Mountain Scholar :: Browsing by Author "Davies, Patricia, advisor"

Browsing by Author "Davies, Patricia, advisor"

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Open Access
A neurological approach measuring attentional variations among children with high-functioning autism spectrum disorder, sensory processing difficulties and age-matched peers
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2015) Marshall, Emily A., author; Davies, Patricia, advisor; Gavin, William, committee member; Khetani, Mary, committee member; LaGasse, Ashley Blythe, committee member
Children with high functioning autism (HFA) and children with sensory processing difficulties (SPD) can have challenges processing auditory stimuli, which may contribute to difficulties with performance of everyday tasks. Few studies assess relationships between neurological measures with behavioral attention measures, yet the benefits of doing so are invaluable in understanding the brain and behavior connections in children who have difficulties processing sensory information. Therefore, this study focuses on examining the impact of neurological auditory processing on performance on tasks that require attention among children with HFA, SPD and typically developing (TD) controls. Participants included 20 children with HFA (mean age = 8.94 ± 2.03 years), 9 children with SPD (mean age = 6.57 ± 1.26 years), and 22 TD gender and age-matched peers (mean age = 8.46 ± 2.39 years). Groups were compared according to behavioral assessment of everyday task performance and a neurological paradigm. The Test of Everyday Attention for Children (TEA-Ch) evaluates a child's attention during tasks that correspond with three subtypes of attention, while the orientation and habituation electroencephalography (EEG) paradigm allows for sensory gating and habituation neural processing measurement and analysis. Based on the TEA-Ch scores, children in with HFA and SPD groups had significant differences with attention demands, especially in the domains of control/shift and sustained attention, when compared to the TD group. On the neurological measures, children with HFA displayed similar sensory gating abilities as compared to TD peers, including a reduction of both N1 and N2 amplitudes from tone 1 to tone 2, while children with SPD showed difficulties with sensory gating of N1 amplitudes only. Habituation analysis revealed significantly larger N2 amplitudes at tone 8 when compared to tone 2 among all groups suggesting that habituation does not occur for N2 amplitude among children in all three groups. A significant interaction occurred between tone and group for N1 amplitudes of children with SPD and the control group suggesting that the children in the control group did not habituate but the children in the SPD group did habituate. Analysis of N1 and N2 amplitude responses to tone 1 in a train without a deviant resulted in no significant differences among all three groups. However, while no differences were found between groups for the first tone, for N1 both HFA and TD groups had significant larger amplitude to the deviant tone in the 5th position, as compared to amplitude of brain response to the tone prior to the deviant. Children with SPD also had significantly larger N1 and N2 amplitudes to the deviant tones in the 4th and 5th positions, when compared to the amplitudes to the tone prior to the deviant. SPD and TD groups had an interaction at N2 amplitudes in the train with the deviant in the 4th positions. The SPD group displayed increased amplitudes at N2 to the deviant while TD decreased N2 amplitudes to the deviant. Regression analysis was conducted to assess relationships between the subtests of the TEA-Ch data and the neurological auditory processing phenomena. For the TD group this analysis revealed a strong relationship between attentional control/shift tasks and N2 amplitudes at tone 1 in the series without a deviant. For children with HFA, there was a significant relationship between attentional control/shift tasks and N1 amplitudes at tone 1 in the train without a deviant. Children with SPD also had a relationship between selective attention measures and N1 amplitudes at tone 1 in the train without a deviant. Results suggest that children with HFA, SPD and TD controls have distinct neuronal profiles related to attention. A better understanding of these group differences may help to elucidate the differential impact of auditory processing capacities on task performance in children with disabilities. This knowledge may inform how occupational therapists select therapeutic approaches, scaffold attention demands, and stimulate the adaptive response during interventions focused toward improving everyday task performance.
