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Effects of Assisted Cycle Therapy on Short Term and Working Memory in Adolescents with Down Syndrome

Description

To examine the effect of an 8-week cycling intervention on short term and working memory in adolescents with Down syndrome (DS), participants were divided into Assisted Cycling Therapy (ACT), Voluntary Cycling (VC), or No Cycling (NC) groups. Forward and backward digit span assessments were administered prior to and after the…

To examine the effect of an 8-week cycling intervention on short term and working memory in adolescents with Down syndrome (DS), participants were divided into Assisted Cycling Therapy (ACT), Voluntary Cycling (VC), or No Cycling (NC) groups. Forward and backward digit span assessments were administered prior to and after the intervention to evaluate short term and working memory respectively. 8 weeks of exercise via ACT showed a trend toward conventional levels of significance in the number of levels completed in the backward direction.

ContributorsSandoval-Menendez, Amber Melanie (Author) / Ringenbach, Shannon (Thesis director) / Amazeen, Eric (Committee member) / Blais, Chris (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / School of Nutrition and Health Promotion (Contributor)

Created2015-05

From Monsters to Medicine: A Historical Analysis of Changes in the Field of Teratology Over the Twentieth Century

Description

This project focuses on the history of how teratogens, or agents which have the potential to cause birth defects, have been understood and tested for teratogenic potential in the US over the twentieth century. Prior to this time, teratogen studies were primarily concerned with cataloguing defects rather than exploring possible…

This project focuses on the history of how teratogens, or agents which have the potential to cause birth defects, have been understood and tested for teratogenic potential in the US over the twentieth century. Prior to this time, teratogen studies were primarily concerned with cataloguing defects rather than exploring possible causes. At the turn of the twentieth century, experimental teratogen studies with the aim of elucidating mechanisms commenced. However, these early studies did not aim to discover human pregnancy outcomes and ways to prevent them, but simply focused on the results of exposing pregnant mammals to various physical and chemical insults. My project documents the change in understanding of teratogens over the twentieth century, the advancement of testing methods, and the causes of these advancements. Through the Embryo Project at Arizona State University (embryo.asu.edu), a digital encyclopedia for topics related to embryology, development, and reproductive medicine, I wrote ten encyclopedic articles that focused on chemical mechanisms of various teratogens, testing limitations in animal models, and legal and regulatory responses to well-known teratogens. As an extension of my previous work, this project bridges the current gap in research and focuses on contextualizing major events in the field of teratology to determine how these events led to various shifts in the understanding of birth defects and their causes, and how those conceptual shifts led to the creation of teratological testing guidelines. Results show that throughout the twentieth century, there are four distinct shifts in the understanding of teratogens: the first being 1900-1945, the second being 1946-1960, the third being 1961-1980, and the fourth being 1981-2000.

ContributorsTantibanchachai, Chanapa (Author) / Maienschein, Jane (Thesis director) / Laubichler, Manfred (Committee member) / O'Neil, Erica (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / School of Life Sciences (Contributor)

Created2014-05

Timeline of Changes in Mammography Guidelines in the United States

Description

Background: Breast cancer affects about 12% of women in the US. Arguably, it is one of the most advertised cancers. Mammography became a popular tool of breast cancer screening in the 1970s, and patient-geared guidelines came from the American Cancer Society (ACS) and the US Preventative Task Force (USPSTF). This…

Background: Breast cancer affects about 12% of women in the US. Arguably, it is one of the most advertised cancers. Mammography became a popular tool of breast cancer screening in the 1970s, and patient-geared guidelines came from the American Cancer Society (ACS) and the US Preventative Task Force (USPSTF). This research focuses on ACS guidelines, as they were the earliest as well as the most changed guidelines. Mammography guidelines changed over time due to multiple factors. This research has tracked possible causes of those changes. Methods: Research began with an extensive literature search of clinical trials, the New York Times and the Washington Post archives, systematic reviews, ACS and USPSTF archives. Results and Discussion: ACS was the first organization to provide easily accessible patient geared mammography guidelines. The guidelines have changed six times since 1976. The first came after a large clinical trial, which screened 60,000 women and showed that mammography use decreased breast cancer deaths by 30%. During the 1980s and 1990s, anti-cancer lobbyists and health insurance companies were in conflict, as the former pushed for more frequent mammography screening while the latter pushed for less. The USPSTF published their first guidelines in 2002, separated women into different age groups, and suggested screening intervals, but also included a rating of evidence quality (A-I) that supported the screening recommendation. They changed in 2009 and 2016. The frequent changes had different, not all purely scientific and evidence-based causes. The political influence of anti-cancer activists, as well as media coverage, increased public interest in mammography, which in turn influenced changes in mammography guidelines, sometimes against scientific evidence. Most changes moved towards more frequent screening for women older than 40, and less frequently for younger women, probably because multiple clinical trials had found that mammography was not useful for younger women with no history of breast cancer. There was also growing evidence of overdiagnosis and overtreatment risks from frequent mammography use. Conclusions: The patient-geared mammography guidelines have changed due to multiple and not always well-grounded factors, such as public interpretations of mammography usefulness, social attention to mammography, and influence of different stakeholders at the time. Some changes have resulted solely from political and social factors, disregarding building scientific and clinical evidence against frequent mammography use.

