Greater alcohol intake predicts accelerated brain aging in humans, which mediates the relationship between alcohol intake and behavioral inflexibility.

Background: Hazardous use of alcohol is associated with cognitive-behavioral impairments and accelerated aging. To date, however, accelerated brain aging has not been tested as a mediating factor between alcohol use and associated task-based behavioral deficits, such as behavioral inflexibility. Here, we evaluated hazardous alcohol use as a predictor of machine learning-derived brain aging and tested if this measure accounted for the relationship between hazardous alcohol use and a task-based measure of behavioral flexibility.

Alterations in fear learning as a mechanism linking childhood exposure to violence with PTSD symptoms: a longitudinal study.

Background: Fear learning is a core component of conceptual models of how adverse experiences may influence psychopathology. Specifically, existing theories posit that childhood experiences involving childhood trauma are associated with altered fear learning processes, while experiences involving deprivation are not. Several studies have found altered fear acquisition in youth exposed to trauma, but not deprivation, although the specific patterns have varied across studies.

Inhibitory corticotropin-releasing factor neurons in the dorsomedial prefrontal cortex promote stress-resilient behavior in male rodents.

Adaptive behavior in response to adverse experiences facilitates faster recovery and less time spent engaging in maladaptive behaviors that contribute to psychopathology, including anxiety, depression, and posttraumatic stress disorder. Dysregulation of activity in the prefrontal cortex (PFC) has been implicated in these disorders, with stress further exacerbating these negative effects. Corticotropin-releasing factor is an important regulator of the stress-response system and may have a differential involvement in individuals who are especially susceptible to negative stress-related outcomes.

Resting-state EEG Connectivity in Young Children with ADHD.

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a highly prevalent and impairing neurodevelopmental disorder. While early childhood is a crucial time for early intervention, it is characterized by instability of ADHD diagnosis. Neural correlates of ADHD have potential to improve diagnostic accuracy; however, minimal research has focused on early childhood.

Anterior Vertebral Body Tethering for Adolescent Scoliosis with Growth Remaining: A Retrospective Review of 2 to 5-Year Postoperative Results.

Background: Anterior vertebral body tethering (VBT) is an early treatment option for progressive scoliosis in pediatric patients, allowing for continued deformity correction during normal growth. We report postoperative radiographic and clinical outcomes for patients treated with VBT.

Methods: This clinical and radiographic retrospective review of 31 consecutive patients included an analysis of preoperative, perioperative, and postoperative details, including the Lenke classification; Cobb angle measurements of the proximal thoracic, main thoracic, and lumbar curves; the sagittal profile; and skeletal maturity.

Alterations in neural circuits underlying emotion regulation following child maltreatment: a mechanism underlying trauma-related psychopathology.

Background: Disruptions in neural circuits underlying emotion regulation (ER) may be a mechanism linking child maltreatment with psychopathology. We examined the associations of maltreatment with neural responses during passive viewing of negative emotional stimuli and attempts to modulate emotional responses. We investigated whether the influence of maltreatment on neural activation during ER differed across development and whether alterations in brain function mediated the association between maltreatment and a latent general psychopathology ('p') factor.

EEG power spectral slope differs by ADHD status and stimulant medication exposure in early childhood.

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a common neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by hyperactivity/impulsivity and inattentiveness. Efforts toward the development of a biologically based diagnostic test have identified differences in the EEG power spectrum; most consistently reported is an increased ratio of theta to beta power during resting state in those with the disorder, compared with controls. Current approaches calculate theta/beta ratio using fixed frequency bands, but the observed differences may be confounded by other relevant features of the power spectrum, including shifts in peak oscillation frequency and altered slope or offset of the aperiodic 1/-like component of the power spectrum.

Consistent linear and non-linear responses to invasive electrical brain stimulation across individuals and primate species with implanted electrodes.

Background: Electrical neuromodulation via implanted electrodes is used in treating numerous neurological disorders, yet our knowledge of how different brain regions respond to varying stimulation parameters is sparse.

Objective/hypothesis: We hypothesized that the neural response to electrical stimulation is both region-specific and non-linearly related to amplitude and frequency.

Methods: We examined evoked neural responses following 400 ms trains of 10-400 Hz electrical stimulation ranging from 0.

A neural mass model to predict electrical stimulation evoked responses in human and non-human primate brain.

