University Students (university + student)

Distribution by Scientific Domains
Distribution within Medical Sciences

Kinds of University Students

  • female university student
  • japanese university student

  • Terms modified by University Students

  • university student knowledge

  • Selected Abstracts


    EFFECT OF A SOYBEAN PRODUCT ON SERUM LIPID LEVELS IN FEMALE UNIVERSITY STUDENTS

    CLINICAL AND EXPERIMENTAL PHARMACOLOGY AND PHYSIOLOGY, Issue 2004
    Kyoko Takahashi
    SUMMARY 1.,A dietary intervention study targeting female students by using cake containing soybean protein and isoflavone was conducted. Female students (n = 120) were divided into three Groups (A, 6.26 g of soybean protein and isoflavone at 50 mg/day; B, 1.36 g soybean protein and isoflavone 50 mg; and C, a wheat puff as placebo). Intervention period was 4 weeks. The ratio of hypercholesterol in each group indicated a high value; A: 25%, B: 17.9% and C: 24.4%. 2.,Total cholesterol as well as the rate of hypercholesterolemia decreased in Group A. The average total cholesterol significantly reduced (P < 0.001) from 242 ± 17 to 220 ± 25 mg/dL in Group A. 3.,Dietary intake of soy protein for 4 weeks could be effective in reducing CHD risk among Japanese female students with a high plasma cholesterol level. [source]


    Perceptions of Parental Acceptance-Rejection and Self-Concepts among Ukrainian University Students

    ETHOS, Issue 3 2005
    DAVID E. COURNOYER
    This report describes perceptions of parental acceptance-rejection, parental control and self-concepts in a sample of 108 university students in the city of Kharkiv, Ukraine. The students responded to Russian translations of two questionnaires: the Parental Acceptance-Rejection/Control Questionnaire (PARQ/Control) and the Personality Assessment Questionnaire (PAQ). The Ukrainian respondents generally regarded their parents as loving, warm and low in hostility, aggression, neglect and indifference. The participants also revealed moderately positive self-concepts. The now familiar pancultural correlation between perceptions of acceptance-rejection and psychological adjustment was also observed. The more accepting the participants perceived their mothers and fathers to be, the more likely the students were to hold positive self-concepts. [source]


    Migraine Among University Students in Cotonou (Benin)

    HEADACHE, Issue 6 2009
    Thierry Adoukonou MD
    Background., Few data are available on migraine among students in Africa. The aim of this study was to estimate the prevalence of migraine and describe its clinical features and associated conditions among students of the Faculty of Health Sciences of Abomey-Calavi University, in Cotonou, Benin. Methods., A cross-sectional study was prospectively conducted during the academic year 2002-2003 and included 336 students selected using systematic random sampling. Migraine was defined according International Headache Society criteria 1988. Results., The lifetime prevalence of migraine was 11.3% (95% CI: 8.2-15.3%). The prevalence was significantly higher in females (18.3%) than males (6.8%), in married-widowed (30.4%) than single (9.9%). The mean age at onset of the disease was 15.0 years ± 2.5. Migraine without aura was the more frequent form (57.9%). The mean attack frequency per month was 3.8 (±3.4) and the peak attack duration was between 4 and 6 hours. Psychological tiredness was the most frequent triggering factors (92.1%). The factors associated with migraine in multivariate analysis were female sex (OR = 2.6 [95% CI: 1.2-5.3]), single marital status (OR = 3.7 [95% CI: 1.2-11.9]) and presence of a family history of headache (OR = 2.9 [95% CI: 1.0-8.1]) Conclusion., Migraine was frequent in students in Cotonou (Benin) compared with other studies in Africa. [source]


    Cannabis: What Makes University Students More or Less Likely to Use It?

