Characteristics of Behavioral Assessments and Treatment Formulations.

2006 ◽  
pp. 51-78
Author(s):  
Richard F. Farmer ◽  
Rosmery O. Nelson-Gray
Keyword(s):  
Behavioral Assessments

scholarly journals Protein farnesylation is upregulated in Alzheimer’s human brains and neuron-specific suppression of farnesyltransferase mitigates pathogenic processes in Alzheimer’s model mice

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Angela Jeong ◽  
Shaowu Cheng ◽  
Rui Zhong ◽  
David A. Bennett ◽  
Martin O. Bergö ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Impairment ◽  
Small Gtpases ◽  
Specific Role ◽  
Postmortem Brain ◽  
Effective Prevention ◽  
Postmortem Brain Tissue ◽  
Mtorc1 Signaling ◽  
Behavioral Assessments ◽  
Human Brains

AbstractThe pathogenic mechanisms underlying the development of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) remain elusive and to date there are no effective prevention or treatment for AD. Farnesyltransferase (FT) catalyzes a key posttranslational modification process called farnesylation, in which the isoprenoid farnesyl pyrophosphate is attached to target proteins, facilitating their membrane localization and their interactions with downstream effectors. Farnesylated proteins, including the Ras superfamily of small GTPases, are involved in regulating diverse physiological and pathological processes. Emerging evidence suggests that isoprenoids and farnesylated proteins may play an important role in the pathogenesis of AD. However, the dynamics of FT and protein farnesylation in human brains and the specific role of neuronal FT in the pathogenic progression of AD are not known. Here, using postmortem brain tissue from individuals with no cognitive impairment (NCI), mild cognitive impairment (MCI), or Alzheimer’s dementia, we found that the levels of FT and membrane-associated H-Ras, an exclusively farnesylated protein, and its downstream effector ERK were markedly increased in AD and MCI compared with NCI. To elucidate the specific role of neuronal FT in AD pathogenesis, we generated the transgenic AD model APP/PS1 mice with forebrain neuron-specific FT knockout, followed by a battery of behavioral assessments, biochemical assays, and unbiased transcriptomic analysis. Our results showed that the neuronal FT deletion mitigates memory impairment and amyloid neuropathology in APP/PS1 mice through suppressing amyloid generation and reversing the pathogenic hyperactivation of mTORC1 signaling. These findings suggest that aberrant upregulation of protein farnesylation is an early driving force in the pathogenic cascade of AD and that targeting FT or its downstream signaling pathways presents a viable therapeutic strategy against AD.

Behavior assessment and applications for BRD diagnosis: preweaned dairy calves

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-4
Author(s):  
Catie Cramer ◽  
Theresa L. Ollivett
Keyword(s):  
Clinical Signs ◽  
Sickness Behavior ◽  
Behavioral Changes ◽  
Dairy Calves ◽  
Detection Methods ◽  
Disease Detection ◽  
Test Characteristics ◽  
Behavioral Studies ◽  
Detection Program ◽  
Behavioral Assessments

Abstract Bovine respiratory disease (BRD) is an important disease in dairy calves due to its long-lasting effects. Early identification results in better outcomes for the animal, but producers struggle to identify all calves with BRD. Sickness behavior, or the behavioral changes that accompany illness, has been investigated for its usefulness as a disease detection tool. Behavioral changes associated with BRD include decreased milk intake and drinking speed, depressed attitude, and less likelihood of approaching a novel object or stationary human. Behavioral measurements are useful, as they can be collected automatically or with little financial input. However, one limitation of many BRD behavioral studies includes the use of either lung auscultation or clinical signs as reference methods, which are imperfect. Additionally, external factors may influence the expression of sickness behavior, which can affect if and when behavior can be used to identify calves with BRD. Behavioral measures available to detect BRD lack adequate sensitivity and specificity to be the sole means of disease detection, especially when detection tools, such as calf lung ultrasound, have better test characteristics. However, using behavioral assessments in addition to other detection methods can allow for a robust BRD detection program that can ameliorate the consequences of BRD.