Embargo
An exploratory cross- case study of parent and teacher perspectives on children's kindergarten experiences following play-based early childhood education
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2024) Fyffe, Lisa Ann, author; Davies, Patricia, advisor; Schmid, Arlene, advisor; Quynn, Kristina, committee member; Jennings, Louise, committee member
Play has been the foundational pedagogical approach to early childhood education dating back to the days of Plato (428-347 B.C.E..) and Socrates (469-399 B.C.E.). Yet recent changes in public policy emphasizing academic content mastery at kindergarten entry threaten the tradition of play as the dominant means of learning for young children enrolled in early childhood education centers. Early childhood professionals argue that pedagogy emphasizing approaches to learning, social relationships, and self-management are essential in preschool, and prepare children for subsequent academic instruction. Parents, fearful that their child will not be ready for kindergarten if they are not exposed to academics early on, place pressure on privately funded early childhood centers to provide academic rigor under the guise of school readiness. The desire for children to develop learning readiness through playing stands in contrast to educational reforms priorities of standardized instruction and measurable academic results to support efficacy in early childhood education programs. Early childhood educators, in response to public policy and parental expectations, may design their preschool curriculum with an academic emphasis, thus disrupting the tradition of play as the dominant means of learning for young children. For play to retain its' importance in early childhood education, research will need to demonstrate how play prepares children for kindergarten. This dissertation explores how children fared in kindergarten following play-based early childhood education at a Reggio-Emilia-inspired preschool. The Reggio Emilia-inspired philosophy of early childhood education emphasizes artistic expression, child-led exploration, engaging environments and collaborative relationships to promote children's curiosity and joyfulness with learning (McNally & Slutsky, 2018). Play-based learning is a pedagogical approach to early childhood education grounded in guided play, where the adult curates a learning context towards an educational goal and the child maintains agency and some degree of freedom to explore and discover while learning (Zosh et al., 2018). Cross-case analysis was used to gain a deep understanding of the experiences of four children navigating kindergarten during the Covid-19-affected 2020-2021 school year. Data included: a series of three 1-hour interviews with four mothers and three kindergarten teachers at the onset, midpoint and conclusion of the school year, field visits during remote learning, and artifact collection including work samples and progress reports. The most substantial findings from this longitudinal study center on three main constructs: school readiness, everyday adaptability, and kindergarten performance, which are each addressed in the three manuscripts included in the dissertation. Finally, I situate my dissertation within the Occupation and Rehabilitative Science framework and conclude my dissertation by describing the implications of this dissertation of occupational therapy practice and future scholarship.
Open Access
Attentional demands do affect amplitudes of N1 and N2 in the sensory gating paradigm in neurotypical adults and children
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2012) Phelan, Shannon E., author; Davies, Patricia, advisor; Gavin, William, committee member; Cleary, Anne, committee member
Past research has shown that N1 and N2 ERP components may be related to attention; however, few studies have measured N1 and N2 amplitudes when attention was manipulated. In this study, two ERP sensory gating paradigms were used in which attention was manipulated by requiring participants either to focus their attention on the auditory stimuli (FA) or to watch a movie that distracted them from the auditory stimuli (SGM). To examine the relationship of N1 and N2 amplitudes to performance on three types of attention (selective, sustained, and control/switch) all participants completed the Test of Everyday Attention for Children (TEA-Ch). Participants were 23 healthy adults aged 20-30 and 20 typically developing children aged 6-10. Across both groups, N1 amplitude was significantly larger for the FA compared to the SGM paradigm, F(1, 36) = 40.62, p < .001, and for the first click compared to the second, F(1, 36) = 40.62, p < .001. Adults showed larger N1 amplitudes compared to children and group main effect approached but did not reach significance, F(1,36) = 3.211, p = .082. Across both groups, N2 amplitude showed a trend for being larger in the SGM compared to the FA paradigm, F(1, 23) = 3.91, p = .06, and the first click was significantly larger than the second, F(1, 23) = 22.38, p < .001. Adults showed a trend for larger N2 amplitudes compared to children although group main effect did not reach significance, F(1,23) = 1.841, p = .188. For N2, significant interactions for paradigm x group, F(1, 23) = 4.12, p = .05, and click x group, F(1, 23) = 5.21, p = .03 were found. Separate regression analyses controlling for group membership revealed that subtest scores from all subsystems on the TEA-Ch were significant predictors of N1 amplitude for click 2 in the FA paradigm only; selective attention and control/switch attention subtest scores were the strongest predictors. Sustained attention and control/switch attention subtest scores of the TEA-Ch significantly predicted N2 amplitudes for click 1 in the FA paradigm only. The results suggest that N1 amplitude increases when attention is directed towards the task for adults and children alike. Alternatively, N2 amplitude shows a trend for increased amplitude when attention is directed away from the stimuli and children respond differently than adults. N1 has shown that it may represent a more global type of attention while N2 may be related to an ability to dismiss information.