    JOURNAL OF APPLIED BIOBEHAVIORAL RESEARCH, Issue 2 2006
    Frances V. O'Callaghan
    University students' motivations for using or not using cannabis were investigated. Students (n = 189) aged 17 to 29 years completed a survey to assess their intention to use cannabis and their beliefs about (a) advantages and disadvantages of using cannabis; (b) their perceptions of what significant others think they should do in relation to cannabis use; and (c) factors that might encourage them to use or not use cannabis. Two weeks later, they completed a follow-up survey asking about their actual behavior over the previous 2 weeks. Compared to non-users, users believed more strongly that cannabis would help them fit in with their friends, feel relaxed, forget their worries, and enjoy themselves. They also believed that their close friends, partner/spouse, siblings, and workmates would approve of their using cannabis. Users believed that certain factors (e.g., force of habit, wanting to relax, feeling stressed, being around other people using cannabis) would encourage them to use, while non-users rated work and study as strong reasons for not using cannabis. Beliefs that are relevant to users and non-users in education campaigns can be targeted to reduce the negative consequences of use in tertiary settings. [source]


    Binge Drinking Affects Attentional and Visual Working Memory Processing in Young University Students

    ALCOHOLISM, Issue 11 2009
    Alberto Crego
    Background:, Binge Drinking (BD) typically involves heavy drinking over a short time, followed by a period of abstinence, and is common among young people, especially university students. Animal studies have demonstrated that this type of alcohol consumption causes brain damage, especially in the nonmature brain. The aim of the present study was to determine how BD affects brain functioning in male and female university students, during the performance of a visual working memory task. Methods:, Event-related potentials (ERPs) were recorded, with an extensive set of 32 scalp electrodes, in 95 first-year university students (age range 18 to 20 years), comprising 42 binge drinkers (BD) and 53 controls, in a visual "identical pairs" continuous performance task. Principal components analysis was used to identify and analyze the N2 (negative waveform with a latency around 200 to 300 ms related to attentional processes) and P3 (positive waveform with a latency around 300 to 600 ms related to working memory processes) components of the ERPs. Results:, In the matching condition of the task, the N2 component in central and parietal regions was significantly larger in the BD than in the control group. In the control group, the P3 component was larger in the matching than in the nonmatching condition in the frontal, central, and parietal regions, whereas the BD group did not show any significant differences between conditions in any region. Conclusions:, The results of this study confirm the presence of electrophysiological differences between young university student binge drinkers and controls during the execution of a visual task with a high working memory load. The larger N2 in the BD group suggests higher levels of attentional effort required by this group to perform the task adequately. The absence of any differences in the P3 component in the different conditions (matching and nonmatching stimuli) in the BD group suggests a deficiency in the electrophysiological differentiation between relevant and irrelevant information, which may reflect some impairment of working memory processes. [source]


    Oral Health Education Courses for University Students: Why Not?

    JOURNAL OF PUBLIC HEALTH DENTISTRY, Issue 1 2004
    Deok-Young Park PhD
    No abstract is available for this article. [source]


    Drinking and Alcohol-Related Harm Among New Zealand University Students: Findings From a National Web-Based Survey

    ALCOHOLISM, Issue 2 2009
    Kypros Kypri
    Background:, Alcohol-related harm is pervasive among college students in the United States of America and Canada, where a third to half of undergraduates binge drink at least fortnightly. There have been no national studies outside North America. We estimated the prevalence of binge drinking, related harms, and individual risk factors among undergraduates in New Zealand. Methods:, A web survey was completed by 2,548 undergraduates (63% response) at 5 of New Zealand's 8 universities. Drinking patterns and alcohol-related problems in the preceding 4 weeks were measured. Drinking diaries for the preceding 7 days were completed. Multivariate analyses were used to identify individual risk factors. Results:, A total of 81% of both women and men drank in the previous 4 weeks, 37% reported 1 or more binge episodes in the last week, 14% of women and 15% of men reported 2+ binge episodes in the last week, and 68% scored in the hazardous range (4+) on the AUDIT consumption subscale. A mean of 1.8 (95% confidence interval 1.4, 2.3) distinct alcohol-related risk behaviors or harmful consequences were reported, e.g., 33% had a blackout, 6% had unprotected sex, and 5% said they were physically aggressive toward someone, in the preceding 4 weeks. Drink-driving or being the passenger of a drink-driver in the last 4 weeks was reported by 9% of women and 11% of men. Risk factors for frequent binge drinking included: lower age, earlier age of drinking onset, monthly or more frequent binge drinking in high school, and living in a residential hall or a shared house (relative to living with parents). These correlates were similar to those identified in U.S. and Canadian studies. Conclusions:, Strategies are needed to reduce the availability and promotion of alcohol on and around university campuses in New Zealand. Given the high prevalence of binge drinking in high school and its strong association with later binge drinking, strategies aimed at youth drinking are also a priority. In universities, high-risk drinkers should be identified and offered intervention early in their undergraduate careers. [source]


