Elias Robles

Functional parameters of delay discounting assessment tasks: order of presentation.

Several variants in the methods used to estimate delay discounting (DD) have been associated with within-subject differences in degree of DD. This study compared variants in the order of presentation of reward and delay values during assessment of DD of hypothetical cash. Participants were randomly assigned to one of two groups. For one group, the immediate reward values were presented in Ascending order and for the other, they were presented in Descending order. In addition, all participants completed a DD task with the reward values presented in a Random order. Degree of DD, calculated as area under the curve (AUC), was similar between the Ascending and Descending procedures, and was significantly higher with the Random procedure. Within-subjects AUC were positively correlated. Reaction times within choice trials changed systematically as a function of order of presentation of the immediate rewards, and distance to the indifference point within each delay value. Reaction times appear to parallel the effort involved in making the individual choices. Some procedural variants in the assessment of DD yield differences in behavior during the assessment task that affect the magnitude of the estimated delay discounting. Thus, the absolute magnitude of DD may not be directly comparable between methods.

Sleep Quality and Body Mass Index in College Students: The Role of Sleep Disturbances

Abstract Objective: Obesity and its comorbidities have emerged as a leading public health concern. The aim of this study was to explore the relationship between body mass index (BMI) and sleep patterns, including duration and disturbances. Methods: A convenience sample of 515 college students completed an online survey consisting of the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), and self-reported height and weight to calculate BMI. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed using components of the PSQI as predictors of overweight (BMI ≥ 25). Results: One-third of the participants had BMI ≥ 25, and 51% were poor-quality sleepers (PSQI > 5). Controlling for age and sex, only sleep disturbances were associated with overweight (odds ratio = 1.66, 95% confidence interval [1.08, 2.57]). Conclusions: Sleep disturbances, rather than sleep duration, predicted overweight among young adults; this is consistent with the most recent evidence in the literature. These findings support expanding the scope of wellness programs to promote healthy sleep among students.

Parameters of delay discounting assessment : Number of trials, effort, and sequential effects

Procedural variants in estimating delay discounting (DD) have been shown to yield significant within-subject differences in estimated degree of delay discounting as well as variations in the patterns of choice. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of subject control over the number of trials in a delay discounting task, on degree of delay discounting. Participants were assessed with two computerized DD assessments: the full-length method presented participants with a fixed set of 240 trials, and the abbreviated task, where once participants had shown indifference between the immediate and delayed rewards, the remaining trials for that delay value were omitted. While the full-length and abbreviated methods did not differentially affect patterns of choice or estimated delay discounting, the order of presentation (ascending or descending) of immediate rewards produced differences in each measure: rate of delay discounting was significantly lower when estimated with the descending sequence; a larger proportion of area under the discounting curve was concentrated around the indifference point trial with the descending sequence; and a lower correlation was observed between estimates obtained across methods with the descending sequence.

Delay discounting, impulsiveness, and addiction severity in opioid-dependent patients

Individuals who abuse drugs show higher delay discounting (DD) rate and impulsiveness scores compared with controls; however, it is unclear if DD rate covaries with severity of the addiction or if an individuals discounting rate can be changed by effective substance abuse treatment. This study compared methadone maintenance treatment (MMT) patients (n = 30) who had not used illegal drugs for 2 years with drug-using MMT patients (n = 30) and controls (n = 25) in terms of addiction severity, DD rate, and impulsiveness. Methadone patients abstinent from illegal drugs scored significantly lower on a number of addiction severity measures than the drug-using methadone patients. In addition, both groups of MMT patients showed significantly higher rates of DD and impulsiveness than the control group; however, no differences in DD rate or impulsiveness were found between the groups of patients. Results suggest that DD rate and impulsiveness may not covary with indicators of addiction severity in MMT patients.

Using information technology to reduce asthma disparities in underserved populations: A pilot study

Background. Low health literacy has been identified as an independent predictor of poor asthma control. The Institute of Medicine considers the role of information technology (IT) as critical in providing “safe, effective, patient centered, timely, efficient, and equitable” care with the potential to reduce health disparities in underserved populations. The aim of this study was to design and evaluate an interactive computer-based questionnaire to assess asthma symptoms in children of parents with limited health literacy and/or limited English proficiency. Methods. Volunteer caregivers attending a mobile asthma clinic were randomly assigned to complete the electronic or the paper-and-pencil version of an asthma screening questionnaire (ASQ) in their language of choice (English or Spanish). In the electronic version, a tablet computer was used to present the ASQ questions as video clips and to collect information through the touchscreen. Participants also completed a demographic questionnaire, a brief health literacy questionnaire, and a system usability and satisfaction questionnaire. Reliability of the paper and electronic self-assessments was evaluated by comparing each participants answers to information they provided during a nurse-guided structured interview (gold standard). Results. A total of 48 parents participated in the study, 26 completed the electronic ASQ and 21 the paper-and-pencil form. Thirty-five percent of the children had well-controlled asthma (n = 17). Most participants were Spanish speaking (67%) Hispanic (n = 44) mothers (n = 43) with a median age of 32 years. More than half had ≤8 years of education (n = 25) and earned <

Within-subject differences in degree of delay discounting as a function of order of presentation of hypothetical cash rewards

20,000 per year (n = 27). The median health literacy score was 32 (range 0–36). The correlation between health literacy scores and years of education was significant (ρ = .47, p < .01). Concordance between the electronic ASQ and the nurse interview was significantly higher than concordance between the paper ASQ and the nurse interview (68% versus 54%; p < .01). All parents who completed the electronic questionnaire reported being satisfied; 96% felt comfortable using it, and found it simple to use. Conclusions. By facilitating the assessment of asthma symptoms at manageable cost, interactive information technology tools may help reduce barriers to access due to inadequate levels of English proficiency and health literacy.

Patterns of responding on a balloon analogue task reveal individual differences in overall risk-taking: Choice between guaranteed and uncertain cash

Procedural variants in estimating delay discounting (DD) have been shown to yield significant differences in estimated degree of DD as well as variations in individual patterns of choice. For example, a recent study found significantly different degrees of DD between groups assessed using either an ascending or descending order of presentation of the immediately available rewards. The purpose of this study was to test for within-subject effects of order of presentation of the immediate rewards in a DD task. In a single session, college students (N=29) were asked to complete two DD tasks, one with the immediate rewards presented in ascending order and one in descending order. Consistent with previous results, significantly larger mean area under the discounting curve (AUC) was observed when the descending sequence was used compared to the ascending order of presentation; and the correlation between both measurements was moderate. These results suggest that some DD assessment tasks may be sensitive to contextual variables such as order and range of the reward and delay values.

Asthma and allergy as risk factors for suicidal behavior among young adults

ABSTRACT. We explored the utility of analyzing within- and between-balloon response patterns on a balloon analogue task (BAT) in relation to overall risk scores, and to a choice between a small guaranteed cash reward and an uncertain reward of the same expected value. Young adults (n = 61) played a BAT, and then were offered a choice between

The road from lever-press to GPS

5 in cash and betting to win

La calculadora de escritorio como contador-impresor de eventos

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