Open Access
Effects of universal design for learning instructor training as perceived by students and instructors
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2010) Colgan, Wendy, author; Davies, Patricia, advisor; Schelly, Cathy, advisor; Gingerich, Karla, committee member
Objective: The number and diversity of students enrolling in higher education is increasing; however, persistence and retention rates are still an area that needs attention. Universal Design for Learning is an approach that helps provide the greatest educational access to all students. Providing education and professional development to educators in this area may prove to be beneficial to all students. Method: This quasi-experimental and mixed method design study, examined the change in the implementation of UDL teaching techniques and strategies in college classrooms after UDL instructor training, as perceived by instructors and students. In addition, student perceptions on what promotes an effective teaching and learning environment were examined. UDL questionnaires were designed, tested, redesigned and refined in the first ACCESS project. The questionnaires were used to measure change after UDL training. In the second ACCESS project, ACCESS II staff worked closely with instructors and students of Psychology 100 courses at Colorado State University. Six instructors teaching nine sections of Psychology 100 agreed to participate in the UDL training. At the beginning and end of the semester a total of 1,164 students enrolled in those nine sections and the instructors were administered the UDL questionnaire. Quantitative as well as qualitative data were collected and analyzed using data analysis software including SPSS 18.0 and Atlas ti 6.0. Results: The results of the t-test demonstrated that students as well as instructors reported a significant increase in the use of UDL strategies and techniques after the UDL training. Students reported a significant increase in their instructors’ use of UDL strategies and techniques after the UDL training on 6 of the 28 questions pertaining to UDL principles. All six of these questions had effect sizes representing small to medium change. Instructors also reported a significant increase in their self-perceptions regarding their use of UDL techniques and strategies after the UDL training on 2 of the 27 questions pertaining to UDL principles. Although they did not reach statistical significance, 13 of 27 questions on the instructors’ questionnaire had effect sizes that represent small to larger than typical change from pre to post UDL training. In addition, valuable insight regarding student perceptions on what promotes an effective teaching and learning environment, such as what engages them, and what helps and hinders their learning were obtained. Conclusion: The results of this research are promising and indicate that even just as few as five one-hour sessions of instructor training in the area of Universal Design for Learning (UDL) may increase the amount of UDL techniques and strategies used in the classroom and enhance the learning experiences of all students. The large effect sizes are promising and indicate meaningful change. In addition, techniques and strategies reported by students, in regards to what promotes an effective teaching and learning environment, align with the three principles of UDL: Multiple means of representation, expression and engagement. The increasingly diverse postsecondary population only increases the urgency to leave traditional teaching strategies behind and take on a new pedagogical approach that embraces diversity.
Open Access
Evaluating attention allocation in children to young adults with a single and dual task EEG paradigm
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2019) Cawthorne, Justine, author; Stephens, Jaclyn, advisor; Davies, Patricia, advisor; Fling, Brett, committee member
Objectives. The ability to effectively allocate attentional resources between tasks has implications for participation in activities of daily living (ADLs) and instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs) across the lifespan. Neuroimaging techniques, such as electroencephalography (EEG) can measure cognitive processing with more precision than some behavioral paradigms and can evaluate the neural underpinnings of cognitive processes such as attention. Further, EEG has excellent temporal resolution, as it can measure changes in attention occurring at the neural level in milliseconds. This study's purpose is to understand how neural markers of attention are impacted in neurotypical participants under different task demands (i.e. single versus dual). This study also seeks to understand if attention is different across age under different task demands. Methods. All EEG data were collected for this study using a portable QuickTrace system (Neuroscan (Compumedics USA, 5015 West WT Harris Blvd, Suite E, Charlotte, NC 28269, USA)) from 29 scalp sites according to the 10-20 system. Data from 206 neurotypical participants age 7-25 (M= 13.64 years, SD= 4.21) were analyzed for this study. Each participant completed the novelty oddball paradigm (single task) and novelty dual task paradigm. Three distinct tone types (standard, target, and novel) are used in the novelty oddball (NOD) paradigm. Participants were instructed to press a button with their right index finger in response to the target tone. Participants were instructed to not respond to any other tones. In the novelty dual task (NDT) paradigm, participants continued to respond to target tone and simultaneously viewed numbers displayed on a computer monitor. Participants were instructed to press a button with their left index finger when there were three sequentially-presented odd numbers. Results. P3 amplitude and latency from Fz and Pz scalp sites during target tone presentation were analyzed. There was a negative correlation between participant age and P3 amplitude and latency at both Fz and Pz. There was no main effect of task nor an interaction of task and age on either P3 amplitude or latency at Pz. However, there was a significant main effect of task on P3 amplitude at Fz, as single task amplitudes were smaller than dual task amplitudes. There was also a significant interaction of task and age for P3 amplitude at Fz, demonstrating that the P3 amplitude in response to dual tasks decreased more with increasing participant age than P3 amplitude in response to single tasks. A significant interaction of task and age for latency at Fz was found, demonstrating that the latency of the P3 in response to single tasks decreases more with increasing participant age than the latency in response to dual tasks. Conclusions. These findings suggest that attention changes with age and that dual tasks are more effortful in younger participants compared to older participants. Future directions of this research include exploration of how manipulating the probability of hearing each stimulus affects amplitude and latency of the P3 in a three-tone novelty paradigm. Other future directions include exploration of the effects of differing task demands in populations such as those who may have attention deficits.