ContributorsZiganshina, Dina Ayratovna (Author) / Maienschein, Jane (Thesis director) / Abboud, Alexis (Committee member) / Abboud, Carolina (Committee member) / School of Nutrition and Health Promotion (Contributor) / School of Life Sciences (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)

Created2018-05

Contributing to a meta-analysis on the effects of acute physical exercise on the executive functions of preadolescent children, adolescents and adults

Description

The purpose of this study, originally, was to contribute to the completion of a meta-analysis conducted by Mara Wierstra from the University of Virginia. Wierstra had requested individual participant data from two separate studies conducted in our lab: "Acute bouts of assisted cycling improves cognitive and upper extremity movement functions…

The purpose of this study, originally, was to contribute to the completion of a meta-analysis conducted by Mara Wierstra from the University of Virginia. Wierstra had requested individual participant data from two separate studies conducted in our lab: "Acute bouts of assisted cycling improves cognitive and upper extremity movement functions in adolescents with Down syndrome" and "Assisted Cycling Therapy (ACT) improves inhibition in adolescents with autism spectrum disorder." From the data requested, the participants were required to complete three separate tests (i.e., Tower of London, Trail Making Task and the Stroop Test). After compiling the data and sending it to her, we decided to conduct a small meta-analysis of our own, drawing connecting conclusions from the data from the two studies. We concluded that observationally our data suggest an advantage for ACT over voluntary cycling and no cycling across two separate populations (i.e., Autism Spectrum Disorder and Down syndrome), and across different measures of executive function (i.e., Stroop Test, Trail Making Test, and Tower of London). The data suggest that the ACT interventions may promote the upregulation of neurotropic factors leading to neurogenesis in the prefrontal cortex of the brain.

ContributorsParker, Cade Joseph (Author) / Ringenbach, Shannon (Thesis director) / Holzapfel, Simon (Committee member) / School of Nutrition and Health Promotion (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)

Created2016-12

A Review of the Information Available to Pregnant Women That may Influence Their Decision to Terminate or not Terminate Fetuses With Trisomy 21

Description

Statistics show that the termination rates for fetuses with Down syndrome are substantially higher compared to the general population. Perhaps pregnant women are led to believe that this is the best option for them. The information that leads them to this conclusion could be one of the leading factors for…

Statistics show that the termination rates for fetuses with Down syndrome are substantially higher compared to the general population. Perhaps pregnant women are led to believe that this is the best option for them. The information that leads them to this conclusion could be one of the leading factors for the high termination rates. In an attempt to understand the reasons behind the high termination rates the following question must be addressed: “What information is available to pregnant women that may influence their decision to terminate or not terminate fetuses with Trisomy 21?” In order to answer this question I completed a comprehensive literature review of the information available to pregnant women in the United States after they find out there fetus has Trisomy 21. The results showed that many sources publish information that is straightforward, factual, and attempts to make sure that pregnant women are fully informed on the reality of life with a child with Down syndrome. However, there are also many sources that publish information that is biased and attempts to influence a woman’s decision of whether to keep or abort her fetus with Trisomy 21. The results from this study suggest that the message conveyed from a given article relies heavily on who is doing the writing, the type of article it is, and were it is published. This provides women with a confusing array of different ideas, as opposed to offering them objective facts and consistent information. When a pregnant woman is told that her fetus is positive for the Trisomy 21 disorder and will be born with Down syndrome, it can be a very scary and emotional time. Women in this situation deserve easy access the correct information in order to help them make an informed decision based on their own choice and not the opinion of someone else.

ContributorsFitzgerald, Grace (Author) / Maienschein, Jane (Thesis director) / Ziganshina, Dina (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / Department of Psychology (Contributor) / School of Molecular Sciences (Contributor)

Created2022-05

Surviving Cervical Cancer: A History of Prevention, Early Detection, and Treatment

Description

Cervical cancer, which many physicians of 2019 consider to be a success in terms of establishing widely used forms of early preventative and diagnostic technologies, experienced a reduction in incidence rates in women by over fifty percent between 1975 and 2016. Cervical cancer does not often present in women with…

