Browsing by Subject "Behavior modification"

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    Correction of Habits Through Management Principles
    (CIALSA, 1987-02) Stanley, Mary J.
    The author describes how one can change behavioral patterns through the theory of self-management principle set by Fred Luthan. She uses her own habit of procrastination of undesirable tasks as an example.
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    Diet and exercise intervention adherence and health-related outcomes among older long-term breast, prostate, and colorectal cancer survivors
    (2013) Winger, Joseph G.; Mosher, Catherine E.; Rand, Kevin L.; Stewart, Jesse C.; Grahame, Nicholas J.
    Given the numerous benefits of a healthy diet and exercise for cancer survivors, there has been an increase in the number of lifestyle intervention trials for this population in recent years. However, the extent to which adherence to a diet and exercise intervention predicts health-related outcomes among cancer survivors is currently unknown. To address this question, data from the Reach out to ENhancE Wellness in Older Cancer Survivors (RENEW) diet and exercise intervention trial were analyzed. RENEW was a yearlong telephone and mailed print intervention for 641 older (>65 years of age), overweight (body mass index: 25.0-39.9), long-term (>5 years post-diagnosis) survivors of colorectal, breast, and prostate cancer. Participants were randomized to the diet and exercise intervention or a delayed-intervention control condition. The RENEW telephone counseling sessions were based on determinants of behavior derived from Social Cognitive Theory (SCT) (e.g., building social support, enhancing self-efficacy). These factors have been hypothesized to improve health behaviors, which in turn should improve health outcomes. Thus, drawing on SCT and prior diet and exercise research with cancer survivors, I hypothesized that telephone counseling session attendance would be indirectly related to health-related outcomes (i.e., physical function, basic and advanced lower extremity function, mental health, and body mass index) through intervention-period strength and endurance exercise and dietary behavior (i.e., fruit and vegetable intake, saturated fat intake). The proposed model showed good fit to the data; however, not all of the hypothesized relationships were supported. Specifically, increased telephone counseling session attendance was related to engagement in all of the health behaviors over the intervention period. In turn, (a) increased endurance exercise was related to improvement in all of the health-related outcomes with the exception of mental health; (b) increased strength exercise was solely related to improved mental health; (c) increased fruit and vegetable intake was only related to improved basic lower extremity function; and (d) saturated fat intake was not related to any of the health-related outcomes. Taken together, these findings suggest that SCT determinants of behavior and the importance of session attendance should continue to be emphasized in diet and exercise interventions. Continued exploration of the relationship between adherence to a diet and exercise intervention and health-related outcomes will inform the development of more cost-effective and efficacious interventions for cancer and other medical populations.
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    Guanabenz Reverses a Key Behavioral Change Caused by Latent Toxoplasmosis in Mice by Reducing Neuroinflammation
    (American Society for Microbiology, 2019-04-30) Martynowicz, Jennifer; Augusto, Leonardo; Wek, Ronald C.; Boehm, Stephen L.; Sullivan, William J., Jr.; Microbiology and Immunology, School of Medicine
    Toxoplasma gondii is an intracellular parasite that has infected one-third of humans. The infection is permanent because the replicative form (tachyzoite) converts into a latent tissue cyst form (bradyzoite) that evades host immunity and is impervious to current drugs. The continued presence of these parasitic cysts hinders treatment and leads to chronic infection that has been linked to behavioral changes in rodents and neurological disease in humans. How these behavioral changes occur, and whether they are due to parasite manipulation or the host response to infection, remains an outstanding question. We previously showed that guanabenz possesses antiparasitic activity; here, we show that guanabenz reproducibly lowers brain cyst burden up to 80% in chronically infected male and female BALB/cJ mice when given intraperitoneally but not when administered by gavage or in food. Regardless of the administration route, guanabenz reverses Toxoplasma-induced hyperactivity in latently infected mice. In contrast, guanabenz increases cyst burden when given to chronically infected C57BL/6J mice yet still reverses Toxoplasma-induced hyperactivity. Examination of the brains from chronically infected BALB/cJ and C57BL/6J mice shows that guanabenz decreases inflammation and perivascular cuffing in each strain. Our study establishes a robust model for cyst reduction in BALB/cJ mice and shows for the first time that it is possible to reverse a key behavioral change associated with latent toxoplasmosis. The rescue from parasite-induced hyperactivity correlates with a decrease in neuroinflammation rather than reduced cyst counts, suggesting that some behavioral changes arise from host responses to infection.IMPORTANCE Toxoplasma gondii is a common parasite of animals, including up to one-third of humans. The single-celled parasite persists within hosts for the duration of their life as tissue cysts, giving rise to chronic infection. Latent toxoplasmosis is correlated with neurological dysfunction in humans and results in dramatic behavioral changes in rodents. When infected, mice and rats adapt behaviors that make them more likely to be devoured by cats, the only host that supports the sexual stage of the parasite. In this study, we establish a new mouse model of tissue cyst depletion using a drug called guanabenz and show that it is possible to reverse a key behavior change back to normal in infected animals. We also show that the mechanism appears to have nothing to do with parasite cyst burden but rather the degree of neuroinflammation produced by chronic infection.
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    Predicting Treatment Response of Adolescents with Serious Emotional Disturbance
    (2012-03-19) Oruche, Ukamaka Marian; Gerkensmeyer, Janis E.; Austin, Joan Kessner; Wright, Eric R.; Rawl, Susan M.; Perkins, Susan M.
    Serious emotional disturbance, including disruptive disorders (i.e., attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, oppositional defiant disorder, and conduct disorder), affects large numbers of adolescents, with costly and tragic consequences. Adolescents with disruptive disorders are likely to be arrested, drop out of school, and have poor treatment outcomes. There is an urgent need to identify strengths-based factors associated with improvement in adolescents’ behavioral and social functioning to help them achieve their full potential. The purpose of this study was to determine whether change in adolescent personal strengths and change in family functioning over 12 months predicted changes in behavioral and social functioning for adolescents with disruptive disorders who participated in a System of Care (SOC) program and if findings varied by race. De-identified data from 179 adolescents, aged 12-17 years, with disruptive disorders and their caregivers were included in this secondary analysis. Data were analyzed using Pearson correlations, t-tests, chi-square tests, and multivariate multiple regressions. Upon admission to the program, caregiver ratings indicated that African American adolescents had greater personal strengths (p = .001), fewer behavior problems (p < .001), and less functional impairment (p < .001) compared to their Caucasian counterparts. Girls had more behavior problems (p = .05) and fewer personal strengths than boys (p < .001). Increase in caregiver-rated adolescent personal strengths was significantly associated with improvement in caregiver-rated adolescent behavioral and social functioning (p < .001). Change in caregiver-rated family functioning was not significantly associated with change in caregiver-rated adolescent behavioral and social functioning (p = .171). The strength and direction of predictors did not vary by race. The adolescents in the study participated in a SOC program that emphasized their strengths versus, primarily, focusing on their deficits. Change in caregiver ratings of adolescent personal strengths was a significant predictor of change in adolescent behavioral and social functioning over a 12 months period. Findings provide evidence for psychiatric mental health professionals to focus on enhancing adolescent personal strengths to improve behavioral and social functioning in adolescents with disruptive disorders. Future research is needed to understand the impact of family variables on adolescents’ treatment outcomes.
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    Report and recommendations: Research involving prisoners -- Part I
    (1976) United States. National Commission for the Protection of Human Subjects of Biomedical and Behavioral Research
    Part I of this report contains the recommendations as well as the deliberations and conclusions of the Commission and a summary of background materials.