Open Access
Examining sensory gating and processing speed in adults with autism using EEG
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2018) Jacoby, Erica C., author; Davies, Patricia, advisor; Stephens, Jaclyn, committee member; LaGasse, Blythe, committee member
Objectives. Most individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) experience sensory deficits in their auditory processing (Tomchek & Dunn, 2007). These deficits can further impact their ability to participate in their physical and social environments. One way to increase understanding of these deficits is through use of electroencephalography (EEG), which measures brain activity in real-time and is able to distinguish brain processes such as sensory processing and the deficits that might be occurring during this process (Davies & Gavin, 2007). This study's purpose is to understand how processing speed and ability to filter out irrelevant stimuli impacts adults with ASD compared to their neurotypical (NT) peers through measurements of latency of prominent brain activity following presentation of an auditory stimulus and sensory gating. This study also analyzed how active and passive attention states impact sensory gating and latency. Methods. 24 adults with autism (M = 23.3 years, SD = 3.8) and 24 neurotypical adults (M = 23.7 years, SD = 3.5) participated in this study. They completed a sensory gating paradigm in both an active and a passive listening condition. In the active condition they were asked to press a button when they heard a single click, and in the passive condition they simply stared at a static image on a screen while the auditory stimuli were presented to them. Results. The results showed that there are no significantly different sensory gating responses between the ASD and NT groups. Individuals with ASD had delayed processing speed as measured through latency as early as 100 milliseconds following an auditory stimulus. Both groups experienced slower processing in the passive condition starting at approximately 200 milliseconds post-stimulus onset. As expected, more gating was observed for both groups in the passive condition at early components, where-as the active condition - which required attention to the stimulus that is usually suppressed in this task - resulted in less gating. In the latest component analyzed, approximately 200 milliseconds post-stimulus, both groups showed more gating in the active attention state, which was the opposite of the expected results, and the possible reason for this unexpected result needs further exploration. Conclusions. These findings suggest that individuals with autism do not have deficits in the ability to filter out irrelevant stimuli, however, they are likely more impacted by delayed processing speeds. Implications for practice include allowing more time to process auditory information for individuals with autism, and using compensatory strategies to influence neural processing speeds and amount of gating in response to auditory stimuli through the use of activity demands to create either passive or active attention states.
Embargo
Investigating the neural mechanisms of rhythmic entrainment and auditory priming using EEG
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2023) Mingils, Susan, author; Davies, Patricia, advisor; Stephens, Jaclyn, advisor; Atler, Karen, committee member; LaGasse, Blythe, committee member
A body of literature on rhythmic entrainment, the synchronization of behaviors to rhythmic stimuli in the environment, shows auditory rhythmic cuing can improve motor performance in neurotypical and clinical populations. This is thought to be driven by underlying communication, i.e., functional connectivity, between auditory and motor brain regions. Surprisingly, some clinical research shows rhythmic entrainment interventions, designed to enhance motor performance, may improve cognitive performance as well. However, it is unclear if improved cognitive performance during rhythmic entrainment reflects changes in functional connectivity. Evidence from cognitive neuroscience suggests rhythmic auditory stimuli may direct attentional resources through the synchronization of certain neural oscillations with the rhythmic pulse. Neural oscillations are repetitive patterns of brain activity which can be measured noninvasively at the scalp using electroencephalography (EEG). Measuring how neural oscillations from spatially distinct brain regions synchronize with each other reflects changes functional connectivity. Before functional connectivity during rhythmic entrainment can be studied, research is first needed to establish connectivity patterns when processing auditory rhythmic stimuli (auditory condition) and during self-paced rhythmic motor performance (motor condition), which was the goal of Study 1. Overall, the results of Study 1 provide evidence that the auditory condition may promote more efficient functional connectivity with increased activation in localized brain regions, while the motor condition may utilize long-range low-frequency neural oscillations to suppress activity in task-irrelevant brain regions to sustain attention. A recent EEG study by our lab compared the neural oscillations of participants who listened to auditory rhythmic stimuli presented for a little over five minutes (auditory-first group) to participants who completed a self-paced rhythmic motor task for about minutes (motor-first group) prior to tapping along to auditory rhythmic cues (rhythmic entrainment condition). One important finding was a greater "priming effect" in the auditory-first group, who showed reduced neural resources needed during rhythmic entrainment compared to the motor-first group. Thus, auditory priming, compared to motor priming, may result in a more efficient use of neural resources during rhythmic entrainment. However, the optimal duration of auditory priming to promote efficient brain and behavior function is unknown. Therefore, the goal of Study 2 was to determine how different durations of auditory priming affect brain efficiency in neurotypical individuals, as measured using EEG. Overall, the results of Study 2 found that a duration of about two minutes may be optimal for auditory processing of rhythmic stimuli. However, more research is needed to confirm if auditory priming reduces neural resources needed during rhythmic entrainment compared to no priming and if auditory priming improves motor performance. Rhythmic entrainment and auditory priming are both important principles of rhythm-based interventions used in rehabilitation. A better understanding of their neural mechanisms in neurotypical individuals provides a necessary foundation for future research examining these processes in clinical populations and as a component of clinical interventions.