Cervical cancer, which many physicians of 2019 consider to be a success in terms of establishing widely used forms of early preventative and diagnostic technologies, experienced a reduction in incidence rates in women by over fifty percent between 1975 and 2016. Cervical cancer does not often present in women with symptoms until it has entered a later stage of the disease. Because of this fact, in the early twentieth century, physicians were often only able to diagnose cervical cancer when either the woman reported complaints or there was a visual confirmation of lesions on the cervix. The symptoms women often reported included vague abdominal pain, bleeding after sex, and abnormal amounts of vaginal discharge, all of which are non-specific symptoms, making it even harder for women to be diagnosed with cervical cancer. This thesis answers the following question: How does the history of cervical cancer show that prevention helps reduce rates of cancer-related deaths among women? By studying the history of cervical cancer, people can understand how a cancer that was once one of the top killers of women in the US has declined to become one of the lowest through the establishment of and effective communication of early prevention and diagnostics, both among the general public and within the medical community itself. This thesis is organized based on key episodes which were pertinent to the history of cervical cancer, primarily within the United States and Europe. The episodes are organized in context of the shifts in thought regarding cervical cancer and include topics such as vaccine technologies like the Gardasil and Cervarix vaccines, social awareness movements that educated women on the importance of early detection, and analyses of the early preventative strategies and attempts at treating cervical cancer. After analyzing eleven key episodes, the thesis determined that, through the narrative of early attempts to treat cervical cancer, shifting the societal thought on cancer, evolving the importance of early detection, and, finally, obtaining a means of prevention, the history of cervical cancer does demonstrate that the development of preventative strategies has resulted in reducing cancer-related deaths among women. Understanding what it took for physicians to evolve from simply detecting cervical cancer to being able to prevent it entirely matters because it can change the way we think about managing other forms of cancer.

ContributorsDarby, Alexis Renee (Co-author) / Darby, Alexis (Co-author) / Maienschein, Jane (Thesis director) / Abboud, Carolina (Committee member) / Ellison, Karin (Committee member) / School of Life Sciences (Contributor, Contributor, Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)

Created2019-05

Fitzgerald Final Project (Spring 2022)

Description

Statistics show that the termination rates for fetuses with Down syndrome are substantially higher compared to the general population. Perhaps pregnant women are led to believe that this is the best option for them. The information that leads them to this conclusion could be one of the leading factors for…

Statistics show that the termination rates for fetuses with Down syndrome are substantially higher compared to the general population. Perhaps pregnant women are led to believe that this is the best option for them. The information that leads them to this conclusion could be one of the leading factors for the high termination rates. In an attempt to understand the reasons behind the high termination rates the following question must be addressed: “What information is available to pregnant women that may influence their decision to terminate or not terminate fetuses with Trisomy 21?” In order to answer this question I completed a comprehensive literature review of the information available to pregnant women in the United States after they find out there fetus has Trisomy 21. The results showed that many sources publish information that is straightforward, factual, and attempts to make sure that pregnant women are fully informed on the reality of life with a child with Down syndrome. However, there are also many sources that publish information that is biased and attempts to influence a woman’s decision of whether to keep or abort her fetus with Trisomy 21. The results from this study suggest that the message conveyed from a given article relies heavily on who is doing the writing, the type of article it is, and were it is published. This provides women with a confusing array of different ideas, as opposed to offering them objective facts and consistent information. When a pregnant woman is told that her fetus is positive for the Trisomy 21 disorder and will be born with Down syndrome, it can be a very scary and emotional time. Women in this situation deserve easy access the correct information in order to help them make an informed decision based on their own choice and not the opinion of someone else.

ContributorsFitzgerald, Grace (Author) / Maienschein, Jane (Thesis director) / Ziganshina, Dina (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / Department of Psychology (Contributor)

Created2022-05

Fitzgerald Thesis Presentation (Spring 2022)

Description

Statistics show that the termination rates for fetuses with Down syndrome are substantially higher compared to the general population. Perhaps pregnant women are led to believe that this is the best option for them. The information that leads them to this conclusion could be one of the leading factors for…

Statistics show that the termination rates for fetuses with Down syndrome are substantially higher compared to the general population. Perhaps pregnant women are led to believe that this is the best option for them. The information that leads them to this conclusion could be one of the leading factors for the high termination rates. In an attempt to understand the reasons behind the high termination rates the following question must be addressed: “What information is available to pregnant women that may influence their decision to terminate or not terminate fetuses with Trisomy 21?” In order to answer this question I completed a comprehensive literature review of the information available to pregnant women in the United States after they find out there fetus has Trisomy 21. The results showed that many sources publish information that is straightforward, factual, and attempts to make sure that pregnant women are fully informed on the reality of life with a child with Down syndrome. However, there are also many sources that publish information that is biased and attempts to influence a woman’s decision of whether to keep or abort her fetus with Trisomy 21. The results from this study suggest that the message conveyed from a given article relies heavily on who is doing the writing, the type of article it is, and were it is published. This provides women with a confusing array of different ideas, as opposed to offering them objective facts and consistent information. When a pregnant woman is told that her fetus is positive for the Trisomy 21 disorder and will be born with Down syndrome, it can be a very scary and emotional time. Women in this situation deserve easy access the correct information in order to help them make an informed decision based on their own choice and not the opinion of someone else.

ContributorsFitzgerald, Grace (Author) / Maienschein, Jane (Thesis director) / Ziganshina, Dina (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / Department of Psychology (Contributor)

Created2022-05

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