    Two-Year Outcome of an Intervention Program for University Students Who Have Parents With Alcohol Problems: A Randomized Controlled Trial

    ALCOHOLISM, Issue 11 2007
    Helena Hansson
    Background:, Only a few intervention studies aiming to change high-risk drinking behavior have involved university students with heredity for alcohol problems. This study evaluated the effects after 2 years on drinking patterns and coping behavior of intervention programs for students with parents with alcohol problems. Method:, In total, 82 university students (57 women and 25 men, average age 25 years) with at least 1 parent with alcohol problems were included in the study. The students were randomly assigned to 1 of the 3 programs: (i) alcohol intervention program, (ii) coping intervention program, or (iii) combination program. All the 3 intervention programs were manual based and individually implemented during 2 2-hour sessions, 4 weeks apart. Before the participants were randomly assigned, all were subjected to an individual baseline assessment. This assessment contained both a face-to-face interview and 6 self-completion questionnaires: the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test, estimated Blood Alcohol Concentration, Short Index of Problems, the Symptom Checklist-90, Coping with Parents' Abuse Questionnaire, and The Interview Schedule for Social Interaction (ISSI). Follow-up interviews were conducted after 1 and 2 years, respectively. The results after 1 year have previously been reported. Results:, All participants finished the baseline assessment, accepted and completed the intervention. Ninety-five percent of the students completed the 24-month follow-up assessment. Only the group receiving the combination program continued to improve their drinking pattern significantly (p < 0.05) from the 12-month follow-up to the 24-month follow-up. The improvements in this group were significantly better than in the other 2 groups. The group receiving only alcohol intervention remained at the level of improvement achieved at the 12-month follow-up. The improvements in coping behavior achieved at the 12-month follow-up remained at the 24-month follow-up for all the 3 groups, i.e., regardless of intervention program. Conclusion:, Positive effects of alcohol intervention between 1 and 2 years were found only in the combined intervention group, contrary to the 1-year results with effects of alcohol intervention with or without a combination with coping intervention. [source]


    Languaging: University Students Learn the Grammatical Concept of Voice in French

    MODERN LANGUAGE JOURNAL, Issue 1 2009
    MERRILL SWAIN
    In this article we explore the process and product of languaging as it concerns the learning of the grammatical concept of voice (active, passive, and middle) in French. We examine and analyze the amount and type of languaging produced by a small sample of university students as they struggle to understand the concept of voice. Students who are high languagers learn about the grammatical concept of voice in French with greater depth of understanding than low languagers. We demonstrate that there is a relationship between the quality and quantity of languaging and performance as measured by immediate and delayed posttest stages. These findings suggest that languaging is a key component in the internalization process of second language grammatical concepts. Implications of our research for pedagogy are briefly considered. [source]


    Linguistic Capital and Academic Achievement of Canadian- and Foreign-Born University Students

    CANADIAN REVIEW OF SOCIOLOGY/REVUE CANADIENNE DE SOCIOLOGIE, Issue 2 2008
    J. PAUL GRAYSON
    Au Canada, plusieurs universités prennent des mesures pour recruter des immigrants ou leurs enfants et satisfaire leurs besoins,et parmi eux plusieurs ont l'anglais comme langue seconde. Il n'y a pas de recherches au Canada qui comparent la progression potentielle du capital linguistique des étudiants ayant l'anglais comme langue seconde et celui des autres étudiants au fil de leur parcours universitaire, avec les relations entre les progressions du capital linguistique et de l'acquisition des connaissances. L'auteur montre dans cette étude que, contrairement aux étudiants canadiens et ceux nés à l'étranger pour lesquels l'anglais est la première langue, le capital linguistique des étudiants nés à l'étranger dont l'anglais est une langue seconde s'accroît au cours des quatre années d'études universitaires. Cependant, cette augmentation du capital linguistique ne correspond pas à une augmentation de l'acquisition des connaissances. In Canada, many universities are taking steps to recruit and meet the needs of immigrants and/or their sons and daughters, many of whom have English as a second language (ESL). There is, however, no research in Canada comparing potential increases in the linguistic capital of ESL and other students over the course of their university careers and the connection between increases in linguistic capital and academic achievement. In this study, it is shown that in contrast to Canadian- and foreign-born students for whom English is a first language, and Canadian-born ESL students, the linguistic capital of foreign-born ESL students increases over 4 years of university study; however, this increase in linguistic capital is not paralleled by an increase in academic achievement. [source]