Open Access
Phase-locking of gamma and beta in an auditory EEG paradigm and their relationship to self-reported sensory sensitivities
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2013) Phares-Zook, Kelly P., author; Davies, Patricia, advisor; Gavin, William, committee member; Atler, Karen, committee member; Seger, Carol, committee member
Phase-locking factor (PLF), one way to analyze electroencephalography (EEG) data, is the consistency of the brain's response in particular frequency bands to stimuli across multiple trials. Studies in the past have correlated PLF of different brainwave frequencies to behaviors; however, none have looked at the correlation to sensory sensitivities. The objective of the present study was to examine the relationship between PLF and behavioral measures in neurotypical adults. The participants were 38 neurotypical adults aged 18-25. This study involved an auditory paradigm in which three series of eight tones each were presented to the participant while he or she watched a movie. The first series presented eight tones that were identical, the second series presented a deviant tone in the 4th position with the other seven tones identical to the tones presented in the first series, and the third series had a deviant tone presented in the 5th position with the other 7 tones identical to the tones in the first series. These series of tones were presented in pseudorandom fashion while the participants' brainwaves were recorded with an EEG system. To examine the relationship between the consistency of the brain's response to these tones and sensory sensitivities, the participants filled out the Adult/Adolescent Sensory Profile (AASP). It was hypothesized that the PLF value at the onset of the first tone in the series of tones with no deviants would be greater than the subsequent tones in the same series. In the series of tones with no deviants, PLF for gamma (30-50 Hz) for tone 1 was higher than all but one of the PLF responses to subsequent tones. PLF in the beta region (18-30 Hz) in response to tone 1 was higher than the PLF response to all subsequent tones in the series with no deviants. Some, but not all, of these findings reached significance. It was also hypothesized that PLF at the onset of a deviant tone would be greater than PLF at the onset of non-deviant tones 2-8 in the same series. For the series of tones with a deviant in the 4th position, gamma increased from tone 3 to tone 4 for central electrode sites and decreased for frontal electrode sites, although none reached significance. For the series of tones with the deviant in the 5th position, PLF for gamma at tone 5 was greater than at tone 4 for 4/6 electrodes. For the series of tones with a deviant in the 4th position, PLF in the beta region increased from tone 4 to tone 5. For the series of tones with a deviant in the 5th position, PLF in the beta region increased from tone 4 to tone 5 for half of the electrode sites. It was hypothesized that PLF in response to the first tone of a series would not be significantly different from PLF in response to a deviant tone of the same series. PLF in the gamma region did not ever significantly differ from the first tone to the deviant tone. PLF in the beta region did not significantly differ from tone 1 to tone 4 in the series of tones with the deviant in the 4th position, but PLF for tone 1 was significantly higher than PLF for tone 5 for 2/6 electrode sites during the series of tones with the deviant in the 5th position. Lastly, it was hypothesized that individuals who have higher PLF will demonstrate low neurological thresholds as measured by the AASP. Spearman Rho correlations revealed that nearly all significant findings found between PLF and scores on the AASP were positive correlations. Results indicated that better phase-locking in the brain correlates positively with increased sensory sensitivities, as demonstrated by the AASP. Additionally, this study supports prior research indicating that a decrease in PLF does occur from tone 1 to tone 2 when the tones are identical, but questions whether PLF reflects habituation that may occur in response to three or more of the same stimuli.
Open Access
Sensory gating, habituation, and orientation of P50 and N100 event-related potential (ERP) components in neurologically typical adults and links to sensory behaviors
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2013) Greife, Catherine L., author; Davies, Patricia, advisor; Atler, Karen, committee member; Gavin, William, committee member; LaGasse, Ashley B., committee member
This thesis project used a novel electroencephalography (EEG) auditory paradigm, the orientation/habituation paradigm, to understand brain processing in response to multiple auditory stimuli. This paradigm allowed the exploration of several neurological processes within one task: sensory gating, orientation to deviant stimulus, and habituation and dishabituation. Sensory gating has been studied extensively in individuals with neurological disorders (Arnfred & Chen, 2004; Boutros, Belger, Campbell, D'Souza, & Krystal, 1999; Kisley et al., 2003) and there are a few studies that have examined habituation and orientation in individuals with epilepsy or schizophrenia (Rosburg et al., 2004; Rosburg et al., 2006; Viswanathan & Jansen, 2010). The construct of dishabituation, referring to the brain's processing of standard stimuli after the presentation of a deviant stimulus, has not been studied previously. In addition to exploring these neurological phenomena, this project investigated the relationship between brain processing and scores on sensory behavioral inventories, the Adolescent/Adult Sensory Profile (Brown & Dunn, 2002) and the Sensory Gating Inventory (Hetrick, Erickson, & Smith, 2012). Participants were 38 neurologically typical adults (average age 19.6 ±1.46 years). These adults demonstrated significant sensory gating from stimulus 1 to stimulus 2 at all electrode sites (p < .0005). There was also a significant orientation effect of P50 and N100 to the deviant stimuli. There was no habituation of the P50 ERP component over time and there were mixed results regarding whether or not the P50 was dishabituated when a deviant tone was presented. In contrast to the P50, there were significant linear trends found for N100 at four of the five electrode sites, demonstrating habituation. Additionally, when presented with a deviant stimulus in the middle of a series of standard stimuli, N100 was not dishabituated, and in some cases demonstrated significant increase in habituation after the deviant stimulus. These results indicate that there is some sort of cognitive control over the suppression of the N100 amplitude that is not seen for the suppression of P50. Finally, when correlated with sensory behavior tasks, sensory gating of N100 amplitude was significantly associated with Sensation Avoiding on the Adolescent/Adult Sensory Profile (A/ASP) (Brown & Dunn, 2002). Increase in P50 amplitude to the deviant stimulus, reflecting orientation, was significantly negatively correlated with both Over-Inclusion and Fatigue and Stress Vulnerability of the Sensory Gating Inventory (Hetrick, Erickson, & Smith, 2012) and positively with the Sensation Seeking quadrant of the A/ASP. Increase in N100 amplitude to the deviant stimulus, reflecting orientation, was significantly related to the Touch Processing subscale of the A/ASP.
