaques, neurofibrillary tangles and congophillic amyloid angiopathy in the brain tissue of affected individuals. Of these neuropathological features the extracellular amyloid plaques are the most characteristic containing a peptide termed amyloid- beta (Aβ); the major protein component of these structures. In addition a number of genetic risk factors for AD have been identified. Of these the ε4 allele of the apolipoprotein E (APOE) gene found on chromosome 19 is considered to be the main genetic risk factor attributing to about 40-60% of all AD cases in most populations. Although there is strong evidence that genetic risk factors play an important role in AD they do not actually trigger the disease process. Deficits in memory and learning are the most common clinical signs of AD in the initial stages of the disease. Neuropsychological tests such as the CAMCOG and California Verbal Learning Test (CVLT) are important diagnostic tools used for the assessment of cognition. The CAMCOG is an accurate and efficient measure of global cognitive ability, while the CVLT is more specific to areas of cognition influenced in the early stages of the disease such as verbal memory. Substantial evidence indicates that changes in sex hormones following menopause in women are important factors in AD. Specifically, the reduced levels of oestrogen in post-menopausal women have been linked to cognitive decline and an increased risk of dementia. In addition the elevated level of the gonadotropins, a characteristic of the post-menopausal period, have been implicated with the disease. Numerous nonhormonal factors such as age and education may also be associated with the development and progression of cognitive decline.

The characteristics of patient speech are used in clinical settings to make assumptions about the thought processes of people with psychotic disorders such as schizophrenia. However, there have not been any studies of the language of people with schizophrenia that present evidence drawn from a large group of speakers. This study employs a combination of quantitative and qualitative methods to determine whether 140 medicated individuals diagnosed with schizophrenia exhibit the linguistic abnormalities claimed in the literature. It also compares the speech of people with schizophrenia with that of people diagnosed with depression in order to assess whether there is a statistically significant difference in presence and/or frequency of abnormal speech between the two groups. Ultimately this study finds that all of the specific types of abnormal language behavior described in the literature do occur among a large group of individuals with schizophrenia. However, many such behaviors also occur among individuals with depression; there was a significant difference between the two groups for three of the twelve categories of language features assessed in this study, which were peculiar word choice, illogicality and distractibility. Further characteristics of the language of individuals with schizophrenia were also found, which could be a basis for improving clinical diagnostic materials.

Psychological and behavioral characteristics of female undergraduates with varying levels of disordered eating, as measured by the Questionnaire for Eating Disorder Diagnoses (Q-EDD; Mintz, O'Halloran, Mulholland, & Schneider, 1997), were investigated. Results suggest that the Q-EDD is an appropriate instrument for measuring eating disorder symptomatology. Greater disordered eating was associated with more bulimic, dieting, and weight fluctuation symptoms, higher impression management and approval-seeking needs, more dichotomous thinking, self control, and rigid weight regulation, and increased concern with body shape and dissatisfaction with facial features. Eating-disordered and symptomatic women evidenced more severe eating disorder behaviors and psychological distress than asymptomatic women. Findings are congruent with a redefined discontinuity perspective of eating disorder symptomatology. Treatment implications and campus-wide preventions are suggested.

The purpose of the study was to determine the point prevalence of cognitive dysfunction in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and to investigate its association with corticosteroids and depression. The severity of dysfunction and the pattern of cognitive changes were examined. This study hypothesized that cognitive dysfunction is common in SLE and many previous studies have underestimated its prevalence, partially due to using limited neuropsychological batteries and insensitive test instruments. It was further hypothesized that the pattern of cognitive changes in SLE patients will resemble that observed in subcortical dementias.

In order to assess flexibility in acquiring and using conflicting response rules, rats with selective lesions of the NBM or sham-lesion controls were subjected to serial reversal training in a simple operant discrimination paradigm. The NBM lesion group did not differ from the control group in acquisition of the original rules; the NBM lesion group required more time to master the changes in rules in the first reversal, but not in subsequent reversals.