    Mediator mentors: Improving school climate, nurturing student disposition

    CONFLICT RESOLUTION QUARTERLY, Issue 1 2003
    Pamela S. Lane-Garon
    Mediator Mentors, a collaborative research and service project, was begun by California State University-Fresno faculty and the staff of an elementary school (K,8) in the Central San Joaquin Valley. The purpose of the research was to assess conflict resolution program effects on students (N = 300) and school climate. Cross-age mentoring is an important component of this collaborative project. University students preparing for roles in helping professions served as mentors to elementary students. Impacts on student cognitive and affective perspective taking were assessed and student perceptions of school safety were explored. [source]


    Neediness and connectedness and the five-factor model of personality

    EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF PERSONALITY, Issue 2 2006
    David M. Dunkley
    Abstract This study examined maladaptive and relatively more adaptive forms of dependency, as measured by the neediness and connectedness factors of the Depressive Experiences Questionnaire (DEQ; Blatt, D'Afflitti, & Quinlan, 1976), within a comprehensive scheme of personality provided by the revised NEO Personality Inventory (NEO-PI-R; Costa & McCrae, 1992). University students (n,=,475) completed the DEQ, NEO-PI-R, and a measure of depressive symptoms. Results indicated that neediness reflected anxiety, self-consciousness, vulnerability, unassertiveness, and inactivity, whereas connectedness reflected anxiety, warmth, agreeableness, and valuing of relationships. Neediness demonstrated stronger relations than connectedness with depressive symptoms. These results support the validity of DEQ neediness and connectedness as measures of maladaptive and relatively more adaptive forms of dependency. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source]


    How acts of forgiveness restore a sense of justice: Addressing status/power and value concerns raised by transgressions

    EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY, Issue 3 2010
    Michael Wenzel
    Commonly it is understood that forgiveness means sacrificing justice. However, the present study shows that the act of forgiving can increase a sense of justice, which in turn facilitates benevolent sentiments towards the offender. University students (N,=,88) imagined themselves as victims and, after the offender either did or did not offer an apology, they either were or were not instructed to express their forgiveness to the offender (via an email). Results showed that, irrespective of apology, the expression of forgiveness led to a greater sense of justice in victims, mediated via feelings of status/power and the perception of a value consensus with the offender. The feeling of justice further mediated the effects of the forgiveness expression in terms of reducing hostile emotions, revenge motivation and retributive attitudes, as well as increasing the willingness to reconcile with the offender. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source]


    Competing Masculinities: Fraternities, Gender and Nationality in the German Confederation, 1815,30

    GENDER & HISTORY, Issue 2 2008
    Karin Breuer
    Immediately after the Wars of Liberation against Napoleon (1815), university students, particularly the nationalist fraternity, the Burschenschaft, sought to connect the German nation with martial values. They practised gymnastics, duelled and commemorated veterans of the Napoleonic wars. The era after the Wars also illustrates greater mediation in the discourse of masculinity than has generally been acknowledged, however. University students never achieved consensus on what masculine identity or German identity entailed. By applying enlightened principles to notions of honour and the practice of the duel, Burschenschafter also articulated a new, more moral vision of the German man, one based more on rationality and self-discipline than on martial values. [source]


    Helicobacter pylori Infection is Associated with Reduced Circulating Ghrelin Levels Independent of Body Mass Index