Open Access
Sensory processing characteristics and eating behaviors in preschool children -- an occupational therapy perspective
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2013) Argenti, Melissa, author; Davies, Patricia, advisor; Gavin, William, committee member; Bellows, Laura, committee member; Johnson, Susan, committee member
Childhood obesity is a serious problem in the United States, and early childhood may be a critical time to implement obesity prevention efforts. Understanding a child's eating habits, such as picky-eating and food neophobia, is critical in intervention planning and helping a child develop healthful eating behaviors that lead to nutritionally adequate diets. Yet, to date, there is little research about a child's sensory processing characteristics and how it relates to their eating behaviors. There is currently a research study occurring in Colorado entitled, "A Longitudinal Study to Assess if the Effectiveness of a Preschool Nutrition and Physical Activity Program is sustained in Elementary School" and children's eating behaviors is just one area of data being collected through the means of a Tasting Panel and their parent's report. Through a partnership with this study, the purpose of this research was to understand the relationship on sensory processing characteristics and eating behaviors in preschool children, using caregiver surveys and data from an in-person Tasting Panel completed with preschoolers. This research study also examined the accuracy of a parent's report of their child's behavior in relation to their actual behavior, in addition to examining the reliability in certain sections of the Sensory Profile Caregiver Questionnaire. Finally, this study examined children's oral sensory processing in relationship to other areas of sensory behaviors. Overall, there was a significant relationship between the number of children's food refusals, as measured by the in-person Tasting Panel and two specific sensory processing characteristics ("gags easily" and "craves certain foods"). There was a significant relationship between children's food refusals and their parent's report of food neophobic or picky eating behaviors, demonstrating consistency in parent's report and confirming parental awareness of their child's eating difficulties. Test-retest reliability analyses of the total score for the oral sensory processing questions included in the Sensory Profile Caregiver Questionnaire were not significant, which may have been due to the different contexts that the questions were administered; for time one the questions were included in the Child Feeding Survey and for time two the questions were included in the full Sensory Profile Caregiver Questionnaire. In addition, there was a significant relationship between oral sensory processing and two other domains of sensory processing, the tactile domain and the multisensory domain. This is an important finding for healthcare professionals working with children with oral sensory processing difficulties, as other sensory evaluations may be needed to better treat the child. If parents and healthcare professionals can understand a child's sensory processing behaviors in greater detail, a child may be better served, which ultimately results in life long healthy eating behaviors.
Open Access
Skills to succeed: a questionnaire developed to measure self-advocacy skills before and after intervention in university students
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2010) Mohar, Jayne Gonda, author; Schelly, Catherine, advisor; Davies, Patricia, advisor; DiGregorio, Gaye, committee member; Kuk, Linda, committee member
Objective. Diversity of learners attending post-secondary education is increasing, but students from diverse backgrounds including racial/ethnic minorities, first-generation college students, and students with disabilities continue to graduate at lower rates than their peers. Non-academic skills are an important part of student success in postsecondary education, and self-advocacy is a piece of a non-academic skill set that can lead to greater student retention and increased graduation rates. The purpose of this study was to develop a questionnaire to measure self-advocacy skills in university students and to determine the effectiveness of a self-advocacy intervention. Method: A quasi-experimental, mixed design study was used to determine the quality of a questionnaire to identify self-advocacy skills in college sophomores and the effectiveness of the questionnaire to measure the improvement of self-advocacy skills alter receiving a self-advocacy intervention. A diverse group of 36 students in a Learning Community at Colorado State University were given a questionnaire before the start of fall semester 2009. Students received a self-advocacy intervention to target areas of lower performance based on the pre-intervention questionnaire results and were given a follow-up survey at the end of fall semester. Results: Descriptive statistics indicated that half of the 30 Likert scale questions on the self-advocacy questionnaire did not have ceiling effects. Paired r-tests revealed a significant increase in one self-advocacy area and a decrease in two self-advocacy skill areas. When racial/ethnic groups, first-generation students, and students with disabilities were compared, differences were found in how Asian/Pacific Islander and Hispanic/Latino(a) students answered questions regarding self-advocacy skills. Qualitative data analysis further defined sophomore students’ perceived needs and definitions of self-advocacy. Conclusion: Literature supports that sophomore students often report a decrease in self-efficacy related to their academic experience as they measure their ability or chance for academic success. Students reported a need for increasing motivational and academic skills (test taking, studying) as the top areas for needing improvement. In addition to adding control groups, further refinement of the self-advocacy questionnaire and intervention is required in order to effectively measure and target the student identified self-advocacy needs.