[Truncated abstract] Some children with Specific Language Impairment (SLI) show poor performance on behavioural tasks designed to measure rapid auditory processing, such as the Repetition Test developed by Tallal and colleagues. Stemming from concerns about whether this task reflects higher-order, cognitive variables, this thesis sought to determine whether the performance deficits SLI children show were evident at the neurophysiological level, with minimal cognitive influences, such as attention, using paradigms designed to elicit the mismatch negativity (MMN) and late discriminative negativity (LDN). In the first two studies, a MMN paradigm, equivalent to the Repetition Test, was trialled with a group of 8 adults. In this paired paradigm, the second tone of a pair of pure tones ascending in frequency ('low'-'high') was occasionally replaced with a 'low' tone. The aim was to determine a 'long' and 'short' intra-pair interval (IPI) with which MMN was generated utilizing this paradigm and that were congruent with the Repetition Test findings (i.e., a long IPI at which SLI were able to perform the task, and a short IPI at which SLI children's performance was selectively impaired). In Study One, MMN to a within-pair frequency change was generated with the 30 ms IPI, but not the 700 ms IPI. The grouping parameters of the temporal window of integration (TWI) and temporal distinctiveness were considered less than optimal for the grouping of the pairs presented at 700 ms IPI for the pre-attentive system to register the within-pair frequency change. ... The frequency difference limens (DLs) of the SLI group were significantly higher than a group of 18 normally developing age- and intelligence-matched peers, but there was no significant difference between the groups in their performance on a control intensity discrimination task. The iii SLI group also showed poorer reading skills, yet frequency discrimination was related to oral language ability only. In the final study, MMN was measured to examine the pre-attentive neurophysiological basis of the SLI group's frequency discrimination deficit. Two frequency deviants that were just above each group's 75% DL on the frequency discrimination task were employed in a simple frequency change paradigm: 40 Hz difference for the control group, and 80 Hz difference for the SLI group. MMN and LDN were elicited in the group of 15 normally developing children to their 40 Hz suprathreshold frequency difference and to the 80 Hz difference. A significant MMN was not observed in the group of 13 SLI children to the 40 Hz difference, which was below their threshold level. However, despite discrimination at the behavioural level, MMN did not reach significance in the SLI group to their 80 Hz suprathreshold frequency difference, yet LDN was observed. MMN was larger in both groups for the 80 Hz difference. Furthermore, MMN and LDN amplitude to the suprathreshold deviants were predictive of both frequency and intensity DLs. These results suggested that SLI children have a pre-attentive neurophysiologically mediated insensitivity to small frequency differences, and that MMN (and LDN) to suprathreshold frequency deviants is a sensitive indicator of group discrimination differences and brain-behaviour relationships in children with and without SLI.

Cognitive impairment is common in multiple sclerosis (MS), with as many as 70% of patients with MS affected. Individuals with MS who experience cognitive deficits are less likely to be employed, and may have more difficulty performing independent activities of daily living. Most commonly, deficits are observed in processing speed, complex attention, and memory. Because lesion location varies widely among individuals, no clear pattern of cognitive dysfunction in MS has emerged. However, a number of risk and protective factors may influence the likelihood of individuals to develop and/or express dysfunction, though the contribution of each to specific domains of cognition has not been fully explored. Recently, support for the cognitive reserve hypothesis (i.e., enriching life experiences protect against cognitive decline despite disease burden) has emerged in the MS literature. The current study investigated the contributions of cognitive reserve to learning and memory functioning in MS and the interaction of cognitive reserve variables and risk factors known to impact cognitive functioning in individuals with MS. Finding revealed cognitive reserve protects against decline in the domains of processing speed and complex attention. Furthermore, indirect protective effects of cognitive reserve through these domains were observed for verbal learning and memory. Finally, in line with previous literature, cognitive dysfunction predicted employment status of the current sample. Clinical implications and future directions for intervention efforts are discussed.