Objective: Deep brain stimulation (DBS) is a valuable tool for ameliorating drug resistant pathologies such as movement disorders and epilepsy. DBS is also being considered for complex neuro-psychiatric disorders, which are characterized by high variability in symptoms and slow responses that hinder DBS setting optimization. The objective of this work was to develop an in silico platform to examine the effects of electrical stimulation in regions neighboring a stimulated brain region.

Integrating authorities and disciplines into the preparedness-planning process: a study of mental health, public health, and emergency management.

The process of integrating all necessary authorities and disciplines into an organized preparedness plan is complex, and the inclusion of disaster mental health poses specific challenges. The goals of this project were (1) to identify whether state mental health preparedness was included in state public health and emergency management preparedness plans, (2) to document barriers to entry and strategies reportedly used by state authorities in efforts to incorporate reasonable mental health preparedness into existing public health and emergency management preparedness planning, (3) to employ a theory for organizational change to organize and synthesize this information, and (4) to stimulate further discussion and research supporting coordinated preparedness efforts at the state level, particularly those inclusive of mental health. To accomplish these goals we (1) counted the number of state public health preparedness and emergency management plans that either included, mentioned, or omitted a mental health preparedness plan; (2) interviewed key officials from nine representative states for their reports on strategies used in seeking greater inclusion of mental health preparedness in public health and emergency management preparedness planning; and (3) synthesized these results to contribute to the national dialogue on coordinating disaster preparedness, particularly with respect to mental health preparedness.

Co-morbidity in an elderly inpatient population: are the risks of co-existing conditions differentially distributed?

This study examines the distribution of co-morbidity among 167,738 inpatients, aged 65 or more, who experienced an episode of hospitalization during 1999 in short-term institutions that are located in Oklahoma. The analysis was conducted in two phases. In the first, logistic regression analysis was used to examine covariates that separate inpatients who presented at least one secondary diagnosis from those who were not co-morbid.

The influence of financial incentives and racial status on the use of post-hospital care.

This study examines the influence of financial incentives and the racial status of the patient on the use of extended care following an episode of hospitalization. Post-hospital care (PHC) is defined as the services provided by a skilled nursing facility (SNF) or intermediate care facility (ICF) following discharge. The focus of the analysis is on the use or nonuse of PHC, the presence or absence of a delay in transfer to an ICF or SNF and, limited to those who experienced a postponement, the length of the delayed discharge.

Teachers in the aftermath of terrorism: a case study of one New York City school.

Teachers are frequently expected to support children psychologically in the aftermath of mass casualty events, yet they generally have not been trained to do so. This study of a small private school in New York City reports the reactions, needs, and interests in preparedness training among teachers in response to the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. By and large, teachers coped by talking to others and/or a health professional, but felt ill-equipped to intervene with students and expressed substantial need for assistance.

Assessing administrative costs of mental health and substance abuse services.

Increasing competition in the market for mental health and substance abuse MHSA services and the potential to realize significant administrative savings have created an imperative to monitor, evaluate, and control spending on administrative functions. This paper develops a generic model that evaluates spending on administrative personnel by a group of providers. The precision of the model is demonstrated by examining a set of data assembled from five MHSA service providers.

Children's response to terrorism: a critical review of the literature.

The advent of major terrorist assaults has ushered in a sense of insecurity and vulnerability heretofore unknown in the US. There is information about the impact of disasters and trauma on children, but relatively little data on the effects of terrorism. The events of September 11, 2001 have underscored the need to examine this issue.

ERISA preemption and Oklahoma laws on managed care.

The Employee Retirement Income and Security Act of 1974 ("ERISA") affects Oklahoma managed care laws and thus the practice of medicine in complex and important ways. Because ERISA was enacted before managed care became an industry, ERISA's provisions have had unanticipated effects and become controversial. Insurers and managed care organizations have been quite successful in taking advantage of ERISA's preemption provisions to avoid being controlled by state laws, including those that regulate insurance.

Potential canopy influences on the isotopic composition of nitrogen and sulphur in atmospheric deposition.

Isotopic studies of nitrogen and sulphur inputs to plant/soil systems commonly rely on limited published data for the N/N and S/S ratios of nitrate, ammonium and sulphate in rainfall. For systems with well-developed plant canopies, however, inputs of these ions from dry deposition or particulates may be more important than rainfall. The manner in which isotopic fractionation between ions and gases may lead to dry deposition and particulates having N/N or S/S ratios different from those of rainfall is considered.