    HELICOBACTER, Issue 5 2005
    Akiko Shiotani
    ABSTRACT Background., Ghrelin stimulates growth hormone and has orexigenic and adipogenic effects. Plasma ghrelin levels are reduced in obesity and possibly in Helicobacter pylori infection. Aim., To investigate whether there was a relation between H. pylori infection, body mass index (BMI) and serum ghrelin or leptin levels. Methods., University students undergoing an annual health check-up were invited to participate. H. pylori status was based on the presence of specific IgG H. pylori antibodies in urine. Fasting serum ghrelin, leptin levels, and pepsinogen I and II levels were measured by enzyme immunoassay (EIA). Results., Eight hundred and one students volunteered. There was no significant difference in the height and BMI between those with and without H. pylori infection. The population of ghrelin study consisted of 132 (66 H. pylori -positive and 66 H. pylori -negative) students matched for age, sex, and BMI. The ghrelin level in the H. pylori -positive group was significantly lower (median 55 pmol/l) compared to the H. pylori- negative group (103 pmol/l) (p < .00001). Leptin, triglyceride, total cholesterol, and HDL-cholesterol were not different between the two groups, whereas LDL-cholesterol levels were significantly higher (106 versus 100 mg/dl) (p = .03) in the H. pylori -positive group. Leptin levels correlated with the BMI (r = 0.53) (p < .00001). Among H. pylori -positive subjects, ghrelin correlated only with pepsinogen I levels (r = 0.26, p = .04). Conclusions.,H. pylori infection was associated with a reduction in circulating ghrelin levels independent of sex and BMI. [source]


    Images of poverty and attributions for poverty: does higher education moderate the linkage?,

    INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF NONPROFIT & VOLUNTARY SECTOR MARKETING, Issue 2 2009
    Ishbel McWha
    ,Development Education' is a topical phrase describing campaigns to raise public awareness about global poverty, but how do such processes interact with more formal learning experiences, for example in Higher Education? One hundred and seventy-one final-semester Business versus Social Science University students experienced a conventionally ,cropped' (child's face only) versus ,full' (face-plus-context) campaign-like image of a child in poverty. They also completed the attribution-focused ,Causes of Third-World Poverty Questionnaire' (CTWPQ). Business students tended to disagree less than social science students with blaming-the-poor for poverty. More importantly, a cropped image condition resulted in significantly elevated blame-the-poor scores among business students, but not those in social science. Interactions like this suggest that campaign images can be psychologically tailored to differently educated market segments. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source]


    "Moo U"and the 26th Amendment: Registering for Peace and Voting for Responsive City Government

    PEACE & CHANGE, Issue 1 2004
    Clyde Brown
    In July 1971 the 26th Amendment became part of the U.S. Constitution. As a result, over eleven million eighteen- to twenty-year-olds gained the right to vote. Among them were a group of Iowa State University students in Ames, many of them active opponents of the Vietnam War. Starting with a statewide weekend Register for Peace conference in August 1971 as part of Allard Lowenstein's "Dump Nixon" movement, they engaged in an extensive voter registration drive on campus. Motivated by perceived excesses of local political authority during the May 1970 Cambodian invasion and Kent State,Jackson State protests and mistreatment of counterculture youth, they organized a broad coalition and endorsed a slate of candidates in the November municipal election. They conducted a comprehensive voter education and get-out-the-vote effort, modeled on anti-Mayor Daley aldermanic campaigns in Chicago, which resulted in victory for their candidates and in a city government more responsive to their concerns. [source]


    A comparative study of knowledge about and attitudes toward the combined oral contraceptives among Korean and Japanese university students,

    PHARMACOEPIDEMIOLOGY AND DRUG SAFETY, Issue 10 2004
    Hyun-Ja Lim RN
    Abstract Purpose To compare university students' knowledge about and attitudes toward the combined oral contraceptives (COC) in two countries with different pharmaceutical systems (Japan and Korea), and to explore the reasons limiting the use of the COC in these populations. Methods University students in Korea and Japan completed a questionnaire containing a total of 55 questions about the students' demographics (8 questions), knowledge about the COC (15 questions), attitudes toward the COC (24 questions) and the reasons for limited use of the COC among the population (8 questions). Results Male students' attitudes toward the COC were significantly more positive than those of female students in Korea, but not in Japan. Knowledge about and attitudes toward the COC did not differ significantly between the two countries. The age at which students desired to use the COC was significantly correlated with age in both countries. There were significant correlations between knowledge about and attitude towards the COC in both countries and between age and attitude towards the COC in Japan. In both countries, the most commonly cited reasons for limited use of the COC were concern about adverse side effects. Conclusions These results confirm the need to develop appropriate sex education programs in Korea and Japan. Cultural differences and differences in the pharmaceutical and medical systems between the two countries should be considered when designing sex education programs for young people in Korea and Japan. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source]


