Subjective and Electroencephalographic Sleep Parameters in Children and Adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Systematic Review

Background: Sleep problems have commonly manifested in children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) with a complex and multifactorial interaction between clinical and etiological components. These disorders are associated with functional impairment, and provoke significant physical and mental affliction. The purpose of this study is to update the existing literature about objective and subjective sleep parameters in children and adolescents with ASD, extrapolating information from polysomnography or sleep electroencephalography, and sleep related questionnaires. Methods: We have conducted a systematic review of case-control studies on this topic, performing a web-based search on PubMed, Scopus and the Web of Science databases according to the Preferred Reporting items for Systematic Review and Meta-analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. Results: Data collected from 20 survey result reports showed that children and adolescents with ASD experienced a higher rate of sleep abnormalities than in typically developing children. The macrostructural sleep parameters that were consistent with subjective parent reported measures unveil a greater percentage of nighttime signs of insomnia. Sleep microstructure patterns, in addition, pointed towards the bidirectional relationship between brain dysfunctions and sleep problems in children with ASD. Conclusions: Today’s literature acknowledges that objective and subjective sleep difficulties are more often recognized in individuals with ASD, so clinicians should assess sleep quality in the ASD clinical population, taking into consideration the potential implications on treatment strategies. It would be worthwhile in future studies to examine how factors, such as age, cognitive level or ASD severity could be related to ASD sleep abnormalities. Future research should directly assess whether sleep alterations could represent a specific marker for atypical brain development in ASD

Students with autism: A light/sound technology intervention

The purpose of the study was to investigate the effectiveness of light/sound technology to promote sensory integration which facilitates the learning capacity of children with autism by reducing their high state of arousal, increasing time on task and decreasing acting-out behaviors. This research extended the work of A. Jean Ayres and Lorna King who theorized that the autistic individual\u27s brain does not register, modulate or integrate sensations that most people notice; auditory and visual inputs are ignored more than other types of sensory stimuli. This study utilized light/sound technology to stimulate and desensitize these sensory channels to facilitate processing of incoming stimuli. The technology was furnished by Dr. Harold Russell and was programmed with a microchip to control the frequency patterns. Twelve subjects were selected to participate in this eight week study; only five subjects completed. They represented schools in the Tidewater region of Virginia and Illinois. Inattention, Impulsivity, and Hyperactivity were assessed with The Attention Deficit Disorder Evaluation Scale-Home and School Versions. Comparison of the results of these measures and qualitative data were incorporated into case studies. There was improvement noted in social skills, attention and on-task behavior. The results are supportive of research conducted with learning disabled and AH/HD students conducted by Drs. Carter and Russell

Yoga as an adjuvant therapy for students enrolled in special schools for disruptive behaviour

