Summary Essays (Essay Sample)

Summary Essays Name Institution Course Date Essay 1 Physiological and Subjective Responses to a Novel Version of the Trier Social Stress Test ADDIN ZOTERO_ITEM CSL_CITATION {"citationID":"jJd3mnN3","properties":{"formattedCitation":"(Chevalier et al., 2024)","plainCitation":"(Chevalier et al., 2024)","noteIndex":0},"citationItems":[{"id":486,"uris":["http://zotero.org/users/local/r6h8rKwY/items/RG7DWTXJ"],"itemData":{"id":486,"type":"article-journal","container-title":"Stander Symposium Projects","note":"Context Object: ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fecommons.udayton.edu%2Fstander_posters%2F3543&rft.atitle=Physiological%20and%20Subjective%20Responses%20to%20a%20Novel%20Version%20of%20the%20Trier%20Social%20Stress%20Test&rft.jtitle=Stander%20Symposium%20Projects&rft.date=2024-04-17","title":"Physiological and Subjective Responses to a Novel Version of the Trier Social Stress Test","URL":"https://ecommons.udayton.edu/stander_posters/3543","author":[{"family":"Chevalier","given":"Elizabeth"},{"family":"Hollins","given":"Sophia"},{"family":"Monnig","given":"Stella"}],"issued":{"date-parts":[["2024",4,17]]}}}],"schema":"https://github.com/citation-style-language/schema/raw/master/csl-citation.json"} (Chevalier et al., 2024) The adrenal glands naturally produce a steroid hormone called cortisol with many essential functions in the body. One of the key functions of this hormone is to help the body respond to stress and danger. The autonomous nervous system (ANS) and the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis (HPAA) physiologically respond to stressors by triggering the body to release high levels of cortisol. The Trier Social Stress Test (TSST) is a laboratory procedure that can be used to elevate subjective distress and trigger a cortisol response. Besides the physiological stress response, the TSST also triggers a psychological response, such as anxiety and emotional security. The TSST procedure involves subjecting an individual to a mock job interview to activate the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal stress axis and trigger the release of the stress hormone cortisol. The TSST was used in the current study to induce psychological and physiological stress and investigate how elevated stress levels impact alcohol craving in college-age adults at the University of Dayton. A total of 73 participants were randomly assigned to two groups: a stress group and a no-stress group. The levels of salivary cortisol were measured in both groups. This was done before the TSST procedure (baseline) and post-stress/no-stress TSST procedures. Post-TSST salivary samples were collected 30 minutes after the procedure, and 55 minutes later. The impacts of TSST-induced stress on positive and negative effects, perceived stress, anxiety, emotional insecurity, alcohol craving and patterns, and depressive symptoms were assessed using a self-report questionnaire. Participants in both groups were given 5 minutes to acclimate. For the stress group, the participants were given 5 minutes to prepare a speech and another 5 minutes to deliver the speech on camera. This was followed by completing a 5-minute arithmetic task. For the non-stress group, participants were given 5 minutes of silent reading, followed by another 5-minute reading aloud with a timer. This was followed by completing a 5-minute arithmetic task. The results of the study indicated that there were no statistically significant differences between the stress and no-stress groups with regard to demographics, anxiety, depression, life stress, and alcohol-related responses. In addition, there was no change in anxiety or life stress over time. On the impact of TSST stress, the procedure caused more cortisol change in the stress group than in the no-stress group participants. The assessment of the positive and negative effects post-TSST revealed that the TSST procedure has a lower level of positive effect in both groups. On the other hand, the negative effect of post-TSST stress was higher in the stress group compared to the non-stress group. There was a positive correlation between alcohol craving and alcohol dependence/consequences for participants in the stress group. In terms of the effect of the TSST procedure on alcohol-related measures, there was no statistically significant difference in alcohol craving post-TSST procedure. These results supported the initial hypothesis that TSST-induced stress has a greater negative effect in the stress group than in the non-stress group after the TSST procedure. In conclusion, the TSST procedure is an effective psychosocial lab procedure for inducing stress in humans. The stress group had increased cortisol change across the time points than the no-stress group as expected, with a higher alcohol craving and dependence/consequences. The study not only validates the TSST but also provides an understanding of stress response mechanisms in humans. Understanding how humans respond to stress is important for clinical research and practice when variations of the TSST are tailored to the population of interest for the development of interventions. Essay 2 Identifying Connectivity Deficits Between the Cerebellum and the Thalamus in Down Syndrome ADDIN ZOTERO_ITEM CSL_CITATION {"citationID":"EOLZ7k83","properties":{"formattedCitation":"(Christopher et al., 2024)","plainCitation":"(Christopher et al., 2024)","noteIndex":0},"citationItems":[{"id":485,"uris":["http://zotero.org/users/local/r6h8rKwY/items/WLC8ZXD9"],"itemData":{"id":485,"type":"article-journal","container-title":"Stander Symposium Projects","note":"Context Object: ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fecommons.udayton.edu%2Fstander_posters%2F3469&rft.atitle=Determining%20connectivity%20deficits%20between%20the%20cerebellum%20and%20the%20thalamus%20in%20the%20Ts65Dn%20mouse%20model%20of%20Down%20Syndrome.&rft.jtitle=Stander%20Symposium%20Projects&rft.date=2024-04-17","title":"Determining connectivity deficits between the cerebellum and the thalamus in the Ts65Dn mouse model of Down Syndrome.","URL":"https://ecommons.udayton.edu/stander_posters/3469","author":[{"family":"Christopher","given":"Fleisher"},{"family":"Raza","given":"Aabas Mir"},{"family":"Sathyanesan","given":"Aaron"}],"issued":{"date-parts":[["2024",4,17]]}}}],"schema":"https://github.com/citation-style-language/schema/raw/master/csl-citation.json"} (Christopher et al., 2024) Down Syndrome (DS) is a genetic condition characterized by physical and mental developmental problems. The condition is caused by an extra chromosome 21, leading to behavioral abnormalities in multiple parts of the brain, notably the cerebellum. The cerebellum part of the brain is responsible for motor coordination and motor learning. It is an important part of the cerebellar connectome, which is an intricate network of connections that form during development. In the presence of DS, this part of the brain undergoes altered developmental trajectories. Deficits in the cerebellar connectome can cause dysfunction of the cerebellum and other parts of the brain. Evidence from clinical studies strongly suggests that reduced brain volume and altered cerebellum underline the occurrence of DS. In addition, preclinical studies of the structural and cellular abnormalities in the cerebellum in the Ts65Dn mouse model of DS have shown that altered cerebellum development leads to reduced cerebellar volumes as well as changes at the cellular level, including reduced Purkinje cells and reduced production of granule cells. The mechanisms by which cerebellar behavioral deficits cause DS are clearly understood. Although the sonic hedgehog pathway is thought to play a major role in cerebellar dysfunction in DS, rescuing the Shh signaling pathway does not restore proper motor behavior. The cerebellum projects neural connections to other parts of the brain during its developmental ph...