    Saving graces: Impact of partner support and maternal attachment on partner attachments in an individualistic and a collectivist context

    ASIAN JOURNAL OF SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY, Issue 1 2010
    Man Yee Ho
    The current study investigated the relationships between current attachment to mother and attachment to romantic partners, and the role of current partner support and culture as moderators of that relationship. University students who were currently in a romantic relationship were recruited from Hong Kong and USA, and completed measures on attachment styles and partner support. Results showed that maternal attachment anxiety was correlated with romantic attachment anxiety; maternal attachment avoidance was correlated with romantic attachment avoidance, but this linkage varied by level of current partner support. Romantic attachment avoidance was also associated with current partner support, but this linkage was stronger for HK Chinese than for Americans. These results are discussed in terms of how interpersonal and personality factors promoted by culture can affect the developmental course of romantic relationships. [source]


    Historically Black Colleges and University students' and faculties' views of school psychology: Implications for increasing diversity in higher education,

    PSYCHOLOGY IN THE SCHOOLS, Issue 7 2009
    Scott L. Graves Jr.
    This study investigates Historically Black Colleges and University (HBCU) students' and faculties' knowledge related to school psychology. A total of 165 students and 14 faculty members completed inventories that assessed the understanding and views of various psychological disciplines. Results indicated that HBCU students rated their perceived knowledge of school psychology significantly lower than all psychological disciplines. In addition, these students have significantly fewer sources of information for school psychology than comparable disciplines. Although more than 90% of students stated that they would attend graduate school, the majority was only somewhat interested in school psychology as a career choice. Furthermore, HBCU psychology faculty members stated that the American Psychological Association and the National Association of School Psychologists do not actively recruit or provide information to their students. Results are discussed in terms of increasing the number of African American school psychologists. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. [source]


    Gesture and Creating Zones of Proximal Development for Second Language Learning

    MODERN LANGUAGE JOURNAL, Issue 2 2002
    Steven G. McCafferty
    This study investigated the role of gesture in and of itself and in conjunction with speech in creating zones of proximal development (ZPD) for second language learning and teaching. A university student of English, newly arrived in the United States, was videorecorded once a week in conversational interaction with an American graduate student, an ESL/EFL teacher, over two different periods lasting 15 weeks altogether. The view taken in the study of Vygotsky's concept of the ZPD follows that of Newman and Holtzman (1993), who argued that it primarily concerns revolutionary activity, that learning and teaching transforms as a consequence of interacting in the ZPD, and that this affects all participants. Findings indicate the important role that gesture played both in promoting language learning and in facilitating positive interaction between the two participants, helping to create a sense of shared social, symbolic, physical, and mental space. [source]


    Changing school climate one mediator at a time: Year-one analysis of a school-based mediation program

    CONFLICT RESOLUTION QUARTERLY, Issue 4 2006
    Christina Cassinerio
    An urban middle school,university mediation program that emphasizes mentoring of middle school peer mediators by university students is described. Student social-cognitive dispositions, perceptions of school climate, conflict strategy choices, and related conflict behaviors are analyzed on the basis of assessments administered after one year of program implementation. [source]


    Factorial validity of the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire in men and women

    DEPRESSION AND ANXIETY, Issue 4 2001
    Kristi D. Wright B.A.
    Abstract In an effort to confirm the factorial validity of the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ) across sex, the items from the CTQ for 916 university students were subjected to confirmatory factor analysis. Results indicated that the factor structure for the CTQ was significantly different for men and women. For women, the items from the Physical Abuse subscale did not create a stable factor and thus appear not to be conceptually valid. Conversely, for men, the five-factor model provided a relatively good fit to the data. This investigation provides important information regarding sex differences in the factorial validity of the CTQ. Implications and future research directions are discussed. Depression and Anxiety 13:179,183, 2001. © 2001 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source]


    Behavioral response to methylphenidate challenge: Influence of early life parental care