Open Access
The impact of music therapy on sensory gating and attention abilities in children with autism spectrum disorder: a feasibility study
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2017) Berent, Rachel C., author; Davies, Patricia, advisor; Gavin, William, committee member; LaGasse, A. Blythe, committee member
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is characterized by social communication deficits and repetitive behaviors, frequently accompanied by deficits in attentional abilities and atypical processing of sensory information. Sensory gating is an aspect of sensory processing in which redundant sensory information is filtered. These deficits may lead to impaired social and academic functioning. Music therapy has been used to address cognitive, sensory, and motor impairments with neurological causes. This feasibility study looked at whether children with ASD have significantly impaired neurological sensory gating and attentional abilities when compared to typically developing (TD) children. This study also aimed to explore whether music therapy is an effective intervention to address these deficits. Lastly, this study examined potential relationships between neural sensory gating and attentional abilities. Electroencephalography (EEG) and a paired-click paradigm was used to measure neural sensory gating at the P50 and N100 components. The Test of Everyday Attention for Children (TEA-Ch) was used to measure attention abilities across three domains: sustained, selective, and shift/control. A total score of all three sub-domains was calculated to determine overall attentional abilities. In this feasibility study, 7 children ages 5 to 12 participated in 5 weeks of biweekly music therapy delivered by a board-certified music therapist. An age and gender matched group of 7 TD children was used as a control to compare attention and sensory gating abilities to children with ASD at baseline. At baseline, children with ASD demonstrated significantly reduced N100 gating, selective attention, and overall attentional abilities compared to TD peers. Analysis revealed significantly improved selective attentional abilities in the experimental group after music therapy intervention. There were no significant differences in sensory gating at P50 or N100 component. The TD group demonstrated significant correlations between sustained and overall attention with N100 gating at baseline. At baseline, there were no significant correlations between neural sensory gating and attention abilities in the experimental group. After music therapy intervention, children with ASD demonstrated a significant correlation with sustained attention and P50 gating. Further research that utilizes a control group throughout the intervention, with larger sample sizes to attain greater statistical power, and a clearly defined intervention protocol is recommended. Post-hoc power analyses suggest that a sample size of at least n = 18 would ensure adequate statistical power to detect changes in neural sensory gating.
Open Access
The relationship between cognitive functions and occupational performance in children, adults, and adults with attention deficit hyperactivity disorders (ADHD)
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2018) Lin, Mei-Heng, author; Davies, Patricia, advisor; Bielak, Allison, committee member; Gavin, William, committee member; Malcolm, Matthew, committee member
The overarching goal of this dissertation is to explore the relationship between cognitive functions and occupational performance in neurotypical children, neurotypical adults, and adults with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Electroencephalography (EEG)/event-related potential (ERP) techniques were used to measure the neural processes while participants performed a speeded computer-based task for the three studies conducted in this dissertation. The first study examined the test-retest reliability on the amplitudes of two ERP components associated with performance monitoring, the error-related negativity (ERN) and error-positivity (Pe), in 53 neurotypical adults and 118 neurotypical children aged 8-12-year-old. The findings indicated that the test-retest reliability of these measures was moderate for children (rERN = 0.55, rPe = 0.62), and was moderate to strong for adults (rERN = 0.69, rPe = 0.75). Moreover, the adaptive Woody filter was implemented to adjust for the trial-to-trial variation in latency (i.e., latency jitter) when measuring the ERN and Pe amplitudes. The findings showed that adjusting for the latency jitter did not improve the reliability of ERN and Pe amplitudes for both groups, suggesting that the latency variability may be a trait-like variable which systematically occurred across sessions. Furthermore, the test-retest reliability of stimulus-locked ERP components on correct trials was higher compared to the reliability of response-locked ERPs for children and adults, confirming that both children and adults generally attended to the task consistently across sessions. The second study demonstrated the feasibility of utilizing the structural equation modeling (SEM) approach to model the complicated inter-relationship between neural processes and simple task behaviors (e.g., response times) in 143 children with typical development aged 8-12 years. The findings from the latent models indicated that the brain-and-behavior relationships were significant on correct trials but were not significant on incorrect trials after controlling for trait and state factors. Moreover, both models demonstrated different patterns of relationship among latent variables to response time, yet