La cognition sociale réfère à l’ensemble des processus qui nous permettent d’interagir et d’adapter nos comportements dans le monde social. Il a été suggéré que les modifications de ces aptitudes, en particulier de la Théorie de l’esprit (TdE), pouvaient être à l’origine des changements comportementaux observés dans le vieillissement normal et pathologique. L’étude de la cognition sociale dans le cadre des dégénérescences lobaires fronto-temporales (DLFT), maladies neurodégénératives associées à des troubles comportementaux importants, prend tout son sens. Toutefois, les interactions entre la TdE et les autres fonctions cognitives demeurent encore incomprises tant sur le plan cognitif que cérébral. L’objectif de cette thèse était de contribuer à une meilleure compréhension du fonctionnement conjoint de ces aptitudes en s’appuyant sur l’imagerie cérébrale. En adoptant une perspective écologique, nos résultats soulignent les liens entre les processus qui contribuent aux déficits de TdE et les bases neurales qui les sous-tendent. Ils mettent par ailleurs en évidence des déficits subtils et précoces de la TdE chez des sujets porteurs d’une mutation génétique, responsable du développement d’une forme particulière de DLFT, à la phase présymptomatique de la maladie
Social cognition refers to the set of processes that allow us to interact and to adjust our behaviours in the social world. It has been suggested that behavioural modifications observed in normal and pathological aging can be due to changes in social cognition abilities, in particular in Theory of mind (ToM). The study of social cognition within the framework of frontotemporal lobar degenerations (DLFT), pathologies associated with important behavioural disturbances, takes its full meaning. However, relationships between ToM and other cognitive functions are still poorly understood, both on cognitive and cerebral levels. The main aim of these thesis was to contribute to broader understanding of joint working of those processes with the support of brain imaging. By adopting an ecological approach, our results have underlined links between the processes that contribute to ToM deficits and the neural basis on which they rely. They further highlighted subtle and early ToM dysfunctioning in subjects carrying a genetic mutation responsible of the development of a particular FTLD disease, in a presymptomatic stage

Mutations of three genes encoding amyloid precursor protein (APP), presenilin-1 (PSEN1), and presenilin-2 (PSEN2) have been shown to reliably result in familial early-onset Alzheimer's disease (FAD); a rare, but catastrophic, subtype of Alzheimer's disease (AD) marked by symptom emergence before age 65 as well as accelerated cognitive deterioration. The current study represents the first known meta-analysis on the association of APP, PSEN1 or PSEN2 on neurocognitive variables. A total of 278 FAD mutation-carriers (FAD-MC) and 284 cognitively healthy non-mutation-carriers (NC) across 10 independent investigations meeting inclusion criteria were chosen for the current meta-analysis (random effects design). Findings revealed an overarching trend of poorer performance by FAD-MC individuals compared to NC individuals across the majority of cognitive domains identified. Significant differences in effect sizes suggested FAD-MC individuals exhibited worse performance on measures of attention, explicit memory, fluency, primary memory, verbal, and visuospatial functioning. Findings indicative of differential sensitivity to cognitive domain impairments across FAD-MC and NC groups inform neuropsychological descriptions of individuals in preclinical phases of FAD.

Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI)
The time course and biological mechanisms by which breast cancer (BC) and/or alterations in estrogen status lead to cognitive and brain changes remain unclear. The studies presented here use neuroimaging, cognitive testing, genetics, and biomarkers to investigate how post-chemotherapy interval (PCI), chemotherapy-induced amenorrhea (CIA), and genetic variation in the estrogen pathway affect the brain. Chapter 1 examines the association of post-chemotherapy interval (PCI) with gray matter density (GMD) and working memory-related brain activation in BC survivors (mean PCI 6.4, range 3-10 years). PCI was positively associated with GMD and activation in the right frontal lobe, and GMD in this region was correlated with global neuropsychological function. In regions where BC survivors showed decreased GMD compared to controls, this was inversely related to oxidative DNA damage and learning and memory scores. This is the first study to show neural effects of PCI and relate DNA damage to brain alterations in BC survivors. Chapter 2 demonstrates prospectively, in an independent cohort, decreased combined magnitudes of brain activation and deactivation from pre-to post-chemotherapy in patients undergoing CIA compared to both postmenopausal BC patients undergoing chemotherapy and healthy controls. CIA’s change in activity magnitude was strongly correlated with change in processing speed, suggesting this activity increase reflects effective cognitive compensation. These results demonstrate that the pattern of change in brain activity from pre- to post-chemotherapy varies according to pre-treatment menopausal status. Chapter 3 presents the effects of variation in ESR1, the gene that codes for estrogen receptor-α, on brain structure in healthy older adults. ESR1 variation was associated with hippocampus and amygdala volumes, particularly in females. Single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) rs9340799 influenced cortical GMD and thickness differentially by gender. Apolipoprotein E (APOE)-ε4 carrier status modulated the effect of SNP rs2234693 on amygdala volumes in women. This study showed that genetic variation in estrogen relates to brain morphology in ways that differ by sex, brain region and APOE-ε4 carrier status. The three studies presented here explore the interplay of BC, estrogen, and cognition, showing that PCI, CIA, and ESR1 genotype influence brain phenotypes. Cognitive correlates of neuroimaging findings indicate potential clinical significance of these results.