    DEVELOPMENTAL PSYCHOBIOLOGY, Issue 5 2009
    Veronika Engert
    Abstract Rat studies have shown that pups subjected to suboptimal rearing conditions exhibited permanently dysregulated dopamine activity and altered behavioral responses to dopamine stimulation. In humans, heightened stress-induced mesoaccumbens dopamine release in adults reporting low maternal care experience has been shown. We explored the relationship between quality of parental care and behavioral responsivity to reward and 20,mg of the dopamine agonist methylphenidate (MPH). Forty-three male university students accomplished a monetarily rewarded card-sorting task in a placebo controlled between-subjects study design. In participants scoring above the cut-off score for high parental care as assessed by the Parental Bonding Inventory, MPH decreased performance accuracy in the reward condition of the task. Contrarily, reward-induced performance accuracy of low care participants was enhanced with MPH. Activity measures in response to reward and MPH were uninfluenced by parental care. This is the first human study to reveal that the behavioral MPH response interacts with early life parental care experience. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Dev Psychobiol 51: 408,416, 2009. [source]


    Judgements of facial and vocal signs of emotion in infants with down syndrome

    DEVELOPMENTAL PSYCHOBIOLOGY, Issue 8 2006
    Fernando Carvajal
    Abstract We address how adults perceive facial and vocal signs of emotions in infants with and without Down syndrome. A set of naturalistic data from infants with trisomy 21 and typically developing infants (joy expression of young infants, 3.8,4.4 months, and anger and neutral expressions of older infants, 6.8,12.8 months) was rated by adult judges categorically or dimensionally. Facial signs alone, vocal signs alone, and both facial and vocal signs were presented for each expression. Raters were university students who did not have regular contact with infants, nor with people with mental retardation. Young infants' joy expressions were correctly recognized more frequently for typically developing infants than for infants with Down syndrome and, specifically, joy vocalizations in infants with Down syndrome were not identified. Facial signs were also more communicative than vocal signs in the case of older infants' anger and neutral expressions. These results are relevant to the way infant emotion is perceived by others, and may be particularly useful in facilitating interaction between adults and infants with Down syndrome. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Dev Psychobiol 48: 644,652, 2006 [source]


    The prevalence of Dyslexia among art students

    DYSLEXIA, Issue 1 2002
    Ulrika Wolff
    Abstract It is widely held opinion that dyslexia is associated with remarkably artistic creativity. Speculations on different brain structures and brain functions have been proposed as an explanation. Very few objective studies have been reported that confirm the conjectures on the relationship between dyslexia and artistic creativity. Two studies are reported on the prevalence of dyslexia among university students,one group of art students and one group of students from non-art disciplines. The admission to the art schools were extremely demanding, possibly implying that the students were genuinely talented, and that their choice of training did not reflect a compensation for failure in conventional academic fields. Art academy students reported significantly more signs of dyslexia than non-art university students. Objective testing showed that art students had significantly poorer phonological skills than non-art students. Thus, according to self-reports combined with objective testing, the incidence of dyslexia was far higher among art students. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source]


    Correlation between attenuated psychotic experiences and depressive symptoms among Japanese students

    EARLY INTERVENTION IN PSYCHIATRY, Issue 3 2010
    Hiroyuki Kobayashi
    Abstract Aims: To examine the emergence of attenuated psychotic experiences, self-disturbance or affective symptoms among younger subjects in the general population and to investigate the intergroup differences on each symptom between adolescents and post-adolescents. Methods: A total of 781 participants, 496 university students (mean age: 19.3 ± 1.1 years) and 285 high school students (mean age: 16.0 ± 0.3 years), were administered self-reported questionnaires. Psychotic prodromal symptoms were evaluated using the PRIME Screen-Revised (PS-R), a 12-item self-reported questionnaire. To measure the cognitive, emotional and physical symptoms associated with depression, the Zung Self-rating Depression Scale (ZSDS), a 20-item self-reported questionnaire, was administered. Results: There were no intergroup differences on the factor score of the PS-R, except the self-demarcation factor (post-adolescents > adolescents), whereas there were significant differences in the factor score of the ZSDS, except for the anxiety factor. Among the post-adolescents, the factors of the PS-R showed a moderate correlation to the cognitive factor on the ZSDS; among the adolescents, the PS-R factors showed a greater correlation to the anxiety factor on the ZSDS than other factors. There were no differences in the distribution of each item of the PS-R between the two groups. Conclusions: The disturbance of self results in difficulty to precisely objectify, especially among adolescents, which would induce more primitive reactions such as agitation, irritability or anxiety; probably, the self disturbance would become an explicit symptom from an implicit experience with advancing age of the subject. Although these data are only preliminary, they could explain the pathway of progression prior to the onset of psychosis, from disturbance within the self to exaggerated self-absorption. [source]