both models yielded excellent model fit indices. This finding suggested that our conceptual models were valid in terms of detecting the distinct patterns of neural processes leading to opposite behavioral outcomes (e.g., correct and incorrect). The final model demonstrated that the post-error adjustment in the stream of neural processes provided an adaptive effect on the early neural processing of the stimulus on correct trials. To our knowledge, this is the first study demonstrating how the post-error adjustment occurs at the level of neural processing. The third study (1) compared the group differences (children, adults, and adults with ADHD) on neural and occupational performance measures, (2) examined the inter-relationship between these measures for each group, and (3) investigated which measures can best differentiate three groups. The findings suggested that adults with ADHD demonstrated significantly lower quality of occupational performance particularly on the motor aspect of the activities of daily living (ADL). Moreover, for neurotypical children, larger ERN amplitudes were associated with lower quality of social interaction. For adults with ADHD, larger N2 amplitude was associated with lower quality of social interaction. Lastly, discriminant analyses demonstrated that the combination of neural and occupational performance measures differentiated children, adults, and adults with ADHD with 93.2% classification accuracy. Taken together, this dissertation demonstrated significant brain-and-behavior relationships especially for neurotypical children and adults with ADHD by relating the neural measures (e.g., ERP components) to behaviors obtained from the computer-based task (e.g., response times), and to the quality of occupational performance (e.g., social interaction and ADL). Moreover, this dissertation demonstrated that having both neural and occupational performance measures is beneficial to obtain a comprehensive understanding of dimensions of maturation and disability.
Open Access
The test of everyday attention for children: a confirmatory factor analysis approach
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2011) Passantino, Deborah, author; Davies, Patricia, advisor; Gavin, William, committee member; Diehl, Manfred, committee member
As the incidence of children diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) continues to grow, the need for objective measures of attentional performance is clearly warranted for evaluating attentional differences and guiding intervention. This study examined the multidimensional nature of attention. Previous research suggests that there may be three types of attention: selective attention, control shift attention, and sustained attention. One hundred and eleven children age six to twelve completed the nine subtests of the Test of Everyday Attention for Children (TEA-Ch, Manly, Robertson, Anderson & Nimmo-Smith, 1999). Using a confirmatory factor analysis approach, this study sought to determine whether a three-factor model, as supported in a prior confirmatory factor analysis study with Australian children (Manly, Nimmo-Smith, Watson, Anderson, Turner, & Robertson, 2001), could be replicated with an American sample, or alternatively if a four factor model, with the addition of divided attention, would better explain the covariance structure of this study's data. An additional objective addressed in this study was whether the three-factor model could be improved by using raw scores while taking the effects of age and gender into account compared the three factor model using scaled scores. A two factor model was also explored due to high correlations between the latent factors in the three factor model. Confirmatory factor analysis indicated that a two-factor model using age-scaled scores best explained the covariance structure in this sample's data, χ2 (26, N=111) = 34.65, p = .120, NFI = .79, NNFI = .89, CFI = .92. Whereas, the three-factor model using age-scaled scores was less desirable, χ2 (24, N=111) = 34.63, p = .074, NFI = .79, NNFI = .86, CFI = .91. Although not as strong as some of the comparative fit indices of the Manly et al. (2001) normative study, overall the indices of fit of this study's two-factor model yielded a better solution than the three-factor model. These results suggest that selective attention and control shift attention may not reflect separate constructs of attention as shown in the Manly, et al. (2001) study. Additionally, the use of age-scaled scores in the three-factor model was superior to raw scores with age and gender controlled, χ2 (24, N=111) = 42.07, p = .013, NFI = .71, NNFI = .75, CFI = .83. Furthermore, the four-factor model using age-scaled scores, χ2 (21, N=111) = 34.25, p = .034, NFI = .79, NNFI = .81, CFI = .89 was also less desirable than the two-factor model using age-scaled scores. Because this study confirms the ability to assess multidimensional aspects of attention, the TEA-Ch may be a valuable tool for practitioners and researchers. However, one possible drawback of the TEA-Ch is the hour required for children to complete its nine subtests. A briefer screening tool of the first four subtests of the TEA-Ch is suggested when time constraints arise. However, further analysis is recommended to determine if the four subtests in the TEA-Ch screening tool are optimal. Thus, additional research is needed with respect to shorter multidimensional assessments of attention to inform intervention and consequently improve the quality of life for children with attentional differences.

Browsing by Author "Davies, Patricia, advisor"

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