http://hdl.handle.net/1803/209 2013-05-13T02:09:48Z 2013-05-13T02:09:48Z Smith, Samantha E. http://hdl.handle.net/1803/5095 2012-05-08T21:28:40Z 2012-03-29T05:00:00Z

Title: Neurocognitive Effects of Radiation Therapy in Pediatric Brain Tumor Survivors Authors: Smith, Samantha E. Abstract: This study characterizes the neurocognitive late effects of treatment in pediatric brain tumor survivors by examining patterns of executive function, coping, emotional outcomes, and brain activation. We examined associations among these variables and their relationship to prefrontal cortex activation in 20 children and adolescents ages 8 to 16‐ years old who completed treatment for a pediatric brain tumor with 20 healthy controls matched on age and sex. We found partial support for our hypothesis that survivors perform worse than healthy controls on these domains and that activation patterns during executive function tasks differ. No causal relationship among executive function, coping, and emotional outcome variables was found. Findings suggest that neurocognitive deficits in survivors may be associated with impairment in prefrontal cortex integrity.

2012-03-29T05:00:00Z Venkatraman, Sneha http://hdl.handle.net/1803/5089 2012-05-01T23:07:00Z 2012-01-01T06:00:00Z

Title: The Effect of Early Family Conflict on Psychological and Biological Processes in Young Women Authors: Venkatraman, Sneha Description: The current study analyzed the association between family conflict, salivary cortisol levels, symptoms of anxiety and depression, and coping methods in young women. We hypothesize that young women with higher rates of conflict in their family background will demonstrate changes from normal levels of cortisol and total cortisol output after exposure to an acute stressor. One-hundred and sixteen female participants were recruited for this study. All were degree-seeking undergraduate students from Vanderbilt University.

2012-01-01T06:00:00Z Kramer, Lindsay B. http://hdl.handle.net/1803/5075 2012-04-30T15:49:21Z 2012-04-11T05:00:00Z

Title: Resilient Individuals Reform Their Assumptive Worlds after Stressful Life Events Authors: Kramer, Lindsay B. Abstract: Individuals develop core attitudes and beliefs that bring a sense of reality and purpose to their lives. They make up one’s assumptive world. After a particular trauma or stressful life event, one’s assumptive world is disrupted because individuals are confronted with inconsistent data that cannot be readily assimilated with their preexisting assumptions. Thus, he or she is forced to learn to cope with the situation and reappraise, or reevaluate, his or her core attitudes and beliefs. Successful coping and flexible adaption to changing demands of stressful experiences is referred to as psychological resilience. By using a survey that questioned participants about a stressful event, I hypothesized that resilient individuals would utilize accommodative-focused coping to maintain their assumptions and be able to achieve positive growth and transformation. It was found that resilient individuals maintained all assumptions, except in believing that the world is still meaningful. In addition, resilience was found to be predictive of using accommodative-focused coping and of experiencing positive growth after a stressful event. Thus, this research implies that a resilient individual is unable to justify why the event occurred to a decent and worthy person. Description: Individuals develop core attitudes and beliefs that bring a sense of reality and purpose to their lives. After a stressful life event, these attitudes and beliefs are questioned. One is forced to learn to cope and reevaluate these assumptions. By using a survey, I looked at specifically at how individuals determined resilient coped with the event and achieved positive growth and transformation. This thesis was completed for PSY 296B, Honors Seminar, with Professor Megan Saylor.

2012-04-11T05:00:00Z Wymer, Kevin M. http://hdl.handle.net/1803/5058 2012-04-01T22:35:17Z 2012-03-28T05:00:00Z

Title: Effects of Treatment on Neurocognitive and Psychosocial Development in Adolescent Brain Tumor Survivors Authors: Wymer, Kevin M. Abstract: Research on the cognitive and psychosocial effects of treatment for childhood brain tumors has consistently found deficits in these areas. However, the connections between these deficits, as well as their biological basis, are largely unidentified. This study used cognitive tests, parent questionnaires, and functional neuroimaging to further examine possible deficits in these areas of functioning. Brain tumor survivors had increased levels of neurocognitive and psychosocial problems, as well as decreased brain activation during working memory tasks as compared with healthy controls. Additionally, brain activation and social problems were found to be the best predictors of internalizing problems. These results further clarify the deficits observed in brain tumor survivors and support the hypothesis that brain tumor treatment is associated with inhibited brain activation. Description: This paper serves as a thesis for partial fulfillment of the requirements of the Honors Program in Psychological Sciences. It was completed as part of the PSY 296B Honors Thesis, with Dr. Megan Saylor.

2012-03-28T05:00:00Z