A cross-sectional, retrospective study, using data from the Victoria Longitudinal Study, was conducted to investigate the impact of impending death on test performance on the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), a measure of general cognitive functioning. Test score on the MMSE of individuals collected between one to five years before death was compared to the MMSE test score of individuals who are still alive. Results revealed a significant difference between the MMSE total score of individuals who died within three years post-measurement and survivors, and those who died between three to five years after measurement. When the individual items were analyzed, only the "WORLD" and "copy pentagon" items obtained results similar to the total score, providing support for the specificity of impending death effect on fluid abilities. The cause of death (CardioKerebro-vascular disease and non-CardioICerebro-vascular disease), however, did not differentiate the groups, suggesting that the mechanism of impending death may not be disease-related. Our results revealed that the influence of impending death on cognitive functioning could be observed on the MMSE; the source of the influence is still unknown, however. Despite the statistical significance, our findings did not appear to be clinically meaningful. As a result, our findings suggest that it may not be necessary to collect new normative data that are removed of the effects of impending death.

背景: 香港和廣州市是華南兩大發達城市，都面臨著人口老化的嚴峻形勢。由於醫療水準的提高，癡呆成為一個非常嚴重的公共健康問題。由於缺乏有效的治療手段，早期發現和干預成為減少認知功能損害及癡呆發病的最有效的措施。研究怎樣保護長者的認知功能對於公眾健康具有越來越重要的意義。越來越多的證據表明休閒活動有益於認知功能。研究表明體育鍛煉，腦力活動以及社會活動有益於認知健康，可以減少癡呆發病的風險。然而由於概念上的差異和研究方法的不同，使得目前的研究結果很難進行比較。由於社會背景會顯著影響休閒活動的參與，研究社會背景怎樣影響休閒活動對於長者認知功能的作用具有重要的意義。香港和廣州為華南兩大城市，其人口種族，基因，健康狀況及人口學特徵相似。然而在過去的一百多年中，由於歷史發展的不同，兩城市有著不同的社會系統。以上這些因素對於研究不同設計背景下的認知功能的對照研究提供了方便。研究兩地認識休閒活動與認知功能的關係，有助於評價不同社會環境對於休閒活動影響認知功能的以及社會因素對認知功能的影響。
研究目的: 本研究對於兩地長者認知功能的特點以及休閒活動的參與情況進行了比較。研究的主要目的是評估休閒活動與認知功能的關係，以及兩個城市中休閒活動與認知功能的關係。
方法: 這是一個橫斷面研究。557名非癡呆住在社區的長者參與了研究，其中香港260名，廣州297名。兩組長者在年齡，性別以及教育程度上沒有差異。休閒活動分為體育活動，智力活動，社會活動以及消遣活動。休閒活動的參與通過三種方式進行評估：種類，次數以及每週參與的小時數。一組評估量表包括：簡短精神狀態量表，詞語記憶，延遲回憶，詞語流暢性測驗，連線測驗，數位劃消測驗及Stroop測驗，用於評估兩地長者的認知功能。
兩地長者的人口學特徵，認知功能以及休閒活動的參與進行了比較，多元線性回歸用於分析每一類休閒活動與認知功能的關係，同時控制可能的混雜因素包括年齡，性別，教育程度，職業，婚姻狀況，居住情況，吸煙、酒情況，慢性疾病以及精神狀態。分層回歸用於分析每類休閒活動與認知功能的關係，同時控制其他三類休閒活動以及與認知功能顯著相關的混雜因素。
結果: 多元回歸分析表明與家人居住在一起者休閒活動的總類較多 (p=0.01)，休閒活動的時間較長 (p=0.02)。协方差分析檢驗顯示除了每週看電視的時間 （p=0.07），香港長者參與的休閒活動在種類，次數以及每週參與的小時數都明顯多於廣州長者，差異具有顯著性。兩地長者的認知功能測驗的分數未見顯著差異。體育活動（腦-身體鍛煉及有氧鍛煉）的種類與延遲回憶及詞語分類測驗顯著相關。智力活動與所有的認知功能測驗顯著相關。社會活動與語詞回憶和詞語流暢性測驗顯著相關。休閒活動與語詞回憶及連線測驗顯著相關。
多元線性回歸分析了休閒活動與認知功能的關係的同時，控制了其他三類休閒活動以及與認知功能顯著相關的協變數。分析結果顯示智力活動的種類與簡易精神狀態量表，語詞回憶，延遲回憶，詞語流暢性測驗以及數位劃消測驗顯著相關 （p<0.001）。體育活動和社會活動與認知功能未見明顯相關。消遣活動的時間與連線測驗顯著相關 （p=0.01）。休閒活動與認知功能的相關性兩地未見明顯顯著差異。
結論: 香港的長者參與了較多的休閒活動，但是認知功能測驗的分數與廣州長者卻沒有顯著差別。結果可能與之前的研究結果相矛盾，即參與較多的休閒活動與良好的認知功能相關，這可能與兩地的社會人口學的差異相關。以前的研究證明晚年的婚姻狀態與癡呆或者認知功能的下降相關。未婚或者喪偶的長者罹患癡呆症或者認知功能下降的風險性較高。香港未婚或喪偶長者較廣州多，或許這可以解釋為什麼香港長者參與較多的休閒活動，但是認知功能測驗卻未明顯優於廣州長者。同時也表明，除了休閒活動，社會因素（婚姻及居住狀況）對認知功能也有影響。
我們的研究表明參與智力活動尤其是參與各種各樣的智力活動與長者良好的認知功能相關。智力活動與認知功能的相關性在兩地沒有顯著差別，表明智力活動可在不同的社會環境中用於保護長者的認知功能。其他三類的活動與認知功能未發現有顯著相關性，這可能與智力活動的混雜效應有關，也可能與各活動之間其構成成分的重疊有關。儘管這樣，休閒活動對於認知功能的保護作用扔值得進一步研究。
Background: The two most developed cities in southern China, Hong Kong (HK) and Guangzhou (GZ), are facing rapid population aging. As a result of improvements in medical care, dementia has emerged as a crucial public health problem. With limited treatment options available, early detection and intervention are likely to be the most effective strategies to reduce subsequent impairments and morbidity. Research into the prevention of cognitive decline among older persons is crucial for public health. There is increasing evidence that participation in leisure activities has a favorable effect on cognitive function. Studies have reported that physical exercise, cognitive activity and social engagement are beneficial for cognitive health and may reduce the risk of dementia. However, interpretation of the available evidence is hampered by conceptual discrepancies and methodological variations. As the social context may significantly influence leisure activity participation, it is interesting to explore how social contexts play a role in modulating the effects of leisure activity on cognitive function in older adults. HK and GZ are two major cities in southern China, and they share very similar ethnic, genetic, health and demographic characteristics. However, owing to differences in historical development, the two cities have been run with different social systems over the past few decades. This provided a natural case-control experiment for studying the effect of the social context on cognition. Hence, this study examined the association between leisure activity participation and cognition in the two cities to evaluate the cognitive modulating effects of leisure activities in different social environments.
Objectives of the studies: The main study objectives were to compare the cognitive characteristics and leisure activity participation of the two groups; to examine the association between leisure activity participation and cognitive function and the specific associations in HK and GZ; and to explore the modulating effect of social factors on cognitive function.