Human behavioral assessments in current research of Parkinson’s disease

2016 ◽  
Vol 68 ◽  
pp. 741-772 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tetsuya Asakawa ◽  
Huan Fang ◽  
Kenji Sugiyama ◽  
Takao Nozaki ◽  
Susumu Kobayashi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Parkinson’S Disease ◽  
Parkinson's Disease ◽  
Behavioral Assessments

Social competence, theory of mind, and executive function in institution-reared Turkish children

2014 ◽  
Vol 39 (6) ◽  
pp. 519-529 ◽  
Author(s):  
Evren Etel ◽  
Bilge Yagmurlu
Keyword(s):  
Executive Function ◽  
Theory Of Mind ◽  
Social Competence ◽  
Mental State ◽  
Cultural Context ◽  
Receptive Language ◽  
Scaling Analysis ◽  
Turkish Children ◽  
The Social ◽  
Behavioral Assessments

This study had two aims. The first aim was to measure mental state understanding in institution-reared children by using a theory of mind (ToM) scale, and to examine the role of cultural context in sequencing of ToM acquisition. The other aim was to investigate ToM in relation to social competence and executive function (EF). Due to its pronounced role in mental state understanding and social interactions, we assessed receptive language as well. The participants were 107 institution-reared children aged 3 to 5 years in Turkey. Two visits were held within 2 days for behavioral assessments. In the first visit, the ToM scale was administered; in the second visit, the child was given the language test and the EF tasks. The social competence scales were completed by the child’s primary care provider in the institution. Guttman scaling analysis revealed that an understanding of diverse beliefs developed earlier than knowledge access, favoring the “individualistic pattern.” The regression analysis showed that EF was a significant predictor of ToM, but neither of them was associated with social competence when age was controlled. Receptive language predicted social competence and EF directly, and ToM indirectly through EF, pointing to the importance of this ability for early development.

Behavioral assessments in Crl:CD®-1 mice

2009 ◽  
Vol 28 (2) ◽  
pp. 128
Author(s):  
Annie Martin ◽  
M. Adamo ◽  
S. Barbeau ◽  
H. Devine ◽  
L. Pouliot ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Behavioral Assessments

What Is Social Inclusion? Insights From Interventions With Youth Across Migration Systems

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 143-151
Author(s):  
Colette Daiute ◽  
Bengi Sullu ◽  
Tünde Kovács-Cerović
Keyword(s):  
Young People ◽  
Social Welfare ◽  
21St Century ◽  
Power Relations ◽  
Social Inclusion ◽  
Sense Making ◽  
21St Century Education ◽  
Behavioral Assessments ◽  
Supportive Interventions ◽  
Migration Systems

Social inclusion is a goal of 21st-century education and social welfare, yet research with violently displaced youth leaves gaps in its meaning. Social inclusion, a societal aim, lacks the perspectives of youth at its center. Given the pressures and power relations involved in learning how young people think and feel about social injustices and the support they need, developmental researchers must find innovative ways to study youth experiences and intentions in relation to environments, especially environments that threaten young lives. Emerging research highlights how displaced youth, peers along their journeys, and adults guiding supportive interventions make audible the meaning of social inclusion. Policy paradigms would benefit from research on sense-making in interventions rather than from emphasizing behavioral assessments and assimilation to local norms, as implied by social inclusion.

Strategic objectives for improving understanding of informant discrepancies in developmental psychopathology research

2013 ◽  
Vol 25 (3) ◽  
pp. 669-682 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andres De Los Reyes
Keyword(s):  
Best Practices ◽  
Developmental Psychopathology ◽  
Research Priorities ◽  
Informant Discrepancies ◽  
Multiple Informants ◽  
Strategic Objectives ◽  
Behavioral Assessments ◽  
Research Findings ◽  
Conducting Research ◽  
Developmental Assessments