Disruptive behaviour in children and adolescents has a negative impact on their families, schools, and communities. Common treatments include medication, behaviour management, psychosocial and family programs in various combinations. These treatments have some success, but there is need for improvement in response and relapse rates following treatment. Yoga encourages participants to be actively and independently involved in their own treatment and self-management through respiratory awareness and manipulation, postures and cognitive control. Yoga practices have a positive effect on brain wave frequencies, glucose metabolism, neurotransmitter activity and the autonomic nervous system, all of which are affected in disruptive behaviour. In young people, yoga and similar mind body approaches have been shown to reduce hyperactivity, impulsivity and inattention, aggression and anxiety. However, many of the trials involving young people, took place up to three decades ago. This research needs to be revived and applied to the school environment where the problems are most evident and where inexpensive, non-intrusive and self-management strategies are needed. Aims and Design This controlled field study, using a within and between repeated measures design examined the impact of yoga on the behaviour of students aged 8-16 years, enrolled at special schools for disruptive behaviour with the New South Wales Department of Education, Australia. Of the seventy-eight participants (five female) enrolled in the study, sixteen students acted as their own controls, fifty–five participated in yoga intervention only and seven were in the control condition only. Altogether seventy-one (71) students participated in the yoga intervention and twenty-three (23) in the control condition. Methods The yoga intervention, a 13-week comprehensive program consisting of two to three 30-40 minute sessions per week, was taught by a qualified, experienced yoga teacher who was also a specialist teacher for behaviourally disordered students (PSJ). The control group experienced the standard school program provided by the special school. Control and yoga participants were pre- and post-tested on the Conners’ Teacher and Parent Rating Scales–Revised Long Version (CTRS-R: L, CRRS-R: L), the Test of Everyday Attention for Children (TEA-Ch), the Trait component of the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) or the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory for Children (STAIC) and the Self Description Questionnaire I or II (SDQI &II). Behaviour observations were conducted using the Behaviour Assessment System for Children- Portable Observation Program (BASC-POP) in both the classroom (for control and yoga groups) and the yoga classes by blind independent observers and by the main researcher. School staff wrote comprehensive daily notes, in yoga classes and recorded students’ on- and off-task behaviours. Measures designed by the researchers consisted of the Feelings Faces Scale (FFS) that was completed after the last yoga class for the week by all students; a yoga survey (YS) requesting student perceptions of the benefits of yoga and Individual Assessments of Yoga Competence (IAYC) that were completed at the end of the yoga intervention by two subgroups. A Physical, Emotional and Mental States (PEMS) measure was administered prev and post-yoga sessions for a subgroup. Breathing patterns before, during and after the yoga relaxation session were recorded using Respiratory Inductive Plethysmography (RIP) bands in a subgroup and compared with three young people without disruptive behaviour. Results were analysed using the General Liner Model for all pre- and post-test measures. Mean scores were calculated for the FFS, the Yoga Survey and the IAYC. Visual analysis of the RIP results was conducted by researchers. Results Of 71 participants in the yoga group 12 (16.9%) attended from 7 to 10 classes; 36 (50.5%) attended from 11 to 20 classes and 23 (32.5%) attended from 21 to 35 classes. Total absences from the yoga classes (39.76%) were due to sickness and truancy (32.35%); lack of interest, (45.71%); work experience, home school visits or other school programs, (15.89%); and suspension from school (6.04%). Of the 33 students in the control group, 10 (32.35%) discontinued due to leaving the school (n=6) or truancy (n=4); 23 (67.65%) remained in the control group. Major findings were as follows: On the Conners’ Teacher Rating Scales Revised-: Long Version (CTRS-R: L), significant improvement over time was found for the yoga group (n=64) in the Oppositional subscale. No other significant changes were seen over time or in group by time interactions for the yoga (n=64) or the control groups (n=20). On the Conners’ Parent Rating Scales Revised-: Long Version (CRRS-R: L), significant improvements over time were seen in ten out of fifteen subscales for the control group (n=10) and deterioration in vi six subscales for the yoga intervention (n=16). Group by time interaction, favouring the control group was seen in thirteen subscales. Significant improvements on the Test of Everyday Attention for Children, (TEA-Ch) were seen on two subtests of focused attention and two subtests of sustained attention (one borderline) for the yoga group and two subtests of focused attention, two subtests of sustained attention and one of switching attention for the control group. No significant changes were observed on the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) or the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory for Children (STAIC) nor on the Self Description Questionnaire I or II SDQ I & II) but pre-test levels were within normal limits. Subgroup analysis of the CTRS-R: L. of students who participated in over 20 classes (n=14) indicated more pronounced significance on the Oppositional subscale. On the Behaviour Assessment System for Children-Portable Observation Program, (BASC-POP) significant group by time interaction reductions were observed in oppositional behaviour with a trend in hyperactive behaviours favouring the yoga group in the classroom. Over time, the yoga group’s (n=19) classroom behaviours indicated significant reductions in impulsive behaviour and borderline reductions in hyperactivity and total ADHD behaviours. Numbers assessed on this measure were reduced due to one rater proving unreliable (and whose ratings were discarded) and due to technical problems. The control group (n=16) showed no significant changes in classroom behaviours. Subgroup analysis of the BASC-POP for students who acted as their own controls (n=8) indicated significantly less ADHD behaviours in yoga classes at the end of the program compared with all other assessment times. In the yoga classes (n=21) at the beginning of the intervention ADHD behaviours were 33% of classroom behaviours compared with 25% at the end (n=20) of the intervention. Staff observations of yoga classes indicated on-task behavioural descriptors outnumbered off-task descriptors by approximately 4:1. Weekly selfvii reports on the Feelings Faces Scale (n ≤ 35), immediately after yoga each week, showed an overall positive response in mood, enjoyment of the program, and confidence in yoga practice. Self-report on the Physical, Emotional, Mental States measure, showed significant positive changes in physical, emotional and mental states from the beginning of yoga sessions to the end of sessions in a subgroup of students (n≤13). The Yoga Survey indicated benefits for 63% to 80% of the respondents (n=27) in six out of the seven items. On the Individual Assessment of Yoga Competence students (n=11) scored a mean of 79.64 % (SD 9.44). Breathing patterns, for students with disruptive behaviour (n=7), indicated greater stability during the relaxation compared with before and to a lesser degree after the relaxation but were not as stable as the breathing patterns of students without disruptive behaviour (n=3) throughout the testing period. Discussion Yoga as an intervention for students enrolled at behaviour school appears to have immediate positive effects as perceived by students immediately after sessions, in observations of behaviour during the yoga class, in assessed ability during a yoga class and in the stabilizing effects on breathing effort during relaxation. Collecting data on a regular basis appears to be a method of overcoming spasmodic attendance and early withdrawal. Few significant results were found on standardized measures. Results on these tests were affected by a number of methodological issues such as (i) fluctuations in attendance, (ii) withdrawals from the program weeks before post-program assessments, and (iii) to the intervention not being long viii and intense enough for parents and teachers to perceive significant changes in the environments in which the students had been ‘acting out’ for most of their childhood

