Current Search:   Ragsdale, Kathleen (x)

View All Items

  • CSV Spreadsheet
(1 - 2 of 2)
Comorbidity of Psychopathy in Schizotypy: Skin Conductance to Affective Pictures
Title
Comorbidity of Psychopathy in Schizotypy: Skin Conductance to Affective Pictures.
Creator
Ragsdale, Kathleen, Bedwell, Jeffrey, Cassisi, Jeffrey, Sims, Valerie, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description
Prior research substantiates a relationship between psychopathy and schizophrenia-spectrum disorders, which has begun to elucidate why some individuals with schizophrenia are violent. Unfortunately, this relationship has been limited to self-report. To objectively corroborate this finding, undergraduate students were recruited from an online screening administration of the Schizotypal Personality Questionnaire. This resulted in 56 participants (52% male) with a mean age of 20.37 (SD = 4.74)...
Show morePrior research substantiates a relationship between psychopathy and schizophrenia-spectrum disorders, which has begun to elucidate why some individuals with schizophrenia are violent. Unfortunately, this relationship has been limited to self-report. To objectively corroborate this finding, undergraduate students were recruited from an online screening administration of the Schizotypal Personality Questionnaire. This resulted in 56 participants (52% male) with a mean age of 20.37 (SD = 4.74) and a wide range of schizotypy scores who participated in the experiment. Following completion of self-report measures, participants viewed 15 pictures (five neutral, five threatening, and five of others in distress) from the International Affective Pictures System while electrodermal activity was recorded from one palm. As expected, all participants exhibited increased peak skin conductance (SC) to both threat and distress pictures compared to neutral pictures; however; no difference was found between threat and distress pictures. Although the self-report relationship was replicated, neither total psychopathy nor total schizotypy were related to any SC variable. Therefore, it does not appear that increased schizotypy was related to a differential SC response to emotional pictures in our sample, even after testing for the potential moderating influence of anxiety and the Self-Centered Impulsivity factor of psychopathy. Total schizotypy was, however, significantly and positively related to the Personality Assessment Inventory Aggression scale (including the subscales of Aggressive Attitude and Physical Aggression) and the total score on the Beck's Anxiety Inventory. Overall findings suggest that despite presence of the comorbidity in this subclinical population, subthreshold levels of both constructs do not relate to a reduced SC response to affective pictures as is seen in clinical psychopathy.
Show less
Date Issued
2012
Identifier
CFE0004426, ucf:49357
Format
Document (PDF)
PURL
http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0004426
The Effect of Traumatic Brain Injury on Exposure Therapy in Veterans with Combat-related Posttraumatic Stress Disorder
Title
The Effect of Traumatic Brain Injury on Exposure Therapy in Veterans with Combat-related Posttraumatic Stress Disorder.
Creator
Ragsdale, Kathleen, Beidel, Deborah, Neer, Sandra, Bowers, Clint, Ni, Liqiang, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description
Veterans of Operation Enduring Freedom, Operation Iraqi Freedom, and Operation New Dawn are presenting for treatment with high rates of combat-related posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and traumatic brain injury (TBI), spurring a need for clinical research on optimal treatment strategies. While exposure therapy has long been supported as an efficacious treatment for combat-related PTSD, some clinicians are hesitant to utilize this treatment for veterans with TBI history due to presumed...
Show moreVeterans of Operation Enduring Freedom, Operation Iraqi Freedom, and Operation New Dawn are presenting for treatment with high rates of combat-related posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and traumatic brain injury (TBI), spurring a need for clinical research on optimal treatment strategies. While exposure therapy has long been supported as an efficacious treatment for combat-related PTSD, some clinicians are hesitant to utilize this treatment for veterans with TBI history due to presumed cognitive deficits that may preclude successful engagement. The purpose of this study was to compare exposure therapy process variables in veterans with PTSD only and veterans with PTSD+TBI. Results suggest that individuals with PTSD+TBI engage successfully in exposure therapy, and do so no differently than individuals with PTSD only. Additional analyses indicated that regardless of TBI status, more severe PTSD was related to longer sessions, more sessions, and slower extinction rate during imaginal exposure. Finally, in a subset of participants, self-report of executive dysfunction did not impact exposure therapy process variables. Overall, findings indicate that exposure therapy should be the first-line treatment for combat-related PTSD regardless of presence of TBI history.
Show less
Date Issued
2015
Identifier
CFE0005868, ucf:50894
Format
Document (PDF)
PURL
http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0005868