    Reactivity to alcohol assessment measures: an experimental test

    ADDICTION, Issue 8 2009
    Scott T. Walters
    ABSTRACT Aims Previous research has suggested that alcohol screening and assessment may affect drinking. Design This study was a randomized test of reactivity to alcohol assessment questionnaires among a group of heavy drinking college students. Setting and participants A total of 147 university students completed a screening questionnaire and were randomized to either immediate assessment or delayed assessment. The immediate assessment group completed a set of drinking questionnaires at baseline, 3, 6 and 12 months, while the delayed assessment group completed questionnaires only at 12 months. Measurements Primary outcomes included overall volume of drinking, risky drinking and use of risk reduction behaviors. Findings We found a significant effect of assessment on measures of risky drinking and risk reduction behaviors, but not on overall volume of drinking. Specifically, at 12 months, participants who had previously completed drinking assessments had a lower peak blood alcohol concentration (BAC) (d = ,0.373), were more likely to report a low score on the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT; odds ratio = 2.55) and tended to use more strategies to moderate their alcohol consumption (d = 0.352). Risk reduction behaviors that were affected tended to be those that limited alcohol consumption, rather than those that minimized consequences. Conclusions These results may have implications for the development of brief interventions. [source]


    Lifetime alcohol use, abuse and dependence among university students in Lebanon: exploring the role of religiosity in different religious faiths

    ADDICTION, Issue 6 2009
    Lilian A. Ghandour
    ABSTRACT Aims To examine alcohol consumption and the role of religiosity in alcohol use disorders in Christian, Druze and Muslim youth in Lebanon, given their distinct religious doctrines and social norms. Methods Using a self-completed anonymous questionnaire, data were collected on 1837 students, selected randomly from two large private universities in Beirut. Life-time abuse and dependence were measured as per the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual version IV. Findings Alcohol use was more common in Christians, who started drinking younger and were twice as likely to be diagnosed with abuse and dependence. However, among ever drinkers, the odds of alcohol use disorders were comparable across religious groups. Believing in God and practising one's faith were related inversely to alcohol abuse and dependence in all religious groups, even among ever drinkers (belief in God only). The associations were sometimes stronger for Muslims, suggesting that religiosity may play a larger role in a more proscriptive religion, as postulated by,reference group theory'. Conclusions Students belonging to conservative religious groups may be shielded from the opportunity to try alcohol. Once an ever drinker, however, religion is not related to the odds of an alcohol use disorder. Religiosity (i.e. belief in God and religious practice) is, nevertheless, related inversely to alcohol-related problems, even among drinkers. Findings from this culturally and religiously diverse Arab country corroborate the international literature on religion, religiosity and alcohol use, highlighting potential differences between Christians and Muslims. [source]


    Alcohol outlet density and university student drinking: a national study

    ADDICTION, Issue 7 2008
    Kypros Kypri
    ABSTRACT Aims To examine the geographic density of alcohol outlets and associations with drinking levels and related problems among university students. Design Cross-sectional survey study using geospatial data, with campus-level and individual-level analyses. Participants A total of 2550 students (mean age 20.2, 60% women) at six university campuses in New Zealand (63% response). Measurements Counts of alcohol outlets within 3 km of each campus were tested for their non-parametric correlation with aggregated campus drinking levels and related problems. Generalized estimating equations were used to model the relation between outlet counts within 1 km and 3 km of student residences and individual drinking levels/problems, with control for gender, age, ethnicity and high school binge drinking frequency, and adjustment for campus-level clustering. Findings Correlations for campus-level data were 0.77 (P = 0.07) for drinking and personal problems, and 0.31 (P = 0.54) for second-hand effects. There were consistent significant associations of both on- and off-licence outlet densities with all outcomes in student-level adjusted models. Effects were largest for 1 km densities and off-licence outlets. Conclusions There are positive associations between alcohol outlet density and individual drinking and related problems. Associations remain after controlling for demographic variables and pre-university drinking, i.e. the associations are unlikely to be due to self-selection effects. Increasing alcohol outlet density, and particularly off-licences, may increase alcohol-related harm among university students. [source]