Methodology: This was a cross-sectional study. Convenience sampling was used to recruit 557 participants aged 60 years and over without dementia. Of these, 260 were recruited in HK and 297 in GZ. The two groups were recruited with similar demographic characteristics (age, gender and education). Leisure activities were classified as physical, intellectual, social and recreational activities. Leisure activity participation was measured in terms of the total number and total hours of participation per week for each category of activities. A battery of cognitive tests including the Cantonese version of the Mini Mental State Exam (CMMSE), word list learning test, delayed recall test, Category Verbal Fluency Test (CVFT), trail making test, digit cancellation test and Stroop test were used to measure participants’ cognitive function.
Differences in the participants’ demographic characteristics, cognitive performances and leisure activity participation were computed. A multiple linear regression of cognitive performance on leisure activity was performed, while controlling for other categories of activities and potential confounders that were significantly associated with cognitive function.
Results: The multiple linear regression revealed that living arrangement had a significant positive association with the total number of leisure activities (p=0.01) and total hours of leisure activity participation (p=0.02). Analysis of covariance showed that participants in HK participated in more leisure activities than those in GZ, as measured by the total number of subtypes and hours per week, except total hours of recreational activities per week (p=0.07). No significant differences were found between the cognitive performances of the older persons in the two cities. Pearson’s correlation and x² tests were performed to identify the leisure activities and potential confounders that were significantly correlated with cognitive performance. The total number and total hours of intellectual activity were significantly correlated with CMMSE scores (p<0.001 and p<0.001).The total number of subtypes and total hours per week of intellectual activity (p<0.001 and p<0.001), social activity (p<0.001 and p<0.01) and recreational activity (p<0.001 and p<0.01) were significantly correlated with the word list learning test. The total number of physical activities (p<0.01), total number of intellectual activities (p<0.001) and total hours of intellectual activity (p<0.01) were significantly correlated with the delayed recall test. The total number of physical and intellectual activities (p<0.01 and p<0.001), and total hours of intellectual and social activity (p<0.01 and p<0.001) were correlated with the CVFT. The total number of intellectual activities (p<0.01)and total hours of recreational activity (p<0.01) were significantly correlated with the trail making test (p<0.001). The total number and total hours of intellectual activity were significantly correlated with the digit cancellation test (p<0.001 and p<0.001). The total number and total hours of intellectual activity were significantly correlation with the Stroop test (p<0.01 and p<0.001).
Multiple linear regression using the enter method was conducted to measure the association between leisure activities and cognitive performance. The results showed that the total number of intellectual activities was significantly associated with better performance on cognitive tests, including the CMMSE (p<0.001), word list learning test (p<0.001), delayed recall test (p<0.001), CVFT (p<0.001) and digit cancellation test (p=0.01). Total hours of recreational activity was significantly associated with the trail making test (p=0.01). Multiple linear regression using the enter method also revealed that marital status was significantly associated with the CMMSE (p=0.002), word list learning test (p=0.003), delayed recall test (p=0.002), trail making test (p<0.001) and digit cancellation test (p=0.01).
Conclusions: HK participants participated in more leisure activities than GZ participants. However, HK participants did not show better cognitive performance than GZ participants. This finding appears to be inconsistent with previous studies that found that participation in more leisure activities predicted better cognitive functioning. This inconsistency might be explained by socio-demographic differences between the two cities. Some previous studies have found an association between late-life marital status and the risk of cognitive impairment. Older persons who were unmarried or widowed were at higher risk of dementia or cognitive decline. There were more unmarried or widowed participants among HK participants. The results indicate that in addition to leisure activities, social factors (marital or living status) might also contribute to the preservation of cognitive function among the elderly.
Our results underscore the significance of intellectual activity, especially participation in a variety of intellectual activities, in maintaining better cognitive functioning in older persons. Furthermore, a similar significant association between intellectual activity and cognitive function was found for participants in both HK and GZ, suggesting that the protective effect of intellectual activity could be generalized to different social environments. We failed to find significant associations between physical, social and recreational activities and cognitive function. However, the protective effect of leisure activity participation is recommended for further investigation in future studies.
Detailed summary in vernacular field only.
Detailed summary in vernacular field only.
Detailed summary in vernacular field only.
Detailed summary in vernacular field only.
Detailed summary in vernacular field only.
Detailed summary in vernacular field only.
Detailed summary in vernacular field only.
Detailed summary in vernacular field only.
Su, Xiufang.
Thesis (Ph.D.) Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2013.
Includes bibliographical references (leaves 88-94).
Abstracts also in Chinese; appendixes in Chinese.

