Investigating metacognition,cognition, and behavioral deficits of college students with acute traumatic brain injuries

ABSTRACT

Objective: Executive dysfunction in college students who have had an acute traumatic brain injury (TBI) was investigated. The cognitive, behavioral, and metacognitive effects on college students who endorsed experiencing a brain injury were specifically explored. Participants: Participants were 121 college students who endorsed a mild TBI, and 121 college students with no history of a TBI were matched on sex and ethnicity to examine potential differences between groups. Methods: Participants completed the Dysexecutive Questionnaire (DEX). Results: A Rasch analysis indicated that the TBI group had significantly higher total scores on the DEX than the control group. Moreover, when compared with the control group, the students with a TBI had higher scores on all 3 subcomponents of the DEX. Conclusion: These findings suggest that students who endorse brain injuries may experience more difficulty with specific facets of college. Thus, the importance of academic and personal resources available for students with a TBI is discussed.     

Problem drinking among at-risk college students: The examination of Greek involvement,freshman status,and history of mental health problems

ABSTRACT

Objective: Scarce research has examined the combined effect of mental health difficulties and demographic risk factors such as freshman status and Greek affiliation in understanding college problem drinking. The current study is interested in looking at the interaction among freshman status, Greek affiliation, and mental health difficulties. Participants and Methods: Undergraduate students (N = 413) from a private and public Midwestern university completed a large online survey battery between January 2009 and April 2013. Data from both schools were aggregated for the analyses. Results: After accounting for gender, age, and school type, the three-way interaction indicated that the highest drinking levels were reported in freshman students who reported a history of mental health problems although were not involved in Greek life. Conclusions: Findings are discussed in the context of perceived social norms, as well as alcohol-related screenings and intervention opportunities on college campuses.     

African American Gay Men and Lesbians: Examining the Complexity of Gay Identity Development

Abstract

This article addresses the concept of gay and lesbian identity development with respect to African American gay men and lesbians. The authors suggest that the integration of one's gay identity and the coming out process are uniquely constructed for African American gay men and lesbians, who may be multiply challenged by racial prejudice, limited acceptance by the African American community, and a lack of integration into the larger, White gay community. Race, African American culture, a continuum of gay cultures, gender, and individual characteristics are suggested as salient variables that distinguish the gay identity experience of African American gays from that proposed by most gay identity models.     

Regret, disappointment and the endowment effect

The endowment effect is the finding that minimum selling prices for a particular good exceed maximum buying prices. We build on and extend previous research showing that emotions influence the endowment effect, and reveal that the two negatively valenced decision-related emotions, regret and disappointment, have distinct effects on the valuation of an object. We found that an induction of regret eliminates the classic endowment effect, whereas an induction of disappointment reverses it. The findings demonstrate the necessity of a specific emotion approach to understand the effects on decision making.     

Aggression exhibited by older dementia clients toward staff in Japanese long-term care

This study examined the experiences of staff members from seven Japanese hospitals who had been treated aggressively by older dementia clients. Altogether, 170 questionnaires were analyzed. In the past year, 75.3% and 63.5% of staff members had experienced physical and verbal aggression, respectively. Working numerous night shifts, working shifts other than 3-shifts, and being allotted assignments with clients who had a lower average level of physical capacity were the factors associated with recurrent client aggression. Those staff members who spent adequate time caring for their clients, who gained client consent before providing care, and who tried to build a trusting relationship with their clients were found to have experienced less aggression. Burnout, which is likely to enhance the risk of the staff mistreatment and neglect of older clients, was found to be higher among those who experienced aggression.     

Effects of 10-week walking and walking with home-based resistance training on muscle quality,muscle size,and physical functional tests in healthy older individuals

Background

Older individuals have been shown to present muscle atrophy in conjunction with increased fat fraction in some muscles. The proportion of fat and connective tissue within the skeletal muscle can be estimated from axial B-mode ultrasound images using echo intensity (EI). EI was used to calculate the index of muscle quality. Walking, home-based weight-bearing resistance training, and its combinations are considered simple, easy, and practical exercise interventions for older adults. The purpose of this study was to quantify the effects of walking and walking with home-based resistance training on muscle quality of older individuals.

Methods

Thirty-one participants performed walking training only (W-group; 72?±?5?years) and 33 participants performed walking and home-based resistance training (WR-group; 73?±?6?years). This study was a non-randomized controlled trial with no control group. All participants were instructed to walk 2 or 3 sets per week for 10?weeks (one set: 30-min continuous walking). In addition, the WR-group performed home-based weight-bearing resistance training. EI was measured as a muscle quality index using axial B-mode ultrasound images of the rectus femoris and vastus lateralis of the mid-thigh. We further averaged these parameters to obtain the EI of the quadriceps femoris (QF). Participants further performed five functional tests: sit-ups, supine up, sit-to-stand, 5-m maximal walk, and 6-min walk.

Results

QF EI was significantly decreased in both groups after training (W-group 69.9?±?7.4?a.u. to 61.7?±?7.0?a.u., WR-group 64.0?±?9.5?a.u. to 51.1?±?10.0?a.u.; P?<?0.05), suggesting improved muscle quality. QF EI was further decreased in the WR-group compared with the W-group. The sit-up test in both groups and the sit-to-stand and 5-m maximal walk tests in the W-group were significantly improved after training.

Conclusion

These results suggest that training-induced stimulation is associated with a decrease in EI in some thigh regions. Furthermore, the addition of home-based resistance training to walking would be effective for a greater reduction of EI.