Rescue of synaptic plasticity and spatial learning deficits in the hippocampus of Homer1 knockout mice by recombinant Adeno-associated viral gene delivery of Homer1c

Homer1 belongs to a family of scaffolding proteins that interact with various post-synaptic density proteins including group I metabotropic glutamate receptors (mGluR1/5). Previous research in our laboratory implicates the Homer1c isoform in spatial learning. Homer1 knockout mice (H1-KO) display cognitive impairments, but their synaptic plasticity properties have not been described. Here, we investigated the role of Homer1 in long-term potentiation (LTP) in the hippocampal CA1 region of H1-KO mice in vitro. We found that late-phase LTP elicited by high frequency stimulation (HFS) was impaired, and that the induction and maintenance of theta burst stimulation (TBS) LTP were reduced in H1-KO. To test the hypothesis that Homer1c was sufficient to rescue these LTP deficits, we delivered Homer1c to the hippocampus of H1-KO using recombinant adeno-associated virus (rAAV). We found that rAAV-Homer1c rescued HFS and TBS-LTP in H1-KO animals. Next, we tested whether the LTP rescue by Homer1c was occurring via mGluR1/5. A selective mGluR5 antagonist, but not an mGluR1 antagonist, blocked the Homer1c-induced recovery of late-LTP, suggesting that Homer1c mediates functional effects on plasticity via mGluR5. To investigate the role of Homer1c in spatial learning, we injected rAAV-Homer1c to the hippocampus of H1-KO. We found that rAAV-Homer1c significantly improved H1-KO performance in the Radial Arm Water Maze. These results point to a significant role for Homer1c in synaptic plasticity and learning.     

Visual illusions and ethnocentrism: exemplars for teaching cross-cultural concepts

This article discusses the origins of cross-cultural interest in two concepts fundamental to psychology students' views of the world: simple visual illusions and ethnocentrism. Although students encounter these ideas in introductory psychology, textbooks rarely describe the nature or origin of cross-cultural knowledge about them. The article presents a brief account of the history of these concepts and relates them to contemporary notions of psychology and culture. Using visual perception and ethnocentrism as examples, the article suggests the importance of teaching that different people see the world in different ways and the role of that lesson in a future demanding increased cross-cultural understanding.     

家庭近乎完美量表中文版的信效度分析

在大学生群体中选取三个样本进行集体施测。选取500名大学生作为样本一,使用家庭近乎完美量表中文版、自尊量表、一般自我效能感量表和Beck抑郁问卷对其施测,对数据进行验证性因素分析、内部一致性信度分析和效标效度分析;六周后在样本一中随机抽取71名大学生作为样本二,使用家庭近乎完美量表对其施测,对数据进行重测信度分析;另选取500名大学生作为样本三,使用家庭近乎完美量表中文版、近乎完美量表修订版的中文修订版和Frost多维完美主义量表对其施测,对数据进行聚合效度和区分效度分析。结果表明,家庭近乎完美量表中文版     

The nature of caregiving in children of a parent with multiple sclerosis from multiple sources and the associations between caregiving activities and youth adjustment overtime

This study explored youth caregiving for a parent with multiple sclerosis (MS) from multiple perspectives, and examined associations between caregiving and child negative (behavioural emotional difficulties, somatisation) and positive (life satisfaction, positive affect, prosocial behaviour) adjustment outcomes overtime. A total of 88 families participated; 85 parents with MS, 55 partners and 130 children completed questionnaires at Time 1. Child caregiving was assessed by the Youth Activities of Caregiving Scale (YACS). Child and parent questionnaire data were collected at Time 1 and child data were collected 12 months later (Time 2). Factor analysis of the child and parent YACS data replicated the four factors (instrumental, social-emotional, personal-intimate, domestic-household care), all of which were psychometrically sound. The YACS factors were related to parental illness and caregiving context variables that reflected increased caregiving demands. The Time 1 instrumental and social-emotional care domains were associated with poorer Time 2 adjustment, whereas personal-intimate was related to better adjustment and domestic-household care was unrelated to adjustment. Children and their parents exhibited highest agreement on personal-intimate, instrumental and total caregiving, and least on domestic-household and social-emotional care. Findings delineate the key dimensions of young caregiving in MS and the differential links between caregiving activities and youth adjustment.     

Comparing Group-Contingency and Individualized Equivalence-Based Instruction to a PowerPoint Lecture to Establish Equivalence Classes of Reinforcement and Punishment Procedures with College Students

The Psychological Record - Equivalence-based instruction (EBI) involves the teaching of socially relevant material (e.g., academic material) with stimulus equivalence procedures. In the research...     

Training Staff to Create Equivalence-Based Instruction Materials in Qualtrics

The Psychological Record - Staff training is an important line of research to ensure that clinicians in the field of applied behavior analysis provide quality services. One approach to providing...     

Effects of Parental Acceptance-Rejection on Children’s Internalizing and Externalizing Behaviors: A Longitudinal,Multicultural Study

Journal of Child and Family Studies - Grounded in Interpersonal Acceptance-Rejection Theory, this study assessed children’s (N?=?1315) perceptions of maternal and paternal...