A preliminary investigation of the relationship between direct behavior rating and the Conners 3 teacher rating scale - short form

A growing body of evidence shows that Direct Behavior Rating (DBR) should continue to be examined as a method of behavior assessment to inform decisions about universal screening as well as progress monitoring for group or individual interventions. Researchers have looked toward DBR as a potential method to capture levels of problem behavior for use in tiered problem solving models. Most research on DBR has focused on comparing its ratings against systematic direct observation. The current study examined the correlation between DBR ratings of academic engagement and disruptive behavior with the Conners 3-Teacher Short (Conners 3-T(S)) form. This is important because the Conners 3 ratings represent a standardized measure of the severity of problem behaviors relative to same age peers, and DBR has yet to be compared with a measure of behavioral severity. In the current study, the participants were classroom teachers of students identified as experiencing problem behaviors. Students were between the ages of 5-18 and were identified by the principal as experiencing behavioral difficulties in the classroom. The correlation between DBR and Conners 3-T(S) completed by classroom teachers were analyzed using Spearman’s rho correlation coefficient. A strong positive correlation was found between DBR-Disruptive Behavior and the Conners 3-T(S) scale for Hyperactivity/Impulsivity. A moderate positive correlation was found between DBRAcademic Engagement and the Conners 3-T(S) Inattention scale. In addition, a moderate positive correlation was found between DBR-Disruptive Behavior and the Conners 3- T(S) scale Defiance/Aggression. None of the correlations were significant, and the lack of significant correlations likely resulted from a small sample size. These results suggest that a future study with a larger sample should be conducted to establish the relationship between DBR and the Conners 3-T(S). If meaningful correlations are established it would indicate that DBR is not solely a measure of the frequency of problem behavior but also measures the severity of problem behavior. This may extend the usefulness of DBR for practitioners both for purposes of multi-tiered systems of support as well as progress monitoring individual and group interventions

Deletion of the trpc4 gene and its role in simple and complex strategic learning

The TRPC4 ion channel is expressed extensively in corticolimbic and a subpopulation of midbrain dopamine neurons. While TRPC4 knockout (KO) rats exhibit reduced sociability and social exploration, little is known about the role of TRPC4 in motivation and learning. To identify a function for TRPC4 channels in learning processes  we tested TRPC4 KO and normal wild type (WT) rats. TRPC4 KO and WT rats exhibited no differences in Y-­maze learning or simple discrimination learning. Furthermore, on a more complex serial reversal shift task designed  to assess strategic learning where the reward and non-­reward cues were repeatedly reversed between training sessions both TRPC4 KO and WT rats   performed equally well. Finally, we found no   performance differences when using a conditional reversal shift task where a tone signals the reversal of reward and non-reward cues within sessions. These data suggest that although TRPC4 channels may play a role in social interaction/anxiety  they exert a minimal role in simple and complex strategic learning