AbstractDevelopmental psychopathology researchers and practitioners commonly conduct behavioral assessments using multiple informants' reports (e.g., parents, teachers, practitioners, children, and laboratory observers). These assessments often yield inconsistent conclusions about important questions in developmental psychopathology research, depending on the informant (e.g., psychiatric diagnoses and risk factors of disorder). Researchers have theorized why informant discrepancies exist and advanced methodological models of informant discrepancies. However, over 50 years of empirical data has uncovered little knowledge about these discrepancies beyond that they exist, complicate interpretations of research findings and assessment outcomes in practice, and correlate with some characteristics of the informants providing reports (e.g., demographics and mood levels). Further, recent studies often yield take-home messages about the importance of taking a multi-informant approach to clinical and developmental assessments. Researchers draw these conclusions from their work, despite multi-informant approaches to assessment long being a part of best practices in clinical and developmental assessments. Consequently, developmental psychopathology researchers and practitioners are in dire need of a focused set of research priorities with the key goal of rapidly advancing knowledge about informant discrepancies. In this paper, I discuss these research priorities, review work indicating the feasibility of conducting research addressing these priorities, and specify what researchers and practitioners would gain from studies advancing knowledge about informant discrepancies in developmental psychopathology research.

scholarly journals An ontology to support evidence-based Functional Behavioral Assessments

2015 ◽  
Author(s):  
Davide Taibi ◽  
Giuseppe Chiazzese ◽  
Gianluca Merlo ◽  
Luciano Seta
Keyword(s):  
Functional Assessment ◽  
Data Exchange ◽  
Behavioral Therapy ◽  
Behavioral Assessment ◽  
Open Data ◽  
Comprehensive Overview ◽  
Behavioural Treatment ◽  
Target Behaviour ◽  
Behavioral Assessments ◽  
The Individual

The term Functional Behavioral Assessment (FBA) refers to a set of multiple assessment strategies aimed to identify specific antecedents and consequences that maintain a target behaviour (Du Paul, 1996). In the context of FBA, standards and protocols to support the data exchange between researchers, health professionals and therapist are under-represented. Moreover, there is a need for sharing common actions and assessment practices in order to improve the application of the FBA. To meet these goals, we propose the definition of an FBA ontology as a tool to describe three specific aspects related to individual, behavioural and assessment data in different contexts of everyday life such as school, family and social environments. The individual data include: diagnoses, medications, school information, discipline referrals and other events, thus providing a comprehensive overview of the individuals and the network of support people with specific roles that collaborates on the individual’s care. The behavioural data include the description of an individual´s target behaviour, and information about places and settings in which the behaviour occurs. The assessment gathers structural behavioural data collections, according to systematic direct observation, and in compliance to the ABC model (antecedents, behavior, and consequences) commonly used in the Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) for identifying behavioural functions, and designing intervention plans. This data is relevant in supporting statistical analysis in order to evaluate the efficacy of the behavioural treatments. Moreover, the FBA ontology provides a complete model that enables integration and interlinking with other Linked Open Data datasets and repositories thus supporting the sharing of appropriate resources such as behavioural patterns, effective intervention strategies, and behavioural treatments. Finally, the ontology provides the basis for the designing of software applications to support the functional assessment processes. This ontology has been applied in the framework of the WHAAM (Web Health Application for ADHD Monitoring) project, aimed to promote the FBA approach to the behavioural treatment of ADHD children. References: DuPaul, G. J., & Ervin, R. A. (1996). Functional assessment of behaviors related to attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder: Linking assessment to intervention design. Behavior Therapy, 27(4).

Special Education Evaluation Process

2021 ◽  
pp. 144-150
Author(s):  
Kari Smith ◽  
Sharron Williams
Keyword(s):  
Special Education ◽  
Social Workers ◽  
Evaluation Process ◽  
Federal State ◽  
Education Evaluation ◽  
Behavior Intervention Plans ◽  
Behavioral Assessments ◽  
Eligibility Requirements ◽  
State And Local ◽  
Special Education Process

The school special education evaluation process can be a time of uncertainty for many families. Some families are apprehensive and unaware of the services that can be offered to them and their children. Many are not prepared to contribute ideas or have limited knowledge of possible resources. The chapter lays out how social workers can capitalize on their understanding of systems, mental health, child development, strengths-based perspective, social justice, and equity to best serve these families and their children during this process. The chapter presents an overview of the special education process; fundamental federal, state, and local policies and procedures; eligibility requirements; functional behavioral assessments; behavior intervention plans; and measurable individualized educational program goals. It reviews the essential steps that school social workers must take to ensure a comprehensive process while collaborating within a multidisciplinary team.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document