Afrikaans text
Skuldgevoelens is 'n emosie wat aile mense een of ander tyd in hulle lewens ervaar. Daar is egter diegene wat daagliks gebuk gaan onder skuldgevoelens en met die gevolge daarvan worstel, byvoorbeeld depressie, angsversteurings, woede-uitbarstings, ensovoorts. Skuldgevoelens se simptome demonstreer heelwat destruktiwiteit en raak persone se totale funksionering, dit is die liggaamlike, affektiewe, kognitiewe, en geestelike aspekte van menswees. Die huidige psigoterapeutiese intervensies fokus op die behandeling van die simptome van skuldgevoelens. Simptoombehandeling bring egter slegs tydelike verligting, aangesien daar met verloop van tyd ander simptome ontwikkel en/ofterugvalle voorkom. Buiten die fokus op simptome van skuldgevoelens is dit belangrik om ook as terapeut te verstaan, wat maak een persoon meer kwesbaar as 'n ander om skuldgevoelens te ontwikkel en waarom die skuldgevoelens instand gehou word. Die behandeling moet derhalwe verskuifword vanaf simptoombehandeling, na die oplossing van die oorsaak en instandhouding. Navorsing oor skuldgevoelens is hoofsaaklik gerig op die effek wat skuldgevoelens op die individu se persoonsvorming het (onder andere die ontwikkeling van patologie). Min navorsing is egter gedoen oor die oorsaak van skuldgevoelens en by name onderbewustelike skuldgevoelens. Die oorkoepelende doel van hierdie navorsing is om die dinamiese verloop van onderbewustelike skuldgevoelens in retrospek bloot te le. 'n Voorafgaande literatuurstudie oor skuldgevoelens lei die gevalstudie in. Daar word gepoog om met behulp van 'n gevalstudie die onderbewustelike persepsies en denke van die respondent bloot te le en dit te omskryf, te interpreteer en te verduidelik. Die studie het verder ook ten doel om aanbevelings vir sielkundiges, professionele hulpverleners, ouers en onderwysers te maak rakende die oorsaak en die onderbewustelike dinamiese verloop van skuldgevoelens, sodat kliente se overte gedrag binne die konteks van bulle volledige psigodinamika verstaan kan word. Literatuur oor die praktiese verloop van hipnoterapie en die motivering van die terapeut se gedagtegang en terapeutiese handeling is yl. Die navorsing poog om op hierdie gebied 'n bydrae te Iewer, aangesien die volledige terapeutiese interaksie opgeskryf is.
Guilt is an emotion which all people experience at times through the course of their lives. There are however, those who experience guilt all the time and struggle with the effects of it, for example depression, anxiety, anger, etcetera. The symptoms of guilt demonstrate destruction and influence the complete functioning of a person - body, emotions, mind, and spirit. The current psychotherapeutic interventions focus on the treatment of the symptoms of guilt. Symptom treatment brings only tempor ry relief, which is usually followed by new symptoms developing or relapses. Apart from the focus on the symptoms of guilt, it is also important that the therapist should understand why one person is more vulnerable than another person to develop guilt, and why is guilt preserved. Accordingly treatment can be shifted from symptom treatment to solving the problems of the cause and maintenance of guilt. Research on guilt focuses primarily on the effect of guilt on personality development (pathology among others). Less research has been done on the cause of guilt - especially subconscious guilt. The overall aim of this study is to uncover the dynamic course of subconscious guilt retroperspectively. A literature study on guilt serves as introduction to the case study. The research is done by means of a case study to uncover the subconscious perceptions and thoughts of the respondent, which will be described, interpreted and explained. The research will establish recommendations for Educational Psychologists, psychologists in other categories, parents and teachers to understand the cause and subconscious dynamic course of guilt. That will enable them to interpret the overt behaviour in the context of the complete psychodynamics. Literature on the practical course of therapy and the train of thoughts of the therapist is in short supply. This research seeks to contribute to filling this gap when the complete therapeutic interaction between the therapist and the client is put down in writing.
Psychology of Education
D. Ed. (Sielkundige Opvoedkunde)