General Psychology for Honors Students

What are the most effective methods to study for a test? What are the meanings of dreams? How do illusions work? With whom are you most likely to fall in love? These are just a few of the questions that have been asked by psychologists since the birth of the field as an area of scientific research in the 1870’s. This text surveys the basic concepts, theories, and pivotal findings over the past 100 years in the science of Psychology, with special emphasis on contemporary concepts and findings focused on the relation of the brain to normal and pathological behaviors. Psychology has long evolved past the psychodynamic influence to include biological, social, learning, motivational, and developmental perspectives, to name a few. Contemporary psychologists go beyond philosophical or anecdotal speculation and rely on empirical evidence to inform their conclusions. Similarly, readers will push beyond pre-existing schemas and misconceptions of the field of psychology to an understanding of contemporary quantitative research methods as they are used to predict and test human behavior. This textbook is a compilation of thirty-nine readings organized into ten sections. Introduction to Psychology (Readings 1 - 5) A brief history of psychology, followed by an introduction to contemporary psychology, an overview of the scientific method, an introduction to research design, and thinking like a psychological scientist. Psychophysiology (Reading 6 - 8) Neurons, how our brain controls our thoughts, feelings, & behavior, and an introduction to psychophysiological methods in neuroscience. Consciousness & Sleep (Readings 9 - 12) The nature of consciousness, an exploration of sleep, why we sleep, the stages of sleep, and sleep problems and disorders. Perception (Readings 13 - 14) Seeing, and on the accuracy and inaccuracy of perception. Healthy Living (Readings 15 - 16) A healthy life, and substance use & abuse. Learning & Memory (Readings 17 - 20) Learning and memory, predictive learning, operant conditioning, memories as types and stages, and how we remember, with cues to improving memory. Social Psychology (Readings 21 to 26) Conformity, obedience, power & leadership, how the social context influences helping, and determinants of helping, gender and prejudice & discrimination. Psychological Development (Readings 27 to 30) Cognitive development in childhood, theories of development, and attachment through the life course. Research methods in developmental psychology. Personality & Psychological Disorders (Readings 31 - 37) Personality, psychological disorders, diagnostics and classification, anxiety disorders, mood disorders, schizophrenia spectrum disorders, and personality disorders. Treatment (Readings 38 - 39) Therapeutic orientations and psychopharmacology. Changes to the original OER works were made by Kate Votaw and Judy Schmitt to suit the needs of the Inquiries in the Social and Behavioral Sciences course in the Pierre Laclede Honors College at the University of Missouri-St. Louis. This work was developed with support from the University of Missouri-St. Louis Thomas Jefferson Library, with special thanks to librarians Judy Schmitt and Helena Marvin

Brain connectivity and sensory stimulation in patients with disorders of consciousness

This thesis explores brain connectivity and sensory stimulation in patients with disorders of consciousness (DOC). These are serious conditions where massive brain damage can lead to a dissociation between arousal and awareness (e.g., UWS and MCS). Part I explores brain connectivity. We highlight that brain function and structure are intimately related to each other, and to consciousness. The decrease in brain function can be used to distinguish between the clinically indicated states of consciousness. Part II evaluates passive sensory stimulations. Preferred stimuli may have the power to momentarily enhance brain function, and behavioral responses

Psychology

Psychology is designed to meet scope and sequence requirements for the single-semester introduction to psychology course. The book offers a comprehensive treatment of core concepts, grounded in both classic studies and current and emerging research. The text also includes coverage of the DSM-5 in examinations of psychological disorders. Psychology incorporates discussions that reflect the diversity within the discipline, as well as the diversity of cultures and communities across the globe.https://commons.erau.edu/oer-textbook/1000/thumbnail.jp

Introduction to Psychology

Introduction to Psychology is a modified version of Psychology 2e - OpenStax

Characterisation of the Haemodynamic Response Function (HRF) in the neonatal brain using functional MRI

Background: Preterm birth is associated with a marked increase in the risk of later neurodevelopmental impairment. With the incidence rising, novel tools are needed to provide an improved understanding of the underlying pathology and better prognostic information. Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) with Blood Oxygen Level Dependent (BOLD) contrast has the potential to add greatly to the knowledge gained through traditional MRI techniques. However, it has been rarely used with neonatal subjects due to difficulties in application and inconsistent results. Central to this is uncertainity regarding the effects of early brain development on the Haemodynamic Response Function (HRF), knowledge of which is fundamental to fMRI methodology and analysis. Hypotheses: (1) Well localised and positive BOLD functional responses can be identified in the neonatal brain. (2) The morphology of the neonatal HRF differs significantly during early human development. (3) The application of an age-appropriate HRF will improve the identification of functional responses in neonatal fMRI studies. Methods: To test these hypotheses, a systematic fMRI study of neonatal subjects was carried out using a custom made somatosensory stimulus, and an adapted study design and analysis pipeline. The neonatal HRF was then characterised using an event related study design. The potential future application of the findings was then tested in a series of small experiments. Results: Well localised and positive BOLD functional responses were identified in neonatal subjects, with a maturational tendency towards an increasingly complex pattern of activation. A positive amplitude HRF was identified in neonatal subjects, with a maturational trend of a decreasing time-to-peak and increasing positive peak amplitude. Application of the empirical HRF significantly improved the precision of analysis in further fMRI studies. Conclusions: fMRI can be used to study functional activity in the neonatal brain, and may provide vital new information about both development and pathology