A research project submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Psychology through the Faculty of Humanities, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2016
Background Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) is a reality faced by many around the world. There has been much physiological study around factors associated with CKD, as well as many studies surrounding the psychosocial impacts of the disease, with relatively less attention given to neuropsychological effects the disease can have on sufferers. This paper investigates the cognitive impacts as well as psychological impacts simultaneously, impacting on sufferers of End Stage Kidney Disease (ESKD). Methods Sixteen medically stable patients aged (M = 40.56, SD = 12.52) years with ESKD, were investigated. Eight of the patients were evaluated before and after six months of successful kidney transplant, using the Repeatable Battery for the Assessment of Neuropsychological Status (RBANS), which assessed immediate memory, visuospatial / constructional, language, and attention. They were also tested on a brief symptom inventory (BSI 18) to assess depression and anxiety in these patients. A further eight who remained on dialysis, and had not undergone renal transplant were evaluated in the same manner for comparative purposes. Results Between-group comparisons showed a statistically significant improvement in overall cognitive functioning, as well as in the specific cognitive domains of visuospatial / constructional, language and attention for participants who had undergone renal transplant surgery compared to their counterparts who had not. Results also found that there were no statistically significant differences between the levels of anxiety experienced between patients in the two groups. When assessing the differences in cognitive improvement within the transplant patient group before and after transplant, improvement in the delayed memory function of renal transplant patients post-transplant was found. Conclusion These data show improvements in delayed memory function of patients having undergone renal transplant therapy, while also highlighting a continued decline of overall cognitive functioning in patients remaining on hemodialysis therapy.
GR2017

Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI)
Methamphetamine (MA) is a widely abused psychostimulant that has been shown to evoke an array of neurobiological abnormalities and cognitive deficits in humans and in rodent models (Marshall & O'Dell, 2012). Alterations in cognitive function after repeated drug use may lead to impaired decision-making, a lack of behavioral control, and ultimately the inability to abstain from drug use. Human studies have shown that alterations in neurobiology resulting from prolonged MA use may lead to a number of cognitive deficits, including impairments in executive function, learning, memory, and impulsivity. These impairments, specifically those that engage the prefrontal cortex (PFC) or hippocampus (HC), may persist or recover based on the duration of abstinence. In rodents, repeated intermittent injections of MA yield protracted changes in neurobiology and behavior, which have been shown to effectively model a number of the biological and cognitive abnormalities observed in addiction. In order to assess the temporal evolution of impaired cognitive function throughout abstinence, sensitization was first induced in rats (7 x 5.0 mg/kg MA over 14 days). MA-treated rats initially exhibited a robust increase in locomotion that transitioned to stereotypy as the induction phase progressed. Then, the effects of MA sensitization on social interaction (SI), temporal order recognition (TOR) and novel object recognition (NOR) was assessed at one-day and 30-days post induction. No differences were observed in SI in either group or after a single injection of MA. However, an acute injection of 5.0 mg/kg of MA 30-minutes prior to testing dramatically reduced SI time. Impairments in TOR and NOR were observed in MA-treated rats after one day of abstinence, and impairments in TOR, but not NOR, were observed on day 30 of abstinence. No differences in TOR and NOR after a single injection of MA or saline were observed. These data establish that after 30 days of abstinence from a sensitizing regimen of MA, the ability to recall the temporal sequence that two stimuli were encountered was impaired and that was not attributable to impaired novelty detection. These data also suggest that at least some of the neurocognitive abnormalities caused by chronic MA administration may normalize after prolonged abstinence, since the ability to detect novelty recovered after 30 days of abstinence. These data provide compelling support that, since MA-sensitization caused temporal deficits in memory, PFC and HC function may be differentially impaired throughout the time course of abstinence.

Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI)
The purpose of the current study was to investigate the impact of emotionality on the memory of children with an autism spectrum disorder. Although emotional events enhance memory in adults and children without an autism spectrum disorder, there are different memory patterns among individuals on the autism spectrum. Specifically, individuals with autism may show a decreased advantage in memory for emotional content and may have deficits in memory for information that is not presented visually. Currently, however, there are no studies that look at how emotional content affects memory specifically in children with autism. In the current study, children with and without autism were presented with stimuli contrasting emotional and neutral content using one of two modalities, auditory and visual, and then completed memory recognition tasks for the stimuli. Results indicate that children with an autism spectrum disorder did not demonstrate enhanced memory for emotional information. Rather, they were equally able to remember emotional and neutral stimuli. Additionally, individuals on the spectrum demonstrated better memory for visual stimuli compared to their neurotypical peers. These results support the notion that individuals with an autism spectrum disorder may learn and remember material differently than those without the disorder and that educators need to acknowledge these differences as children with autism spectrum disorders continue to be integrated into classroom settings.